The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 178 The Most Beautiful Woman on the Grassland
When Li Xiao led his army to the Naiman Khan's court, he found that there was no one there, and the ground was covered with hoofprints and wheel tracks, a scene of utter devastation.

"They haven't gone far. Chase after them!" Li Xiao shouted in a deep voice.

Three thousand golden-armored soldiers surged forward, pursuing the enemy along the ruts.

The Golden Armor Army consisted entirely of cavalry, lightly armed and simple, while the Khan's troops carried a large amount of supplies and had to drive cattle and sheep, making their movement very slow.

Less than two hours later, the Golden Armor Army's scouts discovered the Khan's large army.

"Brothers, kill them!"

"Capture the Naiman Queen, and everyone will be rewarded."

"Gee~"

Tannu Uriankhai, on the eastern grasslands.

The Khan's forces were moving forward with great effort. In the middle of the procession, a long, winding convoy of carriages and camels stretched as far as the eye could see, carrying all kinds of supplies and tents.

The thousand guards followed sparsely on both sides of the procession, nervously looking around.

Just then, a man wearing a sheepskin coat, with a dark complexion and greasy hair, rode up at full speed on horseback.

He rushed to the middle of the procession, to a luxurious carriage about ten feet square, draped with a thin veil, and called out anxiously:

"Your Highness, the Jinzhou people are catching up."

Upon hearing this, Gu'er quickly lifted the gauze curtain, revealing a beautiful, fair face filled with terror, her eyes blazing with panic.

Looking bewildered, he asked, "What?"

"How did the people from Jinzhou arrive so quickly?"

"How to do?"

Where is General Taksu?

Gurbesu's greatest advantage was her beauty. With the favor of men, she was able to navigate the Khan's court with ease.

But once she lost a man's protection, she was just an ordinary woman.

Faced with this grim situation, my mind was in a mess, and all that remained was anxiety.

"General Taksus has already sent men to intercept the Jinzhou army. He wants you to leave the Khan's court immediately and retreat with the prince towards the Duer River."

Soon, Gu'erbiesu abandoned the others and led a small group of men to retreat in another direction.

During the journey, Taksu arrived with his men, but he was left with only a dozen or so guards.

"Cousin, how is he?"

"Where is the Jinzhou army?" Gu'erbiesu asked anxiously.

But Taksu's face was filled with panic and fear, and he said in a trembling voice, "The Jinzhou army is too terrifying."

"They are simply a bunch of devils."

He originally thought that his thousand cavalrymen would be able to hold off the Jinzhou people for a while, but he did not expect that the guards would be completely wiped out as soon as the two sides made contact.

The Jinzhou soldiers, clad in yellow armor, seemed impervious to swords and spears, and in a few swift moves, they ended the guards' lives.

Of the thousand guards, only a dozen or so remain; the rest have either been killed or surrendered.

"The Great Khan's defeat was not unjust. My Naiman soldiers were no match for the Jinzhou people. It was like throwing an egg against a rock."

"We have absolutely no chance of winning this battle."

In just one skirmish, Taksu's mentality was shattered, and he completely lost the courage to fight again.

Gu'erbiesu's face was also pale, and he asked anxiously, "But, but where else can we go?"

On the grasslands, tribes stand in numerous places, each with its own territory and pastures.

Gu'erbiesu used to be the queen of the Naiman, holding a high position and power, and could go wherever she wanted.

But now, the Naiman army has been defeated, and Queen Gu'erbiesu's status is no longer effective.

If you rashly enter the territory of another tribe, you might find yourself being forced to serve the local chief that very night.

"Where to go?"

A hint of confusion flashed across Taksu's expression, then he shook his head and said with a wry smile, "We can't go anywhere."

Simply because he could already hear the sound of warhorses galloping behind him.

A large contingent of Jinzhou troops is advancing.

Thinking of this, Taksu gritted his teeth and said, "Guerbiesu, let's surrender."

"surrender?"

Gu'erbie Suqiao's face was full of surprise.

“That’s right, surrender.” Taksu nodded emphatically.

"The Khan's army has been defeated, and the Khan has disappeared without a trace."

"Even if the Great Khan manages to escape the pursuit of the Jinzhou army, our Naiman tribe has already suffered a great loss of strength and there is absolutely no possibility of making a comeback."

"The eagle of the grassland has broken its wings and has no hope left."

"The iron hooves of the Jinzhou people will sooner or later trample across this grassland, and they will become the new masters of this place."

"To preserve the glory of our tribe, to let our cattle and sheep continue to graze on the lush grass, and to spare our people from the suffering of war, we have no choice but to bow down to the Jinzhou people."

Taksu quickly approached Gurbesu, his gaze burning: "Gurbesu, you are the most beautiful woman on the grassland. Flowers are ashamed in your presence, and the moon bows its head before you. What man can resist your beauty?"

"As long as you go into the tent of the Grand Marshal of Jinzhou and win his favor."

“Our tribe can continue to take root in this land, just like the drought-resistant saxaul tree, and you can still enjoy the honor of being a queen.”

Hearing Taksu's words, Gurbesu seemed to be persuaded.

She is a woman with a strong sense of power and cannot bear the pain of being brought down to earth. As long as she can remain high above and maintain her noble status, she will not care who her man is.

Moreover, she had heard that the Grand Commander of Jinzhou was not very old, and serving him was better than following that old man, Bai Buhua.

Gu'er, don't be so quick to fall for it.

"But what about Erdun Tsering?"

But Taksu grabbed the child from the carriage. The child looked to be three or four years old and was Gurbesu's son.

"The wolf king of the grassland will kill the cubs of other wolf kings."

“Erdun Tsering cannot be kept.”

“Listen, Gu’er, don’t rush. You’re still young. You’ll have other children in the future.”

“Leave Erdun Tsering to me.”

Hearing the child's cries, Gu'erbiesu burst into tears, her heart aching unbearably.

Just then, the earth trembled violently, and the dull sound of horses' hooves, like rolling thunder, came from afar.

"Boom boom boom!"

The Jinzhou cavalry surged forward like a whirlwind carrying yellow sand.

Countless soldiers of the Armed Police Force, dressed in bright yellow cotton armor, looked like a shimmering golden sea under the sunlight.

Iron hooves flew, and sand waves rose into the air, instantly surrounding Gu'erbiesu and his party.

"Ho ho ho~"

Looking at the golden-armored soldiers, their spears like a forest, their tips gleaming coldly, riding tall warhorses, circling around and constantly closing in on the center, one could sense their imposing presence.

Taksu and the others huddled together tightly, their bodies trembling with fear.

"We've found the Naiman Queen!" Tie Tou shouted.

At this time, almost everyone in the Khan's court had been captured and herded together like livestock.

He was guarded by soldiers wielding long spears and powerful bows, and squatted on the ground, trembling.

"Grand Commander, the count is complete; there are over 12,000 people in total."

"Among them, there were more than 800 guards of the Khan's court, and the rest were the elderly, women and children."

"Furthermore, we also captured three of Taeyang Khan's sons and two uncles, totaling more than one hundred members of the royal family."

This expedition against the Naiman was a resounding success.

Not only did they annihilate the Naiman army, but they also destroyed the Naiman Khanate in one fell swoop.

The only drawback is that the sun has not yet been caught.

"Slay the entire Naiman royal family, and kill all the Khan's guards as well," Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

"As ordered."

The biggest gain this time was undoubtedly the wealth of the Khanate.

The Khan's Court can be seen as the largest tribe of the Naiman, the place with the most gold and silver wealth, and also the tribe with the most cattle and sheep.

In this battle, the Jinzhou army captured more than one hundred large chests of gold and silver treasures, roughly estimated to be worth around tens of thousands of taels of gold.

Moreover, they also have over 500,000 head of cattle and sheep, making them a truly wealthy and powerful household.

Not long after, Tie Tou returned to report.

"Grand Commander, I have already led my men to capture the Naiman Queen Gu'erbiesu and her son Erdunzereng."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao nodded slightly and said, "Send more people to see if he is really the Naiman prince."

Li Xiao had no desire to go through the orphanage of the Zhao family again.

Fortunately, Erdun Tsering was already three or four years old, and many people in the Khan's court must have seen what he looked like.

He summoned a group of people and questioned them separately. If even one person said that it was not Erdun Tsering, Li Xiao would not hesitate to execute the others who were lying, and then search for the real Erdun Tsering.

"As ordered."

Tie Tou nodded emphatically, "Just to be on the safe side, we must carefully examine it."

As soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, night eagerly enveloped the grassland.

The cold wind howled, and the camp erupted in revelry, filled with the screams and groans of Naiman women.

Guerbiesu was sent to Li Xiao's tent.

Having just finished her makeup, her long, black hair cascaded down her back and was tied high with a silver crown inlaid with turquoise. Her face was powdered, giving it a soft glow, and her eyes were slightly upturned, with a hint of crimson at the corners.

She wore a brand-new crimson silk robe, with a silver carved belt tightly binding her slender waist, further highlighting her graceful figure.

They clearly put in a lot of effort to attract Li Xiao.

The candlelight flickered as Li Xiao sat on the tiger-skin chair that once belonged to Taiyang Han, his gaze sweeping over her.

Gu'erbiesu met her gaze, took light steps, and said softly, "This humble servant, Gu'erbiesu, greets the Grand Commander."

Li Xiao gently beckoned, and Gu'er quickly moved to Li Xiao's side, kneeling lightly on the blanket.

Li Xiao reached out, pinched her chin, looked her over carefully for a few moments, a smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded, saying, "Truly worthy of being the most beautiful woman on the grassland."

Gurbesu's skin was snow-white, gleaming in the firelight. He had a three-dimensional face, a high nose bridge, and thin lips, exhibiting distinct Turkic features.

Although she has already given birth, she has a voluptuous and slender figure, possessing both the youthful charm of a young girl and the mature allure of a married woman.

No wonder she was called Daji, a woman who brought disaster to the country and its people.

Historically, it was fought over by Tayang Khan and his sons and brothers before falling into the hands of Temujin, where it was also highly favored.

She is indeed a stunning beauty.

She's comparable to Nie Feng's mother; she'll only become the strongest woman.

"Let's change!"

Li Xiao gave the order, simple and direct, without any nonsense, and he had no intention of discussing feelings with this woman.

After Hutu, who was standing next to him, translated Li Xiao's meaning into Naiman language, he quietly withdrew from the tent and waited outside for instructions.

But Gu'erbiesu struggled to get up, biting his lip tightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in his watery eyes.

The Naiman people consider themselves descendants of the Turks and look down on other ethnic groups. As the Naiman queen, she looked down on those other grassland people who were smelly and reeked of mutton.

But now, she has to use her body to serve this Liao general.

Although Li Xiao was very young and much better than Taiyang Han, she still had some inner conflict.

"What are you doing?"

"Take off!"

Seeing Gu'er's awkward and hesitant manner, Li Xiao was displeased. She was just a prisoner of war, why was she pretending to be so high and mighty?
Hearing Li Xiao's loud shout, Gu'erbie Su's delicate body trembled. Seeing the displeasure on Li Xiao's face, she knew that she could no longer hesitate.

So she slowly began to move. The princess who once held great power and could command the wind and rain in Naiman was now barely clothed and stood in front of Li Xiao like a plaything.

At this moment, Li Xiao felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

He wakes up and holds the power of the world, but he lies drunk on the knees of a beautiful woman.

Since ancient times, this has been the goal pursued by countless heroes and valiant men throughout their lives.

As Genghis Khan said, a man's greatest pleasure is to subdue the rebellious masses, defeat the enemy, seize everything they have, ride their fine horses, and take their beautiful wives and concubines.

Being a tyrant is indeed a very pleasant thing.

"It's a pity that such a beauty was enjoyed by that bastard Bai Buhua. What a waste of her talent."

But it didn't matter. Li Xiao had no intention of taking her into his household; he was only after her beauty and status to satisfy his strong desire to conquer.

If Gu'er Biesu were just an ordinary woman, Li Xiao probably wouldn't be so interested.

At this time, Baibuhua was like a stray dog, being chased and killed by Dahu and Erhu's army.

"How about it?"

"Did you shake them off?"

In a desolate mountain, Bai Buhua sat panting on a large rock and asked in a trembling voice.

After a long chase, he was left with only a dozen or so guards.

The others were either killed or scattered, and even those few who remained were at their last gasp.

"Your Majesty, the Jinzhou army has not pursued us."

“But they will still follow our tracks after dawn,” the captain of the guard said nervously.

Bai Buhua understood this, but he didn't want to admit defeat so easily; he still had a chance to make a comeback.

"We'll reach the Kereit tribe in two more days, and then we'll be safe," Bai Buhua said, stuffing a dry, hard flatbread into his mouth like a starving ghost.

This food, which he usually despised, has now become his life-saving sustenance.

After being chased by the Jinzhou army for several days, the group had long since run out of ammunition and food.

The other guards could only stare longingly at the cake, licking their dry lips and clutching their rumbling stomachs.

"But, once we reach the Kereit tribe, will Wang Khan definitely accept us?"

“Our Naiman tribe and the Kereit tribe have been fighting for so many years, with countless deaths and injuries on both sides. The hatred between us cannot be easily resolved.”

"The captain of the personal guard said in a deep voice."

Upon hearing this, Bai Buhua's expression changed slightly. He glanced at the captain of his personal guard and said in a deep voice, "Although they are enemies, we now have a common enemy with the Kereit tribe."

“The Jinzhou people are ambitious. After they occupied our Naiman tribe, the next one will definitely be the Kereit tribe.”

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; Wang Han will surely help us."

However, the captain of the personal guard had other ideas and gently shook his head, saying, "Great Khan, let's surrender."

Bai Buhua's expression changed drastically. She stared at him with a look of horror and said angrily, "What did you say?"

He never imagined that his trusted confidant would betray him.

"This humble general believes that Wang Han will not help us, but will only use us, or even imprison or kill us."

"Since things are going to be tough anyway, what's wrong with surrendering to Jinzhou?"

"Shut up!" Bai Buhua roared in fury.

"Men, kill him!"

However, after hearing his order, only three or four guards took action; the others either stood behind the captain of the guard or hesitated.

The captain of the guards said coldly, "Kill them."

Subsequently, his personal guards, who were preparing to rebel, killed the three or four guards who were loyal to Baibuqa.

He then looked at the hesitant guards and said, “Over the years, the Khan has favored Consort Gurbesu, indulging in her beauty and spending his days indulging in pleasure with her in the tent, neglecting the affairs of the tribe.”

“Let Guerbiesu and his sister harm loyal and good people and eliminate dissidents.”

"Think about it, everyone. Does the Great Khan still remember the hardships we endured fighting for him in the cold wind? Does he still remember the wounds we sustained while guarding his pastures?"

"Brothers, the Naiman tribe has no future."

"Even if we go to the Kree tribe, we will only become slaves."

"The only course of action now is to follow the trend and submit to the people of Jinzhou."

"With our bravery, we might be able to secure a position in the Jinzhou army and continue to live a wealthy and stable life."

"Moreover, the people of Jinzhou have promised that if the Khan's prisoners are handed over to the Jinzhou army, they will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold and a thousand cattle and sheep."

"With these, why should we worry about not having a good life in the future?"

Upon hearing the captain of the guards' words, the neutral guards wavered and tacitly drew their swords, aiming them at Baibuhua.

The captain is right. Bai Buhua is obsessed with women and favors treacherous officials. He treats his guards like slaves, beating and scolding them at will.

They had long harbored resentment, and today was the perfect opportunity to settle that score.

"You, you guys~"

Seeing that he had been betrayed and abandoned by everyone, Bai Buhua looked terrified and angrily pointed at the guards, so angry that he almost vomited blood.

The next morning, nine guards bound Baibuhua and sent him to the Jinzhou military camp.

"Every cause has its effect. Bai Buhua's favoritism towards treacherous officials and his harsh treatment of his personal guards are now a kind of karmic retribution."

Inside the large tent, Da Hu, dressed in white armor, looked at Bai Buhua kneeling before him and spoke in a calm voice.

"It's a pity that Gu'er Biesu isn't here, otherwise Bai Buhua might have been able to stage a tragic love story at Mawei Post Station," Erhu chuckled.

"Brother Da Bao, dispatch a centurion's cavalry to escort Taiyang Khan back," Da Hu ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Dabao nodded emphatically.

He is the son of Li Xiao's aunt and currently holds the position of commander of a thousand households.

"As for those nine guards?" Da Hu considered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Although their betrayal is despicable."

"But the Jinzhou Army keeps its word."

"We promised that whoever could capture or kill Taeyang Khan would be richly rewarded, and we cannot break our promise."

"Distribute the rewards to the nine guards."

The credibility of the Jinzhou Army is of utmost importance; otherwise, if they lose public trust, who would dare to surrender to the Jinzhou Army?

They were just nine traitors. After being scattered, they were incorporated into the army. If they died in battle, that was their fate.

If someone can survive and achieve meritorious service, then they are a true talent.

The Jinzhou Army was unconventional.

After dealing with the matter of Taiyanghan, Dahu and Erhu cannot return home immediately.

Li Xiao had another important task for them.

"Originally, we made an agreement with the Kereit tribe to attack the Naiman tribe from both the east and the west."

"But now, our army has already annihilated the Naiman army, yet the Kereit tribe has shown no sign of sending troops."

"Perhaps they are amassing troops on the border, preparing to sit back and watch the tigers fight, then take advantage of the chaos." These are Li Xiao's exact words.

Now that the Naiman army had been wiped out, Li Xiao now considered the Naiman territory and population as his own.

The Kreik tribe must not be allowed to interfere.

Therefore, he dispatched two men, Da Hu and Er Hu, to lead the army to continue eastward. If they found that the Kereit tribe was taking advantage of the chaos, they were to launch a severe counterattack.

(End of this chapter)