The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 179 The Beauty Trap: A Disaster for the Country and Its People
The next morning, as the sun rose, its orange-red rays bathed the golden tent.

Gu'erbie woke up from her sleep with a feeling of weakness all over her body, and it was as if she had no feeling below her waist.

After a while, she slowly regained her strength, struggled to get up, picked up her disheveled clothes from the ground, and hurriedly put them on.

Normally, she would be served by maids, but now, she has been forced to sit on the bed of the Grand Commander of Jinzhou.

Even the maids around him had long been divided up by the generals of the Jinzhou army.

After this night, it's probably been eaten up completely, leaving not even a trace.

Sensing the difference in her treatment before and after, a resolute glint flashed in Gurbesu's eyes. She clenched her fists tightly and murmured, "I am the goddess chosen by Ahala, and I am destined to be rich and noble."

Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury and ease, she was absolutely unwilling to be brought down to earth and live a life of poverty.

Therefore, her only chance now lies with Li Xiao.

As long as you please this man and make him happy, you will still be pampered.

Perhaps in the future, Jinzhou can replicate the life of the Naiman period.

Be a woman who wields great power and influences the government.

Just then, the tent flap was suddenly opened, and she, who was not yet fully dressed, frantically covered herself with her clothes.

But when he realized that the person who came was Li Xiao, he instantly relaxed.

Thinking about her wildness last night, a blush crept onto her face, and a wave of shyness washed over her.

"I wonder if the general is satisfied with my service?" Gu'erbie said softly.

She is a smart woman, and she has already made her decision in her heart.

Moreover, at such a beautiful age, she was already somewhat resentful to marry Bai Buhua, an old man.

Although Bai Buhua could give him endless glory and countless riches, her aging body could not provide him with the comfort of masculinity.

For several years of marriage, countless nights were spent with Gu'erbiesu's back to Baibuhua, listening to his tired snoring.

Just last night, after her passionate encounter with Li Xiao, she finally understood what a real man is.

It was Li Xiao who made her understand what true happiness for a woman is.

Having tasted meat, she had no desire to continue enduring the prolonged drought.

Li Xiao sat on the edge of the bed and chuckled, "As expected of the Naiman Queen, she is truly a beauty who brings ruin to the country and its people."

"With you by my side, Bai Buhua's failure was not in vain."

This woman truly lives up to her reputation as the most beautiful woman on the grasslands. Not only is she stunningly beautiful, but she also possesses a remarkable physique.

Gu'erbiesu slowly sat on Li Xiao's lap and said in a charming tone, "Grand Commander, you are a hero of the world. May I ask for a reward?"

She usually uses this trick to deal with sunburn.

Her alluring voice, whenever she speaks, can make Taiyanghan's bones go numb, and he'll agree to anything she asks.

However, this honey trap was completely ineffective against Li Xiao.

He gave a cold laugh and said indifferently, "You can't bear to part with Bai Buhua's little brat?"

"We could have sent you and your child to be reunited."

Upon hearing this, Gu'erbie's face changed drastically.

She thought she had pleased Li Xiao, so she took the opportunity to ask him to spare her son.

But to her surprise, Li Xiao didn't take her seriously at all.

Judging from Li Xiao's tone, Gu'er quickly realized that if she continued speaking, she would probably die just like him.

In a panic, she said, "I am now the Grand Commander's woman, and I am willing to serve the Grand Commander for the rest of my life. I would never dare to have any disloyal thoughts."

“Although Erdun Tsering is my son, the bond between us as mother and son is severed in this life.”

"I dare not plead for him. I only wish to stay by the Grand Commander's side as a concubine, and that will satisfy me."

Although Gu'erbiesu coveted the position of the principal wife, he knew that the chances were slim, so he took the initiative to lower himself and asked to become a concubine.

There's plenty of time in the future. With careful planning, I might be able to regain my former glory as the Queen of the Naiman in Jinzhou.

But Li Xiao really didn't intend to keep her by his side for long; he just wanted something new and to satisfy his desire to conquer.

To be honest, the pleasure he derived from a young woman like Guerbiesu far surpassed that from that from an ordinary young girl.

However, he was not blinded by lust and would not allow such a power-hungry and cunning woman to remain in his room.

There are plenty of women in the world, why be hung up on just one worthless flower?
"Since you are so sincere, then I will grant your request."

"I grant you permission to be my concubine and serve in my quarters," Li Xiao said, nodding.

Concubines were ranked, with the highest being the noble concubine, followed by the maidservant, and the lowest being the servant concubine.

Those who were given away as gifts by the ancient gentry were maids and concubines.

Gu'er Biesu remained silent, his eyes brimming with tears, as if he felt deeply wronged.

She was, after all, the queen of the Naiman Kingdom, but Li Xiao didn't even give her a respectable status, which made her feel very frustrated.

Am I already old and unattractive to men?
Although Gu'erbiesu put on a pitiful appearance, Li Xiao remained unmoved and coldly said, "It seems that the Princess Consort is not very willing?"

Gu'erbiesu trembled, knowing she had no choice, and quickly lowered her head, saying, "As long as I can serve the Grand Commander, what do I care about titles or honors?"

Although the status of concubines was not high, at least they could stay by Li Xiao's side.

Gu'er, don't be so sure of your methods. Sooner or later, you'll be able to make Li Xiao submit to you, just like Bai Buhua did.

Hearing this, Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction, lifted her face, and smiled, "I always like sensible and understanding women. Don't worry, I won't treat you badly."

Gu'er's initial grievance vanished, replaced by a charming voice as she said, "I beg the Grand Commander to show me mercy in the future~"

This seductive demeanor reignited the flames in Li Xiao's heart.

So he grabbed Gu'erbiesu's head and pressed it down, while Hutu retreated outside the tent again, becoming invisible.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you something."

"Bai Buhua has been captured by Bendu's men and is being escorted back."

"At that time, I will take you with me to interrogate Baibuhua."

"After being the Naiman Queen for so many years, you've never seen Baibuhua kneel before you, have you?"

"I will grant your request this time."

Upon hearing this, Gu'erbie Su's eyes widened in shock. After so many years of marriage, there was still a tiny bit of affection left between them.

She also hoped that Baibuhua could escape the pursuit of the Jinzhou army safely, but unfortunately, he was unlucky.

But when Gu'erbiesu thought of Li Xiao saying he would take her to see Bai Buhua one last time, she was filled with shame and indignation at the thought of that scene.

I can only express my gratitude with a whimpering sound.

……

Yudujin Mountain, later known as Hangai Mountain, was called Yanran Mountain in ancient times.

The story of inscribing a stone on Yanran Mountain originated here.

Yudujin Mountain is the geographical boundary between the Naiman and Kereit tribes.

Sangkun, son of Wang Han, is currently leading an army of 20,000 stationed here, ready to attack the Naiman tribe at any time.

However, the first news to arrive was actually about the battle between the Qiyan tribe and the nine-tribe coalition in the eastern part of the grasslands.

The cold wind, carrying sand and gravel, lashed at the felt tent like sharp arrows. Inside, the candlelight flickered, casting eerie shadows on everyone's faces.

A messenger stood before Sangkun, his voice hoarse from a long journey: "The Nine-Tribe Allied Army is formidable, numbering over 60,000."

"The Qiyan tribe was defeated in battle and retreated to the Alanse Great Wall. They sent people to present the Great Khan with generous gifts and request support."

"The Great Khan has led his army out to prepare to attack the nine-tribe coalition from the flank and support the Qiyan tribe's counterattack."

……

Sang Kun reached out and fiddled with the jeweled hilt of his sword at his waist, making a crisp sound.

This powerful figure in the Kereit tribe, who had just turned thirty, was short and stocky, like a boulder that had collapsed from the mountainside. His face was full of fleshy muscles, his thick eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes revealed the ferocity of a wolf king of the grasslands.

Over the years, he has almost never been absent from the Kereit tribe's external campaigns, and has made outstanding military achievements on horseback, and has long been recognized by the Kereit tribe as the next generation of Khan.

Because Wang Khan and Temujin's father were sworn brothers, Sangkun and Temujin also became sworn brothers.

However, Sangkun looked down on his sworn brother, and whenever Temujin was mentioned, a mocking sneer would appear on Sangkun's lips.

In order to consolidate his relationship with the Kereit tribe, Temujin once proposed that his eldest son Jochi marry Sangkun's daughter, while he himself would marry his daughter to Sangkun's son Tusaqa.

But Sang Kun echoed Guan Yu's words, saying, "How can a tiger's daughter be matched with a dog's son?" The marriage ended without a trace.

The rift between the two was like a chasm on the grassland, impossible to mend.

"Hahaha~"

After hearing the messenger's report, Sangkun threw his head back and let out a piercing laugh: "Temujin? That coward who can't even protect his own wife dares to dream of leading his soldiers to defeat the enemy?"

"Back in the day, the Merkits launched a surprise attack, and he watched helplessly as his woman was kidnapped, and she even bore him a son with Merkit blood, hahaha~"

"So incompetent, unable to even protect his own women, how can he defend the territory and lead his soldiers into battle?"

There was a tradition in this era called 'killing the first son'.

This refers to the practice of killing the first child born to a woman who has been abducted, when the true father cannot be identified.

This was done to ensure the purity of the bloodline and to prevent power from falling into the hands of other families.

Therefore, even though he knew that Jochi's bloodline was questionable, Temujin still insisted on recognizing him as his eldest son.

This behavior is seen by many as being a complete sucker, and has become a laughing stock on the grasslands.

"The fact that his Qiyan tribe was repeatedly defeated by the nine-tribe allied forces during this attack is the best proof of his incompetence."

"I think he's like a lone wolf on the grassland. He looks fierce, but he's actually cowardly. When he encounters danger, he'll just tuck his tail between his legs and run away."

Sangkun suddenly grabbed the wine flask and gulped down a large mouthful of mare's milk wine, the liquid flowing freely down his messy beard.

Sitting next to Sangkun was a Kereit general named Bileg Beki.

He was a member of Sangkun's faction and didn't have much affection for Temujin.

This is also why Wang Han sent two people to the Naiman border to command troops.

"Not far south of the Great Wall of Alanse lies the territory of the Jin Dynasty."

"Temujin wanted to use the help of the Jin people to resist Jamukha's allied forces."

“We are warriors of the steppe. Temujin’s actions are tantamount to inviting wolves into the house. How is he any different from those cowards who betray the steppe?” Bileg Beqi said in a deep voice.

“Temujin has probably forgotten how his ancestor Amba Khan was brutally killed by the Jin people,” Sangkun said with a sneer.

This is why he despised Temujin—a two-faced villain. Although he outwardly flattered his father and presented himself as a loyal adopted son, Sangkun knew perfectly well what ambition lay hidden beneath Temujin's honest and kind face.

Therefore, Sangkun kept urging Wang Han to send troops to destroy the Qiyan tribe.

However, Wang Han did not believe his own words and insisted that Temujin still had value.

One day, we will raise a tiger that will turn out to be a menace.

"Your Highness, the Great Khan has already dispatched troops to support the Qiyan tribe, we—" a general said softly.

Sangkun waved his hand impatiently, interrupting, "Hmph! Our mission is against the Naiman and the Liao army on the other side."

"What does Temujin's life or death have to do with us?"

"It would be best to let him fight the nine-tribe coalition to the death, and only when they are both exhausted can my Kereit tribe reap the benefits."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the tent, and a personal guard came in to report: "Your Highness, the scouts who went to the Naiman tribe have returned."

"Let him in," Sangkun shouted.

But his expression changed abruptly after hearing the scout's report.

"what?"

"Defeated?"

Sangkun suddenly stood up, his sword slamming against the table with a clang, startling the candlelight inside the tent, which cast a menacing shadow on the felt tent.

The scout knelt on one knee and said hastily, "This humble general encountered several Naiman soldiers. According to them, the Naiman tribe suffered a complete defeat under the strong attack of the Liao army, and the Khan's army was almost annihilated."

“Buyilu Khan has been killed by the Liao army, and the whereabouts and fate of Taiyang Khan are unknown.”

Upon hearing this, Sang Kun's expression turned serious, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"how is this possible?"

"How could this be?"

"The Naiman army numbered over 30,000 men, and they were defeated by the Liao army just like that?"

Sangkun paced back and forth in the tent, his face filled with disbelief.

The Naiman tribe was once a force that could rival the Kereit tribe, dominating the east and west of the grasslands.

Despite the blows dealt to it by the Liao Dynasty, which greatly diminished its strength, it still retained its formidable power.

Sangkun still couldn't believe that the Liao army had been able to annihilate the Naiman army in a single battle.

After a long while, he suddenly stopped, a fierce glint in his eyes: "I didn't expect the Naiman tribe to be so easily defeated."

"I originally thought they could fight the Jinzhou army to a standstill, so I could reap the benefits."

"If I had known this would happen, my Kereit army should have crossed the Yudujin Mountain directly."

"hateful."

With that, he slammed his fist heavily on the table, splashing wine and wetting the unfolded sheepskin map.

Bileg Bechi, standing to the side, said in a deep voice, "It's not too late now."

"The Liao army has just annihilated the main force of the Naiman army, and its own losses must be considerable."

"Our army can take advantage of the situation and annex the population and grasslands of the eastern Naiman in one fell swoop."

Upon hearing this, Sang Kun's expression turned somber.

Although this move would put the Kreik forces on two fronts and carry great risks, it was not entirely out of the question.

"Alright, send out the troops."

"At the very least, we must take over all the grasslands and people east of the Zabuhan River."

However, little did they know that the Jinzhou army's marching speed was much faster than Sangkun had anticipated.

Da Hu and Er Hu led their army in pursuit of Tayang Khan, and were only two days away from the border of the Kereit tribe.

When the Kereit army began to cross the Yudujin Mountains, the news quickly reached the Jinzhou army.

"Just as my elder brother predicted, the Kereit tribe could no longer sit still."

"The army has crossed Yudujin Mountain and has a strength of about 20,000 men."

"The vanguard has reached the upper reaches of the Dragh River," Da Hu said in a deep voice. This was a message from the scouts of the Third Town.

"Twenty thousand people, we can barely manage," Erhu said coldly.

He had already witnessed the fighting strength of the Naiman army. The soldiers lacked willpower, had a low rate of wearing armor, and their weapons were not sharp. They were far inferior to the Jinzhou army soldiers.

The Kereit and Naiman tribes were both dominant forces on the grasslands, and their strengths should be roughly equal.

Therefore, Erhu believed that the 20,000-strong army of the Kereit tribe was nothing to fear.

"We must not underestimate our enemy," Da Hu said, shaking his head.

"Our two commanders together have less than five thousand men, while the Kereit army is four times the size of ours."

“If our two tribes suffer heavy losses, even if we defeat the Kree tribe, our elder brother will not let us off easily.”

Erhu chuckled: "Of course I know."

"Although we can't take down the entire Kreik army, we can take down his vanguard."

Da Hu nodded slightly: "That's what I think too."

"The rest depends on when my eldest brother arrives."

The two reached an agreement, and then a deep bugle call sounded in the Jinzhou army camp.

Warhorses carried thousands of soldiers as they charged into the vast wilderness.

The Beiteqi tribe was a small tribe under the rule of the Naiman, who lived in the Draga River basin for generations.

On this day, the blood-red setting sun, like a pool of congealed blood, dyed the Drague River crimson.

Countless Kereit soldiers charged into the Beteki camp like hungry wolves, the sounds of clashing metal, the cries of women and children, and the neighing of warhorses mingling together.

The Sun Khan had already mobilized most of his men to fight, although some stragglers had returned one after another.

But their resistance seemed so weak and feeble in the face of the large number of Kereit soldiers.

The battle ended quickly.

Bileg Beki rode atop his tall warhorse, looking down down upon the many elderly, weak, women, and children of the Betek tribe.

He shouted, "The Naiman tribe has been defeated by the Liao people!"

"The Liao people's iron hooves will soon reach the Drag River. I, Bileg Beqi, have come to save you on the orders of the Kereit Khan."

"From now on, you will all be subjects of the Kereit tribe."

“Your men and children have all been killed by the Golden State people.”

“We will select men for you again; they are the strongest warriors of our Kree tribe.”

"You will have the strongest children with them."

Upon hearing this, the women of the Beiteqi tribe looked terrified and trembled.

Meanwhile, the Kereit soldiers on the other side were already impatient.

If the men of the Beteqi tribe were still alive, then Bileg Beteqi would not have been so brutal; instead, he would have tried to win over the Beteqi tribe to fight against the Jinzhou army.

But now, the only thing that Bie Tieqi can use is these women.

Gazing at the setting sun on the horizon, he murmured softly, "Only the Kereit people's horses can gallop freely across every inch of the grassland."

"The Liao people's warhorses should not be in this place."

Soon after, the setting sun was completely swallowed by darkness.

Meanwhile, the most beautiful woman in the Beteqi tribe was being held captive in Bileg Beteqi's tent.

A crazy night.

As the last vestiges of night faded, the frigid winds of the far north howled and surged wildly along the banks of the Dragh River, like enraged wolves.

The camp fell into a deathly silence.

Inside the large tent, Bileg Beqi suddenly opened his eyes. His instincts, honed from years of fighting on horseback, allowed him to sense danger.

A low rumble could be faintly heard in his ears. Although it was very faint, Bileg Beqi looked shocked and angry and pushed the girl next to him away.

He roared, "Enemy attack!"

Soon, the soldiers in the camp were awakened and began to shout and yell.

Scouts also came to report that a large army was approaching the camp, but it was too dark to see the number of troops.

"Is it the Liao army?"

"Damn it!"

Bileg Beqi immediately made a judgment: the Naiman army had been defeated, and the only ones who could be here now were the Jinzhou army.

Bileg Beqi never expected that the Jinzhou army would march so fast. He thought that the two sides would meet near the Zabuhan River, have a small battle, and then maintain a brief peace with the Zabuhan River as the boundary.

However, to everyone's surprise, the Golden State Army had already reached the Dragh River, leaving Bileg Bechi completely unprepared.

The Jinzhou army drew closer, and the neighing of warhorses and the clatter of hooves made the earth tremble slightly.

The soldiers on horseback, dressed in red or white cotton armor, held sharp hook-and-sickle spears that gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

They were like demons who had been killed out of hell, their eyes revealing a cold killing intent.

In front of the Kereit camp, the generals shouted hoarsely, trying to rally the panicked soldiers, but it was too late.

"kill!"

Erhu roared, raised his spear high, and with a flash of cold light, sliced ​​off the head of a nearby Kereit soldier.

With thunderous hooves, countless soldiers of the Jinzhou White Armor Army and Red Armor Army followed closely behind.

They surged into the camp like a tidal wave.

In an instant, shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the clanging of metal mingled together, turning the Kereit camp into a living hell.

Red and white figures moved through the darkness, and wherever they went, the Kereit soldiers were routed, with many abandoning their armor and fleeing in all directions.

When Bileg Beqi saw this, his expression was horrified. A deep sense of fear and powerlessness welled up in his heart, and he roared angrily, "Don't retreat!"

"Move closer to me and hold off the enemy."

　1. This kind of behavior is very common on the grasslands. Once, after conquering a tribe, Temujin ordered his soldiers to watch from a distance, and even forced their husbands and fathers to watch.

　　2. On the grasslands, the son of the Great Khan is definitely not addressed as "Prince" or "Your Highness," but I couldn't find the correct term. Calling him "Taiji" seems too out of place. If anyone knows, please let me know so I can correct it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)