The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 185 The Kreik Tribe's Plea for Peace, the Treaty of Drag

The intelligence from Dongdu only reported two things.

Xiao Helun fell into the ice cave.

As a result of this shock, Xiao Simo's health deteriorated further, to the point where he was bedridden.

The intelligence report did not mention any specific details or what happened to the two afterwards.

The main reason is that the spies Li Xiao planted were of too low a level to obtain that kind of important intelligence.

Although it was only two short lines, Li Xiao read it over and over again, and only put it down after a long while.

At this moment, his gaze was solemn, his expression thoughtful, and he thought to himself, "Yelü Zhilugu is really ruthless!"

"They actually attacked an eight-year-old boy."

"It hit the very weak spot of Dongdu."

Even if Li Xiao wasn't there at the time, from an outsider's perspective, Xiao Helun's fall into the water was likely intentionally caused.

The biggest beneficiary was Wang Ting.

However, it's also possible that someone else did it, but it's certain that Wang Ting was involved.

"Xiao Simo is seriously ill and cannot get out of bed. Xiao Helun's condition is unknown, but even if he is safe and sound, he is not capable of taking on important responsibilities."

"It would be extremely difficult for Shulu Wujin, a woman alone, to control the overall situation."

"In this way, the Eastern Capital will be powerless, and the royal court can take advantage of the situation."

What should Li Xiao do in this situation?
"Stay on schedule."

"It's better to stay still than to act," Li Xiao murmured, his eyes hardening.

The situation in Dongdu is unknown. If Xiao Simo is already dead, that's fine. But if he is not, anyone who dares to make a move at this time will be in trouble.

Just pretend you don't know anything about it and proceed as planned.

But some preparations should also be made privately.

Having made up his mind, Li Xiao turned to look at Ning Lingge beside him and said in a calm voice, "Come here."

Yes, yes.

Ning Lingge, looking timid, moved his trembling body on his knees and carefully approached Li Xiao.

At this moment, the sounds of whipping and Toregona's screams could be heard outside the tent.

Ning Lingge was so frightened that his face turned pale and his body trembled uncontrollably.

“Ningling, although you are the younger sister, you are more sensible and well-behaved than your older sister.”

"Just do your duty, and Bendu will continue to pamper you as always," Li Xiao said softly, pinching her cheek.

"Yes, yes, Grand Commander, this servant will be obedient," Ning Lingge said in a trembling voice.

Then he even voluntarily crawled under the low table and began to work diligently.

Three days later, the Jinzhou army escorting the Kereit troops' supplies and prisoners arrived at the camp.

There were more than 5,000 prisoners of war, the vast majority of whom were young women.

The more than 100,000 cattle and sheep were managed by these 5,000 prisoners of war and driven here along the way.

The Jinzhou army only needed to use whips and swords to manage these prisoners of war and warhorses to maintain stable control over the entire massive force.

Accompanying the escort team were four envoys, including Jochi, who appeared exhausted both physically and mentally from the long journey.

"We're finally here!"

Erkehra said excitedly, riding on a thin old horse that looked as if it might collapse under the weight at any moment.

He gazed at the Jinzhou army camp in the distance, where the sun and moon battle flags fluttered, and tears welled up in his eyes.

His journey was so difficult!

"General Zhao, when can we meet the Grand Commander?" Erkehra asked Zhao Dabao.

He just wanted to end the negotiations as soon as possible, return to the Khan's court immediately, crawl into his warm tent, and then summon a dozen beauties to enjoy himself.

I'll never come to this awful place again.

"Wait!"

"We'll see when the Grand Commander is willing to see you," Zhao Dabao sneered, giving them no friendly look.

If it weren't for these guys, he would still be plundering and living a carefree life in the Kereit tribe.

Simple tasks like escorting prisoners of war were simply not his responsibility.

When Li Xiao learned of the delegation's arrival, he simply said, "I know."

In the following days, Erkehra and the others continued to be held with the prisoners of war, only their treatment was slightly better.

But she became anxious because she couldn't see Li Xiao for a long time.

On the fifth day, the tent flap was lifted, and Zhao Dabao walked in. Seeing the four of them looking dejected, he said coldly, "Let's go, the Grand Commander wants to see you."

Erkehala breathed a sigh of relief, but then asked with difficulty, "General Zhao, may we wash up?"

These days, they've been imprisoned here, smelling terrible, which is really unseemly for official negotiating envoys.

But Zhao Dabao just sneered: "Do barbarians from the grasslands even know how to groom themselves?"

"You've got too much to do. Never mind, just go."

The four were then taken to the center of the camp.

What comes into view is a magnificent golden tent, shining brightly in the sunlight.

Two squads of cavalry stood in neat rows in front of the tent, wearing yellow cotton armor with red trim, holding hook-and-sickle spears, their eyes blazing as they stared intently at the four men.

Silence reigned, yet the air was thick with the oppressive, terrifying atmosphere of an approaching storm.

Erkehala took a deep breath and thought to himself, the Liao army's power is indeed well-deserved. The guards in front of this tent alone are enough to make one tremble with fear.

No wonder they were able to wipe out the Naiman tribe in one battle.

On the contrary, Jochi, young and impetuous, snorted disdainfully and said in a low voice, "Just a show of force, a clumsy tactic."

"Even the Grand Commander of Jinzhou is nothing special."

"Jochi, shut up," Erkehra shouted in a deep voice.

He already regretted bringing that brat Jochi along. What a load of rubbish about training; Temujin had really made him cause trouble.

What I fear most is that he speaks without restraint and angers the Jinzhou army.

The strategy of avoiding direct combat between two armies was clearly not very effective against the Jinzhou army.

If they were killed by the Jinzhou army, they wouldn't even have time to cry.

The four then stepped into the tent, where they saw several Jinzhou army generals sitting on both sides, all wearing armor made of cloth, but in different colors.

They stood ramrod straight, their faces cold and stern as they stared at the four men, exuding an aura of seasoned veterans.

But what shocked Erkehra the most was the young general sitting at the head of the table.

His face was resolute, with strong features, and his eyes were deep and sharp, as if they could see through everything.

He has short hair, only about an inch long, which is clean and neat, adding to his bold and heroic spirit.

Wearing a gold-based cotton armor with red trim, the armor is embroidered with delicate silk threads depicting the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, exuding an air of majesty and grandeur.

At this moment, Erkehala's eyes widened, his heart filled with surprise and doubt. This was Li Xiao, the Grand Commander of Jinzhou?

The Liao general who annihilated the Naiman tribe with swift and decisive action and then routed the Sangkun army on the battlefield.
In Erkehra’s imagination, such a man with such outstanding military achievements must be a calm, experienced, and mature man who has experienced many vicissitudes, and should be at least around thirty years old.

But the Li Xiao in front of him looked to be about the same age as Jochi beside him. His youth was a huge surprise to him.

Li Xiao sat at the head of the table, taking in the changes in the expressions of the four people. He spoke slowly and deliberately, "Envoys from afar, you must have had a long journey."

"I just wonder, what kind of sincerity did the Kereit tribe bring with them on this trip?"

The deep voice echoed within the tent, carrying an irresistible sense of oppression.

Erkehra composed himself and stood in the tent, saying loudly, "It's alright for us to suffer a little, but it's my delegation's guards who were all killed by the soldiers under the Grand Commander."

As the saying goes, "When two countries are at war, they should not kill the envoys."

The next second, Li Xiao raised his hand to interrupt him, chuckling, "We Jinzhou people are barbarians, we act crudely and don't understand any grand principles. We only know that the knife should fall on the enemy."

"Anyone who dares to bare their teeth at us, we'll slaughter them until the blood flows like a river."

Li Xiao leaned forward slightly, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he stared directly at Erkehela: "The fact that your delegation's guards were killed is simply their bad luck; they ran into the blade of my Jinzhou army."

"If you're only here today to seek justice for them, then please go back."

"I can't give you justice."

"Do not waste my time here, and do not try to hinder my Jinzhou army's grand plan to continue its eastward expedition."

Hearing that the Liao army really wanted to continue its eastward expedition, Erkehra's mood worsened.

These Liao barbarians are insatiable; they really came for the Kereit tribe.

However, the main force of the Kereit tribe was in Kuoyitian. If the Liao army continued to plunder, who knows what kind of ravages the people of the Kereit tribe would suffer.

It could even affect the morale of Kuo Yitian's soldiers.

So he decided to stop beating around the bush with Li Xiao and said directly, "Grand Commander, I have come here today with Wang Han's sincerity."

“Our Kereit tribe and the Liao Kingdom have been friendly states for many years. Moreover, Wang Khan once made an agreement with the Grand Commander to jointly attack the Naiman tribe. We are truly allies.”

"This war was entirely Sangkun's own doing. When Lord Wang Han found out, he was furious and severely reprimanded Sangkun for his actions."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao looked as if he had suddenly realized something: "I had completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it."

"Wang Han had also made an agreement with Bendu to jointly attack the Naiman tribe."

"But why is it only my Jinzhou army that has mobilized, and why are your Kereit troops nowhere to be seen?"

Is Wang Han toying with Bendu?

Li Xiao's tone gradually became more forceful, full of accusation.

Erkehra and his companions had already discussed these potential questions on the way.

He then calmly explained, "Grand Commander, please calm down. There is more to this than meets the eye."

"At that time, Wang Han had already organized his troops and was preparing to go on an expedition with the Grand Commander."

"But just as the troops were about to be dispatched, Wang Han suddenly fell ill with a sudden illness. He went to fetch a doctor from the Jin Kingdom, and it took a great deal of effort to cure him."

"At that time, Wang Han specifically instructed that someone must be sent to deliver the message to the Grand Commander at full speed. However, the journey was long and the messenger could not arrive in time, which caused such a big misunderstanding."

As he spoke, he stole glances at Li Xiao's face. Seeing that Li Xiao's expression remained cold and had not softened, he became even more uneasy.

At this time, the main force of the Kereit tribe was still in Kuoyitian, leaving the Kereit tribe's defenses vulnerable.

But this situation must not be known to Li Xiao, otherwise the Jinzhou army would be even less likely to agree to peace talks.

So, the group discussed it on the way and came up with this rather unreliable reason.

"Wang Han is sick? Heh!" Li Xiao sneered.

Then his expression turned cold, and he roared:

"It's clear that Jamukha assembled a nine-tribe coalition and launched an attack on the Kereit and Kiyan tribes." "Right now, the situation for Wang Khan and Temujin in Koyitian is not optimistic, is it?"

The Battle of Kuoyitian in history probably broke out during this period.

Moreover, through interrogating the captured generals of the Kereit tribe, Li Xiao was able to deduce the movements of the main force of the Kereit tribe.

The Kreik tribe couldn't fool him.

As expected, Erkehra and the others' expressions changed drastically upon hearing Li Xiao's words.

They originally wanted to conceal the battle situation in the eastern grasslands to avoid being taken advantage of by the Liao army, but they did not expect that Li Xiao already knew about it.

This is terrible.

Erkehra's face instantly turned bitter.

Leaving aside whether the Liao army would be willing to retreat after learning that the Kereit tribe was attacked from both sides, even if they did retreat, the Kereit tribe would definitely suffer heavy losses.

“My Jinzhou and the Kereit tribe are allies and brothers. How could I, the capital, not express my support when Wang Han is besieged by Jamukha’s army?” Li Xiao said calmly.

"In a few days, I will personally lead my Jinzhou army to Kuoyitian to assist in the battle and will surely help the Kereit tribe defeat the nine-tribe coalition."

Upon hearing this, Erkehala and the others' expressions changed instantly. They exchanged glances, and could see the anxiety on each other's faces.

"Thank you for your concern, Grand Commander," said Deputy Envoy Kui Timur, stepping forward with a smile.

"However, the situation in Kuoyitian is not so bad. My Kereit army has gained an absolute advantage over the Nine Tribes Alliance. Perhaps as we are talking, the Nine Tribes Alliance has already been defeated by us."

"Moreover, at the beginning of the war, Wang Han had already informed the Jin ruler that the Jin army had marched north to the grasslands to help my Kereit tribe eliminate the nine-tribe coalition."

The story about the Jin Dynasty is, of course, completely fabricated.

The Kereit tribe would not invite the main Jin army to march north to the grasslands unless they were driven to desperation.

It was purely to use the Jin Dynasty to scare Li Xiao.

Tell Li Xiao not to think that just because the main force of the Kereit troops went to Kuoyitian, the Jinzhou army can act with impunity.

If you anger the Kereit tribe, they will directly summon the Jin people to wipe out your Liao army.

The Western Liao wanted to restore its kingdom and return to the Central Plains, while the Jin Dynasty wanted to eliminate the Western Liao completely.

Historically, both countries have launched expeditions against each other, but due to geographical constraints, they all turned back halfway, and the two armies have never met.

"I've heard that the Jin Dynasty's Iron Pagoda is unparalleled in the world, a top-tier heavy cavalry force."

"The three thousand Black Armored Soldiers under my command are all heavily armored and have long wanted to experience the power of the Iron Pagoda."

Li Xiao's tone was calm, yet it subtly revealed an overbearing arrogance that suggested he was the only one worthy of the title.

"However, before we engage the Iron Pagoda, our Jinzhou soldiers will first visit the Kereit tribe."

"I'm sure the hospitable herders there will generously offer up herds of cattle and sheep, mountains of gold and silver, and beautiful women to warmly welcome my soldiers from Jinzhou."

Li Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, a glint of something unfathomable flashing in them, and a slightly playful smile curved his lips.

"Two envoys, are you both correct?"

Jochi, who was standing to the side, was already furious after hearing these conversations. He couldn't help but say, "If the Grand Commander insists on attacking the Kereit tribe..."

"Then our Qiyan and Kereit tribes have no choice but to fight to the death."

"I'd rather die by the sword than be a slave dog."

"I believe that the Liao army under the Grand Commander will not have an easy time at that time either."

Upon hearing Jochi's words, Erkeqara immediately scolded, "Jochi, shut up."

He then hurriedly apologized to Li Xiao, saying, "Please forgive me, Grand Commander."

"Young people are naive and their words should not be taken seriously."

However, it must be said that Jochi's desperate words once again gave the Kereit tribe an extra bargaining chip.

If the Jinzhou army insists on continuing its attack on the Kereit tribe, then the Kereit tribe will fight to the death and will not let the Jinzhou army get away with it.

In that case, both sides would suffer heavy losses, which would only benefit the Jin Dynasty.

Deputy Envoy Kui Timur quickly seized the opportunity to say, "The main reason Wang Khan sent us here is to rebuild relations with your country and resolve misunderstandings. We hope that the Grand Commander will withdraw his troops to prevent further bloodshed on the grasslands."

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud 'bang' suddenly rang out from inside the tent.

Zhao Dabao slammed his hand on the table and stood up, glaring angrily at the group, and snorted.

"retreat?"

"We must not retreat."

Then, his gaze turned to Li Xiao: "Grand Commander, because of the Kereit tribe's breach of promise, my Jinzhou army is forced to fight the Naiman army alone."

"If we retreat now, how can we face the brothers who have died or been wounded?"

"Moreover, the Kereit army has already fought against our army once, and they are truly the enemy of Jinzhou."

After Zhao Dabao finished speaking, the other generals in the tent stood up one after another and said indignantly, "That's right, Commander Zhao is right."

"We must not retreat."

"We must continue the fight, all the way to the Kereit Khanate."

"Wipe out the Kereit tribe."

"Make a chamber pot out of Wang Han's head."

Li Xiao laughed, pointed at Zhao Dabao and the others, and said to Erkehela, "You saw it too, none of them wanted to retreat."

"But I simply cannot explain this to my soldiers in Jinzhou."

Upon hearing this, the shrewd and experienced Erkehra immediately sensed hope and quickly said, "As long as the Grand Commander can withdraw his troops, my Kereit tribe can compensate the Liao soldiers who died in battle."

In fact, not only was the Kereit tribe unable to bear the consequences of the war, but Li Xiao was also no longer prepared to continue fighting.

The first reason was the news that came from Dongdu.

Li Xiao had a premonition that something big was bound to happen in Dongdu in the next few months.

At this critical moment, Li Xiao was absolutely unwilling for the Jinzhou army to become bogged down in a war with the Kereit tribe and unable to extricate itself.

On the other hand, the Jinzhou army had just captured the territory of the Naiman people.

It will take time to integrate the resources of the Naiman people and to relocate some of the Jinzhou people to Naiman territory.

At this point, the Jinzhou army truly lacked the resources to annex the Kereit tribe.

Simply looting has little strategic significance.

After all, the Jinzhou army had looted too many spoils of war during this period, so a little more or less didn't matter.

Instead, it would be better to temporarily cease hostilities and regroup. Once the situation in the Eastern Capital has stabilized and the Jinzhou army has fully absorbed the Naiman territory, the Kereit tribe will be destroyed.

As for eliminating Temujin?
Li Xiao certainly dreamed of it.

However, this guy is currently still in Kuoyitian, which is the eastern part of Inner Mongolia in later generations. It is already very close to the three northeastern provinces, but more than 2,000 li away from the Naiman. The Jinzhou Army is really too far away to reach him.

Li Xiao pondered for a moment, seemingly moved by Erkehala's words.

He nodded slightly and said, "We could have withdrawn our troops, but we would never mistreat the soldiers who died in battle."

"You all go back first. Tomorrow, Japan will list out what your Kreik tribe needs to be compensated for."

Afterwards, Erkehala and the other three left the main tent, while Li Xiao discussed the matter again with Zhang Xinghua and other Jinzhou army generals.

A final compensation breakdown has been finalized.

First, the Kereit troops must pay the Jinzhou army 100,000 taels of gold, in a lump sum.

Secondly, the Kereit tribe must pay the Jinzhou army 200,000 sheep and 20,000 warhorses.

Third, the Kereit tribe was required to pay the Jinzhou army 30,000 healthy Han Chinese slaves.

The Kereit tribe bordered both the Jin and Western Xia kingdoms. They dared not provoke the Jin, but frequently raided the Western Xia.

Each time, they would plunder a large number of Western Xia people and take them back to the grasslands.

The figure of 30,000 was a rough estimate made by Li Xiao during his interrogation of the Kereit prisoners of war.

The Kreik people should be able to produce it.

If it's really not enough, the Kreik tribe will find a way to make up the difference themselves.

Fourth, Yudujin Mountain was originally jointly owned by the Kereit and Naiman tribes, but from now on it will belong entirely to Jinzhou, and the Kereit tribe will not be allowed to station troops on Yudujin Mountain.

Li Xiao's desire to capture Yudujin Mountain was not solely driven by strategic intent.

Furthermore, he remembered that there was a gold and copper mine in Mongolia, located south of the Yudujin Mountains.

The reserves of gold and copper are very high, and if they could be found, it would be of great benefit to the economic development of Jinzhou.

Fifth, open border markets for trade between the two sides and allow caravans from Jinzhou to enter the territory of the Kereit tribe for business.

At the same time, the Kereit tribe must ensure the safety of the Jinzhou caravan.

Because the Kereit tribe bordered the Jin state, the caravan could reach the Jin border by setting off from Yudujin Mountain and crossing the territory of the Kereit tribe. This was Li Xiao's real purpose.

Sixth, in order to ensure the long-term alliance between the two sides, Jinzhou will arrange a marriage between the two tribes.

Li Xiao will marry Zha Aganbu's daughter, Suoluhe Tieni, as his concubine.

Za'aganbu was another younger brother of Wang Han. He was exceptionally talented and was feared by Wang Han. He was not valued in the Kereit tribe and was almost a marginalized figure.

However, his daughter Sorghaghtani was a very famous figure.

After the Kereit tribe was destroyed, Temujin bestowed it upon his youngest son, Tolui.

Subsequently, Sorghaghtani gave birth to four sons for Tore.

The eldest son was Möngke, the second son was Kublai Khan, the third son was Hulagu Khan, and the fourth son was Ariq Böke.

Therefore, Sorghaghtani was known in later generations as the 'Mother of the Four Emperors'.

Compared to Naima, who was truly foolish, Sorghaghtani possessed exceptional political acumen.

After Torre's death, she formed alliances and gradually regained power back to the Torre family.

And he helped his son inherit the Khanate.

The four sons she raised were all exceptionally talented.

Li Xiao wouldn't mind giving this legendary woman a title and bringing her into his household.

The next day, when Li Xiao handed the treaty to Erkehra, the man was stunned.

"Grand Commander, this is far too much! My Kreik tribe is truly overwhelmed!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Xiao interrupted him directly: "I didn't come here to bargain with you."

"These conditions are the result of discussions among my Jinzhou soldiers; you can consider them an ultimatum."

"If they agree and deliver these things within a month, they will immediately withdraw their troops."

"Otherwise, I will personally lead the Jinzhou Iron Cavalry to wipe out the Kereit tribe."

“Let the Kereit tribe, like the Naiman tribe, be wiped off the grasslands forever.”

(End of this chapter)