The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 188 The army returns in triumph, the General of the Western Sea Guard

Kuoyitian battlefield.

It was once a paradise of melodious pastoral songs and lush pastoral landscapes, but now it has become a living hell.

"Something terrible has happened, Gurkha! Temujin's army is attacking from behind us!"

Upon hearing this, Jamukha's face flashed with extreme shock. He leaped off his horse and gripped the soldier's clothes tightly with both hands like vises.

"What did you say?"

"how is this possible?"

The soldier trembled and dared not answer.

The Battle of Koyitian had been going on for more than a month. In the initial stage, Jamukha's nine-tribe coalition forces gained the upper hand due to their numerical advantage.

However, Temujin thwarted several attacks, resulting in heavy losses for the nine-tribe allied forces, low morale, and the emergence of various dissenting voices.

In recent days, the allied forces of Temujin and Wang Khan have been mainly on the defensive, but little did they expect that Temujin was plotting something wicked.

As they spoke, dust billowed in the distance, and the sound of horses' hooves, like rolling thunder, grew louder as they approached. Temujin's army surged forth like a black tide from behind the nine-tribe allied forces.

Leading the group was none other than Temujin himself. He was clad in iron armor, riding a tall black steed, brandishing his spear, and shouting, "My brothers, today is the day to make our mark!"

"Whoever captures Jamukha will be granted a fief of a thousand households and a reward of two thousand cattle and sheep. Kill him!"

Temujin's army surged forward like a tidal wave, with overwhelming force.

Caught off guard, the nine-unit allied forces were routed.

Looking at the chaotic scene before him, Jamukha was filled with regret and resentment.

"That damned Temujin is even more cunning and treacherous than a fox on the grassland."

The Merkit leader Tokhtoa and the Oirat leader Khuduqa, both looking equally terrified, rode their horses to Jamukha's side.

“Our defeat is inevitable, and you will no longer be the Gurhan. Let’s run away quickly,” Tohto’a shouted at Jamukha.

When the nine tribes formed an alliance, they jointly elected Jamukha, the leader of the strongest tribe, Zandalan, as 'Gurhan'.

Now that the nine-tribe allied forces have been defeated, his chances of becoming Gurkha are naturally over.

"No, I can't let this end like this!" Jamukha roared angrily, truly unwilling to accept this outcome.

If he can defeat Wang Khan and Temujin, then he will be the overlord of the grasslands, the strongest Gurkha.

Unfortunately, it was just one last shudder away.

"What, you still want to fight? If we keep fighting, all our people will be wiped out, and the Oirat tribe will not fight alongside you anymore," said Huduhe, the leader of the Oirat tribe, angrily.

Jamukha was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

If he had succeeded in this battle, he would naturally have been the supreme Gurkha, but unfortunately, he is nothing now.

"What should we do now? Our army has been completely defeated, and that scoundrel Temujin will not let us off easily," Tohtoa asked loudly, his voice trembling.

If we were to ask who Temujin most wanted to kill, it would undoubtedly be Tokhtoa.

The hatred between the Qiyan tribe and the Merkit people is higher than the sky and deeper than the sea.

He must not fall into Temujin's hands.

“Right now, our forces are vastly outnumbered, and we have no chance of confronting Temujin head-on. The only option is to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation and make further plans,” Huduhe said.

"I plan to return to the Woyila tribe and seek help from the Liao people."

"The Liao people have just annihilated the Naiman tribe and defeated the Kereit tribe's army. They are very powerful, and Temujin and Wang Khan would never dare to provoke the Liao people rashly."

The Oirat tribe was located north of the Kereit tribe, and was separated from the Naiman tribe by only one mountain, Yudujin.

After the Naiman tribe was wiped out by the Jinzhou army, some Naiman herders fled to the Oirat tribe.

Therefore, Jamukha and others also received this news not long ago.

As for the defeat of Sangkun, the information was mainly obtained from Kereit prisoners of war and traitors who surrendered.

Although Wang Khan had issued a gag order, the news of the Kereit tribe's deaths and captures in the Battle of the Drag River could not be completely concealed.

"Go and seek refuge with the Liao people?"

Although Tuohei Tuo'a looked hesitant, he couldn't think of a better solution at the moment, so he could only nod helplessly.

"There's no time to lose, let's set off now, before Temujin's army completely surrounds us," Huduqa shouted.

Seeing how easily the two of them discussed and decided on their escape route, it became clear that they had done so.

Jamukha had no choice but to follow closely behind, leading his remaining troops toward the direction of the Oirat tribe.

Lake Uvs is surrounded by mountains and is a low-lying plain.

At its center is a lake, surrounded by vast grasslands, one of the most fertile pastures east of Jinshan.

It is still the original location of the Naiman Khanate.

This place is separated from Jinzhou only by the Jinshan Mountain Range. It has convenient transportation and abundant water and grass, which can support a large number of herders and cattle and sheep.

However, due to the attack by the Jinzhou army, Tayang Khan hastily moved his Khanate north to Tannu Uriankhai.

Now that the war is over, Li Xiao has re-established Lake Uvs as the seat of the Western Sea.

The sky was clear and bright that morning.

The orange sunlight, like silk threads, gently filtered through the gaps in the tent and fell on the soft fur blankets.

In the dim light and shadow, Sorukhatheni slowly opened his eyes.

Before she was fully conscious, her gaze fell on the man lying next to her.

"Yeah~"

In an instant, her pupils dilated, a surge of intense shock welled up inside her, and she instinctively wanted to get up quickly.

However, as soon as she moved, a tearing pain shot through her lower body, causing her to gasp and freeze instantly.

With this wave of pain, memories of last night surged back like a tidal wave.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and a hint of shyness and complex emotions flashed in her eyes.

At that moment, she clearly realized that she had become a real woman.

And her husband was the man standing next to her.

Li Xiao, the Grand Commander of Jinzhou.

"you're awake?"

As Suoluhetini was lost in thought, Li Xiao's slightly hoarse yet magnetic voice rang in his ears.

She turned her head in a panic, only to find that Li Xiao had already opened his eyes at some point.

Her face instantly flushed red to her ears, and she instinctively tried to avoid the other person's gaze, stammering, "Um...I..."

A young girl's shyness is always innate, regardless of ethnicity or custom.

Especially the first time she meets a man, she's bound to be very shy.

Li Xiao planned to formally take her into his family after returning to Jinzhou, but after drinking a little wine last night, he couldn't resist taking her when he was in high spirits.

But perhaps his actions were too rough, because Sorhughtani suffered greatly last night.

"Don't be afraid. From now on, you will be my woman, Li Xiao's woman. I will protect you." Li Xiao said calmly.

His voice was deep and firm, as if it carried an irresistible power.

This calmed the woman's initially anxious heart a little.

She nodded slightly and said softly, "Thank you, Grand Commander... no, thank you, my husband."

Li Xiao nodded gently: "I have important matters to attend to today and cannot stay with you for too long. You should rest well in the tent. If you need anything, just tell the servants."

After saying that, he got up and began to put on his clothes with deft movements.

After Li Xiao left, Sorghaghtani's maidservant brought a bowl of millet porridge and two flatbreads into the tent.

"Madam, please have something to eat."

As a princess in a political marriage, the Kereit tribe naturally provided her with a full retinue of people.

The servants, maids, and guards were all present, showcasing the grandeur of the Kereit tribe as a large tribal society.

However, there must be many spies from the Kereit tribe among them, and Li Xiao plans to slowly eliminate them.

"Madam, has the Grand Commander mistreated you?"

During the meal, another, younger maid looked at Sorghaghtani with a pitiful expression and asked...

Upon hearing the maid's words, Sorghaghtani's face instantly turned crimson, and he wished he could disappear into the ground.

"Shut up, Solonu! If you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll throw you into the soldiers' camp," the maid Holug scolded.

Soruktani, his face still flushed, cautiously asked Khorug, "Was I really that loud last night?"

Horug was a maid who had grown up with her since childhood and was the person she trusted most.

But then he saw Horug nod slightly, and Sorukhatheni gave up completely.

I wonder if her reputation for promiscuity will spread throughout the tribe in the future.

On the other hand, Horug looked distressed and said, "The Grand Commander really doesn't know how to cherish you."

Because Soruktani's body was covered in purplish-blue patches, and his legs were swollen in the middle, he would definitely not be able to get out of bed for a while.

"Alright, Horug, no talking about the Grand Commander's faults."

"This matter must not be spread to anyone else," Soghukhatni said angrily.

It wasn't until three days later that Sorghaghtani was able to barely get out of bed and go outside for a walk.

However, she noticed that there were many unfamiliar faces on the Ubusu Grassland these days.

"Crack~"

An old man rode a horse, driving hundreds of cattle and sheep through the procession, heading somewhere unknown, and lashed the lead bull with a whip.

The bull, in pain, shook its massive head, mooed twice, and quickened its pace.

Behind the old man was an even more spectacular sight. As far as the eye could see, there were countless herders.

Most of the men wore white sheepskin coats with thick cowhide belts around their waists, while the women wore gray and white headscarves and had simple smiles on their faces.

They drove their cattle and sheep in groups, as if they were going to fill the entire grassland.

Sorghaghtani's gaze fell on the front of the procession, where a man on horseback held a whip in one hand and carried a flag on his other arm.

"Are they from the First Town?"

Sorghaghtani was a clever woman, and in just a few days she had figured out the military town of Jinzhou.

The yellow flag represents the first town personally commanded by her husband, the red flag represents the second town commanded by her second uncle, and the white flag represents the third town commanded by her sixth uncle.

The troops in these three towns are the most important force in Jinzhou.

The herdsmen in front of us, carrying a yellow sun and moon battle flag, were clearly from the First Town.

While the cattle and sheep stopped to graze, Sorghaghtani sent people to inquire where these herders came from.

Soon, a Han Chinese girl returned; she was a maidservant of Sorghaghtani Beki.

“Madam, these herdsmen are all from Jinzhou, and most of them are Han Chinese.”

"They said that they had received orders from the Grand General's Office to graze their livestock in the Western Sea from now on."

Upon hearing this, Sorghaghtani was slightly surprised: "Are we going to migrate to the Western Sea so soon? What will happen to the original Naiman people?"

For the rest of the day, Soluqateni saw two more groups of herdsmen from Jinzhou.

They were carrying white and red flags respectively.

That evening, Li Xiao went to Soghu Tieni's tent again, and took the opportunity to ask, "Husband, when are we going back to Jinzhou?"

"Why do you ask that?" Li Xiao asked.

"I haven't even knelt to pay my respects to my grandparents and mother yet, nor have I served tea to my sister!" Soruhati said softly, appearing obedient and submissive.

Although Li Xiao had already taken her, she had not yet officially entered the Li family and could not be considered a true concubine.

"I'll go back in a few days," Li Xiao said with a faint smile.

Today, Li Xiao received an official letter from the Eastern Capital, issued by Xiao Simo in his capacity as the Eastern Capital Garrison Commander.

He said nothing more than ordering Li Xiao to guard Jinzhou and prepare for a counterattack from the grassland tribes.

The extended meaning is that they are to stay in Jinzhou and are not allowed to return to Dongdu.

Under what circumstances would a general of the border army not be allowed to enter Beijing?

When the imperial throne is unstable.

Xiao Simo was worried that Li Xiao and other border generals would take the opportunity to cause trouble, which is why he issued such a strict order.

Li Xiao was prepared for this, so he decided to return to Jinzhou first to see how things would develop.

"That's good. I happen to have some time to prepare some gifts from the grasslands for my grandparents, mother, and sister," Soruqetini said with a light laugh.

"By the way, my husband, I saw several herder caravans passing by today."

Are they all from Jinzhou?

Listening to Suoluhetini's seemingly casual words, Li Xiao merely glanced at her and said softly, "A group of herdsmen from Jinzhou have come to settle in the Western Sea."

"But these things are none of your business. You just need to do your own thing and give birth to an heir for Bendu as soon as possible."

"You don't need to worry about anything else."

Li Xiao reprimanded Suoluhe Tieni in a light but not harsh tone.

This woman was intelligent and had high emotional intelligence; she also demonstrated extraordinary political acumen throughout history.

However, in Li Xiao's view, interference in politics by the harem would have endless consequences.

Therefore, he must do everything he can to stop this bad trend.

Li Xiao doesn't need Sorghaghtani to display her political talents; she only needs to fulfill her duties as a concubine, and ideally, bear him several outstanding children.

The important task in Jinzhou will naturally be handled by the civil and military officials under Li Xiao's command.

"I have overstepped my bounds, my husband, please forgive me."

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, Suoluhe Tieni hurriedly replied.

She immediately realized that her husband was not someone to be easily appeased.

Separate public and private matters.

He's easygoing in bed, but when it comes to important matters in Jinzhou, he's all about making decisions unilaterally.

Soryughtani already knew what he had to do.

Just be a good woman and do your job well; don't worry about anything else.

Then, Li Xiao stood up to change his clothes, but Suoluhe Tieni looked troubled and said, "Husband, my injuries haven't healed yet~"

Even though three days had passed, the size didn't match, and Li Xiao hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

So Sorrowford was seriously injured and hadn't fully recovered yet.

"Why not let Horug serve your husband?"

Huoluge was her dowry maid, responsible for relieving Li Xiao's lust when she was inconvenient.

But Li Xiao gently shook his head and pinched her cheek, saying, "Today, your husband will teach you a new skill."

Under Li Xiao's personal tutelage, Soghukhatni was able to fully open the door to a new world.

Nothing else, my cheek hurts.

Li Xiao looked down at her working hard and said in a calm voice, "Among those maids and guards who accompanied you, except for those who were originally by your side, dismiss all the others who were arranged by the Khan's Court."

"The maids and servants were all supposed to be married off to good families, and the guards would be assigned to the army of Kuli, so they would have a future."

"As for the manpower you need, Bentu will make other arrangements to supplement it."

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, Suoluhe Tieni immediately stopped, raised her head, and looked at Li Xiao with surprise and confusion in her beautiful eyes.

But Li Xiao pressed her down again, saying firmly, "There's no room for discussion on this."

Sorghaghtani had many spies from the Kereit tribe around him, so Li Xiao didn't have time to play spy games with them.

In such matters, it's always better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free.

Li Xiao didn't kill them all, which was already out of respect for Sorghaghtani Beki.

For my own safety and for the sake of Jinzhou's secrets, there is no room for negotiation on this matter.

“Yes, Sorghaghtani understands.”

Soruktani slowly lowered his head and said in a slightly aggrieved voice.

But as clever as she was, she naturally understood Li Xiao's intentions.

Half a month later, Li Xiao, dressed in a light cotton Han-style robe, sat on a Hu bed. Eight commanders stood in the tent, reporting to Li Xiao on the situation of their respective commanders' offices.

"Grand Commander, a total of 4,518 townspeople and 500 Naiman slaves from our Thousand Households have arrived near Lake Jir."

"Grand Commander, our Thousand-Household Command has a total of 4,862 townspeople."

The Jinzhou Army originally had thirty-seven thousand-household prefectures, thirteen of which were in the desert and twenty-three in Jinzhou.

This time, Li Xiao migrated eight thousand households from Jinzhou to settle in Xihai.

In addition, there were 10,000 Han Chinese slaves obtained from the Kereit tribe, who would also be left in the Western Sea.

However, most of these men had been crippled by the Kereit troops, leaving only about five thousand capable of fighting, which was far less than the elite Jinzhou army.

Therefore, Li Xiao only kept them as auxiliary soldiers, and they could be promoted to real garrison soldiers after they made enough military achievements.

In short, the cavalry of the three towns should not be wasted.

As for the Han Chinese female slaves, Li Xiao carefully selected a group of good quality ones to bring back to Jinzhou to increase the proportion of Han Chinese population in Jinzhou.

"From now on, the Western Sea will depend on you eight thousand-household commanders to guard it."

"The Kereit tribe and other grassland tribes are still engaged in the great battle at Kuoyitian. Even after the war ends, they will only recover their strength and will not easily provoke our Jinzhou."

"But if there are any who are truly blind to reason, then beat them severely."

"If there are too many enemies, then we should retreat temporarily and wait for the main force of our three towns to arrive before annihilating them."

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, the eight commanders patted their chests and shouted, "Yes, sir!"

Although they only had 8,000 garrison soldiers, each commander also had 500 Naiman slaves as cannon fodder.

In addition, there were 10,000 Han Chinese auxiliary soldiers.

Therefore, the actual military strength of the West Sea is not small.

Then, Li Xiao looked at Li Sanhe, who was sitting below him, and said in a deep voice, "Third Uncle, I'm entrusting this Western Sea to you."

Upon hearing this, Li Sanhe immediately stood up and said firmly in his rough voice, "Rest assured, Grand Commander, Xihai is our Jinzhou territory, and no one can take it away."

Li Xiao nodded slightly, then solemnly proclaimed, "Li Sanhe!"

"The end will be here."

"I hereby appoint you as the Protector-General of the Western Sea Army, in command of the Western Sea troops."

"As ordered!"

Having arranged everything in the Western Sea, Li Xiao led his army back to Jinzhou.

When they arrived, 600 men were drawn from each of the three towns of Jinzhou, totaling more than 20,000 soldiers.

When they returned, all eight thousand-household soldiers of the Western Sea were left behind.

Li Xiao also took away 15,000 Naiman prisoners of war and 10,000 Kereit prisoners of war.

These prisoners of war will become cannon fodder in the next war. If they survive to the end of the war and make meritorious contributions, they will become glorious soldiers of Jinzhou Town.

(End of this chapter)