The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 191 Eternal Heaven, grant me the power of revenge!
"what?"

"What did you say?"

Inside the main tent of the Qiyan tribe, Temujin suddenly sprang up from his seat, his eyes widening instantly like two burning embers as he stared intently at the soldier who had come to deliver the message.

"Great Khan... Great Khan!"

"They're all dead, so many of them are dead."

"What a tragic death."

A Mongol soldier stood in the tent, trembling like a leaf, and cried as he spoke.

He managed to escape from the battlefield, and then endured hardships and finally returned to the Qiyan tribe.

He reported this cruel event to Temujin: the western expeditionary force led by Bo'orchu and Kublai Khan had been completely annihilated.

Upon hearing this, Temujin swayed as if struck by a heavy hammer, and the muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably.

"what happened?"

"Were all ten thousand-plus soldiers wiped out?"

Temujin's voice trembled violently with anger and disbelief, and the air inside the tent seemed to be ignited by this rage, becoming scalding and heavy.

The soldier, his voice trembling with sobs and despair, recounted, "We've fallen into Jamukha's ambush."

"Zhamuha colluded with the Liao army and deliberately lured us to attack their camp."

"Then, then, the Eternal Heaven became angry."

"A thunderbolt struck down, killing many of our brothers."

"Our warhorses are out of control and have trampled many of us to death."

"The situation was terrible; the ground was covered in blood, intestines, and bone fragments..."

As the soldier finished speaking, his face showed terror, as if his deepest fears had been touched. He shuddered and began to mutter to himself, showing signs of madness.

Upon witnessing this scene, Temujin was shocked. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and said hatefully, "Liao people!"

From the soldiers' descriptions, he had a general understanding of the defeat.

The so-called wrath of the Eternal Heaven must have been the mysterious weapon of the Liao army.

That weapon had been used in the war against the Kereit tribe, and it routed Sankun's army.

So when he heard the soldier recount that scene again, he couldn't help but close his eyes in despair.

"Where are Borchu and Kublai Khan?"

"I ask you this in a furious tone, my breathing becoming more and more rapid, my chest heaving violently."

He could lose his army, his women, his tribe, but he could not lose these two brothers.

"General Kublai Khan~"

The soldier, snapped out of his daze by the reprimand, hesitated for a moment before saying, "General Kublai... he... he died in battle!"

"We were first surrounded by Jamukha's army. The two generals led us out, but then we were attacked by the Liao army."

"We outnumbered them and couldn't defeat them. General Kublai... he was stabbed multiple times, and the blood flowed like a burst dam, unstoppable!"

As for what happened to Bo'ershu, the soldiers didn't see it. At that time, everyone was panicking and didn't care about anything else.

Upon hearing the news of Kublai Khan's death in battle, Temujin slumped heavily onto the stool, his body limp and powerless, utterly devastated.

"Bo'erchu...Kublai..."

He murmured, his voice so deep it seemed to come from the deepest hell.

These two men had known Temujin since their youth; they were comrades-in-arms, but also close friends and brothers.

Over the years, he has followed him in his campaigns across the grasslands, fought countless battles, and made outstanding contributions, becoming his most important right-hand man.

Now that Kublai has been defeated by the Jinzhou army and Bo'erchu has disappeared without a trace, how could he not be heartbroken and furious?

"The Jinzhou Army, what a fine Jinzhou Army."

Temujin said through gritted teeth, his teeth chattering, his facial muscles contorted with extreme anger.

Not long after, he walked out of the tent looking dejected, went up to the sacrificial altar, slowly opened his arms, and knelt on the ground.

A sorrowful voice murmured, "Eternal Heaven!"

"The Liao people, the instigators of this war, they colluded with that treacherous Jamukha."

"It made my brave soldiers shed their blood on the battlefield, and made me lose my most trusted brother."

"It has deprived countless families of their pillars, left crying children without their fathers, and left longing wives without their husbands."

"They used power as a sword and greed as a blade to sever the lifeline of our peaceful lives and ruthlessly cast the shadow of disaster over this grassland."

Temujin suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and looked up at the sky with resolute hatred: "I cannot suppress the hatred and anger in my heart."

"Eternal Heaven, grant me the power of vengeance!"

Kneeling on the altar, Temujin prayed to the Eternal Heaven for a day and a night, but he did not receive a response from the Eternal Heaven.

The next day, after he stood up on the altar, he said to everyone, "I have decided to send an envoy to the Liao Kingdom."

"To seek justice for our brothers who died in battle."

"They must hand over the murderer, Jamukha."

Upon hearing this, Chi Laowen, who was standing at the front of the group, looked puzzled and shouted, "There's no need for words to deal with those who killed our brothers; we should let our knives do the talking."

Kublai's younger brother, Hudus, gripped his scimitar tightly, his face contorted with rage, and shouted, "Send troops to conquer the Liao people and completely annihilate Jamukha!"

Immediately, the surrounding Qiyan soldiers all raised their spears and shouted, "Let's send troops to conquer the Liao people!"

"Completely eliminate Jamukha."

"Send troops to conquer the Liao people."

Faced with the fervent emotions of the Qiyan soldiers, Temujin also showed grief, gently raising his hand to suppress their shouts.

He said loudly, "You have shed too much blood over the years, and I really can't bear to see you take any more risks."

"But I promise you, if the Liao people do not repent and do not hand over Jamukha and the murderers who killed our brothers."

"My own blood, my brothers' blood, my brothers from other races' blood, my son's blood, and my grandson's blood are willing to flow together with yours."

"But this revenge cannot be a reckless impulse."

"We must be like cunning foxes, patiently planning, seizing the right opportunity, and delivering a fatal blow to the enemy."

"From this day forward, we must hone our skills, practice riding and archery diligently, make our weapons sharper, and our warhorses more agile."

“I swear to the Eternal Heaven, and I swear to you all, that I will lead you to reclaim our glory and make the Liao people and Jamukha pay a heavy price for their evil deeds.”

Temujin's voice echoed throughout the camp, lingering for a long time, and the soldiers roared with vengeance.

But in reality, Temujin knew that even if he led all the troops of the Qiyan tribe to conquer the Liao people, they might still be wiped out.

The Liao people were too powerful; the Qiyan tribe at present could not possibly defeat them.

Therefore, Temujin had to suppress his rage for revenge, accumulate strength, enhance the power of the Qiyan tribe, and wait for the right opportunity to take revenge.

On the other side, inside the imposing Khanate of the Kereit tribe.

Upon hearing this, Sangkun immediately threw his head back and burst into laughter: "Hahaha!"

"Back then, Temujin was secretly laughing at me behind my back, saying that I, Sangkun, had become a soft and limp sheep's stomach, and that the Jinzhou people could easily defeat me like a lamb being squeezed."

"Hmph, he's really showing off!"

Sangkun's face was full of disdain, his lips were raised high, and his eyes flashed with a mocking look.

"But what about now? Look at the situation now."

"What can Bo'orchu and Kublai, who are known as the most capable and invincible warriors under Temujin, do?"

"They were beaten to a pulp by the Jinzhou people, just like sheep being chased away by wolves."

"Genghis Khan's men are nothing special."

Hearing Sangkun's loud laughter, the Kereit generals around him echoed his sentiments.

On the contrary, Wang Han, who was sitting at the head of the table, frowned slightly and advised, "Sang Kun, you should change your temperament."

"Temujin is my adopted son, and your sworn brother."

“His soldiers were defeated by the Liao people. You should not help him avenge them, nor should you laugh at him.”

Upon hearing this, Sangkun curled his lip slightly, his face full of indifference, and stood up, saying, "Father Khan, you treat Temujin as your adopted son, but he doesn't care about you as his adoptive father at all."

"Our Kereit tribe contributed the most to defeating Jamukha's coalition, but Temujin reaped all the benefits."

"You are too kind. You were fooled by Temujin's few words and failed to see his wolfish ambitions."

Hearing this, Wang Han was displeased. His face darkened, and he snorted coldly, saying, "Your father Khan is not yet senile."

Sangkun's expression instantly turned serious. His brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice with a solemn look, "Father Khan, are you aware that the Dorbian, Khadakin, and Shanjikun tribes have all submitted to Temujin?"

"I know, this is my agreement."

Wang Han nodded slowly and calmly, as if everything was under his control.

"These are all insignificant small tribes, with a population of less than 10,000."

"Temujin's Qiyan tribe contributed a lot in the Battle of Kuoyitian, so he should be given some of his followers." Wang Han narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone indifferent.

“But do you know that Temujin has already formed a marriage alliance with the Jadaran tribe and is preparing to have his son Chagatai marry Chirgidaibatu’s daughter?” Sangkun said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Wang Han's face instantly darkened: "What?"

"What is Temujin trying to do?"

The Zandalan tribe was the most powerful tribe in the northern grasslands. In addition to producing a hero like Jamukha, it also had many other powerful leaders.

After the Battle of Koyitian, Jamukha led his direct followers to flee, while the remaining Zandalan followers surrendered to Wang Khan and Temujin.

Among them, the power of Chierjidaibatu was the strongest.

However, the Zandalan tribe was located in the northernmost part of the grassland, far from the Kereit tribe, so Wang Khan could not annex the Zandalan tribe and allowed the Zandalan tribe to submit to the Kereit tribe.

It was still ruled by leaders like Chirjidaibatu.

However, if Temujin were to marry Chirgidaibatu, the implications would be entirely different.

“Father Khan, Chirjidaibatu is now the strongest tribe in the Zandalan tribe.”

"If we were to form a marriage alliance with Temujin, would Chierjidaibatu ultimately submit to our Kereit tribe, or would he collude with Temujin?"

"Moreover, the Taichiwu tribe has already been annexed by Temujin, and the leader of the Hongjila tribe, Teshechan, is Börte's father and Temujin's father-in-law."

"In addition to the Dorbian, Khadakin, and Shanjikun tribes that Temujin had just annexed, the entire eastern part of the steppe had become Temujin's territory."

"Where does Temujin intend to place you, the King of the Steppes and the Khan of all Khans?" Upon hearing Sangkun's words, Wang Khan's face grew even more gloomy. At this moment, he gradually realized that Temujin's power was indeed quite formidable.

The entire eastern steppe became Temujin's territory, and he was able to rival the Kereit tribe.

"We cannot allow Temujin and Chierjidaibatu to form a marriage alliance," Wang Khan said in a deep voice.

Then, he looked at Sangkun and said, "Doesn't Zha'agan have several unmarried daughters?"

Wang Han wasn't indifferent to his talented younger brother, but since the younger brother had several daughters, he genuinely didn't care about them.

“After Soghukhatni went to Jinzhou, he had three daughters,” Sangkun said.

"Then choose the eldest one and marry her off to Temujin's second son, Chagatai," Wang Khan ordered directly.

"As for Chierjidaibatu's daughter, let her marry your son."

The purpose was to break up the marriage alliance between Temujin and the Zandalan tribe.

Then, Wang Han considered what method to use to completely bind the Hongjila tribe to the Kereit tribe's chariot.

After all, Temujin's series of actions really made Wang Khan feel uneasy.

Because of the complete annihilation of Bo'orchu's army, Temujin wanted to win over allies and strengthen the Qiyan tribe to avenge Bo'orchu.

However, this further deepened the rift between him and Wang Han.

Meanwhile, Li Xiao, who was in Jinzhou, also received news of the battle.

"In this battle, our army annihilated 4,000 enemy soldiers, captured 8,000, killed the Qiyan general Kubilai in battle, and seriously wounded and captured Bo'erchu..."

What Li Xiao held in his hand was the battle report sent by Li Sanhe.

The Jinzhou army won a great victory. Except for a few Mongol soldiers who fled, most of the soldiers were killed or captured.

The specific process was also reported in detail. In Li Xiao's view, Li Sanhe's battle was perfectly fine and was in the style of the Jinzhou Army.

As for their own casualties?
With the Jamukha coalition and Naiman prisoners of war serving as cannon fodder, the Jinzhou army suffered minimal losses.

On the contrary, Jamukha and the Naiman prisoners of war suffered a total of 800 deaths and nearly 1,000 serious injuries.

Although the Mongol army was still a ragtag bunch of poorly equipped soldiers, its fighting power should not be underestimated.

At the very end of the letter, the number of people who had distinguished themselves in the Jinzhou army was recorded.

The majority of them were Naimans, because they were on the front lines, with arrows from the overseers following behind them. They had to fight for freedom and wealth.

Besides the Naiman people, there were also Han Chinese slaves who had been exchanged from the Kereit tribe, and many of them killed enemies this time.

"Four hundred and thirty-two people?"

"There are quite a lot," Li Xiao murmured, nodding gently.

Unexpectedly, in this war, more than 400 Naiman prisoners of war and more than 200 Han slaves killed more than three enemy soldiers.

At the same time, there were also many who killed one or two enemy soldiers, but none of these were recorded.

It seems that the allure of freedom and wealth is the same for everyone.

Li Xiao took out another piece of cloth and wrote on it with a brush: "General Li Sanhe, Protector of the Western Sea, be informed: The Jamukha coalition is related to our Jinzhou's strategy for conquering the grasslands. He is hereby ordered to be immediately placed in the territory of the Oirat tribe."

"This place will serve as a crucial frontier for our eastward expansion from Jinzhou, shouldering the important responsibility of opening up new territories."

"If the Qiyan general Bo'erchu is stubborn and refuses to surrender, there is no need to tolerate him. He should be dealt with decisively according to military law and beheaded on the spot as a warning to others."

"In addition, there are 432 Naiman prisoners of war and 208 Han Chinese soldiers from the Kuli Army. All of them have been freed from slavery, given rewards, and properly incorporated into the garrison of the three towns. From now on, they will be the elite soldiers of Jinzhou."

"All officers must be treated equally and taught and trained with care, without the slightest slackness or error."

Li Xiao still valued Jamukha highly; after all, he was the Gurkha of the grasslands, possessing immense prestige.

Jamukha will also play a significant role when attacking the grasslands in the future.

The territory of the Oirat tribe was located north of the Kereit tribe, in the northern half of the Yudujin Mountains, and bordered the Merkit tribe.

Leaving Jamukha's army in the Oirat tribe was tantamount to adding a barrier to the Western Sea.

As for Bo'erchu, he is already forty years old this year. He and Temujin grew up together and are loyal friends. It is not necessarily true that he will surrender to Jinzhou.

If it were Muqali, Jebe, or Subutai, Li Xiao would definitely escort them to Jinzhou and personally persuade them to surrender.

However, Li Xiao's assessment of Bolshu was that his luck outweighed his ability, and his future development potential was limited.

If he hadn't been one of the earliest followers of Temujin, and if Temujin hadn't needed someone to balance Muqali's influence, he might not have been qualified to be on equal footing with Muqali.

Moreover, there are plenty of fierce generals like Bo'erchu in the Jinzhou army. Compared to him, Li Xiao trusts the Jinzhou generals who have followed him all the way more.

"Somebody come!"

After writing the order, Li Xiao shouted loudly, then put the cloth into a box, sealed it with sealing wax, and handed it to his personal guard.

"Tell Li Sanhe Wanhu that the eight thousand Mongol prisoners of war should be kept in Xihai and kept under good guard."

Li Xiao was not worried about whether Li Sanhe could manage the eight thousand Mongolian prisoners of war.

Because there were also Naiman prisoners of war.

The number of soldiers in Jinzhou Town is not large, so Naiman prisoners of war can be used to manage Mongol prisoners of war.

Even among prisoners of war, there were different classes.

The Naiman prisoners of war, who were the first to be captured by the Jinzhou army, had the highest status and received the best treatment, followed by the Kereit prisoners of war, and the Mongol prisoners of war received the lowest status.

The benefit of doing this is to create division within the prisoner-of-war community.

Compared to the Mongol prisoners of war, the Naiman and Kereit prisoners of war developed a sense of superiority.

Using their meager power to bully and manage Mongol prisoners of war, they derive psychological and physiological pleasure from it, subconsciously forgetting their own status as slaves and becoming even more eager to serve the Jinzhou Army.

Mongol prisoners of war, on the other hand, would transfer their hatred to the Naiman prisoners of war who directly managed them.

In order to avoid being bullied by Naiman prisoners of war and to climb the ranks, they would even actively try to please the Jinzhou army.

The Golden State Army only needed to remain aloof and act as an arbitrator to manage all the prisoners of war.

"In addition, if any soldier in the Western Navy has captured more than ten heads."

"I hereby order him to come to Jinzhou to study at the Hexi Military Academy. I will personally award him the 'Warrior's Medal'," Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

In the era of cold weapons, the casualty rate of soldiers was very high. Anyone who could kill ten enemies and still survive could be called a 'warrior'.

If someone can kill ten enemies at close range without wearing armor, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them a 'king of soldiers'.

Li Xiao is a talent that must be cultivated as a potential general.

He even personally awarded them the 'Medal of the Warrior'.

Drawing inspiration from later generations, Li Xiao is establishing a medal system in Jinzhou.

The most important one is the 'Warrior's Medal', which requires killing more than ten enemies and must be awarded by Li Xiao personally.

The purpose of doing this is to ensure that talented people are not overlooked, and also to make it easier for Li Xiao to cultivate these people into his most trusted and loyal followers.

Offering favors face-to-face will make them even more loyal to Li Xiao.

……

Ili is located west of the Tianshan Mountains.

Surrounded by mountains on the east, south, and north sides, with the two mountain ranges gradually closing in from west to east, the valley eventually forms a figure-eight shaped valley that opens to the west.

The valley has fertile land and abundant water resources, making it one of the richest regions in the Western Regions.

Before the Tang Dynasty, the Ili River Valley was a gathering place for the Karluk people.

After the establishment of the Western Liao Dynasty, the rulers suppressed the Karluk people several times, forcibly relocated them, and moved other tribes into the area.

However, the Karluks remain the dominant tribe in the Ili River Valley.

Two years ago, the Karluk tribe in Ili launched a rebellion, which was forcefully suppressed by Xiao Simo.

Subsequently, the Ili River Valley was incorporated into the sphere of influence of the Northern Frontier. Xiao Simo dispatched supervisors to Ili to monitor the movements of the Karluk tribes, urge them to pay taxes, and organize soldiers to fight alongside the Northern Frontier army.

But on this day, a roar erupted from the Daatu tribe: "Beast, release my sister!"

A young Karluk boy, his eyes bloodshot and wielding a scimitar, charged headlong at the beast who was bullying his sister.

The supervisor sent to Yili by the Eastern Capital was a Khitan named Nie'edu.

No one expected the young Karluk to suddenly try to kill him. The guards of Nie'edu were also busy watching the show and didn't have time to stop him, allowing the young man to rush up to Nie'edu.

"Pfft~"

Blood splattered everywhere.

Nian'e stared wide-eyed at the rusty scimitar piercing his chest, looking utterly shocked and incredulous.

I can't believe that I would die at the hands of a lowly Karluk boy.

He was a trusted confidant of King Xiao.

A single sentence could decide the fate of the entire Karluk tribe.

How dare they kill me?
No matter how unwilling he was, he could only feel his life force slowly draining away, and his body crashed heavily to the ground.

His guards, seeing this, were horrified and cried out in terror, "He has killed the Overseer!"

"Damn it, kill him."

“This Karluk tribe is doomed. We must report to the king and have them all wiped out.”

As they spoke, the guards rushed forward and chopped the Karluk siblings into mincemeat.

But the matter was far from over. The tragic deaths of the siblings thoroughly enraged the other Karluks.

Someone shouted angrily, "Fellow tribesmen, the Khitans do not treat us as human beings. They wantonly humiliate our women and slaughter our brothers."

"I'm not going to tolerate this humiliation."

"The worst that can happen is death."

"Kill these Khitans."

"Inverted!"

Once someone took the lead, the rest of the Karluks were all aroused and shouted, "Rebellion!"

"Kill these Khitans."

Shouting this, the many Karluks grabbed their spears and bows and quickly killed the Khitan guards.

Then, the tribal chief, with a serious expression, shouted loudly, "Things have come to this point, and there is no turning back."

"Instead of waiting for the Khitans to retaliate, we should take the initiative."

"Let's contact other tribes and rebel against the Khitans together."

(End of this chapter)