The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 195 The Eastern Capital Incident, the Governor of Yinshan

The Eastern Capital, the Prince's Palace.

Xiao Simo sat on a wooden chair wrapped in a heavy fox fur coat, his pale face appearing blurry in the sunlight.

Despite the sweltering summer heat, he still felt extremely cold, and his coughing up of blood became more and more frequent.

He knew that he didn't have much time left.

The only hope now is to get Xiao Helun to take over some military power as soon as possible and establish some prestige in the northern frontier.

If the situation in the northern frontier could be maintained under the regency of Shulu Wujin, then Xiao Simo could die without regret.

"Cough cough cough~"

When he coughed up blood again, the captain of his personal guard, Senahei, rushed over and knelt down on the ground.

His rugged face was streaked with tears, and he said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, General Xuegu Erda, he, he died in battle."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Simo suddenly stood up, his cloudy pupils flashing with a sharp light, and his withered fingers grabbed Sai Nahei's wrist.

"What did you say?"

His voice sounded like it had been pulled from shattered ice, each word carrying a chilling edge: "Say it again!"

“General Xuegu Erluda…is dead in battle.” Senahei’s shoulders twitched violently.

"The young master... the young master has disappeared... perhaps he has already..."

The shadows in the courtyard suddenly slanted a bit, and Xiao Simo felt a fire burning from his heart to his throat, as if someone had poured ice water over his head, and his limbs instantly went numb.

He saw his hands waving in the air, trying to grab something, but he only managed to pull on Sena's belt, and he fell heavily onto the chair.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty~"

Sena rushed over and helped Xiao Simo up, but was pushed away.

"Say!"

Xiao Simo grabbed Senahei's collar, his nails almost digging into the other's flesh, and said fiercely, "What exactly happened?"

"Why is this happening?"

He didn't understand why the Eastern Capital Army had five thousand cavalrymen, all of whom were elite.

The Karluks, including the elderly, women, and children, numbered only ten or twenty thousand. How could they possibly defeat the Eastern Capital army?
"The royal court, in alliance with the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, ambushed the army at the Ili Pass."

"Using the defeated Karluk troops as bait, they surrounded the prince's army. General Xuegu Erda fought valiantly to rescue him, sustaining more than twenty arrow wounds."

"Our Eastern Capital army has suffered a complete rout, and the Crown Prince is nowhere to be found."

"And the royal court's 20,000-strong army has already crossed the Alatau Mountains and is marching towards my eastern capital," Senahei said in a sorrowful voice.

Xiao Simo slowly released his grip, leaned back in his chair, his eyes blazing with fury, and made a rough, guttural sound, as if something inside him had crumbled into dust.

"Yelü Zhilugu, you've really gone to great lengths for me, Xiao Simo, hahaha!"

He suddenly laughed, his laughter carrying the sweet, metallic scent of blood and foam.

Soon, his face turned cold, and at that moment he seemed to have transformed back into the powerful King of the Northern Frontier.

The deep voice said, "Order Jiu Meng An He that if the royal court's offensive is too strong to resist, you can temporarily abandon Qihe to preserve your troops and move closer to our Eastern Capital."

This is a conspiracy targeting the northern frontier; Yelü Zhilugu has already laid the trap.

Ili is just the beginning. Next, the main force of the royal army will surely cross the Ili River and attack the Seven Rivers Grassland.

With the Eastern Capital suffering heavy losses, Nanagawa will become isolated and helpless.

Therefore, Xiao Simo did not demand that Jiu Meng'an fight to the death, but instead focused on preserving his troops.

"Order that Li Xiao, the governor of Jinzhou, Ali Da, the governor of Beihai, and Gu Zizhong, the governor of Damo, lead all their troops to assemble in Luoyang."

"If you do not arrive within fifteen days, you will be punished according to military law."

"Issue the order: all herdsmen, slaves, men, women, and youths in the Eastern Capital, take up arms and prepare for battle!"

Xiao Simo issued three orders in succession, all for the purpose of fighting a desperate battle against the royal army.

If they can defeat the royal army, they might be able to save Xiao Helun.

“Yes, sir,” Sena said in a deep, resonant voice.

He then immediately got up and sent someone to convey his orders to the four governors of the northern frontier.

At this moment, Xiao Simo was relying entirely on his energy and spirit to keep going. As soon as Senahei left, he coughed violently again. This time, the blood he coughed up contained several purplish-black blood clots the size of fingernails.

His gaze drifted to the sky, and he murmured, "Is there truly no hope left for my Xiao family?"

Two days later, Xiao Simo's order reached Li Xiao.

The three messengers worked day and night without rest, averaging four hundred li a day. By the time they arrived in Jinzhou, their warhorses were worn out.

Li Xiao was also shocked by this battle situation.

"More than half of the five thousand cavalrymen have been killed in battle, Xuegueruda has died, and Xiaohelun is missing?" Li Xiao said in astonishment.

How was this battle fought? When did the army of Dongdu become so incompetent?

But Dongdu still needed to be saved, so he immediately gave instructions to the three messengers.

"You all go and rest first. I will gather the soldiers right away and prepare to support the Eastern Capital."

An army's expedition is not something that can be undertaken on a whim.

From the issuance of the order to the preparation of provisions, and then the assembly of each thousand-household and hundred-household unit, it took several days to get everything ready.

This was because the Jinzhou army consisted entirely of cavalry; if it were infantry, it would be normal for them to take more than ten days to prepare.

Moreover, the journey wasn't a continuous gallop; otherwise, the warhorses simply couldn't handle it and would be ruined before the battle even began.

We have to keep moving around.

In total, it would take at least six or seven days to travel from Hexibao to Dongdu.

Therefore, the fifteen days given by Xiao Simo were really not a generous amount of time.

……

After Xiao Helun's army was defeated, only three thousand soldiers remained stationed in the Eastern Capital.

Yila Yali Xin was one of the military commanders who led five hundred soldiers.

On this day, Niejida, the deputy commander of the royal guards, came to his tent and conveyed Xiao Simo's orders.

"This afternoon, the King invited Brother Yila to the 'Bayi Inn' to discuss important matters."

Upon hearing this, Yalisin was quite surprised: "Go to the Baiyi Inn? Why not the Prince's Palace?"

Bayi Inn is the largest inn in Dongdu City, and it is run by a Uyghur.

Although they often went there to drink and play with women, they never discussed any serious business there.

Faced with Yarisin's doubts, Nejida said with an indignant expression, "This morning, we captured a royal spy at the palace."

"The palace is no longer safe. The king is also worried about the secrets being leaked, so he has made a last-minute decision to go to the Baiyi Inn."

Nijida was an old man in the royal palace and Xiao Simo's deputy commander of guards. In the past, he would personally or send someone to deliver orders.

And since the token had just been presented, Yarisin no longer had any doubts.

After lunch, he rode his horse toward the Bai Inn.

When he entered the inn, he found that two generals had already arrived. He went up to them and started talking, mainly about how to deal with the royal army and defend the eastern capital.

Soon, the other generals arrived one after another.

There were a total of seven or eight people, encompassing all the major generals of the Eastern Capital.

However, Xiao Simo never appeared; instead, someone they never expected showed up.

"Hmm? The eldest prince?"

Yarisin looked at the courtyard gate in surprise, only to see a burly young man walk in.

He wore a worn-out leather armor, with a curved sword with a wolf tail wrapped around its hilt hanging from his waist, and his bronze face was full of pride and coldness.

Behind him followed a group of young men, also dressed in armor and carrying knives.

This person was Xiao Dalu, the eldest son of Xiao Simo.

"Generals, you have been waiting for a long time." Xiao Dalu chuckled.

He then strode towards the main seat, and the dozen or so teenagers behind him immediately dispersed and stood around the courtyard.

The arrival of Xiao Dalu chilled the atmosphere among the generals.

After a moment of silence, Yarisin stood up, chuckled, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Where is the King?"

Xiao Simo clearly sent them here to discuss important matters, so why did only Xiao Dalu come?

Xiao Dalu did not speak immediately, but walked to the front and sat down in the seat that should have belonged to Xiao Simo.

Afterwards, I looked around and admired it. Although it was just an ordinary stool, the feeling of sitting down on it was different.

After enjoying the moment, he said casually, "My father is unwell and has specially ordered me to come and discuss military matters with you generals."

"Oh, right, there's also a warrant from my father here."

As he spoke, Xiao Dalu waved his hand, and the deputy commander of his personal guards, Niejida, took out a piece of cloth from his bosom.

He addressed everyone, saying, "By imperial decree, effective immediately, Xiao Dalu is appointed as the Governor of Yinshan, in charge of all troops in the Eastern Capital. No one may disobey this order."

Upon hearing this, the generals in the hall were immediately taken aback.

What's happening here?
Because the Eastern Capital was located in Yinshan, the position of Governor of Yinshan was not very prominent.

But it does exist.

The previous governor of Yinshan was Xuegueruda.

It was equivalent to the Governor-General of Zhili, ranking first among the five Grand Commanders of the Northern Frontier.

Now that Xuegueruda has died in battle, it seems reasonable to hand over the position to Xiaodalu.

"Could it be that the Crown Prince disappointed the King in the Battle of Yili, so he is preparing to groom the eldest prince as his successor?" some generals wondered.

However, Yalisin disagreed and questioned, "The King has appointed the eldest prince as the governor of Yinshan, and we will naturally obey his orders."

"However, this matter is of great importance and requires Your Majesty's personal announcement."

As soon as he finished speaking, some of the generals nodded and echoed his sentiments.

"That's right, I should see the King."

"Appointing the Governor of Yinshan is no small matter. Only when His Majesty announces it in person can we feel at ease."

Upon hearing these words, Nejida shouted, "What do you want to do?"

"His Majesty's warrant is here, and it bears His Majesty's seal. How could it be fake?"

"Moreover, His Majesty is currently unwell and angry about the Crown Prince's affairs. He should be resting and recuperating. If he is troubled by these trivial matters and something goes wrong, can you bear the responsibility?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a general named Curig stepped forward, took the letter of appointment, examined it, and then turned to the crowd and said.

“That’s right, these are indeed the King’s seals.”

Then another general stood up and said, "The situation in our Eastern Capital is critical. The false emperor's son, Yelü Zhixin, is leading an army of 20,000 across the Alatau Mountains and approaching the Eastern Capital."

"Although His Majesty has issued a summons to the three Grand Marshals, it will still take some time for the troops from the three provinces to arrive."

"At this moment, we need someone to lead us to hold off the royal army and hold out until reinforcements arrive."

"Now that His Majesty is unwell, it is the right time for the eldest prince, as His Majesty's eldest son, to step forward."

"Therefore, I, Kumoxi, will resolutely obey the king's orders and am willing to follow the eldest prince's commands."

As soon as he finished speaking, the general who had just checked the orders also said, "I also support the eldest prince becoming the governor of Yinshan."

"As everyone knows, the eldest prince is brave and skilled in battle, a true expert in warfare."

"At this time, only the eldest prince can lead us to stop the royal army."

Watching the group perform their back-and-forth act, Yarisin and the others gradually understood what was going on.

So this was all a setup!
Without the slightest hesitation, Yarisin said directly, "No matter what, I, Yarisin, and my brothers will only obey the king's orders."

"Even if there is a new governor of Yinshan, it must be announced by the king himself."

"Otherwise, I fear I cannot comply."

"Farewell!"

With that, Yalisin got up and left, preparing to go to the Prince's Mansion to see Xiao Simo.

But the next second, there was a loud 'bang' as Xiao Dalu slammed his hand heavily on the table.

His face was full of anger as he looked at Yalisin and shouted, "Guards!"

The surrounding youths drew their knives and stood in front of Yarisin.

Yalisin stopped in his tracks, his disdainful gaze sweeping over the youths before turning to Xiao Dalu.

"Humph~"

"Your Highness, do you think you can keep this humble general here with these worthless wretches?"

“I, Yarisin, have been fighting alongside the old prince since I was ten years old. I have countless scars on my body.”

Do you really think I'm made of clay?

At this moment, Yarisin seemed to exude a strong murderous aura. Under the intimidation of his powerful aura, these young boys unconsciously tightened their grip on their sword hilts.

After Yarisin finished speaking, another general stood up and said, "Yarisin is right."

"Your Highness, everything must be done with proper justification."

"Without the king's personal order, it would be a disorderly command, and I am afraid I cannot obey."

"After all, who knows if some scoundrels stole the king's seal and forged a warrant?"

Upon hearing this, the face of the deputy commander of the personal guard, Niejida, instantly turned ashen; everyone could tell that he was being insulted.

"You~"

"Hmph, looking for death."

Xiao Dalu laughed heartily, clapped his hands lightly, and said, "Good, I admire the courage of the two generals."

"However, when my father appointed me as the governor of Yinshan, he also anticipated that some people would be dissatisfied, so he sent some helpers to me."

As he spoke, another series of chaotic footsteps sounded outside.

A group of soldiers clad in leather armor rushed in, wielding swords and spears, and aimed them at Yarisin and his men.

A dozen or so teenagers were certainly not enough to retain generals like Yarisin.

But these soldiers were different; they exuded a murderous aura, clearly a group of battle-hardened veterans.

Moreover, Yarisin spotted several people among them who looked very familiar.

Then, he glared fiercely at the two generals who supported Xiao Dalu and said angrily, "Kumoxi, Culige, do you two want to rebel?"

The soldiers who rushed in were clearly the men under the command of these two generals.

The facts are clear: Xiao Dalu colluded with the deputy commander of the royal guards and two generals, Kumoxi, to rebel and seize power.

That's incredibly arrogant.

At this point, Kumoxi and the other man stopped pretending.

He sneered and said, "Failure is called rebellion; success is called meritorious service in supporting the emperor."

"All the generals in charge of the Eastern Capital's troops are here. As long as you cooperate obediently, we cannot possibly fail."

Yalisin stared intently at Xiao Dalu: "You, you all~"

"Now that our Eastern Capital is in grave danger, it is precisely the time for us to unite as one and work together to resist the royal army."

“But you have turned against yourselves. If the Eastern Capital falls one day, you will be the culprits.”

Xiao Dalu, however, paid no attention to his angry outburst.

With a 'whoosh', he drew his scimitar and said confidently, "As long as I am here, Dongdu will not fall."

"On the contrary, it will be even more powerful than during my father's reign."

Although Xiao Helun lost 5,000 elite troops, the foundation of the Northern Frontier is solid. The four prefectures of Jinzhou, Beihai, Qihe, and Damo can still gather at least 20,000 to 30,000 troops.

All that is needed is to lead the three thousand troops of the Eastern Capital, take advantage of the city's defenses, hold out for ten days, and wait for reinforcements from the four prefectures. The royal army will surely retreat.

By then, Xiao Dalu would be a hero of the northern frontier.

Based on this military achievement and his status as Xiao Simo's eldest son, the governors would surely recognize him as the King of the Six Courts.

Just imagining that scene brought an uncontrollable smile to Xiao Dalu's face.

But Yalisin was stunned. He had originally thought that Xiaodalu was just short-tempered and straightforward, and not very smart.

I never imagined that he wasn't just unintelligent, but genuinely stupid.

Which of the generals present is not a veteran of countless battles?

If you don't even have absolute confidence in facing the 20,000 troops of Dongdu, what makes you, a kid who has never been on the battlefield, dare to make such boastful claims?

In Yarisin's view, this was just empty talk!
"No, you will harm Dongdu and ruin my foundation in the Northern Frontier!" Yalisin roared.

Xiao Dalu waved his hand and said, "Take them away and lock them up. Don't let them escape."

Subsequently, Yarisin and another general were taken away.

Xiao Dalu also wanted to incorporate their army, and killing them would surely provoke resistance from the soldiers below.

Therefore, their lives need to be spared for the time being.

Subsequently, under a combination of coercion and enticement, the other generals had no choice but to pledge allegiance to Xiao Dalu and acknowledge his status as the Governor of Yinshan.

After dealing with these generals, Xiao Dalu immediately led his men to attack the Prince's mansion.

……

At this moment, Xiao Simo was still sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun, wearing a thick fox fur coat. His face had become even paler, and his breath was even weaker.

Having suffered the blow of the Battle of Ili, Xiao Simo seemed to have aged more than ten years in just three days.

Suddenly, the commander of the personal guards, Senahei, rushed in in a panic, his face filled with anger and fear. He shouted, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

"The eldest prince has led his men in and stormed in."

But Xiao Simo was not surprised at all when he heard this.

He merely opened his squinting eyes slightly, and nodded gently, like an old man on his deathbed.

"understood."

Seeing Xiao Simo's simple reaction, Senahei became even more anxious.

I have a strong suspicion that the blow in Yili might have confused Xiao Simo.

Or have they completely given up and given up?

"Your Majesty, the eldest prince is planning a rebellion."

"And I don't know what method he used to bewitch the soldiers in the city, but they've already stormed into the palace," Senahei said hurriedly.

At the same time, he directed the guards behind him: "Quickly, quickly lift the king up."

"Protect the King and fight your way out."

However, Xiao Simo gently waved his hand, rejecting Senahei's idea of ​​escaping.

Instead, he looked at Senahei with a calm expression, sighed, and said, "Senahei, when did you start following me?"

Although Senahei was anxious, he could only suppress his temper and say, "This humble general was chosen by the old prince in the fifteenth year of Chengtian and was fortunate enough to become Your Majesty's personal guard."

Chengtian was the reign title of Yelü Pusuwan, the mother of Xiao Simo.

"Fifteen years have passed since the beginning of the Chengtian era, and now it's almost twenty years," Xiao Simo said with a soft sigh.

"It is said that the higher you climb, the colder it gets. The higher your status and position, the lonelier you will be in your old age. I am now experiencing this firsthand."

As he spoke, he gently beckoned Senahei to lean down and whispered in his ear, "I am giving you one last order."

Senahei immediately knelt on the ground and said in a firm voice, "As Your Majesty commands, I will do my best, even if it means going through fire and water."

"But please, Your Majesty, do not say such ominous things. I will certainly protect Your Majesty and fight your way out."

A smile appeared on Xiao Simo's pale face as he said calmly, "I understand your loyalty, but you have more important things to do."

As he spoke, Xiao Simo's voice grew even lower: "In the third room from the left in the backyard, there is a tunnel leading out of the city."

"It was secretly built when my maternal grandfather established his capital here."

"I command you to take the Queen and leave the Eastern Capital through the underground passage."

"Go to Jinzhou and find Aman. She will protect you."

Upon hearing this, Senahei looked shocked: "Your Majesty, this humble general can protect you and the Queen as you leave through the tunnel."

Xiao Simo gently shook his head: "I can't leave in this condition."

"Besides, Abe is my son, he won't do anything to me."

"The only thing I'm worried about is the Princess."

After all, Ugulun was rather petty and had accumulated too much jealousy towards the princess over the years.

Once they gain power, they will definitely retaliate.

"Your Majesty!" Sena cried out in a sorrowful voice, his dark eyes red.

Xiao Simo gently patted his shoulder and said calmly, "Go, take the princess and leave Dongdu."

Seeing this, Senahei could only obey Xiao Simo's order. After kowtowing several times, he said in a firm voice, "Your Majesty, rest assured."

"Even if it means my death, I will protect the Princess and never allow anyone to harm her in the slightest."

After saying that, Senahei got up and ran towards the backyard.

Xiao Simo remained seated calmly, and said with a wry smile, "Is this what you call giving up entirely?"

"It's just that the princess is suffering!"

(End of this chapter)