The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 199 Jinzhou Iron Cavalry, Unrivaled in the Northern Frontier

After a night of fighting, Dongdu City has been completely occupied by the Northern Navy.

Hundreds of corpses lay neatly laid out on the widest street in the city, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

Ali Da, along with his generals, stood before Xiao Dalu's corpse.

The surface was covered with dozens of bloody holes, marks left after the arrows were pulled out.

In last night's fierce battle, Xiao Dalu refused to surrender and even attempted to launch a counterattack on the Prince's Mansion to rescue Xiao Simo. However, he was ultimately outnumbered and perished under the arrows of the Northern Navy.

Ali Da said solemnly, “Although Xiao Dalu has taken the king hostage and rebelled, and deserves to die, he is still a descendant of the king.”

"He died in battle, which can be considered as not disgracing the king's wisdom."

"Give him a proper burial!"

"And these fallen soldiers were merely misled by Xiao Dalu. In the end, they were all warriors of my northern frontier. They should be properly buried."

Ali replied that his move was intended to win over the hearts and minds of the Eastern Capital troops.

Having said that, he looked up at Yarisin and the other Eastern generals and asked, "General Yarisin, do you have any thoughts?"

Yalisin and the others exchanged glances and shook their heads, saying, "Governor Ali's considerations are thorough; we have no objections."

In present-day Dongdu, Xiao Dalu has died in battle, Xiao Simo's whereabouts are unknown, and the highest-ranking official is Ali Da, the governor of Beihai.

Therefore, these remnants of the Eastern Capital tacitly followed Ali Da's lead.

"However, the most important thing right now is to find the King. We don't know where that scoundrel Xiao Dalu has imprisoned him," another Eastern General said angrily.

They had searched almost the entire Eastern Capital, but still couldn't find any trace of Xiao Simo, which made all the generals in the Eastern Capital very uneasy.

They were terrified that Xiao Simo had already been murdered.

“That’s right. The most urgent task is to find the king. We’ve already sent people out of the city to search for him and offered a reward to the herdsmen. We should be able to find him soon,” Ali Da nodded slightly.

"However, the royal army has already crossed the Alatau Mountains and is less than three hundred miles from my eastern capital. It is the greatest threat to my northern frontier."

"At this critical moment, we should unite as one to fight against the foreign enemy."

Upon hearing Ali's words, Yarisin instantly understood what he meant.

While he was still hesitating, Niejida, the former deputy commander of the royal guards and now the commander of the Eastern City, said without hesitation: "The highest-ranking person in the Eastern Capital City right now is Governor Alida."

“I suggest that, until we find the King, Governor Arida lead us to fight against the royal army.”

As soon as he finished speaking, several Eastern Generals echoed his sentiments. After these power struggles, the Eastern Generals had been divided and had lost their cohesion.

Some of them had already defected to Ali Da, and the remaining Yarisin and others, faced with the overwhelming trend, naturally had no room for rebuttal and accepted Ali Da's position as the temporary commander-in-chief.

Until Xiao Simo is found.

Subsequently, Ali Da reorganized the army in the Eastern Capital and assigned combat tasks to guard against the royal army.

Not long after, he returned to the Bai Inn.

Following Xiaodalu, this place became Alida's temporary command center.

The Uyghur boss was devastated when his land was forcibly requisitioned without payment.

In one of the rooms, the copper kettle was already bubbling away on the mud stove.

Xiao Pulaiyelu crushed two bricks of tea and put them into boiling water, then poured fresh milk into the pot and sprinkled in some coarse salt.

Soon, two bowls of steaming hot milk tea were ready.

Upon seeing Ali's arrival, Xiao Pulaiyelu said calmly, "Please sit down."

"Try the taste of milk tea from southern Xinjiang."

This is a way of drinking tea that Xiaopulayelu learned from the people of the Eastern Karakhanid Kingdom during his years living in southern Xinjiang.

Ali sat opposite him, took the steaming hot milk tea, and said in a deep voice, "The army in Dongdu has been dealt with and is now under our control."

Xiao Pulayelu nodded slightly, his expression unchanged. He had long ago planted some spies in the central army of Beihai, and these things were not a secret to him.

Moreover, he brought a group of trusted confidants with him when he came from southern Xinjiang.

They also gathered a group of remnants of the army in the Eastern Capital, and now they had a considerable armed force.

"Although the Eastern Capital Army only has more than two thousand men left, they are still an asset to us and must be kept in our hands."

"And those three commanders in the Northern Army, keeping them alive is ultimately a problem."

The North Navy is not a monolithic entity, but rather divided into many factions.

Only about two thousand people actually followed the two in their rebellion, and three commanders were loyal to Xiao Simo.

If they find out the truth, the North Navy will probably split in two immediately.

Upon hearing this, Ali's face flashed with a fierce glint, and he nodded emphatically: "I understand, but we need an opportunity."

"I have already ordered men to bribe their subordinates. When the time is right, we can take down the three of them directly," Xiao Pulayelu said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Ali Da was shocked; the old man was indeed ruthless.

Many of the centurions in the Northern Navy were originally leaders of various tribes in the Northern Navy. Their loyalty to the three chiliarchs could be measured in money.

What truly alarmed Alibaba was that the old man had already begun to establish three major thousand-user bases. What about its own core thousand-user bases?
Has anyone been bribed by the old man?
Although shocked by Xiao Pulaiyelu's ruthlessness, Alida remained outwardly calm.

Xiao Pulayelu continued, "After capturing the three, you can decide on the position of Left Commander, while the Right Commander and Lower Commander will be given to Lü Xiezhen and Han Jianu."

Both of them were Xiao Pulayelu's men, servants who followed him into exile on the frontier.

In reality, it was a division of military power in the North Sea.

He offered Ali Da a position as a left commander to appease him, thus allowing Xiao Pulaiyelu to directly intervene in the army.

In this way, nearly half of the Northern Navy's forces would be under the control of Xiao Pulaiyelu, and even Ali Da's trusted centurions might be bribed by him.

This infuriated Ali: "Damn old man."

"Are you planning to discard them after they've served their purpose?"

He absolutely cannot let Xiao Pulaiyelu's plan succeed, otherwise he will slowly become a puppet.

However, it would be unwise to confront them head-on, so Ali only agreed on the surface, but was preparing to sabotage them behind the scenes.

Since war is about to break out, we'll take the opportunity to kill all of the old man's men and truly purge the Northern Navy.

The North Navy was the foundation of his power, and he would never allow this old man to take it away.

Then, Ali changed the subject, saying, "I just received news that the Jinzhou army will arrive in Dongdu in five days, and the Desert army will arrive in eight days."

"Both armies are formidable forces in the northern frontier, especially the Jinzhou army, which, under the leadership of Li Xiao, the son-in-law of the Chu Kingdom, is exceptionally brave and skilled in battle."

"This man was also the commander of the left wing army during the Western Expedition to the Royal Court, and he had great prestige in the Northern Frontier Army."

"If the Jinzhou army arrives, it will likely have a significant impact on our plans."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Pulayelu's expression also turned serious: "I've heard quite a bit about Li Xiao."

"Even within the royal court, he was a very famous figure."

"His rise was so rapid that it was astonishing. He became the governor of Jinzhou in just two or three years. While Aman's influence certainly played a part, his own abilities were also not to be underestimated."

"His achievements and accomplishments are so impressive that even many generals who have fought their whole lives are amazed."

In particular, during the Western Expedition, Li Xiao led the left wing army to almost completely annihilate the allied forces led by Xiao Linta, sweeping all before them and forcefully breaking through Husi Ordos.

This battle also made Li Xiao's name resound throughout Western Liao.

Subsequently, they launched a campaign against the Gaochang Kingdom, captured its capital, killed the Gaochang king, and forced the remaining Gaochang forces to submit.

This matter also shocked the royal court, after all, Gaochang, as a vassal state of the Western Liao, possessed considerable strength.

They were actually wiped out by Li Xiao in just two or three months, giving them a new understanding of Li Xiao's abilities.

However, being too far away to intervene, the royal court had no way to deal with the situation in Gaochang and could only let it be.

As for what Li Xiao did on the grasslands, he annihilated the Naiman tribe, severely damaged the Kereit army, and wiped out the Mongol detachment.

These things only happened a few months ago.

In the Western Regions, information travels very slowly.

Wars and tribal conflicts frequently disrupted trade routes.

Without special attention, news of events on the grasslands might not reach the royal court for a year.

Therefore, if the royal court learns about what happened on the grasslands, it will probably be even more shocked and will value Li Xiao even more.

In terms of political importance, he was far less than Xiao Simo.

However, in terms of military threat, Li Xiao has far surpassed Xiao Simo.

“That’s right. I’ve had contact with Li Xiao. Whether it’s military campaigns or intrigue, he’s not simple.”

"Even a veteran like Xiao Linta was completely overwhelmed by Li Xiao."

“If this person interferes, we will be in big trouble,” Ali said in a solemn voice.

Xiao Pulayelu nodded with a gloomy expression: "It's a pity that he is Aman's husband, otherwise I would really like to take him into my service."

He went to great lengths to occupy the Eastern Capital, not to benefit the royal court, but to replace Xiao Simo.

The situation in the northern frontier remained dire, and they would still face attacks from the royal court. If they could recruit Li Xiao, a brave and skilled general, they would have a better chance of dealing with the royal court's counterattack.

Unfortunately, Li Xiao probably won't submit to me.

"Since we can't have him, let's destroy him then," Xiao Pulayelu said in a cold voice.

Looking at Ali, he replied, "Send someone to Li Xiao and tell him to come to the Eastern Capital to discuss important matters."

Upon hearing this, Ali frowned slightly and said, "To catch the thief, first catch the king? Sir, do you intend to capture Li Xiao?"

"However, the Jinzhou Army is different from other armies; it was almost entirely established by Li Xiao."

"The main generals are all Li Xiao's relatives and fellow villagers. Even if we capture Li Xiao, we cannot kill him, otherwise we will only completely enrage the Jinzhou army."

What Ali said is also the biggest difference between the Golden State Army and other armies.

Just like the Northern Navy, which is mainly composed of many nomadic tribes in the North Sea.

These tribes were riddled with internal conflicts and were in a state of disarray. It was the Khitans who forcibly brought them together.

If Alida were killed, these tribes would never avenge him; they would simply become a scattered mess again, with no one under their command and even fighting each other.

In contrast, the Jinzhou army was mainly composed of the former Four Fortresses Allied Forces.

It was through Li Xiao's repeated conquests and political maneuvering that he annexed other fortresses and tribes, and forcibly plundered a large number of Han people from the Western Xia, thus creating the Jinzhou Army of today.

Therefore, the ruling system of the Four Fortresses Alliance remained unchanged; it simply expanded its scale.

Most of the generals were Han Chinese, and the high-ranking generals were all relatives of Li Xiao.

The existence of these people transformed the Jinzhou Army into an impenetrable fortress, with extremely strong internal cohesion, forming a single, unbreakable entity that was almost entirely independent of the Northern Frontier system.

If Li Xiao were killed, the Jinzhou army would not scatter and fight individually.

The generals of various departments will only launch a fierce attack on Dongdu under the pretext of avenging Li Xiao. Whoever can avenge Li Xiao will have the hope of becoming the next governor of Jinzhou.

Therefore, Ali's idea was that Li Xiao should not be killed, but rather he should be used to control the Jinzhou army.

After hearing Ali's explanation, Xiao Pulaiyelu also looked surprised: "The power of the Jinzhou Army is so centralized?"

"It seems I underestimated Li Xiao." "Alright, let's capture Li Xiao first, control the Jinzhou army, and then persuade him to work for us."

The two then discussed how to deal with the Jinzhou army.

But as soon as Ali stepped out of the room, the smile on his face vanished instantly, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

"Old man, if you take control of Dongdu, wouldn't all my efforts as Ali Da have been in vain?"

Although Alida was forced to participate in Xiaopulayelu's plan, he was not without ambition himself.
The next step up from the Governor of Beihai is the Governor of the Eastern Capital.

Following Xiao Pulayelu's rebellion was like throwing millet into a fire, but it didn't mean there wasn't a glimmer of hope.

But now, Xiao Pulaiyelu actually wants to discard his usefulness and plot against his own Northern Navy. How can Ali Da tolerate this?
The old man has already found a way to die.

However, not all of the Northern Navy were Ali Da's men; some of them were Xiao Pu La Ye Lu's confidants, and this old man was not without the power to resist.

Moreover, the Jinzhou Army, the Wangting Army, and the Desert Army will arrive in Dongdu one after another.

This chaotic situation made it difficult for Ali Da to take action, as the Northern Navy alone could not handle so many forces.

Inside the room, Xiao Pulayelu's face was also gloomy. He muttered to himself, "I'll let you live for a few more days. Once the plan succeeds, I'll send you to see Xiao Simo."

Once the Eastern Capital is stabilized, Ali Da, the Governor of Beihai, will no longer be of any use to him.

After all, with such a subordinate who commands a large army, Xiao Pulayelu would not feel at ease even if he became the garrison commander of the Eastern Capital.

Military power can only be held by one's own people.

……

Meanwhile, four royal guards were riding their horses, making their way with difficulty towards Jinzhou.

They fled Luoyang in haste, and their food and arrows were insufficient. They ran out of supplies halfway through the journey.

The four men left behind only the most basic bows and arrows and spears, and took out everything they had, including a fine steel scimitar, to trade with the herdsman for a sheep and a horse-drawn cart.

Only after the four of them shared the food did they have the strength to continue their journey.

"Ahead lies the Saur Mountain, and beyond that is Jinzhou," a leading guard announced loudly.

Behind him, on the carriage, was a very simple coffin, which they had prepared for Xiao Simo using materials found on the spot.

Although Xiao Simo told them to bury him anywhere and later move him to the Xiao family ancestral cemetery.

But all four of them understood that this was because Xiao Simo didn't want to implicate them.

Therefore, no matter how difficult it was, they still insisted on taking Xiao Simo's body to Jinzhou.

"I wonder how Dongdu is doing now?" a guard sighed.

"Hmph, if I had known that that bastard Ali Da wouldn't be tamed, I should have torn him to pieces back then," another man said angrily.

"Once we join up with the prince consort's army, we'll march back to Luoyang," several guards said as they walked.

But the next second, the guard at the front suddenly raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

The atmosphere instantly became tense, and the four of them drew their bows and arrows, ready to fight.

This place is at the border of Jinzhou and Dongdu. Although it is also under the control of the Northern Frontier, it is not absolutely safe.

Occasionally, there would be sporadic bandit attacks on the tribe, but if they encountered a large group of bandits, the four of them would be in danger.

In this tense atmosphere, the people on the other side also noticed them.

About a mile away, on a hilltop, several cavalrymen seemed to slowly emerge from the horizon.

They were all dressed in white armor that had turned black, their clothes covered in dark mud, wearing helmets with plumes, and holding bows, standing high on the hillside.

He gazed at the direction of the four guards from afar.

Upon seeing the familiar attire, the four guards instantly relaxed.

They exchanged a glance, their expressions revealing relief.

"It's the White-Armored Army!"

……

In the eastern part of Saur Mountain, the endless Jinzhou army camps stretch out, with golden sun and moon battle flags fluttering in the wind.

Meanwhile, the camp was also filled with battle flags of yellow, red, and white, each representing a thousand-household army.

Li Xiao had a feeling that this battle would be large-scale, since the royal court had deployed its main force to attack the Seven Rivers Grassland.

Therefore, an order was issued to each thousand-household office to draw six hundred soldiers.

Jinzhou had sixteen thousand-household prefectures, with a total military strength of ten thousand men.

At the same time, Li Xiao also brought 20,000 Naiman and Kereit prisoners of war to this battle, all of whom were incorporated into the Kuli army as cannon fodder.

Like gold being sifted from sand, true warriors are selected through blood and fire in war to replenish the troops of Jinzhou Town.

Therefore, the total strength of this camp at this time reached 30,000 men.

However, this was not the entire force of the Jinzhou army that was dispatched this time.

The Western Sea was too far away, so Li Xiao did not mobilize the troops there.

Instead, he ordered Li Dashan, the general in charge of the desert army, to lead thirteen commanders, totaling eight thousand soldiers, out of the desert.

They are expected to arrive in Dongdu three days later than the troops from Jinzhou.

As a result, the total strength of the Jinzhou army on the expedition reached an astonishing 38,000 men, the largest in the northern frontier.

If he were to conscript without regard for the consequences, Li Xiao could even gather at least 30,000 garrison soldiers and war slaves.

In just three years, the total strength of the Jinzhou Army, including its garrison troops and war slaves, has already surpassed the combined strength of the other four prefectures in the northern frontier.

With this power in hand, Li Xiao would not be intimidated even if he were to directly confront the main force of the royal court.

Inside the golden tent, he sat facing Shulu Wujin.

This person, who was protected by the Prince's personal guards, had just arrived at the Jinzhou army camp a couple of days ago and brought Li Xiao a message.

Xiao Dalu has rebelled and has already taken Xiao Simo hostage.

Any orders issued by Dongdu from now on are arbitrary and Li Xiao need not heed them.

“Aman lost his parents at a young age and was raised by the King and Queen, who were like brothers, fathers, sisters-in-law and mothers to him.”

“Nai Ri is A Man’s most beloved nephew. I, Li Xiao, will never sit idly by and watch Xiao Da Lu cause trouble.”

"Your Highness, rest assured, this humble general will definitely rescue the King."

"Once my Jinzhou army arrives in Dongdu, faced with overwhelming force, no matter how Abu struggles, he will have no choice but to surrender obediently."

The Jinzhou army had 38,000 troops, while the commander of the desert army was Xiao Tuladuo's son, Xiao Chilu.

Given their previous relationship, Li Xiao could easily win him over.

In this way, Li Xiao could mobilize more than 40,000 troops, and even if he wanted to capture the Eastern Capital, it would only take a short time.

Therefore, I have full confidence to say this.

Upon hearing this, Shulu Wujin was deeply moved.

Li Xiao's words clearly indicate that he is on the side of Shulu Wujin and Xiao Helun in this struggle for the throne within the Prince's Mansion.

Whether from a personal feelings or personal interests perspective, Li Xiao would choose this mother and son.

“Aman is a lucky child to have found someone like Governor Li to be her husband. She is truly the envy of everyone,” Shulu Wujin said gratefully.

Subconsciously, I thought that Li Xiao supported me and my son only because of Xiao Yanyan.

"However, he disappeared without a trace in Yili. Some say they saw him fall from his horse and die in battle, while others say he has been captured by the royal army."

"If something were to happen to Nairi, how would a woman like me survive?"

As she spoke, Shu Lu Wu Jin wiped away her tears. After all, he was her only son, how could she not feel heartache and longing for him?

At this moment, her biggest regret was agreeing to let Xiao Helun go to Yili.

She would rather not let Xiao Helun compete for that position than let him be safe and sound.

Seeing the crying woman, Li Xiao didn't know how to comfort her.

He could only whisper, "It's a lucky day, everything will be alright."

"If he is indeed captured by the royal army, I will do everything in my power to rescue him."

Li Xiao's words were half true and half false; they were purely meant to comfort people.

After all, Xiao Helun's identity is extraordinary. If he really falls into the hands of the royal court, even if Li Xiao annihilates the royal court's army, he will only end up with a corpse.

Unless they capture an important figure in the royal court and use him as a bargaining chip.

However, no one knows for sure what Xiao Helun's current situation is, and Li Xiao has no idea where to start.

"During this time, Your Highness will stay in the army camp for the time being. Once my Jinzhou army arrives in Dongdu and rescues the King, you may return to your residence."

"It's just that the conditions in the army are poor, which is unfair to the Princess Consort," Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Shu Lu Wujin quickly shook her head gently: "I'm not wronged."

"I am already extremely grateful that I have a place to stay."

As Li Xiao was saying this, he was about to arrange for Shulu Wujin to return to his tent to rest when Tie Tou, the commander of the Wuwei Army, walked in and stood beside Li Xiao, whispering a sentence.

"what?"

Li Xiao's eyes widened instantly, and he stood up abruptly, looking utterly shocked and incredulous.

Turning to look at Tie Tou, he demanded, "Really?"

Tie Tou nodded emphatically: "Absolutely true."

"I saw the body with my own eyes."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao took a deep breath and slowly sat back down on the stool, his eyes still filled with shock.

Although I knew this day would come, I never expected it to come so suddenly and quickly.

Xiao Simo is dead!

The body was brought to Jinzhou by four guards, where it was spotted by scouts from the Jinzhou army. Tie Tou had already examined it and confirmed that it was indeed Xiao Simo.

"Go and move the coffin into the tent next door, and summon those four guards. I wanted to ask them myself what happened!" Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!" Tie Tou nodded and silently retreated from the tent.

During this process, Shu Lu Wujin sat quietly opposite, gently wiping away her tears, a hint of curiosity appearing on her face.

"Your Highness, there is something that has shocked and saddened me greatly. Please take care of yourself after hearing it."

Li Xiao looked at Shulu Wujin and said in a heavy voice, "Your Majesty has passed away."

Upon hearing this, Shu Lu Wujin's face froze instantly, and the silk handkerchief in her hand fluttered to her feet.

"Wh-what?"

"Your Majesty~"

Shu Luwu Jin's red lips trembled, and tears slowly rolled down her fair cheeks.

(End of this chapter)