The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 200 Who is the Lord of the Northern Frontier?
Inside the large tent, the atmosphere was somber and desolate. A pine coffin lay across the center, its head facing the tent entrance.

Offerings and candles were piled up around the room, and a white cloth curtain was hung up, setting up a simple mourning hall.

Shulu Wujin, dressed in white mourning clothes, knelt before the coffin, her hair tied with white hemp rope. Her originally dark eyes had turned bloodshot, and tears streamed down her face, soaking her clothes.

She held the paper money in her hand and slowly stuffed it into the brazier.

In the firelight, her cheeks flushed and paled, her haggard appearance adding to her cool and aloof charm.

Li Xiao stood outside the tent, also dressed in a white robe and wearing light mourning clothes. He looked at Shu Lu Wu Jin's back and sighed softly.

Fate is cruel; the princess is only in her early twenties, yet she has already become a widow. It's truly pitiful.

"The King's coffin is here. There are no external injuries or signs of poisoning on his body. He did die from a serious illness. However, the King's death is inextricably linked to Xiao Dalu and Ali Da."

Li Xiao said in a cold voice.

Standing behind him were Gu Zizhong, the governor of the desert, and Xiao Chilu, the deputy governor.

Both were dressed in plain clothes, and both looked grief-stricken, with red eyes and tears streaming down their faces.

"Your Majesty~"

"I'm too late, boohoo~ I didn't even get to see you one last time."

Gu Zizhong's wailing and lamenting were superb acting skills.

In contrast, Xiao Chilu showed more genuine emotion, his eyes red, and he wept softly.

The two men had just led three thousand desert cavalry to join Li Xiao when they received some shocking news.

Xiao Simo has passed away.

So they rushed over to offer their condolences.

"Governor Li, we must avenge the King!" Xiao Chilu said in a pained voice.

“Yes, Ali Da received the King’s grace and was granted the title of Governor of the North Sea. Instead of repaying the favor, he harmed the King. He should be punished by extermination of his clan and skinning him alive,” Gu Zizhong said loudly.

Li Xiao nodded silently: "We must avenge the King."

“Not only Ali Da, but also the royal court, will pay the price for the King’s death.” Li Xiao said firmly as he turned his back to the two men and saw Xiao Simo’s coffin.

After learning of Xiao Simo's death, Li Xiao ordered the Jinzhou army to halt and set up camp in the eastern part of Saur Mountain.

On one hand, they were waiting for the desert army under Li Dashan and Gu Zizhong to arrive and join them.

Furthermore, it was to wait for the Shenji Battalion's artillery to arrive, since this battle was no longer a simple field battle, but rather a matter of breaching the Eastern Capital.

Finally, a simple memorial service was prepared for Xiao Simo.

However, the army carried few other supplies besides food and fodder during its campaigns.

The limited amount of white cloth was only enough for important figures to wear in plain clothes. For example, the soldiers of the Wuwei Army guarding the mourning hall could only wrap a strip of white cloth around their chests as a sign of respect.

At this time, everything in the army was kept simple. After the capture of Luoyang, Li Xiao would naturally hold a funeral for Xiao Simo.

After all, he was the King of the Northern Frontier, the powerful King of the Six Courts who dominated the Western Liao. He lived a glorious life, and he should also die in a grand manner.

Then, Shulu Wujin, who was standing in front of the coffin, gently turned around and looked at Li Xiao.

Tears mingled with cigarette ash, clinging to her exquisitely beautiful face, yet her stunning beauty remained undiminished.

It adds a touch of melancholy and cold beauty; if one wants to be charming in mourning, Shu Lu Wu Jin perfectly embodies this saying.

She then placed her hands together on her right side, bowed slightly, and performed a Tang Dynasty-style curtsy to Li Xiao and the others.

With a sorrowful and trembling voice, she said, "I am but a woman, and I know nothing of matters of state."

"I only beg Governor Li and Governor Gu not to let His Majesty go without a clear explanation."

Upon hearing this, Gu Zizhong quickly replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, we have received the King's favor and are by no means ungrateful."

After paying their respects, Li Xiao led the two away from the mourning hall.

Standing outside, Gu Zizhong looked at Li Xiao and said in a deep voice, "I am a civil official by birth, and fighting on the battlefield is not my forte."

"I hope that Governor Li will pay close attention to the matter of Your Majesty. I am willing to serve you and obey your orders."

Xiao Chilu also patted his chest and looked at Li Xiao, saying in a heavy voice, "Me too."

"I am willing to obey the Grand Commander's orders."

Xiao Chilu was just a simple soldier, but Gu Zizhong was a smart man.

Although he was a governor like Li Xiao, he knew that he was no match for Li Xiao at all.

Looking solely at military strength.

After joining forces with Li Dashan's desert garrison, Li Xiao's Jinzhou army reached nearly 40,000 troops, all of whom were cavalry.

Stationed on the grasslands, they stretched as far as the eye could see. Not to mention the entire northern frontier, even the entire Liao Dynasty would find very few forces that could rival them.

In contrast, Gu Zizhong emptied his coffers to gather only three thousand soldiers in the desert, less than one-tenth of the Jinzhou army.

Faced with overwhelming strength, Gu Zizhong had no intention of competing with Li Xiao.

Moreover, with Xiao Simo's passing and the Northern Frontier leaderless, Li Xiao, as the husband of the Chu Kingdom's eldest princess and commanding the formidable Jinzhou Iron Cavalry, is not without the possibility of taking that position.

Therefore, Gu Zizhong's admission of defeat can be considered a kind of early investment.

Hearing their words, Li Xiao was not surprised at all. After all, he was the one who helped to reclaim the desert when the Uyghurs caused trouble.

Not only did Xiao Chilu, the deputy governor, admire him, but he also enjoyed considerable prestige among the people of the desert.

Therefore, even if Gu Zizhong had other ideas, he had no other way to go.

"No need to be so polite, both of you."

"Everything is for avenging the king."

"Since you two trust me, Li Xiao, I will never let you down."

"We must retake Dongdu and personally cut off Ali Da's head," Li Xiao said firmly.

Immediately afterwards, a supreme military conference of the Jinzhou Army was convened, which was also attended by Gu Zizhong and Xiao Chilu.

They discussed their next battle plan, after all, their enemy was not only the Northern Navy, but also the 20,000 royal troops led by Yelü Zhixin.

Even the Seven Rivers Grassland is still being ravaged by the main force of the royal court. If Jiu Meng Anhe cannot hold on, it will not be long before the main force of the royal court will be able to rush to the gates of the Eastern Capital.

"Eliminate the 20,000 royal troops from Ili and capture Yelü Zhixin."

Li Xiao looked at his generals and said in a deep voice.

He slammed his palm heavily on the table, pressing it precisely onto the location of Dongdu on the map.

……

Fifty li south of the Eastern Capital, green alfalfa grass ripples in the wind, where the royal army is stationed.

The camps of the 20,000-strong army stretched for miles like dark clouds pressing down on the ground.

In front of the central command tent, the banners on the flagpoles fluttered in the summer wind.

The charcoal fire outside the tent was burning brightly, roasting delicious lamb.

Commander Yelü Zhixin took the silver bowl from his attendant, which contained several pieces of mutton, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.

Looking at Xiao Hetu opposite him, he said in a calm voice, "Minister Xiao, the royal court's spies have reported to me that the Northern Navy has taken control of the Eastern Capital."

"According to the agreement, your father should surrender the city to me."

Hearing his slightly threatening tone, Xiao Hetu remained calm and smiled faintly, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured."

"It was His Majesty who gave my father and me the opportunity to avenge ourselves; otherwise, we would still be eating sand in that barren land of Khotan."

"My son and I are by no means ungrateful people."

"Since we have promised to help Your Highness take over the Eastern Capital, we will definitely do so."

"But..."

As he spoke, Xiao He suddenly shook his head helplessly.

"Although the Northern Navy has taken control of the Eastern Capital, the army is full of Xiao Simo's men."

"My father could only barely influence the North Navy by using Xiao Simo's name."

“If the Northern Navy surrenders the Eastern Capital, the military commanders will surely understand everything. At that time, not only will our plan fail, but my father’s life will also be in danger.”

"Therefore, Your Highness, matters in the Eastern Capital cannot be rushed."

Hearing this, Yelü Zhixin still looked displeased.

"How long will it take?"

Currently, Dongdu has a total of 8,000 men, including the Northern Navy and the Dongdu Army, all of whom are brave and skilled Northern Frontier cavalry.

On the other hand, the royal court had more than 20,000 people.

However, their combat effectiveness was significantly inferior to that of the Eastern Capital Army.

Those soldiers from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate who believe in Allah would find it difficult to defeat these desperate outlaws in the northern frontier in single combat.

Therefore, Yelü Zhixin still hoped to take Luoyang without bloodshed.

This was to demonstrate his strategic and military prowess, allowing Yelü Zhilugu and the important officials of the royal court to see his abilities and clear obstacles for him to inherit the throne.

Seeing Yelü Zhixin's urgency, Xiao Hetu smiled faintly: "Your Highness, rest assured, it won't be long."

“My father is preparing to take down those who are disobedient in the Northern Army. Then we can open the city gates wide and welcome the royal army into the city.”

"However, if Your Highness is truly impatient, we can implement other plans."

"As long as the royal army sets up an ambush, my father will lead the Northern Navy to enter on his own initiative, and Your Highness will help to eliminate any discontent within the Northern Navy."

"At that time, the entire Eastern Capital will be ours."

"Your Highness will easily obtain the immense merit of pacifying the northern frontier. At that time, the position of Crown Prince of Liao will be yours for the taking."

Upon hearing Xiao Hetu's words, Yelü Zhixin's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes lit up.

The Crown Prince of Liao!
He dreamed of sitting in this position, but unfortunately Yelü Zhilugu was too prolific. Although he had an advantage, he did not have an absolute advantage.

But as Xiao Hetu said, as long as he can take over the Eastern Capital, the position of Crown Prince will be a sure thing for him.

"Good, you and your son are truly loyal to my Great Liao. This prince needs talents like you."

"Minister Xiao, rest assured, once I become the Crown Prince, I will never forget your contributions."

Haha~

Upon hearing this, Xiao He chuckled softly and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness."

But in truth, he regarded him as a fool. How could someone like that be the crown prince? The fate of the Liao Dynasty was nearing its end.

Does Yelü Zhixin want to take over Luodu?

The Xiao family father and son also wanted to capture him and his 20,000-strong royal army.

Although it was said to be an ambush set up by the Wang Ting Army for the Northern Navy, it was actually a trap set for the Wang Ting Army.

First, eliminate Xiao Simo's men in the Northern Navy, then lure Li Xiao into the Eastern Capital, capture him, and take control of the Jinzhou Army.

Subsequently, a trap was set to annihilate Yelü Zhixin's royal army.

Finally, he led the main forces of the northern frontier, including the Northern Navy and the Jinzhou Army, westward into the Seven Rivers region, using Yelü Zhixin as leverage to negotiate with the royal court. If necessary, he could completely abandon the Seven Rivers grasslands in exchange for the royal court's withdrawal.

In this way, the Xiao family father and son can use the four prefectures of the northern frontier as their base to recreate the glory of the Xiao Simo era.

The Xiao family will eventually return to the hands of their fourth branch.

However, just three days later, in the evening, the two scouts suddenly returned to the camp in a hurry.

They looked panicked and disheveled, with an arrow stuck in one of their shoulders.

He rushed to the gate of the main camp and shouted to the guards, "I am Ulikunsang, the leader of the third scout squad. Open the gate quickly, I have important military information to report to His Highness."

After their identities were verified, the gates opened, and two scouts rushed into the camp as if they were being chased by ghosts.

In the central command tent, Yelü Zhixin was slightly taken aback when he saw the two scouts.

"What exactly happened? Where are the others?"

Normally, each scout team consists of eight to ten people, but only the two of them returned.

Judging from the marks on his body, he had clearly been in a fierce battle.

"Your Highness, we encountered a formidable cavalry force thirty miles east of the main camp."

"They were all wearing a kind of yellow armor that was completely impervious to swords and spears."

"Our arrows bounced off them, and our spears pierced their chests, but only knocked them off their horses, and then they stood up again to fight us."

“Our numbers were about the same as theirs, but in the end we were utterly defeated and only the two of us escaped.”

Seeing the miserable state of the two scouts, Yelü Zhixin was also horrified.

Despite having equal numbers of troops, they suffered a crushing defeat.
He hurriedly asked, "Are those cavalrymen wearing iron armor?"

“No, no, no, that doesn’t look like armor,” the scout leader said, shaking his head.

"If they were armored, they wouldn't be able to get up for a short time after we knocked them off their horses, but they got up effortlessly."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Zhixin was even more shocked.

Its defensive capabilities are comparable to iron armor, but it is much lighter.

What kind of monster is this?

"The Jinzhou Army!"

After hearing these descriptions, Xiao He, who was standing to the side, suddenly uttered these three words in a heavy voice.

"The Jinzhou Army?" Yelü Zhixin was surprised.

“That’s right, it’s the Jinzhou Army.” Xiao Hetu nodded emphatically.

“During the last rebellion in the northern frontier, a terrifying cavalry force clad in white armor appeared in the Jinzhou army.”

"The armor worn by those cavalrymen was similar to that encountered by the scouts, only the color was different."

"Therefore, I conclude that it must be a scout from the Jinzhou army."

Xiao Hetu said with a serious expression, "The Jinzhou army has arrived at the Dongdu Grassland and is probing our army's strength."

"I request Your Highness to dispatch more scouts to guard around my camp for twelve hours every day, and under no circumstances should the scouts from Jinzhou be allowed to approach the camp."

As he spoke, he remembered something else and turned to the scout leader, saying, "Have the others all died in battle?"

The scout leader, however, looked uneasy and said uncertainly, "Maybe not."

At the time, he was only concerned with escaping for his life. Although he saw other scouts being knocked off their horses, he didn't really know whether they were dead or alive.

Upon hearing this, Xiao He shook his head heavily: "I'm afraid they've already fallen into the hands of the Jinzhou army. Our troop deployment is no longer a secret."

"What should we do then?" A look of anxiety appeared on Yelü Zhixin's face.

He had long heard of the Jinzhou Army's great reputation.

This army was arguably the most capable and battle-hardened force under Xiao Simo's command.

During the rebellion in the northern frontier, it was the left wing army, mainly composed of the Jinzhou army, that broke through Husi Ordos, causing the royal court to lose face.

Furthermore, more than 20,000 of the royal army suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Jinzhou army.

Not long ago, the Jinzhou army once again forcefully broke through the Kingdom of Gaochang, killed the King of Gaochang, and caused the royal court to completely lose its control over Gaochang.

Their fighting strength far surpassed that of the Gaochang army, making them the absolute elite of the northern frontier.

The fighting strength of the Eastern Karakhanid army was almost equal to that of the Gaochang army.

In comparison, Yelü Zhixin was also somewhat troubled and worried.

He frowned and said, "Why don't we avoid the confrontation for now and leave this place?"

Wait until the main force of the royal army arrives before engaging in a decisive battle with the Jinzhou army?

However, this would conflict with the plans of the Xiao family father and son.

If the royal army arrives, will the Eastern Capital still belong to the Xiao family?
Xiao He suddenly shook his head slightly and said firmly, "Your Highness, you must not."

"In a battle between two armies, the most important thing is morale."

"If our army were to retreat now, the soldiers would only think that our army had been defeated."

"If the Jinzhou army pursues us, our army will be defeated without a decisive battle, and our soldiers will scatter and flee."

"Retreating in the face of battle is absolutely unacceptable."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Zhixin realized that he had made a foolish mistake.

Although Xiao Hetu was also extremely wary of the Jinzhou army, he remained calm on the surface and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness need not worry too much."

"The Jinzhou army is formidable, but our Wang army is not to be underestimated either."

"Moreover, my father is also there to support us in the Eastern Capital."

"All we need to do is lure the Jinzhou army into our pre-arranged ambush in Xiao Simo's name."

"No matter how strong their armor is, it cannot withstand our volley of arrows."

Hearing this, Yelü Zhixin relaxed slightly, only then realizing how useful Xiao Pulayelu was to stay in the Eastern Capital.

"Okay, great, let's do it that way."

"Let's wipe out the Jinzhou army first."

Xiao Hetu nodded slightly and said, "Let the Wangting Army and the Jinzhou Army fight it out."

Ideally, both sides should suffer heavy losses, allowing the father and son to reap the benefits.

In the following days, more and more Jinzhou scouts appeared around the camp.

They clashed with the royal court's scouts, but the royal court suffered more defeats than victories, and in the end, they could only drive away the Jinzhou scouts by virtue of their numerical advantage.

However, through questioning the captured prisoners, the Jinzhou army had already thoroughly investigated Wang Ting's background.

Subsequently, more than 40,000 troops from Jinzhou approached the direction of the royal court.

"The Burta River is just ahead, and the royal army is about ten miles across the river, with a strength of about 25,000 men."

Iron Head, riding his horse, stood on a high slope and spoke to Li Xiao in front of him.

The Burta River was a very small river, only two or three meters wide. It was a tributary of the Yemili River, the largest river in the Eastern Capital, and it had dried up in later generations.

Wang Tingjun's main camp was located in that area.

Holding the clairvoyant eye, Li Xiao surveyed the surrounding mountains, rivers, and terrain, finally determining the attack route in his mind.

Then, he slowly closed the copper tube and said in a deep voice, "Issue the order: the First Garrison and the desert army, as the main force of the central army, will launch a frontal attack on the royal army and break their bones."

"The troops of the Second and Third Garrisons will encircle its left and right flanks and must annihilate this royal army."

"As ordered."

Tie Tou nodded heavily, then sent a messenger away.

Soon after, a deep horn sounded across the land.

Suddenly, a bright yellow crack appeared on the horizon, and the cavalry of the First Town swept across the dunes like a raging sandstorm, their clashing swords and neighing horses advancing step by step.

The second and third garrison cavalry simultaneously launched their attack, each leading a thousand households of their respective Kuli army slaves, to encircle the royal court from the left and right flanks.

The Jinzhou cavalry, like a giant beast awakening, surged across the Dongdu grasslands, the earth groaning beneath their hooves as if an earthquake were occurring.

On the other side, the royal army had already discovered the movements of the Jinzhou army, and Yelü Zhixin hurriedly ordered the army to assemble and meet the enemy.

They were both standing on a high slope, but his mood was completely different from Li Xiao's.

"Damn it, this is the mere Jinzhou Army you've been talking about?"

"They have more troops than we do!" Yelü Zhixin roared angrily.

Because they lacked prior intelligence about the Jinzhou army, their impression of the Jinzhou army was still based on the last western expedition.

Subconsciously, I thought the Jinzhou army only numbered a few thousand.

After all, Jinzhou is just a prefecture on the northern border, with a limited population, so it is not easy to raise 10,000 troops.

But what did Yelü Zhixin see?
The Jinzhou army swept in, seemingly covering the entire grassland.

They seemed capable of crushing mountains and drinking rivers dry, leaving only the roar of the Jinzhou army's warhorses between heaven and earth.

Although the approaching Jinzhou army was not fast, the powerful aura they exuded terrified every soldier in the royal army.

“The Jinzhou army definitely has more than 10,000 men; it has at least 30,000,” Xiao Hetu said in a heavy voice.

His fists were clenched tightly, and his face was frighteningly gloomy.

The Jinzhou army's strength far exceeded their expectations.

How is this fight going?
What's most frightening is that such a powerful Jinzhou army will inevitably affect the Xiao family's control over the northern frontier.

"Damn Xiao Simo, how could you tolerate the Jinzhou Army maintaining such a large force?"

"Who is truly the ruler of the Northern Frontier?"

Xiao He cursed Xiao Simo in his heart for allowing the Jinzhou army to expand to such an extent, which had simply left them, father and son, with a huge problem.

"It seems that Li Xiao must be eliminated," Xiao He thought bitterly.

But how to get rid of Li Xiao is a matter for the future; the most urgent task is to figure out how to get through this difficult situation.

"Xiao Hetu, where is your father? Where is the Northern Navy? Where are they?"

"Didn't you say you were going to join forces with the Northern Navy to lure and kill the Jinzhou army?"

Faced with Yelü Zhixin's questioning, Xiao He suddenly gave a helpless bitter smile: "This, I don't know either!"

"Perhaps Li Xiao didn't receive my father's message!"

Xiao Hetu sounded somewhat guilty, while Yelü Zhixin glared angrily.

He felt like he'd been tricked by this father and son dog!
But before he could get angry, a shrill howl suddenly rang out in the sky.

Immediately afterwards, a loud 'boom' was heard, and the earth began to tremble.

(End of this chapter)