The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 204 Horses Trample the Eastern Capital, the Grand Commander is Mighty
On the vast grassland, the sun blazes overhead, the wind howls, and the Eastern Capital stands majestically.

Compared to the major cities of the Central Plains, it may not be considered grand, but it has stood firm through decades of trials and tribulations.

This time, the Eastern Capital will once again face a severe test.

The sky over the grassland was incredibly blue. More than 20,000 cavalrymen from Jinzhou and more than 10,000 cavalrymen from Kuli Army surrounded the Eastern Capital City like dark clouds pressing down on it.

The golden sun and moon battle banners fluttered in the gale, their fluttering surfaces resembling gaping, menacing maws ready to swallow this ancient and weathered city whole.

"Hoohoho!"

"Hoohoho!"

Tens of thousands of warhorses thundered, their iron hooves thundering, causing the earth to tremble and raising dust that blotted out the sun.

The cavalry of the three towns, clad in cotton armor, pointed their sharp spears straight at the sky, resembling a steel forest.

They shouted in unison, their furious roars converging into a chilling wave of sound that exploded like thunder across the grassland, making the eardrums of the defenders on the city wall ache and their hearts tremble violently.

Among the Jinzhou army ranks, a group of ragged prisoners of war from the Wangting army were even more eye-catching.

They were like lambs to the slaughter, roughly pushed forward, their eyes filled with despair and fear.

"These people? They are soldiers from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate."

On the city wall, Xiao Pulayelu spoke with a solemn expression.

He lived in Khotan for nearly ten years, and the people he had the most contact with were from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

Therefore, they were extremely familiar with the appearance, clothing, and temperament of the soldiers of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

They immediately recognized the prisoners of war outside the city.

“They should be soldiers under Yelü Zhixin’s command,” Ali Da said with a serious expression.

"It seems that the Jinzhou army is planning to use these prisoners of war to attack the city and deplete our forces."

Throughout the history of warfare in the era of cold weapons, there were only a few ways to besiege a city.

Ladders, catapults, tunnels, flooding the city, and so on.

Since the Jinzhou army had already captured these tens of thousands of royal soldiers, they naturally couldn't just waste food feeding them.

We must make the most of the prisoners of war.

"These prisoners of war were mostly soldiers from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, and they were violently driven away by the Jinzhou army, so they certainly wouldn't have put in much effort during the siege."

"Tell all soldiers to stay alert. The Jinzhou army has no chance of breaking through the Eastern Capital," Xiao Pulayelu said in a deep voice.

But everyone understood that the Jinzhou army did not expect these prisoners of war to be able to break through the Eastern Capital.

The true purpose of prisoners of war was to deplete the arrows, weapons, and morale of the defenders of the Eastern Capital.

When the defenders of Dongdu are exhausted and their supplies are depleted, that will be the time for the Jinzhou army to launch a thunderous attack.

As for how many prisoners of war died or were wounded in the process, who cares?
But at that moment, Ali suddenly let out a surprised exclamation.

"Huh? What is that?"

Following the direction Ali pointed, one could see a row of round, plump objects standing on the grassland behind the Jinzhou army, resembling leaning cylindrical pillars.

Around each cylinder, there were ant-like soldiers walking around.

"Those are, a dozen or so stone pillars?" Xiao Pulayelu said, frowning.

The use of gunpowder in this era was only in its very early stages. Even someone as knowledgeable as Xiao Pulaiyelu was seeing a cannon for the first time.

"Could this be some kind of magical artifact used by the Jinzhou army for performing rituals?" Han Jianu, standing behind him, suddenly asked with a look of horror.

Their gazes toward the artillery positions trembled, as if they feared being cursed by the gods for even a second glance.

"My lord, not long ago, when the Jinzhou army and the Wangting army were fighting, lightning suddenly fell from the sky and struck the Wangting army, which caused the Wangting army to suffer a crushing defeat."

"The Jinzhou army may have invoked the Thunder God through these stone pillars," Han Jianu said, his voice trembling slightly.

“Sigler”.

"Shut up!"

Xiao Pulayelu's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared angrily, "If you dare to incite the army again, I will not spare you."

Han Jianu realized he had said the wrong thing and stammered, not daring to say anything more.

However, soldiers of this era were very superstitious.

The Jinzhou army enlisted the help of the Thunder God, and in less than an hour, they defeated the Wangting army. This news has already reached the soldiers of Dongdu.

Many people feel fear when they think of gods, so when they looked at the twenty stone pillars in the distance, the garrison of Dongdu was not only puzzled but also felt uneasy.

Meanwhile, the Shenji Battalion was already ready.

"All gun positions, prepare."

Commander Liu Chong stood at the rear, holding a command flag and shouting loudly, his hoarse voice piercing through the clamor of the battlefield.

His pupils reflected the outline of the distant city wall, and he roared as if in fury.

"fire!"

Twenty gunners lit the fuses with torches, and the pungent smell of sulfur mixed with gunpowder smoke instantly filled the air.

The sizzling sound grew clearer in the deathly silence.

The next second, a thunderclap exploded.

"Boom boom boom~"

A series of sounds exploded between heaven and earth. Within two or three seconds, twenty divine cannons trembled and spewed out tongues of fire, their iron cannon wheels carving long furrows into the ground.

A solid cannonball the size of a palm, carrying immense force, tore through the air and hurtled towards the Eastern Capital.

"Boom~"

The first shell hit the middle section of the city wall with precision. The roar of bricks and stones shattering, along with the dust kicked up by the shockwave, turned the area within a two-zhang radius into a chaotic vortex.

The rammed earth on the surface of the city wall fell like a torrential downpour, revealing the mottled brick and stone framework inside.

Immediately afterwards, more shells were fired, with most of them landing near this section of the city wall.

The goal is to concentrate all firepower and bombard this section of the city wall.

"My lord, be careful."

Han Jianu threw himself onto Xiao Pulayelu, muttering, "The Thunder God has appeared! The Jinzhou army really brought the Thunder God here."

Ali Da also turned and ran. At this moment, he was also horrified. He felt the city wall under his feet was shaking violently, as if the earth dragon was turning over and about to bury the entire Eastern Capital.

"Damn, how could this happen?"

"What the hell is that thing?"

The emergence of the Shenwei Cannon, a revolutionary firearm, has surpassed the understanding of most people in this era.

Even for many ordinary soldiers, the Divine Might Cannon was the roar of the gods.

It wasn't just the defenders on the eastern capital who were screaming in terror under the artillery fire.

Even the royal prisoners of war outside the city walls were trembling with fear.

Even the memories of those Kuril soldiers seemed to be brought back to the grasslands of the past, and they felt a deep-seated fear of those stone pillars.

"Come again!"

Liu Chong roared and waved the command flag: "Fire!"

"fire!"

"fire!"

Subsequent shelling followed, with cannonballs striking the broken section of the wall directly. After prolonged and continuous bombardment, this section of the wall began to collapse.

Before the soldiers on the city wall could even look up, the bricks and stones beneath their feet began to tremble violently.

Some people gripped the crenellations tightly, their knuckles turning white, yet they felt the entire city wall trembling like a sieve.

As the deafening explosion rang out, a scalding blast of air, carrying debris, rushed towards them, instantly silencing the screams that followed.

"Run away!"

Someone let out a heart-wrenching roar, only to have it completely crushed by the deafening roar of the collapsing city wall.

Bricks and stones rained down like a torrential downpour. A young soldier was struck on the back of the head by a flying stone, his body was thrown over like a rag doll, and he crashed heavily onto his comrades.

Blood splattered onto the face of the old soldier beside him. The old soldier froze on the spot, his eyes wide open, his bow still drawn, but his face was filled with terror and despair.

Many more people scrambled and stumbled as they fled backward, only to be forced into a corner by the continuously collapsing city walls.

In a panic, some people grabbed their shields and jumped off the city wall, only to be struck by falling bricks and stones mid-air, letting out a shrill scream.

The remaining defenders huddled in a corner, trembling and huddled together, watching the once impregnable city walls collapse before their eyes.

Soon, the sound of the Jinzhou army's artillery fire disappeared.

"My lord, the city wall has collapsed."

"The Jinzhou army is about to break in, let's run!"

The billowing dust was gradually dissipating. Xiao Pulayelu looked at the distant city wall with a terrified gaze. He felt completely exhausted, but his legs seemed to be nailed to the ground and he couldn't move.

But the next second, his pupils contracted violently.

The once impregnable fortress has now been breached, leaving a gap three zhang wide.

"How is this possible?"

Xiao Pulaiyelu's eyes widened, his heart filled with shock.

He staggered back a few steps, nearly falling, and cold sweat poured down his back.

His original intention to fight the Jinzhou army to the death had long since vanished, replaced by a face full of terror and despair.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that the terror and power of the Jinzhou army far exceeded his imagination.

This war was not as simple as he had imagined; he was facing a terrifying force capable of destroying everything.

Meanwhile, more soldiers on the city wall were shocked by what they saw.

They too scrambled to their feet in terror; the sight of ruins before them had an even deeper impact on them.

"Thor is angry!"

A sergeant, his face covered in blood, suddenly knelt down and began frantically kowtowing to the sky, blood instantly seeping from his forehead.

"The Golden State Army has brought in Thor! We're finished, we're finished!"

His shouts seemed to open the floodgates of fear, and the surrounding soldiers ran back in terror.

Outside the city, beneath the golden sun and moon battle banner, Li Xiao, holding the Thousand-Mile Eye, coldly gazed at the distant city wall.

The Eastern Capital was built during the reign of Yelü Dashi and is now sixty or seventy years old, and is no longer sturdy.

The continuous barrage of solid cannonballs blasted a gap in the city wall, about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) wide, enough for the Jinzhou army to storm into the city.

"Order that Luo Meng, commander of the First Garrison, Li Erhu, commander of the Second Garrison, and Zhao Dadao, commander of the Third Garrison, lead their troops as the vanguard to attack the Eastern Capital City."

"Those who surrender will not be killed; those who resist will be killed without mercy," Li Xiao said in a deep voice, issuing the order for a full-scale attack on the city.

In this battle, he did not send the Kuli army first, mainly because he was worried that the Kuli army would go berserk and slaughter everyone in the Eastern Capital, which would be terrible.

In Li Xiao's view, the garrison of Dongdu City was not the enemy; most of the soldiers had been misled.

Once things are explained clearly, we can still be good brothers! Therefore, this siege must not be like the previous attack on the royal army, where we slaughtered indiscriminately; instead, we must focus on subjugation.

"Woooooooo~"

The deep sound of horns tore through the sky, like a death warrant from the underworld.

Luo Meng wore bright yellow cotton armor and a plumed helmet. His cheeks were tightly covered by armor, leaving only his cold face staring straight ahead.

Holding a hook-and-sickle spear, without any unnecessary words, only a cold, furious shout: "Kill!"

"Hoohoho!"

The cavalry of the First Division let out three low growls, and then, led by the commanders of each division, began to slowly charge forward.

"Boom boom boom~"

The thunderous cavalry galloped across the grasslands, their thunderous roar echoing across the land, resembling a surging golden sea of ​​fire from afar.

In a short time, the vanguard of this "golden lion" surged into the breach like a tide, stepping over the bricks and stones scattered on the ground and the remains of the defenders.

"Quickly, open the city gates and let the army in!" A Jinzhou army centurion, covered in blood, shouted to the soldiers behind him as he pierced the chest of a garrison soldier with his spear.

Although the walls of the Eastern Capital were bombarded and collapsed, the foundation still remained, and the rubble on the ground prevented a large cavalry charge.

Therefore, these Jinzhou soldiers abandoned their warhorses and charged in as infantry.

The rubble and debris inside the city gate must be removed before the main force of the Jinzhou army's cavalry can enter the city.

Although those who entered the city were all Jinzhou infantrymen, they were still as brave as ever.

Their cotton armor offered far greater protection than that of the Eastern Capital garrison, especially since many of the Eastern Capital garrison soldiers were terrified by the Shenji Battalion's artillery.

As a steady stream of Jinzhou infantrymen poured into the city, the south gate of the Eastern Capital was quickly opened.

Luo Meng led the main force of his 10,000-household army into the city gate, with Erhu and Zhao Dadao following closely behind, charging into the city.

Amidst the broken walls and ruins, cries of agony echoed wherever they went.

Soon, shouts of battle erupted throughout the Eastern Capital, and blood stained the broken bricks and stones.

"Governor, the Jinzhou army is attacking and will be at the North Gate soon."

"We can't get out."

The North Gate is the last 'safe haven' of the Eastern Capital, and the Jinzhou army has not yet taken it.

Therefore, Ali Da and Xiao Pulaiyelu prepared to lead their men out of the north gate, but they did not expect that the Jinzhou army outside the city was exceptionally strong.

Ali Da personally led his troops in a breakout attempt, but not only did they suffer heavy losses, they were also nearly breached by the Jinzhou army.

But at that moment, the soldiers reported even worse news: the Jinzhou army in the city had arrived.

Ali Da could even faintly see the Golden State Army's figures at the end of the street.

It was a group of cavalrymen dressed in red armor, all wearing plumed helmets, carrying hook-and-sickle spears, riding tall warhorses, trampling the streets of the city, charging in with murderous intent.

"Those who surrender will not be killed; those who resist stubbornly will be killed without mercy."

During the charge, these soldiers continued to shout this phrase in Khitan and Turkic languages.

Most of the garrison in the city had already surrendered, leaving only those at the north gate.

As the Second Garrison cavalry rapidly approached, Ali Da's blood-stained face became even more ferocious, his eyes filled with murderous intent and fighting spirit.

He roared loudly, "Kill!"

Immediately, he led his remaining twenty-odd personal guards and charged towards the Jinzhou army.

He knew that, given what he had done, even if he surrendered humbly, Li Xiao would never let him go.

Since we're going to die anyway, we might as well die spectacularly.

"Bang~"

Ali Da took the lead, charging head-on towards the Jinzhou army with a long spear in hand.

Opposite him was a Jinzhou military officer, in his early twenties, with a fierce expression, clearly a brave and skilled warrior.

The two charged forward, and with a muffled thud, Alida's spear struck Jinzhou's soldier Shihu squarely in the chest.

But to Ali's astonishment, his spearhead couldn't penetrate the enemy's body at all; he merely used the speed of his charging horse to send the Jinzhou soldier flying.

You might break two ribs, but it's definitely not fatal.

On the other hand, Alida, despite narrowly escaping a fatal blow thanks to his years of battlefield experience, was caught on the shoulder by the hook-and-sickle spear.

Blood splattered, and he broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.

But before he could even catch his breath, two more hook-and-sickle spears came thrusting at him from different directions.

"what?"

Ali Da's face showed shock, astonished by the close cooperation of the Jinzhou soldiers.

They often work in groups of three, with each person responsible for either frontal blocking, tripping the horse, or flanking attacks.

So even a fierce general like Ali Da, already wounded, was gradually unable to withstand the attack of the other two soldiers.

He was quickly knocked off his horse.

Soon after, Erhu arrived at full speed on his warhorse.

"Haha~ Great!"

Laughter preceded their arrival.

But Erhu was genuinely happy.

During this siege, he, Luo Meng, and Zhao Dadao each led 2,400 soldiers into the city, but only his soldiers captured Alida and Xiaopulayelu.

That really made him look good.

"Zhang Dali, how are you? Are you alright?"

Erhu ignored Ali and the other man and went to comfort the wounded soldiers first.

Zhang Dali is the one who fought against Ali and was knocked off his horse.

He was lying on the ground, his mouth twitching from the pain: "It's alright, Wanhu, don't worry, I, Old Zhang, am tough as nails, I won't die."

It's a broken rib, and it really hurts.

"Hahaha, I knew you were born like a cat, with nine lives. Even the King of Hell can't take you now," Erhu laughed heartily.

He then said, "You did a good job this time. When the army expands, it'll be your turn for a promotion."

Zhang Dali was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Thank you, Commander Xie."

After saying that, Erhu looked at Alida and Xiaopulayelu.

Ali looked rather pitiful, with several wounds on his body that hadn't been bandaged yet, but he remained motionless against the corner of the wall, his eyes closed and not uttering a sound.

"Heh, Ali, you're quite the man, aren't you? Are you ready to die?" Erhu said with a sneer.

Ali opened his eyes slightly. He recognized Erhu and knew that this was Li Xiao's younger brother.

Then, in a hoarse voice, he said, "I, Ali Da, deserve to die. I know I have failed the king's trust and have no face to remain in this world."

"Go ahead and kill me."

Erhu chuckled: "What I hate most in my life is a traitor."

"Killing you like this would be too easy for you."

After saying this, Erhu had someone stop Ali's bleeding. For him, dying from blood loss would be a relief.

Then, Erhu looked at Xiaopula Yelu: "You old man are Xiaopula Yelu?"

Xiao Pulayelu was no longer as arrogant as before. He was wearing a very ordinary, worn-out leather coat, his hands were tied, and he looked up at Erhu.

He nodded and said, "That's right, I am Xiao Pulaiyelu."

"By connections, he's your governor's uncle."

But the next second, Erhu kicked the old man, sending him flying several meters before he crashed heavily to the ground.

"Hmph, don't fucking try to get on my good side."

“All these things in Dongdu are being stirred up by you, you old geezer. You deserve to die even more than Ali Da.”

After saying this, Erhu ordered his men to take the two away and await Li Xiao's judgment.

Thanks to the efforts of Erhu and others, Dongdu City was quickly purged.

Apart from some who were killed, most of the garrison of Dongdu surrendered and were imprisoned in a temporary prisoner-of-war camp outside the city.

……

As the smoke of battle gradually dissipated, the Eastern Capital City trembled incessantly from the rampage of the Jinzhou cavalry. Twisted corpses lay among the ruins, and congealed blood stained the broken bricks and stones dark red.

The golden sun and moon battle flags fluttering atop the city walls, like a sharp blade, cleaved the once tranquil sky.

The wind swept across the ruins, making a mournful sound, as if this ancient city, weathered by time, was weeping.

On both sides of the road, the armed guards stood solemnly like two rows of steel statues. They wore yellow cotton armor with red trim and held hook-and-sickle spears, the gleaming spear tips pointing diagonally to the sky.

He exuded a cold and fierce aura, remained silent, and stared intently at the distant grassland.

Soon, a tall, warhorse, entirely black, slowly came into view.

On horseback, Li Xiao, clad in dark gold cotton armor with black trim, exuded a noble and dignified aura under the setting sun, a stark contrast to the ruins of the Eastern Capital city before him.

Beneath his golden-tasseled helmet, his eyes, sharp as an eagle's, swept across the conquered city.

"The Eastern Capital~"

"I never expected that my return would be in this way."

Li Xiao stood still, his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking at the tall city gate, and murmured softly.

He had no feelings or attachment to the Eastern Capital, only some vague memories of it.

However, this city is the power center of the northern frontier. Whoever owns the Eastern Capital City, to some extent, represents the right to rule the northern frontier legally.

And now, this former capital of the Western Liao Dynasty is prostrating itself before Li Xiao in this way.

A feeling of power striking his very soul welled up inside him, even stronger than when Li Xiao conquered Husiwo's Ears.

But then, Li Xiao took a deep breath, the smell of gunpowder mixed with the stench of blood and earth filling his nostrils, and his eyes returned to their cold indifference.

Looking indifferently at the dilapidated city walls of Dongdu, he said calmly, "Dongdu is nothing special."

Having said that, he shouted loudly, "Enter the city!"

Behind him, three commanders of the Wuwei Army, Tie Tou, Shou Hou, and Lin Dazhuang, followed closely, the clatter of their horses' hooves sounding particularly clear at the city gate.

Immediately afterwards, shouts of the Jinzhou army rang out both inside and outside the city.

"The Grand Commander is mighty!"

"The Grand Commander is mighty!"

"The Grand Commander is mighty!"

Li Xiao's face was cold and stern, completely unmoved by everything. His horse's hooves trampled over the blood and mud, each step seeming to toll a death knell for the city.

He slowly passed through the city gate, behind him, the golden sun and moon battle flags fluttered, as if proclaiming the majesty and invincibility of Jinzhou.

(End of this chapter)