The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 215 Those who offend our northern border, though far away, shall be punished.
"What are these Eastern Capital troops up to?"

"It's been five days already, why is there still no sign of anything?"

On the west bank of the Keer River, the leader of the Boyuewu tribe and others stood on a hillside, gazing at the Jinzhou military camp on the opposite bank.

Except for the first few days after arriving at the Kor River, the Eastern Capital Army launched a probing attack on the west bank, after which it ceased operations.

It seemed as if they were going to keep at it with Kangli's army forever.

But this eerie silence made the leaders of the Kangli tribes somewhat uneasy.

"Could it be that they're planning to send someone to cut off our retreat?" The leader of the Guzi tribe suddenly had a flash of inspiration and exclaimed in surprise.

The leader of Boyuewu shook his head slightly: "Our scouts have been watching the military camp on the opposite bank day and night, and we haven't seen any large-scale troop movements."

"Moreover, the Eastern Capital Army is of similar strength to ours. If they dare to send troops to our rear, I, the Khan, would not mind wiping out this Eastern Capital Army first."

Immediately, everyone fell silent, unable to understand what the Eastern Capital Army was up to, but this was ultimately a good thing.

"How many people have returned from your respective units these past few days?" asked the leader of the Boyue Wu unit.

In the battle outside the Eastern Capital, all units suffered heavy losses, but many soldiers also deserted. They remained on the west bank of the Kor River in order to regroup the army.

"Our Guzi tribe now has three thousand people."

“We, the Erbeerli tribe, have two thousand six hundred people.”

……

Each unit reported its current troop strength, which totaled approximately 14,000 men.

Keep in mind that they originally had an army of 30,000.

The battle outside the Eastern Capital was truly devastating.

"Hmph, those damned Vihers are nothing but an ungrateful bunch."

"If I capture them, I will pull out their intestines, tie them to horses, and drag them away," the Erbeerli chieftain said angrily.

In recent days, the soldiers returning to camp have all been from the main force. As for the slaves, they have long since disappeared. Only a very small number of people with ties to the slaves have returned to continue being slaves.

Even more surprisingly, they discovered that some slaves had appeared in the Eastern Capital army on the opposite bank, seemingly preparing to turn against the Kangli tribes.

It's totally counterintuitive.

"Hmph, just a bunch of slaves. If they run away, we'll just go and catch more."

"Moreover, once we conquer the Eastern Capital, we'll have as many slaves as we want," the leader of the Boyue Wu tribe said coldly.

But just as he finished speaking, a horn suddenly sounded from the Kangli camp in the distance, a signal used to warn others.

The men's expressions changed instantly: "Oh no, something's happened."

After saying that, he hurriedly headed back towards the main camp.

Before they had even returned to the main tent, a general rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, our scouts have spotted a large cavalry force heading towards our army from thirty miles to the southwest."

Upon hearing this, the leaders of Boyue Wu tribe were all shocked.

"what?"

"how is this possible?"

"From the southwest? Where did this army come from?"

"how many people?"

These leaders were now in a panic. They had previously confidently asserted that the Eastern Capital Army did not have enough troops to bypass them and cut off their rear.

Now, however, they are being slapped in the face.

Even if they weren't the Eastern Capital Army, they were undoubtedly enemies.

"About, about 30,000..."

The general said in a trembling voice.

As soon as the words were spoken, the previously chaotic and hurried scene instantly became deathly silent.

"Sigh~"

Everyone's pupils constricted, and they gasped.

"Thirty thousand?"

The leader of the Guzi tribe shouted in shock, his face showing disbelief.

The chieftain of the Elberli tribe was equally shocked, shaking his head and saying, "Impossible? Where did the Eastern Capital get 30,000 troops?"

If it were in the past, during the heyday of the Kangli coalition, they might still have been able to put up a fight.

But now, only 14,000 men remain, their morale is low, and they are still facing 10,000 troops from the Eastern Capital.

Add to that the 30,000-strong cavalry army, and it's absolutely deadly.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and gather the army and prepare for war!" the leader of Boyue Wu roared with a ferocious expression.

He then looked at the general beside him and roared, "Where is Yuliberiwustu?"

"Tell that bastard to stop pretending to be dead."

"If the army is defeated again, I'll chop off his head first."

Everyone will find reasons for their failures.

Even the leader of Boyuewu tribe couldn't help but blame Yelü Wusi Tu for the current dangerous situation.

After all, if it weren't for his instigation, why would the Kangli tribes travel thousands of miles to the northern frontier to seek their deaths?

"Woooooooo~"

Half an hour later, the outline of the Jinzhou army appeared in the Kangli people's sight.

After several days of rest, Yelü Wusi had recovered somewhat from his injuries. He donned his armor again and stood at the front of the battle alongside the tribal leaders.

His expression was solemn, and he gripped the curved knife at his waist tightly, his knuckles turning white like winter frost.

Thirty thousand cavalrymen far exceeded the strength of Kangli's army at this time, not to mention that there was another ten thousand troops eyeing them from the east bank of the Kor River.

"It's an armored cavalry!" the leader of the Guzi tribe suddenly cried out in alarm, pointing into the distance, his voice filled with fear.

The 30,000 iron cavalry of the Jinzhou Army rolled across the grassland, advancing step by step towards the Kangli Allied Forces, and the earth trembled as if in a low murmur.

Leading the charge were naturally the Black Armor Army, renowned for their formidable firepower and defense.

Each cavalryman was clad in heavy iron armor, which gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight. Even their warhorses were completely encased in black iron armor, with only their scarlet eyes showing.

The war drums suddenly sounded, their deep, resonant sound sending shivers down people's spines.

Among the Jinzhou army, three thousand Wuwei soldiers formed a neat wedge formation and slowly advanced.

They were all dressed in yellow cotton armor with red trim, and carried long hook-and-sickle spears, the tips of which gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

And the one guarded in the middle by the Wuwei Army was naturally Li Xiao.

Clad in dark gold cotton armor inlaid with black dragon patterns and wearing a tasseled helmet, he stood beneath the golden sun and moon battle banner, holding a telescope, gazing at the Kangli army in the distance.

He secretly estimated the enemy's strength to be just over ten thousand men, which was similar to what the scouts had found.

"A mere ten thousand troops dare to covet my northern frontier?"

"Today, let's ensure that none of them can leave the grasslands of northern Xinjiang."

Li Xiao shouted in a deep voice, then slowly drew the gold-inlaid Wu Rong sword from his waist and suddenly swung it forward.

He shouted sharply, "Kill!"

"Woooooooo~"

The melodious sound of horns echoed between heaven and earth, like an ancient call that made the grassland change color.

With a series of earth-shattering shouts, the black-armored army began to accelerate, the sound of their hooves like rolling thunder, and the earth trembled beneath their feet.

Yelü Wusi suddenly saw the golden sun and moon battle banner fluttering in the enemy's formation, and his temples throbbed.

"Li Xiao?"

The golden sun and moon battle flag is the symbol of Li Xiao, the governor of Jinzhou. However, the army is missing the Xiao character flag, which means that these 30,000 troops are directly under the command of Li Xiao.

Although this man was young, he was very difficult to deal with, which reminded him of two years ago when his eight thousand Kangli cavalrymen were killed by Li Xiao.

"How could there be so many troops in Jinzhou?"

On the other side, seeing the Jinzhou army begin its attack, the leaders of Boyue Wu tribe also shouted themselves hoarse.

"Form ranks! Form ranks now!"

His voice betrayed his barely concealed panic.

But their orders were quickly drowned out by the chaos, and the soldiers of the Kangli coalition stared at the approaching black torrent of iron, their faces filled with fear.

I immediately thought of the cavalry duel that took place outside the Eastern Capital not long ago.

Despite having roughly equal numbers of troops, they were utterly routed by the Jinzhou army.

The number of those killed by the armored cavalry was countless.

Now, they are facing a force of Jinzhou Iron Cavalry that is several times larger than the last time.

"Kill~"

"Block them!"

Faced with the surging Jinzhou army, the leaders of Boyue Wu tribe all had ferocious expressions, as if they were making a last-ditch effort.

If they had known this would happen, they should have led their remaining troops back to the Kipchak Steppe a few days ago. Now, they might not even be able to save their last 10,000 troops.

Yelü Wusi also looked tense, with cold sweat beading on his forehead. He shouted at the leader of Boyue Wubu, "A head-on confrontation with those armored soldiers is just courting death."

"There is only one solution for now."

"What method?" the tribal leaders asked hurriedly.

"Send men to hold off these armored soldiers, and we will personally lead our men to attack the flank of the Eastern Capital army."

"The number of armored soldiers on the flanks is not large; most of them are ordinary rangers. Even though they are wearing those colorful armors and leather armor, they are by no means indestructible."

These leaders weren't stupid; they immediately understood what Yelü Wusi Tu meant.

They sacrificed the lives of most of their soldiers to hold off the armored army, while they themselves led a portion of their elite light cavalry to attack the Jinzhou army.

Maybe they can break through.

"Alright, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn."

"That's what I did."

The leader of Boyuewu immediately agreed to the plan.

The Boyue Wubu family was large and powerful, but the local military force was only one-third of that of the tribe.

As long as he doesn't die, everything can start over once he returns to the tribe.

Upon hearing this, the other leaders, though reluctant to part with these tribal elites, could only nod in tacit agreement.

Saving my own life is the most important thing.

Then the leader of Boyue Wu tribe loudly proclaimed...
"Warriors of the Boyuewu tribe, this is our glorious battle! Destroy these armored soldiers, and your souls will forever be with Allah!"

As he spoke, his blade suddenly turned towards the left flank of the Jinzhou army, where countless cavalrymen from the Second Division, clad in red cotton armor, were surging forward.

“That’s the Dongdu Army’s weakness.” “As long as you keep the iron lumps in front occupied, our brothers on the flanks can tear through their defenses. Then, those armored bastards will be like turtles without shells, at our mercy.”

"Remember! Our wives and children are waiting for the warrior to return home. Killing one black-armored soldier brings more glory, and seizing one piece of armor means you can exchange it for ten sheep for your children!"

"Kill~"

Soon after, Kangli's cavalry charged towards the Black Armor Army in front.

Amidst the chaos, the leaders of Boyuewu and his men threw away all their battle flags and led more than three thousand Kangli elite troops in a frantic rush toward the left flank of the Jinzhou army.

If they can break through the Golden State Army in that direction, they can enter the Bahar Mountains in the north, and it won't be so easy for the Golden State Army to find them again.

At this moment, facing these three thousand elite Kangli cavalry were the Wanhu Army under Erhu's command, as well as some Kuli troops.

Looking at the approaching cavalry, Erhu simply sneered, "It's just a death throes."

Having said that, he raised the hook-and-sickle spear in his hand and shouted, "Release the arrows!"

The next second, countless arrows shot into the sky from the Jinzhou army formation, and the rain of arrows that blotted out the sun wove together in mid-air to form a curtain of death.

"Raise your shield."

The leader of the Boyue tribe, holding a round shield, roared loudly.

The Kangli people were also a brave and warlike nomadic people, and they had long prepared a lot of weapons and equipment to deal with the damage from arrows.

A small, round shield, about three feet long, was usually placed on the side of the horse's belly and used to protect the head and chest when arrows came.

However, the arrows of the Jinzhou army were far sharper than ordinary arrows, and were forged from Hexi steel.

Some cavalrymen were hit in the limbs by arrows, and even their wooden shields were pierced through.

The soldier screamed and fell from his horse, while the warhorse neighed and knelt on its knees.

Fortunately, the Jinzhou army only fired one volley of arrows before the two armies clashed in close combat.

"If we kill our way through the enemy before us, we can return to our tribe."

"kill!"

The leader of the Boyue tribe, dressed in armor, was over forty years old but still possessed great strength and imposing presence.

Wielding his long sword, he instantly cut down a Kuril soldier wearing leather armor.

But when he continued his charge and slashing, he encountered a cavalryman from the three towns wearing red cotton armor.

While the enemy was fighting with his personal guards, Boyuewu swung his sword, but the moment it touched the enemy's cotton armor, he heard a piercing metallic clang.

Amidst the flying sparks, he was astonished to find that the blade of his knife had curled slightly.

Beneath that seemingly thin red cotton armor lay a layer of hard iron armor.

"what?"

Bo Yuewu was shocked. He stared wide-eyed at the other man's cotton armor, looking on in disbelief.

But then, a young Jinzhou centurion attacked from the side.

This person was Li Xiao's cousin, Li Erbao.

"Old man, do you really think we're made of clay?"

"Go to hell!"

Li Erbao roared and, using the momentum of his horse's charge, swept his spear across the man's face, instantly knocking off his helmet.

In an instant, his gray hair was disheveled and scattered on his head. Boyue Wu pulled the reins back, only to see more red-armored cavalry surging forward like a tide.

"Kill! Slaughter them all!"

Bo Yuewu looked terrified and roared hoarsely, but his warhorse began to retreat continuously.

On the other side, Yelü Wusi also noticed the power of the Jinzhou army's cotton armor and shouted, "Use maces!"

After saying that, he took out an iron mace and smashed it onto the cotton armor of the Jinzhou army in front of him.

But the next second, a muffled "thud!" was heard, and the mace seemed to hit the ground. Although the Jinzhou soldier was knocked off his horse, he did not seem to be seriously injured.

His face also showed shock: "How is this possible?"

"What the hell is this?"

While iron armor provides strong protection and can effectively block the slashing of sharp weapons, it is difficult to stop the impact of blunt weapons.

But the cotton armor was different. The multiple layers of oil-soaked cotton cloth inside the cotton armor absorbed most of the force, causing Yelü Wusi to feel numbness in his hands.

The next moment, three Jinzhou soldiers simultaneously broke through and attacked Yelü Wusi.

Under normal circumstances, Yelü Wusi would still have the strength to fight back, but unfortunately, he was injured at this time, and in just a few slashes, he was swept off his horse by the Jinzhou soldiers.

As time went on, Kangli's offensive became increasingly weak, while Jinzhou's army grew stronger with each battle.

The bodies of the fallen Kangri soldiers piled up like mountains, and their blood soaked the ground beneath their feet.

The Kangli survivors, who had miraculously survived, looked at the Jinzhou army before them, which was as cold and ruthless as a machine, and retreated in terror, muttering repeatedly, "Devil, devil."

"They are a bunch of devils."

"Run."

However, facing the encirclement of 30,000 Jinzhou troops, and with Li Dashan leading 10,000 Jinzhou troops blocking their way from behind, the Kangli army on this battlefield had nowhere to escape.

……

As evening fell, the setting sun dyed the river a thick, blood-red color. The grasslands along the riverbanks were unrecognizable; the once lush green meadows had been trampled into mud by iron hooves and soaked in blood.

Everywhere there were severed limbs and corpses; the bodies that the Jinzhou army had carried had already piled up into small mountains on the grassland.

The intermittent groans of the survivors mingled with the cawing of vultures and crows circling overhead, turning the grassland into a living hell.

Only the golden sun and moon battle flag fluttered in the wind, becoming the only flag that stood firm on this grassland.

Li Xiao rode his horse across the battlefield, surrounded by numerous guards from the Wuwei Army.

Soon after, he stopped beside a huge rock, and Erhu and the others immediately stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Grand Governor!"

"These are the leaders of the Kangli tribe; we have captured them all."

Erhu said excitedly, "This time, the Jinzhou army almost annihilated all 30,000 Kangli troops who came to invade."

They captured or killed all the leaders, achieving a great victory.

At this moment, several Kangli leaders had already been brought before Li Xiao, bound hand and foot.

The moment Yelü Wusi was put down, he collapsed to the ground. He was already seriously injured, and had just been wounded by the Jinzhou army. His breathing was much weaker than usual.

His armor was cracked in many places, and his forehead was covered in blood and dust, yet he still stubbornly held his head high.

Li Xiao just looked at him quietly, shook his head slightly and said, "He's quite a tough guy."

"Speaking of which, I should call you 'cousin,' but unfortunately, we have different paths and cannot work together."

"Two years ago, my elder brother was severely wounded by an arrow in the Battle of the Royal Court. You were involved in that, weren't you?"

"Therefore, I still cannot spare you."

Yelü Wusi's hair was disheveled, blood was still dripping from the corner of his mouth, and his cloudy eyes were fixed on Li Xiaodu's face.

A hoarse voice growled, "Kill me or torture me, come at me, Khan!"

"I only regret that in that battle back then, I didn't fight with all my might to destroy you, Li Xiao, which led to the consequences we have today."

I regret it so much!

At that time, both the central and right flank armies had suffered heavy losses. In his opinion, if he had led the Kangli cavalry to launch a full-scale attack on the left flank army, he might have already killed Li Xiao in the royal court.

Unfortunately, at that time he was only concerned with preserving his strength, and after plundering Husiwoerduo, he returned to the grassland.

Now I deeply regret my past actions.

On the other hand, the leader of the Boyue tribe was not as tough as him.

He was pinned to the ground by two soldiers of the Wuwei Army and knelt down, saying in Turkic, "Great general, I am Saladi, the leader of the Boyuewu tribe."

“My sister is the Queen Mother of Khwarazm, and my nephew is the Sultan of Khwarazm.”

"If the general can let me go back, I will not only get a lot of money and wealth, but also gain the friendship of the Kingdom of Khwarazm."

"I've heard that the relationship between the Northern Frontier and the Royal Court is very bad."

"If you spare my life, I can persuade Khwarazm to form an alliance with the northern frontier and attack the royal court from both the east and the west."

It's clear that this man named Saladi is quite intelligent.

She fully explained her value, which even made Li Xiao somewhat interested.

"Is Muhammad your nephew?" Li Xiao asked.

"Are you Haierhan?"

Saladi was slightly taken aback, then quickly nodded: "I am Haierhan from the Kangli tribe."

"General, have you heard of me?"

As he spoke, Saladi looked at Li Xiao with hope, feeling that his chances of surviving were getting better and better.

Li Xiao, on the other hand, had a look of sudden realization, finally knowing who this guy was.

To be precise, he has a famous son, who is the next Khalifa.

More than a decade later, this man became the lord of Oda City.

Because they coveted the money of the Mongol caravan, they slaughtered the entire caravan.

This enraged Temujin, who sent people to Khwarazm to demand an explanation. However, because Turhan was Khair Khan's aunt, he chose to protect Khair Khan.

This ultimately forced Temujin to launch his first western expedition.

Therefore, all of Europe should thank Helhan; without him, the Mongols would not have thought of launching three westward expeditions.

Considering all this, Li Xiao decided to keep Haierhan for the time being.

After all, Khwarazm was indeed able to restrain the royal court in the west, so it was worth making good use of him.

"Take him away," Li Xiao said calmly.

"As ordered."

Two armed guards nodded slightly and escorted the exhausted Hailhan away.

Then, Li Xiao's gaze swept over the trembling remaining Kangli troops: "Pass on my order: nail all the captured Kangli nobles and generals to the banks of the Kol River."

"Tell the people of the grasslands—those who offend our northern border, no matter how far away, will be punished!"

"As ordered!"

As the soldiers of the Wuwei Army roared in unison, the setting sun finally sank below the horizon, leaving only corpses scattered on the ground, gradually growing cold in the twilight.

Soon after, more than two hundred wooden stakes, each as thick as a bowl, were erected along the banks of the Cole River.

Yelü Wusi Tu and other Kangli leaders and generals were stripped of their armor, and iron hooks were used to pierce their collarbones and hang them from the top of the stakes. Salt water was poured on their wounds, which attracted many birds to peck at them.

Their distorted screams, mingling with the howls of wolves, echoed across the grassland all night.

From then on, every nightfall, the wailing cries from the banks of the Cole River would still drift far away on the cold wind.

As the outcome of this battle spread, the name of the Northern Frontier Army struck fear into the hearts of the western steppe tribes.
(End of this chapter)