The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 233 The Second Eastern Expedition against Western Xia

Winter goes and spring comes, all things revive, and the earth is full of vitality.

Melted snowmelt rushes down from the Tianshan Mountains along the gullies, carving out silver ribbons in the Turpan-Hami Basin, nourishing the sleeping land.

The Uyghur people had already polished their hoes until they gleamed, and they flocked to the farmland in droves.

This is the season for spring planting.

The men bent over and swung hoes to break up the hardened clods of earth, while the women scattered carefully selected cotton seeds into the moist soil.

Cotton was one of the main sources of income for the Uyghurs.

The cotton produced during spring planting and autumn harvest is in high demand in northern Xinjiang.

However, cotton prices are not determined by the market, and even if it is scarce, it is difficult to sell it at a high price.

This is because the cotton and grain trade in Gaochang were subject to economic control by the Hexi Merchant Guild, and private trading was prohibited.

The Hexi Merchant Guild would set uniform prices and buy back the grain and cotton from the Uyghurs.

It won't give the Uyghurs the opportunity to make a lot of money, but it can still meet their daily needs.

After days of hard work, the Uyghurs finally sowed the cotton seeds into the soil, waiting for them to take root and sprout.

But the easy days didn't last long, as they were disrupted by an official from Hamili City.

"Lord Dinian, welcome to Yaogeluo Village."

Although the village chief knew that the official's arrival was bound to be bad, he still treated him with great hospitality.

Yaogeluo Village is a relatively large village outside Hamili City, with a population of over a thousand.

However, the majority of the population consists of the elderly, women, and children, with relatively few young men and women.

Two years ago, the Northern Frontier Army conquered Gaochang and plundered a large number of people.

Many young Uyghur men were enslaved to mine and farm, and young women were turned into spoils of war. At this moment, many of them have probably already given birth to children for the Northern Frontier Army.

Only the elderly, women, and children, who were of little value, were released to continue farming and contributing to the logistics of the Northern Frontier Army.

Therefore, although Yaogeluo Village has a large population, its strength is not particularly great.

There were only a little over a hundred able-bodied men, mostly those who had escaped to the desert but hadn't been captured by the Northern Frontier Army and had later returned.

But these people are living quite comfortably. There aren't enough young women, but there are quite a few older widows.

One by one, they all settled down in Yaogeluo Village.

This time, the official named Dinian came here specifically for these young men.

"Old Medicine Master, I am here to convey the King's orders."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disapproval flashed through the mind of the village chief, Yaogeluo.

Everyone knows now that the king is nothing more than a puppet of the prime minister.

In the present-day Gaochang Kingdom, the Prime Minister is in charge, or more specifically, the barbarians of the northern frontier behind the Prime Minister are in charge.

Your Majesty is nothing but a pleasure-seeking, incompetent, and foolish ruler.

"The spring planting is now over, and the able-bodied men in each village have some free time."

"The king has ordered that Yaogeluo Village prepare one hundred able-bodied men, with their own weapons and food, to assemble at the Kerk pasture outside Hamili City within ten days."

"If they fail to arrive by the appointed time, the entire village will be executed!"

Upon hearing this, the village chief of Yaogeluo immediately changed his expression and said in a panic, "One hundred able-bodied men? But Yaogeluo village is full of the elderly and weak. Where are we supposed to find one hundred able-bodied men?"

"Lord Dinian, this is taking our lives!"

"Please, have mercy and make an exception for me!"

Dinian gave him a half-smile, but didn't argue further.

Since the number of participants was set at one hundred, it's clear they had already investigated the situation at Yaogeluo Village.

He simply said, "Alright, old Yaoge Luo, instead of pleading for mercy here, you should think of a way to gather enough food and weapons for a hundred men."

"I must proceed to the next village; I will not linger any longer."

Afterwards, Yaogeluo took the gifts from Yaogeluo Village and went to the next village to deliver the order.

But upon hearing this news, the villagers all looked terrified, tense, and panicked.

"One hundred able-bodied men?"

"My God, is another war about to break out?"

"Our village only has a little over a hundred able-bodied men in total."

"What should we do? Are these barbarians from the northern frontier sending us to our deaths?"

“My husband went to the Xia Kingdom to fight for the northern barbarians and never came back. Now, do you want my son to go to the battlefield again?”

The villagers all wore gloomy expressions, harboring a natural fear of war, but no one dared to disobey Hamili City's orders.

After all, the messenger had already said that if they didn't hand over one hundred able-bodied men, the next time they came to Yaogeluo Village, there would be more than just that many people.

Instead, they were Hamili's city guards, or even more specifically, the terrifying Northern Frontier cavalry!

"Should we run away?"

“My child is about to be born, and I don’t want him to be without a father.”

A woman in her thirties, heavily pregnant, was clinging to the arm of a young man next to her.

They finally found a young man to take them in, but if he dies on the battlefield, leaving them, a widow and her children, destitute and alone.

"Where are you fleeing to?"

"The desert?" someone countered.

They fled to the desert, which allowed them to avoid military service, but how would they survive?
Otherwise, why would these people who once fled to the desert to escape disaster come back?
Moreover, it would be even more impossible for so many elderly, weak, women and children to escape together.

“There’s another way: rebel,” a man said in a deep voice, a cold glint in his eyes.

"rebel?"

"Are you crazy? With just our numbers, we'd be wiped out as soon as we left the village."

“This isn’t rebellion, it’s courting death,” another man said angrily.

“We certainly can’t do it with just our small group, but there are many Uyghurs in Jueluo Hetar.”

"Once we can rescue them and become stronger, we can launch a counterattack against Hamili, kill the traitors, and rescue the king."

Upon hearing this plan, everyone in the room fell silent.

Some people were filled with fear, while others felt there was a chance of success.

Jue Luo Heita'er is located more than 30 li north of the village.

It was originally just a desolate mountain area, full of rocks and weeds, but when the barbarians from the northern frontier arrived, they completely sealed off that mountain area.

They also brought over a thousand Uyghur slaves to dig something in the desolate mountains, which was very mysterious.

Some say that people in northern Xinjiang discovered a gold mine there, while others say it was just an iron mine.

If those people are rescued, they might be able to put up a fight.

However, this idea was directly rejected by the chieftain of Yaogeluo.

"It won't work!"

“If we rebel, we will not only have to face the city guards, but also those terrifying northern cavalry.”

"A thousand-strong cavalry unit from northern Xinjiang is stationed in Hami Like year-round."

These words immediately silenced everyone.

As Gaochang was a vassal state of the northern frontier, how could Li Xiao possibly ignore it?

A cavalry unit of one thousand households was stationed there on a rotating basis year-round, responsible for monitoring Gaochang, and under the jurisdiction of the Second Garrison of the Great Desert.

Therefore, for ordinary people to rebel is like facing hell.

Soon, on the sixth day, a Uyghur man rushed back to the village in a panic.

He cried out in terror, "Cavalry! So many cavalry!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers panicked. Some tried to run away, while others hid in the cellar in fear.

The rumbling sound grew closer and closer, like thousands of drums pounding on the ground, causing the withered branches of the old poplar tree at the village entrance to tremble.

Soon, a yellow wall rose up in the northwest, several meters high, containing countless red figures, with the crimson sun and moon battle flags fluttering and crackling in the cold wind.

These cavalrymen were all dressed in dark red cotton armor, carrying hook-and-sickle spears, with cavalry sabers at their waists, and bows, arrows, maces, and other weapons on their horses.

One person, three horses: two for changing rides, and one for carrying supplies.

The densely packed northern cavalry formed a crimson wave, their dark red armor gleaming eerily in the sunlight, exuding a bloody and terrifying aura.

The sounds of horses' hooves, the wind, and shouts of people and neighing of horses could be heard for miles, frightening the villagers of Yaogeluo Village so much that they hid in their houses, trembling with fear.

"Commander, there is a Uyghur village ahead."

A scout returned from the front and reported, "No large-scale traces of warhorses have been found around the village."

This suggests that the possibility of an ambush in the village is slim, unless there are infantrymen, but facing a large-scale Northern Frontier cavalry, it would only be suicide.

Therefore, Li Dongjiang simply waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about them."

"Keep going, and rest at White Pagoda Mountain."

Spring planting in the northern frontier has ended, and the Protectorate General has issued an order to mobilize 6,000 troops from the Second Garrison of the Desert.

Commanded personally by Li Dongjiang, the Right Route Army of the Northern Frontier marched south from Liutiaogou, passed through Hamili, and headed east, joining forces with the vassal army of the Gaochang Kingdom to attack Dunhuang, Guazhou, and other places in the western part of the Hexi Corridor.

Li Xiao led the troops of the First and Fourth Divisions as the central army, crossing the Tianshan Mountains to join forces with the troops of the Sixth Division in the Western Sea.

They marched south from the northern grasslands to attack the Hexi Corridor.

As for the Third Garrison of Yinshan and the Fifth Garrison of Yili, they did not participate in this Western Xia war.

After all, Li Xiao's objective this time was very clear: to focus on plunder and prioritize mobility over troop numbers.

"Gaochang Kingdom truly is a land of plenty."

“Fertile fields stretch out, rivers and canals crisscross the land, and the people are prosperous.”

Li Dongjiang looked at the farmland in the distance and sighed softly.

They expressed great envy for the wealth of the Gaochang Kingdom.

The area encompassing Gaochang City and Hamili City is collectively known as the Turpan-Hami Basin. It has a high average annual temperature, abundant sunshine, and is nourished by snowmelt from the Tianshan Mountains, resulting in lush vegetation and fertile land suitable for cultivation.

It is the most important grain and cotton producing area in northern Xinjiang.

“Such a treasure trove must not be lost,” Sanbao nodded firmly beside him.

"We must get these Uyghurs to grow more grain and cotton for us."

Now, Sanbao has grown into a strong young man, with a resolute and rugged face that bears some resemblance to Erhu.

He wore a dark red cotton armor, his hand resting on the Golden Eagle Cavalry saber, exuding an imposing aura.

Not long ago, he was officially appointed by Li Xiao as the commander of the Second Town.

He accompanied Li Dongjiang in this battle against Western Xia.

However, in the eyes of his second uncle, Li Dongjiang, Sanbao was still relatively inexperienced. Even though he had become a commander of a thousand men, he still lacked experience, so he kept him by his side to teach him carefully. Similarly, his youngest son, Erbao, was appointed as a commander of the Third Town and stayed by Li Dongshan's side.

"Half of the grain and cotton in our northern border region comes from Gaochang," Li Dongjiang said calmly.

"Pass down the order: do not harass the Uyghur people along the way."

It wasn't that he was being kind; he just wanted to keep the Uyghurs there to farm.

Subsequently, the troops of the Second Town marched in a grand procession past Yaogeluo Village and headed towards Baitashan Mountain ahead.

Even though they were only marching slowly, the galloping of 20,000 warhorses still caused the earth to tremble violently, and yellow sand billowed up, making the villagers of Yaogeluo Village tremble with fear.

Only after the cavalry of the Second Town had completely disappeared did they dare to cautiously peek out.

Only after confirming that they had really left did I breathe a heavy sigh of relief.

"Scared me."

"Great, we're not dead. The barbarians from the northern frontier didn't raid our village."

They thought the Northern Frontier Army had begun to change its ways and seemed less brutal than before.

"Perhaps it's because we've now submitted to the Northern Frontier?"

"Yes, last time it was because our Gaochang took the initiative to attack the northern frontier, which angered those northern barbarians, so they sent troops to attack us."

"Now it seems that the barbarians of the northern frontier are not inherently bad. As long as we obediently follow their orders, they won't do anything to us."

"Now that the king has surrendered to the barbarians of the Northern Frontier, are we no longer considered people of the Northern Frontier?"

These Uyghurs' fear of the northern frontier was deeply ingrained, and they were overjoyed when the northern frontier showed them even a little mercy.

He even started to use psychological manipulation on himself, believing that the barbarians of northern Xinjiang were good people.

"By the way, what about Jue Luo Heita'er?"

"Should we continue?" someone suddenly asked, and the room fell silent.

In the past few days, they have been considering the possibility of launching a surprise attack on Jue Luo Heitaer to rescue the miners imprisoned there.

However, the appearance of these northern cavalrymen put them in a very difficult position.

Even after this massive cavalry legion arrived in Gaochang, and even though they rescued the king and turned the city guards against the enemy, it was all in vain.

"Can't you see how many northern frontier cavalry have arrived?"

“Going to Jueluo Heita’er again would be suicide.”

"Let's just send a hundred men to Hamili."

Jueluo Heitaer, also known as White Pagoda Mountain in the official definition of Northern Xinjiang, was sealed off because of the abundance of saltpeter in the area, and slaves were sent to excavate it.

There were only two hundred or so mine guards, who were responsible for watching over a thousand slaves.

If they were to be ambushed by the Yaogelu tribe, it could indeed cause a great stir.

But now, the cavalry of the Second Garrison in the Northern Frontier has arrived in Gaochang, and any conspiracy or trickery is just a joke.

Soon after, Li Dongjiang led his men to Baitashan. After resting, they continued their journey towards Hamili City.

Arkus, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Gaochang, has also received news of Li Dongjiang's arrival.

Early the next morning, he led King Qibido of Gaochang out of the city to welcome the arrival of the heavenly army.

"Boom boom boom~"

Warhorses roared as six thousand iron cavalry marched across the land, stirring up billowing yellow sand; their terrifying power could be felt from a great distance.

Alcus glanced at Chibido sideways, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.

"In Your Majesty's opinion, what is the state of the military strength in the northern frontier?"

The young King of Gaochang looked very unnatural, his eyes darting around, his expression flustered. He said with a forced smile, "The Northern Frontier Cavalry is unparalleled in the world."

"Then, Your Majesty, how does my Gaochang army compare to them?"

Upon hearing this, Qibido became even more flustered, sweat beading on his forehead. He stammered, "Of course, of course I am far inferior."

Without a doubt, Arcus already knew about Chebido's scheme.

This young king of Gaochang was not willing to be a puppet.

During this time, they have been busy making secret contacts, preparing to overthrow Arkus.

However, all of this was seen through by the cunning old fox.

"Hey~"

He sighed heavily, his face full of sorrow, and said, "Your Majesty probably also thinks I, Arcus, am a treacherous minister."

Seeing Chebido's expression change drastically as he tried to explain, Arcus gently shook his head: "But who can understand my predicament!"

"The Northern Frontier Cavalry is terrifying beyond measure. With the strength of my Gaochang Kingdom, even if we fight to the last drop of blood, it would be nothing more than throwing an egg against a rock."

"Your Majesty, I have no choice but to do this, in order to preserve the dynasty of Gaochang!"

Having said that, he looked at Qibido with a determined gaze and said in a deep voice, "We can only endure humiliation and wait for the day when the northern frontier declines."

Hearing Arcus's heartfelt words, Chibido was also slightly moved.

But having gone through so much, he is no longer the innocent boy he once was.

He may have some faith in Arkus's 'loyalty' to Gaochang, but it was also true that this man controlled the government and manipulated him like a puppet.

Moreover, Arkus's daughter was the woman of Li Xiao, the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier, and the two families were related by marriage.

Chebido really couldn't believe it from Alcus.

"Humph~"

Seeing Chebido's expression, Alcus sneered inwardly.

"Hopefully you're smart, otherwise~"

Arcus was gradually losing patience with Chebido's little tricks.

If all else fails, he's prepared to let Qibi choke to death from drinking too much water, and then install his three-month-old son as king.

Soon, the vanguard of the Northern Frontier Cavalry arrived in Hamili City.

Li Dongjiang, dressed in dark red armor and wearing a plumed helmet, slowly rode forward with his personal guards.

"Greetings, Commander-in-Chief."

Arcus and his companion immediately bowed in greeting.

The commander-in-chief before us is no ordinary man; he is the commander-in-chief of the Second Garrison Army in the Northern Frontier and the uncle of the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier.

His power and status are among the top five in the entire northern border region.

Therefore, Alcus and his companion dared not be negligent.

Li Dongjiang didn't put on airs; he dismounted, laughed heartily, and helped the two men up.

"Hahaha, King Chebido, please rise."

"General Alcus, please don't stand on ceremony. We're all family, there's no need for so much formality."

Although Alcus's daughter was only Li Xiao's concubine, they were still related by marriage, and in the absence of major conflicts of interest, they were naturally allies.

Then, Li Dongjiang bypassed Qibido and looked at Alkus, the ruler of Gaochang, and asked, "Have you received the order from the Protectorate General?"

"I have received it. I have also issued the order to conscript 6,000 able-bodied soldiers from across the country to await the Commander-in-Chief's command."

Arcus replied respectfully, then gave a wry smile and said apologetically.

"I just didn't expect you to arrive so quickly, Commander."

"It will probably be three more days before all the soldiers are assembled."

Li Dongjiang waved his hand gently and said, "It's alright."

"My Second Division army can rest for three days in Hamili."

"Are the provisions ready?"

According to Li Xiao's battle plan, Li Dongjiang led 6,000 cavalry and 6,000 Gaochang auxiliary troops to attack Dunhuang, Guazhou, Suzhou and other places from Hami.

Although the Second Town had some provisions of its own, most of them still needed to be dispatched by the Gaochang Kingdom due to transportation costs.

"Rest assured, Commander, the provisions are ready."

“We can set off at any time,” Alcus said, nodding emphatically.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a few more moments.

Subsequently, the second garrison was stationed outside Gaochang City.

……

Outside Dragon City, the weather was freezing cold, yet the earth trembled uncontrollably.

Thousands of northern cavalrymen surged like a golden tide, their yellow flags fluttering like rolling flames, their yellow armor reflecting the cold sunlight and turning the clouds in the sky into a dazzling golden light.

As the procession moved forward, their synchronized shouts pierced through the wind and snow: "Roar! Roar! Roar!"

"Hoohoho!"

At the central command post, Li Xiao, dressed in dark gold cotton armor, sat astride his warhorse, his dark gold cloak fluttering like flames in the wind.

His gaze followed the departing vanguard of the First Town, then he slowly turned around to look at the crowd standing on the city wall to see them off.

Xiao Yanyan, Er Ya and other wives and concubines, as well as the old man, the old woman and other relatives, and many relatives of the soldiers in the northern frontier.

At this moment, they all had solemn expressions and their eyes were full of worry.

However, war never stops because of mercy or soft-heartedness.

In the northern frontier, only through continuous battles can one grow stronger.

Li Xiao didn't say anything extra; he simply nodded slightly and then turned around cleanly and decisively.

He shouted loudly, "Let's go!"

Three thousand guards followed closely behind, the soft clatter of armor against armor and the muffled thud of horses' hooves crushing the frozen earth mingling together, like a golden torrent carrying the biting wind eastward.

On the city wall, the moment Li Xiao turned around, Jin Dao's cries rang out.

"Wow wow wow~"

Xiao Yanyan pulled the crying Jin Dao into her cotton-padded coat, gently wiping away the tears on the child's face with her fingertips. Gazing at the golden torrent that was growing ever more distant, she murmured softly.

"Your lord's departure will surely cost countless heads."

She lowered her head and kissed her son's flushed cheeks, then wrapped his collar tightly around his neck to protect him from the cold wind.

"You'll understand when you grow up. We men of the northern frontier are born to use our blood to scorch this icy land."

In the 26th year of the Tianxi reign of the Western Liao Dynasty and the 10th year of the Tianqing reign of the Western Xia Dynasty, which is 1203 AD, the northern frontier launched its second eastern expedition against the Western Xia.

With 15,000 cavalry from the First and Fourth Garrisons as the central force, and 8,000 cavalry from the Sixth Garrison as the left flank, a total of 23,000 troops, they attacked Heishui City, a major town in northwestern Western Xia, from north to south.

With 6,000 cavalry from the Second Division and 6,000 auxiliary troops from Gaochang as the right wing, they attacked Dunhuang and advanced eastward.

A total of 35,000 cavalrymen were expected to meet at Ganzhou, which later became Zhangye City.

(End of this chapter)