The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 236 Blackwater City Flattened in One Day

Blackwater City, a storm is brewing.

Weiming Zhongshi personally led a team to inspect the granaries and armories.

But this investigation turned his face green with shock.

The actual amount of grain in the granary was one-third less than the accounts, and last year's new grain had been replaced with old grain from several years ago.

The armory is also largely missing arrows, swords, crossbows, and other weapons.

An investigation revealed that the mastermind behind all of this was actually his brother-in-law.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, please spare me."

"The people of Northern Xinjiang gave me so much, I couldn't resist!"

“I will never do it again, brother-in-law.”

Inside the commander's residence, the brother-in-law's tears and snot streamed down his face as he repeatedly begged Wei Mingzhong for mercy.

However, Tadashi Ue's face was as black as a pot, so gloomy it looked like it was about to spew water.

"Bang~"

He slammed his hand on the table and roared angrily, "Hot-spicy bastard, I only knew you were a little greedy, but I never imagined you could be so insatiable!"

"It's one thing to steal and sell some swords and arrows, but I never expected you would even dare to sell crossbows and wart armor to the people of the Northern Frontier."

After saying this, Weiming Zhongshi shook his head with a sorrowful expression: "I never thought that I, who have been honest and upright all my life, would be deceived by you and make such a big mistake."

“A great scourge has emerged in my Blackwater City.”

"You are the scourge." Wei Mingzhongshi shouted sternly, pointing at his brother-in-law who was kneeling and begging for mercy, his eyes flashing with pity.

Hot-faced Mei'e looked utterly bewildered and quickly said, "Brother-in-law, although I secretly bought some wart armor and crossbows for the people of Northern Xinjiang, most of the rest were from you~"

Before he could finish speaking, Weiming Zhongshi interrupted him with a shout: "Shut up, quickly shut his mouth."

"At this point, you must not make baseless accusations."

"You have been reselling military equipment and supplies, embezzling military funds, and funding the enemy to amass wealth. This is intolerable under the law."

"Take him away and behead him."

After saying this, two guards who were already prepared dragged him out and executed him in a public manner.

Tadashi Ayana also closed his eyes helplessly.

Although he was the mastermind behind the resale of military equipment and supplies, everything was actually handled by his brother-in-law.

Moreover, behind his back, he also sold some wart armor and crossbows.

The city's grain reserves have decreased by a third, and most of its military equipment and supplies have also been depleted. Someone has to make up for this loss.

Most importantly, a storm is brewing in the northern frontier, and if morale is not stabilized as soon as possible, the consequences could be very serious.

Therefore, he could only use his brother-in-law as a scapegoat.

After all, this guy usually bullies others in Blackwater City by relying on his power, and he has long been hated by everyone.

Kill him, and everyone will be happy.

But shortly after the hot-tempered girl was dragged away, a guard came running in a panic.

"Commander, beacon fires have been lit in the direction of Huangshi Village."

Upon hearing this, Weiming Zhongshi stood up in shock, his face grave, and slammed his fist heavily on the table.

"The people from the northern frontier have finally arrived."

Afterwards, Wei Mingzhongshi donned his armor and climbed to the top of the city wall. Seeing that the smoke from Huangshi Village had not yet died down, his expression was more solemn than ever before.

At this time, a small number of Huangshi Village residents had already fled to Heishui City, bringing with them intelligence about the Northern Frontier Army.

There are fewer than four hundred people.

"Commander, let's send out the troops."

"A mere four hundred barbarians from the northern frontier dare to raid Huangshi Village? Do they really think the soldiers of Blackwater City are just eating porridge?"

"This humble general requests permission to lead five hundred cavalrymen to support Huangshi Village."

The generals of Blackwater were filled with righteous indignation.

Weiming Zhongshi angrily shouted, "What's all the noise about?"

"Do you all want to die?"

“There must be a large force of Northern Frontier troops lying in ambush outside the city. If you want to die, get out of here.”

After he finished speaking, all the generals fell silent, except for those who looked at Huangshi Village in the distance with indignation on their faces.

The significance of the military camp outside the city was to warn Heishui City and at the same time alleviate the survival pressure on the military and civilians of Heishui City.

However, without the support of Blackwater City, they certainly couldn't hold out for long.

Soon after, two more military camps were attacked by the Northern Frontier Army, and smoke signals were lit.

In a desolate Gobi desert, Da Hu stood on his horse, sword in hand, wearing a white cotton armor with red trim and a helmet with plumes, revealing only half of his face, gazing in the direction of Blackwater City.

A moment later, a scout came galloping from a distance and shouted, "Deputy Commander, the soldiers in Blackwater City have not come out."

Da Hu's eyes flickered slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up as he said coldly, "Wei Ming Zhong Shi's heart is truly ruthless."

"We watched helplessly as our Northern Frontier Army breached these military strongholds."

"Since that's the case, I won't stand on ceremony."

"Pass down the order: breach all military camps within two days."

Wei Mingzhongshi's guess was correct; Da Hu and Wei Xuan were each leading their main forces, lying in ambush in the Gobi Desert.

If the Blackwater City garrison comes out, they can be easily surrounded and wiped out.

Unfortunately, Tadashi Akina was too cautious.

……

Huangshi Village was home to only about thirty households and a little over a hundred soldiers and civilians.

At this moment, regardless of age or gender, anyone who could draw a bow and shoot an arrow stood behind the wall.

"Rustling sound~"

As the northern cavalry approached, arrows rained down from the walls.

"Stop firing, everyone! Don't shoot indiscriminately!"

"These barbarians from the northern frontier are using up our arrows."

An old man shouted, stopping the others from firing their arrows, and glared angrily at the arrogant northern cavalry outside.

He pounded on the wall angrily, saying, "Those cunning people from the northern frontier."

Due to corruption among the high-ranking officials of Blackwater City, Huangshi Village has not replenished its military equipment for a long time.

The blades were sharpened again and again, and the arrows were reused repeatedly; they did everything themselves.

However, the repeated harassment by the northern cavalry caused Huangshi Village to quickly deplete its arrows.

Seeing that the defenders' counterattacks were getting weaker and weaker, Deputy Commander Wei Bajin chuckled coldly: "They've run out of arrows."

He turned to his personal guard beside him: "Have you made contact with the Divine Machine Battalion yet?"

How much longer until they arrive?

The guard immediately replied, "The Commander-in-Chief is leading the 160,000th Household Army and the Divine Machine Battalion on their way. They are expected to arrive in two days."

The main reason was that the Shenji Battalion's cannons were too cumbersome to move.

A single cannon weighs over 800 jin (approximately 400 kg), requiring more than a dozen oxen to pull it in shifts.

This severely slowed down the marching speed of the 160,000th Household Army.

"Two days?" Wei Bajin shook his head and said, "I can't wait any longer."

"Pass down the order: launch a full-scale attack on Huangshi Village."

"The first to reach the top will be rewarded with twenty strings of cash."

Huangshi Village was just a very small military village, only about 20 zhang wide, without even a proper city wall, only a mud wall about 1.5 zhang high.

With the strength of two centurions, it would be too easy to take it by force.

Subsequently, Wei Bajin ordered his cavalry to surround and attack from all sides, ceasing their harassment and instead exchanging arrows.

Under the cover of arrows, more than a hundred cavalrymen wearing heavy cotton armor surrounded them from four directions.

Even if a few arrows were to hit them, they would hardly cause fatal damage.

On the other hand, the soldiers and civilians behind the walls of Huangshi Village were constantly being hit by arrows, screaming as they fell down.

"Ho ho ho~"

When the more than one hundred northern cavalrymen rushed to the foot of the city wall, they threw out ropes, and the iron hooks at the other end grabbed the wall bricks.

Holding onto ropes and climbing on horseback, the cavalrymen of the northern frontier struggled to climb upwards.

During this process, some people fell because the iron hooks couldn't hold onto the adobe bricks and they came loose. They got up and continued climbing.

Some were hit by stones thrown by the defenders, but immediately afterward, arrows flew out from behind them, killing the defenders.

As it turns out, the Northern Frontier Army did not rely solely on artillery when attacking cities.

The soldiers of the Northern Frontier were equally fearless, and being the first to breach the city walls was also a common fighting tactic of the Northern Frontier Army.

The battle was over when the soldiers from the northern frontier scaled the walls and landed inside Huangshi Village.

Those who surrender will not be killed.

Those who stubbornly resist will be slaughtered throughout the entire village.

The soldiers from the northern frontier pressed forward step by step, shouting in a cold, stern voice.

Under the threat of the blade, the soldiers and civilians of Huangshi Village had no choice but to lay down their weapons and surrender.

Soon after, the gates of the stockade swung open, and Wei Bajin led his cavalry in.

He glanced condescendingly at the nearly one hundred soldiers and civilians kneeling on the ground and said in a deep voice, "Take them all away to the next military camp."

Subsequently, the Northern Frontier Army looted Huangshi Village.

But the truth is, there wasn't even a chicken feather in Huangshi Village.

They belonged to military households, but they were exploited too much by Tangut generals like Weiming Zhongshi.

We're barely getting enough to eat, so what valuables do we have left in the house?

The only thing of value they have is their lives.

Not long after, Wei Bajin led the hundred soldiers and civilians to another military camp, Malingyi.

Although it is slightly larger than Huangshi Village, it still only has a little over two hundred people.

Seeing the soldiers and civilians of Huangshizhai being driven over by the Northern Frontier Army like cattle and sheep, the soldiers and civilians of Malingyi were all shocked.

"They are from Huangshi Village."

"Has Huangshi Village been breached?"

“That’s my second aunt.”

"Damn, what should I do?"

"Are the barbarians from the northern frontier going to use the people of Huangshi Village as shields?"

The people at Malingyi were talking amongst themselves, their faces showing indignation and panic.

The Northern Frontier Army numbered nearly four hundred men, all of whom were cavalry, more than the combined number of men, women, and children at Ma Ling Yi.

Huangshi Village has already been breached, how can Malingyi possibly withstand it?

Just then, a soldier from the northern frontier rode forward and shouted, "Listen up, you people of Malingyi, you have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"If you open the gates and surrender, the lives of everyone in the village can be saved."

"Otherwise, once the time is up, Malingyi will be completely wiped out."

After saying this, the soldiers from the northern frontier retreated. Meanwhile, the soldiers and civilians inside the horse-bell post station became even more panicked.

They had also heard rumors about the massacre of the Naiman tribe by the people of northern Xinjiang.

Therefore, they genuinely believed that the Northern Frontier Army would commit massacres.

"What should we do? Should we open the door?"

"What if we open the gates, and the barbarians of the Northern Frontier break their promise and still try to kill us?"

"Probably not, aren't the people from Huangshi Village standing perfectly fine down there?"

“If we surrender to the barbarians of the northern frontier, we will become their slaves.”

"Heh, a slave? What's the difference between them now and slaves?"

“The land belongs to the officials, and the grain belongs to the officials. The harvest at the end of the year is not enough to feed my family. My little girl starved to death last year.”

“Tell me, what’s the difference between us and slaves? Aren’t we just slaves to those officials?” someone said excitedly.

Some, more rational, said to the head constable of the horse-bell station, "We're running low on arrows."

Once the arrows are used up, it means that Ma Ling Yi is not far from falling.

At that time, would the barbarians of the northern frontier, who had seen blood, still speak so politely?

They will definitely choose to massacre the city!

The head constable of Malingyi glanced at the soldiers and civilians of Huangshizhai huddled together outside the city, and then looked at the arguing soldiers and civilians of Malingyi beside him.

With a heavy sigh, he said, "Open the gate!"

The soldiers and civilians in the village are no longer united. If they really fight, not only will they not be able to stop the northern barbarians, but they will also anger them, leading to the massacre of the entire village.

Let's just submit it!

Being a slave to the barbarians of the northern frontier was nothing more than farming, herding sheep, and fighting. What difference was there between that and now?
By the time Wei Bajin led the prisoners to the third military camp, it was already evening.

They originally planned to attack the city early the next morning, but unexpectedly, the captain in the city took the initiative to send someone to contact them.

“As long as you guarantee that you will not harm the soldiers and civilians of Liwangzhai, the captain is willing to lead the forty-three households of soldiers and civilians of Liwangzhai to surrender to the northern frontier.”

Looking at the young Western Xia soldier in front of him, Wei Bajin couldn't help but be a little stunned.

This was the first person to voluntarily surrender to the Northern Frontier Army.

However, it remains to be determined whether it was a genuine surrender or a feigned one.

"Are you, the chieftain, willing to give up your official positions in the Xia Kingdom?" Wei Bajin said coldly.

His words questioned the integrity of Liwangzhai and the loyalty of its head constable.

As the head of the Xia Kingdom, a junior officer with considerable power, his surrender without a fight raises suspicions that he might be a fickle and treacherous person.

In response, the Western Xia soldier said urgently, "My lord, you need not doubt the sincerity of my captain. My captain has a grudge against the Rela Mee'e. You can ask around in Blackwater City and you'll find out."

It turns out to be a very cliché story.

Li Wangzhai's headman was originally a mid-level general in Blackwater City.

However, Weiming Zhongshi's brother-in-law took a fancy to his wife, not only snatched her away, but also sent him to Liwang Village as a head constable.

The hatred of having his wife taken away explains why he wanted to submit to the northern frontier.

However, Wei Bajin remained skeptical of his integrity, so he ordered: "Tomorrow morning, all soldiers and civilians of Liwangzhai shall lay down their weapons and leave the village."

“If you are truly surrendering sincerely, I will spare the lives of your soldiers and civilians in Liwangzhai.”

"We will also report this to the Grand Protector and award you credit for your service."

"Yes, General Xie."

The Western Xia soldiers ran back with joy on their faces.

The next morning, more than two hundred soldiers and civilians from Liwangzhai indeed came out of the city, laid down their weapons, and looked at the Northern Frontier Army with a tense and uneasy expression.

Wei Bajin ordered his men to first inspect Li Wangzhai. Only after confirming that there were no ambushing soldiers or flammable materials such as kerosene and dry grass did he confirm Li Wangzhai's sincerity in surrendering.

"Chief Sun, you're very good."

"I, from the Northern Frontier, will not mistreat my friends," Wei Bajin said with a smile and a satisfied nod.

Sun, a man in his twenties, said through gritted teeth with a look of resentment, "Thank you, Commander Wei. I, Sun, am willing to serve the Northern Frontier wholeheartedly from now on."

"However, after we break through Blackwater City, I would like to ask Commander Wei to speak on my behalf to the Grand Protector and bestow that hot and spicy meat upon me. I will surely tear him to pieces."

He was still unaware that Hot Mee had already been executed by Wei Mingzhong Shiming.
Upon hearing this, Wei Bajin said, seemingly unsure whether to confirm or deny, "Is Rela Meie Weiming Zhongshi's brother-in-law? His status is quite extraordinary."

"Your merit in leading your troops to surrender is not enough."

"To receive the Grand Protector's reward, one must achieve sufficient military merits."

"We don't support useless people in our northern border region."

Sun, the head constable, gritted his teeth and said firmly, "I will not let the Grand Protector and Commander Wei down."

After hearing this, Wei Bajin nodded and smiled, gently patted his shoulder, and then led his men to join the main force of the 170,000th Household Army.

In just one day, Wei Bajin led his men to capture three military strongholds, and the other troops also made good progress.

On this day, smoke billowed everywhere around Blackwater City, and of the eighteen military camps, only eight remained, barely clinging to life.

On the third day, all the military camps surrounding Blackwater City fell.

The Northern Frontier cavalry has begun to rampage recklessly outside Blackwater City, constantly roaring and making provocative gestures.

Some people even urinated in the direction of Blackwater City, causing the soldiers from the northern frontier behind them to burst into laughter.

"Bang~"

On the city wall, a Tangut general clenched his fist and slammed it heavily on a stone, his face full of anger and his eyes almost spitting fire.

"Too deceiving."

"These barbarians from the northern frontier are going too far."

"Commander, I request permission to lead a thousand cavalry out of the city to attack the cavalry of the northern barbarians and make them suffer."

Upon hearing this, a hint of seriousness flashed across Weiming Zhongshi's gloomy face. He gently shook his head and said, "Don't be impulsive."

"The barbarians of the northern frontier are waiting for us to leave the city."

The Blackwater Army is no longer the same as it was a hundred years ago. In open field battles outside the city, neither the number of soldiers nor their individual combat strength are likely to be a match for the barbarians of the Northern Frontier.

Holding the city walls is the best course of action.

In any case, Blackwater City is tall and imposing, so the people of the Northern Frontier will certainly not be able to conquer it in a short time.

By utilizing the advantages of the city walls to deplete the troops and morale of the northern frontier, losses can be reduced and reinforcements can be delayed.

"I have already sent a messenger, and the troops from Ganzhou and Suzhou will be able to arrive to provide support within a month at most."

Wei Mingzhong said in a deep voice, "The messenger needs to go to Xingqing Prefecture first to report to the Emperor."

The emperor then ordered the Gansu military command to mobilize troops.

This entire process, plus the time required to travel from Ganzhou and Suzhou to Heishui City, took about a month.

Another day passed while we waited.

The sun had just risen when Western Xia soldiers on the city wall brought in buckets of millet porridge, so thick they reflected people's images. This was the soldiers' breakfast; they didn't even have a naan bread.

The Commander-in-Chief's Office has issued orders that Blackwater City has reached its most dangerous moment and needs to be prepared for a protracted war.

Therefore, it is necessary to conserve food and undertake arduous marches.

The soldiers guarding the city were better off; they could eat about 80% full each day. But the elderly, women, and children in the city suffered greatly, their stomachs growling with hunger every day.

As the sun rose higher, its golden rays spilled across the city walls and watchtowers. Suddenly, the hands of some Western Xia soldiers holding earthenware bowls trembled violently.

The rice porridge spilled on the ground, and he immediately showed a distressed expression.

Some people looked out of the city and were astonished by what they saw in the distance.

"What, what is that?"

The soldier pointed into the distance and asked in a trembling voice.

Suddenly, a cloud of yellow dust rose from the edge of the Gobi Desert, obscuring the sky and the horizon as if torn apart by an invisible giant hand, accompanied by a thunderous roar that swept towards us.

That was no ordinary sandstorm—amidst the swirling dust, the clanging of weapons and the roar of warhorses filled the air.

Tens of thousands of yellow-tasseled helmets appeared and disappeared, like evil spirits crawling out of the cracks of hell.

They were fully armored, wielding long spears, with half their faces covered by neck guards, and their eyes exuded a chilling, murderous aura.

"They are cavalry."

"A large cavalry force from the northern frontier has arrived."

"Ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, so many, so many."

"There are tens of thousands of them."

The soldiers on the city wall screamed in terror, and panic spread across their faces.

After all, no one can remain calm when surrounded by tens of thousands of cavalry.

Even a fortified city like Blackwater was now like a poplar tree in a sandstorm, being blown about and bent.

These were the troops of the First and Fourth Divisions under Li Xiao's command, as well as the 160,000 households and the Second Divine Machine Battalion personally led by Li Donghe.

In reality, there were only about 20,000 people, but with each person carrying three horses, it was easy to create the illusion of an army of 100,000.

As the yellow dust approached, the rammed earth walls of Blackwater City began to shed sand, as if the walls themselves were trembling with fear.

Before my eyes, the entire Gobi Desert had turned into a vast expanse of yellow and white.

More than 20,000 northern cavalrymen split into four streams, completely surrounding Blackwater City from the four directions of east, west, south, and north.

At this point, Blackwater City was truly unable to send out a single soldier.

On the city wall, Tadashi Ue, who had just received the news, hurried over, with two bloody marks still remaining on his face.

This is because he killed his brother-in-law, and his wife had a big fight with him, leaving these marks on his face.

But compared to the burning pain on his face, the sight of the Northern Frontier army before him was far more terrifying.

"How could this be?"

"how is this possible?"

Yumei Tadashi gripped the stones on the city wall tightly with both hands, his fierce gaze fixed on the army formation outside the city, his expression filled with disbelief.

"Five thousand people, ten thousand people~"

He silently counted in his mind and quickly determined the approximate number of the Northern Frontier Army.

Around 25,000 people.

This is more than twice the number of soldiers and civilians in Blackwater City. Even if all the men, women, and children in the city were mobilized, it would be impossible to stop this terrifying Northern Frontier army.

At this time yesterday, Tadashi Ueyama was still confident that he could hold out for a month, but now, he has no confidence even for ten days.

"one day!"

"A swift and decisive victory is needed. Within a day, we will raze Blackwater City to the ground and cut off the Hexi Corridor."

North of Blackwater City, amidst a formation of three thousand Imperial Guards, Li Xiao dismounted and, facing the numerous generals of the Northern Frontier Army, issued the order for the final assault in a resolute tone.

What he needed was the element of surprise; he didn't have much time to waste outside Blackwater City.

"As ordered!"

Generals Li Donghe and Luo Meng shouted in deep voices.

Then they began preparations for the final assault.

Outside the north gate, twenty cannons were lined up in a row, all aimed at the same spot on the Blackwater city wall.

"fire!"

The commander of the Second Divine Machine Battalion drew his cavalry sword, swiftly swung it down, and let out a loud shout.

"Boom boom boom boom!"

(End of this chapter)