The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 243 Northern Frontier Bandits, How Dare You Deceive Me Like This?

The snow-capped peaks of the Qilian Mountains, which never melt, stretch across the sky like a silver-gray barrier, while at their foot flows a different kind of deathly stillness.

The Hexi Corridor is sandwiched between icy peaks and deserts, and at its narrowest point it is only seven or eight miles wide, resembling a wound torn open in the earth.

The wind blows, clouds drift across the azure sky, and melting snow and ice dispel the desolation of the land, bringing forth vibrant life.

Large patches of green grass began to sprout, but life on this land was still pitifully scarce.

You can only catch a glimpse of a village every long distance. The mud houses are either collapsed or fallen down, and the faded prayer flags on the walls are still fluttering, no one knows how many years they have been hanging there.

In this harsh environment, the people have passed down their skills from generation to generation, struggling to survive.

Under the watchful eyes of the snow-capped mountains, the 20,000 Ganzhou soldiers left Ganzhou City and headed northwest along the course of the Blackwater River.

The infantrymen carried worn-out leather packs and various weapons such as rifles and broadswords.

Wearing straw sandals and covered in frostbite, my feet trod on the gravel road, the "rustling" sound of my footsteps mingling with the rustling of armor, stretching out over the vast Gobi Desert.

The cavalry horses, with their heads drooping, slowly marched in front of and behind the infantry, the sand kicked up by their hooves falling softly onto the military flags of Ganzhou.

The troops had to stop and rest every ten miles or so. The soldiers would take out hard, dry barley cakes, eat them, and swallow them with the cold river water.

Some new recruits casually placed their spears on the ground and couldn't help but complain: "We've been walking for three days and we still haven't left Ganzhou Prefecture. How long will it take us to get to Heishui City on our own two legs?"

After saying that, he looked at the cavalry in the distance with an envious expression and asked, "When will we be able to ride horses too?"

Although the Western Xia had large-scale horse farms, even a good warhorse was not something an ordinary person could afford to raise.

People like them, who had just put down their hoes and answered the call to serve in the military, were no better off than ordinary laborers.

They all brought their own weapons, carrying only a gun barrel or a blade, and joined the army, becoming proud infantrymen.

"Want to be a hoof? Hehe, you have to make good contributions first. Only after you become a regular soldier will you have a tiny chance~ and you might not even be selected."

An old soldier with a missing tooth chuckled.

"Tizi" means cavalry, while "banzi" means the sole of the foot for infantry.

"Which of those who can act as 'hooves' doesn't have a powerful backer?"

“For people like us who have no connections or relatives, if we want to become hooves, we have to risk our lives.”

Although the Western Xia had official horse farms, the number of cavalry was not large, far less than that of the grasslands.

Therefore, cavalry positions were extremely valuable, and apart from those with real skills, most were the general's confidants.

"I've heard that the barbarians of the Northern Frontier are all hooves, and there are tens of thousands of them!"

"We don't even have five thousand hooves, how can we play ball like this!" the new recruit complained. It was his first time serving in the military, and he was still unsure of himself.

The old soldier scoffed and said, "You really underestimate us. Putting everything else aside, just our 10,000-plus big feet could knock out all the teeth of those barbarians from the northern frontier if we ever encountered them."

Even with ample food and water, cavalry might not be able to break through an infantry's tortoise formation.

After all, not all cavalrymen are fearless and willing to risk their lives to charge into battle.

"If you ask me, it's better for us to be the boarders. If we were the hooves, we'd have to fight the northern barbarians to the death."

"But if we were to use a board, and we couldn't win, we could just lie down on the ground and play dead, or kneel down and surrender—it wouldn't be shameful."

"Exactly, they only make a few hundred coins a month, and those officials embezzle it all. What's the point of risking their lives?"

The soldiers of Western Xia were all excellent, but the system was broken, and corrupt officials were rampant, with frequent occurrences of embezzlement of military pay and misappropriation of military achievements.

This is why the soldiers' combat effectiveness has become weaker and weaker, and every time they go on a campaign, it's just to get by and fulfill their military service obligations.

After the rest, the general's shouts rang out in the ranks: "Get up, get up, all of you get up, stop pretending to be dead."

"Keep going, we'll spend the night near the Great Wall."

Just as the soldiers were getting up with complaints, a series of urgent gong sounds suddenly rang out from the front ranks.

"Ta-da!"

Upon hearing this sound, all the soldiers tensed up instantly, as it indicated danger and the need to be on high alert.

The infantrymen who had been complaining to each other quickly gathered together, each taking on their assigned duties, ready to fight or flee at any moment.

The recruit's hands, gripping his rifle tightly, trembled slightly, revealing his nervousness.

The veteran was a bit better off, but he was still somewhat apprehensive: "Damn it, could it be that I was right?"

"Did we really encounter barbarians from the northern frontier?"

However, he turned around and looked around. This was still within the territory of Ganzhou Prefecture, and they hadn't even crossed the Great Wall of Han yet.

Didn't they say the barbarians of the northern frontier were in Blackwater City?

In the central army, Mi Qin Tiele, dressed in a sheepskin coat, was also puzzled when he heard the sound of the gong.

He shouted at his personal guards, "Go and find out what happened immediately!"

This is on our own territory; we haven't even left Ganzhou Prefecture yet.

With 20,000 troops at our side, how could we possibly encounter any danger?
That's utterly absurd.

However, before the personal guards could go to check what was going on, a cavalryman from the vanguard rushed over and said hurriedly, "Commander, a troop of northern frontier cavalry has been spotted on the hillside two miles ahead."

Upon hearing this, Mi Qintiele was stunned for a moment, instinctively wondering if these guys had misread it.

The Northern Frontier Army is still besieging Heishui City, how could they possibly have come to Ganzhou Prefecture?
"Are you sure they are barbarians from the northern frontier?" Mi Qin Tiele asked seriously.

"It really is the Northern Frontier Cavalry. Our scouts have already engaged them, suffering heavy casualties. Only a small, incomplete squad escaped and returned with news," the cavalryman said.

Upon hearing this, Mi Qintiele was instantly shocked.

"what?"

At that moment, directly in front of the Ganzhou army, on a hillside, a dozen cavalrymen clad in yellow armor stood facing the wind, watching the situation of the Ganzhou army from afar.

This is where the two teams of the Northern Xinjiang Exploration Riders have joined forces.

Beside them were a dozen or so unridden horses from the Hexi region.

On each horse's back hung a head, its face contorted in a ferocious grimace, its eyes filled with terror.

These heads all belong to scouts from the Ganzhou army.

They encountered the scouts of the Northern Frontier Army. After a fierce battle, most of the Ganzhou scouts were killed or wounded, their heads were cut off, and their warhorses became spoils of war.

The Northern Frontier Scouts followed the remaining small group of Ganzhou Scouts who had fled, and arrived before the main force of the Ganzhou army.

Holding a telescope, he observed the outline of the Ganzhou army from a distance of two miles.

A shihu (a type of military unit) said softly, "The army numbers about 20,000, but the number of cavalry is less than 5,000."

Another shihu nodded slightly: "The infantrymen behind them seem a bit lacking in morale."

"They must be laborers temporarily conscripted."

The two men stood side by side, discussing their views on the Ganzhou army.

Soon after, the Ganzhou cavalry in the distance began to move out. A cavalry force of over a hundred men broke away from the main force and charged toward the scouts from the northern frontier.

"Xia Jun is starting to abandon all martial ethics, let's go too."

Having said that, the dozen or so cavalrymen immediately turned their horses around and fled the place at full speed.

The Ganzhou cavalry pursued for over ten miles but still failed to catch up, and had no choice but to return to the main army.

At this moment, Mi Qintiele was listening to the report from the scouts.

Where did you find the Northern Frontier Scouts?

"About ten miles to the northwest, there is a place called Guaizi Village."

"How many of the Northern Frontier Scouts are there? And how many of you are there?"

“They have ten, a dozen or so, while we have less than twenty,” the scout said, kneeling on the ground, his voice trembling.

Upon hearing this, Mi Qintiele's eyes widened instantly, looking incredulous: "What?"

"Out of twenty people, only a few of you came back?"

This casualty ratio was something he really couldn't understand.

Those who can become scouts are all elites in the army and will be future officers. How could they have achieved such a tragic result?

"Me me me~"

The scout's lips trembled, and his expression grew increasingly flustered, clearly recalling his previous encounter with the Northern Frontier scouts.

"The Northern Frontier Cavalry had three warhorses. Two were used for traveling, and the strongest one was left for sprinting. They were very fast."

"Moreover, their weapons are sharp enough to easily pierce our leather armor."

"On the other hand, even if our weapons were to pierce them head-on, they would be blocked by their linen-like armor."

“Especially their arrows, which are much sharper…” the scout said in a trembling voice.

In summary, the Northern Frontier Scouts' warhorses were fast, their weapons were sharp, and their armor was sturdy.

Even when the numbers are equal, they are no match for each other.

These words shocked Mi Qintiele, who murmured in disbelief, "How is this possible?"

"Speedy and sturdy armor, how could they all appear at the same time?"

As is well known, light cavalry is fast, while armored cavalry is strong in defense. However, the appearance of cotton armor balanced the advantages of both, refreshing Miltiades' understanding.

He then dismissed the scouts and summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures.

Their first words were: "We've been tricked. Blackwater City is probably in danger."

Since scouts from the northern frontier have already appeared in Ganzhou Prefecture, it means that there must be a large force of the northern frontier forces ahead.

Blackwater City has probably already fallen.

The other generals also turned grim upon hearing this.

"But we know nothing about the northern barbarians. How many soldiers and cavalry do they have? Where is their main force located?"

The lieutenant said in a solemn voice.

It's ridiculous, really. This is their home turf, yet they still don't understand the enemy's situation.

A crucial point is that the government had limited control over the villages at the grassroots level.

"Therefore, we cannot go any further, otherwise we will surely fall into the encirclement of the northern barbarians."

"Return to Ganzhou City immediately," Mi Qin Tiele said emphatically.

He fully displayed his "survival of the fittest" nature, and when faced with danger, his first thought was to protect himself.

The other generals nodded in agreement: "That's right. The situation of the troops in the northern frontier is unknown. Moving forward blindly could lead to disaster."

"Let's wait until Lord Zhengze leads the main force of the army to Ganzhou before we make any plans."

……

Meanwhile, thirty miles directly in front of the Ganzhou army, the Northern Frontier army was marching at a steady pace toward Ganzhou City.

With roaring cavalry and galloping warhorses, the army, winding its way forward, resembled a golden dragon dancing across the Hexi Corridor.

All the villages they encountered along the way were ravaged by the Northern Frontier Army.

In the central army, Li Xiao rode atop a tall warhorse, clad in dark gold cotton armor, his scimitar folded, his gaze fixed on the dilapidated village on the horizon.

It was clear that the northern cavalry were running rampant in the village, looting without restraint, and some were even leading many civilians towards the main army.

Beside Li Xiao, Qin Chunsheng, the 20,000th household head, was reporting on the situation of the village to Li Xiao.

"Grand Protector, it was the 1200th Household Army that robbed the village ahead, captured more than 200 people, and found more than 100 shi of grain in the only landowner's house, as well as some gold, silver and calligraphy and paintings."

"After interrogation, we learned that someone in that landlord's family was an official in Ganzhou City, and the hundreds of acres of land around it belonged to his family."

……

Soldiers are entitled to their own food; it is only natural.

Li Xiao also wanted to train an elite force comparable to Yue Fei's army and Qi Jiguang's army.

They would rather freeze to death than dismantle a house, and starve to death than loot; such loyalty is truly admirable.

However, such discipline was simply a pipe dream for the Northern Frontier Army. A crucial reason why Yue Fei's and Qi Jiguang's armies were so disciplined was that their provisions and pay were sufficient, exceeding the standard for ordinary soldiers of that era.

Where did the Northern Frontier Army get its money and supplies?

Relying on the meager crops in northern Xinjiang? Or on the still-developing industry and commerce?

Apart from the Wuwei Army, other military towns did not have fixed military pay; their only source of income was profiting from the war.

If Li Xiao were to issue an order forbidding looting, the Northern Frontier Army would quickly lose its fighting capacity, leading to a breakdown in military discipline and the emergence of generals who would seize power and rebel.

Therefore, although Li Xiao had been working to rectify military discipline, he did not touch the fundamental interests of his soldiers.

"Is this estate mostly inhabited by women?" Li Xiao asked.

"The men have all been conscripted into the army, and most of them are in front of us right now," Qin Chunsheng said with a smile.

Li Xiao nodded: "Send all the people in the manor to the prisoner-of-war camp. They might come in handy when we deal with the Ganzhou army some time from now."

The common people at the bottom of society were too poor. They had been exploited into poverty by the Western Xia government and landlords. They had no money or food, and their families had no surplus food. Many people were about to starve to death.

Not only did they fail to plunder much grain in northern Xinjiang, they also had to spend money on it.

There's no other way; what northern Xinjiang lacks is population.

Regardless of gender, they were all detained in prisoner-of-war camps and taken back to the northern frontier after the war ended.

Here, at least these people have food to eat and won't starve to death.

The ones who truly provided the soldiers with the most lucrative opportunities were the landlords and bureaucrats.

Robbing one landlord often yields more profit than robbing the people of a dozen or so villages.

"As ordered!"

Qin Chunsheng nodded slightly, just as he was about to go back to arrange the raid on the next manor, when the deputy commander of the Wuwei Army, Shouhou, rode over on horseback.

He patted his chest and shouted, "Grand Protector, a scout has arrived with news!"

"Thirty miles ahead, we have spotted the main force of the Ganzhou army, which consists of approximately five thousand cavalry and fifteen thousand infantry."

"However, it seems that Mi Qintiele has also discovered us, and it looks like he is preparing to run away."

Hearing this, Li Xiao nodded slightly: "Isn't it too late to run now?"

After saying that, his face instantly turned serious: "Order all units to send the main force forward and cut off the retreat route of the Ganzhou army."

"We must not allow them to return to Ganzhou City."

"As ordered."

The Northern Frontier Army consisted entirely of cavalry, while the Ganzhou Army was a mixed infantry and cavalry force, making them far slower than the Northern Frontier Army.

However, just over an hour later, they were caught up by the Northern Frontier Army.

"Commander, a large contingent of cavalry has appeared behind us!"

Upon hearing the report from the rear camp, Mi Qin Tiele was instantly terrified.

"What? So fast?"

At this moment, he felt the sand below tremble slightly, as if countless tentacles were scratching at the ground.

So he immediately led his men up a hill and stood on the high ground, looking far to the northwest.

The sky and earth were clear and bright. Under the azure sky, a bright yellow solid line suddenly appeared on the northwest horizon.

The lines stretched wider and wider, and in the blink of an eye, they turned into a shiny yellow ribbon.

The first town in northern Xinjiang!
"They are all cavalry, at least tens of thousands of them."

Mi Qintiele looked horrified and said in a shocked tone.

Judging solely from the outline of the army he saw, the Northern Frontier Army numbered no less than ten thousand.

Further out, beyond his sight, there are probably many more.

"Tens of thousands of cavalrymen—this is the Gobi Desert, with absolutely no obstacles!"

The guards beside him were also pale-faced, realizing that the situation was dire.

As far as the eye could see, tens of thousands of cavalrymen surged forward, their speed neither too fast nor too slow, but always a step ahead of the Ganzhou army.

From a distance, it looked like a sweeping yellow sandstorm, its enormous roar obscuring the sky and earth.

The new recruits of the Ganzhou Army who witnessed this scene all turned pale and their legs began to tremble slightly.

"This is no mere hoof! It's a yellow storm sent by God to devour us!"

The Ganzhou cavalrymen's palms were sweaty, and the reins they were gripping were slipping.

This isn't war, it's like risking your life to run into a knife's edge!
Mi Qin Tiele realized the seriousness of the problem and shouted loudly to his generals, "Form ranks and prepare for battle!"

"Slowly retreat towards Ganzhou City."

Amidst the increasingly urgent sound of gongs, the Ganzhou army swiftly changed formations.

Many new recruits were panicked and made many mistakes, but at least under the generals' scolding and whipping, they knew where they should stand.

A loosely constructed tortoise formation has finally taken shape.

The shield bearers stood on the outermost edge, with swordsmen, axemen, and spearmen following behind, and archers ready to fire arrows at any time.

The five thousand cavalrymen stood like the four legs of a tortoise, closely guarding both sides.

According to Mi Qin Tiele's plan, the cavalry should not take the initiative to attack under any circumstances. The greatest victory would be to safely escort the army back to Ganzhou City.

The orange-red sunset filled the sky.

Among the Northern Frontier army, Li Xiao watched the tortoise formation slowly move and immediately let out a disdainful smile.

"Miqin Tiele is truly a talented individual."

Two years ago, when Jinzhou first launched its campaign against Western Xia, this guy stayed in the back and waited until the Jinzhou army withdrew before trying to claim credit for the victory.

This prevented Li Xiao's ambush from working.

Now, this guy seems to have become even more cautious.

They don't want to fight tough battles; they just want to reap the rewards without lifting a finger.

"It's getting late. Let's rest for a day and fight again tomorrow."

With his back to the setting sun, Li Xiao gave the order in a deep voice.

A war involving tens of thousands of people is not something that can be started on a whim.

The army from the northern frontier, having marched all the way, also needs rest.

Most importantly, it was already late, and fighting at night was an extremely risky undertaking.

If the Northern Frontier Army is weak, Li Xiao will definitely choose to fight at night, hoping to turn the tide.

But now, the northern border holds an absolute advantage, and he doesn't want to increase uncontrollable risks.

At sunset, the Northern Frontier Army and the Ganzhou Army set up camp about ten miles apart.

Late at night, the sound of urgent gongs suddenly rang out in the Ganzhou army.

Accompanied by loud shouts: "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"The commander has given orders to engage in battle immediately."

The soldiers of the Ganzhou army were all startled and got up.

However, some people were prepared in advance.

"Your military strategy is brilliant and ingenious; you are truly a contemporary Zhuge Liang," a general in the rear guard complimented.

This elicited a smug smile from Mi Qintiele: "These mere barbarian tricks are really not worth mentioning."

"Pass down the order: all units shall prepare in accordance with military orders, and must ensure that the invading enemy is captured."

Mi Qintiele had anticipated that the Northern Frontier Army might launch a night attack, so he had prepared in advance and laid an ambush in the camp.

Shortly afterward, scouts reported that the Northern Frontier Army had withdrawn and had not attacked the main camp.

"What?" Mi Qintiele exclaimed in surprise.

But he immediately adopted a confident demeanor and snorted, "They know what's good for them."

"Otherwise, I will capture Li Xiao alive."

He then left behind the guard troops and ordered the others to go back and rest.

But an hour later, the gong sounded again.

Just as Mi Qin Tiele was organizing his forces to prepare for a counterattack, he received news that the Northern Frontier Army had retreated again.

Enraged, he shouted, "How dare you, you brat, play tricks on me?"

It's obvious now: the Northern Frontier Army never really intended to launch a night attack; they were merely using the guise of a night attack to wear down their troops.

The next morning, the Ganzhou army formed a tight formation and continued their advance.

However, the northern cavalry immediately followed without attacking.

They simply followed behind or ran to the sides of the main army, advancing parallel to the Ganzhou army.

Around mid-morning, the gongs of the Ganzhou army sounded again, and the cavalry from the northern frontier on both sides suddenly formed a charging formation.

"Hoohoho!"

Thousands of northern cavalrymen galloped across the land like stars.

Just as they were about to approach the Ganzhou army, they suddenly split in two and spread out to both sides.

"Swish, swish~"

Countless arrows shot towards the Ganzhou army formation.

After just one volley of long-range shots, the northern cavalry immediately retreated to a safe distance.

"Bastard!"

Watching the Northern Frontier cavalry retreat calmly, and then looking at the chaotic and panicked Ganzhou soldiers, Mi Qin Tiele was furious.

Those traitors from the northern frontier, how dare they bully me like this!
"Give the order: cavalry, attack! Kill them!" Mi Qintiele roared.

Soon, the Ganzhou cavalry launched an attack, heading towards the northern frontier cavalry.

Seeing this, the northern cavalry did not linger in battle and immediately retreated.

They lured the Ganzhou cavalry away from their main force.

Not long after, the Ganzhou cavalry returned in disarray.

They were surrounded by cavalry from the northern frontier, but fortunately the cavalry commander made a decisive retreat, thus preventing greater losses.

This completely stunned Mi Qin Tiele.

They had already realized that the Northern Frontier Army was terrifying and far beyond their ability to deal with.

Therefore, during the rest of the journey, the Northern Frontier Army rotated small groups of troops to harass them at night.

During the day, they followed from both sides, occasionally adopting an offensive posture.

This left the Ganzhou army exhausted.

The journey back to Ganzhou City would normally take three days.

It's been five days now, and we haven't even reached the halfway point.

However, the Ganzhou army was already exhausted and their spirits were constantly on edge. All it took was a little more fire to bring them to a standstill.

On the fifth day, with sixty li (approximately 30 kilometers) to go before Ganzhou City, Li Xiao finally issued the order for a general offensive.

Beside him, he wore dark gold dragon-patterned cotton armor and a golden cloak. With a "whoosh," he drew his cavalry saber.

His resolute face was filled with coldness as he shouted sharply, "The banners advance!"

"attack!"

(End of this chapter)