The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 249 I've heard that the Grand Protector is fond of women, much like Prime Minister Cao.

Tiger Wolf Gorge, located 100 li east of Liangzhou City, is a necessary route for the Central Plains to enter the Hexi Corridor.

Known in later generations as Gulang Gorge, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack, holding an extremely important strategic position for the entire Hexi Corridor.

Together with Wushaoling in the east, it is known as the eastern gateway to the Hexi Corridor, guarding the vital transportation route from the Hexi Corridor into the Central Plains.

The mountain peaks on both sides are towering, and the valley in the middle is narrow, with a total length of about fifty miles.

The canyon is no more than a mile wide at its widest point and only an arrow's width apart at its narrowest, making it a truly impregnable pass.

At this moment, in the canyon, a cavalry army of tens of thousands of people was slowly advancing. Although they were not wearing armor, they still exuded a chilling and murderous aura.

These cavalrymen were all tall and fierce-looking, some with long hair styled in Han Chinese buns.

Some of them wore earth-yellow round-necked robes, with bald heads and long braids on the sides.

People dressed like this are genuine Tanguts.

This large army was the force dispatched by the Western Xia court to support the Hexi Corridor.

However, Wei Ming Shi'an knew the military situation was urgent, so he left the infantry behind and walked slowly behind.

He himself led all his cavalry, galloping ahead to the Hexi Corridor to provide support.

This included 3,000 Imperial Guard cavalry, 1,000 Iron Falcons, and more than 10,000 cavalry from Xiping Prefecture, Weizhou Prefecture, and Baotai Military Command.

The total strength reached approximately 15,000 men.

They were considered the elite backbone of the Western Xia, capable of going toe-to-toe with the Jin army.

At this point, all that is needed is to cross the Tiger and Wolf Gorge to truly enter the Hexi Corridor.

"Hopefully it's not too late."

Wei Ming Shi'an had gray hair and wore an earth-yellow round-necked hemp robe. His thin face was full of heaviness, and a trace of worry flashed in his cloudy eyes.

Although he had never met the Northern Frontier Army, he had fought against the Kereit tribe and knew those grassland barbarians very well.

The entire force is composed of cavalry, moving swiftly like the wind. Although their combat strength is not high, they rarely engage in direct combat with the enemy, focusing instead on harassment and ambushes, making them extremely difficult to deal with.

In his mind, the cavalry of the northern frontier should be similar to those of the Kereit tribe.

They were just a group of fierce bandits.

The reason he is rumored to be so powerful is because no one has met him, Wei Ming Shi An.

But this was exactly what Wei Ming Shi'an was worried about. He murmured, "I wonder how the fighting is going between Blackwater City and Dunhuang City."

"Wei Mingzhongshi and Suorendwang must not leave the city to fight without authorization."

As long as the city is defended, the northern barbarians cannot take it down. What they fear most is that the two men, eager to make a name for themselves, will leave the city to fight the northern barbarians.

That would be a very bad situation; the barbarians of the northern frontier are cunning and would undoubtedly set a trap.

"After leaving Tiger Wolf Gorge, the entire army must speed up and reach Liangzhou City before evening," Wei Ming Shi'an ordered his troops.

But not long after, two scouts suddenly ran up from the front, dismounted, and said to Wei Ming Shi'an, "Reporting to the commander."

"We have spotted two messengers ahead. They claim to be from Liangzhou City and have been sent to Xingqing Prefecture to report on an urgent military situation."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming Shi'an immediately had a bad feeling and quickly asked, "What happened?"

The scout swallowed hard: "Ganzhou City has already been breached by the barbarians."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming Shi'an's expression changed drastically, and his voice became shrill: "What?"

"Ganzhou City has fallen?"

They were originally planning to go and support Heishui City, but they didn't expect that the Northern Frontier Army had already attacked Ganzhou City.

"Where is Weiming Zhongshi? Where is Suorendewang?"

"What are those two good for?"

"Has Blackwater City fallen as well? Why haven't we heard any news?"

Even though Wei Ming Shi'an had fought a lifetime of wars and considered himself to have a stable mindset, he was still shocked by this sudden news, his whole body turned cold, and his vision blurred slightly.

He admitted that the cavalry in the northern frontier were very powerful and formidable in open field battles.

But how could they possibly conquer Blackwater City and Ganzhou City in such a short time? They didn't even have time to react.

Moreover, Ganzhou City is only 500 li away from Liangzhou City, and with the speed of the Northern Frontier cavalry, they can arrive in three or four days.

Liangzhou City is in danger.

"Hurry, we must reach Liangzhou City before evening!" Wei Ming Shi'an roared.

Soon, the army left Tiger Wolf Gorge and sped towards Liangzhou City.

On the way, Wei Ming Shi'an encountered many refugees, all of whom were fleeing towards the Central Plains with their families.

Upon further inquiry, it turned out that Liangzhou City had closed its gates, preventing them from entering the city.

Wei Ming Shi'an showed no pity, but instead said, "Supinaluo did a good job."

"But we still lack experience."

He then summoned a general and instructed him, "Take your men and stay to guard Tiger Wolf Gorge."

"No people from Hexi are allowed to enter the Central Plains."

Upon hearing this, the general was slightly taken aback, not understanding why Wei Ming Shi'an was doing this, but he nodded firmly: "Yes, sir."

Wei Ming Shi'an turned his head to look at the fleeing people, his heart as hard as iron.

Currently, the situation in Hexi is turbulent, and the northern barbarian tribes are advancing rapidly, having already breached Ganzhou City, leaving Liangzhou City in grave danger.

If these people are allowed to enter the Central Plains, the news will spread, causing severe turmoil within the country and shaking the morale of the Great Xia Kingdom.

It might even lead enemy states to believe that Western Xia is in danger and take advantage of the situation to plunder.

Therefore, it was necessary to control the transmission of information; it was sufficient to keep the ruling class informed of the situation in Hexi.

As evening fell, the cavalry army arrived in Liangzhou City, instantly giving the anxious soldiers and civilians of Liangzhou a much-needed boost of morale.

Liangzhou, we will never fall!
……

Meanwhile, after capturing Ganzhou City, the Northern Frontier Army immediately plundered the surrounding villages, capturing people and looting food.

After a period of rest, the main force of the army continued its eastward advance.

The target was a small town, Shanle, located a hundred miles east of Ganzhou City.

This is just a small town with a population of only about 20,000 to 30,000, and its scale is far smaller than that of Liangzhou and Ganzhou.

Therefore, the Fourth Town will attack Shanle City alone this time.

Inside the city, at the prefectural governor's residence.

Hedagan Hajip paced back and forth in the lobby, his brow furrowed, looking as if a great calamity was about to befall him.

"Hey~"

"How could this happen? How did they suddenly reach Ganzhou City?"

As the prefect of Shanle City, he was essentially a local tyrant.

But the news of the fall of Ganzhou City came like a bolt from the blue, making him uneasy.

The barbarians of the northern frontier are incredibly brutal; I've heard they even massacre entire cities.

Shanle is just a town under Ganzhou Prefecture. Given its size and strength, if no measures are taken, Shanle will be the next to be slaughtered.

Abandoning a city and fleeing its inhabitants?

This is a crime of dereliction of duty in defending the territory, and even if he returns to Xingqing Prefecture, he will be severely punished.

Moreover, the Hedagan family is a prominent family in Shanle City, and their foundation is in Shanle. Why would they run away?
Therefore, on the advice of his staff, He Dagan finally made a decision.

Send money to the barbarians of the Northern Frontier in exchange for their promise not to attack Shanle City.

Just as he was pacing back and forth in a state of distress, his personal guard led in a disheveled man, who was the envoy he had sent to the Northern Frontier Army.

"how's it going?"

"Any news yet?"

"Have the barbarians of the Northern Frontier agreed to our conditions?" He Da asked anxiously as he stepped forward.

The messenger shook his head in grief and indignation, crying, "Master, I am useless."

"We didn't even get to see the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier before we were beaten out."

He Da asked anxiously, "I haven't seen the Grand Protector? Then who did you see?"

The envoy recalled, "He was called a commander-in-chief, but I didn't know what kind of official he was. He seemed to have a lot of airs about him."

Commander-in-Chief?

Because the rise of the northern frontier was too rapid, the Western Xia dynasty did not pay enough attention to it and therefore did not have an in-depth understanding of it.

A mere prefectural governor would naturally have no idea what a commander-in-chief was.

But knowing that he was a high-ranking official was enough, so he frowned and asked, "What did that commander-in-chief say to you?"

"His expression turned very bad after just one glance at the letter you wrote."

"Then he said, 'Master, please wash your neck clean,' and then beat me out."

The envoy said, looking aggrieved.

He lifted his clothes and saw that they were badly worn, and there were obvious signs of beatings on his skin.

This demonstrates the arrogance and hostility of the Northern Frontier Army.

"Bang~"

"This is outrageous! In times of war, envoys are not to be killed. Those barbarians from the northern frontier are simply rude!" He Dagan said angrily.

The advisor beside him said, "Sir, the barbarians in the northern frontier must think we're giving them too little."

Upon hearing this, He Dagan's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth, saying angrily, "Fifty thousand taels of silver is not enough?"

"How much would be enough?"

Two hundred thousand taels.

The aide mentioned a number, which immediately infuriated He Da.

"What? Two hundred thousand taels? Where did we get so much money?"

Fifty thousand taels is like cutting off his flesh; two hundred thousand taels? We might as well kill him.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub," the aide advised.

"Although we can't come up with 200,000 taels, aren't the wealthy families in the city enough together?"

"Anyway, the more money they give, the better."

"As long as the barbarians of the northern frontier withdraw their troops, you will still be your prefect. No matter how much money you spend, you will definitely earn it back many times over in the future."

His advisor's words finally persuaded He Dagan, who gritted his teeth and said, "It's just two hundred thousand taels, isn't it?"

"As long as the troops in the northern border region withdraw, I will give it to you."

As a Uyghur, it was no easy feat for him to become the prefect; it was thanks to the accumulated wealth and influence of seven or eight generations that he achieved his current position.

When Li Yuanhao destroyed the Ganzhou Uyghurs, his ancestor, assessing the situation, became one of the first "traitors" to surrender to Li Yuanhao. He gained the trust of the Tangut people by ruthlessly oppressing his compatriots.

Over time, the Heda Gan family finally became a powerful and influential family in Shanle City.

The most prosperous street in Shanle City belongs to He Dagan's family, and one-third of the land outside the city also belongs to them.

By his generation, he had paved his way with money and even became the governor of Shanle City, enjoying the utmost prestige.

Therefore, he could not allow the legacy of the He Dagan family to be destroyed in his hands.

Subsequently, He Dagan sent people to notify the wealthy households in the city to launch a crowdfunding campaign.

While everyone else had left, leaving only him and his advisors in the room, they discussed how to coerce and entice the city's wealthy families into handing over their money.

A gentle voice sounded from outside the door: "Husband, it's already noon. Although state affairs are important, you should rest."

A beautiful woman in her early twenties walked in. Her face was as white and tender as a pearl, and her nose was slightly upturned. She had obvious Uyghur features.

What's most alluring about her is her enchanting figure. With every step she takes, you can see the obvious swaying of her waist and hips, and her whole body exudes the mature and voluptuous charm of a woman from another culture.

This woman was none other than Hedagan's principal wife, Abugma. She came from a prominent Uyghur family in Shanle City.

After He Dagan's original wife passed away, she married him as his second wife, which can be considered a political marriage.

Moreover, his wife was young, gentle, capable, beautiful, and considerate, which made He Daqian cherish her the most.

Upon seeing her approach, He Dagan's face immediately broke into a smile: "I understand, thank you for your trouble, my wife. I'll go back to rest later."

After saying this, Abdul Gma smiled gently and politely withdrew.

As the advisor watched Abugma's retreating figure, a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

With a slight upturn of his lips, he said, "My lord, I have thought of a way that may allow us to repel the Northern Frontier Cavalry."

"Oh? What method?" He Dagan asked hurriedly.

Whether they were Tanguts or people from the northern frontier, the war was none of his business.

He just wanted to live a peaceful life as the Prefect of Shanle County, guarding his own little territory, and hoping no one would bother him.

Under He Dagan's gaze, the aide smiled slightly awkwardly and said, "Forgive my impertinence, but this matter still needs to be handled by the madam."

"Madam? What's the matter, Madam Guan?"

He Dagan said, somewhat puzzled and confused.

The advisor was even more embarrassed, and said in a low voice with a forced smile, "Whether the Northern Frontier can withdraw its troops and whether your position as prefect can remain safe depends on the Northern Frontier Protector."

"As long as the Grand Protector is satisfied, not only will you withdraw your troops, but you might even be offered a higher official position and more generous salary."

He Dagan nodded silently; the matter was obvious.

The Northern Frontier was nominally part of the Liao Dynasty, and its supreme ruler was the Northern Frontier Protector-General.

He controlled all the northern cavalry, sweeping across the Hexi Corridor.

If he just said one word, I doubt any of those Northern Frontier Commanders or Generals would dare to continue their attack on Shanle City.
The advisor continued mysteriously, "I've heard that the Grand Protector is extremely fond of women, and even more so of women."

"It is said that on the day Ganzhou fell, Mi Qin Tiele voluntarily sent his wife and daughter to the Grand Protector's bedside."

This story was obviously made up by the staff, but the guess was quite accurate. Prime Minister Cao was Li Xiao's idol, and he was determined to carry on the Prime Minister's legacy.

However, Mi Qintiele's wife was quite old and not very attractive, so Li Xiao simply couldn't bring himself to kiss her.

So he chose his most beautiful daughter to serve him in bed, along with the widow of a certain young general.

This can be considered as fulfilling the Prime Minister's dying wish.

But He Dagan heard these words and they had a completely different meaning.

His expression changed instantly, and he glared at his advisor, shouting angrily, "You bastard! How dare you insult me?"

He Dagan was so angry that his face turned green.

In this era, concubines were nothing special; they could even be given as gifts between close friends.

Daughters are nothing more than tools for political marriages, which can be abandoned when necessary.

But a wife is different; she is a formal family member, and after death, she will be buried with one's husband.

Giving one's wife to another man would be an absolute disgrace.

No man could tolerate that.

Mi Qin Tiele's act of sacrificing his wife demonstrates his incompetence and incompetence.

But He Dagang would never accept being a green-haired turtle.

"I'll kill you!"

He Dagan roared in anger, drew his sword, and held it to his advisor's neck.

But the aide remained unfazed, bowing deeply and saying, "My lord, I am doing this for your official position and for the sake of the Hedagan family's century-old legacy."

"It was just a suggestion. If it's really difficult for you, then just pretend I didn't say it."

"However, a offer of 200,000 taels of silver may not be enough to sway the barbarians of the Northern Frontier."

Having said that, he apologized and turned to leave.

They heard a series of clanging sounds coming from the room, along with He Dagan's angry roar.

The aide shook his head dismissively, a cold glint in his eyes.

"He Dagan, let me show you what it feels like to have your beloved woman stolen away."

He snorted coldly and turned away.

Based on his understanding of He Dagan's character, he was certain that He Dagan was being framed.

In the afternoon, all the wealthy families in the city were summoned to the prefectural governor's mansion.

A closer look reveals that almost everyone sitting in the hall is a Uyghur.

This is not an isolated case; the entire city of Shanle is entirely a town dominated by Uyghurs.

When Li Yuanhao destroyed the Ganzhou Uyghurs, he settled the captured Uyghurs in the Shanle area.

Through generations of inheritance, the Uyghurs displaced the local Han and Tangut people, and today Shanle has almost become a Uyghur city.

"Gentlemen, the cavalry of the northern barbarians are at Ganzhou City, less than a hundred li away from Shanle..."

Just as He Dagan was holding a meeting with these wealthy Uyghur families, a city gate commander suddenly rushed over.

They were in such a hurry that they tripped and fell several times while crossing the threshold.

He screamed in terror, "My lord, the prefect!"

"Something bad is going on."

"The Northern Frontier Army is coming! A lot of Northern Frontier Army soldiers have arrived outside the city."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was stunned for a moment, then they all stood up, their faces filled with fear.

"Wow~"

The sounds of tables, chairs, and benches being knocked over were incessant.

He Dagan's face also turned pale quickly: "Wh-what?"

Then, realizing something, he yelled at the wealthy people around him, "Hand over your money now, or we're all going to die!"

Meanwhile, in the wilderness west of Shanle City, the roar of iron cavalry echoed as the endless Northern Frontier army swept across the land like a golden sandstorm.

The earth trembled violently, and it seemed as if the entire world was filled with the figures of the Northern Frontier Army.

The yellow-background, white-bordered sun and moon battle flag fluttered in the wind, and the banner of the Fourth Garrison of the Northern Frontier loomed over Shanle City like a demon's lair.

In the midst of the army, Luo Meng, dressed in bright yellow cotton armor with a white trim and a bright yellow battle robe, stroked his battle sword and gazed at Shanle City in the distance.

Thinking back to how the Prefect of Shanle had sent people to discuss surrender not long ago, Luo Meng's face revealed a disdainful sneer.

"He's a complete money-grubbing idiot."

"Even a pig is smarter than him."

Do you really think you can bribe the Northern Frontier Army with a mere 50,000 taels of silver and make them give up attacking Shanle City?
They seriously underestimated the appetite of the Northern Frontier Army.

"There is no need to keep this Prefect of Shanle County."

"Once we capture Shanle City, all the gold and silver will belong to our Northern Frontier Army. Why would we need him to give us any more?"

Having said that, Luo Meng suddenly drew his cavalry saber and shouted in a deep voice, "Take Shanle City before sunset."

"kill!"

The city of Ganzhou was previously looted by the First Town, and now it's the Fourth Town's turn.

Although Shanle City is not as large as Ganzhou, I heard that the Uyghurs in the city are very good at business and should be able to make a lot of money.

"Yes, sir!" the messenger shouted.

Immediately afterwards, a deep horn sounded in the Yanzhi Mountains, and thousands of Northern Frontier cavalrymen stormed towards the other three gates of Shanle City.

With overwhelming force, it trampled across the endless wilderness like a raging storm.

Meanwhile, He Dagan, standing on the city wall, watched this scene and felt a chill run through his body. His legs trembled, and he could only stand up with the help of his guards.

Large beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, and his pale lips kept murmuring, "They're here, the barbarians from the northern frontier are here."

"Devil~"

As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something, and hurriedly staggered to the staff member, grabbing his collar and saying something.

"Quickly, send someone to negotiate with the people of Northern Xinjiang."

"I agreed. I agreed to all those conditions."

As long as the foundation of the Hedagan family can be preserved, he would not hesitate to give up women, or even his own life.

But at that moment, a deep rumble suddenly rang out on the land outside the city.

"Boom boom boom~"

Immediately afterwards, a sound ten times more piercing than the whistling of arrows rang out.

Suddenly, the city wall beneath their feet began to tremble violently.

"Boom boom boom~"

Twenty iron bullets slammed heavily into the city gate of Shanle City.

Outside the city, twenty Tiger-Duke cannons stood tall, their muzzles emitting white smoke.

Because Shanle City is located in Yanzhi Mountain, it is not conducive to the relocation of the Divine Might Cannon.

Therefore, the Fourth Garrison only brought twenty Tiger Cannons as siege weapons.

Fortunately, Shanle City is just a small city, not as grand as Ganzhou City.

Of course, relying solely on the Tiger Cannon was not enough. Luo Meng issued another order: "Send word to the Kuli army that whoever first scales the city wall will have their entire family freed from slavery and will be rewarded with twenty strings of cash."

"The rest of you who kill three enemy soldiers will have their entire family become military households in the northern frontier and will be rewarded with ten strings of cash."

During the battles at Heishui City and Ganzhou City, a large number of Western Xia soldiers were captured.

They were all incorporated into the Kuril army and used as war slaves.

Now that the city is under attack, it's time for them to play their part; otherwise, the Northern Frontier Army wouldn't waste food feeding them.

"Woooooo~"

With the military order issued, the Kuril army's slaves, armed with spears, swords, and other weapons, crowded onto the wasteland outside the city.

His face was contorted with rage, but a fighting spirit was gradually rising in his eyes.

They had already seen for themselves what the food was like for the Northern Frontier Army.

Moreover, according to the soldiers from the northern frontier, they were originally ordinary people in Dunhuang who could hardly get a full meal a year.

However, after becoming a military household in the northern frontier, it was common to have enough to eat, and they could even occasionally have meat with their families.

As for the source of the food?
It's naturally like it is now, stolen from other places.

But regardless, the fact that the Northern Frontier Army can get enough to eat is a skill in itself.

The vast majority of Western Xia soldiers came from poor families. Although they worked diligently, very few of them could get enough to eat regularly.

Therefore, without realizing it, they also developed a longing for the treatment of the Northern Frontier Army.

If I could also become a military household in the northern frontier, then I could feed my whole family.

Although it often required hard work, it was still better than starving to death. Besides, people in Western Xia often had to perform forced labor, and quite a few died from exhaustion.

However, to become a military household in the northern frontier, one must first kill three enemies.

Thinking this, and seeing the numerous Northern Frontier cavalrymen with their arrows aimed at their backs, the faces of these Kuril soldiers gradually turned frantic.

"There are many Uyghurs in Shanle City, they're just three heads!"

"Brothers, our families are waiting for us to live a good life."

"Retreating means certain death, so we might as well charge forward and fight."

"Kill!"

(End of this chapter)