The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 250 Beauty is a Curse, a Cold Throat

"They destroyed my Qilian Mountains, causing my livestock to cease to thrive."

"Losing my Yanzhi Mountain has made my women lose their beauty."

……

The desolate song drifted across the vast grassland, as if it were a gentle murmur coming from the depths of time.

It's as if you can feel the sorrow and despair of the Xiongnu people when they lost their homeland a thousand years ago.

Amidst this vast and majestic atmosphere, Li Xiao led a large contingent of Wuwei Army cavalry, like a yellow torrent, rushing across the grasslands on the southern slopes of Yanzhi Mountain.

The cavalrymen were agile and resolute, their warhorses strong and healthy, their hooves kicking up clumps of grass and dust.

"Ho ho ho ho~"

"Hahaha~"

The azure sky seemed to hang overhead, almost within reach, while the earth was a vibrant green, with waist-high water plants in some places, and rivers like silver ribbons crisscrossing through it all.

The soldiers galloped on their horses, their hearts filled with pride, roaring and laughing loudly, startling countless animals into fleeing in panic.

"Great Protector, this place is truly suitable for raising horses!"

"Having been here for only a day, I feel that my warhorse is running with more energy than usual."

The army stopped to rest by a river. Li Xiao laughed heartily upon hearing what the skinny monkey had said.

"Hahaha~"

"This is Shandan, an excellent place for raising horses since ancient times."

As early as a thousand years ago, the Xiongnu people grazed their horses here, and their iron cavalry once roamed the grasslands, inspiring fear in all who beheld them.

Later, Huo Qubing attacked the Xiongnu twice and captured the Qilian Mountains and Yanzhi Mountains in one fell swoop, and this grassland was incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty.

Until the Northern Song Dynasty, this place was the most important military horse breeding base of the Central Plains dynasty.

However, with the defeat of the Northern Song Dynasty in the war against the Western Xia, the Song Dynasty completely lost the Hexi Corridor, and the Song army never had a good warhorse again.

The Shandan military horse farm was abandoned from then on.

Because the Hexi Corridor was not the center of Western Xia's rule, the Tanguts were worried that the Shandan military horse farm would be used by the Han and Uyghur people in Hexi, so they ordered a ban on raising warhorses in the Shandan area.

Most of the warhorses of the Western Xia came from the Helan Mountains area, which was where the Tangut people rose to power.

The area around Shandan became an excellent habitat for animals.

The land was reused after the Mongols arrived.

Even in later generations, the Sandan Horse Farm remained the largest horse farm in all of Asia.

As time passed, Li Xiao now led a large contingent of Wuwei Army cavalry across this land.

His main purpose in coming here was to survey the terrain and landforms of the Shandan Grassland in preparation for the upcoming war.

"The water and grass here are just as good as the grasslands of our northern frontier; they really help our warhorses gain weight!"

The skinny monkey looked at his warhorse standing in the river, gulping down water, and said with a smile, "It would be a real shame not to make use of it."

The water is crystal clear, and under the sunlight, the shimmering waves sparkle. These are all streams formed naturally by the melting snow and ice of the Qilian Mountains, scattered across the entire grassland.

It nourished this grassland and nurtured countless lives.

Li Xiao nodded slightly: "This place is far from Xingqing Prefecture, and the Dangxiang people have limited control over the Hexi Corridor. They are naturally worried that if a rebellion breaks out in the Hexi Corridor, these warhorses will be taken by the enemy."

Just like the Mongols in history, who opened their military horse farms in the Huaihe River region, where the Han people were most densely populated, they essentially dug their own graves.

In this respect, the Tanguts were somewhat clever, but it was only petty cleverness.

After all, without the Tanguts' control over the warhorses in the Hexi Corridor, it would have been difficult for the Northern Frontier Army to sweep across the Hexi Corridor so quickly.

This kind of thing has both advantages and disadvantages.

Should we guard against our own people, or against external enemies?

"These Tanguts are such cowards," Skinny Monkey said disdainfully.

“Small tribes have always bullied large tribes. For the Tangut people, the greatest enemy is not our northern border, nor the Jin Dynasty, but the Han and Uyghur people within our own borders,” Li Xiao said with a chuckle.

“Great Protector, we don’t care about these things. We can reopen the horse farm,” Skinny Monkey suggested.

Li Xiao shook his head slightly: "That will have to wait until we occupy the Hexi Corridor."

His initial purpose in launching the Hexi War was to plunder.

They brought the Han people from the Hexi Corridor back to the northern frontier.

Although the battle has progressed much more smoothly than Li Xiao had imagined.

However, it will be quite difficult to completely occupy the Hexi Corridor.

He had just received news that Western Xia reinforcements had arrived in Liangzhou City, consisting entirely of cavalry, numbering over ten thousand.

In addition, the original army of Liangzhou City, although most of them were temporary conscripts, had a clear advantage in defending Liangzhou City.

Even with the support of the powerful cannons, the Northern Frontier Army would inevitably suffer heavy casualties if it wanted to capture Liangzhou City.

Without capturing Liangzhou, occupying Ganzhou and other places would be completely meaningless.

From a strategic perspective, the Hexi Corridor is too far from northern Xinjiang. If war breaks out, it would take at least a month for reinforcements to arrive.

In contrast, the Western Xia was closer to the Hexi Corridor and could send troops to plunder the region at any time.

With fewer troops stationed in the Hexi Corridor, the northern border region is vulnerable to attack and could even face total annihilation.

More of these means that the center of gravity in northern Xinjiang is shifting to the Hexi Corridor.

Therefore, in the strategy of fighting the royal court on the western front, we should retreat across the board. Once the royal court recovers its strength, it may lose Ili, Qihe and other places again.

Therefore, Li Xiao has not yet made up his mind to completely occupy the Hexi Corridor.

"Grand Protector, the water is cold."

Just as Li Xiao and the skinny monkey were talking, a guard brought over a bowl of warm water.

Li Xiao nodded slightly, took the drink and drank it all in one gulp, then told his personal guards to go and get another ride.

During this time, he did not forget to teach the skinny monkey and others: "These rivers look clear, but they are not actually clean."

"Back then, Huo Qubing contracted the plague after drinking untreated water and died young at the age of 24."

"Men from the northern frontier are born with a tough backbone and iron will. Even if we die, we will die a glorious death on the battlefield."

"I really don't want to see you die a pathetic death in your beds."

The more animals there are in a place, the more likely the river water is to harbor a large number of bacteria and viruses. Drinking it can cause diarrhea at best, and even death at worst.

Therefore, Li Xiao required the soldiers in the northern border region to boil the raw water before drinking it, whenever possible.

After this military order was implemented, the number of non-combat casualties in the Northern Frontier Army has been reduced by more than half.

Of course, if the war is really tense, you'll have to swallow even mud, let alone raw water.

"Let's go, let's keep going!"

He gently raised his whip and gave the order. The large cavalry force changed formation in an orderly fashion and continued to gallop across the grassland.

Then, they drove eastward, bypassing Yanzhi Mountain, and turned back from the northern foot of Yanzhi Mountain, heading towards Shanle City.

Yanzhi Mountain has long been known as the "throat of sweet and cool water".

The mountain range runs from northeast to southwest. To the south is the Shandan Horse Ranch, and to the north is another east-west oriented mountain, Ganjun Mountain (Longshou Mountain).

At the intersection of the two mountains, there is only one mountain path that can be passed.

At this moment, the Wuwei Army was walking along this mountain path, with towering peaks on both sides.

Although the terrain is relatively gentle and cavalry can climb it, it is quite physically demanding, and the mountain is very high, making it unsuitable for large-scale cavalry ascents.

To get through, one must walk through the valley between the two mountains, and even at the narrowest point of the valley, it is only a few dozen meters wide.

"Truly worthy of being called the throat of Gansu and Liang!"

Li Xiao, mounted on his horse, looked at the mountains on both sides and said in a solemn voice.

“By holding onto Yanzhi Mountain, we are essentially severing the connection between Ganzhou and Liangzhou.”

The terrain around Yanzhi Mountain can be described as "three basins surrounding two mountains".

To the south is Yanzhi Mountain, and to the north is Ganjun Mountain.

On the south side of Yanzhi Mountain lies the Shandan Military Horse Farm.

To the north of Ganjun Mountain lies a vast, boundless desert.

Between the two mountains lies the valley through which the Wuwei Army passed at that time, the Yanzhi Mountain Ancient Road.

This ancient road is the shortest, flattest, and best-traveled route between Gansu and Liangzhou.

Most of the exchanges between the military and civilians in the two places have taken place along the ancient Yanzhi Mountain trail.

Because the Shandan Military Horse Farm is adjacent to the Qilian Mountains, the terrain is very high, making the journey time-consuming and laborious, requiring crossing many rivers and hills, and making road transportation inconvenient.

Needless to say, the area north of Ganjun Mountain is close to the desert and has a harsh environment.

Only the ancient Yanzhi Mountain road in the middle is the most convenient for travel.

In the middle of the ancient road of Yanzhi Mountain stands a city, Shanle.

Therefore, the Uyghurs of Shanle City also made a fortune thanks to their advantageous geographical location.

To conquer the ancient Yanzhi Mountain road, we must first capture Shanle City.

Shortly after the Wuwei Army advanced through the valley, one of the scouts returned and shouted, "Reporting to the Grand Protector, we have discovered a group of civilians ahead!"

"They seem to have fled from the direction of Shanle City."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao glanced at the sky.

Judging from the timeline, the Fourth Town is probably already attacking, or even has already captured Shanle City.

These are likely people who originally lived outside the city and fled beforehand.

"Order the Second Thousandth Household to capture them all and find out what's happening in Shanle City right now," Li Xiao commanded.

"As ordered."

The scouts departed, and the Imperial Guard cavalry continued their advance.

Soon after, terrified screams, pleas for mercy, and wails rang out from ahead.

Many civilians, upon seeing the Northern Frontier Army, turned tail and fled to the mountains on either side. The Northern Frontier cavalry pursued them, shooting them down one by one with arrows.

Not long after, Zhao Dabao, the second commander of the Wuwei Army, returned and reported: "Great Protector, these are all Uyghurs. They can't read a single word and can't understand our language at all. We can't get anything out of them."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao's expression immediately turned sour, and he coldly snorted, "You can't even speak Chinese?"

"What's the difference between us and barbarians?"

I had long heard that there were many Uyghurs in Shanle City, which was the site of the prisoner-of-war camp after Li Yuanhao destroyed the Ganzhou Uyghurs.

Surprisingly, after all these years, these Uyghurs haven't improved at all; they can't even speak Chinese.

What's the point of keeping it?

Li Xiao's method of distinguishing ethnic groups is simple: he sees whether they can speak Chinese and whether their customs and religious beliefs differ from those of the Han people.

If someone can speak Chinese, it proves that he is willing to accept the teachings of Chinese civilization. After a long period of contact with the Han people, and after two or three generations, he will be no different from the Han people.

Li Xiao was naturally willing to accept these people and bring them into the big family of China.

Just like in northern Xinjiang, many Turks, Naimans, and other ethnic groups are learning Chinese, adopting Han names, and moving closer to Chinese civilization. But those who are stubborn and cling to their ethnic customs will be regarded as separatists by Li Xiao and will be the main targets for elimination.

So he said to Zhao Dabao, "Kill all the men who can't understand human speech!"

"As for the women, you can handle them as you see fit."

Zhao Dabao grinned and patted his chest, saying, "Yes, sir."

He's familiar with this job.

As a commander of the Wuwei Army, he had to set an example.

……

Meanwhile, in Shanle City, in the prefectural governor's mansion.

Abugma was directing his maids and servants as they busily packed things.

"Quick, quick, take that mink coat, it'll be cold tonight!"

"Silver? Forget it, take the gold!"

"Hurry, the barbarians are about to invade!" Abgma said anxiously.

Just then, He Dagan, pale-faced, was helped into the prefectural governor's mansion. He was stunned when he saw the chaotic scene inside.

My first instinct was that the barbarians from the northern frontier had already invaded.

"What are you doing?"

"Run!" Abugma said urgently, her pretty face beaming.

“The barbarians of the northern frontier are extremely ferocious. If we don’t run away now, they will kill us all.”

"My lord, I've packed a few things. See if there's anything missing~"

Seeing his wife's panicked state, He Dagan shook his head bitterly and waved his hand, "Don't bother cleaning anymore."

He shouted at the maids and servants, "Get out!"

Why aren't you cleaning up?

Faced with his wife's questioning, He Dagan shook his head and said, "Where can we run to?"

"The entire city of Shanle is now completely surrounded by barbarians. Unless you have wings, no one can escape."

"What should we do?" Abugma exclaimed, her fair and beautiful face showing horror.

"How about we surrender?"

"Give all the money to those barbarians and make them withdraw their troops."

Hearing his wife's words, He Dagan smiled bitterly.

He had tried before, and even when he raised the price to 200,000 taels of silver, the Northern Frontier Army still refused.

Is it really necessary to do as the advisors suggested?
Now twenty years old, Abugma is in the prime of her youth and a shining pearl on the Hexi Corridor.

He Dagan was naturally extremely reluctant, but for the sake of his own life and the century-old foundation of the He Dagan family, he had no choice but to harden his heart.

Ultimately, when faced with the choice between power and beauty, almost all men remain clear-headed.

After a moment, he sighed heavily: "Abugma, now only you can save your husband, only you can save Shanle City."

Upon hearing this, Abghema was surprised: "Me?"

"I am but a woman, how could I possibly save Shanle City?"

Looking at his innocent and beautiful wife, He Dagan felt a deep sense of guilt.

However, he also knew that if he did not make a decision soon, he would not be able to protect Abugma once the Northern Frontier Army broke through Shanle City.

It's just a matter of who entered first and who entered last.

He Dagan dared not look at Abugema's questioning gaze, and could only lower his head slightly and say, "I have heard that the Great Protector of the Northern Barbarians is extremely fond of women."

"He also often enjoyed abducting other men's wives and daughters for his own pleasure. Mi Qin Tiele's wife and daughters had all served the barbarian chieftain."

"Therefore, I think..."

Since a beautiful woman is a source of trouble, and Abugma can't be protected anyway, it's better to turn the tables and win over the Northern Frontier Army, which will then provide Shanle City with other benefits.

He had already discussed with his advisors and other wealthy families that if the Northern Frontier Army was willing to withdraw, in addition to the 200,000 taels of silver as a 'withdrawal fee'...

They also sent two hundred beauties, including Abugma, to the Northern Frontier Army.

The life and death of a country, a nation, or a city depended on a group of women selling their bellies.

For any man with backbone, this would be an extreme humiliation.

But this is the only way for the weak to survive in this era.

During the Mongol cavalry's westward expedition, many city-states sent money and women in exchange for the Mongol cavalry not attacking their cities.

The island nation's short-statured people also sent women to American soldiers in exchange for American 'protection' and being turned a blind eye to things like post-war 'industrial recovery'.

Ultimately, it was all a display of the cowardice and incompetence of the defeated.

To put it more nicely, it's called "enduring hardship and biding one's time."

"What? You...you...you~"

At this moment, the woman's red lips were slightly parted, her arms were half-raised, and her body stood there stiffly.

His fair and beautiful face was filled with shock; he couldn't believe that these were the words He Dagan had said.

She was Dagan's wife, his lawfully wedded legal wife.

They will be buried in the Hedagan family ancestral tomb in the future.

He Dagan actually made her serve a barbarian from the northern frontier? To exchange her pregnancy for his wealth and glory?

"He Dagan, are you even a man?"

"I am your wife!" Abugma cried out in despair.

Tears streamed down her fair face, her exquisite features etched with a heartbroken expression.

She knew that He Dagan bullied men and women, treated the people of Shanle City as his slaves and exploited them, and had never done a good thing in his life.

However, I never imagined that someone could be so shameless.

Seeing Abugma in despair, Hedagan felt extremely ashamed and indignant.

But then he became furious and, gritting his teeth, said resolutely, "Whether you agree or not, this is settled."

"Pack yourself up properly, don't embarrass our Shanle City."

After saying that, he prepared to select the other two hundred girls.

But before he could even step out of the prefectural governor's mansion, a guard came running over in a panic, stumbling several times and shouting in terror.

"The city has fallen! The city has fallen!"

"Your Excellency, the barbarians have invaded!"

Upon hearing this, He Dagan, who had just stepped out of the prefectural governor's mansion, was struck dumb, his face turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground.

……

When Li Xiao led the Wuwei Army to Shanle City, the Northern Frontier's Sun and Moon Battle Flag had already been raised on the city wall.

Screams echoed throughout the city as a massacre and looting began.

After learning of Li Xiao's arrival, Luo Meng came to greet him personally.

Mounted on his horse, he patted his chest and said, "Greetings, Grand Protector."

"This humble general has lived up to expectations and has already captured Shanle City."

Li Xiao nodded slightly and praised, "Well done."

"The bravery of the Fourth Town is no less than that of the First Town."

Luo Meng laughed and said without any modesty, "That's right."

"What the First Town can do, the Fourth Town will only do better."

"Great Protector, when we attack Liangzhou City next time, we must make sure our Fourth Town is included."

Li Xiao smiled gently and nodded, saying, "I won't forget you."

"However, attacking Liangzhou City will not be so easy."

After saying that, his gaze fell on Shanle City, observing the city's defenses and the course of the ancient Yanzhi Mountain road behind it.

Shanle City is located right in the middle of this ancient road.

To get there, you either have to climb the mountain or go through Shanle City.

One man can guard the gate, but ten thousand men cannot open it.

Although it is possible to travel via the north and south routes, it is ultimately not as convenient or safe as the Yanzhi Mountain Ancient Road.

Shanle City truly held the key to the strategic importance of Gansu and Liangzhou.

"If you were facing an attack by an army of 20,000, how many soldiers would you have to defend the ancient road to Yanzhi Mountain?"

After a moment of silence, Li Xiao turned to look at Luo Meng and asked.

During this period, the Northern Frontier Army successively conquered most of the Hexi Corridor, leaving only Liangzhou unconquered.

They captured more than 300,000 civilians, achieving remarkable results.

Li Xiao decided to take a break and postpone the attack on Liangzhou City.

Because Liangzhou's city walls were high and the city was heavily guarded, the Western Xia also sent more than 10,000 elite cavalrymen from the Central Plains to reinforce the city.

Even with the help of the powerful cannons, it would likely take tens of thousands of casualties in the northern frontier to conquer Liangzhou and annihilate the Western Xia army.

The cost-effectiveness is too low; Li Xiao doesn't plan to fight like this.

Therefore, they planned to use Yanzhi Mountain as a fortress to lure the Western Xia army into a field battle.

After all, Li Xiao had plenty of time, and he could also reorganize the prisoners of war and transform them into a more elite Kuril army.

In contrast, the Western Xia was not so fortunate. Wei Ming Shi'an might have the patience to confront the Northern Frontier Army, but when it came to the prestige of the Western Xia, the court officials might not be able to remain calm.

Upon hearing Li Xiao's question, Luo Meng glanced at Shanle City, then recalled the terrain of the Yanzhi Mountain Ancient Road, and said in a deep voice, "Three thousand."

"Give me three thousand elite soldiers and twenty Tiger Cannons, and I can defend Shanle City for three months."

The main reason was that the terrain of the Yanzhi Mountain Ancient Road was easy to defend and difficult to attack. His plan was to use Shanle City as a backup and launch a series of attacks along the Yanzhi Mountain Ancient Road.

By continuously depleting the strength and morale of the Western Xia army, after conquering those valleys, the Western Xia army would still have to face the tough challenge of Shanle City.

The Northern Frontier Army was composed of elite troops and had the aid of artillery. The Shanle City under the control of the Northern Frontier Army was far superior to the Shanle City of the Uyghurs.

"Hehehe~"

Hearing Luo Meng's words, Li Xiao nodded and smiled slightly, somewhat satisfied.

Three months is definitely enough time. Most importantly, controlling Shandan City is equivalent to cutting off the road from Liangzhou to Ganzhou.

To get there, one can only travel through the northern desert and the southern military horse farm.

Next, Li Xiao needed to consider how to use the terrain of these two roads to launch an ambush.

First, severely damage the main force of Western Xia, then the remaining Liangzhou City will be easier to capture.

(End of this chapter)