The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 295 Iron Cavalry Marches Off, Northern Frontier Army Will Surely Win! [Bonus Chapter for our Curry Alliance Leader!]

In Longcheng, snow was falling heavily.

Snowflakes, as white as goose feathers, fell softly from the leaden sky, enveloping the entire city in a white world.

Li Xiao was sitting in his study, the charcoal in the brazier glowing red.

In his hand was a secret letter from the northern desert, a report sent by Hu Li. Due to the bad weather, it took more than half a month to travel to Longcheng.

The secret letter detailed Temujin's raid on the Kereit Khanate.

"The Qiyan soldiers were fearless and the Khan's guards were completely unprepared. Although they outnumbered the enemy, they were unable to withstand them."

"Sangkun led his guards in a counterattack, but was killed by a sharpshooter under Temujin's command. Many of the Kereit generals also perished under this sharpshooter's arrows."

Upon seeing these lines, Li Xiao paused for a moment.

I never expected Sangkun to be dead?

The archer who killed him was probably named Jebe.

He is an excellent general, and if given the opportunity, Li Xiao would certainly recruit him into his ranks.

He and Subutai together routed the western barbarians, sending them fleeing in terror.

After Jebe shot and killed his general, the Kereit tribe was leaderless, and the soldiers fought on their own. They were quickly divided and surrounded by the Qiyan tribe soldiers.

Wang Han was old and frail, and suffered from severe coughing and wheezing in winter. He had only escaped for a dozen miles when Temujin personally led his men to catch up with him.

The powerful Kereit tribe, which dominated the northern deserts, had its Khanate captured in such an unbelievable way.

To be honest, Li Xiao was not surprised at all by this result.

"After all, this is the chosen one." He placed the secret letter on the table, took a sip of hot tea, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

What does it matter if a thousand cavalry raided the camp without being detected by Kereit scouts along the way?
The previous Chosen One could even use the Great Meteor Spell.

Moreover, in the original history, Temujin's experiences were equally fantastical.

In the height of autumn, when the horses were fat and strong, the Kereit tribe was at its most powerful. Yet, he brazenly led his troops to attack the Kereit Khan's court.

They arrived without any hindrance, and Wang Han and Sang Kun fled in a frenzy.

In this life, Temujin's situation is even more difficult, and he has even fewer soldiers under his command.

They could only take advantage of the cover of heavy snow and the fact that other tribes of the Kereit were hibernating when they risked total annihilation to launch a surprise attack on the Kereit Khanate.

Fortunately, he won.

The Khanate was isolated and helpless. Wang Khan was captured, and Sangkun was also unfortunate enough to be shot and killed by Jebe, which added a bit more drama to the ending than the historical records say.

The secret letter also mentioned that after conquering the Khanate, Temujin immediately began to annex the affiliated tribes of the Kereit tribe.

If any tribe puts up a stubborn resistance, it will surely face a fierce counterattack from the Qiyan tribe.

All the men were slaughtered or enslaved; the women were taken into tents by the Qiyan soldiers and revelled all night.

After all, Temujin had promised his people that each of their tents would be filled with women from the Kereit tribe, and that they would have an endless supply of delicious food.

The soldiers went through countless hardships to fight and win the war with him. If they didn't get a reward, he himself would probably be the next one to be killed.

Fortunately, Huli's secret letter also stated that he and Zhaghaganbu, seeing that the situation was not good, immediately led their confidants to evacuate the Khan's court.

Along the way, they gathered some of the Kereit tribe members who had lost their homes, and are now retreating towards the Western Sea.

After reading the secret letter, Li Xiao sighed softly.

I put down my teacup, walked to the window, and opened it. A bone-chilling cold blasted in, but it made my mind even clearer.

He gazed at the swirling snow outside the window and said calmly, "Temujin, that steppe wolf, has finally shown his true fangs."

Standing by the window for a long time, Li Xiao's mind was filled with many plans.

The situation in the northern desert has changed. It would be best if the Kereit tribe could kill Temujin.

Conversely, the defeat of the Kereit tribe by Temujin was not necessarily a bad thing for the northern frontier.

When two tigers fight, the northern frontier benefits.

However, it is necessary to completely eliminate Temujin while he is still consolidating his power.

Returning to his desk, Li Xiao picked up his pen and wrote down a series of orders.

From the allocation of provisions to the supply of armies, from the assembly routes of various armies to the general strategies for combat, everything was clearly defined.

After writing, he picked up the seal of the Grand Protector and stamped each order heavily, then sealed it with wax. He took out the military command tally and ordered it to be sent to various prefectures in the northern border region.

With these orders issued, the massive war machine in the northern frontier began to operate at an initial stage.

The gates of the granaries in each state slowly opened, and wagons loaded with grain and fodder, escorted by soldiers, headed toward the designated assembly points.

The armory was brightly lit, with craftsmen working through the night to produce artillery ammunition and forge iron armor and weapons, the clanging and hammering sounds rising and falling.

These were all omens of war, and naturally they could not be hidden from the soldiers and civilians at the foot of the capital, yet there was no panic on the streets.

The coldest part of winter has passed, and the temperature is rising. A group of women are sitting under the wall, basking in the sun.

"I heard that the Grand Protector has already given the order to set out on an expedition to the northern desert in the spring," said a woman sewing shoe soles.

She was an old Han Chinese from Jinzhou, and her husband was a commander of a thousand men in the first town, so they naturally knew more information.

Such large-scale military mobilizations cannot be concealed at all; there are leaks everywhere.

Just like the Northern Expedition of the Song Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty had known about it for a long time, but they didn't know the specific time and troop deployment.

“That’s right. With our Northern Frontier Army on the scene, we’re guaranteed to succeed.” The person next to him chimed in with a confident smile.

The strength of the northern frontier has long been deeply ingrained in people's hearts. In the years of conquest, the men have risen higher and higher in rank, and the people's lives have become better and better.

They no longer fear war; instead, they look forward to it.

Because the victories of the Northern Frontier Army have become the norm.

"I heard that it was because the Qiyan tribe launched a surprise attack on the Kereit tribe that the Grand Protector was furious and prepared to send troops to destroy the Qiyan tribe."

Someone lowered their voice and spoke, as if they had received some inside information.

"The Qiyan tribe? Never heard of it." A young woman who had just married into Longcheng scratched her head, looking completely bewildered.

"Hey, they're just a small tribe from the northern grasslands, nothing special," the woman next to her waved her hand.

The young woman said, "But I know the Kereit tribe. Wasn't Lady Sorghaghtani from the Kereit tribe in the northern desert?"

"I heard that it was the largest tribe in the northern desert, but I never expected that it would be attacked by an unknown small tribe."

"It's really unpredictable."

"Yes, no wonder the Grand Protector was so furious. The Qiyan tribe truly deserved to be beaten," someone said indignantly.

"Don't you even bother to find out what the relationship is between the Kereit tribe and our northern frontier?"

"They're related by marriage! Attacking the Kereit tribe is a clear sign that they don't take our northern frontier seriously."

"That's right, we have to teach them a lesson and let them know how powerful our northern frontier is."

On the streets, children were still chasing and playing, and vendors were still calling out their wares; everything was just as usual.

For the people of Longcheng, the Northern Frontier Army's expedition was as commonplace as sowing and reaping; they believed that this invincible army would surely return victorious.

But war will bring more wealth and a more peaceful life.

Beneath this calm surface, the war machine in the northern frontier is running at high speed.

A storm is brewing against the Qiyan tribe.

Meanwhile, Temujin, far away in the Zhezheyundu Mountains, was still basking in the glory of his victory in annexing the Kereit tribe, completely unaware that a sharp butcher's knife was already hanging quietly over his head.

……

In early spring, as the ice and snow melted, Li Xiao officially issued the order to conquer the northern desert, thus sounding the horn of war. Troops from all sides were quickly mobilized and assembled.

In the West Sea, the sky is a clear, deep blue, and on the land, the boundless mountains, grasslands, rivers, and lakes reflect each other, gradually revealing a vibrant scene.

This is the largest and least populated prefecture among the nine prefectures of northern Xinjiang. One-third of the population is concentrated in the lower reaches of the Zabuhan River, living by the water and leading a semi-pastoral, semi-agricultural life.

On this day, Commandant Zhao Wu was repairing a saddle outside his tent.

Suddenly, the tranquility of the place was shattered by the rapid sound of horses' hooves.

A messenger from the centurion's office dismounted and announced loudly, "Commander Zhao, the centurion has ordered that all units assemble in three days to prepare to go east and fight the wolf cubs of the Qiyan tribe."

Zhao Wu paused in his movements, then a smile immediately appeared on his face: "Hahaha."

"I've been holed up in a tent for over a year without doing anything, my bones are practically rusted."

"Finally, the order I've been waiting for has arrived."

War is indeed terrible, but for the veterans of the northern frontier who have fought countless battles, this campaign was more like a grand plunder.

Qiyan tribe?
What is that?
The Northern Frontier Army had wiped out the Naiman tribe and crippled the Kereit tribe, so they didn't even consider the mere Qiyan tribe a threat.

"It's just a pity that those barbarians from the grasslands didn't offer much profit, unlike the Xia Kingdom where the fighting was much more satisfying," Zhao Wu said, shaking his head.

He was an immigrant from Dunhuang. After settling down in Xihai, he was free from the oppression of landlords and officials, and his life gradually became prosperous.

He owned all the cattle and sheep on the mountain, and his tent was filled with many rare and exotic items. He had four wives and concubines, some Han Chinese and some from other ethnic groups, and they had ten children.

Life was booming, but money was being spent like water.

The silver and money plundered from the Xia Kingdom two years ago, along with the rewards for our military achievements, really don't last long.

Therefore, Zhao Wu had long been looking forward to another battle.

"The centurion also said that we should bring more sacks this time, so we can use them on the way back," the messenger added.

Zhao Wu grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth: "This old rascal is still so impatient."

He knew perfectly well that "bringing more sacks" meant he wanted to plunder more valuables.

For the Northern Frontier Army, fighting the Qiyan tribe was never a losing proposition.

I just wonder, the Qiyan tribe is so poor, what else do they have of value besides cattle and sheep?
What he didn't know was that most of the wealth accumulated by the Kereit tribe over the years had fallen into the hands of the Qiyan tribe and was distributed by Temujin to the more than one thousand warriors who followed him.

The order to go to war spread like a pebble thrown into a lake, quickly reaching every soldier's home and breaking the tranquility of early spring.

Unlike the veterans' composure, the new recruits' faces showed more seriousness.

Wang Jiu was an immigrant from Hexi. He was originally a single man with no ties to him.

Last year, he gritted his teeth and took out a loan of eight strings of copper coins to buy a female slave from the Qiyan tribe.

The woman was eighteen or nineteen years old. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her gentle features were enough to satisfy him.

After a winter of hard work, the woman's belly finally grew bigger. Wang Jiu was already planning to raise more sheep in the spring so that he could pay off the loan as soon as possible.

But little did we expect that war would break out.

Wang Jiu squatted in front of his simple tent, watching his wife clumsily mending clothes inside, his brows furrowed. He had become a soldier in the Sixth Garrison after believing the captain's words that joining the army would quickly pay off his loan.

But he really couldn't bear to leave his wife and unborn child.

Not long after, Wang Jiu, preoccupied with his own thoughts, dawdled and approached Zhao Wu's tent.

Seeing his expression, Zhao Wu teased, "What's wrong? Can't bear to part with the woman in the tent?"

Wang Jiu, his thoughts exposed, scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "The Commandant is right."

"After I went to war, she was left alone at home, and she was also very pregnant, so it was inconvenient for her to do anything."

Then, with some worry, she said, "Captain, do you think... what if she tries to escape while I'm not around?"

After all, this woman was captured by the Kereit tribe during the war and bought by him for eight strings of cash, so she may not have been willing in the first place.

Hearing Wang Jiu's worries, Zhao Wu laughed and said, "Where can she run to? Go back and suffer from the cold and hunger?"

"Your wife wasn't born into nobility either. She used to struggle to even have enough to eat. How could she be as comfortable as she is now with you?"

"Haha, Wang Jiu, you still don't understand women."

He pointed into the tent, his tone carrying the certainty of someone with experience: "Their nature is to depend on the strong."

"As long as you are stronger than her, can shelter her from the wind and rain, and make sure she has enough to eat every day, they will obediently follow you."

“Like these wives and concubines in my tent, apart from my original wife who is from the same hometown, the others are all people I seized from various places, including Naiman, Uyghur, and Turk.”

"They were quite a handful when they first arrived."

Zhao Wu picked up the wine flask, took a swig of wine, and laughed as his Adam's apple bobbed. "Now I'm supporting them, feeding them, and letting them have a bunch of kids."

"Which one of them didn't obediently guard the tent, not even daring to complain?"

Putting aside how far the journey is, could a heavily pregnant woman survive for three days alone in the wilderness?

Moreover, when the Northern Frontier Army conquers cities and territories, they always abduct entire families of foreign tribes.

Even if she did run back to her hometown, it would be even harder for her to survive alone.

Zhao Wu patted Wang Jiu on the shoulder with considerable force, "So, your worries are completely unnecessary."

"When you return with a sack full of valuables, I guarantee she'll treat you like royalty, more so than anyone else."

Wang Jiu listened blankly, his brows gradually relaxing.

Commandant Zhao is right. His wife can eat and stay warm here, and she has a child about to be born. She really has no reason to run away.

He grinned and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Captain. I feel much more at ease now."

"Once you're settled, sharpen your spear first."

Zhao Wu waved his hand: "After we win the battle, make merits, and get rewards, we'll buy some cotton cloth and make new clothes for your wife and children. That's better than just thinking about it here."

"Go ahead and become a military household as soon as possible. You'll have your day in the sun."

"Yes!" Wang Jiu responded.

Soon after, all of the captain's soldiers arrived.

Because they are herders, they need enough pasture to feed their cattle and sheep, so each household is quite far apart, and it is quite troublesome to gather them together.

Moreover, among these people were military households and new recruits.

They're all putting their efforts into plundering the northern desert.

With Li Xiao's order, troops from the First, Second, Fourth, and Sixth Garrisons were all mobilized.

Outside Dragon City, the wilderness was already teeming with people.

Golden sun and moon battle banners fluttered in the morning breeze, beneath which stretched an endless line of yellow-armored cavalry.

It was like a surging golden wave, rushing towards the direction of Jinshan.

The First Division, as the elite main force of the Northern Frontier Army, has a strength of 20,000 men, and this time 15,000 men were directly dispatched to the expedition.

At this moment, the vanguard had already arrived at Jinshan Pass, while Li Xiao's central army was just preparing to set off.

He wore dark gold dragon-patterned cotton armor, stood on horseback beneath the commander's banner, with thousands of elite Wuwei Army cavalry behind him.

Their warhorses were equally large, and each of them exuded a powerful aura.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy~"

Faintly, the sound of a child shouting came from the direction of the city wall. Li Xiao turned his head and saw Jin Dao being held in the arms of a servant woman, shouting loudly at Li Xiao.

He is now over two years old and can engage in basic communication.

Seeing that Li Xiao was about to leave him, he cried out anxiously that he wanted to go to war with Li Xiao.

Xiao Yanyan and Er Ya both stood on the city wall with their bellies sticking out. They weren't too worried about the expedition; all they felt was reluctance to part ways.

On the other side, Soghu Tieni, who had just given birth not long ago, was also standing on the city wall. She had even originally planned to go to the grassland with Li Xiao.

Li Xiao naturally couldn't agree to that.

After all, this expedition to the grasslands was not just about dealing with Temujin, but also about dismantling the noble system of the Kereit tribe as much as possible, which would inevitably involve a great deal of bloodshed.

If Sorghaghtani goes, he will only be caught in a dilemma.

"Grand Protector, everything is ready, we can depart." A guard general stepped forward to report, his voice booming.

Li Xiao nodded and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."

With Li Xiao's command, the Wuwei Army advanced towards Jinshan like a long dragon.

The shouts of the soldiers and civilians of Jinzhou could be heard in the distance.

"The Northern Frontier Army will surely win!"

"Long live the Grand Protector!"

Meanwhile, troops from the other three towns have also set off one after another, like three surging iron torrents converging on their predetermined targets.

The southern part of Xizhou is a vast desert with little threat of war, so the Second Division dispatched 10,000 troops for this expedition.

They traveled north from Yiwu, detoured through the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains, and met up with the Fourth Town in the southern Gobi Desert of Xihai.

The Fourth Garrison, needing to defend against the Xia Kingdom, could only spare 6,000 cavalry for this battle.

They set off from Heishui City, headed north into the southern Gobi Desert, and joined forces with the Second Town to form the Southern Route Army, with a total strength of 16,000 men.

They then headed northeast, crossing the Gobi and Altai Mountains, and reached the territory of the Kereit tribe.

The Sixth Garrison, stationed in the Western Sea, faced the northern grasslands and was the front line of the attack on the Qiyan tribe, thus deploying the largest force.

Twelve thousand cavalrymen set out in armor, leaving only three thousand to guard the rear camp.

Once the first garrison from the direction of Jinzhou arrives, they will be combined into the Northern Route Army and march along the northern part of Yudujin Mountain, directly into the heart of the Qiyan tribe.

In this way, the total strength of the northern frontier's eastern expedition reached 43,000 men.

Looking around, all of them were light and heavy cavalry.

There were also light and heavy artillery and crossbows.

This force, equipped with heavy firepower and long-range weapons, was certainly not there solely to annihilate the Qiyan tribe.

It was clearly an attempt to wipe out the entire northern grasslands and completely incorporate this vast land into the territory of northern Xinjiang.

Xingqing Prefecture, the Western Xia Imperial Palace.

In the side hall, Li Chunyou suddenly stood up.

Upon hearing the Privy Councilor's report on the military situation in Hexi, his previously somber face instantly flushed with excitement: "What did you say? The barbarians of the Northern Frontier have dispatched a large number of troops to the grasslands?"

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” Privy Councilor Nailing Sicong said with certainty as he stood in the hall.

"According to reports from our spies hidden in Liangzhou, the Fourth Northern Frontier Garrison stationed in the Hexi Corridor is transferring troops northward."

"The exact number of troops is unknown, and the specific reasons are also unclear."

"However, the northern frontier army forces in the Hexi Corridor area have become somewhat depleted."

"Okay! Okay!"

Li Chunyou suddenly stood up, slamming his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, making a loud "thump thump" sound.

Whenever he recalls the Battle of Hexi two years ago, it keeps him awake all night.

The Northern Frontier Army swept through the Xia Kingdom's hundreds of thousands of troops with lightning speed, annihilating them completely and even occupying the Hexi Corridor.

That was an unprecedented defeat since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty, making him arguably the most incompetent emperor in the history of the Great Xia Dynasty, a fact he deeply regretted.

For the past two years, he has been thinking about revenge every single moment.

He had originally planned to send an envoy to the Jin Kingdom to ask his elder brother to uphold justice for him, but unexpectedly, the Jin Kingdom was in dire straits and its own backside was on the verge of exploding.

While the Song Dynasty was clamoring for a northern expedition in the south, the Jin Dynasty couldn't afford to pay attention to the Western Xia.

Li Chunyou once thought that he had no hope of ever recovering the Hexi Corridor in his lifetime.

"I never expected this... It's truly a stroke of luck!"

He paced back and forth in the hall, thinking of the soldiers who died in the Hexi Corridor, and the cities and pastures that had been taken away by the Northern Frontier Army. His anger and pleasure churned within him.

"You dare to be so trusting of those barbarians in the northern frontier? Aren't you afraid that my Great Xia will take the opportunity to reclaim our lost territory?"

Li Anquan quickly echoed, "Your Majesty is wise! This is a golden opportunity bestowed upon Western Xia by Heaven!"

"The main force of the northern barbarians is deeply entrenched in the northern desert, and the defense line in Hexi is practically non-existent. If we send troops now, we will surely be able to recover Hexi in one fell swoop and wipe away our previous humiliation!"

Li Chunyou stopped and glanced at Li Anquan, a hint of disgust in his eyes.

This guy, taking advantage of the Empress Dowager's influence, is always jumping around and causing trouble.

Is he planning to lead troops into battle again this time?

Last time, his incompetence led to the loss of 80,000 troops in the Hexi Corridor.

This time, Li Chunyou will absolutely not allow Li Anquan to have any military power again.

"By imperial decree, Nai Ling Si Cong is hereby appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Western Expedition. He shall immediately assemble troops, prepare provisions and weapons, and set out to conquer the Hexi Corridor in half a month."

"I will personally oversee the banks of the Yellow River and watch my Great Xia cavalry crush the towns of the Northern Frontier Army in the Hexi Corridor."

With the Hexi Corridor empty, Li Chunyou felt he was back to his old self.

He could almost see the Great Xia cavalry charging across the walls of Liangzhou.

The humiliation of the past two years will finally be washed away this time.

(End of this chapter)