The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 300 The Eternal Heaven Abandons Temujin, Blood Stains the Onon River
"Woooooooo~"

On this morning, the deep sound of horns echoed through the Qiyan tribe's camp.

The soldiers of the Qiyan tribe were still gnawing on dry, hard jerky. They had never received such treatment before; their meals had only started to improve yesterday, with meat served at every meal.

But before they could finish eating, the sound of horns rang out, instantly throwing them into chaos.

"The Northern Frontier Army has arrived."

"Stop eating, everyone. The cavalry from the northern frontier will be here soon."

"Quickly, grab your weapons and meet the enemy!"

The camp was filled with shouts of news of the arrival of the Northern Frontier Army. Soldiers hurriedly stuffed the hard, dried meat into their clothes or ate it and chewed it desperately.

He frantically grabbed at the weapons around him, his expression filled with barely concealed panic.

"Form ranks! All of you, form ranks!"

The centurions brandished their spears and roared at the panicked soldiers, but their own expressions were also grave.

After all, this is the Northern Frontier Army!

The Northern Frontier Army, which annihilated the Naiman tribe and severely damaged the Kereit tribe, is now stirring up a bloody storm on the grasslands.

No steppe soldier could remain calm.

Under the command of the centurions and tribal chiefs, the soldiers mounted their warhorses and gathered together, forming ranks on the grassland.

They were staggering and disorganized, looking like a complete rabble, a stark contrast to the approaching Northern Frontier army in the distance.

"Boom boom boom~"

The deep rumble of hooves grew clearer, like muffled thunder rolling across the depths of the grassland.

Forty thousand elite cavalrymen, fully armed, wore cloth armor that gleamed coldly in the sunlight, while golden sun and moon battle banners fluttered in the wind, displaying their supreme majesty.

Like a torrent of steel, it is steadily advancing forward.

On both sides of the column, more than 20,000 grassland tribe servants also advanced slowly forward in a fan-shaped formation with high morale.

This enormous army stretched as far as the eye could see, covering the entire grassland, as if it could flatten any obstacle in its path.

As the golden sun and moon battle flag of the Northern Frontier Army drew closer, it resembled a burning flame, making it hard to breathe.

The faces of the Qiyan tribe's allied soldiers were already filled with solemnity.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the front, their hearts pounding in their chests as if they were about to burst out of their chests.

After all, this is the Northern Frontier Army, which strikes fear into the hearts of all the tribes in the northern desert!

Both in terms of their imposing presence and their weaponry, they were undoubtedly among the most elite forces in the world.

In contrast, the weapons of these steppe soldiers were far too outdated.

Most of them wore tattered leather armor and had simple weapons; some didn't even have leather armor and went into battle naked.

The weapon was just a sharpened piece of wood, and the difference was obvious compared to the superior equipment of the Northern Frontier Army.

However, when the army in the northern frontier had traveled about five miles, it suddenly stopped.

The soldiers methodically fed their warhorses fine rations, while others switched to reserve horses specifically for combat.

Because they had already caught Temujin by the tail, they knew that this steppe coalition was already in their grasp, and it was up to them to decide when to devour it.

Naturally, we should wait until our soldiers and warhorses are back to their best condition before launching a decisive battle.

Among the Qiyan army, Temujin, wearing iron armor captured from the Kereit tribe and a white-plumed helmet, gazed solemnly at the Northern Frontier army in the distance.

He sighed softly to the side of Zhelemie and said, "The Northern Frontier Cavalry is indeed the most elite cavalry in the world."

“Look at their ranks, their steps are perfectly synchronized when they move forward, and there is not a trace of disorder when they stop to rest. They move in an orderly manner, and each soldier performs his or her duties.”

"Such discipline and such demeanor are probably beyond the reach of even the most elite cavalry of our grasslands."

Jele remained silent, because Temujin only wanted to vent his emotions to someone, not to really discuss with him whether the Northern Frontier Army was elite or not.

After saying this, Temujin slowly looked up at the sky and silently prayed.

"May the Eternal Heaven protect us, and bless us, the children of the grasslands."

"I don't expect to break through the Northern Frontier army's formation head-on. I only hope that the ambush will work and that the scarecrows can temporarily confuse them."

"If I can defeat the Northern Frontier Army, I am willing to offer a hundred of the fattest rams and lead my people to worship around Burkhan Mountain for three days."

"As long as we win, the grasslands will be preserved, and our descendants will still be able to graze their livestock on this land and drink sweet mare's milk wine!"

Just then, his brother Khasar sent a messenger with a message: "Great Khan, Chief Khasar suggests that we take advantage of the Northern Frontier Army's rest and launch a surprise attack."

Temujin pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers around him who were wearing tattered leather robes, their fear evident on their faces.

At this point, launching an offensive could indeed restore some of the soldiers' morale.

Perhaps we can still achieve some results while the Northern Frontier Army is still establishing itself.

Then, Temujin took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination, and said, "Now that things have come to this, retreat is impossible. We have no choice but to fight."

"May the Eternal Heaven have mercy and allow us to find a glimmer of hope."

Having said that, Temujin ordered his men to sound the horn of attack.

"Woooooooo~"

The desolate and urgent bugle call echoed across the grassland, like the charge command issued by the wolf king of the grassland.

Khasar drew his scimitar and shouted to his men, "Warriors, the people of the Northern Frontier have been bullying our grasslands for too long!"

“They kill our brothers, plunder our cattle and sheep, and defile our women.”

"Today, the time for revenge has come."

"For killing a soldier from the northern frontier, Great Khan Temujin will reward him with ten sheep."

"If a general from the northern frontier is killed, the Great Khan Temujin will bestow upon him the title of Nayan, and he will enjoy wealth and honor forever."

"Warriors, charge!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hasar took the lead and charged towards the Northern Frontier Army.

Hearing about these rewards, many grassland soldiers who had been poor for half their lives were tempted.

Although the Northern Frontier Cavalry has been demonized on the grasslands and portrayed as incredibly powerful, they still have two shoulders and one head.

At most, he was just wearing a layer of armor.

"Kill them."

"Kill!"

"If we break through, we'll never have to worry about food and drink again for the rest of our lives."

The grassland soldiers roared and charged towards the Northern Frontier Army's position like a flood bursting its banks, brandishing their scimitars and spears.

The deafening sound of horses' hooves filled the air, raising dust that blotted out the sky.

They roared, trying to use their fierce courage to mask their inner fear, and to use their fearless spirit to break through the Northern Frontier Army's defenses.

"Boom boom boom~"

Meanwhile, in the central army of the northern frontier, countless soldiers of the Wuwei Army closely guarded the area, and the golden sun and moon battle flags fluttered in the wind, fully displaying the strength of the northern frontier.

It was as if any enemy was as insignificant as an ant under this battle flag.

Li Xiao stood on his horse beneath the battle flag, wearing dark gold dragon-patterned cloth armor, calmly watching the approaching steppe cavalry.

At this moment, Li Donghe from the front line sent someone to report: "Grand Protector, a lot of scarecrows have been discovered in the rear of the Qiyan tribe's allied forces, seemingly bluffing."

"scarecrow?"

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow and used his clairvoyance to look at the Qiyan tribe's army formation.

They discovered that only half of their cavalry had attacked, while the rest remained in the rear.

The accuracy of the long-range surveillance cameras in northern Xinjiang is getting higher and higher. On the grasslands with good weather and a wide field of vision, the scenery within a range of several miles can be seen clearly.

The "soldiers" on horseback remained motionless, clearly scarecrows.

"Is this a bluff, a tactic by Temujin to reinforce his troops?"

The Qiyan tribe's allied forces were outnumbered by the Northern Frontier Army, but their scarecrow cavalry could indeed intimidate the Northern Frontier Army for a while.

However, Temujin did not expect that the Northern Frontier Army possessed something called "clairvoyance."

This was a common tactic used by the Mongols. During the Battle of Balu River in the westward expedition, the Mongol army used scarecrows to frighten Jalal ad-Din, but was ultimately defeated and wiped out by Jalal ad-Din.

Li Xiao paused for a moment, then shook his head: "No, there's an ambush."

Whether it was the messages secretly passed on by the tribal leaders or the reconnaissance by the scouts in the northern frontier, it was clear that Temujin's army numbered around 30,000 cavalry.

Even with these scarecrows, the total is only a little over 30,000.

So, where did the other cavalry go?
Therefore, Li Xiao immediately ordered: "Send more scouts to thoroughly investigate the area within fifty li to my left and right flanks and rear, and do not overlook any clues."

Without further hesitation, he ordered the vanguard to attack.

"Woooooooo~"

"Dong dong dong dong~"

The bugle calls of the Northern Frontier Army were high-pitched, and the war drums were powerful, resounding through the sky.

The shouts of the Shenji Battalion's centurions and captains rang out at the front of the army.

"Hurry up."

"Load the shells."

"Prepare the shells behind."

Shouts, footsteps, and the scraping sound of iron balls rolling into cannon barrels rose and fell on the front lines, creating a bustling scene.

During this pursuit of Temujin, because it was a forced march by cavalry and the Shenwei cannons were difficult to move, only a large number of Tiger-Duke cannons were brought along.

The current Tiger Cannon has been greatly improved compared to the past. The wheels have been removed, and only two gun carriages support a bare cannon barrel.

The rear end of the cannon barrel rests directly on the ground via a base, reducing the weight from 100 jin to 70 jin, making it easier to transport.

A single carriage can carry five or six cannons, and the space saved can be used to transport more shells.

Furthermore, the range has been significantly improved, reaching a maximum of over 600 meters.

[Qi Family Army Tiger-shaped Cannon]

With everything ready, the steppe cavalry drew ever closer, their roars clearly audible amidst the billowing dust.

The commander of the Shenji Battalion drew his cavalry saber, raised it high above his head, and shouted to his soldiers, "Fire!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the artillerymen quickly lit the fuses.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of loud explosions reverberated across the grassland.

The Tiger Cannon spewed orange-red flames, and shells, with sharp whistling sounds, hurtled towards the grassland cavalry.

"Boom~"

The first exploding shell exploded in the cavalry formation, and in an instant, countless nails, iron pieces, and stones scattered like a torrential rain.

The first few steppe cavalrymen were instantly thrown to the ground, their leather armor torn open with gruesome gashes, and blood mixed with bits of flesh splattered everywhere.

The warhorse, startled, reared up, throwing its rider off its back with a painful neigh. The cavalry behind, unable to dodge in time, were tripped by the fallen horse, resulting in a chaotic tumble and disarray in their formation.

"Boom boom boom~"

Immediately afterwards, more shells followed, explosions rang out one after another, each explosion accompanied by screams of agony.

Iron nails pierced the soldiers' flesh, iron sheets severed the leg bones of warhorses, and stones smashed into their eyes.

The once-fierce charging force was transformed into a chaotic slaughterhouse in the blink of an eye.

"Ahhhhhhh~"

"My legs! My legs~"

"Please, someone save me! I beg you!"

"Father, don't die! Cover your neck, don't die!"

"Intestines, quickly stuff the intestines back in."

"Eternal Heaven! What's happening?! I don't want to die!"

"This is Tengri's anger; Tengri is about to unleash thunder to destroy us."

“Tengri Gur Khan is the true messenger of Tengri. If we oppose Tengri Gur Khan, Tengri will kill us all.”

Screams, cries, and pleas for mercy mingled together, echoing across the blood-stained grassland, sending chills down one's spine.

On a distant high slope, Temujin witnessed this scene and was struck dumb, standing there frozen in place.

His eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, his face filled with horror, and his hand holding the reins trembled involuntarily.

He had learned from the Kereit people that the Northern Frontier Army possessed a terrifying weapon.

"That thing doesn't need soldiers to charge into battle; it can take countless lives with just a loud bang from afar."

"Unlike a bow and arrow that requires aiming, or a scimitar that requires close combat, it is like the wrath of the Eternal Heaven, relentlessly poured upon the children of the grasslands."

At the time, Temujin thought that the Kereit tribe was exaggerating to cover up their incompetence in the face of their crushing defeat.

After all, Temujin, who had lived on the grasslands for many years, could not comprehend the terrifying power of such a weapon, which was clearly beyond human capability.

He had never seen such a terrifying weapon, but at this moment, Temujin had no choice but to believe it.

"This...what is this?"

Temujin muttered to himself, his voice trembling with disbelief: "Is it sorcery? Or is it punishment from the Eternal Heaven?"

He watched his soldiers fall in the artillery fire, watched his once-brave cavalry retreat in fear, and his heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of bewilderment.

I originally thought that the Northern Frontier Army's armor was tough enough and its weapons were sharp enough to sweep across the northern grasslands, but I didn't expect that these weapons would be even more terrifying.

What could the steppe cavalry use to fight back?

"How could this be... How could there be something so powerful..."

"Are our charges and our courage worthless in the face of it?"

He shook his head, his eyes filled with despair.

But the next second, his face contorted with rage, and he turned to look at the Onon River in the distance, hissing in a low voice, "The Eternal Heaven will protect us."

"The Onon River will help us."

"We will definitely defeat the people of the Northern Frontier, we definitely will!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, Jamukha and his men, positioned on the flank of the Northern Frontier Army, watched this terrifying scene with expressions of horror. Many of them instinctively shrank back and tightened their grip on their weapons.

Zhahegan stared wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape, his face filled with disbelief.

It was the first time he had ever seen such a sight, and he felt his heart pounding with the sound of the explosion.

If we hadn't known beforehand that this was a mysterious weapon of the Northern Frontier Army, we probably would have mistaken it for the roar of Tengri.

"This...this is the power of artillery? It's terrifying!"

He looked at the Mongol cavalrymen falling in the artillery fire and felt a wave of fear wash over him.

Fortunately, he sided with the Northern Frontier Army, and fortunately, he had married his daughter to Li Xiao early on; otherwise, his own troops might be the ones suffering right now.

Zhamuhe, standing next to him, was relatively calmer, but the shock in his eyes was no less.

He had already witnessed the terror of artillery when he was being pursued by the Qiyan army after the Battle of Kuoyitian.

But seeing it again this time, the overwhelming roar and the powerful killing force against the cavalry still gave him a jolt.

He took a deep breath and said to Zhaghagan beside him, "Look at the power of this cannon, it's already so amazing."

"But this is only one type of artillery in the northern frontier. They still have a larger and more powerful artillery that they haven't used yet."

Upon hearing this, Zhahegan's face showed a look of horror: "There's something even more powerful than this? What kind of sight would that be?"

Jamukha's lips curled into a complicated smile: "So, Temujin is destined to lose this time."

The other tribal leaders around them also started discussing it, their words filled with amazement at the power of the cannons and sympathy for Temujin.

He felt fortunate for his choice back then; if he hadn't joined the Northern Frontier Army, he probably would have been a dead man under the Northern Frontier's artillery fire long ago.

The artillery fire continued, the explosions like a death knell, pounding on the hearts of every grassland dweller.

The grassland coalition suffered heavy casualties from artillery barrage and was on the verge of collapse.

After all, for the people of the grasslands, the thing they fear most is thunder, as if it were a punishment from the gods.

This kind of psychological deterrence made many soldiers lose their courage.

Even more warhorses, upon hearing the deafening roar, became frightened and refused to take another step forward.

As the former commander-in-chief, Li Donghe's sharp eyes swept across the battlefield.

Seeing this, he shouted in a deep voice, "Shenji Battalion, cease fire!"

"Black Armor Army, attack!"

After the expansion, each of the six garrisons had a heavy cavalry commander, consisting of one thousand heavy cavalrymen and two thousand light cavalrymen as support.

This eastern expedition involved four garrisons. Except for the heavy cavalry of the fourth garrison in Gansu, which needed to be guarded against the Xia Kingdom, all the heavy cavalry of the other three garrisons were brought along.

At this time, Li Xiao left behind the First Division's heavy cavalry as a reserve force, while all two thousand heavy cavalrymen were brought to the front lines and placed under the command of Li Donghe.

"Woooooooo~"

As the bugle sounded at a special frequency, the deafening explosions on the battlefield disappeared, leaving only the cries of the Mongol cavalry and the neighing of their warhorses.

The steppe cavalrymen, already terrified by the barrage of artillery fire, breathed a sigh of relief when the cannons stopped firing, thinking that this horrific ordeal was finally over.

Just as Hasar was preparing to regroup his cavalry and continue the attack, he suddenly heard a thunderous sound of hooves coming from the northern frontier army.

The noise grew louder and louder, as if it would overturn the earth.

"Boom boom boom~"

They looked up and saw two thousand heavily armored cavalrymen charging towards them like a black tide, overwhelming them.

The knights were clad in heavy black armor, and even their warhorses were covered in sturdy armor, revealing only pairs of eyes that gleamed coldly and nostrils that were constantly snorting heavily.

The spears in their hands pointed straight ahead, gleaming with a chilling light in the sunlight, exuding an imposing aura, like a moving steel fortress.

The steppe cavalry were instantly terrified by this imposing aura, and they all screamed in terror, "Armored cavalry!"

"It's the Black Armored Cavalry!"

"Run! If you get hit, you'll be turned into mincemeat!"

"Get out of my way! Let me through!"

"Tengri, why did you send us here to die?"

"Run into the ravine! Run into the ravine quickly!"

The steppe cavalry's charging formation completely collapsed, and they turned their horses around and fled frantically.

The entire column collapsed instantly, with shouts and neighing of horses filling the air. People pushed and trampled each other, and many fell to their own horses' hooves before the heavy cavalry even got close.

The black-armored heavy cavalry did not pause at all; they broke through the steppe cavalry's lines as if they were in an empty field.

Wherever the spear went, men and horses fell.

Their heavy armor made them fearless against the swords and spears of the steppe cavalry; wherever their hooves trampled, only devastation and wailing remained.

Furthermore, the flowing blood gathered into streams, meandering down the terrain and staining the banks of the Onon River red, even turning the clear river water a faint scarlet hue.

Jamukha and the others stood on the flank, watching the black-armored heavy cavalry break through the formation of the steppe cavalry like a black torrent, and they were all stunned.

Zhahegan looked shocked and murmured, "Tengri..."

"Is this the power of heavy cavalry? It's terrifying! This isn't a battle, it's a complete rout!"

The tribal chiefs nearby also gasped in shock, their faces filled with horror.

"If they charge over here, we don't have enough people to handle them."

"Fortunately, we sided with the Northern Frontier Army, otherwise we would have ended up like them."

Amidst the discussions, there was a palpable sense of relief at surviving the ordeal and awe of the strength of the Northern Frontier Army.

Jamukha's eyes were also quite complicated. Although he had witnessed the power of the Northern Frontier Army, such a devastating charge still shocked him.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "The Eternal Heaven has abandoned Temujin, and his defeat is inevitable."

Just then, the sound of hooves came from afar, and three Wuwei Army cavalrymen wearing yellow-and-red cloth armor rode up to them at full speed.

The person at the front stood tall and held a large, golden command flag in his hand. The sun and moon patterns on it shone brightly in the sunlight, making it particularly eye-catching.

He reined in his horse and addressed Jamukha and the others in a loud voice: "Khan Tengri has ordered that Temujin's main force has collapsed and that you, the various tribes, are to pursue and kill him. Do not let Temujin go."

Upon hearing this, Jamukha and the others quickly composed themselves, patted their chests, and respectfully replied in unison, "We obey the order of Khan Tengri!"

In a battle between two armies, the most difficult thing is to break through the enemy's formation, which often requires paying a heavy price.

However, once the army's formation collapses and the enemy scatters and flees, this is the perfect opportunity for the light cavalry to reap the rewards.
This was also the period in which the most enemies were killed and the most enemy soldiers were captured.

At this moment, Jamukha and the others felt an indescribable surge of excitement.

Great Khan Tengri is merciful!
The Northern Frontier Army successfully tackled the tough challenge of the enemy's charge, but in doing so, they were given the opportunity to expand their gains and achieve great merit.

This trust and kindness moved them deeply.

Then, Jamukha and the others no longer hesitated, drew their scimitars, and led their troops to attack Temujin's routed army.

"Kill!"

"Capture Temujin alive and bestow upon him the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!"

On the other hand, Temujin had anticipated the strength of the Northern Frontier Army.

But seeing them so easily and decisively defeat his allied forces still stirred up a storm of emotions within him.

However, the shock on his face quickly turned into unusual composure.

To him, the collapse of the army was like discarding a heavy burden.

Without the slightest hesitation, he shouted sternly, "Retreat upstream on the Onon River!"

　The Qizhen Yecheng, Volume 6, records that "for every cannon placed, a telescope was set up to detect the distance of the enemy. Glass was embedded at both ends of the telescope tube, so that it could see as if it were only a foot away from forty or fifty miles away."

　　Bo Jue, a master of military engineering in the late Ming Dynasty, made a military telescope, which was mounted on a cannon and could detect objects forty or fifty miles away.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)