The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 304 The Emperor's Star Returns to Its Position, Sealing the Wolf and Dwelling in the Wilderness

"Waaaaaahhhhhh~"

"Woooooooo~"

"Knock knock knock knock~"

The deep sound of war drums and the melodious sound of horns echoed across the summit of Burkhan Mountain.

The sound waves, carried by the mountain wind, surged and echoed among the peaks.

This is the source of the Onon River, a "sacred place" revered for generations by the Qiyan, Merkit, and other grassland tribes.

In earlier times, it had an even more resounding name—Langjuxu Mountain.

At the mountaintop, a cool summer breeze swept through, causing a golden sun and moon battle flag to flutter in the wind.

Thousands of soldiers from the northern frontier, clad in yellow cloth armor with red trim, stood like statues cast in gold amidst ankle-high grass, their silence exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

At the most open part of the mountaintop, nine layers of bluestone steps rise from the grassy slope, their specifications and style exactly like the altar for worshipping Heaven in ancient China.

Li Xiao, clad in dark gold dragon-patterned armor, had a dignified face and sharp eyes. He gazed at the sky and ascended the steps, each step as steady and weighty as Mount Tai.

It seemed to gather an unshakeable and immense power throughout the entire mountain range.

The generals of the Northern Frontier stood on either side of the altar, all holding their breath and watching Li Xiao's figure intently.

In a daze, they seemed to sense a radiant glow emanating from Li Xiao's body, with the faint aura of the Chinese dragon gathering from all directions, enveloping his entire body and making his figure appear even more towering and majestic atop the mountains.

The grassland leaders who had surrendered, such as Zhaheganbu and Dayierwusun, stood at the end of the line with their heads bowed, their fingers digging deeply into their palms beneath their sheepskin robes, not daring to look directly at the altar.

Simply because there is a small mountain there made up of 998 heads, exuding a terrifying aura.

At the very top were the heads of Ögedei Khan, Chagatai Khan, Muqali Khan, and others.

Their eyes were wide open, as if they were still glaring angrily at the grassland they had once tried to conquer.

Below them were the heads of chieftains of hostile grassland tribes in the northern frontier or generals of various armies.

They either fought bravely to the death on the battlefield or were killed, but none of them were cowards.

Just like Muqali and Subutai, who were captured by the Northern Frontier Army and refused to surrender even at the cost of their lives, Li Xiao ultimately granted their wish.

They accompanied Temujin on his journey to the Eternal Heaven.

As for Jebe, under Li Xiao's 'sincere' persuasion, he was eventually moved, reformed, and submitted to the Northern Frontier Army.

Because he was different from Muqali and Subutai.

The Muqali family were hereditary servants of Temujin's family, and they grew up with Temujin from childhood, their bond being difficult to sever.

Subutai, who came from the Uriyangkhai tribe and was on good terms with the Qiyan tribe, was also Temujin's attendant. His father had died at the hands of the Northern Frontier Army, making it difficult to persuade him to surrender.

Only Jebe, who came from the Besut tribe, which was hostile to the Qiyan tribe, had no choice but to surrender after Temujin conquered his tribe.

Moreover, he had only submitted to Temujin for three years, and he was also bound by family ties, so he eventually surrendered.

As for the latter, Li Xiao will certainly give him an important position and will order him to join the army to conquer the west in the future.

Li Xiao didn't regret the first two.

Heroes are made by the times. While their brilliance was certainly due to their own abilities, the rise of Mongolia was even more important.

Today, destiny rests on the northern frontier.

Li Xiao has many talented people under his command, and there are countless skilled warriors. He really doesn't need these two to serve him.

Moreover, Li Xiao preferred to cultivate his own generals and officials rather than subjugate them.

The Hexi Military Academy and the Jinzhou Military Academy were established for this reason.

Besides the heads of these enemy generals, the more than forty grassland battle flags planted around them trembled in the wind, but could no longer stir up their former arrogance.

Only the Suluding spear of the Qiyan tribe still retains some remnants of grassland royal power.

These spoils of war were all offerings that Li Xiao made to the heavens.

Although cruel, sacrifices were an indispensable part of this era, and Li Xiao had no choice but to do as the locals did.

Immediately afterwards, two more soldiers escorted Temujin over.

When he saw the heads of his sons and brothers, he trembled violently, and endless grief flashed across his face.

He suddenly turned his head, staring intently at Li Xiao's tall and straight back, and let out a low growl like a trapped beast: "Li Xiao, you thief who stole the heavens, the Eternal Heaven will not let you go."

Li Xiao, however, simply turned his back to him and said indifferently, "Temujin, the era of the Eternal Heaven has ended, and so has yours."

"But don't worry, I will have your skull inlaid with gold and placed beside my war drum..."

"Let me show you how I can do something you could never do."

Upon hearing this, Temujin burst into laughter, completely unmoved, his pupils burning with a final madness.

“The heroic spirit of my Borjigin clan will surely transform into the fierce winds of the grasslands, circling day and night above your empire. When your empire collapses, I will crush every falling brick.”

The fierce look on Temujin's face vanished abruptly as soon as he finished speaking.

Two long swords pierced his chest, blood gushed from his mouth, and he slowly closed his eyes.

In this life, at least he died by the sword, which doesn't disgrace his lifelong reputation.

When Temujin's head was placed on top of the sacrificial offerings, Hu Li, the military advisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, immediately announced loudly: "The sacrificial ceremony to Heaven begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the twelve giant drums sounded again, mingling with the sound of horns, and resounding through the sky.

Li Xiao turned to face the sky and slowly straightened his clothes.

A gust of wind lifted his cloak, revealing a lifelike golden dragon on his armor, gleaming majestically in the sunlight.

Hu Li shouted loudly, "Burn the offering!"

A group of soldiers carried in sacrificial offerings of cattle, sheep, and pigs. With Hu Li's shout of "Burn!", torches were thrown into the pile of offerings.

All the offerings slowly burst into flames, engulfing the grassland battle flags and heads. Black smoke, carrying ashes, soared upwards, piercing the clouds, as if to convey this message of piety and victory to the heavens.

This is an important step in the ritual of offering sacrifices to Heaven, where the offerings are burned so that Heaven may enjoy them.

Three days later, when going to Guyan Mountain to worship the earth, the offerings need to be buried deep underground.

"One bow~" Hu Li's voice echoed in the mountaintop scorched by the raging flames.

Li Xiao slowly bowed, and thousands of soldiers behind him knelt on one knee at the same time. The sound of armor clashing together formed a torrent that shook the entire mountaintop.

"May Heaven bear witness!"

"I, Li Xiao, have pacified the northern desert today, not for my own selfish gain, but to rid the vast borders of China of this great scourge."

May Heaven have mercy and protect the people and soldiers of the northern frontier, freeing them from the suffering of war, and granting them bountiful harvests year after year, free from the smoke of battle.

"Second bow~" Hu Li's chanting grew louder and louder, as if it were about to break through the rising smoke and reach the sky.

Li Xiao bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the scorching hot stone of the altar.

The dragon patterns on the armor floated in the firelight, seemingly resonating with the pulse deep within the earth.

"May Heaven bear witness!"

"This land, which has been wandering for thousands of years, has finally returned to the rule of the king."

"I, Li Xiao, hereby swear that I will send good officials, promote agriculture and sericulture, and open trade routes, so that the northern desert will be covered with cattle and sheep and will no longer be a land of barbarians."

May the heavens and the earth nourish all things, and may the former battlefield be transformed into a paradise.

"Three bows~" Hu Li's voice suddenly turned deep, filled with a solemnity as if he were weeping blood.

Li Xiao kowtowed for the third time: "I humbly beseech Heaven to bear witness!"

"The bones of the sons of the northern frontier paved this road; their blood will not have been shed in vain."

"I, Li Xiao, will erect a monument and build a shrine for the fallen soldiers, and offer sacrifices to them in all four seasons; I will also properly settle their families, ensuring they have enough to eat and wear."

"May Heaven accept their loyal souls, so that their spirits in heaven may see that our land is forever secure and free from foreign aggression."

Just as Li Xiao finished speaking, the Northern Frontier Army responded with a thunderous roar that resounded throughout Mount Burhan, as if trying to carry the sound to the heavens.

"May our land be forever secure, and may we never again suffer foreign aggression!"

"May our land be forever secure, and may we never again suffer foreign aggression!"

……

Immediately afterwards, Li Xiao raised his hand and held up a scroll of sacrificial text, reading it aloud in a voice that resounded through the valley: "In the summer of the 1426th year of the reign of Emperor Huaxia, the northern deserts were pacified and the wilderness submitted."

"Now, we offer the heads of the rebel leader Temujin and his 999 followers as a sacrifice to Heaven..."

"Therefore, in governing the northern desert region, we should divide the territory into regions, develop water conservancy projects, cultivate oases, build cities, and promote the growth of livestock..."

"The Western Sea, the Central Sea, and the Eastern Sea all serve as the northern frontier's shield, connected by blood, sharing resources, and jointly guarding the Sun and Moon Battle Flag..."

……

"May our northern frontier be free from danger, may our descendants be forever secure, and may all lands where the sun and moon and the battle flags point be the royal land of China!"

As the eulogy ended, Hu Li shouted, "The ceremony is complete!"

The soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army erupted in a deafening roar: "Victory! Victory! Victory!"

The sound waves, like raging torrents, surged and roared atop the mountain peak, soaring straight into the sky.

Just then, a large area of ​​purple smoke suddenly appeared on the eastern horizon, like spilled purple ink, slowly spreading across the sky, making the mountaintop seem like a fairyland shrouded in purple mist.

Immediately afterwards, another bright star appeared in the northern sky during the day. Although its light was not as bright as the sun or the moon, it was particularly eye-catching against the backdrop of the purple haze.

"Auspicious purple clouds are coming from the east! It's auspicious purple clouds coming from the east!"

The most knowledgeable veteran was the first to exclaim in surprise, his eyes filled with awe.

"And that star, isn't that the Purple Star?"

"The appearance of stars in broad daylight is an auspicious sign."

"The Purple Star has appeared, the Emperor Star has returned to its rightful place; this is the Mandate of Heaven!"

"With the blessing of Heaven, the Great Protectorate will surely prosper for ten thousand years in the Northern Frontier."

Exclamations and murmurs rose and fell, the soldiers' excitement grew stronger, and their eyes were filled with fervent worship as they looked at Li Xiao.

The grassland leaders, including Zhaheganbu and Dayierwusun, stared in disbelief at everything.

They didn't quite understand the culture of the Central Plains, but after listening to others' explanations, they understood the meaning of "purple aura coming from the east" and "the appearance of the Purple Star".

His gaze toward Li Xiao was filled with shock.

"Tengri... has he really acknowledged him?"

"Is he truly the chosen master of the grasslands?"

Only Li Xiao, surrounded by the crowd, gazed at the purple mist filling the sky and the bright star, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

These were not divine interventions, but rather his carefully planned arrangements.

Purple smoke is a special kind of smoke material prepared in advance in the Eastern Valley. It is lit by craftsmen who are good at meteorology and calculate the wind direction. The smoke material is mixed with substances such as purple gromwell and sulfur, and after burning, it forms purple smoke.

The star that appeared in broad daylight was created by using a specially made reflector to focus and reflect sunlight onto the clouds high in the sky.

From certain angles, it shines like stars, and against the backdrop of purple smoke, it appears even more magical. All of this is to demonstrate "divine mandate," stabilize morale, and intimidate the old guard of the grasslands.

As the purple smoke gradually dissipated, the "star" also disappeared, but the cheers on the mountaintop did not stop.

Three days later, Li Xiao will lead his generals to Guyan Mountain in the southeast.

That place will be a place of Buddhist rituals, just like Huo Qubing a thousand years ago, where the grandest ceremony will be held to declare the ownership of this land.

At the same time, Li Xiao also ordered people to carve a stone to seal the wolf's lair, but the stone tablet of Huo Qubing from back then had long since disappeared.

Now, Li Xiao is going to erect a new inscription here, which is not only a permanent commemoration of the victory in the northern desert.

It also represents a renewed display of Chinese power on this land and serves as evidence of the foundation laid for the new era's northern border map.

On the back of the stone tablet, the full text of the eulogy that Li Xiao had just read was engraved in smaller characters.

The 1,426 years of Chinese history mentioned in the memorial text represents Li Xiao's plan to redefine the Chinese calendar.

Prior to this, the Chinese calendar was based on the reign titles of the rulers.

Even a single emperor could have several reign titles, making it extremely complicated.

The people couldn't even tell what year it was.

Because of poor communication, the court issued a new reign title as soon as the previous reign title was put into use by the people.

Therefore, Li Xiao decided that if he were to one day rule the Central Plains, he would only use one reign title.

A unified 'Chinese calendar' should be established.

The year 221 BC, when the First Emperor unified China, is defined as the first year of the Chinese Civil War.

This leads to further derivation.

Today, the Northern Frontier Army pacified the northern desert in 1205 AD, and adding the two together brings us to 1426 AD in China.

This also makes it easier to record the historical context in a simple and clear way.

As for the governance plan for northern Mongolia, the most important aspect is the division of administrative regions.

The main boundary is the mountain range.

The area between Jinshan Mountain and Yudujin Mountain was designated as the Western Sea, which was the former territory of the Naiman tribe and had long been part of the northern frontier.

The area between the east of the Dujin Mountains and the Burkhan Mountains was designated as the Central Sea, mainly including the former territories of the Kereit, Merkit, and Oirat tribes.

Finally, the area east of Mount Burkhan and extending to Mount Da Xianbei was designated as the East Sea.

It mainly includes the former territories of grassland tribes such as the Qiyan tribe, the Taichiwu tribe, and the Hongjila tribe.

After the three regions of northern Mongolia were demarcated, it was necessary to send troops to conquer them and dispatch demobilized officers to govern the local areas.

At the same time, it is necessary to build cities, restrict the activity range of grassland herders, register households and implement military control, etc.

These matters are numerous and complex, and Li Xiao will need to stay in the northern desert for a long time.

……

The Hongjila tribe was a powerful nomadic tribe that lived on the Barga grasslands.

Its power was second only to the Kereit and Naiman tribes, and it was on par with the Qiyan and Merkit tribes of the past, holding a pivotal position on the grasslands.

However, like many traditional nomadic tribes, the Hongjila tribe was not a unified tribe, but an alliance of many smaller tribes.

There was cooperation among the various tribes, but also their own considerations.

Temujin's mother, Hoelun, and his wife, Börte, both came from the Hongjila tribe, but belonged to different small tribes. This connection kept the Hongjila tribe and Temujin in close contact.

On this day, the Deshechan camp in the Wuershiwen River basin was peaceful and serene, with lush pastures and herds of cattle and sheep.

Suddenly, a fast horse galloped towards them.

"Chief, Chief, something terrible has happened!"

The soldier, dressed in tattered clothes, dismounted and stumbled toward the yurt of the tribal chief, Dexiechan, his voice filled with panic and urgency.

The tribal chief, Dexuechan, was discussing tribal affairs with several elders in his yurt when he heard the shouts and his heart tightened.

"what's going on?"

"Chief, Chief Temujin has been defeated!"

"What?" De Xuechan was shocked upon hearing this, his vision went black, and he nearly fainted at over sixty years old.

The other elders were also greatly alarmed.

"what happened?"

When did you lose?

"How is Temujin now? Where have all our able-bodied men gone?"

Faced with the elders' barrage of questions, the soldier turned pale, his mind involuntarily recalling the battle at Burkhan Khaldun.

The deafening roar of artillery fire, the endless charge of armored cavalry, and the Onon River, which inexplicably flooded their own army.

Everything was driving him to the brink of collapse.

One by one, his familiar companions fell, leaving him alone. After enduring hardships and dangers, he finally managed to escape back to his tribe.

"It's all over, it's all over!"

The soldier broke down in tears, and his stammering discussion of the war with De Xuechan and the clan elders only made everyone's faces turn ashen.

The Qiyan army suffered a crushing defeat and was completely wiped out. Even Temujin might fall into the hands of the Northern Frontier Army.

A wave of grief swept over everyone.

Deshechan was Temujin's father-in-law. The relationship between them was not only that of father-in-law and son-in-law, but also that of close allies. They had supported each other for many years and were already inseparable.

When Temujin was defeated by Wang Khan and was in dire straits, hiding in various places, he did not hesitate to hand over all the able-bodied men of his tribe to Temujin to lead, helping him to regroup.

Among the two thousand warriors who attacked Zhezheyundu Mountain, many came from the Hongjila tribe.

Those were the strongest men of the tribe, the hope for the future, but now they may have perished on the battlefield.

Therefore, at this moment, Dexuechan could no longer suppress his grief and cried out in anguish, "My warriors! My good son-in-law!"

Is the sky over this grassland really about to change?

His hoarse voice, filled with endless despair and resentment, echoed in the yurt, causing the elders present to also show sorrow on their faces, and the entire yurt was shrouded in heavy grief.

They then discussed immediately relocating their tribe to seek refuge with other tribes.

This is because although Temujin was defeated, his wives, concubines, and children were all in Deshechan's tribe.

When Temujin was preparing for a decisive battle with the Northern Frontier Army, he had already considered the consequences, so he entrusted all his wives and concubines to his father-in-law for care.

Today, the existence of these wives, concubines, and daughters has become a major source of chaos for the Dexuechan tribe.

"Let's go, we must leave this place immediately."

"The Northern Frontier Army might be on its way here. If we don't leave now, it will be too late."

Subsequently, the people of Dexuechan packed up their belongings and migrated to the eastern grasslands with their families.

Soon after, they arrived at another tribe that also belonged to Hongjila, whose leader was an old friend of Dexechan.

"Anda, you may temporarily replenish your supplies here, but..."

Hearing the tribal chief's sigh, Dexuechan understood what it meant.

It's simply that the Northern Frontier Army is too powerful, and there are no tribes on the grasslands that can resist it.

Temujin's family was here, and the other side was afraid of retaliation from the Northern Frontier Army.

"Don't worry, I won't implicate you."

“After resting for two days, I will lead the tribe to migrate towards the Great Xianbei Mountains,” Dexuechan said.

The other leader nodded slightly. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Dexuechan, but he also had to consider the lives of hundreds of his tribe members.

“Some of my tribes are slaves captured from the Great Xianbei Mountains. I can send them to you as guides.”

This was the greatest help he could provide for Dexuechan.

Afterwards, the two talked about the Northern Frontier Army in the felt tent.

"Anda, do you really think that if you do nothing, the Northern Frontier Army will let you go?"

“The Northern Frontier Army is fierce and brutal, determined to unify the grasslands, and will not let our Hongjila tribe go,” Dexuechan said.

The opposing leader nodded slightly: "The Hongjila tribe will certainly be unable to resist the Northern Frontier Army, but if the Northern Frontier Army wants to rule the grasslands peacefully, how can they do without us?"

"If we submit to the northern frontier, we may be able to gain a hundred years of peace for the tribe."

This is also what many tribal leaders are thinking.

Before this, they firmly followed Temujin in fighting against the northern frontier. Now that Temujin has failed, they have turned around and want to surrender to the northern frontier.

like what?
The powerful clans and gentry of the Central Plains.

They always side with the strong, regardless of whether the strong are foreign barbarians or not, and only care about their own interests.

The new conquerors also needed these intermediaries to rule the people, so they would give them minor punishments as long as their past behavior was not too outrageous.

The people of the Hongjila tribe shared the same mindset.

The people of northern Xinjiang cannot live without these grassland nobles.

Meanwhile, Da Hu had already led an army toward the Hongjila tribe.

"Commander, the lake ahead is called Fishing Lake."

"Beyond there lies the Barga Grassland, the pastureland of the Hongjila tribe, where Temujin's sons reside."

A northern frontier general from the Kereit tribe spoke to Da Hu.

This time, Li Xiao dispatched Da Hu to lead an expedition to the east against the Barga, mainly to conquer the Hongjila tribe in the east.

This is the Hulunbuir Grassland of later generations.

With its lush pastures and beautiful scenery, capable of grazing millions of cattle, sheep, and warhorses, Li Xiao naturally wanted to incorporate such an excellent grassland completely into the northern frontier.

Of course, there was also the idea of ​​eradicating Temujin's bloodline completely.

His legitimate sons didn't escape, but there were still many illegitimate sons.

It is said that Temujin had more than forty sons in his lifetime, most of whom he devoted himself to day and night after he became Genghis Khan.

At this time, although the number of offspring was not so exaggerated, there were definitely some illegitimate sons.

We must do everything we can to remove it, so that no one can use it to cause trouble.

"Brothers, give it your all!"

At the front of the column, Da Hu reined in his horse, turned around, and shouted loudly to the soldiers behind him.

“The Hongjila tribe produces beautiful women, as well as countless cattle, sheep, and slaves.”

"They're all waiting for us to conquer them!"

(End of this chapter)