The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 312 The century-long reign of the Great Xia Dynasty must not be ended in my hands.

As the smoke gradually dissipated, the Gobi Desert was left in a state of chaos.

The last rays of the setting sun shone on this land stained with blood, turning everything into an eerie dark red.

Countless Xia soldiers laid down their weapons and armor, heads drooping, and became prisoners of war of the Northern Frontier Army.

They squatted on the ground in twos and threes, their faces filled with despair and exhaustion.

The wounded soldiers lay sprawled on the ground, their groans and screams echoing throughout.

Some had broken arms, some were missing legs, and others were covered in blood and barely breathing.

The medics of the Northern Frontier Army were busy treating the wounded, prioritizing the treatment of Northern Frontier soldiers and then prisoners of war.

Because cotton is plentiful in northern Xinjiang, bandages have begun to be widely used in the military.

The use of allicin saved many soldiers' lives and prevented them from suffering the pain of amputation.

Amid the chaos, several soldiers from the northern frontier escorted a disheveled man bound by ropes.

This man was none other than Wei Minghonglie, the commander-in-chief of the Xia army. His armor was nowhere to be seen, his clothes were tattered, and his face was covered with dust and blood. His former imposing manner was completely gone.

"Kneel down."

A soldier shouted sternly, kicking Wei Minghonglie in the back of the knee.

Wei Minghonglie staggered and knelt on the ground, but still stubbornly raised his head, looking straight at the man in front of him.

Li Xiao rode his warhorse, clad in dark gold armor, appearing exceptionally majestic in the setting sun.

He looked down at Wei Minghonglie, who was kneeling on the ground, his eyes calm and unwavering.

Wei Minghonglie had clearly guessed Li Xiao's true identity—the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a trace of resentment and stubbornness.

"Wei Ming Honglie, a member of a collateral branch of the Xia Kingdom's royal family, Deputy Privy Councilor, and Grand Marshal of the Northern Garrison?"

Li Xiao spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "I only have one question for you: are you willing to surrender?"

Wei Minghonglie gritted his teeth and squeezed out two words: "I will not surrender!"

Li Xiao shook his head helplessly: "They really are stubborn!"

He was now certain that the man before him, Weiming Honglie, was none other than Weiming Linggong, who fought the Mongol invasion at Keyimen in history.

After being captured by the Mongols, Wei Minghonglie did not die for his country like Gao Yi, the garrison commander of Wuluohai City. Instead, he was released after the two countries made peace.

Until the fall of the Western Xia dynasty, he surrendered the city along with the last ruler, but was ultimately killed by the Mongols.

Gao Yi, who was of Han Chinese descent, was willing to die for the Xia state, while Wei Ming Honglie, who was of the Wei Ming clan, chose to surrender.

This is like when the Manchu Qing dynasty collapsed, those so-called Manchu elders all wept bitterly, but few of them actually died for the Manchus.

On the contrary, some Han Chinese officials and scholars upheld the so-called "integrity of scholar-officials" and "ethical principles," and were willing to die for the Manchu Qing dynasty.

What a huge irony.

"Since that's the case, then I will grant you the title of a loyal martyr," Li Xiao said calmly.

"Drag him down and hang him on the flagpole. Don't let him die easily."

"Let the garrison of Keyimen and Xingqing Prefecture see what happens when they oppose my northern frontier."

Wei Minghonglie's expression suddenly changed drastically, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

He never expected Li Xiao to be so ruthless.

Under normal circumstances, shouldn't they lock him up if persuasion fails, so he can be used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations?
Why would someone want to kill themselves over a mere disagreement?

He didn't want any reputation for loyalty and heroism; he just wanted to live a good life and continue to enjoy wealth and luxury.

But once the words are spoken, it's like pooping out; it's too embarrassing to pick it up and eat it back.

So, Wei Minghonglie had no choice but to grit his teeth and shout, "Li Xiao, I refuse to accept this! You tricked me with underhanded tactics, I'd rather die than submit!"

"Do you dare to let me go back and have a fair and square duel?"

"Dissatisfied?"

Li Xiao reined in his horse, looked down at him, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Warfare is based on deception."

"As the commander-in-chief of the Xia Kingdom, you don't even understand this simple principle?"

"On the battlefield, the victor is king, and the loser is a bandit."

"You were ambushed and captured not because Bendu used trickery, but because you were stupid and greedy."

"Pull it down."

Li Xiao stopped looking at Wei Minghonglie, his tone as cold as ice.

Two soldiers from the Wuwei Army immediately stepped forward, lifted up the limp Wei Minghonglie, and left.

He struggled, shouting incoherently, "Li Xiao! You can't kill me, I'm a member of the Xia Kingdom's royal family."

"Kill me, and His Majesty will never let you go."

"Let me go?"

Li Xiao sneered, "The Xia Kingdom's fate is sealed. Whether Li Chunyou can keep his dog's head is still uncertain!"

Wei Minghonglie was dragged away, and soon his struggling figure rose up on the tall pole.

Li Xiao withdrew his gaze and fixed it on a soldier not far away. His voice softened as he asked, "What's your name?"

The soldier looked up abruptly and saw the Grand Protector looking at him. He hurriedly touched his chest and replied, his voice trembling slightly: "My name is Wu Kui, and I am currently the 30,000th Household Commander of the First Garrison."

"Judging from your accent, are you from Hexi?" Li Xiao continued to ask.

"Yes, yes, I am from Dingzhou. During the Battle of Liangzhou, I abandoned the darkness and surrendered to our Northern Frontier."

Wu Kui was so nervous that sweat beaded on his forehead, and he even stammered a bit when he spoke.

After all, the person in front of him was the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier, who was like a god in the hearts of the people of the Northern Frontier.

He never expected that he, a mere clerk, would have the opportunity to personally meet the Grand Protector.

"Dingzhou? What a wonderful place!"

Li Xiao nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips: "After passing Keyi Gate, Dingzhou is just ahead. You can go home and visit now."

A glint of light flashed in Wu Kui's eyes; there was indeed someone there who held a deep longing in his heart.

"Who else is in your family?" Li Xiao asked casually, as if it were a family matter.

“My parents died early, and there is no one left in my family.” Wu Kui’s voice was a few decibels lower.

"That's a pity, your parents couldn't see you bring glory to the family." Li Xiao shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with regret.

Then, he changed the subject and commanded in a deep voice, "Wu Kui, listen to my command."

"My subordinate is here!"

Wu Kui suddenly straightened up, bowed, and patted his chest, his voice becoming much louder.

"In the Battle of Keyimen, you rendered meritorious service by slaying a general. You are now promoted three ranks and appointed as a deputy centurion." Li Xiao's voice was clear and powerful, echoing throughout the surrounding area.

"Thank you, Great Protector!"

Wu Kui was so excited that his face turned red. He patted his chest and bowed deeply in gratitude, saying, "Your subordinate will swear to serve the Grand Protector to the death, and will go through fire and water for the Northern Frontier without hesitation."

The other generals around also cast envious glances.

This is a feat worthy of beheading a general!

Breaking through enemy lines, capturing enemy generals and seizing flags are the four great military achievements throughout history.

For soldiers, acquiring any one of these items would guarantee a lifetime of security, and this honor could even extend to their descendants.

Just like Heshen in later generations, even though he held important positions such as Grand Councilor, Grand Secretary, and First-Class Duke, what he was most proud of was the merit of his ancestors who were the first to scale the walls when they attacked Hejian Prefecture.

This achievement is second only to following the emperor and saving the emperor in terms of prestige.

Therefore, when they saw that Wu Kui, a mere clerk, could achieve such merit, many of the surrounding generals were filled with envy and resentment.

It should be noted that many generals led their men to surround Wei Minghonglie, but he skillfully dodged them all and escaped through the gaps.

In the end, Wu Kui seized the opportunity, gained an advantage, and captured Wei Minghonglie alive.

That's fate.

This is just a verbal promotion reward from Li Xiao; there will be corresponding rewards for his military achievements later.

Even when the Northern Frontier is established as a nation and its meritorious officials are rewarded, Wu Kui might be able to obtain a minor noble title based on his military achievements.

After thanking Li Xiao, Wu Kui quickly turned around and greeted his superiors.

The generals patted him on the shoulder, offering encouragement and affirmation.

After leaving the crowd, Wu Kui looked towards Dingzhou, his excited expression now tinged with anticipation.

He murmured to himself, "Apricot Blossom, wait for me."

"I'll be right back to pick you up."

……

Meanwhile, the Northern Frontier Army began to systematically clear the battlefield.

The soldiers gathered and buried Xia Jun's corpses, and gave the wounded prisoners of war a simple treatment before sending them to the wounded soldiers' camp in the rear.

The captured weapons, armor, and provisions were counted and registered one by one in an orderly manner, demonstrating the strict military discipline of the Northern Frontier Army.

As soon as the cleanup was finished, Li Xiao ordered the Second Town to be the vanguard and attack Keyimen.

At this time, the Xia army soldiers were already in chaos along the mountain paths of Keyimen.

Some defeated soldiers who had fled back from the battlefield told their comrades, their faces filled with terror, about the army's crushing defeat.

"Our cavalry is all wiped out! General Weiming has been captured alive!"

"The Northern Frontier Army is too powerful! They even have those exploding iron balls; we can't stop them at all!"

These words exploded like bombs among the Xia soldiers, and panic spread rapidly.

"What do we do? What do we do now?" a young soldier asked, his face pale and his voice trembling.

"What else can we do? Run! Staying here is just waiting to die!"

"Run? Where to run?"

“There’s only one road to Keyimen, and the Northern Frontier Army will be here soon,” someone said in despair.

"How about... we surrender?"

"Surrender? What about our families?"

"With so many of us surrendering together, I refuse to believe the imperial court would kill our entire families!"

"Let's save our lives first. Once the Northern Frontier Army attacks, it will be too late to surrender."

“I want to go home… My mother is still waiting for me to come back…” A young soldier squatted on the ground, holding his head and sobbing softly.

In an instant, some Xia soldiers sighed, some complained to each other, and some packed their things to escape. The entire Keyimen was in complete chaos.

Meanwhile, in the main camp at Keyimen, Zhou Shichang, the Grand Secretary of the Xia Kingdom, Liang Sansi, an official, and Yang Rusong, the envoy of the Jin Kingdom, were all shocked upon learning of the army's crushing defeat.

"Damn it, we've fallen for their trap!"

Zhou Shichang slapped his thigh and said with a livid face, "Everything we saw in the Northern Frontier camp was fake. The Northern Frontier bandits deliberately lured us into pursuit!"

"Damn it, we were too reckless!" Liang Sansi was also pacing around anxiously.

Zhou Shichang said with great sorrow, "A man of great fame and illustrious achievements has ruined the country!"

"I told you long ago not to send troops out lightly, and now look what's happened?"

"As expected, we fell for the Northern Frontier Army's trick!"

Hearing Zhou Shichang's words, Liang Sansi secretly curled his lip, thinking to himself, "You clearly said back then that it's a fool not to take advantage of a good deal."

"Now it's as if they saw through the Northern Frontier Army's scheme a long time ago. What were they doing all this time?"

Of course, he could only complain to himself and dared not say it aloud.

After the three argued for a while, Yang Rusong took a deep breath and said directly, "Gentlemen, the barbarians of the Northern Frontier are ferocious and unwilling to accept the mediation of my Great Jin Kingdom. They must be severely punished."

"I will return to His Majesty immediately and report this matter in detail. The Great Jin cavalry will arrive soon."

"Farewell!"

After saying that, Yang Rusong hurriedly walked out of the tent. Despite being over fifty years old, he was unusually agile, as if he was afraid that if he slowed down, he would be overtaken by the Northern Frontier Army.

Grand Chancellor Zhou Shichang, however, looked sorrowful and sighed, "What allies? They're completely unreliable."

"It's better to rely on yourself than on others. I will return to Xingqing Prefecture now and write to His Majesty to immediately dispatch reinforcements."

"Keyimen must not be lost."

“Minister Liang, you are young and quick-witted. Come back with me and tell His Majesty the whole story of this battle.”

Upon hearing this, Liang Sansi's mind completely went blank. He had originally thought that Zhou Shichang's righteous demeanor made him a loyal subject, but he never expected him to be a deserter in the face of battle.

He not only planned to run away, but he also wanted to drag me down with him.

"me……"

After stammering for a while, Liang Sansi said with a blush, "Alright, I will return to court with you, sir."

“We must report his illustrious name and great achievements to His Majesty. If it weren’t for his reckless and impetuous advance, how could our army have suffered such a crushing defeat?”

Zhou Shichang quickly chimed in, "Yes, I advised him to think carefully before taking action, but he always acts arbitrarily and doesn't listen to me at all."

"Let's go back now."

As Zhou Shichang spoke, he hurriedly walked outside.

The three of them then boarded carriages and quietly left the camp.

Soon after, the roar of iron cavalry echoed across the northern lands.

Wei Minghonglie's deputy general, who was left to guard Keyimen, rushed into the main tent and shouted, "My lord, my lord, something terrible has happened! The Northern Frontier Army..."

Before he could finish speaking, he froze. The tent was empty; there was no sign of the Grand Secretary Zhou Shichang or the other two.

The lieutenant's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly summoned a guard, asking, "Where have the three lords gone?"

The guard said in a panic, "The three lords have just left, and we don't know where they went."

"what?"

"Damn it, they actually... they actually..."

The lieutenant was furious. He slammed his fist on the table, realizing all too well that these people had fled.

He was so angry that he trembled all over, pointing at the empty tent, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

"Boom boom boom~"

North of Keyimen, a deep rumbling sound suddenly echoed across the distant land, like muffled thunder rolling, growing clearer and clearer as it approached.

On the horizon, the crimson sun and moon battle flags surged like a tide, and the crimson armor shone like waves of blood in the sunlight.

Li Dongjiang led the Second Division as the vanguard, returning to Keyimen, where they lined up and prepared to launch another attack.

The more than 20,000 cavalrymen that Wei Minghonglie took with him were all elite troops from Keyimen.

Most of those left behind were the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. They were already terrified by the news of the defeated army, and seeing the imposing presence of the Northern Frontier Army made them even more flustered and helpless, their hands trembling uncontrollably as they gripped their weapons.

"The Northern Frontier Army is here, the Northern Frontier barbarians have really come."

"What should I do?"

"They will kill us all here."

"I don't want to die, I want to go home."

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Look, what's that?"

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw three flagpoles erected in front of the Northern Frontier Army, with a person hanging from the middle flagpole.

Although they were still far away, the familiar figure made many soldiers' hearts tighten.

Two vertical banners hung on the left and right flagpoles, with the words “Weiming Honglie is here” written in Chinese and Tangut respectively.

These few simple words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving all the Xia soldiers stunned.

"It's the commander!" a soldier exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.

"He really is a great general!"

"The commander-in-chief has been captured alive by the Northern Frontier Army, what should we do?"

Panic spread rapidly like a plague, and the soldiers looked at each other, their eyes filled with despair.

Even the head coach has become a prisoner, how long can these old, weak, sick and disabled people hold out?

Some people threw down their weapons, slumped to the ground, and stared blankly into the distance.

Some people were pulling at each other, trying to back away.

Just then, the Northern Frontier Army launched its attack.

"fire."

"Boom boom boom~"

The shells whistled sharply as they exploded among the Xia army's ranks, sending nails and pebbles flying, and screams of agony echoing throughout the area.

The Western Xia soldiers were already in a state of panic and had no will to fight. Now, they were terrified by the terrifying power, and many of them began to take advantage of the chaos to flee into the depths of the mountain path.

More and more people joined the escape, and the already chaotic defense line collapsed instantly.

After three rounds of bombing, the Xia army was intimidated.

Wearing full armor, Li Dongjiang drew his cavalry saber and shouted, "Attack!"

"Kill~"

The cavalry of the Second Garrison charged out like arrows released from a bow, their hooves thundering and kicking up clouds of dust.

"Kill~"

"Occupy Keyimen."

Due to the sharp drop in morale of the Xia army, the resistance encountered by the Northern Frontier Army was greatly reduced.

The cavalrymen quickly charged up the hill and engaged in close combat with the remaining Western Xia soldiers.

Some of the Western Xia soldiers had already lost their will to fight and turned to flee.

But some veterans held their ground.

An old soldier with gray hair, relying on his rich experience, dodged the slash of a northern cavalryman and swung his sword back to slash at the horse's leg.

The warhorse, in pain, neighed and fell to the ground, throwing the cavalryman off.

The veteran was about to deliver the final blow, but due to exhaustion, he was a beat too slow and was stabbed through the chest by another soldier from the northern border who had arrived.

He looked down at the tip of the gun in his chest, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, before slowly falling to the ground.

There are many such veterans. They were once the backbone of the Xia Kingdom's army, with firm will, rich experience, and familiarity with every corner of the battlefield.

Unfortunately, time waits for no man, and their physical strength and reaction speed have long since failed them. Faced with the young, strong, and well-equipped cavalry of the northern frontier, their resistance appeared so pale and powerless.

The sounds of fighting, clashing weapons, and screams echoed through the mountain paths of Keyimen.

The Northern Frontier Army advanced like a whirlwind, and the Xia Army's defenses crumbled one after another, with more and more soldiers throwing down their weapons and surrendering.

Keyimen has fallen!

The air inside the Privy Council's residence in Xingqing Prefecture was thick with the smell of medicine.

Sicong lay on the bed, his breath weak, on the verge of death.

The cannonball outside Tiger Wolf Pass not only severely injured him, but also drained the little energy he had left due to old age and physical decline.

After leading his army back to Xingqing Prefecture, he collapsed completely and is now on the verge of death.

"My dear minister, my dear minister, you must hold on!"

Li Chunyou visited him in person, sat by the bedside, and tightly grasped Nailing Sicong's withered hand, which was as dry as tree bark. His voice was full of grief: "If you leave, what will I do!"

Looking at the old minister who had devoted his life to the Xia Kingdom, his thoughts drifted back to the time when he had just ascended the throne.

At that time, the princes outside the court were eyeing the country covetously, while the Empress Dowager inside the court was controlling the government and plotting to seize power.

He was like a puppet, struggling to move forward.

It was Nai Lingsi who stood firmly by his side, and with his years of prestige and skill, helped him quickly seize military power, which led to his current status.

Li Chunyou always kept this kindness and loyalty in his heart.

"Cough...cough cough cough..."

Just then, Nai Ling Si Cong started coughing violently. Each cough aggravated his wounds, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

He struggled to open his eyes, his cloudy gaze falling on Li Chunyou, his voice as weak as a candle flickering in the wind: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

"My dear minister, I am here." Li Chunyou quickly bent down and brought his ear close to his mouth.

Then Sicong took a breath and slowly asked, "How is the situation at the front lines?"

The grief on Li Chunyou's face deepened, and he hesitated before saying, "The situation at Keyimen is unclear."

"However, I believe in Wei Minghonglie; he will surely be able to hold off the Northern Frontier Army."

But then, a look of struggle crossed his face, and he looked at Nailing Sicong and asked, "My dear minister, if... if Keyimen really cannot be defended, what will become of our Great Xia?"

He also knew how formidable the Northern Frontier Army was.

Although Wei Minghonglie had an army of over 100,000 men, most of them were old, weak, sick, or disabled, so Keyimen was not absolutely safe.

Once Keyimen falls, the Northern Frontier Army's iron hooves will advance directly to the outskirts of Xingqing Prefecture.

This is what terrifies Li Chunyou the most.

In recent days, he has been awakened by nightmares countless times.

I always dream that I am hanged on the city wall by people from the northern frontier.

Fortunately, Nai Ling Si Cong brought back 100,000 troops from Hexi to protect Xingqing Prefecture, which finally put his mind at ease.

However, the Northern Frontier Army remains the greatest threat to the Xia Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, if Keyimen is truly indefensible, Xingqing Prefecture will be the last foothold for our Xia Kingdom."

"If we want to save our Xia Kingdom from destruction, we must use both soft and hard tactics on the people of the Northern Frontier."

Nai Ling Sicong spoke in a broken voice, his gaze slightly unfocused, as if he was trying his best to concentrate.

The sound grew fainter and fainter, and Li Chunyou had to get even closer to hear it clearly.

But slowly, his expression turned to shock.

"what?"

"My dear minister, this... this..."

Li Chunyou looked at Nailing Sicong with shock. He had not expected that the other party would come up with such a method to resist the Northern Frontier Army.

It's just crazy.

Nai Ling Sicong used his last strength to say, "Your Majesty, this old minister did not wish for this."

"But if Keyimen falls, whoo whoo whoo~ for the sake of the century-long reign of our Great Xia, we have no choice but to do so."

"The Jin people are completely unreliable."

This filled Sicong's tone with grief, indignation, and despair.

He lived through the most glorious period of the Xia Kingdom, crushing the Song Kingdom and intimidating the Jin Kingdom, making him a true overlord of the west.

However, unexpectedly, in his later years, the Xia Kingdom had fallen to the point of extinction.

The capital is about to be surrounded by the barbarians of the northern frontier.

How could he possibly face the past emperors of the Great Xia Dynasty?
Li Chunyou fell silent and remained silent for a long time.

After pondering for a long time, he took a deep breath, his eyes revealing struggle and despair, gritted his teeth, and nodded heavily, saying, "I will do as you say, my dear minister."

"In short, the Great Xia dynasty must not be cut off in my hands."

After saying that, Li Chunyou forced a grim smile onto his pale face and said, "Perhaps my dear minister and I are just worrying unnecessarily."

"Wei Ming Honglie is the most powerful general of this generation of the Great Xia royal family. The Northern Frontier Army will surely be stopped by the soldiers of Great Xia outside Keyi Gate!"

Li Chunyou's tone was firm, but it sounded more like a self-comforting reassurance.

He dared not imagine what a terrifying scene it would be if the Northern Frontier Army actually reached Xingqing Prefecture.

"Your Majesty is right."

"I...I am from Great Xia..."

"It won't perish~"

Nailing Si Cong gripped Li Chunyou's hand tightly, and with his last bit of strength, he roared hoarsely.

Immediately, his body trembled violently.

Her eyes were still wide open, but they had lost their sparkle, her breathing became weaker and weaker, and her grip on Li Chunyou's hand gradually lost its strength.

Seeing his appearance, Li Chunyou felt a pang of pain in his heart, and tears welled up in his eyes: "My beloved minister! My beloved minister!"

However, all that answered him was complete silence.

But the silence was broken just moments later by a military report from Keyimen.

(End of this chapter)