The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 335 Iron Cavalry Sweeps Through Southern Desert, Battle of Jiehao

The tense atmosphere on both sides of the Wei River in Guanzhong has not yet dissipated, and the military advance in the north has quietly pointed towards another key location.

Southern desert.

This area is the settlement of the Ongud tribe, also known as the White Tatar tribe. Its ethnic composition is extremely complex, integrating multiple ethnic groups such as Turks, Uyghurs, Shatuo, Han Chinese, and Khitans.

After generations of integration with the Central Plains, they have become a nomadic tribe with a high degree of Sinicization.

They have lived around the Daqingshan Mountains for generations, with the Aibugai River basin as their core settlement. There are more than 4,000 households, which are divided into more than a dozen tribes of different sizes.

Although each had its own leader, they formed an alliance to unite against external threats. Each generation of alliance leader was appointed "King of Beiping" by the Jin Dynasty to guard the northern border for the Jin Dynasty.

It became an important barrier for the Jin Dynasty to defend against other tribes on the grasslands, and the relationship between the two sides was extremely close.

On this morning, just as dawn was breaking, the Xila River basin, northwest of Daqingshan Mountain, was still shrouded in a thin mist.

The herdsmen of the Shuhunan tribe had just gotten up. Some were preparing to go to the river to water their horses, while others were lighting fires outside their tents. The air was filled with the scent of sheep's milk and grass, creating a peaceful nomadic scene.

Suddenly, a rapid sound of hooves came from afar, not the scattered hoofbeats from within the tribe, but a thunderous roar like thunder rolling across the grassland.

The heavy, dense atmosphere, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression, instantly shattered the tranquility of the morning.

"Boom boom boom~"

All the busy herders looked up, their expressions changing drastically.

"Oh no, it's cavalry."

"There are at least several thousand people who are not our people."

"It might be the enemy. Quick, quick, mount your horse."

These Ongud herders, who had lived on the grasslands their whole lives, could hardly not recognize the sound of horses' hooves. However, they were unsure whether the horses were friend or foe, and soon the tribe was thrown into chaos.

In the thin mist, a patch of white faintly appeared on the horizon. The white grew closer and brighter, finally revealing the outline of armor.

It's the army!
They are fully armed cavalry!

"It's the Northern Frontier Army! It's the White-Armored Army of the Northern Frontier! It's those white demons!" The old herdsman who was the first to see clearly suddenly let out a shrill scream.

The others also looked terrified; some hurriedly mounted their horses, while others stumbled and fell to the ground.

His face was ashen, his lips trembling as he repeated, "They've come...they've finally come..."

"The nightmare that struck northern Mobei last year has come back to haunt us."

The herders couldn't help but recall the terrifying rumors from last year: the Northern Frontier Army, taking advantage of Temujin's battle with the Kereit tribe, swept across the entire northern desert like a whirlwind.

All the rebellious tribes were crushed, the men died in battle, and the women and children were taken away. Burning tents and blood were everywhere on the grassland.

At that time, the Ongud tribe in southern Mongolia was so frightened that they could not sleep day and night. On one hand, they were anxious to ask the Jin Dynasty for help, and on the other hand, they secretly sent envoys to the northern frontier to show goodwill.

I thought we were safe, but I never expected that just a year later, those white devils would cross the grasslands and block my doorstep.

"Tengri! What did we do wrong?"

A woman collapsed to the ground, clutching her child, tears streaming down her face, her voice filled with desperate cries.

"Are they sending these white devils to punish us?"

"Are you going to steal our cattle and sheep, and burn our tents?"

"We already bowed down last year, why won't they let us go!"

Chaos reigned within the tribe.

Some people frantically rushed into tents, while some slaves seized their masters' horses and fled up the hillside in the chaos, and the frightened cattle and sheep ran wildly in all directions.

"Don't panic."

A roar suddenly came from the center of the tribe, and Temuge, the leader of the Shuhunan tribe, rushed out of the tent with a scimitar in hand.

His face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with rage: "What's the panic! They're just some northern cavalry."

"The reason they were able to sweep across the northern desert last year was because those tribes were disorganized."

"With the Jin Dynasty backing us and Tengri protecting us, are we just going to wait to die like lambs to the slaughter?"

The nobles around him, however, were not so defiant; the Burkes, dressed in silk robes, were pale-faced.

One of the fat nobles stammered, "Chief...Chief, the Northern Frontier Army is too formidable...So many tribes in the northern desert couldn't stop them...We're so few people, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of!"

Timug turned around abruptly and kicked the fat nobleman in the leg: "Have you forgotten how they humiliated us last year?"

Have you forgotten the cattle, sheep, and gold we sent out?

"Now that they've attacked, do you want to kneel down and beg for mercy, letting them kidnap our women and turn our children into slaves?"

The fat nobleman staggered to the ground after being kicked, but dared not refute, only shrinking his neck and muttering softly, "But...but the Jin reinforcements haven't arrived yet..."

"Reinforcements will come, but for now, we have to defend our tribe ourselves!"

Timuge, carrying a scimitar, mounted his warhorse and shouted to the panicked herdsmen: "Warriors! Pick up your scimitars! Draw your bows! Those northern people are not devils; they are made of flesh and blood too."

“They stole our cattle and sheep and burned our tents, so we fought them.”

"Even if we die in battle, we must let them know that the men of the Ongud tribe are not to be trifled with."

His words ignited the fighting spirit in some of the young herders, who picked up their fallen scimitars, a resolute glint in their eyes.

But most people were still gripped by fear, and as the white armor drew ever closer, they couldn't help but take a step back.

The tragic events of last year in the northern desert are still being recounted; those white-clad cavalrymen have long been a haunting nightmare in their hearts.

Wei Xuan reined in his horse and stood on a high slope, looking down at the chaotic tribe below and listening to Timuge's shouts, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He drew his cavalry saber from his waist, pointed it at the group of tents belonging to the Shuhunan tribe, and coldly ordered, "Leave no one who resists!"

"Gather those who surrender, and kill those who resist without mercy! Quickly eliminate the remaining forces of the tribe and prepare to march south."

"kill!"

The soldiers from the northern frontier responded in unison and surged toward the tribe like a tidal wave.

Timug brandished his scimitar and killed the first Northern Frontier soldier who charged forward, but more cavalry followed closely behind. His armor was quickly stained red with blood, and he eventually collapsed from exhaustion, his body pierced by several spears at the same time.

The tribal soldiers completely lost the will to resist, throwing down their weapons and kneeling to surrender. Some were so frightened that they didn't even dare to raise their heads, just kowtowing and begging for mercy.

Meanwhile, another tribe of the Wanggu clan, located northeast of Daqingshan, was also attacked by the 170,000th household of the Sixth Garrison of Northern Xinjiang, led by Dahu.

The herders here are also gripped by extreme fear.

Some people took their young children and hid in the cave, covering the children's mouths to keep them from making a sound.

Some tried to break through the encirclement on horseback, but were shot through the shoulder blade by an arrow from the northern cavalry and fell to the ground unable to move.

There were also elderly people who sat on the ground in despair, looking at the burning tents and the scattered cattle and sheep, their cloudy eyes filled with tears.

He murmured the tribe's ancient incantations, but could no longer stop the approaching iron hooves.

Two armies from the northern frontier, one from the west and one from the east, pierced the tranquility of the Ongud tribe like two sharp blades.

According to the rules of the Northern Frontier, all the nobles of the Ongud tribe were demoted to slaves, and the slaves were promoted to minor leaders to help the Northern Frontier army manage the Ongud prisoners of war.

After eliminating the remaining enemies from the two tribes, Wei Xuan and Da Hu reorganized their troops and, according to the pre-arranged plan, led their cavalry slowly southward.

To support the Northern Frontier Army's campaign in Guanzhong.

In a short period of time, the two armies from the northern frontier swept across southern Mongolia, and of the more than 4,000 households of the Wanggu tribe herders, only a little over 1,000 households fled south to the Jin Kingdom.

The Jiehao defense line was built decades ago as a simple defensive line constructed by the Jin Dynasty to defend against the southward incursion of nomadic tribes from the grasslands.

Stretching for thousands of miles from the Yin Mountains in the west to the Liao River in the east, it lies precisely between the southern Gobi Desert and the heartland of the Jin Dynasty.

Unlike the magnificent Great Wall, the Jiehao defense line was constructed with rammed earth, only a few feet wide and a little over ten feet high, with very few crenellations on the top of the wall.

There were no arrow towers or passes; the only defenses against cavalry were an earthen wall and a deep moat outside. Although large in scale, it was very rudimentary.

Especially after the outbreak of the Northern Expedition of the Song Dynasty, the Jin court was worried that the northern frontier army would come south from the grasslands to attack from both sides, so it specially ordered the strengthening of the defense of the trench line.

Even Wanyan Anguo, the Northwest Route's envoy to recruit troops, came from Fengzhou to oversee the operation.

At this moment, inside the trench defense line, Wanyan Anguo was frowning as he listened to the weeping of Arahushi, the leader of the Wanggu tribe, beside him.

Arakhushi, the "King of Beiping" of this generation, used to be quite imposing, but now he was like a stray dog, his voice trembling with sobs: "Lord Wanyan, you must do justice for our Wanggu tribe!"

"The Northern Frontier Army is too brutal. They kill people indiscriminately, regardless of age. Our tents were burned, our cattle and sheep were stolen, and only a little over a thousand households were left to escape here..."

"Please send troops to fight the Northern Frontier Army and avenge us!"

Wanyan Anguo's face was ashen, his eyes filled with anger and solemnity.

"Rest assured, Prince of Beiping, the Wanggu tribe is an vassal of our Great Jin. The Northern Frontier Army's attack on you is a provocation against the majesty of our Great Jin, and I will not stand idly by!"

Although he said that, Wanyan Anguo was extremely solemn in his heart.

Previously, news came from Guanzhong that the Northern Frontier Army took advantage of the Jin Dynasty's main force moving south to fight against the Song Dynasty and quickly moved south from the Hetao region.

They successively captured important towns such as Qingyang, Yan'an, and Lanzhou. Generals such as Wanyan Heda and Wanyan Shouwang were killed in battle, and Tudanduoluo was captured. The Jin army suffered heavy losses, and Guanzhong was almost in the hands of the Northern Frontier Army.

The sudden southward advance of the Northern Frontier Army in the Gobi Desert is clearly intended to support the Northern Frontier Army in Guanzhong, with the aim of tying down the Jin forces and preventing the Jin from sending troops to support Guanzhong.

"The people of the Northern Frontier are trying to attack our Great Jin from two sides!"

Wanyan Anguo thought to himself, then reassured Arahushi, "Prince of Beiping, you should lead your troops to rest within the defensive line. I will send someone to deliver provisions to you."

"As for the Northern Frontier Army, I have my own countermeasures and will not allow them to advance another step!"

Arakhushi quickly expressed his gratitude and led his remaining troops to a temporary camp behind the defensive line.

But no sooner had he left than a Jin soldier rushed up the city wall, his face pale, and cried out, "Sir, something terrible has happened!"

"The Northern Frontier Army... The Northern Frontier Army has arrived, right outside Jiehao."

"what?"

Wanyan Anguo's heart tightened, and he quickly walked to the top of the city wall and looked out towards the outside of the defense line.

On the distant grassland, countless troops were approaching Jiehao, stretching endlessly like a white tide.

The soldiers at the forefront wore gray-white armor with red trim; they were the main force of the Sixth Garrison of the Northern Frontier, which had previously swept across southern Mongolia. Behind them, a large number of soldiers wore all sorts of clothing, some wrapped in sheepskin, others draped in rags, and carried scimitars, bows and arrows, and even farm tools.

These were all militiamen recruited by the Northern Frontier Army from various households in the northern desert.

Despite their rudimentary equipment, they exuded a fierce and valiant aura.

Seeing this scene, Wanyan Anguo felt extremely heavy-hearted: "In the end, we still couldn't defend against it."

As a nomadic hunting people who rose from the land between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River, and who had long suffered oppression from the Khitans, the Jurchens were all too aware of the threat posed by the northern grasslands.

Even with the formidable resources of the Central Plains, they still dared not underestimate the grasslands.

They frequently dispatched large armies into the grasslands to implement population reduction policies, and constantly provoked internal strife by exploiting conflicts between tribes.

The purpose was to restrict the development of the various tribes on the grasslands and prevent them from moving towards unification.

However, while the Jin Dynasty did manage to defend against the various tribes of the grasslands, it failed to defend against the forces from the Western Regions.

Taking advantage of the Jin Dynasty's response to the threat of the Song Dynasty's northern expedition, the people of the northern frontier unified the various tribes of the grasslands.

A powerful steppe force poses a tremendous threat to the Jin Dynasty, and now it has even set its sights on the southern desert.

Wanyan Anguo sighed inwardly, "It's too late to say anything now; the Jin Kingdom has lost its initiative."

"All of you, be alert! The Northern Frontier Army has come with ill intentions. No one is allowed to fire arrows without my order!" Wanyan Anguo shouted at his soldiers.

Inside the moat, the atmosphere became even more oppressive.

When the Northern Frontier Army advanced to within one mile of the trench defense line, it halted its advance.

A general from the northern frontier rode out of the ranks and shouted to the Jin army on the city wall: "Jin army on the wall, listen up!"

"Our Northern Frontier Army has come here only to pursue and capture the fleeing herdsmen."

"The Ongud tribe had previously submitted to our Northern Frontier, but now they have defected to the Jin Kingdom. You must hand over the Ongud tribe members, or don't blame our Northern Frontier Army for being impolite."

Wanyan Anguo sneered and shouted at the northern border general, "Nonsense!"

"The Wanggu tribe is a vassal tribe of our Great Jin, and has guarded the northern border for our Great Jin for generations. When have they ever submitted to your northern frontier?"

"But you in the Northern Frontier attacked my Great Jin's vassal states without cause, violated my borders, and even dared to turn around and accuse me!"

The general from the northern frontier retorted, "Your Jin Kingdom is breaking the rules by harboring defectors without cause."

"You have two hours to hand over the Wanggu tribe members, or we will launch a full-scale attack on Jiehao."

"Don't think about it!"

Wanyan Anguo roared, "How dare you Northern Frontier Army run wild on the land of my Great Jin?"

"If you're so capable, then come and attack. Let's see if you can break through the fortifications of my Great Jin."

The two sides were locked in a dispute, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Two hours later, a stirring bugle call rang out from the Northern Frontier Army ranks, and the Northern Frontier Army, having finished its rest, began to slowly advance.

The soldiers pushed carts loaded with stones and soil, preparing to fill the trenches first, and the artillery was ready.

"attack."

Wei Xuan, riding his warhorse and brandishing his cavalry saber, shouted sharply.

"Boom boom boom~"

The Battle of Jiehao broke out. This battle not only concerned the survival of the Wanggu tribe, but also affected the safety of the entire northern border of the Jin Dynasty, and even the war situation in Guanzhong and even the whole country.

……

The morning in Zhongdu, the capital of the Jin Dynasty, was broken by the sound of rapid hoofbeats.

A fast horse, covered in dust, galloped across the Zhuque Avenue of Zhongdu. The rider on the horse had three "800-li urgent" command flags stuck on his back and kept shouting "Make way! Make way!"

The people on the street quickly made way for them, their faces full of confusion.

"What big thing has happened this time? We just had a batch of urgent express horses a while ago, how come there's another one?"

"Who knows? These past few years have been turbulent. We're fighting the Song Dynasty in the south, and there's trouble from the people of the Northern Frontier in the west. I'm afraid there's more bad news to come."

Amidst the murmurs, the fast horse had already galloped towards the palace and disappeared into the alleyway.

But before long, a piece of news spread like wildfire through the streets of Zhongdu.

The Northern Frontier Army marched south from the southern Gobi Desert and launched a fierce attack on the Jiehao defense line in the northern part of the Jin Dynasty. The Wanggu tribe was almost wiped out, and the remnants fled into the Jin Dynasty to seek help.

As soon as the news came out, the people were in an uproar and gathered in teahouses and markets to discuss it.

"The Northern Frontier Army? The same Northern Frontier Army that destroyed the Xia Kingdom in the west?"

"That's right, it's them!"

"Weren't the people from the northern frontier attacking Guanzhong? How come they've come all the way north?" a scholar in a long robe asked, his face full of surprise.

A merchant who frequently traveled with caravans sighed and said in a low voice, "There are plenty of cavalry in the Northern Frontier; they can attack wherever they want."

"The Xia Kingdom was destroyed by the Northern Frontier people, and the northern desert was also occupied by them. Now the Northern Frontier people are everywhere, and our Jin Kingdom is almost surrounded by them."

"Even the Turkic Khaganate back then wasn't this powerful, was it?"

"That's not all! I heard from the people in the caravan that the fighting was even worse in Guanzhong!"

"The Northern Frontier Army has already captured Xianyang. Now only a few major cities remain, such as Chang'an, Weinan, and Qinzhou. Half of Guanzhong has been lost."

"My God! How could such an important place as Guanzhong be lost so quickly?" someone exclaimed.

The merchant shook his head: "I heard that the Northern Frontier Army is too powerful. General Wanyan Heda's army was completely wiped out."

"Fortunately, the Jin army is doing well in the Central Plains. They won the Battle of Suzhou, killing more than 10,000 Song soldiers and driving them away. They also drove the Song army back to Xiangyang in Tangzhou and Dengzhou."

The mere mention of the Song army immediately lessened the worries on the faces of the people, replacing them with disdain.

A burly man slammed his hand on the table and laughed, "The Song army? They're such cowards, it's no wonder they can't win!"

"My grandfather's generation said that the soldiers of the Song Kingdom were the most vulnerable to attack, and they would only hide in the city and dare not come out!"

“That’s right! We Han people of Zhongdu have never lived a single day like the Song people, generation after generation. We’re not like those cowards from the south.” Another person chimed in, his tone full of disdain.

The people of Zhongdu had lived under the rule of the Liao and Jin dynasties for generations and had no sense of belonging to the Southern Song Dynasty. When they mentioned the Song army, they always spoke with a hint of contempt.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of the streets, the atmosphere inside the palace was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Emperor Wanyan Jing of the Jin Dynasty sat on the dragon throne, his face ashen, the memorial in his hand crumpled in his hand.

His Highness's ministers stood with their heads bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The Jin Dynasty is now in a critical situation: it is still at war with the Song Dynasty in the south, and the Guanzhong Plain in the west has been mostly occupied by the Northern Frontier Army.

The northern defense line was attacked again by the Northern Frontier Army. Even in his hometown in the Northeast, Khitans often caused trouble. He was surrounded by enemies and attacked from both sides.

"The trench defense line must not be lost."

Wanyan Jing finally spoke, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "Issue my decree to mobilize troops from all routes in Hebei and immediately reinforce Jiehao."

"We must stop the Northern Frontier Army and prevent them from breaking through the defenses and threatening Zhongdu."

"Your subject obeys the decree." The Privy Councilor immediately stepped forward to receive the order.

The conversation then turned to the Song Dynasty. As the old rival of the Jin Dynasty, how to deal with the Southern Song's northern expeditions remains an important task that cannot be ignored at present.

A civil official in a scarlet robe slowly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, Han Tuozhou of the Southern Dynasty has always been concerned about 'restoring the Central Plains,' and is in fact a stubborn advocate of war."

"If we want our Great Jin to be safe in the south, we must first eliminate this person."

After saying this, the civil official raised his head, his gaze resolute: "Your Majesty is wise, the Southern Dynasty is not a monolithic entity."

"Han Tuozhou vigorously promoted the Northern Expedition, which depleted the Southern Dynasty's treasury. This had already aroused the dissatisfaction of the pro-peace faction in the court, who hated Han Tuozhou for monopolizing power. Shi Miyuan was the most prominent among them."

"If our Great Jin can secretly contact this person, offer him great benefits, and induce him to launch an attack from within to eliminate Han Tuozhou, it would be a decisive move."

Another official standing nearby chimed in, "That's absolutely right!"

"Han Tuozhou is the core of the Southern Dynasty's Northern Expedition. If he dies or loses power, the Southern Dynasty's pro-war faction will be leaderless, and the morale of the Song army at the front will collapse, leading to chaos without a fight."

"At that time, our Great Jin can divert troops from the southern front to focus on dealing with the chaos in the northern border and the northeast, which is a win-win situation."

Wanyan Jing nodded repeatedly upon hearing this: "What you say is absolutely right, this plan is brilliant."

"It can both prevent our Great Jin from losing troops and undermine the Southern Dynasty's momentum for a northern expedition, making it a perfect strategy."

Subsequently, specific officials were assigned to be in charge of this task.

At this moment, Wanyan Jing changed the subject, his tone becoming heavy: "The most important thing is still Guanzhong."

"The Northern Frontier Army has already captured Xianyang, leaving only Chang'an, Weinan, and Qinzhou. If Guanzhong is lost, the foundation of our Great Jin Kingdom will be unstable."

An old general from Wanyan Gang's faction quickly came out to support Wanyan Gang, fearing that the emperor might consider replacing him at the last minute.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! General Wanyan Gang is a seasoned veteran with great wisdom and resourcefulness. Moreover, the gentry in Guanzhong are united in their efforts to help the Jin army resist the Northern Frontier Army. They will surely be able to hold Chang'an and hold out until reinforcements arrive."

Wanyan Jing nodded, his tone grave, and asked, "What about the reinforcements? Where are the reinforcements I dispatched earlier?"

The veteran general quickly replied, "A military report just arrived; reinforcements have reached Tongguan."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Jing breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Upon learning of the Northern Frontier Army's southward advance and Wanyan Heda's defeat, he overruled objections and insisted on drawing 30,000 elite infantry and cavalry from the Central Plains battlefield, where the Song army was fighting, to support Guanzhong.

They believed that the Northern Frontier Army was the biggest threat, while the Song army was merely a minor ailment.

Facts proved his decision to be correct: even with the reduced strength of the Jin army in the Central Plains, they still killed more than 10,000 Song soldiers in the Battle of Suzhou, forcing the Song army to flee.

The Jin army in the central route achieved a decisive victory against the Song army with fewer troops along the Tangzhou and Dengzhou line, and the Jin army in the Central Plains began to shift from defense to offense.

"Good! Good!"

Wanyan Jing finally smiled, his tense shoulders relaxing: "As long as reinforcements can arrive in Chang'an in time, there is still a chance for the battle of Guanzhong to turn around!"

"No matter how capable the Northern Frontier Army is, it cannot withstand the counterattack of my Great Jin's elite troops."

(End of this chapter)