The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 352 The Southern Frontier Uprising: Revenge Against the Liao Kingdom
In September, the Qin state had a bountiful harvest.

In Jinzhou, the pasture grass is growing well, and herdsmen are driving herds of cattle and sheep out of the pen; in Gansu, the wheat fields are golden and the chestnut ears are full and heavy; in Xizhou, the melons and fruits are piled up in the market, and in Lingzhou, the new grain has been stored in the granary.

As reports of victories from various regions reached Longcheng, Li Xiao, though delighted, cautiously ordered the Imperial Guards to investigate in different areas.

Several days later, the Imperial Guards reported that the weather was favorable across the country, with no large-scale natural disasters and a bountiful harvest. Only then did Li Xiao feel completely relieved.

He ordered that all grain, except for necessary expenditures, be stored in warehouses to prepare for possible battles in the coming year.

In mid-September, Longcheng celebrated another joyous occasion – the wedding of Sanbao.

Sanbao's fiancée was from Mizhi in Guanzhong. Her family background was not particularly prominent. The girl's brother was originally a low-ranking general in the Jin Dynasty. After being defeated and captured, he surrendered to the Northern Frontier Army.

Despite his military achievements, he only rose to the rank of deputy captain thanks to the opportunity of military expansion, making him a true "humble" figure.

But the girl was beautiful and gentle, and Sanbao fell in love with her at first sight, determined to marry no one else.

Li Xiao not only did not stop them, but also personally officiated at their wedding. What he valued was not their social status, but the significance behind the marriage.

By forging marriage alliances with the surrendered Jin soldiers, they sent a message of "treating everyone equally" to all the Jin soldiers who surrendered.

Let them know that as long as they make contributions to the northern frontier, even if they come from humble backgrounds, they can establish a connection with the Li family, thereby stabilizing the hearts of the surrendered soldiers and encouraging them to serve the Qin Dynasty.

On the wedding day, Longcheng was as lively as when Erbao got married, and many representatives of the surrendered Jin soldiers also came.

They watched as Sanbao and his bride exchanged vows, their eyes filled with envy and emotion, secretly glad that they had chosen to submit.

In the northern frontier, as long as you have the ability and are willing to put in the effort, you can gain respect and opportunities, regardless of your background or social status. This is a treatment that was never seen in the Jin Dynasty.

Time flies, and winter is here in the blink of an eye.

The land of Jinzhou was covered in snow, with snow covering thousands of miles and the snow accumulation reaching more than two feet thick.

Despite the biting cold wind, bad news came from Hexibao.

The old lady ultimately did not survive the winter. Not long after the New Year, she passed away peacefully in her sleep.

The old lady had suffered hardships in Jinzhou with the Li family in her early years, but later, as Li Xiao rose to prominence, she finally enjoyed a few years of happiness.

Now that all his grandsons have gotten married and he has several great-grandsons, he has no more worries and passed away peacefully.

When the news spread, the entire city of Longcheng was in solemn silence. White banners were hung inside and outside the Prince's Palace, and the funeral was held in an extremely grand manner.

Li Xiao buried the old lady with the rites due to an empress dowager. Officials and generals from various prefectures in the northern frontier rushed to pay their respects. Even Da Hu, who was far away in the northern desert, and Er Hu, who was in Yili, hurried back to Longcheng.

At the funeral, Li Xiao, dressed in plain clothes, personally carried the coffin, his eyes filled with grief.

After the old lady passed away, the old man's spirits also collapsed.

In the past, he always loved to forge iron in the backyard or herd sheep to graze by the river, but now he can no longer muster the energy for it.

He sits in front of the door all day basking in the sun, staring blankly into the distance, occasionally muttering to himself, calling out the old lady's name.

Li Xiao saw it all and felt the pain in his heart, but there was nothing he could do.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural laws that no one can prevent.

Taking advantage of the winter when the war was over and he was not busy with official duties, he often put down his work to stay by his father's side, talk to him, or sit quietly, to show his filial piety.

As winter fades and spring arrives, the land in Jinzhou, Yinshan and other places gradually thaws. Some of these lands are only harvested once a year, making it the perfect time for spring plowing.

On the ridges of the fields, farmers drove oxen to plow the land and sow seeds.

Meanwhile, within the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, the serfs enslaved by the nobles were also busy farming under the supervision of their lords, and even reclaiming wasteland.

Because of Erhu's repeated military campaigns, the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate submitted to the Qin state and had to pay a large amount of grain tribute every year.

These grain quotas were then distributed among all the nobles, who in turn forced the serfs to increase production and expand the cultivated area in order to ensure that their own income would not decrease with the introduction of tribute grain.

Just as the entire Eastern Karakhanid Khanate was busy with farming, an urgent message suddenly came from the Ili General's Office.

A Liao army has crossed the Qin defense line and entered the territory of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate. The Eastern Karakhanid Khanate army is ordered to intercept it immediately and prevent the Liao army from escaping.

Gumo City was originally located in the heart of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, but now it has become a border city.

A thousand miles to the west, passing through four or five cities, lies Kashgar, the capital of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

When the news reached Gumo City, the city lord Ali, who was also the younger brother of the ruler of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, was immediately surprised and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"The Northern Frontier Army has always prided itself on being invincible. How could they allow the Liao army to break through their defenses?"

"Besides, the Liao royal court is in the west, so how could the Liao army come from the north?"

He summoned the nobles in the city to discuss the matter, and one of the feudal lords spoke up first: "Could it be that the Liao army fought a major battle with the Northern Frontier army, and after being defeated, their retreat was cut off, and they could not return to the royal court, so they could only flee to our side?"

These words were immediately accepted by everyone, after all, the fighting strength of the Northern Frontier Army was obvious to all, and it was reasonable for the Liao army to be defeated and flee.

However, the nobles were divided into two factions on the question of whether to intercept them.

Fearing the power of the Northern Frontier, they repeatedly said, "The people of the Northern Frontier are powerful. If we don't follow their orders, they will definitely blame us."

"We'll be in deep trouble then, we have to intercept them!"

The other side, however, was filled with indignation and slammed their fists on the table, retorting: "Interception?"

"The people from the northern frontier have frequently come here to plunder over the years, killing countless compatriots and abducting countless women. This blood debt has not yet been settled, so how can we help our enemies?"

"Besides, we have no enmity with the Liao Kingdom. In the past, we were a vassal state of the Liao Kingdom. If we intercept the Liao army, wouldn't we be completely offending the Liao Kingdom?"

This makes sense. In its early years, the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate had helped the Liao Dynasty attack the northern frontier on several occasions, but was defeated by the northern frontier army each time.

Later, under the military pressure from the Northern Frontier, and because the Liao Dynasty was too weak to protect it, and because it repeatedly increased taxes on the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, the Liao Dynasty had no choice but to submit to the Northern Frontier.

They ceded territory, made peace through marriage alliances, and paid reparations, but they showed no loyalty to the northern frontier and had no irreconcilable grudges against the Liao Dynasty, so naturally they were unwilling to offend the Liao Dynasty again.

"But what if the people of the Northern Frontier blame us?" the nobles, who were afraid of the Northern Frontier, asked again.

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events and argued fiercely, giving Ali, the city lord of Gumo, a headache.

Finally, he slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "Stop arguing. Just do as the Northern Frontier people order. Send troops to intercept them, but focus on defending the city. Do not launch any offensive attacks."

These words, seemingly in agreement with the northern frontier, are actually a delaying tactic.

On the surface, they made a show of interception, so that the people of the northern frontier could not find fault with them, but they would not actually fight the Liao army head-on, thus avoiding offending the Liao Kingdom.

The nobles were all satisfied and knew that this was the safest solution at the moment, so they all dispersed.

But as soon as everyone left, the city lord summoned his confidants and secretly called in several nobles who had resolutely opposed intercepting the Liao army at the meeting.

After the door closed, his first words stunned everyone: "We cannot stop the Liao army; instead, we must help them escape. We must not let them fall into the hands of the Northern Frontier people."

It turns out that the city lord was a staunch advocate of war and had long been disgusted by the arrogance and domineering nature of the people of the Northern Frontier. However, he had no choice but to submit outwardly due to the powerful military force of the Northern Frontier, while secretly seeking an opportunity to take revenge.

"The people of the northern frontier have killed my people, robbed my property, and humiliated my women; their blood debts are countless!"

Ali's voice was filled with anger: "They are powerful now, so we can only lie low for the time being, but one day, we will make the people of Northern Xinjiang pay for their blood debts!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up instantly.

They had long harbored resentment towards the northern frontier, but dared not express it.

Afterwards, the city lord and the others discussed in hushed tones how to feign an interception while secretly guiding the Liao army to their retreat.

How to secretly allocate grain and fodder to support the Liao army; how to cover up the traces so that the people of the northern frontier would not discover the flaws...

In the fields outside Gumo City, serfs, dressed in tattered hemp clothes, walked barefoot in the thawed mud, holding rough wooden plows, struggling forward under the whips of noble lackeys.

"Hurry up! If you dawdle and don't finish tilling this acre before dark, you can forget about dinner tonight!"

A burly lackey with a fierce face brandished a leather whip and lashed it hard across the back of a skinny serf.

The serf grimaced in pain, but dared not stop. He could only plead in a low voice, "Sir, please be gentle. I... I really can't walk anymore."

The surrounding serfs all had their heads down, their eyes filled with fear and numbness.

They had long been accustomed to this kind of life, and any slackening would be met with whips and insults.

Just then, a deep rumble suddenly came from afar.

"Boom~"

Immediately afterwards, a sandstorm rolled in, obscuring the sky and blocking out much of the sunlight.

Both the serfs and the guards were stunned, and they all raised their heads to look into the distance.

"what is that?"

A troop of cavalry was seen galloping towards the fields, with two flags fluttering at the front.

One side features a tiger design, while the other side is printed with a large "Liao" character.

"It's...it's the Liao army!" The lackey wielding the whip turned deathly pale instantly, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

In his early years, he followed his master in response to the royal court's call to arms and assisted the royal army in foreign campaigns.

At a glance, it was recognized that the flag represented the Tiger Cavalry of the Pishi Army, the most elite force of the Liao royal court.

"Liao army~"

"The Liao army is here!"

"Stay here and don't move!" the lackey yelled.

He threw away the whip, turned around and ran towards Gumo City, tumbling and crawling, all traces of his previous arrogance gone.

The serfs panicked completely. Some grabbed their children and hid in the ditch, while others ran wildly toward the distant village, shouting, "The Liao army is coming! They're going to kill us!"

But how could they outrun the cavalry?

The Liao cavalry quickly rushed into the fields and chased all the serfs together like rabbits.

"Hahaha! Run! Go ahead and run!"

A Liao cavalryman laughed loudly, leaned down from his horse, grabbed the clothes of a fleeing woman, and pulled her onto the horse.

He pressed himself against her, his rough hands groping her body wantonly.

The woman screamed and struggled in terror, but the cavalry held her down firmly, leaving her only able to cry helplessly.

The cavalryman grinned and shouted to his companion, "I've lived for over twenty years, always acting like a grandson in front of officials. Today I realize how enjoyable it is to be a 'bandit'!"

Interestingly, these "Liao soldiers," though dressed in Khitan clothing, spoke fluent Guanzhong Mandarin. They were not actual Liao soldiers, but rather captured soldiers from the Jin dynasty who were being sent to Yili to guard the border.

The army was mostly composed of bachelors, and over time, morale began to waver.

In order to stabilize morale and to get the soldiers to "solve practical problems," they disguised themselves as Liao troops and marched south to raid the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

"Look at this woman from the Western Regions, she's really beautiful, and her skin is much fairer than the women from Guanzhong!"

A soldier stroked the woman's cheek in his arms and said with a smile, "Her eyes are like sapphires, so beautiful!"

"you do not say!"

Another soldier chimed in, "The men of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate are a bunch of cowards. They run away as soon as they see us and can't even protect their own women."

"If we had known these Western Region countries were so weak, we should have come sooner. It would have been much more comfortable than fighting in Guanzhong!"

"Brothers, give it your all!"

A minor leader in the group shouted, "The general said that whoever steals the most today will not only receive a reward but also get priority in choosing a wife."

"Let's plunder more gold, silver, and grain, and capture more women so we can go back and have a good time!"

The soldiers were thrilled and looted even more frantically.

It's true that soldiers and bandits are one family; even back in the Central Plains, their military discipline wasn't exactly good.

They just don't dare to be too unrestrained; they can only unleash their true nature when they are fighting against foreign powers, but such opportunities are few and far between.

Now that we've arrived in the Western Regions, there are many opportunities.

Soon after, these scattered "Khitan cavalry" gathered at the foot of Gumo City, numbering more than 5,000.

They surrounded Gumo City, their momentum menacing.

On the city wall, Ali, the lord of Gumo City, was pale-faced as he shouted to the people below: "Fellow warriors of the Liao army!"

"We are willing to hand over the money and grain in the city, only asking that you withdraw your troops."

“The army of the Northern Frontier will be here soon. If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to leave.”

In the distance, a burly general, upon hearing this, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He was none other than Xiao Chilu, the deputy commander of the Fifth Garrison, and the leader of the disguised Liao army.

"These idiots actually mistook us for the Liao army!"

Xiao Chilu shouted to the soldiers around him, "Brothers, let these green-haired pigs see the might of our 'Great Liao Skin Chamber Army'!"

"After the city falls, you can loot gold, silver, and grain at will, and choose any woman you like!"

"kill!"

"Charge! Break through the city!"

The soldiers shouted in unison and pushed the siege ladders toward the city wall.

The soldiers of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate on the city wall were of average fighting strength to begin with, and when they saw the enemy's fierce attack, they were quickly routed.

Before long, the city gates of Gumo were breached, and the Liao army swarmed in, beginning to plunder the city.

Gold and silver jewelry were stuffed into sacks, grain was loaded onto carts, and women in the city were forcibly dragged away, their screams echoing throughout the city.

Xiao Chilu led his men into the mansion of City Lord Ali and arrested Ali and all the nobles in the mansion.

"Bring all the women out of the manor!"

“The ordinary ones will be given to the meritorious brothers, the good ones will be kept for our own use, and we will also pick a few of the best ones to send to the commander-in-chief and the king.”

The soldiers immediately rushed into the inner courtyard and dragged the women out of Ali's residence one by one.

These noblewomen had fair skin and were dressed in gorgeous clothes. They were even more charming than the serf women, which made the soldiers stare in disbelief.

Ali trembled with rage as he watched his family being humiliated, but the soldiers pinned him to the ground, leaving him no strength to resist. He could only watch helplessly as his home was looted and his loved ones were bullied.

He cried out in grief and indignation, "Beast! Beast!"

Xiao Chilu looked down at him and said in fluent and standard Khitan: "I am Bahushadi, the Tiger General of the Great Liao Dynasty. I have been ordered by His Majesty the Liao Emperor to punish you, the traitor who betrayed the Great Liao and defected to the northern frontier!"

He stepped on Ali's back and crushed him forcefully: "If it weren't for the protection of the Liao Dynasty, your Karakhanid Khanate would have been annexed by the Western Regions long ago."

"Now look at you! Seeing the power of the Northern Frontier, you've forgotten your former master and turned to your enemies. Such disloyal and unjust people deserve to die!"

Xiao Chilu was originally a Khitan, and now, disguised as a Liao soldier, he had already practiced these few Khitan phrases and his own identity statement so well that they were enough to fool the real person.

"Drag it!"

Xiao Chilu was too lazy to waste any more words with him and ordered the soldiers: "Behead all the nobles in the city. They're useless."

"Find a survivor and have him send Ali's head to Kashgar to tell their ruler, Kutlugh, that he either obediently submits to the Liao Dynasty or waits for the Liao cavalry to crush Kashgar!"

After resting, this "Liaoning army" continued south, heading towards Kashgar.

Soon after, the crimson sun and moon battle flag swept across the land, and the army of the Second Northern Frontier Garrison arrived, took over the prisoner-of-war camp, and brought all the women and serfs back to Yili.

Young and strong serfs were assigned to state-owned mines to supplement the mine's labor force; women were given as rewards to meritorious soldiers.

The news quickly reached Kashgar, and when Gudulu looked at his brother's head, a barely perceptible gleam of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

When Ali fought him for the throne, it caused quite a stir. Although he eventually won, he did not dare to kill Ali easily and could only exile him to Gumo.

He had originally planned to use the people of the Northern Frontier to get rid of him, but unexpectedly, the people of the Northern Frontier did not come, and the "Liao Army" helped him get rid of this major threat first.

But he quickly composed himself, his face showing a look of utter grief, and cried out to the assembled officials, "The Khitans have gone too far in bullying us!"

"How dare you kill Ali and invade my territory! This is an irreconcilable enmity!"

The nobles in the court were also filled with righteous indignation. One nobleman stood up and said, "Your Majesty! The Northern Frontier Army is powerful. We can't defeat them, but surely we can defeat this Liao army?"

"This Liao army is nothing more than defeated dogs from the Northern Frontier Army, who fled to our Khanate with nowhere to go."

"The Liao Kingdom is no longer the Khitan cavalry that swept across the world back then. In recent years, they have been subdued by the people of the northern frontier, but now they come to bully us. They are simply bullying the weak and fearing the strong."

"Why don't we gather a large army and ambush them in Uqturpan to block this Liao army? As long as we hold out until reinforcements from the northern frontier arrive, we will be able to encircle and annihilate them."

These words were met with approval from many nobles, who echoed the call to fight the Liao army.

But Gudulu frowned; he did not want to completely break ties with the Liao Kingdom.

His strategy has always been to oscillate between the Liao Kingdom and the Northern Frontier, trying not to offend either while seeking to gain benefits from both.

After a moment's thought, Gudulu said, "It is necessary to send troops to resist, but we must not completely break with the Liao Kingdom."

He ordered: "My son Muhammad is to lead an army of 20,000 to garrison the city of Uqturpan. He must block the Liao army and force them to retreat and return to Liao. They must not launch an attack, lest it escalate the conflict."

Subsequently, he secretly sent two groups of people: one group went to Yili to ask the Northern Frontier Army for help, complaining about the brutality of the "Liaoning Army" and requesting the Northern Frontier to send troops to assist.

Another group of people, carrying a large amount of gold and silver jewelry, secretly went to the "Liao Army" camp to explain to "General Bahushadi" that the submission of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate to the northern frontier was "out of necessity".

They were willing to offer money and grain as an apology, hoping that the Liao Kingdom would "show leniency."

But just half a month later, news came from Uqturpan that the city had fallen.

The crown prince of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, Muhammad, was personally beheaded by the Liao Dynasty's Tiger General, Bahushadi, and the city's garrison scattered and fled.

Immediately afterwards, Li Ao, the commander of the Fifth Garrison of the Northern Frontier, led the Northern Frontier Army to arrive and 'defeated' this Liao army.

In Kashgar, Kutlugh was waiting in the palace for good news that his son had persuaded the "Liao army" to retreat, but he did not expect to receive the bad news that Muhammad had died in battle and that the city of Uqturpan had fallen.

He watched as his son's head was returned, and his vision went black. He collapsed onto his throne, overcome with grief.

Muhammad was his most valued son. He had planned to let his son gain experience in Uqturpan and inherit the throne in the future, but now he has ended up like this!
"Why...why is this happening!"

Gudulu beat his chest and stamped his feet, his eyes filled with resentment: "I have already retreated to this extent, unwilling to be enemies with the Liao Kingdom, why do they still want to kill my son?"

He vented all his anger on the Liao Kingdom and immediately sent someone to Uqturpan to request an audience with Li Ao.

Li Ao was his youngest son-in-law, and he had taken his youngest daughter as a concubine. He thought that because of this relationship, Li Ao would stand up for him.

"Commander Li, I beg you to hand over Bahusha to me!"

The messenger of Kutlugh cried to Li Ao, "He killed His Highness the Crown Prince! The Great Sultan will have him torn to pieces to avenge the Crown Prince!"

Li Ao smiled disdainfully: "Bahushadi is a prisoner of my Northern Frontier Army. I, the Commander, am to escort him to Longcheng and hand him over to the King for disposal. I cannot hand him over to you."

The envoy wanted to argue further, but Li Ao dropped an even more shocking bombshell: "Not only can Bahushadi not be handed over, but the women and prisoners of war who were plundered by the Liao army are now spoils of war for the Northern Frontier Army and will not be returned to the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate."

"In addition, the Northern Xinjiang Army's deployment to rescue the troops this time consumed a large amount of food and military equipment. The Eastern Karakhanid Kingdom needs to pay 200,000 shi of grain and 50,000 taels of silver as labor costs. Otherwise, the Northern Xinjiang Army will not withdraw from Uqturpan."

The envoy was dumbfounded and was about to retort when Li Ao changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat mocking.

"Furthermore, Bendu learned from the captured Liao soldiers that the King of Kutlug had secretly colluded with the Liao army and offered money and grain as an apology."

"This commander-in-chief is very angry about this, extremely furious!"

"I've heard that Consort Fatima in the King's palace is exceptionally beautiful. If she could come to Ush City and help me 'cool down,' perhaps I could put in a good word for your King before the Emperor."

The envoy was so frightened that he trembled all over and hurriedly returned to Kashgar to relay Li Ao's words to Gutlugh.

"Shameless! The people of northern Xinjiang are utterly shameless."

Upon hearing this, Gu Dulu was so angry that he trembled all over and smashed the teacup in his hand.

But after the anger, there was even more fear.

Uqturpan is only 300 li away from Kashgar. If the Northern Xinjiang army were to set out from Uqturpan, it could reach the capital in less than five days. The Eastern Karakhanid Khanate would be unable to resist it.

He knew full well that the people of northern Xinjiang were using the guise of "rescue" to take advantage of the situation and exploit the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, but he was powerless to resist.

In the end, Kutlugh had no choice but to accept it. He ordered 200,000 shi of grain and 50,000 taels of silver to be transferred from the national treasury. He also selected 100 young women and sent them, along with his concubine Fatima, to Uqturpan, hoping that the Northern Frontier Army could withdraw as soon as possible.

But he was still unwilling to give up. After much thought, he decided to send someone to Longcheng to meet with Prince Qin, Li Xiao.

Li Xiao was his eldest son-in-law, and he took his eldest daughter as a concubine. Perhaps out of consideration for the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law, he could stand up for him, punish the Liao Kingdom, and make Li Ao more restrained.

"Reporting to the King of Qin."

Kutlug instructed the envoy, "The Liao Kingdom has gone too far, killing my crown prince and invading our territory. I beg the Prince of Qin to uphold justice for the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate!"

(End of this chapter)