The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 353 The Emperor of Jin Passes Away, the Western Expedition Begins! The Western Expedition!

The atmosphere in the study of the Prince of Qin's mansion in Longcheng was so oppressive that it was suffocating.

Princess Khadiche of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate knelt on the cold ground, her forehead pressed against the leg of the desk, her voice trembling with tears as she accused the Liao army of atrocities.

"Your Majesty, the Liao people have gone too far."

“They killed my brother Muhammad, breached the city of Uqturpan, and plundered the people. I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate and send troops to attack the Liao Kingdom.”

She deliberately avoided the details of "the Liao army crossing the northern border defense line".

Because the person in charge of the Yili defense line was Li Xiao's younger brother, Erhu, she knew very well that she was just a pawn brought here for a political marriage. She was not favored and had no children, so she dared not offend Li Xiao's relatives.

She could only cry out in vain what could move Li Xiao, hoping to use the power of the Northern Frontier to avenge her family.

The delegation from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate had been in Longcheng for several days, but Li Xiao had left them hanging. With nowhere else to turn, they could only beg Hetiche to speak on their behalf to Li Xiao.

No matter how much she cried and pleaded, Li Xiao remained seated in his armchair, expressionless and silent.

Erhu had already reported the situation of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate to him in detail.

The so-called "Liao army" was actually a group of surrendered Jin soldiers led by Xiao Chilu in disguise. Their purpose was to solve the "family problems" of the border guards and, incidentally, weaken the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

He had already planned the destruction of the Liao Kingdom, and was only lacking a suitable excuse.

"Your Majesty, please do justice for me!"

Hettiche cried, and seeing that Li Xiao remained unmoved, she steeled herself and used her last resort.

She knelt down and lifted the curtain in front of the desk, then shrank under it. Soon, sparse, soft sounds filled the study.

Not long after, a guard's voice came from outside the study: "Your Majesty, Prince Yelü requests an audience, saying he has urgent matters to report."

Yelü Jin had already heard the news of the Liao army's attack on the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate and knew that the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate's delegation had arrived in Longcheng.

Although she had a terrible relationship with her father, Yelü Zhilugu, and even blamed him for her mother's death, she was still a princess of the Liao Kingdom and did not want to see the Qin Kingdom and the Liao Kingdom go to war again.

Upon learning that Hettiche had entered the study, fearing that Hettiche would persuade Li Xiao first, she disregarded etiquette and hurriedly had her guards announce her arrival.

Li Xiao frowned, but didn't let Hettiche come out. He simply said to the door, "Let her in."

Yelü Jin strode into the study, her gaze sweeping around. She didn't see Heditch, but she heard a faint rustling sound coming from under the desk.

She instantly understood what was happening and cursed inwardly, "You bitch."

However, he dared not reveal his thoughts and quickly stepped forward to bow to Li Xiao, explaining in rapid succession, "Your Majesty, there must be a misunderstanding regarding the Karakhanid Khanate."

"Over the years, the royal court and my Qin state have always been at peace. There has never been a war between them, let alone any possibility of the royal court sending troops to attack the Karakhanid Khanate."

"General Bahushadi has always been stationed on the front line of the Ili River, how could he possibly have gone to the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate?"

"Someone must be impersonating the Liao army to deliberately sow discord between Qin and Liao."

Li Xiao leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, still remaining silent.

Yelü Jin knew that Li Xiao's attitude would determine the future of Qin Liao, and she absolutely could not let Hetice gain the upper hand.

She gritted her teeth and knelt down, glancing at the area under the desk. Then, mimicking Hettiche, she began to vie for Li Xiao's "favor."

The sounds in the study grew louder; the competition between the two women was silent yet intense.

After a long while, Li Xiao finally spoke, his voice tinged with languor: "If you want me to not pursue the Liao Kingdom's responsibility, that's fine too."

"Let Yelü Zhilugu hand over General Bahushadi, and I will forgive his offense this time."

Hediche, who was under the desk, was startled and subconsciously looked up: "Your Majesty, wasn't Bahushadi captured by the Second Master? Why does the Liao Kingdom still need to pay tribute..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Xiao suddenly lowered his head, grabbed her hair tightly as if he were angry and embarrassed, and snorted.

"What we caught was fake."

"The real Bahushadi has long since changed into ordinary soldiers' clothes and fled back to Liao. You can't even tell the difference in such a small matter, yet you have the nerve to come and beg me?"

Hettiche's stammering voice grew louder, and he was so frightened that he trembled and dared not speak again.

Little did she know, this was just Li Xiao's excuse.

As long as Yelü Zhilugu has any sense, he will never hand over a general, and this "refusal to hand over the person" is the best excuse to start a war in the northern frontier.

Half a month later, the envoy from the northern frontier arrived at the Liao royal court. In front of Yelü Zhilugu, he sternly accused the Liao army of invading the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate and killing civilians, and demanded that the Liao immediately hand over the "culprit," Bahushadi.

Yelü Zhilugu was completely dumbfounded.

Bahushadi was indeed on the front line of the Ili River, responsible for fighting against the Northern Xinjiang Army.

But he never received any reports of Bahushadi attacking the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate. Moreover, Bahushadi was stationed on the northern border, so how could he have gone to the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate in the east?
He suppressed his doubts, reassured the envoy, and then immediately sent someone to the front line of the Ili River to verify the information.

A few days later, news came back: the Ili River defense line was calm and peaceful, and no war had broken out. Bahushadi had never led the Tiger Division Pishi Army out of the defense zone.

Yelü Zhilugu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately found the envoy from the Northern Frontier to explain that it was a misunderstanding and to ask the envoy to go back and explain the situation to Li Xiao.

But the envoy wouldn't listen at all, and said in a cold tone, "The will of the King of Qin is that you hand over Bahushadi."

"If you do not hand it over, you will be disobeying the king, and our country will surely send troops to wipe out the royal court."

Despite the officials' best efforts to persuade him, the envoy remained unyielding and insisted on handing over the Bahusha region.

Finally, Yelü Zhilugu was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Insolence!"

"I am the mighty Emperor of the Great Liao Dynasty. When did I become a traitor?"

"Li Xiao is the traitor."

“You barbarians were nothing more than servants of the Liao Dynasty who were stationed in Jinzhou to raise horses. Now that you have grown too powerful, you have repeatedly humiliated the Liao Dynasty. This is simply outrageous.”

After the Battle of the Seven Rivers, Yelü Zhilugu returned to the royal court and devoted himself to governing the country: consolidating power internally and encouraging childbirth to restore the population.

It allied with the Western Karakhanid Khanate and Khwarazm to launch a war against the Ghurid Kingdom, implementing the "Northern Loss, Southern Compensation" plan.

They plundered vast amounts of gold, silver, women, and slaves from the Kingdom of Ghur, replenishing the national treasury and building a new army, thus restoring their strength considerably.

That is why he had the confidence to refute the tough stance of the northern border region.

"You want me to hand over the people? Absolutely not!"

Yelü Zhilugu roared and ordered the envoy from the northern frontier to be taken out and beheaded: "If Li Xiao dares to come, I will make him taste the might of the Liao cavalry."

"Our Liao army is no longer the army that was bullied and humiliated at Qihe six years ago!"

"The great Liao Dynasty left by our ancestors will surely regain its glory in my hands."

Hearing Yelü Zhilugu's furious roar, the young Khitan generals in the hall were filled with fervor and echoed his words loudly.

"I am willing to die for Your Majesty."

"Recover the northern frontier and restore the glory of the Liao Dynasty."

"This humble general is willing to lead the army and cut off the head of the treacherous dog Li Xiao."

The young generals, who had regained their confidence after the defeat of the Kingdom of Ghur, were full of fighting spirit, but some veteran ministers who had experienced the Battle of the Seven Rivers looked worried.

They were well aware of the Northern Frontier Army's fighting strength. Although the Liao Kingdom had recovered, it was still no match for the Northern Frontier Army. If they rashly started a war, they feared they would repeat the same mistakes.

At this moment, Yelü Zhilugu was in a fit of anger, and no one dared to step forward to dissuade him, but that did not stop them from hedging their bets.

Soon, news of the Northern Frontier envoy's murder spread like wildfire, reaching Longcheng the very next day through the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) spies among Liao officials.

Holding the secret report about the murder of the Northern Frontier envoy, Li Xiao's face instantly turned frosty. He slammed the report onto the desk, his voice so cold it could freeze the air.

"Yelü Zhilugu has some nerve. I gave him a chance, but he dared to kill my messenger. He's really tired of living."

The air in the study froze instantly, and the guards outside the door were so frightened that they dared not breathe.

Li Xiao stood up, pacing back and forth, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "Pass on my order, beat the drums and gather the generals!"

"Prepare for the western expedition; we will not return until the Liao Kingdom is defeated!"

"As ordered."

The guard responded and quickly turned to relay the order.

Li Xiao walked to the window, looked in the direction of Hu Siwo's ears, and a resolute smile appeared on his lips.

He had been preparing for the plan to destroy the Liao Kingdom for many years. Now that Yelü Zhilugu had personally provided the reason for war, it was the perfect opportunity to wipe out this major threat in one fell swoop and completely bring the Western Regions into the territory of the Qin Dynasty.

At this moment, in a room in the backyard of the Prince's mansion, Yelü Jin was playing with her daughter.

Upon learning of the assassination of the envoy from the northern frontier and that Li Xiao had ordered a western expedition, she paused in her actions, sighed heavily, and her eyes were filled with sorrow: "In the end, it has come to this..."

She wasn't unaware that the Western Regions couldn't accommodate two hegemons, Qin and Liao.

Since the Battle of the Seven Rivers, both sides have been secretly accumulating strength in preparation for this day.

Over the years, she deliberately avoided facing the possibility of war between Qin and Liao, but now, what was bound to happen has finally happened.

Clinging to her last glimmer of hope, Yelü Jin handed her daughter over to her wet nurse and hurriedly went to Xiao Yanyan's residence.

Upon seeing Xiao Yanyan, she no longer addressed her as "Queen," but instead pleaded, "Aunt! Please persuade the King not to wage war against the Liao Kingdom."

"You also have the blood of the Liao royal family flowing in your veins. Do you really want to watch the Liao Kingdom perish?"

Xiao Yanyan was sitting by the window, wiping the golden knife her mother had left her with a handkerchief. Hearing this, she looked up, her eyes cold: "Aunt?"

"Yelü Jin, don't forget, the hatred between the Xiao family of the Six Departments and Yelü Zhilugu is irreconcilable."

“My brother died because of him. I have been waiting for the day to destroy the Liao Kingdom for six years.”

She put down the golden knife, her tone firm: "You don't need to beg me. I won't persuade the king; on the contrary, I will support him—Yelü Zhilugu's kingdom was destined to perish!"

Seeing Xiao Yanyan's resolute expression, Yelü Jin knew that his pleas were in vain.

She stood up dejectedly, muttering, "I know... I was asking for too much."

Having said that, she turned and slowly left. She had done everything she could; the rest was up to fate. Stepping out of Xiao Yanyan's courtyard, Yelü Jin was filled with despair.

She knew better than anyone the terrifying fighting power of the Northern Frontier Army: conquering the northern grasslands, destroying the Xia Kingdom, annihilating the Jin Kingdom's entire army, and entering and exiting the "monster room" of East Asia seven times. Its fighting power had long surpassed that of the Western Regions.

Although the Liao Dynasty achieved some victories in Khorasan and Transoxiana, the Ghurid and Khwarazmian Empires were no match for the Jin and Xia Dynasties.

The Liao Kingdom was far weaker than the Qin Kingdom, and its future looked bleak.

Just then, Hertic suddenly emerged from the side corridor, blocking her path with a mocking smile: "Oh, isn't this the princess of Liao?"

"What, even after pleading with the Queen, you still couldn't stop the King's western expedition?"

"I think you should just accept your fate. The Liao Kingdom will fall sooner or later, and you, a princess of a fallen kingdom, don't know who you'll rely on to survive in the future!"

"After the Liao Dynasty is destroyed, my Karakhanid Khanate will definitely settle accounts with your Yelü family for the decades of humiliation."

Yelü Jin stopped and gave her a cold look. Without arguing, she walked past Hetich and left.

This matter quickly reached Xiao Yanyan's ears.

Upon learning that Hetichi had mocked Yelü Jin, insulted the Liao Dynasty, and insulted the Yelü clan, she immediately showed displeasure and ordered, "Guards!"

"Bring Hattic to my yard and give him twenty slaps!"

Although she hated Yelü Zhilugu, she could not tolerate outsiders insulting the bloodline of the Khitan royal family.

"No matter how fiercely Qin and Liao fight, no matter how the Xiao family and the Yelü family struggle, it is our own business. How can we allow a lowly woman from the Karakhanid Khanate to slander us?"

Hettice was beaten until his face was red, screaming and begging for mercy, full of regret.

They thought the Liao Dynasty was about to fall and that Yelü Jin would be easy to bully, but unexpectedly, the Queen would stand up for Yelü Jin.

So, he's the only outsider in the entire Prince's mansion?
In the days that followed, Longcheng and the entire northern frontier entered a state of intense preparation for war.

In the barracks, the soldiers intensified their training, and the air was thick with the killing intent amidst the flashing swords.

In the workshop, craftsmen worked day and night to produce weapons and armor, with cannons and arrows piled up like mountains.

At the post station, messengers rode swiftly, delivering military orders one after another.

Along the grain transport route, convoys carrying grain and fodder traveled in an endless stream, heading towards the border.

Li Xiao shuttled between the military camp and the imperial court every day, convening his generals to discuss matters and personally formulating plans for the western expedition, allocating troops and supplies.

This western expedition was not only to destroy the Liao Kingdom, but also to establish the Qin Dynasty's hegemonic position in the Western Regions and lay a solid foundation for future expansion into the far west.

In the imperial palace of the Jin Dynasty's central capital, a strong smell of medicine permeated the air.

Wanyan Jing lay on his sickbed, his face ashen and his breathing weak. His once bright eyes were now clouded and he barely had the strength to lift his hand.

This emperor, who brought the Jin Dynasty to its zenith, has reached the end of his life.

Outside the bedchamber, Consort Yuan, Li Shi'er, paced anxiously. Her usual arrogant and domineering demeanor, fueled by Wanyan Jing's favor, had vanished without a trace, replaced by an undisguised panic.

She raised her hand to touch her temple, her fingertips icy cold. She had no son, and what was worse, Wanyan Jing didn't even have a single living prince.

Currently, only Consort Jia and Consort Fan are pregnant, but whether their babies will be born safely remains to be seen.

Once Wanyan Jing passed away, she lost her powerful backer, and even survival in the deep palace became a problem.

"Your Majesty is awake!"

A eunuch announced from inside the palace. Li Shi'er quickly straightened her clothes, rushed into the palace, and threw herself beside the bed, her voice trembling with tears: "Your Majesty, how are you feeling?"

"The imperial physician said you will definitely get better!"

Wanyan Jing slowly opened his eyes, looked at Li Shi'er, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, then waved his hand and said weakly, "Summon...summon important officials and members of the imperial family to the palace..."

Soon, a group of powerful ministers and important members of the imperial family gathered in the sleeping quarters.

Wanyan Jing leaned against the cushions, his breath coming in short gasps, yet he still tried his best to maintain the dignity of an emperor: "I...I don't have much time left...I summoned you all here today for the matter of the succession to the throne."

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the emperor on his sickbed. The future of the Jin Kingdom rested on his word.

"Consort Jia and Consort Fan are carrying the emperor's child."

Wanyan Jing said with difficulty, "If I am about to die, first appoint Prince Wei, Wanyan Yongji, as regent to assist in governing the country. After the two concubines give birth, if they give birth to a prince, then make that prince the emperor."

"If they are all princes, then choose one of them to be made emperor..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a low commotion arose in the hall.

Several princes of the imperial clan showed resentment on their faces, their eyes all turning to Wanyan Yongji, who was standing in the crowd.

King Wei has always been weak and incompetent, so why is he qualified to be regent?
Jealousy and resentment churned in their eyes, but they dared not show it due to Wanyan Jing's authority.

Wanyan Yongji seemed stunned by the sudden appointment, and immediately knelt down, waving his hands repeatedly: "Your Majesty, this is impossible!"

"I am not capable enough, nor do I have enough prestige. I am truly unfit to assume the responsibility of overseeing the country. I beg Your Majesty to choose someone else."

"Besides, Your Majesty is blessed with good fortune and will surely recover. I urge Your Majesty to rescind your order."

As he spoke, he kept kowtowing, and his forehead quickly turned red. His appearance of being "overwhelmed with gratitude yet unable to shoulder the responsibility" made everyone secretly despise him.

But no one knew that Wanyan Jing was precisely attracted to his "incompetence and cowardice".

Now that the Jin state has suffered a major defeat in Guanzhong, its national strength has been damaged, and there are undercurrents within the imperial clan. If a powerful prince is appointed as regent, it will inevitably trigger a power struggle and may even endanger the unborn prince.

Wanyan Yongji was weak and easily controlled, making him a suitable "transitional" figure to buy time for the prince to ascend the throne.

"No need to say more."

Wanyan Jing emphasized, his voice weak yet carrying an undeniable authority: "This is my decree, you must accept it."

Wanyan Yongji pretended to hesitate for a long time before pounding the ground heavily and saying, "Your subject... Your subject obeys the decree and will do his best to assist the prince and protect the Great Jin dynasty."

Seeing Wanyan Yongji accept the appointment, Wanyan Jing breathed a sigh of relief, but his face grew paler and his breathing became rapid.

He suddenly grabbed the hand of a high-ranking official beside him, his eyes filled with resentment and indignation: "I...I am not reconciled!"

"During my reign, I cultivated virtue and rectified official corruption, reduced taxes and levies; externally, I punished powerful enemies and quelled rebellions. The Great Jin Dynasty reached its zenith under my rule..."

Wanyan Jing's voice trembled: "But unfortunately... unfortunately, that brat Li Xiao from the Northern Frontier ruined all my hard work."

"In the Battle of Guanzhong, our Jin army was almost completely wiped out, leaving only a small piece of land in Weinan to barely survive!"

He continued, panting heavily, "In the past two years, I have worked diligently to govern the country and allow it to recuperate, hoping to build up my strength so that in two years I can launch a western expedition to reclaim Guanzhong and avenge our defeat..."

"But Heaven won't give me the chance!"

"The Qin state...the Qin state is a major threat to our Great Jin."

Wanyan Jing stared intently at Wanyan Yongji and his ministers: "Remember this: in the future, you must reclaim Guanzhong, severely defeat Qin, and shatter it into pieces. We must never give them another chance to rise again."

"Otherwise, the Great Jin will perish at Li Xiao's hands sooner or later!"

"Your Majesty, we obey your decree and will certainly not fail in your trust."

Wanyan Yongji and his senior officials responded in unison, but it was unclear how much confidence they had.

That very night, Emperor Wanyan Jing of the Jin Dynasty died in his palace. Before he died, he pointed to the sky and kept murmuring, "Western expedition... Western expedition..."

His eyes were filled with regret for not being able to avenge himself.

The death of Wanyan Jing plunged the Jin state into a great shock.

A grand state funeral was held in the country, and the ministers bestowed upon him the temple name "Zhangzong" and the posthumous title "Emperor Xiantian Guangyun Renwen Yiwu Shengsheng Yingxiao" to highlight his achievements during his reign.

Wanyan Yongji, in accordance with the will, officially became regent and took control of the Jin dynasty's political power.

However, instead of "serving him wholeheartedly" as promised, he began to eliminate dissidents and consolidate his own power.

Not long after, news spread through the palace that Consort Fan had suffered a miscarriage. Wanyan Yongji, citing "inadequate care," ordered Consort Fan to shave her head and become a nun, sent to a royal temple, and forbidden from ever returning to the palace.

Two months later, Wanyan Yongji suddenly issued an edict, claiming that Consort Yuan, Li Shi'er, conspired with the eunuch Li Xinxi to instruct Consort Jia to "falsely claim to be pregnant" in order to deceive the court.

In the end, Li Shi'er was ordered to commit suicide, and Consort Jia was not spared either, her life ending with a white silk ribbon.

With this, Wanyan Jing's last bloodline was completely extinguished, and no one could threaten Wanyan Yongji's position anymore.

Not long after, with the "support" of the royal family and important officials, Wanyan Yongji officially ascended the throne as emperor, becoming a famously incompetent ruler in the history of the Jin Dynasty.

Inside the imperial palace in Zhongdu, the bells rang to announce the new emperor's ascension to the throne, but few people genuinely celebrated.

The ministers looked at the weak, incompetent, and unpopular new emperor with deep concern.

The Jin state was already severely weakened by its defeat in Guanzhong and the Song state's northern expedition. Now, with such a ruler, and facing the increasingly powerful Qin state, its future would likely be even more difficult.

Li Xiao, far away in Longcheng, laughed heartily upon learning of Wanyan Jing's death and Wanyan Yongji's ascension to the throne.

"Hahaha! Heaven is helping my Great Qin!"

"Wanyan Jing, that fox, ultimately couldn't outlive fate."

“As long as he lives, I will be more wary. Now that he is dead, the Jin Kingdom has replaced him with a useless man like Wanyan Yongji. From now on, no one in Guanzhong or even the entire Central Plains will be able to stop the iron cavalry of my Great Qin.”

Wanyan Jing's shrewdness, prestige, and forbearance have always been regarded by him as the greatest enemy on the road to the rise of the Qin state. Although he won the Battle of Guanzhong, he also knew that if the Jin state was in Wanyan Jing's hands, it would make a comeback sooner or later.

But now that Wanyan Yongji, a weak and incompetent ruler, has taken over, the Jin state's strength will only decline day by day, and the threat to the Qin state will be reduced to the minimum.

Not long after, Xiao Yanyan entered the study. Upon hearing the news of Wanyan Jing's death, she smiled and nodded, "With Wanyan Jing dead, the Jin Kingdom is no longer a threat, and Your Majesty can focus on your western expedition against the Liao Kingdom without worrying about the rear. This is indeed a great joy."

Li Xiao stepped forward, put his arm around Xiao Yanyan's waist, his eyes full of confidence and domineering: "More than just not worth fearing."

He lowered his head and chuckled softly in her ear: "From now on, the only country that can rival my Great Qin will be the Liao Kingdom, which is barely clinging to life. I will destroy the Liao Kingdom."

"If we launch another eastward expedition, that fool Wanyan Yongji is nothing but a piece of my pawn. The Jurchen kingdom will sooner or later be ruled by the Li family!"

After saying that, he picked Xiao Yanyan up in his arms and strode into the inner room, his laughter filled with the pride of someone who could rule the world.

(End of this chapter)