The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 363 Crimson Dawn, Victims of Power
Inside the city of Samarkand, in the central command tent of the Liao army camp, Yelü Hongxin listened angrily as Xiao Hetu recounted the alliance treaty.

The generals inside the tent kept their heads down, none daring to speak.

But in order to preserve the last hope of the Liao Kingdom, this seventeen-year-old new ruler finally lowered his proud head.

"The Liao Dynasty submitted to Khwarazm, paying annual tribute of three thousand fine horses, five thousand bolts of silk, and hostages..."

"As for Samarkand and Ferghana..."

Xiao Hetu paused, his throat tightening: "After the war, the Liao Kingdom ceded these two places, leaving only the lands in the Chu River and Ili River basins."

The generals all looked up, their eyes filled with shock and resentment. Tayanggu couldn't help but advise, "Your Highness."

“Samarkand is a vital town in the Western Regions, and Ferghana is our granary. If we give it up, the Liao Dynasty will face dire consequences in the future…”

"In the future?"

Yelü Hongxin gave a bitter smile: "If we can't hold onto the present, what hope is there for the future?"

"The Qin army will arrive soon, and Muhammad's 50,000 troops are still outside the city. We have no room for bargaining."

He slowly stood up, his eyes full of helplessness: "General Xiao Hetu, I trouble you to go to the Khwarazmian camp again to sign the alliance treaty."

"From this day forward, the Liao Kingdom is a vassal state of Khwarazm."

The news reached the palace of the Western Karakhanid Khanate late at night.

Osman was fast asleep, embracing his newly appointed queen. The candlelight inside the tent was still burning, casting a warm glow on the beaded curtain beside the bed.

The queen, not yet twenty, with fair skin, was leaning lazily against Ottoman, her snow-white shoulders and neck exposed, her breathing even.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

A servant's soft, panicked shout came from outside the palace, instantly waking Ottoman.

Queen Adana, who was beside her, was also awakened. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, her gaze full of confusion.

"What's the panic?"

Osman impatiently threw back the quilt, grabbed a robe and draped it over himself, his tone irritated from getting up, "Can't you see I'm resting?"

"Your Majesty, Muhammad is seeking an audience abroad, saying that the Liao Kingdom and Khwarazm... have formed an alliance."

The eunuch's voice came through the beaded curtain, still urgent: "The Liao people have agreed to submit to Khwarazm and said that after the war they will cede Samarkand and Ferghana to Khwarazm."

"what?"

Osman stood up abruptly, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and strode outside the curtain, his face instantly turning ashen.

He recalled that Yelü Zhilugu had rejected his proposal to marry Princess Hunhu, and he already harbored resentment towards the Liao Dynasty.

Now these two great powers are secretly playing a game, using his capital as a bargaining chip, without even asking him, the Sultan of the Karakhanid Khanate.

"Damn it, two pieces of shit."

Osman was so angry that he trembled and slammed his fist heavily on the pillar: "Samarkand is the capital of my Karakhanid Khanate."

"Muhammad wanted to seize it, and Yelü Hongxin dared to give it up? What do they take me, the Ottomans, for?"

Hearing the commotion, the queen inside the curtain also put on her clothes and came out.

She walked to Osman's side, gently took his arm, and said in a soft voice, "Your Majesty, please calm down. What if you get sick from anger?"

This queen was originally the daughter of a merchant, and her father sent her to the palace for the benefit of the family.

Previously, she had never concerned herself with state affairs, but during this period, listening to Osman's self-talk, she gradually came to understand the crisis facing the Karakhanid Khanate.

With the Qin army closing in and the Liao and Khwarazmian empires lurking nearby, the threat of national annihilation loomed large.

Osman took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and patted the queen's hand: "Go back and feed the child. Although the wet nurse is here, the child is still closer to you."

His main reason was that he didn't want the Queen involved in these messy affairs.

The Queen nodded and turned to walk towards the nursery.

Osman originally intended to marry Princess Hunhu as his queen, but Yelü Zhilugu refused.

Just then, Adana gave birth to another son for Osman. Because of her son, she naturally valued the child even more.

After the queen had gone far away, Osman's face darkened again. He said to the eunuch beside him, "Pass on my order to immediately summon all ministers to the study for a meeting."

"Also, find out where the army in the northern frontier is now, who their commander is, and how many troops they have."

"Yes."

The eunuch bowed and accepted the order.

Another eunuch, who had been standing in the corner with his head down, had a glint in his eye and followed closely behind Osman as they left.

Osman, unaware of the eunuch's unusual behavior, strode towards his study.

In the darkness of the night, his figure looked particularly lonely.

Now that the Liao and Khwarazmian Empires have formed an alliance, the only country that can save the Karakhanid Khanate is the Qin state.

It is truly laughable that the Qin state, which had recently annihilated a 10,000-strong army of the Western Karakhanid Khanate, now needs to turn against Qin.

Inside the study, candlelight gradually lit up as ministers arrived one after another, each with a solemn expression.

Osman sat in the main seat, looking at his ministers below, and said in a low voice: "Gentlemen, the Liao and Khwarazmian have formed an alliance, and Samarkand has become their bargaining chip."

"Now we are besieged on both sides, and there is only one way to go: to ask the people of the Northern Frontier for help, or even... to submit to the Northern Frontier."

Ottoman had already discussed this decision with his trusted ministers.

Although the Qin army was more brutal than the Khwarazmian army, at least the Qin army was far to the north and would not immediately annex the Karakhanid Khanate.

Therefore, no ministers raised any objections; instead, they actively discussed how to expedite the process of establishing connections with the northern frontier.

Two days later, just as dawn was breaking and the grasslands outside Samarkand were still shrouded in morning mist, a muffled horn sound suddenly pierced the sky.

"Woooooo~"

The sound was long and powerful, like a giant beast awakening, echoing between heaven and earth.

Immediately afterwards, an even more intense roar came from the north, the sound of tens of thousands of horses' hooves striking the ground simultaneously.

"Boom boom boom~"

It was dull, powerful, and carried an unstoppable force, causing even the ground to tremble slightly.

The Liao soldiers and the garrison of Samarkand on the city wall all poked their heads out and looked toward the source of the sound.

As the morning mist gradually dissipated, a white wave slowly surged in from the horizon.

The white sun and moon battle banners fluttered at the forefront of the formation, followed closely by a cavalry column.

The soldiers wore gray-white armor, the plates of which were covered with stains and patina from years of fighting.

Many soldiers still had dark red bloodstains on the chest and shoulder armor of their armor, battle scars from the Battle of Chaqi that had not been washed away, gleaming darkly in the morning light.

This army has no fancy decorations, only the toughness and ruthlessness forged in the crucible of war.

Every soldier's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, their hands gripping their spears were steady without the slightest tremor, and even their warhorses exuded the composure of seasoned warriors, their steps calm yet carrying the imposing presence of a thousand troops.

It created a suffocating sense of oppression, as if tolling a death knell for this giant city in Central Asia.

“Stop~”

With Li Dongshan's command, the white wave slowly came to a halt ten miles away from Samarkand.

Holding the telescope, Li Dongshan gazed at the distant giant city, a hint of amazement flashing across his face.

"As expected of the largest city in the Western Regions, it is truly extraordinary."

"Such a great city should rightfully belong to our Great Qin."

"Order the army to set up camp and prepare for a decisive battle with the Khwarazmian and Liao remnants."

Inside the Khwarazmian camp, Muhammad stood atop a watchtower, gazing at the white formation, his face so grave it seemed to drip with sorrow.

The generals behind him also stopped, their relaxed expressions vanishing, replaced by undisguised apprehension.

"Is this the troop strength of the Third Garrison in the Northern Frontier?"

Timur Merri's voice tightened, his fingers unconsciously gripping the scimitar at his waist: "Judging from this formation, there are at least ten thousand cavalry."

"They probably just finished fighting Chaqi and headed straight for Samarkand."

Saladin stood beside Muhammad, his brow furrowed: "Father, the Northern Frontier Army arrived much faster than we anticipated."

"Their soldiers all look very capable. Our 50,000 troops may not be able to gain the upper hand."

Muhammad took a deep breath and said slowly, "The Liao and Khwarazmian ally has just formed an alliance, and the Qin army has already arrived. This is not giving us a chance to catch our breath."

A general stepped forward, his tone urgent: "Sultan, the safest course of action right now is to first join forces with the Liao army, concentrate our forces outside Samarkand, and confront the Northern Frontier Army."

"We'll make a plan after we figure out their strengths and weaknesses."

Muhammad remained silent, his gaze returning to the white array.

He nodded slightly and said, "By order of the Sultan, the entire army is on high alert and no one is allowed to go into battle without authorization."

"At the same time, send someone to Samarkand to have Yelü Hongxin immediately bring the Liao army and the Western Karakhanid army to join him."

“Tell that little boy that if he dares to delay, Samarkand will be lost, and he won’t be able to keep the last bit of territory of his Liao Kingdom.”

"Follow the order."

The generals accepted the order in unison, turned around, and quickly left.

On the watchtower, Muhammad gazed in the direction of the Qin army, his heart filled with complex emotions.

He originally intended to use the conflict between Liao and Northern Xinjiang to annex the Western Karakhanid Khanate, but the current strength of the Qin army has forced him to temporarily restrain his ambitions.

This power struggle in Central Asia seems to have slipped out of his control from the very beginning.

The white wave that stopped ten miles away was like a sword hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment.

On the walls of Samarkand, Yelü Hongxin leaned against the crenellations, gazing solemnly at the white waves stretching ten miles away.

He recalled the carnage of the Chaqi battlefield, his captured father, and the cries of the herdsmen on the escape route. Hatred and fear surged in his chest. The enemy that had brought down the Liao Dynasty was now at the gates again, and he, the new emperor, had no confidence whatsoever to resist.

The Khitan generals beside him also gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes filled with apprehension.

Only veteran generals like Yelü Wuhan, who had long been stationed in Samarkand, showed no fear on their faces, but rather an arrogant eagerness to try their luck.

"Your Highness, those barbarians from the northern frontier are indeed formidable, but they must be exhausted from their long journey."

Yelü Wuhan patted the city wall, his tone disdainful: "We have five thousand elite Liao soldiers, plus the defenses of Samarkand. If they dare to attack the city, we will make sure they never return."

He had never fought the Qin army head-on, and had only heard news of the Liao army's defeat, but he never believed that this "vassal army" was really that powerful.

It is believed that Yelü Zhilugu's entourage of mediocre and incompetent generals like Tayanggu led to Chachi's disastrous defeat.

If I had been there, the outcome of the Chaqi battlefield would have been completely different.

Yelü Hongxin didn't reply, but just stared in the direction of the Qin army, his heart filled with bitterness.

He knew better than anyone that the Qin army's great victory over tens of thousands of Liao soldiers was no fluke.

On the other side of the city wall, Osman, wearing a brocade robe, gazed at the Qin army formation in the distance, his eyes filled with admiration.

"No wonder they are an army capable of defeating the Liao Kingdom."

He sighed in a low voice, "With such power, no wonder our Karakhanid Khanate's elite troops were so easily defeated."

The Western Karakhanid Khanate's 10,000-strong army was annihilated by the Qin army. Although the Ottomans hated the Qin army, they could only rely on it now.

Muhammad, standing beside him, quickly chimed in: "Your Majesty is wise. Khwarazm and the Liao Dynasty are nothing but grasshoppers in autumn. Submitting to the northern frontier is our only way out."

Osman nodded, a hint of urgency flashing in his eyes: "How's the contact with the people in the Northern Frontier going? Has General Li Dongshan given us a reply?"

"We've made contact."

Muhammad quickly replied, his tone filled with excitement: "General Li Dongshan is not only the commander of the Third Garrison in the Northern Frontier, but also the uncle of the King of Qin."

"He said he was willing to accept our submission, as long as we could help the northern frontier defeat the Khwarazmian and Liao armies, he would protect the survival of the Western Karakhanid Khanate."

Osman clenched his fist tightly, feeling extremely excited.

His risky move turned out to be the right one.

Just then, a palace attendant rushed over and handed over a letter, his tone grave.

"Your Majesty, orders have come from Khwarazm and the Liao Dynasty, ordering you to immediately lead the Khanate's army out of the city to join them and together eliminate the Northern Frontier Army outside the city."

"Order?"

Osman's face darkened instantly as he looked at the cold words in the letter, a sense of humiliation welling up inside him.

"They didn't even consult with us before issuing orders? Do they really consider my Karakhanid Khanate a vassal state?"

He slammed the letter to the ground, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Since they are so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless too."

"Pass down the order to prepare in secret, and when the decisive battle arrives, turn against your own side and help the Northern Frontier Army defeat the enemy."

With great excitement, Ottoman returned to the palace.

The queen was sitting by the bed feeding her child, her snow-white skin exposed, exuding the gentle charm of a mature woman.

Although Osman was nearly forty and lacked energy, he couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, feeling a surge of heat in his heart, but his body just wouldn't cooperate and he couldn't muster the energy.

He walked up to the queen and said solemnly, “Take the child and quietly go back to your father’s house tonight. Stay there and don’t come out.”

The Queen was taken aback and put the child down: "Your Majesty, what has happened?"

"I'm going to do something big, but the success or failure is uncertain."

Osman sighed, his eyes filled with worry: "If we fail, you and the prince can stay outside. At least our Karakhanid Khanate will still have hope of reconstruction."

Although the queen was ignorant of politics, she knew the situation was dangerous, and quickly nodded in agreement.

Immediately, he packed his things and quietly left the palace that very night.

Shortly after she left, in the middle of the night, Osman was suddenly awakened by a commotion.

A eunuch rushed in, his voice trembling with tears: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Persians have rebelled and are attacking the inner city."

"Persian?"

Osman sat up abruptly, his face filled with disbelief: "How could it be them?"

The Persians were the main ethnic group of Khwarezm.

They are one of the largest ethnic groups in the entire Central Asia region.

They make up a significant portion of the population in Samarkand.

But the Persians were keen on doing business, so why did they suddenly rebel?

"Could it be Muhammad's order?"

Ottoman immediately realized: "The alliance between Khwarazm and Liao is a pretense; their real intention is to take advantage of the situation and seize Samarkand."

"Your Majesty, flee quickly! The rebels are almost at the inner city."

The eunuch tried to pull Osman away, but Osman roared, "Issue my order: have the Imperial Guards resist! Even if I die, I will die in the palace!"

However, the Imperial Guards performed exceptionally poorly, offering almost no resistance to the rebels' attack.

In less than half an hour, the rebels breached the inner city and stormed into the palace.

Faced with the threat to his life, Ottoman lost his previous arrogance and began to flee in panic, showing no trace of the demeanor of a Sultan.

But he was eventually discovered by the rebels, and while kneeling and begging for mercy, he was beaten with sticks and soon became half-dead.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Samarkand, Persian rebels were attacking the residence of a minister of the Western Karakhanid Khanate.

All the ministers who conspired with the Ottomans to surrender to the northern frontier were killed without exception.

The Liao army, which was an important defensive force in the city, remained inactive and watched helplessly as the rebellion spread.

As dawn broke, the shouts of battle within Samarkand gradually subsided.

When Yelü Hongxin received the news of the "rebellion" in the Liao army camp, he pretended to be shocked and immediately ordered: "General Yelü Wohan, you shall lead three thousand Liao soldiers into the inner city immediately to suppress the rebellion."

"We must ensure the safety of the city's residents and nobles."

Yelü Wohan accepted the order and left, and the Liao army's elite troops quickly poured into the city.

By this time, the "Persian rebels" were no longer as fierce as they had been the night before. Upon seeing the Liao army arrive, they abandoned their armor and weapons, either fleeing or surrendering. In less than an hour, the rebellion was completely suppressed.

Samarkand has become a living hell.

The gilded gates of the palace were cleaved open, and Ottoman's body was hanging from the lintel by ropes, his eyes wide open and his tongue lolling out, looking utterly miserable.

Dried bloodstains were everywhere on the pillars and floor tiles inside the palace, and corpses lay scattered about.

The residences of important ministers of the Western Karakhanid Khanate were also in ruins. Ministers such as Muhammad, who had conspired with Ottoman to surrender to the Qin Dynasty, were all killed in their residences, and their families were either killed or disappeared without a trace.

In the city's streets and alleys, the people huddled in their homes, afraid to go out. The occasional cries and shouts of the Liao army filled this great Central Asian city with an atmosphere of despair.

Half past Chenshi (7-9 AM), Yelü Hongxin, dressed in the imperial robes of the Liao Dynasty, entered the city under the escort of Tayanggu and headed straight for the palace of the Western Karakhanid Khanate.

He first paused before Osman's body, feigning grief by closing his eyes and bowing to the corpse. Then he ordered: "Give His Majesty Osman and the royal family a proper burial and treat their surviving family members with respect."

Immediately afterwards, Yelü Hongxin issued an order to convene a meeting of the remaining ministers of the Western Karakhanid Khanate, the nobles of the city, and the elite class, including merchants.

In highly centralized monarchical states like the Jin, Northern Frontier, and Liao dynasties, merchants were not allowed to be openly represented, but the Western Karakhanid Khanate was different.

Merchants are an important political force, controlling enormous social wealth, and must be won over.

Queen Ottoman's father, the shrewd merchant, was also among those summoned. He stood nervously in the crowd, his eyes darting around.

Inside the main hall, Yelü Hongxin sat on the throne that originally belonged to the Ottomans, and spoke with a solemn expression: "Gentlemen, I believe you are all aware of last night's rebellion."

"Muhammad was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He colluded with the Persians in the city and attempted to open the city gates to let the Khwarazmian army into the city. He also cruelly murdered His Majesty the Ottoman Emperor and many members of the royal family and ministers."

"This blood feud will never be ignored by our Liao Kingdom, nor will it be forgotten by the people of Samarkand."

The ministers and nobles looked at each other in bewilderment.

They are not fools; the imperial guards were exceptionally incompetent during last night's rebellion.

The fact that the "Persian rebels" precisely targeted only Ottoman's close associates, and that the Liao army "coincidentally" entered the town to suppress the rebellion after dawn, all these signs seemed suspicious.

However, Ottoman's confidants were dead, and the remaining people were either alienated from Ottoman or feared the power of the Liao Kingdom.

Moreover, with Osman's death, the Western Karakhanid Khanate was leaderless, and outside the city were two powerful enemies: the Qin army and the Khwarazmian Empire. If Samarkand did not submit to the Liao Dynasty, it would only suffer a worse fate.

The queen's father spoke first, bowing to Yelü Hongxin: "Your Majesty, Jurhan, is wise."

"The Persians and Khwarazmians, with their treacherous ambitions, murdered His Majesty the Ottoman. This is an irreconcilable enmity. We are willing to obey His Majesty's orders and defend Samarkand together."

With the emperor's father-in-law taking the lead, other ministers and nobles echoed, "We are willing to obey His Majesty Jur Khan's orders."

"Please, Jurhan, avenge His Majesty the Ottomans."

Yelü Hongxin looked at the scene before him, exchanged a glance with Tayanggu, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

This was exactly the result he wanted—to eliminate the Ottomans under the guise of a "Persian rebellion" and then transfer the hatred to Khwarazm.

They not only controlled Samarkand, but also had a legitimate reason to hinder Muhammad.

After the meeting, Tayangu remained in the hall and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, how should we deal with Khwarazm next?"

"If Muhammad knew that Ottoman had died at the hands of the Persians, he would probably not let it go."

"It would be good if he didn't give up easily."

Yelü Hongxin picked up the teacup on the table, his tone tinged with coldness: "Muhammad wants to annex Samarkand? He wants the Liao Kingdom to become his vassal state?"

"I'll make him taste what it means to lift a rock only to drop it on his own foot."

“Ottoman died at the hands of the Persians. Such a ‘blood feud’ will be forever remembered by the people and nobles of Samarkand. If Muhammad ever tries to take over this city again, he will be making an enemy of the entire city.”

(End of this chapter)