The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 365 The King's Westward March: The Sun and Moon Banners Beneath the Walls of Samarkand

Ten days later, Li Xiao led the main force of the Qin army to the outskirts of Samarkand.

"Woooooo~"

The sound of horns echoed across the grasslands, long and powerful, like a call from hell.

The thunderous hoofbeats of hundreds of thousands of warhorses shook the ground slightly, and the dust they kicked up blotted out the sky.

Golden sun and moon battle banners fluttered at the forefront of the column, and densely packed Qin soldiers, clad in crimson and yellow armor, resembled a moving steel forest, slowly approaching Samarkand.

“Roar, roar, roar, roar~”

The overwhelming and terrifying aura made this giant city in Central Asia seem to tremble.

On the walls of Samarkand, Yelü Hongxin leaned against the crenellations, gazing at the Qin army formation in the distance. His face was ashen, and his voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

"It's Li Xiao... He really came."

Tayanggu, standing beside him, gripped the curved sword at his waist tightly, his eyes filled with solemnity and fear; his former arrogance had vanished.

The Qin state has conquered most of the Liao state's territory and is now the undisputed hegemon of the Western Regions. Li Xiao's name has long been a boulder weighing on the hearts of all Liao people.

Yelü Wuhan stood on the other side, his brows furrowed and his lips pressed into a straight line.

Although he had never formally fought against the Qin army, he had heard countless rumors about them.

Now that he has witnessed the imposing presence of the Qin army's main force, he understands that those rumors were not exaggerated.

The sheer power of this army far surpasses that of the Liao Dynasty's army at its peak.

"Pass on my orders."

Yelü Hongxin took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and suddenly raised his voice: "The entire army must hold the city, and no one is allowed to leave the city to fight without authorization."

"The city's defense forces are divided into two shifts, guarding the city day and night, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving, and we must not give the Qin army any opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

He paused, then turned to his personal guard and said, "Immediately post notices throughout the city, telling the people that the people of the Northern Frontier are bloodthirsty and will massacre the city after they break through."

“Prisoners of war would be worked to death, women would be taken away as slaves, and even children would not be spared.”

"And the nobles and merchants in the city."

Yelü Hongxin added: "Send someone to inform them that the people of the northern frontier have always advocated 'distributing wealth and land to the poor,' and once they enter the city, their shops, manors, gold and silver will be robbed."

"Let them understand that surrendering to the people of northern Xinjiang is tantamount to courting death."

Yelü Hongxin had already begun demonizing the Qin army through propaganda.

He knew that only by instilling fear in the people and making the nobles wary could he unify the hearts and minds of the army and the people, and prevent anyone from secretly surrendering to the Qin army and opening the city gates from within.

"As ordered."

The personal guards obeyed the order and left. The Liao soldiers on the city wall looked at the Qin army in the distance, their faces solemn, and they gripped their weapons even tighter.

Meanwhile, in the center of the Qin army, Li Xiao, mounted on his warhorse, wearing dark gold dragon-patterned armor and holding a telescope, gazed at Samarkand in the distance.

The dragon patterns on his armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, making his figure appear even more upright and his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

"Samarkand is known as the largest city in the Western Regions."

Li Xiao put down his telescope and said in a calm tone, "With a population of 600,000 and an area of ​​30,000 to 40,000 mu, it can be considered a considerable size."

Hunhu stood to the side, exuding the air of a mature woman, and couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, this city is already the largest in the Western Regions. Is it not worthy of your attention?"

Li Xiao shook his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Do you know that Chang'an City spans 120,000 acres, has a population of one million, and its streets are wide enough for ten carriages to travel side by side?"

"Although Zhongdu and Xingqing Prefecture are not comparable to Chang'an, they are not far apart."

"Samarkand may be a giant city in the Western Regions, but in my eyes, it is just a slightly larger town."

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Xingqing Prefecture could be blasted open by the Qin army's cannons, how long can little Samarkand hold out?"

"Pass down the order: the army shall set up camp, the vanguard shall set up shields and cannons, the rearguard shall store provisions, and the cavalry on both flanks shall patrol and guard."

Li Xiao ordered, "We will discuss the attack on the city after General Li Dongshan returns."

Before long, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached. Li Dongshan dismounted and strode into Li Xiao's golden tent, bowing respectfully: "This humble general, Li Dongshan, greets Your Majesty."

"Get up."

Li Xiao gestured for him to sit down, and without much small talk, went straight to the point: "Tell me about the situation outside Samarkand."

Li Dongshan straightened up, his rugged face full of a smug smile: "Your Majesty, after I annihilated the Khwarazmian cavalry, Yelü Hongxin closed the city gates and prevented Muhammad's infantry from entering the city."

"Seeing that he was isolated and without help, Muhammad decided to lead his army to retreat to Ketwan, a city a hundred miles west of Samarkand, intending to defend the city."

"I will leave 8,000 cavalrymen to guard outside the city and contain Yelü Hongxin, while I will lead 8,000 cavalrymen to pursue and harass them along the way, slowing down the retreat of the Khwarazmian army. They should still be halfway there now."

"only……"

Li Dongshan changed the subject, his tone becoming more helpless: "There are some strange things hidden in the Khwarazmian army."

“There is a kind of ‘giant warhorse’ that is more than ten feet tall, with skin as thick as old cowhide, and can roar like a dragon when it runs. It’s terrifying to look at.”

"The cavalry under my command saw this thing for the first time and didn't react in time. Two of our centurions were scattered and we suffered a small loss."

Upon hearing the words "giant warhorse" and "roar like a dragon's cry," a knowing glint flashed in Li Xiao's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You're not talking about warhorses, you're talking about elephants."

"Mahama is quite willing to invest, even bringing out his elephant corps."

"elephant?"

Li Dongshan was stunned for a moment: "No wonder that thing looks clumsy, but it is full of energy."

"This humble general has never seen anything like it before, and really thought it was some kind of strange beast!"

“This thing is rare in the Western Regions, but it’s not uncommon in India and Persia in the south.” Li Xiao leaned back on the cushion, his tone relaxed, as if he had already made up his mind.

Historically, when the Mongols attacked Samarkand, Muhammad used elephant troops to fight them.

However, this thing looks impressive, but it's actually useless.

It's true that they have thick skin, but they are also afraid of pain, loud noises, and fire. As long as you find the right method, it's not difficult to deal with them.

The Mongols used only bows and arrows, specifically targeting the elephants' vulnerable spots such as their eyes and ears, to throw their elephant cavalry into disarray.

The Qin state had far more advantages than the Mongols in history.

"Isn't the Shenji Battalion's heavy artillery almost here? It'll be a good opportunity to let these elephants taste the power of artillery."

Li Xiao originally planned to take Samarkand in one fell swoop, but after listening to Li Dongshan's report, he decided to first wipe out the Khwarazmian army.

After all, Samarkand is right here; there's no escaping it.

The Liao and Western Karakhanid Khanates were already in decline, and the only state in the entire Western Regions that posed a slight threat to the Qin state was the Khwarazmian Empire, which was in the process of rising to power.

Li Xiao then turned to his personal guards and said, "Pass down the order for the Shenji Battalion to set off immediately and join up with the Third Division army."

Qin's heavy artillery formations are in place, and Li Xiao is preparing a grand 'welcome ceremony' for the Khwarazmians.

Let them understand that the dignity of the Qin state is not to be trifled with.

"Yes, sir." The messenger nodded heavily, patting his chest.

Li Xiao then ordered the elite cavalry to follow the army that was fighting against Khwarezm, which was also a way for them to gain experience and broaden their horizons.

……

Fifty miles west of Samarkand in the Gobi Desert, the Khwarazmian army was retreating in disarray.

The long, tan-colored column stretched out, the soldiers with their heads drooping, their armor stained with dust and dried blood.

The Khwarazmian War Song, which once resounded across the grasslands, can no longer be heard even in its entirety.

Only the heavy footsteps, the panting of warhorses, and the faint shouts of Qin cavalry in the distance filled the air with an atmosphere of despair.

"Damn barbarians from the northern frontier."

One soldier couldn't help but curse, stumbling and nearly falling: "When are they going to stop following us? Harassing us during the day, feigning attacks at night, I haven't slept for three days."

The soldier next to him gave a wry smile and wiped the sweat from his face: "If General Timur's cavalry were still here, they wouldn't be so arrogant."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar.

The Khwarazmian soldiers tensed instantly, raising their shields and nocking arrows, but the Qin cavalry only charged a hundred meters to the front of the formation before turning their horses around and scattering in all directions.

All that remained were a few mocking shouts: "You cowards from Khwarezm, come and chase us if you dare!"

This kind of drama has been repeated countless times over the past few days.

The Qin cavalry were like a persistent thorn in the side, harassing the enemy during the day and making noise around the camp at night.

One moment they would set off rockets to burn the corners of the tents, the next they would shout "Surrender and you will not be killed," tormenting the Khwarazmian soldiers to the point of mental confusion.

What should have been a hundred-mile journey took the Khwarazmian army several days to cover, and they only managed to move less than fifty miles.

Muhammad rode a white warhorse, his face weathered, with particularly prominent dark circles under his eyes.

Looking at the disheveled state of his troops, his eyes were filled with anger, yet also with deep weariness. He said to Jalal ad-Din and the generals beside him, "Without enough cavalry, we are like wolves without teeth."

“The people of the northern frontier can do whatever they want with them. If this continues, the army will collapse before we even reach Kete Bay.”

One of the generals gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty the Sultan, why don't we stop and fight the people of the Northern Frontier? It's better than being tortured to death like this."

"spell?"

Zhalandin sneered, his voice hoarse: "How can we fight? Most of us are infantry, and we only have less than five thousand cavalry left. If we break out, we will definitely be ambushed by the Northern Frontier."

"But the people of the northern frontier are all cavalry. They can fight whenever they want and leave whenever they want. We can't even touch the hem of their clothes."

"We still need to find a way to get to Kurt Bay City as soon as possible."

Muhammad gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white: "It's all that scoundrel Yelü Hongxin's fault. If he had let us into the city, we wouldn't be in this predicament."

Just then, a scout rushed over and said urgently, "Your Majesty the Sultan, the Northern Frontier's army formation has changed. The cavalry on both sides and the rear have all moved to the front, blocking our way."

"what?"

Muhammad suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with incomprehension: "They dare to stand right in front of us?"

The generals' expressions changed as well. One old general frowned and said, "Something's not right. What kind of cavalryman would actively block the path of infantry?"

It should be noted that even a large cavalry army would not easily attack a fully armed infantry legion.

This is mainly because the cost of training a cavalryman is much higher than that of an infantryman.

Cavalry is the decisive force on the battlefield, not something used to wear down infantry.

Even if a cavalryman kills ten infantrymen, it's still a loss.

Therefore, it is generally not advisable for someone to use cavalry to directly block infantry.

"Father."

Zhalandin rode forward, his face grave: "Your subject suspects that the main force of the Northern Frontier has arrived. They don't want us to go to Kete Bay; they want to annihilate us here."

"Main force?" These words exploded like a thunderclap among the generals.

"Wasn't the main force of the Northern Frontier troops at Fahhan? How come they've arrived so quickly?"

"Are they crazy? We still have over 40,000 troops. Do they want to fight us head-on?"

"Damn barbarians from the northern frontier, do they really think we Khwarezm are easy to bully?" The generals shouted, their voices full of anger, yet unable to hide a trace of panic.

Muhammad remained silent, his face growing increasingly grim. He knew better than anyone that the people of the Northern Frontier would never willingly stand in front of him if they weren't confident.

This battle is likely to be very difficult.

Soon after, a powerful horn sounded in the distance.

The "whooshing" sound was louder and more intimidating than the Qin army's previous horns.

"Boom boom boom~"

Immediately afterwards, a yellow wave surged from the horizon, and the yellow sun and moon battle flags fluttered in the wind.

The soldiers, clad in cloth armor, wearing plumed helmets, with cavalry sabers at their waists and wielding spears and crossbows, advanced slowly towards the Khwarazmian army like a moving steel forest.

The Qin army's first garrison has arrived.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry~"

"The entire army is in formation."

"Get ready, everyone. The people from the northern frontier are coming to kill us."

Muhammad gave the order in a stern voice, which trembled slightly: "Shieldbearers in front, spearmen behind, archers prepare."

The Khwarazmian soldiers hastily formed ranks, but their exhaustion and low morale made their formation appear particularly loose.

Standing before the Qin army, Li Xiao, clad in dark gold dragon-patterned armor and holding a telescope, gazed at the Khwarazmian army and sneered, "This is not a giant city like Samarkand."

"Does Muhammad really think he can fight our cavalry with just over 40,000 infantrymen?"

Li Xiao slowly lowered the clairvoyant, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority: "Pass down the order: once the Divine Machine Battalion is in position, launch the attack immediately."

"I will make Muhammad know the consequences of provoking the Qin Kingdom."

In the Khwarazmian army, Muhammad was also observing the Qin army.

When he saw the striking dark gold dragon-patterned banner, his heart sank.

It's Li Xiao.

The king of the northern frontier has come in person.

“Father, the Northern Frontier Army is all cavalry, while our infantry…” Zhalandin’s voice tightened, his eyes filled with worry.

Muhammad took a deep breath, patted Jalal ad-Din on the shoulder, and said with an unusual calmness in his voice, "Jalal ad-Din, listen to me."

"When the battle begins, if things go wrong, you must immediately lead your personal guard cavalry to break out and return to Yulongjiechi."

"Remember, you must survive."

Zhalandin was taken aback: "Father, aren't you coming with me?"

“I am the Sultan of Khwarezm, and I cannot retreat easily.”

Muhammad's eyes flickered, and although he spoke firmly, he was secretly calculating that if Jalal ad-Din could return, he himself would have a chance to escape.

How could the lives of a mere 50,000 soldiers compare to his status as "God's most faithful servant"?
Khwarazm had a population of several million, and the loss of 50,000 troops was merely the tip of the iceberg. As long as he returned to Urgench, he could rebuild an elite army within two years.

He gazed at the Qin army drawing ever closer in the distance, with only one thought in his mind: once the fighting started, he would find an opportunity to escape immediately.

As for these soldiers...

They were just lowly people; it wouldn't matter if they died.

It was an honor for them to buy time for their escape.

"Woooooo~"

Half an hour later, the Qin army's bugle call suddenly rose, sharp and powerful, like a sharp sword piercing the silence of the Gobi Desert.

"dong dong dong"

The war drums thundered, each strike striking the hearts of the soldiers with precision, stirring their blood and qi.

"By order of the King, commence the war! Attack!"

"Shenji Battalion, prepare to fire!"

When Muhammad saw the Qin army arrayed before the Khwarazmian forces, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He knew in his heart that he had to fight to the death.

Raising his scimitar high, he gave a stern order: "All troops, attack! Let the barbarians of the northern frontier see the might of Khwarazm!"

"With elephants as the vanguard, they break through the enemy lines, followed by cavalry to finish them off, and then the infantry to surround and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

“Roar! Roar!”

After the order was given, the roar of elephants echoed through the Khwarazmian army, causing the warhorses of the Northern Frontier Army to tremble.

This is the pressure of bloodline.

Immediately afterwards, a hundred enormous bodies, like moving hills, stepped out of the Khwarazmian army formation with heavy strides and charged toward the Qin army formation, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

"哐哐哐哐~"

The elephant soldiers on the backs of the elephants, holding spears, shouted: "God protect us, Khwarazm will prevail!"

"Die, you barbarians of the Northern Frontier!"

Following closely behind were the remaining five thousand cavalrymen of Khwarazm.

They looked at the elephants charging ahead with eyes full of confidence.

This was Khwarezm's secret weapon. They had been invincible in their previous campaigns in the Western Regions. As long as the elephants broke through the Qin army's formation, they could follow behind and reap huge rewards.

In the Qin army's formation, black cannons were already neatly arranged, their muzzles aimed at the Khwarazmian army.

The Shenji Battalion soldiers pressed their hands against the fuses, their eyes tense.

Despite having heard countless artillery roars before, many people were still stunned when they saw the "giant beast" charging towards them.

"What the hell is this?"

"How could there be such a large warhorse in the world?"

"It's even bigger than a cow! If this thing were used for plowing..."

Fortunately, the Qin soldiers' wild thoughts didn't last long.

Just as the elephants charged to within three hundred paces of the Qin army's formation, a commander of the Divine Machine Battalion suddenly drew his sword and shouted in a booming voice, "Fire!"

The soldiers snapped out of their daze and, in a flurry of activity, skillfully lit the fuse.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

In the next instant, dozens of cannons roared simultaneously, and black shells, whistling, hurtled towards the elephant herd like meteors.

"Boom boom boom~"

The first shell hit an elephant's leg directly, tearing a huge gash in its thick skin, and blood gushed out.

"Woooooooo~"

The elephant let out a shrill cry and collapsed to the ground, throwing the elephant soldiers off its back and causing them to crash heavily to the ground, screaming in agony.

Immediately afterwards, more shells landed on the elephant herd.

Even though elephants have thick hides and thick flesh, they cannot withstand the bombardment of artillery. In an instant, the screams of elephants, the cries of elephant soldiers, and the explosions of cannons were intertwined, creating a scene of utter carnage.

"Ho ho ho ho~"

"Quickly, quickly, calm the elephants down, don't let them go berserk!"

But the most terrifying thing was that the uninjured elephants were terrified by the loud cannon fire.

They dared not charge forward any longer, and turned around, rushing madly toward the Khwarezmian formation.

Its massive body was like a runaway beast; wherever it went, Khwarazmian soldiers were trampled into a bloody mess, their screams echoing everywhere.

"Stop them, don't let them come back."

The elephant commander shouted at the top of his lungs, but the frightened elephants ignored his commands and instead knocked his mount over, crushing his chest with a single blow.

The Khwarazmian cavalry following behind witnessed this horrific scene, and their confidence was instantly replaced by fear.

A cavalryman shouted in a trembling voice, "Devil! Those black pipes are the devil's weapons! We have to run!"

"Run? Where to run?"

Just as another cavalryman was about to turn his horse around, he was knocked away by a runaway elephant, rolling to the ground along with his horse, and instantly trampled into a bloody pulp by the soldiers following behind.

In the Khwarazmian camp, Muhammad looked at the scene before him, his pupils contracted sharply, his face turned ashen, and he kept muttering, "Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible."

He stared intently at the cannons in front of the Qin army, his eyes filled with disbelief: "What the hell are those things? How can they be so powerful? My elephants... how did my elephants become like this?"

Jalal ad-Din panicked, grabbed Muhammad's arm, and said in a trembling voice, "Father, the elephants have turned on us! Our formation is in disarray! We must think of something!"

Before Muhammad could react, the Qin army fired the second, third... thirteenth rounds of artillery fire in quick succession.

Black cannonballs rained down on the Khwarezmian army like a storm. When the cannonballs exploded, the flying nails and shards were like the scythe of death, reaping the lives of the soldiers.

"Ahhhhh~"

Screams, cries, and the sound of weapons falling to the ground filled the air. The Khwarazmian formation collapsed instantly, and the soldiers threw down their weapons and fled in all directions.

Shortly afterward, the artillery fire ceased.

Li Xiao drew his sword at the front of the battle and shouted in a deep voice, "Black Armor Army, attack!"

"kill."

The heavily armored cavalry, who had been poised to charge, responded to the call to arms. Their black armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and their spears thrust forward like a forest.

Like an unstoppable torrent of steel, it surged towards the chaotic Khwarezmian army.

At the same time, the light cavalry of the First and Third Divisions flanked the fleeing Khwarazmian soldiers, wielding their scimitars and killing them one by one.

On the battlefield, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and corpses littered the ground. The once invincible Khwarazmian army had become lambs to the slaughter.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Muhammad, protected by his personal guards, was deathly pale, his former arrogance gone, replaced by boundless fear.

"Impossible, how could this happen?"

"The war has only just begun, and my Khwarazmian army numbers fifty thousand!"

"Block them! You must block them!"

"He who retreats will die."

He yelled at the soldiers, but then turned to Zalandin and said, "Retreat, retreat quickly, run to Ket Bay, hurry!"

Jalal ad-Din disregarded everything else, grabbed Muhammad's warhorse, and followed his personal guards as they galloped westward.

Behind them, the Khwarazmian soldiers collapsed like a tide, and the Qin cavalry pursued them relentlessly. Shouts of battle and screams of agony echoed across the Gobi Desert for a long time.

“Capture the Sultan of Khwarazm, Muhammad.”

"Don't go, Zhalandin."

(End of this chapter)