The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 371 The Exiled Wolf, Offering His Body to the Tiger
"what?"

Adana's eyes widened in disbelief. "Father, how could you say such a thing? I am Umm from the Karakhanid Khanate, I..."

"So what if it's Umm?"

Hasiyeti interrupted her, his tone laced with ruthlessness: "The Karakhanid Khanate is long gone. What we need is to survive and preserve the status of the Uyghurs."

“Li Xiao is the king of the Northern Frontier. If you can become his woman, we will be his ‘in-laws’. At that time, not to mention small tribes, even the Khitans will have to give way to us.”

"But...but that's like offering yourself to a tiger!"

Adana's voice trembled: "Li Xiao is the commander of the Northern Frontier. He's so ruthless, how could he be sincere to me? If I offer myself to him, how am I any different from those kidnapped female slaves?"

"The difference is huge."

Hasiyeti's eyes were firm: "You are Um, a person of status."

“Li Xiao needs an ‘obedient’ puppet of the Karakhanid Khanate, and you are the best candidate.”

“As long as you can win his favor, my daughter and I, and all of us Uyghurs, will be able to gain a foothold in this chaotic world.”

"Amir is already gone, you can't let us die with him!"

Adana fell silent. Looking at the fragments of the swaddling clothes in her hand, and thinking of the crisis her father had mentioned—"small tribes in power, the Uyghurs losing power"—tears streamed down her face again.

Simply because her interests aligned with those of the Karakhanid Khanate.

Without her status as the Queen Mother of the Karakhanid Khanate, she, a woman of considerable beauty, was nothing more than a tempting piece of meat in the chaotic Samarkand.

Her father was just a businessman; he could barely take care of himself, let alone protect her.

In order to survive and for the future of the Uyghurs, she had no choice but to embark on this path of "feeding the tiger with her own body".

Meanwhile, in the city of Jieshi, three hundred miles south of Samarkand, panic was gripping the area.

This important city of the Western Karakhanid Khanate, once prosperous due to its location on a trade route, now exudes an oppressive atmosphere.

The nobles gathered in the council hall of the city lord's mansion, each with an anxious expression. Some of them were even trembling as they gripped their teacups. The flickering candlelight in the hall reflected the unease on everyone's faces.

"Gentlemen, Samarkand... Samarkand has truly fallen."

A nobleman with a full beard spoke first, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "We just received news that a group of barbarians from the north have breached Samarkand and the royal palace. Our Karakhanid Khanate is gone."

"Even the Liao people have long since disappeared."

"It's been breached? How could it be so fast?"

Another nobleman suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Samarkand's walls are so thick, and there are Liao troops stationed there, how could they not stop those barbarians?"

"I've heard that those people from the northern frontier are incredibly brave; they can't even defeat the 50,000-strong army of Khwarezm."

Another nobleman interjected, his voice filled with terror: "My men who went north said that the cavalry of the northern frontier can travel a hundred miles a day, and they also have terrifying weapons that can blow down city walls. Samarkand was breached in less than half a month."

"Our Jieshi City's military strength is no match for theirs."

The council chamber fell silent instantly, with only the heavy breathing of the members remaining.

After a long while, the city lord Abdul finally spoke slowly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Now that things have come to this, we have to think of a way to survive."

"In my opinion, the nobles of our Karakhanid Khanate have always submitted to the strong, which is not shameful."

"When the Khitans came, we submitted and we lived well, didn't we? Now the people of the Northern Frontier are stronger, so why don't we... surrender to them?"

"Surrender? But we don't even know what kind of people the Northern Frontier are like!"

A nobleman immediately retorted, his face full of worry: "I've heard that the people of the Northern Frontier are extremely brutal. They like to massacre the entire city after they've captured it, sparing neither the old, the weak, women, nor children."

"What if we surrender voluntarily and they don't accept it? Then we won't even have a chance to beg for mercy."

These words made everyone's hearts sink again.

Someone suggested, "Then... how about we submit to Khwarazm? Muhammad is a ruler of a great power; perhaps he can protect us."

"Don't be silly," someone immediately sneered.

"The Khwarazmian army of 50,000 was routed by the northern barbarians, and Muhammad himself fled into the desert in a sorry state. He can't even protect himself, how can he protect us?"

"What about the Kingdom of Nur?"

Someone else tentatively spoke up: "Ghur Kingdom used to be considered a powerful country in the Western Regions, perhaps..."

"Ghur?"

Abdul shook his head, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "Ever since the defeat to the Liao army in the last battle of Khorasan, the Kingdom of Gur has been severely weakened."

"I heard that a civil war has broken out in the country, and even the king has been killed. The Kingdom of Gur is in complete chaos now, and there's no one to rely on."

All avenues seemed to be blocked, and the anxiety in the council chamber grew increasingly intense.

Some nobles even began to sob softly: "It's all over, it's all over. Samarkand has been slaughtered, and our Jieshi City will definitely be next."

We need to get out of here as soon as possible.

"But our entire fortune is here, we can't run away, what are we going to do?"

Just as everyone was in chaos, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall. A scout stumbled in, his face pale, his lips trembling, and he couldn't even finish his sentence.

"City...City Lord."

"Something terrible has happened! I...I met some people who escaped from Samarkand on the road, and they said...that the people of northern Xinjiang are massacring people in Samarkand."

"There are dead bodies everywhere, and rivers of blood are flowing!"

"what?"

The crowd erupted in uproar. The bearded nobleman slammed his fist on the table and roared, "These barbarians are utterly inhuman!"

But his voice trembled noticeably, and his fierce appearance could not hide his inner fear.

"The city was massacred...the city was really massacred..."

A nobleman slumped into a chair, tears streaming down his face: "It's over. Our Jieshi City can't escape this either. My property, my wife and children..."

Cries and curses mingled in the council chamber as everyone worried about their future and lives.

Some nobles even began to plan how much wealth to take with them when they fled, but they were reluctant to leave behind their fields and shops in the city, and were caught in a painful dilemma.

Just then, the city lord's servant rushed in, panting, and shouted, "City lord, sirs!"

“Our men spotted a few Khitans outside the city. They were acting suspiciously, buying food at the market and not letting anyone get close. Luckily, my brother-in-law was quick-witted and noticed something was wrong, so he followed them.”

"Khitan?"

Everyone was taken aback. Abdul frowned and asked in confusion, "Why would there be Khitans at this time? Could they be remnants of the Liao army who escaped from Samarkand?"

His eyes suddenly lit up as if he had grasped a lifeline, and he said to the crowd, "The people of the Northern Frontier have broken through Samarkand, and they must be hunting down the Khitans."

"If we capture these Khitans and hand them over to the people of the northern frontier, they might be able to spare Jieshi City and prevent them from slaughtering us."

"Yes! That's a good idea." The nobles fell silent instantly, their eyes rekindling with hope.

The bearded nobleman immediately said, "The city lord is right. We'll send men to capture those Khitans right now, tie them up tightly, and send them to Samarkand."

"Even if we can't get the people of the northern frontier to give us important positions, at least we can keep our lives and our businesses."

"That's right, send someone over immediately."

The other nobles echoed their sentiments, their earlier panic and despair vanishing in an instant, replaced by eager anticipation.

In this chaotic world, seizing any opportunity to survive became their only choice.

Abdul immediately ordered, "Men, bring two hundred soldiers and capture those Khitans for me."

"Be quick, don't let them get away."

Ten miles outside Jieshi City, a village that originally had only a little over a hundred people now has dilapidated houses, and bloodstains remain on the open ground at the village entrance.

The night before, Yelü Hongxin led his remaining troops to attack this place. To keep their whereabouts secret, they killed all the men, leaving only the young women for the soldiers to vent their frustrations on.

In a fairly intact mud house, Yelü Hongxin was sitting at a low table, devouring roasted mutton. Oil dripped from the corners of his mouth onto his clothes, but he didn't seem to care.

A young woman lay on the bed, her clothes tattered and her breath faint; she had clearly just been tortured by him.

Who would have thought that this young man, who was not even twenty years old, would seem to have aged more than ten years in just a few days?

His once bright eyes were now bloodshot, stubble had sprouted on his chin, and his brocade robe was covered in dust and bloodstains. He had long lost the majesty of "Juerhan" he once was.

"Your Majesty, the supplies have been purchased."

A Khitan soldier pushed open the door and came in to report, his face showing exhaustion.

Although they looted the village, the village was already poor and had been exploited by the Karakhanid nobles for many years, so they had very little food stored up and had to risk going to the market in Jieshi City to buy all kinds of essential survival supplies.

Yelü Hongxin put down the mutton, wiped his mouth, and asked in a cold voice, "Has anyone discovered it? Has it aroused suspicion?"

"No."

The soldier quickly replied, "We deliberately changed into local clothes, didn't say much while buying things, paid and left. No one should have recognized us as Khitans."

Yelü Hongxin nodded, his tone softening slightly: "Thank you for your hard work."

"Those women outside, I've saved them for you. Go and enjoy them."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The soldiers were overjoyed and quickly withdrew.

Yelü Hongxin watched his retreating figure with a complex expression.

The Liao army, which originally numbered five thousand, now has less than one hundred men left to follow him in his escape. If they lose the support of the people, the army will fall apart completely.

He must rely on these "favors" to win people's hearts in order to have any chance of making a comeback.

"Li Xiao is from the northern frontier."

He clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm, his eyes filled with hatred.

"If it weren't for you, how could I have fallen to such a state? How could the Great Liao Kingdom have perished?"

"If I do not avenge this grudge, I, Yelü Hongxin, swear I will not be a human being."

After venting his anger, his gaze became firm again.

He had already decided on his next destination: the Kingdom of Gur.

After the last war in Khorasan, the Kingdom of Ghur suffered heavy losses, and a civil war broke out within the country. Even the king was killed, and the country was in chaos.

"It's far from the northern border, so there's no need to worry about pursuers for now."

He muttered to himself, "First, I'll establish myself as a king in the mountains, plunder people, and develop my power. Then, I'll form alliances with the local tribes through marriage and strategic alliances..." "One day, I will surely rebuild the Liao Dynasty, lead my troops north, and make the people of the northern frontier pay for their blood debts."

As evening fell, bonfires were lit in the village, and Yelü Hongxin summoned all the Khitan soldiers.

He stood by the campfire and shouted in a loud voice, "Brothers, I know we are in a difficult situation. Samarkand has been lost, and the Liao Dynasty is temporarily doomed."

"But we are warriors of the Khitan, and the blood of the steppe wolf flows in our veins."

“My great-grandfather was able to lead the remnants of his army to rebuild the Liao Dynasty in the Western Regions. Today, I, Yelü Hongxin, can also lead you to revitalize the Liao Dynasty in the south.”

The soldiers raised their heads, their eyes gradually lighting up.

"Follow me."

Yelü Hongxin continued, “Once we have established a firm foothold, plundered cities, and expanded our army, you will all be ennobled and appointed generals, enjoying endless wealth and glory.”

“The people of the northern frontier killed our brothers and occupied our territory. We will settle this score sooner or later.”

"Rebuild the Liao Dynasty and avenge our humiliation."

The soldiers shouted in unison, and their previously scattered morale instantly coalesced, their hearts burning with passion.

Seeking revenge against the people of northern Xinjiang? Don't be silly.

It didn't matter to the soldiers.

The important thing was the promise Yelü Hongxin made to them: each of them would be granted a title and a high rank.

Otherwise, who would be willing to follow Yelü Hongxin into exile in another country!
But the soldiers' enthusiasm didn't last long. The next morning, the sound of rapid hoofbeats woke the sleeping village.

The troops from Jieshi City are coming.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! More than two hundred Karakhanid soldiers have arrived outside, and they look like they're here to attack us!" A soldier rushed in to report in a panic.

Yelü Hongxin suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with anger: "The person who made the purchase yesterday must have been targeted."

"It's truly a case of a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs!"

"But do you really think I, Yelü Hongxin, am a toothless tiger?"

"Only two hundred men dare to come and arrest me?"

He quickly donned his armor, drew his sword, and rallied his soldiers to form a battle array to meet the enemy.

Meanwhile, when the troops from Jieshi City arrived outside the village, they were immediately caught in an awkward situation.

They originally thought they were only going to capture a dozen or so Khitan remnants, but no one told them there were so many Khitans.

Moreover, the Khitan soldiers before them were all clad in blood-stained armor, their eyes revealing the ferocity of battle.

Although their numbers were less than half of their own, their bloodthirsty and fierce aura made the Jieshi soldiers breathless.

"kill."

Without further ado, Yelü Hongxin charged out first, and with a swipe of his scimitar, he cut down one of the Jieshi soldiers who was leading the charge.

The Khitan soldiers followed closely behind, pouncing on the enemy like hungry wolves.

The soldiers of Jieshi were already fearful, and when they saw how fierce the Khitans were, they instantly lost their composure.

Some soldiers turned and ran, while others were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, not daring to resist at all.

The battle was over in less than fifteen minutes.

The soldiers of Jieshi suffered heavy casualties, their corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, and their blood stained the land at the entrance of the village. The remaining soldiers fled in disarray toward Jieshi City.

"Stop chasing."

Yelü Hongxin stopped the soldiers who wanted to pursue: "Our whereabouts have been exposed. We must clean up the battlefield immediately and leave with our supplies."

The soldiers immediately sprang into action, gathering all the old weapons and arrows left behind by the Jieshi soldiers.

These things, which they originally looked down upon, have now become essential supplies on their escape route.

Yelü Hongxin gazed in the direction of Jieshi City, a cold glint in his eyes: "Abdul, you wait."

"I, Yelü Hongxin, will avenge today's humiliation sooner or later."

Meanwhile, the remnants of the Jieshi City army ran back to the city lord's mansion and cried out to Abdul, who came out to greet them, "City lord, we've lost! We've lost!"

Abdul's heart sank, and he quickly asked, "What happened? They're just a few Khitan remnants, and you can't even defeat two hundred men?"

"Not just a few, but several hundred."

A wounded soldier, his voice trembling, gestured exaggeratedly: "Those Khitans are too fierce. They're all like demons. Their armor is covered in blood, and they can cut down a brother with a single swing of their sword."

"Our men didn't dare get close at all. As soon as they charged in, they were slaughtered, with more than half of them killed or wounded!"

Another surviving soldier chimed in, his voice filled with fear: "Yes, Lord City Lord."

"Their eyes were terrifying, like they had just crawled out of a pile of corpses."

"The Khitan leader cleaved our spear in two with a single blow and shouted that he would raze Jieshi City to the ground. We couldn't defeat him at all and had to run back."

Abdul was completely bewildered by the rambling of the remaining soldiers.

But the next second, a smile appeared on his face.

He stroked his beard, a calculating glint in his eyes: "Nearly a hundred Khitan remnants, and so fierce...it seems there must be a big shot among them."

"It might be Yelü Hongxin's confidant, or even him himself."

The nobles around him were stunned, looking at Abdul with suspicion: "Lord, we've already lost, why are you still laughing? What if the Khitans attack?"

"Calling in?"

Abdul sneered: "They are nothing but stray dogs. No matter how fierce they are, they don't have many soldiers."

"Moreover, this is our opportunity."

He immediately ordered, "Men, immediately send all troops in the city to pursue the Khitans in the direction they are heading. We must capture these Khitans!"

"In addition, send a messenger on horseback to Samarkand to tell the officials in the northern frontier that we have discovered traces of the Khitans and are pursuing them. Once we capture them, we will hand them over to them."

The nobles then understood and nodded in praise: "The city lord is wise."

"If we can capture a Khitan bigwig and hand him over to the people of the northern frontier, our Jieshi City will be safe."

Abdul's eyes were full of anticipation. As long as he could win the favor of the people of northern Xinjiang, he could not only protect the city, but perhaps even go further and continue to enjoy wealth and honor.

Meanwhile, in Samarkand, the clearing out of the Yehudi people quickly caused a huge uproar among the prisoners of war, who became even more terrified of the Qin army.

Inside the golden tent, Li Xiao looked at the clan roster in his hand and finally decided on the candidate for "overseer": a Chuyue person.

"A person from the moon?"

Erhu stood aside, somewhat puzzled: "Big brother, these Yue people are a small Turkic tribe, not many in number. Can they control those prisoners of war?"

Li Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "It is precisely because they are a small group that they are suitable to be supervisors."

The Chuyue people also have another name: Shatuo people.

This tribe originated north of the Tianshan Mountains, which is now the desert region of the Qin state.

During the Tang Dynasty, some of the Chuyue people migrated eastward to the Central Plains to help the Tang Dynasty fight wars, and established three regimes during the Five Dynasties period.

The Chuyue people who remained in the desert migrated over many years, their footprints covering the Western Regions, as far as Samarkand.

Today, a small number of people in the Qin state are from Chuyue.

The Chuyue people were few in number and had always been suppressed by the Uyghurs and Karluks. They had long harbored resentment and would certainly not dare to neglect their duties in managing prisoners of war.

Soon, the leader of the Chuyue people was brought into the central command tent.

His name was Shah, a man in his forties, dressed in a simple fur robe, with a hint of tension and fear in his eyes.

When Li Xiao announced that the Chuyue people would serve as "supervisors" to manage the prisoners of war's farming, Shah was both surprised and delighted, and immediately knelt down.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. We, the Yue people, will certainly live up to your mission and take good care of the prisoners of war to grow enough grain for Qin."

Li Xiao nodded, his tone serious: "I give you power, but there are also rules. You are not allowed to embezzle grain, you are not allowed to mistreat prisoners of war, and you are not allowed to collude with other ethnic groups. If you do not do well, you know the consequences."

The Yehudi are a cautionary tale.

"The villain understands."

Shah readily agreed, his heart filled with excitement. The Chu Moon people had been oppressed for so many years, and finally they had the opportunity to raise their heads.

As long as we do our jobs well for the people of northern Xinjiang, we will be able to secure a place for the Chuyue people in Samarkand in the future.

Soon, the Chuyue people took action.

Holding the tokens bestowed upon them by Li Xiao, they arrived at the prisoner-of-war camp, divided the prisoners into different teams, and supervised them to work in the fields every day.

The Chuyue people are meticulous in their work. They are neither as arrogant as the Uyghurs nor as greedy as the Sogdians. They quickly managed their farming affairs in an orderly manner.

Those nobles and heinous prisoners of war who were exiled to the mining areas did not have such an easy time.

Under the supervision of the monthly overseer, they had to mine for more than ten hours every day. Any slackness would result in being whipped. Many people collapsed in the mine due to exhaustion and never got up again.

As a result, the hatred these prisoners of war and miners harbored for the Chuyue people gradually surpassed that for the Qin state.

As night fell, outside the golden tent, Adana stood in the wind, her fingers tightly gripping her clothes.

She changed into an elegant white silk dress. Without the Queen Mother's ornate jewelry, her figure appeared even more slender, but the paleness on her face was impossible to hide.

"go in!"

The guards on the tent spoke expressionlessly, their tone devoid of any respect, only showing indifference towards the "spoils of war."

Adana took a deep breath, lifted the curtain, and went inside.

Inside the tent, candles were lit, and Li Xiao was sitting at his desk reviewing battle reports. He was wearing only a black casual robe, and his long hair was casually tied back. He looked less sharp on the battlefield and more composed as a ruler.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and his gaze fell on Adana. He showed no surprise, only a scrutinizing look.

"What brings the Empress Dowager here so late at night?"

Li Xiao's voice was flat and devoid of any warmth.

Adana's heart tightened. She stepped forward, stopped in front of the table, and slowly knelt down to pay her respects. Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly: "Your Majesty, I, Adana, am willing to serve you with my life."

At this moment, she was no longer the high and mighty Empress Dowager, but a "trophy" in a chaotic world, clinging to the powerful, using her body to exchange for future glory and survival.

(End of this chapter)