The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 375 The Hunting Grounds of the New World, When the Sun and Moon Banner Flies Over the South Asian Plain

The news of the Liao Dynasty's demise spread not only within the Qin Kingdom but also gradually reached the people of the Jin and Song Kingdoms, thanks to the manipulation of spies from the Xuande Division.

Unlike the revelry of the people of Qin, the people of Zhongdu reacted with indifference.

At a noodle stall in the south of the city, several customers were engrossed in slurping noodles. While kneading the dough, the stall owner, Old Zhou, casually mentioned, "I heard that the Liao Kingdom in the Western Regions was destroyed, and it was done by those barbarians from the northern frontier."

A man sitting on the far side didn't even look up and mumbled, "Liao Kingdom? Which Liao Kingdom? What does it have to do with us? As long as the harvest is good this year and the taxes are low, who cares who destroys whom?"

Another peddler, dressed in shorts, put down his chopsticks, scratched his head, and looked completely bewildered: "Northern barbarians? Are you referring to the ones who fought against us before?"

"So what if they won? They're a million miles away from Zhongdu. Do you think they can come and steal our noodles?"

"What barbarians? I've heard that those old soldiers in the northern frontier are all Han Chinese, just like us, their blood is more than that..."

One of the merchants lowered his voice, pointed in the direction of the palace, and muttered softly, "The bloodline is much purer than the current one."

The others also became interested and asked curiously why the Han people had gone to the Western Regions.

It was just curiosity, at most a slight increase in their sense of identification with the Qin state, but nothing more.

In the eyes of ordinary people, no matter whether it was the Liao, Qin, or Jin dynasties, the rulers changed one after another, but they still had to farm, set up stalls, and pay taxes, and their lives continued as before.

The so-called "destruction of a country" is nothing more than idle gossip over tea and dinner; once heard, it's forgotten and not worth taking seriously.

However, within the circles of powerful and wealthy officials, the situation is quite different.

After Emperor Wanyan Yongji recounted the incident in the imperial court, he dismissed the court session without taking it seriously.

In his view, although the Qin state's conquest of the Liao state was an important event, it did not have a significant impact on the Jin state itself.

After the court session, the ministers and princes gathered in small groups to discuss the matter.

"This is wonderful! This is truly a godsend for our Great Jin!"

The Minister of Rites, Tudan Dalu, clapped his hands and laughed, his tone full of relief: "Qin has used all its strength in the Western Regions, so it certainly won't be able to take care of the East for the time being."

"As long as they keep fighting with the Western Region tribes and don't provoke us, we can peacefully guard this heartland of the Central Plains. Why not?"

"Lord Tudan is right."

Prince Wanyan Zongmin of Guangning nodded slightly in agreement: "Our Great Jin Dynasty wanted to fight the Liao Dynasty during its founding period but failed. If the Qin Dynasty was able to destroy it, it must have suffered heavy losses."

"Both sides suffer losses, and we reap the benefits. Isn't that great?"

Several ministers who advocated "keeping the peace" nodded in agreement, feeling that this was a great thing.

As long as the Qin state does not advance eastward, the Jin dynasty can maintain the status quo, and their titles and salaries can be preserved.

They represent the mentality of some officials in the Jin Dynasty: unambitious, complacent, and content with their lot, only wanting to enjoy themselves.

However, the Jin Dynasty was not completely corrupt, and many people still wanted to revitalize it and continue its prosperity for ten thousand years.

On the other side, in the Yue Prince's mansion, Prince Wanyan Yonggong, accompanied by Tongpingzhang Shipu Sanduan and Dianqian Dujianjian Wanyan Jiong, arrived at his study.

"It's utterly absurd."

His chest heaved violently, his voice filled with barely suppressed rage: "The Qin state is almost at our doorstep, and that bastard Wanyan Yongji is still living a life of debauchery in the harem, while Tudan Dalu and his gang are still living on 'luck'."

"Do they think the Qin state is easy to deal with? It's a tiger ten times more powerful than the Turkic Khaganate back then. If we don't stop it in time, the Jin dynasty will be destroyed by them sooner or later."

Pu San Duan's expression was also very solemn: "What the King of Yue said is true. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has only cared about enjoying himself and has almost abandoned the military equipment left by the late emperor."

"The Qin army is currently conquering Liao and expanding its territory, and its morale is high. If we don't take action now, once they have digested the Western Regions, our Great Jin will be the next to suffer."

Wanyan Jiong frowned, his tone tinged with helplessness, and said, "But His Majesty has the rightful and legitimate title, and the Privy Councilor Pusan ​​Shilie is his confidant. Even if we wanted to prepare for war, we couldn't mobilize any troops."

He was in charge of the palace guards, but due to Wanyan Yongji's suspicion, he could only mobilize less than 30% of the troops.

Wanyan Yonggong took a deep breath, his eyes gradually hardening: "Therefore, we must fight for it, and we must not let the Great Jin Dynasty be destroyed in Wanyan Yongji's hands."

He walked to the wall, opened a hidden compartment, took out a secret letter, and handed it to the two men: "This is what I had someone find out. Pusan ​​Shilie has planted his cronies in the army, embezzled military pay, and resold military equipment. Many generals have long been complaining."

Pu San Duan took the secret letter, quickly flipped through a few pages, but his brows gradually furrowed. He placed the letter on the table and said in a solemn tone, "Your Highness, while embezzling military pay and installing cronies are crimes, they are not fatal enough for a Privy Councilor like Pu San Shi Lie."

Wanyan Yonggong remained calm. He knew, of course, that these charges alone would not bring down Pusan ​​Shilie, which was why he needed to consult with others.

Wanyan Jiong echoed, "Lord Pushan is right. Pushan Shilie has His Majesty's backing, and there are many sycophantic officials in the court who speak up for him. This little matter can't touch him at all."

"We must find evidence that he has crossed the line, such as... treason, rebellion, or something like that."

"Collaboration?"

Wanyan Yonggong's eyes lit up, but then his face darkened. "But Pusan ​​Shilie has been staying in Zhongdu all along. How could he be colluding with the enemy?"

Wanyan Jiong leaned forward and lowered his voice even further: "I heard from my old subordinates in the army a few days ago that Pushan Shilie's nephew, Pushan Husha, went to the northern desert under the pretext of 'patrolling the border' half a year ago. After returning, he sent Pushan Shilie a lot of rare furs and all sorts of rare trinkets."

"Tell me, what would a Privy Councilor's nephew do in the northern deserts for no reason?"

These words stunned both Wanyan Yonggong and Pusan ​​Duan.

The northern desert was Qin territory. When Qin launched its eastern expedition against Guanzhong, its army in the northern desert even supported the capture and attacked the Jiehao defense line.

As the Privy Councilor, Pusan ​​Shilie should have been on guard against the Qin state, yet his nephew secretly contacted the northern deserts, which raises many suspicions.

"You mean... Pusan ​​Shilie might be secretly colluding with the Qin state?"

Wanyan Yonggong spoke urgently, saying that if this were true, it would be a grave crime punishable by the extermination of the entire clan. Not only would it mean the downfall of Pusan ​​Shilie, but even Wanyan Yongji might be implicated.

"It may not be an affair, but there's definitely something fishy going on."

Wanyan Jiong's eyes sharpened: "I also heard that last month, a batch of bows and arrows and armor went missing from the Datong Prefecture's armory, and it was reported that they had been 'robbed'."

"But the person in charge of investigating the case is none other than a trusted confidant planted by Pusan ​​Shilie..."

Wanyan Yonggong slammed his hand on the table: "There's definitely something wrong here."

"Perhaps those military equipment were sold to the Qin state through Pusanhusha."

"If we can find evidence, we can not only convict Pusan ​​Shilie of 'misappropriation of military equipment,' but also implicate him in the serious crime of 'colluding with the enemy.' At that time, even if that good-for-nothing Wanyan Yongji wants to protect him, the royal family and the army will not agree."

Thinking this, Wanyan Yonggong instantly perked up: "Let's start investigating these two matters."

"Lord Pushan, you must personally go to Datong Prefecture and thoroughly reinvestigate the theft of the military depot. You must find incriminating evidence against Pushan Shilie's confidants."

"General Wanyan, inquire among the border troops and see if anyone knows the details of Pusanhusha's journey to the northern desert. It would be best to find concrete evidence."

"Yes, sir." The two replied in unison.

Pusan ​​Duan said excitedly, "As long as we can obtain these two pieces of evidence, we can impeach Pusan ​​Shilie in the court."

“If we can bring him down, the resistance in the military will be reduced by more than half.”

"Impeachment alone is not enough."

Wanyan Yonggong shook his head, his tone resolute: "We still need to persuade the old princes in the imperial clan."

“Those people experienced the battles during the reign of the late emperor and know how terrible the threat from Qin is. As long as they stand up to support us, Wanyan Yongji will have to relinquish power, no matter how unwilling he is.”

Wanyan Jiong nodded in agreement: "That's right. There are still many veterans from the late emperor's time in the Imperial Guard. They are grateful for the late emperor's kindness and also disapprove of Your Majesty's actions."

"As long as His Highness the King of Yue gives the order, I can get them to follow us."

"At that time, with troops at our disposal and the support of the imperial clan, we can force His Majesty to prepare for war, and even..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence, but the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.

If Wanyan Yongji insists on not cooperating, they may have to consider "changing the ruler".

Wanyan Yonggong did not reply, but walked to the window, looked in the direction of the palace, and said in a heavy tone: "I did not want it to come to this, but the Great Jin cannot perish."

"We are all subjects of the Great Jin Dynasty, and we must be responsible for the legacy of our ancestors and for the people of the world."

"Even if I bear the infamy of 'treason,' I will seize military power and keep the Great Jin Dynasty afloat."

Pusan ​​Duan and Wanyan Jiong exchanged a glance and bowed simultaneously: "We are willing to follow the King of Yue and swear to protect the Great Jin to the death."

……

Meanwhile, on the northern border of the Western Regions' Gur Kingdom, the city gates of Barihei were tightly closed, and the city walls were filled with Gur soldiers wielding scimitars and bows and arrows, their expressions tense as they watched the approaching army outside the city.

This ancient city, also known as "Bancheng", has a history that can be traced back a thousand years. The land beneath its feet has long been soaked in the blood of countless wars.

In previous years, the Liao general Tayanggu led a large army to conquer this place and allowed Liao soldiers to plunder the city, but failed to eliminate the hidden danger.

Ultimately, Tayangu was caught in a pincer attack by the city's inhabitants and Gur's reinforcements, suffering a crushing defeat and fleeing in disarray. This was Tayangu's most devastating loss, apart from his encounter with the Qin state.

Historically, during the Mongol westward expedition, the city of Bariki refused to surrender and was subjected to a massacre.

After the massacre, they continued south to hunt down Jalal ad-Din. When they returned, they found that many people had survived, so they went back to Barihei.

These people did not expect the Mongols to return, and were thus slaughtered again.

Because Temujin kept his word, he vowed to slaughter the entire city of Bariki and left no survivors.

Now, it is the turn of the Qin army's iron hooves to trample beneath this ancient city that has suffered so much.

Erhu rode on a warhorse, wearing a red cloth armor with gold trim, symbolizing his status as a member of the Li royal family.

Behind him, 20,000 elite cavalrymen from the Fifth Division lined up in formation, their crimson battle flags bearing sun and moon symbols fluttering in the wind.

With the addition of nearly 20,000 Western Karakhanid Khanate vassal troops and Ghur prisoners of war, the 40,000-strong army pressed down on the city like a dark cloud, completely surrounding Bariki, making it difficult for even a bird to escape.

"General, should we attack the city now?"

The commander beside him asked for instructions in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the Gur soldiers standing guard on the city wall, his tone full of disdain.

Since the westward expedition, the Qin soldiers and generals have been shocked to discover that the fighting strength of the Western Regions army is really too weak.

It was not on the same level as the Jin, Xia, or even Liao dynasties.

The mighty Qin cavalry arrived in the Western Regions as if they were in an empty land; in their eyes, these Gur soldiers were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

Erhu raised his hand to stop them, indicating that they should first try to persuade them to surrender.

Soon, several loud-voiced Gur soldiers stepped forward and shouted loudly at the city wall: "Listen up, people of Barihei!"

"General Li Ao, the commander of the Fifth Garrison of the Great Qin, is here."

"Quickly surrender the city, offer up grain, wealth, and women, and the lives of the people in the city can be saved."

"If anyone dares to resist stubbornly, on the day the city falls, not a single chicken or dog will be spared."

Shouts echoed inside and outside the city walls. The faces of the Gur soldiers on the city walls changed drastically. Some gripped their weapons tightly, while others showed expressions of fear.

Don't listen to them.

The garrison commander drew his scimitar and shouted, "The people of the Northern Frontier are all wolves; surrendering means certain death."

“We, the people of Barihei City, are never afraid of death. Let’s fight them to the death.” After experiencing the ravages of Tayangu, the soldiers of Barihei City naturally distrusted these foreign tribes from the north.

Encouraged by the commander's words, the soldiers raised their weapons and roared in response: "Fight to the death! We will never surrender!"

Seeing that his attempts to persuade them to surrender had failed, Erhu revealed a cold smile and ordered those behind him: "Prepare the cannons and bombard the city walls."

"Kuri's army will be in front, followed by the elite troops of my Fifth Division. After the city is breached, we will proceed according to the established procedures."

"Follow the order."

At a command, dozens of cannons were pushed to the front of the battle line, their barrels aimed at the walls of Barihei.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deafening roar of the cannons firing in unison was deafening. The shells, trailing sharp whistles, crashed against the city walls, sending bricks and stones flying and instantly creating cracks in the walls.

The Gur soldiers on the city wall were blown to pieces by the cannon fire, their originally high morale instantly collapsed, leaving only fearful cries.

After three days of attack, a section of the city wall of Barihei collapsed, revealing a breach.

Erhu waved his hand and said, "Kill."

The auxiliary troops carried ladders and rushed towards the breach in the city wall. Although the Gur soldiers fought desperately, they could not stop the Qin army's offensive at all.

Soon, the Qin army's elite troops stormed into the city through the breach and engaged in street fighting with the Gur soldiers.

The red cavalry surged into the city gates like a tide, and the resistance within the city gradually weakened.

Bari, the Black City, has finally fallen.

In the following days, Barihei City descended into apocalyptic chaos.

Qin soldiers looted the city, loading gold and silver treasures onto carts and taking them away. Young women were imprisoned and prepared to be sent to the northern frontier.

Men and those who are worthless became victims of the knife.

Blood flowed down the streets, and corpses were piled up and buried in a large pit outside the city. The air was filled with the stench of blood and burning flesh.

Erhu stood on the city wall, looking at the scene in the city. The commander beside him stepped forward to report: "General, the resistance in the city has been completely eliminated. The property and women have been counted. The rest... will be handled according to your instructions."

Erhu nodded, his gaze sweeping across the deserted streets, and he sneered, "There are still too many 'tigers' within the Kingdom of Gur."

“Look, the people of Bari have been eaten up by the ‘tiger’ again.”

The commander immediately understood his meaning and bowed, replying, "Yes, General."

"After today, the Gur people will know that the consequence of resisting the Great Qin is becoming food for the 'tigers'."

Erhu gazed sharply at the territory of the Kingdom of Gur in the south.

He wanted every city in the Kingdom of Gur to know that the Qin army's iron hooves were unstoppable.

If they refuse to surrender and dare to continue resisting the Qin cavalry, then the "tiger menace" in the Kingdom of Gur will only intensify.

Barihei City has fallen; the next city to fall will be Yeli City, another important town in the Kingdom of Gur.

That area belonged to the Khorasan region, a prosperous and thriving commercial area. The countless glittering gold treasures there would naturally attract the Qin army to conquer it.

Erhu has a fierce temper, a violent personality, and a great bloodlust.

With Li Xiao suppressing them in the Qin state, they wouldn't cause any problems.

But now, leading troops alone in the field, it seems as if his true nature has been completely unleashed.

There are only two outcomes when dealing with an enemy.

They either submit to slavery or they are all killed to prevent future trouble.

The Kingdom of Gur is destined to be plunged into a bloody night because of the arrival of Erhu.

On the third day after the fall of Bariki, the Qin army was resting in the city, taking stock of their spoils, and preparing for their next step in advancing into the heart of Gur.

Suddenly, a messenger rode up to the city lord's mansion, dismounted, and reported to Erhu, "Reporting, General."

"The 6,000th garrison discovered a Gur army of about 4,000 men fifty li to the southeast."

"Our elite force of 1,000 troops has defeated them. Among the prisoners, we found a Khitan. According to his confession, the commander was Yelü Hongxin, the Jurhan of the Liao Dynasty. He is currently fleeing towards the Delhi Sultanate."

Erhu, who was wiping his sword, looked up abruptly upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Yelü Hongxin? He's still alive?"

He put down his sword, strode to the map, and pointed to the southeast. "Four thousand men... It seems our army's attack on the city has done him a great favor."

The army of the Gur Kingdom suffered more and more defeats, and the scattered soldiers were like frightened birds. Yelü Hongxin, as a former Liao nobleman, took the opportunity to rally the people's hearts.

"This guy is quite capable of assembling a team of four thousand people in a short period of time."

Erhu frowned slightly, his eyes instantly turning sharp: "But it is precisely because he is capable that we cannot let him go."

“The Kingdom of Ghu has no strong army left. If he escapes to the Delhi Sultanate or other tribes, he will surely become a future threat.”

Immediately, Erhu turned around and ordered, "Pass on my orders."

"Deputy Commander Xiao is leading 10,000 elite troops from the Fifth Division and 10,000 troops from the Kuli Army to Yeli City to attack the capital city of Gur, Filosgu, and is determined to completely destroy the Kingdom of Gur and take over the entire Khorasan."

"I will personally lead the remaining 10,000 elite troops and 10,000 Kuli troops to pursue Yelü Hongxin to the southeast."

“Cut the grass and root out the roots.”

"Follow the order."

The messenger acknowledged and immediately relayed the order.

Xiao Chilu, the deputy commander of the Fifth Garrison, quickly mustered his troops and set off towards Yeli City.

Erhu personally reorganized the army, took enough food and artillery, and set off on the pursuit that afternoon.

At this moment, Yelü Hongxin was leading his remaining troops in a desperate escape across the wasteland.

He sat on horseback, his face ashen, his heart filled with rage.

During this period, taking advantage of the Qin army's defeat of the Gur army, he gathered up scattered Gur soldiers from all directions, and in just half a month, he had gathered more than 4,000 men.

Maintaining such an army requires a lot of food, and since he has no territory, he simply cannot afford to do so.

Just then, a Qin army unit of a thousand commanders was discovered.

He then planned to use his superior force of over four thousand men to wipe out the Qin army, seize their grain, and continue south.

Unexpectedly, his four thousand men were so easily defeated when faced with a thousand Qin soldiers.

They were scattered by a round of artillery fire and a counter-charge from the Qin army.

"Useless, these Gur soldiers are nothing but a bunch of useless trash."

Yelü Hongxin lashed his horse with his whip and cursed angrily, "Four times the troops, and you still can't stop a single charge from the Qin army!"

"If it weren't for the fact that Gur's defeated soldiers were too numerous and the Qin army couldn't break through, I would have lost my life here today."

The guard beside him cautiously advised, "Master, the Gur soldiers were untrained and a hastily assembled rabble. It's normal for them to be defeated by the Qin army..."

“We still have more than two hundred cavalrymen. As long as we escape to the Delhi Sultanate and slowly gather our forces, we will eventually have a chance to take revenge.”

Yelü Hongxin sneered, his eyes full of disdain: "Revenge? With those cowards in the Delhi Sultanate? And these stupid pigs from Gur?"

"Today I finally understand. No matter how many natives the Kingdom of Gur have, they are just a bunch of useless trash."

"If it were the Liao army back then, even with only a thousand men, they could fight the Qin army to the death."

Even so, he urged his horse to speed up and fled towards the Hindu Kush Mountains.

That was the only way to enter the Delhi Sultanate, and his only way to survive.

Erhu led his army in a leisurely pursuit, attacking any small towns they encountered along the way, plundering their provisions to replenish their supplies, and spreading the threat that "those who resist the Qin army will die."

Several days later, the army came to a mountain range that stretched from east to west. The local guide pointed to the mountain range and said, "General, this is the Hindu Kush Mountains. Beyond these mountains lies the territory of the Delhi Sultanate."

"There is only one pass through the mountain range; the rest are all cliffs and precipices."

Erhu reined in his horse, looked at the rolling mountains, and frowned slightly: "Such a strategic location, according to the military strategy of our China, must be fortified with passes to prevent enemy attacks."

"Don't the Ghurids and the people of the Delhi Sultanate understand this principle?"

Suspicion arose in his heart, and he immediately ordered: "Send scouts to investigate first and confirm whether there are any troops guarding the mountain pass. The main force should slow down and be ready to fight at any time."

The scout quickly reported: "General, there is no one at the mountain pass. There is not even a sentry, let alone a pass."

Upon hearing this, Erhu became even more puzzled: "Are these rulers fools? Why leave such a strategically important place undefended? Aren't they afraid of foreign invasion?"

Although puzzled, he did not hesitate and immediately ordered: "All troops shall be on alert and pass through the mountain pass in an orderly manner. Be careful of the cliffs on both sides to prevent ambushes."

The army cautiously entered the mountain pass, but never encountered any ambush.

After passing through the mountain pass, a vast, boundless plain unfolded before the Qin army.

Although it lacks the vibrant life of the northern grasslands and is filled with rugged terrain, it is more suitable for cavalry conquest.

"What a wonderful open space."

An old soldier couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, wiping the sweat from his face, his eyes full of surprise: "It's even flatter than the grasslands of our northern frontier. If cavalry charged here, they could practically break the horses' legs."

The soldiers around them started talking amongst themselves, their previous irritation from the hot and humid weather completely gone, replaced by barely concealed excitement.

Erhu reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping across the plain, his originally solemn eyes gradually turning fiery.

He drew his sword, its tip pointing deep into the plain, and said in a loud voice, "Brothers, do you see this land? From this day forward, it will be our Qin army's hunting ground."

"Yelü Hongxin can't escape, and the cowards of the Delhi Sultanate can't stop us either."

His voice was full of pride: "We men of the northern frontier are never afraid of unfamiliar battlefields."

“Before, in Samarkand, we could beat the Khwarazmians so badly they cried for their fathers and mothers. In Chu River, we could flatten the cities of the Western Liao.”

"Now that we've arrived on this plain, we can still let the lowly people of the Delhi Sultanate know that the iron hooves of the Great Qin can traverse the world."

"Let those arrogant fools see that provoking our Qin army is courting death."

"Great Qin will be victorious!"

"Great Qin will be victorious!"

……

With Erhu's order, the crimson cavalry set off, like a red torrent, rushing towards the South Asian plains.

(End of this chapter)