The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 385 The Setting Sun Dynasty, Two Urgent Reports Shatter the Land

Inside the Jade Dragon Palace, the atmosphere was unusually oppressive.

Empress Dowager Turkhan leaned back on her throne, which was covered with a white tiger skin. The usually docile white Persian cat was curled up on her lap, but she pushed it away in annoyance.

Since Muhammad and his son were imprisoned, she has seized power and replaced all the important positions in the palace and court with Kipchak confidants.

However, the recent news of the war has made her lose all of her former arrogance.

"What are you all standing there for? What's the situation in Bukhara?"

Empress Dowager Turhan tapped the armrest of her throne, her gaze sweeping over the generals standing with their heads bowed below, finally settling on the Kipchak general Mengliq.

Now that Alexei has led his army to Bukhara, most of Yulongjiechi's military power is in the hands of Menglike, who is also her most trusted Kipchak.

Menglike stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said hesitantly, “The Empress Dowager… dispatched 20,000 troops to support Bukhara, but they were ambushed by northern cavalry on the way and suffered heavy losses.”

"This humble general...this humble general had no choice but to order a retreat...Now, we have completely severed ties with Bukhara."

"Useless!" Empress Dowager Tuerhan slammed her hand on the table, causing the silver wine cup beside her throne to fall to the ground, spilling wine everywhere.

"Even 20,000 troops can't break through? What else can you do?"

Her eyes were filled with rage, and her chest heaved violently.

Bukhara was not only an important town in Khwarazm, but also the residence of her most beloved nephew, Khair Khan. Now that contact with him had been lost, how could she not panic?

Menglike was also helpless, as he really couldn't get through.

Although the Qin army that lay between Bukhara and Yulongjiechi was not large in number, they were all cavalry, and were more cunning than foxes on the grasslands.

They never engaged in direct combat with the Khwarazmian reinforcements, but instead engaged in endless harassment and night raids. Whenever Khwarazm sent a large number of cavalry to pursue them, the enemy would retreat to Bukhara.

They joined forces with the main Qin army in Bukhara to encircle and annihilate the Khwarazmian cavalry.

Unless a larger mixed infantry and cavalry force is sent to provide support, should Yulongjiechi still be defended?

Seeing Turhan's angry expression, a Kipchak official quickly stepped forward to persuade her, his tone ingratiating: "Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Bukhara is well-fortified and well-supplied. General Alex is a veteran of countless battles, and there are 100,000 troops stationed there. No matter how powerful the people of the Northern Frontier are, they cannot take it."

"Perhaps the news has just been cut off temporarily. In a few days, General Alex will surely send someone to deliver the good news."

Other Kipchak officials chimed in, "Yes, Your Majesty, Bukhara's army is commanded by our Kipchak warriors. The northern barbarians only won a few battles by luck. How can they compare to us? Bukhara will definitely be fine."

Most of them had risen to their high positions thanks to Tuerhan's promotion, and at this moment they only wanted to speak according to her wishes, completely unaware of the critical situation of the battle.

The Empress Dowager Turkhan's anger subsided slightly. She frowned and pondered for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "No, Khair Khan cannot be harmed."

"Menglike, take another 30,000 troops and set off immediately to aid Bukhara. Even if we cannot hold Bukhara, we must bring Hail Khan back to me."

This order shocked the Kipchak officials; the Empress Dowager's affection for Khair Khan was truly excessive.

"Follow the order."

Just as Menglike was about to accept the order, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall, and a guard cautiously walked in.

He knelt on one knee and said softly, "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Zhan City. It is a letter sent by the city lord of Zhan."

Empress Dowager Tuerhan frowned. "The city of felt?"
"Give it to me and read it."

The maid unfolded the letter and read in a trembling voice: "In the name of Allah, I pay homage to Turhan the Glory of Khwarazm, the vessel of all virtues, the embodiment of truth, the Mother of the World under the protection of Allah, and may Allah's peace and mercy be upon you."

"But today I pick up my pen not to praise, but to lament: the heretical rebel army of the northern frontier has swept in like a plague, and the iron hooves of the blasphemous holy land have shattered the peace of Khwarezm."

"Twenty thousand Kipchak warriors, those riders guided by God, have all been martyred outside Otrar. Their blood has stained the tributaries of the Syr Darya, and their souls have ascended to Paradise."

"And the city of Odara, which had once been blessed by God, was slaughtered by the rebel army. The dome of the temple was piled with the corpses of believers, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could no longer be heard."

“Even more despicable is the commander of Pugnak, who betrayed the teachings of God, abandoned the dignity of believers, and knelt down to the infidel army, exchanging the blood of his compatriots for his own survival. Such a coward will ultimately be rejected by Allah.”

"Now, the iron hooves of the heretical rebels have reached the walls of Felt City, and terrifying thunder and fire have been directed at the believers of Allah."

"As the lord of this city, I have received the Empress Dowager's favor and been entrusted by God to protect this city. How can I retreat like a coward?"

"Even if the city falls and people perish, I will lead all the people of the city to defend the holy land with our own flesh and blood, and to practice our faith in God with our lives."

"Today, I will live and die with the city of Felt, and I am willing to use my blood of martyrdom to awaken the courage of more believers."

"Finally, we pray that Allah will bless the Queen Mother and Khwarezm, drive out the heretical rebels as soon as possible, and restore the glory of the holy land."

"Your subject, Ibrahim, the lord of the city of Zan, swears by his life that this is my last word."

"boom."

These words were like a thunderclap, instantly stunning everyone in the hall.

Mengliq looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Twenty thousand Kipchak warriors... all faithful believers of God, how could they all be wiped out? The temple of Odara... how could it have suffered such a calamity?"

The other officials' voices trembled as well: "Zan's City... that's the closest major town to Yulongjiechi."

“The journey of five hundred li can be covered by the heretical rebels on horseback in no more than five days.”

"If the city of Felt falls, will the followers of Allah in Yulongjiechi also suffer the same fate?"

Empress Dowager Turkhan sat stiffly on her throne, her face as pale as paper. Her once proud Kipchak cavalry had been defeated so thoroughly.
Odaara was slaughtered, Pugnahei surrendered, and the city of Zande was to die for its country. What about Bukhara? What about Khair Khan? Countless thoughts exploded in her mind. Her former arrogance vanished, leaving only endless panic.

She grabbed Menglike and the others, her voice urgent as she asked, "What do we do? What do we do now? The people from Northern Xinjiang are almost at our doorstep! Can anyone tell me what to do?"

The hall was deathly silent; no one dared to utter the words "the Kipchak cavalry is invincible" or "God protects Khwarazm."

The officials looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear.

They abused their power and tyranny because of Turkhan's authority, but now that a powerful enemy is pressing in, they have no way to deal with it and can only watch helplessly as disaster approaches.

Menglike clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. He suddenly looked up at Empress Dowager Tuerhan, his voice tinged with urgency: "Empress Dowager."

"The situation is critical now. The city of Zan is in imminent danger. We can no longer sit idly by and wait for our doom."

"I dare to suggest that... we should invite the Sultan to lead the troops."

"He had fought against the people of the northern frontier and knew their tactics, so he might be able to come up with a plan to repel them."

"Mahama?" Empress Dowager Turkham frowned, a hint of wariness and resentment flashing in her eyes.

Although he was her son, the two were rivals for power. She had finally managed to completely suppress Muhammad, and hadn't even had enough of the extravagance of power yet. She didn't want Muhammad to regain power.

She sneered, "He has indeed fought against the people of the Northern Frontier, but what was the result?"

"The 50,000-strong army suffered a crushing defeat. Letting him lead the troops would be like sending the last remaining strength of Khwarazm into the jaws of the northern barbarians."

If Muhammad were to regain military power, he would inevitably win over the Persian-Tajik nobles, at which point his Kipchak confidants would have no place to stand, and his power would be weakened.

In her view, the interests of the Kipchak tribe far outweighed the survival of the Khwarazmian state, and even if it meant sacrificing the entire Khwarazmian territory, she would not allow Muhammad to prevent her from seizing absolute power.

Historically, Muhammad did indeed break free from the influence of Turhan al-Turhan, conquered Samarkand, and made it the new capital of Khwarazm.

Based on this, a new interest group was established, which rivaled the Empress Dowager Turhan of Yulongjiechi, thus forming the dual system of rule in Khwarazm.

But now, Samarkand has not been taken, and Yulongjiechi remains the stronghold of Empress Dowager Turhan.

A Kipchak official immediately echoed, "The Empress Dowager is wise."

"Although the Sultan is a servant of God, he ultimately failed to defeat the people of the Northern Frontier and could not afford to lose the last of Yulongjiechi's troops."

“We Kipchaks have plenty of brave warriors. As long as the Empress Dowager gives the order, we are willing to lead our troops to defend Yulongjiechi to the death and we will surely drive away the heretical rebels.”

Other Kipchak officials echoed their sentiments, but their voices trembled noticeably. Everyone knew that Khwarezm was no longer capable of resisting the Qin army.

Empress Dowager Turkhan nodded in satisfaction, but the fear in her heart did not diminish in the slightest.

She was ultimately just a short-sighted and narrow-minded woman, lacking both the ability to govern a country and the courage to deal with crises.

Historically, she single-handedly led Khwarazm to the Mongol hordes. Now, facing the threat of the Qin army, she is at a loss and can only maintain a facade of composure by suppressing dissidents and listening to slander.

"Very well, you are all right. Our Kipchak warriors will never be defeated by the barbarians of the northern frontier. They will only become stronger with each battle."

"By order of the Empress Dowager, the army shall be mobilized and prepared for war immediately. All the gates of Yulongjiechi shall be closed, and all able-bodied men in the city shall be conscripted to reinforce the city's defenses. Let the heretical rebels of the northern frontier know that Yulongjiechi is their graveyard."

"As ordered."

The ministers left with trepidation, each going about their own business, or sending some of their treasures and family members to other places.

Empress Dowager Turkhan sat down again, looking exhausted, and called her grandson, Wosilahei, over.

Gently stroking her grandson's head, the fierceness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a complex tenderness.

“My dear grandson, you must remember that the world of Khwarezm will be yours in the future.”

"But this world has never been won by prayer, but by sword and spear, by the iron cavalry of our Kipchaks."

Wosilah blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite: "Grandmother, are the people of the Northern Frontier very powerful? Will they be able to invade the city?"

"Don't be afraid."

Turkhan gripped Oslahi's hand tightly, his tone resolute and unwavering.

“Our Khwarezm is a vast and resource-rich land with an inexhaustible supply of food and an endless supply of warriors. As long as we trust the Kipchaks and guard the city gates, no one can harm you.”

"You should be especially wary of those Persians. They may seem docile on the surface, but they are even worse than the people of the northern frontier."

“They have long coveted our power. Once they get the chance, they will hang us, grandfather and grandson, from the rafters of the temple, so that we will never see Allah again.”

She paused, then continued, “Your father has been completely bewitched by the Persians. He only thinks about that bastard child of that Turkic woman, Jalal ad-Din, and has forgotten the roots of our Kipchak people.”

"From now on, your grandmother will teach you how to govern the country and how to fight. You must remember that only the Kipchaks are your most reliable support."

Wosilah nodded as if he understood, and Turkhan felt a little more at ease looking at him.

As long as this "little account" is properly trained, her power will not fall into other hands.

But this peace didn't last long. Urgent footsteps sounded again outside the palace. Meng Like returned, his voice trembling as he knelt on one knee. "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Bukhara… Bukhara has fallen! One hundred thousand troops… one hundred thousand troops have been wiped out!"

"boom!"

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, instantly shattering the last psychological defenses of Empress Dowager Turhan.

"O Allah! How is this possible?"

She stared wide-eyed, looking incredulous, and remained stunned for a while before suddenly standing up.

He roared, “Bukhara has 100,000 warriors and strong walls protected by God, how could... how could it be breached by heretical rebels? Where is Khair Khan? Where is my Khair Khan?”

Six months ago, also in this very hall, the previous commander of the Jade Dragon Red Guard, Alexei, reported to her the news of the defeat of Mahamati's 50,000-strong army.

Today, history repeats itself, but with an even more tragic ending.

The army of 100,000 was wiped out, and Bukhara fell.

Bukhara is only 800 li away from Yulongjiechi, with no natural defenses in between. The 100,000-strong army there represents the majority of Khwarazm's remaining forces.

Now, it's all gone.

"Hayr Khan... General Hayr Khan has been captured..."

Menglike lowered his head and said in a bitter voice, "The defeated soldiers who escaped said that after the Northern Frontier people broke through Bukhara, they carried out a massacre. Only a few people escaped and brought back... brought back a personal letter from Li Xiao, the leader of the Northern Frontier."

As he spoke, he took out a piece of parchment and held it above his head with both hands.

Turkhan's gaze fell on the letter, and fear gripped his heart.

Gone was her former arrogance; she trembled as she reached out and personally unfolded the letter.

The handwriting above was sharp and the tone was outrageously arrogant:
"To the Empress Dowager Turhan of Khwarazm."

"I know that you are holding Jade Dragon Jade Red and are still fighting like a trapped beast."

"Khwarazm is nothing but a barbarian country in a corner of the Western Regions. You Kipchaks are even more like a tribe that eats raw meat and drinks blood. Do you even deserve to contend with my Great Qin?"

"Last time I advised you to surrender the city, but you ignored me. Now, I will show you the might of the Qin cavalry."

"Our Great Qin Northern Route Army has captured Odala, and the Kipchak cavalry has been completely wiped out. We are now marching towards Yulongjiechi."

"I personally led the central army to conquer Bukhara, slaughtered 100,000 Khwarazmian remnants, and captured Al-Shri and Khair Khan alive."

"According to the military law of my Great Qin, these two should be executed by pouring mercury into their bodies. However, I have heard that Haierhan is your most beloved nephew, so I will grant him special treatment."

“If you are willing to offer up Jalal ad-Din in exchange for Khair Khan’s life, I will spare Khair Khan’s life.”

“Jalal ad-Din is the culprit behind the war between our two countries. If he had not instigated Muhammad to attack Samarkand, would our Great Qin have sent troops to retaliate?”

"Your misfortune today is all because of Zhalandin."

"Finally, I'll ask you one last time: Are you willing to surrender?"

"If you surrender, we will offer your royal women to the warriors of Qin as concubines, and guarantee your family a lifetime of glory."

"If you do not surrender, once my Qin iron cavalry has trampled Yulong Jiechi to the ground, I will surely demote you royal women to the army camp and let you be at their mercy."

"Li Xiao, the King of Qin".

After reading the letter, Tuerhan's eyes suddenly blazed with fury.

Li Xiao's humiliation and the annihilation of his army nearly caused her to lose her temper and roar in anger.

But after a moment, she took a deep breath, and her anger gradually subsided, replaced by a twisted calm.

She repeatedly looked at the words in the letter that "Zalandin is the culprit of the war between the two countries," and suddenly slammed her hand on the table, threw the letter to the ground, and shouted loudly.

"Good, good. So that's why the people of the northern frontier attacked our Khwarezm. It really was that bastard child of that Turk who caused this trouble."

She had always looked down on her eldest grandson because of Zhalandin's Turkic bloodline, but now that Li Xiao's letter had become "ironclad evidence," she could finally put all the blame on Zhalandin with a clear conscience.

"Men, prepare the carriage." Tu'erhan straightened his robes, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "I'm going to meet this jinx."

Having said that, he stormed out of the palace, followed by a troop of imperial guards.

In a small, cramped cell within a secluded section of the western wall of the palace, Jalal ad-Din was huddled in a corner.

The cell reeked of mildew and sweat. His robes were so dirty that their original color was unrecognizable, and his hair was disheveled and plastered to his face. Due to long-term mistreatment, he looked utterly wretched.

Even so, his eyes still gleamed, and he drew a simple map on the ground with his fingers while muttering to himself.

"The people of northern Xinjiang are skilled at cavalry charges. If we set up an ambush along the Amu Darya River, we can use the river to hinder their mobility..."

He never gave up thinking about how to defeat the Qin army and how to restore Khwarazm's former glory.

Just then, the voices of two palace servants talking came from outside the cell wall. Their voices were not loud, but they reached Zhalandin's ears clearly.

"Have you heard? Bukhara has fallen, all 100,000 troops are gone, and General Alexei has also been killed in battle."

"My God, what about the Kipchak cavalry? Didn't they say the Kipchak cavalry could hold off the northern invaders?"

"What a load of crap! Twenty thousand Kipchak cavalry were wiped out at Odala, and now two armies from the Northern Frontier are heading towards Yulongjiechi. We're probably doomed."

Zhalandin suddenly stood up, gripped the window tightly with both hands, and looked out with shock and anger in his eyes.

They were incredulous, never imagining that not only had Bukhara fallen, but also that their entire army of 100,000 and 20,000 Kipchak cavalry had been wiped out.

"How could this be?"

"How could this happen? Damn it."

He roared suddenly, his voice hoarse with excitement: "Idiots, a bunch of idiots!"

He muttered to himself, "If I were to command 20,000 Kipchak cavalry, I would surely be able to use the grassland terrain to ambush them and slaughter the people of the northern frontier until their blood flowed like rivers."

"Those barbarians, the Kipchaks, have absolutely no idea how to fight with cavalry."

He then thought of Bukhara's 100,000-strong army and trembled with anger: "Bukhara has 100,000 troops. Even if they only have 100,000 sheep, they can delay the people of northern Xinjiang for several days."

"That good-for-nothing Hailhan can't even organize urban warfare."

"If it were me, I would arm all able-bodied men and set traps on every street, so that the people of the northern frontier would pay a bloody price for every step they took."

"Even if the city eventually falls, we must let the people of the northern frontier see the resilience of the Khwarezmians and make them fear us."

"But what about now? We haven't accomplished anything, and we've just handed Bukhara over to the people of northern Xinjiang for nothing."

"Yulongjiechi is in danger."

Zhalandin slumped to the ground, his fingers rapidly tracing the locations of the felt city, Bukhara, and Yulongjiechi on the ground, his brow furrowed.

"The city of Felt is in danger, Bukhara has fallen, and the two armies of the Northern Frontier are like a pair of pincers, capable of locking down Yulongjiechi in less than half a month..."

"The Amu Darya, yes, the Amu Darya. If we could breach the Amu Darya dikes when the northern barbarians attack the city, we could flood the enemy..."

Just then, a loud bang was heard as the cell door was kicked open, interrupting Zhalandin's thoughts.

A troop of imperial guards filed in and lined up on both sides. Empress Dowager Turkhan walked in surrounded by the crowd and looked down at him.

Zhalandin's eyes lit up as if he saw a glimmer of hope. He quickly got up, ignoring his disheveled appearance, and bowed to Turkhan.

"grandmother."

“Grandson has a plan to repel the enemy. If the people from the northern frontier come to attack the city, we can breach the dikes of the Amu Darya River and flood the enemy army.”

"The Amu Darya River is at a high water level, which will surely deal a heavy blow to the cavalry in the northern frontier."

Empress Dowager Turkhan glanced at him, somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected that this bastard of Turkic blood wasn't entirely useless; he did have some brains.

But she still said in a cold tone, "Compared to your foolish mother, you have more of the wisdom of the Kipchaks."

"This plan may have some merit, but such a simple method could be thought of by the Kipchak generals as well. There is no need for you, a 'jinx,' to come up with ideas."

She paused, her eyes sharpening: "I have come today for another matter."

“Allah is my witness, you are the jinx of Khwarazm. If you hadn’t instigated Muhammad to attack Samarkand and provoked the heretical rebels in the north, how could Khwarazm have fallen to such a state?”

"Now that Bukhara has fallen and an army of 100,000 has been wiped out, it's all your fault."

Jalal ad-Din was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Grandmother, how could you say that? I did it for Khwarazm. Samarkand is a strategic location; only by taking it can we..."

"shut up."

Tuerhan interrupted him sharply: "The letter from Li Xiao, the leader of the Northern Frontier, is the evidence. He said in person that you are the culprit behind the war between the two countries."

"Now, only by handing you over to the people of the North can we get Hail Khan back, quell their anger, and protect Khwarezm."

"what?"

Zhalandin staggered backward, unable to believe his ears: "Grandmother, you're going to hand me over to the people of the Northern Frontier? I'm your eldest grandson! How can you be so heartless?"

He fell to his knees with a thud, his voice pleading: "I beg you, Grandmother, for Allah's sake, for Khwarazm's sake, don't hand me over."

"I can defend Yulongjiechi, I can defeat the Northern Frontier people."

But Queen Turhan remained unmoved, coldly saying, "Allah will not bless a Turkic bastard."

Hail Khan could help her stabilize the Kipchak tribe and help her maintain power.

And what about Zhalandin?
They will only compete with Osrah for the Sultanate's throne and will only bring disaster to Khwarazm.

Exchanging Zhalandin for Hailhan is a win-win-win situation, so why not do it?
Looking into the icy gaze of the bald man, Zhalandin felt an even deeper chill creep into his heart.

I finally understood that in this grandmother's heart, my life was far less important than her power and my nephew.

(End of this chapter)