The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 387 The Dawn of a New Order: When the Qin Banner Flies Across the Western Regions
Ten days later, outside Yulongjiechi City, two massive armies, like two giant dragons, slowly completed their encirclement.

In the south of the city, the First Army, personally led by Li Xiao, stood in formation. Their yellow armor with red trim formed a golden sea under the sunlight, and the yellow battle flags embroidered with sun and moon patterns fluttered high in the wind.

In the north of the city, the Third Division army led by Li Dongshan was also on high alert. Their white armor and battle flags resembled a snow-covered wasteland, echoing the yellow formation in the south of the city, enveloping the entire Yulongjiechi.

Qin soldiers, armed with spears and shields, stood in formation as neat as if cut by a knife. The sounds of horses' hooves, the clanging of armor, and the blaring of horns mingled together, creating a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere.

The Yulongjiechi city wall in the distance appeared somewhat small under such an imposing presence.

This was the first time the capital of Khwarazm had faced such a massive enemy force, and the first time it had been besieged by two powerful armies simultaneously.

Inside the city, the garrison soldiers lay prone on the city walls, looking at the Qin army formation outside the city, their faces pale and their eyes filled with fear.

A young soldier gripped his bow and arrow with trembling hands, his voice shaking: "Allah... so many people from the north... can we hold them off?"

The old soldier beside him sighed, his voice filled with despair: "Defend? How can we defend? The Queen Mother and the Sultan have already fled. I heard they took the treasure to Yilalu Fort, leaving us here to wait for death."

"What? The Empress Dowager has run away?"

Another soldier exclaimed, "Then what are we still defending? We might as well surrender; at least we can save our lives!"

Rumors spread like wildfire among the garrison, and more and more people began to waver, with some even secretly packing their bags to escape.

Upon learning the news, Menglike immediately led his personal guards to patrol the city and killed some soldiers who were spreading rumors.

"Anyone who dares to spread rumors and disrupt morale will face my wrath."

"The Queen Mother and the Sultan have only gone to fetch reinforcements; they will be back soon."

“We must protect Yulong Jerchi, which is the holy land of Allah. If it is lost, you will all be sinners for all time and will be rejected by Allah.”

He said this, but his heart was filled with bitterness.

He already knew about Empress Dowager Turkhan's escape, and even received an order from her to "defend Yulongjiechi to the death and delay the Northern Frontier Army."

But he couldn't say it, because once the truth was exposed, the city would immediately fall into chaos. He could only grit his teeth and suppress it, using the accusations of "God's punishment" and "a sinner for all time" to barely maintain a semblance of peace.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Qin army's golden tent was completely different.

Li Xiao, dressed in dark gold dragon-patterned cloth armor, sat on the tiger-skin chair at the head of the table.

On the left are the generals of the First Garrison, dressed in yellow armor, exuding a high-spirited air.

On the right were the Third Division generals who had just joined the main force, led by Li Dongshan, whose white armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

"Your Majesty, Yulongjiechi is now an isolated city, and the morale of the defending troops is low. We only need to press on with our momentum to conquer it."

The 30,000th household member, An Meng, stood up, his tone confident.

“Samarkand is the largest city in the Western Regions, and its defenses are even stronger than those of Yulongjiechi. Yet, it could not stop the iron cavalry of our Great Qin. Yulongjiechi is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb.”

"Yes."

Chen Erqiang, the commander of the Third Town, chimed in: "Let's bombard the city wall with artillery first to create a breach, and then let the Kuli army charge. This will reduce our casualties and allow us to break through the city as quickly as possible."

The generals nodded in agreement, all believing that conquering Yulongjiechi was only a matter of time.

Li Xiao waved his hand, turned his gaze to the outside of the tent, and said calmly, "Let Zhalandin in."

Soon, the tent flap was lifted, and Zhalandin, dressed in simple leather armor, walked into the tent.

He bowed slightly to Li Xiao, placed his hand on his chest, and said, "Zhalandin greets Your Majesty."

He then looked at Li Dongshan and the others and said, "Greetings, generals."

His appearance drew the attention of the generals inside the tent.

Among the Qin generals in their bright armor, his aura of being "not one of us" stood out, drawing doubt and wariness from many.

Let me introduce myself to you.

Li Xiao spoke, breaking the silence in the tent: "This is Jalal ad-Din, the former eldest prince of Khwarazm, the most favored son of Sultan Muhammad, who has now submitted to the Great Qin."

"The prince of Khwarezm?" Li Dongshan looked at Jalal ad-Din in surprise.
Upon learning the reason why Zhalandin had come to the Qin camp, he sneered, "That woman, Tuerhan, even uses her own eldest grandson as a bargaining chip. It truly proves the saying, 'When a woman is in charge, the house collapses.'"

"Women should never be in power, much less treat the fate of the country as a game. They deserve this fate."

Other generals echoed this sentiment, scoffing at Turhan's foolishness.

Zhalandin stood still, his face expressionless.

He no longer cared about the honor or disgrace of the Khwarazmian royal family; now he was merely a general of the Qin Dynasty.

Li Xiao raised his hand to signal the generals to be quiet: "Although Jalal ad-Din is a prince of Khwarazm, he is now a subject of our Great Qin. When employing people, Great Qin has always treated everyone equally, only looking at their abilities and not their backgrounds."

He looked at Zhalandin and said calmly, "Zhalandin, you know Yulongjiechi best. Tell me your thoughts on how we should conquer this city."

Zhalandin stepped forward, bowed to Li Xiao, and then turned to the generals in the tent, his heart filled with emotion.

The northern frontier generals in the tent were all brave and skilled warriors. With only tens of thousands of cavalry, they conquered thousands of miles of land from Husi Ordos to Yulongjiechi.

Since arriving at the Qin camp, the more he learned about the Qin state, the more shocked he became.

This is because the Qin cavalry that has now nearly destroyed Khwarazm is only a part of the main Qin army, organized into the First and Third Divisions respectively.

And the Qin Dynasty has five more elite units like these.

Zhalandin couldn't help but sigh, perhaps destiny truly lies in the Great Qin, which rises from the Golden Mountain in the East, and might be able to recreate the grandeur of the Turkic Khaganate of yesteryear.

In reality, the territory of the Qin state already covered the area that the Turks had at their peak.

However, it will take time to build up its influence and political standing in the surrounding area.

Without hesitation, Zhalandin began to introduce Yulongjiechi: "Yulongjiechi is located in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River, less than ten miles from the riverbank. The drinking water of the hundreds of thousands of people and the garrison in the city depends entirely on the supply of the Amu Darya River."

"If we can breach the dikes of the Amu Darya River and flood Yulongjiechi, it will surely collapse without a fight."

"Flooded?"

The generals began to discuss among themselves. Yang Shoujing, a general of the Wuwei Army, frowned and said, "This method is good, but how can we ensure that only the city is flooded and not our army camp?"

"That depends on the terrain."

Zhalandin explained, “The Amu Darya River has two bends in its course at the Yulongjiechi section, one near the upstream of the city and the other near the downstream.”

“If we breach the dam at the bend downstream, the river will flow with the terrain toward Yulongjiechi, while our army camp is located upstream and will not be affected.”

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao smiled faintly and looked at the generals: "Gentlemen, you may not know this, but previously Zhalandin had advised Tuerhan to dig up the Amu Darya River and flood my Qin army camp."

"Oh?"

Generals Li Dongshan and others looked at Zhalandin with surprise and admiration in their eyes. "We didn't expect you to have this kind of idea. You've got some skills."

Zhalandin lowered his head slightly embarrassed. Li Xiao continued, "Although Tuerhan appeared disdainful on the surface, he secretly sent people to prepare to breach the dike."

"Fortunately, I had taken precautions. After the vanguard of the army arrived, they immediately took control of the riverbank and killed all the guards, thus averting a flood."

The generals suddenly realized the solution and unanimously agreed with Jalal ad-Din's suggestion: "This method is feasible."

"This strategy will reduce our casualties and allow us to quickly capture the city. Let's go with it."

Li Xiao nodded and ordered, "Pass on my order to have the army's craftsmen immediately survey the terrain of the Amu Darya River and determine the location for digging the dike."

"Let the prisoners of war dig the river, let the Kuli army prepare, and launch an attack immediately after the flood to capture Yulongjiechi."

"Follow the order."

The generals echoed in unison, and the atmosphere in the tent grew even more enthusiastic.

Everyone knew that after conquering Urgench, the destruction of Khwarazm was imminent, and the Qin Dynasty's westward expedition would extend to the vast Western Regions.

Standing in his tent, Zhalandin looked at the spirited Qin generals and became even more determined in his decision.

Submitting to the Qin Dynasty might truly allow one to realize their ambitions and witness the rise of a new empire.

The next morning, Qin craftsmen had surveyed the terrain of the Amu Darya River and determined the location for digging the dike.

At Li Xiao's command, thousands of auxiliary soldiers, armed with shovels and hoes, rushed toward the riverbank downstream of the Amu Darya.

The sounds of shovels hitting the ground and soldiers' shouts mingled together as they worked to build a dam in the river to block the Amu Darya.

When the river level rises higher and higher, then breach the dike.

The turbid waters of the Amu Darya River, like a wild horse unleashed, surged out through the breach, carrying immense destructive power as it flowed towards Yulongjiechi.

The city's defenders quickly noticed the anomaly and panicked as they watched the floodwaters approaching from afar.

A young soldier kept repeating, "Allah, what is that? It's a flood, a flood brought by the people of the North."

The old soldier beside him suddenly narrowed his eyes: "The people of Northern Xinjiang... the people of Northern Xinjiang have breached the Amu Darya River. They're going to drown us all in the city."

Why does Allah not protect us? Why does He allow the heretical army to so cruelly persecute His believers?

"It's over, we're all doomed."

Another soldier threw down his bow and arrows and turned to run down the city wall: "The Queen Mother and the Sultan have already fled. What are we still defending? We might as well escape and save our lives."

"Escape? Where to escape?"

A centurion roared, but could not hide the tremor in his voice: "The area outside the city is full of Northern Frontier troops. Even if we escape the flood, they will capture us."

"O Allah, is this the end of Khwarezm? Are we, the faithful believers, all destined to perish here?"

Panic spread like a plague among the defenders, and more and more people began to pray. Some even knelt on the city walls, bowing to the sky and begging for God's intervention.

"Hold on! Hold on, all of you!" Menglike shouted, brandishing his scimitar.

“The flood won’t drown us. As long as we retreat to higher ground, we can hold off the people from the northern frontier.”

“This is a test from God for us. If you can’t even withstand this test, how can you be worthy of the title ‘followers of God’?”

But his cries sounded faint amidst the roar of the flood and the screams of the soldiers. His personal guards, watching the approaching floodwaters, involuntarily retreated.

The floodwaters had reached the base of the city walls, soaking the soles of their boots, and the icy river water intensified their fear. Menglik watched this scene, his heart filled with despair.

He knew that Yulong Jiechi was truly beyond saving.

The next day, once the water level had stabilized somewhat, Li Xiao ordered: "Kuri Army, attack the city."

The auxiliary troops, already fully prepared, waded through ankle-deep floodwaters, carrying ladders, and charged towards the walls of Yulongjiechi. By this time, the walls were already submerged by the flood, with many sections collapsing. The defenders either fled or hid in high places, trembling with fear.

After a fierce battle, the auxiliary troops scaled the city walls, opened the city gates, and more and more Qin soldiers poured into the city.

Menglike looked at the Qin army pouring in and knew that the situation was hopeless, but he was still unwilling to give up.

He brandished his scimitar and charged towards the Qin soldiers, shouting, "For Khwarazm! For Allah!"

He had only rushed a few steps when a Qin cavalryman in yellow armor pierced his chest with a spear. He fell into the floodwaters, his blood staining the muddy stream around him, his eyes filled with resentment and despair.

Inside the city, Qin soldiers began to mop up the remaining defenders, killing anyone who resisted.

On the streets, corpses floated in the floodwaters, and screams and pleas for mercy echoed everywhere.

At the same time, looting began.

Soldiers stormed into noble mansions, ransacking them for gold and silver; merchants' shops were broken into and their goods looted; even ordinary people's homes were robbed of anything of value.

The Wuwei Army, being the elite of the Qin army, headed straight for the royal palace.

They rushed through the water into the palace gates, and the palace maids were terrified and fled in all directions, only to be caught by the soldiers.

Jewelry, silk, gold and silver utensils, books and other items were continuously moved out of the palace, and the once prosperous royal palace was instantly turned into a mess.

As the sun sets, the Khwarazmian flag is lowered atop the city walls of Yulongjiechi, and the golden sun and moon battle flag slowly rises.

Li Xiao stood on horseback outside the city, looking at the fallen capital, his eyes devoid of emotion.

With the fall of Urgench, Khwarazm—this once great Central Asian power—was completely destroyed.

The Qin Dynasty conquered another kingdom, expanding its territory significantly once again in the Western Regions.

……

However, in the mountains on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea, the scene inside the Yilale Fort is quite different.

This fortress, built against the mountainside, is surrounded by steep slopes on all sides, with only a narrow mountain path leading to the outside world, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

In the council hall inside the fortress, Empress Dowager Turhan sat on a soft couch, looking at Hailhan being carried on a stretcher, her eyes filled with heartache.

Hailhan was covered in bandages, with unhealed scars on his face, and he was wincing in pain.

As Turkhan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, he cursed at the air, "Those heretical bandits from the northern frontier dare to harm my Hailhan like this! Allah will punish them!"

"Once we recover our strength, we will definitely flatten the northern frontier, skin that yellow-haired brat Li Xiao alive, and avenge you."

Hailhan spoke weakly, "Aunt... the Northern Frontier Army is too powerful... even Bukhara has fallen... can we... can we still take revenge?"

"Of course."

Turkhan patted his hand and said firmly, "Ilalburg is a fortress protected by God. We have plenty of food and have cultivated land. Even if we are besieged for ten years, we can still be self-sufficient."

“The people from the northern frontier have come from afar, and their food supplies will eventually run out. When that happens, they will naturally retreat.”

"As long as we station our troops and graze our horses here, we will surely make Khwarazm strong again within ten years."

"When the time comes, we will launch an eastern expedition and make the people of the northern frontier pay for their blood debts."

Tuerhan's words were full of conviction, and she herself believed them.

The Khan and other ministers and generals in the hall nodded in agreement.

Just then, a scout rushed into the council hall, covered in sweat, knelt on one knee, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Yulongjiechi... Yulongjiechi has fallen!"

"what?"

The other nobles in the hall were instantly horrified. Some staggered backward, while others collapsed to the ground, muttering, "It's over... Khwarezm is completely finished..."

"Yulongjiechi has truly fallen."

What should we do?

Tuerhan's face also suddenly turned ugly, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

She was mentally prepared for Yulongjiechi's fall.

She slammed her hand on the table and scolded sharply, "What's the panic? It's just the fall of one city. Yilaerbao is strategically located. Even if the people of the Northern Frontier have great abilities, they can't break in."

She stood up, walked into the hall, and said with an air of authority, "You are all nobles of Khwarazm and warriors of the Kipchak tribe."

"Since God has instructed us to retreat to this place, it is so that we may preserve the fire."

"The Northern Frontier Army has come from afar, but they are not used to the local climate and are running out of supplies. They will leave sooner or later."

"At that time, we will lead our army out of the mountains, recover the lost territory, and rebuild Khwarezm."

"Allah will bless us, and the gates of Paradise will always be open to the faithful."

Her words calmed the nobles somewhat, and their panicked emotions gradually subsided.

For the next two weeks, things were relatively peaceful in Yilalebao. Tuerhan urged his soldiers to train every day and sent scouts to Yulongjiechi to find out if the northern people had withdrawn their troops.

They dreamed of restoring Khwarezm's glory.

But this peace was soon shattered.

That morning, a scout stumbled and crawled into the council hall, his voice filled with extreme fear: "Empress Dowager, the people of the Northern Frontier... the people of the Northern Frontier are attacking!"

"The area below the mountain is full of Northern Frontier troops in yellow armor, and they are about to surround Yilalebao."

"what?"

Turkhan suddenly stood up, his face full of disbelief. "How did they find this place? The mountain roads are so difficult to traverse, how could they possibly have made it here?"

At this moment, the Qin army was slowly advancing at the foot of Yilalebao Mountain.

The yellow armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and every quarter of an hour, scouts would report on the road conditions and the presence of ambushes ahead.

In order to save their lives, Khwarazmian prisoners of war in the army volunteered to lead the way, guiding the Qin army to this fortress hidden in the mountains.

The Khwarazmian army had already been almost completely wiped out, leaving only a few thousand remnants in the fortress. The nobles were like frightened birds, completely unable to organize an effective resistance.

The Qin army easily surrounded Yilale Fortress. Li Xiao stood on horseback at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the fortress that stood on the lonely mountain, his brows furrowed.

"Your Majesty, this fortress is surrounded by steep slopes, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Inside the fortress, there are also fields with grain and fodder, which can provide for our own needs."

Zhao Wuwei, the commander of the Second Town, stepped forward and reported: "Our army only has more than two hundred Tiger Cannons. We simply cannot transport the heavy-duty Divine Might Cannons. A direct attack would likely come at a considerable cost."

Li Xiao remained silent for a moment, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes: "The price? Even if it means the deaths of thousands or tens of thousands of prisoners of war, we must get the Shenwei Cannon up here."

"I refuse to believe that this dilapidated fortress can withstand the cannons of the Great Qin."

He knew perfectly well that the Mongols' conquest of Yilaerbao in history was entirely due to "coincidence".

During the six-month siege of Ilalburg, not a single drop of rain fell, causing the wells inside the fort to dry up and the farmland to wither, forcing Turhan to surrender.

However, such a coincidence cannot be replicated. Once it rains, no matter how long the siege lasts, it will be useless. Only by forcibly breaking through the city walls in accordance with the Qin state's war tactics can the fortress be breached quickly.

On the walls of Yilaerbao, Empress Dowager Tuerhan looked down at the densely packed Qin army below the mountain. Although she felt uneasy, she still pretended to be confident.

She shouted to the soldiers around her, "Children, this is God's final test for us."

"Yilale Fort is an impregnable fortress; the artillery of the Northern Xinjiang Army cannot breach it at all. As long as we hold our ground, Allah will surely bring down a miracle, forcing the Northern Xinjiang Army to retreat in the face of adversity."

"Anyone who dares to back down is a traitor to God and will be cast into hell forever."

Inspired by her words, the soldiers raised their weapons and shouted, "For Allah! For Khwarezm!" But the fear in their eyes was hard to conceal.

Meanwhile, inside the Qin army's golden tent, a personal guard reported: "Your Majesty, Zhalandin requests an audience."

"Let him in," Li Xiao said.

Zhalandin entered the tent, bowed respectfully to Li Xiao, and said in a humble tone, "Your Majesty, I have a plan to break through Yilale Fort."

"Oh?"

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow: "Tell me about it."

"Yilale Fortress may seem sturdy, but it has a fatal weakness: the wall to the northwest."

A hint of vengeful pleasure flashed in Zhalandin's eyes as he slowly said, "Ten years ago, an earthquake struck Yilalebao, causing several sections of the city wall to collapse."

"The person in charge of the reconstruction at that time was Hailhan's father, who was also the brother of Empress Dowager Turhan."

"Seeing that the surface of that section of the city wall appeared intact, he simply filled in the cracks instead of rebuilding it completely, and embezzled all the money intended for the city's repair."

He paused, his voice filled with long-suppressed hatred: "My father, Muhammad, was not yet the Sultan at the time. After learning of this, he wanted to tell my grandfather, but was stopped by the Queen Mother."

"After all, Hailhan's father was her own brother, and he was the one who helped her ascend to the throne as Sultan."

"In recent years, Khwarazm has been busy expanding outwards, and no one wants to believe that enemy troops will attack Ilalburg."

"They've long forgotten about repairing the Yilale Fortress; that section of the wall is probably in even worse shape now."

The thought of being used as a bargaining chip and abandoned by Turkhan, and of his mother’s Turkic bloodline being wantonly trampled upon, filled Jalal admiration.

He wanted to personally expose Turkhan's cover-up and incompetence, and watch her last refuge be destroyed by the information he provided.

"Huh? There's such a thing?"

Upon hearing this, a look of joy flashed in Li Xiao's eyes.

He stood up, walked over to Zhalandin, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed, "Good, good Zhalandin."

"You have rendered a great service. I promise you that after the city falls, I will pardon your mother, wife, and children, and allow your family to be reunited."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhalandin was deeply moved and bowed deeply to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao immediately gave the order: "Relay my decree."

"Mobilize all Tiger Cannons and concentrate bombardment on the northwest section of the city wall of Yilalebao."

If the northwestern section of the city wall is indeed as Zhalandin described, a poorly constructed fortified city, then the Qin army probably wouldn't even need the powerful cannons to breach Yilalebao.

(End of this chapter)