The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 388 The Western Regions: The Birth of the Two Great General's Mansions

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

At a command, more than two hundred Tiger Cannons fired simultaneously, black shells whistling as they crashed into the northwest section of the city wall of Yilaerbao.

Although the Tiger Cannon is far less powerful than the Divine Might Cannon, it is unlikely to cause fatal damage to a sturdy city wall under normal circumstances.

This time, however, the shells that landed on the city wall caused tiny cracks to appear on the surface.

The defenders on the city wall were instantly terrified. One soldier looked at the crack in the wall and cried out in a tearful voice, "Allah, what kind of devil's weapon is this? The city wall... the city wall has cracked!"

"Run! Get out of here! This weapon will kill us all!"

Another soldier threw down his shield and ran into the city: "Are the people of the Northern Frontier possessed by demons? They can even break through the walls that are protected by God."

Panic spread like wildfire, and the defenders, having lost all will to resist, fled the city walls, repeatedly chanting "Devil" and "Allah, save me."

The confidence that once rested on the "fortress of God" collapsed completely in the face of the roar of cannons and the cracks in the walls.

The news quickly reached the ears of Empress Dowager Tuerhan. She suddenly stood up from the soft couch, her eyes filled with anger: "Useless! A bunch of useless people! Who built this city wall? It can't even stop the broken cannons of the Northern Frontier. I will kill their whole family."

An official stepped forward cautiously, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty... the one in charge of rebuilding the northwestern section of the city wall back then... was your elder brother, Lord Hailhan's father..."

"What did you say?"

Tuerhan suddenly remembered, and his face instantly turned ugly, a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

She then realized that the brother she had protected had left behind such a huge hidden danger.

To cover up her embarrassment, she ordered her men to drag the official away.

"You dare to sow discord among my blood relatives? You're courting death."

The others were too frightened to speak. Turkhan took a deep breath and ordered sternly, "Immediately demolish the houses in the city."

"We will reinforce the northwest section of the city wall with timber and bricks. Even if it kills everyone, we will defend this place."

Hasty reinforcement is completely ineffective.

The Qin army's artillery continued to bombard the city day after day. After seven or eight days, most of the houses in the city were demolished, and more than forty of the Qin army's Tiger-shaped cannons were destroyed.

Finally, with a loud bang, the northwestern section of the city wall of Yilaerbao collapsed, and the rising dust blotted out the sky.

"The city wall has collapsed, and the people from the northern frontier are coming in."

The defenders on the city wall cried out in despair, throwing down their weapons and fleeing into the city: "It's over, it's completely over, even God can't save us."

Empress Dowager Tuerhan watched this scene from afar, her legs went weak, and she leaned limply against her maid, muttering to herself.

"It's over...it's really over...Allah, why have you abandoned your believers..."

Her former arrogance and confidence vanished the moment the city walls collapsed, leaving only endless despair.

Just then, the Qin army's heavy infantry began their assault on the city.

Clad in heavy armor and wielding spears and shields, they charged forward along the steep mountain path under the cover of cannons and crossbows.

The crossbow bolts pierced the chests of the defenders with precision, while the cannons continued to bombard the resistance forces within the city. The heavily armored infantry, like an iron torrent, fell in pools of blood wherever they went.

A Qin soldier in heavy armor climbed the hilltop and slashed down the defending soldiers who tried to resist.

With a flick of his spear, he sent another soldier tumbling down the steep slope.

Another soldier used his shield to knock down the defender, drew his short sword from his waist, and stabbed the man in the throat. His actions were swift and decisive, and his fierce fighting prowess caused the remaining Khwarazmian soldiers to flee in terror.

Soon, Qin soldiers stormed into Yilale Fortress.

The city was in complete chaos, with nobles trying to escape with their treasures and soldiers hiding in all directions.

Only two maids remained by Empress Dowager Turkhan's side, standing there motionless.

Just then, several Qin cavalrymen in yellow armor rushed forward, grabbed Tu'erhan's neck with a lasso, and pulled her to the ground.

She was dragged over like an animal amidst her screams and cries for help.

This once powerful queen dowager of Khwarazm ultimately became a prisoner of the Qin army.

Most of the gold and silver jewelry in the fortress was brought by Tuerhan from Yulongjiechi. Now it has all become the spoils of war of the Qin army, and the soldiers are carrying it out of the city one after another, loading it onto carts and taking it away.

At the same time, Zhalandin followed the Qin army into the city, searching everywhere for his mother, wife, and children.

Li Xiao had promised him that his family would be pardoned after the city fell.

But when he found the room where his mother, wife, and children had been imprisoned, he only found three cold corpses.

A surviving old servant told him, trembling, "Prince... your mother, wife, and children... were executed by order of the Queen Mother before the city walls collapsed..."

"The Empress Dowager said that the bloodline of the Turks must not be allowed to tarnish the Khwarazmian royal family..."

"No...impossible..."

Zhalandin collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with despair and grief. He suddenly hugged the bodies of his mother and son and cried out, "Mother, Amida, ahhh, it's all that damned vile woman's fault."

He suddenly stood up, a crazed killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Turhan, I'm going to kill you! I have Turkic blood flowing in my veins, what's wrong with that? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you killing my family?"

Overwhelmed with grief and anger, Zhalandin, carrying his scimitar, charged toward the direction where the Qin army was holding prisoners.

He wanted to avenge his family with his own hands and make Bald Khan pay the most terrible price for her cruelty.

……

North of Ilarborg, on a mountaintop not far away, the scene is quite different.

A large number of soldiers of the Armed Police Force were stationed around the mountaintop, their yellow armor forming a dense forest, and the defense was extremely tight.

Li Xiao, clad in dark gold dragon-patterned cloth armor, rode a magnificent black horse, his gaze fixed on the north.

On the distant horizon, a deep blue expanse can be faintly seen—that is the Caspian Sea, the largest inland lake on the continent.

Then he turned to look west, where there was a desolate desert stretching as far as the eye could see. No one knew that beneath this seemingly barren land lay endless black gold, enough to change the world.

"Erbao, do you know what lies at the end of the mountain?" Li Xiao sighed softly, his voice carrying a hint of remoteness, as if it had pierced through time and space.

Behind him, a young general in white armor stepped forward. He had a resolute face and firm eyes. He was Li Xiao's cousin, Erbao, who was now the deputy commander of the Third Garrison.

Following Li Xiao's gaze, Erbao looked north and replied in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, that deep blue expanse should be the legendary Western Sea."

"I heard from the local prisoners of war that they call it the Khwarezm Sea, which is said to be vast and boundless, with no end in sight."

Li Xiao nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. China does not have a specific name for this lake; historically, the great lakes and oceans of the West have been collectively referred to as the Western Sea.

"Then do you know what lies at the end of the Western Sea?"

Upon hearing this, Erbao shook his head helplessly: "I've never been to such a far place, let alone heard of it."

Li Xiao suddenly laughed, his smile carrying a hint of reminiscence and a touch of heroism: "Back then, when I was the Deputy Governor of Jinzhou, I accompanied my elder brother Xiao Simo on our first expedition against the Turkic court, and we reached Lake Balkhash."

"At that time, I was also standing on a mountain looking into the distance, with Da Hu, Er Hu and Wei Xuan following behind me. I asked them, what is to the west of Yi Bo Hai? None of them could answer."

His gaze drifted into the distance, as if he had returned to the battlefield of yesteryear: "I told them then that one day I would lead them across the Yibo Sea."

"Let's look at the scenery beyond the sky and plant our sun and moon battle flags all over the world."

"Now, the small Yibo can no longer stop the might of my Great Qin army."

"I led the Qin cavalry and finally reached the Western Sea, but this is not the end of the world."

"The wild lands of the west, the deep grasslands of the north, and even more vast lands await our Qin Dynasty to conquer."

Li Xiao suddenly turned around, his tone becoming firm and carrying a powerful, awe-inspiring force: "Erbao, remember, the journey of my Great Qin is to the stars and the sea."

"The battle will not end until the blood is shed and the dead are dead."

"The conquest of my Great Qin will never stop."

"This sun and moon battle flag will one day be planted in every corner of the world."

"But I don't know if I will be able to personally lead you on the next western expedition."

He gently patted Erbao on the shoulder, his eyes full of expectation: "The future of my Great Qin depends on you."

Li Xiao knew that with this great victory in the western expedition, the Khwarazmian Empire had been destroyed, and the Qin Empire's territory now spanned across Central Asia. It was time to put the matter of becoming emperor on the agenda.

Once the court is stable and a new generation of generals has emerged, he will no longer need to frequently lead troops into battle. He can simply sit in the central government and guide the direction of the Qin Dynasty.

Erbao felt the weight on his shoulders, straightened up abruptly, knelt on one knee, and said in a strong voice, "Don't worry, big brother."

"My brothers in the Third Town and I will certainly live up to our elder brother's expectations."

"When we conquer the west in the future, we will plant the sun and moon banners even further, and make all the barbarians on all sides submit to the Qin Dynasty."

Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction: "Hahaha, good, you keep your word."

Then, he turned his horse around and said, "Let's go back to the golden tent. There are two more 'distinguished guests' waiting for me to receive them."

Back in the Qin army's golden tent, Li Xiao sat on the tiger-skin chair at the head of the table, with generals standing on both sides below him.

Soon, two guards escorted in a man and a woman—it was Muhammad and Turhan the Queen Mother.

Muhammad was dressed in a tattered brocade robe, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were vacant; he had long lost the majesty of his former sultan.

Historically, he was able to rival Turghan and possessed great autonomy, which allowed him to escape west of the Caspian Sea when the Mongols attacked, where he eventually died of illness.

But now, he has been stripped of his power by Tuerhan and imprisoned for a long time. He has no chance to escape and can only become a prisoner of the Qin army.

Empress Dowager Turkhan remained defiant, standing in the tent, holding the white Persian cat, her eyes filled with anger as she stared intently at Li Xiao.

Li Xiao looked at them, his tone calm: "Mahavamsa, do you know your crime?"

Muhammad slowly raised his head, his voice hoarse: "Sin? What sin have I committed? I have only been defeated by you."

"What's the crime?"

Li Xiao sneered, “You attacked Samarkand of my Great Qin, provoking the war and causing conflict between the two countries. The people of Khwarazm were displaced. Isn’t that a crime?”

"You are the Sultan, yet you were overthrown by a woman, unable to even protect your own son, allowing Turhan to wreak havoc on the court. Is this not a crime?"

Faced with Li Xiao's questioning, Muhammad simply shook his head slightly, his expression remaining calm: "The victor is king, the loser is villain; it has always been so."

"The Khitans often said this, and now that I think about it, it's absolutely true."

"Since I have lost, I have no right to comment. If you say I am guilty, then I am guilty; if you say I am innocent, then I am innocent. There is no point in saying more."

"I'm just a little resentful. If my mother hadn't taken away my military power and imprisoned me, it wouldn't have been so easy for you Northern Frontier people to conquer Yulongjiechi." Seeing his frank attitude, Li Xiao looked at him with even greater respect.

Then she turned her gaze to Turhan beside her, her tone somewhat mocking: "As for you, Empress Dowager Turhan, you have much more 'backbone' than Muhammad."

Turhan, still arrogant, said, "You heretics, you have destroyed Khwarezm."

“Allah will punish you, you will go to hell.”

"Allah?"

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow, his tone becoming increasingly sarcastic: "Has your Allah ever saved you? Has he ever saved Khwarezm?"

"For your own selfish desires, you appointed relatives and friends, suppressed dissidents, and even betrayed your eldest grandson in order to get your nephew back. In the end, you even protected your own brother who embezzled funds for city construction."

"The downfall of Khwarezm was not due to the Qin Dynasty, but to you, you wicked woman who brought disaster to the country and its people."

Bald Khan was speechless, his face turning pale and then red.

Li Xiao continued, "Your Allah cannot save you, but I, the King, can offer you a 'way out'."

"Do you remember the letter I gave you before? If you did not surrender, I would demote you and other royal women to the army camp and let my Qin soldiers do as they please. Now that you are a prisoner, I have kept my word."

He glanced at Tuerhan, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable determination: "I will betroth you to a soldier who has rendered meritorious service in this western expedition, which can be considered as making the best use of you."

If she were twenty years younger, Li Xiao might be interested in her.

Now that I'm old and past my prime, let's skip it.

When she was young, Turkhan was known as the "most beautiful woman in the Kipchak." Although she is old now, there are still Qin generals who admire her "charm," not to mention the added prestige of her status.

"you dare?"

Turkhan instantly bristled, struggling to lunge at Li Xiao, his eyes filled with humiliation and anger: "I am the Queen Mother of Khwarazm, the princess of the Kipchak tribe."

"How dare you humiliate me like this? I would rather die than marry you heretical barbarians."

"die?"

Li Xiao sneered, "I didn't order you to die. Only if you live can you show the Khwarazmians what has become of their once revered Empress Dowager."

“This will make them submit more easily than killing you.”

Having said that, he ignored the hysterical Turhan and instead instructed his personal guards: "As for the other Khwarazmian royal women, princesses, imperial concubines, and royal women, select some young and beautiful ones to keep. Those that I find pleasing to the eye, I will keep by my side."

"The rest were given to the meritorious generals, so that they too could taste the flavor of the Khwarazmian royal women."

"Yes, sir." The guard bowed and replied.

After his personal guards escorted Muhammad and Turhan away, Li Xiao stood outside the golden tent, looking at the sun and moon battle banner above his head, and let out a heavy sigh.

The fall of Khwarazm was merely the beginning of Qin's expansion; a wider world awaited its conquest in the future.

However, this expansion will have to be slowed down.

The first western expedition of the Qin state came to a complete end. Qin did not intend to continue its military campaigns in the west, but instead planned to lead its army back to Jinzhou to recuperate and prepare for another battle.

Looking back on the past two years, the Qin Dynasty's westward expedition was nothing short of glorious: it conquered the Liao Dynasty's royal court and completely destroyed the Liao Dynasty, which had existed for many years.

They marched westward and conquered the Western Karakhanid Khanate; they then marched south to India, annihilated the Ghurid Kingdom, and severely damaged the Delhi Sultanate.

Now, they have conquered Khwarezm, killed 20,000 Kipchak cavalry, and even brought northern India under their sphere of influence.

The vast territory of the Western Regions was entirely incorporated into the Qin Dynasty.

Such achievements are enough to comfort the people of the country and to spread the fame of the Qin Dynasty far and wide.

Before leaving Khwarezm, Li Xiao made meticulous arrangements for the governance of the area.

The Qin state currently lacks the capacity to directly rule this vast land, let alone relocate Han people here in a short period of time. Forcibly governing it would only increase the Qin state's ruling costs and administrative burden.

Therefore, he decided to implement a "tributary system," turning Khwarezm into a nutrient package that could be drained of resources at any time.

Cities that surrender voluntarily will not be massacred. Local nobles will be allowed to continue managing local affairs simply by offering sufficient money and beautiful women.

However, they had to pay tribute to the Qin state every year and obey Qin's orders to provide soldiers and laborers at any time.

This policy not only appeased the local nobles and reduced resistance to governance, but also provided a continuous supply of resources to the Qin Dynasty, laying the foundation for further governance in the future.

After arranging everything, Li Xiao led his army slowly eastward, and their first stop was Samarkand, the capital of the Western Karakhanid Khanate.

Back at his palace in Samarkand, Li Xiao finally had a few days of leisure.

He first sought out Queen Aidana of the Western Karakhanid Khanate, and the two, as was their usual practice, engaged in a "boxing" match.

However, Aidana was no match for Li Xiao. After several rounds of fighting, she was beaten to the ground, her whole body aching and unable to take care of herself.

Afterwards, Li Xiao summoned Princess Hunhu of the Liao Kingdom to continue this "battle of strength" until sunset, when they finally returned home satisfied.

A few days later, Li Xiao convened a meeting of all the generals of the western expedition in the council hall of Samarkand.

Inside the hall, the generals, dressed in various colors of armor—yellow, white, and red—stood on either side, their imposing presence a testament to the might of the Qin army.

Li Xiao sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his tone calm: "This western expedition will last two years. We set off from Jinzhou and traveled westward for thousands of miles."

"When you breached the Liao Dynasty's royal court, you charged into battle braving the bitter cold; when you captured the Western Karakhanid Khanate, you fought bloody battles amidst sandstorms; when you marched south to India, you endured the scorching heat to besiege cities..."

His voice gradually rose: "The vast territory of the Western Regions was won by you with swords and spears, and stained with your blood."

"You have made an indispensable contribution to the fact that the Qin Dynasty's sun and moon battle flag could be planted on this land."

"I am proud of you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a warm response erupted in the hall.

The generals straightened their bodies, pounded their fists heavily on their chests, and the sound of their armor clashing was uniform.

"I am willing to die for Your Majesty."

"Great Qin will be victorious."

Shouts rose and fell, their eyes filled with excitement and pride.

Li Xiao raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and a smile appeared on his face: "The soldiers have rendered meritorious service, and I will naturally not treat them unfairly."

"Today we will reward those who have made contributions, with clear distinctions between rewards and punishments, to boost morale among the troops."

The guards immediately stepped forward with the heavy list of honors and presented it to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao first looked at Erhu, who was at the front of the formation and wearing red armor with white trim, and said loudly, "Li Ao."

Erhu's body trembled, and he strode forward, pounding his chest and bowing again, his voice booming: "Your subordinate is here."

"You led your army south to India, capturing more than fifty key towns in the Kingdom of Gur and killing more than 100,000 enemy soldiers. Your achievements are second to none in the Western Expeditionary Army."

Li Xiao slowly read out his achievements, his eyes full of praise: "You are hereby relieved of your post as General of Yili and appointed as General of Hezhong, concurrently serving as the Commander of the Fifth Garrison."

"He was in charge of all the armies of the Western Karakhanid Khanate and the Ghurid Kingdom, responsible for strategic deployments in India, and ensuring the security of the southwest direction of the Qin Dynasty."

"In addition, a reward of 50,000 taels of gold, 10,000 bolts of silk, and 100 Persian beauties will be given."

Erhu said, "This humble general will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust and guard the southwestern border of Great Qin. If any enemy comes to invade, we will make sure they never return."

Li Xiao told Erhu to stand up and continued, "After this western expedition, Yili is no longer a frontier region. Moreover, after years of immigration and integration, there are many Han Chinese people in the area, and the situation is stable. There is no need to stockpile heavy troops."

"The position of General of Ili will be abolished in the future, and the position of Commander-in-Chief of Ili will be established instead."

"The position was filled by Zhao Hu, the commander of a thousand households who had captured three cities in Khwarezm during this western expedition. He was to lead an elite force of a thousand households stationed in Ili, manage the local militia, and be responsible for local security."

"Furthermore, a reward of 10,000 taels of gold, 3,000 bolts of silk, and 30 Persian beauties will be given."

Zhao Hu, whose name was called, immediately stepped forward to express his gratitude, his face beaming with joy. He repeatedly said, "This humble general thanks Your Majesty. I will certainly protect Yili well."

Then, Li Xiao turned his gaze to Li Dongshan on the other side, his tone still solemn: "Li Dongshan."

Li Dongshan, dressed in white armor, immediately stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Your subordinate is here."

"You led the Third Division army and first captured Husi Ordos, the old capital of the Liao Kingdom, breaking the Liao Kingdom's last resistance."

"Later, he followed me in conquering Khwarezm and made great contributions."

Li Xiao said in a deep voice, "I hereby relieve you of your post as General of Yinshan and appoint you as General of Suiye, in charge of military affairs around Suiye City."

"Responsible for controlling the northern Kipchak steppe and the western Khwarezmian region, and preventing rebellions by remaining forces."

"Furthermore, a reward of 50,000 taels of gold, 10,000 bolts of silk, and 100 beautiful women will be given."

Suyab was originally the capital of the Liao Dynasty, Husi Ordos.

During the Tang Dynasty, this area was called 'Suyab River', and 'Suyab Town', one of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, was located here.

Therefore, Li Xiao renamed Husi Ordos to "Suyab City", making it an important stronghold for the Qin Dynasty to control the Western Regions.

Upon hearing this, Li Dongshan pounded his chest with both fists, his voice strong and clear: "This humble general will defend Suyab well, ensuring that the Kipchaks and the remnants of Khwarazm will not dare to cross the line."

"If there is any rebellion, I will definitely eradicate it completely."

Next, Li Xiao bestowed titles and rewards upon the other generals one by one.

The general who captured Yilalebao was rewarded with 1,000 taels of gold, the general who was responsible for escorting the grain supplies without any mistakes was rewarded with 600 taels of gold, and even the military doctor in charge of medical care was rewarded with 100 taels of gold and the title of "divine doctor".

Currently, Li Xiao's largest possessions are gold and silver.

If land cannot be granted, gold and jewels can only be given as rewards.

The atmosphere in the entire council hall was extremely enthusiastic.

The generals cheered and expressed their gratitude, their faces beaming with joy. Not only had they been promoted, but they had also received generous rewards. This western expedition had truly been worthwhile.

After bestowing the rewards, Li Xiao stood up, placed his hands on the table, and said firmly, "Gentlemen, although this western expedition has ended, the Qin Dynasty's governance of the Western Regions has only just begun."

"The cities of Hezhong and Suyab are the two pillars of Qin's control over the Western Regions. You must guard these two cities well."

"Yes, sir!" the generals responded in unison, their voices deafening.

A few days later, outside Samarkand, the golden sun and moon battle flag fluttered high as Li Xiao led the First Division army on their journey back to Jinzhou.

Behind him lay the gradually stabilizing Western Regions; ahead lay the prosperous era that awaited him.

(End of this chapter)