The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 389 Imperial Glory, as News of the Victory in the Western Expedition Spreads Far and Wide
Kashgar, the eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

Inside the city’s most magnificent temple, Sultan Kutlugh, dressed in a splendid brocade robe, knelt on the floor covered with a woolen carpet.

With hands clasped together, forehead pressed against palms, and mouth uttering incantations, his tone was full of piety and urgency: "Great Allah, you are the Lord of heaven and earth, and the protector of believers."

"Please bestow a miracle and make the Karakhanid Khanate strong again!"

“Let those foreign tribes who oppress us be punished, let Qin suffer a crushing defeat in this western expedition, and let their iron cavalry be trapped in the yellow sands of the Western Regions, never to return.”

He slightly raised his head, his eyes filled with anxiety, and continued to pray to the statue of God in the shrine: "Allah, do you see?"

"The Qin state was like a fierce lion; they destroyed the Liao state and annexed the Western Khanate."

"They possess the same spirit that once swept across the east and west by the Turkic Khaganate, but they are even more terrifying than the Turks."

"Their cannons can shatter city walls, and their soldiers can fight ten men each."

"With such a Qin state pressing down on us, how can the Karakhanid Khanate rise to power?"

"They keep squeezing our food and money, and they force us to send soldiers to serve them. If this continues, we will perish sooner or later!"

As the prayers were being offered, Gutlugh's voice gradually became choked with emotion. He not only had to face the oppression of the Qin state, but also had to be wary of his own brothers.

His younger brothers were ambitious and had always coveted his position as Sultan. Some even secretly curried favor with the governor of Xizhou in Qin, hoping to use Qin's power to overthrow him.

"O Allah, please let my brothers die soon as well."

"They only know how to fight among themselves and how to side with foreigners. They don't care about the survival of the Khanate at all. Only you can understand the bitterness in my heart!"

Just then, a servant rushed into the temple, knelt on one knee, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty the Sultan, there is urgent news to report."

"The Qin state has won a great victory in its western expedition and has annihilated Khwarazm. King Li Xiao of Qin is preparing to lead his army back to the capital."

"what?"

Kutlug suddenly stood up, his face filled with shock and grief: "Even Khwarazm has been defeated?"

"When the Liao and Western Khanates were destroyed, I still held onto a sliver of hope, but now... is there really no one in the world who can rival the Qin state?"

He staggered back a step, his eyes filled with resentment, and growled at the statue of God, "O Allah! Why do you not answer me?"

"Why not punish the Qin state? Do you really intend to abandon the Karakhanid Khanate and your followers?"

But anger and complaints were ultimately useless. Guttulu took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that now was not the time to complain or blame others; he had to figure out his current situation as soon as possible.

He looked at his attendant and asked urgently, "What are the casualties of the 20,000 troops we sent to accompany the Qin army on its western expedition?"

During Qin's western expedition, the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate was forced to conscript 20,000 soldiers to accompany them, ostensibly to "assist in the battle," but in reality, they were used as cannon fodder.

Kutlugh was always worried that heavy military casualties would further weaken the Khanate.

The attendant hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, according to the report sent by General Ibrahim, the army of 20,000 has now dwindled to less than 12,000 men, with more than 8,000 casualties."

"More than eight thousand people..."

Gutluth felt a pang of pain in his heart, but quickly breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, more than 10,000 people have returned."

"These more than 10,000 people have experienced the bloody battles of the Western Expedition and witnessed the tactics of the Qin army. Their combat effectiveness is definitely much stronger than that of the domestic army."

"They are the hope of the Khanate and must be rewarded well. They should be given cattle, sheep and cloth as gifts, and wounded soldiers should also receive pensions."

"Yes," the attendant bowed in response.

Kutlug then instructed, "In addition, prepare a batch of lavish gifts, including gold, gems, carpets from Kashgar, and beautiful women, and send envoys to Longcheng to congratulate Qin on its great victory in the western expedition."

"Remember, you must be respectful and not let the Qin people find any fault with you."

He knew that Qin was powerful now and he could only submit temporarily. If he was not careful, he might bring about the destruction of his country.

Meanwhile, in another palace in Kashgar, Muhammad, the younger brother of Qutlugh and known as the "Eagle of Barchuk," was plotting with several trusted ministers.

Muhammad was a burly man with sharp eyes, and his tone was full of dissatisfaction with Qutlug: "Qutlug is a mediocre and incompetent man."

"He only bows to the Qin state and only prays to God, but can God save the Karakhanid Khanate?"

"Now the Khanate is being exploited by the Qin state and is getting weaker and weaker. He is to blame. Only I can lead the Karakhanid Khanate to become strong again."

His trusted confidants nodded in agreement, deeply agreeing with his sentiments.

In terms of both personal charisma and individual ability, Muhammad was superior to Qutlugh.

Kutlugh's ascension to the Sultanate was partly due to coincidence and partly due to the influence of the Qin state.

A trusted aide stepped forward and whispered, "Prince Beiyin, if we want to overthrow Kutlug, we can't rely on our own strength alone. We still need to go through the Qin state's connections."

"You have already contacted the governor of Xizhou in Qin. Why not go a step further and send more gifts to the Qin generals so that they can speak well of you to the King of Qin?"

"After all, who becomes Sultan ultimately depends on the King of Qin's decision."

"hateful."

Muhammad slammed his hand on the table, his eyes filled with regret: "If I had known that the Qin state could rise so quickly, I should have taken the initiative to send my daughter there when the Sultan first discussed the marriage alliance."

"It's all the fault of the late Sultan who favored Qutlugh and gave him the opportunity for a marriage alliance."

In reality, they were all afraid that Qin was a trap, since Liao had not yet fallen. But who could have imagined that Liao would be destroyed by Qin in the blink of an eye?

Qutlugh, however, got a good deal, securing his position as the Sultan's successor through a marriage alliance.

“Bey, it’s not too late now.”

Another confidant said, "You can send your youngest daughter to Qin and offer her to the King of Qin as a concubine."

"More importantly, we need to make the King of Qin feel that you are useful."

"It would be more beneficial for the Qin state if you became the Sultan."

Upon hearing this, Muhammad pondered for a moment and asked, "What are your thoughts?"
The confidant whispered, "The more than 10,000 soldiers who returned from this western expedition are all elites who have experienced the flames of war. You can secretly contact their generals and bring them under your command."

“These people have fought alongside the Qin people and learned real skills. Their fighting power is even stronger than that of the imperial guards. As long as you can control this force and gain the support of the Qin state, overthrowing Gutlug will be a piece of cake.”

Muhammad's eyes lit up, a ruthless glint flashing in them: "Alright, let's do it that way."

"Immediately send someone to deliver gifts to General Ibrahim of the Western Expeditionary Army to congratulate him on his safe return."

"He hasn't returned yet? No problem, send it to his family: gold and silver jewelry, silk and beautiful women, slaves and grain. Send him whatever he likes."

"And all the other generals of the Western Expeditionary Army, send them all as well."

"In addition, prepare a batch of generous gifts and send them to Longcheng to present to the generals of Qin."

“We must let the Qin people know that I, Muhammad, am more obedient and more capable of serving them than Qutlug.”

The confidants echoed their sentiments, and the flickering candlelight in the palace illuminated their ambitious faces.

With the end of the western expedition, the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate will begin a new round of power struggles.

Meanwhile, the entire Qin state was filled with excitement due to the news of the "great victory in the western expedition and the king's triumphant return."

From the capital of Jinzhou to the border towns of the Western Regions, and then to the grasslands and Guanzhong Plain in the east.

Whether it was a bustling market, a lively restaurant, a teahouse, or even a brothel, the atmosphere was filled with the spirit of victory.

The people gathered in small groups to discuss the Qin army's achievements, their voices filled with pride.

"Have you heard? His Majesty led a large army and wiped out Khwarezm, which was thousands of miles away. That was a great power in the Western Regions."

"They're not much different from the Liao Kingdom back then; they still can't stop the iron cavalry of our Great Qin."

Tingzhou, formerly known as Beshbaliq, was the seat of the Beiting Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty, hence the name Tingzhou.

After Li Xiao established the Northern Frontier Protectorate, he restored the old name of Tingzhou.

Today, it is an important town in the heart of the Qin state. The city's inhabitants are mostly Han Chinese and a mix of ethnic minorities, but they are more united than ever before because of the strength of the Qin state.

"What's so surprising about this?"

Another customer shook his head with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of "it's only natural."

"Our Great Qin Dynasty could destroy the Liao Dynasty and the Western Karakhanid Khanate, so what is Khwarazm?"

"In a few years, perhaps Your Majesty will be able to conquer the Jin Kingdom in the east."

In a corner of the restaurant, a storyteller was striking his gavel, vividly recounting the story of the Western Expedition.

"It is said that beneath the walls of Yulongjiechi City, the Qin army's cannons roared like thunder, the city walls collapsed with a crash, and the heavily armored infantry, like tigers descending the mountain, slaughtered the remaining Khwarazmian soldiers, who cried out for their fathers and mothers..."

The audience listened with great interest, sometimes applauding and cheering, and sometimes applauding the bravery of the Qin army.

These stories, compiled by the Xuande Division, not only enriched the cultural and entertainment life of the people, but also subtly enhanced their confidence in being a great power.

The power of the Qin Dynasty has long been deeply ingrained in the hearts of every Qin person.

In the teahouse, the old men sipped their tea and discussed the changes in the Qin Kingdom's territory: "Back then, we were just a corner of Jinzhou, but now we have conquered thousands of miles of land in the Western Regions. This is all thanks to the King!"

"Yes, following the King, our lives will only get better and better, and we will no longer have to fear being bullied by foreign tribes."

At the market, vendors even hung up signs that read "Celebrating the great victory of the western expedition, goods are 20% off," attracting people to buy in droves, creating a lively and bustling scene.

In stark contrast to the jubilation in the Qin state was the extravagance and decadence of the Jin dynasty's imperial palace.

Inside the imperial palace of the Jin capital, Emperor Wanyan Yongji was embracing several scantily clad beauties, drinking and making merry in the main hall, with the sounds of string and wind instruments filling the air.

His face was flushed, his eyes glazed over, and he was already immersed in a life of debauchery, indifferent to matters outside the palace. "Your Majesty, the Privy Councilor, Lord Pusan ​​Shilie, requests an audience, saying he has urgent military intelligence to report."

A eunuch cautiously entered the hall and bowed as he spoke.

Wanyan Yongji waved his hand impatiently and said drunkenly, "Summon... tell him to speak quickly, don't spoil my good mood."

Pu Sanshilie, dressed in court attire, strode into the hall. He immediately noticed the extravagant scene inside and quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any longer.

He knelt on one knee, his voice solemn: "Your Majesty, I have received news that the Qin state has won a great victory in its western expedition and has completely annihilated Khwarazm. King Li Xiao of Qin is leading his army back to the capital."

"Khwarizm?"

Wanyan Yongji was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and continued to drink with the beauty in his arms.

"Isn't it just a tiny, remote country? If it's destroyed, it's destroyed. What's there to report?"

His eyes were full of disdain, and he didn't take Qin's achievements to heart at all.

In Wanyan Yongji's view, the Jin Dynasty was still the superior nation of the Celestial Empire. Apart from the Qin Dynasty, which could barely pose a threat, the other Western Region countries were insignificant small and weak states.

"Back then, the Liao Dynasty was the hegemon of the Western Regions, but it was still destroyed by the Qin Dynasty. Khwarazm was not even a fraction as powerful as the Liao Dynasty, so it's normal that it was destroyed."

He waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Alright, I understand. You may leave now, lest you spoil my fun."

Looking at Wanyan Yongji's incompetent appearance, Pusan ​​Shilie felt helpless but dared not say anything and could only bow and retreat.

Meanwhile, in the Yue Prince's mansion in the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Yonggong was plunged into deep anxiety.

After learning of Qin's great victory in its western expedition, he remained silent for a long time, his eyes filled with urgency.

"The Datong case has been under investigation for so long, why is there still no news?"

He growled at his trusted confidant, "That old fox, Pusan ​​Shilie, has been protecting his subordinates. If we can't find any results soon, how are we going to get rid of him?"

The confidant quickly said, "Your Highness, Pusan ​​Shilie has deep roots in Datong. If we want to bring him down, we need to plan carefully."

"Long-term plan?"

How much longer will it take to plan?

"Will we be able to bring down that old traitor Pusan ​​Shilie only after our Great Jin Dynasty is destroyed by Qin?"

Wanyan Yonggong suddenly stood up, his voice filled with heartache: "When the Qin state was on its western expedition, it was a golden opportunity for our Jin state to recover Guanzhong."

"But that bastard Wanyan Yongji only knows how to drink and make merry all day long, and never mentions the matter of sending troops, thus missing the opportunity."

"Now that Qin has returned with its army, its strength is even greater. It will be as difficult as climbing to heaven for us to conquer Guanzhong again. This is a disastrous move for the country!"

He paced back and forth in the hall, his heart filled with regret and anger.

He knew that the rise of Qin was unstoppable, and if Jin continued to be incompetent, it would be annexed by Qin sooner or later.

Although he was ambitious, he was constrained by the incompetence of Wanyan Yongji and the hindrance of Pusan ​​Shilie, and was powerless to change the status quo. He could only watch helplessly as the Jin dynasty's advantages were gradually lost.

At this time, in Lin'an, the capital of the Song state, the reactions of the court and the people to the Qin state's westward expedition presented a different picture.

Inside the council hall of the Song Dynasty's imperial palace, civil and military officials were discussing the news of "Qin's destruction of Khwarazm," the atmosphere heavy with a hint of complexity.

"The Qin state actually destroyed Khwarezm."

An old minister stroked his beard, his voice filled with shock: "When I first heard of the fall of the Liao Kingdom, I had some doubts. Now it seems that the strength of the Qin Kingdom is far greater than we anticipated."

In the eyes of Song officials, the Liao Dynasty had once been a hegemon in the Western Regions that rivaled the Jin Dynasty, and its demise was shocking enough.

Although Khwarazm was thousands of miles away, it was still a major power in the Western Regions. The fact that Qin was able to conquer it is enough to prove the terrifying military strength of Khwarazm.

But soon, another official waved his hand, his tone somewhat dismissive: "Khwarazm was just a small barbarian country in the Western Regions, far less established than the Liao Dynasty. It's not surprising that the Qin Dynasty destroyed it."

"With the fall of the Liao Kingdom, the Qin Kingdom will have no rivals in the Western Regions, and its power will likely grow even stronger."

"This is a good thing."

Chancellor Han Tuozhou suddenly spoke, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes: "The Jin Kingdom is the ancestral enemy of our Great Song Dynasty. Over the years, they have oppressed and extorted our Great Song Dynasty, and humiliated us greatly."

"Our Song Dynasty's previous northern expedition ended in defeat precisely because the Jin Dynasty was too powerful."

"Now that the Qin state has risen and is mutually restraining the Jin state, the pressure on our Song Dynasty from the Jin state has been greatly reduced."

"In my opinion, the Qin state was sent by Heaven to help our Great Song Dynasty avenge itself against the Jin Dynasty."

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly firm: "Now that Qin has won a great victory in its western expedition and its morale is high, if our two countries join forces to attack Jin again, we will surely be able to recover the old capital of Kaifeng and wipe away our past humiliation."

"Your Majesty, I request that you send someone to Longxi to contact the Qin state and discuss another northern expedition."

The officials echoed his sentiments, but a few cautious officials looked worried: "Qin is ambitious. If we help it grow stronger, will it become a second Jin state one day?"

Han Tuozhou, however, did not take it seriously: "The most important thing right now is to recover Kaifeng. As for the future, we can deal with it after the strength of our Great Song Dynasty has recovered."

He knew in his heart that his current position was unstable, and only by recovering Kaifeng, the ancient capital, could he leave his mark on history, establish his golden image, and consolidate his power.

Although the threat from the Qin state is significant, it is not something we need to consider at the moment.

Unlike the "clear-headedness" of the imperial court, the common people of Song had a very vague understanding of Qin's westward expedition.

The Song government strictly controlled information from the Qin state, and although the Qin Xuande Division attempted to publicize the Qin army's achievements within Song territory, it was unable to do so on a large scale due to suppression from the Song government.

The stories of "Qin army destroying Liao and Khwarazm" and "Qin army capturing Guanzhong and killing Jin elites" could only be spread in a small circle through a few merchants and refugees.

In the market of Lin'an, a merchant who had returned from the Longxi border market was telling the crowd around him about his experiences in the Qin state.

"The Qin people were incredibly powerful. Their cannons could shatter city walls, and their cavalry could fight ten men against one. They even wiped out Khwarezm, which was thousands of miles away."

The people listened with skepticism, and an old man frowned and said, "Are you bragging? What army could be so powerful?"

The vendor, in a hurry, started spitting as he spoke, claiming that he had been to the border of the Qin state. He even took out a bar of Qin soap and a box of Qin matches from his bag and handed them to the crowd.

"How could I boast? Look, these are artifacts from the Qin state."

"This Qin soap is much cleaner for washing hands than our soap."

"This Qin fire ignites instantly, a hundred times more convenient than flint. And Qin's cotton and wool fabrics are cheap and durable, and they're in high demand at the Longxi border market."

As Qin goods continued to flow into Song, the people's perception of "Qin" gradually changed from "a distant Western Region country" to "a powerful country that could produce novel items".

The border markets of Longxi have now become the core of trade between the Song and Qin states.

Qin's cotton cloth, woolen fabrics, Qin fire, Qin soap, glass, rouge, and other commodities became "rare items" sought after by the people of Song. Every time they were transported to the border market, they were snapped up.

Meanwhile, the silk, tea, and grain of the State of Song were transported to the border markets by caravans and then resold to the State of Qin, where they were highly favored by the people of Qin.

However, this trade was always confined to the border markets, and caravans from both countries could not enter each other's territories, and its scale was also limited by government control.

What worried the Song court even more was that the Qin state had explicitly prohibited the trade of the warhorses, firearms, and Hexi steel that they most desired from the Qin state.

They had sent people to Longxi several times before to try to purchase it, but the Qin people refused each time.

In the Guanzhong Plain of the Qin State, the Longmen Mountains, northwest of Long County, are shrouded in a light morning mist.

This mountain range, belonging to the Liupan Mountains, is not particularly majestic, but because it is located on the border between Qin and Jin, it has become an "invisible front" in the confrontation between the two countries.

Longxian County, located at the foot of the mountain, was originally part of Chencang.

After the Qin state seized the northern part of Chencang in the last Guanzhong War, Longxian became the front line of the Qin-Jin tug-of-war.

Once war breaks out, the Jin army can march north from Chencang and reach Longxian in three days. Therefore, the Qin state has stationed a large field army of the Second Division in the buffer zone south of Longxian all year round.

But on this day, a unique Qin army unit arrived at the foot of Longmen Mountain.

In the group of over a hundred men, most of the soldiers wore light leather armor and carried curved swords at their waists. They did not have the chilling murderous aura of the Seventh Town Field Army, which had been "soaked in mountains of corpses and seas of blood".

Only the green sun and moon battle flag on the flagpole proclaimed their identity as the Qin army.

This is the Qin state's second-line force, a local garrison regiment, mainly responsible for maintaining the security of border prefectures. In times of war emergency, they will also be conscripted to the battlefield.

At the front of the column, a general in his thirties reined in his horse. He wore a yellow cloth armor and a yellow-tasseled helmet. His face was angular, and several battle scars were faintly visible on his arms. He was Zhao Dachuan, the garrison officer of the Longxian Garrison Regiment.

He turned to the side and bowed to a man in a blue cotton robe beside him, saying, "Your Excellency, Longmen Mountain is just ahead."

The man addressed as "Your Excellency the Governor" was none other than Gao Zhongyi, the Governor of Weibei.

He wasn't wearing official robes; his simple clothes made him appear quite plain. He reined in his horse and stopped, his gaze sweeping over the terrain of Longmen Mountain.

The mountains stretch endlessly, the forests are lush and green, and the morning mist swirls in the valleys, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.

He nodded slightly and murmured, "A mountain is not sacred because of its height, but because of the immortals who dwell there."

"Although Longmen Mountain is not particularly steep, it has gained some fame because a true master cultivated here."

“You are right, sir.”

Zhao Dachuan chimed in, "The people of Guanzhong are all saying that an old Taoist immortal lives on the mountain. He is none other than the Taoist Master Qiu Chuji, who once traveled around the country to help the people."

"The people call him 'Changchun Zhenren' (Changchun Immortal), saying that he can summon wind and rain and predict good and bad fortune. Many people go up the mountain to ask him for guidance."

Gao Zhongyi smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Master Qiu Chuji is a renowned Taoist master who cares about the world. He once warned the Jin army against massacring civilians."

"Let's go up the mountain and meet this Changchun Master."

"Yes, sir," Zhao Dachuan replied.

He then instructed the soldiers behind him, "Leave twenty men to keep watch at the foot of the mountain, the rest of you come up the mountain with me and the governor."

(End of this chapter)