The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 8: Hexi men vow to fight to the death
The Naiman tribe was a powerful nomadic people living in the western part of the Mongolian Plateau, separated from Jinzhou by only the Altai Mountains.

According to legend, the Naimans are the legitimate descendants of the Turks.

The Naiman tribe was once a vassal force of the Western Liao Dynasty.

But twenty years ago, the Western Liao royal court experienced a very serious civil strife.

The strength is greatly reduced.

The Naiman tribe took the opportunity to break away, but the Western Liao court naturally refused and sent a large army to attack them.

However, the Naiman people had the support of the Jin Kingdom, and the Western Liao army returned in defeat and could only acquiesce to the fact that the Naiman tribe was independent.

After that, the Naiman tribe became increasingly powerful.

According to rumors, his tribe has more than 100,000 people and is the undisputed overlord of the grassland.

Temujin's final decisive battle to unify the Mongolian grasslands was against the Naiman tribe.

Temujin gathered all the forces in the eastern part of the Mongolian grassland and attacked the Naiman tribe. At that time, the strength of both sides was not much different, but Temujin was superior in the end.

Although they won by chance, Temujin's army also suffered heavy losses and it took two years to recover.

Therefore, it is clear that the Naiman tribe was powerful and had a large number of troops.

The contradiction between Western Liao and the Naiman people never disappeared. Although no major war broke out, small-scale conflicts continued over the years.

Li Xiao speculated that the Qarluk people in Jinzhou were most likely supported by the Naimans this time.

The purpose was to annex Jinzhou and then gradually devour Western Liao.

Therefore, with the manipulation of the Naiman people, the nature of this civil unrest in Jinzhou was different.

The Han people in Jinzhou might be able to resist the Qarluk rebels.

However, once the Naiman army east of the Altai Mountains takes action, the power of the Han people in Jinzhou alone will definitely not be able to stop them.

If reinforcements from Dongdu do not arrive in time, the fall of Jinzhou will be inevitable.

So, the old man and the others are just taking precautions.

Sending these children to Longxin Island for refuge is to guard against the possible large-scale invasion of the Naimans.

Originally, they were planning to send young men like Li Xiao to the island as well, but none of the men in Hexi Fort were cowards.

Da Hu, Er Hu, Tie Tou and others all took up their swords and longbows to ask for battle, vowing to never be cowards.

We must also avenge our brothers, fathers and uncles who died in Beishan!

The men of Hexi will never retreat!

Erbao, Sanbao and the girls need to be sent to Longxin Island because the role they can play in the village is limited.

It would be better to leave some roots for Hexi Fort.

After coaxing Sanfeng, Li Xiao took them to the lake. There were several small boats in the lake, which were used by the villagers of Hexibao for fishing.

Li Xiao's second aunt, Erbao and two cousins were also there.

After Li Xiao helped his younger brother and sister onto the boat, he said to his second aunt, "Please take good care of them from now on."

These children certainly could not be allowed to go to the island alone, so some young women were arranged to take care of them on the island.

Among them is Li Xiao’s second aunt, a woman with ordinary looks and gentle personality.

As for why more people are not arranged to take refuge on the island?

This is mainly because the space on the island is limited and cannot accommodate too many adults.

The water level of Longgu Lake was very high during this period. The islands in later generations are still buried in water, and only Longxin Island is exposed above the water.

Although it can accommodate thousands of people, food is a big problem.

Once everyone in Hexibao took refuge on the island, what would happen to the cattle, sheep, and crops?
The cows and sheep need grass to eat, but there is not enough grass for the people living on the island. Where can we find so much grass?

The stored food will eventually be used up, and fishing alone is simply not enough to meet the survival needs of so many people.

Therefore, Li Xiao and others stayed in the village not only to seek revenge but also to protect the cattle, sheep and crops in the village.

Otherwise, even if the villagers of Hexibao escaped the Qarluk people on Longxin Island, many of them would surely starve to death after returning.

"Don't worry, Dalong, I will take good care of them."

Second Aunt kept wiping her tears, looking sad.

It was unknown whether her second uncle was alive or dead, and it was pointless for her to worry. She could only take care of the children at home to reassure the old man and the old lady.

We must also be worthy of our elder brother who died in battle.

Soon, several small boats carrying the last batch of children rowed towards Longxin Island in the center of Longgu Lake.

Li Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, watching the boat drift away, and said to someone next to him, "Sixth Uncle, let's go back!"

"There are still some in the village!"

There were more than a dozen people in their group, and they were specifically there to escort the children to Longxin Island. After all, the situation was not peaceful at the moment, and no one knew whether the Qarlug people would suddenly appear.

As for the sixth uncle mentioned by Li Xiao, he is the son of Li Xiao’s grandfather, named Li Dashan.

He is the sixth child in Li Xiao's father's generation and is about ten years older than Li Xiao.

He is not tall, but has a solid build, dark skin, and doesn't talk much. He is a man who can handle things calmly.

In this way, Li Xiao and his group followed the same route they came and prepared to return to the village.

But before they could get far, Li Dashan suddenly said, "Stop."

All the people who were riding fast on their horses stopped in their tracks. Not only Li Dashan noticed the problem, but several other people in the team also had serious expressions on their faces.

Soon, Li Dashan jumped off his horse, put his ear to the ground, and listened carefully.

Li Xiao suddenly understood when he saw this scene.

Although he is a time traveler, there are many things that are beyond his knowledge.

It's like this underground listening method.

In later times, with satellites filling the sky, the enemy had nowhere to hide and their positions could be known hundreds of miles in advance. However, in this era, it was still necessary to rely on this traditional method to detect the enemy's tracks.

Just when Li Xiao was about to come down to listen and ask for advice from his uncle.

Li Dashan had already stood up and said seriously, "There are more than a hundred cavalrymen about six miles northeast."

Hearing that the other party had more than a hundred horses, Li Xiao and others frowned unconsciously.

The enemy does not know who is friend or foe, and their military strength is several times greater than ours.

Of course, there may be errors. After all, in many cases, cavalrymen make long-distance raids with one person and three horses.

The specific number of people is subject to sight.

"Are they the Karluks?" Li Xiao pondered.

"uncertain."

Li Dashan shook his head slightly: "We'd better return to the village as soon as possible."

Hexi Fort had defensive fortifications such as trenches and battlements, and more than 300 combat troops.

Although half of these more than 300 people are middle-aged and elderly people, as well as teenagers like Li Xiao, their fighting power should not be underestimated.

Moreover, in emergencies, women can ride horses to fight, and old ladies can shoot arrows to kill enemies.

Everyone in Hexi Fort is a soldier!
Therefore, when the enemy outnumbers us, it is best to return to the village.

But soon, the man who had ridden to the high slope ahead to look out came back and shouted, "They've crossed the river."

……

The grasslands in northern Xinjiang are not all endless plains. The terrain south of Hexibao is relatively flat, while most of the terrain in the north is undulating slopes covered with green grass and low shrubs.

If you stand on a high place, you can see far away.

However, neither the pursuer nor the hunted had the leisure to run to the high slope to see the distant scenery.

"Whoa whoa whoa~"

As the ice and snow in the Altai Mountains melted, the water level of the Longgu River gradually rose. Even the shallowest place was almost as high as a horse's thigh.

Dozens of war horses waded south from the north bank of Longgu River and dangerously reached the south bank, but their crisis was not over yet.

The pursuers behind also jumped into the water.

"Kunji."

"You go first, I'll bring people to stop them."

A man wearing a round-necked robe, deerskin boots, and a Khitan felt hat shouted at someone in the team with a ferocious look on his face.

Then, without waiting for a response, he turned around with his men and prepared to draw his bow and arrow. However, when he reached into the quiver, he found that he only had the last two arrows left.

Being chased all the way had consumed a lot of his arrows, and he was only concerned with escaping and had no chance to replenish them.

Not only him, but the other Khitan warriors around him were also out of ammunition and food, and they wished the arrows in their hands were broken into two.

Arrows are as precious to nomadic people as bullets, and they cannot be replenished during battle, so they will not easily shoot arrows at enemies who can be dealt with by spears and scimitars.

"Draw your swords and stop them at all costs." The Khitan warrior shouted at his men.

Prepare for a hand-to-hand combat with the pursuing Karluk troops to buy some time for Kunji.

After all, they still had some chance by the river, but once they reached land, the Qarlugs would be able to take advantage of their numbers and surround and annihilate them.

"Kunji, go away~" The Khitan warrior shouted again with a ferocious look on his face.

The man he called Kunji was a short and thin man wearing the same round-necked robe and a sheepskin coat.

It was closely protected by the surrounding cavalry.

Listening to the man's words, Kunji looked anxious and angry. He felt very reluctant, but helpless.

But I also know that this is the best way.

They originally had two hundred cavalrymen, but they were entangled by the Qarluk people and were chased all the way, and now there are only more than thirty people left.

And the Qarluk pursuers behind him numbered at least a hundred men.

"Bahas, you have to be careful!" The man called Kunji said gritting his teeth, but the voice he made was a woman's voice.

Judging from her voice, she is in her early twenties, like a young woman with charm.

This is a woman disguised as an ordinary Khitan man.

And the identity is not simple.

At the same time, on a high slope not far away, Li Xiao and others stood on the high ground and watched the battle on the river from afar.

I can vaguely see the situation of the battle.

"It's the Qarluk people. They should be chasing the Khitans." Li Dashan said in a serious voice.

After living in the northern border for a long time, I have gained a certain understanding of the customs and habits of various ethnic tribes, and can recognize each other's approximate origins at a glance.

"There were probably over a hundred Karluk cavalrymen, but only about thirty were being pursued. Although the Dragon Bone River was a convenient barrier, the Karluk were temporarily held back."

"But we can't hold on for too long." The speaker was a young and strong man named Chen Erqiang, also a villager from Hexibao.

Just as he finished speaking, Li Dashan suddenly pointed to the lower reaches of Longgu River in the distance.

"Look, the Qarlugs have divided their forces."

At this time, more than 40 Karluk people bypassed the blockade on the shore and crossed the river to the lower reaches of the Longgu River. They would be able to reach the shore soon.

Li Xiao and his team stood on a high place, looking at the whole situation clearly.

But the Khitans fighting on the shore were not so lucky.

"Once the Karluk cavalry that crosses the river surrounds upstream, those Khitans will be finished." Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Being attacked from both sides and outnumbered, this group of Khitans was in great danger.

(End of this chapter)