Chapter 213: The Great Banner Advances
The blood-red setting sun dyed the grassland amber, Yelü Wusitu draped in a silver-inlaid wolfskin cloak, standing at the hilltop, his waist saber with tiger tooth hilt reflecting cold light.
The river water glowed dark red like rust in the twilight, he pointed to the winding riverbed of the Aigus River and said faintly.
“Once we cross this river, it’s the treasure-hoarding Northern Frontier. Emperor Dezong once built a city here, now it’s Xiao Simo’s lair.”
Behind him, the leaders of the Kangli Tribes reined in their horses, the clashing of armor mixed with the war horses’ snorting rising incessantly, the sunset’s afterglow stretching their shadows long.
The leader of the Guzi Tribe, with a round Maitreya-like face piled with laugh lines, could not hide the greed in his eyes: “Brother Wusitu, I hope you won’t make us come all this way for nothing. If Yemili City’s treasure isn’t enough to fill our teeth, everyone’s face will look bad.”
Before his words finished, the old leader of the Boyue Wu Tribe scoffed and interrupted, his white mustache under his hooked nose trembling with the night wind: “Money is but passing clouds. We Boyue Wu only want live people, the sturdy slaves of the Northern Frontier, enough to fill a hundred grasslands.”
Yelü Wusitu slowly turned around, his firm voice saying: “Rest assured, gentlemen. Two years ago, the Eastern Capital Army transported thirty full carts of gold from Kuyun-Ordu, now all locked in the Eastern Capital’s cellars.”
“The wealth there is far beyond your imagination.”
“The population is vast enough to double the size of our tribes.”
Hearing this, endless greed flashed in the depths of the tribal leaders’ eyes.
They agreed to Yelü Wusitu’s Eastern Expedition to the Northern Frontier for its wealth, cattle and sheep, slaves, and women!
And once they breached the Eastern Capital City, all these things would be within easy reach.
Twilight deepened, the waves of the Aigus River carrying the bloody smell.
The Yuli Boli Tribe’s nine-tailed white banner fluttered in the wind, interwoven with the other tribes’ wolf head flags and eagle-patterned red banners.
Yelü Wusitu drew his saber, the blade catching the sunset afterglow: “I, Yuli Boli Wusitu, am everyone’s friend, and will do my utmost to meet your demands.”
“And my only demand is to capture Xiao Simo for revenge.”
As his words fell, the tribal leaders all nodded in satisfaction.
“Good~”
“I hear Xiao Simo is gravely ill, and his sons are already fighting for power.”
“Such an Eastern Capital beset by internal strife and external threats is no match for our allied army.”
“Hahaha~”
“Everyone, let’s divide up the Eastern Capital together.”
The leaders’ boisterous laughter startled birds into flight from the horizon.
At this moment, they seemed to already see the city full of gold and silk, wailing slaves, their eyes blinded by greed, impatiently preparing to go on a rampage of looting.
The next morning, thirty thousand Kangli iron cavalry swept over the Aigus River like a black tide.
Yelü Wusitu leaned down to touch the Northern Frontier grassland, the coolness seeping into his palm from his fingertips, momentarily overlapping with the imagined hoofbeats of his grandfather’s Western Regions campaign.
He deeply inhaled the western wind fierce with grit, his nostrils flaring slightly, his low voice saying: “The wind of this land still carries my grandfather’s spirit.”
Then, he rallied his spirits, gazing at the winding marching column behind him, his wolfskin coat gently dancing in the wind, and said gravely: “Tell each tribe that from today, every scout team must carry three waterskins.”
“Xiao Simo is incomparably cunning; the traps he sets are often hidden in seemingly peaceful oases.”
“Understood.”
Then, the Yuli Boli Tribe’s vanguard raised a skyful of dust, eight thousand cavalry like arrows loosed from strings charging toward the Eastern Capital.
The midday sun blazed fiercely, an eerie dead silence hanging over the Eastern Capital grassland.
A general suddenly said puzzledly: “Strange, we’ve come all this way without seeing any Eastern Capital herdsmen.”
Yelü Wusitu’s fingers gently stroked the hilt of his waist saber, as if taking in everything on the grassland.
“That wolf cub Xiao Simo has grown sharper.”
He suddenly sneered, his gaze sweeping over the distant charred wagon ruts, saying coldly: “He can take away cattle and sheep, but can he take away Yemili City?”
“Ignore these herdsmen. Order each tribe to reach Yemili City within two days.”
Two days later, the outline of the Eastern Capital’s city wall finally appeared before them.
The Yuli Boli Tribe’s cavalry arrived first, tattered sheepskin jackets flapping in the wind, the thunderous roar of war horses echoing endlessly across the grassland.
Seeing the Eastern Capital City so close, the Kangli Army instantly boiled over.
Soldiers incessantly let out ‘woo woo’ roars, circling the Eastern Capital City on horseback, as if to swallow it in one bite, their eagerness plain to see.
And Yelü Wusitu’s heart was equally stirred, looking up at the distant Eastern Capital City.
His face full of confident laughter, he said to the Kangli general beside him: “Yemili is the city my grandfather This Khan established, yet in recent years it has been usurped by the Xiao Family.”
“Now, the time has come to return to legitimacy.”
The Kangli general immediately laughed: “Jie’er Khan, you speak truly.”
“You are the great Khan of Khans, the direct descendant of His Majesty Jie’er Khan, rightfully inheriting all of Great Liao.”
“Our Yuli Boli Tribe’s warriors are the blade in your hand; under your lead, we will be invincible, sweeping all before us.”
Jie’er Khan was Yelü Wusitu’s title among the Kangli Tribes, akin to ‘king’.
To become leader of the Yuli Boli Tribe, Yelü Wusitu even changed his surname, legally disqualifying himself from the Western Liao throne.
But the Yuli Boli Tribe urgently hoped Yelü Wusitu would use this identity to lead them in conquering Western Liao.
Then, as his direct kin, the entire Yuli Boli Tribe would become Western Liao’s upper class, gaining greater interests.
“Hahaha, good.”
“Then let’s start with Yemili City.”
“This Khan will lead you to conquer a vast territory, making every one of you a Great Liao noble.” Yelü Wusitu laughed heartily, lavishly making promises.
Then, his gaze turned toward the Eastern Capital City, murmuring softly at the corner of his mouth: “Xiao Simo, This Khan will pray to Allah, hoping you haven’t died yet.”
“So This Khan has the chance to personally chop off your head.”
Due to poor communications, Yelü Wusitu was unaware of Eastern Capital City events; the last message came from Xiao Pula Yelu.
It said he was about to control Eastern Capital City and invited him to make a fortune.
But now it seemed Xiao Pula Yelu that waste had failed, or else he would have sent someone to contact him.
Soon after, Yelü Wusitu ordered: “Army, make camp.”
“Rest here tonight, set night sentries, abatis, horse-tripping ropes, etc. Don’t let the Eastern Capital Army sneak attack.”
“Summon each tribal leader to my tent to discuss military affairs.”
A large decisive battle isn’t fought on a whim; both sides need much prior preparation.
Especially the Kangli Allied Army after marching, needing rest before war, and preparing much siege equipment.
Meanwhile, in Eastern Capital City.
Li Dashan in white armor, hand on hilt, stood firm on the city wall, gazing far at the Kangli Army’s movements.
“Commander, the Kangli Army is making camp.”
“This subordinate requests to lead men tonight to raid the camp, first breaking their momentum.” The Third Town’s chiliarch Wang Dali looked to Li Dashan, fierce and bloodthirsty.
Li Dashan gently shook his head: “Too far.”
“The Kangli Army’s camp is at least ten li outside Eastern Capital City. You’d be spotted by Kangli scouts as soon as you exit the gate.”
With that, Li Dashan looked gravely at the surrounding Jin Prefecture Army generals: “Without this commander’s order, not a single soldier or pawn in the city may exit.”
“Also, pass the order to Zhao Dadao to await this commander’s orders before acting.”
Li Dashan had divided the army into two parts.
He himself led five thousand to guard Eastern Capital, using the city wall advantage to draw Kangli Army attacks, slowly grinding down their morale and troops.
While his subordinate myriad household commander Zhao Dadao—Li Xiao’s uncle—led eleven thousand cavalry, roaming outside Eastern Capital City.
Ready at any time to strike the Kangli Allied Army’s rear.
“Eastern Capital City’s walls are high, Kangli people unskilled at siege warfare; in the short term, they can do nothing to us.” Li Dashan gazed at the Kangli Allied Army’s movements, saying gravely.
“Wait it out!”
“Time is on our side.”
“The longer the delay, the better.”
When Li Xiao’s army returned to Eastern Capital, it would be the Kangli Allied Army’s total annihilation.
The next day.
Morning mist draped the grassland like a gauze curtain, low ox horn blasts suddenly shattering the silence, rolling from the Kangli Allied Army camp’s depths.
“Woooo~”
Before dawn broke, the thirty thousand Kangli Allied Army surged like tides.
Iron hooves crushed thin frost, armor clashing with war horse neighs weaving together, the din seeming to make the grassland tremble.
Outside the West Gate, on twelve special war chariots, Kangli drummers bared bronze chests, arm veins bulging, drumsticks hammering cowhide drumheads like meteors.
“Dong dong dong~”
The drumbeats exploded like thunder on the land, shaking the grass blades underfoot to rustle.
At the forefront, Yelü Wusitu draped in silver-inlaid wolfskin cloak, narrowed his hawk-like eyes, gazing at the dense garrison figures on the city wall.
Dawn glow reddened his face and the nine-tailed white banner fluttering behind him—this was the Yuli Boli Tribe’s supreme battle flag, now billowing in the morning breeze.
And beside him stood the other Kangli Tribe leaders.
“Wusitu, Eastern Capital City is so tall and grand; I’m afraid it can’t be breached in a short time.” The Guzi Tribe leader lost his usual squint-smile, gazing at the Eastern Capital city wall, face full of gravity.
“How many garrison troops in the city? Have scouts found out?” The Boyue Wu Tribe leader followed up.
Yelü Wusitu nodded lightly, saying lowly: “Eastern Capital City is just Great Liao’s old capital, far from Kuyun-Ordu’s massive city. Holding ten thousand troops is already the limit.”
“The original Eastern Capital garrison wouldn’t exceed ten thousand, let alone at least five thousand lost at Yili.”
These messages came from Xiao Pula Yelu.
But Yelü Wusitu didn’t know the current Eastern Capital’s troop numbers.
Because on Eastern Capital’s city wall, besides a Xiao character flag, Yelü Wusitu also saw a golden sun and moon battle flag.
This banner was not unfamiliar to him.
It was precisely the flag of Xiao Simo’s Jin Prefecture Army.
Meaning Jin Prefecture’s troops had entered Eastern Capital City for defense; the garrison definitely exceeded five thousand.
“Pass the order,”
Yelü Wusitu commanded, his voice low but with unquestionable dignity.
“Weihers Tribe as vanguard; when the sun rises, launch the full assault.”
“At all costs, within five days, This Khan wants this Yemili City wall topped with our Yuli Boli Tribe’s nine-tailed white banner.”
“If not, execute every last Weihers.”
“Understood.”
His personal guard behind him responded gravely, then spurred his horse away.
Yelü Wusitu then turned to the other leaders, saying softly: “Gentlemen, it’s come to this; no more holding back your strength.”
“They’re just a bunch of Weihers; if they’re wiped out, grab more.”
“But if we can’t take Yemili City quickly, once Northern Frontier reinforcements arrive, our position becomes passive.”
Weihers meant slaves in Kangli tongue.
For this era’s armies, slaves had become an indispensable tool.
Every dangerous task needing lives to fill required slave troops upfront.
So the Kangli Army’s Eastern Expedition wasn’t all native herdsmen; at least a third were slaves.
Naturally, siege duties fell to them.
“Good, mere Weihers; dead is dead.”
“Pass the order: Weihers Tribe advance. If Yemili City isn’t taken in five days, This Khan will slaughter them all.” The Boyewu Tribe leader bellowed harshly, to make these slaves exert themselves in the siege.
The other tribal leaders issued similar orders.
Soon, the slave troops from the Kangli Tribes began moving out.
Yelü Wusitu had long prepared for the siege, though no time to build arrow towers or battering rams and such large siege equipment.
But before reaching Eastern Capital, they used some trees to make large numbers of ladders.
Under the west city as morning mist began to clear, slave soldiers hunched their backs, shouldering crude ladders.
Rough palms gripped wooden beams tightly, heavy steps mixed with gasps surging forward.
Unclear who first let out a hoarse roar, instantly igniting madness in these ten thousand-plus.
“Kill—!”
“The master said! The day the city breaks is the day of freedom!”
A centurion covered in whip scars brandished his bloody leather whip, eyes flashing near-mad light.
“Gold, fine wine, women—all ours!”
“Three days no quarter!”
“Go loot and enjoy to your hearts’ content.”
These words like a spark instantly ignited the slaves’ desires.
The crowd erupted in deafening shouts; ten thousand flesh-and-blood bodies carrying despair and greed surged toward Eastern Capital City like a black tide.
But as they neared five hundred meters from the city wall, a massive roar erupted between heaven and earth.
“Boom boom boom boom~”
On the city wall, ten cannons simultaneously spat fire tongues, red muzzle glows lighting half the wall, deafening booms tearing the air.
Cannonballs trailed burning wakes into the crowd, exploding in blinding white flashes.
At the iron shell burst, hundreds of iron nails, iron shards, gravel fanned out, scattering through the dense throng.
Soldiers within two zhang screamed not even in time before being riddled like sieves.
Some rolled in blood clutching severed legs, some stared terrified at fireballs arcing overhead, urine mixing with blood trickling down pant legs.
“Aaaah, save me~”
“My leg, my leg’s broken.”
“Grandma, Grandma, I want Grandma, I want to go home~”
“Wah wah wah~”
Their shrill screams wove with cannon roars, air thick with nauseating burnt smell and bloody scent.
The siege wave stalled instantly in the cannon fire; surviving slave soldiers nearby paled in shock.
“Thunder God, Thunder God is angry.”
“Allah, Yemili City has deities guarding it; this offends the deities.”
“No more fighting, run for your lives.”
These slave soldiers who moments ago dreamed of breaching walls and massacring for three days now lost their courage, dropping ladders and fleeing madly, only to be trampled by unknowing comrades from behind in the chaos.
On the city head, gunners splashed cold water on hot cannon barrels while frantically reloading, continuing to fire.
“Boom boom boom boom!”
Gunpowder smoke roiled like boiling in morning light; Li Dashan wiped cannon ash from his face, looking at the wailing slaves below, revealing a cruel smile.
He said coldly: “This is just the beginning; far worse slaughter awaits.”
“Loose arrows~”
Next instant, bowstring twangs like thunder cracked; at the volley, the sky was blotted out.
Sharp arrows sliced through smoke with whistling dives, dense arrow rain like death’s sickle mercilessly harvesting lives near the wall.
“Arrows, they’re loosing arrows.”
“Shields, block the arrows!”
“Aaaah~”
Slave soldiers looked up at the daylight-shrouding arrow curtain, shouting in terror; some fled cowering, some flailed arms in despair, but none escaped the sky-filling death.
Arrows pierced rough plain cloth armor, thudding into flesh one after another.
Countless slaves shot into porcupines; survivors shouted and fled rearward.
But rushing too frantically, many fell, instantly trampled dead by those behind.
Screams mixed with arrow whistles and cannon booms wove a hair-raising death net under the west city.
In the distance, Yelü Wusitu and others watched stunned.
He gripped reins white-knuckled, gold-inlaid saddle creaking beneath him.
Watching the slave army retreat like a tide, shattered limbs from cannon blasts still tumbling midair, his throat bobbed, voice squeezed from cracked chest.
“This… this impossible, how can such a thing exist?”
“Is it heavenly wrath?” someone said terrified.
“No no no, not some bullshit heavenly god; clearly Eastern Capital Army trickery.” Yelü Wusitu roared in fury.
Like a gambler losing red-eyed, he tore at his collar roaring, low gasps, pupils reflecting the black iron monsters spitting fire on the wall, nearly biting through his teeth.
This sudden mysterious weapon truly threw him into disarray.
The Boyewu Tribe leader equally stared horrified at the wall’s cannons, saying fearfully: “That thing’s explosion roar is more terrifying than the grassland’s fiercest thunderstorm—what the hell is it?”
His war horse now fidgeted restlessly, front hooves kicking wildly, as if rejecting this beyond-cognition fear.
“Thunder?”
“But what thunder can mortals hold?”
Before words finished, another cannon salvo tore air; in distant rising smoke, faint vistas of routed masses collapsing screaming.
“Shut up.”
Yelü Wusitu bellowed suddenly, drawing waist saber slashing air: “No ghosts or gods in this world!”
Blade reflected his bloodshot eyes: “Just Xiao Simo’s deceptive trick, but it can’t fool This Khan’s eyes.”
He wheeled his horse, saber pointing at fleeing slaves, bellowing: “Pass This Khan’s order: full army form up, war horses advance. Any who retreat half a step—military law punishment!”
Then, pointing to his nine-tailed white banner: “Today, any daring to stand behind This Khan’s nine-tailed white banner—personal guards, shoot dead.”
Then, his ruthless gaze swept Eastern Capital City and the slave routed soldiers fleeing rearward.
He roared loudly: “Great banner forward!”
“Press on! For This Khan… press on!!!”
The other tribal leaders issued similar orders.
They knew well: letting these slaves flee back would not only rout the Kangli cavalry formations but gravely disrupt morale.
Making future sieges even harder.
Thus, amid massive war drum booms, Yelü Wusitu advanced swiftly with his nine-tailed white banner.
Seeing the great banner advance, Kangli Tribes’ cavalry armies also pressed forward.
Simultaneously waving spears and sabers, roaring loudly.
“Roar roar roar~”
“Retreaters beheaded!”
“Kill!”
Kangli cavalry like a rank of giant peaks advanced step by step, their ferocious killing aura instantly cowed the fleeing slaves.
Seeing many slaves mercilessly cut down by these cavalry, those behind halted, growing hesitant.
Forward or back—death either way!
Yelü Wusitu used the great banner to advance, regaining control; the battlefield seemed slowly turning again.
But meanwhile, on the wall, Li Dashan brightened, shouting loudly: “Zhuzi, Zhuzi.”
“Get your ass over here.”
Then, a sturdy young man hurried over, saying loudly: “Commander, what is it?”
Li Dashan pointed at distant Yelü Wusitu, saying loudly: “See that white banner?”
“If you hit it, this month’s western wind fierce is on me, unlimited.”
“Really?” Zhuzi brightened, asking delightedly.
Li Dashan kicked him, roaring: “Quit yapping? When have I ever tricked you?”
“Hurry and fire that cannon for me.”
“Good, deal’s on, Commander. Watch this.”
Saying so, Zhuzi scampered back, fiddling with the cannon.
Then shouted to his gunners: “All perk up for me, blast those dog bastards.”
