Chapter 177: Naiman’s Downfall, Sun Khan’s Desperate Straits
“Kill!”
The troops of Jin Prefecture’s First Division surged forward like an indestructible fortress.
When they charged up to the Naiman soldiers, the front-row cavalry shouted in unison, precisely stabbing at the throats and chests of the Naiman soldiers.
Screams rose and fell one after another, as Naiman soldiers fell like waves of wheat, their blood instantly staining the land red.
Meanwhile, although the First Division’s soldiers suffered losses, their thick cotton armor blocked most of the damage for them.
Soon after, more and more Jin Prefecture soldiers rushed into the Naiman soldiers’ lines, and wherever they went, the enemies fell from their horses.
The Naiman people’s screams rose and fell one after another.
As the Centurion of the First Division’s Second Myriad Household Office, Wei Xuan led from the front, charging left and right in the enemy formation, his spear consecutively splitting open the heads of several Naiman soldiers.
Blood splashed all over his yellow armor, making him look like a murderous demon god wreathed in evil aura.
“Centurion, the Naiman people are running.” A Captain shouted loudly.
In a short time, the Centurion troops led by Wei Xuan hammered through nearly half of the Naiman army’s lines like a hammer, leaving a trail of corpses behind.
The surrounding Naiman people, seeing this terrifying sight, had long been filled with fear and began shrinking back from the fight.
Wei Xuan ignored these ordinary soldiers whose courage had been broken by the killing, his gaze instead turning to a large flag farther away.
“Brothers, follow me to capture Buyiru Khan alive and achieve immortal merit.”
“Kill!”
Covered in blood, Wei Xuan waved his blood-drenched spear pointing forward and roared loudly.
“Capture Buyiru Khan alive~”
The many yellow armored army soldiers behind him also shouted and roared, charging toward the direction where Buyiru Khan was located.
“Great Khan, the Liao dogs are too fierce, we can’t hold them back.”
“Great Khan, hurry and withdraw, the brothers have suffered heavy casualties, if we don’t go now it’ll be too late.”
“Jin Prefecture cavalry are coming to kill us.”
Buyiru Khan was in the midst of the chaotic army, his face ashen purple, eyes wide open, roaring in fury: “No withdrawal allowed, block them for me.”
He had thought the Naiman cavalry were invincible on the grassland, but unexpectedly the Jin Prefecture cavalry were even braver.
Although the two sides’ troop numbers were roughly equal, the Jin Prefecture army was almost entirely clad in armor, rendering ordinary attacks unable to cause fatal harm.
Moreover, the Jin Prefecture army’s weapons were sharper, able to easily pierce the Naiman people’s leather armor.
Most importantly, the Jin Prefecture army soldiers coordinated more closely, often working in pairs or groups of three, collaborating and supporting each other.
Some blocked attacks, some tripped horse legs, some thrust spears straight forward, some used hook scythes to pull enemies off their horses.
These soldiers all lived in one place and underwent targeted training on ordinary days—this was also Li Xiao’s strict requirement for each Centurion’s Residence.
Therefore, whether in weapons and equipment or tactics and techniques, the Jin Prefecture soldiers completely crushed the Naiman people.
But the arrogant Buyiru Khan could not accept the facts before his eyes and was still shouting to rally the troops.
“Great Khan, look, the Jin Prefecture army is really coming to kill us.”
At this moment, a general shouted in terror, and Buyiru Khan’s face froze instantly.
Turning to look, he was horrified to discover a Jin Prefecture army force of over a hundred men that had broken through the Naiman soldiers’ blockade and was charging straight toward him.
Wherever they went, Naiman soldiers fell from their horses, not even having the courage to engage, turning tail and running.
As a result, this Jin Prefecture army force was closing in on his position at extreme speed.
Moreover, on both flanks of this Jin Prefecture army force, several other troops were also charging ferociously.
“Useless, they’re all useless.”
“Quick, block them quickly.”
“Whoever dares to run, I’ll kill his whole family.”
Buyiru Khan shouted in terror, his voice breaking.
But it was utterly useless; on this chaotic battlefield, soldiers gripped by fear first thought only of saving their own lives.
Who would even recognize who he was?
“Great Khan, we can’t hold them.”
“Hurry and go!”
Under the earnest pleas of his generals, Buyiru Khan could only turn and flee.
Seeing a group of cavalry fleeing under a Naiman large flag, Wei Xuan immediately shouted: “The one wearing iron armor and a tiger skin hat is Buyiru Khan.”
“Grab him~”
At this moment, Wei Xuan led his men straight through the Naiman people’s lines, pursuing and killing the fleeing Buyiru Khan.
With Buyiru Khan’s flight, the Naiman large flag crashed heavily to the ground, and the soldiers completely lost their will to fight.
Not long after, Wei Xuan returned with his men.
“Reporting to the Great Governor, the enemy chief has been captured alive by this subordinate.”
Wei Xuan came before Li Xiao, dismounted, and said excitedly.
At this time, he was covered in blood, his yellow cotton armor turned crimson, soaked as if dipped in blood water.
With that, he ordered his men to bring Buyiru Khan forward.
“Kneel!”
Two Jin Prefecture soldiers heavily kicked Buyiru Khan’s knees, forcing him to kneel before Li Xiao.
Disheveled was the best way to describe Buyiru Khan’s current state.
His body filthy as if rolled in a mud pit, the tiger skin hat symbolizing dignity on his head nowhere to be seen.
His face bruised purple, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, clearly having been severely beaten.
Li Xiao slowly urged his war horse forward to stand before him, scrutinizing him carefully before shaking his head faintly: “So, you’re Buyiru Khan?”
“I had thought you were some remarkable figure, but it turns out you’re nothing special.”
This sort of trash had actually dared to propose to Xiao Simo to marry Xiao Yanyan?
At this moment, Buyiru Khan looked at Li Xiao, his heart filled with shock and disbelief.
This was Jin Prefecture’s Great Governor Li Xiao?
Wearing a complete set of yellow-based red-trimmed cotton armor, with a thick neck guard around his neck.
His cheeks similarly wrapped in cloth armor, but Li Xiao’s face was still clearly visible.
He was just too young.
Buyiru Khan had not expected to be beaten so badly by such a young lad?
Unwilling, full of frustration.
But in victory the king, in defeat the bandit; he didn’t understand what Li Xiao was saying, but he knew what it meant to be wise in knowing the times.
He directly yielded, lowering his head and saying: “Great Governor of Jin Prefecture before me, I am Tuoteboluo, Buyiru Khan of the Naiman Tribe, willing to lead my tribe to submit to the Great Liao State.”
Hearing the translator’s words, Li Xiao laughed faintly and said: “What are you? Qualified to submit?”
“Kill him!”
“Preserve the head and send it to the Eastern Capital.”
The translator did not relay this order to Buyiru Khan, but he read the meaning from the murderous expressions of the surrounding soldiers.
He shouted in terror: “You can’t kill me.”
“I am the Great Khan of the Naiman, I am the Khan of Khans on the grassland.”
“I want to see the Emperor of Great Liao, I want to see the Sixth Courtyard Department Great King.”
Soon, a golden armored personal guard stepped forward, and with a flash of his blade, directly severed Buyiru Khan’s head.
Afterward, Li Xiao ordered men to tally the captives, while he himself led men back to the main battlefield.
At this time, the battle was nearing its end.
Li Xiao ordered: “Raise Buyiru Khan’s large flag.”
Sun Khan was pacing anxiously; the Jin Prefecture army’s offensive was extremely fierce.
The Naiman army was retreating step by step, but at this moment, a commotion suddenly arose from the front.
Someone shouted in terror: “Jin Prefecture army reinforcements have arrived.”
Hearing this, Sun Khan hurriedly turned to look, only to see on the distant grassland a force of cavalry clad in yellow cotton armor charging majestically.
War horses thundering, shaking the land with deep tremors.
This army was wreathed in murderous aura, faintly showing bloodstains on their bodies refracting eerie red light in the sunlight.
A look of terror appeared on Sun Khan’s face; his own army was originally no match for the Jin Prefecture army.
Now, with Jin Prefecture reinforcements arriving, how could they fight?
“Where is Tuoteboluo?”
“Why hasn’t he come?”
Sun Khan roared in fury, instinctively thinking he had been abandoned by Tuoteboluo.
Until a moment later, soldiers of the First Division shouted in the Naiman language from afar:
“Buyiru Khan is dead, surrender and live!”
“Buyiru Khan is dead.”
More importantly, a flag had been raised in the Jin Prefecture army, one belonging to Buyiru Khan.
And below the flag, a Jin Prefecture soldier was holding a head aloft on his spearhead.
Too far to see clearly, but Sun Khan’s intuition told him.
That was his elder brother, Buyiru Khan, Tuoteboluo.
At this moment, Sun Khan’s pupils dilated instantly, his face turning pale, his body staggering as he nearly fell from the war chariot.
“Dead?”
“Tuoteboluo is dead?”
“Damn it, how could this happen?”
The battlefield situation was completely unlike what he had imagined; instead, in a short time, the Jin Prefecture army had established absolute superiority.
Sun Khan knew that without reinforcements, he was finished.
The Naiman Tribe was also finished.
From now on, there would probably be no place for him on the grassland.
“Go, go, hurry and go.”
“Leave this place.”
Without needing his subordinate generals to give him a way out, Sun Khan abandoned the luxurious war chariot, mounted a war horse, and led his personal guards in flight.
With Sun Khan’s flight, the Naiman army completely collapsed, and soldiers surrendered en masse.
The sunset was blood-red, draping the battlefield in a layer of dark crimson gauze.
Li Xiao, clad in yellow armor, rode a black war horse, slowly traversing this land that had just experienced life-and-death combat.
The crimson glow stretched his shadow long, like a sharp sword piercing straight through the crowd kneeling in surrender.
Hooves trod past, kicking up waves of dust interweaving with the gunpowder smoke and bloody stench in the air.
Looking out, the hills and fields were filled with kneeling Naiman soldiers surrendering.
They had discarded helmets and armor, weapons scattered messily nearby; some bore wounds with bloodstains, others covered in mud, utterly disheveled.
Many had vacant stares, their faces still bearing the fear and despair brought by the war.
And at this moment, a Wuwei Army general hurried over to report.
“Report, Great Governor.”
“The Naiman rebel chief Sun Khan has fled toward the northeast.”
“Myriad Household Commanders Li Dahu and Li Erhu are leading troops in pursuit.”
Li Xiao’s expression unchanged, he said gravely: “Order the two to capture and kill Sun Khan, dead or alive.”
After this battle, the Naiman Tribe’s elites were utterly destroyed, leaving only the elderly, weak, women, and children.
It could be said that the Naiman Tribe, once dominant on the grassland, had been thoroughly consigned to the dustbin of history by the Jin Prefecture Army.
The reason to capture Sun Khan was to cut the grass at the root, lest he rally remnants of the Naiman old guard outside and oppose the Jin Prefecture Army.
Only a dead Sun Khan could bring peace of mind.
As time quietly passed, when the sun set, the Jin Prefecture Army finally cleaned up the battlefield simply.
The final battle report was presented to Li Xiao.
“Great Governor, in this battle our army lost 103 men killed, 221 wounded.” Former Dunhuang Prefect Zhang Xinghua said softly to Li Xiao.
Now under Li Xiao, there were mainly three civil officials.
Former Royal Court Imperial Secretary Chen Chong, now responsible for land reclamation in the Great Desert.
Former Royal Court Minister of Revenue Han Jiuyuan, Li Xiao’s father-in-law by marriage, now handling part of Jin Prefecture’s finances.
The remaining was this Zhang Xinghua, with no formal duties, serving as scribe with the army, responsible for army logistics and post-battle tallies.
Li Xiao had been eating large bites of roasted horse meat, but upon hearing the casualties, he slowly set down the meat.
He said gravely: “These brothers were all exemplary.”
“Properly collect the bodies of the fallen soldiers, bring them back to Jin Prefecture, and bury them in the Loyal Martyrs Cemetery.”
“Provide standard compensation to the soldiers’ families, select one son to inherit the post.”
“For the wounded soldiers, handle similarly, no neglect allowed.”
Zhang Xinghua nodded gravely: “Understood!”
For the families of fallen soldiers, they would receive the highest standard of compensation, and in daily life also enjoy preferential treatment and care from the government.
For those disabled and unable to continue fighting, besides monetary compensation, they would also be promoted half a rank in office.
An original Sergeant would be appointed Deputy Commandant but removed from the front lines to assist Commandants with civil affairs.
In short, Li Xiao would treat these meritorious officers and soldiers as well as possible.
Otherwise, neglecting the soldiers would only make more people unwilling to risk their lives.
“How many enemy soldiers killed? How many captives?”
After handling our side’s losses, Li Xiao asked about the gains.
“In the two battles, approximately 23,000 Naiman soldiers captured.”
“Over 5,000 corpses collected; this official is ordering captives to dig pits to bury the Naiman corpses,” Zhang Xinghua said.
“So, at least four or five thousand enemy troops escaped?” Li Xiao nodded.
This number wasn’t large; after all, Naiman people were all cavalry and would slip away when the tide turned.
On such a chaotic battlefield, capturing over 20,000 was beyond Li Xiao’s expectations.
“Execute all Naiman nobles and generals among the captives, keep ordinary herdsmen and slaves to serve as war slaves.”
“Tell them, kill three enemy soldiers to regain freedom and become true Jin Prefecture garrison soldiers,” Li Xiao said.
Handling the captives followed the original method; they couldn’t waste grain for nothing, they must demonstrate their value.
“Understood.”
……
Night grew darker; the Jin Prefecture Army main force, after half a day’s battle and a horse meat feast, had begun resting.
But in the prisoner of war camp, the game had just begun.
Flames blazed around, illuminating this stretch of grassland.
Li Sanhe, clad in bloodstained red cotton armor, sat boldly at the head, devouring horse meat from the table in big bites.
Before him knelt ten Naiman captives.
“Tell them, whoever first reveals his tribe’s location gets his whole family spared; this general will also reward him ten sheep, making his whole family noble Jin Prefecture people.”
“After half a tea cup’s time, if no one speaks, kill them all.”
Li Sanhe chewed horse meat voraciously, his cold smile in the firelight like a man-eating devil.
Naiman people were nomadic; they had no fixed settlements.
If the Jin Prefecture Army searched one by one by luck, it would waste too much time.
So, they had to rely on these Naiman traitors to guide them.
But not all Naiman were willing to become ‘Naiman traitors’; they surrendered out of necessity, but revealing their tribe’s location now would make them sinners of the tribe.
After all, Sun Khan had conscripted all the men from Naiman tribes, leaving only the elderly, weak, sick, and children—how could they resist the wolf-like Jin Prefecture Army?
Half a tea cup’s time passed, and these ten Naiman remained silent, all heads down, trembling, not saying a word.
Li Sanhe laughed, grabbed a handful of mud from the ground to wipe grease from his hands, and chuckled: “Didn’t expect them all to be tough guys?”
“Very well, this general will oblige you.”
“Kill them all.”
Li Sanhe said casually, as if killing a herd of beasts, then drank tea to cut the grease.
His red armored army personal guards received the order; one soldier stepped forward to the first Naiman and swung his saber down.
“Pfft~”
Blood spurted, the Naiman man’s head rolling to the ground.
This sight terrified the others into shuddering, some even soiling themselves.
When the war saber rested on the second man’s neck, he had already collapsed to the ground.
Breaking down in sobs: “I’ll talk, I’ll talk~”
Tears streaming, he knew full well what this meant.
It would save his family but plunge the rest of his tribe into endless hell.
But he had no choice!
After ascertaining his tribe’s location and numbers, Li Sanhe waved: “Take him away.”
“Order the Hundredth Centurion troops to depart at dawn tomorrow, take him, and find his tribe.”
Then, using the same method, Li Sanhe extracted locations of more Naiman tribes.
Of course, some chose death over betrayal, but true tough guys were ultimately a minority.
The vast majority were selfish.
Saving their own lives, reuniting with family, even becoming superior Jin Prefecture people.
Becoming a ‘Naiman traitor’—what of it?
Man serves himself first, or heaven and earth condemn him; that’s the rule since ancient times.
The next morning, Jin Prefecture Army units departed by Centurion, precisely locating hidden tribes across the vast Great Grassland, saving vast amounts of time.
……
In the vast depths of Tannu Uriankhai’s endless grassland, the Naiman Khanate’s large tent gleamed blindingly in the sunlight.
Before departing on campaign, Sun Khan had dumped all Khanate affairs on Consort Guerbiesu.
With great power in hand, she acted ever more arrogantly.
In a short time, her methods to eliminate rivals were swift and decisive, all for one purpose: paving the way for her son to ascend the khanate.
This day, at noon, warm sunlight bathed the grassland, Tannu Uriankhai like gilded in golden gauze, shimmering.
But Guerbiesu’s mind was not on the scenery.
Clad in a luxurious mink cloak, light rouge on her face, surrounded by maidservants, she entered a side tent deep in the Khanate.
Inside sat a man, Guerbiesu’s cousin Tagesu.
After Sun Khan departed on campaign, he left only a thousand troops to guard the Khanate, under Tagesu’s command.
It could be said the Khanate was now fully in the hands of this brother and sister.
Guerbiesu entered the tent, sipped lightly from a tea cup, and sneered: “With the Great Khan away on campaign, this is our best chance to act.”
“Those little whelps have long eyed the khanate; leaving them is always a hidden danger.”
Tagesu frowned slightly, hesitation flashing in his eyes: “But they are the Great Khan’s sons after all; acting rashly, when the Great Khan returns…”
“What is there to fear!”
Guerbiesu slammed down the tea cup, vicious light in her eyes.
“The Great Khan is hundreds of miles away; by the time he returns, the deed is done. As long as we do it cleanly without leaving evidence, he can’t touch us.”
Tagesu pondered, then said slowly: “The Consort speaks truly.”
If others ascended the khanate, their family would face reckoning.
For Tagesu, there was no longer a way back.
Better to break the cauldrons and sink the boats, kill Baibuhua’s other sons, leaving only Guerbiesu’s son.
Then Baibuhua would have to, like Li Yuan, hold his nose and accept it.
“Start with Akse; he is now the Great Khan’s eldest son~”
As the siblings plotted how to kill Baibuhua’s other sons, they suddenly heard tense voices from personal guards outside the tent.
“Reporting to the Consort, soldiers from the front lines have returned.”
Guerbiesu frowned, saying with slight displeasure: “Has the Great Khan returned?”
She didn’t want Baibuhua back too soon.
“Great Khan, Great Khan, he is missing.”
Hearing this, Guerbiesu and Tagesu’s faces changed; they hurriedly summoned the returned frontline soldiers to inquire.
The result shocked them immensely.
“The army~ Great Khan, defeated?”
Guerbiesu said in disbelief, her stunning face full of horror, her heart beginning to panic.
She had never imagined this outcome.
She thought even if the Naiman army couldn’t defeat the Jin Prefecture Army, they could at least retreat intact, abandoning Tannu Uriankhai to nomad elsewhere.
Regroup strength, then return.
But unexpectedly, the Naiman army was defeated, utterly annihilated.
Sun Khan had fled with only a few soldiers, no further news.
Guerbiesu and her brother’s mentality collapsed instantly; they had been planning a power grab for her son to inherit the khanate.
But now, with the Naiman Tribe nearly gone, what point was there in fighting for it?
“Consort, let’s pack up and relocate quickly!”
Tagesu reacted first, saying loudly in a trembling voice.
“With the army defeated, many Khanate soldiers must have fallen into the hands of Northern Frontier barbarians.”
“The Khanate’s location is surely exposed; perhaps barbarian troops are marching here now.”
Hearing this, Guerbiesu’s panic intensified, but she retained some reason.
She hurriedly said: “Quick, quick quick, go~”
The Khanate crowd immediately began packing tents, transferring at top speed.
But at this moment, Li Xiao’s personally led Golden Armored Army had crossed the Sweating Mountain, appearing in the river valley grassland south of Tannu Uriankhai.
The golden sun and moon battle flag fluttered in the cold wind; three thousand golden armored soldiers like a thundering flood, the grassland rumbling deeply.
Beside Li Xiao, Tie Tou in yellow-based red-trimmed cotton armor looked at the endless Tannu Uriankhai ahead and laughed loudly: “I hear the Naiman Consort Guerbiesu is the grassland’s number one beauty.”
“She ought to warm the Great Governor’s bed.”
