Chapter 170: Victory, Victory, Fucking Victory Again
“Pay respects to the Great Governor!”
Inside the golden large tent, Li Dashan and seven other chiliarchs strode in, shouting in unison.
They were all wearing white cotton armor, tasseled helmets on their heads, with burly figures and fierce auras.
In the tent, Li Xiao was wearing a golden yellow cotton robe, sitting high at the head seat. He stood up and smiled, “Sixth Uncle, you’ve all been working hard staying in the Great Desert these days.”
“Today, a banquet is set to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey.”
“Haha, not hard at all.”
“Things are fine over in the Great Desert. Though it’s hot as hell, the Uyghur women are all stunningly beautiful, one after another. The lads in the army have all worn their skin raw.”
Hearing Li Dashan’s joking tone, all the generals in the tent burst into laughter.
“Dashan, didn’t those Uyghur women dig out your kidneys?”
“How’s Da Hu doing? So tender-looking, he hasn’t been eaten clean by those Uyghur women, has he?”
“You bastards stop showing off. Who doesn’t have a few Uyghur women? Last time from Gaochang, we brought back over twenty thousand. Can’t even use them all up.”
……
The generals in the large tent were all chiliarchs and above.
And those who had reached this level were mostly old brothers from the four Hexi forts.
They were as familiar as could be, so they joked and cursed at each other, and the atmosphere instantly heated up.
Afterward, Li Xiao ordered the wine banquet to be served.
Ten roast whole lambs couldn’t fill the bellies of these Northern Frontier men. Western Wind Fierce was plentiful.
Amid the eating and drinking, a group of Uyghur beauties entered, all in their prime at sixteen, wearing scant gauze, with fair tender skin and exquisite features.
Barefoot on the blankets, they offered dance to the generals in the tent.
As their garments fluttered, slender white tender beautiful legs appeared and disappeared, leaving the generals wide-eyed.
“Why didn’t we notice before how good-looking Uyghur women are when they dance?” Luo Meng smacked his lips and said softly.
“Exactly.”
“The Great Governor knows how to train them.”
“When we get back, I’ll bring my Uyghur beauties and have them learn to dance properly.”
Li Dashan laughed, “Before, you were all busy doing that with the women. Who the hell cared if they danced well or not.”
“As long as they’re good-looking.”
“Hahaha!”
Listening to the generals’ banter, Li Xiao picked up a lamb leg, chewed it slowly, and said with a light smile, “Before, our Jin Prefecture Army’s sabers weren’t sharp enough, so the Uyghur people weren’t afraid of us.”
“But ever since our Jin Prefecture iron cavalry went south, consecutively conquering the Great Desert and Gaochang, killing the Uyghur people until blood flowed like rivers.”
“The Uyghur people’s attitude toward us changed. They became good at singing and dancing.”
Li Xiao’s words were recognized by everyone.
“Exactly. When we pick up our sabers, they can only sing and dance, wagging their tails and begging for mercy, praying the knife won’t fall on them.”
“Hahaha~”
The generals burst into laughter.
Seeing their appearance, Li Xiao nodded slightly, thinking to himself, “The former Jin Prefecture loved peace; the future Jin Prefecture still loves nuclear peace.”
Half a shichen later, seeing the generals had almost finished eating and drinking.
Li Xiao casually tossed the clean lamb leg bone onto the table, slowly stood up, walked to the center of the large tent. His waist saber let out a clear hum with the motion, his gaze like torches, scanning everyone in the tent.
In a faint voice, he said, “Today in this large tent, fine wine is plentiful, delicacies abound. Where does it all come from? It’s from our Jin Prefecture iron cavalry fighting saber by saber, spear by spear.”
“The Uyghur people once burned, killed, and looted in the Great Desert, thinking the Tianshan Gobi was their barrier, thinking we could do nothing to them.”
“But they were wrong!”
“Our war horses can easily cross the Tianshan Mountains, our spears can easily pierce their bodies.”
“Only by letting them watch with eyes of final despair as their tents are set ablaze, their wives and daughters captured, do they know what fear is.”
“This is revenge for their provocation.”
Li Xiao’s voice grew lower and deeper, echoing in the large tent, instantly pulling the generals’ minds away from the song and dance.
“Some say my Jin Prefecture Army are devils? Villains? Barbarians? Terminators of civilization?”
“They’re absolutely right.”
“We are barbarians, a bunch of demons.”
“We can lose everything, but we absolutely cannot lose the knife in our hands.”
“This knife is our life.”
Accompanying Li Xiao’s deep roar, his cavalry saber slashed down fiercely, directly splitting a whole roast lamb in two.
The large tent fell silent, the generals listening with heavy faces, while the Uyghur dancers retreated to the corners, trembling.
“Without the knife, we’ll become like the Uyghur people, at others’ mercy, our wives and daughters ravaged and humiliated like them.”
Li Xiao directly pulled over a dancer and tore off her clothes.
Seeing the dancer hugging her chest, squatting on the ground in terror, trembling, the generals’ faces grew even graver.
They’d done this kind of thing many times.
But if it were their own wives and daughters in that role, no one could laugh.
The world’s rule is the law of the jungle.
Li Xiao was just constantly reminding these people not to forget the consequences of losing the knife, lest they corrupt and degenerate.
“Get out.”
In the large tent, no one dared breathe, deterred by the suppressed might emanating from Li Xiao.
Only after Li Xiao said this did the dancers feel greatly relieved, bowing to Li Xiao one after another, and hurriedly left the large tent.
Li Xiao’s gaze turned to the crowd, saying in a faint voice, “You are all old brothers and comrades who’ve followed me, Li Xiao, all the way.”
“From worthless ordinary herdsmen before, now you’ve all become centurions, chiliarchs, even myriad household commanders.”
“This is what you’ve earned with your lives on the battlefield.”
“It’s what you deserve.”
“However!”
At this point, Li Xiao’s tone turned serious, his expression stern as he said, “Some people, after becoming chiliarchs, with beautiful women to enjoy and gold, silver, and jewels they can’t spend.”
“Start becoming complacent and unambitious?”
“Hmph!”
With Li Xiao’s light snort, the tent’s generals all shuddered.
They were all chiliarchs, secretly wondering if Li Xiao was talking about them.
Thinking this way, they felt a bit ashamed.
As senior Jin Prefecture generals, they didn’t lack beauties around them now.
Han beauties, Uyghur beauties, Naiman beauties, Qiang beauties, etc., all available.
And after so many wars, they’d seized too much gold, silver, and jewels from enemies, plus what Li Xiao rewarded.
So they had indeed become indulgent, all fitting the description, thinking Li Xiao meant them.
But today, the one Li Xiao was dealing with was someone else.
“Bring him in.”
With Li Xiao’s order, soon a disheveled man was escorted into the large tent by two Golden Armored Army soldiers.
He was disheveled, filthy all over, hands and feet still in shackles.
When the generals saw his appearance, some showed shock, others shook their heads lightly, clearly knowing the reason.
“He Mancang.” Li Xiao looked at the man before him and sighed softly.
“Fo-Fort Master~”
The man stood in the tent, voice trembling, knelt heavily before Li Xiao, tears flowing from his eyes.
He was from Hexi Fort, had followed Li Xiao’s father and son in campaigns for years, earned merits, was appointed deputy chiliarch, concurrently leading a centuria, taking common people to herd north of Golden Mountain.
But he had a flaw: he loved drinking.
Before, he liked homemade horse milk wine, later Western Wind Fierce.
When with Li Xiao, he still had reverence.
But after going north, he gradually let loose, relaxed vigilance, not thinking the wildlings were that formidable.
Especially after Li Erjiang led them to eliminate and capture large numbers of wildlings, He Mancang thought all was peaceful.
But unexpectedly, his negligence led to his centuria nearly wiped out.
Over a hundred households of common people brutally killed by wildlings, only dozens escaped.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiao was furious.
He directly ordered He Mancang escorted back to Hexi Fort for judgment.
“This Governor has repeatedly ordered, and military law states clearly, commanders are forbidden from drinking during wartime.”
“He Mancang, why didn’t you obey?”
Li Xiao sat at the head, looking pained and angry as he questioned.
“I, I, Fort Master, I was wrong~”
“I deserve death, I’m a bastard.”
“I shouldn’t have drunk.”
He Mancang wept bitterly, repeatedly slapping his own face.
The generals in the tent now knew the reason, all with serious faces.
Except for the chiliarchs north of Golden Mountain, the others hadn’t expected He Mancang to make such a mistake.
At this moment, Li Dashan and others felt bad too.
After all, He Mancang was from Hexi Fort, one of their old brothers.
“Great Governor, considering Mancang is a first offender~”
A chiliarch stood up, wanting to plead for He Mancang.
But Li Xiao gave him a cold glance, and the chiliarch instantly shut up.
“First offender?”
“Who isn’t a first offender?”
“If just because it’s the first mistake, one can be forgiven, then what’s the point of military law?”
The generals in the tent were all silenced, not daring to speak.
Li Xiao’s gaze swept over them one by one, saying deeply, “This Governor knows you’re all good brothers, reluctant to see He Mancang in this state.”
“But we’re no longer that ragtag bunch from before, and you’re no longer lone individuals.”
“We are now the Jin Prefecture Army, and you are chiliarchs, centurions.”
“Hundreds, thousands of lives are in your hands.”
“Can a single ‘I know I was wrong’ bring back hundreds of lives?”
Saying this, Li Xiao’s gaze turned to He Mancang, took a deep breath, and shouted.
“Moreover, of the four captains under you, three died in battle, one was gravely wounded but fought to the death without retreat. Of the twenty squad leaders, most died in battle.”
“These were old brothers who followed us from the uprising in Jin Prefecture.”
“They fought to the death without retreating, but you survived unscathed, without even a scratch. Do you deserve them?”
Hearing Li Xiao’s roar, He Mancang was overwhelmed with guilt, kneeling and wailing loudly.
“Wuwuwuwu~”
“I deserve death, I let down the brothers.”
“Fort Master, kill me.”
In fact, at the time he was dead drunk and unconscious, saved by others.
Reflecting afterward, he regretted immensely, wishing he’d died on the spot.
Seeing his state, Li Xiao helplessly shook his head.
“Military law is merciless.”
“Come in.”
With Li Xiao’s shout, the tent’s generals all looked up, wanting to plead for He Mancang but unsure how.
Li Xiao’s gaze turned to He Mancang, saying in a low voice, “Though you erred, your guilt doesn’t extend to your family. This Governor will take good care of them.”
“Go in peace!”
He Mancang’s family, though not implicated, lost their former honor.
Henceforth, they could only live as ordinary herdsmen, perhaps enduring others’ gossip.
In short, they could live, but not easily.
“Th-Thank you, Fort Master!”
Knowing he must die, He Mancang gave a miserable smile, kowtowed heavily to Li Xiao, then slowly stood.
Under the watch of two Golden Armored Army soldiers, he left the tent.
For him, this was already the best outcome.
At least, his family wasn’t implicated.
And over these two years, he’d saved quite a bit of gold and silver treasures, enough to secure his family’s future.
Soon after, with a muffled thud outside the tent, complex expressions appeared on the generals’ faces.
Some reluctant, some pained, or helpless.
But all took it as a warning, firmly remembering He Mancang’s lesson.
When the personal guards brought He Mancang’s head in a box into the tent, Li Xiao said deeply, “Bury him properly.”
“Order: appoint Squad Leader Wu Laohan’s eldest son as centurion, to take post after his centuria is rebuilt.”
Wu Laohan was one of He Mancang’s captains.
Facing the wildlings’ assault, he fought fiercely to the death, killing at least ten wildlings, dying from blood loss.
After the wildlings took the camp, they vented on his corpse, hacking it to pieces.
By the time Li Erjiang retook the camp, his body parts couldn’t even be gathered.
For such a warrior, Li Xiao must reward heavily.
Like other fallen officers, his family would receive generous pensions and resettlement.
To tell all officers and soldiers: just fight hard.
If killed in battle, Li Xiao would care for their families; sons would inherit positions, even advance further.
But if negligent in duty or deserting battle?
It would be worse than He Mancang.
“Since our Jin Prefecture uprising, it’s always been victory, victory, damn victory.”
“The battles our Jin Prefecture Army fights are always victorious.”
“I can accept defeat, but absolutely not such incompetent failure.” Li Xiao faced the generals and shouted deeply.
Military law is strict, with punishments for the defeated.
If defeated due to overwhelming enemy strength, without other errors, Li Xiao would allow them to redeem merits.
If pure defeat, he’d demote or administer military cudgels.
But like He Mancang, due to grave errors causing heavy losses, Li Xiao would never condone.
Not even for Hexi Fort veterans, let alone Li Family members.
The purpose was to subconsciously tell all generals.
Defeat the enemy at all costs.
In the Jin Prefecture Army’s dictionary, only victory; no defeat allowed.
Military law merciless, very cruel.
But without such strict military law, how is an army different from rabble?
Why did the Manchu Qing’s Eight Banners fail later?
Soldiers chasing pleasure, losing martial spirit was one reason.
But punishments for defeated generals weren’t strict; even after defeat, no heads rolled.
Who would fight desperately on the battlefield?
So, Jin Prefecture Army has one rule: clear rewards and punishments, heavy rewards for heavy merits.
Because of He Mancang’s matter, the tent’s generals were somewhat heavy-hearted.
Li Xiao sat back at the head and said deeply, “Half of Jin Prefecture’s chiliarchs are already in this tent.”
“I called you here today for two matters.”
“First, though most wildling tribes are pacified, the wildling tribe that last attacked He Mancang’s centuria escaped.”
“Myriad Household Commander Li Erjiang pursued with troops, found they fled into Northern Naiman territory, and discovered large numbers of Northern Naiman soldiers.”
“Myriad Household Commander Li Erjiang didn’t act rashly, is monitoring the Naiman movements from Golden Mountain.”
Hearing Li Xiao, the generals instantly perked up, all requesting battle.
“Great Governor, let’s fight!”
“Those damn wildlings killed so many of our common people; we can’t let them go.”
“The Naiman people sheltering those wildlings means they’re preparing to be our enemies.”
“We defeated the Naiman once, we can do it a second time.”
“This time, straight to the Naiman Royal Court.”
“Right!”
“Fight to Tannu Uriankhai, capture the Naiman Sun Khan alive.”
“Right!”
“Capture all Naiman women as female slaves.”
“Right!”
……
Seeing the generals requesting battle, Li Xiao nodded slightly, stopping the clamor.
“The Naiman have healed their scars and forgotten the pain, still eyeing Jin Prefecture covetously.”
“This Governor has decided: next spring, eastern expedition against the Naiman.”
Xiao Simo’s previous eastern expedition only crippled the Naiman.
But their foundation remained; Sun Khan and Buyiru Khan, the two brothers, still lived well.
They even fought Kereit Tribe and Temüjin, winning a small victory.
Over this year plus, the Sun Khan brothers slowly recovered some vitality.
Seemingly preparing to avenge their previous beating.
Seeing Xiao Simo gravely wounded, unable to lead east again, thinking Li Xiao is easy to bully?
And Li Xiao wanted to clash with the Naiman too.
Most importantly, he couldn’t let the grassland develop chaotically anymore.
Though the current grassland had myriad tribes, they were truly a bunch of gu insects.
Killing and devouring each other, ultimately birthing the strongest one.
Temüjin!
Li Xiao planned to eliminate him thoroughly before Temüjin grew strong.
Moreover, Jin Prefecture’s other three directions were secure; only the eastern Naiman remained powerful.
How can one allow others to snore beside one’s bed?
So, Li Xiao was preparing to intervene in grassland affairs.
“This general is willing to go!”
“This general is willing to go!”
Li Dashan and the other generals all stood, requesting battle from Li Xiao.
“Troop deployments, this Governor has already decided. Just await orders.” Li Xiao said.
“The second matter is reform of our Jin Prefecture Army’s military system.”
Li Xiao’s gaze turned to the crowd.
At this moment, fewer than twenty chiliarchs in the tent, but actually only half of Jin Prefecture’s total chiliarchs.
Others were either guarding the Great Desert or with Li Erjiang in the north, guarding against the Naiman.
In total, with supplements from Dunhuang and Shazhou common people, Jin Prefecture now had over thirty chiliarchs.
“Our Jin Prefecture started with only eight chiliarchs…” Li Xiao said faintly.
Four Han chiliarch armies controlled by Li Xiao, four nomadic tribe chiliarch armies by Xiao Lintta, later Li Xiao took one.
But Xiao Lintta’s three chiliarchs suffered heavy losses during western expedition, plus his purges.
When Li Xiao took over, only two remained.
Li Xiao disbanded them, assigning all Han as chiliarchs and centurions.
Thus, Jin Prefecture had seven chiliarchs.
Then in Battle of Naiman, Li Xiao recruited over a thousand soldiers, gave them Naiman women, settled in Jin Prefecture; now some even had children.
These formed East Mountain chiliarch.
These were Li Xiao’s old foundation, called ‘old Jin Prefecture Army’.
In later wars, some earned promotions to officers in other armies.
But with commoner supplements, these chiliarchs’ numbers stayed roughly the same.
Then, the Huormar Tribe Li Xiao subdued during Naiman campaign, counting as one chiliarch.
Xiao Yanyan’s dowry thousand Khitan people chiliarch.
Li Xiao’s two chiliarchs from Zhang Da Wa and Su Da Qiang subdued in Great Desert.
Next, three thousand Han from Kuyun-Ordu; after Gaochang and Western Xia battles, many freed from slavery, became true Jin Prefecture commoners.
Also rewarded Uyghur women, rooting in Jin Prefecture.
Finally, twenty-two thousand households from Dunhuang and Guazhou.
All told, Jin Prefecture now had thirty-seven chiliarchs.
Such a massive Jin Prefecture Army system was already very bloated under current management.
So, Li Xiao planned to change the Jin Prefecture Army, implement vertical management.
Finished, he said to his personal guards, “Let them in.”
Soon, three soldiers entered the large tent, saluted Li Xiao, then stood like wooden stakes.
Li Xiao chuckled to the generals, “I know you’ve been eyeing the cotton armor for a long time.”
“Before, numbers were few, so only equipped to White Armored Army.”
“From now on, every chiliarch will have them!
