Chapter 138: The Western Liao Prince Offered In Marriage Alliance
Black Stone Mountain, its peaks as dark as ink, with jagged rocks flickering in the night, resembling crouching beasts.
The Eastern Capital Army camp was set up at the foot of Black Stone Mountain, with rows of tents neatly arranged. Occasionally, soldiers patrolled among them, their hoofbeats and the clash of weapons unusually clear in the silent night.
Today was the fifth day since Muye River.
Xiao Simo, leading 25,000 central army troops, had just crossed Black Stone Mountain and would reach Tala Mountain, where the Royal Court was located, in three days.
War was imminent, and a somber aura once again permeated the camp.
Bali’ala was a trusted general promoted by Xiao Simo.
At only thirty-two years old, he was already one of the four Shi Lie Zhu within the Sixth Courtyard Department.
His stature was tall, his face rugged, and his features coarse. He stood like a small mountain, exuding a strong sense of oppression.
This perfectly matched his name.
‘Ala’ in the Khitan language meant ‘high mountain’, symbolizing resilience.
Tonight, it was supposed to be Bali’ala’s turn to stand guard, but Xiao Lintta had found him.
He wanted to swap shifts with him.
“Tomorrow, I plan to pay respects to my ancestors, so I might not have time to stand guard. I wanted to swap with you.”
Hearing this, Bali’ala quickly replied, “General Xiao, please go ahead. I can take over your guard duty tomorrow.”
“No need. The great battle is approaching, and you need to conserve your strength to kill the enemy,” Xiao Lintta said with a chuckle, shaking his head.
Bali’ala was originally Xiao Lintta’s deputy general.
After the Battle of Naiman, Xiao Lintta was promoted to Jin Prefecture Governor, and Bali’ala then took over Xiao Lintta’s position, becoming one of the four Shi Lie Zhu of the Sixth Courtyard Department.
Therefore, he still held great respect for Xiao Lintta.
Swapping guard duty was a minor matter, so Bali’ala returned to his tent to rest.
He left the camp’s night watch to Xiao Lintta.
Afterwards, Xiao Lintta, with his personal guards, patrolled the outer perimeter of the camp.
He instructed the soldiers on watch, “If any scouts return, have them report directly to my large tent.”
“Understood.”
The soldiers on watch nodded solemnly and replied respectfully.
Xiao Lintta, on his horse, gazed at the distant grassland.
Under the moonlight, the land seemed to be gently covered by a layer of silver gauze, hazy and dreamlike.
But his heart could not find peace. His expression was complex and conflicted. He knew that beneath this seemingly peaceful grassland, dark currents and endless killing intent lurked.
“Hmph~”
Finally, with a soft hum, Xiao Lintta’s gaze grew firmer, and he turned directly, leading his men back to his tent.
The officer on guard duty did not need to stay in the camp all night; they only needed to maintain enough alertness to respond to emergencies as quickly as possible.
As midnight approached, the grassland was utterly silent.
However, the sound of hoofbeats broke the tranquil atmosphere.
Xiao Lintta, who had been dozing in his tent clad in armor, suddenly opened his eyes upon hearing the hoofbeats in the camp.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
“They’re here!”
Soon, three soldiers, accompanied by Xiao Lintta’s personal guards, entered. Their faces were filled with panic, and they were panting as if they had encountered something terrifying.
“General, there are, there are enemies, attacking.”
The lead scout said loudly.
They had been on watch thirty miles away, guarding against enemy night attacks.
But unexpectedly, not long ago, they had spotted a large cavalry force marching in the dark of night.
Their target was the Eastern Capital Army camp.
Upon seeing this, the three immediately fled for their lives, returning to the camp to report to the officer on duty.
Normally, upon receiving this news, the officer on duty would immediately issue orders to awaken the entire army and prepare for battle.
However, Xiao Lintta did not do this.
He simply took a dagger, silently cut off a piece of cold, hard mutton, and put it in his mouth.
His face showed no surprise as he asked, “How many?”
“Many.”
“We couldn’t see clearly, but there were at least ten thousand,” one old scout said.
Seeing Xiao Simo’s unhurried demeanor, another soldier urged, “Lord, please prepare for battle quickly.”
“If you delay further, it will be too late.”
Xiao Simo, however, revealed a slight smile on his face and nodded gently.
“Good!”
“Engage the enemy!”
With that, Xiao Simo plunged the dagger in his hand into the table, slowly stood up, and looked at the three scouts.
He regarded them as if they were three dead men.
As the three felt a sense of bewilderment, they suddenly felt intense pain in their waists.
Xiao Simo’s three personal guards were already behind them, one hand covering their mouths, while the other used a dagger to stab fiercely into their backs.
“Mmmph~”
“No, no~”
The three soldiers stared fixedly at Xiao Simo, struggling frantically, but it was all in vain. Soon, they became three corpses.
Xiao Simo stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze indifferent as he stared at them, murmuring, “Don’t blame me, they forced me.”
He then did not order the bodies to be removed, as nothing would matter in a while anyway.
Instead, he ordered his three confidants to eliminate the moles Xiao Simo had planted among his personal guards.
Shortly after, three more scouts came to report, and they too became three corpses.
Xiao Lintta sat by himself, silently picked up a pot of Western Wind Fierce and drank it all.
After drinking, his face was flushed red, his eyes bloodshot, and he panted like an ox, his gaze fixed on Xiao Simo’s tent.
“Xiao Simo, don’t blame me for being despicable and shameless; you were the one who showed no mercy.”
“I was forced into this.”
Although he had been appointed Jin Prefecture Governor, he was constantly suppressed by Li Xiao, his power even less than that of an ordinary Deputy Governor.
Now, with Li Xiao becoming Xiao Simo’s brother-in-law, he saw even less hope for the future.
This was his excuse for betraying Xiao Simo.
In reality, Xiao Lintta had already colluded with the Royal Court before Li Xiao became the Jin Prefecture Governor.
Li Xiao’s appearance had merely intensified Xiao Lintta’s resolve.
…
A quarter of an hour later, in Xiao Simo’s large tent.
He was sleeping, holding a woman, when he suddenly opened his eyes, hearing a faint, low rumbling sound.
After listening carefully to the sound, his expression changed drastically.
“Damn it, there are enemies.”
“Night raid~” Xiao Simo shouted loudly.
Paying no heed to the woman in his bed, he ordered his personal guards outside to assemble the entire army for battle.
At the same time, he hastily put on his clothes and armor.
He appeared flustered and angry.
“What’s going on?”
“The enemy is already at our doorstep, why hasn’t there been a report from the scouts?”
“Where is Bali’ala? Have him come see me immediately.”
Xiao Simo roared in anger.
Influenced by Xiao Wulila’s teachings, Xiao Simo was considered a capable commander and never slackened when setting up camp.
He would station scouts in all four directions daily, giving himself ample time to react.
But today, the scouts hadn’t returned? Had they been discovered and shot by the enemy beforehand?
At this point, the enemy was less than ten miles from the camp.
The thunderous sound of tens of thousands of warhorses trampling the earth could not be concealed.
Countless Eastern Capital Army soldiers were immediately awakened from their sleep.
Immediately, the camp descended into chaos, with shouts and cries erupting everywhere.
In battle between two armies, organization was paramount.
It wasn’t enough to simply wake up; combat strength needed to be formed.
Soldiers needed to find their junior officers.
Junior officers would then find senior officers, relaying orders layer by layer, organizing the scattered soldiers to form combat strength.
But it was nighttime, and the camp was in chaos, making effective communication of orders impossible.
Seeing the situation, Xiao Simo’s expression turned ashen.
He directly ordered, “Disregard the other troops. Tell all the Sixth Courtyard departments to assemble immediately towards my large tent.”
“Understood!”
Xiao Simo’s intention was clear.
He was abandoning the ragtag army.
He was using them as cannon fodder to withstand the enemy’s first wave of assault, buying time for the Sixth Courtyard departments to assemble.
After all, when setting up camp, the Sixth Courtyard departments were located in the center of the camp, making them the most convenient to assemble.
The night was deep, the moonlight like frost, sprinkled on the vast and boundless grassland.
A cavalry army of nearly 20,000 men, like a black tide surging from the darkness, charged furiously from the northwest.
Upon closer inspection, this was a nomadic cavalry, their attire appearing ragged.
Many of their leather armor pieces were covered in patches of different colors and materials; some were rough linen, others were dark animal hides, appearing messy and conspicuous under the moonlight.
The saddles were also in disrepair, with cracked leather exposing the stuffing within, and the reins were heavily worn, at risk of breaking at any moment.
However, these nomadic cavalrymen’s eyes held a fierce glint. Though their weapons were old, they were polished bright, reflecting a cold light under the moonlight.
“Kill~”
“Brothers, kill all those Eastern Capital soldiers.”
They shouted in their distinct nomadic language, their voices hoarse but filled with fighting spirit.
They charged towards the Eastern Capital Army camp without hesitation, their fearless aura chilling to the bone.
The general leading them rode a tall and powerful black warhorse, clad in black armor inlaid with silver patterns that gleamed coldly in the moonlight.
“Warriors, kill one enemy, receive two sheep.”
“Kill five enemies, get promoted one rank.”
“Kill~”
He wielded a long mace, roaring loudly.
His hair was half-bald, and a long scar ran diagonally across his face, as if splitting it in two. One eyeball was milky white, terrifying to behold.
His other eye, however, was as sharp as a falcon’s, gleaming with bloodlust in the moonlight.
“Xiao Simo.”
“Your Xiao family owes me, and today I will make you pay a hundredfold.”
Their speed was incredible, the low rumbling sound echoing through the night sky, like a world-ending spectacle.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Capital Army camp was still in complete disarray.
Soldiers couldn’t find their generals, and generals couldn’t find their soldiers; all troops fought independently.
Faced with the nomadic cavalry’s charge, the Geluolu Cavalry in the front line instantly collapsed.
A nomadic cavalryman saw a Geluolu soldier fleeing in panic, and he sharply spurred his horse forward.
He raised his long saber high and, with the momentum of his charging steed, brought it down fiercely. The Eastern Capital Army soldier didn’t even have time to cry out before he was cleaved in two by the blade, blood splattering onto a nearby tent.
Other cavalrymen charged into the crowd, attacking left and right, their long spears whirling like a whirlwind, blades flashing. Every swing was accompanied by the screams and falls of Eastern Capital Army soldiers.
They coordinated skillfully, in groups of a few, covering each other, driving groups of unorganized Eastern Capital Army soldiers to desperation.
Countless Eastern Capital Army soldiers began to flee in all directions. In a short time, the enemy had broken through the front lines.
But fortunately, at this moment, the Sixth Courtyard department troops had already assembled.
The Tiger Pounce Camp had also hurriedly donned their heavy armor.
Xiao Simo could no longer care about anything else. Looking at the devastated camp, his eyes seemed to spew fire.
Gripping a long spear, his face contorted with rage, he commanded loudly:
“Kill them!”
“Slaughter all these people.”
At this moment, Xiao Simo’s heart was bleeding.
The 60,000-strong Eastern Capital Army had been advancing with unstoppable momentum, on the verge of breaking through the Royal Court and capturing Yelü Zhilugu.
But unexpectedly, at this critical juncture, his central army had been subjected to a night raid.
Regardless of whether they could repel the enemy tonight, his central army was bound to suffer heavy losses.
The grand undertaking that was on the verge of success would undoubtedly face unexpected setbacks.
Therefore, Xiao Simo no longer cared about assigning blame or questioning how the enemy had entered the camp unnoticed.
All he wanted now was to slaughter them all.
“Kill!”
In the central army camp, the outer areas were occupied by 10,000 Naiman troops, 2,000 Geluolu troops, 4,000 newly attached Royal Court troops, and Xiao Lintta’s 2,500 Jin Prefecture troops.
The inner area was occupied by 8,000 Yin Mountains troops.
At this moment, the only remaining units with intact formation were these 8,000 Yin Mountains troops.
With a thousand Tiger Pounce Camp soldiers leading, eight thousand troops rapidly launched a counterattack.
Soon, the scales of victory began to slowly tip.
In the early morning, as the sun’s rays slowly emerged on the land, the brutal battle finally drew to a close.
The enemy army was repelled, and the battlefield was filled with a thick bloody smell.
The Eastern Capital Army suffered heavy losses; the camp was a scene of ruins, tents were askew, some were still burning, emitting thick smoke.
Mixed with the strong bloody smell, it permeated the entire camp, making one nauseous.
The ground was covered with the corpses of soldiers and warhorses, and blood had dyed the land a dark red.
The surviving Eastern Capital Army soldiers collapsed on the ground, exhausted. They looked at the tragic scene before them, their hearts filled with grief and weariness, but their eyes still held a hint of relief at having survived.
Xiao Simo, clad in heavy black armor, rode a strong, jet-black warhorse, slowly walking through the devastated camp.
His eyes, however, burned with fierce anger, his fists clenched, veins bulging on the back of his hands, his knuckles white from exertion.
This surprise night raid caused heavy losses to the Eastern Capital Army; countless officers and soldiers died on the battlefield, and an unknown number scattered.
All of this was like sharp blades, fiercely piercing his heart.
“How dare they bully me like this!”
Then, he turned around, his gaze fiercely fixed on Bali’ala, and struck him hard with his horsewhip, demanding, “The enemy launched a night raid, why were there no scouts to report it?”
And Bali’ala, also covered in blood, with a face full of grievance and anger, said, “Great King, I~”
“Last night, it was Governor Xiao Lintta who came to change shifts with me~”
Hearing this, Xiao Simo’s brows furrowed instinctively. He looked around, but Xiao Lintta was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is Xiao Lintta?”
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads, indicating that they hadn’t seen Xiao Lintta since the battle last night.
Even the Jin Prefecture Army under Xiao Lintta had now disappeared.
“Damn it!”
“Bastard~”
Xiao Simo roared furiously, his face contorted as if he wanted to devour someone.
How could he not understand now?
Xiao Lintta was a traitor.
It was he who let the enemy in.
“You son of a bitch, why didn’t I see his true colors earlier.”
“You son of a bitch~”
“I will tear him to pieces.”
Xiao Simo was consumed by rage, cursing Xiao Lintta with every foul word he could think of.
He knew there were problems within his own ranks, but he never expected it to be Xiao Lintta.
This was a trusted general left to him by his grandfather. During the most difficult times for the Xiao family, Xiao Lintta had been loyal, protecting the Xiao family unswervingly.
Xiao Simo truly did not want to accept this outcome.
However, the more he trusted someone, the deeper the wound they inflicted.
After the battle last night, Xiao Simo’s central army was directly crippled.
The two thousand Geluolu Cavalry, used as cannon fodder, were almost completely annihilated.
Of the ten thousand Naiman troops, half were killed or fled, leaving less than five thousand.
As for the newly subjugated Royal Court Army, they directly revolted during the battle.
And then there was Xiao Lintta’s Jin Prefecture Army, which had also disappeared.
The only unit still intact was the Yin Mountains Army, which, after a night of fighting, now had less than six thousand soldiers remaining.
Therefore, Xiao Simo now had less than twelve thousand troops under his command.
The losses were heavy.
And their crisis had not disappeared. According to scout reports, the enemy who launched the surprise attack last night had not retreated.
Instead, they had chosen to camp twenty li outside the Eastern Capital Army’s position, constantly threatening their safety.
“Who are they?”
However, after calming down from Xiao Lintta’s betrayal, Xiao Simo began to analyze the current situation.
The first thing to figure out was the identity of the enemy.
Xiao Simo was certain that the army that attacked the Eastern Capital Army last night could absolutely not be the Royal Court Army.
“According to the confessions of the captives we captured, they are from the Kangli Tribe,” Bali’ala reported grimly.
Hearing this, Xiao Simo’s expression changed slightly: “Kangli Tribe?”
The Kangli Tribe were nomadic peoples living west of the Yibo Sea, in the northwestern region of the Western Liao Dynasty.
To be precise, Kangli should be considered an ethnicity, composed of many tribes.
Not only within the Western Liao Dynasty, but also on the Kipchak Steppe further north, there were many Kangli tribes.
The Kangli people were brave and skilled in combat, and rebellious.
It took Yelü Dashi a great deal of effort to force them into submission back then.
But after Yelü Dashi’s death, the Kangli tribes within the Western Liao Dynasty became restless, launching rebellions several times.
They had always been a troublesome issue for the Western Liao Dynasty.
However, the Kangli tribes were always located far in the northwest, living in regions bordering Khwarazm and the Western Kara-Khanid Khanate.
Unexpectedly, this time they had traveled thousands of miles and mobilized an army of twenty thousand to help the Royal Court fight.
This was what Xiao Simo found most incomprehensible.
When did the relationship between the Royal Court and the Kangli Tribe become so good?
But then, Xiao Simo recalled a past event, and his expression changed drastically.
“Could it be~”
Then, his gaze darkened completely, and he ordered, “Send orders to the armies on the left and right to converge on my central army.”
“Do not act rashly.”
Before this, the Royal Court’s army had only over ten thousand Pishi Army soldiers left.
The troop strength was severely insufficient, so Xiao Simo could propose a plan of dividing the forces to surround the enemy from three sides.
But now, with the reinforcement of the Kangli people’s troops, if the Eastern Capital Army continued to divide its forces, it would be suicide.
At noon on the third day, Yelü Zhilugu personally led the main force of the Pishi Army to merge with the Kangli tribal forces.
“Hahaha~”
“Wusi Tu, my brother.”
“Twenty years have passed, how have you been?”
Between the two armies, Yelü Zhilugu dismounted with effort, opened his arms, and walked towards the middle-aged man opposite him with a loud laugh.
However, as he approached and saw the man’s appearance clearly, the smile on his face instantly vanished, and he said in an angry tone:
“Wusi Tu, what happened to your face?”
“Who did this?”
Yelü Zhilugu was extremely angry, as if he was heartbroken by Wusi Tu’s fate.
What a handsome young man he was back then; now he had not only become a slovenly uncle but was also disfigured.
Regardless of what he felt inside, Yelü Zhilugu displayed the responsibility of an elder brother and the care for his younger brother.
Facing Yelü Zhilugu’s demeanor, Wusi Tu’s expression did not change in the slightest.
His face, split in two by a scar, was like an unchangeable block of ice.
His single eye was always as cold and emotionless.
Looking at Yelü Zhilugu, he did not discuss his face but said in a faint voice, “Zhilugu, you need to lose weight.”
“You’ve become so fat you’re almost like a pig.”
Although they were brothers, Wusi Tu, living with the Kangli Tribe and constantly hunting and fighting, maintained excellent physical condition.
Yelü Zhilugu, on the other hand, had indulged in pleasure over the years and had become very corpulent.
Faced with Wusi Tu’s blunt words, a hint of annoyance flashed across Yelü Zhilugu’s face.
He snorted and said, “You fellow, so many years have passed, and your mouth is still so foul.”
“Hasn’t the Kangli Princess cured your bad breath?”
“Oh, right, her mouth might be even fouler than yours.”
Twenty years later, the two brothers met again. There was no embrace and tears, nor sleeping side-by-side as one might expect.
There was only a coldness like that between strangers.
When bickering, neither was willing to back down.
Afterwards, they found an open space between the two armies, spread out a carpet, and sat down to discuss the matter of fighting Xiao Simo.
“Your surprise night raid was very well executed.”
“I’ve heard all about it, Xiao Simo’s rebel army suffered heavy losses.”
“Well done, Wusi Tu.” Yelü Zhilugu, forgetting the slight unpleasantness just moments ago, first affirmed Wusi Tu’s military achievements, smiling broadly and looking very pleased.
But Wusi Tu’s face showed no sign of joy, and he said with a grave tone, “Although the surprise night raid was successful, Xiao Simo’s army is not easy to deal with.”
While the surprise night raid the day before yesterday had caused heavy losses to the Eastern Capital Army, at the same time, the Kangli Tribe’s losses were also not small.
Of the twenty thousand cavalry, only about sixteen thousand remained.
Nearly four thousand people had been eliminated.
If Yelü Wusi Tu had not accumulated enough prestige within the Kangli Tribe over the years, with such a casualty ratio, the lower-ranking soldiers would have long been complaining.
“Rest assured, Wusi Tu, this Khan will not forget the merits of your Kangli Tribe.”
“In addition to what was originally promised, the Royal Court will also provide sufficient compensation for every fallen soldier.”
“Tell your soldiers to be at ease and fight well for the Royal Court.”
“As long as we defeat the Eastern Capital Army, everything will be provided.”
Yelü Zhilugu spoke with grand promises.
As the saying goes, even brothers keep clear accounts.
The Kangli cavalry came to help the Royal Court not out of obligation, but for the exorbitant rewards offered by Yelü Zhilugu.
To defeat Xiao Simo, Yelü Zhilugu had indeed made a huge sacrifice.
Not only was there financial expenditure, but he also agreed to the Kangli Tribe’s political demands.
Establish the Kangli Khaganate!
From a former vassal tribe of the Western Liao Dynasty, they would directly become a vassal state like the Gaochang Uyghur Khanate and the Eastern and Western Kara-Khanid Khanate.
This was a very risky decision, but there was no other way; Yelü Zhilugu needed the help of the Kangli Cavalry.
Moreover, the first Kangli Khan in the future would not be an outsider.
It would be Yelü Zhilugu’s own younger brother.
Yelü Wusi Tu.
“After we defeat Xiao Simo, I want to visit Muye River,”
Wusi Tu looked in the direction of Muye River and suddenly said softly.
No matter where he was or what his identity had become, that touch of longing in his heart could not be erased.
Muye River was his root.
His grandfather and father were buried there.
“No problem,” Yelü Zhilugu readily agreed.
“Then we will hold a grand ancestral sacrifice ceremony to inform our ancestors of the crimes of that bastard Xiao Simo.”
Yelü Zhilugu could hardly wait for that day.
He wanted to eternally nail Xiao Simo, his old rival of over ten years, to the pillar of shame in history.
Yelü Wusi Tu nodded silently, and said with a cold voice, “Unfortunately, Yelü Pusuwan died too early.”
“It is my lifelong regret that I could not personally kill her.”
“Now, I can only use her son’s head to atone for her past mistakes.”
Thinking of Yelü Pusuwan, a deep murderous intent flowed from the depths of his single eye.
Although she was his aunt, his hatred for Pusuwan was deeper than the sky and higher than the sea.
There was only one reason.
It was Yelü Pusuwan who severed his lifelong hope, turning him into the first prince in history to be sent for a marriage alliance.
For any man, this was a great shame.
Moreover, over the years, he had endured countless torments and hardships among the Kangli people. Even the scar on his face was a memento from that period, and his eye was blinded by the Kangli people.
The humiliation and hardships had deepened Yelü Wusi Tu’s hatred for Pusuwan day by day.
He wished he could kill her with his own hands.
But alas, Pusuwan had long since passed away, so he could only take out his hatred on Xiao Simo.
A mother’s debt, paid by her son!
