Chapter 190: Pillar Holding Up The Heavens, Annihilating The Mongol Cavalry
“Retreat! Quickly withdraw from this place.”
Borchu’s face was ashen, his voice like a booming bell as he urgently gave the order, anxiety and indignation evident on his face.
After questioning the prisoners of war, it was learned that Zhamuha’s main force had already withdrawn, and those in the camp were merely herdsmen from various tribes who had been swept along after their defeat, a mere rabble assembled. They were clearly a decoy deliberately left by Zhamuha.
“Damn it!”
Borchu cursed fiercely in his heart, filled with regret. How could he have been so careless and been tricked by Zhamuha, that cunning fox.
“General Borchu, why do we need to retreat?”
“Where do we retreat to?”
Some generals within the Mongol army asked, mainly leaders of smaller tribes who had surrendered to the Kiyan tribe.
The soldiers under their command still retained a degree of independence and could not absolutely obey Borchu’s orders.
“Go back, return the way we came.” Borchu roared furiously.
As the retreat order was given, a chaotic scene unfolded within the Mongol army. Warhorses neighed, soldiers couldn’t find their generals, and generals loudly berated their soldiers.
It was a mess.
At this time, the Mongol army was still a ragtag army, hastily assembled from many tribes, and was completely unable to enforce strict discipline.
But just then, the sky suddenly changed, and a deafening roar erupted as if from a clear sky.
“Boom, boom, boom~”
The roar, approaching from afar, sounded like the low growl of a giant beast, shaking the land.
Immediately after, a chilling scene unfolded.
Cannonballs, like meteors falling from the sky, with the aura of destroying everything, heavily smashed into the camp.
In an instant, the land seemed to be violently shaken by an invisible giant hand, trembling intensely.
“Ahhh~”
“Help me~”
“Eternal Blue Sky, what is this thing?”
“Ah, my leg is broken~”
A soldier lay in a pool of blood. He looked at his mangled, broken leg with eyes full of fear and disbelief.
Beneath him, a warhorse that had not yet died lay there. The iron shot first broke his leg, then directly pierced the horse’s belly.
At this moment, the horse’s intestines spilled out, its body convulsing from intense pain, clearly beyond recovery.
Surrounding Mongol soldiers, some hit by the iron shots, were sent flying like kites with broken strings.
Some soldiers were thrown heavily to the ground by startled warhorses, while others were struck by falling rocks.
Chaos was everywhere. Frightened horses neighed and galloped wildly, trampling the injured on the ground.
The surviving soldiers’ eyes were filled with fear and confusion. They fled in all directions, not knowing where to find safety.
The entire camp, under this sudden artillery bombardment, was plunged into utter despair. The shadow of death loomed like a heavy dark cloud over everyone.
Borchu’s eyes widened, filled with shock and despair.
He had never seen such terrifying weapons. Although they had not caused too many soldier casualties, the blow to the morale of the Mongol army was fatal.
At this moment, the Mongol army was even more chaotic, with its command system completely collapsing in a short period. This was the most terrifying thing.
Soldiers fled in all directions, screams and shouts merging into a cacophony, the scene completely out of control.
“Quick, quick, leave the camp.”
“Break out of this mountain valley.” Borchu shouted hoarsely, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the deafening explosions.
At this time, outside the mountain valley, Zhamuha, Toqto’a, and Khubilai stood stunned, staring at the scene before them, which resembled the end of the world.
Their hearts trembled involuntarily: “Eternal Blue Sky, what in the world is this?”
“Has the Eternal Blue Sky become enraged?”
However, they all knew in their hearts that this must be the work of the Liao State.
Thus, their gazes all turned towards Li Sanhe beside them.
“General Li…”
“What is happening?”
“They, they~”
Zhamuha and the other two could be considered formidable figures, but facing a power beyond their comprehension, they were as shocked as elementary school students.
Li Sanhe grinned and said with a laugh, “This is the Divine Machine Camp of my Jin Prefecture Army.”
This time, Li Xiao left twenty cannons and forty Tiger Zun Cannons at the Western Sea, along with half of the artillerymen.
After Li Sanhe chose this mountain valley as an ambush site, he ordered the cannons to be transported there and established two artillery positions surrounding the valley.
“Don’t be afraid, gentlemen. My Jin Prefecture’s Divine Machine Camp is only used against enemies, not to harm our allies.”
Hearing Li Sanhe’s words, Zhamuha and the other two wore smiles that were uglier than crying.
Had they just been intimidated?
In their hearts, they understood. It was no wonder the Liao army could so quickly pacify the Naiman Tribe and even defeat the Kereit Tribe’s army.
So they possessed such divine weapons and sharp tools.
Divine Machine Camp? Terrifying indeed!
It was just a pity that neither of the two artillery positions were here; otherwise, Zhamuha and the other two would have really wanted to study what exactly this thing was.
“The Kiyan tribe’s army is trying to escape. Gentlemen, it’s your turn to act.” Li Sanhe turned to Zhamuha and said.
After repeated bombardment, the camp had become ruins. The Mongol army had been completely broken, and the soldiers were fleeing in all directions in panic.
Thus, the Divine Machine Camp’s mission was complete. It was time for the cavalry to move in and reap the battle results.
Zhamuha and the other two exchanged glances and nodded, saying, “General Li, rest assured, we will not let the Kiyan tribe off easily.”
“Hmph, after being chased all this way, this time we’ll let Borchu taste our power.”
Subsequently, a low horn sound echoed across the grassland. The Nine Tribes’ remaining forces and the Kuli Army cavalry under the Jin Prefecture Army, who had been prepared, quickly surrounded and attacked the fleeing soldiers of the Kiyan tribe.
“Brothers, kill with me!”
“As long as we kill three Mongols, we will be free.”
A Naiman young man, about twenty years old, roared loudly.
His name was Wutuji, originally a simple herdsman slave from a small tribe under the Naiman.
He had no tent of his own, no cattle and sheep of his own. The only property he possessed was the clothes on his back.
His daily work was to herd sheep for the tribal leader, in exchange for a little food to survive.
As for the future, he had once dreamed of marrying a wife and having a few children.
But unfortunately, he was just a herdsman slave, and with no property, he could not marry a woman.
Most of the women in the tribe belonged to nobles. Only after the nobles were tired of them would they be rewarded to diligent slaves.
The purpose of doing this was not out of kindness, but to give birth to more little slaves.
Otherwise, if there were no slaves and everyone was a noble, they would have no one to exploit.
Driven by this goal, Wutuji worked diligently, hoping the leader would reward him with a woman, preferably that woman named Baluhei.
Although she had once been pregnant with the leader’s child, which incurred the jealousy of the leader’s wife, causing a sorcerer to secretly abort the child.
But Wutuji didn’t care about these things. He only wanted to have more children with Baluhei.
Until one day, the Jin Prefecture Army eliminated the Naiman tribe, and Wutuji was captured.
Those Jin Prefecture soldiers told him that as long as he killed three enemies, he would gain freedom, and he would also be rewarded with twenty sheep and a woman.
Wutuji was instantly motivated.
This time, the Mongol army was routed by the Divine Machine Camp, and it was time for them to charge forward and reap the battle results.
Wutuji, wearing an ancestral sheepskin jacket and carrying a spear, without a bow and arrow or a saber, rode a short horse and charged forward with the main force of the Kuli Army.
They encountered a group of fleeing Mongol soldiers head-on.
“Kill~”
Relying on their superior numbers, the Kuli Army charged forward.
Wutuji faced a thin middle-aged man. The two men charged past each other with their spears. Relying on his superb horsemanship skills honed from living on horseback since childhood, neither could get the better of the other.
He could only leave him to his companions behind. Wutuji continued to charge forward, seizing an opportunity to stab another Mongol soldier off his horse.
Then he continued to stab until the enemy was completely dead. Only then did Wutuji skillfully lift the enemy’s corpse onto his horse.
After searching the body, he found only a broken spearhead and no other weapons.
Like himself, he was a pauper.
With no other choice, Wutuji directly bit down, tearing off both ears of the corpse.
The Jin Prefecture Army’s method of counting military merit was by counting left ears.
One left ear was one military merit.
However, Wutuji couldn’t distinguish left from right, so he bit off both ears and put them in his pocket.
He then threw down the corpse and charged forward again.
“Only one. I still need to kill two more to marry Baluhei!”
Many soldiers had the same thought as Wutuji.
The Naiman tribe was originally a slave society. These captives were originally herdsmen slaves and commoners living at the very bottom.
They had once possessed nothing, but now, for freedom and wealth, they had to fight for it.
Moreover, the Jin Prefecture Army’s discipline team was right behind them. Anyone who dared not to charge would be shot to death.
On the other side, Borchu and Kublai joined forces. All the soldiers under their command were the most elite Kiyan tribe soldiers.
Soon, they broke through the encirclement of the Nine Tribes Allied Army.
“Peh! What rotten luck, we fell into that old fox Zhamuha’s trap. Now, this whole army is completely lost!”
Kublai’s eyes were wide, his face full of rage, like a maddened bull.
They originally had fifteen thousand troops, but now, less than five thousand followed them out.
Not only were the soldiers from the allied tribes scattered, but the Kiyan tribe’s soldiers also suffered heavy losses.
They had lost dearly this time.
“Where did that scoundrel Zhamuha get so many troops? It’s simply unholy.” Borchu’s face was also flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead.
“What should we do now?”
Kublai shouted loudly while galloping his horse.
Borchu said, “Return to the Kiyan tribe.”
“With the meager forces we have, we are no match for Zhamuha anymore.”
“First, we will report to Great Khan Temüjin, and then we will make further plans.”
Just as he finished speaking, Kublai’s eyes widened sharply, and he shouted sternly, “Not good, Borchu, there’s an ambush ahead.”
Everyone looked in the direction he pointed. At the end of the grassland ahead, a black line slowly appeared. As the distance closed, the outline of a cavalry army gradually became visible, standing still on the horizon like stern statues.
The formation was neat. At a glance, three distinct colors – red, yellow, and white – were clearly separated, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made it difficult to breathe.
At the front of the formation, Sun and Moon Battle Flags corresponding to the three colors flew high, fluttering in the wind.
Their presence was like mountains blocking the path of the Mongol army, exuding a terrifying and powerful deterrence that made everyone tremble.
Seeing this, Borchu immediately realized what was happening and shouted in shock and anger:
“Damn it~”
“It’s the Liao people.”
He had learned some information about the Liao army from Jelme.
An important point was that the Liao army all wore armor made of cloth and silk, which was very tough.
There were mainly three colors: yellow, red, and white.
This perfectly matched the army in front.
No wonder Zhamuha’s army suddenly had so many soldiers, and no wonder the camp was suddenly attacked by those terrifying things.
It turned out that the Liao people were behind everything.
“That bastard Zhamuha, colluding with the Liao people?”
“He calls himself Gurkhan, but he’s clearly a traitor to the grassland.” Kublai cursed angrily.
At this point, neither of them dared to delay any longer. They quickly turned their horses and led their troops in another direction, fleeing for their lives.
But in the next second, a tremendous roar once again echoed through heaven and earth.
In front of the Jin Prefecture Army, forty Tiger Zun Cannons roared.
In an instant, countless iron shots, carrying the aura of death, rained down on the Mongol cavalry like a fierce storm.
These soldiers were once again engulfed in the terror of being dominated by artillery.
Warhorses neighed, soldiers screamed, and chaos erupted.
Borchu roared angrily, “Damn it, it’s this thing again.”
…
Jin Prefecture, Dragon City!
After several months, this town had undergone astonishing changes.
Inside the city, crisscrossing streets had taken shape, wide and regular. On both sides of the streets, houses sprang up one after another, with a simple and practical style, arranged densely and showcasing vibrant energy.
On the periphery, a one-meter-high construction wall was gradually extending. Large stones were meticulously laid, with artisans and slaves busy moving among them.
At this pace, in just two more years, this Dragon City would be completely built in a majestic manner, becoming the heart of Jin Prefecture.
Li Xiao’s return with over twenty thousand prisoners of war would undoubtedly accelerate the completion of Dragon City.
The Common People eagerly awaited that day.
At this time, outside Dragon City, sunlight bathed the land. Countless Jin Prefecture Common People had arrived outside the city early, eagerly waiting.
Li Xiao had sent a fast horse messenger, informing them that the Eastern Expeditionary Army would arrive at Dragon City today.
Therefore, people from surrounding fortresses gathered to welcome their returning relatives.
Soon, dust slowly rose on the distant horizon, like a winding yellow dragon soaring into the sky. The crowd instantly erupted.
“They’re here, they’re back.”
“Look, it’s the First Division.”
“My father and the others are back.”
Excited shouts rose one after another. As the cloud of dust grew closer, the neat formation of the army gradually became visible.
The golden Sun and Moon Battle Flag snapped fiercely in the wind. This flag, like the soul symbol of Jin Prefecture, fluttered proudly, carrying the dignity and honor of the entire Jin Prefecture.
It was also the emblem of Li Xiao’s Wuwei Army. When the golden Sun and Moon Battle Flag appeared, it signified that Li Xiao had personally led the Wuwei Army.
At this moment, at the very front of the great army, countless Wuwei Army cavalrymen, clad in yellow cotton armor with red trim, advanced slowly like a golden torrent, astride tall and sturdy warhorses with orderly steps.
Although armor was not required during the march,
Li Xiao had prepared a victory ceremony in Dragon City to boost the morale of the Jin Prefecture common people.
Therefore, he had specifically ordered the soldiers to don their armor before arriving at Dragon City.
Leading the way was Li Xiao’s Golden Armored Army, completely encased in armor, with only pairs of resolute eyes visible, looking straight ahead.
Their faces revealed a composure and decisiveness forged in the crucible of war, yet they couldn’t hide the joy of returning home.
As the Wuwei Army drew nearer, the common people eagerly awaiting outside the city grew more excited.
“It’s the Golden Armored Army.”
“The Great Governor is back.”
“The Wuwei Army is so formidable.”
Bursts of cheers erupted from the crowd. Children jumped with excitement, shouting that they wanted to become Golden Armored Army soldiers in the future.
Women’s eyes welled up with tears, their hands clasped together, silently thanking heaven for the safe return of their husbands or sons.
The elderly trembled slightly, their eyes filled with relief and pride, murmuring, “Good, good~”
“Things are truly different now.”
“We’ve even defeated and annihilated the Naiman people.”
“Life in Jin Prefecture keeps getting better. It’s a pity, we old men don’t know how much longer we can enjoy it.”
Recalling the Jin Prefecture of the past, although Han people were not wantonly bullied, they didn’t have much power against other foreign races and were constantly facing brutal survival competition.
Now, everything was different.
The entire Jin Prefecture, as well as the Great Desert to the south and the Western Sea Grassland to the east, were all under the control of the Han people.
Looking at this army, these old people seemed to see the future of Jin Prefecture.
The future Great Governor might even lead this army to conquer even larger territories.
Squadrons of Wuwei Army soldiers, riding tall warhorses, slowly halted on the grassland outside Dragon City, forming ranks to rest.
Among the Wuwei Army, Li Xiao, wearing dark golden cotton armor adorned with black lines depicting mountains, rivers, sun, and moon, wearing a tasseled helmet, and with a dark golden cape draped over his back, slowly rode in on a jet-black fine horse.
He was flanked by Golden Armored Guards, also clad in yellow cotton armor with red trim and wearing yellow capes.
When Li Xiao’s figure appeared before the common people, someone immediately shouted, “Great Governor, you are mighty.”
Then, more and more people began to shout, “Great Governor, you are mighty.”
“Great Governor, you are mighty.”
The shouts were like rolling waves of heat, coming in one after another.
In recent years, under Li Xiao’s leadership, Jin Prefecture had continuously campaigned externally, its power growing stronger, conquering the Great Desert, Gaochang, and the Naiman.
Each victory had yielded large amounts of cattle, sheep, and property seized from the enemy, and the common people’s lives had visibly improved.
Li Xiao’s prestige in Jin Prefecture also grew with each passing day.
He had become the pillar of support in the hearts of the common people, his popularity surpassing all others.
Hearing these shouts at this moment, Li Xiao’s lips curved slightly upwards, a smile of satisfaction appearing on his face.
He waved gently to the common people and, holding an iron trumpet, shouted loudly, “Elders and folks of Jin Prefecture.”
“I, Li Xiao, have returned safely with the sons of Jin Prefecture.”
“We’ve also brought back lots and lots of cattle, sheep, and slaves. Our lives will only get better from now on.”
As his words fell, the common people once again shouted excitedly, “Great Governor, you are mighty.”
“Great Governor, you are mighty!”
Discussing ideals and lofty visions was futile; only the most practical interests could move the common people, enabling them to resolutely support Li Xiao and follow him in conquering all directions.
Therefore, Li Xiao said nothing extravagant. His message was simple: Follow me, Li Xiao, and you will have enough to eat, warm clothes, meat to eat, and women to be with.
It was as simple as that.
Afterwards, accompanied by his guards, Li Xiao walked towards Xiao Yanyan and the others.
He dismounted directly, scooped up Xiao Yanyan, and laughed heartily, “A Man, your husband has returned.”
Then he eagerly looked at her belly, “How is it, let me see if our child has grown yet?”
Xiao Yanyan replied with a smile, “It’s only five months, very small.”
After a few affectionate words with Xiao Yanyan, Li Xiao also spoke with Qin Dani and the Old Lady beside her.
As for the Old Master, he was still at the Golden Mountain Ironworks. Li Xiao had stayed there for two days when passing by Golden Mountain on his way back.
However, Li Xiao noticed that standing beside Qin Dani was also a young girl.
She appeared to be thirteen or fourteen years old, tall and slender, with a cold, clear face. Her black hair was loosely tied back, with a few stray strands playfully framing her fair cheeks, further enhancing her snow-white skin.
“Er Ya?”
Li Xiao was no stranger to this young girl; she was Wei Xuan’s sister, Wei Erya.
It was Li Xiao who had rescued her back at Sanhe Fort.
He never expected that in just over two years, the skinny girl he remembered had grown into such a graceful young lady.
“Great Governor, I hope you’ve been well?” Er Ya looked at Li Xiao with a beaming smile, revealing two small canine teeth.
Li Xiao paused for a moment, then chuckled, “Very well.”
“Your brother is still behind. He earned military merit this time and is qualified to be promoted to Deputy Chiliarch.”
“Really?”
“That’s great.”
Er Ya smiled as she watched Li Xiao reunite with his family, then remained silent.
In such a setting, it wasn’t appropriate for them to have a deep conversation. Li Xiao turned and continued talking with Qin Dani and the Old Lady.
Inwardly, he mused, “The little girl has blossomed.”
“Wei Xuan, that kid, I always knew he was a fortunate one.”
“Deputy Chiliarch? He’s qualified to be promoted directly to Chiliarch, isn’t he?”
As they spoke, on the grassland, the Jin Prefecture Army’s columns poured in like a rolling torrent.
First came the First Division, personally commanded by Li Xiao, all clad in yellow armor, looking imposing and radiating an awe-inspiring aura.
The cavalry of the Second and Third Divisions followed closely behind.
Alongside the soldiers were tens of thousands of Naiman captives, heads hung low, marching with heavy steps, being escorted in an orderly fashion.
This scene was not just a presentation of captives but also a military review.
