Chapter 195: Turmoil In The Eastern Capital, Yin Mountains Governor
In the Eastern Capital, at the Royal Mansion.
Xiao Simo sat on a wooden chair, wrapped in a thick fox fur cloak, his face as pale as paper and looking haggard in the sunlight.
Even though it was the height of summer, he still felt extremely cold, and his coughing up of blood became more frequent.
He knew his time was running out.
His only hope now was for Xiao Helun to quickly take over some of the military power and establish some prestige in the Northern Frontier.
Under the regency of Shu Lü Wujin, if the situation in the Northern Frontier could be maintained, then Xiao Simo would have no regrets even in death.
“Cough, cough, cough~”
As he coughed up blood again, the Guard Captain Sainakh rushed in and knelt directly on the ground.
His rugged face was streaked with tears, and he said in a trembling voice, “Great King, General Xue Gu Eluda has, has, has died in battle.”
Hearing this, Xiao Simo suddenly stood up, his cloudy pupils suddenly bursting with a sharp light, and his emaciated fingers gripped Sainakh’s wrist.
“What did you say?”
His voice was as if pulled from shattered ice, each word carrying a bone-chilling coldness: “Say it again!”
“General Xue Gu Eluda… died in battle.” Sainakh’s shoulders convulsed violently.
“The Heir Apparent… the Heir Apparent is missing… perhaps he already, already…”
The shadows in the courtyard suddenly slanted a few degrees. Xiao Simo felt a fire burn from his chest to his throat, as if he had been doused with ice water from head to toe, and his limbs instantly lost all sensation.
He saw his own hands flailing in the air, trying to grasp something, but only managed to pull at Sainakh’s belt, and he fell heavily back onto the chair.
“Great King, Great King~”
Sainakh rushed forward to help Xiao Simo, but was pushed away by him.
“Speak!”
Xiao Simo grabbed Sainakh’s collar, his fingernails almost digging into the other man’s flesh, and said fiercely, “What exactly happened?”
“Why did this happen?”
He couldn’t understand why the Eastern Capital Army had five thousand cavalry, all of them elites.
And the Geluolu people, with their old and weak, women and children combined, numbered no more than ten to twenty thousand. How could they defeat the Eastern Capital Army?
“The Royal Court, in league with the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khanate’s army, ambushed us at the Yili Pass.”
“They used the Geluolu defeated soldiers as bait, surrounded the Heir Apparent’s army, and General Xue Gu Eluda, in a desperate rescue attempt, was struck by over twenty arrows.”
“Our Eastern Capital Army suffered a complete rout, and the Heir Apparent is also missing.”
“And the Royal Court’s army of twenty thousand has already crossed the Alatao Mountains and is advancing towards our Eastern Capital,” Sainakh said with a mournful voice.
Xiao Simo slowly released his hand, leaning back against the chair, his gaze nearly spewing fire, and a heavy sound emanated from his throat, as if something inside had been ground to dust.
“Yelü Zhilugu, you have truly gone to great lengths for me, Xiao Simo, hahaha!”
He suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter carrying the sweet, bloody taste of phlegm.
Soon, his expression turned cold. At this moment, he seemed to have transformed back into the powerful King of the Northern Frontier.
In a low voice, he said, “Send word to Jiu Meng’an He: if the Royal Court’s offensive is strong and difficult to resist, you may temporarily abandon the Seven Rivers, prioritize preserving troops, and rally towards our Eastern Capital.”
This was a conspiracy targeting the Northern Frontier, and Yelü Zhilugu had set a trap.
Yili was just the beginning; next, the main force of the Royal Court army would undoubtedly cross the Ili River and attack the Seven Rivers Grassland.
And with the Eastern Capital’s forces severely depleted, the Seven Rivers would become isolated and helpless.
Therefore, Xiao Simo did not demand that Jiu Meng’an He fight to the death; the preservation of troops was still paramount.
“Send orders to Jin Prefecture Governor Li Xiao, North Sea Governor Ali Da, and Great Desert Governor Gu Zizhong to lead all their forces and converge on the Eastern Capital.”
“If they do not arrive within fifteen days, they will be dealt with according to military law.”
“Send orders to all herdsmen, slaves, men, women, and youths in the Eastern Capital: pick up your weapons and prepare for battle!”
Xiao Simo issued three consecutive orders, all aimed at a desperate fight against the Royal Court army.
If the Royal Court army could be defeated, perhaps Xiao Helun could still be rescued.
“As you command,” Sainakh said in a heavy voice.
He immediately got up and sent people to relay the orders to these four governors of the Northern Frontier.
At this moment, Xiao Simo was relying entirely on his spirit to hold on. As soon as Sainakh left, he was overcome by another violent coughing fit. This time, dark purple blood clots the size of fingernail caps were mixed in the blood he coughed up.
His gaze turned towards the sky, and he murmured, “Does my Xiao family truly have no hope left?”
Two days later, Xiao Simo’s orders reached Li Xiao.
The three messengers had traveled day and night without rest, averaging four hundred *li* per day. By the time they arrived at Jin Prefecture, the warhorses they rode were exhausted.
Li Xiao was also shocked by this report of the battle.
“More than half of the five thousand cavalry lost, Xue Gu Eluda dead, and Xiao Helun missing?” Li Xiao exclaimed in astonishment.
How was this battle fought? When did the Eastern Capital’s army become so incompetent?
But the Eastern Capital still needed to be saved, so he immediately instructed the three messengers.
“You all go and rest first. I will now gather soldiers and prepare to support the Eastern Capital.”
Sending an army out on campaign was not something that could be done on a whim.
From the issuance of orders to the preparation of provisions, and then the assembly of chiliarchs and centurions, everything required several days.
This was even with the Jin Prefecture Army being entirely cavalry; if it had been infantry, even ten days of preparation would have been normal.
Moreover, the journey was not one of continuous galloping; the warhorses would not have endured it, and would have been useless before the battle even began.
They had to stop and rest periodically.
Ultimately, from Hexi Fort to the Eastern Capital, it would take at least six or seven days.
Therefore, the fifteen days set by Xiao Simo were indeed not generous.
…
After the defeat of Xiao Helun’s army, the Eastern Capital was now left with only three thousand troops garrisoned.
Yalixin was one of the military commanders in charge of five hundred troops.
On this day, the Deputy Commander of the Royal Mansion Guards, Nie Jida, came to his tent to deliver Xiao Simo’s order.
“This afternoon, the Great King requests that Brother Yali proceed to the ‘Bayi Inn’ for an important discussion.”
Hearing this, Yalixin was very surprised: “To the Bayi Inn? Why not the Royal Mansion?”
The Bayi Inn was the largest inn in the Eastern Capital City, run by a Uyghur.
Although they often went there to drink and frequent women, they had never discussed official matters there.
Facing Yalixin’s confusion, Nie Jida’s face showed indignation: “This morning, we caught a scout from the Royal Court in the Royal Mansion.”
“The Royal Mansion is no longer safe, and the Great King is concerned about the leakage of secrets, so he has decided to temporarily relocate to the Bayi Inn.”
Nie Jida was an old retainer of the Royal Mansion, Xiao Simo’s Deputy Commander of Guards, and he had previously delivered orders in person or sent people to do so.
Furthermore, he had already presented the token of his authority, so Yalixin no longer had any doubts.
After having lunch, he rode his horse towards the Bayi Inn.
As he entered the inn, he found that two generals had already arrived. He went forward and struck up a conversation with them, mainly discussing how to deal with the Royal Court army and defend the Eastern Capital.
Soon, other generals began to arrive.
There were a total of seven or eight people, encompassing all the main generals currently in the Eastern Capital City.
However, Xiao Simo never appeared. Instead, a person they had not anticipated showed up.
“Hmm? The Great Prince?”
Yalixin looked towards the courtyard gate in surprise, and saw a sturdy young man walk in.
He wore slightly worn cowhide armor, a saber wrapped with wolf tail hanging from his waist, and his bronze complexion was full of pride and sternness.
Behind him followed a group of young men similarly clad in armor and carrying sabers.
This person was Xiao Simo’s eldest son, Xiao Daru.
“Generals, you have waited long,” Xiao Daru said with a chuckle.
He then strode towards the main seat, and the dozen or so youths behind him immediately spread out and stood around the courtyard.
Xiao Daru’s arrival also brought a chill to the atmosphere among the generals.
After a moment of silence, Yalixin stood up and said with a light laugh, “Greetings, Great Prince.”
“Where is the Great King?”
Clearly, it was Xiao Simo who had summoned them here for an important discussion, so why had only Xiao Daru come?
Xiao Daru did not speak immediately. Instead, he walked to the front, stood at the main seat that should have belonged to Xiao Simo, and sat down with a plop.
Then, he looked left and right, admiring the surroundings. Although it was just an ordinary stool, the feeling of sitting on it was different.
After enjoying the moment for a while, he said casually, “My father is unwell and has specially sent me to discuss military matters with you generals.”
“Oh, and here is a handwritten order from my father.”
Saying this, Xiao Daru waved his hand, and the Deputy Commander of Guards, Nie Jida, took out a piece of cloth from his embrace.
He said to everyone, “The Great King’s order is that from this day forward, Xiao Daru is appointed Yin Mountains Governor, and will command all troops of the Eastern Capital. No one is to disobey.”
Hearing this, the generals in the hall were all stunned.
What was going on?
Because the Eastern Capital was located in the Yin Mountains, the position of Yin Mountains Governor did not have a high profile.
But it did exist.
The previous Yin Mountains Governor was Xue Gu Eluda.
It was equivalent to a directly subordinate governor and ranked first among the five great governors of the Northern Frontier.
With Xue Gu Eluda now dead, giving this position to Xiao Daru seemed acceptable.
“Could it be that in the Battle of Yili, the Heir Apparent disappointed the Great King, and thus he is preparing to groom the Great Prince as heir?” some generals speculated in their hearts.
However, Yalixin did not see it that way and raised a question: “The Great King’s appointment of the Great Prince as Yin Mountains Governor, we will naturally obey.”
“However, this matter is of great importance and requires the Great King to announce it personally.”
As his words fell, some generals nodded in agreement.
“That’s right, we should meet the Great King.”
“Appointing the Yin Mountains Governor is no small matter, and we will only be at ease if the Great King says it himself.”
Hearing these words, Nie Jida shouted, “What do you want to do?”
“The Great King’s handwritten order is here, and it even has the Great King’s seal. How can it be false?”
“Moreover, the Great King is currently unwell and is angry about the matter of the Heir Apparent. He should be resting well. If he is further troubled by such trivial matters and something goes wrong, can you bear the responsibility?”
As his words fell, a general named Culi Ge stepped forward, took the appointment letter, examined it, and then turned to address everyone.
“That’s right, these are indeed the Great King’s seal.”
Then, another general stood up and said, “The situation in our Eastern Capital is currently critical.”
“The Puppet Emperor’s Prince Yelü Zhixin is leading twenty thousand troops across the Alatao Mountains, approaching the Eastern Capital.”
“Although the Great King has already sent conscription orders to the three governors, it will take some time for the troops from the three prefectures to arrive.”
“At this time, we need someone to lead us to block the Royal Court army and hold out until reinforcements arrive.”
“Now that the Great King is unwell, the Great Prince, as the Great King’s eldest son, should step forward at this time.”
“Therefore, I, Kumo Xi, resolutely obey the Great King’s order and am willing to follow the Great Prince’s command.”
As his words fell, the general who had just examined the order also said, “I also support the Great Prince becoming Yin Mountains Governor.”
“As everyone knows, the Great Prince is brave and skilled in combat, a good hand at fighting.”
“At this time, only the Great Prince can lead us to block the Royal Court army.”
Watching these few people perform their act in unison, Yalixin and the others gradually understood what was happening.
So, this was a setup!
Without any hesitation, Yalixin directly said, “No matter what, I, Yalixin, and my brothers only obey the Great King’s orders.”
“Even if there is a new Yin Mountains Governor, it must be announced personally by the Great King.”
“Otherwise, I beg to be excused.”
“Farewell!”
Saying this, Yalixin got up to leave, preparing to go to the Royal Mansion to request an audience with Xiao Simo.
But the next second, a loud ‘bang’ was heard, and Xiao Daru slammed his hand heavily on the table.
Looking at Yalixin with a face full of rage, he roared, “Guards.”
The youths around them drew their sabers and blocked Yalixin’s path.
Yalixin stopped, cast a contemptuous glance at these youths, and then looked at Xiao Daru.
“Hmph~”
“Great Prince, do you think these scallywags can stop this subordinate?”
“Since I was ten years old, I, Yalixin, have followed the Old Prince on campaigns. The scars on my body are too numerous to count.”
“Do you really think I’m made of mud?”
At this moment, Yalixin seemed to exude a strong killing aura. Under the pressure of his powerful presence, these young lads instinctively tightened their grip on their saber hilts.
After Yalixin finished speaking, another general stood up and said, “Yalixin is right.”
“Great Prince, everything must be done with proper authority.”
“Without the Great King’s direct command, it is a wrongful order, and I beg to be excused from obeying.”
“After all, who knows if some scoundrel stole the Great King’s seal and forged a handwritten order?”
Hearing this, the Deputy Commander of Guards, Nie Jida, turned ashen. Everyone could tell he was being insulted.
“You~”
“Hmph, seeking death.”
Xiao Daru, however, laughed heartily and lightly clapped his hands, applauding, “Good, I admire the courage of the two generals.”
“However, when my father appointed me as Yin Mountains Governor, he also anticipated that some would not comply, so he also sent me some helpers.”
Saying this, the sound of chaotic footsteps was heard from outside.
A group of soldiers clad in leather armor charged in, wielding war sabers and spears, pointing them at Yalixin and the others.
With only a dozen or so youths, they truly couldn’t stop generals like Yalixin.
But these soldiers were different. A killing aura emanated from their entire bodies; they were clearly a group of battle-hardened veterans.
Moreover, Yalixin recognized several people among them who looked very familiar.
Immediately, his fierce gaze fell upon the two generals who supported Xiao Daru, and he angrily said, “Kumo Xi, Culi Ge, do you two wish to rebel?”
The soldiers who rushed in were clearly the troops under the command of these two generals.
The facts were already very clear: Xiao Daru had colluded with the Deputy Commander of the Royal Mansion’s personal guards, along with Kumo Xi and two generals, preparing to rebel and seize power.
This was simply too arrogant.
At this point, Kumo Xi and the other were no longer pretending.
He sneered and said, “It’s called rebellion only if it fails; if it succeeds, it’s a meritorious service for supporting the dragon.”
“All the generals in charge of the Eastern Capital’s troops are here. As long as you cooperate obediently, we cannot fail.”
Yalixin glared intently at Xiao Daru: “You, you guys~”
“Our Eastern Capital is in peril now, and this is precisely when we should be united in heart and mind to jointly resist the Royal Court’s army.”
“But you are fighting amongst yourselves. If the Eastern Capital falls one day, you will be the prime culprits.”
As for his angry scolding, Xiao Daru paid no attention whatsoever.
With a ‘swish’ he drew his saber and said with confidence, “As long as I am here, the Eastern Capital will not fall.”
“On the contrary, it will be even stronger than during my father’s reign.”
Although Xiao Helun had lost five thousand elite soldiers, the Northern Frontier had a solid foundation. The prefectures of Jin Prefecture, North Sea, Seven Rivers, and the Great Desert could at least gather an army of twenty to thirty thousand.
It would only be necessary to lead the three thousand troops of the Eastern Capital, utilize the advantage of the city to hold out for ten days, and wait for the reinforcements from the four prefectures to arrive. The Royal Court’s army would inevitably retreat.
At that time, Xiao Daru would be the hero of the Northern Frontier.
With these military merits, and as the eldest son of Xiao Simo, those governors would certainly recognize him as the Sixth Courtyard Department Great King.
Thinking of that scene, an unstoppable smile appeared on Xiao Daru’s face.
But Yalixin was stunned. He had initially thought Xiao Daru was merely hot-tempered and blunt, not very intelligent.
He had not expected that he was not just unintelligent, but truly foolish.
Which of the generals present had not been through countless battles?
They didn’t have absolute confidence facing the Eastern Capital’s twenty thousand troops, so on what grounds could you, a child who had never been on the battlefield, dare to make such grand pronouncements?
In Yalixin’s view, this was armchair strategy!
“No, you will harm the Eastern Capital this way and ruin the foundation of our Northern Frontier,” Yalixin roared loudly.
Xiao Daru, however, simply waved his hand and said, “Take them down, imprison them, don’t let them escape.”
Subsequently, Yalixin and another general were taken away.
Xiao Daru also intended to incorporate their troops. If he killed them, it would certainly cause resistance from the soldiers below.
Therefore, it was necessary to keep them alive for the time being.
Afterwards, under a combination of threats and enticements, the other generals were forced to pledge allegiance to Xiao Daru and recognize his status as the Yin Mountains Governor.
After dealing with these generals, Xiao Daru immediately led his men to attack the Royal Mansion.
……
At this time, Xiao Simo was still sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun, wrapped in a thick fox fur cloak, his face growing paler, and his breath becoming weaker.
After the blow from the Battle of Yili, Xiao Simo seemed to have aged more than ten years within just three days.
Suddenly, Sainakh, the Personal Guard Commander, rushed in in a panic, his face filled with anger and terror, and said loudly, “Great King, something bad has happened.”
“The Great Prince has brought people and is attacking.”
But when Xiao Simo heard this, he showed no surprise whatsoever.
He merely slightly opened his squinting eyes and, like an old man at the end of his years, nodded slightly.
“I know.”
Seeing Xiao Simo’s simple reaction, Sainakh became even more anxious.
He strongly suspected that the blow from Yili had muddled Xiao Simo’s mind.
Or had he completely given up?
“Great King, the Great Prince is rebelling.”
“And I don’t know what method he used to bewitch the soldiers in the city; they have already stormed the Royal Mansion,” Sainakh said in a hurry.
At the same time, he directed the few personal guards behind him, “Quick, quick, lift the Great King.”
“Protect the Great King and fight our way out.”
However, Xiao Simo gently waved his hand, rejecting Sainakh’s idea of escape.
Instead, his face showed a sense of peace. He looked at Sainakh and sighed, “Sainakh, when did you start following me?”
Although Sainakh was anxious, he could only suppress his urgency and said, “Your humble subordinate was chosen by the Old Prince in Chengtian fifteen years ago and had the honor of becoming your personal guard, Great King.”
Chengtian was the reign title of Xiao Simo’s mother, Yelü Pusuwan.
“Chengtian fifteen years ago, and it’s almost twenty years now,” Xiao Simo sighed softly.
“They say it’s cold at the top. The higher a person’s status and position, the more lonely they are in their later years. This King is now experiencing it.”
Saying this, he gently beckoned, asking Sainakh to lean closer, and whispered in his ear, “I have one last command for you.”
Sainakh quickly knelt on the ground, his voice firm, “Your command is my decree, Great King. Your humble subordinate will surely carry it out, even if it means going through mountains of knives and seas of fire.”
“But please, Great King, do not speak such ominous words. Your humble subordinate will surely protect you and fight our way out.”
A smile appeared on Xiao Simo’s pale face, and he said calmly, “This King understands your loyalty, but you have more important things to do.”
Then, Xiao Simo’s voice grew deeper: “In the third room from the left in the back courtyard, there is a secret tunnel leading outside the city.”
“It was secretly built by my maternal grandfather when he established the capital here.”
“This King orders you to take the Princess Consort and escape the Eastern Capital through the tunnel.”
“Go to Jin Prefecture and find A Man; she will protect you.”
Hearing this, Sainakh’s face showed shock: “Great King, your humble subordinate can protect you and the Princess Consort and escape through the tunnel together.”
Xiao Simo gently shook his head: “In this condition, I cannot leave.”
“Besides, A Butou is my son; he will not do anything to me.”
“It is only the Princess Consort that I am truly worried about.”
After all, Wugulun was rather petty and had harbored too much jealousy towards the Princess Consort over the years.
Once she gained power, she would surely seek revenge.
“Great King~” Sainakh cried out with reddened eyes, his voice filled with sorrow.
Xiao Simo gently patted his shoulder and said calmly, “Go, take the Princess Consort and leave the Eastern Capital.”
Seeing this, Sainakh could only obey Xiao Simo’s command. After bowing his head several times heavily, he said with a firm voice, “Rest assured, Great King.”
“Even if it means death, your humble subordinate will surely protect the Princess Consort’s safety and will not let anyone harm her in the slightest.”
After speaking, Sainakh immediately got up and ran towards the back courtyard.
Xiao Simo remained seated there peacefully, giving a bitter smile and saying, “Is this what they call giving up completely?”
“It’s just a pity for the Princess Consort!”
