Chapter 198: The King Of The Northern Frontier Falls
“Bang~”
The city was in chaos, with shouts of killing everywhere. However, the courtyard of the royal mansion was eerily silent. Xiao Simo’s expression was solemn and angry, while the guards arranged by Xiao Daru were nervous and uncertain.
Just then, a few muffled thuds suddenly sounded in the silent courtyard.
Several guards reacted immediately, shouting loudly, “Who’s there?”
But in the very next second, several arrows shot out from the darkness.
They pierced the bodies of the guards one after another, accompanied by screams. Several of Xiao Daru’s confidants fell to the ground.
Immediately after, five guards broke through the door and quickly walked to Xiao Simo’s bedside.
“Great King~”
“Great King, how are you?”
These five were all Xiao Simo’s personal guards, who normally slept outside his door to protect him.
After the turmoil in the Eastern Capital, they had been imprisoned by Xiao Daru.
Taking advantage of the chaos in the city, the five escaped and immediately rushed to Xiao Simo’s courtyard to protect him.
They were afraid that Xiao Daru, in a desperate move, would commit the bestial act of patricide.
“Great King, Ali Da’s army has entered the city and will arrive here soon.”
“We’ll be fine soon.” A personal guard named Wututai pointed his bow and arrow towards the door, guarding against an attack by Xiao Daru’s forces.
“No, Ali Da is probably not here to save me, but to kill me,” Xiao Simo said in a low voice.
The midnight moonlight shone through the window onto his pale and swollen face. He was thin and gaunt, with only skin stretched over bones, making him look even more sinister and terrifying, like a skeleton.
“What?” Several personal guards were shocked.
They did not doubt Xiao Simo’s words. As his personal guards, their lives belonged to Xiao Simo.
Under any circumstances, they would obey Xiao Simo’s orders unconditionally, even if it meant death.
“What should we do?” the personal guard asked urgently.
“Great King, we will protect you as we fight our way out.”
“Get the Great King some clothes. While it’s still dark, there might still be a chance.”
But Xiao Simo seemed indifferent, relaxing his body and lying on the bed. He shook his head with a faint smile, his voice weak, “In this state, even if I escaped, I wouldn’t live for more than a few days.”
“It would only be a burden to you all.”
“You don’t need to worry about me anymore.”
“My days are numbered, and I’ve lived long enough.”
“Leave now, everyone save yourselves.”
Xiao Simo had already resigned himself to death and saw no need to implicate these loyal guards any further.
He just wanted to ask in person why Ali Da had betrayed him.
“We owe the Great King a debt of gratitude that we can never repay in a lifetime. How can we abandon the Great King and live on?” a personal guard named Wututai said with a firm voice.
Then, he exchanged glances with the others and said in a deep voice, “Great King, please forgive us.”
With that, he wrapped Xiao Simo in a quilt and carried him onto his shoulder.
Having been tormented by illness for so long, Xiao Simo weighed less than fifty kilograms, so carrying him was effortless.
“We will protect the Great King and escape through the secret tunnel.”
Wututai, carrying Xiao Simo, led the personal guards towards the back courtyard.
They came to a room filled with miscellaneous items, and he ordered his men to move everything out.
He lifted a stone slab, and a dark secret tunnel entrance was immediately revealed.
He handed Xiao Simo to another person and said in a deep voice, “I entrust the Great King to you. Even if you die, protect the Great King.”
“Wututai, aren’t you coming with us?” the other personal guards asked.
“No, I must stay behind.” Wututai looked at the scattered miscellaneous items and gently shook his head.
The last time, when the Princess Consort left, it was he who moved these miscellaneous items back, which is why the secret tunnel was not discovered by Xiao Daru’s men.
It’s the same now; if no one cleans up, Ali Da’s men will surely find this tunnel and pursue them.
The other personal guards understood Wututai’s meaning, their expressions filled with sorrow. They said in a deep voice, “Wututai, take care of yourself.”
With that, the personal guards carried Xiao Simo and entered the secret tunnel.
At this moment, the rebels had already reached outside the royal mansion. Wututai quickly moved the miscellaneous items back, erasing all traces.
The moonlight, like frost, was cast upon the blue tiles of the royal mansion.
More than twenty soldiers from the vanguard of the Northern Sea Army, carrying cowhide shields, rammed open the side gate of the royal mansion. A “swish” of arrows rained down, and the shield surface was instantly filled with arrows, resembling a porcupine.
But before the royal guards could nock a second arrow, the arrows from the Northern Sea Army followed closely. At the same time, cavalry in full iron armor charged into the mansion and began a massacre.
In a short period, the royal mansion changed hands again.
Soon, an old man in leather armor, riding a warhorse, with an excited expression, quickly entered the royal mansion.
He shouted arrogantly, “Simo, my good nephew~”
“Where are you?”
“Your Fourth Uncle has come to settle the score.”
“Hahaha~”
His name was Xiao Pula Yelu, which means brave and decisive general in Khitan language.
He was the fourth son of Xiao Wulila, but only a concubine’s son. His mother was of humble origin, and he had two legitimate elder brothers. His eldest sister-in-law was even the Regent Empress at the time, Yelü Pusuwan.
Therefore, although Xiao Pula Yelu was capable and brave in battle, he never dared to dream of becoming the Sixth Courtyard Department Great King.
He only wanted to be a general of Great Liao and assist his elder brother.
Until that year, when his elder sister-in-law had an affair with his second brother and killed his elder brother.
The Old Master was furious and also killed his elder sister-in-law and second brother.
Within a few days, both legitimate sons of the second generation of the Xiao family died, and a major purge occurred among officials and generals at all levels.
Power became unstable, and the position of heir was left vacant.
Xiao Pula Yelu’s ambitions were instantly ignited.
Among the concubine’s sons of the Xiao family, he was the most capable. He thought that without his elder and second brothers suppressing him, the Old Master would have to choose him as the heir.
But unexpectedly, the Old Master ultimately chose the then young Xiao Simo to become the Patriarch of the Xiao family.
Xiao Pula Yelu was naturally unconvinced.
After the Old Master passed away, he stepped forward to contend for power with Xiao Simo.
Although Xiao Simo was young and his foundation was shallow at the time, he inherited Yelü Pusuwan’s political talent.
He quickly stabilized his position and engaged in a fierce power struggle with Xiao Pula Yelu. In the end, he defeated Xiao Pula Yelu at a great cost, forcing him to flee Western Liao and avoid persecution by Xiao Simo.
Now, ten years have passed, and Xiao Pula Yelu has finally returned.
This time, he will reclaim everything he lost.
However, as soon as Xiao Pula Yelu entered the royal mansion, he received a report.
“Mister, the Great King has disappeared without a trace.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Pula Yelu’s expression changed instantly: “What?”
“He got away?”
His expression became anxious. If Xiao Simo escaped and rallied the troops, the Northern Sea Army, whom they had misled, would likely defect immediately.
Therefore, Xiao Pula Yelu began to panic.
He shouted loudly, “Search. Do not spare any corner of the royal mansion.”
“Block the exits, guard the city gates, and allow no one to enter.”
“Yes, sir.”
The general nodded heavily, turned, and left.
This person was also a hidden pawn left by Xiao Pula Yelu, currently serving as a Centurion in the Northern Sea Army.
When the two legitimate sons of the Xiao family died and power became vacant, the generals and officials under the Xiao family were restless.
Although Xiao Simo became the heir, he was young and had a shallow foundation. Even though he inherited a group of supporters from his parents, he did not have many confidants to use himself.
At that time, Xiao Pula Yelu had already made a name for himself in the army, so he secretly placed a group of people under Xiao Simo’s command in various ways.
Among them was the North Sea Governor Ali Da.
Subsequently, Ali Da also arrived at the royal mansion, but was met with Xiao Pula Yelu’s stern gaze.
“Mister, I heard that the Great King he~”
“That’s right, he escaped.” Xiao Pula Yelu said with a cold and sinister expression, coldly snorting.
He had already ordered a search of the entire royal mansion and had not found Xiao Simo.
He might be hiding in nearby civilian houses, and he was ordering people to search for him.
However, he looked at Ali Da with suspicion and said in a deep voice, “Ali Da, did you let Xiao Simo escape?”
Upon hearing this, Ali Da’s face changed drastically, and he quickly shook his head: “No, it wasn’t me.”
“I was dealing with Xiao Daru just now and couldn’t spare any attention for the royal mansion.”
“These are all Wudu’s men. You should know best about Wudu’s loyalty to you.”
Xiao Pula Yelu’s expression slightly eased upon hearing this.
Ali Da was valued by Xiao Simo and promoted to North Sea Governor, thus subtly showing signs of breaking away from his control.
If he didn’t hold the key to Ali Da’s life, this fellow would surely sell himself to Xiao Simo in an instant.
Relatively speaking, Wudu, who was not valued by Xiao Simo and was merely a Centurion, was more loyal to Xiao Pula Yelu.
He desperately wanted to defeat Xiao Simo and achieve merit by following him.
“Hmph~”
“Don’t forget your identity, and don’t forget what you’ve done.”
“If Xiao Simo finds out, will he tolerate you?”
“Killing Xiao Simo is beneficial to both of us.”
“Don’t think about playing both sides; you’re not qualified.” Xiao Pula Yelu warned.
Although it wasn’t Ali Da who let Xiao Simo go, Xiao Pula Yelu still had to caution him to constantly remember whose dog he was.
Lest he be blinded by Xiao Simo’s small favors.
“Yes, Mister, I understand.”
Ali Da’s face was grim, his fists clenched, and he said in a low voice.
Ten years ago, he was just an ordinary youth. One day, he was chosen by Xiao Pula Yelu for secret training.
At that time, Ali Da naively thought he was about to ascend to glory.
Later, he learned that Xiao Pula Yelu wanted him to be a spy, lurking by Xiao Simo’s side.
Moreover, to control Ali Da and others, Xiao Pula Yelu not only sent people to take care of their parents and relatives.
He also made them provide a pledge of allegiance.
They personally killed Xiao Simo’s son!
At that time, the struggle between Xiao Pula Yelu and Xiao Simo had reached a fever pitch, not just open political struggle, but also many dark and underhanded tactics were employed.
Xiao Pula Yelu had intended to kidnap Xiao Simo’s eldest son, Xiao Daru, but by chance, he kidnapped another of Xiao Simo’s concubine’s sons.
He originally planned to force Xiao Simo to make concessions in terms of interests, but the situation at the time did not allow Xiao Simo to back down.
Therefore, in a fit of rage, Xiao Pula Yelu directly killed Xiao Simo’s concubine’s son.
And the ones who carried out the act at that time were these youths, including Ali Da.
With this leverage, Xiao Pula Yelu no longer worried about Ali Da and others turning against him, so he confidently sent them to be moles by Xiao Simo’s side.
Over ten years, Ali Da achieved many military merits and was noticed by Xiao Simo, gradually being promoted to North Sea Governor.
His heart had long been conquered by Xiao Simo, but that incident was an indelible stain on him.
He dared not imagine what the outcome would be if Xiao Simo knew that he was the murderer of his son.
Although he could also kill Xiao Pula Yelu.
But it wouldn’t be long before someone informed Xiao Simo of the truth of that incident.
If Xiao Simo believed it, he would surely die.
Even if he didn’t believe it, the seed of doubt had been planted, and it was only a matter of time before it took root and sprouted.
After all, he could not withstand an investigation.
Whether he believed it or not, he would not be able to keep his position as North Sea Governor.
Therefore, when Xiao Pula Yelu contacted him again, Ali Da could only grit his teeth and see it through to the end.
Only when Xiao Simo died would that incident cease to be a threat to him, and no one would seek revenge for a child who had been dead for over ten years.
He would then be free from Xiao Pula Yelu’s coercion.
He could even get rid of him.
And at that time, the Northern Frontier would be without a master.
Ali Da might have a chance to contend for that position.
Even as a fallback, he could defect to the Royal Court. If Yelü Zhilugu wanted to stabilize the Northern Frontier, he would never hunt down all the forces in the Northern Frontier.
Nor would he have the strength to exterminate them all.
Therefore, with the might of the Royal Court, he might also advance further.
Thinking of this, Ali Da’s resolve became even stronger.
He glanced at Xiao Pula Yelu silently; now was not the time to fall out with him.
So he walked out of the royal mansion, his face tense, and ordered all the soldiers.
“The Great King has been taken hostage by Xiao Daru’s remnants. Search the entire city. Do not let any corner go unchecked. Ensure the Great King is rescued.”
Time quickly passed to the morning of the next day.
Xiao Simo and his entourage had already left the vicinity of the Eastern Capital City and were heading east, preparing to go to Jin Prefecture.
“Cough, cough, cough, cough~”
“Great King, hold on. We are not safe yet. Once we enter the mountains, we can rest.”
A personal guard shouted loudly while on horseback, tying Xiao Simo behind him with a rope and speeding towards Jin Prefecture.
But in the next second, with a “puff,” Xiao Simo spat out a large mouthful of blood, completely drenching the personal guard in blood.
Xiao Simo was already extremely weak, and after a night of hard riding, the bumpy journey had worsened his injuries.
Upon arriving here, he could no longer hold on.
“My King, my King, how are you?”
“My King~”
The guard immediately reined in his war horse, while several other guards leaped down before the horses had even stopped.
They untied the rope around Xiao Simo and helped him off the horse.
At this moment, Xiao Simo’s face was pale, his breath faint, his chest covered in black blood, his eyes swollen, and his pulse weak, a truly horrifying sight.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh~”
Amidst the guards’ trembling calls, Xiao Simo’s eyelids finally fluttered open, and his cloudy pupils reflected the vast sky of the Northern Frontier.
His voice was as light as a falling dead leaf, yet carried a rare gentleness: “Just now… I think I saw my father and mother.”
His fingers unconsciously caressed the edge of the fox fur cloak, as if touching the hem of his mother’s clothes in memory, “They were riding horses, reaching out to me… just like when my father taught me to ride years ago…”
Several guards swallowed hard, some turned their faces away, tears gathering in the wrinkles around their eyes.
They had witnessed the fall of many warriors, but had never seen such a gentle moment of dying.
This “King of the Northern Frontier,” who had once slaughtered enemies on the battlefield like flies, now resembled a lost child, searching for his parents in his memories.
Perhaps, deep down, he had always longed for a warm home, where his parents lived in harmony, free from all scheming.
The mutual killing of his parents was a lifelong pain in Xiao Simo’s heart.
“It’s… it’s my fault, your Majesty!” the young guard Tulu suddenly knelt down.
“If I hadn’t urged the horse so fast…” his voice was cut off by sobs, his shoulders convulsing violently.
Xiao Simo shook his head slightly: “It’s heaven’s will to take me; what does it have to do with you?”
In reality, regardless of the bumpy ride or not, Xiao Simo’s outcome would not have changed; his spirit and energy had been utterly depleted.
“No wonder my grandfather said before he died… when people get old, they just want to return to the Grassland…”
A violent cough tore through his throat, blood trickled from the corner of Xiao Simo’s mouth, yet he still gazed at the sky.
“This King… is going to see my father and mother.”
His voice suddenly became clear, each word carrying a sense of relief.
“Remember… after I die, bury me first on the sunny slope in the mountains.”
“If there is a chance to restore the Eastern Capital in the future…”
He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed the blood foam, “Then move me to our Xiao Family ancestral grave.”
The guards, tears streaming down their faces, nodded repeatedly.
They absolutely could not let the rebels find Xiao Simo’s corpse.
“Courtyard Jia-type grade three, number fifteen…”
“There’s an oil-paper package in the well, about thirteen hundred taels of Silver.”
“If you ever have the chance to return to the Eastern Capital, the four of you can divide it amongst yourselves.”
“Live good lives from now on…”
“Lastly, go to Jin Prefecture, find Li Xiao, and tell him all of this truthfully.”
“Let him avenge me.”
Xiao Simo’s eyelids began to droop again, but he suddenly struggled to widen his eyes: “Tell Li Xiao…”
His fingers gripped the guard’s wrist tightly: “The wolves of the Northern Frontier… never bow their heads to the Grassland…”
Before he finished speaking, his hand suddenly loosened, like a feather blown away by the wind.
A guard trembled as he felt for his breath, then burst into tears.
Under the scorching sun of the Northern Frontier, Xiao Simo’s face finally relaxed, as if he had shed the burdens of a lifetime.
A faint smile still lingered on his lips—this was the first time in many years that he had shown such a relaxed expression while conscious.
This legendary King of the Northern Frontier had, in the end, met his curtain call.
