Chapter 203: Half An Hour, I Want The Eastern Capital City Breached
Inside the Golden Tent, Zhang Xinghua held a booklet and was reporting the post-battle situation to Li Xiao.
“Great Governor, in this battle, our army captured a total of eight thousand war horses, eleven thousand camels, and eighty-three thousand shi of grain…”
The Royal Court Army led by Yelü Zhixin was not the Royal Court main force.
It consisted of three thousand Royal Court Cavalry, seventeen thousand infantry and cavalry from the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khanate, and more than five thousand Yili Geluolu male laborers and women and children, forming a ragtag army.
The proportion of cavalry was not large, mainly composed of infantry from the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khanate.
Therefore, there were not many war horses captured in this battle, but there were quite a few camels used by the Royal Court Army to transport supplies.
As for those weapons, Li Xiao did not think much of them.
The weapons forged with Hexi Steel in the Jin Prefecture military equipment workshop were sharper and tougher than the Royal Court’s weapons.
“Besides supplies, our army also captured twelve thousand prisoners of war, including more than two thousand Khitan People, two thousand Yili Geluolu People, and nearly eight thousand Eastern Kara-Khanid Khanate people.”
“Among them, there were fewer than one thousand adult males among the Geluolu People, most of whom were women.” Zhang Xinghua said softly.
Hearing this number, Li Xiao slightly raised his eyelids and said in a faint voice: “That means at least more than ten thousand Royal Court Army soldiers were slaughtered?”
Zhang Xinghua nodded heavily: “At least ten thousand.”
This number was extremely shocking in any war.
Leaving aside the meat grinder-like war at Xiangji Temple, in ordinary wars, after two or three thousand soldiers died in battle, the army would likely collapse directly, with others scattering and fleeing or surrendering outright.
In this battle, the Royal Court Army was killed by ten thousand by the Jin Prefecture Army, an casualty rate that was ridiculously high.
“It was mainly those Kuli Army soldiers, who for military merit, acted like madmen one by one.”
“If the generals of each unit hadn’t stopped them, those Kuli Army soldiers would probably have massacred the surrendering soldiers as well.” Zhang Xinghua said in a solemn voice.
Recalling the scene on the battlefield, even though he was over thirty years old, Zhang Xinghua couldn’t help but shiver inwardly.
The Kuli Army was simply a pack of mad dogs, completely turning into killing machines for military merit.
Not to mention this ragtag Royal Court Army, even Western Xia’s most elite Iron Falcons, facing this twenty-thousand-strong Kuli Army, Zhang Xinghua believed the Iron Falcons had very little chance of winning.
“With such a terrifying twenty thousand Kuli Army, plus nearly forty thousand Jin Prefecture garrison soldiers, the Xia Kingdom probably…” Zhang Xinghua shook his head and sighed inwardly.
He somewhat understood Li Xiao’s ambition; the Royal Court was just a stepping stone, what Li Xiao truly coveted was Western Xia’s vast population.
Once the Royal Court war ended, giving the Jin Prefecture Army some time to recuperate, Li Xiao would surely muster the main force and launch another expedition to attack Western Xia.
How could the declining Western Xia withstand the ravages of Jin Prefecture’s sixty thousand tiger wolf iron cavalry?
At this moment, Zhang Xinghua could only silently mourn for his homeland for two seconds in his heart.
“Since ancient times, war has been a matter of you die or I die; where is there any mercy? Once killing begins, how could it easily end?”
“Although we have fewer than ten thousand-plus prisoners of war, Jin Prefecture has gained a group of brave and skilled garrison soldiers.”
“This Governor is very pleased.” Li Xiao said in a faint voice.
Ten thousand lives were just a string of cold numbers in his eyes.
“After this battle, how many Kuli Army soldiers have beheaded more than three heads?” Li Xiao asked.
Zhang Xinghua said directly: “A total of three thousand one hundred twenty-eight people.”
These three thousand one hundred twenty-eight people did not all achieve more than three heads in this single battle, but accumulated them over all previous wars, though this battle had the most gains.
Additionally, many others had one or two heads in hand.
Although these Kuli Army soldiers could not yet be exempt from slave status, the corresponding head rewards would still be distributed.
Once they killed enough three people, they would directly become garrison soldiers, or unluckily die in the next war~
Li Xiao took the merit book from Zhang Xinghua’s hand, flipped through it roughly, nodded in satisfaction, and said with a light smile: “These three thousand one hundred twenty-eight Kuli Army soldiers are immediately granted the status of Jin Prefecture garrison soldiers.”
“Disperse them all and place them respectively into every squad.”
The current Jin Prefecture Army had thirty-eight chiliarch units, that is, three thousand eight hundred squads.
Among them, three thousand one hundred twenty-eight squads would each gain one Kuli Army soldier; the purpose was to prevent these Kuli Army soldiers from forming cliques.
At the same time, create a living environment dominated by Han People to help them better integrate into the Jin Prefecture Army, learn the Chinese language, and become Han People.
“Additionally, from every squad accepting a Kuli Army soldier, draw one household of garrison civilians, a total of more than three thousand one hundred households, to form three new chiliarch units.” Li Xiao ordered.
This was equivalent to dispersing the original three thousand Kuli Army into the grassroots level, and then establishing three chiliarch units dominated by the original garrison soldiers.
Besides assimilating the Kuli Army, it was also to accommodate the meritorious generals of this battle, such as Wei Xuan.
Among the three chiliarch units, one was his, and for example, Yang Shouzheng also qualified to become a centurion.
“Notify the Great Governor’s Mansion as soon as possible about compensation for the soldiers who died in battle and distribute it to their families.”
“As for the Kuli Army who died in battle, collect their corpses and bury them properly.”
……
Just as Li Xiao had almost arranged the post-battle matters, Tie Tou entered the tent and said in a deep voice: “Great Governor, the Eastern Capital has sent people again.”
“Hm?”
Hearing this, Li Xiao slightly raised an eyebrow: “It seems those guys can’t wait to get rid of this Governor.”
Just two days ago, the Eastern Capital sent two soldiers, asking Li Xiao to go to the Eastern Capital to discuss military matters.
But through Xiao Simo’s personal guard, Li Xiao already knew what had happened in the Eastern Capital.
Why would he believe the Eastern Capital’s lies?
However, although he had the two soldiers tortured and interrogated, nothing was obtained.
After all, their status was too low; they only knew surface-level information.
It was not as useful as the information revealed by Xiao Hetu.
Through the interrogation of Xiao Hetu, this man confessed that behind all these events in the Eastern Capital were the operations of him and his father.
His father, Xiao Pula Yelu, was now in the Eastern Capital.
“This time, it’s the Royal Mansion Guard Deputy Commander Nie Jida; does the Great Governor want to see him?” Tie Tou asked.
Li Xiao shook his head lightly: “Just a traitor; no need to see him.”
“Capture him directly and hand him over to the Imperial Guard for interrogation.”
“Right, call Sainakh over too; I believe he would also like to see this old friend of his.”
“Understood!”
Tie Tou nodded heavily and turned to leave.
Zhang Xinghua sighed softly and said: “One wrong step leads to an abyss.”
Then he turned to Li Xiao and said: “Great Governor, we should still encircle the Eastern Capital as soon as possible, otherwise if Xiao Pula Yelu doesn’t see Nie Jida return, it might cause complications.”
He feared Xiao Pula Yelu would notice something wrong and slip away with his people.
On this vast Great Grassland, finding him again would not be easy.
“Mm~”
Li Xiao nodded lightly, his gaze turning toward the Eastern Capital.
The scene of his first visit to the Eastern Capital was still vivid; the place where he and Xiao Yanyan were married was in the Eastern Capital.
Now, things had changed; it was no longer the Eastern Capital of old.
“Tomorrow morning, the army marches, encircles the Eastern Capital, and eliminates the traitors.”
“It’s time to restore clarity to the Northern Frontier.” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.
……
At this time, Nie Jida brought two soldiers and stood in the military camp.
Around them stood more than a dozen Wuwei Army soldiers wearing yellow-based red-trimmed cotton armor, all with hands on their cavalry sabers, silently staring coldly at Nie Jida.
They exuded a powerful aura, as if solidified, giving him immense psychological pressure.
The two soldiers behind him had already begun trembling uncontrollably, and Nie Jida himself was not much better.
He appeared strong and composed, but inside he was panicking badly.
“Si Gele~”
“How could the killing aura of Jin Prefecture soldiers become so terrifying?”
“The White Armored Army didn’t have such an aura before, right?”
As Xiao Simo’s Guard Deputy Commander, he had close contact with the former White Armored Army.
Although the current Wuwei Army was expanded based on the original White Armored Army.
But after so many wars, the Wuwei Army had become even more elite and dominant, with an aura far surpassing the original White Armored Army.
Therefore, facing these murderous Wuwei Army soldiers, Nie Jida only felt his scalp tingling.
But fortunately, footsteps came from the distance.
Nie Jida’s heart immediately relaxed heavily, thinking he would be summoned by Li Xiao.
But when he saw who was coming, his pupils shrank instantly.
“Si Gele!”
“How could it be him?” Nie Jida was shocked inwardly.
He saw a group of soldiers in white cotton clothes approaching from afar; they were the Jin Prefecture Imperial Guard.
But ahead of the Imperial Guard walked Nie Jida’s old acquaintance, Guard Commander Sainakh.
“Nie Jida, scoundrel, didn’t expect we’d meet here again, did you?”
Sainakh strode forward, glaring furiously at Nie Jida and roaring.
“You you you~”
Nie Jida was indeed shocked, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
“How are you in the Jin Prefecture Army?”
He pointed at Sainakh, asking with insufficient confidence.
Sainakh stepped forward, looking at him coldly and saying: “Why can’t I be in the Jin Prefecture Army?”
“Not only me, the Princess Consort is also in the army, and even the Great King is currently in the army.”
“What? The Great King is here too?” Nie Jida’s face turned terrified.
He quickly looked around left and right, appearing guilty.
The fall of Eastern Capital City was directly related to him; if not for him pretending to defect to Xiao Daru and helping imprison Xiao Simo, the Eastern Capital Army would not have allowed the Northern Sea Army to enter the city so easily to restore order.
But on the night the Northern Sea Army entered the city, Xiao Simo disappeared.
He originally thought he was still hiding in some corner of the Eastern Capital, but unexpectedly he had come to the Jin Prefecture Army.
“This this this, how is this possible?”
Nie Jida’s face was pale, shaking his head constantly, incredulous.
According to Xiao Pula Yelu, if Xiao Simo was in the Jin Prefecture Army, they would not have attacked the Royal Court Army but would have long encircled Eastern Capital City for revenge.
So at this moment, Nie Jida had already cursed Xiao Pula Yelu’s ancestors eighteen generations in his heart.
This old thing had sent him to die.
“Hmph, in a couple of days, I’ll take you to see the Great King.” Sainakh snorted lightly.
Then, Zhang Shitou ordered the Imperial Guard to take Nie Jida and the two soldiers away.
Through interrogating Xiao Hetu and his guards, they had already learned part of the situation inside Eastern Capital City and knew of the behind-the-scenes manipulator Xiao Pula Yelu.
But as one of the participants in the Eastern Capital incident, Nie Jida definitely knew more details.
In one night, Zhang Shitou would make him spit out everything.
……
Eastern Capital City.
Since Nie Jida left, Xiao Pula Yelu had come to the city wall, gazing southward, pacing back and forth, his anxious state evident.
Until Han Jialu hurried over, Xiao Pula Yelu quickly stepped forward and asked: “How is it?”
“Any news from Nie Jida?”
“Lord.” Han Jialu gently placed his hand on his chest and said softly: “Nie Jida has entered the Jin Prefecture military camp.”
“But the Jin Prefecture Army’s scouts are very capable; our people couldn’t get close at all and don’t know the situation.”
Hearing this, Xiao Pula Yelu frowned deeper, clenched his fist, and comforted himself softly: “It’s fine; Nie Jida will surely bring Li Xiao.”
Then, he looked at Han Jialu and said: “Arrange a team of our people to prepare; once Li Xiao enters the city, immediately control him.”
“Also, continue scouting Jin Prefecture Army intelligence; report immediately if Nie Jida returns.”
“Understood!”
Han Jialu nodded heavily and turned to leave.
Xiao Pula Yelu stood on the city wall, gazing at the distant land, his heart in turmoil.
He was considering what to do if Li Xiao already knew the truth.
With the Jin Prefecture Army’s terrifying combat strength, could Eastern Capital City’s eight thousand soldiers stand against them?
Withdraw from Eastern Capital City?
“Wait, wait a bit more.” Xiao Pula Yelu murmured inwardly.
He had planned and laid out for ten years; it was really unwilling to abandon Eastern Capital City just when victory was at hand.
Moreover, although Eastern Capital City was not tall, it had city walls for protection and eight thousand elite soldiers garrisoned.
The Jin Prefecture Army, mainly cavalry, would find it far from easy to breach Eastern Capital City.
Conversely, abandoning Eastern Capital City and encountering the Jin Prefecture Army on the grassland would mean the Northern Sea Army lost all its advantages.
That night, Xiao Pula Yelu could not sleep, barely falling asleep at the third watch.
But after sleeping for just a short while, he suddenly sat up from the bed and shouted loudly to the guards outside: “Men~”
“Go see what happened!”
The sky had just begun to lighten, but a horn sound rang out in Eastern Capital City.
The sound was urgent and tense, indicating something major had occurred.
Xiao Pula Yelu hurriedly got up, hastily dressed, and just as he stepped out of the inn door, a guard returned from the city wall.
With a terrified look, he urgently said: “Bad news, terribly bad news.”
“Lord, the Jin Prefecture Army is attacking.”
“They are encircling Eastern Capital City.”
Hearing this, Xiao Pula Yelu was shocked pale, eyes bulging round: “What?”
“The Jin Prefecture Army came so quickly?”
And Nie Jida had had no news since entering the Jin Prefecture military camp.
At this moment, Xiao Pula Yelu finally realized that they had been exposed, and all plans had failed.
It was no longer possible to lure Li Xiao into Eastern Capital City.
“Quick, to the city wall.”
“Hurry.”
Xiao Pula Yelu hurriedly mounted his horse and led people toward the South Gate.
Ali Da had arrived at the city wall one step ahead, now with one hand on the city wall stones, the other gripping his waist saber, knuckles white, face grave as he looked outside the city.
“How is it?”
“How many Jin Prefecture Army people have come?”
Xiao Pula Yelu hurriedly climbed the city wall, nearly tripping due to his urgency.
Ali Da didn’t even glance at him, just said coldly with his back turned: “See for yourself.”
At this time, the rising sun dyed the horizon blood-red; on the grassland outside Eastern Capital City, the land emitted dull tremors, as if a thousand giant hammers were drumming underground.
“Wooo wooo woo woo~”
Immediately after, the Jin Prefecture Army’s ox horn sounded at the Eastern Capital City wall.
Dust clouds blotting out the sky rose from the horizon, the Jin Prefecture Army’s Sun and Moon Battle Flag flapping in the morning wind, thousands of Jin Prefecture iron cavalry trampling the morning dew, surging toward the city like an overwhelming tsunami.
Leading the front were several thousand soldiers wearing armor in yellow, red, and white.
They were fully clad in armor, tasseled helmets on their heads, revealing only rough and arrogant faces, coldly charging forward.
Spears like a forest gleamed with cold light under the sunrise, like three steel floods pressing toward the city wall.
Surrounding the Three Town Cavalry were numerous nomadic cavalry, wearing ragged fur-trimmed leather jackets, sabers and leather pouches at their waists.
Without horse armor, just clamping the horse’s belly with their legs to draw bows and shoot arrows while galloping, howling wolf-like whistles on horseback, like wildlings giving the enemy great psychological terror.
“Those directly in front of us are all Jin Prefecture elites; the armor they wear is impervious to saber and spear, very hard to deal with.”
Ali Da stared fixedly at the Jin Prefecture Army outside the city, saying in a heavy voice.
During the western expedition, he had contact with the Jin Prefecture Army, so he knew something about this armor.
Lighter than iron armor, but not much less sturdy.
He originally thought only that one thousand-plus White Armored Army could wear this Jin Prefecture armor, but now it seemed Ali Da had underestimated the Jin Prefecture Army.
Roughly looking, there were at least three thousand cotton armor soldiers outside the city, not to mention the numerous nomadic cavalry.
“News from East City and West City says Jin Prefecture cavalry traces have appeared there too.”
“Currently, only the North Gate is relatively safe; if you want to leave, you can take people out through the North Gate.”
Ali Da said faintly.
But the moment Xiao Pula Yelu heard this, his face darkened instantly, he snorted coldly, and no longer looked at him.
He said coldly: “No need for your concern; I will live or die with Eastern Capital City.”
Hearing this, Ali Da showed a disdainful cold smile on his face.
It sounded nice to say live or die together, but actually, he feared the Jin Prefecture Army would surround on three sides and leave one open, ambushing heavy troops at the North Gate to strike those fleeing the city.
Therefore, Xiao Pula Yelu believed staying in the city was definitely safer than escaping.
“Hm? What are they doing?” Xiao Pula Yelu looked outside the city and suddenly said in surprise.
The Jin Prefecture Army cavalry had approached outside the city, reining in their horses to surround the city wall, but more than a dozen nomadic cavalry suddenly broke from the main force, galloping to the moat.
“Prepare to loose arrows.” Ali Da raised his hand, saying seriously.
But these nomadic cavalry were not attacking the city; they charged to the front of the moat, untied bundles from their horses, and threw them directly onto the city wall.
A leading cavalryman shouted: “People above, listen: this is a gift from our Great Governor to you.”
And Ali Da and Xiao Pula Yelu’s faces changed drastically the instant they saw these bundles.
They could clearly smell the stench of rot mixed with rust assaulting their noses.
Undoubtedly, these bundles contained human heads.
Xiao Pula Yelu’s face paled as a terrible thought struck him; he said to his nearby guards: “Quick, open them all.”
When the guards opened the first bundle, Xiao Pula Yelu’s fist clenched instantly.
Inside was indeed a human head, and one he recognized.
The head of a guard beside Xiao Hetu.
The other bags were mostly the same; these guards had followed the Xiao Family father and son wandering the frontier for years, loyal to the core, no longer worth persuading to surrender.
So they were directly beheaded.
When the last two bundles were opened, the heads that rolled out belonged to Royal Mansion Guard Deputy Commander Nie Jida and Xiao Hetu.
Xiao Pula Yelu stared blankly at Xiao Hetu’s head, face pale and bloodless.
He wanted to step forward to pick up the head, but stumbled and fell directly to the ground.
Soon, Xiao Pula Yelu held Xiao Hetu’s head in his arms, tears streaming down, pained to the point of being unable to make a sound.
But his eyes revealed madness and ferocity.
“Li Xiao, I will tear you to pieces and avenge my son.”
Soon, all four gates of Eastern Capital City were surrounded by Jin Prefecture cavalry.
The initial omission of the North Gate was not to surround on three sides and leave one open; it was simply that the Jin Prefecture cavalry hadn’t reached the North Gate yet.
However, after the Jin Prefecture Army vanguard troops completed the encirclement of Eastern Capital, they did not rush to attack but waited for the main force to arrive.
Until the afternoon, when the Jin Prefecture Army main force arrived below Eastern Capital City; the reason for the slow march was purely the addition of more than ten thousand Eastern Kara-Khanid Khanate prisoners of war.
Additionally, migrating the cannons took time.
Outside the South City Gate, the Jin Prefecture Army densely covered the entire land; the core area was three thousand Wuwei Army, the bright yellow red-trimmed cotton armor forming a stark contrast on the green grassland.
The golden Sun and Moon Battle Flag fluttered lightly in the wind; Li Xiao wore dark golden black-trimmed cotton armor, riding a tall war horse, standing under the battle flag.
Holding a telescope, silently observing the movements on the city wall.
He saw many soldier figures standing above, mostly wearing leather armor, holding bows and arrows, faces resolute; even facing the encirclement by tens of thousands of Jin Prefecture Army, Li Xiao saw little fear on their faces.
“Northern Sea Army and Eastern Capital Army are both my Northern Frontier elites; losing them to civil war is truly a pity.”
Li Xiao put down the telescope and sighed softly, shaking his head.
Li Erjiang, who led the vanguard troops to encircle Eastern Capital City, stood nearby and said in a deep voice: “It’s all the doing of Xiao Pula Yelu and Ali Da.”
“Under their deception, Eastern Capital Army and Northern Sea Army soldiers only think we Jin Prefecture Army rebels are attacking Eastern Capital to rebel against Xiao Simo.”
Ordinary soldiers can hardly distinguish good from bad; they can only blindly follow their generals’ orders.
To those in power, soldiers are just tools to achieve their political goals.
As for how many soldiers lose their lives to their ambitions in the process, they care not at all.
“Should we persuade the soldiers in the city to surrender and explain the truth?” Zhang Xinghua asked cautiously.
Li Xiao tossed the telescope directly into his arms, snorting coldly: “No need; it would just be a waste of time.”
“To make these soldiers turn from evil to good, there’s only one way.”
“Capture Eastern Capital City.” Li Xiao said coldly, gazing at the tall distant city wall.
Then, he ordered his personal guard: “Go check the Divine Machine Camp; is the Divine Might Cannon ready?”
“In half a shichen, I want to see Eastern Capital City breached.”
