Chapter 207: Khitan Eight Tribes, Battle Of The Sihun River
On the south bank of the Sihun River, the Royal Court Army camp was like a steel behemoth entrenched on the grassland.
Over ten li of continuous cowhide tents shimmered with a cold, hard, dim light in the twilight.
In front of the central large tent stood twelve three-zhang tall battle flags, each inscribed with a different pattern.
Sun, moon, mountains, rivers, seas, grey wolves, eagles, and so on.
And beneath each battle flag lay a huge war drum.
This was an important part of the Liao Emperor’s retinue.
The twelve flags and twelve drums were collectively called the ‘Son of Heaven’s Ceremonial Drums’.
They represented the supreme status of the Son of Heaven. The appearance of these twenty-four flags and drums in the military camp now meant that the Emperor had personally led the expedition here.
As for the origin of these flags and drums, legend has it that they were related to the Tang Dynasty.
In the past, the Khitan tribal leader, the Da He clan, having made contributions by participating in quelling the rebellion in the Central Plains, was bestowed twelve divine banners, twelve flags, and twelve drums by the Tang Emperor.
In the years that followed, power shifts occurred within the Khitan tribe. The Da He clan declined, and the Yao Nian clan rose.
Finally, the Yelü clan became powerful, and the Yao Nian clan voluntarily presented these sacred objects before the Yelü clan’s tent.
The twelve divine banners were then truly established as sacred artifacts of the Great Liao State, symbolizing the supreme power of the Khitan Khan and the Liao Emperor.
The twelve divine banners were only brought out during major ancestral sacrifice ceremonies and imperial succession rituals.
In normal times, the twenty-four flags and drums became the Emperor’s personal possessions.
At this moment, inside the large tent, a gilded copper stove emitted the fragrance of pine, mingling with the sour, fishy smell of horse milk wine that permeated the air.
Yelü Zhilugu reclined on a folding stool inlaid with turquoise, his brocade robe embroidered with golden eagles loosely covering his chest. He held a agate wine cup in his left hand and casually tossed raisins into his mouth with his right.
With two consorts kneeling on either side to serve him, this personal expedition of Yelü Zhilugu was quite luxurious.
“Has the Nine Meng’an He replied?” he asked, his voice trailing off lazily with the wine.
“Reporting to His Majesty!”
The attendant knelt down abruptly, his forehead nearly touching the wool carpet. “Not only did that traitor refuse your offer of surrender, but he also… also insulted His Majesty, calling you incompetent and saying you will ruin the Great Liao’s foundation sooner or later!”
“Hmph, ungrateful wretch,” Yelü Zhilugu snorted coldly, not feeling angry, just a bit regretful.
In the last war with the Eastern Capital, the Royal Court Army suffered heavy losses. Yelü Zhilugu also realized he needed a group of capable and battle-hardened generals to take revenge on the Ghur Kingdom and Khwarazm.
Nine Meng’an He came into his sights. Although he had ‘merit’ in breaking through Kuyun-Ordu last time, it also precisely proved his ability.
It was a pity that Nine Meng’an He did not know what was good for him.
“Xiao Simo’s time is running out, and a child is in charge of the Eastern Capital City now.”
“It won’t be long before I personally lead the army to break through the Eastern Capital City. At that time, I’d like to see if Nine Meng’an He will beg for my forgiveness on his knees.”
As he spoke, a proud smile appeared on Yelü Zhilugu’s face.
The current situation was very favorable for the Royal Court.
The internal strife in the Eastern Capital provided an opportunity for the Royal Court.
His son, Yelü Zhixin, had already led twenty thousand troops across the Alatao Mountains and arrived at the Eastern Capital.
They were not expected to capture the Eastern Capital, only to tie down its main forces so they couldn’t reinforce the Seven Rivers.
Once he led the main Royal Court Army across the Sihun River and joined Yelü Zhixin, the Royal Court Army’s strength would reach an astonishing seventy thousand.
At that point, the Eastern Capital would be within easy reach.
As for Xiao Pula Yelu and his son?
They would lose their utilitarian value. If they were sensible, Yelü Zhilugu could grant them glory and wealth.
But if they harbored any improper intentions, hmph!
“Xiao Simo, you’d better not die too soon.”
“Brother still wants to have a good chat with you,” Yelü Zhilugu said with a proud smile, then embraced the two consorts.
His hands naturally slipped inside their collars, eliciting coy protests from the consorts, and Yelü Zhilugu laughed heartily again.
Just then, the attendant entered again and reported in a low voice, “Your Majesty, General Tāyánggǔ requests an audience.”
“Let him in,” Yelü Zhilugu said casually, continuing to frolic with the two consorts.
Soon, a burly general in armor entered, placing his hand on his chest and saying, “Your humble servant greets Your Majesty.”
“Tāyánggǔ, sit.”
“Someone, bring wine~” Yelü Zhilugu commanded.
There were few people in the entire Western Liao who could sit at the same table as him.
Although Tāyánggǔ’s abilities were average, he excelled in his unwavering loyalty.
When Yelü Pusuwan became emperor, Yelü Zhilugu was confined to his residence, living in constant fear. It was Tāyánggǔ and his son who remained loyal and never abandoned him.
After becoming emperor, Yelü Zhilugu bestowed immense glory upon him and his son, even marrying Tāyánggǔ’s sister as an imperial consort.
Furthermore, Tāyánggǔ suffered complete defeat in two wars against the Ghur Kingdom and Khwarazm.
Yelü Zhilugu merely administered a minor punishment and continued to trust him implicitly.
Now, with the Royal Court Army lacking seasoned generals, Yelü Zhilugu had even appointed Tāyánggǔ as the Deputy Commander of the army, second only to himself, showing him unparalleled favor.
Tāyánggǔ sat on a nearby stool, ignoring the melons, fruits, delicacies, and fine wine before him, and said to Yelü Zhilugu, “Your Majesty, your humble servant is here to report.”
“Oh, where has the army of the Sixth Courtyard Department reached?” Yelü Zhilugu asked eagerly.
The situation in the Eastern Capital was too sudden, and opportunities were fleeting. Therefore, upon receiving the news, Yelü Zhilugu immediately led the Pishi Imperial Guard and the Fifth Courtyard Department troops, personally commanded by the Emperor, a total of twenty thousand soldiers, and advanced across the Ili River.
After a series of fierce battles, they finally defeated the Seven Rivers Army and pushed the front line to the vicinity of the Sihun River.
However, twenty thousand troops were not sufficient. After all, in the last western expedition, Xiao Simo commanded over forty thousand soldiers.
Therefore, Yelü Zhilugu issued a conscription order to other tribes, commanding them to send at least thirty thousand troops for support.
This time, he intended to use a seventy-thousand-strong army to completely sweep the Northern Frontier.
“The troops of the Yishi, Pin, Tubulü, and Nielá tribes are less than fifty li from our camp, and are expected to arrive by evening.”
“The troops of the Tuju and Wuhuai tribes are expected to arrive by tomorrow evening.”
These six tribes, along with the Fifth Courtyard Department directly commanded by Yelü Zhilugu and the Sixth Courtyard Department under Xiao Simo, were the renowned Khitan Eight Tribes.
Of course, these were not the Khitan Eight Tribes of the Liao Dynasty era, but rather the eight tribes re-established by Yelü Dashi as he annexed numerous nomadic tribes during his western expedition.
They were the core strength of Yelü Dashi in establishing the Western Liao.
Among them, the strength of the Fifth Courtyard Department and the Sixth Courtyard Department was significantly greater than the other six tribes.
The last western expedition was actually a war between the Fifth Courtyard Department and the Sixth Courtyard Department.
The other six tribes, apart from providing some young and strong men to join the Royal Court’s Pishi Army, had their ordinary tribesmen always stand by and watch.
They would submit to whoever emerged victorious between Xiao Simo and Yelü Zhilugu.
After all, Yelü Zhilugu had committed a series of foolish acts at that time, which indeed made him unpopular.
Xiao Simo had also secretly contacted the six tribes and many Royal Court magnates, and only after confirming their stance did he dare to launch the western expedition.
However, currently, news of Xiao Simo’s critical illness had reached the Royal Court, and Yelü Zhixin had even eliminated five thousand Eastern Capital troops in Yili and captured Xiao Simo’s legitimate son, Xiao Helun.
All signs indicated that the Eastern Capital was on its last legs.
Therefore, the six tribes, to demonstrate their ‘innocence’ with Xiao Simo, had dispatched numerous tribesmen to campaign in the Northern Frontier.
To feast on the corpses of the Northern Frontier and strengthen their own tribes.
Using Xiao Simo’s downfall as a stepping stone for themselves.
Although they were ordinary herdsmen, inferior to the elite Pishi Imperial Guard, many ants can kill an elephant.
Yelü Zhilugu intended to crush the Northern Frontier with absolute military superiority.
“Good, very good.”
“When these troops arrive, I will command an army of seventy thousand and march directly to the Eastern Capital to capture the scoundrel Xiao Simo alive.”
“Hahaha~”
Even in the later stages of Yelü Dashi’s western expedition, when he fought a decisive battle against the Seljuk Empire, his forces numbered no more than sixty thousand.
During Yelü Yilie’s reign, the imperial court conducted a census of the population within the territories directly administered by the Royal Court.
The result was eighty-four thousand five hundred households.
This figure included not only the people of the Khitan Eight Tribes but also many Uyghurs, Geluolu people, Turkic people, Han people, and others living within the Royal Court’s direct territory.
After all, the Royal Court’s direct territory was a part carved out from the territory of the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khanate, which included many indigenous inhabitants.
Although the population had increased over decades of development, the previous western expedition to the Northern Frontier had resulted in heavy losses for the Royal Court.
The number of male laborers captured by Li Xiao from Kuyun-Ordu alone reached twenty thousand.
Subsequently, Kuyun-Ordu was completely devastated after being plundered by the Kangli people.
Therefore, the fifty thousand troops mobilized by Yelü Zhilugu this time represented nearly two-thirds of the adult male laborers in the Royal Court’s territory.
Coupled with Yelü Zhixin’s twenty thousand troops from the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khanate, the total strength reached an astonishing seventy thousand.
If the Northern Frontier could not be quickly pacified, the Royal Court’s heartland would surely face serious problems.
“Tāyánggǔ, you immediately issue an order to the Yishi Four Tribes. They are not to merge with my army.”
“You will command them. Tomorrow morning, march towards the lower reaches of the Sihun River, seeking an opportunity to cross.”
“The Seven Rivers Army’s strength is now less than five thousand, and they absolutely cannot defend all the river channels,” Yelü Zhilugu said in a deep voice.
The Seven Rivers Army was composed of local Turkic tribes and some Khitans brought by Nine Meng’an He.
At its peak, the Seven Rivers Army exceeded ten thousand, making it the largest in terms of overt forces among the five northern prefectures.
However, facing the attack of twenty thousand Pishi Imperial Guard and Fifth Courtyard Department troops, the Seven Rivers Army was difficult to resist.
Few soldiers were killed in battle, and many surrendered.
After all, with their tribes fallen, the soldiers of the Seven Rivers Turkic tribes had no choice but to surrender.
Therefore, Nine Meng’an He now had fewer than five thousand troops under his command. They had transferred their tribes north of the Sihun River in advance, otherwise, they would have surrendered long ago.
“After you cross the Sihun River, immediately turn upstream and cooperate with my main army to completely annihilate these remnants of Nine Meng’an He on the Sihun River.”
Upon hearing Yelü Zhilugu’s plan, Tāyánggǔ’s face showed an expression of admiration.
He said excitedly, “Your Majesty’s wisdom is unparalleled!”
“This plan is flawless. If executed as planned, let alone the mere five thousand men opposite, even an army of fifty thousand would absolutely not escape Your Majesty’s grasp.”
Did they really think Tāyánggǔ was incompetent? He had received specialized training.
Though he appeared to be a straightforward, burly general with thick eyebrows and big eyes, his flattery skills were no less than those of corrupt civil officials.
Otherwise, based solely on his past merits and his sister’s position in the imperial harem, Tāyánggǔ could not have maintained his favor for so many years.
Indeed, Tāyánggǔ’s flattery made Yelü Zhilugu extremely pleased, and he laughed heartily.
“Even though those ministers outwardly show respect, they are actually calling me incompetent.”
“I know it all too well, I just don’t bother to argue with them,” Yelü Zhilugu said.
“This time, I will let everyone see whether I am a truly incompetent ruler or not.”
Tāyánggǔ immediately put on an indignant expression and angrily cursed, “Those people are blind.”
“Your Majesty is truly a peerless hero unmatched in a thousand years.”
“If you are a foolish ruler, then no one in this world can be called a wise ruler.”
“The Founding Ancestor Emperor established the foundation of our Great Liao, Emperor Dezong （ Dashi ） recreated heaven and earth, and Your Majesty is the contemporary Yao and Shun, chosen by heaven to lead our Great Liao to reclaim its homeland and recreate the sun and moon, a great hero!”
“If there is a wise ruler in this world, it can only be Your Majesty, and only Your Majesty deserves these eight characters: ‘The sun and moon shine together, and all nations come to pay homage’!”
See, this is professionalism.
Within a few words, he had Yelü Zhilugu so flattered he was lost.
He kept waving his hands, saying, “That’s too much, too much.”
“How can I dare compare myself to the Founding Ancestor and Emperor Dezong?”
“Tāyánggǔ, do not speak nonsense.”
Although he appeared humble on the surface, the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed from rising, and his beard trembled slightly. Yelü Zhilugu’s eyes crinkled with laughter.
He looked upon Tāyánggǔ with even greater favor, saying with a smile, “General Tāyánggǔ has labored with great merit. First, I award you a thousand taels of gold, and after pacifying the Seven Rivers Army on the other side, your rank will be elevated by one level.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty~”
Tāyánggǔ was overjoyed and said with a bow.
The two consorts in the tent watched this scene, deeply impressed.
They learned a great deal, truly learned a lot.
They would pass it on to their brothers when they returned, that to advance within the tribe, they must emulate Tāyánggǔ.
The next morning, Tāyánggǔ led three thousand Pishi soldiers and merged with the troops of the Yishi Four Tribes.
“Grand Councilor Tāyánggǔ~”
The Great King of the Yishi Four Tribes stepped forward and greeted Tāyánggǔ.
Although their ancestors had all been meritorious officials who followed Yelü Dashi on his western expedition, and they themselves were Great Kings of their respective tribes, Tāyánggǔ’s status was also not low.
His sister was an imperial consort, he himself was Yelü Zhilugu’s most trusted subject, and he served as the Grand Councilor of the Northern Bureau of Military Affairs, nominally in charge of all the forces of the Western Liao.
Although the Great Kings of the Four Tribes did not fear Tāyánggǔ, they did not wish to offend him unnecessarily and maintained outward harmony.
“Your Excellencies, Your Majesty has ordered us to march towards the lower reaches of the Sihun River and find an opportunity to cross,” Tāyánggǔ said.
He then showed the military order from Yelü Zhilugu to the four of them.
After the four Great Kings finished reading, the Great King Yishi Si nodded slightly and said, “Since His Majesty has issued this order, we naturally will comply.”
“However, Nine Meng’an He is a seasoned general of the Northern Frontier, and must not be taken lightly.”
“If any action is to be taken, we must discuss it before making a decision.”
The other three Great Kings nodded in agreement.
The Khitan Eight Tribes had a great deal of independence, much like how the Sixth Courtyard Department could challenge the Royal Court.
Although these six tribes did not possess such power, they were by no means to be trifled with.
For example, the Royal Court’s Imperial Guard, the Pishi Army, was the only standing army of the Western Liao, established to guard the Royal Court and respond to wars at any time.
The soldiers were selected elites from the seven tribes.
If the Great Kings of the six tribes were pushed too far, the soldiers of the Pishi Army might even cause unrest.
This was also the reason why Yelü Zhilugu did not dare to blindly punish them for their previous behavior of watching from the sidelines.
Upon hearing this, Tāyánggǔ’s expression soured, but he was helpless.
He, the Grand Councilor of the North, could not truly command the troops of the Four Tribes.
Their willingness to come was already considered giving Yelü Zhilugu face.
“Fine, we’ll discuss it,” Tāyánggǔ said with an expression of composure on his face.
Thus, the Pishi Army, along with four divisions of troops, a total of fifteen thousand men, marched mightily towards the downstream of the Sihun River.
The Seven Rivers Grassland gets its name because seven rivers flow down from the Tianshan Mountains, crossing the entire grassland, and emptying into Lake Balkhash.
Among these seven rivers, the Sihun River ranks third in water volume.
It is currently the high-water season of summer.
The water flow is immense, and in the downstream center, it can even reach above one’s head.
Therefore, the main offensive and defensive battles between the two armies were concentrated upstream; due to insufficient troops, Jiu Meng’an He’s defense of the downstream was not very tight.
Tāyánggǔ and his group arrived downstream and ordered people to search everywhere, but ultimately found nothing.
“The river is deep, we can only build a pontoon bridge,” Tāyánggǔ said.
Fortunately, although the Sihun River is deep, it is not too wide, and it would take two to three days to build a simple pontoon bridge.
“Good, order people to find wood and make sheepskin bags.”
Such a large gathering of troops was quickly discovered by scouts on the opposite bank, and the news rapidly reached Jiu Meng’an He’s army.
“The Royal Court Army is preparing to build a pontoon bridge downstream?”
“This is bad.” Jiu Meng’an He’s expression was grave.
If the Royal Court Army attacked from downstream, then they would be able to continue their escape.
“Someone~”
Jiu Meng’an He was about to dispatch some troops to obstruct the construction of the pontoon bridge.
But at this moment, a personal guard rushed in to report: “Governor, reinforcements, our reinforcements have arrived~”
“What?”
Hearing this, Jiu Meng’an He was stunned for a moment, then became ecstatic.
…
Two mornings later, five simple pontoon bridges were nearing completion downstream of the Sihun River.
Tāyánggǔ, with his upper body bare, rode his war horse and stood by the riverside, gazing at the surging river water, his face filled with determination and cold pride.
“This time, I will let everyone know how formidable I, Tāyánggǔ, am.”
“The mere Northern Frontier is nothing more than this; I, Tāyánggǔ, can destroy it with a snap of my fingers.”
Four years ago, Tāyánggǔ led a large army to conquer the Ghur Kingdom and suffered a crushing defeat.
Three years ago, Tāyánggǔ led a large army to conquer Khwarazm and suffered another crushing defeat.
But this time, the Royal Court Army’s victory was all but assured, with almost no possibility of failure.
As long as they crossed the Sihun River, they could destroy the Seven Rivers Army on the opposite bank and then march directly to the Eastern Capital.
Therefore, this battle was one he had to win brilliantly, not only to wash away past shame but also to lay the foundation for him to become a renowned general of the Great Liao.
And at this moment, a cheer suddenly erupted from the distance.
“The pontoon bridges are built.”
“We succeeded.”
The artisans responsible for building the pontoon bridges cheered.
Tāyánggǔ had issued a strict order: if they did not complete the construction within two days, they would all be executed.
Therefore, even while building five pontoon bridges simultaneously, they had to work overtime without rest.
Fortunately, the construction process went very smoothly, and the Seven Rivers Army seemed unaware, making no attempt to sabotage it.
Tāyánggǔ quickly spurred his horse forward, looking at the simple pontoon bridges, his face filled with excitement.
“Good, good, all artisans will be richly rewarded.”
“Order the army to cross the bridges quickly.”
It took more than half a day for the fifteen thousand men to finally cross the pontoon bridges.
After stepping onto the Northern Bank, Tāyánggǔ, who had been bare-shouldered, immediately donned his armor and prepared for battle.
He looked up at the sky; the sun was setting in the west, and it would be at least two hours until dark.
“Opportunities are fleeting, we have no time to rest, we must advance upstream immediately,” Tāyánggǔ said as he convened a discussion with the Great Kings of the four divisions.
“The soldiers have been resting on the southern bank for two days, their bones have grown soft, it’s time to exert themselves.”
“Good, let’s set off now.”
The current situation was clear: Xiao Simo was clearly in trouble.
Without his Northern Frontier, it certainly wouldn’t hold.
At this point, they could no longer afford to care about their past relationship with Xiao Simo; to avoid being held accountable by Yelü Zhilugu, they had to fight hard in the Northern Frontier.
Moreover, Xiao Simo had cultivated the Northern Frontier for so many years, with deep foundations; even seizing a piece of lucrative territory from the Northern Frontier would be enough to satisfy their six divisions.
Seeing that everyone had reached a consensus, Tāyánggǔ laughed heartily: “Good.”
“We will now charge towards the Seven Rivers Army and catch them by surprise.”
But in the very next second, a low rumbling sound suddenly erupted in the heavens and earth.
“What sound is that?”
Tāyánggǔ’s body suddenly trembled, startled.
He looked up at the sky; the crimson sun hung in the distance, the sky was clear, and the weather was perfect, not at all like it was going to rain.
But where was the thunder coming from?
But in the next instant, Tāyánggǔ witnessed what the wrath of the Thunder God was.
One cannonball after another traced beautiful arcs through the sky, precisely striking into the Royal Court Army.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom~”
Subsequently, the cannonballs exploded, and continuous booming sounds echoed through the crowd.
The cast-iron shells burst in mid-air, and hundreds of iron nails and gravel spread out in a fan shape. The cavalry in the front row, men and horses alike, were riddled with holes. The war horses neighed and fell to the ground with a thud, crushing the cavalry behind them into a bloody pulp.
“Ahhh ahhh ahhh—”
Piercing screams tore through the sky.
A soldier, clutching a convulsing severed arm, stumbled away. In the next second, another cannonball exploded, sending iron nails scattering, blasting open a bloody wound in his abdomen. His internal organs spilled out of the gaping injury.
Another Pishi Army soldier, who had tried to lie down to dodge, had his forehead sliced open by an iron shard, his brain mixed with mud splattering onto his comrade’s face.
Because the Royal Court Army had just landed, their formation was relatively dense, but this allowed more people to fall into the abyss.
The once orderly military formation had now transformed into a human purgatory, filled with the screams and groans of soldiers everywhere.
Tāyánggǔ watched all this with terrified eyes, letting out a beast-like roar from his throat.
“This, this, this is impossible~”
“This cannot be the work of human hands.”
Before he could finish speaking, another round of shelling arrived. A personal guard standing nearby was hit in the neck by iron nails, his mangled body crashing heavily at his feet, warm blood splashing onto his cheek.
