Chapter 21: Nine Forts And Eighteen Villages
Sanhe Fort was broken through by the Geluolu People?
When Third Grandfather brought this news back to the village, the shock it caused to the villagers of Hexi Fort was considerable.
“Is the news confirmed?”
In the evening, everyone gathered in Li Xiao’s home. The Old Master sat in a chair, looking gravely at Third Grandfather.
Third Grandfather held a ladle and gulped down water from the water jar until he was full, then let out a long breath, looked at the Old Master, nodded, and said.
“Confirmed.”
“On my way back, I met someone from Sanhe Fort.”
“It was she who told me that Sanhe Fort was under siege by the Geluolu People, and she had escaped to seek reinforcements from Qiyun Village.”
“When we few arrived near Sanhe Fort, we discovered the battle had already ended, and Sanhe Fort had been broken through by the Geluolu People.”
Hearing this, the Old Master’s face became even more somber.
“Sanhe Fort is finished!”
Jin Prefecture’s Han People number around twenty thousand, living in nine forts and eighteen villages respectively.
Known as the ‘Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages’.
The scale of each fortress and village varies, with different numbers of people.
Hexi Fort has over thirteen hundred people, which is already considered relatively large.
Sanhe Fort is about the same scale as Hexi Fort, also with over a thousand people.
Moreover, the distance between them is not too far; about forty li northeast from Hexi Fort is Sanhe Fort.
“When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold!”
“Now that the Geluolu People have taken Sanhe Fort, their next target must be our Hexi Fort.” Fourth Grandfather angrily slapped the table and said.
“Do these Geluolu mongrels really delusionally think they can take all the Han People’s villages in Jin Prefecture?” Another elder in the village snorted and said.
“Fight them to the death.”
“To take our Hexi Fort, they must first leave two thousand lives behind.”
The others in the room chimed in one after another.
The Old Master listened to these old comrades silently, then turned to look at Li Xiao.
“Da Long, what are your thoughts?”
Nowadays, Li Xiao has become the Fort Master of Hexi Fort, though his prestige is far from reaching that level.
The reason the Old Master hastily passed the position to Li Xiao was also because he felt his body was failing, and something unexpected might happen any day.
Passing the position to Li Xiao early was also to allow him to establish prestige sooner.
Moreover, as long as the Old Master was alive, he could suppress other voices in Hexi Fort and help Li Xiao grow quickly.
So at this moment, by having Li Xiao speak, the Old Master seemed to be examining him, but was actually helping him step forward and take a leading role in some matters.
“In my view, the Geluolu People’s occupation of Sanhe Fort is a show of strength to us.” Li Xiao faced everyone and said in a deep voice.
“A show of strength?” Third Grandfather’s eyes narrowed.
Li Xiao continued: “If I were the leader of the Geluolu Rebels, after victory in the Battle of North Mountain, I would immediately order messengers sent throughout Jin Prefecture.”
“Using the great victory’s prestige from the Battle of North Mountain to deter the tribes of Jin Prefecture into submission.”
“Because the Geluolu People’s enemies have never been us Han People, but the Khitan People of the Royal Court.”
“The best approach is to intimidate with power and tempt with benefits against the tribes of Jin Prefecture before the Eastern Capital Army arrives.”
“Seize the opportunity to divide the tribes of Jin Prefecture, bind all of Jin Prefecture to the Geluolu People’s war chariot, consolidate strength, and engage the Eastern Capital Army in a decisive battle.”
“Therefore, the Geluolu People breaking through Sanhe Fort is a show of strength to us.”
“Telling the other Han People of Jin Prefecture that if they do not submit to them, Sanhe Fort will be everyone’s fate.”
After Li Xiao finished speaking, Third Grandfather and the others looked grim.
“Hmph, these damned Geluolu mongrels are simply arrogant.” Third Grandfather slapped the table angrily and said.
The others also shouted: “The Geluolu People are courting death.”
“We Hexi people won’t be intimidated by them?”
“Anyone afraid of death is not a Hexi person.”
Everyone in the room was filled with righteous indignation.
In the Battle of North Mountain, Hexi Fort suffered many casualties, and Li Xiao’s stepfather died in that battle, making this grudge impossible to resolve.
Moreover, not long ago, Hexi Fort had killed over a hundred Geluolu People.
Therefore, the Geluolu People’s attempt to intimidate Hexi Fort into surrendering was nothing but wishful thinking.
“Although our Hexi Fort will never collude in evil with the Geluolu People, what about the other villages? What about the other nomadic tribes?”
Li Xiao looked at the angry crowd and suddenly said in a low voice.
As soon as he spoke, everyone’s voices stopped abruptly, and their gazes turned to Li Xiao in unison.
“Not everyone can face death fearlessly.”
“Fear of death is human nature.” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.
“Occupying Sanhe Fort is deterrence; next, the Geluolu will use inducements.”
Li Xiao stood up and said to everyone: “In recent years, the Khitan People’s taxes on Jin Prefecture have grown heavier, whether by order of the Royal Court or private actions of the Jin Prefecture Governor’s Mansion.”
“In short, many in Jin Prefecture are dissatisfied with the Khitan People.”
“And in the Battle of North Mountain, the Geluolu People must have captured quite a few captives, which they might use as leverage to force the tribes and villages of Jin Prefecture to submit.”
“Captives?” Hearing this word, everyone’s faces changed slightly, followed by silence.
It had to be admitted that Li Xiao’s analysis was very accurate.
Most of the time, combining carrot and stick, coercion and inducement, was quite effective.
“If the Geluolu People really do as Da Long says, the situation in Jin Prefecture will likely worsen.”
“Some might really defect to the Geluolu!” Fourth Grandfather said with a slight frown.
“Not to mention other tribes, even among us Han People there are plenty of traitors.” Third Grandfather said with a gloomy face.
“Especially that bunch from Hou Village, none of them are any good.”
The Han People of Jin Prefecture are not of one mind either, with their own conflicts and struggles.
Just like the grudge between Hexi Fort and Hou Village, which traces back to their ancestors.
The husbands of Hexi Fort have always looked down on the spineless bunch from Hou Village.
If after the Battle of North Mountain, the Geluolu People could, as Li Xiao said, use carrot and stick on the Han People of Jin Prefecture, wave the big banner, and offer flatbread.
Then use captives as leverage: release them upon submission, but for stubborn villages, kill the captives first, then attack and capture fortifications.
Under coercion and inducement, many would surely join the Geluolu Rebels.
Not to mention other villages—even in Hexi Fort itself.
If the Geluolu People used Hexi Fort’s young and strong as threats, the interior of Hexi Fort would likely become unstable.
“These Geluolu People deserve to die!” An elder said angrily; one of his sons had gone to North Mountain and his fate was still unknown!
“Big trouble!”
“Pull one hair and the whole body moves; if any village can’t hold out and submits to the Geluolu People, the other villages will inevitably waver.”
“In the end, even if only our Hexi Fort remains, we won’t be able to hold out.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Fight them to the death.”
Finally, everyone’s gazes unconsciously turned to Li Xiao.
This also showed that this young Fort Master’s voice carried more and more weight among them.
“Of course we fight; we never intended to collude in evil with the Geluolu People anyway.” Li Xiao crossed his arms, leaned against the doorframe, shook his head, and said.
Joining the Geluolu Rebels was impossible.
Leaving aside the hatred between Hexi Fort and the Geluolu People, the Western Liao Dynasty still had twenty years before its downfall.
During that time, not one of the Geluolu rebellions succeeded.
This meant that following the Geluolu offered no prospects at all.
Once the Eastern Capital Governor’s Mansion gathered armies from other parts of the Northern Frontier, under numerical superiority, eliminating this Geluolu rebel force was only a matter of time.
The tribes and villages that joined the Geluolu rebellion would inevitably face reckoning.
“But we can’t just passively take hits.”
Li Xiao swept his gaze over everyone and said in a deep voice: “We must take the initiative to strike.”
“Otherwise, when the Geluolu People gather more forces to besiege Hexi Fort, we probably won’t last until the Eastern Capital reinforcements arrive.”
Everyone nodded lightly at Li Xiao’s words, deeply agreeing.
Although Hexi Fort had moats and walls for defense, waiting for the Geluolu People to prepare and attack was far too passive.
“Any ideas, Da Long?” Li Dashan looked at Li Xiao with hope.
Through the previous battles, Li Xiao had successfully established a trustworthy image in everyone’s hearts.
Even Li Dashan, as his uncle, had unconsciously begun to follow Li Xiao’s orders.
Li Xiao did not answer immediately but turned to Third Grandfather and asked: “Third Grandfather, did you just say that Wuya Village to the east is also under attack from the Geluolu?”
“That’s right.” Third Grandfather nodded lightly.
“When I went to Qiyun Village the day before yesterday, I learned that Wuya Village was under attack by the Geluolu People.”
Li Xiao analyzed: “Wuya Village is at the foot of Golden Mountain, over two hundred li from Sanhe Fort. The Geluolu Rebels couldn’t reach Sanhe Fort and occupy it in a single day.”
“The only explanation is that the Geluolu Rebels have divided their forces.”
After the Battle of North Mountain, the Geluolu Rebels in Jin Prefecture had achieved a phased victory, but their threat had not disappeared.
They knew very well that once the Eastern Capital learned the news, more armies would surely be sent to suppress them.
Time was not on the Geluolu People’s side.
As Li Xiao had said before, to consolidate more strength against the Eastern Capital Army, the Geluolu People had to quickly subdue the other tribes and Han villages of Jin Prefecture.
With limited time, dividing forces was the best choice.
Moreover, these Geluolu People surely believed that the Battle of North Mountain had broken the backbone of Jin Prefecture’s other tribes.
Even if they divided their forces, with the lingering prestige of the Battle of North Mountain, they could easily crush Jin Prefecture’s other tribes and villages.
“To save time, the Geluolu People must have split into two routes, or even three, to subdue the tribes of Jin Prefecture.”
“Therefore, the Geluolu People who occupied Sanhe Fort are not too numerous.”
“Moreover, in the Battle of North Mountain, the Geluolu People surely suffered significant casualties. Of the initial three thousand plus rebels, the number still able to mount and fight is probably around two thousand to two thousand five hundred.”
“Plus the over one hundred Geluolu Cavalry we eliminated before.”
“So, the Geluolu Rebels now in Sanhe Fort number around eight hundred.”
After speaking, Li Xiao looked sharply at everyone and said in a deep voice: “We might be able to give them a night raid.”
