Chapter 233: The Second Eastern Expedition Against Western Xia
Winter departs and spring arrives, all things revive, and the land bursts forth with vitality.
Melted snow water flows down ravines from the Tianshan Mountains, rushing out like silver ribbons in the Tuha Basin, nourishing the sleeping land.
The Uyghur people have long since polished their kandmans to a shine, and they surge into the farmlands in groups.
This is the season for spring planting.
Men bend their waists and swing their kandmans, breaking up the hardened soil clumps, while women scatter selected cotton seeds into the moist earth.
Cotton is one of the main sources of income for the Uyghur people.
After planting in spring comes harvest in autumn; the cotton produced is in short supply in the Northern Frontier.
However, the price of cotton is not determined by the market; even if it is extremely scarce, it is difficult to sell at a high price.
This is because the cotton and grain of Gaochang are under the economic control of the Hexi Merchant Guild, and private trading is prohibited.
The Hexi Merchant Guild sets a unified price to purchase the grain and cotton from the Uyghur people.
This does not give the Uyghur people the opportunity to earn a lot of money, but it can satisfy their daily needs for sustenance.
After days of hard work, the Uyghur people finally scattered cotton seeds into the soil, awaiting them to take root and sprout.
But their days of ease did not last long, as they were broken by an official from Hami City.
“Lord Dinia, welcome to Ya Geluo Village as our guest.”
Although he knew this official’s arrival would bring no good news, the village head still put on a welcoming attitude to entertain him.
Ya Geluo Village is a relatively large village outside Hami City, with a population of over a thousand people.
However, it is mostly composed of the old, weak, women, and children, with fewer young men and young women.
This is because two years ago, the Northern Frontier Army broke through the Kingdom of Qocho and plundered a large number of civilians.
Many young Uyghur men were turned into slaves to mine and farm, and young women were taken as spoils of war. Many have likely already given birth to children for the Northern Frontier Army by now.
Only these less valuable old, weak, women, and children were allowed to return, continue farming, and contribute to the logistics of the Northern Frontier Army.
Therefore, although Ya Geluo Village has a large population, its strength is not considerable.
There are only a little over a hundred young and strong men, who basically are the ones who fled into the desert, were not captured by the Northern Frontier Army, and returned later.
But these men lead quite comfortable lives; there are not enough young women, but there are quite a few older widows.
One by one, they have all settled down in Ya Geluo Village.
This time, the official named Dinia has come for these young and strong men.
“Old Ya Geluo, this official has come to convey the King’s order.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of disdain flashed through the village head’s mind.
Who doesn’t know now that the King is merely a puppet of the Prime Minister.
The entire Gaochang Kingdom is now controlled by the Prime Minister; more specifically, it is controlled by the Northern Frontier barbarians behind the Prime Minister.
The King is merely an incompetent and decadent ruler who indulges in pleasure.
“The spring planting has now ended, and the young and strong men from various villages are now free.”
“The King has ordered that Ya Geluo Village prepare one hundred young and strong men, bring their own weapons and grain, and gather at the Kereke Grassland outside Hami City within ten days.”
“Failure to arrive by the deadline will result in the execution of the entire village!”
After hearing this, the village head of Ya Geluo’s expression immediately changed, and he said in a panic, “One hundred young and strong men? But Ya Geluo Village is full of the old and weak, where can we find one hundred young and strong men?”
“Lord Dinia, this is asking for our lives!”
“Please be merciful and make an exception.”
Dinia glanced at him with a half-smile, without further argument.
Since one hundred people were specified, he naturally knew the situation of Ya Geluo Village.
He merely said lightly, “Alright, old Ya Geluo, instead of begging this official, you should think about how to gather one hundred people’s grain and weapons.”
“This official still has to go to the next village; I won’t be staying.”
Afterward, Ya Geluo took the gifts from Ya Geluo Village and went to the next village to deliver the order.
However, after learning this news, the villagers all wore expressions of terror, nervousness, and panic.
“One hundred young and strong men?”
“Good heavens, is it going to war again?”
“Our village only has a little over a hundred young and strong men in total.”
“What should we do? Are the Northern Frontier barbarians going to send us to our deaths?”
“My husband went to the Xia Kingdom to fight for the Northern Frontier barbarians and never returned. Are they going to send my son to the battlefield now?”
The villagers all had sad expressions, with a natural fear of war, but no one dared to disobey the orders from Hami City.
After all, the messenger had already said that if they didn’t hand over one hundred young and strong men, the next group to come to Ya Geluo Village would not be just this small number.
It would be the Hami City Guard, or even the terrifying Northern Frontier Cavalry!
“Why don’t we escape?”
“My child is about to be born, and I don’t want him to be without a father.”
A middle-aged woman in her thirties, with a pregnant belly, grabbed the arm of a young man next to her.
After finally finding such a young man to take responsibility, if he were to die on the battlefield, leaving them as a widowed mother and orphan, they would have no means of support again.
“Where can we escape to?”
“The desert?” someone retorted.
If they escaped into the desert, they could avoid military service, but how would they live?
Otherwise, why would those who had previously fled to the desert and escaped the disaster return?
Moreover, it would be even more impossible for so many old, weak, women, and children to escape together.
“There is one more option, rebellion,” a man said in a low voice, a cold glint in his eyes.
“Rebellion?”
“Are you crazy? With our small group, we’d be wiped out as soon as we left the village.”
“This is not rebellion, this is seeking death,” another man said angrily.
“With our small numbers, it’s certainly not possible, but there are many Uyghur people at Jue Luo Hei Ta Er.”
“As long as we can rescue them, and our strength becomes great, we can counterattack Hami, kill the traitors, and rescue the King.”
Hearing this plan, the people in the room fell silent.
Some were filled with worry, while others felt there was a glimmer of success.
Jue Luo Hei Ta Er is located more than thirty li north of the village.
It was originally just a barren mountainous area, filled with stones and weeds, but after the Northern Frontier barbarians arrived, they sealed off the entire mountainous area.
And brought in over a thousand Uyghur slaves to dig for something in the desolate mountains, which was very mysterious.
Some say the Northern Frontier people discovered a gold mine there, while others say it is just an iron mine.
If those people were rescued, they would indeed have the strength to fight.
But this idea was directly rejected by the headman of Ya Geluo.
“It won’t work!”
“If we rebel, we will not only have to face the City Guard but also those terrifying Northern Frontier Cavalry.”
“A thousand-strong cavalry detachment of the Northern Frontier is permanently stationed in Hami.”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone immediately fell silent.
Gaochang, as a vassal state of the Northern Frontier, how could Li Xiao possibly ignore it?
A chiliarch of cavalry is stationed there year-round, responsible for monitoring Gaochang, under the jurisdiction of the Second Garrison of the Great Desert.
Therefore, for ordinary lowly people to rebel would be akin to a hellish difficulty.
Soon, as time came to the sixth day, a Uyghur man ran back to the village in a panic.
With a terrified expression, he shouted, “Cavalry, there are many cavalry!”
Upon hearing this, the villagers became panicked, some wanting to flee, others hiding in cellars in terror.
The rumbling sound grew closer, like thousands of war drums beating underground, causing the withered branches of the old poplar at the village entrance to tremble.
Soon, a yellow wall rose from the northwest, several zhang high, enclosing countless red figures within, and a crimson Sun and Moon Battle Flag fluttered and snapped in the cold wind.
These cavalry were all clad in dark red cotton armor, wielding hooked scythe spears, with cavalry sabers at their waists, and carrying bows and arrows, maces, and other weapons on their horses.
Each man had three horses, two for changing mounts and one for carrying supplies.
The dense Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry formed a crimson tide, their dark red armor exuding a sinister aura under the sunlight, bloodthirsty and terrifying.
The sound of hooves, the wind, and the shouts of men and neighs of horses carried for several li, making the villagers of Ya Geluo Village tremble in their rooms.
“Commander, there is a Uyghur village ahead.”
A scout returned from the front and reported, “No large-scale horse tracks were found around the village.”
This indicated that the possibility of an ambush in the village was low, unless there was infantry, but facing a large-scale Northern Frontier cavalry, it would only be suicide.
Therefore, Li Dongjiang merely waved his hand lightly and said, “No need to mind them.”
“Continue forward and rest at White Pagoda Mountain.”
The spring planting in the Northern Frontier had concluded. The Great Protector’s Mansion issued an order to dispatch six thousand troops from the Second Garrison of the Great Desert.
Led by Li Dongjiang himself, this force, as the right flank of the Northern Frontier, would march south from Liutiao Gully, pass through Hami, and advance eastward to unite with the auxiliary forces of the Kingdom of Qocho to attack Dunhuang and Guazhou in the western Hexi Corridor.
Meanwhile, Li Xiao would lead the troops of the First Garrison and Fourth Garrison, as the central flank, to cross the Tianshan Mountains and rendezvous with the Sixth Garrison troops from the Western Sea.
They would then advance south from the northern grasslands to attack the Hexi Corridor.
As for the Third Garrison in the Yin Mountains and the Fifth Garrison in Yili, they would not participate in this war against Western Xia.
After all, Li Xiao’s objective for this campaign was clear: it was still primarily about looting, prioritizing mobility over troop numbers.
“The Kingdom of Qocho is truly a land of abundance.”
“Its farmlands are well-ordered, its rivers and ditches run throughout, and its people are prosperous.”
Li Dongjiang gazed at the distant farmlands and sighed softly.
He expressed his envy for the prosperity of the Kingdom of Qocho.
The region encompassing Gaochang City and Hami City is collectively known as the Tuha Basin. The average annual temperature is very high, with ample sunlight. Coupled with the nourishment from the Tianshan snowmelt, it boasts abundant water and grass, sufficient for cultivating vast tracts of fertile land.
It is the most important grain and cotton producing region in the Northern Frontier.
“Such a treasure land must not be lost,” San Bao, standing beside him, nodded firmly.
“We must make these Uyghur people grow more grain and cotton for us.”
San Bao had now grown into a robust youth, with a resolute and rugged face somewhat resembling Er Hu.
He wore a dark red cotton armor and rested his hand on his Golden Eagle Cavalry Saber, exuding an imposing aura.
Not long ago, he had been officially appointed as a chiliarch of the Second Garrison by Li Xiao.
He was accompanying Li Dongjiang in this war against Western Xia.
However, in the eyes of his uncle, Li Dongjiang, San Bao was still quite young. Even though he was a chiliarch, his experience was still insufficient, so he was kept close to be diligently taught.
For the same reason, his younger son, Er Bao, was appointed as a chiliarch of the Third Garrison and remained by Li Dongshan’s side.
“Half of our Northern Frontier’s grain and cotton comes from Gaochang,” Li Dongjiang said in a calm voice.
“Issue the order: no harassment of the Uyghur people along the route.”
It was not out of kindness; he still needed the Uyghur people to continue farming.
Afterward, the troops of the Second Garrison triumphantly passed by Ya Geluo Village and headed towards White Pagoda Mountain ahead.
Even though they were marching at a leisurely pace, the thunder of twenty thousand war horses caused the land to tremble violently, kicking up dust and sand, making the villagers of Ya Geluo Village tremble with fear and apprehension.
Only after the Second Garrison Cavalry had completely departed did they dare to cautiously peek out.
Once they confirmed they had truly left, they breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
“You scared me to death.”
“That’s great, we didn’t die, and the Northern Frontier barbarians didn’t loot our village.”
They thought the Northern Frontier Army had changed its ways, seeming less brutal than last time.
“Perhaps it’s because we have now submitted to the Northern Frontier?”
“Yes, last time it was because our Gaochang actively attacked the Northern Frontier, angering those Northern Frontier barbarians, which is why they sent troops to attack us.”
“Now it seems that the Northern Frontier barbarians’ nature is not bad; as long as we obediently follow their orders, they won’t do anything to us.”
“Since the King has surrendered to the Northern Frontier barbarians, are we going to be Northern Frontier people from now on?”
These Uyghur people’s fear of the Northern Frontier was deeply ingrained. When the Northern Frontier showed them even a little mercy, these Uyghur people were overjoyed.
They even began to engage in self-deprecation, believing the Northern Frontier barbarians to be good people.
“By the way, what about Jue Luo Hei Ta Er?”
“Are we still going to continue?” someone suddenly said, and the atmosphere immediately became quiet.
For the past few days, they had been considering the possibility of a surprise attack on Jue Luo Hei Ta Er to rescue the mine slaves held there.
But the appearance of these Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry had dealt them a severe blow.
This massive cavalry army had arrived in Gaochang; even if they rescued the King and instigated the City Guard, it would be of no avail.
“Didn’t you see so many Northern Frontier cavalry have arrived?”
“Going to Jue Luo Hei Ta Er now would be seeking death.”
“It’s better to obediently send one hundred people to Hami.”
Jue Luo Hei Ta Er, which is officially defined by the Northern Frontier as White Pagoda Mountain, was sealed off because of the abundance of saltpeter there, and slaves were dispatched to mine it.
There were only over two hundred Mine Guard Team members overseeing more than a thousand slaves.
If they were attacked by the Ya Geluo tribe, it might indeed stir up trouble.
But now, with the Northern Frontier Second Garrison cavalry having arrived in Gaochang, any conspiracy or trickery would be a mere joke.
Not long after, Li Dongjiang and his men arrived at White Pagoda Mountain, and after resting, they continued their advance towards Hami City.
Alkus, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Qocho, had also received news of Li Dongjiang’s arrival.
The next morning, he brought the King of Qocho, Qibidu, out of the city to welcome the Heavenly Army’s arrival.
“Rumble rumble rumble~”
Warhorses thundered, and six thousand iron cavalry marched across the land, kicking up billowing sand. The terrifying deterrent force could be felt from afar.
Alkus glanced sideways at Qibidu, a smile of disdain appearing at the corner of his mouth.
“In Your Majesty’s opinion, how is the strength of the Northern Frontier Army?”
The young King of Qocho’s expression was very unnatural at this moment, his eyes darting, his demeanor flustered, he said with an awkward smile, “The Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry is unmatched under heaven.”
“Then what do you think, Your Majesty, about our Gaochang Kingdom’s army compared to them?”
As soon as these words were spoken, Qibidu became even more flustered, sweat beading on his forehead, and he stammered, “Naturally, naturally, we are far inferior~”
There was no need to doubt that Alkus already knew Qibidu’s scheme.
This young King of Gaochang was not willing to be a puppet.
During this time, he had been busy secretly making contact and preparing to overthrow Alkus.
However, all of this was seen by the cunning old fox.
“Sigh~”
He let out a heavy sigh, his face filled with distress, and said, “Your Majesty probably also thinks that I, Alkus, am a treacherous minister.”
Seeing Qibidu’s expression change drastically, wanting to explain, Alkus gently shook his head, “But who can understand the difficulties of your servant!”
“The Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry is terrifying to the extreme. With our Gaochang Kingdom’s national strength, even if we fought to the last drop of blood, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.”
“This humble minister did this out of desperation, to preserve our Gaochang’s lineage!”
After speaking, he looked at Qibidu with a firm gaze and said in a deep voice, “We can only bear humiliation and wait for the day the Northern Frontier declines.”
Listening to Alkus’s heartfelt explanation, Qibidu’s heart was also slightly moved.
But after experiencing so much, he was no longer the innocent youth he once was.
He might have some faith in Alkus’s ‘loyalty’ to Gaochang, but it was also a fact that this man controlled the court and treated him like a puppet.
Moreover, Alkus’s daughter was the woman of the Great Protector of the Northern Frontier, Li Xiao, and the two families were related by marriage.
Qibidu truly dared not trust Alkus.
“Hmph~”
Seeing Qibidu’s expression, Alkus inwardly snorted coldly.
“I hope you are smart, otherwise~”
Facing Qibidu’s petty tricks, Alkus was gradually losing his patience.
If absolutely necessary, he was prepared to let Qibidu drown himself by drinking water and then install his three-month-old son as king.
Soon, the vanguard of the Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry arrived at Hami City.
Li Dongjiang, clad in dark red armor and wearing a tasseled helmet, slowly rode forward with his guards.
“Greetings, Commander.”
Alkus and the other quickly bowed in greeting.
The Commander standing before them held an extraordinary status: the commander of the Northern Frontier Second Garrison and the uncle of the Great Protector of the Northern Frontier.
His power and status ranked among the top five in the entire Northern Frontier.
Therefore, Alkus and the other did not dare to be negligent.
Li Dongjiang did not put on airs; he dismounted and, laughing heartily, helped them up.
“Hahaha, King Qibidu, please rise.”
“General Alkus, there’s no need to be so formal, we are all family, no need for so many courtesies.”
Although Alkus’s daughter was merely a concubine to Li Xiao, she was still related by marriage, and in the absence of major conflicts of interest, they were naturally allies.
Following that, Li Dongjiang directly bypassed Qibidu and asked Alkus, the person in power in Gaochang, “Have the orders from the Great Protector’s Mansion been received?”
“They have been received. I have also issued orders to conscript six thousand young and strong soldiers from across the country, awaiting the Commander’s deployment.”
Alkus replied respectfully, then put on a distressed expression and pleaded guilty.
“However, we did not anticipate that you, Commander, would arrive so quickly.”
“It will likely take another three days for all the soldiers to be assembled.”
Li Dongjiang waved his hand slightly, “No matter.”
“My Second Garrison will rest in Hami for three days.”
“Are the provisions prepared?”
According to Li Xiao’s battle plan, Li Dongjiang would lead six thousand cavalry and six thousand Gaochang Auxiliary Army soldiers from Hami to attack Dunhuang, Guazhou, Suzhou, and other places.
Although the Second Garrison had some provisions of its own, due to transportation costs, most of it still needed to be supplied by the Gaochang Kingdom.
“Commander, please rest assured, the provisions have been prepared completely.”
“We can depart at any time,” Alkus nodded heavily.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a while longer.
Afterward, the Second Garrison set up camp outside Gaochang City.
…
Outside Dragon City, despite the frigid weather, the tremors from the land could not be suppressed.
Thousands of Northern Frontier cavalry advanced like a golden tide, their yellow banners fluttering like surging flames, their yellow armor reflecting the cold sunlight, dyeing the vast flying clouds into a dazzling golden light.
As the troops marched, organized shouts pierced through the wind and snow: “Hoo hoo hoo!”
“Hoo hoo hoo!”
In the central army, Li Xiao, clad in dark golden cotton armor, sat astride his warhorse, his dark golden cape billowing like flames in the wind.
He gazed at the departure of the First Division’s vanguard, then slowly turned his head to look at the crowd standing on the city wall to see them off.
Xiao Yanyan, Er Ya, and his other concubines, as well as his grandfather, grandmother, and other relatives, and the family members of many Northern Frontier officers and soldiers.
At this moment, all of them wore solemn expressions, their eyes filled with worry.
However, war never stops its march because of mercy or softheartedness.
The Northern Frontier can only grow stronger through continuous battles.
Li Xiao uttered no superfluous words, merely gave a slight nod before turning around decisively.
He shouted loudly, “March!”
Three thousand Wuwei Army soldiers followed closely behind, the light clinking of their armor and the muffled sound of hooves crushing the frozen earth blending together, like a golden torrent carrying the biting cold wind surging eastward.
On the city wall, the moment Li Xiao turned away, Jin Dao’s crying could be heard.
“Wah wah wah wah~”
Xiao Yanyan held the wailing Jin Dao close in her cotton robe, her fingertips gently wiping the tears from the child’s cheeks. Gazing at the receding golden torrent, she murmured softly.
“Your Father, when he leaves, who knows how many heads he will take.”
She lowered her head and kissed her son’s red cheek, tightening his collar to protect him from the biting wind.
“You’ll understand when you grow up. The men of our Northern Frontier are born to scorch this icy land with their hot blood.”
In the 26th year of Tianxi of Western Liao and the 10th year of Tianqing of Western Xia, which was 1203 AD, the Northern Frontier launched its second Eastern Expedition war against Western Xia.
The First and Fourth Divisions’ fifteen thousand cavalry formed the central army, and the Left Route Army, composed of eight thousand cavalry from the Sixth Garrison, totaling twenty-three thousand troops, would advance from north to south to attack the strategically important Black Water City in northwestern Western Xia.
The Second Division’s six thousand cavalry and six thousand Gaochang Auxiliary Army formed the Right Route Army, attacking Dunhuang and advancing eastward.
A total of thirty-five thousand iron cavalry were expected to rendezvous at Ganzhou, which was the Zhangye City of later generations.
