Chapter 278: Doesn’t He Look Just Like A Dog To You?
Kashgar, capital city of the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate.
The sky was dyed crimson by the morning sun, like burning flames, heralding a new beginning.
This day was Gudulu’s ascension to Khan, a grand occasion, with the entire city immersed in a solemn and tense atmosphere.
In history, Yusupu Khan had two more years to live.
But due to the rise of the Northern Frontier, the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate suffered successive heavy blows, with tens of thousands of troops defeated in the Northern Frontier, and even Yusupu’s younger brother becoming a captive of the Northern Frontier Army.
Even more so, last year Er Hu led the Northern Frontier Army south, attacking and capturing fortifications along the way, reaching Jimo City; if not for the impending winter unsuitable for continued combat.
Perhaps the Northern Frontier Army could have directly reached Kashgar.
The successive blows prevented the old Khan from surviving his last two years; he passed away just as summer began.
The new Khan was Yusupu’s son Gudulu, whose two daughters were respectively married to Li Xiao and Er Hu as concubines.
The reason for choosing his daughters for the marriage alliance was also to pave the way for his ascension.
In the royal court, the atmosphere was grave and solemn.
Gudulu wore a white robe embroidered with golden threads, a turban inlaid with turquoise and gems on his head, standing under the tall dome, sunlight streaming through colored glaze windows onto him, outlining a sacred silhouette.
Around him, senior Hanafi School clerics wore black robes, holding《Qur’an》, softly reciting scriptures.
Gudulu stood straight, under the witness of numerous nobles, generals, and religious personnel, facing the direction of Kerpin, loudly reciting: “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
“And I, Sulaiman bin Gudulu, shall abide by Hanafi School law, taking it as the foundation for governing the state.”
“I shall strive for the unity and territorial integrity of the Kara-Khanid Khaganate, protecting the lives and property of every subject.”
“I will treat all ethnic groups in the country fairly, fulfill the duties of Khan, relieve the poor people, build water conservancy, and make the nation prosperous.”
“May the Lord grant me wisdom to govern this land justly, safeguard the faith, and shelter the subjects.”
As his words fell, nobles, generals, and religious personnel erupted in enthusiastic cheers, “Assalamu alaikum” greetings rising one after another.
Immediately after, a confidant minister of the old Khan stepped forward, holding an ancient saber with both hands, its blade engraved with mysterious patterns, the hilt inlaid with emeralds.
“This saber is the sword guarded by generations of Khans for the state and faith; today it is handed to you, may you be as heroic as your ancestors.” The minister said respectfully.
Gudulu received the saber with both hands and solemnly announced: “I swear by the name of Allah.”
“This saber’s blade shall forever point at the enemies of the Kara-Khanid Khaganate—whether horse bandits in the desert or jackals coveting this land.”
As his words fell, the nobles and generals in the royal court cheered again.
“Gudulu Khan! Gudulu Khan!”
Their boots heavily stomped the blue stone slabs, the rhythm neat like war drums, full of jubilation.
But amid this enthusiastic cheering, a royal court Imperial Guard commander suddenly squeezed out from the crowd.
Gudulu frowned slightly, instinctively turning sideways, and the commander immediately leaned in to whisper two sentences.
“What?”
Gudulu’s Adam’s apple rolled sharply, his voice extremely low but with a barely perceptible tremble.
His eyes suddenly widened, the joy of ascension vanishing instantly.
The corner of his eye quickly scanned the back rows of the crowd—where several of his brothers stood, holding wine cups and chatting with smiles, but their smiles like poisoned knives, their gazes occasionally flicking toward him.
Cold sweat instantly beaded on Gudulu’s back; if he showed any panic at the ascension ceremony, these eyeing brothers would likely jump out immediately.
Of course, the most important thing was to complete the ascension ceremony first.
Decide on other plans after the position was secured.
“Nothing major, continue.”
He quickly suppressed the storm in his eyes, his voice steady as if discussing the weather.
The cheers surged again, and the ceremony finally ended as the sunset dyed the royal court’s golden dome red.
Gudulu forced himself to accept the last wave of blessings, then turned and walked toward the inner palace, his white robe hem nearly tripping him over the threshold.
The study door slammed shut, and Gudulu yanked off his turban, smashing it onto the table covered with sheepskin.
With his back to the several confidant ministers who had just entered, he said in a low voice: “Just received news that the Northern Frontier barbarians have invaded south again.”
Then, he spun around sharply, his face ashen, fury nearly spilling from his eyes.
“This time it’s not small-scale looting; they have many cavalry, and Jimo has once again been breached by them.”
“Even the Northern Frontier barbarians’ vanguard has reached Kerpin, heading straight for our Kashgar.”
Adie Shuni, the Uyghur minister in charge of military affairs, also turned shocked and horrified.
He couldn’t help recalling the wars with the Northern Frontier Army over these years.
The Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate army, as auxiliary army of the Western Liao royal court, had never won against the Northern Frontier Army.
Instead, they suffered successive losses, even being fought to Jimo City last year, forcing the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate to hand over three princesses for marriage alliance before the Northern Frontier barbarians retreated with looted people and property.
The old Khan was so angered by this that he died.
Unexpectedly, the Northern Frontier barbarians came again this year?
“The Northern Frontier barbarians accepted our princesses for marriage alliance and should have lived in harmony with our Kara-Khanid Khaganate, yet they tear up the face and invade south again.”
“Barbarian sorts truly have no credibility whatsoever, utterly shameless.” Adie Shuni’s face flushed red as he angrily cursed.
Last year, he had personally delivered the three princesses to the Northern Frontier Army Camp as envoy, thinking the thread of marriage alliance could bind peace, but now the Northern Frontier Army’s iron hooves came again.
He, the marriage envoy, had become the shame of the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate.
The other Uyghur general Qibi Piga was equally furious, loudly declaring: “Khan, this general is willing to lead troops to meet them; last year’s account hasn’t been settled yet.”
Gudulu was about to speak when the Imperial Guard commander pushed the door open again.
“Khan.”
The commander’s voice was even lower than before, with an ominous sluggishness: “Just received news that Kerpin has been breached.”
“The Northern Frontier barbarians also sent a letter.”
“What?”
Gudulu shot to his feet, his face changing abruptly, pupils contracting in disbelief.
“Impossible!”
Gudulu’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a tremble he himself hadn’t noticed.
Kerpin was the northern gate of Kashgar, its city walls not high but guarding the key pass on the southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains—how could it fall so quickly?
Two months ago, he had personally inspected Kerpin, where the garrison commander had patted his chest guaranteeing that even if the Northern Frontier Army attacked, they could hold for at least half a month.
How could it be breached so rapidly?
The nearby confidants’ faces also changed drastically, realizing the dire situation.
“Once past Kerpin, only Hanoiy remains; if Hanoiy falls too, the Northern Frontier barbarians’ blades will reach our Kashgar!” Adie Shuni said in shock.
In short, after breaching Kerpin, only Hanoiy stood as a barrier before the Northern Frontier Army.
There was no way around it; Southern Xinjiang was vast and sparsely populated, towns hundreds or even thousands of miles apart.
News traveled slowly, just like with Kerpin—breached, and only now did the royal court receive word.
But most importantly, the Northern Frontier Army’s cannon assault was too fierce; let alone half a month, Kerpin hadn’t held even a day.
Another general also clamored to personally lead troops north to strike the Northern Frontier Army hard.
Though bold, Gudulu paid it no mind, instead eagerly taking a sheepskin-sealed letter from the Imperial Guard commander, stained with dark red smudges, unclear if blood or mud.
Unfolding the letter paper, the writing was bold and arrogant, exuding condescending pride.
“Recently, this son-in-law heard of the old Khan’s passing and was overcome with grief; now hearing of father-in-law’s glorious ascension to Khan, overjoyed beyond measure, thus leading 100,000 elite Northern Frontier cavalry to Kashgar to offer congratulations.”
“Additionally, please father-in-law prepare 200,000 shi of grain as military provisions; and select 10,000 marriageable women of clean background and fertile, to comfort the homesick lads.”
“Hope father-in-law prepares within half a month and sends them to Kerpin for handover.”
“If overdue, this son-in-law will have no choice but to lead the troops personally to Kashgar for a candlelit reunion with father-in-law.”
Signed “Northern Frontier Fifth Garrison Commander Li Ao.”
In other words, Er Hu wasn’t even the strongest in the Northern Frontier; there were at least four tougher than him.
If they all came, wouldn’t the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate be doomed?
This was an outright threat.
Looking at this letter written in Uyghur script, Gudulu turned red with anger, nearly spitting blood.
But his vision blackened, staggering back, steadied by a guard behind him to avoid falling.
Adie Shuni snatched the letter paper, and upon seeing the content, trembled with rage: “Shameless! Utterly shameless!”
“Coming with 100,000 iron cavalry to congratulate? Who lacks manners like that? Clearly treating our Kara-Khanid Khaganate as meat on the chopping block.”
Qibi Piga was equally furious: “100,000 iron cavalry? Absolutely impossible!”
“Daring to demand 200,000 shi of grain and 10,000 women? Why not just rob!”
As soon as the words left, he froze—the Northern Frontier Army was clearly robbing, and so brazenly.
Gudulu sat in the chair, breathing heavily.
Li Ao’s letter was no congratulation, but an ultimatum.
Calling himself son-in-law, yet showing no respect for this father-in-law.
Moreover, lion’s mouth wide open, demanding 200,000 shi of grain and 10,000 women.
Simply putting a knife to this new Khan’s neck.
“Son-in-law…” Gudulu murmured the two words, feeling only full mockery.
Newly ascended to Khan, his prestige sufficient, but several restless brothers eyed the Khan’s position.
If dispatching the army against the Northern Frontier Army and winning, best case, thoroughly establishing supreme prestige.
But if defeated, those people would pounce like wolves to tear and bite.
After long consideration, Gudulu slowly turned to Adie Shuni and said gravely: “Adie, go talk to this Khan’s ‘good son-in-law’!”
After saying this, Gudulu seemed to lose all strength, slumping into the chair, teeth gritted, face full of anger.
“Khan?”
Qibi Piga, as a general, was full of disbelief, but was cut off by Gudulu raising his hand before finishing.
Then said: “Qibi, order you to immediately lead troops to reinforce Hanoiy; absolutely do not let the Northern Frontier barbarians advance one more step south.”
After Kerpin’s fall, Hanoiy became the last barrier north of Kashgar.
So it must be held at all costs.
“Send orders: garrisons at Ush, Atu, Akutu and other places, immediately come to reinforce Kashgar.”
Gudulu’s order was essentially defense as offense. He abandoned active attack and retaking Kerpin, plainly intending to use the fortress city as shield to exhaust the Northern Frontier Army’s sharpness.
Strategically, this was the safest choice.
The Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate had just changed monarch, internal undercurrents surging, several brothers eyeing his Khan position; it couldn’t withstand a major defeat.
Holding Kashgar preserved the foundation, but at the cost of abandoning Kerpin’s common people to the Northern Frontier Army and sending an envoy in humiliation to negotiate—this stifling feeling like a red-hot iron searing his heart.
After the crowd dispersed, only Gudulu remained in the study.
He walked to the window, pushed it open, night wind carrying Kashgar’s wheat scent surged in, mixed with the armor clinks of patrolling soldiers on the royal court city walls, yet bringing him no comfort.
Gazing at the moon, he suddenly recalled Central Plains history books read in youth, murmuring lowly: “This Khan’s predicament today is so similar to that of the Heavenly Khan back then.”
Back then, Emperor Taizong of Tang had just ascended, Turkic iron cavalry pressing to the Wei River, forcing him to sign an alliance, sending gold and silk, permitting mutual trade—what humiliation.
Yet in just three short years, the Heavenly Khan sent Li Jing to sweep the grassland, capturing Jieli Khan alive, trampling the Turkic royal court flat—what heroism.
“Alliance of the Wei River…”
Gudulu pressed his hand on the window frame, gritting his teeth: “Li Ao demands 200,000 shi of grain and 10,000 women today, tomorrow dares demand my Khan position, but he forgets, the Heavenly Khan endured momentary shame, and this Khan can too.”
This moment’s forbearance was not cowardice, but waiting.
Waiting for internal suspicions to dissipate, for the Northern Frontier Army to exhaust its edge under the fortress, for the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate to have elite troops and ample grain.
“What is given today, shall be reclaimed tenfold, hundredfold tomorrow.”
“The Khan of the Kara-Khanid Khaganate is no lamb for slaughter.”
Gudulu gripped tightly the saber representing the Khan’s status, murmuring firmly in a low voice.
Encouraging himself, and vowing resolve.
Newly ascended Khan Gudulu also wished to restore ancestors’ glory, rebuild the great Uyghur Khaganate.
……
Five days later, Adie Shuni arrived at Hanoiy on fast horses with reinforcing cavalry.
Dust outside the city was kicked up by hooves, the former peace long gone.
Though the Northern Frontier Army hadn’t besieged, like greedy locusts they had looted the suburban villages clean.
Smoke rose lazily from ruins in the villages, occasional shrill cries soon drowned by hoofbeats.
Those usually lofty nobles now clung to battlements, anxiously jumping.
They didn’t care about lowly persons’ lives, but those robbed farmers and herders guarded their ploughing oxen and sheep flocks, the source of endless taxation and female slaves.
Now uprooted by the Northern Frontier Army, like flesh gouged from them.
At this moment, the Northern Frontier Army soldiers outside the city were few, unable to block Kashgar’s reinforcing army from entering, but the other side also didn’t dare blindly attack the Northern Frontier forces outside.
Fearing a trap.
Cavalry reinforcements had once pursued, only to be surrounded on all sides by the Northern Frontier Army.
Thus, the current strategy was defense in place of offense, striving to subdue the enemy without fighting.
“General Qibi, you arrange defenses in the city; this official will go meet that ‘prince consort’.”
With that, Adie Shuni took only a few guards and headed toward the Northern Frontier Army outside the city.
Outside the city was not the Northern Frontier Army main force, merely probing and surveilling Hanoiy, while conveniently looting suburban villages.
Er Hu’s main force remained at Kerpin, clearing local nobles, looting grain and women.
This was meticulous work, impossible to launch an offensive on Hanoiy in short order.
Thus, under escort by Northern Frontier Army soldiers,
Adie Shuni reached outside Kerpin, from afar seeing a vast black camp like gray mushrooms spreading over the Gobi Desert.
Immediately after, a familiar sight: crimson battle flags snapping in the wind, sun and moon emblem on them exuding killing intent.
Adie Shuni took a deep breath, ignoring it, and followed the Northern Frontier soldiers onward.
After a search, and with Er Hu’s permission, Adie Shuni entered the camp.
The moment he entered the camp, a stench mixing sweat, bloody smell, and horse dung hit him, nearly making him retch.
But he could only endure the discomfort, secretly observing the Northern Frontier Army’s situation.
Compared to last year, the Northern Frontier Army was larger now.
He saw several thousand already, but far from Er Hu’s exaggerated ‘100,000’.
Moreover, these soldiers were extremely robust and fierce, showing Adie Shuni no respect, only beast-like scrutiny, as if eyeing a fattened meat for slaughter.
More shocking to him, in the camp’s corners were scattered crude tents, outside which clusters of ragged-clothed women were tied.
Their features distinctly Uyghur and Geluolu people, clearly Uyghur women looted by the Northern Frontier Army from the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate.
Now their hair disheveled, faces tear-streaked, eyes vacant as dry wells.
Some tents emitted women’s screams; some fled trying to resist, but were quickly chased by soldiers and dragged back in.
Some also lifted heads, gazing at him the “envoy” with despair, as if silently begging, or mocking his impotence.
Adie Shuni’s fists clenched tight in his sleeves, nails nearly embedding in flesh.
These nobles usually didn’t treat lowly women as people, even noble women mere marriage alliance chips in their eyes.
But at this moment, these women in the Northern Frontier Army camp were no longer nobles’ cattle and horse slaves, but symbols of the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate’s dignity and face.
Unable to protect their own country’s women, had the once-dominant Western Regions Kara-Khanid Khaganate fallen to this?
“What is the envoy dawdling for?”
The guiding soldier shoved him roughly: “The commander is waiting in the large tent.”
Adie Shuni staggered, then steadied himself.
Looking ahead, outside the largest tent stood two rows of guards, all tall and burly, their sabers still bloodied.
Adie Shuni took a deep breath, straightened his hunched back, and entered the large tent.
At first glance, he saw Er Hu seated at the head.
Now shirtless, arms each holding a half-naked Uyghur woman, wantonly groping.
The two Uyghur women not only didn’t resist, but giggled and catered, naturally, not feigned.
Seeing Adie Shuni approach and this familiar face, Er Hu chuckled: “Yo, didn’t expect a familiar face.”
“What were you called again? Some official anyway.”
“Thanks for delivering those three princesses last year.” Er Hu said with a laugh.
Then looking at the two women in his arms, pointing at Adie Shuni: “Look at this old man, doesn’t he look like a dog?”
“How about this commander makes him bark like one for you?”
The two women froze at the words, slightly fearful glances secretly sizing up Adie Shuni.
But deep in their eyes flickered faint excitement.
They were girls from commoner families, selected by Er Hu for their looks to serve him.
Feeling no grievance, but proud instead.
After all, these commoners always slaved like cattle and horses; now following Er Hu, not only living in glory and wealth, but even their family members benefited.
So the two women gladly served Er Hu tirelessly.
Now seeing a high-and-mighty figure standing before them like a Pekingese dog.
Made them even more convinced their choice was right.
This novel experience excited both women; one even boldly coquetted to Er Hu: “Yes, yes!”
“We’ve always been cattle and horses before noble masters, never seen a noble master bark for us!”
“Commander, make him bark quick!”
Hearing the women’s coquetry to Er Hu, Adie Shuni’s face turned green with anger.
Standing in the tent, trembling finger pointing at the two women, he angrily said: “Prince Consort, you Han people have a saying ‘a scholar may be killed but not humiliated’.”
“This official is the Khan’s appointed envoy, how can he be insulted by two lowly maids?”
Seeing the old man break, Er Hu burst into laughter.
“Hahaha~”
Though just for fun, it revealed the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate’s bluster hiding weakness.
Otherwise, this old man so humiliated would have stormed off, heedless of war with the Northern Frontier Army.
But since he endured, it meant the Eastern Kara-Khanid Khaganate’s internal stance favored appeasement and compromise.
Thinking this, Er Hu kneaded the two full mounds, a smirk curling his lips.
Casually said: “This commander suddenly feels the previous grain and women demands were too few.”
“If you don’t want my Northern Frontier’s iron hooves ravaging Kashgar~”
“Pay more!”
