The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 158: Capturing the King of Gaochang, Shanxi Merchants Take Over the World

"The city has been breached."

A cry filled with endless terror rang out in the street, like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing an uproar among the crowd.

Immediately afterwards, shouts echoed in every corner of Gaochang City: "The northern barbarians are rushing in."

"Run for your life!"

The children screamed in fear and the women burst into tears.

No one expected that in just a few days, Gaochang City, the pride of all Uighurs, would be conquered by the northern barbarians.

Fear and despair were written all over the faces of the people.

Some people quickly returned home and locked the doors and windows, while others blindly followed the crowd on the street and ran around.

Someone shouted, "There are no northern barbarians at the east gate. Run for your lives through the east gate!"

Then, the crowd began to surge towards the East Gate like a tide.

In this huge panic, no one could calm down and think about why there were no Jinzhou troops at the east gate.

Everyone had only one thought in their mind, which was to escape from this city that was about to be engulfed by war.

In this flurry of people, there was a group of figures that stood out. They looked obviously different from the surrounding Uighur people.

The leader was Fan Zhongxin, a businessman from Central China.

He was short and thin, and was frightened by this sudden change.

His eyes were wide open and beads of sweat kept rolling down his forehead.

He kept muttering, "Trouble, trouble."

"How come we encountered barbarians breaking into the city?"

Then he shouted to his companions behind him: "Watch our carriage closely, don't lose it."

"This is all our assets."

The Fan family has been in business for generations, but because they offended the powerful, their family fortune was almost exhausted.

In order to make a comeback, Fan Zhongxin took out the last savings of the Fan family, bought a batch of precious items such as tea and silk from the Central Plains, and took his younger brother and a group of fellow villagers to set foot on the Silk Road.

A pound of ordinary tea leaves in the Central Plains could only be sold for a few dozen copper coins, but if shipped to the Western Regions for sale, it could even be sold for several thousand coins.

Who wouldn’t be tempted by a hundredfold profit?

The profits are huge, but the risks are also quite high.

On the way, they encountered bandits, exploitation by soldiers and officers, all kinds of bad weather, and even almost died in the desert because they got lost.

But fortunately, they successfully arrived at Gaochang City.

In Gaochang City, they sold all the goods they brought with them and made a hundred times the profit.

When I was preparing to buy some goods from the Western Regions and ship them back to the Central Plains.

However, they did not expect that the northern barbarian army would march south and surround Gaochang City, and they could not get out.

And within a few days, the barbarians broke through Gaochang City.

Fan Zhongxin could only follow the crowd and flee out of the city.

If they were discovered by the barbarians, not only would their gold and silver be stolen, but their lives would also be in danger.

"Brother, where are we going?"

His younger brother Fan Zhongyi held a knife, guarded the carriage tightly, and asked loudly.

"Didn't the Uighurs say there were no barbarians in the east?"

"Let's leave the city from the east gate first, and then head south immediately."

He was not like the Uighurs who were stupid and could not think. Fan Zhongxin saw the problem at a glance.

The barbarians must have set a trap in the east, waiting for these Uighurs to fall into it.

Therefore, following the main force eastward would only mean death, and staying in Gaochang City would be even worse.

According to the experience of the Central Plains, when the barbarians broke into the city, they would inevitably engage in burning, killing and looting, and staying in the city would also mean death.

So, Fan Zhongxin could only pray that the barbarians were chasing the large Uighur army and looked down on him, a small fish and shrimp who sneaked away in another direction.

"It's over, it's over, what should I do..."

"The barbarians are cruel and will kill us all."

"I heard that everyone in Liuzhong City died."

Under the terrifying propaganda of the Uighur high-ranking officials, the Uighur people's fear of the Jinzhou Army has been deeply rooted in their bones.

Their voices trembled, they cried out, and kept pushing towards the city gate.

Fan Zhongxin and others also followed the crowd and squeezed forward desperately. Every step was extremely difficult. The people around him pushed and shouted, making it almost impossible for him to stand steadily.

Several times, he was almost knocked to the ground by the crowd. Fortunately, he was quick-eyed and quick-handed and grabbed the edge of the carriage, so he was not trampled to death.

After finally squeezing out of the city gate, I saw that most of the people continued to walk eastward.

Judging from the direction, it should be heading to Hamili, which is the second largest city in the Gaochang Kingdom and should be able to resist the Jinzhou army for a period of time.

However, Fan Zhongxin did not dare to follow the crowd, but went straight south after leaving the city gate.

Go where there are fewer people.

There was also a small number of people heading south.

However, just as Fan Zhongxin was waiting to ride the camel and pull the carriage quickly south, a low roar suddenly came from behind him.

Another rough voice sounded.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way."

"Get out of the way."

Fan Zhongxin was subconsciously shocked, thinking that the barbarians were chasing him.

Turning around, I saw a group of Uighur cavalry rushing towards me, raising a cloud of dust. They were moving very fast, as if they were running for their lives.

The leader was a burly man who led his men to wave their whips continuously to drive away the Uighur people who were blocking the way.

Looking back, there were more than two hundred cavalrymen wearing armor and holding swords and spears, guarding several richly decorated carriages in the middle.

"Quick, get out of the way."

"Stand aside and don't block them."

Fan Zhongxin quickly asked his men to move the carriage out of the way so that it would not block the road.

The people should not fight against the officials. This is the iron rule he came to after suffering losses.

Moreover, these Uighur soldiers looked difficult to deal with, and all of them looked like they were running for their lives in panic.

If we continue to stand in front of them, there's no guarantee they'll do something violent.

Sure enough, seeing that some Uighur people with unsteady legs were still blocking the road and he was unable to dodge in time, the general soon lost his patience.

He rushed forward on his horse, knocking down all the civilians who were blocking his way. Other soldiers followed closely behind and crushed them into meat paste.

"Ahhh~"

Amid the screams of the people, the Uighur general angrily cursed, "A bunch of untouchables."

"If you dare to block His Majesty's way, I will kill all your clans. Get out of the way now."

The Uighurs were still in a slave society, with very obvious class differences.

Therefore, in the eyes of these Uighur nobles, ordinary Uighur people were not considered "people" at all.

They are beasts and tools.

When the country was in crisis, these beasts did not think about serving their country and fighting with the barbarians, but instead risked their lives to escape.

He deserves to be killed.

"It's all because of you cowards, who only dared to flee and not fight, that the capital fell."

"They all deserve to be killed."

The Uighur general cursed the people and fled in panic with his soldiers.

Fan Zhongyi was very angry when he saw this scene, and couldn't help but think of his brothers who were bullied by the powerful in the Central Plains.

Otherwise, why would the brothers risk their lives and travel thousands of miles to the Western Regions to do business?
"Hmph, a bunch of beasts, all you can do is run away. If you have the guts, go fight the barbarians on your own." Fan Zhongyi gritted his teeth and said hatefully.

An uncle next to him shook his head and sighed, "What's the point of talking to these people?"

"No matter where you are, the lives of ordinary people are worthless, and the powerful and wealthy are the most important people."

But at this moment, Fan Zhongxin's face looked quite ugly.

Because he had just learned what the Uighur general said from the translator.

His Majesty?

In other words, these soldiers are the royal guards.

Are they protecting the Gaochang King from escaping?

"It's bad, it's bad, something terrible has happened." Fan Zhongxin clapped his hands and said anxiously.

"Go, go quickly, east!"

Hearing his words, Fan Zhongyi and others were puzzled: "Brother, didn't you just say that we can't follow those people? They are too conspicuous."

Fan Zhongxin was extremely anxious and hurriedly explained, "But right now, those soldiers are the barbarians' biggest target."

"Hurry up and go, or it will be too late."

But just as he finished speaking, a low roar was heard in the distance.

Fan Zhongxin and others were all stunned. They stopped subconsciously and looked in horror in the direction of the sound.

I saw a cloud of dust rising from the horizon, and more than a thousand soldiers in white armor swept in like a surging tide.

It was like a group of demons pouring out of hell, fierce and unstoppable.

Fan Zhongyi and others who saw this scene were already frightened to the point of paleness. They huddled closely beside Fan Zhongxin, their weapons trembling slightly, their legs as shaky as sieves.

"Barbarians, the barbarians are coming."

"We're screwed."

"Brother, what should we do now?"

Fan Zhongyi's voice was filled with tears.

Before this, they had only heard from the Uighurs how fierce and terrifying the barbarians were.

But when I faced him in person, I found that I had underestimated him.

More than a thousand soldiers may not sound like a lot, but when all of them are on war horses and spread out across the grassland, one can see how terrifying their momentum is.

It was like a dark cloud pressing down on the city, and it could swallow up Fan Zhongxin and others at any time.

Fan Zhongxin gritted his teeth, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Damn it! I was implicated by those Gaochang soldiers."

He knew that these few small fry were not worth the barbarians' trouble and were just innocent victims.

"This time, it's over."

Fan Zhongxin felt sad, and there was no way he could get the wealth in the carriage.

It would be good enough to be able to keep your life. The best outcome is to become a slave of the barbarians.

In the blink of an eye, the White Armor Army tightly surrounded Fan Zhongyi and other Uighur civilians, as well as the more than 200 Uighur imperial guards.

In fear, they gathered together and stood back to back.

The white-armored soldiers rode their war horses, brandished their spears, and circled around them quickly.

They kept making strange roars like a man-eating beast, which put great psychological pressure on the Uighurs.

"Your Majesty, we are surrounded." The Uighur general shouted in horror at the carriage.

In the carriage, Yue'ersi's face was pale and her body was shaking like a sieve.

"How could this happen? We still couldn't escape after all?"

"I'm not reconciled!"

At this moment, the white-armored soldiers who were surrounding and roaring at them slowly stopped their horses and opened a passage in the middle.

A young general wrapped in cotton armor came slowly towards them on a tall horse.

He came to the front of the encirclement, pulled the reins, looked down at the surrounded people, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a mocking smile.

"Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

At Li Xiao's command, the White Armor Army soldiers raised their bows and arrows. In an instant, a layer of frost seemed to condense in the air, and the atmosphere of tension became increasingly thick, as if it could suffocate people.

The Uighur soldiers and civilians who saw this scene all widened their eyes in horror, with despair and helplessness written all over their faces.

"no, do not want."

"Please don't kill and shoot arrows."

"We surrender, we are willing to be slaves."

At first, the people knelt on the ground with a loud noise.

Moreover, some imperial guards could not bear the fear of death, and with Gaochang City broken, they had no hope of victory.

So, when the first soldier laid down his weapon, more and more soldiers began to follow.

Like the common people, they knelt on the ground and prayed for surrender.

Of course, there are also some stubborn elements. Yue'ersi has been king for so many years. If he didn't have confidants, he would have been killed many times.

"Kill~"

A dozen soldiers, like warriors determined to die, charged towards the White Armor Army with spears in hand.

Li Xiao rode on his horse, watching all this coldly, and just waved his hand lightly, giving the order to shoot.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Dozens of them streaked across the sky, whistling sharply and pouring down towards the oncoming Uighur soldiers.

In the blink of an eye, all these soldiers were shot into hedgehogs and fell off their horses with screams.

Fan Zhongxin and others also knelt on the ground, looking at the tragic scene in horror.

Fan Zhongyi was so frightened that he was shaking all over, his teeth chattering: "Brother, this...what should we do? Will we also..."

Fan Zhongxin's face was equally pale, and he secretly groaned in his heart.

"Hush, and I hope we can escape this."

Soon, the ferocious white-armored soldiers rushed onto the carriage, pulled Yue Ersi out and threw her to the ground.

A woman's scream was heard from a carriage behind.

Queen Gaochang and Princess Ayina huddled together, squatting on the ground, shivering.

Because they escaped in such a hurry, Yue'ersi didn't have time to take all the concubines with her, so she could only take the queen and Ayi Na with her.

The other concubines are still in the palace.

At this moment, Li Xiao rode a warhorse, followed by several personal soldiers, walked up to Yue Ersi and the others, looked down at them and asked.

"King Yue'ersi of Gaochang?"

Although Yue'ersi was trembling all over and her gorgeous clothes were covered in mud, she still stood up and asked in a timid tone.

"I am the King of Gaochang. Who are you?"

It was also the first time that Li Xiao saw Yue'ersi's appearance. He had a big belly and looked like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. He would be out of breath after walking a few steps, let alone riding a horse.

Looking at Balshu, he seems to be a flexible person, but looking at his father, he is a loser.

Li Xiao was greatly disappointed.

"This is Li Xiao, the governor of Jinzhou, Marquis of Wucheng, and General Zhengxi." Li Xiao said in a faint voice.

"Are you Li Xiao?" Yue'ersi was surprised.

I thought Li Xiao should be quite old, at least a young man in his twenties.

But it looks like it's a little smaller.

Aina, who was squatting on the ground and shivering, raised her head and secretly glanced at Li Xiao when she heard his name.

"He is Li Xiao?"

Is this the bad guy who specifically asked me to marry?
Moreover, her fiancé, Ohga Chuluodo, whom she had only met a few times, seemed to have died at his hands.

In Ayi'na's subconscious impression, Jinzhou Governor Li Xiao should be a middle-aged man with a ferocious look, a face full of flesh, a tiger head and leopard eyes.

Unexpectedly, it was a young man about the same age as me.

He looks handsome~
At this moment, Aina was suddenly not so scared anymore.

"Li Xiao, you've come just in time. I want to see the King of the Sixth Court. Gaochang is willing to join the Northern Frontier."

Yue'ersi still tried to retain the last dignity of the King of Gaochang, and stood straight in front of Li Xiao and said.

"Take refuge?"

"What were you doing so far?" Li Xiao sneered.

If Yue'ersi had shown this attitude before the Jinzhou Army entered Gaochang, Li Xiao would not have started a war.

Now that Gaochang City has been captured, you're still talking about surrendering?
He has no such qualifications at all and is just a prisoner of war.

But he was the king after all, so Li Xiao was still willing to give him some preferential treatment and exempt him from labor.

"Take them all away."

Li Xiao shouted in a deep voice.

I didn't continue to pay attention to Yue Ersi. This guy's fate was already determined.

He could have fallen off a horse or choked to death while drinking water.
Afterwards, the White Armor Army drove the Uighur soldiers and civilians back.

In this war, Li Xiao surrounded Gaochang City on three sides and left one side open, with the aim of allowing the people in the city to escape.

The Jinzhou Army is composed of cavalry, which is not conducive to street fighting.

But once they got outside the city, it was the Jinzhou Army's world.

Moreover, the escape of many soldiers and civilians also facilitated the Jinzhou Army's occupation of Gaochang City.

"Who are those people?"

On the way back, Li Xiao noticed Fan Zhongxin and his group.

Because in terms of appearance, they are obviously different from the surrounding Uighurs, and their dress is also like that of people from the Central Plains.

Li Xiao quickly noticed them.

"I'll go and bring them here." Tietou said in a deep voice.

Soon, Fan Zhongxin and others were brought in front of Li Xiao and all knelt on the ground.

"Are you from the Central Plains?"

Li Xiao asked in a faint voice.

When Fan Zhongxin heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He even secretly glanced at Li Xiao, a young general with a Han Chinese face.

"Han people?"

“They are actually Han Chinese?”

Fan Zhongxin was shocked.

It turns out that the barbarians referred to by the Uighurs actually referred to the Han people?

This made Fan Zhongxin feel both amused and helpless. He never expected that one day, they, the Han people, would also become barbarians in the Western Regions thousands of miles away.

Of course, what excited Fan Zhongxin the most was Li Xiao’s accent.

A mouthful of Yanyun flavor!
It sounds particularly intimate.

"Yes, yes, yes." Fan Zhongxin nodded hurriedly.

"My name is Fan Zhongxin, and I'm from Datong Prefecture in the Central Plains."

Hearing this, Li Xiao looked at him a few more times.

It was the first time he saw people from the Central Plains.

Datong Prefecture is the Datong of later generations.

Xijing, now one of the five capitals of the Jin Dynasty, has a high political status.

During the Liao Dynasty, Datong Prefecture was also called Yunzhou and was one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

The ancestors of Li Xiao and other Han people from the Western Regions all came from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

So the accents of the two people are quite similar.

"People from Datong Prefecture, what are you doing in Gaochang?" Li Xiao asked softly, staring at Fan Zhongxin with burning eyes.

Spy? Or messenger?
Do you want to kill it with one knife?
Being stared at like this by Li Xiao, Fan Zhongxin felt a chill on his neck and quickly said, "Traveling merchant."

"I am a businessman, and I came to the Western Regions to buy and sell things."

"What to buy? What to sell?" Li Xiao asked quickly.

"Tea, silk, porcelain, pepper, spices, jade, and glass bought from Gaochang~"

"How much does tea cost? And how much does silk cost?"

"Tea sells for three copper coins per pound in Gaochang City~"

Li Xiao asked several questions in succession, and Fan Zhongxin's answers were all correct.

Li Xiao began to believe in his identity as a businessman.

"Shanxi merchants!"

Unexpectedly, in this era, merchants from Jin had already risen and even expanded their trade to the Western Regions.

What an adventurous bunch!

"Since you are a businessman, then Bendu will not make things difficult for you."

"It's just right. I have something to ask you." Li Xiao said lightly.

Afterwards, he ordered his men to release Fan Zhongxin and his group, and return all their goods and money to them.

"Thank you, Grand Commander. Thank you, Grand Commander."

Fan Zhongxin and others hurriedly expressed their gratitude, feeling as if they had survived a disaster.

This Grand Commander is a pretty nice guy.

This was his first time in the Western Regions.

I thought the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties was gone, and the Western Regions had long since become the world of the Hu people.

I didn't expect that the Han people would be so powerful in the Western Regions.

The powerful Gaochang Kingdom had its capital captured by the Han army.

They are also called barbarians. In Fan Zhongxin's view, this name is not derogatory, but a synonym for barbaric and powerful.

This shows that the Hu people in the Western Regions were very afraid of this group of Han people.

Thinking of this, Fan Zhongxin inexplicably felt a sense of honor.

"If this Grand Commander were to rule the Western Regions in the future, then no one would dare to trouble Han merchants like me when we come to do business there, right?"

Not long after, Li Xiao and others returned to the outskirts of Gaochang City and set up a prisoner-of-war camp on an open space.

Not long after, almost all the Uighurs who had fled in other directions were driven back.

Thanks to Yue'ersi's supervision, Wen Ta, the young eunuch of Western Liao, was unable to leave the mansion and was directly captured by the Jinzhou army.

"I heard that Yue'ersi was also a fierce general when he was young. After being a king for so many years, I'm afraid he has forgotten how to kill."

Inside the big tent, Li Xiao said calmly, "I'm gone."

"Go and ask Yue'ersi to kill him."

"As ordered!"

Soon after, Chen Chong came to report: "According to the Uighurs' identification, all the officials and ministers in Gaochang City have been identified. Please give your instructions, Grand Commander."

Gaochang officials?

In Li Xiao's view, they are just a bunch of parasites.

He simply waved his hand and said, "Sulfur Ditch needs them, send them all to mine ore."

"As ordered!"

Li Xiao planned to recruit the Uighurs for his own use in the future and incorporate them into the big family of the Chinese nation.

But the first ones to be kicked out are these black-hearted officials and aristocrats.

Li Xiao prepared to carry out a bottom-up purge of the Uighurs.

(End of this chapter)