The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 164: The whole army was annihilated, the Han people do not fight the Han people

In the desolate Gobi Desert, sand and wind are flying, and the scorching sun is high in the sky, scorching the earth.

But the Xiping army troops that set out from Guazhou were still in good order.

Although the infantry marched very fast, the battalions maintained a perfect distance between each other, so that they could support each other without interfering with each other.

The cavalrymen guarded the front and back of the team, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes, always alert to potential dangers.

Du Luo Jianzan rode on his horse, looking ahead intently, directing the marching rhythm in an orderly manner.

This is a veteran with rich experience in war.

After all, the people in Guasha are tough. Although they have not experienced war for many years, fights often occur between villages and tribes in order to compete for survival resources.

It can be said that every man here grew up through fighting, and is tough, brave, and unruly.

The fact that Du Luo Jianzan was able to bring such a group of soldiers together and command them in an orderly manner is enough to show his ability and prestige.

If anyone else were to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Xiping Army, he would not be able to manage this group of elite soldiers and generals.

"Report, Commander~"

As they were marching, a scout came galloping from the front and shouted, "We have spotted the Uighur army twenty miles ahead, with about 10,000 soldiers."

Hearing this, Du Luo Jianzan frowned slightly and said worriedly: "Dunhuang City is in danger!"

The purpose of these 10,000 Uighur troops was to prevent himself from reinforcing Dunhuang, but it also meant that there were more Uighur troops besieging Dunhuang City.

Ji Lasiyi's condition is very critical.

"What does Gaochang Kingdom want to do? Why did they suddenly start a war?" Du Luo Jianzan couldn't figure it out.

However, Dunhuang cannot be lost.

Then he said to his personal guards: "Order the entire army to prepare for battle."

The other side only has 10,000 soldiers, while he has 6,000 soldiers.

We must fight the Uighur army no matter what.

First destroy this Uighur army, then march into Dunhuang, cooperate with the defenders in the city, and completely wipe out all Uighur troops.

Not long after, the two armies met in a Gobi Desert.

The sky was azure blue, so clear that there was not a single cloud, forming a sharp contrast with the endless yellow earth above the earth.

Ten thousand Uighur troops lined up in front, ready for battle. The infantry formed a tight square formation with long spears stacked up layer by layer, which was very majestic.

Standing a mile away were the 6,000 soldiers of the Xiping Army. Their armor was of different styles and looked uneven, like a ragtag army.

However, there was wildness and ferocity in the eyes of every soldier.

This is the perseverance they have developed after countless battles with nature and people in the vast Gobi Desert, and suffering from death and hunger.

The two sides confronted each other like this, and the Gobi Desert was filled with a strong atmosphere of solemnity and murder, and the air seemed to be frozen.

Suddenly, Du Luo Jianzan shouted: "Attack!"

The Xiping Army's infantry formation began to advance step by step.

The spearmen in the front row held their spears flat, like rows of sharp blades, stabbing straight into the Uighur army formation.

Just as the two armies were about to engage in close combat, Du Luo Jianzan suddenly shouted, "Bowmen!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the spearmen walking in the first row suddenly turned sideways, and a row of soldiers holding crossbows walked out behind them.

"Release the arrow~"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless arrows whizzed towards him, disrupting the Uighur formation. Although they were protected by shields, screams still rang out one after another.

The Xixia Shenbi Crossbow is the nightmare of every army.

"Cavalry, attack!"

Taking advantage of the moment when the Uighur formation was in chaos, Du Luo Jianzan shouted again.

The cavalry of the Xiping Army quickly surrounded them from both wings, sweeping in like a hurricane.

The horses' hooves kicked up a cloud of yellow sand, covering the entire battlefield.

The spearmen and axemen in the front also took this opportunity to launch a fierce attack.

"kill!"

For a moment, the flashes of swords and the shouts of killing were deafening.

The soldiers of the Xiping Army were fierce and fearless. With their tenacious fighting spirit and rich combat experience, they gradually broke through the defense line of the Uighur Army.

"These Uighurs are simply a bunch of trash."

In the distance, Li Dashan was holding a very simple telescope, looking at the battlefield, and hummed softly.

Li Xiao found a batch of high-definition colored glass from the Gaochang Palace, and after polishing it again, he made a batch of simple telescopes.

Very practical.

"It's our turn."

Erhu also put down the telescope and said in a deep voice.

The soldiers of the Xiping Army were brave and good at fighting, with close coordination between infantry and cavalry, and they also had the Shenbi crossbow, a powerful weapon against cavalry.

If the Jinzhou cavalry attacked rashly, whether by ambush or night attack, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses.

Therefore, at this time it was necessary to use the Uighurs as bait to disrupt the defense of the Xiping army.

The Jinzhou cavalry hid in a stone forest (Yardang landform) a few miles away, waiting for the Xiping army to show a flaw and then deliver a fatal blow.

"Sixth Uncle, my Black Armor Army will be the vanguard to break the enemy's formation. You will lead the troops to encircle them on both sides and try your best to keep all the 6,000 Xiping troops." Erhu said in a deep voice.

"it is good!"

"Boom boom boom~"

Under the fierce attack of the Xiping Army, the Uighur Army's defense line completely collapsed and the soldiers began to flee in all directions.

When the Xiping Army was about to pursue the victory, a dull and suppressed roar suddenly came from between heaven and earth, as if rolling thunder was surging up from the ground.

"There are enemies." A soldier shouted in fear.

"Commander-in-chief, the Uighurs have set up an ambush, and a large number of cavalry have appeared behind us."

Listening to the soldiers' loud reports, Du Luo Jianzan was horrified. He stood on his horse and looked back, his face turning ashen in an instant.

"You Uighur thieves, how insidious you are!"

On the ground, thousands of cavalrymen were rushing in, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Rushing in the front were the 500 black-armored soldiers led by Erhu. They were all armored cavalry, and the horses under their crotch were also covered in heavy armor. All of them had only a pair of fierce eyes showing.

Li Dashan led 3,000 light cavalry and followed closely behind, charging forward at full speed. The dust raised by their horses' hooves covered the sky and the sun, and they encircled the Xiping army on both sides like a dark cloud pressing down on a city.

The Xiping Army soldiers who saw this scene instantly panicked.

"Armored cavalry."

"The Uighur armored cavalry, damn it, they're almost here."

"Disperse, disperse quickly."

"Go away."

The soldiers shouted in panic. Facing the violent attack of more than 3,000 cavalrymen, they felt as if they were in the vast ocean.

It is so small, lonely, helpless, and in danger of capsizing at any time.

The situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse, and the Xiping Army became disorganized.

"Hold steady, don't panic! Spearmen in front, crossbowmen behind, prepare to meet the enemy!"

Doro Kenzan shouted loudly, wanting to reorganize the formation.

Unfortunately, the previous attack on the Uighur army left the Xiping army's rear defenses empty.

Most of the lethal arms, whether cavalry or crossbows, were gathered in the front.

If we want to turn things around, the armies of this era are simply not that efficient.

It's too late.

The armored cavalry led by Erhu rushed into the Xiping army's camp as if they were in an empty space.

The huge impact force caused the soldiers in the front row to stumble back and fall to the ground like straws swept by the wind, and the formation became even more chaotic.

The three thousand light cavalry led by Li Dashan also quickly surrounded them from both sides like sharp blades.

In this desperate situation of being attacked from both sides, the Xiping Army's defense line quickly collapsed.

Although Du Luo Jianzan was extremely anxious and tried his best to swing his sword, trying to regroup and save the situation, he was defeated.

The black-armored army rushed around in the formation, crushing the enemy at will. Wherever they went, the soldiers of the Xiping Army were either killed or injured.

Li Dashan's light cavalry continued to reap lives on the flanks. The soldiers of the Xiping Army were defeated one after another and their morale completely collapsed.

A quarter of an hour later, the black-armored army slowly stopped its charge. The tall war horses were panting heavily, and their bodies were splattered with blood. In the sunlight, the black armor mixed with the blood looked even more hideous and terrifying.

Erhu took off the mask, revealing a sweaty face. He turned around and saw the defeated Xiping Army and laughed.

"happy."

"Tell all the Xiping troops that if you surrender you will not be killed."

"Those who resist will be killed without mercy."

In this battle, more than 4,000 Xiping troops, including generals such as Du Luo Jianzan, were captured, and only a few escaped.

The Jinzhou Army won a great victory with extremely low casualties.

As for the number of Uighur casualties, Li Dashan and Erhu didn't care at all.

"Kneel down."

"be honest."

Du Luo Jianzan was tied up with ropes and escorted by two soldiers to Li Dashan and Erhu.

A hard kick to the knee will force the person to kneel down in humiliation, no matter how strong the bones are.

"My two captains, this man is the commander of the Xiping Army, Du Luo Jianzan. He has been captured by my men."

The person who spoke was Li Sanbao, his young face full of excitement.

Finally he caught a big fish.

"Okay, Sanbao, I'll credit you for your great contribution." Li Dashan laughed.

I couldn't help but sigh: "They are really like dragon brothers and tiger brothers!"

Li Xiao is so powerful that he has become the commander-in-chief who controls the military and political affairs of the two states in the northern border.

Erhu is also very outstanding. He is brave and unstoppable on the battlefield.

Now, the youngest of the three leopards is gradually beginning to emerge.

The three Li Xiao brothers are all outstanding people.

"Our Li family is prosperous!" Li Dashan said with a smile.

At this moment, Du Luo Jianzan was in a miserable state, dirty all over, with disheveled hair, looking just like an old farmer.

However, the eyes he looked at Li Dashan were flashing with shock and disbelief.

"Aren't you Uighurs?"

"Are you Han Chinese?" he said in shock.

It has always been believed that it was the Uighurs who attacked Dunhuang, and the infantry that the Xiping Army initially encountered were indeed Uighurs.

But why are all these people Han people?
"Are you attacking Dunhuang? Who are you?" Du Luo Jianzan asked angrily.

I can’t understand why the Uighurs of Gaochang Kingdom would listen to the orders of these Han people and mobilize the entire country to attack Western Xia.

"We are the Jinzhou Army of the Liao Dynasty!" Li Dashan laughed.

……

"Jinzhou Army?"

"Not the Gaochang Army?"

In the Dunhuang Governor's Mansion, Zhang Xinghua and Ji Lasiyi asked in surprise at the same time.

In front of them at this moment was a man wearing formal Xixia official uniform.

As a negotiation envoy, he had previously gone to the Gaochang Army camp outside the city, but unexpectedly brought news that surprised everyone.

"There are indeed many Uighurs from Gaochang outside the city, but the ones calling the shots are Han Chinese, who claim to be an army from Jinzhou."

"And those Uighurs seem to be very afraid of those Han people. It feels to me like, like~"

"slave!"

The messenger said with a troubled look on his face. Ji Lasiyi and Zhang Xinghua were equally confused: "The Uighurs in Gaochang have become slaves?"

Or it would be more appropriate to call it a vassal army, as vassal armies have always been present in wars throughout the dynasties.

But the two were even more confused.

"Golden State?"

"I heard that the area is under the jurisdiction of the Liao Kingdom's Eastern Capital. It's extremely desolate, with no signs of human habitation within dozens of miles. Why would an army be heading south?"

"Can the Gaochang army still obey orders?" Zhang Xinghua asked with a frown.

Ji Lasiyi also had a serious expression on his face. He asked the envoy, "Who is the commander of the Jinzhou Army? Why are they attacking Dunhuang?"

"The commander of the Jinzhou Army is named Li Xiao, the Grand Commander of Jinzhou." The messenger replied.

Until this moment, he still felt incredible in his heart.

Because the Li Xiao he saw was actually just a young man, who looked like he was probably less than twenty years old.

He even thought at one point that it was a fake Li Xiao.

But when he asked him why he wanted to attack Dunhuang, Li Xiao's answer made him feel ridiculous.

"Prince Balshu of Gaochang State launched a rebellion and occupied Gaochang City."

"My Jinzhou Army was ordered to march south to quell the rebellion. Although we captured Balshu, His Majesty Yue'ersi, the King of Gaochang, disappeared during the previous rebellion."

"Finally, after searching, His Majesty Yue'ersi's body was found outside Yumen Pass."

"Therefore, I, Jinzhou and Gaochang, are marching 50,000 troops eastward to seek justice for Her Majesty Yue'ersi."

"Until you, Xia, hand over the murderer, Jinzhou and Gaochang will not withdraw our troops."

After listening to the messenger's retelling, Ji Lasiyi and the other man looked at each other in shock.

"It's just ridiculous."

Ji Lasiyi slammed the table and said angrily.

"If Gaochang really did rebel, the King of Gaochang has many places to go. Why would he risk crossing the desert to come to Yumen Pass, hundreds of miles away?"

"If he is really so stupid, he is just courting death. It is not our Great Xia's fault."

Zhang Xinghua also sighed softly and said, "You are just trying to accuse me of something."

But now, they knew that the Jinzhou Army was framing them, but they had no way to do anything.

It's really terrible.

Just as the two were feeling indignant, a general suddenly came running over.

"Commander-in-chief, Lord Zhang, please come and take a look at the city wall."

"Something serious has happened."

Hearing this, Ji Lasiyi stood up suddenly and took two steps at a time to come in front of the general.

"What happened?"

"The Uighurs are attacking the city?"

The general defending the city shook his head with a bitter look on his face: "It's not a siege, but it's almost there."

Soon, the two hurried to the top of the city and saw an extremely horrifying scene.

"That's~"

Ji Lasiyi looked outside the city and his eyes narrowed.

On the desolate land outside the city, countless Uighur troops were lined up and camped, surrounding the city of Dunhuang tightly.

And right between the Uighur army and Dunhuang City, a group of Jinzhou cavalry were escorting a group of soldiers.

These people looked dejected, just like a group of plucked ducks.

But Ji Lasiyi still recognized the identities of these soldiers. After all, their clothes and temperament were so familiar.

"Guazhou's army?"

"The main force of the Xiping Army!"

Ji Lasiyi gripped the city wall so tightly that his knuckles turned white because he was squeezing too hard.

These prisoners escorted by the Jinzhou Army must be from the Xiping Army.

Judging from the number of people, there are several thousand of them, which must be the main force of the Xiping Army in Guazhou City.

"The Guazhou army was defeated?" Ji Lasiyi muttered to himself, finding it difficult to accept this result.

Without the reinforcements from Guazhou City, Dunhuang would become an isolated city and its fall would only be a matter of time.

"Look, commander-in-chief, look who that is?" The general next to him suddenly shouted in horror, pointing his finger at a figure outside the city.

He was tied up with a lasso around his body and was being pulled forward by two Jinzhou soldiers. He was staggering and looked very weak.

The moment Ji Lasiyi saw him, veins bulged on his forehead and fire seemed to be spitting out of his eyes.

"Lord Duro!"

The tied-up old man outside the city was none other than the commander-in-chief of the Xiping Army, Du Luo Jianzan.

Ji Lasiyi was the deputy commander of the Xiping Army and was usually taken care of by Du Luo Jianzan.

The other party even intended to promote him to take over the position of military commander.

But now~
"Even Lord Du Luo was arrested?"

Ji Lasiyi's eyes went dark, his body swayed slightly, and he almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, he grabbed the city wall in time.

"Commander~"

"Your Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief."

"General Ji La, are you okay?"

Zhang Xinghua and others hurried forward and asked with concern.

Ji Lasiyi gritted his teeth, waved his hand and said, "I'm fine."

However, a feeling of despair has quietly enveloped my heart.

The capture of Du Luo Jianzan by the Jinzhou army undoubtedly meant that the Xiping army from Guazhou was completely annihilated.

Even Guazhou City may have been captured by the Jinzhou Army.

“This is a conspiracy.”

"The Jinzhou Army used our Dunhuang City as bait to deliberately lure Lord Du Luo into a trap."

"Their real target is Guazhou City."

Ji Lasiyi roared angrily, his eyes were red, and his heart was bleeding.

I only regret that I didn't see through Li Xiao's conspiracy earlier, otherwise Du Luo Jianzan, who is already so old, would be implicated and still be dragged away by Jinzhou soldiers like a dog.

"Everyone, cheer up."

"Defend the city!"

"Dunhuang City will not be destroyed." Ji Lasiyi gritted his teeth and shouted.

He decided to fight the Jinzhou Army to the death.

He was a noble Dangxiang and would never surrender to the Han people.

At the same time, Li Xiao stood on horseback in the distance, watching the Xiping Army prisoners of war being escorted past the city of Dunhuang.

It's actually a parade.

In this way, the morale of the defenders of Dunhuang City could be hit, making it easier to attack the city.

"Sixth Uncle, Erhu, you did a great job."

"We wiped out six thousand Xiping troops in one battle. Not only will Dunhuang be captured soon, but even Guazhou will be in the hands of our Jinzhou Army."

Li Xiao looked at Li Dashan and Erhu and said with satisfaction.

"Haha, I learned all these fighting skills from you, big brother." Erhu said with a laugh, the teacher taught well.

Li Dashan also laughed and said, "That kid Sanbao performed quite well. He led his men to capture the Xiping Army Commander."

"As expected of a son of our Li family."

Li Xiao nodded gently: "This kid is pretty good. He didn't embarrass me, Li Xiao."

Before he knew it, Sanbao was no longer a child and was able to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy.

Previously in the desert, Li Xiao took the opportunity of expanding the army to promote him to become a sergeant.

Unexpectedly, this time, he brought his squad of men and captured the enemy commander alive.

With this kind of merit, this kid can become a centurion when the army is expanded next time.

In this era, clan bloodline is an issue that can never be avoided.

Although it may cause some inheritance troubles in the future, in the stage of conquering the world, no one can be more reliable than clan brothers.

Li Xiao also hopes that his brothers and relatives will grow up and become independent as soon as possible.

"Sixth Uncle, Erhu, you've worked hard. Take your men and rest for a while."

"Look at me today, I will break the city of Dunhuang." Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

He turned his gaze towards the direction of Dunhuang City, and saw that all the soldiers on the city wall looked as if they were facing a great enemy.

The big fish has already taken the bait, so the bait is useless.

He still had to capture Dunhuang as soon as possible, after all, he had been away from Jinzhou for quite some time.

"Send a message to General Arcus, the Hamilian army is preparing to attack the city." Li Xiao shouted.

Hard work like siege would definitely be done by the Uighurs, and Li Xiao wouldn't feel bad if they died or were injured.

"Woooooooo~"

The low sound of a horn rang out across this vast land.

The Uighur army, carrying siege ladders that had been prepared long ago, slowly approached the city wall.

Soon, the defenders on the city wall fired arrows like rain, and a large number of Uighur soldiers fell under the city wall, and their blood dyed the adobe of Dunhuang City red.

At the same time, there were many Jinzhou soldiers on horseback outside the city, holding iron trumpets and shouting around the city wall.

"Soldiers and civilians of Dunhuang City, you are surrounded."

"Don't continue to resist in vain."

"We are all Han Chinese, and Han Chinese do not fight against Han Chinese."

"Laying down your weapons and surrendering is your only way out."

"The Golden State Army guarantees the safety of you and your family."

"If anyone resists, their entire family will be executed after the city is captured."

……

These words were shouted repeatedly outside the city of Dunhuang, and the expressions of the soldiers guarding the city became strange after hearing them.

Originally, they resisted resolutely because they were afraid that the enemy would massacre them after the city was captured.

But now, with the Jinzhou Army's guarantee, their inner determination began to slowly waver.

"Are all the people outside the city Han Chinese?"

"It seems so. We can understand what they say."

"Han people don't fight Han people. This is a very good saying."

"We are all Han Chinese, why should we work for the Tanguts?"

"Yes, those barbarians bully us Han people on a daily basis. Why should we work for them now?"

"Dunhuang City is hopeless. The Xiping Army Commander has been captured. Why don't we surrender?"

The soldiers defending the city whispered to each other, and even the intensity of their arrows shot out of the city was greatly reduced.

Everyone was considering whether to surrender.

After all, Dunhuang has become an isolated city. If the Jinzhou army is really angered, it will be disastrous if the other side massacres the entire city after the city is broken.

If you surrender now, at least you can save your own life and the lives of your loved ones.

Thinking of this, many people were tempted.

Now, the only thing missing is someone to take the lead.

(End of this chapter)