The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 21 Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages

Was Sanhe Fort captured by the Karluk people?

When Third Grandpa brought this news back to the village, it had a huge impact on the villagers of Hexibao.

"Is the news confirmed?"

In the evening, everyone gathered at Li Xiao's house. The old man sat on a chair and looked at his third grandfather with a serious face.

Third Grandpa took the ladle and drank enough water from the water tank. Then he let out a long sigh, looked at the old man and nodded.

"determine."

"On my way back, I met someone from Sanhe Fort."

"She told me that Sanhe Fort was under siege by the Karluks, and she had escaped to call for help from Qiyun Fort."

"When we arrived near Sanhe Fort, we found that the battle was over. Sanhe Fort had been captured by the Qarluk people."

The old man's face became even more gloomy when he heard this.

"Sanhe Fort is finished!"

There are about 20,000 Han people in Jinzhou, living in nine forts and 18 villages.

It is called "Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages".

Each fortress has different sizes and populations.

Hexi Fort has more than 1,300 people, which is considered a relatively large city.

The size of Sanhe Fort is similar to that of Hexi Fort, with a population of more than a thousand.

Moreover, the distance between the two is not too far. From Hexi Fort to the northeast, Sanhe Fort is about forty miles away.

"The lips and teeth are interdependent!"

"The Qarlugs have taken Sanhe Fort, and their next target must be our Hexi Fort." Fourth Grandpa said angrily, slamming the table.

"Do these Karluk barbarians still dream of conquering all the Han villages in Jinzhou?" another old man in the village snorted.

"Fight them."

"If you want to take over our Hexi Fort, you must first give up two thousand lives."

Others in the room said.

The old man listened to what these old friends said in silence, then turned to look at Li Xiao.

"Dalong, what do you think?"

Today, Li Xiao has become the lord of Hexi Fort, but his prestige is not at this level.

The reason why the old man hurriedly passed the throne to Li Xiao was because he felt that his health was failing and an accident might happen to him one day.

Passing the position to Li Xiao as soon as possible is also to help Li Xiao establish his prestige as soon as possible.

And as long as the old man is alive, he can suppress other voices in Hexi Fort and help Li Xiao grow as quickly as possible.

So the old man let Li Xiao speak at this moment, which seemed to be a test, but in fact he was helping him to step forward and play a leading role in some things.

"In my opinion, the Qarluk people's capture of Sanhe Fort is a demonstration to us." Li Xiao said in a deep voice facing everyone.

"Demonstration?" Third Grandpa's eyes narrowed.

Li Xiao continued, "If I were the leader of the Karluk rebels, after the victory in the Battle of Beishan, I would immediately send a message to the entire Jinzhou."

"Use the power of the great victory in the Battle of Beishan to intimidate the tribes of Jinzhou into submission."

"Because the enemies of the Qarluk people have never been us Han people, but the Khitans of the royal court."

"The best way is to use the opportunity before the Eastern Capital Army arrives to intimidate the various tribes in Jinzhou and lure them with benefits."

"Take advantage of this opportunity to divide the various tribes of Jinzhou, tie the entire Jinzhou to the Karluk chariots, and gather strength to fight a decisive battle with the Dongdu army."

"So, the Qarluk people's capture of Sanhe Fort was a demonstration to us."

"Tell the other Han people in Jinzhou that if they don't submit to them, Sanhe Fort will be the fate of everyone."

As soon as Li Xiao finished speaking, Third Grandpa and others looked unhappy.

"Hmph, these damned Karluk people are so arrogant." Third Grandpa slammed the table and said angrily.

Others also shouted: "The Qarlugs are seeking death."

"How could we Hexi people be frightened by them?"

“If you’re afraid of death, you’re not from Hexi.”

Everyone in the room was filled with indignation.

In the Battle of Beishan, many people in Hexi Fort suffered casualties, and Li Xiao's adoptive father was even killed in this battle. This hatred could not be resolved at all.

What's more, not long ago, Hexi Fort killed more than a hundred Karluk people.

Therefore, the Qarlug people's attempt to use this to intimidate Hexi Fort into surrender was nothing but wishful thinking.

"Although we in Hexi Fort will never collude with the Karluks, what about other villages? What about other nomadic tribes?"

Li Xiao looked at the angry crowd and suddenly said in a low voice.

As soon as the words fell, everyone's voices stopped abruptly, and everyone looked at Li Xiao at the same time.

“Not everyone can face death with equanimity.”

"It is human nature to be afraid of death." Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

"Capturing Sanhe Fort is a deterrent. Next, we should bribe the Karluks."

Li Xiao stood up, looked at everyone and said, "Over the years, the Khitans have been imposing heavier taxes on Jinzhou, whether it's the will of the royal court or the private manipulation of the Jinzhou Governor's Office."

"In short, there are many people in Jinzhou who are dissatisfied with the Khitans."

"And during the Battle of Beishan, the Qarlugs must have captured quite a few prisoners. They might use these as leverage to force the various tribes and villages in Jinzhou to submit."

"Prisoner?" Everyone's expressions changed slightly upon hearing the word, and then they fell silent. They had to admit that Li Xiao's analysis was correct.

Most of the time, the combination of kindness and force, coercion and inducement are quite effective.

"If the Qarluk people really do what Dalong said, the situation in Jinzhou will probably get worse and worse."

"Maybe some people will really surrender to the Karluk!" said Fourth Grandpa with a frown.

"Not to mention other tribes, there are also many traitors among us Han people." Third Grandpa said with a gloomy face.

"Especially the group of people in Houzhai, none of them are good people."

The Han people in Jinzhou were not united as one, and there were also conflicts and struggles among them.

Just like the feud between Hexi Fort and Houzhai, it can be traced back to the ancestors.

The men of Hexi Fort have always looked down upon the spineless people of Houzhai.

If after the Battle of Beishan, the Qarlugs could have done as Li Xiao said, using both kindness and force on the Han people in Jinzhou, raising big banners and making big promises.

They would then use the captives as bargaining chips, releasing them if they surrendered. However, when faced with stubborn villages, they would kill the captives first and then attack the city and capture the village.

Under coercion and inducement, many people will definitely join the Karluk rebels.

Not to mention other villages, even in Hexi Fort.

If the Qarlugs used the young and strong men in Hexi Fort as a threat, the people in Hexi Fort would probably become unstable.

"The Karluks deserve to die!" an old man said angrily. One of his sons went to Beishan and now his life or death is unknown!

"We are in big trouble!"

"If one village gives in and surrenders to the Karluks, the others will inevitably waver."

"In the end, we are the only ones left with Hexi Fort, but we can't hold it at all."

"Now what?"

"Fight them."

Finally, everyone's eyes unconsciously turned to Li Xiao.

This also means that the voice of Li Xiao, the young castle lord, is becoming increasingly stronger among these people.

"Of course we fight. We never thought of colluding with the Karluk people." Li Xiao crossed his arms, leaned against the door frame, and shook his head.

Joining the Karluk rebels was out of the question.

Not to mention the hatred between Hexi Fort and the Qarluk people, it took another twenty years for the Western Liao Dynasty to be destroyed.

During this period, none of the Karluk rebellions were successful.

This means that there is no future at all if you follow the Karluks.

Once the Eastern Capital Garrison mobilized troops from other parts of the northern border, it would only be a matter of time before the Karluk rebels were wiped out due to their superior military strength.

Those tribes and villages that followed the Karluk rebellion would inevitably be liquidated.

"But we can't just passively take a beating."

Li Xiao glanced at everyone and said in a deep voice, "We must take the initiative."

"Otherwise, once the Qarlugs mobilize more forces to besiege Hexi Fort, we might not be able to wait for the reinforcements from the Eastern Capital to arrive."

Everyone nodded slightly at Li Xiao's words, as if they agreed with him deeply.

Although Hexi Fort was defended by trenches and battlements, it was too passive to wait for the Qarlugs to be ready before attacking.

"Any ideas, Dalong?" Li Dashan looked at Li Xiao with hope.

Through previous battles, Li Xiao has successfully established a trustworthy image in everyone's minds.

Li Dashan, the uncle, also began to obey Li Xiao's orders unconsciously.

Li Xiao didn't answer the question immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Third Grandpa and asked, "Third Grandpa, you just said that Wuya Village in the east is also under attack by the Karluk?"

"That's right." Third Grandpa nodded slightly.

"When I went to Qiyun Village the day before yesterday, I learned that Wuya Village was attacked by the Karluk people."

Li Xiao analyzed, "Wuya Village is located at the foot of Jinshan Mountain, more than 200 miles away from Sanhe Fort. It is impossible for the Karluk rebels to reach Sanhe Fort in one day and capture it."

"The only explanation is that the Karluk rebels split up their forces."

After the Battle of Beishan, the Karluk rebels in Jinzhou achieved a temporary victory, but their threat did not disappear.

They knew very well that once Dongdu learned the news, it would definitely send more troops to suppress it.

The Karluk people didn't have much time left.

Just as Li Xiao said before, in order to gather more strength to fight against the Dongdu Army, the Qarlug people must conquer other tribes and Han villages in Jinzhou as soon as possible.

Time is limited, so dividing the troops is the best option.

Moreover, these Qarlugs certainly believed that the Battle of Beishan had broken the bones of other tribes in Jinzhou.

Even if he divided his troops, with the residual power of the Battle of Beishan, he could easily defeat other tribes and villages in Jinzhou.

"To save time, the Qarlugs must have split their forces into two or even three groups to subdue the various tribes in Jinzhou."

"So, the number of the Karluks who captured Sanhe Fort couldn't be too large."

"Furthermore, the Qarlugs must have suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Beishan. Of the over 3,000 rebels initially, only about 2,000 to 2,500 are still able to mount their horses and fight."

"Add to that the more than one hundred Karluk cavalrymen we eliminated earlier."

"So, the number of Karluk rebels in Sanhe Fort right now is about 800."

After the words fell, Li Xiao looked at everyone with sharp eyes and said in a deep voice: "Maybe we can give them a night attack."

(End of this chapter)