The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 52: Seven Forts Joint Defense, Soldiers and Bandits as One

Three guests came to Hexi Fort today.

They are the three chiefs of Qiyun Village, Qianhe Village and Houhe Village.

The purpose of the three people coming to Hexi Fort was very simple, to form an alliance!

In the battle of Sanhe Fort, the coalition forces of the four forts annihilated the entire Aslan tribe, shocking Jinzhou.

It also gave hope to many Han villages.

The four-fort coalition army, with Hexi Fort as the main force, was very powerful and the Qarlugs had no way to deal with them.

As a result, some Han Chinese strongholds that felt they were not strong enough began to think about it.

"It's true that heroes emerge from youth~"

"Lord Li is a young hero, brave and skilled in battle, and extremely resourceful. He is proficient in both civil and military tactics. Brother Li, you have someone to carry on your legacy~"

"Seeing Lord Li's achievements, we have to admit that we are old~"

Who says that people in northern Xinjiang are bad-tempered, straightforward and can’t talk?

Anyway, Li Xiao felt that the three village chiefs in front of him were gentle and sweet-spoken, and they were all talented people.
"Hahaha~" The old man laughed and glanced at Li Xiao who was standing next to him.

He nodded slightly and said, "This kid is okay~"

Anyway, the old man accepted all the compliments from the three village chiefs.

He loves to hear others praise his eldest grandson the most.

This makes the old man prouder than his own achievements.

Li Xiao also smiled lightly, and found that the old man's mood had improved a lot during this period, and the most obvious characteristic was that he loved to laugh.

Maybe it’s because of my second uncle!
After these days of rest, my second uncle's injuries are gradually improving, but he needs to lie in bed and rest for the time being.

Or maybe Li Xiao has made great efforts and is now capable of taking up the banner of Hexi Fort, so that the old man can rest assured.

"Three village chiefs, then we have a deal." Li Xiao looked at the three village chiefs and said.

"Seven forts join forces to fight against the Karluks!"

After Li Xiao finished speaking, the three village chiefs nodded firmly.

They all said: "Seven Forts Joint Defense~"

"We swear to be one!"

The Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages of the Han people in Jinzhou have always been divided into small groups based on the closeness of their relationships and their geographical locations.

The four forts, Hexi Fort, Hedong Fort, Gushan Fort and Tazhai, have always had a close relationship and always stand together to deal with external problems.

Qiyun Village has a close relationship with Qianhe Village and Houhe Village.

However, the strength of these three villages is relatively weak, far less powerful than the four-fort coalition forces.

Therefore, when the result of the Battle of Sanhebao spread, the three village chiefs discussed what to do if the remaining Karluk people came to attack them.

Even if the three camps join forces, they will probably suffer heavy losses.

So I decided to find a powerful big brother to protect me.
Hexi Fort!
Li Xiao welcomed everyone who came.

Although he had the obligation to protect them, when Li Xiao decided to send troops, he could also gather the men from the three camps to strengthen his momentum.

The use is mutual!

This move can further expand the strength and influence of Hexi Fort. Overall, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

After the matter was settled, Li Xiao invited the three to stay and prepared to treat them well.

But at this moment, Zhao Dabao hurriedly came on horseback and rushed into the house.

"Dalong, Grandpa, something happened~"

"Tazhai is surrounded!"

After hearing the news, everyone in the room looked at Zhao Dabao with solemn expressions.

"Who surrounded Tazhai?"

"Are they the Karluks?"

"How many of them are there?"

Zhao Dabao's face was covered in sweat. He took a deep breath and said, "It's not a Karluk, nor does it look like a Khitan."

"Those people seem to be coming from the west. They want to steal our sheep."

"You still want to kill our people!"

Zhao Dabao explained in detail what happened.

Li Xiao frowned slightly when he heard this, and an idea instantly popped up in his mind.

"Surround the site for reinforcements?"

Li Xiao is very familiar with this routine.

I just did it in Houzhai not long ago.

Therefore, Li Xiao had some suspicions that the siege of Tazhai was fake and they really wanted to destroy the reinforcements halfway.

At this time, the old man and others also guessed the identity of the enemy.

"Coming from the west? Perhaps from the Yin Mountains or the North Sea?"

Everyone looked at each other, and their expressions became more solemn.

"If it's the army from Dongdu, then it will be a bit troublesome." The leader of Qianhe Village was an old man in his fifties or sixties. He said in a low voice with a heavy face.

The arrival of the Dongdu Army did not make them happy, but instead they regarded it as a dangerous signal.

"Why didn't the Dongdu army attack the Qarlugs, but instead besieged Tazhai? Aren't they afraid of punishment from the Dongdu garrison?" Dahu asked with a frown, standing aside.

In Dahu's view, this is an act of cannibalism.

The old man glanced at Dahu gently, shook his head slightly and said nothing.

Instead, my second uncle, who was lying on the kang in the inner room, sighed and said, "Da Hu, don't say anything. Just listen quietly."

Da Hu inherited his uncle's honesty and kindness, but Da Hu, lacking experience, still failed to see through the cruel reality.

They believed that the Dongdu Army and the Han people were in the same group and were fighting against the Karluks.

But reality is not like this.

"The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily a friend, he may also be an enemy!" Li Xiao looked at Dahu and explained in a deep voice.

"If troops from one place go to another, it will inevitably cause great chaos in the local area."

Just like Dong Zhuo's Hedong Army entered Luoyang, and the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Army entered the pass to quell the Anshi Rebellion, both caused great harm to the local people.
"And the purpose of the Dongdu Army is to suppress the Karluk rebellion, not to protect us Han people!"

Since ancient times, there has been a term circulating among the people called "war disaster".

In other words, the terror of the rebel soldiers is no less than that of a natural disaster!

The rebels would burn, kill, and loot, and the government troops would do the same, sometimes even worse than the rebels.

The common people are always afraid of the officers and soldiers.

When faced with the situation where government troops harmed the people, most of the government army generals turned a blind eye.

Because the general's primary task is to suppress the rebellion, the lives of the people come second.

As long as the rebels can be eliminated, the court will promote you and give you titles. What does it matter if a few civilians die?
Especially when the imperial court was unable to provide food and wages, in order to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army, generals would allow officers and soldiers to plunder the people.

"Da Hu, in the northern border, if you don't have the strength, you deserve to be bullied. No one will pity you, and don't expect the Khitans to take charge." Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Although he has not been here for long, Li Xiao has seen through the cruel nature of the northern border.

The Khitans did not regard the Han people as their own people at all and would not protect the interests of the Han people.

Because these Han forts were actually not controlled by the Khitans, apart from taxation and conscription, the Khitans had no way of interfering in the internal affairs of the forts.

The so-called Governor's Office is more like a supervisory agency rather than an administrative agency.

To the Khitans, the Han Chinese strongholds, like the Gaochang Uighurs and the Zhelan tribes, were all independent entities.

To sum up the social structure of Western Liao in one sentence, the Khitans are the boss, with a group of younger brothers.

Moreover, these younger brothers are not very obedient and may rebel.

Therefore, when the younger brothers fought each other, the Khitans did not care and even indulged them.

"No matter how many Han people die in Jinzhou, the Khitans won't care."

"The only things the Khitans care about are the taxes paid by the Han people and the soldiers who fight for them," the old man said in a deep voice.

The other three village chiefs also nodded in agreement.

In the Western Regions, this kind of thing is very common.

The Khitans recruited troops from various tribes and forts to fight, but did not pay them at all, forcing the soldiers to rob everything.

In this situation, all the soldiers turned into wolves.

Not only do they rob the enemy of their spoils, but even their own tribes encountered on the march will be plundered if they are not strong enough.

Soldiers and bandits are one family, it has been like this since ancient times!

The old man and his friends did this kind of thing a lot when they were young.

As long as the target was not a Khitan tribe, the army commander didn't care at all.

After hearing these words, Da Hu nodded slightly, looking thoughtful, and said in a deep voice: "Those Dongdu soldiers think we are soft persimmons."

Those people continued their previous style, robbing wherever they went.

In a word, the Karluks are enemies and the Dongdu Army is not friends either.

But as long as you are strong enough, everyone is your friend.

"After this war, the Han people in Jinzhou will probably be severely damaged." The leader of Qiyun Village shook his head and sighed.

"Therefore, we must let those people from Dongdu know that we Han people cannot be easily bullied." Li Xiao said in a harsh voice.

"If you want to rob our Han stronghold, you have to break its teeth first."

The gap cannot be opened and Tazhai cannot be lost.

Otherwise, if these rebel soldiers from the Eastern Capital get a taste of success, the next one will be Hexi Fort, and then more Han forts will suffer.

The three village chiefs also understood this truth. They looked at each other and nodded, saying, "Fight!"

Tazhai must be rescued, and the rebel troops in Dongdu must be beaten hard.

Only by showing your fists can you avoid being looked down upon by the Khitans.

"Let's go back now, gather our men and rush to Tazhai." The three of them said.

Now that you have joined the alliance, you must contribute.

Li Xiao did not stop them, even though it would take at least a day for the three of them to go back and forth, and it would definitely be too late.

But at this time, the more manpower the better.

"Thank you, three village chiefs."

"The situation in Tazhai is urgent. I will take the people from Hexibao there first, and you can follow." Li Xiao said.

Although it might be a trap, Tazhai still needs to be saved.

Li Xiao glanced at the sky outside and saw that it was still at least an hour before sunset.

That's enough time.

If it had been dark, Li Xiao would never have risked sending out troops.

After all, it is easier to encounter ambushes in the dark.

But when the sky was bright, the scenery within a few miles between Hexi Fort and Tazhai was clearly visible.

After all, most of the western and southern regions of the Golden State are flat grasslands without steep mountains.

You can spot an ambush at a glance.

Therefore, you just need to be careful on the road and send more scouts to investigate everywhere, and there will be no problem at all.

(End of this chapter)