Chapter 54: Grand King of the Six Divisions

Seeing Li Xiao’s fluctuating expression, Hutu was extremely nervous beside him.

He was a bit worried that this new master had a temperamental character; if he said something wrong and got chopped down directly, it would be terrible.

Fortunately, Li Xiao was rational and soon put that woman Xiao Yanyan out of his mind.

Turning to look at Hutu, who was shrinking his head, he stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said cheerfully:

“Hutu!”

“Hexi Fortress needs talents like you!”

“Follow me properly in the future; I won’t treat you unfairly.”

Hearing this, Hutu was instantly ecstatic.

The master actually praised him as a talent?

Truly a good judge of character!

Hutu had always believed he was a talent, but unfortunately, those previous masters didn’t know the value of goods!

Pitiful that he had drifted for half his life, but now finally met a wise master!

If not abandoned!

Hutu knelt down directly, unable to suppress his excitement, expressing his loyalty to Li Xiao: “Thank you, Master, for taking me in.”

“This lowly one will definitely be loyal to Master, ready to dash out his brains and die ten thousand deaths without hesitation!”

A mouthful of idioms, enough to take the imperial examination; this guy had learned Chinese quite deeply!

Hearing this, Li Xiao chuckled, certainly not believing in so-called absolute loyalty.

But as long as Li Xiao was alive, Hutu doing his own duty well was enough.

In short, don’t expect too much from human nature.

“Go ask him again: What is the name of the commander of the Eastern Capital Army? What is his background? What are his hobbies?”

“What battle plans do they have against the Karluks? What is their attitude towards the Han people in Jin Prefecture?” Li Xiao said to Hutu.

Pointing his horsewhip at the Khitan supervising army official pressed to the ground, the expression on his face suddenly became cold and stern.

“If he still refuses to speak, beat him ruthlessly, regardless of whether he lives or dies.”

“In short, make him spit out everything he knows.”

Hearing this, Hutu immediately perked up and said loudly: “Yes, Master!”

This was the first task assigned by the master; he had to complete it beautifully.

As his voice fell, Hutu raised his head again and whispered: “However, Master…”

Li Xiao rubbed his head. Damn it, dog thing, don’t tell me you know this too?

Then what use is this Khitan supervising army official?

“Speak!” Li Xiao looked at Hutu with a half-smile.

“I actually know a little bit…” Hutu said carefully. For some reason, seeing Li Xiao’s weird look, he felt creeping shivers in his heart.

“The commander of the Eastern Capital Army is named Xiao Simo. He is the Garrison Commissioner of the Eastern Capital Regency, and I heard he is also the Grand King of the Khitan Six Divisions.”

“As for other news, your slave is not very clear.”

“But your slave will go interrogate this Khitan now, definitely emptying everything out of his belly.” Hutu said hurriedly.

So he took two slaves who were usually on good terms with him, walked aside, and under Tie Tou’s supervision, began to interrogate the Khitan.

Completely replicating the torture methods those previous masters used on them onto the Khitan.

Anyway, the master already said, regardless of life or death.

Li Xiao turned a deaf ear to the Khitan’s screams, weighing the news Hutu just mentioned in his heart.

Eastern Capital Garrison Commissioner, Xiao Simo?

Grand King of the Six Divisions?

“Could this Xiao Simo have something to do with Xiao Wolila?” Li Xiao thought secretly.

Xiao Wolila was a super ruthless man!

Slaughtered his son, then killed his daughter-in-law.

He was also a founding hero of Western Liao, a former heavyweight in the imperial court, a figure who almost became the Sima Yi of Western Liao.

Personally titled Grand King of the Six Divisions by Yelü Dashi, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say his power was monstrous.

Age-wise, this Xiao Wolila must have been dead for many years.

But now, this Eastern Capital Garrison Commissioner named Xiao Simo had become the Grand King of the Six Divisions, so Li Xiao suspected that Xiao Simo might be related to Xiao Wolila.

After all, the Six Divisions was a large tribe among the Khitans, and having been managed by Xiao Wolila for decades, not just anyone could come and be the Grand King.

“Can only take one step and look one step ahead.” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Fifteen thousand Eastern Capital troops indeed put quite a bit of pressure on Li Xiao.

The Karluks had completely lost their chance; it depended on whether the Naimans could hold on.

But regardless, the current Han people of Jin Prefecture should honestly act as little brothers to the Khitans.

Can’t afford to provoke them.

“Dazhuang, do it.”

“Finish early, go back to rest early.” Li Xiao shouted to Lin Dazhuang.

“Yes, sir!”

Soon, under the coercion of the Hexi cavalry, ordinary Čarlan people aimed their butcher knives at the Čarlan nobles.

The scene was instantly filled with screams and curses.

A moment later, only corpses, blood, and minced meat remained on the ground.

More than fifty Čarlan nobles, including some guards and slaves loyal to Nierdu, were all slaughtered.

Only three hundred and twenty-odd ordinary Čarlan people remained, squatting on the ground with numb faces.

In this way, it was equivalent to letting these Čarlan people pay a certificate of allegiance, cutting off their retreat to the greatest extent.

And without the leadership of Čarlan nobles, these ordinary Čarlan people were like a sheet of loose sand. With disunited hearts, even if they wanted to cause trouble, it would be difficult to succeed.

To subdue these slaves, Li Xiao also tried every means to eliminate hidden dangers.

“From now on, you are slaves of my Hexi Fortress.”

“But as long as you behave yourselves and work honestly, Hexi Fortress will not treat you unfairly.”

“Whoever establishes military merits on the battlefield, this Fortress Lord will not only bestow cattle, sheep, and wealth upon you but also pardon your slave status, turning you into free people.”

Riding his horse, Li Xiao addressed all the Čarlan people.

Mainly painting a big picture (making promises), letting these slaves see hope for the future, working honestly with their heads down, and fighting desperately for Hexi Fortress to obtain the status of free people.

As the power of Hexi Fortress slowly expanded, Li Xiao also had to start absorbing a batch of nomadic people for his own use.

After the matters were handled, Li Xiao led the people back to Ta Village.

They would rest in Ta Village tonight, waiting for the arrival of soldiers from other fortresses tomorrow.

The next day, dawn broke, and soft light gently pushed aside the mist on the open ground by the river forty li west of Ta Village.

Tents were distributed in an orderly manner, and figures emerged from tents to start working, all indicating that an army had camped here last night.

At this moment, the camp was bustling, and noises gradually rose, breaking the tranquility of the morning.

Dozens of large pots were steadily set on simple stoves. The water in the pots was already boiling. Some burly Khitans, baring dark arms, began preparing breakfast.

Not far away, warhorses also seemed to feel the atmosphere of imminent departure, snorting from time to time, hooves pawing the ground lightly, making dull sounds.

The entire camp presented a busy scene.

In the very center of the camp, inside a large white tent, a man with a heroic figure, resolute face, and sword-like gaze was sitting on a folding stool eating breakfast.

Looking in his thirties, wearing a wolf-skin coat, displaying majesty and might. His hair was braided into several plaits, meticulously groomed, all combed back onto his shoulders.

His aura was majestic and domineering; just sitting there gave people an extremely strong sense of oppression.

Taking a big bite of a freshly baked flatbread and drinking a bowl of steaming horse milk showed the bold and rough nature of nomadic people even more.

“Great King!”

At this time, a voice suddenly sounded outside the tent.

A Khitan strongman wearing chainmail armor with a curved saber at his waist walked in, saluted with his right hand on his chest, and then said: “Last night, we lost contact with the Čarlan tribe; they didn’t send anyone back to report on time.”

“My scout cavalry, on the way to investigate, met an injured Čarlan person.”

“He told us that the Čarlan tribe was attacked!”

Last night was dim, and it was hard for Li Xiao to catch all the Čarlan people.

After all, even during ordinary marches, people might fall behind, let alone in combat situations.

In the chaos, one or two Čarlan people escaping was simply too normal.

And not worth sending people to chase.

“Attacked?”

Hearing his subordinate’s report, Xiao Simo’s face instantly became solemn.

Slowly putting down the flatbread in his hand, he asked in a deep voice: “Who attacked the Čarlan tribe? How many people did the opponent have?”

“How many people are left in the Čarlan tribe?”

Although his tone was heavy, Xiao Simo didn’t seem very angry.

After all, nomadic tribes like the Čarlan tribe were originally consumables of war for the Khitans.

The so-called pathfinding vanguard was just clearing mines and courting death.

If the Čarlan people died, they died.

What Xiao Simo really cared about was the attacker.

Actually having the ability to eliminate the Čarlan tribe in one battle, and without even leaving time for the main Khitan cavalry to support.

Not simple!

“According to the survivor of the Čarlan tribe, those who attacked them were Han people.”

Hearing the subordinate’s report, Xiao Simo’s brows frowned slightly.

“Han people?”

“Did the Han people of Jin Prefecture also rebel with the Karluks?” Xiao Simo said with a slightly cold tone.

“This…”

“Seems not.” The subordinate shook his head slightly.

Then he explained the reasons to Xiao Simo.

Instantly, Xiao Simo snorted coldly, sneering in a low voice: “Trash, rice bucket.”

“Nierdu is simply a stupid pig.”

After cursing Nierdu fiercely, Xiao Simo sat back on the folding stool, his right hand resting on his knee, his palm gently rubbing his stubble.

He said in a quiet voice: “However, the Han people of Jin Prefecture could actually surround and annihilate five hundred Čarlan cavalry in a short time.”

“Their strength is not simple either!”

“Pass the order, the army sets out, let’s take a trip to that Han village.”

(Translator Note: Here is an explanation of the Grand King of the Six Divisions and Xiao Wolila.

Historically, the Khitan ethnic group was mainly divided into eight tribes, which was actually a tribal alliance regime.

The Yelü family came from the Die’la tribe. During Yelü Abaoji’s time, because the Die’la tribe was too powerful and gradually uncontrollable, Abaoji feared them and forcibly divided them into two tribes.

The Five Divisions (Wuyuan Bu) and the Six Divisions (Liuyuan Bu).

During the Liao Dynasty, a Yilijin (Great King) was established to manage the tribes, and in the late Liao Dynasty, it became Grand King (Da Wang).

The Grand King of the Six Divisions was actually equivalent to the leader of the Six Divisions, not a court official position or title.

Although Xiao Wolila was not from the Six Divisions, as Yelü Dashi’s most trusted younger brother, he followed under his command when Yelü Dashi was still a general in the Liao Dynasty.

Then he followed Yelü Dashi north to Kedun City, then on the western expedition. In the decisive battle with the Seljuk Empire, Xiao Wolila was the commander of the left wing.

After the founding of the state, Yelü Dashi sent Xiao Wolila to lead an army of seventy thousand on an eastern expedition against the Jin Dynasty, but it didn’t succeed.

As a founding hero with illustrious military exploits and deeply trusted by Yelü Dashi, it was reasonable for Xiao Wolila to be titled Grand King of the Six Divisions.

Later, Yelü Dashi passed away. The lord was young and the state suspicious. Empress Xiao Tabuyan acted as regent, and Xiao Wolila assisted in government. This was also the period when Xiao Wolila’s power skyrocketed.

When Yelü Dashi’s son Yelü Yilie took over the reins of government, he found that a traitor to the state had appeared in Western Liao.

He originally thought of waiting for Xiao Wolila to die of old age, but awkwardly, Yelü Yilie encountered the same predicament as Cao Rui, his body failing at a young age.

To prevent Xiao Wolila from really becoming Sima Yi…)

(End of this chapter)