Chapter 21: Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages

Sanhe Fortress was breached by the Karluks?

When Third Grandpa brought this news back to the village, the shock it caused to the villagers of Hexi Fortress was considerable.

“Is the news confirmed?”

In the evening, everyone gathered at Li Xiao’s home. The Old Master sat on a chair, looking solemnly at Third Grandpa.

Third Grandpa took a ladle, gulped down enough water from the water tank, let out a long breath, then looked at the Old Master and nodded.

“Confirmed.”

“On my way back, I met a person from Sanhe Fortress.”

“She told me that Sanhe Fortress was being besieged by the Karluks. She escaped and was going to Qiyun Village to call for reinforcements.”

“When a few of us went near Sanhe Fortress, we found that the battle was already over, and Sanhe Fortress had been breached by the Karluks.”

Hearing this, the Old Master’s face became even more solemn.

“Sanhe Fortress is finished!”

There were about twenty thousand Han people in Jin Prefecture, living in nine forts and eighteen villages respectively.

Known as the ‘Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages’.

The scale of each fort and village varied, as did the number of people.

Hexi Fortress, with more than one thousand three hundred people, was considered relatively large.

The scale of Sanhe Fortress was similar to Hexi Fortress, also having over a thousand people.

And the distance between the two wasn’t too far; about forty li northeast from Hexi Fortress was Sanhe Fortress.

“When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold!”

“The Karluks have taken Sanhe Fortress; their next target will inevitably be our Hexi Fortress.” Fourth Grandpa slammed the table angrily and said.

“Do these Karluk barbarians actually delude themselves into conquering all the Han villages in Jin Prefecture?” Another elder in the village snorted.

“Fight them to the death.”

“If they want to take our Hexi Fortress, they have to leave two thousand lives here first.”

Others in the room spoke up one after another.

Listening to these old buddies, the Old Master remained silent, turning his head to look at Li Xiao.

“Da Long, do you have any thoughts?”

Although Li Xiao had now become the Hexi Fortress Lord, his prestige hadn’t reached that level yet.

The reason the Old Master hurriedly passed the position to Li Xiao was also because he felt his health was failing, and an accident might happen any day.

Passing the position to Li Xiao early was also to facilitate Li Xiao establishing prestige as soon as possible.

And as long as the Old Master was alive for one more day, he could suppress other voices in Hexi Fortress and help Li Xiao grow quickly.

So the Old Master letting Li Xiao speak now seemed like a test, but in reality, it was helping him step onto the stage and play a leading role in some matters.

“In my opinion, the Karluks capturing Sanhe Fortress is a demonstration of power to us,” Li Xiao said in a deep voice facing everyone.

“Demonstration of power?” Third Grandpa’s pupils shrank.

Li Xiao continued: “If I were the leader of the Karluk rebel army, after the victory at the Battle of the Northern Mountains, I would immediately order people to spread the word throughout Jin Prefecture.”

“Using the might of the great victory at the Battle of the Northern Mountains to intimidate the various tribes of Jin Prefecture into submission.”

“Because the enemy of the Karluks has never been us Han people, but the Khitans of the Royal Court.”

“The best way is to take advantage of the time before the Eastern Capital Army arrives to awe the various tribes of Jin Prefecture with power and lure them with benefits.”

“Take the opportunity to divide the various tribes of Jin Prefecture, tie the entire Jin Prefecture to the Karluks’ war chariot, and gather strength for a decisive battle with the Eastern Capital Army.”

“Therefore, the Karluks breaching Sanhe Fortress is demonstrating to us.”

“Telling the other Han people in Jin Prefecture that if they don’t submit to them, Sanhe Fortress will be everyone’s fate.”

As Li Xiao’s voice fell, the faces of Third Grandpa and others looked ugly.

“Hmph, damn Karluk barbarians, simply arrogant.” Third Grandpa slammed the table and said angrily.

Others also clamored: “The Karluks are seeking death.”

“How could we people of Hexi be scared by them?”

“Those afraid of death are not men of Hexi.”

Everyone in the room was filled with righteous indignation.

In the Battle of the Northern Mountains, Hexi Fortress suffered many casualties, and Li Xiao’s cheap father died in this battle. This grudge simply couldn’t be resolved.

Moreover, not long ago, Hexi Fortress had killed more than a hundred Karluks.

So, the Karluks’ delusion of using this to intimidate Hexi Fortress into surrender was just wishful thinking.

“Although our Hexi Fortress will absolutely not 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 his voice fell, everyone’s voices stopped abruptly, and their gazes invariably turned to Li Xiao.

“Not everyone can face death unflinchingly.”

“Greed for life and fear of death is human nature,” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

“Capturing Sanhe Fortress is intimidation; next, the Karluks should be using inducements.”

Li Xiao stood up, looked at the crowd, and said: “In recent years, the Khitans have imposed heavier and heavier taxes on Jin Prefecture. Whether it’s the Royal Court’s intention or the private operation of the Jin Prefecture Governor-General’s Office.”

“In short, there are plenty of people in Jin Prefecture dissatisfied with the Khitans.”

“And in the Battle of the Northern Mountains, the Karluks should have captured quite a few prisoners. They might use this as leverage to force the various tribes and villages of Jin Prefecture to submit.”

“Prisoners?” Hearing this word, everyone’s expression changed slightly, followed by silence.

They had to admit, Li Xiao’s analysis was very correct.

Most of the time, applying both kindness and severity, coercion and inducement, were quite effective means.

“If the Karluks really do as Da Long says, the situation in Jin Prefecture will probably get worse and worse.”

“Maybe some people really will defect to the Karluks!” Fourth Grandpa said with a slight frown.

“Leaving aside other tribes, even among us Han people, there are quite a few traitors,” Third Grandpa said with an equally gloomy face.

“Especially that bunch from Hou Village, none of them are good things.”

The Han people in Jin Prefecture were not a monolith either; there were also conflicts and struggles.

Like the grudge between Hexi Fortress and Hou Village, which traced back to their ancestors.

The men of Hexi Fortress had always looked down on that bunch of spineless cowards from Hou Village.

If after the Battle of the Northern Mountains, the Karluks could apply both kindness and severity to the Jin Prefecture Han people as Li Xiao said, raising a big banner and making empty promises.

Then using prisoners as bargaining chips—releasing people upon submission, while facing stubborn villages by killing prisoners first and then attacking the city and seizing the stronghold.

Under coercion and inducement, many people would definitely join the Karluk rebel army.

Let alone other villages, even in Hexi Fortress.

If the Karluks used the able-bodied men of Hexi Fortress as a threat, the people within Hexi Fortress might also become unstable.

“The Karluks really deserve to die!” An elder said angrily. One of his sons went to the Northern Mountains, and his life or death was still unknown!

“We’re in big trouble!”

“Pull one hair and the whole body moves. As long as any village can’t hold on and defects to the Karluks, other villages will inevitably waver.”

“Finally leaving us, Hexi Fortress, we can’t hold it at all.”

“Then what do we do now?”

“Fight them to the death.”

In the end, everyone’s gaze unconsciously turned to Li Xiao.

This also signified that the voice of Li Xiao, this young Fortress Lord, was becoming weightier among these people.

“Of course we fight. Originally, we never thought about colluding with the Karluks.” Li Xiao crossed his arms, leaned against the door frame, shook his head, and said.

Joining the Karluk rebel army was impossible.

Leaving aside the hatred between Hexi Fortress and the Karluks, Western Liao still had twenty years before being destroyed.

During this period, none of the Karluk rebellions succeeded.

Which meant that following the Karluks offered no future at all.

Wait until the Eastern Capital Administration mobilized troops from other places in the Northern Border. With the advantage in military strength, it was only a matter of time before this Karluk rebel army was eliminated.

Those tribes and villages that rebelled with the Karluks would inevitably face retribution.

“But we cannot be passively beaten.”

Li Xiao scanned everyone with his gaze and said in a deep voice: “We must take the initiative to attack.”

“Otherwise, if we wait until the Karluks mobilize more forces to besiege Hexi Fortress, we probably won’t be able to wait for the arrival of reinforcements from the Eastern Capital.”

Regarding Li Xiao’s words, everyone nodded gently, seeming to agree deeply.

Although Hexi Fortress had defenses like moats and battlements, waiting for the Karluks to prepare and attack was simply too passive.

“Any ideas, Da Long?” Li Dashan looked at Li Xiao with hope.

Through the previous battles, Li Xiao had successfully established a trustworthy image in everyone’s hearts.

Li Dashan, as an uncle, also unconsciously began to listen to Li Xiao’s orders.

Li Xiao didn’t answer this question immediately but turned to Third Grandpa and asked: “Third Grandpa, you just said that Wuya Village in the east is also under Karluk attack?”

“That’s right.” Third Grandpa nodded gently.

“When I went to Qiyun Village the day before yesterday, I learned that Wuya Village was under attack by Karluks.”

Li Xiao analyzed: “Wuya Village is located at the foot of the Altai Mountains, more than two hundred li away from Sanhe Fortress. The Karluk rebel army couldn’t have rushed to Sanhe Fortress in one day and captured it as well.”

“The only explanation is that the Karluk rebel army has split its forces.”

After the Battle of the Northern Mountains, the Karluk rebel army in Jin Prefecture achieved a phase victory, but their threat had not disappeared.

They knew clearly that once the Eastern Capital learned the news, they would inevitably send more troops to suppress them.

Time left for the Karluks wasn’t much.

Just as Li Xiao said before, to gather more strength to confront the Eastern Capital Army, the Karluks had to subdue other tribes and Han villages in Jin Prefecture as soon as possible.

With limited time, splitting forces was the best choice.

And these Karluks definitely also believed that the Battle of the Northern Mountains had broken the backbone of other tribes in Jin Prefecture.

Even if they split their forces, with the lingering prestige of the Battle of the Northern Mountains, they could easily defeat other tribes and villages in Jin Prefecture.

“To save time, the Karluks inevitably split into two, or even three routes to subdue the various tribes of Jin Prefecture.”

“Therefore, the number of Karluks who captured Sanhe Fortress won’t be too many.”

“Moreover, in the Battle of the Northern Mountains, the Karluks must have suffered considerable casualties. Of the initial three thousand-plus rebel troops, the number who can still mount horses and fight now is probably around two thousand to two thousand five hundred.”

“Plus the hundred-plus Karluk cavalry we eliminated before.”

“So, the number of Karluk rebels currently in Sanhe Fortress is roughly around eight hundred.”

As his voice fell, Li Xiao looked sharply at the crowd and said in a deep voice: “Perhaps we can give them a night raid.”

(End of this chapter)