Chapter 57: Xiao Simo’s Spear

Li Xiao waited outside the camp for a while, then received the notification that Xiao Simo wanted to see him.

Without much hesitation, he followed Xiao Simo’s personal guard into the big tent.

Several Khitan generals sat on both sides of the big tent, all looking at Li Xiao with curious or suspicious eyes.

Li Xiao’s gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on the man at the very front.

Around thirty years old, with broad shoulders and a magnificent physique, wearing a wolf-skin coat. Just sitting there gave people an extremely strong sense of oppression.

His face was thin, his eyes bright and spirited, his countenance full of majesty.

Li Xiao immediately had the answer in his heart; this person must be the Eastern Capital Garrison Commissioner, Grand King of the Six Divisions, Xiao Simo.

So, Li Xiao immediately clenched his right hand gently into a fist, placed it on his chest, bowed slightly, and said:

“Jin Prefecture Hexi Fortress Lord Li Xiao, pays respects to Lord Garrison Commissioner.”

During this process, Xiao Yanyan sat beside Xiao Simo, blinking her eyes, looking at Li Xiao with a slightly smiling expression.

Sure enough, everything has its vanquisher.

This guy was so arrogant in front of her, fearless of power and status, but didn’t he still submit obediently in front of her big brother?

Thinking this, Xiao Yanyan felt as if she had won a round against Li Xiao, instantly revealing her tiger teeth happily.

“Li Xiao?”

“You have guts. Having killed people from my Eastern Capital Army, you still dare to come alone to my main camp?”

“Aren’t you afraid this King will cut you into a thousand pieces?”

Hearing this majestic and heavy voice, Li Xiao exhaled gently.

Looking at Xiao Simo, he said: “I believe Lord Garrison Commissioner has wisdom in his heart and distinguishes right from wrong; you wouldn’t do such things that hurt those close to you and gladden your enemies.”

“Hehehe~” Xiao Simo laughed, picked up a cup of kumis, and looked at Li Xiao playfully.

“Don’t think that just by saying a few nice words, this King can forgive your crime of ambushing and killing the Čarlan tribe.”

“Give this King a reason not to kill you.”

Alright!

Isn’t this just a display of power (show of strength/dismounting awe)!

These superiors always liked to play this game to show off their means of controlling subordinates and make people fear them.

But Li Xiao really wasn’t afraid of this.

Since he dared to come alone to Xiao Simo, he naturally calculated that he wouldn’t be in danger.

First was Xiao Yanyan; this woman’s words definitely carried weight in front of Xiao Simo.

Of course, Li Xiao would never pin his safety entirely on a woman.

He had confidence.

“Very simple~” Li Xiao smiled faintly, looking straight at Xiao Simo and said.

“I have more utility value than the Čarlan tribe.”

“A mere Čarlan tribe has at most five hundred troops.”

“While I~”

Saying this, Li Xiao revealed a confident aura, saying in a deep voice: “Can bring three thousand brave warriors for my Lord.”

“And can help my Lord pacify Jin Prefecture as soon as possible.”

“Making Jin Prefecture my Lord’s absolute rear area.”

At this moment, Li Xiao represented not himself, but the many Han people of Jin Prefecture.

After the Battle of Sanhe Fortress, Li Xiao had already established certain prestige among the Han people of Jin Prefecture.

Once he died at the hands of the Khitans, not only would the seven-fortress coalition rebel immediately and join the Karluk rebel army.

Other fortresses in Jin Prefecture would also become wavering, worried about whether the Khitans would implement cruel measures against the Han people.

The situation in the entire Jin Prefecture would become even messier.

Further triggering a chain reaction; especially the Naimans who were watching from the sidelines would probably also take action.

Therefore, Li Xiao’s true confidence was these more than twenty thousand Han people in Jin Prefecture.

“Haha, you are quite frank.”

After listening to Li Xiao’s words, Xiao Simo suddenly laughed loudly.

Putting down the kumis, he waved to his personal guard and said: “Grant a seat.”

Immediately after, the personal guard brought a stool and a small table, placing them at the lowest position in the big tent.

“Thank you, my Lord.”

Li Xiao saluted and thanked him, then sat naturally in his seat.

The other generals in the big tent looked sideways at him slightly.

Some nodded slightly, some looked unhappy, but more showed indifference.

“Li Xiao, you just said you could bring three thousand battle-ready soldiers for this King; is that true?” Xiao Simo looked at Li Xiao and asked.

But Li Xiao shook his head gently: “These three thousand battle-ready soldiers are not brought to my Lord by this lowly general, but depend entirely on my Lord’s prestige. Wherever you go, the Han division of Jin Prefecture will submit.”

“Three thousand troops, obtainable with a wave of the hand.”

As Li Xiao’s voice fell, Xiao Simo instantly laughed loudly.

Although he knew Li Xiao was flattering him, his mood was just good.

Being able to subdue the Han people of Jin Prefecture meant winning a small half of this war.

Because the Jin Prefecture Han people were the local snakes (local powers). Once forced to rebel, they would become an aid to the Karluks and pawns of the Naimans.

Constantly harassing the Eastern Capital Army until dragging the Eastern Capital Army into the quagmire of war in Jin Prefecture, delaying Xiao Simo’s layout in other places, the impact on him would be fatal.

Conversely, once the Jin Prefecture Han people submitted and helped the Eastern Capital Army suppress the rebellion.

As local snakes, the role they played would be even greater than five thousand elite cavalry.

The Karluks would not be worth fearing at all.

So, Xiao Simo would never kill Li Xiao.

Because the Jin Prefecture Han people represented by Li Xiao were very important to Xiao Simo.

The utility value of a mere five hundred Čarlan people was completely incomparable to the Jin Prefecture Han people.

“My Jin Prefecture Han people have always been honest and dutiful, loyal to my Lord, daring not to disobey.”

“The Karluk rebellion caused heavy casualties among the Han people; my father even shed his blood on the battlefield, sacrificing his life for the country.”

…

“The loyalty of us Han people to my Lord can be witnessed by heaven and earth.”

“If my Lord has any dispatch in the future, we will definitely not decline even if it means death.”

Li Xiao said impassionedly.

The core idea was only one: express loyalty.

Deliberately erasing the influence of the Royal Court in his words, turning it into expressing loyalty specifically to Xiao Simo personally.

Counting as directly taking a side.

If you don’t let the leader trust that you are his subordinate, how can the leader rest assured to promote you? How can he give you greater power?

“Good, good, good~”

Xiao Simo said ‘good’ three times in a row, more and more satisfied with Li Xiao.

Originally thought this was a fierce horse not easily tamed, unexpectedly quite to his liking.

Of course, Xiao Simo couldn’t fully believe Li Xiao’s words either.

Loyalty is something others will only have when your own strength is powerful and you can stand firm.

What Li Xiao was truly ‘loyal’ to was Xiao Simo’s strength.

Xiao Simo understood this point too, but didn’t care. After all, not only Li Xiao, any general under him was the same.

Of course, what truly moved Xiao Simo was Li Xiao’s sentence.

“Making Jin Prefecture his absolute rear area.”

This sentence stirred Xiao Simo’s thoughts; he was very satisfied.

He had many things to do, and his goals were ambitious.

It was just that currently he still needed to lie low and slowly accumulate strength.

In the more than a year since taking office as the Eastern Capital Garrison Commissioner, Xiao Simo had slowly sorted out the affairs of Yin Mountain, deepening his influence on Yin Mountain.

Then, his gaze turned to the other three prefectures of the Northern Border.

It happened that the Karluks rebelled in Jin Prefecture. Others saw slaughter and war, but in Xiao Simo’s eyes, it was a great opportunity.

He wanted to bring Jin Prefecture completely under his wing, not the previous kind of loose rein relationship, but completely obeying his orders.

The reason Xiao Simo mobilized a large number of troops to come was to clean up the entire Jin Prefecture in one fell swoop, and even more to sweep away the Naimans’ coveting of Jin Prefecture.

Making Jin Prefecture his true strategic rear area!

Then, the entire Northern Border.

“Li Xiao, what are your views on the upcoming action to pacify the Karluks?”

Xiao Simo was in a good mood, awarded Li Xiao a pot of kumis, and began to test Li Xiao’s ability.

After all, to promote a person, relying solely on loyalty was not enough; ability and merit were still needed.

“Karluks?” Li Xiao smiled gently, drank a cup of kumis.

Shaking his head, he said: “In front of the Eastern Capital Army, the mere two tribes of Karluks are grasshoppers after autumn (not long to live), not worth worrying about.”

Fifteen thousand Eastern Capital troops, plus three thousand Jin Prefecture Han troops; the Karluks had absolutely no chance to turn the tables.

“I think what my Lord is truly concerned about is the Naimans,” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Xiao Simo smiled, put down the wine cup in his hand, looked at Li Xiao, and nodded secretly.

“Quite a clever fellow.”

How could a mere few thousand Karluks make him mobilize so many troops to suppress them?

Actually, it was for the Naimans.

“The comfort of the grassland allowed the strength of the Naimans to recover, and they have begun to become restless again,” Xiao Simo said in an indifferent voice.

After the result of the Battle of the Northern Mountains reached the Eastern Capital, Xiao Simo immediately understood that this rebellion was actually supported by the Naimans behind the scenes.

Leaving aside other things, just the one hundred heavy armored cavalry that appeared among the Karluks was definitely not something the Karluks could accumulate themselves.

Very likely sold or given half-free by the Naimans.

After all, the current Naiman Tayang Khan was ambitious, always wanting to expand territory, setting his sights on the Northern Border.

“Since ancient times, Jin Prefecture has been the inherent territory of the Great Liao State; the Naimans are absolutely not allowed to take it away,” Li Xiao stated immediately.

Firmly opposing the Naiman invasion of Jin Prefecture.

A Khitan general who understood Chinese, after hearing Li Xiao’s words, also nodded and said.

“Fortress Lord Li is right. Great King, this time we must inflict heavy damage on the Naimans in one fell swoop, making them never dare to covet the Northern Border again.”

“Otherwise, our strength will always be tied down by the Naimans.”

“Our spears will never be able to point west.”

Hearing this, Li Xiao was stunned instantly (Ya Mai Dai – struck dumb).

He seemed to have heard some extraordinary big event.

Spears pointing west, wasn’t that the Royal Court?

Good heavens, discussing rebellion without even avoiding him, an outsider?

Li Xiao silently sized up Xiao Simo; it turned out this guy had rebel bones growing on the back of his head!

(End of this chapter)