Chapter 71: The Altai Mountains Must Be Conquered

Although Li Xiao was a bit immune to Xiao Simo’s big promises, there was a saying that goes, wealth and honor are sought amidst danger.

If he didn’t proactively fight for it, he would still be a Thousand Household in three or five years.

When the Mongols attacked, what would Li Xiao use to resist?

So, he decided to take a risk.

If it succeeded, maybe this Thousand Household position could be promoted.

Moreover, if this war dragged on without end, the impact on Jin Prefecture would be significant.

For Li Xiao personally, continuing to fight in the Altai Mountains, the effort and reward were also disproportionate.

Inside the big tent, after everyone left and Xiao Simo was contemplating alone, Xiao Yanyan walked in.

Wearing a Khitan woman’s long gown, with a felt hat raising her hair, she walked slowly behind Xiao Simo.

She reached out and gently massaged his shoulders.

“Brother, let me go~”

Before Xiao Yanyan finished her words, she heard a violent shout from Xiao Simo: “Bastard.”

“Do I need you to teach me how to fight a war?”

Saying that, Xiao Simo stood up, turned to look at Xiao Yanyan, and said with an extremely serious expression: “Even if I, Xiao Simo, am incompetent, I won’t push my sister into a fire pit.”

“Even if I don’t want Jin Prefecture, I won’t allow you to say such words,” Xiao Simo said in a cold voice.

But every sentence was full of love for his sister.

Xiao Yanyan smiled; this was the brother she was most familiar with and respected the most.

But the more it was so, the less Xiao Yanyan wanted to see her brother suffer so much.

She knew that recently Xiao Simo had spent too much effort on the Naiman matter.

This defense line built by the Naimans in the Altai Mountains gave him a headache.

The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Xiao Simo. If he dragged on too long in Jin Prefecture, Zhilugu would probably take action against the Eastern Capital.

But if he withdrew troops now, the Naimans would definitely take advantage of the momentum to come down.

Not achieving Xiao Simo’s intended purpose aside, Jin Prefecture would also fall completely, and the Eastern Capital would be directly exposed to a pincer attack from the Naimans and the Royal Court.

In short, the current Xiao Simo was somewhat in a dilemma.

“Brother, the Dahe family has sent the divorce letter.”

“And my reputation in the Royal Court~”

Saying this, a trace of anger instantly appeared on Xiao Yanyan’s face.

And Xiao Simo was even angrier than her. Hearing the name Dahe family, his gaze suddenly became gloomy.

“The Dahe family is seeking death,” Xiao Simo said angrily in a deep voice.

After the Battle of the Northern Mountains, Dahe Chuluoduo fled with his men, daring not stay in the Eastern Capital for fear Xiao Simo would slaughter him, and went straight back to the Royal Court.

Then, he spread rumors everywhere that Xiao Yanyan had already been captured by the Karluks.

If such a woman married into the Dahe family even if rescued, it would be too unfair to Dahe Chuluoduo.

The direct bloodline of the Dahe family could not be tainted.

So, they sent the original engagement letter directly to Xiao Simo, expressing the intention to break off the engagement.

The Xiao siblings were naturally furious about this.

It was clearly Dahe Chuluoduo who abandoned Xiao Yanyan and fled alone, but now the Dahe family pretended to be the aggrieved party.

Simply shameless to the extreme.

“Grandfather was really blind back then to actually look favorably on the Dahe family’s proposal,” Xiao Yanyan said.

Her impression of her grandfather wasn’t too good because that old man blamed all the huge changes in the Xiao family on her mother.

Consequently, she, the granddaughter whose real father was unknown, was also implicated.

And later the old man engaged her to the Dahe family.

Simply muddled, ruining her life.

“Sigh!”

Xiao Simo also understood his sister’s resentment towards their grandfather and didn’t try to dissuade her.

He just said: “Grandfather felt his life wasn’t long back then. Engaging you to the Dahe clan was also so we would have protection and help in the future.”

The Dahe clan was not simple.

Back in the Tang Dynasty during Emperor Xuanzong’s time, the Dahe clan was the leader of the Khitan tribe and had received titles from Emperor Xuanzong.

Later, the Dahe clan declined and was replaced by the Yaonian clan.

After that, the Yelü family rose, replacing the Yaonian clan to become the leader of the Khitan tribe.

Although the glory of the Dahe clan had passed, a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

Among the backbone generals who followed Yelü Dashi to the Western Regions back then, some were from the Dahe clan, also controlling quite a few troops.

The Dahe clan had considerable influence in the current Western Liao Royal Court.

Allying with the Dahe clan through marriage indeed had many benefits for the Xiao family.

But the problem was, with the death of Xiao Wolila, the Xiao family was gradually suppressed by Yelü Zhilugu, and its power declined rapidly.

The attitude of the Dahe family also gradually became ambiguous.

A normal woman should have married at fifteen or sixteen.

But at that time, it coincided with the death of Dahe Chuluoduo’s grandfather, so it had to be postponed for three years.

Three years later, his grandmother also died, postponed again.

Directly making Xiao Yanyan an old maid of twenty.

Khitans were influenced by Central Plains culture and sometimes indeed observed mourning for elders, but they could also choose not to observe it.

For such an important matter as intermarriage with the Xiao family, the Dahe family certainly didn’t need to care so much.

But they just did it.

So, it tacitly told everyone that the Dahe family had other thoughts about this marriage.

The reason might be that the Dahe clan wasn’t optimistic about Xiao Simo and worried about being implicated by the Xiao family.

Actually, the reason Xiao Yanyan took the initiative to come to Jin Prefecture was also to ask Dahe Chuluoduo face to face what his attitude was.

If not, break off the engagement directly.

She, Xiao Yanyan, wouldn’t take this anger.

But unexpectedly, she happened to encounter the Karluk rebellion, and Dahe Chuluoduo even lost the battle, dumping her there directly.

Xiao Yanyan even suspected sometimes if Dahe Chuluoduo lost the battle on purpose.

“Although Grandfather had his considerations, he trusted the wrong person.”

“The Dahe family is timid and cowardly, steering according to the wind, unworthy of consultation. Breaking off the engagement is just right.”

“Hateful that they dare to spread rumors and slander my reputation.” Xiao Yanyan hated this so much she gritted her teeth.

Once such rumors appeared, Xiao Yanyan’s future marriage would be troublesome.

“Alright, I don’t allow you to say such words, and even less allow you to marry into Northern Naiman.” Xiao Simo interrupted Xiao Yanyan’s thoughts roughly.

“War is a man’s business.”

“You stay honestly in the military camp; don’t think so much.”

“Without him, Toqto Bolad, I can still conquer the Altai Mountains.”

Xiao Simo said firmly, secretly angry in his heart.

If he were still in the Royal Court, how would those people dare to act like this?

Today they bully him, insult him, laugh at him; in the future, he, Xiao Simo, will repay a hundredfold.

When the voices of the two inside the tent stopped coming, the personal guard who had been waiting for a while walked into the tent and reported: “Reporting to the Great King, Jin Prefecture Thousand Household Li Xiao requests an audience.”

Originally Xiao Yanyan prepared to leave, but hearing Li Xiao’s name, she sat down again.

“Let him in.”

Xiao Simo glanced at his sister and ordered.

“Lowly General Li Xiao, pays respects to the Great King.”

Li Xiao walked into the tent but was surprised to find Xiao Yanyan here too.

Then he immediately thought of a rumor circulating in the army these past two days.

Buyruq Khan would only send troops south if he married Xiao Yanyan.

Li Xiao sensed the inappropriateness of this rumor at the time, as if someone was deliberately pushing it.

In case the Altai Mountains defense line couldn’t be taken for a long time, soldier casualties increased daily, and military morale wavered.

At this time, would the soldiers direct their resentment towards Xiao Yanyan, or even Xiao Simo?

Complaining that if they had agreed to Buyruq Khan’s marriage request earlier, they would have breached the Altai Mountains defense line long ago.

“Xiao Simo’s subordinates aren’t monolithic either,” Li Xiao said secretly in his heart.

“What important matter?”

“This lowly general came only for the matter of the Princess,” Li Xiao answered calmly.

Then he looked at Xiao Yanyan and said: “This lowly general thinks the Princess absolutely cannot marry a Naiman.”

“This move will only fuel the Naimans’ arrogance, making them despise our Great Liao even more in the future.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yanyan was stunned instantly, looking at Li Xiao with a somewhat touched expression.

“Li Xiao~”

And Li Xiao stared firmly at Xiao Yanyan, saying in a deep voice: “Your Royal Highness, publicly, you represent the dignity of our Northern Border.”

“Privately, we are friends; I, Li Xiao, will absolutely not sit and watch you go to Northern Naiman to suffer.”

Listening to these words, Xiao Yanyan felt very complicated inside. She didn’t expect Li Xiao to care so much about her as a friend.

In her life, Xiao Yanyan didn’t have many friends.

Unexpectedly, a mere youth from Jin Prefecture could move her so.

“Li Xiao, I understand your intentions.”

“It’s just that some things are always involuntary.” Xiao Yanyan shook her head helplessly and smiled bitterly.

Li Xiao said directly: “Is the Princess talking about the Altai Mountains defense line?”

“If I have a way to conquer the Altai Mountains, would the Princess not have to marry a Naiman?”

As soon as these words came out, Xiao Simo and Xiao Yanyan’s gazes were completely attracted.

Xiao Simo pondered slightly and said: “Li Xiao, you can breach the Altai Mountains?”

“Yes!”

Then Li Xiao looked at Xiao Yanyan beside him with an expression of regarding death as home (ready to die).

As if everything he did was for Xiao Yanyan.

“What method?”

Xiao Simo asked urgently, even ignoring the eye contact between these two.

If it were normal times, anyone daring to make eyes at Xiao Yanyan would have their brains beaten out by him.

“My ancestor sent word to inform this lowly general that there is an ancient road in the Alai Ridge leading to the Naiman territory.”

“This road has towering peaks and rugged terrain, but it is enough for a large army to pass.”

“Just need a force to cross the Alai Ridge, detour east of the Altai Mountains, and attack the Naimans from both sides with our main force.”

“The Altai Mountains must be conquered!”

Listening to Li Xiao’s plan, Xiao Simo’s face was instantly moved, hurriedly finding the location of the Alai Ridge on the Altai Mountains map.

North of Jin Prefecture, higher than the peaks south of Jin Prefecture.

Xiao Simo had sent people to check there; indeed, the terrain was precipitous and difficult to pass.

“Is there really an ancient road?” Xiao Simo asked with a moved expression.

“Yes.”

Li Xiao nodded heavily.

“My ancestor passed through there by chance when he was young and still remembers the location.”

Hearing this, an excited smile instantly appeared on Xiao Simo’s face.

“Hahahaha~”

“Great!”

(End of this chapter)