noveltune Chapter 5467 Deposing the "Clan Chief"
Chapter 5467 Deposing the "Clan Chief"
Chapter 5467 Deposing the "Clan Chief"
Li Jinzhong was no fool. He had a purpose in leading his troops back to Raozhou City. He wanted to observe the attitude of the government troops before making a final decision. In any case, he had 20,000 elite Khitan troops under his command, so he could attack or defend as needed.
If the government troops really only numbered three thousand, then it would be difficult for them to defend Raozhou City as if it were impregnable. So he launched a fierce attack on the city and defeated the government troops. Afterwards, he led his people to take the grain and supplies and head north across the Great Xianbei Mountains.
If the number of government troops exceeds five thousand, he will obediently lay down his arms and surrender. So many of his clansmen are still in the city and do not have enough food to survive the winter. No one will follow him to migrate north. Twenty thousand people may seem like a lot, but they will eventually scatter as they walk...
But no matter how he guessed, he could not have guessed that the government troops had indeed set up an ambush halfway.
This is a valley road that runs from north to south, connecting Raozhou City and Huangshui. It is a necessary route between the north and south. The mountains on both sides are not towering or steep, but the forests are dense, dark and rugged, with streams flowing from time to time.
When ignited thunderbolts were thrown from the forests on both sides and landed on the road, they exploded with a deafening roar, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. The Khitan cavalry, who were marching at full speed, were instantly thrown into chaos.
The deafening roar and flashes of firearms were the natural enemy of livestock. Startled, the horses no longer obeyed the cavalry's commands, and charged wildly in all directions, causing chaos in the long, serpentine column. Many soldiers fell from their horses and were trampled to death.
Thunderclaps echoed through the valley, accompanied by the neighing of warhorses, shouts of generals, and screams of soldiers…
Li Jinzhong, positioned in the central army, witnessed the horrific state of his cavalry and was utterly horrified. He immediately ordered, "Turn your horses around and retreat!"
The rear guard didn't even need his orders; they had already turned and run away.
While the Khitan cavalry were indeed brave and fierce, like other nomadic tribes, they had no military discipline whatsoever and relied entirely on the prestige of their commander. In such a life-or-death situation, how could they care about discipline or military orders?
However, as soon as they turned the horse around, a rumbling sound came from both sides of the hillside at the same time, and countless large rocks rolled down, blocking the road completely and making it impossible to fly.
Squads of government troops rushed down the slope, stood behind the rocks in rows, and raised their muskets.
Bang bang bang!
A burst of gunfire, like popping beans, rang out. Gun smoke billowed and filled the air as countless bullets rained down. The Khitan cavalry at the back were the first to be hit, and both men and horses were riddled with bullets and fell to the ground.
There was no way to retreat.
Li Jinzhong's eyes were bloodshot. He leaped off his horse, brandishing his scimitar and roaring, "Attack the slopes on both sides!"
He also knew a little about Han Chinese military strategy, which was that "if you have ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if you have five times their strength, attack them; if you have twice their strength, divide them." Although the terrain was unfavorable, the government troops only had three thousand men, so it was impossible for them to completely encircle the enemy. As long as the entire army broke out, they would inevitably break through the weak points of the government troops' encirclement.
Upon hearing this, the Khitan soldiers dismounted and charged towards the hillsides on both sides, braving the thunderous roar that seemed to fall from the sky.
The government troops emerged from the bushes, and the billowing smoke almost covered the entire hillside. Muskets fired directly and crossbows hurled arrows. The dense firepower was like an invisible city wall, blocking the Khitans' advance. They were hit by bullets and arrows and fell down, blood flowing and corpses lying everywhere.
Li Jinzhong was hit in the left leg by a slingshot and had an arrow stuck in his shoulder. He sat on the ground, wincing in pain. Looking around, he saw Khitan soldiers falling one after another during their charge, their teeth almost shattering. He pushed away the personal guards who came to help him, threw down his scimitar, and shouted, "Put down your weapons and surrender! Surrender!"
……
After leaving behind corpses everywhere, the Khitans were driven to gather in the valley. The government troops' musketeers stood at a distance, aiming to ensure they could fire at any time. Other soldiers went forward to clean up the battlefield, collecting all the weapons scattered around, leaving the corpses aside, and treating the wounded.
Li Jinxing, fully armored, walked up to Li Jinzhong and sneered, "Instigating internal strife and rebelling against the country, you truly have no regard for your own life!"
Li Jinzong hung his head in dejection, letting the government doctors treat his wounds without uttering a word.
What's the point of saying anything now that things have come to this?
He was still shaken; a mere three thousand soldiers had managed to launch an ambush with firearms, decimating his twenty thousand elite Khitan troops...
I had long heard that firearms now dominate the world, but this was the first time I had truly witnessed their power.
It wasn't that he was muddleheaded and incompetent, nor that the Khitan warriors were cowardly and afraid of death; it was simply that flesh and blood could not withstand firearms, and the huge gap could not be bridged by bravery alone.
What chilled and terrified him most was this: the bravery, fierceness, and cavalry strength upon which the Khitan relied for survival were utterly vulnerable in the face of firearms.
It's not just the Khitan; the end has come for all the nomadic tribes beyond the Great Wall.
*****
This is indeed the end of the Khitan.
First, the Li brothers assassinated Abugu and massacred his people in order to obtain the position of Governor of Songmo. Then, the Fenwen, Tubian, Ruixi and other tribes, as well as the Xi tribe, supported the Dahe clan and formed a coalition to severely damage the Daji, Hebian and Duhuo tribes. Finally, they were ambushed in the valley of Huangshui when they launched a counterattack on Raozhou and suffered a crushing defeat.
Throughout the entire series of battles, a total of 30,000 Khitan elite troops perished, and a considerable number of soldiers were also wounded, leaving over 100,000 of their people displaced.
The Khitan and Xi tribes, which had grown rapidly since the Sui Dynasty, lost all their elite troops and suffered heavy losses in this battle.
Inside Raozhou City, Fang Jun publicly announced the appointment of Li Jinxing as the Governor of Songmo.
Li Kucaoli, Li Jinzhong, and several tribal leaders were accused of "inciting internal strife and rebelling against the country." Without waiting for review and approval from the central government, they were dragged out of the governor's mansion and beheaded in the street. Their heads were then hung on the city gate as a warning to others.
From this day forward, the Khitan and Xi people will abolish the title of "tribal chief" and all their people will be registered as "civilians" in the same way as the Tang people in their territory, and will be subject to the jurisdiction of the Songmo Prefecture.
The newly appointed Governor of Songmo, Li Jinxing, was responsible for reorganizing and incorporating the Khitan, Xi, Tang, and other Hu peoples within his jurisdiction to form a "corps." After the spring, they would await orders from the Liaodong Governor's Office to participate in the development of Liaodong.
……
In the front hall of the Songmo Governor's Mansion, Fang Jun was handling official business when Zhou Daowu and his wife came to say goodbye.
Upon seeing the couple enter the hall, Fang Jun put down his brush, stood up, and greeted them.
"Your Highness, this humble subject greets you."
Princess Linchuan remained calm and said indifferently, "Grand Commandant, there's no need for such formalities."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
After exchanging greetings, they took their seats one after another.
A personal guard served him fragrant tea.
Zhou Daowu took a sip of tea and said admiringly, "Erlang can turn his hand to make clouds and rain, and quell the internal strife of the Khitan in one fell swoop. It is truly amazing and I admire him."
Fang Jun smiled but remained silent, too lazy to pay any attention.
The scene was slightly awkward. Zhou Daowu coughed and said seriously, "But does Erlang really think he can do this without considering the consequences? Weakening the Khitan is one thing, but completely abolishing their 'chief' position disrupts their traditions of hundreds of years, which may have endless consequences."
The saying goes, "A snake cannot move without a head," so how can a nation be without a "head"?
If they were truly "headless," this nation would likely cease to exist.
How could a nation with a heritage and a long history allow this to happen?
This sowed the seeds for future internal strife within the Khitan.
Even more concerning, what about the other non-Han peoples who submitted to the Tang Dynasty?
When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; everyone will inevitably feel insecure...
Fang Jun shook his head and said, "Whether it's the Khitan, the Xi, or any other nomadic tribes, the key to their assimilation into the Tang Dynasty lies not in whether they have a tribal chief, but in whether each individual in their tribe can obtain the relevant benefits. If the Tang Dynasty cannot provide them with benefits far exceeding those of the past, naturally everyone will pursue 'tradition' and will rebel at the first opportunity. But if the Tang Dynasty can treat them as its own children, distinguish between them as equals, and allow them to have land to cultivate, medical care when sick, and old age to be cared for like all Tang people, even if an ambitious person jumps out intending to 'restore' the dynasty, who will respond and follow?"
Humans are not saints; they are born to pursue profit, and profit determines one's stance.
Abolishing the position of "tribal chief" for the Khitans was meant to set an example for all the nomadic tribes in the world. As long as the Khitans are appeased and given a stable and prosperous life during the development of Liaodong, no one will still think about the "tribal chief" position.
Conversely, even if the imperial court bestows many rewards, if ordinary clansmen do not benefit from them, they can easily rebel at the slightest provocation.
However, this policy was somewhat ahead of its time, and Zhou Daowu couldn't understand it.
He sighed, trying his best to show "concern" and to be as "earnest" as possible: "Erlang is a man of extraordinary learning and unparalleled achievements. His thoughts and ideas are naturally beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like me. The reason I am saying this today is because I am concerned about Erlang's future. Erlang is destined to be a person of outstanding talent who will be remembered in history. We cannot leave a stain on his reputation because of some unnecessary mistakes."
Fang Jun remained noncommittal, then looked at Princess Linchuan and said with a smile, "No one is perfect, who can be without fault? I have quite a few blemishes, some real, some fake, and some even hard to tell the difference."
Princess Linchuan lowered her eyes, but even her earlobes turned red.
People know a lot about Fang Jun's "stains," such as his willful and arrogant behavior, but the most "difficult to distinguish between true and false" is the rumor about his "good princess."
The reason it is said to be "difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood" is because he caused Princess Changle to give birth to a child, was favored by Princess Jinyang, had an ambiguous relationship with Princess Baling, yet he disdained Princess Fangling, who offered herself to him...
Thinking back to my conversation with Zhou Daowu a few days ago, could this guy be hinting at something?
Zhou Daowu shuddered and looked nervously at Fang Jun, forcing a smile: "Erlang is joking. Those criticisms are either deliberately framed by thieves or the world is unaware of the truth. A person like Erlang, who is both learned and skilled in martial arts and is righteous, is truly a model for the world."
"hehe."
Fang Jun smiled but ignored him, instead looking at Princess Linchuan: "Autumn is coming to an end and winter is approaching. The sea is getting rough. Why don't you stay in Raozhou for the winter and return to Chang'an when spring comes next year?"
Princess Linchuan nervously clenched her fingers, bowing her head in silence.
Zhou Daowu's mind went blank with alarm bells, and he hurriedly said, "Everything is ready, and the departure date is set. How can we delay?"
Fang Jun disagreed: "Then you should go back to Chang'an first. A good man should be considerate of his wife. Nowadays, the sea monsoon is strong, and it is very difficult to travel by boat. After spring, I will arrange for the naval flagship to personally escort Your Highness back to the capital."
Princess Linchuan: "..."
Zhou Daowu: "..."
Good heavens!
Should I return to the capital and leave Princess Linchuan here?
If that's the case, Princess Linchuan will probably have to bring another child back to the capital next spring...