Chapter 45 The Astonishment of the Karluks

The entire morning, Hou Stronghold was a scene of utter chaos and bustling activity.

Under Li Xiao's orders, all the herdsmen began packing their belongings, preparing to relocate.

"Although the Hou family has been wiped out, Hou Wen is still alive. Once he learns what happened in the stronghold, he will undoubtedly borrow troops from the Karluks to seek revenge."

"Therefore, Hou Stronghold can no longer be kept!"

"Everyone, follow me back to Hexi Fortress~"

These were the words Li Xiao spoke to all the herdsmen of Hou Stronghold.

He used Hou Wen and the Karluks to terrify the herdsmen, forcing them to abandon Hou Stronghold and head toward Hexi Fortress.

One must admit, this reason was highly effective.

The herdsmen still harbored a deep fear of the Hou family. Even with only Hou Wen left, they worried he would return with the Karluks for vengeance.

After all, everyone’s hands were stained with the blood of the Hou family, and Hou Wen would certainly not spare them.

By that time, Li Xiao and the people of Hexi Fortress would have long since departed, and left by themselves, they would definitely be no match for the Karluks.

Thus, these people had no choice but to pack their things and prepare to move!

"Brother, there are a total of five hundred and twelve people heading to Hexi Fortress!"

When everything was nearly ready, Dahu ran over to report the headcount he had tallied to Li Xiao.

Then, with a worried expression, he added, "Not just them, but there are also several hundred people from the former Sanhe Fortress."

"With all these people coming to Hexi Fortress, will we be able to support so many mouths?"

Nearly a thousand people crowding into Hexi Fortress—Dahu was deeply concerned that problems would arise.

After all, for so many years, the population of Hexi Fortress had grown in an orderly and slow manner, never experiencing a situation where the population doubled in such a short span of time.

Li Xiao had already considered this and nodded gently. "We will definitely be able to support them."

"The autumn harvest is in two months, and the new grain will sustain quite a few people."

Moreover, that woman Xiao Yanyan had promised Li Xiao that Hexi Fortress would be exempt from taxes for the next three years.

That portion of extra tax grain was by no means a small amount!

Furthermore, neither the people of Sanhe Fortress nor those of Hou Stronghold were penniless refugees.

They possessed plenty of cattle, sheep, and surplus grain of their own, which was enough to sustain them for quite some time.

"Although they have become the people of our Hexi Fortress, it doesn't mean we are abandoning Hou Stronghold and Sanhe Fortress," Li Xiao said in a calm voice.

His gaze drifted toward the cultivated fields outside the stronghold, which were now lush with green wheat. In two months, they would be ready for harvest.

These fields originally belonged to the Hou family, but now they had been directly confiscated by Li Xiao.

"When the autumn harvest arrives, we will bring them back to reap the grain."

"It will be more than enough to feed these people for at least a year!"

Although Hou Stronghold and Sanhe Fortress were to be temporarily abandoned, Li Xiao had no intention of leaving them unattended forever.

After all, these two locations possessed fertile pastures and already-cleared arable land that could be put to immediate use.

Once the current Karluk rebellion passed, Li Xiao would dispatch a portion of the herdsmen from Hexi Fortress, mixed with some of the original residents of the two fortresses, to return here.

Hou Stronghold and Sanhe Fortress would be directly incorporated into the territory of Hexi Fortress.

In this way, the strength of Hexi Fortress would rise to a whole new level, making it the most powerful Han fortress and stronghold in Jinzhou.

"Besides, even if we truly encounter a situation where food is insufficient, no one will starve to death," Li Xiao said calmly.

Dahu was still a bit too kind-hearted.

In this Western Regions where the strong preyed upon the weak, why did wars constantly erupt?

It was primarily to contend for survival resources!

When there was nothing to eat, one simply snatched it from another's bowl!

If it truly came to that point, Li Xiao would rather have them die in battle than starve to death.

Furthermore, waging external wars was even more conducive to the integration and solidarity of the herdsmen across the three fortresses.

"Alright, anyway, when the cart reaches the mountain pass, there will surely be a way through," Dahu said, shaking his head gently. Knowing that Li Xiao had considered these matters, he felt at ease.

He then turned and ran over to a carriage to look after Li Jiang, while the corpse of Li Xiao's father, Li Dahai, was also being carried on this very same wagon.

Immediately following this, Li Xiao turned his gaze toward the herdsmen of Hou Stronghold and shouted loudly, "Everyone, take good care of your cattle, sheep, and belongings~"

"We move out now~"

Hearing this, the herdsmen began to shout boisterously, driving their respective livestock toward the outside of the stronghold.

Although they felt a sense of reluctance to leave Hou Stronghold, every face betrayed a yearning for future life.

This was because the Hou family's exploitation of them had been far too harsh.

Not only was the land not their own, but even the livestock raised at home mostly belonged to the Hou family.

They were merely laborers working for the Hou family, virtually indistinguishable from slaves.

Yet now, Li Xiao had promised them that once they reached Hexi Fortress, half of the Hou family's cattle and sheep would belong to these herdsmen.

The remaining half would be distributed among the one hundred youths who had participated in the expedition.

Such a generous gesture naturally left everyone satisfied.

Coupled with the pressure brought by Hou Wen and the Karluks, the herdsmen wholeheartedly agreed with the decision to leave Hou Stronghold.

Thus, the procession departed grandly from Hou Stronghold, marching in the direction of Hexi Fortress.

As soon as everyone had left, the vultures that had been circling in the sky descended in a swarm, frantically beginning to feed upon the corpses of the Hou family members!

Wuya Fortress!

Situated in the eastern part of Jinzhou, at the foot of the Altai Mountains, it was a Han village whose presence was hardly striking.

Facing the siege by the Karluks, Wuya Fortress resisted stubbornly, but because reinforcements failed to arrive in time, it was ultimately breached by the Maman tribe.

At this moment, outside Wuya Fortress, within a massive tent, the leader of the Maman tribe, Chipu Teging, was seated on a folding camp bed.

Drinking mare's milk wine while holding two Han women in his arms, he fondled them incessantly and burst into unbridled laughter!

"We Karluks are the eagles of the grassland; we should spread our wings and soar, rather than being dogs for the Khitans here!"

"The deities are calling upon us, granting us eternal power, and leading us to recreate the supreme glory of the Karluk Khaganate."

Chipu Teging shouted loudly as if he were drunk, his spirits soaring exceptionally high!

The other Karluk nobles within the large tent similarly echoed Chipu Teging, saying, "Indeed, we Karluks are born powerhouses, the eagles of the grassland!"

"Leader Chipu Teging has led us to defeat the Khitans and will conquer even more Han fortresses and strongholds."

"We will surely be able to rebuild the Karluk Khaganate!"

"Chipu Teging ought to become the new generation Yabgu of us Karluks!"

Hearing the cheers of the Karluk chieftains, Chipu Teging was immensely pleased. His efforts had not been in vain; he was determined to become the new generation Karluk Yabgu!

He would lead the Karluks to restore their former glory and dominate the Western Regions!

"Master Hou, once our Karluk Khaganate is rebuilt, you will be a meritorious minister. This Yabgu will certainly reward you handsomely and appoint you as the leader of all the Han people in the northern frontier."

Chipu Teging looked at a man seated below him to his side, and said with a hearty laugh.

This man appeared to be in his forties, of short stature, with a lean face, a prominent nose bridge, and narrow eyes, giving off an unsettling feeling of a stealthy rodent.

This man was none other than Hou Tiancai's biological father, the contemporary chieftain of Hou Stronghold, Hou Wen.

He was still unaware of what had happened at Hou Stronghold and was rejoicing over the promise made by Chipu Teging!

"Many thanks, Lord Yabgu!"

"My Hou Stronghold will certainly not disappoint Lord Yabgu and will help the Maman tribe occupy those various fortresses as quickly as possible."

Hou Wen stood up and spoke respectfully toward Chipu Teging.

In truth, Hou Wen did not believe a single word of the grand blueprint painted for him by Chipu Teging.

He did not even believe that the Maman tribe could rebuild the Karluk Khaganate.

It did not matter, however, as both sides were merely utilizing one another.

Hou Wen only needed to leverage the power of the Karluks to bring more Han fortresses and strongholds under his command, enabling the Hou family to become the leader of all Han people in the northern frontier.

When that time came, the Hou family would no longer need to depend on the mercy of the Karluks and could completely cast them aside to go it alone.

"Reporting!"

Just as everyone's spirits were running high, the tent flap was lifted, and one of Chipu Teging's trusted aides ran in and said,

"Reporting to the leader, something terrible has happened! The Aslan tribe has been wiped out by the Han people."

Hearing this, Chipu Teging froze instantly, dumbfounded, holding his wine cup in a state of bewilderment!

The atmosphere inside the entire grand tent suddenly plunged into a dead silence, the smiles still lingering on the faces of all the Maman chieftains instantly turning to sheer shock!

"Y-you, what did you say? The Han people?"

Chipu Teging said in astonishment, looking utterly incredulous.

After the Battle of Beishan, the troops of the Jinzhou Military Commissioner's Office had been shattered by the coalition forces of the three tribes, and a large number of Han people had even been wiped out or captured.

Now, under the formidable might of the three Karluk tribes, the Han people throughout Jinzhou possessed only the strength to self-preserve; how could they possibly have wiped out the Aslan tribe?

"It's true, leader. Remnants of the Aslan tribe just came to defect to us~"

"Bring them in!" Refusing to believe this reality, Chipu Teging demanded to question them personally.

Before long, several Karluks from the Aslan tribe were led inside, each of them looking disheveled and even covered in blood.

"It was the Han people!"

"They ambushed us the night before yesterday!" said a Karluk soldier with a pale face. He was one of those who had escaped from Sanhe Fortress!

He had witnessed firsthand the violent offensive of the four-fortress coalition, descending abruptly like ghosts in the rainy night. That overwhelming and all-destroying momentum made his heart race with terror whenever he recalled it!

The Karluk soldiers were terrified!

As for the other Maman chieftains, an uproar broke out, every face displaying anger and tension.

Since the strength of the Aslan tribe was comparable to that of the Maman tribe, did this not mean the Maman tribe was now in danger as well?

"Which Han village was it?"

"Did you see clearly?"

Hou Wen also wore a look of disbelief as he asked in alarm.

Unfortunately, the Karluk soldiers could not clarify anything, knowing only that they were Han people.

Hou Wen could only feel a sense of absurdity as he muttered to himself, "That shouldn't be..."

"How is this possible?"