Chapter 56: The Great King of the Six Halls Administration

Watching Li Xiao's expression flicker uncertainly, Hutu standing nearby grew extremely nervous.

He was somewhat worried that this new master had an unpredictable temperament; if he happened to say the wrong thing, he might be summarily beheaded on the spot, which would be a complete disaster.

Fortunately, Li Xiao remained rational and quickly cast the woman, Xiao Yanyan, to the back of his mind.

He turned his gaze toward the cowering Hutu, stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said briskly:

"Hutu!"

"Hexi Fortress needs a talent like you!"

"Just follow me properly from now on, and I won't treat you unfairly."

Hearing this, Hutu was instantly overjoyed.

His master actually praised him as a talent?

He really knew how to judge a person!

Hutu had always believed he was a man of talent, but alas, his previous masters simply lacked the discernment to recognize it!

Pity that he had drifted aimlessly for half his life, only to finally encounter a true master today!

If his master would not cast him aside—

Hutu immediately dropped to his knees, overwhelmed with emotion, and pledged his loyalty to Li Xiao: "Thank you, Master, for taking me in."

"This subordinate will be forever loyal to you, through fire and water, unto death!"

His mouth was so full of idioms he could have sat for the imperial examinations; this fellow had a remarkably deep grasp of the Chinese language!

Hearing this, Li Xiao chuckled. He certainly didn't believe in absolute loyalty.

As long as Li Xiao remained alive, it would be enough for Hutu to simply fulfill his duties.

In short, one should never place too high an expectation on human nature.

"Go back and ask him: What is the name of the commander of the Eastern Capital army? What is his background? What are his hobbies?"

"What are his military plans regarding the Karluks? And what is his attitude toward the Han people in Jinzhou?" Li Xiao said to Hutu.

He pointed his riding crop at the Khitan military supervisor pinned to the ground, his expression suddenly turning cold and stern.

"If he still refuses to talk, beat him severely. Alive or dead, it doesn't matter."

"In short, make him spit out everything he knows."

Hearing this, Hutu immediately perked up and said loudly: "Understood, Master!"

This was the first task his master had assigned him, and he had to execute it brilliantly.

With those words, Hutu raised his head again and whispered cautiously: "However, Master—"

Li Xiao rubbed his temples. Damn it, this dog of a fellow, don't tell me he knows this too?

If so, what use would this Khitan supervisor even be?

"Out with it!" Li Xiao looked at Hutu with a half-smile.

"I actually do know a little bit—" Hutu said tentatively. For some reason, looking at Li Xiao's eerie gaze made his scalp tingle.

"The commander of the Eastern Capital army is named Xiao Simo. He is the garrison commander of the Eastern Capital Garrison Office, and I heard he is also the Great King of the Six Courts Department of the Khitans."

"As for other intelligence, this slave is not very clear."

"However, I will go interrogate this Khitan right away and dig out everything in his belly," Hutu added hastily.

With that, he brought two slaves who were on good terms with him, walked aside, and under the supervision of Iron Head, began the interrogation of the Khitan.

He completely replicated all the torture methods their previous masters had used on them onto the Khitan.

After all, the master had already said that whether he lived or died didn't matter.

As for the Khitan's screams, Li Xiao turned a deaf ear, his mind absorbed in pondering the information Hutu had just reported.

Eastern Capital Garrison Commander, Xiao Simo?

Great King of the Six Courts Department?

"Could this Xiao Simo be related to Xiao Wolila?" Li Xiao thought to himself.

Xiao Wolila had been an exceptionally ruthless figure!

He had slaughtered his own son and killed his daughter-in-law.

Moreover, he was a founding meritorious official of Western Liao and a heavyweight from the former imperial court, a character who had nearly become the Western Liao version of Sima Yi.

Personally enfeoffed as the Great King of the Six Courts Department by Yelu Dashi, it was no exaggeration to describe his power as towering over the realm.

Judging by his age, this Xiao Wolila must have been dead for many years.

Yet now, an Eastern Capital garrison commander named Xiao Simo had become the Great King of the Six Courts Department, leading Li Xiao to suspect that Xiao Simo might have ties to Xiao Wolila.

After all, the Six Courts Tribe was a major clan among the Khitans, and having been managed by Xiao Wolila for decades, just anyone couldn't simply step in and become the Great King.

"I can only take it one step at a time," Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Fifteen thousand Eastern Capital troops truly exerted considerable pressure on Li Xiao.

The Karluks were completely out of the running; it all depended on whether the Naimans could hold their ground.

Regardless, the Han people in Jinzhou should honestly continue playing the role of younger brothers to the Khitans for now.

They were simply unaffordable to provoke.

"Dazhuang, make your move."

"Let's finish up early so we can head back and rest sooner," Li Xiao called out to Lin Dazhuang.

"Understood!"

Soon, under the coercion of the Hexi cavalry, the ordinary Zhelan people turned their slaughtering blades against the Zhelan nobility.

Cries of agony and furious curses instantly echoed incessantly across the scene.

A short moment later, nothing was left there except corpses, blood, and flesh fragments strewn across the ground.

More than fifty Zhelan nobles, including guards and slaves who remained fiercely loyal to Nierdu, were completely massacred.

Only a little over three hundred ordinary Zhelan people remained, squatting on the ground with numb expressions.

In doing so, these Zhelan people had effectively submitted a blood oath of allegiance, cutting off their retreat to the greatest possible extent.

Furthermore, without the leadership of the Zhelan nobility, these ordinary Zhelan people were reduced to a plate of loose sand, lacking unity; even if they wanted to stir up trouble, succeeding would be exceedingly difficult.

To subdue these slaves, Li Xiao had exhausted every possible means to eliminate potential hazards.

"From now on, you are the slaves of Hexi Fortress."

"As long as you behave yourselves and work honestly, Hexi Fortress will not treat you unfairly."

"Whoever performs meritorious service on the battlefield, I, the Fortress Master, will not only bestow upon you cattle, sheep, and wealth, but also strip away your slave status and grant you the standing of free citizens."

Riding his horse, Li Xiao addressed all the Zhelan people in a lecture.

His primary method was drawing blueprints of hope, allowing these slaves to see a future, work obediently and bow their heads, and fight desperately for Hexi Fortress in order to attain freedom.

As the influence of Hexi Fortress gradually expanded, Li Xiao needed to begin absorbing batches of nomadic peoples for his own use.

With matters concluded, Li Xiao led his men back to Tazhai.

They would rest in Tazhai tonight while awaiting the arrival of soldiers from the other fortresses tomorrow.

The next day, as morning light first broke, the gentle rays softly parted the thin fog over the open expanse by the river forty li west of Tazhai.

Tents were scattered in an orderly fashion, and figures emerged from them to begin their chores, all indicating that a military force had camped here overnight.

At this moment, the camp was already bustling with activity, and the rising murmur of noise broke the quiet of dawn.

Dozens of large cauldrons were securely mounted on simple stoves, the water within boiling vigorously. Some stout Khitan men, baring their tanned torsos, began preparing breakfast.

Not far away, the warhorses seemed to sense the imminent atmosphere of marching; from time to time, they snorted and pawed the ground lightly with their hooves, producing dull thuds.

The entire camp presented a scene of intense activity.

In the very center of the camp, inside a large white tent, a heroic-looking man with a resolute face and sword-like eyes sat on a folding couch eating breakfast.

In his thirties, he wore a wolf-skin coat that highlighted his rugged might. His hair was braided into multiple strands, meticulously groomed and swept entirely back over his shoulders.

Exuding a majestic aura and overflowing with dominance, merely sitting there imparted a powerful sense of oppression.

He took large bites of a freshly griddled flatbread while sipping a bowl of steaming mare's milk, accentuating the bold and uninhibited nature of the nomads.

"Great King—"

At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from outside the tent.

A Khitan warrior clad in chainmail and wearing a curved saber at his waist walked in, crossed his right arm over his chest in salute, and reported: "Last night, the Zhelan tribe lost contact with us and failed to send scouts back to report on time."

"My patrol scouts, while heading out to investigate, ran into a wounded Zhelan person."

"He told us that the Zhelan tribe was attacked!"

With the dim light of last night, it had been difficult for Li Xiao to capture every single Zhelan person.

After all, even during ordinary marches, stragglers were possible, let alone in the heat of battle.

Amid the chaos, it was entirely normal for one or two Zhelan people to escape.

Nor was it worth dispatching men in pursuit.

"Attacked?"

Hearing his subordinate's report, Xiao Simo's expression turned solemn.

He slowly set down the flatbread in his hand and asked in a deep voice: "Who attacked the Zhelan tribe? How many men did they have?"

"How many survivors are left in the Zhelan tribe?"

Though his tone was heavy, Xiao Simo did not appear particularly angry.

After all, nomadic tribes like the Zhetan were essentially consumable goods of war to the Khitans.

So-called vanguard scouts were merely meant to clear paths and die.

If the Zhelan people died, so be it.

What truly concerned Xiao Simo were the attackers.

To possess the capability to wipe out the Zhelan tribe in a single battle, and to do so before the Khitan main cavalry could arrive with reinforcements—

That was no simple feat!

"According to the Zhelan survivors, the ones who attacked them were Han people."

Hearing his subordinate's report, Xiao Simo furrowed his brow slightly.

"Han people?"

"Did the Han people in Jinzhou rebel alongside the Karluks as well?" Xiao Simo asked in a chilling tone.

"This—"

"It doesn't seem so," his subordinate replied, shaking his head slightly.

He then explained the whole affair to Xiao Simo.

Hearing this, Xiao Simo let out a cold snort, his low voice sneering: "Useless trash."

"Nierdu is simply an utter fool."

After fiercely berating Nierdu, Xiao Simo sat back down on his folding couch, resting his right hand on his knee while gently rubbing his stubble.

In a lingering voice, he murmured: "However, for the Han people of Jinzhou to surround and annihilate five hundred Zhelan cavalry in such a short span of time—"

"Their strength is indeed not to be underestimated!"

"Pass down the order: the army shall break camp and pay a visit to that Han stronghold."