Chapter Twenty-One: The Fall of Three-River Fort

In the Western Regions, darkness falls late, and dawn arrives just as late.

The sun had only just begun to crest over the Northern Frontier, even though most of the morning hour had already slipped away. Hexi Fort, having passed the night in peace, was gradually stirring into life; the village echoed with the clatter of chores and the calls of those feeding their livestock. If one were to ignore the harsh reality of the Karluk rebellion, the scene at Hexi Fort would appear as a veritable paradise, with villagers living in quiet and tranquil harmony.

Back at the Li household, Li Xiao had also awakened. He glanced at Er Hu beside him, who was sprawled out in a wide "X" shape across the bed. Both of his arms and legs were pinning down Li Xiao on one side and Da Hu on the other.

"Damn it, no wonder I dreamed a female ghost was pinning me down!" Li Xiao grumbled under his breath.

He couldn't help but glance downward; the youth was full of vitality, though fortunately, he wasn't in an embarrassing state. While he hadn't seen the ghost’s face clearly in his dream, her figure had been truly impressive. Li Xiao couldn't help but pay his respects in his mind.

"Perhaps taking a wife wouldn't be so bad," Li Xiao thought to himself while adjusting his shorts, which had been poked askew in his dream. In this era, people married quite young; it was not uncommon for boys of fifteen or sixteen to take a spouse. Li Xiao began to consider whether he should yield to Qin Dani and the old matriarch. Whether it was a young girl or a young woman, it would certainly be more comfortable than sharing a bed with these two oafs.

Li Xiao shook his head slightly. The threat of the Karluks still loomed overhead; thoughts of finding a wife would have to be pushed aside.

"Get up!" Li Xiao kicked Er Hu in the backside.

Er Hu opened his hazy eyes with a bewildered expression, having just dreamed that a sheep was ramming his rear.

"We’re going to cut grass today. We need to store as much fodder as possible," Li Xiao instructed Da and Er Hu.

By autumn, nomadic herders would harvest grass and store it to feed their livestock through the winter. Although it was still summer, the Karluk cavalry could descend upon Hexi Fort at any moment. If they continued to graze in the fields as they had before, they would be in grave danger should the raiders arrive. Thus, the people of Hexi Fort had been spending these past few days cutting grass in the fields and hauling it back on carts to store. If they truly encountered a raid, they could simply abandon the carts and gallop back on horseback.

"Oh... alright," Er Hu replied, still dazed for a few seconds before he and Da Hu scrambled out of bed. They splashed their faces with water in the courtyard and began to eat breakfast—leftover horse meat from the previous night paired with a little millet porridge.

Li Xiao also had Da Hu take three identical portions of breakfast to the neighboring courtyard; since Xiao Yanyan had paid for her meals, they had to treat her well.

Just as the Li family was eating, Li Dashan came running over in a rush.

"Uncle, come quickly and take a look! Da Wu, Xiao Heizi, and the others are back!"

Hearing this, the old man stood up abruptly, his eyes fixed on Li Dashan with intense excitement. "What? They’re back? How many?"

The old man's sudden movement startled the grandmother, who quickly steadied him and said chidingly, "Be careful! Don't let your wounds burst open!"

The old man seemed not to hear her, his gaze locked on Li Dashan, hoping to hear good news.

"Twenty-eight have returned!" Li Dashan announced.

"Twenty-eight?" the old man whispered, a mixture of disappointment and relief washing over him. "That’s good... it’s good that twenty-eight more have returned!"

One hundred able-bodied men had gone to North Mountain to quell the Karluk rebellion, and only six had returned previously. Li Xiao had tried to console him, suggesting that the men of Hexi Fort had likely just been scattered and were still on their way back. Now, twenty-eight more had returned! It was good news.

"What about Er Jiang? Did Er Jiang come back?" the grandmother asked anxiously. Da Hu also looked at Li Dashan with hopeful eyes.

"Auntie, brother Er Jiang didn't make it back," Li Dashan’s voice dropped.

Upon hearing this, the expectation on the grandmother’s face dissolved into disappointment, and she slowly sat down. Her tears had already run dry over the past few days, and she only prayed for her second son to return soon.

Li Xiao comforted her, saying, "Grandma, we still have hope! Second Uncle must be fine. Maybe he had to take a long detour to avoid being discovered by the Karluks. He’ll be back in a few days!"

Though the grandmother knew Li Xiao was only trying to comfort her, she managed a forced smile. "Yes, the Karluks are everywhere outside; perhaps Er Jiang is just hiding somewhere." This was her only spiritual crutch, a reason she used to hypnotize herself through the daily torment.

Soon, the old man, Li Xiao, and the others, having not even finished their meal, hurried out of the house toward the village entrance. The ashes of the bonfire where the villagers had shared the horse meat the night before still radiated warmth. More and more villagers had heard the news and were rushing over.

In the center of the clearing stood a group of ragged men, their faces and bodies covered in dirt and grime. Their clothes were stained with dried blood and mud, tattered and torn, and their sheepskin coats looked as if they had been dragged through a swamp. Some were even bandaged and clearly weak.

As more villagers arrived, some rushed toward the men with stumbling, desperate steps.

"Waaaaah!"

"My son! Hei'er, you finally came back! I thought I’d never see you again in this life!"

"Husband, I thought you had abandoned us!"

"Dad, you're not dead? You're still alive!"

The entrance to Hexi Fort quickly turned into a reunion of families. The returning men and their families wept and shared endless words. Those who had not seen their loved ones looked on with envy and disappointment.

"If I lie drunk on the battlefield, do not laugh; since ancient times, how many have ever returned from war?" Li Xiao whispered to himself as he watched the scene.

War is cruel in any age. But born into this chaotic era where might makes right, no one can avoid conflict unless they are willing to be slaves and bullied for a lifetime. In Hexi Fort, everyone could accept the outcome of dying in battle—many had even prepared for it before the expedition—but what they could not accept was a meaningless death.

This Battle of North Mountain, due to poor command by the Khitans, had nearly left every family in Hexi Fort in mourning. Such a crushing, preventable defeat was the source of the villagers' anger and dissatisfaction. Li Xiao silently summarized the lessons from this war, determined to prevent such things from happening again.

"War is a matter of vital importance to the state; the province of life or death, the road to survival or ruin, it must be thoroughly examined!"

Watching the reunions, the old man’s face softened with relief and gratitude. Although most of the strong men of Hexi Fort, including Li Er Jiang, had not returned, the fact that twenty-eight had survived and spared twenty-eight families from tragedy was a blessing.

The twenty-eight men, upon seeing the old man, wore expressions of silence and sorrow. The man at the front of the group, a middle-aged man surnamed Wu—the eldest, known as Da Wu—looked at the old man, his lips trembling. His expression was downcast, and his eyes were brimming with tears. Behind him, the others were the same, some even sobbing quietly.

"It is good that you have returned," the old man said, nodding repeatedly and letting out a soft sigh of relief.

After asking a few important questions, the old man urged them to return home. "Go back and rest, have a good meal, and get some sleep."

"Yes, Fort Master," Da Wu and Xiao Heizi nodded and departed.

The surrounding villagers also began to return home, and the atmosphere in the village was no longer as oppressive as before. The return of these twenty-eight men gave the others a glimmer of hope and confidence.

"Grandma, you should be happy now that we know Second Uncle is still alive," Li Xiao said to the grandmother, who was still wiping away tears. Just moments ago, Da Wu and the others had shared the news: Li Er Jiang had indeed been struck by a few arrows, but none were fatal. Later, he had led a group of men, carrying the body of Li Dahai, and broke through the Karluk encirclement amidst the chaos. They had simply been separated from Da Wu’s group during the subsequent pursuit. Therefore, it was highly probable that Li Er Jiang was still alive.

Upon hearing this, the grandmother was overjoyed, and tears flowed once more from her parched eyes. "Happy, I am very happy!" she said with a trembling voice.

After returning home, the three Li brothers hitched two carts and left the village to cut grass in the northern fields. They made seven or eight trips throughout the day, finally gathering enough fodder.

"Cutting this last load should be enough to feed the cattle, sheep, and horses for five or six days," Er Hu said, putting down his sickle and tossing a tightly bound bundle of grass onto the cart. The carts were piled high with stacks of compressed hay, towering over a man's height—they had packed them as tightly as possible to save time on transport.

"Five or six days will pass in a flash. I wonder when the Karluk rebellion will end," Da Hu said softly. "Next time, we might not be able to come out to cut grass so easily."

Standing on the cart and gazing into the distance, Li Xiao said calmly, "It is also possible that the Karluk rebellion won't last much longer. Next time, we might just be able to bring the livestock out to graze."

As he spoke, Li Xiao’s gaze remained fixed on the distance. Under the glow of the setting sun, the once-green grassland had turned a spectacular, mottled golden hue. Yet, faintly, a few small black dots could be seen in the distance.

"Someone is coming!" Er Hu noticed them too, instinctively running to his horse and drawing his blade.

"Are they Karluks?" Da Hu asked quietly.

Li Xiao shook his head, signaling Er Hu not to be so tense. "They don't look like Karluks!"

As the dots became clearer, their figures grew more familiar. Da Hu suddenly shouted, "It’s Third Granduncle! They’re back!"

The three brothers quickly rode out to meet them.

"Third Granduncle!"

"Whoa!" The old man and the few men behind him pulled on their reins.

"Third Granduncle, didn't you go to contact the other villages? How did it go?" Li Xiao asked loudly.

Though the old man still subconsciously thought of Li Xiao as a child, he realized that Li Xiao had become the Fort Master of Hexi and was beginning to take charge of the fort's affairs. With a grave expression, he looked at Li Xiao and said, "Da Long, return to the village at once. Sanhe Fort has been breached by the Karluks!"

"What?"

Hearing this, the three brothers were struck with shock.