The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 212 The Eastern Capital Garrison Commander

The next morning, as dawn broke and the morning mist had not yet dissipated, a troop of royal cavalry crossed the Ili River and arrived at the north bank.

To avoid being killed by the arrows of the Jinzhou army, he shouted in advance: "Han Jiuguang, the Grand Councilor of the Southern Court of the Great Liao, has come to meet Li Xiao, the Governor of Jinzhou, by order of the Emperor of the Great Liao."

Upon hearing this, a Jinzhou army general rode out from the shore and loudly proclaimed, "Wait here."

After saying this, he ordered someone to return to the main camp to report.

Li Xiao had just gotten up, and the tent still held a lingering, alluring atmosphere, with the bed in disarray.

But the two concubines were nowhere to be seen.

Because they only stayed in Li Xiao's tent for an hour, they were wrapped in blankets by the soldiers and carried to another tent.

Li Xiao never lets unfamiliar women stay overnight in his tent.

Just as he finished dressing and stepped out of the tent, he was greeted by Lin Dazhuang's report: "Grand Commander, Wang Tingnan's Privy Councilor Han Jiuguang requests an audience, saying that he has come to negotiate on the orders of the false emperor."

"negotiation?"

Li Xiao splashed his face with cold water to clear his mind, and chuckled, "Looks like Yelü Zhilugu can't hold on much longer."

"What a pity~"

Having said that, he gently shook his head and walked towards the golden tent.

If it weren't for the threat from the Kangli people, Li Xiao would have really wanted to lead his army straight to the royal court.

"Bring him here."

A moment later, Han Jiuguang and another deputy envoy arrived outside the tent. Lin Dazhuang waved his hand lightly, and four personal guards stepped forward and searched the two men.

Han Jiuguang looked displeased and said angrily, "I am the Grand Councilor of the Southern Court of the Great Liao Dynasty. How dare you insult me ​​like this?"

"Don't the people of northern Xinjiang know any manners?"

But Lin Dazhuang remained expressionless, slightly raised his eyelids, and said in a calm voice, "It is my duty, Lord Han, please forgive me."

After the two men had finished forcibly searching him, Lin Dazhuang gently waved his hand toward the tent flap and said, "Please."

"Humph."

Han Jiuguang snorted coldly, waved his sleeve, and stepped into the tent.

Lin Dazhuang followed at a leisurely pace, his movements slightly bumpy, as an old injury to his right foot had left him disabled and unable to walk easily, so he spent most of his time on horseback.

The moment Han Jiuguang stepped into the tent, his gaze involuntarily fell upon the young man sitting on the couch directly in front of him.

He looked to be around twenty years old, with sword-like eyebrows that slanted upwards into his temples, and a resolute and cold face with sharp, angular features as if carved by a knife.

His deep eyes narrowed slightly, and a fierce, wolf-like sharpness surged within his black pupils, as if he could see right through a person.

Wearing dark gold cotton armor, the black dragon pattern on the chest plate is lifelike, and it seems to be about to break free of its restraints as it bares its fangs and claws.

The black-tasseled helmet that had been taken off was placed on the table, along with a bowl of rice soup, several flatbreads, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

"This is Li Xiao, the governor of Jinzhou?" Han Jiuguang looked at Li Xiao with deep eyes, slightly surprised.

They are indeed a bit too young.

It's hard to imagine that such a young man led tens of thousands of cavalrymen from the northern frontier, causing the royal army to retreat in disarray to the south bank of the Ili River.

However, considering Li Xiao's past achievements, such as conquering Husi Ordos and destroying the Gaochang Kingdom, etc.

It is not surprising that he achieved such results in the Battle of the Seven Rivers.

"I am Han Jiuguang, the Imperial Envoy of the Emperor of the Great Liao Dynasty and the Privy Councilor of the Southern Court."

"Governor Li, is this how you welcome angels?"

Han Jiuguang, holding a banner, stood upright in the tent.

He looked to be around fifty years old, but his voice was still strong, and he showed no fear of Li Xiao in his tone.

Since the westward expedition of Dashi, the Han family has lived in Husiwoer for generations.

However, two years ago, Li Xiao led his army to conquer the capital, capturing and killing a large number of nobles and officials in the city.

Han Jiuguang's family members have also disappeared since then.

Therefore, he had no good feelings towards Li Xiao.

He was dispatched as an envoy purely because of his Han Chinese identity, and also because he was the Southern Privy Councilor, a position of high rank.

Use Han Chinese thinking to deal with Li Xiao, and strive for more benefits for the Wang Ting in negotiations.

But after hearing his words, Li Xiao continued eating at a leisurely pace.

He was eating a pancake in one hand while gulping down rice soup from a rough earthenware bowl in the other. His movements were casual and natural, exuding a bold and domineering air.

After setting down the earthenware bowl, he instructed Lin Dazhuang, "Prepare seats for the two envoys."

"By the way, you've arrived so early, you probably haven't eaten yet."

"Prepare two more pancakes and two bowls of rice soup for them."

He then looked at Han Jiuguang and said with a chuckle, "Privy Councilor Han, the reason we are treating you this way is not because of your status as an envoy, but because of your niece."

"Speaking of which, you are considered an elder in this capital. If you come to my army and I don't even offer you a meal, wouldn't people laugh at us?"

Upon hearing this, Han Jiuguang was stunned, and the deputy envoy beside him was also dumbfounded.

A look of astonishment darted back and forth between Li Xiao and Han Jiuguang, and a sense of foreboding suddenly crept into his heart.

Could Han Jiuguang have betrayed us?
Little did he know, Han Jiuguang was even more shocked than he was.

"Ying'er?"

Then, she looked at Li Xiao with an incredulous expression: "You, you~"

From the moment Li Xiao led his army to capture Husiwoer, Han Jiuguang lost contact with his second brother's family in the city.

He even thought his brother's family had been murdered.

But now that Li Xiao suddenly mentioned his niece Han Ying'er, Han Jiuguang suddenly realized something and thought of a certain possibility.

“That’s right.” Li Xiao smiled and nodded.

He stood up, dusted off the crumbs on his hands, walked into the tent, and said to Han Jiuguang with a slight pat on his chest, "Li Xiao greets Uncle."

"What? You~"

"I have already taken Ying'er as my concubine. You are Ying'er's uncle, so you are naturally my elder."

Li Xiao said with a smile.

Strictly speaking, only the elders of his wife are considered Li Xiao's elders; his concubines are not.

But Li Xiao is a polite person and is willing to give Han Jiuguang face.

Upon hearing this, Han Jiuguang was stunned, and the expression on his face was quite interesting.

Unexpectedly, the negotiation turned out to be with a relative.

The second son's family was fine; on the contrary, they were doing very well in Jinzhou, and even his niece married Li Xiao.

Although she was a concubine, her status was second only to the wife, which was not low.

In other words, the Han family and Li Xiao have already established a substantial marriage alliance.

Thinking about all this, Han Jiuguang felt a mix of emotions.

His eyes relaxed slightly, he breathed a sigh of relief, and even felt a little surprised.

Li Xiao, the renowned Grand Commander of Jinzhou in the Western Regions, had become his nephew-in-law. With this connection, the Han family was naturally safe.

It has to be said that the second son did the right thing.

The worry is that if Yelü Zhilugu finds out about this relationship, his future days will be much more difficult.

Looking at the constantly changing expression in Han Jiuguang's eyes, Li Xiao could roughly guess his thoughts. This old guy was definitely not the kind of stubborn person who was loyal to the emperor and loved his country.

It can be used for one's own purposes.

Then, Li Xiao turned his gaze to the person beside him and asked calmly, "Who are you?"

The man suppressed his shock, glared at Han Jiuguang, and said solemnly, "I am Puchachi, the Envoy of the Northern Court."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao looked at Han Jiuguang with a half-smile and said, "Uncle, it seems that Yelü Zhilugu doesn't completely trust you either."

"They even sent a Khitan to monitor you."

"What? Is he worried that the two of us Han Chinese will collude with him and betray him?"

The Northern Court's Envoy was responsible for the Northern Court's rituals, sacrifices, banquets, and other affairs, and also participated in some political affairs. He was one of the important administrative officials of the Northern Court.

Since the Northern Court was mostly composed of Khitans, the person who could serve as the deputy envoy must have been a confidant of Yelü Zhilugu.

They were undoubtedly there to monitor Han Jiuguang.

Upon hearing this, Han Jiuguang's expression changed slightly, becoming somewhat unpleasant. He snorted and said, "Hmph, Governor Li, don't try to sow discord."

"I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's favor, and His Majesty trusts me greatly."

"How can you possibly sow discord between us, the ruler and his subjects, with just a few words?"

Looking at his righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, Li Xiao couldn't tell whether he was truly loyal or just putting on an act.

But it doesn't matter, Li Xiao will help him.

The next second, Li Xiao waved his hand lightly and said, "Someone come here."

"exist."

Lin Dazhuang appeared with his men.

"This one, and this one~"

“What’s the name of this deputy envoy? We hit it off immediately and I really admire his talent. Take him away and treat him well. Don’t neglect him.”

"Yes, sir." Lin Dazhuang waved his hand lightly, and two guards behind him stepped forward, grabbed Puchachi's arm, and pulled him away.

This scene immediately panicked both Han Jiuguang and the other man.

"What are you doing? What are you doing? Let me go! I am a special envoy of the Liao Dynasty! You cannot detain me!" Puchaqi shouted in terror, but his personal guards dragged him away.

Han Jiuguang glared angrily at Li Xiao: "In times of war, envoys should not be killed."

"We didn't actually kill him; we just kept him as a guest."

Li Xiao said calmly, then grabbed Han Jiuguang's arm and sat down beside him, saying with a smile, "Come on, Uncle, don't get so angry."

"Sit down and eat first."

As he spoke, Li Xiao personally brought the flatbread and millet porridge from the table to Han Jiuguang.

"I did this for your sake, Uncle. If this person were to return to the royal court and spread rumors..."

“If Yelü Zhilugu finds out about our relationship, it might be detrimental to you, Uncle.”

Upon hearing this, Han Jiuguang's face darkened even further.

He finally understood that Li Xiao had done it on purpose, revealing their relationship in front of the deputy envoy and then pretending to be concerned for him by detaining the deputy envoy.

The goal was to force him to make a statement, but now that things have come to this, does Han Jiuguang have any other choice?
Don't be fooled by Li Xiao's affectionate way of calling him "uncle." How many people who reach this position are truly kind?
They might expose it right away.

Now that the deputy envoy has been detained, Yelü Zhilugu will only think that he and Li Xiao conspired to scheme against him.

It can't be cleaned at all.

"I've been tricked into this mess," Han Jiuguang sighed heavily, his face full of anger and helplessness.

"Hehe, why are you so dejected, Uncle?"

“We’re family, it’s only natural for us to help each other,” Li Xiao chuckled.

Han Jiuguang was also a cunning old fox. On the surface, he appeared to be loyal to the emperor, but in reality, he was full of wicked schemes.

Don't think you can completely control him just because of family ties. This kind of old fox is a master at playing both sides.

The second branch of the Han family followed Li Xiao, while he himself stayed in the royal court with the first branch. No matter which side wins in the end, the Han family will not lose.

However, as someone in a higher position, Li Xiao certainly wouldn't like someone who bets on both sides.

That's why the deputy envoy was detained, as a threat and warning, to prevent Han Jiuguang from continuing to be indecisive.

"After the Battle of the Seven Rivers, Yelü Zhilugu will definitely intensify his investigation of Jinzhou. It's only a matter of time before Bendu's relationship with the Han family is exposed."

"But there's no need to worry. Even if Yelü Zhilugu finds out, what harm will it do?"

"If he doesn't want to go to war with my Jinzhou, he can only serve your family good food and drink."

"However, during this time, your uncle can also arrange for the family to be moved gradually."

Previously, Yelü Zhilugu's opponent was Xiao Simo, and Jinzhou was too far from the royal court. Moreover, Han Ying'er was only Li Xiao's concubine and had not been publicized much.

Therefore, Yelü Zhilugucai was unaware of this.

However, from now on, his enemy will be Li Xiao, who will definitely send more people to investigate the situation in Jinzhou.

Sooner or later, they will find out about Han Ying'er. Yelü Zhilugu is wary of Li Xiao, so although he doesn't dare to kill Han Jiuguang, he will definitely dismiss him.

Therefore, while Han Jiuguang was still serving as the Privy Councilor of the Southern Court, Li Xiao was determined to make good use of this relationship.

This can be considered as planting a spies in the upper echelons of the royal court.

"Since we're all family now, Uncle, why don't you give Ben the whole truth?"

"How many troops can the royal court muster now? How much grain do they have stored up? Is it possible for the Kingdom of Gur to continue its attack on the Western Liao?"

"The Eastern Karakhanid Khanate has fought for the royal court and lost so many soldiers. Could there be any intention to rebel?"

Li Xiao asked a lot of questions about the royal court's secrets in order to determine when to launch a full-scale attack on the royal court.

……

In the afternoon, Han Jiuguang returned to the Wangting Army camp, looking shaken as he entered his tent.

"What happened? Where is Puchachi?" Yelü Zhilugu asked in confusion as he sat on the bed, noticing that only Puchachi had returned.

"Your Majesty, Puchachi has been detained in the Jinzhou army," Han Jiuguang said angrily.

"why?"

"Because of the arranged marriage."

"A marriage alliance?" Yelü Zhilugu was surprised, and his expression turned slightly unpleasant.

In order to negotiate with Li Xiao, he granted Han Jiuguang and his companion certain privileges, one of which was the right to arrange a marriage.

Although Li Xiao doesn't have a daughter yet, he does have a younger sister.

Therefore, Yelü Zhilugu planned to have Yelü Zhixin marry Li Xiao's sister.

At the same time, they also planned to marry Princess Zheng, the daughter of the late empress, to Li Xiao.

The two families will strengthen their ties through marriage in order to achieve the goal of ending hostilities.

In this era, arranged marriages were commonplace; Li Xiao even married Xiao Simo's sister.

Yelü Zhilugu did not understand why Li Xiao had detained Puchachi for this reason.

“Li thief, he said, he said~” Han Jiuguang looked up at Yelü Zhilugu, hesitant and guilty, and dared not continue.

"What did you say?" Yelü Zhilugu frowned and shouted in a deep voice.

He said, "How can a tiger sister marry a dog's son?"

"They also said that Your Majesty was trying to get something for nothing, that you're ugly but have beautiful dreams."

"It's clear that Li Xiao was very angry. He almost drew his sword and killed me. In the end, he detained Puchachi in the army, saying that it was a warning to Your Majesty that if you want to make peace, you must show sincerity."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Zhilugu was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode, and his round face instantly turned a deep liver color.

"Insanity!"

"court death."

"Li Xiao, you scoundrel, I will never let him go. One day I will skin him alive, tear him apart, and suck his marrow from his bones, so that he will never be able to be reborn."

"..."

Yelü Zhilugu sat on the bed and roared angrily, smashing everything he could throw on the ground.

If it weren't for my infirmity preventing me from getting out of bed, I would definitely have chopped everything in the tent to smithereens with a knife.

Yelü Zhilugu admitted that he had indeed been scheming in this matter.

If we could win back Yelü Zhixin through negotiations, that would be the best outcome.

If that doesn't work, then marrying Li Xiao's sister would guarantee his safety.

If we look for opportunities in the future, we might be able to save it.

As for the eldest princess of Zheng, her name was Yelü Jin, and she was the daughter of him and the late Empress Shenmi.

He disliked Shen Mishi, and by extension, he disliked her daughter as well.

Most importantly, when Li Xiao conquered Husiwoerduo last time, he had already captured all five princesses, including Yelü Jin.

He was being held captive in Luoyang at the time.

Therefore, Yelü Zhilugu planned to get something for nothing, not wanting to contribute either his son or daughter, but only wanting to establish a marriage alliance with Li Xiao.

However, Li Xiao's words, "How can a tiger sister marry a dog son?" broke down her defenses.

This statement was not meant to humiliate Yelü Zhixin, but rather to insult him, Yelü Zhilugu, by calling him a dog.

"Send troops! Send troops for me!"

"I will capture Li Xiao alive and personally cut him into a thousand pieces."

Yelü Zhilugu seemed to have lost his mind, venting his anger in the tent.

Fortunately, he was persuaded by those around him, otherwise he might have dared to launch a counterattack against the Jinzhou army.

The situation in the royal court is dire.

They not only faced attacks from the Jinzhou army, but also had to contend with the gradual encroachment of the southern Kingdom of Gur on their territory.

Khwarazm and the Western Karakhanid Khanate have always been disobedient, constantly demanding independence.

The royal court was riddled with internal conflicts, and the six Khitan tribes were on the verge of slipping out of his control, even refusing to obey his orders.

In these wars, Yelü Zhilugu conscripted a large number of soldiers from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, but they were all lost on the battlefield.

He also faces questions from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, which could potentially lead to conflict between the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate and the royal court.

Therefore, Wang Tingzhen at this time could be described as facing both internal and external troubles.

The war with Jinzhou must be ended as soon as possible.

After continuous discussions, the two sides finally reached a ceasefire agreement three days later, which can also be called the 'Alliance of the Ili River'.

The treaty stipulated that the two sides would cease hostilities, with the Ili River as the boundary, the south bank being the territory of the royal court and the north bank being the northern frontier.

Second, the northern border remains part of the Liao territory and must not be divided. Yelü Zhilugu remains the emperor of the Liao Dynasty, and the northern border must not overstep its bounds.

Third, Yelü Zhilugu, in his capacity as Emperor of Liao, appointed Li Xiao as the Eastern Capital Garrison Commander, to take charge of the four northern prefectures and the Seven Rivers Grassland in place of the Liao.

Although both sides had fought fiercely, it was essentially a civil war within the Liao Kingdom.

Even Xiao Simo, back then, only used the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials" to launch a western expedition, intending to replace Yelü Zhilugu as emperor, and never thought of splitting the Liao Dynasty.

Therefore, the northern frontier is still nominally part of the Liao Dynasty's territory.

Yelü Zhilugu's order paved the way for Li Xiao's advancement in terms of law.

Although he had effectively taken control of the Northern Frontier, having this title made Li Xiao's actions more legitimate.

In order to avoid anyone bringing up the fact that Li Xiao had taken power by bullying the orphans and widows of the Xiao family.

It wasn't Li Xiao who wanted to steal it, but Yelü Zhilugu who insisted on giving it to him.

Fourth, Princess Yelü Jin of Zheng married Li Xiao, the garrison commander of the Eastern Capital.

To save face, the alliance agreement did not mention Yelü Jin's status after the marriage, but in reality, she was a concubine, just like Han Ying'er.

Xiao Yanyan's position as the legal wife is as secure as a rock.

As for the matter of Yelü Zhixin marrying Erfeng, Yelü Zhilugu didn't dare to mention it again, for fear of angering Li Xiao and continuing the attack regardless of everything.

In the end, he only made a simple request: that Li Xiao take good care of Yelü Zhixin.

In reality, he was kept in Jinzhou as a hostage.

Fifth, His Majesty the Emperor of Liao, out of compassion for the people of the northern frontier, bestows upon them 50,000 taels of gold, 300,000 taels of silver, and 1,000 bolts of silk.

It wasn't that Li Xiao didn't want more, but that Wang Ting really had no money left.

This figure was told to Li Xiao by Han Jiuguang, and it was a bottom-line requirement.

After all, the northern frontier is still facing the threat of the Kangli coalition, and Li Xiao has just recovered the eastern capital, so things are not yet stable.

Unable to continue the stalemate with Wang Tingjun, Li Xiao decided to call it quits while he was ahead and didn't dwell too much on the financial compensation.

On the north bank of the Ili River, Li Xiao, dressed in dark gold cotton armor and wearing a plumed helmet, stood beneath the golden sun and moon battle flag.

Standing before me was Han Jiuguang.

He was reading the covenant aloud in the form of an imperial edict.

Li Xiao didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

Although he had suffered a defeat, Yelü Zhilugu still needed this pretense of a mountain of face to deceive the common people.

Therefore, the alliance seemed quite formal, as if it were an imperial decree bestowing a reward upon Li Xiao.

"Alright, stop reading and bring me the imperial edict."

Li Xiao interrupted Han Jiuguang's reading aloud.

According to the normal procedure, Li Xiao should express his gratitude after the announcement is made.

Thank him, my foot.

"Secretary Han, I'll take the official position and the princess. No need for thanks. After all, I hate Yelü Zhilugu so much that I'd rather die than accept that fool."

Li Xiao, mounted on his tall warhorse, received the imperial edict from his personal guard, glanced at it only once, and then tossed it aside.

The voice said in a calm tone, "As for the gold, silver, silk, and satin, please have His Majesty prepare them as soon as possible and send them to the Seven Rivers."

"If it is not delivered by the agreed time, then Ben will personally send troops to retrieve it."

Han Jiuguang, accompanied by more Western Liao officials, stood opposite him and said with a wry smile, "Don't worry, Governor, it will be delivered on time."

Then, Li Xiao looked up at the south bank of the Ili River. Although he couldn't see Yelü Zhilugu, he was certain that the guy was hiding in the shadows watching the north bank.

Li Xiao smiled disdainfully and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, Li Xiao takes his leave."

"I'll come see you again this time next year."

His loud voice echoed north and south of the Ili River. Li Xiao laughed and turned to leave.

Yelü Zhilugu was sitting in an ordinary carriage at the time, not daring to ride in his imperial chariot.

Because he was afraid of being killed by the Jinzhou army's artillery.

Hearing Li Xiao's voice, Yelü Zhilugu's face turned extremely ugly. He trembled with anger and gritted his teeth, saying hatefully, "You scoundrel, you are utterly arrogant."

He had finally managed to kill Xiao Simo, but he discovered that he had unleashed a demon even more terrifying than Xiao Simo.

(End of this chapter)