The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 216 Relocation of the Capital, Dragon City

As dusk fell, the Eastern Capital City, like a weary giant beast, huddled at the edge of the grassland. The once bustling herdsmen and merchants had long since vanished.

The war had inflicted immense damage on the city; the landscape was desolate and bleak.

Although the Jinzhou army quelled the rebellion in Dongdu, defeated the royal army, and eliminated the Kangli coalition, Dongdu was no longer what it used to be.

It's uncertain when it will be possible to recover.

"In just a few months, the Eastern Capital has become like this!"

Riding his horse along the empty streets, Li Xiao sighed softly.

Three hundred imperial guards followed behind, advancing slowly in a goose-shaped formation, their yellow-and-red cotton armor gleaming with a dull luster in the setting sun.

Golden sun and moon battle flags stood atop the city walls, and the Jinzhou army was everywhere. At this time, Dongdu had become a large military camp.

Only a handful of civilians hid in their homes, peeking out from under the half-collapsed eaves. Their cloudy eyes showed neither cheers nor fear; they simply stared blankly at the victorious army.

Several children clutched dirty cow bones, their curious eyes scanning the Jinzhou army. They timidly tried to approach and beg for food, but their mothers pulled them back into the dilapidated mud-brick house. The moment the wooden door closed, a cloud of choking dust rose up.

The women hurried past, their heads wrapped in faded scarves, clutching earthenware jars tightly to their chests. Inside were things they had found outside the city, perhaps their family's last sustenance.

Seeing this scene, Li Xiao also felt a little uneasy.

In the Battle of Ili, the Eastern Capital army suffered heavy losses, and many Eastern Capital soldiers also died on the battlefield in subsequent wars.

Thousands of families lost their breadwinners, forcing these women to shoulder the burden of raising their children.

However, even men in this chaotic world are living hand to mouth, let alone women.

"How much food do we have left in our army?" Li Xiao turned slightly to look at Zhang Xinghua and asked.

"It's enough for my army to use for more than a month," Zhang Xinghua said in a deep voice.

In addition to the grain transported from Jinzhou, a considerable amount of rations were also seized from Wang Tingjun and Kanglijun respectively.

“Feed those prisoners of war only half full each day, and distribute the saved grain to the herdsmen and common people inside and outside the Eastern Capital.”

“Especially those families who have lost their men need special care,” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Women and children are precious treasures and should not be neglected.

"Yes, ma'am." Zhang Xinghua nodded gently.

"However, Grand Commander, if we rely solely on our army for relief, it will only solve the immediate crisis."

"What are your thoughts?" Li Xiao asked.

Zhang Xinghua, mounted on his horse, looked at Li Xiao and said, "Many soldiers in my Jinzhou army are still unmarried, and the newly recruited soldiers of the Kuli army also do not have women."

"Therefore, I think it would be appropriate to let these soldiers and those widows get to know each other."

"Hehehe~" Li Xiao laughed.

He nodded slightly and said, "I think this is a good idea."

"Let our Grand Commandery organize this matter. You will be in charge personally, but you must not force anyone. Everything should be based on voluntariness."

"Hehe, as you command, Grand Commander." Zhang Xinghua chuckled softly.

In the past, such matters were arranged among the common people themselves, but this time there are too many widows in the Eastern Capital, and even more bachelors in the army.

Therefore, the Grand General's Office should take the lead in organizing the operation to prevent looting.

Not long after, Li Xiao led the Wuwei Army to the Prince's Mansion.

At this moment, standing outside the door to greet us, besides Shulu Wujin, was another familiar figure.

Xiao Yanyan!
Li Xiao dismounted outside the Prince's Mansion and walked up to Xiao Yanyan. He first glanced at her haggard face, and then at her round belly.

He sighed softly and said, "Aman, don't be too sad. People can't come back to life. Your elder brother would definitely want you to be well."

"Besides, you're not alone now; you need to think about our children."

Xiao Yanyan arrived in Dongdu long before Li Xiao was still in the Seven Rivers Grassland.

After all, she was raised by Xiao Simo, who was like a brother and father to her.

Now that she is dead, how can she remain unmoved?

Upon receiving the news, she disregarded her unborn child, quickly packed her things, and led her people back to Dongdu.

Upon seeing Li Xiao, her grief surged again, and tears welled up in her reddened eyes. She gently stroked her stomach and said through her tears.

“If he could be lost so easily, then he wouldn’t deserve to be my child, Xiao Yanyan’s child.”

"A weak child is better off without."

Although it's unclear whether she was just saying it out of anger, it certainly made Li Xiao feel ashamed.

This Khitan woman is absolutely ruthless.

Deep down, they still believe in the principle of the survival of the fittest.

Of course, she was right to think that way, and Li Xiao thought so too. On this chaotic grassland, there was no place for the weak.

Only a truly powerful child can become Li Xiao's successor.

"Don't overthink it!" Li Xiao gently embraced Xiao Yanyan and sighed softly to comfort her.

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Yanyan's desperate cries were heard: "Waaaaah!"

"My husband, I have no more brothers!"

"Big brother~"

Xiao Yanyan lost her parents at a young age and was raised by her older brother, Xiao Simo.

The depth of their feelings is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Li Xiao was powerless to help and could only try to comfort him.

After a while, Li Xiao looked at Shu Lu Wujin beside him and called out softly, "Sister-in-law."

"Thank you for taking good care of Aman these past few days."

While Li Xiao was away fighting, Xiao Yanyan relied entirely on Shulu Wujin for care while she was in the Eastern Capital.

"It's nothing, it's what I should do as your sister-in-law," Shu Lu Wu Jin forced a smile.

These days, she has been dressed in plain clothes, and she looks much thinner than when Li Xiao first met her.

With a slightly complicated look in his eyes, he looked at Li Xiao and said softly, "Moreover, Da Long, you are fighting abroad to avenge the King."

"Now the Wangting Army and the Kangli Army have been wiped out by the Jinzhou Army."

“Except for Yelü Zhilugu, all the murderers who killed the king have been executed, and the king can rest in peace in the afterlife.”

"I thank Governor Li very much."

After saying this, Shulu Wujin gently bowed and gave Li Xiao a graceful bow.

"No!"

Li Xiao quickly stepped forward and reached out to support her arm.

Li Xiao gently touched his palm; it was smooth and delicate, and he immediately released it.

He said solemnly, "Li Xiao's success today is entirely due to your guidance, elder brother."

"It is Li Xiao's duty to avenge his elder brother."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. Li Xiao swears that one day he will capture Yelü Zhilugu alive and kneel before his elder brother's grave to beg for forgiveness," Li Xiao said firmly.

Upon hearing this, Shulu Wujin's expression turned slightly sad, and she sighed softly, saying:

"I am but a woman, I know nothing."

"I'm entrusting everything to you, Da Long!"

Looking at the dashing Li Xiao in front of her, she felt both helpless and fortunate.

The northern frontier was in peril, but fortunately Li Xiao dispatched troops in time to turn the tide.

However, Li Xiao is also too powerful, to the point that he now has almost complete control over the Northern Frontier.

Where does this situation place the Xiao family?
But Shulu Wujin knew very well that circumstances were beyond her control, and besides, her only son was already dead. She no longer cared who would inherit the Northern Frontier.

Perhaps, it would be the best choice for her to inherit the Northern Frontier through Li Xiao, who is somewhat of an outsider.

Afterwards, Li Xiao led his men into the Prince's Mansion, where Xiao Simo's coffin was placed in the main hall.

Here, Li Xiao also saw Xiao Simo's three illegitimate sons and other concubines, but they did not interact much.

He simply stood before Xiao Simo's coffin and spoke in a low voice.

"Brother, rest assured, I have already defeated the Wang Ting army and the Kangli coalition."

"Those who harmed you, I will not let a single one of them go unpunished..."

"From now on, I will definitely take good care of Aman, my sister-in-law, and the Xiao family."

"May you rest in peace, elder brother."

After saying this, he offered incense in front of the coffin, and then went to the side hall with Shulu Wujin and Xiao Yanyan.

Discuss the timing of Xiao Simo's funeral.

Previously, due to the war, Xiao Simo's coffin had been kept in the Prince's Mansion.

We can't delay any longer.

"The king instructed before his death that he wished to be buried in the Xiao family ancestral tomb after his passing."

“But the ancestral graves are located in Konoha River,” Shulu Wujin said with a troubled expression.

Muye River was a place of worship for the Western Liao Dynasty, and many nobles, including the royal family, were buried there after their deaths.

But that place is still under the control of the royal court.

"Bury him in Luodu first!"

"We'll make further plans after we've breached the royal court," Li Xiao declared decisively.

Neither Xiao Yanyan nor Shu Luwujin objected, after all, the weather was already very hot, and they really couldn't delay any longer.

As for Xiao Simo's three illegitimate sons and other concubines, they had no right to speak at all.

Afterwards, Li Xiao invited an old man over to do some calculations.

Two days later, it is advisable to break ground.

Therefore, Xiao Simo's funeral was held two days later.

After resolving these matters, Li Xiao left the Prince's Palace and returned to his residence in Dongdu with Xiao Yanyan.

Upon entering the study, Li Xiao dismissed everyone except Zhang Shitou, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Stone, there's something you need to arrange."

"Grand Commander, please give your orders."

Zhang Shitou is a quiet person who doesn't talk much, but he is a capable person.

Moreover, he was Li Xiao's childhood friend, and his parents and relatives lived in Hexibao.

Li Xiao still trusted him.

"Go and select a group of people to secretly place around the three illegitimate sons of the Xiao family, and keep a close watch on their every move."

Hearing this, Zhang Shitou was not surprised at all and nodded slightly, saying, "Yes, sir."

This matter is not difficult. With such a huge change occurring in the Prince's mansion, there must be a shortage of manpower to manage it.

It's difficult to arrange people around Shulu Wujin, since her entourage consists mainly of elderly members of the Prince's mansion.

But monitoring those few illegitimate sons who are usually neglected is too easy.

Li Xiao was simply being prepared.

If these three children had no ambition, Li Xiao would naturally have allowed them to enjoy wealth and honor.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have shown any mercy.

After Zhang Shitou left, Li Xiao took out another roster.

More than a dozen names were written on it using pinyin.

Moreover, these people are not famous and are rarely known.

It was simply because they were not generals in the Jinzhou army, but just a group of soldiers.

The key point is that they all served as personal guards to some of the generals in Jinzhou.

Location is very important.

Li Xiao simply looked at the list quietly, then added two more names. In war, even personal guards risk injury or death.

These two men were recruited as personal guards during this battle.

Li Xiao did not participate, but made his move ahead of time.

He didn't really want to do it, but as someone in a position of power, he couldn't let personal feelings dictate his actions.

Being skeptical of everyone and never blindly trusting any one person is a lesson learned from history.

Those who are too naive in their positions of power either become puppets or die mysteriously.

Power can truly corrupt people's hearts.

As his status rose higher and higher, Li Xiao gradually came to understand what it meant to be lonely at the top.

Li Xiao put down the brush, put it away, and murmured softly, "I hope you never wake up."

"May you remain asleep forever!"

Even Zhang Shitou was unaware of the existence of these people.

Li Xiao did not entrust this matter to him mainly because he was too young and inexperienced, and the matter was too important.

Moreover, although Zhang Shitou was loyal to Li Xiao, he was, after all, a man from Hexibao.

Therefore, these people were all personally arranged by Li Xiao, and they were unaware of each other's existence.

He was directly led by Li Xiao and was responsible for monitoring the important movements of the generals in Jinzhou.

More and more people will join this team in the future.

One day in the future, Li Xiao may establish a more covert intelligence organization outside of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Soon after, the sky suddenly darkened, low rumbles of thunder rumbled, and a light drizzle began to fall.

Li Xiao stood in front of the door, appreciating the rain, but his heart grew increasingly peaceful.

The weather in northern Xinjiang is like a dog, unpredictable and changeable. One moment it's sunny and bright, and the next it's pouring rain.

Li Xiao was already used to it.

But these thunderstorms come and go quickly.

The rain stopped in less than fifteen minutes.

Two figures, escorted by personal guards, arrived outside Li Xiao's study.

"Grand Commander, Lord Zhang and Commander Gu request an audience."

"Let them in," Li Xiao said calmly.

Then, Gu Zizhong and Zhang Xinghua entered and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Grand Commander!"

Li Xiao's study was laid out in the main hall. After entering, turning left, you would see a desk placed in the back part of the main hall.

There are two rows of chairs in front of the table.

At Li Xiao's suggestion, the two sat down at the bottom of the table, one on each side.

“Our northern frontier is a barbaric land beyond the reach of civilization, and not many people have been educated.”

“In terms of knowledge, you two are among the best,” Li Xiao said after ordering tea to be served to them.

The two immediately shook their heads modestly.

"Don't dare!"

"I am but a humble scholar, and I would not dare to presume to teach such a thing."

It wasn't that the two were being modest; rather, they knew Li Xiao's abilities.

To outsiders, Li Xiao, as the Grand Commander of Jinzhou, spent his days wielding swords and spears, and was born into a powerful family in Jinzhou.

Even if someone has attended school, their achievements will certainly be limited.

They're only slightly better than real barbarians.

But you only know this if you've met Li Xiao.

He was not only skilled in martial arts and brave in battle, but also exceptionally knowledgeable.

He has a broad knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics and has profound insights into major events throughout history.

It would be a joke to really think Li Xiao is illiterate.

"There's no need for any modesty. I've called you here today for two things."

Li Xiao waved his hand gently, stood up, walked to the door, and looked up at the sky over Dongdu City.

He said in a deep voice, "After this war, less than one in ten people in the Eastern Capital survived."

"Merchants dared not come again, and the orphans and widows of the local herders also took their belongings and went to the mountains to seek refuge."

"Restoring the former glory of the Eastern Capital will not be accomplished overnight."

"Therefore, the capital has decided to move the administrative center of the northern frontier from the eastern capital to Jinzhou."

What are your thoughts on this?

Li Xiao turned his head and looked at the two of them indifferently.

To be honest, Gu Zizhong and the other man were also surprised by Li Xiao's idea.

But upon closer reflection, it is an inevitable outcome.

Although Dongdu is a good place, Li Xiao's foundation is not here.

Moreover, a low mountain range lies between Jinzhou and Dongdu.

In contrast, between Dongdu and Qihe lies a vast grassland.

If attacked by a western enemy, the Eastern Capital would be completely indefensible.

Jinzhou, separated by a mountain range, was even less able to send reinforcements in time.

Therefore, it is reasonable for Li Xiao to want to move the capital.

Of course, the most important point is that the geographical location of Dongdu is biased towards the west, which is not conducive to strategic deterrence against the Western Xia and the grasslands.

"Although the Eastern Capital is in ruins, it can be restored to its former glory within a year if we put all our efforts into its management."

"However, Jinzhou is also a good place, the only thing it lacks is population."

“Some of the herders from Dongdu can be relocated to Jinzhou.”

Gu Zizhong spoke, first downplaying the situation and then praising it.

Having successively defeated the Wang Ting army and the Kangli coalition, Li Xiao's prestige in the northern frontier was no less than that of Xiao Simo in the past.

Once he makes a decision, it's unlikely that anyone else can change it without sufficient reason.

With Li Xiao's decision to move the capital, half of the matter was accomplished.

The remaining half is the meaning of their visit.

Improve the specific implementation plan for relocating the capital.

“Some of the herdsmen in Jinzhou can also migrate to Dongdu or even Qihe.”

"Only in this way can the various prefectures in northern Xinjiang no longer be limited by ethnic and tribal barriers and become more unified."

"As for population replenishment in northern Xinjiang..."

As Li Xiao spoke, he looked at Zhang Xinghua and said calmly, "Xia is a good place."

The population of northern Xinjiang is still too small, especially the Han Chinese population, which now accounts for less than half.

Therefore, Li Xiao decided to wait until the northern border was stable before attacking the Western Xia and plundering the Han population.

They were dispersed and resettled among various thousand-household and hundred-household groups, and all were scattered throughout the six prefectures of northern Xinjiang, gradually completing the Sinicization of northern Xinjiang.

This is the national policy for the northern border region for the next hundred years.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xinghua instantly understood Li Xiao's meaning and nodded, saying, "The Han people of Xia have been oppressed by the Tangut people for a century and can no longer bear the humiliation."

"As long as we settle them properly and ensure that most of them do not starve, the Han people of Xia will become the Han people of my northern frontier."

Zhang Xinghua's ancestors had served as prime ministers of the Western Xia Dynasty, and he himself rose to the position of governor of Dunhuang, so he knew the situation of the Western Xia Dynasty all too well.

In his view, whoever gives the people food will be remembered with gratitude.

Moreover, compared to the Tanguts, the ruling class in the northern frontier was mostly pure Han Chinese.

This made it easier for the Western Xia Han people to accept them.

“What Lord Zhang said is true, but with so many people moving to Jinzhou, the scale of Longcheng is somewhat insufficient,” Gu Zizhong said.

"And what about the grain? How do we feed these people?"

"The cattle and sheep on the grasslands will be eaten up, so we can only feed them with grain."

The grassland looks vast and boundless, yet it is actually quite small.

For thousands of years, there has always been an invisible red line that has restricted the reproduction of the grassland population.

Whenever the grassland population reaches a certain size, disasters always occur that cause a sharp decline in population.

Because there's a limit to the population that nomadic lifestyles can support.

Two or three million is already saturated.

On the other hand, the number of people that agriculture can support is more than ten times that of the grasslands.
Therefore, if the northern Xinjiang region is to increase its population living space, it must increase its arable land area.

Grazing alone is simply not enough to sustain them; the grasslands would be eaten away and turned into deserts.

“If Jinzhou is the capital, Longcheng is indeed a bit too small.” Zhang Xinghua nodded slightly.

When Dragon City was built, it was compared to Jinzhou, and its maximum capacity was 20,000 people.

But now, even before Dragon City is completed, it's already not enough.

"Grand Commander, I believe that Dragon City should be expanded."

“On the current basis, add another outer city, just like the towns in the Central Plains.”

"It needs to be able to accommodate at least 100,000 people to be able to adapt to the future prosperity of my northern frontier."

Zhang Xinghua looked at Li Xiao and said.

"As for manpower, our army captured nearly 20,000 Kangli prisoners of war this time."

"Keeping these people around is a waste of food; it would be better to send them to build a city."

Without hesitation, Li Xiao nodded slightly and said, "Okay!"

"Building Dragon City can be considered making the best use of resources."

Seeing that Zhang Xinghua's suggestion was accepted by Li Xiao, Gu Zizhong no longer held back and hurriedly showed his value, saying, "Grand Commander, our army has also captured more than 20,000 prisoners of war from the royal army!"

"I know that the Grand Commander is preparing to select the strongest and most capable men to serve as war slaves in the Kuli army."

"However, our army is not short of war slaves at present, and there are plenty of soldiers who are good at fighting."

"Therefore, I suggest that we send all these people to reclaim wasteland, as there is still a large amount of arable land north and south of the Tianshan Mountains."

"Sufficient to support a million people."

It is clear that Gu Zizhong was not appointed as the governor of the desert for nothing; he was quite knowledgeable about the affairs of the desert.

The two corridors at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, north and south, are indeed two enormous treasure troves.

Many of the later military corps were established in this region.

Gaochang and the Gobi Desert are now the two main granaries of northern Xinjiang.

Ninety percent of the grain in northern Xinjiang comes from these two places.

However, these two places are just oases in the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains.

The oases in western Tianshan have not yet been developed.

In particular, the western region on the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains is located within the territory of Dongdu.

Previously, Xiao Simo did not have enough manpower and resources to develop it.

But Li Xiao is different!

We must farm!
After discussing the expansion of Longcheng and the reclamation of land in the southern part of Dongdu, Li Xiao brought up one last thing.

"The capital has decided to abolish the old Eastern Capital Garrison and establish a brand new Northern Frontier Protectorate."

(End of this chapter)