The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 218 is both uncle and brother-in-law.
Yelü Jin squatted in front of the stove, watching the last handful of dry grass turn to ashes in the fire pit.

The thin porridge of wild vegetables in the earthenware pot was steaming weakly. She stirred it with a wooden spoon and scooped out a few wilted yellow leaves.

This is the food for the four of them for one meal.

It's hard to imagine that the once high and mighty Liao princess is now living such a difficult life.

After the food was prepared, Yelü Jin brought it into the room.
There were two younger princesses in the room, both of whom looked sallow and malnourished.

There was also a middle-aged woman, looking haggard and worn out, lying on the bed, very weak, coughing from time to time.

"time to eat."

Yelü Jin placed the earthenware pot on the bed, then distributed the food to the group. Each person only received a small bowl of porridge, barely enough to fill them up to seven-tenths full.

The youngest princess, named Fuyun, was only four or five years old. Looking at the bland and tasteless soup, her lips trembled, tears began to flow, and she said in a pitiful little voice, "Sister, I want to eat meat."

There are three princesses in this place, all of whom are out of favor and are sticking together for warmth.

There were originally more than a dozen concubines.

However, Xiao Simo believed that imprisoning adult women was a huge waste.

So, after keeping two for himself, he generously rewarded the others to the meritorious soldiers. By this time, some of them had probably already given birth.

Now, only three motherless princesses and a seriously ill old concubine remain in the mansion.

Therefore, the burden of life fell on Yelü Jin, the eldest of the family.

Hearing the little princess's words, Yelü Jin sighed softly: "I also want to eat meat, but now no one gives us meat to eat."

When Xiao Simo was still alive, she remembered that three meals a day would be delivered on time. Sometimes it was a full bowl of sorghum rice, and sometimes it was mutton soup. It was no worse than what she ate when she was in the royal court.

At that time, Yelü Jin was still indignant about losing her freedom.

With her eccentric personality, she would even smash bowls on the ground and hurl insults at the servants who brought her food.

However, later, due to internal strife in the Eastern Capital, Xiao Simo disappeared without a trace.

The Eastern Capital experienced a series of power changes, with Xiao Dalu and Xiao Pulayelu coming to power in succession.

But they were not Xiao Simo, nor were they his cousins.

How could someone with such distant family ties possibly remember that several girls were being held captive here?
The small courtyard seemed to have become a forgotten corner, and even food was becoming scarce.

Yelü Jin finally understood that although Xiao Simo had imprisoned her, he had at least given her a roof over her head to shelter her from the wind and rain, and a life that, though humiliating, was stable.

In this chaotic world, being able to eat well, stay warm, and have someone to keep you in check is already a rare blessing.

Meanwhile, the old concubine, thin and frail, lay half-reclined on the bed, took the little princess's ceramic bowl, and shared half of the clear soup in her own bowl with her.

A weak smile appeared on her haggard face as she said in a feeble voice, "Fuyun, Mother isn't hungry. Here, have these."

"I don't want to, Mother~" the little princess kept shaking her head.

Although they are young, they are not completely ignorant.

She knew that if her mother shared her porridge, she would go hungry.

The feeling of hunger is very unpleasant, and the little princess has already experienced it.

Yelü Jin looked at the old concubine with a pained expression and said, "Empress, why are you doing this?"

"Eji" means aunt or stepmother.

Yelü Jin's biological mother died early, and she was raised by an old concubine who was no different from her biological mother.

Seeing her suffering from hunger and illness, Yelü Jin felt very distressed.

The old concubine gently shook her head: "I know my own body well."

"I'm afraid we won't make it through."

"But you are still young, you must live well."

“One day, you will be able to leave this cage.”

After saying that, he silently closed his eyes, turned his head away, and began to silently recite Buddhist scriptures. His fingers unconsciously twitched slightly, but there was nothing there.

She had used the originally expensive sandalwood prayer beads to bribe the guards in exchange for food.

Now, they are poorer than ordinary slaves.

Upon hearing this, Yelü Jin shook his head sadly, looked at the sky outside the door, and murmured, "Leave?"

"We've probably been forgotten long ago."

The other princess beside her was named Yelü Wolan, who was two years younger than Yelü Jin.

He was also in low spirits and looked nervous as he said, "I just stood on the wall and looked out, and the city is full of those white devils."

"And there are also many more devils wearing yellow and red clothes."

"There are too many; we have no way to escape."

During the internal strife in the Eastern Capital, they did have opportunities to escape.

But with just a few girls and a seriously ill old concubine, they probably wouldn't even be able to leave the Eastern Capital before being captured.

Moreover, the area outside the city was teeming with chaotic soldiers, with no order whatsoever.

Leaving the Eastern Capital, their fate would only be more tragic.

Therefore, they could only passively remain in the mansion, waiting for an opportunity, hoping that the royal army could capture the Eastern Capital and rescue them.

Unfortunately, they were disappointed.

Li Xiao, the Grand General of Jinzhou, led tens of thousands of Jinzhou troops to reinforce Dongdu. They defeated the Wangting army outside the city and then captured Dongdu.

They fought across thousands of miles, advancing to the Seven Rivers to engage in a decisive battle with the main force of the royal army.

They had overheard this information from the two guards.

When they learned of Wang Tingjun's crushing defeat, the girls' hearts were shattered.

The city was patrolled by Jinzhou troops, and their chances of leaving were becoming increasingly slim.

"Li Xiao, the governor of Jinzhou—that bastard again!"

Yelü Jin muttered indignantly.

Looking at the tiny patch of sky outside the door, I couldn't help but think of Li Xiao's appearance.

I was able to come to Dongdu thanks to this guy.

He was the one who breached the palace of Husi Ordos and captured him.

That guy even boasted that he wanted her to sleep with him.

Thinking of this, Yelü Jin couldn't help but grit her teeth.

Shameless, despicable, and vile bastard.

But then I thought about it again and couldn't help but feel a little lost.

My uncle Xiao Simo is dead; there's no one left to protect me.

The Eastern Capital is now occupied by the Jinzhou Army; it's Li Xiao's territory.

"He wouldn't actually call me over to sleep with him, would he?"

The thought popped into Yelü Jin's mind, and she felt a little flustered.

Suicide? Or taking that guy down with you?

But what will happen to my mother if I die? What will happen to Fuyun?
Yelü Jin was in a state of utter confusion: "If that guy dares to threaten me with Fuyun and Eji'er, I'll... I'll..."

She thought for a long time, but couldn't come up with a good solution.
It seemed like I couldn't resist at all.

Do I really have to give in to him?

After all, although that guy was annoying, he was at least decent-looking, so it wasn't a complete loss...

Thinking this, Yelü Jin put away the pottery jar and asked Yelü Wolan to fetch water from the courtyard to wash it.

But at that moment, the door was suddenly kicked open.

"Bang~"

The loud noise startled them, and the jar and bowl that Yelü Wolan was holding shattered on the ground with a crash.

Immediately afterwards, her gaze turned to the door, and she instantly became flustered.

She cried out in terror, "Mother, sister, mother!"

"The devils are coming! Many devils are coming for us."

Li Xiao earned the title of "White Devil" after leading the White Armor Army to sweep across the Seven Rivers and capture the Eastern Capital.

This also cast a deep shadow on the young minds of these princesses.

Regardless of the color, it's all the Golden State Devil.

He's a bad guy.

The sound of clashing armor grew louder as a dozen or so Imperial Guards entered in single file with hurried footsteps.

They were all dressed in yellow cotton armor with red trim, exuding an aura of menace.

He wore a helmet with plumes, had a cold and stern look in his eyes, and the cavalry saber at his waist swayed slightly with his steps.

The leading captain glanced at Yelü Jin and Fu Yun, as if examining some object. Then, with a wave of his hand, several soldiers immediately dispersed and quickly went into the house to inspect it.

The Yelü sisters could only helplessly huddle together.

His expression was terrified, and he was trembling.

"Who are you? What do you want to do?"

But no one answered her until the inspection was finished, and then footsteps sounded outside the door again.

Unhurried and steady, a tall figure passed through the broken threshold and entered the courtyard.

Yelü Jin looked up and met a pair of eyes as cold as a deep pool.

The man appeared to be around twenty years old, tall and robust, standing there like a wall.

His face was resolute and cold. He wore a black robe, his short hair was neat and tidy, and he had a half-stubble beard. His eyes swept over the people in the courtyard and finally landed on Yelü Jin.

"Li Xiao?"

Yelü Jin exclaimed in surprise, recognizing Li Xiao, the governor of Jinzhou, at a glance, and immediately panicked.

"How to do?"

"Will he come to take me to his bedchamber?"

Yelü Jin was in a state of utter confusion, holding the little princess and taking steps backward.

Li Xiao, however, focused on their clothing and complexions.

"It's rare that you still remember me."

"How come you've become so destitute in just over a year?" Li Xiao stepped forward, looked Yelü Jin up and down, and suddenly said with a mocking tone.

I still remember the first time I met her in the palace. She was as proud as a white swan, and she even dared to talk back to me.

But now, he is dressed in plain clothes, his face is sallow, his jaw is thin, and his hair is messy.

Where is the princess-like figure now?

He clearly looked like a refugee.

"You~"

Hearing Li Xiao's mockery, Yelü Jin was instantly enraged, her little tiger teeth grinding slightly as she spoke:
"If it weren't for you, how could I have ended up like this?"

"You actually dared to make fun of me?"

"Sigler!"

As she spoke, she became aggrieved.

Her eyes were slightly red, and her lips were pursed, as if she was trying hard not to cry.

Although she was not favored by Yelü Zhilugu, she was still a princess and had been living a life of luxury since childhood.

Unlike now, they've suffered terribly.

The culprit was this bastard in front of her. If it weren't for the personal guards beside her, Yelü Jin would have pounced on him and bitten him hard on the face.

Li Xiao chuckled, walked around the courtyard, and said with a smile, "You should indeed be grateful to me for coming to Dongdu."

"Grateful?" Yelü Jin was dumbfounded.

How could he say that?

I have never seen such a shameless person.

"Of course you should thank me, otherwise you would have been kidnapped by the Kangli people and taken to the grasslands."

"The relationship between Yelü Wusi and your father is just so-so."

"Don't expect him to forgive you. He might just give you away to some filthy, smelly nobleman, or even some old man," Li Xiao snorted.

Compared to Yelü Wusi, Li Xiao was already considered a good person.

After that guy breached Husiwoerduo, he ransacked the place, taking everything he could back to the grasslands.

Therefore, Li Xiao saved her life.

Upon hearing this, Yelü Jin felt a chill run down her spine.

That kind of life would be worse than death.

He opened his mouth but didn't know how to refute it.

She just looked at Li Xiao with an angry expression and snorted, "Hmph, anyway, you're not a good person either." Li Xiao shook his head and smiled. This girl really did have a temper similar to Xiao Yanyan's.

But instead of engaging in a verbal battle with a woman, he looked at the scene in the courtyard and asked, "How did you end up in such a sorry state?"

"Is no one in charge here?"

Especially the fragments of the pottery jar on the ground; judging from the remaining traces on them, Yelü Jin and the others must have eaten something bland and tasteless, not something very good.

But she was a princess, Xiao Simo's niece, after all. Li Xiao couldn't understand how she had ended up in such a state.

“After my uncle passed away, no one has taken care of us for a long time.”

Seeing that Yelü Jin remained silent, Yelü Wolan mustered his courage and spoke.

Li Xiao frowned slightly: "So what do you usually eat?"

"It's not that they completely ignore us. The Prince's Mansion still sends us some food, but it's not much and not enough to eat."

“Eji Edu got sick from hunger.”

"Not enough to eat?" Li Xiao asked, puzzled.

Even without Xiao Simo, the prestigious Xiao family wouldn't be short of food.

Moreover, judging from Shulu Wujin's appearance, he doesn't seem to be the kind of person who is harsh and demanding.

Therefore, Li Xiao decided to go back and ask Shu Lu Wujin what was going on.

After all, Yelü Jin was his woman, and Li Xiao was getting angry that she had been wronged like this.

She was such a pretty little girl back then, but now she's so hungry she barely weighs any meat on her bones.

How can I let him touch me?

It hurts my hand!

However, the next second, Li Xiao glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed that the two guards who had led the way earlier looked somewhat nervous and uneasy, and one of them even had his legs trembling slightly.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Why are you sweating so much? Are you hot?"

Li Xiao walked to the two of them and asked in a calm voice.

His sharp gaze swept across their faces like knives, and his powerful aura, though not angry, was imposing, making the two who were already feeling guilty even more fearful.

"Yes, yes, it's so hot!"

"It is," a guard said in a trembling voice, a forced smile on his face as he kept wiping his forehead with his sleeve.

The other person kept their head down, looking like they didn't dare to say a word.

Li Xiao turned to Yelü Jin and asked, "Are there only two people serving in this mansion?"

Yelü Jin turned her head and said softly, "There were originally four maids, but they all ran home after the battle in the city."

In other words, the only way for the mansion to contact the outside world right now is through these two guards.

Li Xiao's expression turned slightly cold, and he asked indifferently, "What inappropriate things have they done to you?"

Before Yelü Jin could speak, Yelü Wolan, who was standing next to him, quickly complained to Li Xiao, "They were alright at first."

"But after my uncle passed away, they started to become arrogant and condescending towards us."

"They're giving us less and less food, and they say if we want to eat something better, we have to spend money to buy it outside."

“Eji’e’s prayer beads were all given to them to buy food. Those are sandalwood prayer beads, worth a lot of money, but they only bought us a leg of lamb.”

Yelü Wulan spoke angrily, almost pointing at the two guards and accusing them of extortion.

These two guards have really gone too far lately.

If they are not severely punished, they might do even more outrageous things in the future.

"Haha~"

Li Xiao laughed, but it was a laugh of anger.

This world is truly a place where everyone praises the powerful and belittles the weak!
Yelü Jin was like those concubines who were banished to the cold palace. No matter how glorious they were before, if they wanted to stay in the cold palace peacefully, they had to frequently bribe the guarding eunuchs and head palace maids.

Otherwise, they would definitely suffer a lot.

When Xiao Simo was still around, the two of them naturally didn't dare to act recklessly.

But once Xiao Simo died, he thought that Yelü Jin and the others had lost their backing and that he had their lives in his hands, so he became arrogant.

By controlling the food source, they gradually squeezed every last bit of value out of Yelü Jin and the others.

If no one pays attention, those two bastards will become even more arrogant.

"Someone come here!"

Li Xiao snorted coldly and roared.

"Drag them down and hand them over to Zhang Shitou."

"I never wanted to see them again."

Before killing them, let them experience the tortures of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Killing such a person who deceives his master is far too lenient.

"As ordered."

Four guards stepped forward and immediately pinned them to the ground.

Although the two men couldn't understand Li Xiao's Chinese, they knew from the situation that they were in deep trouble.

He collapsed to the ground, crying and begging for mercy.

"Spare me, spare me, Grand Commander!"

"We know we were wrong, and we will never do it again."

"Spare our lives, Grand Commander, we dare not do it again."

Li Xiao's expression remained unchanged. He simply waved his hand, and the two were dragged out, their pitiful pleas for mercy abruptly ending.

Because all his teeth had been smashed by the Imperial Guards.

Seeing Li Xiao's decisiveness and domineering presence, Yelü Wulan's eyes lit up.

He exclaimed excitedly, "Gu Zhi, Gu Zhi, you're amazing!"

"With you here, we won't be afraid of being bullied anymore."

As she spoke, her eyes darted around, clearly indicating that she was a clever and quick-witted girl.

Knowing that Li Xiao was now in charge of everything, they quickly tried to build a relationship and get closer to him.

That way I won't be bullied by others again in the future.

When Li Xiao heard how she addressed him, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Ancient?"

In the Khitan language, this means "uncle".

Okay, it really is my uncle.

Xiao Yanyan and Yelü Zhilugu are cousins.

Therefore, Yelü Zhilugu's children would naturally address Li Xiao as their uncle.

Even Yelü Jin was the same, which really made Li Xiao quite uncomfortable.

After all, Yelü Zhilugu had clearly stated that he wanted to marry her to him.

What is this?
Aunt and niece sharing a husband?
Li Xiao received the same treatment as Huang Taiji.

But in this era, such a relationship is perfectly normal.

People in ancient times didn't care as long as they weren't blood relatives with the same surname.

When it comes to bloodline propagation and marriage alliances for family interests, seniority is of no importance.

Li Xiao took another deep look at Yelü Jin, who looked very thin.

He doesn't like women who are too thin; they feel uncomfortable around them.

But Yelü Jin has a good constitution, and with a few more days of rest, she will recover completely.

Therefore, Li Xiao didn't stand on ceremony and said to the princess, "From now on, don't call me Gu Zhi, call me Xi Hu."

"Xi Hu" means brother-in-law.

Upon hearing this, Yelü Wolan was stunned, as if he hadn't reacted yet.

But Yelü Jin, standing beside him, immediately reacted, taking a step back with a wary look, and glared fiercely at Li Xiao, saying, "Don't even think about making a move on me. I'd rather die than serve you in bed."

She looked angry, her little tiger teeth showing, as if she was about to bite Li Xiao.

It's here, this day is finally coming.

She knew that Li Xiao, that bastard, had never given up on his plan to take advantage of her.

"Europe?"

“But what if your father, the emperor, made you marry me?” Li Xiao smiled.

"My father wants me to marry you?" Yelü Jin was stunned, looking at Li Xiao with a look of astonishment.

“I fought a battle with him, and he lost to me, so he married you to me in exchange for my troops in the northern frontier withdrawing and ceasing their attacks on the royal court,” Li Xiao said.

"If you don't marry me, then my Northern Frontier army will attack the royal court again at any time. At that time, I will capture your father and behead him, hmph!"

Yelü Jin was dumbfounded; she did not doubt what Li Xiao said.

Because this is indeed something her father, the emperor, could do.

Yelü Zhilugu had never liked her, so it was quite normal for him to use her to form a marriage alliance with Li Xiao in exchange for peace in the royal court.

At this moment, Yelü Jin was neither angry nor did she feel the despair of being abandoned by the world.

Deep down, I felt a sense of relief.

From the day the Jinzhou army breached the palace, Yelü Jin had already prepared herself for humiliation.

But to her surprise, Li Xiao didn't touch her at all.

Upon arriving in the Eastern Capital, Xiao Simo will only imprison her, but once she reaches the appropriate age, she will surely be betrothed to someone or rewarded to a meritorious soldier.

In short, her fate was to be married off to a man, unless she died.

Now that the Jinzhou army has occupied Dongdu, she is prepared to be dragged by Li Xiao to serve him in bed.

Unexpectedly, Li Xiao told her that it was not just a simple matter of serving him in bed, but a marriage with a formal status.

This actually brought Yelü Jin some comfort.

She kept telling herself, "Since I'm going to be ruined by that bastard Li Xiao anyway, I might as well fight for a proper title so I can have an easier time in the future."

Just as she was trying to mentally prepare herself, Li Xiao walked up to her, grabbed her chin, and lifted her face with a slight force.

She looked her up and down, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "You're not as pretty as before, and you're too thin. You don't look plump at all."

Yelü Jin was stunned, never expecting Li Xiao to be so audacious. She tried to struggle but found herself weak and powerless.

Most importantly, Li Xiao's face was only a little over a foot away from his.

His breath carried a strong masculine scent, like waves of air constantly crashing against her cheeks.

Having never been so close to a man before, her cheeks instantly turned as red as blood, her mind went blank, and she even became a little breathless.

My whole body felt weak, I couldn't muster any strength, and I even forgot how to struggle.

Fortunately, Li Xiao thought she was too thin and had no interest in continuing the relationship.

He quickly let go, saying with a hint of disdain, "Eat well these days and gain some weight."

"Once you return to Jinzhou, you will be a member of the Li family."

Having said that, he turned around and left with his men.

Yelü Jin quickly calmed her rapid breathing, touched her flushed face, and watched his departing figure, saying with an expression of unwavering defiance:

"You bastard, you won't get away with this."

“I, Yelü Jin, would never marry you.”

But as soon as she finished speaking, Yelü Wulan, standing beside her, exclaimed with delight, "Really? Sister?"

"If you don't marry me, I will."

Yelü Jin was instantly dumbfounded, and turned to look at her with a shocked expression.

Yelü Wulan continued, "Although Guzhi may seem bad, he has a good heart."

"They've avenged us; those two guards will definitely come to a bad end."

"And we'll definitely never be able to go back to the royal court again."

"If you stay in the northern frontier, you have to find someone to rely on, and Gu Zhi is a good choice."

"He's already the garrison commander of the Eastern Capital at such a young age, and he's so tall and imposing, he can definitely protect us!"

As she spoke, she looked at Yelü Jin with a pleading expression and said urgently, "Sister, if you don't want to get married, how about I go and arrange the marriage in your place?"

Yelü Jin was completely dumbfounded, never expecting that she had such intentions.

But for some reason, Yelü Jin felt no joy at all; instead, she felt as if something that belonged to her had been taken away.

His cheeks flushed with anger, and he snapped, "Don't even think about it!"

(End of this chapter)