The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 222 Xiao Yanyan is about to give birth
Hexi Fort, the Han family!

That is, Han Ying'er's maternal family.

In the former royal court, the Han family was a prominent clan.

For three generations in a row, members of the family have held high positions in the imperial court. The current head of the family, Han Jiuguang, even serves as the Privy Councilor of the Wang Tingnan, which is equivalent to a prime minister.

Although the second son, Han Jiuyuan, was somewhat inferior, he was still the Minister of Revenue of the royal court at the time.

Even after arriving in Jinzhou, he was still trusted by Li Xiao and held the financial power of the Northern Frontier.

On this day, the Han family was having breakfast.

Madam Han got up and poured Han Jiuyuan a bowl of millet porridge, advising him, "Master, you've lost a lot of weight lately."

"Work is never-ending, but you still need to take care of your health."

Since arriving in Jinzhou, Han Jiuyuan has been even busier than when he was the Minister of Revenue.

Mrs. Han has complained many times.

Jinzhou is just a prefecture, yet it has more problems than the central government of the Liao Dynasty.

Han Jiuyuan is so busy every day that he's constantly on the go, and he's gotten more gray hair at his temples.

“Dongdu and Qihe have just been incorporated into Jinzhou, and many things have not yet been sorted out, so it’s normal to be busy.”

"Things will get better once this period passes," Han Jiuyuan said softly, chewing his naan bread slowly with some pickled vegetables.

"But we can't let you do everything by yourself. What if you get sick from overwork?"

"Moreover, although the Grand Protectorate has been established, your official position has not been promoted at all."

"The Grand Protector is really something, making donkeys pull the millstone all the time!"

Han Jiuyuan suddenly choked on his rice porridge, coughed a few times, glared at Madam Han and said, "Shut up."

"What do you know, you're just a woman?"

"Just take good care of the family and don't worry about things outside."

"What belongs to me, no one else can take away."

Han Jiuyuan snorted lightly, afraid that this old woman would go outside and spread rumors, which Li Xiao would overhear and think that he, Han Jiuyuan, was a power-hungry person.

In fact, Han Jiuyuan is quite capable in financial management, and he is currently in charge of all financial matters in Northern Xinjiang.

All that's missing is a formal title.

At this point, one must behave oneself honestly and work diligently, as long as one does not make mistakes.

The position of Registrar of Household Affairs will be his sooner or later; there's no way he can escape it.

Therefore, Han Jiuyuan is not afraid of being tired, nor does he want anyone to help him share the workload.

He just wanted to be a hard-working ox and let Li Xiao see his abilities and attitude.

The day the Grand Protectorate is truly established will be the day the Han family has completely gained a foothold in the northern frontier.

His daughter was still in Li Xiao's household, which would also ensure his complete stability.

After being lectured by Han Jiuyuan, Madam Han didn't take it to heart at all; that's just her easygoing personality.

After a while, he started talking about Longcheng with great enthusiasm.

"Master, I heard that the inner city is almost finished. Will we have to move into the inner city in the future?"

"Ok!"

Han Jiuyuan simply drank the last mouthful of rice porridge and nodded gently.

"That's good." Mrs. Han smiled happily.

"Although Hexi Fort is not bad, it still feels more comfortable to live in the city."

Different people have different feelings. Madam Han had lived in Husiwoer City for the first half of her life and was used to living in a mansion. Living in these few thatched huts in Hexi Fort was really uncomfortable.

"Will we have to buy a house then?" Mrs. Han asked again.

Han Jiuyuan put down his chopsticks and nodded gently: "It is indeed necessary to buy a house in Longcheng, but with my hard work, I believe the Grand Protector will surely grant me a residence."

Madam Han then said, "We have a large family. The eldest, second, and third sons are all married, and the fourth son will be soon."

"One house is definitely not enough to live in, so we can spend money to buy a few more later."

The Han family was a typical aristocratic family with a large and prosperous population.

Besides his legal wife, Han Jiuyuan also had five or six concubines.

These wives and concubines bore him many children.

The older sons had all joined the Jinzhou army and become junior officers.

The eldest son has even become a centurion.

And these sons are all married, and some even have grandchildren.

This is also why Madam Han is so eager to move into Longcheng; the house in Hexi Fort simply cannot accommodate so many people.

"A tree that grows large branches out; this has been the case since ancient times."

"However, the eldest brother and the others are all adults now. Over the past few years, they have followed the army in battles across the country, and they should have saved up some money."

"You don't need to worry about the house; let them handle it themselves."

Han Jiuyuan brushed off the grains of rice stuck to his beard and sighed softly.

When the Han family first came to Jinzhou from Husi Ordos, they had already lost most of their wealth.

Over the years, thanks to his diligent work, Li Xiao has rewarded him with a considerable amount of money.

However, not everyone is so wealthy that they can buy so many houses in Dragon City.

On the contrary, the eldest and second eldest sons, who joined the army, have made a fortune from the war in the past two years, plundering a great deal.

Therefore, Han Jiuyuan decided not to worry about their affairs anymore.

After understanding Han Jiuguang's meaning, Madam Han asked in surprise, "Are houses in Longcheng very expensive?"

"It's not cheap." Han Jiuguang nodded.

Although the construction of Dragon City was not under his jurisdiction, as the chief financial officer of the Northern Frontier, the sale of houses would be entrusted to him.

Therefore, Li Xiao had also discussed with him the issue of pricing.

He gently picked up a cup of tea after the meal, drank it, and said, "Even the most ordinary courtyard requires two hundred sheep."

"So expensive?" Mrs. Han was surprised.

This price is almost comparable to that of the Husi Ordos during its most prosperous period.

However, it is still far inferior to the cities in the Central Plains.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Bianjing (Kaifeng) was known as a city where "every inch of land was worth as much as gold."

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, an ordinary residence in Bianjing (Kaifeng) could cost as much as 10,000 strings of cash, which is equivalent to 10,000 sheep.

Today, Bianjing is under the rule of the Jin Dynasty, and its political status has declined, but the house price is still around one thousand strings of cash.

Although the housing prices in Longcheng are only one-fifth of those in Bianjing, this is the frontier.

Its population is far less than that of Bianjing.

"Would anyone buy something this expensive?" Mrs. Han asked, puzzled.

"Yes," Han Jiuyuan said confidently.

"Moreover, there will definitely be a lot of people buying it."

Don't assume that all the people of Jinzhou are poor; in fact, the residents of Jinzhou are quite wealthy.

Over the years, Li Xiao led the Jinzhou army in battles across the north and south, successively conquering the Wangting, Gaochang Uyghur, Western Xia, Naiman, and other places.

They looted countless gold and silver treasures.

The soldiers also received a large amount of money, cattle, and sheep because of their merits in battle.

It can be said that every household of those old Jinzhou soldiers was a local tycoon.

Two hundred strings of copper coins is a lot, but it's not like we can't afford it.

Li Xiao's insistence on building Dragon City stemmed not only from its political significance but also, and perhaps more importantly, from its economic implications.

The purpose is to create consumption.

It's not good for soldiers to have too much money.

It can easily lead to laziness, lack of ambition, and unwillingness to strive.

Therefore, Li Xiao had to take the money back from the soldiers to make them feel a sense of urgency and prevent them from lying down.

Only in this way can we continue to fight bravely on the battlefield and contribute our strength as cogs in the machine to the strength and expansion of Jinzhou.

However, Jinzhou's light industry and handicrafts are not yet developed, so even though the herdsmen in Jinzhou have money, they still can't spend it.

Dragon City arose in response to the times.

Buying a house to pass on to future generations is a deep-seated belief among many Han Chinese.

The developer of Longcheng was the Daduhufu.

The money used to buy the house naturally returned to the hands of the Grand Protectorate, which could then be used for many things.

When the soldiers in the town run out of money, they need to kill enemies on the battlefield and plunder more money.

The war machine in the northern frontier can then continue to roll forward.

"Don't underestimate the people of Jinzhou. Looking across the entire Hexibao, which household isn't richer than ours?"

“In Jinzhou today, the general trend is to value military affairs over civil affairs. Civil officials have no opportunity to amass wealth, and they are also easily caught.”

"On the other hand, the generals openly plundered on the battlefield, and no one could say anything about it."

"Often, a single war can earn you more money than an ordinary person could earn in a lifetime," Han Jiuyuan said with a sigh.

There was even a hint of envy and longing on her face.

"If I were ten years younger, I might already be on the battlefield fighting for a future in martial arts."

Who hasn't dreamed of fighting on the battlefield when they were young?

Han Jiuyuan was young once too, but unfortunately, the Liao Dynasty had already begun its decline at that time.

The domestic nobility, indulging in pleasure, had long since ceased waging wars of expansion abroad.

Most importantly, as a Han Chinese, even if he wanted to fight on the battlefield, he would find it difficult to control military power and could only rise to the rank of mid-level general at most.

Therefore, Han Jiuyuan could only follow the path of a civil official, just like his father, grandfather, and elder brother.

But life is unpredictable, and the northern frontier, like a seed of hope, sprouted from the decaying corpse of the royal court.

The iron cavalry of Jinzhou is gradually crushing the crown of the old aristocracy, and a new order is quietly taking shape.

Looking at his own body, which was also beginning to decay, Han Jiuyuan could only sigh helplessly, "I was born at the wrong time!"

Born twenty years too early.

But since he was destined to miss out, Han Jiuyuan could only place all his hopes on his son and daughter.

He wanted to do everything in his power to lay a solid foundation for the Han family.

The goal is to make the next generation of the Han family a military hero and a powerful maternal relative in the northern frontier.

"You should visit the Grand Protectorate more often, and keep in touch with Madam Li and the Old Madam."

"If anything really happens to Ying'er, we'll have someone to look after her," Han Jiuyuan said to his wife.

He already had several concubines, so he naturally understood the difficulties of being a concubine.

My daughter has a rather soft and submissive personality and lacks assertiveness.

Especially considering that Li Xiao's legal wife is Xiao Yanyan, and his other concubines are not to be trifled with either, Han Jiuyuan was worried that Han Ying'er would be bullied too badly.

"Don't worry, I've been keeping in touch with the Li family."

“Although Ying’er is only a concubine, our Han family cannot be looked down upon,” Madam Han said firmly.

She has a very easygoing personality, like a woman without any guile; she is very kind-hearted and can get along with anyone.

So, in the two years since I came to Hexibao, I've become best friends with Qin Dani.

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and a girl hurriedly walked in.

Upon seeing her, Mrs. Han immediately stood up: "Xiao Cao, what brings you here?"

"Is something wrong with Ying'er?"

This girl was Han Ying'er's maid, who had served her since the time of Hu Siwo. Han Jiuyuan and his wife had just mentioned their concern that Han Ying'er might be bullied when they immediately saw her maid, naturally causing them great worry.

Fortunately, the maid was very excited and came into the room saying, "Master, Madam, it's a joyous occasion!"

"Miss is pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Han Jiuyuan and his wife were stunned for a moment. Then, Mrs. Han looked delighted and stepped forward to grab Xiaocao's arm.

"Really?"

"Ying'er is pregnant?"

"Yes, the doctor just saw me."

"Okay, great."

Madam Han laughed excitedly: "Ying'er's belly has finally done well this time."

Han Jiuyuan, standing beside him, also revealed a long-lost smile, stroking his beard and nodding.

The baby in Han Ying'er's belly came at just the right time.

The Han family's position in the northern frontier has been stabilized.

……

The Han family was naturally very excited, and the old lady and Qin Dani on the other side also came from the old house after hearing the news.

He smiled broadly as he looked at Han Ying'er's belly.

"Great! Many children bring many blessings, many children bring many blessings!"

The old lady's face was wrinkled into a flower shape as she nodded and smiled.

Then he looked at Xiao Yanyan, who was sitting to the side with a large pregnant belly. She was about to give birth, which was even more important.

"Ah Man, this is the hardest time for women, so you must be extra careful."

"Please don't hurt the child."

Listening to the old lady's grumbling, Xiao Yanyan could only smile and say "yes".

But actually she wasn't that uncomfortable; she could eat and drink normally and felt quite well.

Unlike Han Ying'er, who has been nauseous multiple times since discovering she was pregnant just one night ago.

She had prepared a lot of food for breakfast, but she couldn't eat any of it.

This made Xiao Yanyan feel tired just looking at it.

So, she gently patted her belly, chuckled, and said, "Son, you're the one who makes Grandma's life easier."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Yanyan suddenly felt her belly stretch a little. The little guy had been hit and seemed to be angry.

He was kicking her in the stomach.

"Hehehe~"

Xiao Yanyan laughed; this little guy has quite a temper.

Soon after, Madam Han arrived with some things, chatted with Han Ying'er for a while, and then started talking with Qin Dani.

She looks like a very eloquent woman.

That evening, the family was having dinner together when Qin Dani and Li Xiao talked about something.

"I've inquired about it these past few days. Lord Chen Chong has a daughter who is sixteen years old. She is well-educated, gentle, virtuous, and quite pretty."

"I was thinking, Erhu is of marriageable age now, should we have him meet a girl from the Chen family?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao frowned slightly: "Chen Chong's daughter?"

Qin Dani nodded quickly: "Yes, she's the daughter born to the legal wife."

Although the old man and woman are still doing well, they basically no longer care about these things.

The marriage of Erhu and Sanbao naturally had to be chosen by her, their mother.

And since Li Xiao is the head of the family, his opinion is the most important.

Li Xiao slowly put down his chopsticks, pondered for a moment, and said softly, "Chen Chong is a smooth person, but his abilities are quite outstanding. I imagine his daughter won't be too bad either."

Chen Chong served as the Deputy Secretary-General under Yelü Zhilugu.

Now he's in charge of land reclamation in the desert, so he's capable and a competent official.

Personality flaws are not a big deal, after all, in this chaotic world, everyone is just trying to survive.

The only thing that needs to be considered is the coordination between civil and military affairs.

Although Erhu is Li Xiao's biological brother, he is also a commander of ten thousand households in Jinzhou and is now in charge of troops in Yili.

Chen Chong was a key official in the Protectorate General's Office and a candidate to join the army in the future.

If his daughter marries Erhu, then Chen Chong's personal interests will naturally be tied to Erhu's.

This is a potential problem for Li Xiao.

But it's harmless.

Let's make adjustments later!
Let Chen Chong retire sooner rather than later.

After all, even if Erhu marries someone else's daughter, his father-in-law's official position will still be promoted in a short period of time.

After all, in any era, kinship is the most solid foundation for rule.

The current situation in northern Xinjiang is still subject to these rules.

"Mother, find some time to invite Madam Chen to the old house for a chat, and bring her daughter over to see her too."

“If their character is good, then let’s wait until Erhu comes back next time and let them meet,” Li Xiao said with a slight nod.

"We have to satisfy Erhu before we can finalize this marriage."

While the legal wife doesn't have to be exceptionally beautiful, she does need to be presentable, and Erhu's satisfaction is the most important thing.

“Okay, then let’s find some time to invite Mrs. Chen over.” Qin Dani said with great interest.

Although Chen Chong was tactful, his wife was not good at dealing with people.

The situation was completely reversed between Han Jiuyuan and his wife.

So even though she had been in Jinzhou for two years, Qin Dani and Madam Chen still hadn't had a chance to get to know each other well.

"By the way, how's Da Hu doing?"

"Does your second uncle and aunt have any girls they like?" Li Xiao asked again.

Big Tiger is a year older than Little Tiger.

They were already of marriageable age, and their second uncle and aunt had long been looking for suitable partners.

Women are naturally very interested in these matchmaking and matchmaking matters.

Qin Dani often chatted with her second aunt, so she shared with Li Xiao, "Of course!"

"Your second aunt took a liking to the daughter of the Liu family in Bohai Fort, but after your second uncle saw her, he thought she was too thin and lacked any heroic spirit."

"We've set our sights on the daughter of a commander in the second town. We'll see how things go when Da Hu comes back."

"I reckon it's still up to your second uncle to decide," Qin Dani said mysteriously.

While women have a voice in matters of marriage, the final decision rests with the man.

Li Erjiang always thought that Da Hu was rather 'weak', of course, this was in comparison to Er Hu, but in reality, after so many battles, Da Hu had long since transformed into a fierce general.

But Li Erjiang still felt it wasn't enough.

So he wanted to find a stronger daughter-in-law so that she could give birth to an even stronger grandson.

"Hehehe~"

“Big Tiger has plenty to choose from,” Li Xiao said with a smile.

"If it's really hard to choose, just let him take them all."

Of course, besides Da Hu and Er Hu, Er Feng's marriage also needs to be put on the agenda.

Countless men wanted to marry Erfeng, but Erfeng didn't seem to be satisfied with any of them.

Her second uncle and aunt have been helping her choose.

That evening, Li Xiao personally escorted the old lady, Qin Dani, and Sanfeng home.

The house we live in now was built later, and it's just a short walk away from the old Li family house.

Besides the old lady and her two companions who lived there permanently, there were several servants and guards specially arranged by Li Xiao.

However, on the way back, the old lady inevitably started nagging again.

Since the establishment of Tanggu, the old man seems to have experienced a second spring, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the blacksmithing business and returning home less and less often.

Li Xiao caused the old lady a lot of complaints.

They even demanded that Li Xiao bring the old man back, so he could stay home and work as a blacksmith.

Li Xiao could only agree repeatedly.

The main reason is that the old man is too old, and Li Xiao doesn't want him to be too tired; health is the most important thing.

With Li Sanzhi's abilities, he is more than capable of handling the mess in Tanggu.

After taking the three elderly women home, just as Li Xiao was about to leave, Qin Dani mysteriously grabbed him.

He whispered, "What are you planning to do about the Wei family girl?"

Wei family girl?

The image of a girl instantly flashed into Li Xiao's mind.

It was the girl he had rescued from Sanhebao.

Wei Xuan's younger sister, Wei Er Ya.

"This girl has grown up now, and she came to visit our Hexi Fortress a while ago."

"I've seen him. He's very handsome, with a striking appearance."

"I heard that her brother was trying to find her a husband, but she rejected them all."

"I think she's taken a liking to you," Qin Dani said.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao remained silent for a moment.

The little girl was very pretty, but she was too young.

Li Xiao found it difficult to make a move.

In recent years, Li Xiao has spent most of his time fighting on foreign campaigns, and has indeed neglected that little girl.

Recalling her appearance, Li Xiao still felt a flutter in his heart.

Since the girl was so sincere, Li Xiao wouldn't be polite.

"I'll find some time to have a drink with Wei Xuan!" Li Xiao thought to himself.

Afterwards, Li Xiao returned home and spent some time with Xiao Yanyan and Han Ying'er separately.

Then the two of them kicked him out.

They certainly wouldn't be able to serve Li Xiao in their current state.

So he went to Tajiguli's room.

"Master!" Tajiguli's eyes lit up when she saw Li Xiao appear.

Seeing that Han Ying'er was pregnant made her extremely envious.

She couldn't wait to receive Li Xiao's favor.

However, just as she was about to step forward to help Li Xiao change his clothes, Li Xiao suddenly picked her up in his arms.

"what!"

The sounds continued late into the night.

However, just as Li Xiao was about to call a truce, a series of chaotic noises suddenly came from the opposite room.

A maidservant rushed to Tajiguli's place but couldn't find Li Xiao, so she went to the door of Sorhughtani.

A hurried voice cried out, "Grand Protector, the lady's stomach hurts!"

"She might be about to give birth."

(End of this chapter)