The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 223 The Eldest Son, the Golden Knife, Li Shizhao
From the time Xiao Yanyan first felt abdominal pain late that night, it wasn't until the third day that she truly began labor.

At this moment, she was gripping the bed railing tightly, her knuckles white, and wood chips mixed with sweat were falling onto the brocade quilt.

"what--!"

A new wave of excruciating pain struck, and she arched her back violently, veins bulging on her forehead.

"Li Xiao. Li Xiao!"

The shouts, tinged with sobs, echoed through the chaotic yet orderly room.

At this moment, Li Xiao was standing outside the door, unbuttoning the buttons on his collar to reveal the bulging veins on his neck, pacing back and forth like a trapped beast.

His footsteps echoed loudly on the blue brick floor, and the sweat from his palms soaked his sleeves, clearly indicating the intense fluctuations in his emotions.

The Grand Protector, who could usually talk and laugh in front of thousands of troops, was now like a young wolf whose spine had been removed, anxious and helpless.

All he could do was shout into the room, "Xiao Yanyan, you better hold on!"

"Neither you nor the child can be harmed."

Having lived two lives, this was the first time he had experienced something like this, and he felt extremely uneasy.

Because of the limited medical conditions of that era, the mortality rate for pregnant women during childbirth was extremely high, often resulting in the death of both mother and child.

Although Li Xiao had already found the best midwife in Jinzhou, Qin Dani was personally overseeing the delivery room, and many maids and servants were busy running around, changing hot water for the mothers.

However, none of these preparations could calm Li Xiao's mind.

He kept thinking about what would happen if Xiao Yanyan really got into trouble.

"what--!"

Another series of shrill screams followed.

Xiao Yanyan, who was giving birth for the first time, had no experience whatsoever.

The midwife next to her quickly told her, "Madam, don't shout. It's not good for the baby. You must conserve your energy."

"If the pain becomes unbearable, take a deep breath and then exhale..."

Upon hearing herself shout, Xiao Yanyan immediately stopped yelling, as if it were bad for the child!
Now, no one is more important than the child in her belly; even Li Xiao has to take a backseat.

"breathe--"

"breathe--"

At this moment, apart from Li Xiao, Han Ying'er, Suoluhe Tieni, and the others were all standing quietly in the courtyard.

"Is childbirth really that painful?"

Hearing the cries and screams coming from the delivery room, Han Ying'er subconsciously clenched her fists.

His face was slightly pale, and he looked helpless.

Xiao Yanyan's shouts did indeed frighten her.

After all, in her memory, Xiao Yanyan had always been a very strong and domineering woman who could even go to the battlefield to kill enemies.

Such a woman wouldn't feel pain from being cut with a knife, but she would be in excruciating pain when giving birth.

This made Han Ying'er worry about whether she would be in excruciating pain during childbirth.

A palpable sense of panic began to creep onto his face.

Tajiguli wasn't much better off, but Suoluhetini, standing to the side, was the most carefree.

He even comforted Han Ying'er, saying, "It's okay. Giving birth is very painful, but it will pass if you just hold on for a while."

"You've never had a child, how do you know?"

“Although I’ve never given birth myself, I’ve seen others give birth. And when I was in the Kereit tribe, I often helped my family’s mare give birth,” Soghukhatni said with an innocent look.

Soon, Li Xiao also noticed Han Ying'er's appearance, but he was in no mood to comfort her.

So he said to Sanfeng, whose face was also pale with fright but whose eyes were filled with curiosity, "We have enough people here. Sanfeng, why don't you take Ying'er back to the old house for a while?"

The little girl is only twelve years old this year, so we can't let her get scared.

After saying that, Sanfeng nodded gently, helped Han Ying'er, and went to the old house with Tajiguli.

Furthermore, there is a saying that it is unlucky for a pregnant woman to bleed.

Li Xiao was even stopped outside the delivery room and not allowed to go in; there are many different stories about this in this era.

After they left, Li Xiao continued to pace back and forth in the courtyard. Every time he heard a cry from inside the house, his mood worsened.

The old lady stood in the middle of the courtyard, her hands clasped together, muttering something softly, undoubtedly praying to heaven and her ancestors for blessings.

The old man sat calmly to the side, his expression solemn but without the slightest panic.

Upon learning that Xiao Yanyan was about to give birth, he rushed back to Hexi Fort as fast as he could.

He just wanted to be the first to see the birth of his great-grandson.

However, seeing Li Xiao's anxious appearance, he couldn't help but scold him.

"Look at the state you're in now! Do you think this is your battlefield?"

"You were able to strategize and command tens of thousands of troops, but now you've lost your composure while guarding a single door? Ah Man believes you can protect her, not that she needs to see you acting like a cat on a hot tin roof!"

"I~"

Listening to the old man's scolding, Li Xiao smiled bitterly and slowly sat down on the stone bench.

An old hand slammed heavily on his back: "Remember, you are not only a man now, but also a father who must hold up the sky for your wife and children."

The old lady next to her also comforted Li Xiao, and in doing so, she was also comforting herself.

“Aman is very healthy. He can eat and drink well and is perfectly fine.”

"I'm sure I'll be able to give birth safely."

"Moreover, childbirth can take several hours at a time."

"She's only been here for a quarter of an hour..."

But just as the old lady finished speaking, a loud cry suddenly came from the room.

"Wow... Wow wow wow wow~"

Upon hearing the sound, Li Xiao and the old man simultaneously stood up abruptly.

"It's born! It's born!"

Li Xiao shouted excitedly, all his worries instantly disappearing.

It's normal for most women to give birth for an hour, but Xiao Yanyan gave birth in just a quarter of an hour.

That's incredibly efficient; it really is better for women to be physically strong.

Soon after, the Khitan servant woman came out with a smile on her face.

"Congratulations, Great Protector! Your wife has given birth to a son."

"He's as strong as a young calf, with incredibly powerful arms and legs."

"When I grow up, I'll definitely be as brave as the Grand Protector..."

Listening to the maid's words, Li Xiao's face was full of smiles, his lips slightly parted, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Okay~"

"Rewards, everyone will get rewards."

From now on, Li Xiao also has a son.

Moreover, he was the eldest son of the legitimate wife.

Inside the room, Qin Dani held her newborn baby, overwhelmed with emotion.

She didn't even mind the amniotic fluid on him, and kissed him directly, happily murmuring to herself.

"My grandson, I have a grandson now!"

"Honey, do you see? We have a grandson."

Then she held the little one in her arms and cried with excitement.

Xiao Yanyan, standing next to her, had sweat beading on her forehead and looked as if she were exhausted, but she was in much better condition than the other pregnant women.

She looked at the little one with loving eyes, her eyes slightly upturned, feeling genuine joy and excitement.

She has a son.

At this moment, she radiated an even greater maternal glow.

……

Soon after, Li Xiao saw the little guy in the room, who had been wrapped up and was all wrinkled and looked quite ugly.

But we also know that all newborn babies are like this, and they will gradually get better after drinking breast milk.

At the same time, Li Xiao also took on another important task: unblocking milk ducts.

It doesn't taste good; it's very fishy.

Li Hanfei instantly decided that from now on he would only rob children's granaries, not grain.

"Da Long, what do you think is a good name for this child?"

The old man frowned and asked, his face contorted in a twitching manner.

This is the first child of the sixth generation of the Li family, the eldest son and grandson.

In addition, Li Xiao's current status is extraordinary; as Li Xiao's eldest son, he holds a noble position.

We must choose a good name; we can't just use random names like rivers, lakes, dragons, tigers, or leopards like before.

However, coming up with a good name was too difficult for the old man, so he had to entrust this important task to Li Xiao.

"Ah Man has already chosen a nickname for him: Golden Knife!"

Li Xiao looked at the old man and said.

Among the Khitan nobility, there was a unique custom: when a daughter got married, her family would solemnly hand her a golden knife as part of her dowry.

In the Khitan people's belief, the golden knife symbolizes courage and strength, implying that the daughter will be able to cut through the thorns and obstacles in her future life with the tenacity of a blade; and protect her family and happiness with the nobility and weight of gold.

When Xiao Yanyan's mother, Yelü Pusuwan, got married, Yelü Dashi gave her a golden knife.

Later, it fell into the hands of the Karluks, was captured by Li Xiao, and then given to Xiao Yanyan.

It can also be considered a token of their love.

When Xiao Yanyan got married, Xiao Simo also gave her a golden knife.

The golden knife held extraordinary significance for Xiao Yanyan.

Therefore, she hoped that her son, like a golden knife, would possess both the nobility of gold and the sharpness of a blade.

Upon hearing the name, the old man nodded slightly: "Golden Knife? It has a good meaning."

The old lady next to her muttered, "Isn't it too menacing?" In the traditional view of the elderly, a humble name is easier to raise, while a name that is too strong is easily broken!

Li Xiao smiled and shook his head: "Ordinary families can still have a humble name, but our Li family doesn't need to."

"The name 'Golden Knife' is worthy of my son, Li Xiao."

"As for his official name, let's call him Li Shizhao!"

“昭” means bright and prominent.

It means that we hope he will live a life of integrity and uprightness, acting with the honesty of the sun and moon, bringing glory to his family and country, and becoming famous throughout the world.

With the hardness of the golden sword, it guards the mountains and rivers of the northern frontier; with the weight of the golden sword, it shoulders the responsibility of the nation and its people.

As for the origin of the character '世' (shi), it is because not long ago, the Li family of Jinzhou finally compiled a genealogy and determined the generational succession of the family.

The Great Way begins in the East, bringing lasting blessings to the world;
The virtuous and wise inherit the ancestral teachings, which will forever be remembered and celebrated in China;
A culture of literature ensures the stability of the nation; military prowess establishes order and governance.
May your lineage prosper for a thousand autumns, and your legacy be boundless.

These forty characters were determined by Li Xiao, the old man, other elders of the Li family, and Han scholars such as Han Jiuyuan, through joint discussion and agreement on the generational names in the family genealogy.

Of course, this can also be seen as the Li family's family precepts.

In Taoism, the term "Dao" can refer to all things. Heaven and earth can be called "Dao," mountains and rivers can be called "Dao," and the order and laws of the human world can also be called "Dao."

Even you, me, him, and everything else can be called 'Tao'.

This is not a word with a fixed meaning, but rather a pronoun.

Here, "Da Dao" refers to the Li family of Jinzhou.

The following words are not difficult to understand. They mainly admonish the descendants of the Li family in Jinzhou that the Li family originated in the East and came from the Han Chinese homeland in the Central Plains.

Even though the Li family of Jinzhou has enjoyed lasting blessings for hundreds of generations, their virtuous descendants should never forget their ancestors, the Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor, and always remember that they are Chinese.

Furthermore, they must study literature and martial arts for generations to come, pacify the country, and protect their homes and the nation. In this way, the Li family of Jinzhou will be passed down for thousands of years, and its foundation will be boundless for eternity.

……

The first character of this generation name is "Da", which refers to Li Da, the ancestor of the Li family, a military leader who followed Yelü Dashi on his western expedition.

Dao refers to the second head of the Li family, the old man's father, whose name was Li Dao, which was changed to the homonym 'Dao'.

Qi refers to people of the old man's generation.

The old man's original name was Li Dahei, but after he was slashed on the face, more and more people started calling him 'Li Daba La' and forgot his original name.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Xiao helped the old man change his name to Li Qiming.

Building on the past and ushering in the future, the sun and moon shine brightly.

Dong refers to the generation of Li Xiao's father.

Li Dahai's official name is now Li Donghai.

Li Erjiang was changed to Li Dongjiang.

Li Sanhe was changed to Li Donghe.

Li Dashan was changed to Li Dongshan.

It sounds much more impressive than before.

As for Li Xiao's generation, their generation name is 'Fang'.

Li Xiao, also known as Li Fangxiao.

However, he felt that the name was too awkward, so he decided to stick with his original name, Li Xiao.

Simple, elegant, and catchy.

However, in the family genealogy, Li Xiao's official name became Li Fangxiao.

At the same time, Da Hu and Er Hu also got official names.

The first tiger is named Li Xiang, the second tiger is named Li Ao, the third leopard is named Li Si, and the fourth leopard is named Li Jun.

Children from other branches also followed this example, all having names containing the character "horse".

This is because when the Li family of Jinzhou first rose to power, they established their prestige by dominating the battlefield with their iron cavalry.

In the past, our ancestors led elite cavalry to accompany Yelü Dashi on his westward expedition, and established a strong foothold in Jinzhou with their iron cavalry.

By the time of Li Xiao's generation, the Li family's cavalry in Jinzhou had reached a new level of development.

Wherever their horses trod, banners blotted out the sun and dust billowed up. It was with the strength and speed of their warhorses that the Li brothers carved out a foothold in the chaotic world.

Therefore, all the descendants of the Li family in this generation are named after warhorses, inheriting the valor of their ancestors in horsemanship and archery.

The next generation after Li Xiao is the "Shi" generation.

According to Li Xiao's idea, his branch of the family, that is, his sons, should all have the character "日" (sun) added to their names.

The bright sun shines, its power is awe-inspiring.

Li Xiao's eldest son was named Li Shizhao.

……

Ili, southeast of Nalat Ridge.

A large cavalry army is advancing slowly.

They held aloft the crimson sun and moon battle banners, were all dressed in crimson cotton armor, carried hook-and-sickle spears, had cavalry sabers at their waists, and their horses were loaded with bows and crossbows and a full load of arrows.

They were the cavalry commanders of the Second Division under Erhu's command.

A total of 3,000 people were originally stationed in Yili.

Not long ago, Erhu led his men to sweep across the Rehai region, causing the royal army to flee in terror.

Finally, Yelü Zhilugu had no choice but to hand over all the Karluks who had fled to Rehai.

Thus, Erhu became famous in the battle at the royal court, and everyone knew that Li Xiao had a brave and invincible younger brother named Li Erhu.

He should now be called Li Ao.

After ending the conflict with the royal court, Erhu's army, after a short period of rest, once again engaged in the war against the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

After all, Erhu still couldn't forget the princess of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

I've always wanted to take her as a concubine.

Therefore, Erhu led three thousand cavalrymen to prepare to march south and attack the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

There are three main roads from Yili to Kashgar.

The closest one is the Wusun Ancient Road, which runs through the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and was an important transportation route connecting the Wusun Kingdom and the Kucha Kingdom in ancient times.

However, the route passes through various terrains such as snow-capped mountains, grasslands, rivers, and lakes, making it a treacherous journey. Some sections may only be suitable for lightly armed cavalry or infantry.

In contrast, the second path is more suitable.

Starting from Yili, head southeast, passing through the Nalat Mountains to reach Karashar (Yanqi).

Although this route also passes through some mountains and valleys, it is more suitable for large-scale marches compared to the Wusun Ancient Road.

Previously, Yelü Zhixin led the army of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate to reach Ili via this route.

Later Qing troops also passed through this route, traversing Ili and southern Xinjiang.

As for the last route, it requires going around to the desert, heading south to Gaochang, and then turning west again, which is too troublesome.

Therefore, Erhu decided to go to Karashar from the Nalat Ridge Valley.

Along the way, due to the treacherous terrain, with many mountains and valleys, Erhu's marching speed was very slow.

Six days passed before the view gradually opened up.

“Wanhu, that is Karashar, which was Yanqi, one of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty.”

On a high mountain, Erhu, accompanied by his personal guards, gazed at a distant city, only able to make out its vague outline.

However, it is clear that the city walls are not very high, and the city's population is not very large.

A guide explained, "Karashar was originally the territory of the Gaochang Kingdom, but the Gaochang Kingdom was destroyed two years ago."

“The towns in the west, such as Karashar and Kucha, refused to recognize the new king we had established in the north, so they all submitted to the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.”

After all, in their eyes, the new king was a puppet of the northern frontier, and the Hamili garrison commander, Arkus, was the biggest traitor in Gaochang.

If we acknowledge the new king, wouldn't we become traitors?
In contrast, the upper-class nobles of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate were also Uyghurs, sharing the same roots.

Therefore, the nobles of Karashar, Kucha and other places made an agreement with the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate.

They could submit to the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, on the sole condition that they could not change their faith. The people of Gaochang still practiced Buddhism and did not believe in Allah.

The Eastern Karakhanid Khanate readily agreed, since beliefs can be gradually assimilated.

After listening to the guide's introduction, Erhu's face was full of contempt, and he sneered coldly, "A bunch of ignorant worms."

"The purpose of making them submit to the new emperor of Gaochang is to ensure that they can continue to live and work in peace and contentment on this land."

"But since they are so ungrateful, there is no need to keep them around."

"Erash Karashar from the map within three days."

Hearing Erhu's cold shout, the guards behind him immediately nodded emphatically: "We obey the command of the commander."

He then quickly turned around and went to convey the orders to the various commanders.

Soon after, three thousand Jinzhou cavalrymen surged down the Tianshan Mountains, causing the earth to tremble.

Meanwhile, in the city of Karashal, the city lord Ahmed was holding a wedding for his son.

The bride's identity was also extraordinary; she was also the daughter of a noblewoman from the Kingdom of Gaochang.

However, two years ago, Gaochang City was captured by the Jinzhou army, the King of Gaochang was killed, and most of the nobles in the city did not survive.

The bride, under the protection of her brother, managed to escape to Kashgar.

The city lord of Kashgar was a close friend of their father, so he settled down in the city.

She also developed feelings for the city lord's son, and they eventually got married.

At this moment, seeing the bride and groom standing together, a handsome couple, Lord Ahmed felt gratified.

The image of her dearest friend seemed to appear before her eyes, and she said with a touch of sadness, "Maihemuti, can you see this?"

"We've finally become in-laws."

“Aliya has also become my daughter, and I will definitely take good care of them from now on.”

"It's just a pity that I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to avenge you and the king."

Previously, Yelü Zhixin led 20,000 troops from the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate to attack Ili, defeating 5,000 Eastern Capital troops, which gave Ahmed hope for revenge.

But in the end, all hope vanished.

Northern Xinjiang has stabilized again, and now Ahmed is filled with confusion and unease.

(End of this chapter)