The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 227 Wei Xuan, do you want a wife or not?
"Boom boom boom~"

In northern Xinjiang, winter brings freezing temperatures and frequent blizzards.

After the snowstorm subsided, another team came from the west towards Hexibao.

Compared to the group from Jiu Meng An He who arrived after half a month, this group migrated with their families.

This force appeared more efficient, consisting of only two hundred men, all of whom were burly cavalry.

One hundred of them wore white cotton armor, helmets with ear flaps, and their faces covered with cotton cloth, wrapping themselves up tightly in the wind and snow, leaving only their eyes exposed.

On the other side, the soldiers were dressed in the same way, except they wore dark red cotton armor. Each soldier exuded a strong aura of menace, and the smell of blood could be faintly detected.

This team was the one led by Erhu, who had just finished the battle in southern Xinjiang.

After returning to Yili, he did not linger. After making some simple arrangements, he led his personal guards back to Jinzhou.

Accompanying him was Li Dashan's personal guard.

Both of them received orders from Li Xiao to return to Jinzhou to report on their duties.

"After more than half a year, we're finally back."

Erhu, clad in blood-stained armor, looked at Dragon Bone Lake in the distance and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Beyond Dragon Bone Lake lies Hexi Fort.

Got home.

“Yes, at least we can go home for the New Year. We probably won’t have that chance next year.” Li Dashan nodded gently.

He received news that he would be officially appointed by Li Xiao as the General Protector of Yinshan, stationed in both Dongdu and Beihai.

The main defenses were against nomadic tribes in the northwest and the Erhu troops who were ready to support Yili at any time.

Therefore, without Li Xiao's orders, it would be difficult to return to Jinzhou.

This is probably the last peaceful year he will spend in Jinzhou.

The snowstorm has stopped and the sun has come out, but the weather in Jinzhou is still cold.

Even though their faces were completely covered, their eyes were still red from the cold.

But the people who grew up in Jinzhou are already used to this kind of weather, and they are all very strong and resistant to the cold.

As Erhu rode on his horse, he asked, "Sixth Uncle, what kind of official position do you think my brother will appoint me this time?"

Li Dashan, riding leisurely alongside, said without hesitation:

"You have made great contributions in Dongdu and Qihe, and have also achieved great success in the Southern Frontier. You have enough military achievements and seniority."

"The Ili Protectorate General will definitely be yours."

"However, the position of Commander-in-Chief depends on what Da Long thinks."

They also learned about the plan to expand the northern border region by six towns.

After all, there have been frequent troop movements in various places over the past few months, so it's easy to guess what's going on.

The addition of three military garrisons benefited the Jinzhou Army generals the most.

A large number of people will be promoted or moved to different positions. Among the lower-ranking soldiers, many will also cross that threshold and become members of the household.

So this winter, the atmosphere in Jinzhou remained vibrant and was not hidden by the severe cold and snow.

"Hehehe, in terms of merit, I am enough, but in terms of seniority, there are many elders ahead of me, so it's probably not my turn yet," Erhu said with a chuckle.

But his eyes were moving slightly, as if he was preparing something.

Although his contributions were significant, in terms of seniority, Li Sanhe, Li Sishui, and the heads of the Qin, Zhao, and Luo families were all his elders.

So Erhu wondered if giving the princess of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate to Li Xiao would give him an advantage.
Due to the arrival of winter, Erhu had to retreat to Yili after capturing Jimo during this southern invasion.

The conditions for negotiating with the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, besides gold, silver, cattle, sheep, and grain, included demanding that they offer a princess for marriage.

However, Yusup is too old, most of his daughters are already married, and his granddaughters are relatively young.

In the end, there were only three princesses of marriageable age.

One was Yusup's youngest daughter, who was already engaged to a noble family, but was forcibly separated from them and sent to the marriage procession.

The remaining two are Yusup's granddaughters.

Erhu decided to give Yusupu's youngest daughter to Li Dashan, and keep the remaining two for himself and Li Xiao, one each.

He used his beauty to seduce them, gaining Li Xiao and Li Dashan's support to become the governor.

"Erhu, you need to have confidence in yourself."

"And Uncle Liu will definitely support you," Li Dashan said with a smile.

Although he had not yet received the princess of the Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, as it depended on Li Xiao's decision, he had received Erhu's filial piety.

You're a good kid, your sixth uncle has high hopes for you.

Moreover, Li Dashan's son is still young and he only has one younger brother. His abilities and qualifications are not as good as Erhu's. It would be difficult for him to even become a commander of ten thousand households, let alone compete for the position of commander-in-chief.

The remaining kinship relationships were all roughly the same, so Li Dashan was happy to play the good guy.

"Hehehe, then thank you very much, Uncle Six."

"Don't worry, when I get back, I'll definitely get you more Uyghur beauties," Erhu said with a grin, patting his chest.

In the past, he wouldn't have coveted the position of commander-in-chief, but now he has made a contribution!
Even among the older generation like Li Dashan, there aren't many who can compete with him.

Soon, the two men, each leading their personal guards, arrived at Hexi Fort. Instead of going home, they went to Li Xiao's residence first.

At that moment, Li Xiao was having drinks with some people!
A roasted lamb leg, along with a few plates of vegetables and blood sausage—even the dishes served when the Grand Protector was entertaining guests were equally simple and unpretentious.

"Wei Xuan, how long have we known each other?"

Li Xiao took a sip of Xifeng Lie's drink and said.

"It's been three or four years, hasn't it?" Wei Xuan said softly after a moment of recollection.

At this moment, he was wearing a cotton robe, his original short hair had grown to the length of his fingers, and the skin on his face was rough and red from the cold.

After taking a sip of strong liquor, I felt a surge of heat rush from my stomach to my head, followed by a tingling sensation that swept through my entire body, finally bringing some warmth back to my body.

"That year, our Sanhe Fort was captured by the Karluks. You, the Grand Protector, led your men to recapture Sanhe Fort and killed all the Karluks, avenging the villagers who perished in Sanhe Fort."

"I, Wei Xuan, will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life."

Thinking of what happened at Sanhe Fort back then, Wei Xuan's eyes flashed with fierceness.

The refined young man of yesteryear has now become a ruthless general.

In recent years, the number of Karluks, Naimans, and Uyghurs who have died at his hands is countless.

The blood of hatred stained his once pure heart, turning him into a butcher.

"Back then, I slaughtered all the Karluks not because of your kindness, Wei Xuan, but because of the many people who perished in Sanhebao."

"They're in a terrible state!" Li Xiao sighed heavily.

Wei Xuan listened with a gleam in his eyes.

Before they knew it, most of the lamb leg had been eaten, and Xifenglie had drunk half a jar of liquor.

Wei Xuan was a little tipsy, and even Li Xiao, who was known for his high alcohol tolerance, had a slightly flushed face.

Like a good brother, Li Xiao put his arm around Wei Xuan's shoulder and recounted Wei Xuan's achievements over the past few years.

"In the Naiman War, you charged into battle, sustaining more than a dozen gunshot and arrow wounds, and captured Buyilukhan alive."

"In the Battle of Luoyang, it was you who took the lead again and captured Crown Prince Yelü Zhixin of the royal court..."

Li Xiao grabbed Wei Xuan's shoulder and spoke emotionally about his achievements, even giving him a thumbs up, which made Wei Xuan feel excited and deeply moved.

The saying "a scholar will die for one who understands him" is no more than this.

"You must have heard the rumors that our Northern Frontier Army is about to undergo a major expansion."

“The original three towns have been reorganized into six towns.” Li Xiao said, patting Wei Xuan on the shoulder after taking a sip of wine and exhaling a breath reeking of alcohol.

"With your contributions, being a commander of a thousand is a real disservice; with your abilities, being a commander of ten thousand is more than enough."

"The opportunity is yours. I believe that with your abilities, Wei Xuan, you will surely forge your 10,000-household cavalry into the sharpest spear in our northern frontier."

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, Wei Xuan was completely stunned.

What did he hear?
Ten thousand households?

At this moment, he quickly shook his head, thinking he had drunk too much and misheard.

"I...I...I...Grand Protector-General, this...Ten Thousand Household?"

Seeing Wei Xuan's astonished expression, Li Xiao found it quite amusing.

This kid, ever since I met him, has always acted like a deep and serious person. He's fierce and doesn't talk much, and very few things can make him lose his composure.

But after drinking too much, he finally revealed his true nature; after all, he was just a young man.

"Haha, that's right." Li Xiao laughed.

He patted Wei Xuan's shoulder heavily and said in a firm tone, "That's right, you, Wei Xuan, are a commander of ten thousand households."

At this time, Wei Xuan's position was Acting Commander of a Thousand Households.

With this expansion of the military, there's no doubt he'll be promoted to a full-fledged position, and it's even quite normal for him to be promoted to deputy commander of ten thousand households.

However, he did not expect that he would skip the deputy commander and become the commander directly.

Wei Xuan was dumbfounded: "This, this~"

"Grand Protector, this is against the rules!"

Unexpectedly, Li Xiao waved his hand and said, "What's wrong with the rules?"

"I am the Grand Protector, and my rules are the rules."

“If I say you can be a ten-thousand-household head, then you can be one.”

Li Xiao's lips curled up slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Wei Xuan's face, and he said in a deep voice, "Besides, the military achievements you, Wei Xuan, have made over the years could break a flagpole if piled up."

He lightly tapped the edge of the table with his fingertips, causing the wine in the bowl to tremble gently.

"Promoting you to the rank of commander of ten thousand is not breaking the rules—in my eyes, the most important thing is real ability."

"With your abilities, you should be leading more troops on the battlefield, maneuvering and strategizing."

"Wan Hu is the honor you deserve and the starting point for wielding the sword."

As he spoke, Li Xiao's tone became serious, his gaze fixed on Wei Xuan's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Wei Xuan, don't let me down."

Promoting Wei Xuan to the rank of commander of ten thousand households was a decision Li Xiao made after much consideration.

It wasn't because of his sister; even without Wei Erya, Li Xiao would have done the same.

Because Wei Xuan's contributions were significant and his abilities were great.

The Jinzhou army has many fierce generals, but few commanders, and even fewer who can lead tens of thousands of troops into battle.

Wei Xuan has great potential.

He was not merely a fierce and brave general; he was strategist and thoughtful in battle, and even helped Li Xiao formulate strategic plans from a holistic perspective on many occasions.

The position of a thousand-household commander limited the display of his talents; a position of ten thousand-household commander or even higher was his stage.

Li Xiao genuinely intended to cultivate him as a potential leader.

After Li Xiao finished speaking, Wei Xuan was excited. Saying that it might be an exaggeration to say that a scholar would die for one who understands him, but Li Xiao truly understood him.

He was not power-hungry, but rather used power to showcase his abilities and talents. It was Li Xiao who gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his talents.

"The Grand Protector trusts me so much, I will repay him with my life."

After saying that, Wei Xuan tilted his head back and downed a bowl of wine, which choked him so badly that his face turned red and he coughed incessantly.

Seeing this, Li Xiao laughed heartily, put his arm around Wei Xuan's shoulder, and also drank the wine in his bowl: "I originally intended for you to die and send your death to the enemy in the Northern Frontier, but I couldn't bear to see you die."

Just as the two were enjoying their drinks, Erhu's loud voice rang out from outside.

"Brother, big brother."

Where is my nephew?

“Jin Dao, my dear nephew, your second uncle has come to see you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Erhu rushed into the hall, looking excited, and glanced around.

Looking at Wei Xuan, who was almost drunk, he then asked Li Xiao, "Brother, where is my nephew?"

Li Xiao had already learned of Erhu and Li Dashan's return, but since they were family, he didn't bother with the usual polite formalities of going out to greet them. However, he noticed that after some time apart, Erhu's aura had intensified, his eyes were sharp, and a beard was beginning to appear on his cheeks.

"You look so flustered, anyone who didn't know better would think something terrible had happened," Li Xiao said, putting down his wine glass with a flushed face.

"Jin Dao is still sleeping in the inner room. We'll bring him out for you to see when he wakes up."

"Come, sit down and have some wine to warm yourself up."

"Where's Sixth Uncle?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Dashan walked in, also looking for his grand-nephew. Li Xiao pulled him to sit down.

The four continued drinking and eating.

But Wei Xuan was clearly already too drunk.

After a while, Li Xiao put his arm around Wei Xuan's shoulder and asked with a smile, "Wei Xuan, do you want a wife?"

Wei Xuan's alcohol tolerance was far inferior to Li Xiao's, and he was already completely drunk.

After Li Xiao finished speaking, he still had a clear yet confused expression: "Huh?"

"What do you say?"

Erhu was also stunned, and shouted directly into Wei Xuan's ear: "My older brother said he's going to find you a wife."

mother-in-law?

He heard it clearly, but Wei Xuan couldn't hold on any longer. His eyes started to glaze over, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

He simply lay face down on the table.

"Bang~"

Seeing his appearance, Erhu burst into laughter: "Wei Xuan is still so effeminate. He's always the first one to pass out when we drink."

Erhu had barely sat down and had only drunk two bowls of wine when he started mocking Weixuan.

Li Dashan, standing beside him, looked at Li Xiao with a puzzled expression: "Dalong, which wife are you planning to find for Wei Xuan?"

The woman was the principal wife, so she was definitely different from the female slaves they captured on ordinary days.

The child born to the legal wife will inherit Wei Xuan's business in the future.

Moreover, Wei Xuan is indeed quite old, but because all his elders have passed away, he only has a younger sister left in his family.

He was busy fighting the war himself, and with no one to take care of him, things naturally got delayed.

But now that he's a millionaire, he's actually a golden bachelor, and quite a few girls are eyeing him.

Seeing Wei Xuan collapse, Li Xiao stopped drinking, gently lay back in the chair, and chuckled as he said, "It's Second Uncle."

"He asked me to sound out Wei Xuan's opinion."

Li Dashan suddenly realized: "Erfeng?"

"Yes, Erfeng is of marriageable age."

After saying that, she looked at Wei Xuan and nodded slightly, saying, "Second Brother has good taste. Wei Xuan is a good man and will not wrong Er Feng."

Li Xiao nodded lightly: "Besides, Erfeng herself is willing. This little girl has been eyeing Wei Xuan for a long time."

"Hahaha~"

……

Hearing that Wei Xuan had brought a girl with him when he came to Hexi Fort, Li Xiao decided to personally escort him home.

It was the same house where the siblings had temporarily stayed in Hexibao, just two very small rooms that were already quite dilapidated.

At this moment, Er Ya was tidying up the house, and Er Feng also came over to help, claiming to be her best friend.

Hearing the noise outside the door, he turned around and saw Li Xiao carrying Wei Xuan back.

"Oh dear, brother, what's wrong with Brother Wei?"

"Why did you force him to drink so much? Don't you know he can't hold his liquor?"

Erfeng rushed forward to help Li Xiao support Wei Xuan, constantly checking Wei Xuan's face, looking very anxious.

Seeing this, Li Xiao shook his head slightly and sighed, "A daughter is like a tree that cannot be kept at home once she grows up."

Erfeng's heart is already with Weixuan, so Li Xiao and her second uncle naturally won't interfere in their relationship.

"It's alright, he'll be fine after a good night's sleep," Li Xiao said with a wry smile, carrying Wei Xuan into the house.

I clearly drank quite a bit of alcohol myself, so why doesn't anyone care?

Fortunately, after putting Wei Xuan on the bed, Er Ya first tidied him up a bit, and then brought him a bowl of hot water.

"Great Protector, thank you for bringing my elder brother back. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to move him."

Li Xiao took the hot water and held it in his hands, immediately feeling the chill in his body ease considerably.

"It's alright. He drank with me, so naturally I should take him home."

"Otherwise, if something happens on the road, wouldn't you blame me?" Li Xiao said jokingly.

Er Ya smiled upon hearing this.

In just one year, this little girl has grown into a beautiful young woman.

At this moment, she was wearing black leather boots, a white fitted outfit over which was covered a wolf fur vest, a short knife at her waist, and thick, long black hair tied casually with a red cloth strip, which swayed gently with her steps.

A faint, natural fragrance wafts over.

Li Xiao's heart fluttered slightly, but he still gazed at her with a faint smile.

"what happened?"

"Is there something on my face?"

Er Ya felt a little embarrassed by Li Xiao's gaze, and a slight blush began to rise on her fair, snow-white face.

First, she touched her cheek with her hand, then looked down at her clothes.

She dressed up specially before coming to Hexibao, so there shouldn't be any problem.

Li Xiao shook his head and smiled gently: "It's nothing, I just noticed you've grown a lot taller."

Li Xiao is about 1.85 meters tall, but he can see Er Ya's eyes with just a slight downward glance.

This girl was half a head taller than the average woman, and in terms of figure, she was curvy and shapely. The little girl had completely grown into a young woman.

She exudes an alluring youthful charm.

A tall guy riding a horse would definitely look as dashing as a kestrel on the grassland.

Upon hearing this, Er Ya said helplessly, "I don't know what's going on, I just keep growing."

"I'm really afraid it will keep growing."

What others envy as a figure has become a source of worry for Er Ya.

The key issue is that she's too tall, so there are fewer people who are a good match for her.

Perhaps only Li Xiao has this kind of aura.

After exchanging a few words, they heard noises coming from the inner room again.

It turned out that Wei Xuan had vomited, and Er Ya quickly packed her things to wipe him clean.

But Erfeng was even more efficient, taking care of everything, and her attentive manner made Erya stand out.

Anyone who didn't know better would think she was Wei Xuan's sister.

Seeing that her mind was completely focused on Wei Xuan, Li Xiao could only shake his head helplessly.

A woman's heart is drawn to the outside world. She's already taking the initiative before she's even married. She'll be completely controlled by that brat Wei Xuan in the future.

Er Ya is also looking at Er Feng.

Four years ago, after arriving at Hexibao, because the two were not much different in age, Li Xiao specifically instructed them to take good care of the people of Sanhebao.

So the two became best friends.

But gradually, Er Ya discovered that her best friend actually had ulterior motives.

I treated her like a best friend, and she actually wanted to be my sister-in-law.

However, Wei Xuan seemed oblivious to this matter, as if he hadn't noticed anything.

But deep down, Er Ya still hoped that Er Feng could become her sister-in-law.

The Li family was a newly established family. Erfeng grew up like a girl from an ordinary family, herding sheep and cutting grass, and she could do all kinds of chores.

She is a thrifty and virtuous woman.

After marrying Wei Xuan, she will definitely take good care of him, and Er Ya can rest assured.

But then I thought of myself; Er Ya is already an adult.

Wei Xuan had already told her several times, but she had always refused his offer to meet someone.

Thinking this, Er Ya raised her eyes and secretly sized up the man in front of her.

At the same time, Li Xiao also suddenly turned his head to look at her. Their eyes met, and Er Ya immediately looked away in a panic.

Seeing her sneaky behavior, Li Xiao's lips curled up slightly, and he said softly, "By the way, your older brother just mentioned something."

"What?" Er Ya said absentmindedly.

Li Xiao lowered his voice slightly and said softly, "He said he wants to marry you to me and asked if I'm willing?"

Upon hearing this, Er Ya's body trembled violently, and the tips of her ears burned as if they were on fire.

My heart felt like a deer was pounding inside me, and my eyes darted around nervously, as if I was afraid of being discovered.

After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a muttered sentence through gritted teeth: "Big brother... Big brother is always making things up..."

"He's just talking nonsense because he's drunk, don't listen to him."

She was right; Wei Xuan had indeed never said that. Li Xiao had lied to her.

But men should be more proactive and shameless in these kinds of things.

As for when Wei Xuan wakes up tomorrow and Er Ya asks about this, Li Xiao will have a response.

Just say Wei Xuan drank too much and forgot!

But a real man spits out his saliva.

Li Xiao has already married his girl to him and taken advantage of the situation, yet he still wants to keep his own girl hidden away?

Before Er Ya could finish speaking, Li Xiao interrupted her, saying, "I agree."

"what?"

Er Ya was taken aback.

Li Xiao's fingers gently landed on Er Ya's cheek, feeling the heat of his fingertips, and slowly lifted her delicate and flawless face.

Looking at Er Ya, he said, "I tell you, how could I not want such a beautiful girl like you?"

"The marriage was arranged by your parents and the matchmaker. Since your parents have passed away, your eldest brother is now your father."

"Your elder brother has decided to marry you to me, so you will be a woman of the Li family."

Li Xiao said in a domineering voice.

His consistent attitude towards women is that if he likes them, he'll go for it.

Besides, which young girl doesn't dream of love? Judging from this girl's behavior, she must have been doing it on purpose.

After all, it was Li Xiao who rescued her from the slaughter of the Karluks at Sanhe Fortress.

For Er Ya, Li Xiao was the hero of her life.

Sure enough, after hearing his words, Er Ya's cheeks turned even redder at a visible speed.

Her expression grew increasingly flustered and shy; she dared not look Li Xiao in the eye.

"You, you, you're bullying me!"

After saying that, she turned around and ran out of the house. Li Xiao, with his rich experience, knew perfectly well that he had the girl under his control.

So he turned to look at Wei Xuan lying in the inner room and chuckled to himself, "From now on, we'll address each other separately. You'll call me brother-in-law, and I'll call you brother-in-law."

(End of this chapter)