The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 230 The Most Beautiful Woman in the Northern Frontier
Li Xiao is married again!

Despite the freezing weather and heavy snow covering the mountains, the atmosphere in Longcheng was surprisingly warm and lively.

The double happiness characters in the Wei mansion had only been up for half a month when new double happiness characters covered them up, and the mansion was once again decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

The carved bronze mirror reflected the room's golden and red hues. Er Ya lowered her eyes to look at the twin lotus flowers embroidered in gold on her skirt, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the gorgeous red wedding dress.

"Lift your head up a bit, it'll be over soon."

Erfeng knelt on the brocade cushion, her fingertips dabbing lip rouge as she carefully traced it onto Erya's lips.

As he described it, he said, "This is lip rouge that my second uncle specially brought from Western Xia. He said that once you dye it, the color will last for three days without fading."

The second uncle she mentioned was Li Ergunzi, the head manager of the Hexi Trading Company, who has now changed his name to Li Dongkun.

He was quite talented in business and expanded the Hexi Trading Company's business to the Western Xia, with the next step being the Jin Dynasty.

"Hehehe~"

"Miss is naturally beautiful; she looks even better with makeup on."

The maid Xiao Tao stood by, holding a lacquer box, looking at Er Ya with envy, her eyes shining.

Since Wei Xuan rose to prominence, he also bought several servants to help Er Ya at home, and Xiao Tao was Er Ya's personal maid.

She was two years younger than Er Ya, like a green peach. She was decent-looking, but far less attractive than Er Ya.

"Heh, you're so good with words."

Er Ya glanced at the maid and chuckled softly.

She pursed her lips slightly, gazing at the person in the bronze mirror. Compared to her usual appearance, she exuded a touch more charm, yet also radiated an air of dignified elegance.

The sunlight, white as snow, streamed through the window, casting a hazy glow on her pale face.

Beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows, a pair of almond-shaped eyes were veiled in mist, with the outer corners of her eyes delicately outlined in dark blue, making her eyelashes appear as black as butterfly wings.

After applying lip rouge, Erfeng stood up, gazed at it intently for a moment, and then nodded with satisfaction: "It's absolutely gorgeous."

"Er Ya, you truly deserve to be called the most beautiful woman in our northern frontier."

Hearing this, Er Ya blushed and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you can't say things like that. How could I be considered number one?"

There are plenty of people prettier than me.

Half a month ago, Wei Xuan and Er Feng held their wedding, and Wei Xuan officially became the son-in-law of the Li family.

Therefore, at this moment, Erfeng had already styled her hair into a woman's bun, looking completely like a dignified young woman.

But his gaze towards Er Ya was still full of envy.

In her mind, she had never seen a woman more beautiful than Er Ya.

The most beautiful woman in northern Xinjiang truly deserves the title.

After a few jokes, Wei Xuan's voice came from outside the door: "Are you all ready? The wedding procession is here."

"Alright, let's go out now." Erfeng hurriedly said, helping Erya tidy up her clothes and putting on the veil.

Not long after, Li Xiao, dressed in a red wedding robe and riding a tall horse, arrived at the Wei residence to welcome his bride.

According to custom, Li Xiao is not required to personally greet a concubine when taking one, but he can, depending on the status of the bride's family and Li Xiao's own wishes.

"Grand Protector!"

"Grand Protector!"

At this time, the Wei residence was also filled with relatives and friends.

Some were survivors of the Sanhebao massacre, some were relatives of the Wei family, and others were Wei Xuan's comrades-in-arms.

Upon seeing Li Xiao appear, they all bowed respectfully, placing their hands on their chests.

"No need for formalities. Today, I, Li Xiao, am not the Grand Commander, but the son-in-law of the Wei family. I am one of you."

Li Xiao chuckled, his attitude gentle and amicable, showing none of the airs of a Grand Protector.

This made Wei Xuan feel proud.

Li Xiao was truly exceptional to the Wei family.

Soon, Erfeng, holding Erya's hand, slowly walked out from the back courtyard.

Er Ya was two years younger than Er Feng, but she was already half a head taller.

Dressed in wedding attire, she exuded a noble and dignified air. Although he couldn't see her face beneath the veil, Li Xiao knew it must be absolutely stunning.

After exchanging brief pleasantries with Wei Xuan and the others, Li Xiao left the Wei residence with Er Ya in his hand without wasting any time.

Reaching the front of the warhorse, Li Xiao lifted it up in his arms.

Light as if boneless, exuding a faint fragrance, Li Xiao felt his heart flutter. He slightly tightened his grip, and the beauty in his arms immediately let out a soft cry of "Ying Ning".

"Hahaha~"

"Return to the manor!" Li Xiao shouted, placing Er Ya on the horse's back and then sitting behind her.

He returned to the Protectorate with his beautiful wife in his arms.

At the same time, the master of ceremonies announced from behind: "The Wei family's daughter is getting married and will become the wife of the Li family."

"May you be as harmonious as the zither and lute, and forever united in heart and soul."

"May your son be born soon, and may your family prosper forever."

……

As the wedding procession receded into the distance, the smile on Wei Xuan's face slowly faded, replaced by a look of melancholy and growing stronger with each passing moment.

Since the incident at Sanhebao, the brother and sister have been left to depend on each other for survival.

Over the years, they have suffered a lot. Wei Xuan fought so hard on the battlefield, wasn't it all because he wanted Er Ya to have a better life?

Now, she has finally gotten married.

She married into the Li family, and although she wasn't the principal wife, she was still a concubine, second only to the principal wife in rank.

Life is comfortable and worry-free, but one has to deal with the backstabbing and infighting in the backyard.

Wei Xuan was heartbroken. Could his 'weak,' 'gentle,' and 'unassuming' younger sister possibly be a match for those women?
Seeing Wei Xuan's reluctance and sadness, Er Feng gently comforted him, "Husband, there's no need to worry. It's just a few steps away."

"If you ever miss me in the future, you can visit me anytime."

There aren't as many rules in northern Xinjiang, and the relationships between the villagers of the old fortified villages are still largely maintained. It's common for them to visit each other's homes when they have free time.

Although Wei Xuan couldn't easily go to the backyard of the Grand Protectorate, Er Feng could do so without any worries.

She's still a daughter of the Li family!
"Well, if you have nothing to do on weekdays, you should visit the Protectorate more often."

“It’s easier for you women to talk to each other,” Wei Xuan said softly.

Although I felt sad, I knew that worrying would be useless.

Whether Er Ya will be bullied depends not on herself, but on Wei Xuan.

Once Wei Xuan establishes himself and gains sufficient status in the Northern Frontier, no one will dare to bully Er Ya easily.

Moreover, the Wei family is now related by marriage to the second branch of the Li family, so Er Ya is not without support; she has plenty of help behind her.

Thinking of these things, Wei Xuan was filled with energy and couldn't wait to go into battle and fight for Er Ya and his yet-to-be-born nephew, to carve out a place for them.

"Come on, brothers, let's drink until we drop tonight!"

Wei Xuan quickly composed himself and greeted his relatives and friends with a hearty laugh.

The Li family's side was also bustling with activity, but since it was a concubine's wedding, not many people came, and the scene couldn't compare to when they got married.

This was also to save face for Xiao Yanyan.

……

The candlelight flickered, casting a warm red glow over the bridal chamber.

Li Xiao lifted Er Ya's red veil. In the candlelight, her lowered eyes were shrouded in a thin mist, and her rouge-smeared cheeks shone with a soft glow, like a newly blooming peony.

Her slender figure was draped in a wedding gown embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, and the gold thread flowed in the candlelight, making her even more charming.

"are you tired."

Li Xiao's voice was deep and gentle as he lightly brushed his fingertips across Er Ya's burning earlobes and removed her hair tie.

Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, spreading across her wedding dress.

Er Ya looked up and met Li Xiao's smiling eyes. Her face immediately flushed, and she murmured in a low voice:

"Husband~"

"I am not tired."

Although Er Ya is usually a generous and straightforward person, she became like a timid little kitten at this moment.

Looking at the man standing in front of her, her thoughts seemed to drift back to four years ago.

It was also a night.

She fought a wounded Karluk, but unfortunately, she was too weak. Although she severely injured him, she was still overpowered.

Just as she was about to be killed by the Karluks, Li Xiao broke down the door and rescued her.

That night, there was thunder and lightning.

In the silver lightning, the figure of that boy seemed to be forever imprinted in Er Ya's heart.

Slowly, she merged with the man in front of her.

Four years have passed, and so much has changed.

Li Xiao has grown from a boy into the current Protector-General of the Northern Frontier, shedding his former immaturity and becoming more mature and stronger.

And Er Ya has grown from a girl into the young woman she is today.

But the only thing that hasn't changed is Er Ya's admiration for this man.

Tonight, she was going to become his woman, and she felt both incredibly nervous and secretly looking forward to it.

However, after relaxing, my stomach started growling.

Li Xiao chuckled, and Er Ya's face turned bright red.

I haven't eaten anything for most of the day, and I'm really hungry now.

"Have some flatbread first," Li Xiao said, and had someone bring some food.

He was also a little hungry, because he had drunk quite a bit of wine at the banquet, but hadn't eaten much.

Soon after, the two had eaten and drunk their fill, and it was time to get down to business.

Li Xiao picked her up and placed her on the bed, looking down at her stunningly beautiful face.

He said softly, "From now on, I will protect you and ensure your safety every year."

Soon after, Er Ya's feet, which were dangling in mid-air, instantly tensed up.

The next morning, Li Xiao got up early. Even though there was little official business in winter, he still insisted on exercising every day.

Without a strong physique, going to the battlefield will only lead to death.

When the maidservant brought the water into the room, she was immediately stunned by the scene before her.

Er Ya's body was covered in bruises, which reminded her of Er Ya's screams last night.

At the time, she thought it was the Grand Protector beating the young lady.

They wanted to rush in and stop him, but they didn't dare; after all, he was the Grand Protector.

Fortunately, an experienced maidservant nearby told him that it wasn't a fight, but a childbirth, and that the young lady would soon give birth to a baby boy.

The little girl didn't understand why she could have a child after being beaten by the Grand Protector.

But he could only keep his doubts to himself.

But when she saw the mess in the room, she began to feel sorry for Er Ya.

Tears welled up in both of her big eyes.

"Miss~"

"what happened?"

At this moment, Er Ya only felt pain, as if her whole body was falling apart.

Especially on her fair waist, there were still two red marks.

Later on, she was completely exhausted and collapsed like a lump of mud. It was Li Xiao who grabbed her waist and lifted her up.

So, at this moment, Er Ya didn't want to move at all and just wanted to sleep, but unfortunately, as a new bride, she had to get up early.

You also have to serve tea to your elders and your legal wife.

However, seeing the little maid crying like this, Er Ya was also confused: "Who bullied you?" She thought that someone was causing trouble as soon as she entered the door.

"Why did the Grand Protector hit you, Miss?"

"Can fighting lead to having a baby?" the maid asked, looking frightened.

They fought for over an hour, and she was terrified listening to it from outside.

Er Ya finally understood and burst out laughing, but immediately felt a sharp pain as if she had been pulled.

So he could only vaguely say, "The Grand Protector didn't hit me. Never mind, you'll understand later."

She's still too young.

Let her serve me in bed again in two years!
Then, with the help of her maid, Er Ya dressed and styled her long black hair into a young woman's bun.

From that moment on, she was no longer a girl, but had completely transformed into a real woman.

The Li family's daughter-in-law!
She turned and glanced at the blood-stained white sheet on the bed, her cheeks flushing slightly, and said softly, "Put it in the box!"

Then, supported by her maid, she limped toward the main hall.

……

Half a month later, another happy event occurred in Longcheng.

Big Tiger is getting married too.

The bride was from Changshanbao, which was one of the original nine forts and eighteen villages.

The bride's father now holds the position of commander of a thousand households in the second town.

This marriage can also be considered a political alliance.

Da Hu didn't have any particular opinion about the girl; he didn't like her too much, but he certainly didn't dislike her.

After all, a wife is someone you marry for her family and character; whether you like her or not is not important. You'll naturally like her after living with her for a while.

Big Tiger readily accepted.

……

Another half month passed, and Erhu was also getting married.

The woman was the legitimate daughter of Chen Chong, a military advisor in the military field administration. She was very beautiful, and Erhu was also envious of her.

While it is said that a wife should be chosen for her virtue, it would be even better if she were also beautiful.

On this day, Li Xiao, as the eldest brother, sat at the head of the table with the old man and Qin Dani, and received the newlyweds' kneeling obeisance.

The next morning, when Erhu brought his new bride to serve tea, he could clearly see the girl's unusual behavior.

It was even worse than Li Xiao's torment of Er Ya.

Erhu is a beast too!

This winter, the Li family is bustling with activity, with either daughters getting married or other weddings taking place.

In fact, it's not just the Li family; the entire northern frontier is like this.

With frequent battles in the northern border region, and the need to take care of cattle, sheep, and land, there were only a few months of free time during the winter.

Therefore, the most families get married in winter.

With nothing to do, the energetic men of northern Xinjiang naturally find time to release their energy through the most primitive forms of exercise every day.

Therefore, in the spring, you can always see many pregnant women.

……

Compared to the harsh and cold northern frontier, the climate of Zhongdu, located in the ancient land of China, is not so harsh.

Even though it's already winter, the streets and alleys are still very bustling, with vendors calling out their wares incessantly.

In the majestic imperial palace, Emperor Wanyan Jing of the Jin Dynasty left the palace of his concubine, Li Shi'er, with a look of reluctance.

At the age of thirty-four, he still felt that he was in his prime and could continue to fight with Consort Yuan for three days and three nights.

Unfortunately, the imperial court couldn't do without him.

He cared more about power than beautiful women.

In the imperial court, Wanyan Jing, dressed in a ceremonial robe and wearing a round-brimmed felt hat, stood high above, exuding extraordinary presence.

Wanyan Shouzhen, the Vice Chancellor, reported: "Your Majesty, the envoy dispatched by the Song state has arrived in Zhongdu."

"He also presented a handwritten letter from Han Tuozhou, the Grand Tutor of the Song Dynasty, stating that floods had occurred in the Jiangnan region, and the people had no harvest."

"Request a 30% reduction in the annual tax."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Jing frowned slightly and said with displeasure, "What does the suffering of the Song people have to do with my Jin state?"

"The reduction of the annual tribute is forbidden!"

The Jurchens looked down on the weak Song state and believed that their ancestors should have marched south and destroyed it.

Because the State of Song was just too damn rich.

It is said that the Song emperor slept on a bed made of gold every day, which made Wanyan Jing extremely envious.

It's already good enough that they didn't send troops to attack the Song state, how dare those Song pigs make demands?
The reduction in annual tribute directly impacted Wanyan Jing's quality of life.

Then another minister said, "In the past two years, the Song Dynasty has become increasingly presumptuous towards our Great Jin Dynasty."

"They are testing our bottom line step by step."

"That's right. Back then, Han Tuozhou was as docile as a dog in front of our Great Jin Kingdom. But in the past two years, he was first enfeoffed as the Prince of Pingyuan, and then became the Grand Tutor. Does he think he can make decisions for the Song Emperor?"

"They are increasingly disregarding our Great Jin Kingdom."

These ministers, in their words, all demanded that the State of Song be given a warning, and that they should abandon their petty schemes.

Otherwise, the Jin army would not hesitate to march south and attack the Song.

These words resonated with Wanyan Jing, who then ordered his men to severely reprimand the envoy.

After discussing the affairs of the Song Dynasty, the Privy Councilor Wanyan Zonghao stepped forward and spoke in an aged voice.

"Your Majesty, the scouts who went to the grasslands have returned."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Jing immediately became interested: "Oh?"

"How is the situation on the grasslands?"

Was the Naiman tribe truly wiped out?

Two months ago, Wanyan Jing was shocked to learn that the Naiman tribe had been wiped out.

Because the Naiman tribe was the overlord of the grasslands, descended from the brave and warlike Turks, and their tribal strength was comparable to that of the Kereit tribe.

Even the Jin dynasty would not underestimate the Naiman tribe.

Unexpectedly, it suddenly perished.

But when he learned that it was the Liao people who had destroyed the Naiman tribe, Wanyan Jing fell silent.

Because the Jin and Liao dynasties were sworn enemies, after the establishment of the Western Liao, the Jin dynasty once wanted to launch an expedition to completely eliminate the remnants of the Khitan.

However, due to weather and terrain conditions, the Jin army had to retreat halfway through its journey.

Therefore, over the years, the Jin Dynasty could only turn a blind eye to the existence of the Western Liao.

However, the Liao Kingdom's actions this time made Wanyan Jing feel threatened, so he sent people again to check the situation on the grasslands and to find out the Liao Kingdom's military strength.

"That's right, Your Majesty, the Naiman tribe no longer exists."

"They were wiped out by the Liao army, and the entire western grassland has fallen under Liao control."

"Moreover, the Liao people also fought a battle with the Kereit tribe and annihilated at least tens of thousands of Kereit people," Wanyan Zonghao said.

These words caused an uproar in the hall.

Wanyan Jing's expression darkened, his fists clenched tightly, and he roared angrily, "What do those Liao remnants want to do?"

"Are they still harboring treacherous intentions towards our Great Jin Dynasty and seeking revenge?"

The Liao Dynasty's forceful annihilation of the Naiman tribe caused intense unease throughout the Jin Dynasty.

Is the next step to launch a full-scale eastern expedition and reclaim the former Liao territory?
"Your Majesty, this humble general requests permission to lead my Great Jin Iron Cavalry to conquer the grasslands and annihilate those arrogant Liao people."

"Do those Liao people have no sense of mortality? Do they really think our Great Jin has no one to rely on?"

"Your Majesty, send me there. I will surely sweep through the Western Regions and present the head of the false emperor of Liao to Your Majesty."

The Jin generals volunteered to fight. Although the Jin Dynasty was already on the decline at this time, it still appeared to be very powerful.

They didn't care about the mere Liao people at all.

However, what Wanyan Jing was truly worried about were non-human factors.

After all, his ancestors had launched a western expedition, but they returned with heavy losses without even seeing a single Khitan.

Wanyan Jing was also worried that his painstaking and arduous expedition would ultimately only waste the country's resources.

"Your Majesty, please be quiet and let this old minister finish speaking."

Privy Councilor Wanyan Zonghao held immense prestige in the court. His voice was low and not loud, yet it immediately silenced all the generals.

"Your Majesty, according to our scouts, although it was the Liao army that annihilated the Naiman tribe, it was not the Liao royal army."

"It was the Northern Frontier Army of the Liao Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Jing and his civil and military officials were somewhat astonished.

What's the difference?

Wanyan Zonghao explained, "The northern frontier is located in the western part of the Naiman region, which was once the homeland of the Western Turks."

"Six years ago, Xiao Wulila's grandson, who is now the Grand Prince of the Six Courts, Xiao Simo, was defeated in the court struggle."

"Then they withdrew from the northern frontier to accumulate strength."

"According to reports from spies, two years ago, the Northern Frontier Army and the Royal Court Army of the Liao Kingdom broke out in a civil war."

"The final result was a lose-lose situation, with neither side gaining anything."

"And the army that wiped out the Naiman tribe this time was the Northern Frontier Army under Xiao Simo's command."

The Jin Dynasty was too far from the Western Regions, and communication between the two places was mainly carried out by merchants, which was very slow.

Just like the Western Liao Dynasty, which had been established for more than a decade before the Jin Dynasty learned of this news.

The emperor and his ministers were stunned. Where did this nobody come from?

Yelü Dashi? Never heard of him!

They immediately dispatched envoys to demand that the Western Liao submit.

The envoy was killed, and the decision was made to launch a western expedition.

Therefore, information lag is very normal in this era.

The information the Jin Kingdom had gathered was outdated; they were unaware that Xiao Simo was dead and that the Northern Frontier Protectorate had been established.

After hearing these explanations, Wanyan Jing nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

It turns out that at this time, there was also serious internal strife within the Liao Kingdom.

This excited him, and he said in a deep voice, "Since they are willing to fight amongst themselves, we can also lend them a hand."

"It would be best to destroy the Liao Kingdom, then we can finally rest easy."

Immediately, Wanyan Jing made a decision: "Send envoys to the northern frontier."

“Tell Xiao Simo that as long as he is willing to submit to my Great Jin Kingdom, my Great Jin Kingdom can help him destroy the royal court and make him the emperor of Liao Kingdom.”

"However, the Liao Kingdom must cede the territory of the Naiman tribe to my Great Jin, and at the same time become a vassal state of my Great Jin, paying tribute every year."

The ministers were surprised to hear this.

Someone asked, "Your Majesty, what if Xiao Simo doesn't agree?"

Wanyan Jing, however, said confidently, "He will agree."

"Otherwise, our Jin cavalry will invade the northern border."

"With the Liao royal army in front and our Jin army behind, we were attacked from both sides. That was the desperate situation in the northern frontier."

"He has no choice but to agree."

Wanyan Jing's expression was cold and his sharp edge was fully revealed.

Sending a large army to conquer the northern frontier involves too many uncontrollable factors and may be futile. Subduing the enemy without fighting is the best strategy.

The courtiers were all impressed: "Your Majesty is wise!"

(End of this chapter)