The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 231 Hexi Military Academy, Third Class, Jinzhou Military Academy

"The roc rises with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high."

Inside the study, the candlelight flickered, casting the characters on the Xuan paper in alternating light and shadow.

After finishing the last stroke, Li Xiao stared intently at the fourteen simplified characters on the paper and nodded in satisfaction.

Although his calligraphy cannot compare to that of the great calligraphers, it still possesses a powerful and vigorous spirit.

There is no war in the northern border region!
During this period, in addition to his own daily exercise, Li Xiao also did daily exercises with the women.

When he has free time, he also writes and practices calligraphy. In a short period of time, Li Xiao has achieved some success in calligraphy.

Just then, Er Ya came in carrying tea, her steps light and graceful.

"My lord, it's late. Have a cup of tea to soothe your throat. It's time to rest." Her voice was as gentle and touching as a spring breeze.

She gently pushed the teacup toward Li Xiao, but the next second, a large hand tightly grasped her delicate hand.

Immediately afterwards, she felt dizzy and, when she regained consciousness, she was already sitting in Li Xiao's lap.

"Husband~"

Feeling the warm breath spraying on her earlobes and neck, Er Ya also let out a soft moan, quite moved.

A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she pushed against Li Xiao's chest with both hands, panting, "No~"

"Back to the room~"

Li Xiao smiled, took a sip of tea, held Er Ya's delicate body in his arms, and said softly, "How is your husband's calligraphy?"

Er Ya's previously dazed face gradually regained its clarity.

He gazed tenderly at the two lines of text, his eyes filled with admiration and affection, and after a moment he said, "Powerful, domineering, with strong strokes, and an aura that can swallow mountains and rivers."

"My husband's handwriting is getting better and better."

The Wei family of Sanhebao was not just a simple military family; their ancestors were also men of both literary and martial talents.

Therefore, under the influence of family traditions, even a girl like Er Ya was able to read and write.

She can also write a beautiful small regular script.

In Er Ya's eyes, Li Xiao's calligraphy was already quite skillful.

"The roc rises with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high," Er Ya murmured.

"Is this a line from Zhuangzi's 'Free and Easy Wandering'?"

Li Xiao nodded slightly: "That's right."

As the faint scent of jasmine wafted from her hair, Li Xiao put his arm around her waist, gently rested his chin on her shoulder, and said softly, "This calligraphy is for you."

His voice was deep and gentle: "You're already my woman, Li Xiao's woman. Calling you Er Ya just doesn't sound right. I've given you a new name."

He picked up the wolf-hair brush from the table and wrote three more characters on the Xuan paper—"Wei Fuyao".

"Soaring straight up to ninety thousand miles, you will be a roc soaring through the sky, and you will be free from all constraints except for me."

Er Ya stared at those three words, muttering to herself, "Wei Fuyao?"

My heart was filled with joy, and my eyes gradually welled up with tears.

She turned and wrapped her arms around Li Xiao's neck, burying her face in his chest: "Thank you, my husband."

The preference for sons over daughters is the essence of this era. Even though Er Ya is considered lucky, she still doesn't have a formal name.

She is a daughter of the northern frontier. Over the years, she has become accustomed to a carefree life with Wei Xuan and has even participated in the management of the Hexi Textile Company.

Although she is now married to Li Xiao, Er Ya does not want to become a caged bird like those ordinary women, forever staying in the mansion vying for favor.

Li Xiao bestowed upon her a formal name, which was undoubtedly an affirmation of her abilities.

She can still continue to do what she wants to do.

At this moment, Er Ya was slowly moved and couldn't help but take the initiative.

"Husband~"

Soon after, the items on the table were scattered on the floor, and Li Xiao grabbed her waist and pressed her down onto the table.

The candlelight went out instantly, and Xiao Tao, the maid outside the door, stared in disbelief at her mistress's screams.

The Grand Commander is beating his wife again.

Time slowly passed, and the winter in northern Xinjiang was exceptionally long.

During this time, Erhu left Longcheng with his newlywed wife and returned to Yili.

Da Hu and Wei Xuan were in the same situation; they were the deputy commander and commander of the Sixth Garrison, respectively.

The defense zone of the Sixth Town is located on the West Sea Grassland.

As one group of people leaves, another group arrives.

The sun shone brightly that day, but there was still no warmth to be felt, and thick snow remained in many places on the grassland.

In this vast expanse of white sky and earth, more than a hundred warhorses crossed the Golden Mountain and arrived at Jinzhou.

Each person had three horses, and there were approximately fifty people in total.

The officers of the Sixth Division were mostly centurions.

Looking at the Dragon City standing tall in the distance, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally home."

"In the dead of winter, you should stay home and cuddle with your wife to sleep. You'll definitely have more sons next year."

"The Grand Protector made us suffer by sending us to Dragon City!"

"Do I need to learn how to fight? I was born knowing how."

"Who are you calling 'father'? If the Grand Protector hears this, won't he give you a beating?"

A group of generals, laughing and joking, slowly walked into Dragon City.

They came face to face with a troop of Wuwei Army cavalry, led by a young general in red-trimmed yellow armor, wearing a plumed helmet, and carrying a cavalry saber at his waist, looking very imposing.

Upon seeing him, the generals slowly ceased their clamor.

"A commander of the Wuwei Army?"

"It's Commander Hou of the Wuwei Army."

"Did the Grand Protector send him to pick us up?" the generals whispered.

They had already recognized the person opposite them as Shou, the commander of the Wuwei Army, also known as Skinny Monkey.

He was one of the most trusted personal guards of the Grand Protector.

However, he is now not only a commander of a thousand men in the Wuwei Army, but also a deputy commander of ten thousand men.

He was undoubtedly the commander of the Imperial Guards.

These officers were all centurions, so they felt an instinctive sense of awe upon seeing the skinny monkey.

They all patted their chests and said, "Greetings, Commander Hou."

Although they were not in the same unit, there still had to be a distinction between superiors and subordinates.

The skinny monkey nodded slightly and slowly rode forward, his powerful physique radiating a strong sense of intimidation.

He was only nicknamed "Skinny Monkey" because he was actually very strong; he should be called "Fat Monkey."

"Gentlemen, I, the Grand Protector, have ordered you to go to the military academy."

"Once you enter the city, you are prohibited from riding horses at will and from fighting."

"If you wish to visit your relatives, you may come to me to request leave."

Upon hearing this, the generals of the Sixth Division dared not raise any objection and all patted their chests, saying, "We obey!"

The skinny monkey nodded slightly, then turned and left, instructing one of his subordinates, a centurion of the Wuwei Army, to take them to their lodgings.

These centurions of the Sixth Town were a group of brave and skilled warriors who had fought their way up from the bottom. They were proud and arrogant, and it was difficult for ordinary people to intimidate them.

To prevent these people from causing trouble after entering the city, Li Xiao ordered Skinny Monkey to show his face and keep them in check.

The effect was indeed very good; the generals of the Sixth Division became much more obedient after entering the city.

They were led to the Hexi Military Academy by a centurion of the Wuwei Army.

However, one of them had already recognized the centurion's identity.

The two gradually began to walk side by side.

The previously stern face of the military commander instantly broke into an excited smile as he softly called out, "Big Brother~"

The Sixth Town Centurion laughed as well, saying, "Good lad, you've become a centurion in the Martial Guard Army without making a sound."

"Well done."

These two brothers are the Yang brothers.

Yang Shoujing, the younger brother, had just been officially appointed as a centurion of the Wuwei Army, commanding two hundred elite cavalrymen.

His elder brother, Yang Shouzheng, is currently serving as a deputy commander in the Sixth Town.

Both brothers made significant contributions in the previous battle of Dongdu and will certainly be promoted.

However, because the First and Fourth Garrisons were stationed in Jinzhou, the generals there were among the first to be promoted.

Then it will be the turn of the other four towns.

The reason these Sixth Division generals came to Longcheng was not only to participate in the third training session of the Hexi Military Academy, but also to receive personal appointments from Li Xiao.

Yang Shouzheng, the acting centurion, will definitely be promoted to a full-fledged position, and may even be promoted one rank higher.

"Being able to become a centurion is a great honor bestowed upon me by the Grand Protector. I originally thought that being a deputy centurion would be good enough, after all, this is the Wuwei Army!" Yang Shoujing said with a look of admiration.

Yang Shouzhen nodded with considerable pride: "This is because my brother is so capable, and the Grand Protector has an excellent eye for talent."

"Work hard in the Wuwei Army from now on, and don't bring shame to our Yang family."

At this moment, the officers of the Sixth Division who were traveling with him also learned that this was Yang Shouzhen's younger brother, and the sense of distance between them instantly disappeared.

They then created many obstacles between them.

Soon after, the group arrived at the Hexi Military Academy.

This was just a courtyard located in the northeast corner of Longcheng, covering an area of ​​over twenty acres, used only for the generals to live and study. Training required them to go outside the city.

The majestic red gate stands tall, with two stone lions, each taller than a person, placed outside.

A centurion from the Sixth Town gently nudged Yang Shouzhen's arm and pointed to the characters above and to the left and right of the gate, asking:
"Old Yang, you know a lot of characters, what does it say here?"

Yang Shouzhen took a closer look, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He said with some uncertainty, "Those four characters above should be Hexi Military Academy."

"As for the left and right sides, this..."

Yang Shouzhen was very skeptical: was this really written in Chinese?
He was, after all, from a military family; his father had served as a general in the Western Xia. He had been well-versed in military strategy since childhood, and literacy was no problem for him.

But he discovered that he could only recognize half of the words.

Yang Shoujing explained, "This calligraphy was personally written by the Grand Protector for the Hexi Military Academy."

"Iron horses and icy rivers, here one must cast aside the sentiments of children; ten thousand miles of yellow sand, from now on one shall only emulate the might of tigers and wolves."

"As for the font, it is a simplified version invented by the Grand Protector, which is also one of the tasks we will study this time."

Ancient Chinese characters share some similarities with later simplified Chinese characters, but many others are complex to write.

For example, the first line, in its traditional Chinese form, is '铁马冰河，到此须懋儿女态' (Iron horses and icy rivers, upon reaching this point, one must abandon the affectations of children).

When put together, you might be able to guess its meaning from the context, but when taken out of context, it's uncertain.

Li Xiao wants to promote Sinicization in northern Xinjiang and enable more people to read and write, so he will definitely need to simplify the characters to make them easier to write.

Upon hearing this, the other generals immediately looked distressed.

He said, somewhat incredulously, "We're going to learn these words?"

"I'd rather go back and kill a hundred Mongols."

"These words, it recognizes me, but I don't recognize it!"

They're all a bunch of uneducated bumpkins who probably can't even write their own names. How can you expect them to learn?
"Learn what nonsense!" On the contrary, Yang Shouzhen had no worries at all, after all, he already had a foundation.

You'll be able to learn these simple font styles very quickly.

He actually appreciated the couplet on the door.

He murmured to himself, "Iron horses and icy rivers, here I must cast aside my womanly ways; ten thousand miles of yellow sand, from now on I will only emulate the might of tigers and wolves."

The more he read, the more amazed he became, and he murmured, "The Grand Protector is truly a man of both literary and military talent, far beyond our reach."

Once the group entered the gate, they were greeted by a fairly spacious training ground.

Two stones stand there, each inscribed in vermilion: "We will fight until the blood runs dry, until death do us part."

This time, Yang Shouzheng recognized him. His eyes narrowed, and he exclaimed in surprise, "The killing intent is so strong!"

"As expected of the Hexi Military Academy."

"We've come at the right time this time."

After they entered the school, they found that the officers from the First, Second, and Fourth Divisions had already arrived, and many of them were comrades-in-arms from the Sixth Division.

They were chatting enthusiastically.

A few days later, officers from the Third and Fifth Divisions arrived one after another.

There were a total of 300 people, all of whom were officials at the level of centurions in the six towns of northern Xinjiang.

Some were official centurions, while others were acting centurions. After completing their studies, they would be promoted to full-fledged centurions, and some of them would even be promoted to deputy commanders of a thousand households.

It all depends on Li Xiao's decision, and also on their own combat achievements and performance evaluations.

On this day, three hundred centurions were gathered at the drill ground, a densely packed mass, all wearing red, yellow and white armor.

Soon after, Li Xiao, dressed in dark gold cotton armor, wearing a helmet with golden feather tassels, and holding a dragon-headed cavalry saber, strode up to all the generals.

His sharp gaze swept over the crowd, he nodded slightly, and shouted loudly, "I didn't call you all here this time just to make things difficult for you."

"This is an opportunity for you guys to get promoted, and also a chance for us old brothers to catch up with Ben."

“Some of you are centurions, some are acting centurions, you are all the backbone of my northern frontier, the mainstay of my six garrisons.”

"He is also my sworn brother, Li Xiao!"

"You will stay at the Hexi Military Academy for a month. During this time, there will be people who will teach you to read and write."

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, the centurions immediately let out a miserable scream, like elementary school students who hadn't been given a holiday, howling like ghosts and wolves.

Instead of letting them study, it would be better to let them fight the enemy in real combat.

"Hehehe~"

Li Xiao smiled, stood on the high platform, walked around gently, and shook his head with a helpless expression.

"Don't think that Ben is deliberately making things difficult for you. It's for your own good to make you roughnecks learn a few more words."

"A month later, anyone who can't even write their own name will be dismissed and sent to shovel horse manure."

Li Xiao didn't need them to learn too many words.

They're all in their twenties or thirties; their minds are basically set, and it's hard for them to learn things they're not interested in.

At least let them learn to write their own names, and learn some simple words; that will be enough.

For something even more profound, we must look to the next generation of generals.

However, if someone could learn more words, it would indeed earn Li Xiao's respect.

This is because it means he has strong learning ability, is intelligent, and has potential that is worth nurturing.

Given equal merits, Li Xiao would definitely prioritize promoting this person to deputy commander.

However, Li Xiao's real purpose in establishing the Hexi Military Academy was not to teach these generals literature and martial arts.

It really boils down to four words: unify thinking!

During this period, Li Xiao would occasionally come to the Hexi Military Academy to give speeches, sharing inspirational quotes.

The theory of the rise of northern Xinjiang.

Theories on the revival of Chinese civilization, etc.

Li Xiao even personally wrote several books with radical ideas, which were required textbooks for the Hexi Military Academy.

In reality, it was about brainwashing these generals, making them identify with Li Xiao, admire Li Xiao, and support Li Xiao without reservation.

Strengthen Li Xiao's connection with these mid-to-lower-level generals so that they can feel Li Xiao's kindness.

He became even more loyal to Li Xiao.

After delivering a passionate speech, Li Xiao left the Hexi Military Academy.

He turned his head and glanced at the red gate of the Hexi Military Academy and the words he had personally inscribed on both sides.

He shook his head and chuckled, "These roughnecks~"

On the way back to the Grand Protectorate, Li Xiao thought of something and said to the skinny monkey next to him, "The Hexi Military Academy is only established for the generals of the Six Garrisons."

“We can’t just leave those children in northern Xinjiang alone.”

Upon hearing this, the skinny monkey paused slightly in surprise: "Does the Grand Commander intend to establish a school in Dragon City?"

Private schools and academies have existed since ancient times, but they were all run by wealthy families and were out of reach for children from ordinary families.

Li Xiao nodded slightly and said, "It is a school, but it is not a school that teaches the Four Books and Five Classics."

What Li Xiao really wanted to establish was something similar to a junior military academy, to provide reserve officers for the Northern Frontier Army.

The reason for this was that Li Xiao was quite helpless because of these roughnecks.

Once your mindset is set, no matter how much you study, it will only be the same.

Therefore, Li Xiao could only focus his training efforts on those children.

We should cultivate as many talented individuals as possible who are skilled in both literature and martial arts, capable of fighting on horseback and governing the country on foot.

At that time, the northern frontier no longer needed purely civil officials; figures like Xin Qiji and Wen Tianxiang were what Li Xiao truly needed.

In the days that followed, Yang Shouzhen and his men began their training at the Hexi Military Academy.

I spent an hour this morning learning to read, and everyone was scratching their heads in frustration, feeling like time was passing too slowly.

In the afternoon, those from thousands of households will teach the skills of marching and fighting.

These centurions, who command two hundred men, will learn how to command thousands or even tens of thousands of men in battle.

Li Xiao would also come from time to time to give these generals inspirational speeches, which would invigorate them and make them admire Li Xiao even more.

Time passed slowly, and Li Xiao had already made plans regarding the school.

On this day, a one-armed man arrived at the Protectorate General's residence.

Upon seeing him, the skinny monkey immediately said respectfully, "Uncle Wu, this way."

"The Grand Protector is waiting for you."

The man appeared to be around forty years old, wearing a thick cotton robe. He had a thin face, a stubble beard, but his eyes were still bright and piercing.

He nodded slightly and then led the skinny monkey to the study.

Upon seeing Li Xiao, he immediately placed his left arm on his chest and bowed, saying, "Wu Gang greets the Grand Protector."

Li Xiao stood up and came to him, saying, "Uncle Wu, there's no need for such formalities."

"Sit down quickly!"

"Come here, serve tea!"

Wu Gang was from Hexi Fort. He followed Li Xiao in battles and lost his right arm in the war against the Naiman people last year.

Therefore, Li Xiao promoted him to deputy commander of the First Town, mainly responsible for the civil affairs of the Thousand Household Office.

Li Xiao had summoned him this time because he had something important to tell him.

"Uncle Wu, take a look at this first."

Li Xiao handed a document to Wu Gang, which contained Li Xiao's overall plan for the youth military academy.

The reason why the task of setting up a youth military academy was entrusted to Wu Gang was that, in addition to his ancestral home in Hexibao, which was of impeccable lineage and he was a formidable fighter, his greatest advantage was his literacy.

In his youth, Wu Gang was a rare and handsome young man in Hexi Fort.

"Grand Protector, what's this? Are you planning to build a school?"

After reading it, Wu Gang said in surprise.

“That’s right, it’s a school.” Li Xiao nodded slightly.

"I plan to establish a youth military academy in Longcheng, Yili, the desert, Xihai, Yinshan, Beihai and Qihe."

"Recruit teenagers from northern Xinjiang to study."

Upon hearing this, Wu Gang looked bitter and said helplessly, "Great Protector, although I know a few words, it would be quite embarrassing for me to be a teacher!"

"Which of them, Military Advisor Chen, Military Advisor Zhang, or Military Advisor Han, is not more knowledgeable than this humble general?"

Li Xiao smiled and gently shook his head, saying, "They have their skills, and you have your advantages."

He then said with a serious expression, "This is not just a school, but a military academy."

"There is no need to study the Four Books and Five Classics. Just set aside one hour each day for students to learn to read. The rest of the time should be used to train their skills in killing enemies and strategizing."

Li Xiao's idea was also inspired by Genghis Khan.

In history, Genghis Khan established a military academy for young soldiers north of the Gobi Desert, specifically to train young men in the skills to kill enemies.

These boys, after growing up, became the main force of the Kheshig army around Temujin.

In reality, they were the Imperial Guards.

The same applies to the children at the military academy. The main target of recruitment is war orphans whose fathers died in the northern frontier, whose mothers remarried, and who are not well received in their new homes.

Li Xiao naturally took good care of him and enrolled him in the military academy for a year-round boarding school.

Once these children grow up, they will become Li Xiao's trusted followers.

Therefore, Chen Chong and his colleagues were not suited to work at this military academy.

It must be taught to someone who is of military background, has some literacy, and is trustworthy.

Thus, Wu Gang came into Li Xiao's sights.

Although he lost an arm, he was still more than capable of teaching those children.

Moreover, he was only the headmaster of the military academy; there were other instructors for the specific courses.

“Great Protector, apart from those orphans, I’m afraid few ordinary townspeople would be willing to send their children to school,” Wu Gang asked another question.

Even children are a source of labor at home, able to herd sheep and cut grass. Sending them to school would be like losing a member of that workforce.

Li Xiao had also considered this issue and said in a deep voice, "All students who enter the military academy will have their three meals a day provided by the Protectorate General."

"Although we've lost one laborer, we've also lost one mouth to feed, and I believe the townspeople will be willing to accept that."

A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home; it's not just a saying.

Of course, this was only a means for the initial stage of the military academy. It was only after the townspeople understood the benefits of sending their children to school that things changed.

With more students, the military academy will only provide three meals a day for war orphans, while the other children will have to eat their fathers' food.

"This council orders all war orphans in the northern border region to be sent to Dragon City, where a military academy will be established first."

"You will serve as the headmaster, and select a group of deputy generals to serve as instructors, teaching the students how to kill the enemy."

"In terms of literacy, we would select a few teachers to send to them."

Li Xiao and Wu Gang were discussing the preparations for the military academy.

The main focus was on Li Xiao's ideas, but Wu Gang, being a capable person, offered some suggestions to fill in the gaps.

Thus, the first military academy for teenagers in northern Xinjiang—the 'Jinzhou Military Academy'—was officially established.

(End of this chapter)