The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 232 Conferring Medals, Appointments, and Titles
Just as the Jinzhou Military Academy was beginning to take shape, grassroots life in various parts of northern Xinjiang was also quietly changing.

On this day, Qihe, a centurion's office under the Fifth Town, welcomed a group of guests.

It was a caravan of more than twenty large wagons, with flags hanging on the wagons bearing the words "Hexi".

Without a doubt, this was the Hexi Merchant Guild caravan under Li Xiao's command.

Only the caravan of the Hexi Trading Company was able to travel through the entire northern Xinjiang region without any hindrance.

Who doesn't know that this is the property of the Grand Protector?
"Old Liu, where the hell have you been?"

"I've brought you something good, come out and greet me quickly."

Just as the convoy arrived outside the centurion's camp, a wild shout rang out.

A chubby middle-aged man dismounted from his horse; he was delivering supplies to an old friend.

However, it was not the centurion, Lao Liu, who came out to greet him, but the deputy centurion.

"Manager Deng, what kind of training did Lao Liu go to Jinzhou for? Anyway, it's all about getting promoted. He's probably having a good time in some woman's bed right now."

The deputy centurion stepped forward and grinned slyly, saying that he was now acting as the head of the centurion's office.

But in reality, both the centurion and the deputy centurion are still in their probationary period and have not yet been officially appointed.

"What? He went to Jinzhou? That old Liu, he didn't even bother to let us know."

"The order was given very urgently, and Lao Liu set off the next day. However, before leaving, he instructed that after Manager Deng delivered the supplies, we should just conduct normal transactions."

Manager Deng was relieved and nodded slightly: "Alright then."

Otherwise, wouldn't it be a wasted trip? These things are easy to sell, but the costs incurred on the way here are still a loss!

"As for the price, let's just stick to what we agreed on with Lao Liu."

"This time we brought a total of two hundred cotton-padded coats, two thousand catties of coke, fifty jars of strong liquor, and one hundred shi of grain..."

Upon hearing the amount of supplies reported by Manager Deng, the deputy centurion was overjoyed.

"Great! We've been needing these things!"

"With these clothes and food, our entire household can get through this winter safely."

The Hexi Trading Company is currently the only large-scale commercial organization in northern Xinjiang, playing a role in economic regulation and the flow of goods.

Goods such as cotton cloth, cotton clothing, wine, and salt produced in Jinzhou were all handed over to Hexi Trading Company for sale.

The West River Trading Company plans to establish a distribution point, or store, in each state.

However, Qihe is far away and has not yet been expanded, so these goods are all brought from the Dongdu warehouse.

According to the previously agreed price, the Baihufu quickly completed the delivery of goods with the Hexi Trading Company.

Because of the war plunder, the town's soldiers were all very wealthy and had a lot of money.

Therefore, they were eager to buy supplies that they and their families needed.

Li Xiao can also use this business method to circulate the money in the hands of the soldiers and promote the development of commerce in the northern frontier.

On this day, the entire Baihu Mansion was as joyful as if it were New Year's Day.

That evening, Bordo's family stayed in their warm tent, sitting around a pile of burning charcoal.

They were supposed to be a family, but in reality, besides him, there were only two women.

Bordo was originally a Naiman. After being captured, he became a garrison soldier through his military achievements and was assigned to Qihe, which was under the jurisdiction of the Hundred-Household Office of the Fifth Garrison.

Furthermore, he was rewarded with a Turkic woman and also bought a Uyghur woman with money.

So now he has a warm home, two beautiful wives and an unborn child.

Bordo is quite satisfied with his life now. After all, in the past, as a servant, he was not worthy of having two such beautiful wives, or even a separate tent.

Now, he has a house, a wife, two wives, a baby on the way, cattle and sheep, and money. His life is almost complete.

"This dark thing is so warm!"

The Turkic wife sat in front of the charred remains and sighed.

They used to burn wood, which filled their tents with smoke, making it impossible to sleep.

Coke is better; it's not only warmer, but it can burn all night.

The Uyghur wife on the other side preferred the new clothes that Bordo had bought for her.

Wearing a thick cotton coat feels like being inside a cow's belly, and you don't have to worry about your baby getting cold.

Bordo made a big purchase today.

He bought coke, grain, salt, two jars of wine, and even a new set of clothes for each of his wives.

All the essential living supplies were piled up in the tent, leaving only enough space for the three of them to sleep.

But Bordo was quite content; this was what made life feel real.

"But these things are so expensive."

"It cost our family a lot of money!"

The Uyghur wife gently stroked her belly, gesturing with a pained expression.

Having a child settled her mind, and she genuinely started thinking about her family.

Although Bordo and his Uyghur wife did not speak the same language, after spending some time together, they were able to communicate in a simple way using body language.

He quickly understood what his wife meant.

He grinned and laughed, offering no explanation, but instead displaying a domineering expression. He pounded his chest with his fist and then gave a thumbs-up.

Tell the Uyghur wife: "Your man is something else!"

When it was late at night and both wives had fallen asleep, Bordo grinned, feeling a pang of heartache.

Although he fought bravely and was rewarded with a lot of money, and also robbed a lot of money, he really couldn't keep up with the spending.

Especially cotton-padded clothes, because of their low production volume, are expensive and not something that ordinary townspeople can afford to buy.

Bordo put on a brave face in front of his two wives and stood up for himself.

But I really feel sorry for them.

His savings had shrunk by almost half in an instant, which made Bordo secretly worry about his future.

It's really hard to lie flat!
Looking at the child in his wife's belly, Bordo secretly resolved: "Next time we go to war, we must kill even more people."

Otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to support this family!

Sigh, men.

Having a family brings worries and concerns. Even if you grit your teeth and bend your back from exhaustion, you still have to work hard to provide for your wife and children.

At the same time, there are many people like Bordo who are very extravagant when buying things.

Once you get your hands on it, you'll find that your little savings really can't hold up.

As a result, these low-ranking town soldiers couldn't help but begin to look forward to the next war.

No one is rich without windfall.

How could they provide a good life for their families without profiting from the war?
……

A month has passed quickly, and with less than half a month left until the Chinese New Year, the festive atmosphere is getting stronger and stronger. The third batch of students at the Hexi Military Academy have also completed their courses.

The martial arts assessments were increasingly demanding, and the military subjects, such as battlefield strategy, troop deployment, and logistical coordination, were equally impressive.

But his academic performance is absolutely terrible.

Looking at the exam papers written by these people, Li Xiao was speechless and angrily cursed, "Letting these idiots write things is a complete waste of such good scrap paper."

The words on it are crooked and distorted, like a dog crawling.

Fortunately, they can all write their own names now, and even the worst ones can recognize dozens of simple characters.

"These few are written quite well."

Li Xiao could at least select some outstanding students by the end.

This included the Yang brothers, Shouzhen and Yang Shouzhen.

They came from military families in Western Xia and received relevant training from a young age, so their learning ability was indeed much stronger than that of the commoner generals from the lower ranks of the northern frontier.

Jinzhou currently has no shortage of fierce generals who are good at fighting, but it lacks well-rounded talents who are skilled in both literature and martial arts.

From this point on, the Yang brothers, Shouzhen and Yang Shouzhen, truly came into Li Xiao's view.

However, academic performance is ultimately just a bonus; the real criterion is still the test of martial arts skills and strategy.

The following day, Li Xiao personally presided over the military academy students' training in horseback archery, charging, and other subjects.

On the third day, he personally presided over the 'thesis defense,' which was actually an interview. Li Xiao gave the generals some questions to analyze.

For example, we had a full thousand cavalry, while the enemy only had a mere ten thousand.

But if the enemy refuses to surrender and even dares to launch an attack on our side, how should you, as the commander-in-chief, handle the situation?

These questions test the generals' ability to command troops, adapt to changing circumstances, conquer cities and fortresses, set up camps, provide logistical support, and coordinate with other units.

These questions are also the result of their learning during this period.

Ultimately, Li Xiao evaluated the candidates, taking into account their academic performance and past military achievements, and then determined the candidates for promotion.

On this day, just as dawn broke, the urgent sound of copper bells rang out in the military academy dormitory.

Having been here for about a month, Yang Shouzhen and his group had already gotten used to it.

They all got out of bed and quickly put on their clothes.

The dormitory was a large communal room for ten people, and all the residents were officers from the same town.

Even though they were initially strangers, after spending a month together, they became very familiar with each other.

All that could be heard in the room was the clanging sound of armor clashing together.

Everyone skillfully put on their cotton armor.

However, their faces all wore a mixture of curiosity and smugness.

“I said, this new cotton armor is better than the old one; it’s comfortable and warm to wear.”

A centurion named Zheng Laopi chuckled as he touched his brand-new armor, his mouth practically splitting into a wide grin.

"That's right! The cotton armor I wore before was soaked in blood, and I couldn't wash it out at all. Every time it rains, I'm covered in blood again! Hahaha!"

"To be honest, the original armor was pretty good. I killed dozens of people while wearing it, and it saved my life at least three times. I'm a little reluctant to give it up like this!"

"I think you just don't know how to enjoy life. You have new clothes to wear, but you can't bear to part with the old ones!"

"I'm just being nostalgic."

As Yang Shouzhen put on his cotton armor, he listened to the others joking around, which added a bit of fun to the otherwise tedious study and training.

However, after he put on his armor, he felt a little uncomfortable.

It's so new!
The bloodstains that symbolized battle achievements and glory have all disappeared.

Just yesterday, the military academy took back all their original armor and issued them a new set.

There isn't much difference; it's still two layers of dense cotton cloth sandwiching a layer of Hexi steel armor plates.

However, there have been some changes in the style.

Yang Shouzhen was originally the captain of the Third Garrison. Later, after the army was expanded, he was transferred to the Sixth Garrison as a temporary centurion.

Therefore, the armor he wore was still the original white armor.

However, the outfit he was wearing right now had a red trim around the edges.

Red trim on white armor.

It is the symbol of the Sixth Town.

Moreover, Yang Shouzhen had already seen the flag of the Sixth Town, which was also a white flag with a red border and a red sun and moon pattern on it.

Therefore, Yang Shouzhen's initial fascination with the armor quickly faded.

Then, as usual, I began my morning practice.

Li Xiao introduced running, push-ups, pull-ups, and other exercise methods from later generations.

Although the northern frontier was entirely composed of cavalry, long marches were still quite physically demanding, requiring endurance training.

Moreover, wielding a spear, drawing a bow and arrow for extended periods requires a high level of arm strength.

Therefore, increasing arm muscle strength is also a routine training subject in military academies.

Li Xiao also instructed these generals to train their soldiers using the same methods after they returned.

After morning exercise, it's time for breakfast.

There's plenty of naan bread, pickled vegetables, and millet porridge. Meat and oil will only be added at lunch and dinner.

After breakfast, instead of studying as usual, everyone was taken to the training ground and lined up neatly.

Standing in the very center were officers from the First and Fourth Divisions, dressed in yellow armor and yellow armor with white trim, respectively.

At the very front of the first town's formation stood some officers dressed in red-trimmed yellow armor, who were from the Wuwei Army.

The other four towns are arranged on the left and right, extending to both sides.

Soon after, Li Xiao arrived at the training ground with a group of officers from the Wanhu rank.

He wore dark gold cotton armor, with dragon patterns and the sun, moon, mountains and rivers engraved on it with black lines, exuding majesty and domineering presence.

Behind him, Tie Tou, Shou Hou, and other Wanhu who remained in Jinzhou strode forward with great momentum.

The golden sun and moon battle flag fluttered in the wind. Li Xiao stood under the flag, his hand on his sword, his sharp gaze sweeping over the three hundred officers in the field.

He said loudly, "A month has passed. Some of you will soon leave Jinzhou and go to various places in the northern frontier to guard the territory and resist foreign enemies."

……

Li Xiao first gave a brief speech, followed by the appointment ceremony.

Because of the expansion of the Six Garrisons, many officers were temporarily promoted to the rank of acting centurions. Now that their training is over and they have passed the assessment, most of them have passed and will be officially appointed today.

Some outstanding individuals may even be promoted to deputy commanders.

Then, the skinny monkey took out a roster and loudly read aloud, "First Town~"

"Wang Dagui, Sun Dachuan, Li Tieniu, Yang Shoujing..."

Then, the group of ten walked to the Sun and Moon Battle Flag, lined up in a row, all dressed in red-trimmed yellow armor, exuding a fierce aura like wild beasts.

These people were all centurions in the Wuwei Army.

Li Xiao walked up to the first Wang Dagui, who was half a head taller than him. He looked down at Wang Dagui's fierce face, which was weathered and marked by two scars.

He gently patted his shoulder and said, "Da Gui, well done."

Although Wang Dagui was not from Hexibao, he was an old Han Chinese from Jinzhou who had always followed Li Xiao, achieving great military exploits and remaining utterly loyal.

Originally a centurion, Li Xiao planned to promote him to deputy commander of a thousand.

At the same time, the skinny monkey held a book and loudly read aloud Wang Dagui's achievements and merits.

"Wang Dagui personally beheaded five people in the Battle of Dongdu, led his troops to kill 132 people, and captured the royal general Wen Chihedu..."

"Today, Wang Dagui is awarded the Order of the Sun and Moon (Middle Class) and the Order of the Warrior (Lower Class)."

"Wang Dagui is hereby granted the position of First Thousand Household Commander and Deputy Thousand Household Commander, concurrently leading a Hundred Households."

As the medal was read aloud, Li Xiao received a gold medal from a bodyguard standing beside him.

Made of pure gold, it is engraved with sun and moon patterns and three wavy horizontal lines.

Currently, the medals in northern Xinjiang are divided into two types and six classes.

The most basic one is called the 'Warrior's Medal', made of pure silver, and is awarded specifically to ordinary soldiers.

Anyone who kills more than three enemies will be awarded the 'Inferior Warrior Medal'.

This indicates that the soldier was a brave warrior in the Northern Frontier Army.

You will be awarded the 'Medium Warrior Medal' if you kill more than ten enemies in total.

Those who have killed more than thirty enemies will be awarded the 'Superior Warrior Medal'.

Anyone who earns the Intermediate Warrior Medal is already a formidable individual.

Those who can obtain the Superior Warrior Medal are truly kings of soldiers and butchers; if you encounter such a person on the battlefield, you can only pray to escape for your life.

The prestige and rarity of the Order of the Valiant Warrior far surpass those of the second medal, the Order of the Sun and Moon.

This was specially awarded to generals; it was made of pure gold and was also divided into three grades: superior, middle, and inferior.

The number of enemies killed was not considered; instead, the decision was based on the general's overall contribution to the war effort.

Wang Dagui led his troops to kill more than 100 enemy soldiers and capture the enemy general, thus qualifying for the mid-level Sun and Moon Medal.

After hanging the two medals on Wang Dagui's right chest, Li Xiao picked up a copper nail about the length of a finger.

However, the cap of the copper nail is about the size of a longan, and when viewed from the front, it resembles a sun pattern.

Li Xiao handed it to Wang Dagui and said in a deep voice, "Firm this copper nail into your left breastplate."

"This is your deputy commander's badge."

The armor plates in the middle of the cotton armor are fixed in a predetermined position by cannon nails.

The same goes for this emblem, which pierces through the cotton armor on the chest, locks it from the inside, and exposes the studs on the outside, just enough to let people see the pattern on the studs.

What Li Xiao created was essentially the precursor to the military rank system.

The cotton armor worn by ordinary soldiers has an empty space on the left chest area.

The lowest-ranking deputy clerk would wear a moon pattern on his left chest.

The symbol for Shihu is a horizontal line added below the moon pattern.

The deputy captain has two moons, and the captain has two moons and a horizontal line.

The deputy head of the household has three moons, and the head of the household has three moons and a horizontal line.

With three moons at the top, the deputy commander becomes a sun.

Subsequent ranks such as Thousand-Household Commander, Deputy Ten-Thousand-Household Commander, etc., followed

Therefore, Wang Dagui's deputy commander was represented by a sun symbol.

Shihu, Duwei, Baihu, Qianhu, Wanhu, Dutong.

There are a total of six levels and twelve grades.

Subsequently, Li Xiao bestowed another item representing his status as deputy commander, the Silver Eagle Cavalry Sword, upon Wang Dagui.

With a cavalry saber in his left hand and a cannon nail in his right, Wang Dagui patted his chest heavily and saluted Li Xiao, saying, "This humble general, Wang Dagui, swears to serve the Grand Protector to the death."

Li Xiao nodded gently, helped the person up, and then conferred the title upon the second person.

Sun Dachuan was also a deputy commander of the Wuwei Army, wearing a sun on his chest and awarded a silver eagle cavalry saber.

However, he was slightly inferior to Wang Dagui in terms of military achievements and only received the 'Lower Grade Sun and Moon Medal'.

However, due to his superior individual combat skills, he was awarded the 'Middle Warrior Medal'.

Next, the conferment ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner.

Yang Shoujing was officially granted the title of Hundred-Household Commander of the Wuwei Army, and was given a badge with three moons and a horizontal line.

Soon, all the deputy commanders and centurions in the first town were filled.

Then came the second town and the third town.

Almost an hour later, Yang Shouzhen finally heard his name called.

He stood with the other nine under the Sun and Moon Battle Flag.

This was the first time he had stood so close to Li Xiao.

Looking at this man who was a few years younger than himself, Yang Shouzhen felt a rare sense of nervousness.

He had a feeling that Li Xiao's strong body contained a powerful force that, once unleashed, could tear him apart.

With a faint smile on her face, as gentle as a spring breeze, she seemed very kind and approachable, yet one could always feel a captivating power.

His deep gaze seemed to pierce straight into one's heart, as if no thought could escape Li Xiao's eyes.

"General Yang is not only an excellent general, but also an excellent father, who raised you two brothers to be outstanding."

Li Xiao stood in front of Yang Shouzhen and said in a deep voice.

There are indeed many spoiled brats among the scions of aristocratic families, but there are also many talented individuals.

Having received elite education since childhood, their knowledge and abilities far surpass those of others, as Li Xiao witnessed firsthand from the Yang brothers.

"Thank you, Grand Protector!" Yang Shouzheng said excitedly.

Li Xiao gently patted his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "You brothers are now people of my Northern Frontier."

“The hatred of your father is the hatred of my northern frontier.”

"Sooner or later, you will have the chance to kill your enemies."

Yang Shouzhen was thrilled upon hearing this.

Thinking of his family members who died tragically, and the suffering his two brothers endured in their quest for revenge, his eyes reddened slightly.

The firm voice said, "Although we brothers were born in the Xia Kingdom, it was the Northern Frontier that gave us a second life."

"Born a native of the northern frontier, die a soul of the northern frontier."

"My brother and I swear to serve the Grand Protector to the death."

Yang Shouzhen patted his chest heavily and shouted in a low voice.

Li Xiao nodded gently with a look of satisfaction: "Okay!"

Sincerity begets sincerity; if you treat the Yang brothers with sincerity, you will naturally earn their loyalty in return.

Of course, it was also because Li Xiao's motivational speeches had an effect during this period.

Not only the Yang brothers, but also the other households' admiration and support for Li Xiao rose sharply.

At this moment, the skinny monkey next to him recited Yang Shouzhen's achievements.

"Yang Shouzhen personally beheaded ten people in the Battle of Luoyang, led his troops to kill one hundred and two others, and captured the rebel general Xiao Hetu..."

"Today, Yang Shouzheng is awarded the Order of the Sun and Moon (Middle Class) and the Order of the Warrior (Middle Class)."

"Yang Shouzhen was appointed as the deputy commander of the Sixth Garrison, concurrently serving as the commander of a Hundred Garrison."

Upon hearing what the skinny monkey said, Yang Shouzhen was stunned and looked incredulous.

Self, Deputy Commander of a Thousand Households?

It should be noted that during the Battle of Luoyang, he was only a captain, and he thought it would be good enough if he could be promoted to a centurion. Unexpectedly, he was promoted one rank.

"Grand Protector, it's me~"

Seeing his surprised expression, Li Xiao pinned the two medals to his chest and said with a faint smile, "What? Not confident in being a good deputy commander?"

"No~ I just~"

Yang Shouzhen looked uneasy, then said solemnly, "This humble general will certainly not fail the expectations of the Grand Protector."

Subsequently, Li Xiao awarded him the Silver Eagle Cavalry Sword and the rank of Sun.

……

With the conclusion of the commissioning ceremony, the three hundred officers from northern Xinjiang have successfully completed their training.

Li Xiao ordered the kitchen to prepare a lavish dinner that evening, with plenty of roasted whole lamb and boiled beef, and Xi Fenglie drank to his heart's content.

That night, many generals got drunk.

The next morning, they went their separate ways.

The officers of the First and Fourth Divisions remained in Jinzhou, while the officers of the other four divisions returned to their posts.

Outside the east gate of Longcheng, the Yang brothers were saying goodbye.

"Second brother, you stay in the Wuwei Army and must protect the Grand Protector." Yang Shouzhen, dressed in brand-new red-trimmed white armor, rode on his tall warhorse and solemnly shouted.

"Don't worry, big brother."

"Anyone who dares to harm the Grand Protector will have to step over my dead body first," Yang Shoujing said firmly, his face ruthless.

After the two brothers finished speaking, it was almost time.

"Second brother, we'll meet again in the West Sea next year."

These centurions had all heard rumors that, if nothing changed next year, the northern frontier would mobilize a large army to attack the Xia Kingdom.

This is the best news for the Yang brothers.

Finally, I can avenge my family.

In particular, the eldest brother, Yang Shouzhen, whose Sixth Garrison is stationed in Xihai, directly facing the Western Xia, will be the vanguard in the attack on the Western Xia.

The two brothers then said goodbye.

Yang Shouzhen turned around and returned to Xihai, but this time a caravan from the Hexi Trading Company also returned with them.

They were hauling loads of goods, all of which were weapons to replenish the Sixth Division, as well as some new cotton armor to be distributed to the Sixth Division.

(End of this chapter)