The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 248 Huo Qubing's aunt was the Empress, what is your aunt?
Xiliang Prefecture, which is the later Wuwei, also known as Liangzhou City.

It is the largest, most populous, and most commercially prosperous town in the Hexi Corridor, even surpassing Ganzhou City.

Early that morning, as soon as the city gates opened, a group of people eagerly rushed in.

Some people were dressed in tattered clothes, their faces were sallow, and they looked destitute. Others looked to have some wealth and were carrying their families and supplies in horse-drawn carts.

The city guards who witnessed this scene all looked completely bewildered.

"What the hell? Why are so many people coming into town today?"

A middle-aged man in a black shirt, the team leader, muttered in surprise.

Then he shouted at the crowd, "Don't push, come one at a time."

Soldiers, armed with rifles and scimitars, began to maintain order.

In the chaos, a frail old woman was pushed to the ground by the crowd, her tattered bundle came loose, and several blackened flatbreads rolled to the ground.

She frantically tried to pick them up, but the surrounding crowd snatched them all away, and her cloudy eyes were instantly filled with despair.

"God damn it."

"You're a bunch of animals! Give me back my pancakes! My grandson depends on them to survive!"

But her hoarse voice was quickly drowned out by the noisy crowd; in this cannibalistic era, food was life itself.

It was alright inside the city, but if it were in the desolate wilderness, starving people would probably eat her too.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

A dilapidated carriage came hurtling towards them, the driver brandishing a whip and lashing at the people who approached.

A young soldier stepped forward and stopped the carriage: "Stop, there's a routine check to enter the city."

The next second, an angry voice came from inside the car: "Are you blind? You even dare to inspect me?"

The middle-aged team leader next to him hurriedly stepped forward: "So it's Lord Pucha. He's a newcomer and doesn't know the rules."

"We wouldn't dare stop your car, please go ahead!"

The leader of the procession smiled obsequiously at the people inside the carriage and then directed the soldiers to drive away the civilians and make way for the carriage to pass first.

Then he lectured the young soldier, saying, "The most important thing for us gatekeepers is to be quick-witted."

"If you offend someone important, you won't have enough heads to chop off."

The young soldier also felt wronged, and said with a mournful face, "I just didn't see him!"

That man was the governor's brother-in-law. He usually acts arrogantly in Liangzhou City, and the soldiers certainly wouldn't dare to mess with him.

But just now he looked disheveled, his brocade robe had been replaced with a hemp robe, and his signature luxurious carriage was gone, making him look like a country bumpkin.

Who could recognize him as the governor's brother-in-law?
Fortunately, this guy had urgent business in the city and didn't argue with the soldiers, otherwise he would definitely have been beaten to a pulp.

"It seems something really big has happened!" the middle-aged team leader said with a serious expression.

Afterwards, he led his men to continue maintaining order at the city gate, and at the same time learned some news from these people.

This caused all the soldiers' expressions to change drastically.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law~"

Pucha Ayida's carriage stopped in front of the governor's office. The guards saw that he was a beggar and were about to stop him, but when they heard the familiar voice, they all stopped in their tracks.

Just kidding, he's the governor's wife's younger brother, one of the famous Four Young Masters of Liangzhou.

If the governor doesn't speak, who dares to stop him?
Thus, Pucha Ayida rushed unimpeded into the back courtyard of the governor's mansion, only to be stopped by the guards when he arrived at his sister's courtyard.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, something terrible has happened."

"Oh no!"

Pucha Ayida stood in the courtyard and shouted urgently, making it impossible for Governor Supinaluo to sleep any longer. He looked impatient and angrily said, "What's wrong with your brother? What's he shouting about so early in the morning?"

The woman next to him had woken up earlier than him.

She looked to be in her early twenties, lying on her side on the bed, half-covered by a quilt, revealing her tender shoulders and two large, white breasts.

Her face had an exotic beauty, with a high, straight nose. At this moment, her eyes were half-closed, and her posture was languid and relaxed.

She is Pucha Ayida's older sister, Pucha Yu.

Both siblings were Uyghurs. Their family was originally just ordinary merchants from Liangzhou. It was only after Puchayu became the concubine of the governor that the Pucha family began to rise in prominence.

After she used some means to become the prefect's legal wife, the Pucha family truly rose to prominence.

"Sir, please don't be angry."

“Ayida is still a child and doesn’t understand. I’ll go and check on her first.”

After saying this, Puchayu put on a red robe and went out, while Supinaluo also began to put on his clothes with the help of his maid.

Currently, the northern barbarians are attacking the border, and Blackwater City is in grave danger. The imperial court has dispatched Wei Ming Shi'an, the Deputy Privy Councilor, to provide assistance.

Although the army was still far from Liangzhou City, as the governor, he had to make preparations for receiving them as soon as possible.

If he could please Wei Ming Shi'an, he would have a good chance of being promoted.

As he was getting dressed, his brother-in-law hurriedly walked in.

The moment he saw his appearance, Suvinara was stunned: "How did you get into this state?"

"Isn't there a single clean piece of clothing in the house?"

Although Supinaluo was a Tangut, he was well-versed in literature from a young age, considered himself a scholar, and had high standards of conduct. He disliked those who were not properly dressed.

They believed that such attire belonged to the lowly common people, was improper, and would offend the eyes of such a scholar.

But Pucha Ayida didn't care about that anymore. He said urgently, "Brother-in-law, don't worry about the clothes. Let's save our lives first."

"The barbarians from the northern frontier are attacking."

"Ganzhou City has been captured."

Pucha Ayida also managed to escape before the Northern Frontier Army besieged the city. In order to avoid being discovered by the Northern Frontier cavalry and to prevent the refugees from harming him.

That's why he dressed up like this. If he had been as arrogant as before, he would have been devoured by the lowly people long ago.

When order begins to collapse, who cares about his former identity?

Upon hearing his words, Suvinara no longer cared about his clothes.

Startled, he jumped up from his chair and exclaimed incredulously, "What?!"

"Ganzhou City has fallen? How is that possible?"

"The barbarians from the northern frontier are still in Blackwater City!"

Puchayu, standing beside her, also looked surprised, covering her rosy lips and looking at her younger brother in a flustered manner: "Ayida, where did you hear this news? Have you been deceived?"

Ganzhou City is only a few hundred miles away from Liangzhou City, with only two small towns in between, making it even less able to withstand the Northern Frontier Army's attack.

She dared not imagine the consequences of Ganzhou City being breached, which would mean that the barbarians from the northern frontier would soon be at the gates of Liangzhou City.

The thought of those savage, bloodthirsty barbarians from the grasslands, reeking of mutton, covered in black soot, with yellow teeth, filled Puchayu with fear, and her delicate face turned pale.

Supinara was no better off; he appeared calm on the surface, but deep in his eyes, he couldn't help but feel panicked.

Pucha Ayida, the brother-in-law, said with a mournful face, "Sister, you know me, when have I ever lied?"

"I saw the Northern Frontier cavalry with my own eyes outside Ganzhou City. On the way back, I heard that Ganzhou City had already been captured, and the Northern Frontier barbarians were looting the city."

Hearing this, Supinaluo finally gave up hope. He plopped down in a chair, gripping the corner of the table tightly, and said in a trembling voice, "How could the barbarians of the Northern Frontier move so quickly?"

How long had it been since he learned that the Northern Frontier Army was besieging Blackwater City?
The northern barbarians not only breached Heishui City, but also marched south all the way to Ganzhou City.

Thinking about it this way, Suzhou, Guazhou, and Dunhuang City are probably also in danger.

"Yeah~"

“Those barbarians from the northern frontier are attacking cities and capturing strongholds at an incredibly fast pace,” Pucha Ayida said.

It's normal for a large-scale war to last for several months.

Especially in siege warfare, as long as there is sufficient food and water, it is difficult to break through the city walls without ten times the number of troops.

But what about the barbarians of the northern frontier?

The successive captures of Blackwater City and Ganzhou City were as easy as drinking water, completely defying common sense.

"What should we do then?"

"The barbarians from the northern frontier are coming to our Xiliang Prefecture. Can the troops in the city hold them off?"

"How long until the imperial reinforcements arrive?" Pu Chayu asked anxiously, her delicate, fair face filled with panic.

She didn't want to be kidnapped by the barbarians of the northern frontier and then have a litter of children.

“There are still more than 10,000 troops in the city. If we are to defend the city, we should be able to…” Supinara said with a frown.

But before he could finish speaking, he fell silent.

Ganzhou conscripted all the men in the city to join the army, totaling 20,000 to 30,000, but still failed to defend the city.

Can my mere ten thousand men really defend Liangzhou City?

But such important military and political matters could not be discussed with the siblings.

So Supinara immediately left and went to the main hall, where he summoned all his staff and the officials and generals of the city.

First, they were told the news of the fall of Ganzhou City, which immediately caused an uproar.

"How is this possible? Ganzhou City is over three zhang high, not much worse than our Liangzhou City. How could it have been breached so quickly?"

"Yes, shouldn't the barbarians from the Northern Frontier still be in Blackwater City?"

"Our message delivery is too slow."

“The Northern Frontier Army is definitely all cavalry. It will only take a few days for them to march from Blackwater City to Ganzhou City.”

"But how did they conquer the city?"

The hall was filled with the noise of officials and generals.

When the Northern Frontier Army was still in Blackwater City, they could naturally be indifferent, enjoying themselves while sending other women's husbands and sons to the battlefield.

But now, the barbarians from the northern frontier are about to besiege the city.

Since it concerns everyone's life and fortune, no one can remain calm.

Listening to their chaotic noise, Supinara felt even more agitated. He had come to them to discuss countermeasures, not to listen to their complaints and fears.

So, he gently tapped the table, and everyone quieted down.

Supinara looked at a general on his left: "General Yeli."

How many soldiers does my Xiliang Prefecture have?

Yeli Duowen was the garrison commander of Liangzhou City, in charge of military affairs.

Unlike Liu Cunyi of Suzhou City.

Supinaluo was a genuine Tangut, so he had enough status and prestige to subdue the garrison commander.

"There are 3,000 troops in the city and 15,000 troops in the main camp outside the city."

Because of the border issue in the north, Liangzhou City responded to the Privy Council's order and conscripted 15,000 troops to accompany the main force of the imperial court to Heishui City.

A total of 18,000 people.

But Supinara still felt it wasn't enough, and said in a solemn voice, "Continue the conscription."

"I want to see an army of 30,000 within ten days."

Norito didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

Although doing so would certainly affect agricultural production and commercial development in Liangzhou City, there was no time to worry about that now. The more troops, the better.

Then, Supinaluo issued another order: "From now on, Liangzhou is under lockdown, and no one is allowed to enter or leave at will."

“Keep all those refugees out.”

He did this to prevent spies from the northern frontier from infiltrating the city, but it was essentially a sign of his disdain for the common people.

After all, the influx of a large number of refugees into the city will not only affect the city's security and environment, but will also accelerate the depletion of the city's food supply.

However, Nori Tamon seized the opportunity to suggest, "Sir, there are many able-bodied men among these refugees who can be conscripted into the army."

"Therefore, I humbly request that you distribute porridge outside the city to settle the refugees and facilitate the recruitment of soldiers by our army."

Supinaluo couldn't refuse him, after all, the city still needed these generals to defend it.

So he nodded gently: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

Afterwards, the group discussed the defense of the city and wrote a report on the fall of Ganzhou City, which was then sent to Xingqing Prefecture by fast horse.

……

Although Supinara ordered the city gates to be closed in time, some refugees had already entered the city before that.

News of the fall of Ganzhou City has already spread throughout Liangzhou City.

The people in the city were immediately filled with panic, and the smart ones began to buy food, firewood and other necessities.

Although the atmosphere in the city was tense, it did not affect the joy of the group of teenagers playing around in the slightest.

In a narrow alley in the south of the city, a dozen or so teenagers chased each other, kicking up dust and making their clothes fly up.

The child in the lead wore a coarse cloth short jacket, a tattered straw hat perched askew on his head with the brim rolled up but he was reluctant to take it off, a circle made of willow branches around his neck as "armor", and a jujube wood stick polished to a shine in his hand as a spear.

He pounded his chest loudly and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I am the Grand Marshal, General of the Cavalry, Marquis of Champion, Huo Qubing!"

"Brothers, follow me and charge in! Let's beat those Huns to a pulp!"

The children following behind were equally impressive. Some tied a piece of tattered red cloth to a bamboo pole to make a military flag, while others draped straw mats over themselves to pretend to be battle robes. Their little faces turned red as they shouted in unison, "Charge!"

I heard about Huo Qubing's deeds from a storyteller and learned that he was a very powerful general.

Moreover, he utterly defeated the Xiongnu, which led the children to develop an endless admiration for Huo Qubing.

What they didn't know was that Huo Qubing's campaign against the Xiongnu took place in the Qilian Mountains, right beneath their feet.

They might be fighting their ancestors.

"You Hun brats, General Huo is here!"

The group of children were running around in the alley. When they reached a corner, the leader of the children bumped into a man coming from the opposite direction.

"Ouch~"

The man screamed in pain and fell backward, but he was still clutching a bag tightly in his arms, which appeared to be grain.

"Oh no, it's my dad."

The lead child was also knocked to the ground, but children are soft-boned, so he just dusted himself off and got up.

Then, with a look of fear on her face, she looked at the man lying on the ground and gave him a tearful smile: "Dad, why are you back?"

The man then realized that it was his own son.

Her face flushed with anger: "You little brat! Running wild here again!"

"Hurry up and help me up."

The man was in his early twenties, quite tall but thin, wearing a blue robe, and had a refined and scholarly appearance, looking like a gentleman.

Because it was inconvenient to carry the grain, she asked her son to come over and take the bag of grain from her.

Although the boy was only five years old, he inherited his mother's physique and, having never gone hungry since childhood, grew up to be as strong as a calf.

Carrying a sack of grain wasn't too strenuous.

"You brainless bastard, you're always trying to imitate that damn Huo Qubing, why don't you use your lazy bones to block the iron hawks of the northern frontier?"

As the man spoke, he kicked the boy hard in the buttocks, scolding him, "Being a general isn't so easy!"

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand; it takes ten thousand deaths to produce one general."

"You little brat, are you one of those people, or just one out of ten thousand?"

"Besides, Huo Qubing's aunt was the Empress, what is your aunt?"

"Don't think about those useless things anymore. Just study hard with me and pass the imperial examination. That way, you can bring glory to our Su family."

The man's name was Su Renli. He was a scholar and naturally hoped that his son could follow in his footsteps and pass the imperial examination, which he himself had failed.

Most importantly, the Xia Kingdom is currently at war with the northern frontier, and those who are dying are all soldiers.

Su Renli was naturally afraid of losing his son, which is why he was so focused on getting him to study literature.

Unfortunately, the eldest son inherited his mother's physique and personality; he gets dizzy when he sees those tadpole-like characters and still cannot read a single word to this day.

Su Renli was almost in despair.

He earnestly taught his son the importance of learning, but the boy ignored him completely, acting as if he didn't care at all, which made him so angry that his face turned green.

Soon, the father and son returned home.

It's just a small courtyard hidden in the bustling city, with seven or eight rooms, a horse, five sheep, and over fifty acres of thin land outside the city for people to cultivate.

Such a family fortune would be considered a middle-class family even in the entire Liangzhou City.

After entering the house, the man first hid the bag of grain in the kitchen, then eagerly went into the inner room, hurriedly saying, "Wife, wife~"

"Something terrible has happened! Something really terrible!"

At this moment, a young woman in her early twenties was sitting on the bed. She was tall with a round face and looked almost as strong as a man.

In her arms, she was also holding a boy who was about one year old and nursing him.

Hearing that it was her husband returning, the young woman relaxed and continued to breastfeed her child while lifting her burlap clothes.

He asked with equal curiosity, "Honey, what's wrong? What happened that made you so anxious?"

Su Renli picked up his water glass and gulped down a bunch of water, then plopped down in his chair, looking worried, and said, "The barbarians from the Northern Frontier are going to attack."

"The news has spread throughout the city that the northern barbarians have tens of thousands of cavalry. They first broke through Blackwater City, then Ganzhou City, and are about to attack our Liangzhou City."

"What should we do now?!"

"Can our Liangzhou withstand those barbarians from the northern frontier?"

Hearing the man keep calling her a "northern barbarian," the woman was displeased. She glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes and said with a fierce look, "Hmph, you still have a northern barbarian woman in front of you!"

"What? You want to take me too?"

The woman's words made Su Renli smile awkwardly. After being married for so many years, he had almost forgotten that this woman came from the northern frontier!

However, his own wife is not someone to be trifled with.

When they first got married, he looked down on this uncouth woman, but unfortunately, her grandfather had once saved his father's life.

The Su family couldn't be ungrateful, so he had no choice but to accept the marriage arrangement made by the older generation.

But he was not satisfied. After marriage, he was never home. He spent his days having sex with his cronies and even gambled.

Until one day, he was kidnapped by bandits outside the city, who demanded an exorbitant ransom.

Unexpectedly, one night, this woman sneaked into the bandits' den alone and beheaded the bandit leader while he was asleep.

He killed several more henchmen and escaped with them.

Since then, Su Renli has never gone out again, devoting himself to living at home with his wife.

A year later, she finally gave birth to their eldest son, Su Wuji.

She later gave birth to a son and a daughter, Su Damei and Su Wuyang.

So, the man has really become more honest, but he also has mixed feelings of love and fear towards his wife.

Seeing his wife glare at him, he felt a little uneasy; he couldn't lose face as the man was supposed to be a good husband.

He stepped forward, looked at his son's granary, and chuckled, "Yes, of course we'll do it."

"Let's do it tonight!"

Hearing this lewd remark, the woman scoffed, "How shameful!"

She then talked to her husband about the war, and felt a great sense of crisis.

Although she dared to venture into the bandit's den alone, the terror of the Northern Frontier cavalry was far beyond what those bandits could ever hope to overcome.

The overwhelming cavalry charge was too much for even a god to withstand.

If the people of the northern frontier were able to breach Ganzhou City, is Liangzhou City also in danger?
"Why don't we move before the enemy arrives?" Su Renli suggested.

"Moving?" The woman frowned.

Possessions and such are not worth mentioning.

But now, amidst the chaos of war, leaving one's comfort zone is akin to becoming a refugee; people are cheap when they leave their homeland, and the outcome is likely even worse.

"I wonder when the imperial reinforcements will arrive. Let's wait and see!"

"If all else fails, we'll escape into the Qilian Mountains and wait out this crisis," the woman said with a sigh.

The mere mention of the words "Northern Xinjiang" stirs a deep emotion within me.

After all, that's her hometown!
Since marrying into Liangzhou, she lost contact with her family due to the long distance.

Now, hearing that the Northern Frontier Army is plundering the Hexi Corridor, she still feels a sense of warmth and familiarity, even though she believes it has nothing to do with her own family.

"Father, Mother, Grandpa, Tiger, Er Ya~"

Thinking of her family, tears welled up in Wei Daya's eyes.

I wonder how they are doing, are they in good health?

I don't even know if we'll ever meet again in this lifetime.

"Mother, why are you crying?" Su Wuji stepped forward and asked.

Wei Daya quickly wiped away her tears with her sleeve, hugged her son in her arms, shook her head and smiled, "Mom is fine, I just miss your grandparents and uncles a little."

"Aren't my maternal grandparents in northern Xinjiang?"

"Are my uncles coming this time too?" Su Wuyang looked up and asked expectantly.

"They probably won't come," Wei Daya said, shaking her head gently.

His gaze was fixed on the sky, as if he were praying for something.

This southward march of the northern frontier army must have been ordered by the Khitans in the garrison and the governor's office.

I wonder if the villagers of Sanhebao have received the call to go south together.

Wei Daya prayed that it wouldn't happen.

Not only did she not want to fight, but she also worried that her loved ones would be killed in the battle against the Xia army because war is merciless.

Especially Wei Xuan~
If it were a conscription in the northern frontier, he would be the first to be selected at that age.

He might be able to become a squad leader, but it would still be very dangerous.

"Tiger, you've reached the age to get married!"

"I wonder what kind of wife his parents found for him, and whether she gave birth to a healthy baby boy~"

(End of this chapter)