The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 275 Family Feast, Subdued Wife, Triumphant Return
"Tap tap tap~"

As dusk fell, candles were lit in the room, and two heavy footsteps shattered the silence of the courtyard, as if two lions were trampling over the bluestone slabs.

The door creaked open.

Li Xiao and Wei Xuan entered the room one after the other while talking, their burly figures almost filling the doorway.

Li Xiao was dressed in a thin, black outfit, his broad shoulders and thick back resembling half an iron tower.

Wei Xuan was dressed in grayish-white clothes, which were still covered with dried mud.

The arrival of the two people suddenly made the not-so-small room feel cramped.

Da Ya and Su Renli quickly stood up, looked at Li Xiao with slight trepidation, and bowed slightly, saying, "Greetings, Grand Protector."

The two of them became even more reserved, but Su Wuji, standing beside them, didn't care about any of that.

They had been waiting impatiently in the room for a long time, and as soon as they saw Li Xiao and the other person arrive, they immediately ran out.

"Uncle, Aunt's husband~"

With a cheer, he pounced on Wei Xuan, still excitedly talking to Li Xiao.

He said he had been waiting for a long time, and that two pretty ladies had just brought him steamed egg custard.

Li Xiao chuckled and nodded, while the couple opposite him, Da Ya and her husband, watched in horror.

My eldest son is really too daring.

This is the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier!
Taking advantage of this moment, Daya's gaze quickly swept over Li Xiao's face. Before this, she had only seen Li Xiao from afar, but this was the first time she had been so close to him.

His face was resolute, as if carved by a knife; his nose was straight and prominent; and especially his eyes, which were unfathomable in the candlelight, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

In his early twenties, he already had a stubble of light beard on his chin, exuding a composure beyond his years. When he walked, his steps were wide and forceful, and his demeanor was imposing.

It also made people feel an invisible pressure coming towards them.

Daya and Su Renli became even more nervous.

On the contrary, Li Xiao was very gentle. After exchanging a few words with Su Wuji, he calmly waved his hand and said to the two of them, "We are family, no need for formalities."

"I have been in Liangzhou for a long time and should have visited my elder sister and brother-in-law in person, but I have been busy with many things and haven't had the time."

Upon hearing this, Su Renli quickly shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "You flatter me, Grand Protector. You are so busy with state affairs, how could I dare to trouble you to make a special visit?"

His voice trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He subconsciously tugged at his clothes, trying to make himself look presentable.

He wasn't the type to take charge, and seeing Li Xiao in person only made him feel even more pressured.

On the contrary, Daya, standing beside her, spoke with composure and said, "Yes, Great Protector, my humble abode is simple and unassuming. How could I dare to ask you to condescend to me!"

Daya is just strong-willed, but she is not an ignorant village woman. On the contrary, she is quite intelligent. Over the years, she has also learned some fancy words from Su Renli.

It's just that we don't usually talk about it.

"Haha, what do you mean by condescending? I, Li Xiao, am not that precious."

Li Xiao raised his hand to stop her, a faint smile playing on his lips: "There's no Grand Protector here today, just a family dinner. Don't be so formal, relax."

"Come, let's take our seats!"

Then, Li Xiao waved his hand gently and led everyone to another room.

Food has been prepared here.

Da Ya sat to the side taking care of the children, while Li Xiao and the other two men huddled together and had a few drinks.

“Er Ya often mentions my eldest sister and her husband to me, saying that you are honest people and that if you have any difficulties when you arrive in Jinzhou, just ask and don’t be shy.”

Li Xiao sat at the head of the table and smiled faintly.

Looking at the gentle and approachable Li Xiao before him, and recalling the rumors of the ruthless and decisive Grand Protector, Su Renli couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, appearances can be deceiving. Such a great man has such a magnanimous demeanor."

He composed himself, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Great Protector. My wife and I are not in any difficulty for the time being. We only ask to live peacefully and do our part for the northern frontier."

Li Xiao nodded upon hearing this, his eyes showing approval: "Good, it's good that you have the intention."

"I heard from Wei Xuan that my brother-in-law is a scholar who passed the imperial examination in the Xia Kingdom!"

"He must be exceptionally talented and ambitious?"

Su Renli said, "My skills are meager; I dare not presume to show off my limited abilities before the Grand Protector."

"Oh, it's alright," Li Xiao chuckled.

"Now that our northern frontier is welcoming heroes from all over the world, we need talents like my brother-in-law."

"I wonder if my brother-in-law is knowledgeable in mathematics?"

"I know a little bit."

Li Xiao smiled and said, "That's good. After we get back to Jinzhou, brother-in-law, go help out at the Household Registration Office. They really need manpower there."

If Su Renli were to write eloquent articles, Li Xiao probably wouldn't care.

But calculation is different. What the northern frontier needs now is people who truly get things done, not those who are ignorant of the people's hardships but rely on pen and paper to direct others to do things.

"what?"

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, Su Renli was taken aback for a moment.

Daya reacted the fastest, secretly kicking him, and Su Renli immediately realized what was happening.

He quickly bowed and thanked them, saying, "I am deeply grateful for the great protector's high regard. I will certainly work hard and do my best for the northern frontier."

Just today, Da Ya was saying that once she got to Jinzhou, she would ask Wei Xuan to find her something to do.

Otherwise, are they really going to farm? Or go herd livestock?

But he's lazy and doesn't know anything about farming, so how could he possibly do that?

Unexpectedly, Li Xiao took the initiative to arrange everything for himself that evening.

Su Renli was deeply moved.

This brother-in-law is someone I can get along with!
The three men continued drinking, and the atmosphere became increasingly lively. Even the usually timid Su Renli gradually loosened up under the influence of alcohol.

He started talking more and more nonsense, and even said he would take Li Xiao to visit the brothels in Liangzhou City.

Unfortunately, the brothels in the city had long been wiped out by the Northern Frontier Army, and those unfortunate women were ultimately given to the Northern Frontier Army soldiers as wives and concubines.

Therefore, the opportunity to visit brothels was no longer available.

He was clearly drunk at this point, which made Li Xiao chuckle. Da Ya's face darkened even more, and she said to Li Xiao, "Please forgive him, Grand Protector. He's drunk and talking nonsense."

"Haha, brother-in-law's alcohol tolerance isn't good!" Li Xiao naturally didn't take it to heart.

“Our Xifenglie wine is much stronger than ordinary wine in Xia Kingdom, so it’s normal that my brother-in-law can’t drink it,” Wei Xuan explained from the side.

Afterwards, Li Xiao had his personal guards help Su Renli to his room to rest, and he stayed at the headquarters for the night.

At this moment, Wei Xuan still said, "Brother-in-law has never been an official before. Wouldn't it be troublesome for him to go to the Household Department so rashly?"

Li Xiao didn't care at all and shook his head, saying, "It's okay. Although my brother-in-law doesn't seem to have much ability, he's a smart man."

He didn't expect Su Renli to be very capable; he just wanted him to be a low-ranking official and live a peaceful life.

If the Su family wants to rise to prominence, they still need to look to the next generation of brothers, Su Wuji and Su Wuyang.

Moreover, Li Xiao had already arranged their future, which was to join the army.

Because in the northern border region, there is no future without joining the army.

Although Zhang Xinghua and Han Jiuyuan were among the first to join the army and held high positions, this was still a matter of their generation.

When the next generation of people in the northern frontier grows up, if they want to become officials in the northern frontier, they must first join the army and make meritorious contributions.

Only military officers who are demobilized can become officials.

Nowadays, the descendants of Zhang Xinghua, Han Jiuyuan, and others have all joined the Northern Frontier Army, becoming military households first, before they have any possibility of further development in the future.

The same applies to the Su family; Su Renli's achievements are solely his own business.

Whether they can truly establish themselves in the northern frontier depends on the abilities of the Su brothers, Su Wuji and Su Wuji.

"Big Fatty, come here." Li Xiao beckoned to Su Wuji.

"Your uncle said you want to be a general when you grow up?"

Su Wuji had already eaten his fill and was sitting on the stool, feeling drowsy. Hearing this, he immediately perked up.

He nodded quickly and said, "Yes, yes, Uncle, I want to be a general."

"I want to fight on the battlefield like my uncle and make the enemy run away in terror."

As he spoke, Su Wuji struck a pose as if he were riding a horse and wielding a sword, just like how he usually led his gang of underlings in their antics.

Li Xiao gently patted his body and nodded, saying, "He's got the makings of a warrior."

"But that's far from enough to become a general."

"The military academy should be almost ready. Once we return to Jinzhou, you can start attending it."

"After you finish your studies, come and serve as my personal guard. Later, I'll give you the opportunity to become a general."

Li Xiao quite likes Su Wuji.

He is intelligent, quick-witted, and bold; he has potential for development.

When they grow up, they will be excellent at fighting on the battlefield.

Upon hearing this, Su Wuji pouted, her expression immediately turning pitiful.

"Okay, Uncle."

Wei Xuan had the same plan and had told him in advance, so knowing that he was powerless to resist, he could only nod listlessly.

Li Xiao laughed and patted the kid on the head: "You brat."

"You have to seize the opportunity when it's given to you, and you'll know the benefits of going to school later."

If the Hexi Military Academy is the Whampoa Military Academy of the northern frontier.

So the Jinzhou Military Academy was Jinzhou's 'Berlin Military Academy,' specifically designed to train the sons of Junker nobles.

Su Wuji studied at the military academy, which allowed him to make many connections and lay the foundation for his future military career.

Moreover, the military academy not only trains these children to become generals, but also teaches them many skills in governing the people.

We must make them both literate and skilled in martial arts.

Soon after, the three children were all fast asleep. Li Xiao arranged for someone to take them to the guest rooms. After chatting with Wei Xuan and Daya for a while, he announced the end of the family dinner.

Upon returning to his residence, just as he stepped into his room, he heard two soft yet timid voices ring out simultaneously.

"Greetings, Grand Protector."

Inside the room, the candlelight flickered on the bronze lamp base, casting long shadows of the two kneeling figures standing in front of the door.

The two women were dressed in thin gauze, one in white and one in purple. They were Puchayu, the wife of Supinaluo, the governor of Liangzhou, and Abugema, the wife of Hedagan, the prefect of Shanlecheng.

After the two cities fell, they naturally became Li Xiao's prisoners, and in order to survive, they had no choice but to flatter him.

Puchayu was voluptuous, her curves faintly visible beneath her gauze dress, her eyes and brows exuding the gentle grace of a mature woman. Abugema, on the other hand, was slender, her face flushed with shyness, her hands clasped in front of her lower abdomen. When she saw Li Xiao looking at her, she hurriedly lowered her eyelashes, her long lashes trembling like butterfly wings.

Both were Uyghur beauties, each with their own unique charm, and both exuding a captivating allure of pure desire.

Li Xiao unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it casually onto the chair, saying indifferently, "Get up."

He walked over to the bedside and sat down, his gaze sweeping over the two of them indifferently: "Have your families been settled?"

Abugma spoke first, her voice as soft as cotton candy: "Reporting to the Grand Protector, thanks to you, my family members are all living outside the city, having joined the 180,000th household of the reclamation corps, and are well-fed and clothed."

"After some time, he will return to Jinzhou with the army."

As she spoke, the thin veil rose and fell gently with her breath, revealing a section of her snow-white neck: "I am here, and I thank the Grand Protector for sparing my life."

Puchayu also spoke, her voice carrying a seductive, exotic accent, but her tone was slightly tense and fearful: "This concubine...this concubine is also."

Her fingers twisted the hem of her gauze dress, her knuckles turning white, clearly still reeling from the shock of losing her family.

Supi Nara surrendered too late, and Li Xiao refused to acknowledge it, so the Supi family naturally suffered the consequences.

Fortunately, the lives of the Pucha family members were saved.

All their property and land were confiscated, and their families were demoted to ordinary people and relocated to the northern frontier.

Compared to the fates of other nobles and officials in the city, the Pucha family fared much better.

This is naturally attributable to Puchayu's diligence and competence.

Li Xiao took a sip of cold tea, his gaze falling on the two tense backs: "Since you are surrendered women, you should abide by the duties of surrendered women."

"From now on, stay quietly in the manor. If you cause any trouble—"

Before she could finish speaking, Abugma knelt down with a thud, the thin veil clinging to her body and outlining her breathtaking curves: "This humble servant dares not!"

"I will serve the Grand Protector wholeheartedly and have no other intentions!"

Puchayu also knelt down.

The candlelight flickered suddenly, casting Li Xiao's shadow over the two women. He looked at the huddled figures on the ground, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

As the night wore on, the noise in the room gradually subsided.

As always, Li Xiao never spends the night with women whose backgrounds are unknown or whose depth is questionable.

……

In the following days, Li Xiao intensified his efforts to arrange matters in Gansu.

Furthermore, an order was issued to behead Supinaluo and other key criminals, display their heads in public, send their female relatives to the army, and demote their male relatives to slavery, sending them to Tiger Wolf Valley to build Tiger Wolf Pass.

Meanwhile, the migration has been going on for more than a month, and every day at the crack of dawn, deafening footsteps can be heard outside Liangzhou City.

Tens of thousands of people, like countless long, gray-black snakes, slithered and crawled northwest along the loess road.

The sounds of old people coughing, children crying, and wheels creaking over gravel mingled together, but were firmly contained by the northern cavalry that appeared every three miles.

The knights, armed with lances and bows, intimidated those in front and behind them; even the restless livestock fell silent as their horses trod.

The infantrymen of the new army in Kuli were already considered half of the Northern Frontier Army. Many of them had received orders from the Military Affairs Department to become true soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army, or even military households.

Therefore, they also played a significant role in this migration process.

The migration of these more than 200,000 people is proceeding in an orderly manner. Although they set off in batches and stretch for hundreds of miles, there has never been a large-scale stampede or escape.

At dawn that day, on the earthen slope outside the west gate of Wuwei, Li Xiao, wearing a faded white shirt, rode a jet-black warhorse.

His gaze swept over the yellow dust raised by the migrating caravan in the distance, and then landed on Luo Meng and Zhang Xinghua in front of him.

"The land of Gansu is now in your hands."

"We must appease the people and restore production as soon as possible. After the autumn harvest, the northern frontier will need grain from Gansu for disaster relief," Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

Apart from the Gobi Desert and Gaochang, most of the other lands in northern Xinjiang are undeveloped.

More than 500,000 people went to northern Xinjiang, and many of them need to reclaim wasteland.

In other words, at least until next autumn or even the year after, northern Xinjiang will need to provide food to feed these people.

This requires blood replenishment from the desert, Gaochang, and Gansu.

"Rest assured, General, I will certainly do my best to handle the autumn harvest."

"Keep enough usable grain, and send the rest to Jinzhou," Zhang Xinghua said.

The climate in the Hexi Corridor is arid and the accumulated temperature is insufficient, so grains are harvested only once a year, with spring planting and autumn harvest.

Before the war broke out, the tenant farmers of Xia had already planted their crops. Although many farmlands were destroyed during the war, there were still plenty of fields left that could produce grain.

This batch of grain cannot be divided according to a 40/60 ratio; instead, it will all belong to the northern border region.

The Gansu governor's office hired people with grain to harvest the grain in the autumn, leaving enough for the local people to use for a year, and sending the rest to the northern frontier.

The newly planted grain will belong to the people next spring, and will be divided 40/60 in the fall.

Li Xiao nodded slightly: "In addition, the Shandan military horse farm should also be put back into use to breed a large number of warhorses, preferably some fine horses that can fight on the plateau."

"If an envoy from the Song state comes to discuss an alliance, send him to Jinzhou by fast horse."

"In matters of commerce and trade, you are given full authority."

"It would be best to open up a trade route to purchase grain from the Song Kingdom," Li Xiao said to Zhang Xinghua.

The northern frontier is short of food, while Sichuan is a land of plenty. If one can cross the plateau and the Biandukou Pass, one can enter the Hexi Corridor.

In theory, this trade route could have been successfully opened.

Although the journey is arduous and will result in the loss of a lot of food.

But as long as the grain can be delivered to the Hexi Corridor, no matter how high the price, it's not a loss for northern Xinjiang.

Silver can't be eaten, and if you can't use it, it's just a pile of ordinary stones.

If you run out of money, just go rob another one.

However, opening up this trade route was not so simple; it required the approval of the Southern Song government.

This depends on the progress of the alliance negotiations between the two parties.

"I obey my orders."

"We must pay close attention to the movements of the Song Kingdom," Zhang Xinghua said in a deep voice.

He had already made up his mind that he could smuggle goods from the Song or Jin kingdoms at a high price!

The prospect of double the profit is enough to make those grain merchants trample on all laws.

With profits of three times or more, they would be willing to risk being beheaded to commit any crime.

Moreover, the food shortage in northern Xinjiang is only temporary. Once more land is cultivated in two years, the food problem will be solved.

After giving some instructions, Li Xiao turned his horse around, gently spurred it, and led the Imperial Guard slowly towards Zhangye, under the watchful eyes of Zhang Xinghua and Luo Meng.

This time, on their return to northern Xinjiang, the Sixth Garrison escorted the people who needed to be resettled in Hexi back to Heishui City via the northern route.

Most of the other people took the western route, passing through Dunhuang and Gaochang, and then headed north back to Jinzhou.

This is because the route is flat, without any treacherous terrain, and there is a town every few hundred miles along the way where you can rest and replenish your food supplies.

In early July, Li Xiao led his army from Wuwei City, passing through Zhangye, Jiuquan, Guazhou, and Dunhuang.

They didn't arrive outside Hamili City until mid-September.

The journey was nearly two thousand miles long and took two and a half months, meaning that the people walked an average of only twenty miles a day.

That's pretty fast!
"Prime Minister Arkus of Gaochang pays his respects to the Grand Protector."

Fifty miles east of Hami City, Li Xiao's father-in-law arrived early with his men to greet him.

Compared to two years ago, the old man hasn't changed much; in fact, he looks a few years younger.

This clearly demonstrates that power breeds people.

Having become a powerful minister in Gaochang, manipulating the young king of Gaochang at will, the only person he needed to worry about was Li Xiao.

And coincidentally, Li Xiao is his 'son-in-law'.

So, Alcus has been living a very comfortable life these past few years.

The weather in September was already quite cool, and in order to highlight the majesty of the Northern Frontier Army, the Wuwei Army soldiers had all put on their armor again.

Li Xiao also put on his unique dark gold dragon-patterned cotton armor.

Riding on his warhorse, he looked at his father-in-law, who was bowing and patting his chest, and laughed, saying, "We're all family, father-in-law, there's no need for such formalities."

"Please get up quickly."

Li Xiao offered a helping hand, and Alcus straightened up, revealing his signature smile.

"Congratulations to the Grand Protector on his triumphant return."

"This old minister has already heard about the battle situation in Hami. The Northern Frontier Army has annihilated the Xia Kingdom's entire army."

"The people of Xia have always been arrogant and looked down on us people from the Western Regions."

"The Grand Protector's victory in this battle has truly boosted the morale of our Western Regions," Arkus said with a smile, offering his compliment.

Li Xiao laughed heartily, deliberately adopting an arrogant demeanor, and said, "What is Xia Kingdom?"

"I will lead the iron cavalry of the northern frontier to completely destroy the Xia Kingdom, advance eastward into the Central Plains, and conquer a vast territory."

After chatting and laughing for a while, Li Xiao continued to ask, "Is the grain and fodder that Bendu instructed Hamili to prepare ready?"

Alcus quickly replied, "A month ago, the Desert General led his army to Hamili and has already taken some away."

"The remaining veteran officials have all been placed in the city's granaries."

Li Dongjiang, escorting some of the civilians, had already set off ahead of time and were probably already in the desert by now.

The main reason Li Xiao chose to take the route through Gaochang was because of the grain.

Because the Turpan-Hami Basin has abundant sunshine and sufficient accumulated temperature, it can yield two harvests of grain per year, making it the granary of northern Xinjiang.

The winter grain harvest was completed in May, which is just in time to replenish this immigrant team.

"Good, Father-in-law's actions are exactly what I wanted."

"With my father-in-law's abilities, it's a bit of a waste for him to be the prime minister of Gaochang."

"When the time is right, we might as well go further."

Hearing Li Xiao's cheerful words, Alcus felt a shiver run down his spine.

If the prime minister takes another step forward, wouldn't he become the king of Gaochang?
Arcus became instantly excited and pledged his loyalty to Li Xiao.

He knew that the key to becoming the King of Gaochang depended on whether Li Xiao agreed.

Now it seems the throne is within reach!

(End of this chapter)