The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 276 Spending the Night in the Royal Palace, Han People Enter Gaochang
The palace walls of Hamili City gleamed with a cold, hard gray light in the twilight, and the clanging of armor from the Imperial Guard replaced the elegant music of the court, becoming the new background noise of the palace.

Inside and outside the palace, beneath the gilded beast-head door knockers that once symbolized the power of the Gaochang Kingdom, now stand guard the Wuwei Army under Li Xiao's command.

They were all dressed in bright yellow cotton armor with red trim, wearing helmets with plumes, their hands on the hilts of their swords, their eyes sharp as eagles, taking every inch of the place under their surveillance.

The original palace guards had long been driven out of the city. Although those Uyghur guards were trusted confidants promoted by Alcus, Li Xiao would never entrust his life to anyone.

Even if the other party is his nominal father-in-law.

Deep within the palace, the air was thick with the mingled scents of incense and wine.

Li Xiao leaned back on the throne of the King of Gaochang, his black brocade robe embroidered with dark gold dragon patterns, and he toyed with a small golden square seal between his fingers.

His gaze casually swept across the steps and landed on the group of women who were twirling and dancing.

These women wore scarlet dance dresses as thin as cicada wings, with delicate gold bells tied around their waists. As they twirled and danced, their skirts spread out like blooming lotus flowers, adding a touch of extravagance to the hall.

King Qibido of Gaochang and his prime minister Arkus sat on either side of a table behind a desk.

Alcus was ruddy-faced, and his white beard was neatly trimmed.

He stroked his beard, a smile playing on his lips, and gave Li Xiao a slight bow, his voice loud yet deliberately gentle.

"This is a dance specially choreographed for the triumphant return of my northern army, and it is called 'Celebrating the Great Victory'."

"The dancers are all the most outstanding female musicians in the country. They have been rehearsing since the army set out for war, hoping that the general will be able to appreciate them at this moment."

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted to Chebido beside him, a hint of pressure in his eyes.

Chebido sat on the left, his royal robes barely concealing the unease in his eyes.

Hearing Arkus's words, he stiffly tugged at the corners of his mouth, his voice dry: "Yes, the Grand Protector has defeated the Xia army and recovered the Hexi Corridor, so that my Gaochang Kingdom will no longer have any troubles on the eastern border."

"Your hard work and contributions are commendable; you deserve to drink this cup."

His fingers, holding the wine glass, tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white, and the wine in the glass rippled with his slight trembling.

Looking at Li Xiao's commanding presence and glancing at Alcus's obsequious face, he felt a tightness in his throat.

These two men, one a powerful soldier who usurped the throne and the other a powerful minister who controlled the government, both treated him, the king, as a mere figurehead.

He was called a king, but in reality he was nothing more than a prisoner confined within the crown.

The candlelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting a hint of resentment that went unnoticed, and his rebellious spirit grew even stronger at that moment.

Li Xiao sat high on the throne, taking in the expressions of the two men. A faint smile curved his lips as he spoke softly, "The Prime Minister and the King are very kind."

"However, I am more concerned about the movements of the royal court than about song and dance."

"I heard that during the time I was away on campaign, the Prime Minister captured more than one spy from the royal court."

"Is this possible?"

Li Xiao's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a power that penetrated the music.

Arkus's smile froze for a moment, then wrinkled up again: "That's true. I was just about to report it to the Grand Protector, but I didn't expect the Grand Protector to already know. Indeed, nothing can be hidden from the Grand Protector's eyes."

"Don't worry, Grand Protector. Those were just a few royal spies who came to cause trouble in the city. I ordered them to be torn apart in public by five men."

As he said this, his gaze fell on Chebido across from him, and then he glanced furtively at a minister standing next to Chebido.

A cold smile crept across his lips.

Clearly, Chebido is dishonest.

Those royal spies were all trying to contact him, hoping to persuade Chebido to kill Arcus and return to the royal court.

"Oh? That's good." Li Xiao nodded lightly.

Then, he looked at Chebido and asked, "What does Your Majesty think?"

Qi Biduo snapped back to reality and met Li Xiao's gaze. He felt that gaze was like a knife chilled to the bone, making his spine go cold.

He quickly stood up and said, "Good riddance!"

"The royal court has been oppressing my Gaochang Kingdom for a long time. Fortunately, the Grand Protector intervened and allowed Gaochang to break free from the royal court's control."

"They're still incorrigible? Kill them one by one."

"My royal family of Gaochang is loyal to the northern frontier, and I have long admired the Grand Protector. I am willing to go through fire and water for the Grand Protector without hesitation."

Li Xiao laughed heartily as he listened to Qi Biduo's fluent classical Chinese.

Difficult environments temper one's will.

When Gaochang was destroyed, this kid was just a hothead, and all his emotions were written on his face.

He's made some progress now.

He could easily come up with compliments for Li Xiao.

At least it would make Li Xiao feel comfortable: "Hahaha."

"Very well, King Chibido's loyalty is commendable. Here's some wine for you."

Upon receiving the West Wind Blaze from the guard, Qi Biduo respectfully bowed and thanked the Protector, saying, "Thank you for the reward, Great Protector."

Having said that, he downed the wine in his glass in one gulp. The spicy liquid burned his throat, but he couldn't suppress the raging anger surging in his eyes.

He hated Arcus's tyranny, hated Li Xiao's usurpation, and hated his own cowardice and incompetence even more.

Despite being the master of Gaochang, he had to swallow his anger and endure the oppression of the two men, not daring to utter a single word of rebuttal.

The singing and dancing in the hall continued, with the sounds of silver bells, string and wind instruments, and toasts intertwined, weaving a web of hypocrisy and extravagance.

Chebido lowered his head, concealing the cold glint in his eyes, but his fingernails secretly dug into his palms.

He kept repeating in his heart, "One day, I will make these people pay the price."

Ajiboke, in Chinese, means Minister of Justice.

Because the Gaochang Uyghur Kingdom inherited the Turkic system, the prime minister was called "Yu Yue" and the minister in charge of specific affairs was called "Boke".

Ajibak was the Minister in charge of justice, whose name was Kudinayan.

Before Gaochang City was captured by the Northern Frontier Army, he served as Aji Beg in Gaochang City.

After the fall of Gaochang, he happened to be in a village outside the city with his family and escaped the calamity.

Then, filled with enthusiasm, he came to Hamili City to assist the new king.

But to everyone's surprise, the seemingly honest and loyal Arkus turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, becoming a lackey of the Northern Frontier people, calling himself "Yu Yue," and even imprisoning the king and refusing to relinquish power.

Therefore, Ajibek and his group of old ministers gathered together and formed a force to oppose Arcus.

He even married his daughter to Chibido, making her a royal consort.

As for the queen, she would undoubtedly be none other than Arcus's daughter.

After the banquet, Chibido and Kudinayan rode together in a carriage back to the Minister's residence.

Because the palace had been occupied by Li Xiao, Qi Biduo had no choice but to bring his concubines to the Minister's residence for temporary accommodation.

The wheels creaked as they rolled over the hard ground, and the atmosphere inside the carriage was even more somber than the night outside.

Chebido slammed his fist against the car wall, his chest heaving violently, his eyes blazing with rage.

"Colluding with each other! Utterly colluding with each other!"

He growled, his voice hoarse with anger: "That old bastard Alcus has utterly disgraced Gaochang."

“They wag their tails and beg for mercy in front of the Northern slaves, like a lapdog.”

"And that man surnamed Li, who killed my father and caused the deaths of so many sons of Gaochang?"

"Now that they've even occupied the imperial palace, does he really think my vassals are made of clay?"

"I must kill them, I must tear those two scoundrels to pieces."

Kudinayan sat opposite him, his dark brocade robe accentuating his calm demeanor. He was one of the few trusted confidants of Qibido.

At this moment, he looked at the furious king and slowly raised his hand to press down on Qibido's trembling shoulder: "Your Majesty, please calm down. There are Northern Slaves patrolling outside the carriage. The walls have ears."

Chebido abruptly shook off his hand, the veins on his forehead throbbing: "Calm down? How can I calm down!"

He pointed to the royal robe he was wearing, his voice trembling with tears, "Look at this royal robe, what's the difference between it on me and on a puppet?"

“Alcus controls the government, Li the traitor occupies the palace, and all the civil and military officials are either henchmen of the old traitor or opportunistic villains.”

"I, the king, don't even have the right to choose where I live; I have to eke out a living in your Minister's mansion!"

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the carriage window. Chebido fell silent instantly, his anger replaced by fear.

Only after the northern cavalry patrol left did he slump onto the brocade cushion, panting heavily.

The composure he had feigned in the palace had long since crumbled, leaving only years of suppressed humiliation and resentment.

Kudinayan took out a handkerchief from his bosom and handed it over, his voice low and powerful: "Your Majesty, I know you have been wronged."

"But don't forget, the entire Gaochang Kingdom depends on you, and you are the only remaining member of the royal family."

There is a saying among the Han people: "Patience brings calm, and when your wings are strong enough, the sun will shine through the clouds."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Chebido's clenched fist, and continued, "The Northern Slaves and Alcus are nothing more than people using each other."

“The Northern Nu need Gaochang’s grain supplies to support their army, and Arkus needs to use the Northern Nu’s power to counterbalance the opposing forces in the court. Once this veil is lifted, they will inevitably turn against each other.”

Chebido suddenly looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes, but it quickly faded: "Turn against each other? How could that be?"

"Arcus is Li Ze's father-in-law..."

"Besides, all the military commanders inside and outside Hamili City are Arcus's confidants. What opportunity do we have?"

"The right opportunity is something you have to wait for."

Kudinayan leaned closer and lowered his voice even further: "During this Northern Barbarian expedition, they forcibly conscripted 5,000 soldiers and servants from Gaochang. I have already had my spies keep an eye on the news outside the city."

“The Northern barbarians are greedy by nature. No matter how much they plunder, they probably won’t share much with my Gaochang soldiers.”

"Furthermore, the Northern Barbarians have relocated many people from the Hexi Corridor to Gaochang to cultivate the land. Over time, this will inevitably lead to friction with the people of Gaochang. At that time..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the glint in his eyes said it all.

Upon hearing this, a hint of excitement finally appeared on Chebido's face, and his anger and fear were gradually replaced by a cold determination.

Yes, he has been enduring this for several years and doesn't mind waiting a little longer.

Soon, the carriage stopped outside the gate of the Minister's residence, which had become Qi Biduo's temporary palace.

He only brought the Queen, the Imperial Concubine, and a few palace maids to stay here temporarily. As for the majority of the other palace maids, let those northern beasts do whatever they want with them.

Chebido has no control over it at all.

After parting ways with Kudinayan in the front yard, Chibido stepped into his own backyard, where the guards on either side of the porch treated him as if he were invisible.

Chebido's gaze swept over the expressionless faces, his heart filled with disgust, for these guards were all men of Arcus.

They were less like guards and more like jailers watching over him.

But he was powerless to resist and could only walk nonchalantly to the front of a courtyard.

This is Aisha's residence, the daughter of Kudinayan, a gentle woman who was made a royal consort by Chibido.

"Aisha~"

After entering the courtyard, Qi Bi called out his beloved concubine's name, his tone deliberately softened with affection, and even his steps became lighter.

Kudinayan's words, "the only heir of the royal family," were like a needle piercing his heart.

The Gaochang royal family was once flourishing, but now he is all alone. If he cannot have Aisha bear him an heir, how will he face his ancestors a hundred years from now?
As for the Queen?

That was the youngest daughter of the old scoundrel Alcus. Chebido loathed her utterly and could not bear to let her conceive his child.

Therefore, Qi Biduo prepared to go overnight with his beloved concubine to create a baby, explore the structure of the human body, and pursue the truth of Yin and Yang.

However, the moment he pushed open the door, he froze. The gentle and kind Ke'er who should have been standing at the door to greet him was nowhere to be seen, and even the maidservant who served him was gone.

"What about people?"

Chebido's voice suddenly changed tone, and the warmth from before vanished.

He turned abruptly and rushed out the door, asking, "Where is the Imperial Concubine? Where did Aisha go?"

Outside the courtyard, a guard glanced at him indifferently and said in a deep voice, "The Imperial Concubine has gone to the palace."

"What? The royal palace?"

Chibido was struck dumb, his expression one of shock.

The palace that was occupied by the Northern Frontier Army is now Li Xiao's territory. Why did Alcus send Aisha there?
He recalled Li Xiao's ambiguous smile at the palace banquet, and the fawning manner with which Alcus performed his dance; a chill ran down his spine.

"No, no, prepare the carriage immediately."

"Return to the palace."

Chebido roared and screamed wildly, his heart pounding with rage.

But the guards wouldn't tolerate him, and snorted, "Your Majesty, you can't go anywhere."

"The Prime Minister has ordered that, as it is getting late, and to prevent the royal spies from harming Your Majesty, Your Majesty must remain in your room to rest."

"Escort His Majesty back to his palace."

After saying this, two guards stepped forward and grabbed Qibido's left and right sides, intending to forcibly send him back to his room.

"No, no, let me go, I want to go to the palace."

"Let me go~"

"Arcus, you old scoundrel, I will never forgive you..."

In a side hall of the inner palace, illuminated by candlelight, Aisha sat on a soft leather stool, her fingers unconsciously clenched together, looking slightly nervous.

This was an extremely beautiful Uyghur woman, with almond-shaped eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows that were moist and possessed a natural charm.

Beneath her high, straight nose was a full, peach-shaped mouth, which was now being gently bitten by her pearly teeth, giving it a slightly pale appearance.

Her skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, as if it could drip water if you pinched it.

We've been waiting for almost an hour.

Aisha's anxiety intensified.

On the way there, the palace servants clearly said that His Majesty had summoned her with important business and asked her to enter the palace immediately.

But she had been in the side hall for a long time, so why was His Majesty still nowhere to be seen?
"Wow--"

The palace doors were pushed open from the outside. Aisha looked up abruptly, her heart filled with joy. She was about to get up and call out "Your Majesty" when she froze instantly upon seeing who it was.

The person standing at the door was not Chibido, but Li Xiao.

Just after the banquet ended, Alcus told him that the night was long and he was worried that Li Xiao would be bored.

Therefore, the most beautiful woman in Hamili City was offered up and placed in a side hall.

Li Xiao patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction. The old man wanted to challenge his weakness.

Li Xiao readily agreed, wanting to see what kind of beautiful woman Alcus could be worthy of his attention.

Looking at her now, her appearance is indeed extraordinary.

This gift pleased Li Xiao greatly.

"Who are you?

Aisha looked at Li Xiao's figure, her voice trembling, and she quickly hid behind the curtain.

"How did you get here? Where is His Majesty?"

Li Xiao didn't speak, but slowly walked into the hall.

The leather boots made a dull sound as they stepped on the wool carpet-covered floor, each step feeling like a blow to Aisha's heart.

He casually took off his shirt and threw it on the ground, then approached Aisha step by step.

"Don't come any closer!"

Aisha, though outwardly fierce, mustered her courage and shouted, "How dare you! Do you know who I am?"

"I am Consort Aisha."

"Such rudeness! Aren't you afraid His Majesty will punish you?"

Royal concubine?

Li Xiao was somewhat surprised when the woman revealed her identity; he hadn't expected her to be one of Qibido's concubines.

He instantly understood that old scoundrel Arcus's scheme; he was forcing him to become Dong Zhuo!

Did they think that Qibiduo hadn't died fast enough, so they planned to give him a push so that he could ascend the throne as soon as possible?
However, that old thief was really good at judging people.

Now that they've already come this far, why would Li Xiao care about Aisha's status as a concubine?

To be precise, this woman was merely a tool in the magical duel between Archus and Chibido.

Li Xiao was happy to watch them fight.

"Chibido? Heh!"

Li Xiao shook his head and smiled dismissively: "If you want to hold Bendu accountable, let him do it."

Alcus, that old fox, has completely outmaneuvered Chebido. If Chebido were to act impulsively for the sake of his beloved, Li Xiao might think more highly of him.

After saying that, Li Xiao ripped off the curtain that was blocking Aisha's view.

Suddenly, the sandstorm outside the window intensified, lashing against the carved window frames and making a screeching, howling sound.

The Prime Minister's Residence.

Arcus stood in the courtyard, gazing at the bright moonlight in the sky, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Isn't it true that Chibido likes Kudinayaan's daughter but looks down on Benxiang's daughter?"

"After tonight, let's see how you and that old thief Kudinayaan will face each other."

“It’s a pity we didn’t catch you red-handed last time,” Alcus said, shaking his head.

His desire to depose the king and establish himself as emperor was not so simple.

It mainly depends on Li Xiao's attitude, and secondly, the thoughts of the various noble families in the country must also be taken into account.

We need a legitimate opportunity.

They sent the woman to the palace; let's see how Chibido can resist then.

While Li Xiao paused in Hami, the civilians simply rested briefly before continuing their journey towards their respective destinations.

On a dusty Gobi road in the Gaochang Basin, a group of people are struggling to move forward.

More than two months of trekking had long since worn away the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness on their faces, leaving only numb exhaustion.

Some people carried tattered sacks on their shoulders, filled with their last remaining food; others carried young children on their backs, their feet already blistered and bleeding.

Along the way, people died of illness, exhaustion, or were killed by the Northern Frontier Army while trying to resist or escape.

Mid-September in the Hexi Corridor should be a time of clear skies and crisp autumn air, but upon entering Gaochang, the heat wave that hits you is like an invisible giant net, enveloping everyone.

The sun hung in the sky like a red-hot copper ball, baking the earth and making it sizzle, with a burnt smell filling the air.

"It's already September, why is it still so hot?" Sanwazi asked, wiping the sweat from his face and panting.

A woman holding a child nearby chimed in, "Yes, it'll snow in two months. Why is it still like summer here?"

The crowd echoed the complaints, their voices filled with despair; the heat was even more unbearable than the summer in the Hexi Corridor.

This is because this place is the famous Turpan Basin, the place with the highest average temperature in all of China, and the Flaming Mountains in mythology are located here.

But it is precisely because of the abundant accumulated temperature that this place has become the most important granary in the Western Regions.

After traveling for another half day, as the sun was about to set, the leader, Wang Daniu, suddenly reined in his horse, squinted at the foot of the mountain ahead, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

He thought to himself, "This piece of land looks unwanted."

"Let's not leave, let's settle down here."

Wang Daniu was a demobilized military officer from northern Xinjiang who became a centurion in this civilian force.

Their migration process was not complicated. They followed the main group, and when they saw a suitable area for settlement and reclamation, they left some people behind.

The others continued forward, but overall, the distance between the teams was not too far.

Wang Daniu had just separated from the other centurions.

After changing direction and walking a short distance, he discovered a place with excellent feng shui.

This place was originally a village of the Gaochang Uyghurs, but due to the war, the population was lost and the land was abandoned for a year.

Previously, there weren't enough people in northern Xinjiang to do the planting, but now Wang Daniu and his team have finally taken over.

He raised his riding whip, flicked it forward, and shouted to the crowd, "Pay attention! Do you see that piece of land over there?"

The people looked in the direction his whip pointed and saw an endless wilderness stretching out all the way to the foot of the distant mountains.

The weeds grew taller than a person, swaying wildly in the hot wind.

Upon closer inspection, traces of field ridges can still be faintly seen among the weeds, indicating that this place was once a grain field, but it has become what it is today because it has been neglected for a long time.

Many people's eyes lit up. They could see that all they needed to do was remove the weeds, plow the land, and bring in water. Next year, they would surely have a bountiful harvest.

Sure enough, the next second, Wang Daniu brandished his whip, a rare smile on his face, and shouted loudly, "From now on, this is our territory."

"As long as we clear this land, grow crops, and pay rent and taxes on time, this land will belong to our hundred households."

"Moreover, this place produces more grain than Gansu, and two crops of grain can be grown every year."

"what?"

A commotion erupted from the crowd, and expressions finally appeared on their numb faces, a mixture of surprise, doubt, and excitement.

"Two seasons of grain? Really!" a man asked in disbelief, his voice trembling.

Grain yields were very low in those days, generally no more than 200 jin, and only one crop could be grown per year.

They dared not even think about having enough food for two seasons.

Even if they paid all the rent and taxes, the rest could still fill their own granaries.

Wang Daniu patted his chest heavily: "Of course it's true! As long as you listen to me, you can expect a good life from now on!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a man suddenly knelt down with a thud, clutching a handful of reddish-brown soil tightly in his hands: "We have land...we finally have land..."

His kneeling seemed to ignite the long-suppressed emotions in everyone's hearts.

Some people burst into tears, venting the suffering of the past two months; others hugged each other, their faces showing long-lost smiles.

Some children, though they didn't understand what the adults were happy about, were also caught up in the enthusiastic atmosphere and cheered along.

Looking at the scene before him, Wang Daniu smiled with satisfaction.

Gaochang is such a treasure trove; it's a real pity that those barbarians occupy it.

From then on, he stayed here with these people, and brought his wife over so she could live out her days in peace.

At the same time, nearly 100,000 people settled down on the land of Gaochang.

Their arrival will restore the prosperity of this granary in the Western Regions, but it will also create irreconcilable conflicts with the local Uyghurs.

(End of this chapter)