The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 292 Princess Xiao, Er Ya is Pregnant
The fighting on the grasslands intensified.

Having received grain from the northern frontier, Sangkun became even more emboldened. He gathered the desperate grassland herders and organized them into cannon fodder units, which, like a dark swarm of ants, pressed towards the Barga grassland.

Temujin, on the other hand, suffered heavy losses, lacking food and clothing, and was in a miserable state.

Although he never lacked fierce generals under his command, Muqali, Shubutai, Chilaowen and others were all top-notch warriors on the grasslands.

But ultimately, two fists can't fight four hands.

The Kereit tribe was large and powerful; even if they lost ten times, they could still muster tens of thousands of cavalry. But Temujin could not afford to lose again.

The number of guards outside the tent has decreased from the initial five thousand to less than two thousand. Even his son, Ögedei, still has blood-soaked strips of cloth wrapped around his arm.

"Retreat into the Great Xianbei Mountains."

Inside the dilapidated tent, Temujin sat on the ground, gritting his teeth and speaking bitterly.

Sangkun and Zhamuhe had no intention of giving themselves a way out; they wanted to completely wipe them out.

Even the Barga steppe had no place for him. Those tribes that had once bowed to him betrayed Temujin when they saw the power of the Kereit tribe.

Now, he could only retreat like a stray dog, leading his remaining followers towards the Great Xianbei Mountain.

The ancestors of the Mongols, the Shiwei people, came from the Great Xianbei Mountains.

There are still quite a few relatives there.

Having determined the direction of retreat, Temujin looked at his good brother, Jelme.

He said in a deep voice, "Zhelemie, I need you to go to Woldu and deliver a message to Wang Han."

"Just say that I, Temujin, am willing to submit, only asking for a pasture so that the name of the Qiyan tribe will not disappear from the grasslands."

Hearing Temujin's words, Jelme was stunned: "Chief?"

This means complete submission to Wang Han.

Even the tribesmen had to be handed over, leaving only a pasture?
Not only was Zhelemie unable to understand, but the other generals were also shocked.

Is this still the great hero Temujin they know?

Faced with the crowd's lack of understanding, Temujin could only say in a firm tone, "Go, Jelme."

"The life and death of the Qiyan tribe rests entirely on your shoulders."

Helpless, Zhelemie sighed heavily and turned to leave the tent.

After everyone had left, Temujin lay on the ground looking exhausted, muttering to himself, "Wang Khan, Sangkun, I, Temujin, will never admit defeat."

At the same time, a troop of cavalry was slowly approaching Longcheng from the direction of Yinshan.

One man and three horses. Most of them were fierce soldiers, dressed in thin clothes, but half of them were wearing gray-white armor on their horses.

It was cavalry from the Third Town of Yinshan.

As the group approached Dragon Bone Lake, a young general pointed to the outline of Dragon City in the distance and spoke to the woman beside him.

"Your Highness, that is Dragon City."

The boy looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a handsome appearance. However, due to his age, he was rather thin, and his features bore a resemblance to Da Hu.

This is Da Hu's younger brother, Er Bao.

Currently, he serves as a commander of a thousand men under Li Dongjiang in the Third Town.

He has been stationed on the Yinshan Grassland for many years, and this trip can be considered a home visit for his family, while also being a way to protect the woman next to him.

Princess Consort of the Six Courts of Liao, sister-in-law of Xiao Yanyan, Shulu Wujin.

She can also be called Princess Xiao!
The sky over Jinzhou is mostly clear blue with excellent visibility. Following the direction Erbao is pointing, Shulu Wujin can clearly see the outline of Longcheng.

He couldn't help but show his amazement.

She grew up in the royal court of the Western Liao Dynasty and was accustomed to the felt tents on the grasslands.

He also spent a long time in Husi Ordos and Yemili, and saw the magnificent cities in the world.

But this Dragon City before us is in no way inferior to the Eastern Capital, Husi Ordos, and others.

Standing over three zhang tall, it was built of blue bricks and stretched for several miles. One could still vaguely see a golden sun and moon battle flag fluttering in the wind.

The sun and moon totems on the flag exude a sense of majesty and power.

"Is this Dragon City..." Shulu Wujin murmured softly.

Although this was her first time visiting Jinzhou, she had heard that Jinzhou was extremely desolate, consisting entirely of grasslands, and that winters were exceptionally cold.

But unexpectedly, in just a few years, such a magnificent city has been built in Jinzhou.

It has already replaced Yemili and become the heart of northern Xinjiang.

After the initial surprise, she thought of Xiao Yanyan, who had married into Jinzhou, and sighed softly, "I wonder how Aman is doing these days."

I came from Yinshan this time for two reasons: first, to see Xiao Yanyan and her child whom I haven't seen in a long time; and second, to take this trip to relax.

After all, life in Yinshan always seemed rather desolate after Xiao Simo's death.

Moreover, Xiao Simo's former women were particularly troublesome, which annoyed Shu Luwujin greatly.

I'm looking for some peace and quiet.

Although we saw the outline of Dragon City while at Dragon Bone Lake, it was still quite far away in reality.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that the group arrived outside Dragon City.

Just then, a familiar figure came into view.

Xiao Yanyan was holding a child and standing not far away, wearing an elegant light gray dress and with her hair in a simple bun.

As she saw the group approaching, a smile immediately spread across her face, and she quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Sister-in-law!"

Xiao Yanyan's voice was filled with joy, and the golden knife in her arms seemed to sense her mother's happiness, waving its little hand and making little noises.

Shu Lu Wu Jin quickly jumped off his horse, stepped forward and grasped Xiao Yan Yan's hand, his eyes slightly warm: "A Man, I've missed you so much."

Xiao Yanyan was also extremely excited.

She hadn't seen Shulu Wujin for almost two years since Xiao Simo's death.

In the past two years, she has gone through pregnancy and childbirth, and her child is too young to be separated from her for long periods of time.

Xiao Yanyan could only stay in Jinzhou.

I've missed Shulu Wujin for a long time.

After all, she lost her parents at a young age and was raised by Xiao Simo. Even when Shu Lu Wujin married into the family, Xiao Yanyan was not very old.

Therefore, the relationship between the sisters-in-law was very good.

Aside from Xiao Simo's three remaining illegitimate sons, Shu Lu Wujin was practically her only remaining relative from her maternal family.

As for the biological mothers of those illegitimate sons? Xiao Yanyan didn't take them seriously at all.

The sisters-in-law met and wept with joy.

Soon their attention returned to the child.

The little guy was staring at Shulu Wujin with his big, dark eyes, and he was muttering something to himself.

This touched the heart of Shulu Wujin, who was grieving the loss of her beloved son.

Xiao Yanyan taught him to speak: "Jin Dao, this is your aunt."

"Call her 'Auntie'."

Jin Dao stared intently with his big, round eyes; at just over a year old, he was already able to say simple words.

However, my aunt is still too obscure.

"Oh oh oh~"

Listen to him, because his tongue couldn't turn properly, all he could make were clucking sounds like a chicken.

Shulu Wujin smiled.

"This child... is truly a treasure."

"Look at those eyes, they shine like stars on the grassland."

Seeing how much she liked him, Xiao Yanyan moved the child closer to her: "Sister-in-law, would you like to hold him? He's very well-behaved and doesn't cry much."

Shulu Wujin hesitated for a moment, then carefully took the child, afraid of hurting him.

After all, she hadn't held a baby in many years.

Then, Erbao came over and wanted to hug his nephew.

This was the first time Shu Lu Wujin had seen Jin Dao; even his cousin didn't have many opportunities to meet him.

The group quickly entered the city.

However, this also attracted many military households' families to peek out.

"Who is that? Who could possibly have the Lady personally come out of the city to greet him?"

A woman who was sewing shoe soles nudged her companion, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Look at their clothes and appearance, they don't look like Han Chinese from Jinzhou, but more like Khitans."

"Isn't the lady of Khitan origin?"

"Yes, they're probably relatives from the madam's family!"

“Look at the child in her arms. That’s the apple of the lady’s eye, and the eldest son of the Grand Protector. For her to hold him, his status must be extraordinary.”

murmurs rose and fell among the crowd, many of whom did not recognize Shulu Wujin and speculated about her background.

The young girls' attention was entirely focused on Erbao.

This is a direct descendant of the Li family, the cousin of the Grand Protector.

His father was the commander of the Second Division, his elder brother was the deputy commander of the Sixth Division, and he himself was a commander of a thousand men in the Third Division. At a young age, he had already achieved great military exploits and had a promising future.

Such a background is unique in the entire Northern Frontier; only Li Xiao's younger brother, Sanbao, can compare to him.

Moreover, among the younger generation of the Li family, only the two of them are not yet formally married.

Therefore, quite a few girls are eyeing them.

He was dressed in a neat single-layered shirt, riding a horse down the street with a cavalry saber at his waist. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, and his face carried a youthful air of heroism.

Some of the bolder girls playfully nudged their companions and whispered, "Look at Commander Erbao, he's even more dashing than the last time I saw him."

"I heard he's not engaged yet..."

"Your father just made a contribution and was appointed as a deputy commander of ten thousand households. Have your father ask someone to talk to Commander Li. Maybe you, you little slut, will get the job."

Most of the houses in Dragon City are not for sale to the public, but are distributed as rewards to meritorious generals.

Among them, elderly men from Jinzhou accounted for at least half of the share.

They grew up on the Jinzhou Grassland, and were known for their bold and unrestrained nature; even their daughters were quite daring.

Erbao was already used to this; these kinds of things had been happening all along since he reached marriageable age. But he also knew that he couldn't decide his own marriage.

The decision rests with the eldest brother and the father.

Therefore, there were several girls in Erbao's room when they were in Yinshan.

But once they arrived in Dragon City, they couldn't just touch these girls.

Because their fathers or brothers were either military commanders (thousands or hundreds), high-ranking officials in the Protectorate General's Office, or local officials (ten thousand households).

If you touch it, you have to take responsibility.

Therefore, I declined all offers.

Seeing this, Xiao Yanyan smiled and said to Erbao, "I think there are several pretty girls here! You don't like any of them? Have you already set your sights on someone?"

"Tell me, and I'll arrange a marriage for you."

Hearing Xiao Yanyan's teasing, Erbao smiled awkwardly and quickly shook his head: "No, no, everything is up to Father and my elder brother to decide."

If you really meet someone you like, just take her back and give her to him as a concubine.

For a principal wife, one must consider her family background and character.

Seeing that his ears were slightly red, Shu Lu Wu Jin couldn't help but tease him, "A Man, look at Er Bao. He's quite the hot commodity in Longcheng now. So many girls are eyeing him. When he comes back this time, his doorstep will probably be worn down by matchmakers."

Xiao Yanyan laughed upon hearing this, her gaze towards Erbao carrying a hint of teasing: "Sister-in-law is right. This boy is straightforward and capable. Any girl who marries him will be very lucky."

Faced with the teasing of the two young women, Erbao was somewhat unable to handle it, and his face turned bright red.

He scratched his head, unable to utter a word for a long time, and could only quicken his pace to walk forward, which drew a burst of chuckles from the two of them.

Fortunately, a commotion arose ahead, interrupting the two women's banter. Shu Lu Wu Jin looked ahead curiously and asked, "What's that?"

A large crowd had gathered in front of a shop with a prominent gilded sign that read "Northern Xinjiang Bank" hanging above the entrance.

Moreover, many military and civilian families who had been curious about their identities earlier also came over from behind to join in the fun, crowding the area in front of the shop.

In the crowd, Cui Benchang was standing on a high platform, wearing a gray long gown and holding a "precious treasure of the northern frontier" in his hand.

He spoke loudly in a somewhat rugged tone, like a herdsman from the grasslands: "Fellow villagers, listen to me! Our Northern Xinjiang Bank is opening for business today."

"You can exchange any old money you have here, whether it's from the Jin, Song, or Xia dynasties, for our own 'Northern Frontier Treasures'!"

"Depositing your silver here is not only safe, but you'll also get extra interest in a few days, just like when you graze your cattle and sheep in a place with lush pastures, you'll get a few more lambs after a while!"

His words were simple and easy to understand, using metaphors familiar to the people of the grasslands. The people listened and showed expressions of understanding, and the discussion became even more heated.

Many people have already started pushing forward, wanting to see what's going on at this bank.

Seeing this scene from afar, Xiao Yanyan gently introduced it to Shu Luwujin, her tone tender: "Sister-in-law, that's a newly opened bank in our Northern Frontier, formerly known as a money exchange, which was set up by the Grand Protector."

“In the past, it was inconvenient for people to do business and deposit money. With this bank, depositing money is safe and exchanging money is convenient, making future transactions much easier.”

Looking at the lively scene, Shulu Wujin said, "The Grand Protectorate has issued new currency?"

"Yes, it's called the Northern Frontier Treasure."

"The gold, silver and copper coins in the hands of our soldiers and civilians in the northern border region will gradually be exchanged."

"Sister-in-law, there's no need to touch the gold and silver items left by my elder brother, but we should replace the copper coins as soon as possible."

“In two years, the copper coins from various countries won’t be very effective in our northern border region,” Xiao Yanyan said.

Dragon City is just a pilot project, if there are no problems with currency exchange.

Li Xiao will issue an administrative order to replace the coins held by military households in various towns and by ordinary people in various households, according to their purity and weight.

The old coins that were exchanged were melted down and recast into new coins.

The chaotic monetary system in northern Xinjiang needs to be gradually brought to an end.

Upon hearing Xiao Yanyan's words, Shu Luwujin nodded gently.

Xiao Simo spent half his life on the battlefield, leaving behind a considerable amount of money, which was mostly in the hands of Shulu Wujin.

Therefore, it was inevitable that they would be targeted.

When everyone returned to the Grand Protectorate, Li Xiao was already waiting at the gate.

He was dressed in civilian clothes, shedding the seriousness he usually displayed when handling military affairs, and had a gentle smile on his face.

"Sister-in-law, this time you're in Jinzhou, please stay a while longer. Ah Man misses you very much."

Li Xiao chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Shu Lu Wujin.

Although the woman before me looked tired from her journey, she couldn't hide her mature charm, which made her even more alluring.

And he seems to be under thirty years old, right?
She can still have children!
Through the information brought by the Embroidered Uniform Guard spies in Yinshan, Li Xiao also learned about Shulu Wujin's situation in Yinshan.

As her illegitimate sons grew up, her legitimate son had long since passed away, and the hearts of the people in the mansion gradually became uneasy.

Even many of the guards who were originally loyal to Xiao Simo began to waver.

In their view, the Xiao family will most likely choose one of the three illegitimate sons to inherit the family business in the future, so it is not surprising that they are betting on it in advance.

Therefore, although Shulu Wujin still manages the Prince's Mansion, his prestige has been significantly affected.

Shulu Wujin spoke gently to Li Xiao, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Grand Protector. I came here for two reasons: first, to see Yan Yan and the child, and second, to rest in Longcheng."

Li Xiao nodded: "Sister-in-law can stay as long as she wants."

He then turned to Erbao beside him and instructed, "Erbao, go home and rest first. The Grand Protectorate will be holding a family banquet in three days. Be sure to come on time."

Erbao quickly cupped his hands and replied, "Yes, elder brother."

That evening, Li Xiao set up a simple home-cooked meal in Xiao Yanyan's courtyard, a small feast for only the three of them.

After drinking two glasses of wine, Shu Luwujin's cheeks flushed slightly, and the fatigue from days of travel gradually dissipated in the gentle atmosphere.

After the banquet, Li Xiao stayed overnight in Xiao Yanyan's main room, while Shu Lu Wujin was led to a guest room next door to rest.

The guest room was simply furnished but clean and tidy. She took off her clothes and had barely lain down when she heard faint, shallow breathing coming from the main room next door.

At first, I was somewhat restrained, but later it became clearer and clearer.

Shu Luwujin's face flushed instantly, and she naturally understood what was going on.

She muttered to herself, "Unrestrained," and rolled over to move further into the bed, trying to cover her ears, but the sound seemed to have grown legs and kept drilling into them.

But at the same time, a pang of sadness welled up in my heart.

Who can understand the loneliness and desolation of being alone in an empty house after her husband's death?
Seeing Jin Dao's exquisitely beautiful appearance today, she couldn't help but think of her son.

"If Nairi were still alive, she would probably be married by now, wouldn't she?" Shulu Wujin's eyes gradually welled up with tears.

If her son were still alive, how would those illegitimate sons' mothers dare to act arrogantly in front of her?
Without her son to support her, it was incredibly exhausting for her, a frail woman, to manage such a vast palace.

The sounds from the main room continued.

About an hour later, her emotions gradually calmed down.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Erfeng, Sanfeng, and Sifeng came over to join in the fun.

Erfeng and Weixuan have been married for over a year, and she finally became pregnant three months ago. Her baby bump is not yet obvious, but her steps already show a cautious and light pace.

The three women first went to pay their respects to Li Xiao and Xiao Yanyan: "Big brother, sister-in-law."

"We heard from Erbao yesterday that Sister-in-law Shulu had come, so we came to see her."

Li Xiao was eating breakfast with gusto when he said to Erfeng, "You're so impatient just because you're pregnant. Watch your step."

Xiao Yanyan also greeted her three younger sisters with a smile, "Take a rest, I've asked the kitchen to make some bird's nest porridge, we'll eat it together later."

Erfeng was older and pregnant, so she was relatively calm, while the other two girls were much more lively.

They chattered excitedly about what they had seen when they passed by the courtyard.

Erfeng nodded, her face full of envy: "When I came in, I happened to see Sister-in-law Shu Lu teasing the golden knife in the corridor. Tsk tsk, such grace, she doesn't look like someone who has been through a lot."

"No wonder my elder brother always says that the noble ladies of the Khitan are extraordinary."

Xiao Yanyan was amused by her: "You, you never know how to keep your mouth shut."

After chatting and laughing for a while, Erfeng took the two maids to see Erya.

As soon as you enter Er Ya's courtyard, you see the living room door is open, and Er Ya is sitting in a chair with her wrist resting on a pulse pillow.

An old man with a white beard was squinting as he took her pulse, and two maids were standing beside her, both looking rather solemn.

Erfeng quickly stepped forward and asked Erya with concern, "Erya, are you feeling unwell? Why did you call a doctor?"

Er Ya looked a little tired, smiled gently and shook her head, saying, "Sister-in-law, it's nothing serious."

"I just haven't had a good appetite lately. Nothing tastes good, and I always feel tired, so I asked Dr. Zhang to come and take a look."

Dr. Zhang, with his white beard, was a renowned and experienced doctor in Longcheng. At this moment, he slowly withdrew his hand, stroked his beard, and revealed a gentle smile on his face.

He said to Er Ya, "Congratulations, Madam. It's not an illness; you're pregnant, almost two months along."

"what?"

Erfeng was taken aback at first, then her face lit up with surprise.

"Really? Er Ya, you're pregnant too? That's wonderful news!"

Sanfeng and Sifeng were also very happy.

"Now, Grandpa will be happy again."

"We need to go tell my older brother and grandfather right away."

"Oh, right, we also need to send a message to my second brother-in-law as soon as possible."

Both girls have been assigned tasks.

Er Ya herself was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses.

A blush rose to her cheeks, her hand unconsciously rested gently on her lower abdomen, and her eyes were filled with unbelievable joy as she murmured, "I...I'm pregnant?"

Soon, Li Xiao also received the news, and a smile instantly bloomed on his face.

I felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing that my efforts over this period had not been in vain.

By now, four women in the household are pregnant.

First was Huang Xiuer, then Tajiguli and Suoluheti, and finally Erya.

In the future, even more women will get pregnant.

"As for offspring, the more the better, of course."

When these children grow up, we'll kick them all out one by one.

Riding horses and leading troops, they ventured south, conquered north, went west, and expanded eastward.

Whoever can raise the sun and moon battle flag on unfamiliar land, the territory they conquer will belong to them.

At that time, the blood of the Li family will flow in all the countries under heaven.

Every woman in the world will carry the seed of the Chinese nation in her womb.

(End of this chapter)