The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 293 The birth of Möngke made the West tremble.
Three days later, a grand family banquet was held at the Grand Protectorate.

The banquet was for members of the Li clan and their relatives, but since most of the men were stationed elsewhere, most of the guests were women.

They took the children to the backyard, sat together, chatted about everyday things, and congratulated Er Ya on her pregnancy.

In the front yard, Li Xiao and the old man sat in the main seats at the head of the table.

Over the years, the old man's back has become more hunched and his face has more wrinkles, but he is still in very good spirits and his eyes remain clear.

Below them are the heads of other branches of the Li family, as well as in-laws such as the Luo family of Hedongbao, the Zhao family of Tazhai, and the Qin family of Gushanbao.

It is worth mentioning that Zhao Tiezhu, the patriarch of the Zhao family, passed away two years ago.

He spent his life on the battlefield, losing a leg in his early years and earning the nickname "Old Cripple." Yet, with sheer grit, he helped Li Xiao establish his power base in Jinzhou.

His children and grandchildren were all successful, which allowed him to enjoy his later years in peace.

At this moment, the old man was sitting with a few old friends, drinking some wine and reminiscing about the old days.

"Back in the North Mountain days, a few of us fought bandits with knives and arrows. Who would have thought we'd end up like this?"

"The old cripple passed away peacefully, so he didn't live his life in vain."

Grandpa Qin Kaishan sighed: "That's right. Back then, our biggest wish was to have enough to eat every day so that the children would never go hungry again."

"We have meat to eat every day now, but we're all getting old."

"Yes, in two more years, I'm afraid I won't even be able to lift a knife."

As they talked, the elderly people couldn't help but sigh.

Li Xiao sat to the side, chatting with his cousin Qin Xiong from his maternal uncle's side, his cousin Zhao Dabao from his paternal aunt's side, and Er Bao and other young people.

Qin Xiong is now serving as the deputy commander of the Third Town. He happened to be back to visit his family after the war in Ili was suspended.

Zhao Dabao himself was in the First Town, where he also served as the Deputy Commander of Ten Thousand Households.

They were all young men who followed Li Xiao in battle back then, and now they have all grown up and become the backbone of the Six Towns.

These people, when gathered together, constitute what can be described as the top elite circle in Northern Xinjiang.

In any era, the ruling class is structured like a pyramid, with fewer and fewer people holding power as they move upwards.

In the current northern frontier, the Li family undoubtedly holds the highest position, wielding absolute military and political power. From the military to local affairs, from people's livelihood to diplomacy, everything is under Li Xiao's control.

Secondly, there are the Li family's in-laws—the Xiao family, Luo family, Zhao family, Qin family, Wei family, and so on.

These military nobles together formed the core of power in the northern frontier, intermarrying and supporting each other to firmly uphold the Li family's rule.

That's just how times are; while nepotism has its drawbacks, it's also the most direct way to solidify one's foundation.

However, as the territory of the Northern Frontier expands, Li Xiao is also preparing to introduce new forces to balance the power of these clans and relatives of the empress.

Just then, the sound of children making noise suddenly rang out in the courtyard.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it was Luo Wenzhong, the nephew of Li Xiao's eldest sister, and Su Wuji, the nephew of Wei Xuan's eldest sister, who were fighting.

Both little ones are six years old and were born in the same year. Su Wuji was born a little later, but Luo Wenzhong's physique is in no way inferior. His small body exudes a strong and sturdy strength.

They wrestled together, one grabbing my collar, the other holding my waist, rolling around on the ground, exchanging blows, neither willing to admit defeat.

The children of Qin Xiong, Zhao Dabao, and others were younger and did not participate in the wrestling match. Instead, they excitedly shouted and cheered for the two.

Wei Xuan and Luo Meng were not in Longcheng. The only people present were Luo Wenzhong's grandfather, Luo Ping, and Su Wuji's father, Su Renli.

Luo Ping, a military general, merely stroked his beard with a hint of a smile in his eyes upon seeing this, showing no intention of stepping forward.

Su Renli was originally just an ordinary scholar who entered the top circles of the Northern Frontier by chance through marriage. Now he serves as the deputy military advisor in the Grand Protectorate.

But he always felt uneasy, as if he didn't fit in with these military families.

Scholars are not as bold and unrestrained as military generals; they tend to be hesitant and indecisive in their actions.

Seeing his son fighting with the Grand Protector's nephew, Su Renli's heart skipped a beat, and he cursed inwardly, "That brat, he really doesn't know his place!"

He hurriedly got up, ready to step forward and stop him.

"Don't worry."

Li Xiao waved his hand with a smile, his voice relaxed: "Boys are normal to fight and play around, it's no big deal."

"Let them keep fighting, and we'll see who wins and who loses."

Luo Ping chuckled from the side, "The Grand Protector is right. Children fight, and the more they fight, the closer they become."

"Back in the day, my Luo Meng and the Grand Protector used to roll around in the mud every day, and they still have a great relationship now."

说起小时候的事情，李骁也是哈哈笑道：“谁让那个时候罗猛总是在嘴上占大姐便宜，还说要娶大姐当婆娘，我自然要揍他。”

"Hahaha~"

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, and their eyes all turned to the two little ones wrestling on the ground.

Luo Wenzhong suddenly exerted force, pinning Su Wuji beneath him, and triumphantly shouted, "Do you submit?"

Su Wuji was unconvinced, his little face tense as he shouted, "I'll give in to your mother's ass!"

As he spoke, he flipped over and pinned Luo Wenzhong down again, and the two of them wrestled together once more.

Li Xiao held his wine glass, watching this scene, his smile growing even brighter.

The future of northern Xinjiang also depends on the abilities of these children!
The moonlight was bright, and its silvery glow filled the courtyard of the Grand Protectorate. Xiao Yanyan's panting finally stopped, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Not long after, Li Xiao left the room to relieve himself, and happened to see a figure sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, drinking alone in the moonlight.

Li Xiao was slightly taken aback, then stepped forward and asked, "Sister-in-law, you're still awake?"

Upon hearing the sound, Shulu Wujin turned her head and glanced at Li Xiao.

His expression held a strange, meaningful quality, almost like a complaint, as if to say, "How dare you ask?"

Yes, these past few nights, the noise from next door has been constant, how can she possibly sleep?

Li Xiao also understood why she wasn't sleeping.

I touched my nose, feeling a little embarrassed, but there was nothing I could do; I couldn't just hold it in.

Besides, Jin Dao is almost two years old, while Xiao Yanyan is at the age where she is as fierce as a wolf.

The fact that Huang Xiuer, Er Ya, and others were pregnant one after another further spurred her on, and she kept pestering Li Xiao to have a second child.

If she wants it, then give it to her.

As for disturbing Shulu Wujin, I can only apologize.

So Li Xiao immediately changed the subject, sat down on the stone bench next to her, and asked, looking at the wine on the table and the redness in her eyes, "Sister-in-law, are you crying? Are you missing your brother and Nairi?"

Shu Lu Wujin shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse: "I just feel a little uncomfortable."

At the family dinner today, seeing the lively and playful antics of children like Su Wuji and Luo Wenzhong, she naturally felt sad.

She thought of her son.

However, Xiao Helun was not so mischievous, and he rarely fought with other children, since no one dared to fight with him.

It is precisely this sense of aloofness that makes him somewhat withdrawn.

However, Xiao Simo saw this personality as typical of someone who was incapable of great things, so he threw him into the army at a young age to toughen him up, which ultimately led to tragic consequences.

Li Xiao picked up the wine pot on the table, poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip, and then started talking about the affairs of the illegitimate sons in the Prince's mansion.

"I've heard that the women in the Prince's mansion have become increasingly arrogant lately. Relying on their sons' support, they've started interfering in the mansion's affairs?"

Shu Lu Wujin tightened his grip on the wine glass, remaining silent.

Li Xiao added, "Those women are short-sighted. They think they've won by gaining some small advantages, but they don't know how deep the waters run in the Prince's mansion."

As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently fell on Shulu Wujin's chest, where the two magnificent breasts were now undulating with anger.

Clearly, the commotion caused by those women disgusted her.

Most importantly, her son's problems remained her Achilles' heel.

Without a son, wouldn't the vast estate of the Prince's Mansion eventually be handed over to those few illegitimate sons?

That's why they became increasingly unrestrained. Thinking about this, Shu Lu Wu Jin felt a tightness in her chest.

Li Xiao, however, comforted her, saying, "If you suffer any grievances in the manor, just tell me."

"Even though I'm not in Yinshan, I will never let you suffer."

“If my sister-in-law is truly lonely in the mansion, I can give her a child so that she will have someone to rely on in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Shu Lu Wu Jin froze, and her cheeks flushed red.

Give me a child?
He he he he~
How dare he say such a thing?
Shulu Wujin is not yet thirty years old and can still have children, but she has never thought about having another child.

Because she is Xiao Simo's widow, if she does something so shameless, what will others think?
How will Ah Man view his sister-in-law?

What's more, the fact that it was Aman's husband who said these words made Shulu Wujin even more ashamed and indignant.

This Li Xiao is simply too much.

How could he possibly flirt with his own widowed sister-in-law?

But thinking of the suppressed sounds that came from Xiao Yanyan's room every day, her throat suddenly felt dry, and she stammered with rapid breathing, "No, no."

"We can't do this."

Looking at her, Li Xiao felt a little confused, but he didn't think much of it.

Soon after, Shulu Wujin had drunk quite a bit, her cheeks flushed with alcohol, and her eyes becoming glazed.

Seeing this, Li Xiao stepped forward to help her up, feeling the soft and delicate texture in his hand, with the tender touch unique to a mature woman.

When Li Xiao helped her into the room and placed her on the bed, he couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.

The moonlight fell on Shulu Wujin, outlining her voluptuous and graceful curves. The rise and fall of her chest was faintly visible under her thin shirt, and her waist was full but not bloated, exuding the charm of a mature woman.

It's a kind of charm that comes with age, more captivating and alluring than the naivety of a young girl.

Li Xiao couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement—mature women are really something else, especially with the added allure of Shu Lu Wu Jin's identity, which multiplied her charm several times over.

Finally, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he took one last, intense look at Shu Lu Wu Jin's sleeping figure, and turned to leave.

Just as the door closed, Shu Lu Wujin, who had been keeping her eyes tightly shut, slightly opened them, her eyes filled with a drunken panic.

She raised her hand to touch her burning cheeks, feeling both ashamed and indignant.

Li Xiao's undisguised gaze just now almost stripped her clothes off.

But on second thought, although Li Xiao was a man who didn't discriminate between the crude and the crude and acted dissolutely, he ultimately respected her and didn't take advantage of her vulnerability to cross the line.

Just thinking about Li Xiao's earlier words, "I'll give you a child," made Shu Lu Wujin's heart feel like it had been clenched tightly by something.

The shame and indignation in my heart surged endlessly, as if a demon was constantly tempting me in my ear: "Agree to it, it's the best way out for you."

Without her son's support, when she gets old, those illegitimate sons and their birth mothers will only bully her even more, and her so-called status as a princess will eventually become worthless.

A woman's lifelong support ultimately comes from her son.

Whether you adopt a son from a concubine or raise one from outside, it is not as reliable as having your own biological son.

Shulu Wujin gazed at the tassels on the top of the tent, touched her still relatively firm skin, and looked on in confusion.

I don't know whether to hold on to my last line of defense or to give in to reality.

So, caught in a dilemma, Li Xiao often saw her drinking alone at night over the next few days. Until one day, the two tacitly left the Protectorate General's residence and did not return until dawn.

You can still vaguely see the bits of grass stuck to Shulu Wujin's clothes.

In the days that followed, Li Xiao continued to be stationed in Longcheng.

Commands were issued from here, driving the entire northern frontier to operate smoothly like a machine.

The people who migrated here last year have already settled down and put down roots in this land.

The people of Jinzhou, Xihai, and Beihai prefectures mostly make a living by herding livestock.

The Protectorate General lent them a flock of sheep, with the agreement that they would return one-fifth of it each year, and the debt would be fully repaid after five years.

However, the benefits of simply grazing were ultimately too low, so many young and strong men chose to join the ranks of the soldiers of the Six Garrisons.

They planned to plunder the enemy's wealth to pay off the loans they had taken out to buy female slaves.

As for the people in the desert, Gaochang, Yinshan and other places, most of them transformed into farmers.

While reclaiming wasteland, they also planted salt-tolerant crops such as soybeans and sorghum.

Although the harvest won't be very high, it's enough for the family to barely make ends meet.

After all, the newly reclaimed land comes with a generous policy of ten years of rent and tax exemption, which fills the people with hope.

Meanwhile, a large number of cloth armors were completed.

According to the regional plan of prioritizing the south and then the north, and prioritizing the east and then the west, the fourth town located in Gansu was equipped first.

Next came the second town of Xizhou, followed by the fifth town of Yili.

In hotter places, people would change their armor first in preparation for a possible war.

The business sector is also developing rapidly.

With the support of Jinzhou Technology, the light industry in the desert began to develop rapidly.

The newly built textile factory has already reached half of Jinzhou's output, and the scale of the winery, soap factory, match factory and other factories is also increasing day by day, creating a thriving scene.

Throughout northern Xinjiang, everything is developing in an orderly manner, presenting a thriving scene.

On this day, good news came from the Protectorate General's Office: Xiao Yanyan was pregnant again.

Inside the room, Jin Dao was held in Shu Lu Wu Jin's arms, and the two no longer felt the awkwardness they had when they first met.

After all, Shulu Wujin had been in Longcheng for nearly three months, and Jin Dao knew her very well. He could easily call her "aunt" and was extremely affectionate towards her.

Shulu Wujin also genuinely liked Jindao, as if he had poured all the feelings he had for his son Xiao Helun into Jindao.

At this moment, she was feeding Jin Dao with one arm around him, and looking at Xiao Yanyan with envy in her eyes: "That's great, you have one now, and Jin Dao has a companion too."

The two women, sister-in-law and aunt, chatted back and forth. Seeing how much Shu Lu Wu Jin doted on Jin Dao, Xiao Yan Yan suggested, "Sister-in-law, it's not a good thing for you to be all alone like this. Why don't you take Xiao Wu Tu Gu into your family?"

Xiao Wutugu was the eldest of Xiao Simo's three sons born out of wedlock. His mother was a Karluk who was sentenced to death by Xiao Simo for some wrongdoings.

Shulu Wujin disliked his mother to begin with, and consequently harbored resentment towards Xiao Wutugu. Upon hearing this, he immediately shook his head: "Let's forget it. I don't have a deep connection with him."

"Moreover, this child harbors resentment towards me as well!"

Shulu Wujin sighed and said that his mother's death was indirectly related to him.

Although that child seemed honest on the surface, he actually knew everything.

As he and his two other sons grew older, Shulu Wujin felt increasingly frustrated.

“Her mother had only herself to blame back then, she can’t blame you, sister-in-law,” Xiao Yanyan said, shaking her head.

Just as the two were talking, Shulu Wujin suddenly felt a strong sense of nausea.

She had given birth before and was all too familiar with this feeling; she was suddenly startled, and her pupils contracted sharply.

It was as if he had thought of something important.

As I reflect on my own life, that possibility becomes increasingly clear.

However, in order to avoid being discovered by Xiao Yanyan, she suppressed her nausea and pretended that nothing was wrong, continuing to feed Jin Dao, only her movements were a little slower.

Xiao Yanyan, being perceptive, noticed that her complexion was not good and asked with concern, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong? Why do you look so pale all of a sudden?"

Shu Lu Wujin quickly brushed it off: "It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night and I'm a little tired."

As she spoke, she fed the last bite of rice to Jin Dao, then stood up and said, "I'm going back to my room to rest first. You and Jin Dao should rest for a while too."

After saying that, she hurriedly left the room, her heart filled with turmoil.

As Xiao Yanyan watched her retreating figure, she only felt that her sister-in-law had been acting strangely lately, but she didn't think much of it.

Instead, she focused all her attention on having and raising a child.

When Li Xiao was with her, he jokingly called her his little mare, and Xiao Yanyan took it to heart.

Moreover, she was proud of it, as it represented her strength, superior bloodline, and her ability to fascinate Li Xiao.

Therefore, she wants to have many, many children for Li Xiao.

Two days later, Shu Lu Wujin suddenly came to Xiao Yanyan to say goodbye. He had been in Longcheng for three months and it was time to go back.

Without much thought, Xiao Yanyan reluctantly saw her off.

She also prepared a lot of good things and told Shulu Wujin that if anyone bullied her in Yinshan, she should immediately send a message and she would never let him get away with it.

And so, Shulu Wujin returned to Yinshan with a group of guards from the royal palace.

However, not long after they left Longcheng, a group of Wuwei soldiers came up behind them.

The leading soldier said, "The lady has urgent business and requests that the princess return."

Shulu Wujin nodded immediately, and then said to the guards of the Prince's Mansion around him, "You have been away from home for more than three months, go back first."

"Once I'm done with this, I'll have Ah Man send someone to take me back."

The commander of the royal guards said somewhat uneasyly, "Your Highness, please let me stay."

"No need, your child is still young, you should go back now."

Thus, Shulu Wujin drove all the guards of the Prince's Palace back to Yinshan, while he himself, under the protection of the Wuwei Army, headed in another direction.

……

Time flies, and September is already here.

In the original history, after Temujin was defeated by the Kereit tribe, he rested and recuperated for a summer and then successfully launched a surprise attack on the Kereit Khanate in the autumn, staging a remarkable comeback.

But now, with the support of the Northern Frontier Army, Temujin's situation is even more miserable than recorded in history books.

For more than half a year, he was like a stray dog, chased by the Kereit cavalry, hiding here and there, with very few chances to catch his breath.

Even so, he always managed to escape danger at the most critical moments, which made Li Xiao, who was stationed in Longcheng, extremely anxious.

"That fox is really tough!"

He has proposed several times that the northern frontier army advance eastward to cooperate with the Kereit coalition to encircle and kill Temujin.

But each time, Wang Han and Sang Kun flatly refused.

The cunning and shrewd Wang Han always used the excuse that "grassland affairs should be resolved by the grassland people themselves" to shirk responsibility.

Sangkun even privately spread rumors that the Northern Frontier Army had ulterior motives and was probably using the pretext of besieging Temujin to actually launch a surprise attack on the Kereit army.

"A bunch of short-sighted fools!" Li Xiao said helplessly.

In his eyes, the seemingly disheveled Temujin posed a far greater threat to the northern frontier than the powerful Kereit tribe.

Once this eagle of the grasslands recovers, it will sooner or later become the most troublesome enemy in the northern border region.

Therefore, Li Xiao could swear that the Northern Frontier Army would never attack the Kereit tribe before eliminating Temujin.

But the key issue is that Wang Han and Sang Kun don't believe it!

In their view, the threat from the northern frontier was far greater than that of Temujin, who had become a homeless dog.

Once the Northern Frontier Army truly sets foot in the eastern part of the Mongolian steppe, the Kereit tribe will immediately abandon its pursuit of Temujin and instead join forces with him, turning their guns against the Northern Frontier Army.

Doesn't that mean he personally saved Temujin's life?
Li Xiao could only suppress his anxiety and wait for this "chosen one" to use his illogical good fortune to defeat the Kereit tribe in some unbelievable way.

When they are both exhausted, the northern army will march east again and reap the benefits.

However, amidst the twists and turns, good news also arrived.

In September, Huang Xiuer gave birth to a son for Li Xiao, whose loud cries could be heard throughout the entire courtyard.

Huang Xiuer burst into tears of joy, and the Huang family was overjoyed.

This is Li Xiao's second son. Although he is an illegitimate son, he is of pure Han Chinese blood!

"Longbow~"

This was the nickname Huang Xiuer gave her son, which was homophonous with Chang Gong.

This is also to continue the naming style of Jin Dao, as they are all weapons.

After all, the northern frontier values ​​martial prowess, and Huang Xiuer did not want her son to be too weak in literature.

As for the formal name, it was given by Li Xiao.

His name is Li Shixuan.

In October, the atmosphere inside the Protectorate General's Office became tense again.

Suoluhetini and Tajiguli felt unbearable stomach pain at almost the same time.

Li Xiao understood. He figured that the two of them might have gotten pregnant on the same night, which explained the coincidence.

He stood in the courtyard, listening to the cries of pain coming from the rooms on both sides at the same time, his face remaining calm.

Now a father of two sons and a daughter, he no longer feels the anxiety he felt when Jin Dao was born; he simply hopes for the safety of both mother and child.

After all, in this era, childbirth was like a brush with death for women, especially since both women were giving birth for the first time.

Fortunately, the production process was not as difficult as Li Xiao had imagined.

Soruktani was in better physical condition, and within an hour of entering the room, a loud baby's cry could be heard from inside.

The Kereit maidservant standing guard at the door ran out excitedly and announced loudly in a slightly strange accented Chinese, "Congratulations, Great Protector! Your wife has given birth to a little prince!"

It's a son!

Hearing the maid's words, Li Xiao, though not as overjoyed as he had been when the Golden Knife was born, still smiled happily.

Soon after, the midwife came out carrying a baby wrapped in thick blankets. The little guy was crying and kicking his legs in the swaddling clothes, showing a strong and sturdy body.

Li Xiao gently lifted the child in front of him and laughed, "Look at those eyes, they're full of ruthlessness!"

"When he grows up, he'll definitely be someone who can sweep away thousands of troops."

"You are worthy of the name 'Mengge' that your mother gave you."

Then, Li Xiao turned to the others in the courtyard and said loudly, "Meng Ge, my son."

"His name is destined to make the distant western barbarians tremble."

(End of this chapter)