The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 297 The Sweat of the Sweats
The Gobi Altai Mountains are the southeastern extension of the Altai Mountains, and were called "Southern Golden Mountains" by the Han people in the desert at that time.

Compared to the real Jinshan, this place is less towering and precipitous, consisting mostly of low hills with vast grasslands and deserts spread out between them, large enough to accommodate a large army.

At this time, the grasslands around Chahanbo at the foot of Nanjin Mountain were densely packed with tents.

Every so often, a pure red or yellow banner with a white border and the sun and moon would be planted.

From a distance, it looks like a rolling, colorful wave.

Each battle flag represents a centurion.

The troops resting here were the 10,000-strong Second Division from Xizhou and the 6,000-cavalry from the Fourth Division from Gansu.

A total of 16,000 people.

This unit consisted entirely of cavalry, with each soldier having at least three horses, and some even having four or five.

The horses were laden with food, armor, weapons, and other supplies, enough for this large army to last for six months.

Such abundant provisions were naturally inseparable from Zhang Xinghua and Gu Zizhong's management of Gansu and Xizhou.

Just like Gu Zizhong, the governor of Xizhou.

Upon assuming office, this person swiftly and meticulously refined household registration and land management, devoting himself wholeheartedly to agriculture and animal husbandry, urging the people to reclaim more wasteland and cultivate more land every day.

The original Gaochang Kingdom was the granary of the northern frontier, with fertile farmland covering its territory.

Gu Zizhong reorganized and registered these farmlands, rented them to Han and Uyghur people for cultivation, and organized people to reclaim wasteland.

Today, the total area of ​​farmland in Xizhou has reached more than 1.3 million mu, which is much larger than before.

What's even more remarkable is that most of the grains in Xizhou can be harvested twice a year.

Wheat is planted in autumn and harvested the following summer; then millet is planted and harvested again in autumn, and the cycle repeats.

At the same time, depending on demand and soil conditions, crops such as sorghum, soybeans, and cotton are interspersed, so the fields are never idle throughout the year.

Last year alone, Xizhou produced more than two million shi of grain, and the taxes collected amounted to nine hundred thousand shi.

For a country, 900,000 shi of grain may not be a lot, but for a prefecture, this number is something that no dynasty in history could ever achieve.

It should be understood that in the past, most of the grain was exploited by the powerful landlords and scholar-officials, leaving the country and the people with only scraps.

However, the northern border region has eliminated the middlemen, allowing the government and the people to connect directly.

The government collects grain according to the agreed rent and taxes, and does not impose exorbitant levies or miscellaneous taxes.

The people reap what they sow, and after paying rent and taxes, everything left over is theirs.

The grain in Xizhou's warehouses is now overflowing, and there aren't enough warehouses to go around.

The surplus grain in people's homes is enough to last for several years, and they are not afraid of going hungry in years of disaster, truly achieving a win-win situation.

Beside the campfire by the lake, soldiers were cooking millet porridge in an iron pot, the aroma wafting far and wide.

A soldier from Xizhou, holding a bowl of porridge, laughed and said, "The grain from Xizhou is really solid; the porridge we make is thicker than anywhere else!"

A Uyghur soldier standing nearby said in broken Chinese, "That's Director Gu. In the past, in the Kingdom of Gaochang, no matter how much grain they grew, it wouldn't end up in their own mouths."

Upon hearing this, Sanwazi curiously inquired about the tragic state of Gaochang in the past.

I originally thought I was in a terrible situation, working as a tenant farmer for a landlord, and rarely having enough to eat.

Unexpectedly, these Uyghurs were in an even worse situation, being slaves of the nobles. They not only had no food to eat, but they could even be beaten to death by their masters if they were displeased.

After the Northern Frontier Army arrived, they overthrew his master and distributed land to these slaves. Therefore, this Uyghur was more enthusiastic about joining the army than many Han Chinese.

Sanwazi was originally a Han Chinese boy from Hexi.

When the Northern Frontier Army captured Hexi, he was taken prisoner to Gaochang and became a farmer in the Northern Frontier.

He rented twenty acres of land and married a Uyghur woman. Just when good days were about to begin, the general's mansion issued an order to mobilize 10,000 troops to march north.

In terms of military service, there are also requirements for civilians in the northern border region. Each household must provide able-bodied men to serve in the military in rotation.

When there is no war, they only need to set aside half a day every three days to organize training, which is considered militia.

In the event of war, they are directly converted into regular soldiers.

As soon as Sanwazi entered the camp, he was assigned a set of armor and three horses: one fine horse specifically for combat, and two inferior horses for hauling goods.

All new recruits receive this treatment.

Want to get a better horse?

You either have to pay for it yourself, or you have to wait until you get to the grasslands and snatch it from the enemy.

After that, Sanwazi and the other new recruits threw themselves into intensive training to get used to each other.

During their daily military training, they have learned many combat skills; what they lack is coordination with other members of the team.

Two weeks later, the troops were finally ready to set off.

Before setting off, they went to the granary and each received two shi of grain, which is 240 jin, which was loaded onto two nag horses.

This was their entire ration during the war, and they could also plunder cattle and sheep from the enemy.

The military has a clear standard: one pound of rations per person per day in normal times, but once in a high-intensity war, food consumption can rise to one and a half pounds per day.

Moreover, when marching at a slow pace, warhorses can simply graze on grass, but on the battlefield, when they need to run and charge, they must be fed fine grains.

Based on this calculation, this amount of grain is only enough to feed each person for about six months.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone lay down on the grass to rest.

A soldier patted his belly and couldn't help but sigh, "Back when we were in Xia Kingdom, we never fought such a rich war."

Sanwazi turned his head to look and saw that this person was a Xia soldier who had been captured in the Hexi War last year and had been transformed into a soldier in the Northern Frontier.

His face was full of sighs, as if he were telling someone else's story.

It was also a way of telling new recruits like Sanwazi about the hardships he experienced when he served in the Xia Kingdom.

“Sanwazi, you’ve really struck it rich. Back in Xia Kingdom, you were too young to serve in the military, so you didn’t know how tough it was for us poor soldiers in the barracks.”

"Although the Xia Kingdom has military pay, after layers of deductions, only a small fraction actually reaches our hands."

"The same goes for rewards for military achievements. Even though you've received a reward, your superiors will find an excuse to embezzle it."

“The northern frontier is different. There are no military salaries, but a third of the spoils of war can be taken by the soldiers.”

"The standards for rewarding meritorious service are clearly written. Anyone who dares to embezzle will have their entire family implicated. No one dares to have any crooked thoughts."

He paused, recalling his days in the Xia army, and shook his head even more: "In the Xia army, it was hard to get enough food, wasn't that because of corruption?"

"Only when we are really fighting a war and need to contribute will we be fed enough."

In northern Xinjiang, the food is directly distributed to the soldiers for their own control, so they don't have to worry about it being embezzled.

Furthermore, the warhorses, armor, and weapons used in the northern frontier were all of the highest quality, far surpassing those of the Xia Kingdom.

The soldier kept lamenting that he had wasted his time serving in the Xia Kingdom, and that he had ended up with nothing.

On the contrary, those who were allocated several acres of land as soon as they arrived in northern Xinjiang had hope for the future.

Sanwazi's heart was stirred by his words.

He thought of his newlywed Uyghur wife.

Although the girl didn't speak fluent Chinese, she was hardworking and capable, and she managed the household very well.

"I don't know if we can finish this battle before the summer harvest," he muttered to himself, his voice full of worry.

Upon hearing this, the squad leader not far away shook his head and said, "Summer? It would be good if it could end before autumn."

Sanwazi's heart skipped a beat, and he became even more worried.

In Xizhou, grain is harvested twice a year, so there's no need for spring planting; all that's needed is weeding, which a single woman can easily manage on her own.

But when it comes to harvesting grain and summer plowing, she probably won't be able to manage it all by herself.

The squad leader saw through his thoughts but said nonchalantly, "If you can't manage it all, just hire someone."

"Once you've finished dealing with other people's affairs, just have your wife spend some money to hire someone to do the work."

"Although the harvest will be less due to planting late, it's still better than exhausting your wife."

He paused, then added, "And don't be stingy with this little bit of money. The governor's office has exempted you from land tax for a year."

"Besides, as long as you don't back down, the cattle and sheep you steal on the grasslands, and the rewards you get from killing people, will be much more than the money you get from hiring people."

In northern Xinjiang, if war breaks out, soldiers participating in the war will be exempted from one year's rent for twenty mu of land.

The soldiers' families could then use the money saved to hire others to do their work, or pay the Hexi Merchant Guild, which would coordinate with the Salt and Iron Bureau to transfer miners from the mining areas to do the work.

Like the squad leader himself, he was a military household in the northern frontier, and was rewarded with twenty acres of land for his meritorious service.

Originally stationed in the desert, he sold his private land in the desert to the Grand Protectorate after the Second Garrison was transferred to Xizhou.

In Gaochang, they exchanged twenty mu of land for new land and rented another twenty mu of public land.

Besides his wife, he also has several children. When he is too busy, he will hire others.

For those with a thousand or a hundred households, their family owned even more land.

They didn't even need to farm the land themselves; they could rent out their private fields to the people to cultivate year-round and collect the rent as landlords.

Only 20% of the land rent was collected, and the remaining 20% ​​of the land tax was paid by the people themselves to the governor's office.

The ratio of land rent and land tax was forcibly stipulated by the Protectorate General, and this standard could only be applied to both public and private land.

If private landowners think the rent is too low, let them farm the land themselves.

Of course, those who truly have the power will buy slaves to farm.

To prevent these people from developing into true landlords and powerful clans, the Grand Protectorate has issued an official edict setting a maximum limit of 200 mu for military merit rewards.

If a family owns 200 mu of private land, no matter how many military merits they have made, they will no longer be granted private land. Instead, they will be rewarded with silver, cattle, sheep, wealth, and promotions.

At the same time, subcontracting of private farmland is strictly prohibited, and violators will be severely punished.

Private farmland is a historical issue left over from Jinzhou.

Back then, Jinzhou was too poor, so to boost morale, Li Xiao had to use his private land to encourage his soldiers to fight desperately.

Now that things are back on track in northern Xinjiang, Li Xiao has taken control of the distribution of private land, replacing it with cash instead.

As Sanwazi listened to the squad leader's words, his mind gradually cleared. Being exempt from land tax for a year would indeed save a considerable amount of money, enough to hire people.

Moreover, I've heard that after a battle, every soldier in the Northern Frontier Army has a bulging pocket, which is far better than farming. Why be stingy with the money for hiring people?
She smiled sheepishly: "After hearing what you said, I feel much more at ease."

The platoon leader waved his hand: "Fight well. As long as you can make contributions, that's better than anything else."

"Once you achieve great merit and become a military household, you can hire people, or even buy a few more female slaves to serve your wife without any problem."

Sanwazi nodded heavily, his eyes shining.

The next morning, not long after the army set off, Sanwazi discovered a large convoy behind them and followed their marching tracks.

"Squad leader, what are they doing? Why are they following behind our army?" Sanwazi couldn't help but ask.

The squad leader squinted at it, then said with an air of common sense, "It's the Hexi Merchant Guild's caravan, delivering grain."

Each carriage bore the logo of the Hexi Trading Company, but they were too far away to see clearly.

Whenever a major war broke out, the Hexi Merchant Guild would organize caravans to transport food for the army.

They would also serve as merchants accompanying the army. If the soldiers had too much spoils to carry, or if it was too cumbersome to carry during battle, they could sell it to the Hexi Merchants in advance.

You can exchange the money for silver and deposit it. If you're still worried, you can deposit the money directly into the Northern Frontier Bank that accompanies the army.

The advantage is that you don't have to worry about losing money during battles.

Moreover, if a soldier is killed in action, these savings will be distributed to his or her family.

The reason this Hexi caravan followed behind the Second Town was that they had just transported a batch of grain from the Xizhou warehouse to the grasslands.

Unlike Xizhou, Xihai does not have such abundant food supplies.

After all, that area only had a small amount of farmland cultivated by Han people, and the yield was not high; grazing was still the main occupation.

Therefore, the Hexi Merchant Guild needed to transport grain from Xizhou to the Xihai Grasslands to supply the Sixth Garrison Army for its campaigns.

Similarly, when Jinzhou's grain production was insufficient, the Hexi Merchant Guild first transported grain from the desert to Jinzhou, and then delivered it to the soldiers of the First Garrison.

In Li Xiao's view, even if all the grain stored up last year is used up, they must take over Mobei.

……

Woluo is located deep in the grasslands of the Tula River basin.

This place was once the capital of the Uyghur Khanate, and later became the seat of the Kereit Khanate.

In the original history, after Temujin defeated the Kereit tribe, he moved the Khanate of the Mongol Empire to this location.

It was not until the reign of Ögedei Khan that Han Chinese craftsmen were ordered to build city walls, and the city was renamed "Khara-Khorrin," officially establishing it as the capital of the Mongol Empire.

But at this moment, Woldo lacked any of the grandeur of a capital city.

Looking around, there wasn't even a decent low wall; only simple defensive fortifications built by the Kereit people with mud and stones, which looked particularly rudimentary on the vast grassland.

After Da Hu and his troops successively subdued the Kereit tribe in the eastern part of Yudujin Mountain, they arrived at the Kereit Khan's court, Woludo, five days ago.

And they occupied it without lifting a finger.

At this moment, a large number of Northern Frontier troops were gathered on the open ground outside Woldu.

The soldiers rode tall warhorses, wore white cotton armor with red trim, and carried spears or bows and arrows.

The chilling aura emanating from the nearly ten thousand iron cavalry caused the leaders of the surrounding northern grassland tribes to become solemn, their eyes filled with shock.

"Such elite troops are enough to sweep across the entire northern desert."

Zhahegan stroked his beard and sighed softly.

He was Li Xiao's father-in-law, and he was standing at the very front of the leaders, his tone filled with a sense of pride and honor.

Temaichi, standing beside him, nodded repeatedly: "Compared to the Jin army in the south, they are probably no less formidable."

"At least the Jin army didn't have that many cavalry, and they never dared to venture deep into the grasslands. They would only act like a cunning fox, hiding behind the scenes and instigating infighting among our various tribes."

The people speaking were all leaders of various tribes in the northern desert who had submitted to the northern frontier.

Led by Zhaheganbu, followed by Temaichi and other former tribal leaders of the Kereit tribe.

They had wavered between the northern frontier and Temujin, but now they truly felt the terror of the northern frontier cavalry.

The vanguard of the Sixth Town alone is enough to crush any tribe in the northern desert.

On the other side of the leaders stood several figures with complex expressions.

Jamukha, the former leader of the Zandalan tribe, Tokhtoa, the leader of the Merkit tribe, and Huduqa, the leader of the Oirat tribe, were among those mentioned.

They were once Temujin's mortal enemies. Back then, they formed a thirteen-tribe coalition and fought a major battle against the coalition of Temujin and Wang Khan at Koyitian, but ultimately suffered a crushing defeat.

If it weren't for the Northern Frontier Army's timely intervention, they would likely have become prisoners of Temujin or Wang Khan, with unimaginable consequences.

Jamukha looked at Zhaghgan on the other side and shook his head inwardly: "Wang Khan and Sangkun are simply two stupid sheep."

"How could Temujin have succeeded in his sneak attack?"

"With these two in charge, the Kereit tribe is doomed, if not today, then tomorrow."

Last year, Wang Khan invited Jamukha and others to attack Temujin together, and Jamukha readily agreed.

The two sides joined forces and inflicted a crushing defeat on Temujin, who fled in disarray into the Great Xianbei Mountains.

The original plan was to wait until next spring, after the snow had thawed, to continue the campaign to besiege Temujin.

Unexpectedly, Wang Khan and Sangkun were such useless fools that their stronghold was attacked by Temujin in the dead of winter.

The coalition's promising situation was ruined in an instant.

After absorbing the remaining forces of the Kereit tribe, Temujin's strength grew stronger and stronger.

Jamukha knew that if Temujin continued to expand in this way, the northern grasslands would eventually have no place to stand.

Now, the only thing that can restrain Temujin is this group of devils from the West.

People from Northern Xinjiang!
"That scoundrel Temujin is a wolf in sheep's clothing. If it weren't for him, how could my Merkit tribe have fallen into such a state?"

Tuohei Tuo'a clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, and the hatred in his eyes was almost overflowing.

If we were to say who harbored the deepest hatred for Temujin, it would undoubtedly be the Merkit tribe, with both sides wishing nothing more than to exterminate the other's entire clan.

Jamukha nodded slightly: "This barbarian is ambitious. It's not enough for him to annex the Kereit tribe. His next target will definitely be us."

"The arrival of the Northern Frontier army to demand payment is exactly what I wanted. I will make them pay for their crimes in blood."

Hudu sighed: "I only hope that the Northern Frontier Army can completely eliminate this scourge, otherwise we will all be devoured by him sooner or later."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhaheganbu asked Hu Li in a low voice, "Military Advisor Hu, what kind of person is the Grand Protector?"

Although he was Sorghaghtani's father and Li Xiao's father-in-law, he had never met Li Xiao.

When she learned that Li Xiao would be arriving in Woldu soon, she felt a little nervous.

Hu Li, who had followed Li Xiao for many years, smiled and said, "Zhahegan, please rest assured, Your Excellency. Although the Grand Protector is stern, he is fair in rewarding and punishing."

"He values ​​practical merit the most. You are the princess's father. As long as you behave yourself, you will surely benefit in the future."

Zhahegan nodded, but his heart was still pounding with anxiety.

He had heard too many legends about Li Xiao; some said he was ruthless and decisive, destroying countries as easily as crushing ants.

Sorghaghtani claimed that he was benevolent and loved the people, and that he implemented new policies in northern Xinjiang that allowed the people to live and work in peace and contentment.

This contradictory image made it even harder for him to understand his son-in-law's temperament.

As they were talking, a deafening sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar, like rolling thunder, crashing straight from the depths of the earth.

"So many cavalry!" Jamukha suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with vigilance as he gazed in the direction from which the sound came.

Da Hu also frowned, raising his hand to shield his eyes as he gazed into the distance.

A golden plume of dust rose on the horizon, and at the top of the dust, a huge golden sun and moon battle banner was slowly rising, fluttering in the wind.

"The Grand Protector has arrived!"

Hu Li's face lit up with joy, and he quickly said to Zhaheganbu.

As the golden cloud of dust drew closer, a massive torrent of iron cavalry gradually revealed its true form.

The soldiers, clad in yellow armor, formed a golden sea under the sunlight—the army of the First Town.

Upon their arrival, they quickly took over the defense of the entire Woldu region, deploying the Wuwei Army's troops at every key point.

Once everything was ready, a general wearing dark gold dragon-patterned armor reined in his horse and stepped out.

It was none other than Li Xiao, the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier.

He was only in his early twenties, with a resolute face and an aura of authority that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

Simply sitting upright on his horse, he exuded an aura of dominance over the world.

Wherever my gaze swept, even the howling wind seemed to freeze for a moment.

Jamukha stood in the crowd, seeing the Grand Protector's true appearance for the first time, yet felt an immense pressure.

He was also a Gurhan who had been recommended by the various tribes of the grasslands. He thought he had seen countless heroes and valiant men, but in front of Li Xiao, he felt that his own aura was not worth mentioning at all.

This was naturally the first time Li Xiao had met these leaders of the various grassland tribes, but fortunately Hu Li was there to introduce them to him in a low voice.

His gaze swept over the surrounding tribal chiefs, finally settling on Zhaheganbu.

Zhaheganbu's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward, patted his chest, and bowed: "Zhaheganbu greets the Grand Protector."

Li Xiao looked at him, a faint smile curving his lips: "Father-in-law, there's no need for such formalities."

"Sorghaghtani is doing well in Jinzhou. Once Temujin is pacified, Father-in-law can return to Jinzhou with Bendu to see your grandson."

Zhaheganbu seemed not to understand the other meaning, and nodded repeatedly with a smile, saying, "Thank you, Great Protector."

Li Xiao said no more and rode his horse into Woldu.

Yellow armor and golden battle banners intertwined, completely enveloping this ancient Khanate.

Once everything was settled, everyone gathered in Li Xiao's golden tent.

Jamukha suddenly knelt down before Li Xiao and said in a deep voice, "Jamukha begs the Grand Protector to ascend the throne as the Khan of all Khans - Tengrigul Khan."

(End of this chapter)