The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 316 The Raid on the Royal Palace, The Darkest Day

The golden sun and moon battle flag rose atop the city walls of Xingqing Prefecture.

The Western Xia, a dynasty that once dominated the northwest, seemed to be at its twilight at this moment.

After the city fell, the Northern Frontier Army surged into various parts of the city like a tidal wave.

As per the previously assigned tasks, each department sealed off the city's treasury, government offices, officials' residences, and the imperial palace to prevent the mutinous troops from looting.

Chaos reigned in the city. A centurion in red armor reined in his horse in front of a street in the south of the city, his saber pointing diagonally at the ground, and shouted loudly.

"Listen to me!"

“Our territory as a centurion is this street in front and the street next to it.”

"Bring out all the fleeing soldiers."

"Whether they are Xia Kingdom's imperial guards or untrained soldiers, anyone who dares to resist will be beheaded."

He changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed doors along the street: "Drive all the people on these two streets to the temporary camp outside the city."

"Men and women are to be kept under separate guard. Anyone who dares to hoard valuables or harbor rebel soldiers will face my ruthless blade."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hundred or so soldiers from the northern frontier around him shouted in unison, "Yes, sir!"

They then scattered with a roar, weaving through the streets and alleys.

"Open the door."

"What do you guys do?"

"They are stragglers from the Xia Kingdom! Capture them."

"Take one more step and shoot him."

The soldiers dispersed, and the sounds of kicking down doors, shouting, fighting as they chased down the scattered Xia soldiers, and the cries of the people instantly filled the streets and alleys.

This act of demarcating territory may seem crude, but it was actually a rule established long ago by the Northern Frontier Army.

Each street has a designated hundred households responsible for it, and if any problems arise, the hundred households will be held directly accountable.

Hidden behind these responsibilities is an unspoken understanding of "dividing the cake."

There were two silk shops on the third street, two restaurants on the fourth street, and the rest of the shops were also relatively wealthy.

According to military regulations, the wealth on these two streets will be entirely confiscated by this centurion.

They were first gathered in an open space at the street corner, where the clerk registered them and then handed them over to the public treasury.

The public treasury would return 33% of the revenue to each soldier in the form of war merits.

The purpose of this is to ensure fairness and to prevent soldiers from hoarding items as much as possible.

After the war, inspections will be conducted, and soldiers found to have hidden weapons will be severely punished.

"Hey, this courtyard looks like a tofu shop. They shouldn't be short of money, right? I just wonder if anyone's still inside?"

A troop of cavalry arrived in front of a courtyard.

The leader of the households was a strong man with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

Looking at the familiar street before him, he was filled with emotion.

"He's back!"

He was originally from Xingqing Prefecture, and his name was Niu Fu.

During the Battle of Hexi, he was captured by the Northern Frontier Army and became a civilian household in the Northern Frontier. He then became a soldier in the Six Garrisons. Based on his merits in the Battle of Mobei, he was promoted to the rank of Shihu (a type of household).

Now, I have finally returned to Xingqing Prefecture, to my hometown.

However, his parents died early, and the dilapidated courtyard of his home had long been abandoned.

If I had to say there was someone he was reluctant to part with.

That was Widow Liu, who ran this tofu shop.

Back then, he had already asked someone to act as matchmaker, and he was about to marry Widow Liu.

Unexpectedly, a military order sent him to Hexi to become a prisoner of the Northern Frontier Army.

His lifelong regret was not being able to marry Widow Liu.

I came here today to settle this matter that has been on my mind.

"I wonder if Widow Liu has remarried."

"What if she gets pregnant again?"

"Then let her become a widow again."

Niu Fu is torn between his conscience and his desires.

"Let's go in and take a look."

Niu Fu took the lead and led his men into the courtyard.

Because of Widow Liu's beauty, the tofu shop used to be very successful, but now, due to the war, there is no one left in the shop.

The relatively clean interior told Niu Fu that the people inside must have just left.

"Who?"

Just as the group was searching, one of the soldiers suddenly heard a child crying.

Although it was faint and brief, he still heard it.

There's a cellar down there.

The group quickly discovered Widow Liu and her son in the cellar.

"Don't kill me, help me!"

Widow Liu was pulled into the courtyard. When she saw the group of soldiers dressed in the armor of the Northern Frontier Army, she turned pale with fright and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Please, please, spare me, spare my child."

"I'm just an ordinary woman, I don't know anything~"

Looking at Widow Liu, who was trembling like a quail, Niu Fu's eyes suddenly lit up.

She quickly stepped forward, her voice urgent: "Sister Liu, don't be afraid, it's me."

"I'm Niu Fu from Qianjie Street~"

When Widow Liu heard the sound and looked up, she was stunned when she saw Niu Fu's face.

She was shocked, never expecting that the soldier from the Northern Frontier Army standing in front of her was Niu Fu.

She still remembered that Wang Gan Niang had come to propose marriage to her on behalf of Niu Fu two years ago.

At that time, she asked around and learned that Niu Fu had no bad habits, was down-to-earth and hardworking, and could endure hardship, which made her quite interested.

Thinking that if Niu Fu could treat her son well, she would marry him, which would give her someone to rely on.

Unexpectedly, just the next day, Niu Fu set off with the Western Expeditionary Army.

Later, news came that the entire Western Expeditionary Army had been wiped out, all of them killed by the Northern Frontier Army.

Widow Liu was saddened for a long time, thinking that Niu Fu had died long ago.

Unexpectedly, he not only survived, but also became a soldier in the Northern Frontier Army.

Seeing Liu the widow's shocked expression, Niu Fu looked somewhat embarrassed, but also a little anxious as he explained.

“I…I was captured on the battlefield and later stayed with the Northern Frontier Army.”

"Sister Liu, don't be afraid. Our Northern Frontier Army doesn't harm civilians. I...I...I will protect you even more..."

Holding her son, Widow Liu watched as Liu Fu stammered in front of her, just like he had back then, and her fear slowly subsided.

I felt a strange sense of security.

Afterwards, Niu Fu spoke with Widow Liu alone for a while, and then left with an excited expression.

Having found the centurion, he said with a determined look, "Centurion, I want to redeem a woman and a baby."

The centurion, who was directing his soldiers to inventory supplies, casually asked, "What women and children? What's it to you?"

Niu Fu, however, nodded firmly and said, "It's my wife and my son."

Upon hearing this, the centurion paused for a moment, turned to look at Niu Fu, and nodded slightly.

"Row."

"Remember to pay the difference."

"Thank you, Commander Xie," Niu Fu said excitedly, then mounted his horse and happily went to fetch his wife and son.

Watching his retreating figure, Baihu shook his head slightly and chuckled, "That guy."

Niu Fu is a brave and fierce fighter, which suits my taste perfectly.

It was a trivial matter, and the common people naturally wouldn't bother with it.

Let him be.

"Keep searching! Dig three feet into the ground and drag everyone out!" the centurion shouted.

The search of the streets in the outer city is still ongoing, mainly to prevent stray soldiers from hiding there, and also to count the population for easier management later.

But everyone knows that the true essence of Xingqing Prefecture lies in the inner city, especially the imperial palace and the mansions of high-ranking officials and nobles.

The residence of Imperial Censor Yu Wenyuan.

The old man, dressed in a faded brocade robe, stood blocking the vermilion gate with a cane, his white beard trembling with anger.

Seeing the soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army rushing towards him with swords and guns, he not only did not back down, but instead took a step forward and shouted angrily.

"You barbarians, trespassing on the residence of an official of the imperial court, how are you any different from bandits?"

“Our Great Xia is a land of etiquette, and we have always treated your northern border with courtesy. Why do you take advantage of our misfortune and commit such acts of plunder?”

He spoke eloquently about the grand principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, hurling insults at everything from the ethics between ruler and subject to the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, his spittle flying far and wide.

The leading centurion of the Northern Frontier Army was completely bewildered. He had never heard so many profound principles in his life, and he felt that the old man's voice was buzzing like a fly.

Just as Yu Wenyuan caught his breath, the centurion suddenly stepped forward and kicked him in the chest: "Why are you talking so much nonsense?"

Yu Wenyuan was kicked and staggered backward, falling to the ground with a thud. He clutched his chest and coughed incessantly, almost vomiting up his food.

Baihu shook his head speechlessly: Has this old man always been this brave?

Before coming here, I heard from the prisoners that this guy dared to point his finger at the Emperor of Xia in the imperial court and spew insults. Seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved.

But the Northern Frontier Army wasn't there to reason with him; they were prepared to draw their knives on everyone in Xingqing Prefecture.

"Go in and search!"

At the centurion's command, the soldiers immediately broke down the gate and rushed inside.

Yu Wenyuan sat on the ground and cursed like a shrew, calling them shameless robbers and inhuman.

Soon after, chests of gold and silver treasures were carried out of the underground vault.

Not to mention the centurion and the soldiers, even the people sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to supervise them, who were used to all sorts of things, couldn't help but marvel at the gold and silver treasures.

Behind the antique display shelves in the side hall was a hidden cabinet. When opened, it revealed piles of agate and jade like small mountains, along with several strings of round and full beads, clearly items that ordinary officials could not possess.

In the lotus pond in the backyard, the soldiers fished out more than a dozen earthenware jars, all filled with solid gold ingots, so heavy that it took two people to lift them.

The centurion stood in the courtyard with his arms crossed, watching the wealth being carried out one after another, and grinned coldly at Yu Wenyuan, who was being held by soldiers.

"I've heard that Imperial Censor Yu is the most incorruptible official in the Xia Kingdom. How come his family is richer than a business?"

"Is this what they scholars call integrity and incorruptibility? I think it's all show and no substance!"

Yu Wenyuan looked at the treasures that had been found, his face turning as red as a pig's liver, his eyes twitching with heartache.

He shouted with his neck stiff, "You barbarians, who have committed all kinds of evil deeds such as burning, killing, and looting, will surely be punished."

"I want to see Li Xiao!"

"For two thousand years, China has nurtured scholars, emphasizing propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame."

He struggled to break free from the soldiers' restraints: "I've heard he's also of Chinese descent, how can he associate with you beasts..."

In his view, these soldiers were a bunch of rude brutes who couldn't reason with him at all.

But Li Xiao was, after all, the ruler of the Northern Frontier, and he must have known that if he wanted to rule the Xia Kingdom, he would need the help of these scholar-officials.

He should save face for himself, and maybe he can even keep some of his money and seek an official position in the northern frontier.

But to my surprise, he didn't even finish his sentence.

"Clap clap clap!"

The centurion slapped him across the face more than a dozen times, drawing blood from his mouth. "Insolence!"

"Dare to insult the Grand Protector? Believe me, I'll cut out your tongue."

Yu Wenyuan was so dizzy from the beating that he shrank back and dared not utter another word.

He was so defiant because he wasn't worried at all that the old man would retaliate against him in the future.

Because Li Xiao's attitude towards this group of scholar-officials was obvious, very few surrendered officials could hold high positions in the northern frontier.

Most of the local officials in the northern frontier were also demobilized soldiers.

Li Xiao had no need for these surrendered officials.

Therefore, when dealing with so-called "surrendered generals," the attitude of those above determines how those below act.

When superiors respect surrendered generals, subordinates naturally become hesitant and timid in their actions, eventually leading to a situation where they remain kneeling and unable to rise.

However, if those above are firm and can make decisions for their subordinates, then those subordinates will only become even more forceful in their actions.

Therefore, Li Xiao has always insisted on always standing on the side of the soldiers in the northern frontier.

Meanwhile, another group of soldiers made a startling discovery at the Emperor's father-in-law's residence.

After the cellar in the mansion was pried open, the gold and silver treasures that were exposed were 30% more than the national treasury that had been emptied of most of its contents.

No one expected that when Li Chunyou called on officials to raise funds for the army, the emperor's father-in-law cried and said that he only had enough food left to survive, and then buried boxes of treasure in the cellar.

In his view, since the Great Xia dynasty belonged to the Wei Ming family anyway, what did it have to do with his own family?

Although the daughter is an empress, once a daughter is married, she is like water spilled from a cup; nothing compares to the wealth and status of one's own family.

Only by pocketing all the benefits can a family prosper.

But he never expected that without the support of the Xia Kingdom, the so-called father-in-law of the emperor would be nothing more than fish on the chopping block of the Northern Frontier Army.

The emperor's father-in-law was dragged to the front yard by the soldiers like a dead dog, his fat body leaving a gray mark on the ground.

He watched as the gold and silver treasures scattered on the ground were loaded onto the cart, his small eyes darting around in his fat belly, still trying to play dumb.

"I heard that the emperor's father-in-law loves money, and officials come to give him money every day."

A commander kicked the silver chest on the ground: "Is this all? It probably won't even fill a gap between your teeth."

The centurion squatted down, used his scabbard to open a brocade box full of pearls, and sneered, "Commander, I think this old man's wealth is far more than this; he must be hiding it somewhere else."

Qianhu nodded slightly and said, "Fight."

"Make him vomit up all his gold and silver treasures."

The soldiers immediately stepped forward and swung their batons at the emperor's father-in-law's back.

Then they resorted to prison torture, such as whips, the tiger bench, and the wooden donkey.

The emperor's father-in-law and his sons were beaten until their skin was torn and bleeding, and they screamed like pigs being slaughtered: "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"There's a secret room under the artificial hill in the backyard!"

Tears streamed down his face, his fat face contorted in a grimace: "Inside...inside there are three chests of gold bars and a chest of jade!"

The centurion gave the soldiers a wink, and the two immediately ran to the backyard.

A moment later, excited shouts rang out, and sure enough, several more large boxes of valuables were found.

Seeing that they had indeed extracted the items through interrogation, the commander became even more excited, even though most of these gold and silver treasures had to be handed over to the public treasury.

But the more you do, the more rewards you get.

The troops responsible for searching the residences of these officials and nobles were specially selected by Li Xiao from the First Town.

Furthermore, they planted a group of Imperial Guard spies among them.

If any general dares to embezzle, the news will be reported to Li Xiao on the same day.

Even if they used the captured gold and silver to bribe all the soldiers, from the perspective of the Embroidered Uniform Guard spies, weren't they worried that other spies would expose the matter?

If that happens, the cruelest consequences await him, since he doesn't know if there are any other Jinyiwei colleagues around him.

Thus, under this mechanism of mutual supervision, the fairness and integrity within the military are guaranteed to the greatest extent possible.

No one dared to reach out easily.

The commander of a thousand was only thinking about making more money so that he could be promoted to deputy commander of ten thousand as soon as possible, in conjunction with his military achievements.

So, looking at the emperor's father-in-law, whose nose and tears were streaming down his face, he shouted again, "I think he won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin."

"Keep hitting me."

"Get everything out of me."

"Oh dear, oh dear, it's all gone, it's really all gone."

"We've lost every last tael of silver."

"stop fighting."

As screams echoed from the residence of the emperor's father-in-law, similar sounds also began to resound from nearby houses.

They hoarded their treasures, wanting to continue living a good life in the northern border region.

Little did they know, what awaited them was utter exploitation and ruthless exploitation.

Not only will all the money be lost, but all the farmland in the villages outside the city will also be confiscated.

Meanwhile, chaos had already broken out in the palace.

Upon learning that the city walls had been breached, the morale of the Imperial Guards instantly collapsed, and they no longer had any intention of defending the palace.

They rushed into every part of the palace, ransacking it and grabbing whatever they could find, all with the sole aim of making a fortune and then escaping to live a carefree life elsewhere.

Some of the imperial guards kicked open the palace doors and stuffed the gold and silver utensils inside into their robes.

Some targeted the palace maids, pouncing on them and tearing at their clothes, causing the maids to scream and scatter in terror.

The entire palace had become their playground for looting.

Amidst this chaos, the Northern Frontier Army breached all the gates of the palace with almost no effort, sealing off the palace and strictly prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.

The palace was taken over by Li Xiao's trusted Wuwei Army.

They wore yellow cotton armor with red trim, which stood out conspicuously in the setting sun. Their imposing presence and steady steps contrasted sharply with the chaotic Imperial Guards.

"By order of the Grand Protector, all armed Imperial Guards shall be killed without exception!"

"Kill them until they kneel down and surrender."

The deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, Shouhou, gave a loud order that echoed over the palace.

"As ordered!"

"Kill~"

Screams rose and fell; the once arrogant Imperial Guards were no match for the powerful Wuwei Army.

The remaining imperial guards, seeing this, were so frightened that they dropped their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.

The sound of a woman crying came from the side hall.

A palace guard was pinning a palace maid to the ground and tearing at her clothes.

Just then, an arrow pierced the air and struck the imperial guard precisely in the back.

The imperial guard let out a muffled groan and died on the spot.

The soldiers of the Wuwei Army who had shot the arrows put them away as if they had done something trivial.

He glanced at the palace maid squatting on the ground, crying, and secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Damn, the women in the palace are all so beautiful."

"They are all like fairies."

"When will I ever be able to rise to that level and marry a female official?"

These palace maids were all carefully selected from the common people before entering the palace, so naturally they were all exceptionally beautiful.

They should not be treated as ordinary women, but rather rewarded as gifts to the generals of the various tribes in the northern frontier, or to meritorious soldiers.

To marry a female official, one either needed to have a high enough status or to have made significant contributions.

Forget about ordinary soldiers, but finding an ordinary civilian woman would be more than enough.

After dealing with the stubborn Imperial Guards, the Imperial Guards began to clear out the palace.

They gathered all the palace maids, eunuchs, and surrendered imperial guards in the square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where they stood in a dense crowd.

"I'm giving you one chance. Hand over all the items you had on you before."

A centurion of the Wuwei Army shouted, "No one is allowed to hoard any items. If any are found, the person will be executed immediately."

Soon after, soldiers and servants immediately stepped forward and began searching the people in the square, looking for gold, silver, jewelry, jade pendants, ornaments...

Despite prior warnings, some people still risked their lives for money, secretly hoarding gold, silver, and calligraphy from the palace.

Faced with such a fool, the only option is to send him to meet the King of Hell with a single blow, denying him even the chance to become a mine slave.

According to Li Xiao, everything in the Western Xia imperial palace belongs to the Northern Frontier.

Anyone who dares to steal from the palace is undermining the northern frontier and will be executed without mercy.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Guard began a large-scale search within the palace.

They meticulously searched every palace and every corner, including the imperial study, the empress's bedroom, and the concubines' courtyards...

They searched every possible hiding place.

Boxes of gold and silver jewelry, paintings and calligraphy by famous people, and rare antiques and books were continuously transported to the square and piled up like mountains.

But the most important thing is to find Li Chunyou's whereabouts.

The Northern Frontier Army searched every corner of the palace and interrogated many palace maids and eunuchs, but still could not find any trace of Li Chunyou.

"Keep looking."

"Even if we have to turn the palace upside down, we must find Li Chunyou," the skinny monkey said angrily.

As night fell, the looting and searching of the palace continued.

Soldiers of the Wuwei Army, carrying torches, moved between the palaces. The firelight reflected off their yellow and red cotton armor, flickering incessantly, adding to the somber atmosphere of this palace that was about to change hands.

Meanwhile, in a mountain forest outside Xingqing Prefecture.

The cave entrance, hidden among the dense bushes, was slowly opened, and a damp, earthy smell wafted out.

A burly man was the first to peek out from inside, cautiously scanning his surroundings. After confirming it was safe, he slowly walked out and stood guard around the area.

Then, Li Chunyou walked out, supported by several close associates.

He had changed into ordinary clothes and looked like a wealthy businessman, but they were already covered in mud.

Because of the continuous rain, the tunnel was muddy and difficult to navigate, but fortunately, the strongest bricks and stones were used when the secret passage was built, and it has been continuously repaired since then.

That's why it didn't collapse, which allowed him to escape.

Li Chunyou stood on the hillside, leaning against a thick tree trunk, panting heavily.

Looking up into the distance, in the darkness, the lights in the direction of Xingqing Prefecture were still flickering, and the sounds of commotion could be faintly heard—the sounds of the Northern Frontier Army looting the city.

Upon seeing this, Li Chunyou's face instantly turned indignant, his eyes filled with resentment and anger.

"These damned barbarians from the northern frontier dare to trample on the capital of my Great Xia."

Back then, he told all his soldiers on the city wall that he would live and die with Xingqing Prefecture.

His words did indeed boost morale, but in the blink of an eye, he became a stray dog, forced to hide in the mountains and watch his homeland be ravaged by the enemy.

A commander of the Imperial Guards stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, this place is not safe to stay any longer. We should leave as soon as possible, or we'll be in trouble if the Northern Barbarian cavalry discovers us."

"Your Majesty, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood."

Another confidant also advised, "As long as Your Majesty is safe and sound, you will surely be able to regroup and recover the lost territory in the future."

Li Chunyou took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and grief in his heart.

Now is not the time to be angry; preserving your life is the most important thing.

He had already sent people to Xiping Prefecture in advance. With the natural barrier of the Yellow River, it would not be easy for the Northern Frontier Army to break through.

He took one last look at that familiar land, a resolute glint in his eyes, and turned to the crowd, saying, "Let's go."

"We'll cross the river to Xiping Prefecture."

(End of this chapter)