The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 319 Wedding Night, 100,000 Households Enter the Northern Desert
The mighty river roared deafeningly, its majestic momentum seemingly capable of swallowing up everything in the world, inspiring awe and fear.

The ferry carrying the wedding procession rocked on the waves, and as soon as it docked, a cavalry unit of the Wuwei Army came to greet it.

"By order of the Grand Protector, we welcome Her Highness the Princess of Xia Kingdom," Hu Li announced loudly.

The surrounding Wuwei Army soldiers remained silent, simply watching the group from Xiping Prefecture with sharp, eagle-like eyes.

While the Minister of Rites was negotiating with Hu Li, Li Lingyang, with her head covered by a red veil, carefully moved onto the carriage with the help of her maid.

After the carriage curtain was lowered, she peeked out through the gap.

"These people from northern Xinjiang look no different from us!"

“I thought they were all blue-eyed Semu people,” Li Lingyang said softly.

Having lived in the inner palace all her life, this was the first time she had ever seen the Northern Frontier Army in person.

Compared to the magnificent armor and impeccable military discipline of the Western Xia imperial palace, these Northern Frontier soldiers in front of them looked rather disheveled.

They wore yellow armor with red trim, stained with indelible bloodstains and bearing obvious cuts in many places. They looked worn and tattered, as if they had just come from the battlefield.

For some reason, these Northern Frontier Army soldiers, who didn't look glamorous at all, gave Li Lingyang a completely different feeling.

Their eyes were resolute, and they exuded an aura of fearlessness. In terms of imposing presence, they far surpassed the Great Xia Imperial Guards, appearing even more ferocious and savage, inspiring fear in all who beheld them.

"The eyes of these soldiers from the northern frontier are terrifying."

A young girl behind Li Lingyang, her face pale, said that she had almost wet herself with fear just by glancing into the eyes of the Northern Frontier soldiers outside the car.

Another little girl nodded hastily, "I heard that the barbarians of the Northern Frontier love to eat human flesh."

"If we upset them, will they eat us?"

Li Lingyang did not answer, but simply gripped the handkerchief tightly in her hand.

She wasn't afraid of being eaten; after all, as a princess of the Great Xia, even in her most destitute state, the people of the Northern Frontier wouldn't be so cruel.

But arrogance and domineering behavior are undeniable.

If the soldiers in the Northern Frontier are like this, then what about my future husband, the legendary Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier?

Li Lingyang, bearing a heavy responsibility, originally intended to promote peace between the two countries and persuade the northern border to withdraw from the former territory of the Xia Kingdom.

But the closer she got to Xingqing Prefecture, the more she felt that she had a long way to go.

Subsequently, the marriage procession, escorted by this Wuwei Army, headed towards Xingqing Prefecture.

After traveling for about half an hour, Li Lingyang suddenly heard a faint commotion outside the carriage.

As the convoy moved forward, the noise grew louder and louder, as if countless people were talking in hushed tones.

Out of curiosity, she quietly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to peek outside.

To the left and ahead, in the wilderness, thousands of people had gathered together, forming many long, winding lines that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Most of them were ragged and emaciated, and they were moving forward one by one.

"Lord Gao, what are those people doing?"

Li Lingyang's beautiful eyes were full of confusion, so she summoned the Minister of Rites who was accompanying her to ask him.

The Minister of Rites followed her gaze, pondered for a moment, and said, "Judging from the situation, it should be porridge distribution."

He glanced at Hu Li, the military advisor of the Court of State Ceremonies, who was walking ahead, and then secretly looked at a few soldiers of the Imperial Guard not far away. He lowered his voice and said.

"Princess, you may not know this, but the barbarians of the northern frontier have been harassing our Great Xia for several years in a row, seizing the Hexi Corridor and the Hehuang Valley, which has reduced the amount of land we can cultivate."

"In order to deal with them, His Majesty has had to keep conscripting soldiers, and fewer people are farming."

"For the past two years, there has been a shortage of food in the country. This year, with the war, there has been a complete crop failure. People have no surplus food and many have starved to death."

Li Lingyang was young and had lived in the inner palace for a long time. He had never come into contact with the lives of ordinary people and naturally did not know much about farming.

Hearing the Minister of Rites's words filled with concern for the country and its people, she felt a tightness in her heart.

Seeing this, the Minister of Rites continued in a low voice, "The reason why the people of our Great Xia are starving is entirely caused by the people of the Northern Frontier."

"They invaded our land, slaughtered our people, and caused countless families to be torn apart and lives lost."

He deliberately ignored the problems of the Xia Kingdom itself, and only pushed all the blame onto the people of the Northern Frontier.

Li Lingyang had no idea about these deeper principles. She didn't know that the more natural disasters and man-made calamities occurred in a year, the more the scholar-officials and landowners would take advantage of the chaos.

Raising land rents and hoarding grain forced people to sell their children.

She simply believed that it was the Northern Frontier Army's invasion of Great Xia that caused the people of Xia to be displaced.

As a result, her impression of the people of Northern Xinjiang worsened, and she couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "These people of Northern Xinjiang are truly despicable."

But then she changed her tone and said quietly, "Fortunately, they are not evil to the core. At least they know to provide porridge and disaster relief, and they did not just watch the people starve to death."

The carriage curtain fell, blocking out the view from the outside.

Li Lingyang was powerless to help the people outside, and she herself was about to walk into the tiger's den, so she couldn't care less about anything else.

She was just thinking that she would persuade Li Xiao to distribute more porridge to the people when the time came.

The wedding procession moved slowly along the dirt road, without causing any impact on the crowd at the porridge distribution point not far away.

They only cared about when it was their turn to get porridge and how to get a thicker bowl of porridge.

In the group, Old Lady Wang held the baby tightly in her arms, supporting Old Man Wang.

The two had been starving for three days and had long since lost all their strength. The child had also lost his voice from hunger, his little face scrunched up, with only faint breathing to prove that he was still alive.

"Old woman, hang in there a little longer, it'll be our turn soon."

Old Wang comforted her in a hoarse voice, his withered hands gripping his wife's arm tightly, as if afraid she would collapse if he let go.

Grandma Wang nodded, too hungry to speak, only her turbid tears sliding down her wrinkles.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from afar.

A group of northern cavalrymen in yellow armor rode in, full of vigor and spirit, forming a stark contrast with the hungry civilians and prisoners of war.

Faced with these fierce northern cavalrymen, the previously restless people instantly fell silent, lowering their heads and shrugging their shoulders, like frightened quails, not daring to utter a sound.

These northern cavalrymen are truly capable of killing.

A few days ago, a group of people scrambled for white porridge, which alerted a cavalry force that came to attack. The cavalry killed more than a dozen people as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, and the riot was quelled on the spot.

Then they picked out a dozen or so of the most eager fighters and chopped off their heads in front of everyone.

Since then, no one has dared to cause trouble anymore. Everyone lined up obediently, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Old Wang and his wife quickly lowered their heads, preparing to tuck the child closer to their arms, but Old Wang caught a glimpse of the profile of the leading officer from the northern frontier.

That all-too-familiar figure made him freeze on the spot, his cloudy eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at the man: "Boss... Boss?"

"Old woman, look!"

"That guy looks so much like the boss!"

Old Wang grabbed his wife's arm and shook it violently, his voice trembling with wild joy.

Grandma Wang also hurriedly looked up, and the more she looked, the more excited she became, her lips trembling as she couldn't speak.

Those eyebrows, those noses—they clearly belong to their eldest son who has been missing for two years!
"Boss~"

"My son~"

"I'm your dad!"

"I'm here!"

The elderly couple broke free of the ranks and staggered toward the cavalry.

"Uu——"

Hearing a familiar shout, Captain Wang Qiang abruptly reined in his warhorse.

He looked in the direction of the sound and spotted the two haggard and frail figures in the dark crowd.

It was his parents!

"Father! Mother!"

Wang Qiang immediately shouted excitedly, his eyes instantly reddening, his voice choked with emotion.

He was captured in the Battle of Hexi two years ago and later stayed in the Northern Frontier Army, where he is now a captain.

After capturing Xingqing Prefecture, he rushed back to his old house immediately, only to find it deserted.

But judging from the signs of life, he must have left not long ago, so he searched everywhere.

After visiting several refugee camps, they finally found their parents here.

Wang Qiang dismounted and almost staggered forward, kneeling before his parents with a thud, tightly embracing their withered legs: "Father! Mother! Your son is unfilial, I have caused you to suffer!"

"Woooooooo~"

"My son is late!"

Old Wang stroked his son's armor, his rough hands trembling on the cold metal: "It's not too late, it's not too late... It's good that you're alive, it's good that you're alive..."

"We thought you were gone~" Grandma Wang said with tears in her eyes.

"Father, Mother, it's my fault for being useless. I couldn't protect our family..."

"For the past two years, I've thought of you every night in the northern frontier, fearing... fearing I'll never see you again..."

Old Mrs. Wang stroked her son's cheek with trembling hands, crying, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back... My son has made something of himself, he's become a high-ranking official..."

As she cried, Old Lady Wang suddenly went limp and fell straight backward.

"mother!"

Wang Qiang reacted quickly, reaching out to hug his mother. He felt the person in his arms was as light as a feather: "Mom! What's wrong?"

Old Wang was so anxious he kept stamping his feet: "Your mother hasn't eaten a single grain of rice in three days."

“A few days ago, the mutinous soldiers in Xingqing Prefecture looted all the last bit of food stored in the house, and she insisted on feeding the child the only spoonful of rice bran she had…”

Hearing this, Wang Qiang felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He turned around abruptly and shouted to his subordinates behind him, "Quick! Bring me my rations!"

A soldier rushed over and took out naan bread, dried meat, and milk skin from his bag. These were the daily foods of the Northern Frontier Army, used to stave off hunger.

Wang Qiang grabbed the food and offered it to his mother, but stopped halfway through his hand – his mother was unconscious and his father was old and frail, so how could they chew these dry and hard things?

"Go to the porridge distribution point up ahead and get two bowls of hot rice porridge!" Wang Qiang said, both anxious and angry.

The soldier ran away at the sound of the command, and a moment later brought back two bowls of rice porridge.

Wang Qiang first handed a bowl to his father, and then personally fed it to his mother.

Then, looking at the child, he asked, "This child... is the second child's?"

He stayed in northern Xinjiang for two years, hoping for a new addition to his family, thinking that his second brother had already gotten married and had children.

Old Wang took the rice porridge and drank a large mouthful, but sadness welled up on his face: "This is Wu Dajiao's child. His wife...sigh..."

The old man put down his bowl and recounted his experiences over the past two years in fits and starts: "This spring, the government dragged my second son to fight in Hexi, saying they wanted to reclaim the lost territory."

"Not long ago, the third brother was forcibly conscripted to guard Keyi Gate..."

"Wu Dajiao's family was even worse off. His wife was taken to the military camp by the mutinous soldiers and abused. The child was left at home with no one to care for him. It was your mother who was kind-hearted and took half a piece of bread with her every day to feed the child..."

Wang Qiang's face turned ashen, and the veins on his hand gripping the bowl bulged.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Father, don't worry, I will continue to look for the second and third sons."

“One of them is in the Western Expeditionary Army, and the other is in the Northern Garrison Army. Most of the troops in both armies have been captured by us. As long as they are not dead, we will definitely be able to find them.”

He paused, then looked at the baby, his tone softening: "I've seen Wu Dajiao before. He's still alive, in the prisoner-of-war camp outside the city."

"Once I've settled you and Mother in, I'll go find him and give the child back to him, but his wife..."

Wang Qiang shook his head inwardly. The woman who had been abducted to the military camp... "I will have someone keep an eye out. If we can find her, we should at least lend a hand."

"By the way, Dad, I married a woman in the northern frontier, and we had a son named Tiger Head."

Upon hearing Wang Qiang's words, Old Wang forgot all about drinking his porridge and could only excitedly say, "Good, good, good..."

His mouth stretched from ear to ear, and cloudy tears streamed down his face as he kept repeating, "It's good to have a grandson! Our Wang family has an heir... I knew my son was destined for greatness; he can settle down anywhere..."

As they spoke, Wang Qiang carefully carried his mother on his back and then had his subordinates help his father onto the horse.

He led the horse by the reins and left the refugee camp.

The other refugees watched this scene with envy in their eyes.

"People used to say that the barbarians in the northern frontier were very fierce, but now it seems they're not so scary after all."

"This old man is really lucky; his son is actually a captain in the northern frontier!"

“My brother from my mother’s side also went to Liangzhou back then, and he might be working in the northern frontier. I’ll have to go and look for him later.”

"If my brother were alive, he might be a centurion by now. I'll go ask around at the military camp gate after I get my porridge..."

Soon after, Wang Qiang arrived at the Keyimen prisoner-of-war camp.

By this time, many civilians had been taken to prisoner-of-war camps to reunite with their captured husbands and sons.

They will live here temporarily, and then migrate to northern Mongolia or Gansu.

Wang Qiang found Wu Dajiao, handed the child over to him, and told him what had happened at home.

Wu Dajiao held her child, sobbing uncontrollably, her heart filled with hatred.

"I risked my life for the Xia Kingdom on the front lines, but what about my family? They suffered this calamity in the rear!"

"Xia Kingdom! This damned Xia Kingdom!" Wu Dajiao's voice was filled with endless grief and indignation as he slammed his fist into the ground.

"I bled for it, but my family is still being bullied by those beasts."

"And those officials, who usually plunder the people's wealth and enjoy all the riches and honors, will only send us poor people to our deaths when it comes to the critical moment."

"I was blind! I actually risked my life for such a court."

"I'm so sorry to my wife, I'm so sorry to my child!"

The surrounding prisoners of war, listening to Wu Dajiao's tearful account, all lowered their heads, their faces showing similar grief and helplessness.

Among them, how many families were torn apart, how many wives and children were separated, and who among them was not making a pointless sacrifice for this corrupt dynasty?

Wang Qiang stood aside, silently watching everything without saying a word.

He knew that Wu Dajiao's words expressed the sentiments of many people.

Officials and nobles indulged in pleasure, owning vast tracts of fertile land and numerous wives and concubines, while ordinary people had nowhere to stand and had to endure exorbitant taxes, driving them to the brink of despair.

This may be the reason why the Xia Dynasty perished!
Even the most powerful army is useless if it loses the hearts of the people.

The northern expedition to the east was merely a trigger; the real reason was the deep-seated problems within the Xia Kingdom itself.

"Take good care of the child."

Wang Qiang patted Wu Dajiao on the shoulder: "I will have someone continue to inquire about your wife's whereabouts, and I will let you know as soon as I have any news."

Wu Dajiao raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at Wang Qiang, nodding.

Not long after, Wang Qiang sent word that his wife had died tragically.

Wu Dajiao didn't say much, but asked Old Man Wang for the physical characteristics of the group of soldiers who had kidnapped his wife. If they were ever encountered, he would definitely skin them alive.

Immediately afterwards, the more than 200,000 prisoners of war of the Xia army were reorganized.

Because of her feud with the Xia Kingdom and her daily conduct, Wu Dajiao was classified as a "pro-Northern person" and successfully became a household member.

"Listen to me!"

The captain stood on a rock and shouted to the reorganized troops, "There is no food left in Xingqing Prefecture. If you stay here any longer, you will all starve to death!"

"However, once you reach the northern desert, you will be able to survive. There are vast grasslands, countless cattle and sheep, and you can cultivate the land and grow crops yourself."

"According to the rules of my Northern Frontier, we will only collect 40% of your rent and taxes each year, and the remaining 60% will be yours to keep, which is enough for you to support your families."

These words left many people feeling uneasy, but others looked on with longing.

They didn't know what awaited them in the northern desert, but at least they had a way to survive.

With so many people remaining in Xingqing Prefecture, they won't even have grass roots or tree bark to eat.

Therefore, everyone had no choice but to take their families to the northern desert.

In addition to the main force of the six garrisons, the army marching south from the northern frontier also included four auxiliary armies of ten thousand households from the grasslands.

These prisoners of war were then reorganized with the 40,000 auxiliary troops.

From more than 200,000 captured soldiers and laborers, 60,000 relatively young men were selected.

Together with these 40,000 grassland auxiliary troops, they formed ten militia units of 10,000 households each.

Each household consisted of four nomadic households and six Western Xia Han households.

This arrangement served two purposes: firstly, to use Han Chinese from the Xia state to balance the population ratio of nomadic tribes in the northern deserts, thus ensuring mutual oversight.

On the other hand, it also allows these Han people from the Xia Kingdom to quickly adapt to the lifestyle in the northern desert with the help of local people.

These 100,000 households will return to the grasslands in batches.

Including those who stayed behind on the grasslands, there would be more than 120 thousand households in Zhonghai and Donghai at that time.

Meanwhile, in Datong Prefecture, the Fan family and two other grain merchants were working diligently to collect grain.

Ships laden with grain sailed down the Yellow River to the city of Wuluohai, from where it was transported north by carts and horses.

Along the way, grain depots were set up to ensure that the migrants would not starve to death on the journey.

The palace—Li Lingyang returned to this familiar place once again, but everything had changed.

The familiar palace road was filled with soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army. Their yellow armor with red trim stood out conspicuously in the twilight. The figures of the Great Xia Imperial Guards had long since disappeared, and the Emperor and Empress were nowhere to be found. Everything had changed.

Led by Hu Li, Li Lingyang, her head covered with a red veil, was helped by two maids as she stepped across the thick carpet toward the main hall.

This place, which was originally a solemn and dignified council hall of the Xia Kingdom, is now bustling with noise and has become a banquet hall for the generals of the northern frontier.

The generals had already begun toasting and celebrating Li Xiao's taking a princess from the Xia Kingdom as a concubine.

"Princess Lingyang has arrived."

With Hu Li's shout, the hall fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to him with curiosity and scrutiny.

Li Xiao looked up and gazed at him, his eyes as deep as the night.

Under the watchful eyes of numerous generals, Li Lingyang's palms were sweating, but he forced himself to remain calm as he strode forward.

The two maids supporting her were even worse off, their bodies trembling like fallen leaves, as if they had stepped into a den of tigers and wolves, and they didn't even dare to lift their heads.

"Princess Lingyang of the Great Xia Dynasty pays her respects to the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier."

Li Lingyang stood still in the hall, bowed slightly towards the dragon throne, and though his voice was soft, it carried a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"No need for formalities," Li Xiao's calm voice rang out, piercing the silence of the hall.

He looked at the woman wearing a red veil and continued, "Now that you have married me, Li Xiao, you are a member of the Li family and have nothing to do with the Xia Kingdom anymore."

"From now on, in my northern frontier, I must abide by the rules and fulfill my duties."

"As long as you behave yourself, abide by your duties as a concubine, treat those around you kindly, and do not discuss military and political matters recklessly, I, the Protector-General, will treat you well, ensure you have enough to eat and wear, and live a peaceful life."

Upon hearing this, Li Lingyang bowed again: "Thank you for your guidance, Great Protector."

The tension in his voice subsided slightly.

The following ceremonies were kept simple, since it was just a concubine taking in, and even though she was a princess of the Xia Kingdom, she wouldn't receive much preferential treatment.

Afterwards, Li Lingyang, guided by a servant, went to the courtyard prepared by the inner palace.

Li Xiao returned to his seat and continued drinking and talking with his generals. The topic soon returned to immigration and land reclamation, as well as military and political deployments.

That evening, Li Xiao, still slightly drunk, entered the bridal chamber, but his steps were steady and his mind remained clear.

No one in the army dared to force him to drink, and he himself kept to a certain limit, not drinking much.

"Greetings, Grand Protector!"

The voices of two maids came from inside the room; Li Lingyang's two personal maids had already been arranged to be elsewhere.

Li Xiao waved to them, and the servants tactfully withdrew, closing the door behind them.

With only the two of them left in the room, the atmosphere instantly became somewhat tense.

Li Lingyang sat on the edge of the bed, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands, even her breathing became much lighter.

Li Xiao stepped forward, reached out, and gently lifted her red veil.

A beautiful face was revealed, with eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn water, and fair skin, carrying the innocence and shyness of a young girl.

Li Lingyang also stared wide-eyed at Li Xiao, secretly relieved.

I had assumed that a general like Li Xiao, who had fought in battles for so long, would be a vulgar and ugly fellow.

Unexpectedly, he was so handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high nose. Although he exuded a murderous aura, he also carried the composure and dignity of a superior.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to freeze.

Li Lingyang felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, her cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly lowered her head, her long eyelashes fluttering gently like butterfly wings.

"Do not be nervous."

Li Xiao spoke, his voice softer than it had been in the main hall: "What did you often do in the Summer Palace?"

“On ordinary days… I studied with my teacher and learned some needlework.”

Li Xiao didn't go straight to the point; instead, he started with casual conversation.

Li Lingyang gradually relaxed and secretly sized up Li Xiao.

His figure was upright, and his casual clothes made him appear even more composed.

She suddenly felt that this man might not be as cold and ruthless as the rumors suggested.

"Grand Protector..."

She hesitated before speaking, "During the day you said that I should have no further connection with the Xia Kingdom..."

Li Xiao turned around and looked at her: "Yes, now that you have entered my Li family, you are a person of the Northern Frontier. The grudges of the Xia Kingdom are no longer your concern."

“But…” Li Lingyang bit her lip, “My father and mother are still in Xiping Prefecture, I wonder if you could…”

"As long as Li Chunyou behaves himself, Xiping Prefecture will be peaceful."

Li Xiao interrupted her, his tone becoming more serious: "You just need to take care of yourself, don't ask about anything else."

Apart from Xiao Yanyan, Li Xiao did not allow any other women to participate in the military and political affairs of the northern frontier.

Moreover, given the strategic nature of the war against Xia, even if Li Lingyang became his woman, she couldn't change Li Xiao's mind.

Li Lingyang lowered her head and stopped speaking. She knew that she was now insignificant and her words carried little weight, so saying anything more would be pointless.

They can only gradually exert their influence to facilitate the withdrawal of troops from northern Xinjiang.

"It's getting late, let's rest."

As Li Xiao spoke, he unbuttoned his outer robe.

Soon after, loud panting filled the room.

(End of this chapter)