The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 320 Marrying my sister, Li Xiao? Your son is not worthy!
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows and into the bedroom.

Li Lingyang slowly woke up amidst a wave of soreness. He tried to move his body slightly, but was immediately struck by needle-like pains all over his body and couldn't even lift himself up.

"Princess, you're awake?"

Hearing the commotion, the two maids who were guarding the outer room quickly lifted the curtain and came in. Seeing her frowning and enduring the pain, their eyes welled up with tears of heartache.

The two men quickly brought over a copper basin, wrung out a warm cloth, and carefully wiped her down.

"The Grand Protector is too rude."

One of the maids lowered her voice and complained, her tone full of pity, "Look at these marks on your body, you've been hurt..."

The two maids still feel a chill run down their spines when they recall those intermittent screams.

The sound lasted for a full hour, until even the princess's voice became hoarse, which made the people outside feel very distressed.

“That’s right, the people of the Northern Frontier are barbaric, they don’t know how to cherish women at all,” another maid whispered in agreement.

“Your Highness, you are of noble birth, how could you have suffered such hardship?”

Li Lingyang's cheeks flushed as they spoke, but a sense of grievance welled up inside her.

The experience she had not long ago was so overwhelming that she still feels lingering fear when she thinks about it.

Like a child who hasn't even left the beginner village, the first battle is a brutal defeat, leaving them utterly defeated and without the strength to fight back.

She suddenly remembered the words her mother had secretly taught her before she got married, saying that matters between husband and wife were nothing more than closing your eyes and enduring them. Now she realized how conservative her mother had been.

"fine……"

Li Lingyang's throat tightened, and his voice became terribly hoarse: "Luckily, my mother-in-law and mistress are in Longcheng, otherwise I would have to go and pay my respects today, given my appearance..."

The two maids also breathed a sigh of relief.

According to custom, a new concubine is supposed to pay her respects to her mother-in-law and the main wife on her first day in the household. However, Li Xiao's mother and his wife happen to be in Longcheng, so he was spared this troublesome etiquette.

Given how the princess is now, barely able to get up, how could she withstand being tossed and turned around like this?

"When did the Grand Protector leave?" Li Lingyang asked softly, looking at the empty bed beside him.

"They left just as dawn broke, so it's been about an hour."

A maid replied, "I heard from the two aunts that the Grand Protector left the city early this morning, saying that he had urgent military business to attend to."

Just then, two maids came in carrying a food box containing a steaming bowl of meat soup, with a faint aroma of brown sugar.

"Princess, this was just made in the kitchen,"

The head maid replied with a smile, "Before the Grand Protector left, he specifically instructed that since you had worked hard last night, the kitchen should stew some nourishing meat soup with sugar to help you recover."

Looking at the bowl of glistening meat soup, Li Lingyang's cheeks flushed again, but a warm feeling quietly welled up in his heart.

Although she was still shaken by his rudeness last night, the fact that he specially ordered a nourishing soup showed that he was at least considerate of her.

With the help of her maid, she slowly sat up, leaned against the soft pillows, and sipped the meat soup.

My nerves, which had been tense all night, gradually relaxed.

His gaze fell on the two female servants standing to the side, and he casually asked, "Where are you from?"

One of the older maids quickly replied, "Your Highness, we are both from Xingqing Prefecture."

"Then how did you come to serve in the palace?" Li Lingyang asked curiously.

“My husband brought me here. He said I could get a lot of reward money.”

“I figured since my mother-in-law could take care of the child at home, I might as well come over.”

Another person added, "My husband went to Hexi two years ago and hasn't come back since."

“I’m raising my child alone, barely making ends meet by farming. I never expected that he would come back with the Northern Frontier Army not long ago and become an officer there. He’s a deputy captain now.”

"My husband is the same."

The older servant woman smiled and said, "She went to fight in Hexi before and disappeared, but she came back this time and became a captain."

Their husbands became military officers in the northern border region, and their status naturally rose accordingly, becoming military dependents in the northern border region.

Not long ago, Li Xiao needed several reliable, capable, and trustworthy maids to manage the affairs of the women in the harem.

Some of the servants, including the two of them, were chosen to come here because their husbands were loyal and reliable military officers in the northern frontier.

"I see~" Li Lingyang said casually as he sipped his meat porridge.

Learning that they were originally from the Xia Kingdom but were now serving the people of the Northern Frontier, and that even their men had become officers in the Northern Frontier, she felt an instinctive displeasure.

But she was, after all, a princess, and she was very good at hiding her emotions, her face remaining calm.

He then casually asked, "What do you think of the Northern Frontier compared to the Xia Kingdom?"

"The northern frontier is naturally better!"

The younger maids seemed innocent and straightforward, saying whatever came to mind.

“My husband used to work as a farmhand for a landlord. He worked himself to the bone all year round, but the money he earned wasn’t enough to feed the whole family.”

“Now my husband has become an official, and he has brought back a lot of money. He also receives rewards for his merits, and we have our own land in the northern border region.”

"Since he came back, my children have been eating well and haven't gone hungry anymore."

Li Lingyang snorted and said dismissively, "Those who become officials are naturally different from those who were farmhands before."

Her implication was that being an official in the Xia Kingdom could also provide a good life for one's family, and that the Northern Frontier was not necessarily a better place.

The maid shook her head and said, "No, the common people are just as good."

“I heard from my husband that the Grand Protector is planning to distribute land to the people.”

"Any family that has registered as a resident of northern Xinjiang can rent a plot of land to farm themselves."

“This is different from renting land from landlords. In the past, landlords demanded 60% or 70% of the rent from us, and we also had to pay land taxes to the imperial court. At the end of the year, there was practically nothing left.”

"Now, when we rent public land, we only pay 40% of the rent as tax, and the rest is all ours. Life is much better now."

Li Lingyang paused slightly in the bowl of porridge, but said nothing.

She grew up in the inner palace and had never experienced the suffering of ordinary people, nor did she know what the weight of land rent meant.

But listening to the servant's words, he had a vague feeling that perhaps the Northern Frontier was really different from the Xia Kingdom.

The older maid noticed that Li Lingyang's expression darkened slightly, revealing a hint of displeasure. She quickly nudged her companion with her elbow, signaling her to stop talking.

She then realized that speaking ill of the Xia Kingdom in front of the Xia Kingdom's princess was no laughing matter. In the old Xia Palace, she would have been dragged away and imprisoned long ago.

It's also because their husbands became successful and their families were living comfortably, that they became complacent and forgot their limits.

"Princess, please don't mind."

The younger maid hurriedly forced an awkward smile, "I have such a loose tongue, I'm just talking nonsense."

After all, Li Xiao was just a servant woman found in a hurry, so she didn't know anything about palace rules.

As she spoke, she was pulled away by another person, her steps faltering slightly.

"Who does this person think they are? Don't they know who they're talking to?"

The maid Xiaotao muttered as she watched their retreating figures, "They dare to be so presumptuous in front of the princess."

Li Lingyang didn't reply, but just stared blankly at the bowl of porridge.

He felt a tightness in his chest. From the servant's words to the porridge distribution he had witnessed yesterday, the northern frontier was gradually shaking the foundations of Xia Kingdom's rule over Xingqing Prefecture and the Hexi region.

If things continue like this, even if the Xia army recovers Xingqing Prefecture, it will be too late.

Would the people here still be willing to accept the rule of the Xia Kingdom?

Li Lingyang became increasingly agitated the more he thought about it.

After finishing the meat porridge and replenishing my energy, I simply lay down to rest.

Given her injuries, she definitely won't be able to get out of bed today, and she probably won't be able to walk properly for at least three days.

A short while later, the older maidservant returned, bowing her head and whispering, "Princess, there are two women outside who want to see you. They claim to be some kind of Consort Lü or Consort He..."

Li Lingyang was taken aback, not having heard the address that followed.

The servants were inherently crude, and even their relay messages were halting and stammering, so they could only send the maid Xiao Tao out to take a look.

Xiao Tao returned quickly and whispered in Li Lingyang's ear, "Princess, it's Consort Lü and Consort He Tun."

These were all concubines from Li Chunyou's original harem, and they were quite familiar with Li Lingyang, so he quickly asked Xiao Tao to invite them in.

Soon, two women dressed in simple, elegant clothes walked in. They were both in their early twenties, a few years older than Li Lingyang.

When the Northern Frontier Army broke through the palace, they captured dozens of imperial concubines and hundreds of palace maids.

Li Xiao only selected a few women of exceptional beauty to keep by his side, while the rest were rewarded to meritorious generals. Consort Lü and Consort Hetun were among the best of those he kept.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

The two women walked to the bedside and bowed gracefully, their voices gentle.

"Get up quickly."

"Lingyang is a junior and does not deserve such a great gift."

Li Lingyang quickly raised his hand to signal, but a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

She carefully observed the two women and saw that they had rosy complexions, were neatly dressed, and still had a charming look in their eyes. They seemed to be in good health and did not look like they had been wronged at all, so she asked them about their recent situation.

"Your Majesty, my sister and I are still living in this inner palace, serving the Grand Protector's daily needs, and we are quite settled."

Consort Lü replied softly, a subtle, enigmatic smile playing at the corners of her eyes.

Li Lingyang instantly understood that they had been taken into Li Xiao's harem.

She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She felt strange inside, as if her heart was stuffed with cotton.

He could only change the subject, saying, "Why do you call me 'Your Excellency' instead of 'Princess'?"

The two women exchanged a glance, and Consort Hetun said softly, "Does Your Highness not know?"

"Now that you are the Grand Protector's concubine, we should naturally address you as 'Your Highness'."

Consort Lü continued, "The Grand Protector has instructed that my sister and I will remain in your courtyard to serve you from now on."

The so-called "being employed" does not mean using them as maids, but rather that Li Lingyang manages them.

Li Xiao had too many women, so he categorized them according to rank.

The principal wife, Xiao Yanyan, was in charge of the harem. Several concubines, including Wei Fuyao, Han Ying'er, Huang Xiu'er, Suoluheti Ni, Tajiguli, and Yelü Jin, each led a courtyard, and each courtyard managed several maids like Consort Lü.

These concubines were mostly prisoners of war, possessing only beauty but no political value. Li Xiao didn't care much for them and simply assigned them to various courtyards for management.

I only contact them when I need something.

"I see."

Li Lingyang responded indifferently, but felt as if something was nagging at his heart.

The former imperial concubine has now become a concubine of her own generation, while she, a princess, has become someone else's concubine. This stark contrast made her nose tingle slightly.

Seeing her dejected expression, Consort Lü and Consort He tactfully changed the subject, talking about the flowers and scenery in the palace, choosing lighthearted words for every sentence.

Li Lingyang responded half-heartedly, his gaze fixed on the palace walls outside the window. He felt that no matter who was in charge, these red walls were ultimately a cage.

Outside Keyi Gate, dust billowed as a large procession slowly moved forward.

Ten households formed a "shi" (什), and fifty households formed a "dui" (队). The people, with their families in tow, moved slowly towards the vast northern land like a long dragon.

To be precise, these are all refugees.

Xingqing Prefecture was short of food and could not support so many people, so they had no choice but to go north to make a living. After all, the Northern Frontier Army had promised to allocate grasslands and support land reclamation once they reached the northern desert, and the rent and taxes were very low.

Coupled with the forced demands of the Northern Frontier Army, these people had no choice but to head north.

The biggest difference between these people and ordinary refugees is their tight organization.

Ten thousand households, thousand households, hundred households, captain, ten households~
The establishment of this military management structure in northern Xinjiang ensured the efficient execution of orders by this team.

In addition, the system of collective responsibility and the provision of supplies along the way enabled most refugees to reach the northern desert.

On a nearby hill, a cavalry unit of the Wuwei Army stood silently.

Ten generals from the northern frontier bowed to Li Xiao, preparing to take their leave.

They were the commanders, deputy commanders, and captains of this immigrant army, originally mid-level officers in the six towns, who have now been transferred to civilian jobs and become local officials.

The six garrisons have always been a fixed position, and without large-scale military expansion, generals at the thousand-household and ten-thousand-household levels rarely have the opportunity to be transferred.

For these meritorious centurions and deputy centurions, becoming civilian officials when there were no other avenues for advancement was a good way out.

Currently, there is a shortage of officials in the northern border region. Military officers can be promoted three ranks after being demobilized. In the future, when the number of local officials is saturated, they will gradually be promoted two ranks, one rank, or even the same rank.

After all, the Six Garrisons are the easiest to gain merit. After a battle, many centurions, deputy commanders, or even commanders can emerge.

This demobilization mechanism is precisely designed to revitalize the career advancement channels in the six towns and inspire soldiers to strive for excellence.

"The first batch of grain from Datong Prefecture is being transported to Wuluohai City by waterway. Once you arrive, send people to receive it immediately and make sure that every household receives enough food to fill their stomachs every day."

Li Xiao's gaze swept over the generals in front of him, and he said in a deep voice.

"The Hexi Merchants have already purchased a large quantity of sheepskins in the northern desert and made them into sheepskin coats. You should distribute them to the people along the way to keep them warm and minimize the number of people who freeze to death."

"In addition, Woldu has more than 200,000 cattle and sheep. We will find Wei Xuan to take them over there and rent them to each household according to their number, so that they can at least drink some goat milk in winter."

"Upon arriving at the camp, we immediately arranged for people to cut winter grass and collect alfalfa seeds, so that they could be sown on a large scale in the spring to build a dedicated alfalfa pasture."

"There aren't enough tents right now, so let the people dig dug dugouts. They're simple, but they can keep out the wind and cold. Let's get through this winter first."

Li Xiao gave many instructions, and everything he did was to help more people survive in the northern desert.

Wanhu Lu Dazhuang patted his chest slightly and replied in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Grand Protector."

"This humble general has fought alongside you in so many battles, how could I possibly fail to handle such a small matter?"

"I know everything about the food, drink, and lodging during the march, and I will make sure the people don't suffer too much."

"Go ahead," Li Xiao waved his hand.

Lu Dazhuang led the thousand-household commanders in a bow, then mounted his horse and galloped away along the edge of the column.

Li Xiao stood there, gazing into the distance, his heart filled with complex emotions.

These migrating people are not only the foundation of the future of northern Xinjiang, but also a heavy responsibility.

Only by allowing them to take root in this land can the territory of northern Mongolia be truly stabilized.

After seeing off Lu Dazhuang and his 10,000-household immigrants, Li Xiao mounted his horse and led his personal guards to inspect the fields surrounding Xingqing Prefecture.

The fertile fields surrounding Xingqing Prefecture were once the foundation of the Xia Kingdom, and their richness was no less than that of the Hexi Corridor. In the past, they were all occupied by princes, nobles, and powerful landowners.

Now all this land has been requisitioned by the Northern Frontier Army and is being redistributed to the remaining people.

It was the autumn planting season, and busy figures could be seen everywhere on the ridges of the fields.

The villagers who had rented the land rolled up their trousers and wielded hoes to turn the soil and sow seeds, oblivious to the sweat soaking their clothes.

Thinking that they would be able to keep 60% of the grain when they harvested next summer, everyone was full of enthusiasm.

Li Xiao rode his horse slowly, looking at the vibrant scene before him with great satisfaction.

Food is the most important thing for the people. Only when the land issue is resolved can the people live and work in peace and contentment, and Xingqing Prefecture can truly settle down.

After inspecting the farmland, on his way back to the camp, Li Xiao received two letters from Longcheng.

One letter was sent by Xiao Yanyan, and the other was presented by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He first opened the letter sent by the Imperial Guards. It was written in delicate Khitan script, clearly the work of a woman.

It was written by Shulu Wujin.

The letter said that she had given birth to a son weighing 5.6 pounds, who was in good health.

She also said that she had already chosen a name for the child, Xiao Xuance, and that she would soon return to Yinshan to announce to the public that he was her adopted child, to be established as the legitimate son of the Xiao family, and to inherit the legacy of the Xiao family in the future.

Very few people knew that Shulu Wujin was pregnant.

Li Xiao arranged for her to have a safe and quiet pregnancy and delivery away from the public eye. She had previously told Li Xiao that she wanted the child to have the surname Xiao.

Li Xiao said he was willing to take her into his family and give her and her child a legitimate status.

After all, according to the customs of the grasslands, she, as a widow, was entitled to remarry.

However, Shulu Wujin insisted on refusing, saying that it would mean severing all ties with the Xiao family and starting over, and that she was deeply in love with Xiao Simo.

Li Xiao held the letter in his hand and shook his head helplessly.

This woman is truly despicable. She treated me like a stud, using me to seduce her, and then discarded me afterward.

But he also knew that Shu Lu Wu Jin was stubborn, and since she was determined not to enter the Li family, he couldn't force her.

Otherwise, if word gets out, it will only become a laughing stock in the entire northern border region.

"That's all."

Li Xiao comforted himself, "This son will take his stepmother's surname."

When Xiao Xuance grows up, Li Xiao will bestow upon him the title of a carefree prince in name only, just like the Prince Chai of the Song Kingdom, so that he can live a life free from worries about food and clothing, which can be considered as fulfilling his responsibility as a father.

He folded the letter and put it away, then opened the letter that Xiao Yanyan had sent.

The letter begins with a warm, everyday feeling, with Xiao Yanyan writing in detail about the children's recent situation: their grandparents are still in good health, and so on.

After turning two pages, the focus shifted to official business in Longcheng.

As the matriarch who stayed behind, Xiao Yanyan handled all the affairs of the northern frontier during Li Xiao's campaign. From household registration to the smooth operation of trade routes, she managed everything in an orderly manner.

The secret intelligence reports from the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already informed Li Xiao of these circumstances, so Li Xiao was quite at ease.

Xiao Yanyan picked out some important matters to explain in detail: the newly cast weapons and cannons have been transported to Hexi by caravan to replenish the losses suffered by the Northern Frontier Army in the Xia Kingdom.

Jinzhou, Damo, and Xizhou have made arrangements to receive more immigrants. Several more factories have been established in Damo, and two more military academies have been built, etc.

The matter of the Western Liao mission was only mentioned at the very end of the letter.

"The royal delegation has arrived in Longcheng, and I personally received Yelü Zhilugu's envoy."

Xiao Yanyan's handwriting revealed a degree of caution: "The other party's words were sincere, but they concealed a scheme."

Li Xiao's gaze darkened slightly.

The letter stated that Yelü Zhilugu actually wanted to ask Sanfeng to marry his son, and even promised that Sanfeng would be the future empress of the Liao Dynasty.

He wished to forge an eternal brotherhood with the Northern Frontier, bestowed upon Li Xiao the title of "King of the Northern Frontier," and swore never to interfere in the internal affairs of the Northern Frontier.

"Propose marriage?"

Li Xiao's face darkened: "That old dog, he's dreaming."

He knew all too well what Yelü Zhilugu was planning.

However, they were unable to defeat the Northern Frontier and feared that the Northern Frontier army would launch another westward expedition against the royal court, which would affect the war against the Kingdom of Gur.

They only came to show goodwill and acknowledge the independence of northern Xinjiang, hoping to bind each other through marriage.

The other party also proposed to engage in large-scale trade with northern Xinjiang, purchasing cotton cloth, ironware, and firearms, promising that these items would never be used in northern Xinjiang, but only to attack the Gurkha Kingdom in the south.

They even painted a grand picture of "the northern frontier managing the east, the Liao Kingdom expanding westward, and sharing the world together."

Li Xiao was so angry at these words that he laughed.

This old man is probably still half asleep.

Sanfeng is his only younger sister. He has doted on her since she was a child. How could he bear to let her marry someone from such a far away place?

Why would Li Xiao's sister need to use a political marriage to exchange for peace?
Besides, what is Yelü Zhilugu's son anyway?
Even the most outstanding Yelü Zhixin was nothing special in Li Xiao's eyes, mediocre in talent, and he was still beheaded by him at Yinshan.
As for his other sons, they were probably just as useless as Yelü Zhilugu.

The fact that Quchu Lü could so easily usurp the throne in history shows just how incompetent this group of people was.

"How can a tiger sister marry a dog son?" Li Xiao scolded in a low voice, his eyes full of mockery.

What Northern Frontier King?

Does Li Xiao need someone else to seal his position?
The Northern Frontier is already a de facto independent kingdom, and it only needs his order to establish a royal system. Yelü Zhilugu is trying to control him with a mere title, which is simply wishful thinking.

As for trade in cotton cloth, ironware, and firearms, forget about it.

The Liao Kingdom was at war with the Ghurid Kingdom, and was most likely losing, so it wanted to use the weapons of the northern frontier to turn the tide.

But if they were to actually acquire firearms and iron weapons, defeat the Kingdom of Gur, and then use the enemy's population and wealth to enrich themselves before turning around and attacking the northern frontier, that would be like raising a tiger to cause trouble.

"Yelü the old dog has a good plan."

Li Xiao slammed the letter down on the table: "Does he really think I, Li Xiao, am a fool?"

He already had a plan in mind. Although the war in Xia Kingdom was nearing its end, there might be more major moves next year, but dealing with the royal court was only a matter of time.

(End of this chapter)