The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 327 From Slave to Commander of a Thousand Households: The End of the Tangut Nobles
More than a hundred li east of Xiping Prefecture is Yanzhou Prefecture, Qintuo Ridge.

Nestled in the undulating loess valleys, most of the villagers live in cave dwellings.

Only the Fei Ting family's manor at the east end of the village, with its blue bricks and gray tiles and high walls, resembles a fat, giant beast perched on the barren land.

Fei Tingjia was the largest landowner within a radius of twenty miles, and a traditional noble family of the Tangut people. They had a deep-rooted network of connections in the imperial court, and were veritable "local emperors" in Yanzhou.

But for the ordinary people living here, it's a completely different story.

The Wang family was the most tragic. Three generations of men, from the sixty-year-old grandfather to the ten-year-old grandson, were all forcibly conscripted into the army and have been lost without a trace.

Now, only Wang Shi, her two daughters, and her mother-in-law with mobility issues remain in the Wang family.

"boom!"

That afternoon, the wooden courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open.

Five wicked servants dressed in coarse cloth shorts barged in, led by Li San, the steward of Fei Ting's household.

"Woman of the Wang family, your family is blessed! These two girls have caught the eye of the eldest young master. Come back to the manor with me and enjoy a life of luxury!"

Wang suddenly stood up, her face filled with terror, and tightly shielded her two daughters: "Steward Li, all the men in our family have been conscripted to fight in the war, and none of them have returned."

"Please, please, let these two children go! They're so young!"

"Let them go?"

Li San sneered, pointing his riding whip at Li Shi and the two children: "The eldest young master said that the Northern Frontier Army is about to attack. Those servants and soldiers kept in the manor need someone to serve them and someone to boost their morale!"

"All the men in your family are dead. Taking two maids to pay off the debt is already a mercy from the master. Don't be so shameless!"

Although the Xia Kingdom conscripted all the men in the country, even bringing along old men in their sixties and children as young as ten to the battlefield.

But that only applied to commoners; there was a different set of rules for the nobles.

Hiding people was a specialty of nobles.

They specifically selected a group of people who were physically strong or had special skills, and told them that as long as they sold themselves into slavery, they could be exempted from military service and would not have to go to the battlefield to die.

As a result, many common people flocked to it, even queuing up to give gifts in exchange for a "slave status" to save their lives.

Over time, a large number of servants accumulated in the noble estates.

Now that the Northern Frontier Army has wiped out Xiping Prefecture, these nobles, in order to protect themselves, will naturally train slaves to become soldiers.

This requires food and money, women to boost morale, and of course, wicked servants who take advantage of the situation to bully these orphaned women and widows.

Wang knelt on the ground, crying and pleading, "Butler Li, we've kowtowed to you. How much money do you want? We'll raise it all. Please don't take the child away."

"Cut the nonsense!"

"With your meager possessions, you think you can scrape together enough money?"

"Stop dreaming."

The wicked servants behind Li San stepped forward and tried to pull his two daughters away.

Looking at the beast before her, Wang Po thought of her husband, son, and grandson, who might have already died on the battlefield.

My perfectly good home has been turned upside down, and now even my last two granddaughters are going to be taken away. A surge of desperate anger welled up in my heart.

"Let go of my granddaughter."

She suddenly grabbed a hoe from beside the kang (a heated brick bed) and swung it at the wicked servants, yelling, "I'll fight you to the death!"

But she was old and her legs were weak; how could she possibly match the strength of the young, wicked servant?

One of the wicked servants dodged to the side and punched Wang Po in the chest with his backhand.

Granny Wang staggered and fell to the ground, struggling to get up but unable to. She shouted hoarsely, "You beasts!"

"Honghua won't let you off the hook, Chunhua will come and deal with you."

Upon hearing the words "Red Flower Society," the wicked slaves froze instantly, a hint of fear flashing across their faces.

Because the Xia Kingdom conscripted soldiers, a large number of men were drawn away, leaving only women, children, the elderly, and the weak, making it a real-life version of the "Kingdom of Women".

With all the men gone and order collapsed, a woman named Harukako stood up against the oppression of nobles, landowners, and wicked servants.

Led by a group of peasant women, they launched a surprise attack on the landlord's manor under the cover of night, personally killing the wicked servants who had committed numerous evil deeds. They officially raised the banner of resistance against the tyranny of the Xia Kingdom and formed the "Women's Army".

In order to intimidate the enemy during combat and to conceal the inherent physical deficiencies of women, they would paint their cheeks red.

With the addition of their leader Chunhuazi's name, this group acquired a resounding name—the Red Flower Society, the Red Flower Army.

Youzhou, where the Red Flower Society originated, was only a hundred miles away from Yanzhou, and was naturally feared by the evil servants.

But soon, Li San became enraged and kicked Wang Po in the chest: "You dare mention the Red Flower Society? I think you're tired of living!"

Granny Wang was kicked so hard she fell to the ground, unable to get up, her breath growing weaker and weaker.

The three women hugged Wang Po and cried their hearts out.

Li San spat and pointed at the two children: "Take them away! Don't delay the master's business!"

The wicked servants stepped forward to seize the girl.

Just then, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came from a distance.

Immediately afterward, the servant on guard outside rushed in in a panic: "It's terrible, Third Brother, it's people from the Northern Frontier, the Northern Frontier army is attacking!"

"People from Northern Xinjiang?"

Li San's face turned deathly pale instantly, all traces of his previous arrogance vanished, and he shouted, "Run!"

"The people from the northern frontier are here! If we get caught, we're all going to die."

The group of wicked servants were terrified and scattered in all directions.

At that moment, on the dirt road outside the cave dwelling, a troop of cavalrymen dressed in yellow armor was galloping towards them.

Liu Qi's gaze swept over the familiar yet unfamiliar village before him, and he murmured to himself, "This should be it, right?"

Having been away for more than three years, the desolation of Qin Tuoling far exceeded his expectations, making him somewhat hesitant to confirm it.

Following the direction of Wang Po's house from his memory, Liu Qi led his cavalry to the courtyard gate, only to see a group of men running out of the courtyard in a panic.

Liu Qi's face suddenly darkened, his heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "Something's wrong!"

"Arrest them all! Don't let a single one escape!"

Liu Qi gave a stern order, and the cavalry behind him immediately spurred their horses and gave chase.

In a short while, they intercepted all the wicked servants.

Li San and the others were so frightened that they knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing and begging for mercy, repeatedly shouting "Sir, spare our lives!" while their bodies trembled like leaves.

Ignoring the pleas for mercy from outside the courtyard, Liu Qi led two soldiers quickly into the courtyard.

As soon as he stepped through the threshold, he heard a woman's mournful cry coming from inside the cave, which instantly tightened his heart.

He quickened his pace and rushed into the cave dwelling, where he saw Wang Shi and her two daughters holding Wang Po's body and weeping bitterly.

Upon seeing several soldiers in yellow armor with stern faces suddenly burst in, the three of them stopped crying instantly, their eyes filled with fear.

Wang suddenly threw herself to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to Liu Qi, crying out, "Sir, please, spare my daughter!"

"They're still young and don't understand anything, let them go!"

She had assumed that the Northern Frontier Army had come to take her daughter away, just like the other servants.

After all, the house was dilapidated and there was nothing left; the only valuable things were the two daughters.

Seeing Wang's tearful appearance, Liu Qi felt a pang of sorrow, realizing that he had returned too late.

He quickly stepped forward and said, "Sister-in-law Wang, don't be afraid. I'm Liu Qi. Don't you remember me?"

Wang raised her tear-streaked face and stared blankly at Liu Qi.

She scrutinized Liu Qi's features, her lips trembling. Suddenly, she grabbed Liu Qi's arm excitedly, her voice choked with emotion: "Brother Liu Qi, you...you really are Brother Liu Qi!"

"Waaaaah... You're finally back!"

"Where's my Wang Wu? Has he come back? Where is he?"

When the imperial court conscripted soldiers, Wang Wu and Liu Qi went to the Hexi Corridor together and then disappeared without a trace. Wang thought they were both dead.

Liu Qi's smile faded slightly, and he said softly, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, Fifth Brother is fine."

"He also missed home, but the Grand Protector arranged for his troops to remain in the northern frontier, so he couldn't come back with me."

"I've come here this time to send you to the northern frontier so you can reunite with Fifth Brother."

It turns out that Liu Qi and Wang Wu were forced to separate after the Battle of Hexi.

Liu Qi stayed in Gansu and gradually rose to the rank of Shihu based on his military achievements. Now he has returned to Xia Kingdom with the Fourth Division of the Northern Frontier Army.

Wang Wu was transferred to Yili, a place that was extremely remote. Liu Qi had only heard that without horses, it would take an ordinary person a year to get there.

The reason why the Northern Frontier Army organized immigrant families to reunite in the Northern Frontier was twofold: firstly, to reassure the soldiers about guarding the border, and secondly, to increase the proportion of Han Chinese in the western region.

With more women, there will naturally be more children, which will allow that land to truly settle down.

However, there were some things Liu Qi didn't dare to say completely.

According to the custom in the northern frontier, single men like Wang Wu would be assigned Uyghur women as wives or concubines by the Protectorate General.

He himself even took a widow as a concubine in Gansu.

In Liu Qi's view, it was common for men to have multiple wives and concubines once they were capable, but he really didn't know how to tell Wang about it.

"Let Fifth Brother talk to Sister-in-law about this himself."

Liu Qi thought to himself, "As long as I get them safely to the northern frontier, I'll have completed my mission."

He composed himself and asked, "Sister-in-law, what exactly happened just now? How could Auntie..."

Upon hearing this, Wang couldn't help but shed tears again.

She choked back tears as she recounted what had just happened, and then mentioned that both of her sons had been drafted into the army and there had been no news of them since.

Hearing this, Liu Qi was filled with rage. He clenched his fists tightly and said in an icy voice, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I, Liu Qi, will definitely avenge my aunt."

"Not only will those few bastards outside die, but we will also never let the Fei family in the east go!"

After saying that, Liu Qi turned and walked out of the cave, ordering his soldiers, "Bring those people here."

Li San and the others were forced to kneel before Wang Po's corpse. When they saw the murderous intent in Liu Qi's eyes, they were so frightened that they almost wet their pants. They knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging, "Sir, spare our lives!"

She was filled with regret. They were just an orphan and a widow, and seemed easy to bully. But she never expected that the people of the Northern Frontier would actually stand up for them.

"Kill!" Liu Qi shouted coldly.

Several screams were heard, and the heads of Li San and the others rolled to the ground.

The Wang mother and daughter were terrified by the scene before them, but they also felt a sense of relief.

Even in chaotic times, women are not so fragile.

Liu Qi and his companions were merely scouts on their way to Qintuo Ridge. However, a commander of a thousand men from the Fourth Town had come to take down the Fei Ting family.

Since the fall of Xiping Prefecture, the Xia Kingdom has no organized army in this area.

The main force of the Northern Frontier Army was finally free to move around and was sweeping away the local landlord and noble forces from west to east, one by one. The Fei Ting family was one of them.

Fei Tingjia had anticipated the arrival of the Northern Frontier Army and had made preparations long ago.

The manor was transformed into a large military camp, surrounded by rammed earth walls more than two zhang high, riddled with arrow holes, and watchtowers were built at the corners.

The gate was made of thick solid wood wrapped with iron sheets, and barricades were placed at the entrance, making it a complete defensive structure.

Moreover, they had gathered more than 500 servants to serve as soldiers, and the weapons and armor they used were even better than those of the previous garrison of Xiping Prefecture. "Fire arrows! Fire arrows quickly! Don't let the Northern Frontier cavalry get close!" Fei Ming, the eldest son of the Fei family, stood on the city wall, shouting with a ferocious expression, his eyes filled with fear and madness.

Arrows rained down from the city walls like locusts, forcing the northern cavalry to retreat temporarily.

Wu Han, the commander of the Fourth Town, frowned slightly: "I didn't expect the Fei Ting family to have so many bows and arrows. We've been at it for so long, and they still have so much stamina."

Standing beside him on horseback was a deputy commander wearing a yellow cotton armor with red trim.

Wu Weijun, Yang Shoujing.

Compared to Wu Han, he was more familiar with Fei Tingjia. Looking towards the manor, his eyes flashed with hatred and an uncontrollable killing intent.

The cold voice said, "Not only their bows and arrows, but their armor is also of high quality."

"Look at those leaders on the city wall, they're wearing heavy armor. Ordinary swords and blades can't even break through their defenses."

Wu Han stroked his chin, his tone tinged with surprise: "The Fei Ting family truly lives up to its reputation as a great noble family of the Tanguts; their foundation is so profound."

"With so many weapons and armor hidden away, doesn't the Xia Kingdom's court care?"

"It's not that we don't care, it's that we can't manage it."

Yang Shoujing sneered: "These nobles are actually local tyrants. On the surface, they obey the imperial court, but in secret, they have long regarded this place as their own territory."

"They hoard weapons and armor, and raise private armies; they might have been waiting for the chaos of war to come and get a share of the spoils."

"Therefore, it is even more necessary to thoroughly eradicate these Tangut nobles and landowners."

Wu Han's eyes sharpened: "Keeping them alive will only bring trouble sooner or later."

Just as the two were talking, a fawning voice suddenly came from the city wall, shouting to the Northern Frontier Army below: "Northern Frontier soldiers, stop fighting!"

“Our Fei Ting family has never regarded the Northern Frontier Army as an enemy. We have always been loyal to the Northern Frontier and have long been eager to serve them.”

"Now that we have seen the heavenly army, we are willing to offer 100,000 taels of silver. Please accept this offer and withdraw your troops!"

“From now on, our Fei Ting family will be like dogs in the northern frontier. We will definitely behave ourselves, pay taxes and grain on time, and never dare to have any disloyal thoughts.”

"Please, gentlemen, give me a way out!"

Fei Tingjia heard about the Northern Frontier Army's modus operandi: they specifically killed nobles and distributed land to the common people.

They were terrified. If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't take the fields and houses with them, and that they had too much wealth, they would have packed up and fled long ago.

Seeing the fierce offensive of the Northern Frontier Army, they might be able to hold the manor for a short time, but if it goes on for too long, the servants will lose heart, and the manor will certainly not be saved.

He then considered a massive financial sacrifice, using 100,000 taels of silver to demonstrate his "loyalty."

As long as the troops from the northern frontier withdraw, no matter what officials the northern frontier sends to manage Qintuo Ridge, the Fei family's centuries-old heritage here will suffice.

By winning over the common people and bribing petty officials, they will eventually be able to control the officials, and then Qin Tuoling will actually be under their control.

But they miscalculated. The Northern Frontier Army never compromised when dealing with nobles and landowners.

When Wu Han heard about "100,000 taels of silver," he was not tempted at all; instead, he sneered.

If someone can easily produce 100,000 taels of silver, then the wealth hidden in that manor must be far greater.

He reined in his horse and shouted at the city wall, "Since you're willing to offer silver, then open the gate and let us in to count it."

"If the silver is delivered to my hands, I will naturally withdraw my troops!"

The old steward on the city wall changed his expression and hurriedly shouted again, "Sir, it's not that we don't want to open the gate, it's just that we know how powerful you are."

"I'm afraid that if I open the door, I won't be able to save my life."

"We would like to ask the soldiers to withdraw their troops first. We will certainly deliver the 100,000 taels of silver to the soldiers' camp in person, without missing a single penny."

Meanwhile, the Tiger Cannon in the northern border region was ready, and Wu Han had completely lost patience.

He shouted angrily, "Bullshit! I think you're just asking for death!"

"If they don't even believe me, what's the point of talking?"

"Shenji Battalion, blast them to pieces!"

"Boom boom boom~"

The Tiger Sovereign Cannon roared furiously.

Although the gate of Feijiazhai was covered with iron sheets, it was far less sturdy than the city walls. After only two rounds of artillery fire, the heavy gate was blown open.

Inside the manor, the servants who had been putting up a stubborn resistance were suddenly dumbfounded, their faces filled with shock and fear.

A young servant dropped his spear with a clatter to the ground, his voice trembling: "What...what kind of monster is this? How can the weapons of the Northern Frontier people be so terrifying?"

"I told you long ago, Xiping Prefecture and Xingqing Prefecture have both been breached, how could our broken gate possibly hold them off!"

Another celebrity slumped to the ground, his voice filled with despair: "I should have surrendered. It's too late to regret it now!"

"Shut up! Anyone who dares to say they're surrendering, I'll kill them first." The eldest son of the Fei family brandished his curved sword, trying to calm everyone down.

But his own voice was trembling; those few shots had completely shattered his arrogance.

Just then, the Northern Frontier Army launched its attack.

"Brothers, kill me!"

Wu Han suddenly drew his long sword from his waist, his voice booming across the battlefield.

"Boom boom boom~"

"kill!"

Behind them, the iron cavalry of the northern frontier roared in battle, their hooves trampling over the broken gate and surging into the manor like a tide.

The servants, who had no will to resist, threw down their weapons, knelt on the ground, and shouted "surrender!"

The Fei family members panicked. Some hid in the cellar in the inner courtyard, while others tried to escape by climbing over the wall, but they were all captured by the soldiers from the northern frontier.

Within half an hour, the resistance within the manor was completely quelled, and the Northern Frontier Army firmly occupied the entire manor.

The soldiers quickly dispersed and systematically looted the spoils of war in the manor. The gold and silver jewelry in the storeroom, the grain in the granary, and the armor and swords in the armory were all inventoried and registered one by one.

Meanwhile, Wu Han, accompanied by several members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, personally interrogated the core members of the Fei Ting family.

"Don't kill me! I have money, I'll give you money."

Fei Ming, the second son of the Fei family, was pinned to the ground by soldiers, but he still struggled and shouted, "My family's storeroom has gold, silver, and jewels."

"If you let me go, I'll give you everything."

“Yes, we’ll pay, we’re willing to buy our freedom.” Other members of the Fei family echoed, trying to buy their lives with money.

"fart."

Amid the commotion, a rough, angry shout suddenly rang out, and Wu Han strode over, his face covered in a thick beard and his eyes fierce.

He kicked Fei Ming in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground, and yelled, "Killing you bunch of parasites wouldn't even dirty my knife! And you dare mention money?"

"Every penny in your manor is hard-earned money, scraped from the people."

"Now you are all prisoners of my Northern Frontier, and your money naturally belongs to my Northern Frontier."

"Using money from my northern border region to redeem yourselves is utterly foolish."

Fei Ming was kicked so hard he couldn't speak, and could only clutch his chest and groan in pain.

The other members of the Fei family were also intimidated by Wu Han's imposing presence and dared not utter a sound, their faces filled with fear.

Just then, a figure wearing yellow armor with red trim stepped out from among the soldiers.

He was tall and straight, with a cold and stern face, and his eyes revealed a fierceness that was beyond his years. He was Yang Shoujing, the deputy commander of the Wuwei Army.

He glanced at Wu Han, who understood and stepped aside, but still stared fiercely at the Fei family.

Yang Shoujing walked straight up to Fei Tingdangxiong, the head of the Fei family, who was being pinned to the ground, and a cold smile appeared on his lips: "General Fei Ting, how have you been?"

Upon hearing this, Fei Tingdangxiong was slightly taken aback, raised his head to look at Yang Shoujing, his eyes full of doubt.

He didn't recognize the young general from the northern frontier, but for some reason, the man looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

"Is General Fei Ting simply forgetful, or is his memory failing due to old age?" Yang Shoujing's smile grew even colder, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"Back in Rendoquan City, I have always kept the general's teachings in mind."

"Rendoquancheng?"

Fei Ting's body trembled violently, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

Eight years ago, when he was the commander of the Zhuoluo and Southern Army Command, he fought against the Tibetans in the area of ​​Renduoquan City.

In an instant, a long-forgotten memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his voice began to tremble: "You...you are Yang Delie? No, Yang Delie is long dead!"

"You are Yang Delie's son, call him, call him!"

He wouldn't remember a junior's name at all, and in his eyes, that junior was already a dead person.

"Hehehe, it's rare that General Fei Ting can still remember my father's name."

Yang Shoujing squatted down, leaned close to Fei Ting's ear, and said in a voice as cold as a knife: "But you didn't expect this, did you? The descendants of the Yang family that you framed back then are still alive."

Fei Ting's face turned deathly pale instantly, as if all the strength in his body had been drained away.

He finally remembered who the person in front of him was.

Back then, due to his command error, the Southern Army suffered a great loss at the hands of the Tibetans. In order to exonerate himself, he shifted all the blame to his deputy, Yang Delie.

Thanks to his family's influence in the court, he was not only spared punishment but was also promoted, while Yang Delie was beheaded and his family members were exiled.

Yang Shouzhen and Yang Shoujing were slaves in Dunhuang when they happened to witness the Northern Frontier Army's first raid on Western Xia, and they joined the Northern Frontier Army.

That's how Yang Shoujing came to be the Deputy Commander of the Wuwei Army.

His elder brother, Yang Shouzhen, even held the position of commander of a thousand households in the Sixth Town.

Fei Tingdangxiong originally thought that the descendants of the Yang family had died during their exile, but he never expected that Yang Delie's son was still alive and had become a general in the Northern Frontier Army, coming to seek revenge.

"You...what do you want?"

Fei Tingdangxiong's voice was filled with despair, and all his former majesty was gone.

Yang Shoujing stood up, looking down at him with a calm yet resolute tone: "What you owed the Yang family back then, I will collect it all from you today, one by one."

"As for your Fei Ting family members, and those evil servants who aided and abetted the wicked, they will regret the sins they committed in the past."

"You will pay for what you did to the Yang family back then."

Soon after, the screams of the Fei family members echoed through the courtyard.

“The Fei family has been based here since before the founding of the Xia Kingdom. After so many years of operation, it is impossible that they only have this little bit of gold and silver in the manor.”

“We must use torture to force them to reveal all of Fei Ting’s family’s assets.”

Afterwards, Yang Shoujing went to inspect the servants and soldiers who were imprisoned outside, and instructed his personal guards: "Go to the surrounding villages and find some people to come here."

"Let the people recognize these people and take a good look."

He paused, then said in an unquestionable tone: "All the servants who have committed heinous crimes will be sent to the mines to work as miners. The others who have committed lesser crimes will be sent to the northern deserts and the Seven Rivers region to work as laborers and cultivate wasteland."

Soon, a group of people were brought over, including the Wang mother and daughter.

With Liu Qi by their side, they felt confident and picked out many of his bullying lackeys.

What awaits them is endless hard labor.

(End of this chapter)