The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 332 [National Policy Outline], Xuande Division

Once the generals had left the hall, drunk, the noisy hall instantly fell silent.
Li Xiao ordered the maid to take the two women back to their room to wait for service, while his gaze fell on the two people in the corner.

These were Li Xiao's personal scribes, Li Shurong and Wu Lizhen.

"Reporting to the Grand Protector, I have written it down word for word." Li Shurong immediately stood up and bowed, his voice steady.

He was a Han Chinese from Jinzhou and had been working for Li Xiao for many years, responsible for copying documents. Although he had no real power, he was deeply trusted by Li Xiao, and even the generals in the army would treat him with some respect.

Wu Lizhen, who was standing to the side, also stood up and said respectfully, "I have also taken notes, especially the part about the political ideology of the Northern Frontier, which is marked in great detail."

His original name was Wulizhen, a Uyghur. He had served as a staff member for the governor of Shanle City. After secretly defecting to the Northern Frontier, he assisted the Northern Frontier army in burning Li Anquan's 20,000-strong army, making a great contribution. [See Chapter 256]

Having studied in Han areas for many years, he not only became proficient in Han culture but also changed his name to Han. If one ignores his somewhat exotic appearance, he is almost indistinguishable from a Han person.

Li Xiao nodded, gesturing for the two to sit down: "You two, immediately compile today's conversation into a book, and combine it with the national policies already implemented in the Northern Frontier, such as 'land redistribution and tax reduction' and 'expelling the barbarians and restoring the Han,' to compile a systematic book on governance."

Li Xiao had studied the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's "Land System of the Heavenly Kingdom" and "New Treatise on Governance," and some of their ideas were worth learning from.

For example, the equal distribution of land abolished the feudal land ownership system, advocated for centralized power, strengthened central authority, and enhanced the rule of law.

Develop modern industry, transportation, finance, medicine, culture and education.

Protect commerce and trade, oppose "emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce", and allow "free trade", etc.

These are all lessons that can be learned from for the northern border region.

However, in some aspects, it is not suitable for northern Xinjiang.

For example, absolute egalitarianism, the idea that everything should be public, and the use of the Bible to educate the people, etc.

This is completely inconsistent with the actual situation in northern Xinjiang.

The northern border region only demands that land be returned to the public and that other private property be protected. But people have selfish desires, so how can absolute equality be achieved?

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom took too big a step and was too idealistic.

In essence, the Northern Frontier is still an imperial system. Li Xiao plans to eliminate its radical aspects and retain those that are relevant to people's livelihoods, thus forming a unique governance framework for the Northern Frontier.

This task was then assigned to Li Shurong and Wu Lizhen.

Li Xiao explained in detail some policies that were being prepared or were being implemented. Li Shurong and the other person wrote and asked, "Great Protector, should we focus on measures that benefit people's livelihoods when compiling this? For example, land reclamation and water conservancy, which are the things that the people care about most."

"Yes."

Li Xiao said, "The governing ideology should not only clearly state the grand goal of 'expelling the barbarians and restoring the Han,' but also clearly state the tangible benefits that can be obtained by following the northern frontier, so that the people can understand it at a glance and the officials can implement it accurately."

Two days later, Li Xiao summoned the two to his tent again.

On the table lay the manuscript that the two had initially compiled. Li Xiao flipped through it, offering suggestions for revision from time to time, and then asked, "You two have been in contact with documents for a long time. What are your views on the implementation and promotion of policies in northern Xinjiang?"

Li Shurong pondered for a moment and said, "I believe that we should send more special commissioners to the prefectures and counties to supervise the policies and prevent local officials from paying lip service to them."

"As for publicity, we can print more notices and post them in prominent places in the market."

Wu Lizhen added, "Great Protector, the notice is good, but the literacy rate of the people is low, and many people cannot understand it."

"I think it would be more effective to recruit some eloquent people to explain the policies in markets and villages."

A hint of approval flashed in Li Xiao's eyes as he put down the manuscript: "That makes sense."

"From this day forward, a new department will be established, named the Xuande Department, which will be responsible for publicizing the policies of the northern frontier and establishing a positive image. It will be similar to the propaganda and education organization of the previous dynasty, but with broader authority and can directly connect with various armies and prefectures and counties."

He looked at Wu Lizhen and said with certainty, "You will be appointed as the Military Advisor of Xuande Division."

Li Xiao had his reasons for choosing Wu Lizhen.

Li Shurong is young and naive. He has always followed Li Xiao and rarely comes into contact with people from the lower classes. Sometimes his ideas are too idealistic.

Wu Lizhen's life has been full of ups and downs. He has experienced the coldness and warmth of human nature since childhood. He has rich experience, mature temperament, and more skillful ways of handling problems.

Although he was a Uyghur, in Li Xiao's view, whether Uyghur or Mongol, as long as one's heart is with China, one is a part of the Chinese nation.

After the fall of Gaochang, there were still quite a few Uyghurs in the northern border region. Simply ignoring them would only provoke them to rebel. It would be better to open up avenues for them to rise in status.

Wu Lizhen was intelligent, knowledgeable about Han culture, and had made military achievements. Appointing him as a military advisor in Xuande Division was to set an example for all non-Han people.

As long as one serves the northern frontier, regardless of their background, they will be given important responsibilities.

This incident also spurred Li Shurong on.

Although he was senior and trusted, he always stayed by Li Xiao's side and lacked actual combat achievements.

In contrast, Wu Lizhen helped the Northern Frontier Army annihilate 20,000 Xia soldiers in the battle of Shanle City alone. He was already a registered Northern Frontier military household, something Wu Lizhen could not match.

After he presented the well-organized book on governance to Li Xiao, he hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Great Protector, I have followed you for many years. Although I am good at writing, I am not skilled in leading troops or governing the people."

"I earnestly request that you allow me to gain experience in a town, to serve in the army or in a prefecture or county, to learn more real skills, and to make more contributions to the northern frontier."

Li Xiao looked at him with satisfaction in his eyes: "Have you thought it through? Going to the town for training is much tougher than staying in the study. You'll not only have to face war, but also deal with complicated people's livelihood issues."

"I've made up my mind."

Li Shurong said firmly, "The northern frontier is in dire need of manpower. I do not want to be just a clerk who only copies and writes, but also want to contribute to 'driving out the barbarians and restoring the Han, and ensuring the distribution of land and the well-being of the people'!"

Hearing his words, Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction and said, "Prime ministers rise from the prefectures and counties, and fierce generals emerge from the ranks."

"Without experiencing the hardships of working at the grassroots level, even if you reach a high position, all you will feel is a bone-chilling cold."

There are not many cultured people among the old Han people of Jinzhou, and Li Shurong is one of the more outstanding ones. Therefore, Li Xiao attaches great importance to him and always keeps him by his side, personally teaching him and imparting to him the governing philosophy of the northern frontier.

Previously, it was because he was still young, only eighteen years old this year.

Li Xiao also had the idea of ​​sending him out to gain experience, but since he took the initiative to bring it up, Li Xiao was very pleased.

"In our northern border region, we value military prowess and judge heroes by their military achievements."

"Whether you become a general or a governor, you need to make military achievements and rise step by step."

"Understood, Your subordinate." Li Shurong nodded emphatically.

Although he was a clerk, he was not a weak scholar.

Born into a poor family in northern Xinjiang, how could he be so weak as to not even be able to kill a chicken?

He was just a little more educated than other Han Chinese, so he gave the impression of being a scholar.

Deep down, they still possess the ruggedness and ferocity of the Han people of Jinzhou.

Li Xiao nodded and immediately ordered, "In that case, you shall enter the 190,000th household."

"Based on your rank, you will first serve as a deputy captain, learn to lead troops and fight under your fourth uncle. After you become familiar with military affairs and make meritorious contributions, you will be transferred to a full-fledged position."

"Your subordinate obeys," Li Shurong said, patting his chest heavily.

Meanwhile, the framework of Xuande Division has been initially established.

Although there are still only a handful of people, Li Xiao plans to continue recruiting.

First, set up propaganda points in each household and select some eloquent soldiers to serve as propagandists to explain the policies and governing philosophy of the northern frontier to the soldiers.

The next step is to gradually extend the publicity efforts to thousands and hundreds of households, ensuring that everyone is aware of the goals and concepts of Northern Xinjiang.

In terms of public propaganda, Li Xiao did not follow the example of his time-traveling predecessors in promoting newspapers.

Firstly, at that time, the literacy rate of the general public was less than 10%, and newspapers had high distribution costs and a small readership.

Secondly, the core literate group consists of gentry and powerful families, and the northern frontier is working to crack down on this class. Publishing newspapers could become a tool for them to oppose the northern frontier.

Li Xiao said to Wu Lizhen, "Follow your method, recruit a group of itinerant storytellers and write scripts for them."

"For example, tell the story of the Northern Frontier Army destroying the Western Xia and saving the people, and tell the story of the people living in peace and contentment after the land was distributed and taxes were waived, and have them spread the word in the teahouses of the market and villages."

"People love to hear stories. Once they hear them enough, they will naturally understand that the northern frontier is for their own good and will sincerely submit to it."

Wu Lizhen immediately set about implementing the plan and soon recruited dozens of storytellers to write stories such as "The Great Victory at Sha Niu Ling" and "The Story of Land Distribution in Lingzhou".

In the years that followed, storytellers could sometimes be seen recounting stories of northern Xinjiang in teahouses and villages.

The people sat around listening, sometimes cheering for the victories of the Northern Frontier Army, sometimes sighing for the suffering of the people in the past. Their sense of identity with the Northern Frontier was also quietly deepened with each story.

The book that embodies the governing philosophy of the Northern Frontier was named "National Policy Outline" by Li Xiao. This is only the first version, and new content will be added in the future.

Li Xiao also ordered that it be printed and distributed to the generals and officials of various military towns and civilian households, becoming the fundamental guideline for the administration of officials and the fighting of soldiers in the northern frontier.

It even became a compulsory political subject at the Hexi Military Academy.

……

Qin Prefecture, another major offensive direction on the western front of the Song Dynasty, also saw fierce fighting.

Wu Xi's generals Feng Xing, Yang Xiong, and Li Gui led 8,000 infantry and cavalry, taking advantage of the gap in the Jin army's main force being tied down by the Northern Frontier Army, and quietly entered Chigu, attempting to launch a surprise attack on Qinzhou and open up a passage to Guanzhong.

The mountains on both sides of Chigu Valley were steep, and the forest was shrouded in mist. The Song soldiers carefully advanced along the mountain path. Feng Xing reined in his horse and looked at the Qinzhou city wall that was faintly visible in front of him. He whispered to Yang Xiong and Li Gui beside him, "The main force of the Jin army is tied up in Sanzhai by the Northern Frontier Army. Qinzhou city is sparsely defended. This time, our surprise attack will surely take the city in one fell swoop."

Yang Xiong nodded, a glint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes: "As long as we take Qin Prefecture, we can join forces with Lord Cheng Song's troops and attack the Jin army at Dasanguan together!"

Little did they know that a trap had already been set up within Qinzhou City.

Upon receiving the intelligence, Jin generals Wanyan Chengyu and Wanyan Lin immediately joined forces with Pucha Bingxuan, the defense commissioner of Hezhou, and led 5,000 elite troops to set up an ambush at Chigu.

As the Song army entered the middle section of Chigu Valley, a rain of arrows from the Jin army instantly descended. The "whoosh" sound pierced the fog, and Song soldiers fell to the ground, struck by arrows.

"No! There's an ambush!"

Feng Xing's expression changed drastically, and he shouted the order: "Form ranks and meet the enemy!"

However, the Song army was already in chaos. Jin cavalry charged out from both sides, their curved swords gleaming coldly, and slaughtered the Song army as if cutting melons and vegetables.

Yang Xiong, wielding a long spear, fought back fiercely, but Wanyan Lin slashed his shoulder with a knife, causing blood to gush out.

Li Gui attempted to organize an infantry counterattack, but the Jin army's heavy cavalry broke through their formation, and the soldiers scattered in all directions.

In just half an hour, the Song army was completely routed.

More than two thousand people died, and the rest were either captured or fled into the mountains.

Yang Xiong and Li Gui were killed in battle. Under the cover of his personal guards, Feng Xing fought desperately to break through the encirclement and managed to escape, leaving only a few dozen remaining soldiers behind him as they fled in disarray toward the Song army camp.

Inside the Song army camp, Wu Xi was sitting in his command tent, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table.

Hearing hurried footsteps outside the tent, he looked up and saw Feng Xing stumble in, covered in blood and with his armor shattered, before collapsing to his knees with a thud.

His voice was choked with sobs: "General! We...we have been defeated! Generals Yang Xiong and Li Gui have died in battle, and of the eight thousand brothers, only a few dozen of us managed to escape."

"what?"

Wu Xi slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his face ashen and his eyes filled with fury: "Eight thousand soldiers! And you only brought back a few dozen? Yang Xiong and Li Gui died in battle, but you came back alive?!"

Feng Xing lay on the ground, trembling all over, and choked out as he explained, "General, the Jin army had laid an ambush long ago, and their strength far exceeded our expectations. We simply couldn't hold them off!"

"Can't withstand it?"

Wu Xi sternly rebuked, "I sent you to launch a surprise attack on Qin Prefecture so that you could achieve great things, not to throw your lives away."

"The lives of eight thousand brothers were wasted by you in vain, and you still have the face to come back and see me?"

The generals inside the tent all lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

Feng Xing was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly: "General, spare my life! I am willing to atone for my sins by performing meritorious service. Please give me another chance!"

"Atone for your crimes with good deeds? You don't deserve it!"

Wu Xi snorted coldly and shouted to the outside of the tent, "Men! Seize Feng Xing, strip him of his military power, and imprison him to await further orders."

Two soldiers immediately stepped forward and dragged Feng Xing away.

Wu Xi watched Feng Xing's retreating figure, a barely perceptible glint of cold light flashing in his eyes. He then addressed the generals, saying, "The Qin Prefecture army suffered a crushing defeat and heavy losses. I will report this matter to the imperial court."

"Return to your respective camps and strengthen vigilance; there must be no mistakes."

The generals accepted their orders and left, leaving only Wu Xi in the command tent soon.

Just then, a soft sound came from behind the tent, and a middle-aged man with a goatee slowly walked out, a smiling expression on his face. He cupped his hands to Wu Xi and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, you have eliminated a major threat."

This man was Liu Simiao, Wanyan Gang's advisor, and also the envoy who came to persuade Wu Xi to surrender.

Wu Xi looked at him; the "anger" on her face had vanished, replaced by a hint of ruthlessness.

“Mr. Liu, these three men, Feng Xing, Yang Xiong, and Li Gui, have always opposed my submission to the Great Jin. If they are not eliminated, they will become a future problem. This time, by using the Jin army to get rid of them, I can say that I have put my mind at ease.”

Previously, Wu Xi had tested his generals individually. Feng Xing and the other two said that they could not serve as officials of the Song Dynasty, but they did not want to serve as officials of the Jin Dynasty. They could not betray their ancestors and become traitors.

To avoid problems with his plans, Wu Xi had no choice but to join forces with the Jin army to eliminate them.

Liu Simiao smiled and nodded: "Your Majesty is wise."

"With Feng Xing and the other two dead, no one in the army dares to oppose the King anymore. Now we can proceed according to plan."

Wu Xi walked up to the map of Sichuan and said in a deep voice, "I have already agreed to submit to the Jin Dynasty. However, I surrendered to the Jin Dynasty in order to lead the people of Sichuan and Shu away from the oppression and bullying of the Song Dynasty, and to live a carefree life as the King of Shu. I did not surrender to the Jin Dynasty."

"General Wanyan Gang previously instructed me to cooperate with the Jin army, which I have done. Now, shouldn't I fulfill my promise?"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty."

Liu Simiao said, "My general said that as long as Your Majesty acts according to plan and cedes the four prefectures of Jie, Cheng, He, and Feng to my Great Jin after the matter is accomplished, His Majesty will definitely confer upon Your Majesty the title of King of Shu."

He paused, then changed the subject: "However, there is another matter that requires Your Majesty's cooperation. My general hopes that Your Majesty can lead the Song army to join forces with the Jin army to wipe out Cheng Song's 20,000 Song soldiers."

“Cheng Song is a man of the Song court and has always been at odds with Your Majesty. Getting rid of him will also make Your Majesty’s position in Sichuan more secure.”

A hint of a smile flashed in Wu Xi's eyes: "Of course."

“That scoundrel Cheng Song has long disliked me. Getting rid of him is exactly what I want.”

Sichuan is the territory of the Wu family, but the Song court keeps sending officials there, and every one of them, like Cheng Song, opposes the Wu family. Wu Xi has long wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.

"There's one more thing," Liu Simiao continued.

"As you know, the people of the Northern Frontier became arrogant and ignorant after they occupied the Hexi Corridor of the Xia Kingdom."

"This time, they actually took advantage of the war between our Great Jin and the Song Dynasty to try to plunder and harass our Great Jin borders by sending cavalry."

"His Majesty was furious when he learned of this and was determined to take revenge on the Northern Frontier Army."

"Therefore, my general hopes that after Your Majesty eliminates Cheng Song, you can lead the Shu army north to Lanzhou and fight against the Northern Frontier Army together with the Jin army."

"If we can reclaim the Hexi Corridor, my general can decide that Your Majesty need not cede four states as a gift to our Great Jin. The Hexi Corridor is the best gift."

Upon hearing Liu Simiao's words, Wu Xi's face instantly darkened, and his tone carried a hint of apprehension.

"The Northern Frontier Army?"

Wu Xi's understanding of the Northern Frontier Army was much deeper than Liu Simiao had imagined.

After all, since the Imperial City spies made contact with the Northern Frontier Army, the two sides have been exchanging information continuously.

The Wu family, located in Sichuan, situated on the essential route for communication with the northern frontier, naturally understood the terrifying nature of the northern frontier army.

He received information that the Northern Frontier Army's southward march into Guanzhong was not as simple as Liu Simiao had described, merely a raid on the border.

Liu Simiao deliberately downplayed the fighting strength of the Northern Frontier Army in order to trick Wu Xi into heading north.

But Wu Xi isn't stupid either.

According to news from the Imperial City Guard, this army, which rose from the grasslands, destroyed the Xia Kingdom in just a few years, routing the Xia army and causing them to flee in disarray.

Subsequently, they defeated Wanyan Heda's 10,000 elite troops at Sha Niu Ling, and even the Jin army's Iron Pagoda was no match for them.

Wu Xi knew that the Northern Frontier Army was mainly composed of cavalry, each of them brave and skilled in battle, with extremely high mobility, making them the most difficult to deal with.

Even the elite Jin army is no match for the Northern Frontier Army. If I lead my troops north, wouldn't that be suicide?
He surrendered to the Jin Dynasty in order to seize control of Sichuan and enjoy wealth and honor, not to defend the Jin Dynasty against the iron hooves of the Northern Frontier Army.

He wouldn't care if the Jin Kingdom and the Northern Frontier fought a bloodbath.

Liu Simiao is a scoundrel with ill intentions. If he weren't representing the Jin Kingdom, Wu Xi would have killed him immediately, but he can't afford to turn against him now.

Wu Xi frowned and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Liu, you and I both know how powerful the Northern Frontier Army is."

"They are all cavalry, extremely powerful in combat. My Song army is mostly infantry, no match for them at all. If we march north to fight the Northern Frontier Army, we will suffer heavy losses. How will I be able to establish myself in Sichuan then?"

"Therefore, I am afraid I cannot comply."

Liu Simiao had no choice but to back down and said that Wu Xi was not easy to fool.

"My general has considered Your Majesty's concerns. Since Your Majesty is unwilling to go north, how about making a gesture?"

"Your Majesty can send a small number of soldiers northward to make it appear as if you are going to fight the Northern Frontier Army, so as to cooperate with our Jin army to deter the Northern Frontier barbarians."

He changed the subject, a calculating glint in his eyes: "However, we can't let Song Ting get away with this either."

"Your Majesty can send a portion of soldiers down the Jialing River, claiming that they will join forces with our imperial army to attack Xiangyang, thus relieving the pressure on our Jin army on the Central Plains battlefield."

The Northern Frontier Army is still far from Sichuan, so Wu Xi can disregard it. However, the Song court is a common enemy of him and the Jin Dynasty. After all, once the Song Dynasty learns that he has seized control of Sichuan, it will definitely send troops to Sichuan to conquer him after the Northern Expedition ends.

Therefore, Wu Xi was happy to do anything that could cause trouble for the State of Song.

"That's a good idea, I agree."

Wu Xi nodded. This way, they wouldn't have to actually fight the Northern Frontier Army, and they could still intimidate the Song court—a win-win situation.

Liu Simiao smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty is wise. In this way, the great cause can be accomplished, and Your Majesty will soon become the ruler of Sichuan."

(End of this chapter)