The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 334 The Nine Cauldrons Appear, Destiny Returns to the Northern Frontier

"Guanzhong is a land of etiquette, and the gentry are the foundation of the world. If the Grand Protector wants to become king in Guanzhong, he should value the gentry and reduce killings. Only in this way can he win the support of the people. Otherwise, it may not last long."

"Valuing the gentry? I'd like to ask you, Elder Wang, the gentry of Guanzhong oppress the people and seize land on a daily basis. When the Jin Kingdom comes, they submit to the Jin Kingdom, and when my Northern Frontier Army comes, they submit to the Northern Frontier. What is there about their servile behavior that I should value?"

"Grand Protector, you are mistaken! The gentry are the foundation of cultural heritage. Without their assistance, governing the region and educating the people would be impossible."

"How ruthless is the Grand Protector to the gentry of the land these days?"

"Such bloodshed will only force the gentry of the world to unite in resistance. Even if the Northern Frontier Army takes Guanzhong, it will be mired in endless strife."

……

The gentry from Guanzhong sent representatives to the northern frontier military camp, hoping to negotiate with Li Xiao and find a way out for the gentry.

The visitor was an old man, a representative of the gentry in Xianyang City, named Wang Keji, who was quite prestigious in the Guanzhong gentry circle.

The rhetoric remained the same: value the gentry and minimize bloodshed.

Li Xiao sat on the tiger-skin chair, glanced at him indifferently, and a cold smile appeared on his lips: "The aristocratic families are joining forces to resist?"

"If I were to slaughter all the gentry in Guanzhong, wouldn't the world be at peace? What resistance would there be?"

Wang Keji's face darkened, and he said angrily, "You can kill all the gentry in Guanzhong, but can you kill all the gentry in the world?"

"Why is the Grand Protector so stubborn? Leaving a way out for the gentry of Guanzhong and reducing casualties for the Northern Frontier Army is a win-win situation."

"Grand Protector, please reconsider!"

Li Xiao shook his head, unmoved by the old man's persuasion, and said calmly, "I have thought about it thrice, thrice, and I still feel that the aristocratic clans are a cancer on the world and must be eradicated."

As he spoke, Li Xiao stood up and slowly walked to Wang Keji, his eyes sharp as knives.

"However, I am not an inhumane person. I am still willing to leave a way out for you Guanzhong gentry."

“If Xianyang City were to open its gates and surrender, and the gentry were to hand over all their land, you could have been spared punishment. The men would not have to die, and the women would not have to be sent to the army as slaves.”

He paused, his tone firm and unwavering: "But there are two conditions: First, you must pay 90% of the clan's assets as ransom."

"Second, the entire clan will move to the northern frontier to live. Once there, you can farm the land yourself or set up stalls to do business. You will be treated the same as the people of the northern frontier, and no one will mistreat you."

Sparing these people's lives was Li Xiao's last line of defense. After all, he didn't want to go through the trouble of attacking cities every time. It would be best if the gentry could surrender voluntarily.

As for the exchange, Li Xiao could bestow upon them the title of "Yellow-topped Gentry," and sparing their lives would be considered a favor of voluntary surrender.

No more.

After all, the Northern Frontier Army relied on war to sustain itself, and the common people didn't have much to gain. The soldiers' rewards for their war achievements depended on these gentry and wealthy families.

Moreover, even if he spared the lives of their entire clan, Li Xiao could not allow them to remain in the area. Otherwise, these gentry would likely rise again in just a few decades.

Like Emperor Wu of Han, who cut down the leeks, they left their original base, broke up their clan power, and sent them to the northern frontier as family units. They were no longer aristocratic families, but commoners in the northern frontier.

Whether farming or trading, they can make a good living.

But this condition was clearly unacceptable to the gentry.

Wang Keji's expression changed drastically: "Ninety percent of the property? And we have to move to the northern frontier? The Grand Protector is not giving us a way out, he is clearly trying to sever the roots of my gentry."

Without land and property, what kind of gentry are they? How are they any different from those lowly peasants?

Moreover, they couldn't even hide their property, because the entire tribe was to migrate to the northern frontier, and they didn't know if they would ever have the chance to return.

"Root-cutting?"

Li Xiao sneered: "When you took advantage of natural disasters and man-made calamities to make a fortune from the national crisis and annexed the people's land, did you never think about cutting off the people's roots?"

"Whether you agree or not, it won't change my intention to annihilate all the noble families in the world."

Wang Keji trembled with rage, pointing his finger at Li Xiao, his voice hoarse: "You...you're acting like a tyrant."

“Such treatment of the gentry will never win the support of the gentry throughout the land.”

"The people of the northern frontier are brutal and bloodthirsty, and are destined to perish!"

"support?"

Li Xiao scoffed: "What I want is the support of the people, not the support of parasites like you."

"You're still not satisfied with the chance to live? Then don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Someone, throw this old man out."

“Go back and tell the local gentry in Xianyang that if they do not surrender by tomorrow morning, all the gentry and officials in the city will have their property confiscated and their families exterminated.”

Two guards immediately stepped forward, grabbed Wang Keji who was still cursing, and dragged him outside.

Wang Keji's voice faded into the distance: "Li Xiao! You tyrant! The Northern Frontier is doomed!"

"A single husband~"

"A single husband!!"

The tent fell silent again. Li Xiao walked to the tent entrance, gazing in the direction of Xianyang City with a cold look in his eyes.

He knew that the aristocratic families would never easily accept such conditions, but he would never compromise.

Tolerating the gentry is to be cruel to the common people and to undermine the foundation of the northern frontier.

If Xianyang City continues to resist tomorrow morning, he will order an attack on the city and use iron and blood to completely wipe out the aristocratic forces in Guanzhong.

The reason for choosing tomorrow is that the twenty Shenwei cannons, after a difficult journey, have just arrived in Guanzhong today.

Li Xiao left ten gates at the foot of Xianyang City, and sent the remaining ten gates to the Second Town.

The power of the Divine Might Cannon far surpasses that of the Tiger Lord Cannon.

"Woooooooooo~"

The next morning, before the fog on the north bank of the Wei River had dissipated, the Northern Frontier Army's formation had already spread out outside Xianyang City.

Yellow armor formed a continuous line, surrounding the city wall like a solidified tide. Dozens of powerful cannons were pushed to the front of the formation by the soldiers, their black muzzles aimed at the top of Xianyang City.

"fire!"

With a command from the commander of the Shenji Battalion, the Shenwei Cannon roared to life.

"Boom~"

The first cannonball landed on the city wall, sending bricks and stones flying and dust billowing into the sky. The battlements on the city wall collapsed instantly.

Several Jin militiamen who had no time to dodge were buried under bricks and stones, unable to even scream. The other soldiers panicked completely.

Most of them were militiamen organized by gentry. Although they had heard of the power of the Northern Frontier Army's artillery before, they had never seen such a devastating scene in person.

More and more shells followed, and the power of the Shenwei Cannon was far superior to that of the Huzun Cannon.

Soon, a breach was blasted in the city wall, and rubble rained down.

The soldiers fled in terror, their faces ashen: "What...what kind of monster is this? It's terrifying! Our bows and arrows are completely useless!"

"Run! Staying here means certain death!"

Some people roared and turned to flee, but were cut down by the Jin general behind them: "Those who dare to retreat will die! Hold the city walls!"

The commander's reprimands could not quell the soldiers' fear, and more and more militiamen began to retreat.

The local gentry and officials on the city wall turned deathly pale.

Wang Keji leaned against the pillar of the city gate tower, his body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes filled with shock.

He originally thought that Xianyang's city walls were strong and that it had more than 20,000 troops stationed there, so even if the Northern Frontier Army attacked, it could hold out for several months.

But the mighty cannons in front of us can easily blast down the city walls. How can manpower possibly withstand that?

A landowner clutched his chest, his voice trembling with tears: "It's over...it's all over now."

"If I had known the people of the Northern Frontier were this powerful, I would have surrendered yesterday. At least I could have saved my whole family's lives!"

"Surrender? Have you forgotten the conditions in the Northern Frontier? You have to hand over 90% of your property and be relocated to the Northern Frontier."

Another gentryman cursed angrily, but his tone was full of fear and lack of confidence.

He looked at the approaching Northern Frontier Army outside the city, and then at the routed soldiers on the city wall. He had long since given up the will to resist, and was left with only endless fear.

Surrendering would be terrible, but not surrendering would be even worse; there's no solution.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The powerful cannons continued to roar, and the breach in the Xianyang city wall grew wider and wider.

When a breach was blasted in the city wall, allowing infantry to charge, Li Xiao drew his scimitar and shouted, "Attack!"

The heavy infantry of the Northern Frontier Army surged toward the breach like a tide, their dark armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, their spears flashing as they slashed at the soldiers on the city wall.

The morale of the militia on the city wall gradually collapsed, with only a few elite soldiers continuing to resist.

"The city has fallen! The Northern Frontier Army has entered the city!"

With a shout, the gates of Xianyang were opened from the inside by the Northern Frontier Army, and more cavalrymen poured into the city.

Iron hooves ravaged the streets of Xianyang, kicking up clouds of dust.

"It's over, it's over, it's completely over!"

Wang Keji slumped on the city wall, his face pale as he murmured to himself. Thinking of the consequences of his family's destruction and death, he felt utterly hopeless.

He walked shakily to the edge of the city wall, but could not take that step.

In the end, he was captured by the soldiers from the northern border and taken back.

Chaos reigned in the city, and the luxurious mansions became the primary targets of the Northern Frontier Army.

The soldiers from the northern frontier divided into small teams and stormed into these mansions to loot them.

Gold and silver treasures were all moved out, and silk clothes were scattered all over the ground. The women in the mansion let out shrill screams, but were roughly dragged away by the soldiers, with nowhere to escape.

As per Li Xiao's orders, since Xianyang City did not surrender voluntarily, there was no need to show mercy to the gentry.

The soldiers dragged all the men out of the mansion and tortured them to extract their money. The sounds of whipping and screams were incessant. If they refused to hand over the hidden money, they would be tortured to the point of near death.

The servants in the mansion were bound with ropes and sent to work in the mines of the northern frontier.

The women and maids were registered and prepared as rewards for meritorious soldiers in the northern frontier.

Meanwhile, the cavalry from the northern frontier kept shouting in the city, establishing a reporting system.

If a citizen reports that an official or gentry is hiding, the informant will receive ten taels of silver once the report is verified.

There is also the possibility of becoming a "Shihu" in northern Xinjiang, managing ten households of people.

The originally fearful people were somewhat relieved when they saw that the Northern Frontier Army had not harmed them. Upon hearing about the bounty, they immediately had a plan in mind.

"Ten taels of silver can get you a minor official position... If you could catch those hidden officials, wouldn't you be set for life?"

On the street, a group of gentry were dragged by soldiers, their eyes filled with despair as they looked at the scene before them.

She regretted not accepting Li Xiao's conditions back then, but it was too late to say anything now.

The fall of Xianyang not only meant the looting of his family property, but also the end of the Guanzhong gentry.

On the morning of the third day, the chaos had not yet subsided.

Traces of last night's looting were scattered on the streets, and soldiers from the Northern Frontier Army patrolled by from time to time, while the people hid in their homes, trembling with fear.

In the distance, from the direction of the gentry's residences, faint sobs could still be heard, mingling with the shouts of people carrying supplies at the city gate.

Inside the central command tent of the Northern Frontier Army, the curtains were drawn, isolating them from the outside noise. Li Xiao slowly rose, attended by two young women.

These two women were captured last night from the residence of a resisting gentry. Although their faces were streaked with tears and their bodies were torn, they moved relatively swiftly.

"Go down."

Li Xiao spoke calmly, and the two women, as if granted a pardon, bowed and withdrew.

Li Xiao straightened his clothes and walked to the tent entrance. The golden morning light shone on him, bringing a touch of warmth. In the distance, on the city walls of Xianyang, yellow battle flags fluttered gently in the wind.

Without lingering, he led the Wuwei Army cavalry straight toward the city wall.

"Grand Protector!"

"Greetings, Grand Protector."

When the soldiers along the way saw him, they all bowed and saluted, their eyes filled with awe.

As we climbed the city wall, a bright red sun hung in the eastern sky, its golden rays piercing through the clouds and spilling onto the surface of the Wei River, creating a dazzling, shimmering effect.

"What a magnificent sight of purple clouds rising from the east!" Li Xiao exclaimed, looking at the scene before him.

Gao Zhongyi, the military advisor of the agricultural affairs office who followed, said with a smile, "The Grand Protector is right."

"Xianyang is the former capital of the Qin Dynasty. It was here that the First Emperor unified the world, so it has an extraordinary historical foundation."

"Now that our Northern Frontier Army has captured Xianyang, this precious land of Guanzhong is regaining its former glory!"

Li Xiao glanced at him sideways, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Zhongyi, you're right."

"Guanzhong is the dragon vein of our Chinese nation. How can we allow the Jurchen barbarians to live there?"

As he spoke, Li Xiao turned his head and continued to look at the Wei River, suddenly revealing a look of "surprise" and raising his voice slightly.

"Loyalty and righteousness, look, what's above the Wei River?"

"It seems to be surrounded by purple aura; this is no ordinary sight!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhongyi immediately looked in the direction Li Xiao pointed.

All I could see was the Wei River flowing quietly, its surface shimmering in the morning light; nothing else could be seen but the ripples.

Having followed Li Xiao for many years, he had long since figured out his Grand Protector's thoughts, and immediately responded loudly, "Yes."

"I saw it too, the purple aura lingering there is clearly an auspicious sign!"

"Great Protector, this must be an auspicious sign from Heaven, a sign that our Northern Frontier Army is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people!"

Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction, his tone carrying a hint of certainty: "As the ancient saying goes, when auspicious omens descend from the heavens, a great treasure is sure to appear in the world."

"There might be some treasure hidden beneath the Wei River. Someone, come here!"

"Prepare the horses, come with me to the banks of the Wei River!" Li Xiao ordered.

Before long, Li Xiao led the Imperial Guard cavalry to the Wei River, about ten miles east of Xianyang City.

He reined in his horse, glanced at the water, and said in a deep voice, "The purple aura I saw on the city wall just now must have gathered here."

"Zhang Xiong, take some men and investigate to see if there's anything unusual in the river."

Zhang Xiong, the commander of the Imperial Guard, immediately dismounted and shouted, "Your subordinate obeys!"

He then selected several soldiers who were familiar with swimming and sent them into the water to take a look.

The river wasn't very deep, but visibility was low. The soldiers groped around in the water for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when one of them suddenly surfaced and shouted towards the shore.

"Great Protector! There's something down there! It's a huge piece, it feels like iron, and it looks like a big cauldron. It's very heavy, and we can't move it at all."

"Big cauldron?"

A glint of light flashed in Li Xiao's eyes. He dismounted and walked to the shore: "It seems this is truly a treasure bestowed by heaven."

"Immediately send more oxen and horses over to pull the cauldron up with iron chains."

Soon, several thick iron chains were lowered into the water, and the soldiers secured them firmly to the cauldron underwater.

With Zhang Xiong's command, more than a dozen cattle and horses were driven and exerted their strength, the iron chains gradually tightened, and huge ripples appeared on the water.

"Push harder! Give it your all!" Gao Zhongyi shouted encouragement from the sidelines.

"Papa~"

"Moo moo moo~"

As the oxen and horses dragged it, a huge bronze cauldron slowly emerged from the water—the cauldron was about half a zhang tall, with a simple and heavy shape, and its body was carved with intricate cloud patterns and animal face patterns.

Despite the erosion of time and the rust covering its body, the cauldron still exudes an imposing and majestic aura.

When the entire body of the cauldron emerged from the water, several blurry ancient characters on its belly came into view.

Li Xiao stepped forward, squatted down, and gently brushed his fingertips across the ancient characters on the belly of the cauldron. He naturally knew the origin of the cauldron, but his face remained expressionless.

On the contrary, Gao Zhongyi, who was standing to the side, moved closer to the cauldron, stared wide-eyed at the ancient characters on the belly of the cauldron, and gestured with his fingers in the air. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh.

"Grand Protector-General".

"This...this looks like the legendary Nine Cauldrons!"

“Look at the appearance of these ancient characters. The strokes are thick and the characters are simple and ancient. They are exactly the same as the records of the Yongzhou Ding that I saw in old books many years ago. This is definitely the Yongzhou Ding!”

Gao Zhongyi's shout was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly igniting the emotions of the surrounding soldiers.

"What? The Yongzhou Cauldron? The very same cauldron that Yu the Great cast for the Nine Provinces?" A young soldier stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

As long as you're a Han Chinese, who hasn't heard of Yu the Great taming the floods or the Nine Tripods?
"My goodness! This is a treasure of our Chinese nation!"

"It was hidden under the Wei River, and we actually found it!"

"No wonder the Grand Protector mentioned the purple aura earlier; it truly is an auspicious sign from heaven!"

"Even ancient treasures have come out, which shows that our Northern Frontier Army is truly in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people!"

One veteran remarked with awe in his eyes. He had followed Li Xiao in battles across the country for many years and had witnessed such a shocking scene before, yet he still felt his blood boiling.

Whether it was the appearance of the Purple Star in the northern desert or the birth of the Nine Cauldrons at this moment, it all proves that the Protector-General is favored by Heaven and is the true Son of Heaven appointed by the Heavenly Emperor.

In this era, the true lineage of China resides in the northern frontier.

The soldiers were in an uproar, and their discussions grew increasingly heated. Even those who didn't understand were quickly given a brief explanation by their comrades, and their gazes toward Li Xiao became even more respectful.

Zhang Xiong was also so excited that his face turned red. He walked to Li Xiao's side, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Grand Protector!"

“Gao Canjun is knowledgeable and experienced; he must be right. This must be the Yongzhou Ding.”

"The reappearance of the Yongzhou Cauldron proves that you are the true ruler of China, and are the chosen one by Heaven!"

"Our Northern Frontier Army will surely pacify the world and achieve hegemony!"

Li Xiao stroked the rust-covered patterns on the cauldron, feeling the coolness and weight of the bronze, and a surge of heroic spirit welled up in his heart.

The reappearance of the Yongzhou Ding after a thousand years is not only a symbol, but also greatly boosts the morale of the Northern Frontier Army and makes the people of Guanzhong more accepting of his rule.

In this era that believes in destiny, the appearance of the Nine Tripods is undoubtedly the best proof that "destiny is in my hands".

He slowly stood up, looked at the excited soldiers in front of him, and finally a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He raised his hand to signal the soldiers to be quiet: "Gentlemen, the reappearance of the Yongzhou Tripod on the Wei River is no accident."

"This is Heaven's recognition of our Northern Frontier Army, and clear proof that 'Heaven's Mandate belongs to the Northern Frontier'."

"With this auspicious omen, we will surely be able to conquer Chang'an, pacify Guanzhong, and ultimately overthrow the Jin Dynasty, bringing peace to the people of the world!"

"Overthrow the Jin Dynasty! Restore peace to us!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices deafening and echoing along both banks of the Wei River.

"Issue this order!"

Li Xiao turned around and ordered the generals around him: "Immediately send men to properly transport the Yongzhou Cauldron back to the central army camp and guard it strictly."

"At the same time, we proclaim to the people of the world that the Yongzhou Tripod has reappeared on the Wei River. This is a sign that the Mandate of Heaven has returned to the Northern Frontier. All those who submit to the Northern Frontier will be able to live in peace and prosperity!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" the generals replied in unison, their eyes filled with excitement.

Just as the Northern Frontier Army on the north bank of the Wei River was cheering for the Yongzhou Cauldron, a strange commotion arose in the Jin army formation on the south bank.

They rushed to provide support after receiving news that the Northern Xinjiang Army had gathered on this section of the riverbank, fearing that the Northern Xinjiang Army might cross the river here.

Unexpectedly, the people of northern Xinjiang had no intention of building a bridge at all; instead, it seemed like they were digging a river.

What are the people from northern Xinjiang up to?

"Didn't they say the people of northern Xinjiang were going to cross the river? Why did they change it to digging a canal?"

"People from the northern frontier have always been cunning; they might be playing a trick on us."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening cheer erupted from the north bank.

"The Yongzhou Cauldron has appeared; it is the mandate of heaven!"

"Overthrow the Jin Dynasty! Restore peace to us!"

……

The shouts drifted on the wind and clearly reached the ears of the Jin army.

Several generals in the Jin army looked at each other in astonishment.

"Aren't the people of the northern frontier prepared to cross the river?" a general asked subconsciously, his tone full of confusion. If they were preparing to cross the river, why would they suddenly cheer?

"Don't be careless!"

"This might be their scheme, deliberately creating a disturbance here to mislead us, so that the main force can secretly cross the river from another location," said Wanyan Shouxu, the military envoy of Fengxiang Road, with a solemn expression.

"Men, split into two teams to search along the Wei River, both upstream and downstream, and make sure to find out if the Northern Frontier Army has crossed the river anywhere else."

"Yes, sir!" The two soldiers immediately accepted the order and spurred their horses to gallop in the east and west directions respectively.

At this moment, another general frowned, listened intently to the cheers from the north bank, and said uncertainly, "Just now they seemed to be shouting 'Yongzhou Cauldron'? Could it be the legendary Nine Cauldrons of the Nine Provinces?"

"Nine Tripods?"

Someone scoffed, their face full of disbelief: "Are you confused?"

"The Nine Tripods disappeared during the Qin Dynasty. More than a thousand years have passed. Even if they really existed, they should have rusted into a pile of scrap metal long ago. How could they still be there?"

"But what if the people of northern Xinjiang really dig it up?"

"Whether it's true or not, Xianyang has already fallen, and the gathering of people from the northern frontier on the banks of the Wei River is not a good thing in itself," Wanyan Shouxu said solemnly.

He then looked at his deputy and said, "You must immediately ride back to Chang'an and report to the commander-in-chief: Xianyang has fallen, and the Northern Frontier Army has gathered on the north bank of the Wei River. They have apparently found the so-called 'Yongzhou Cauldron'."

"Although no signs of crossing the river have been found yet, we need to strengthen defenses along the Wei River to prevent a surprise attack from the northern border people!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" The lieutenant dared not delay, immediately mounted his horse, and galloped towards Chang'an.

As Wanyan Shouxu gazed at the still-boiling Northern Frontier Army on the north bank, his unease grew stronger.

He didn't know whether the "Yongzhou Cauldron" was real or fake, but he was certain that the morale of the Northern Frontier Army was extremely high at this moment.

If they were to truly use the name of "divine mandate" to unite people's hearts, and even make the people of Guanzhong believe this rhetoric, it would be disastrous.

The upcoming battle for Chang'an will likely be even more difficult.

(End of this chapter)