The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 347 Jinzhou Military Academy, [The Qin King's Revelation]

On the morning of the second day, Li Xiao, along with Qin Dani, Xiao Yanyan, Er Ya, Li Lingyang, and other concubines and children, headed towards the old residence in Hexi Fort.

Before we even reached Hexibao, we could see an old man dressed in coarse cloth riding a horse and herding a flock of sheep in the grasslands and mountains.

The old man was getting on in years and had long since handed over all the affairs of the Tanggu Military Factory to Li Xiao's third cousin, Li Dongzhi.

These days, life is simple and peaceful. I occasionally visit the military factory, but most of the time I herd sheep in the village. I live a carefree life.

"Ancestor~"

Jin Dao was the first to jump off his horse and run towards the old man.

The old man's face immediately lit up with a smile when he saw everyone. He dismounted, bent down to pick up the golden knife, and said in a loud voice, "My dear great-grandson, you've grown taller again!"

"Let the old ancestor hold you. Oh dear, you've gotten so much heavier, like a little calf. The old ancestor can't even lift you anymore."

The old man held the golden knife, grinning so hard his teeth were showing.

Li Xiao stepped forward: "Grandpa, we've come to see you and Grandma."

The old man, holding the golden knife, looked at Li Xiao's face. His rough, bark-like face trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "Good, good!"

"It's been almost three years since I left, and I'm finally back."

Li Xiao was also filled with shame: "Grandpa, your grandson is unfilial!"

As the eldest son and grandson, he should have taken on the responsibility of supporting his father after his passing.

But alas, the war did not give Li Xiao a chance.

Soon after, the group returned to the old house in Hexibao. The house, which had been there for decades, was still the same as before, with simple yet tidy furnishings.

The old lady was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), being served medicine by a maid. When she saw Li Xiao and the others enter, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

Xiao Yanyan quickly stepped forward to support her: "Grandma, don't get up, just sit still."

The old lady's health deteriorated year by year, and the pain of losing her eldest son always lingered in her heart.

Last autumn, he fell seriously ill. At that time, Li Xiao was still negotiating with the Jin people in Guanzhong and could not return at all.

Fortunately, the old lady was lucky and survived the winter, but she still needs medication to maintain her health.

"The dragon is here, please have a seat."

The old lady held Li Xiao's hand, her moist eyes full of love: "I'm doing very well, there are people taking care of me at home, and I have no worries about food and drink."

“You are now the king, busy with important matters of state, you don’t need to always worry about us old folks.”

The old man nodded in agreement and said slowly, "Yes, you don't need to worry about us."

"Looking back, you were just a little boy herding sheep with me. Who would have thought that in less than ten years you would become a king and conquer such a vast territory? You are more accomplished than any generation of our Li family ancestors."

He paused, a hint of emotion and pride appearing on his usually stern face: "The reason your great-grandfather settled in Hexibao with his whole family was because of its favorable location."

"The most important thing is that this place is said to contain a dragon vein, and now it seems that it has indeed come true."

"Heaven has been kind to our Li family! Finally, someone has emerged who can bring glory to our family."

"The Li family of Tianxing!"

"Your grandpa is right~"

The old lady wiped away her tears, her voice choked with emotion: "Dalong has made something of himself, it's a pity that Dahai didn't get to see this day, he left us too soon."

"If he were still alive, he would be happier than anyone else to see his son become king."

Holding the old lady's hand, Li Xiao felt a pang of sadness and gently comforted her, "Grandma, don't be sad."

"If my father could know this from beyond the grave, he would be gratified to see our family doing well and to see the state of northern Xinjiang today."

"I will visit you and Grandpa often in the future, so that you two can enjoy your old age in peace."

The family sat around the kang (a heated brick bed), chatting about everyday things, while the children played in the yard, their laughter filling the air. The old house was filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere.

It wasn't until evening that Li Xiao and his family got up to say goodbye. The old man and woman saw him off at the door, repeatedly telling him to take care of his health and not to overwork himself.

Back in Longcheng, Li Xiao didn't have time to rest before getting busy in his study again.

Three years into the Eastern Expedition, although Xiao Yanyan was in charge of the Northern Frontier and important matters were handled by him through official correspondence, a considerable backlog of government affairs, involving various aspects such as people's livelihood, military affairs, and finance, still awaited his personal decision.

Inside the study, Xiao Yanyan had already organized the accumulated documents and arranged them neatly by category.

She sat down next to Li Xiao, handing him the documents while quietly explaining the background of each matter: "These are the land reclamation documents for the Seven Rivers region on the western frontier."

"Last year, 100,000 mu of fertile land was reclaimed. Your Majesty needs to decide how to allocate it."

"This is a follow-up matter to the expansion of the Seventh Garrison; the supply of provisions for the Seventh Garrison still needs to be coordinated..."

Li Xiao carefully perused the documents, occasionally picking up his pen to make annotations, while Xiao Yanyan quietly assisted from the side, occasionally offering her own insights.

The two worked together seamlessly, as if they had returned to the days before Li Xiao went to war.

However, Xiao Yanyan is already thirty years old this year, the age when she is full of desire, and she has been waiting for Li Xiao for three years. The longing and desire in her heart have long been burning like a raging fire.

After much agonizing, Li Xiao finally couldn't hold back any longer. After finishing a few urgent documents, he swept everything off the table and let Xiao Yanyan lie down on it.

With her two long legs dangling in mid-air, Xiao Yanyan's eyes were full of dependence.

In the days that followed, Li Xiao would have his wives and concubines, such as Er Ya and Han Ying'er, come to serve him every night, either in turn or together.

The women of Longcheng had waited for him for three years and needed his reassurance.

Fortunately, Li Xiao's body was exceptionally gifted, as if it had undergone special modifications. His strength, speed, endurance, explosiveness, and agility far surpassed those of ordinary people, giving him inexhaustible energy.

Even after repeated "battles," he remained energetic and could fully satisfy the needs of his wives and concubines.

At the same time, Li Xiao would often visit the military garrisons and settlements in Jinzhou to inspect the lives of the people and comfort the fallen and wounded soldiers.

On this day, he led his personal guards to a centurion's post under the Third Pasture Garrison Command in northern Jinzhou.

As soon as I entered the village, I saw the villagers busy at work. Some were repairing the pasture fences, while others were drying wool, their faces full of peaceful smiles.

"Your Majesty!" The centurion hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, bowing with his hand on his chest.

Li Xiao waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite, and asked, "How are the people's lives? Have the matters concerning the compensation for the fallen and wounded soldiers been settled?"

"Your Majesty, Governor Han personally oversaw the process, and everything has been implemented."

The centurion quickly replied, "The families of the fallen soldiers each received thirty sheep and fifty taels of silver in compensation, and their children can all attend military academies."

"All the spoils and rewards of the fallen soldiers have been returned."

"The wounded soldiers, the lightly wounded have returned to their units, while the seriously wounded have stayed in the garrison to recuperate. The government will provide them with rice and medical expenses every month, and they will be able to be assigned light jobs once they have recovered."

Li Xiao nodded. The Qin state was currently in a period of rapid development.

The war plunder brought in a large amount of money and resources, and coupled with an efficient operation and management system, Li Xiao was able to so boldly establish the Seven Garrisons Army, totaling 150,000 main force troops.

Only then could they afford to provide such generous compensation to fallen soldiers, in order to motivate them to fight bravely against the enemy.

Everything is based on material conditions.

Therefore, Li Xiao felt deeply that "the war cannot stop; we must plunder the enemy's resources to support our army."

"We must begin industrialization as soon as possible..."

Then, Li Xiao walked to the house of a villager who was drying wool.

A middle-aged woman was standing in the courtyard. When she saw Li Xiao arrive, she quickly put down what she was doing and said excitedly, "Your Majesty."

"Thanks to you, my husband participated in the Eastern Expedition last year, made meritorious contributions, was promoted to captain, and received a reward of twenty taels of silver and a lot of looted goods."

"Now my family has not only built a new house, but also added two cows. Life is much better than before."

An old man nearby chimed in, "Yes, Your Majesty."

“My son didn’t go on the Eastern Expedition. He’s been envious at home every day. He says that if there’s another war, he must go on the expedition with the army. He wants to make military achievements and get rewards so that his wife can also enjoy some good fortune.”

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao smiled and said, "As long as you are willing to contribute to the Great Qin, whether you join the army to fight or farm and herd livestock, you can have a good life."

After directly experiencing the feedback from the people, Li Xiao's biggest feeling was that the morale of the army and the people was reliable.

With so many people supporting them and a powerful army of seven garrisons, who could stop the rise of the Qin state?
Hearing Li Xiao's words, everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with gratitude and respect for him.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Our northern frontier is fortunate to have produced a hero like our King!"

"From now on, our whole family will worship the King's portrait every day."

Beside Li Xiao, Jin Dao followed closely, her small hands clutching the hem of Li Xiao's clothes, curiously looking at everything around her.

This was arranged by Li Xiao on purpose.

During these days of inspections, Jin Dao has been kept by his side, which not only fosters the father-son relationship but also allows Jin Dao to learn about the people and military affairs of the northern frontier as soon as possible.

Hearing the people's praise for Li Xiao, Jin Dao was filled with honor and pride.

In the late afternoon, Li Xiao returned to the horse farm outside Dragon City with the golden knife.

The spirited horse that Jin Dao had ridden earlier was tied to a post and began pawing nervously when it saw Li Xiao approaching.

"Come on, I have time today, so I'll personally teach you how to ride a horse," Li Xiao said to Jin Dao with a smile.

As Li Xiao approached, the wild horse became even more restless.

"Huh, you still want to run?"

Li Xiao snorted angrily, grabbed the horse's head under his arm with one arm, and the powerful force instantly made the wild horse lower its head. It could only violently jump and roll its hind legs, but it could no longer break free.

With his other hand, he lifted the golden knife and steadily helped him onto the horse's back, instructing him, "Don't be afraid, hold on tight to the horse's neck and sway your body with its momentum."

Jin Dao obediently hugged the horse's neck, and the spirited horse realized that someone else had taken its back.

Jin Dao didn't possess the terrifying aura of Li Xiao, so it wasn't enough to frighten the wild horse. As a result, the horse began to stir, jumping and shaking its head, trying to shake Jin Dao off.

Li Xiao stood to the side, holding the reins firmly, remaining motionless despite the wild horse's struggles.

When the spirited horse's strength waned, Li Xiao released the reins and said to Jin Dao with a smile, "Go on, ride it for a couple of laps. Don't be afraid, Dad is here watching you."

"Okay, Dad~"

"Gee~"

Jin Dao's face was full of excitement. He gently squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, and the spirited horse obediently started running.

Seeing his son gradually relax on horseback, Li Xiao smiled with satisfaction.

When the spirited horse had run seven or eight laps and returned carrying the golden sword, it swept past Li Xiao.

Li Xiao leaped and landed steadily behind Jin Dao, taking a small wooden bow from his waist and handing it to Jin Dao: "Father will teach you archery, watch carefully." In the distance, the Imperial Guards, with their hunting dogs, chased after several rabbits.

Li Xiao held the golden knife and taught him to draw the bowstring and aim at the rabbit.

"Aim at the rabbit's vital points, make sure you see clearly, and then release the arrow."

Following his father's instructions, Jin Dao forcefully drew back the bowstring. The moment he released it, the arrow flew out with a "whoosh" and struck a rabbit's hind leg.

"I hit it! Dad, I hit it!"

Jin Dao shouted excitedly, his little hands still tightly gripping the small wooden bow, as if he were holding the most precious treasure in the world.

Li Xiao gently patted his head, his eyes full of satisfaction, and said with a smile, "Not bad, you shot well. Your power and accuracy have both improved. You are worthy of being my son, Li Xiao."

"Keep practicing. Once you've mastered your skills, I'll take you into battle to show you what a real battlefield is like and let you witness the might of the Qin cavalry."

When Jin Dao heard "go to battle and kill the enemy," his eyes lit up instantly. He nodded vigorously, puffing out his little chest.

"Father, you are the greatest warrior of the Qin Dynasty."

"Once I've mastered my skills, I'll be just like you, killing many enemies and protecting the people of Qin."

"Hahahaha~"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao couldn't help but laugh out loud: "The number one warrior of Qin?"

Hahaha~

He reached out and ruffled Jin Dao's hair: "Good lad, you have ambition."

"However, to become the greatest warrior of Qin like your father, it's not enough to just talk; you have to have real skills."

"From now on, you must practice riding and archery with your father every day. You can't be lazy."

"I won't slack off," Jin Dao quickly assured him.

Li Xiao chuckled and rubbed his head, saying, "A month from now, if you can shoot a rabbit ten zhang away, Dad will take you to the martial arts academy for a visit."

Upon hearing this, Jin Dao's eyes lit up instantly: "Really?"

"Okay, I will definitely practice more."

"I can do it."

The Yege River, later known as the Ertis River, originates in the Jinshan Mountains and flows into the far north.

However, the people of Jinzhou are used to calling it "Dalong River".

The adjacent Longgu River is known as the "Little Dragon River".

These two rivers are like the lifeblood of the northern frontier, nourishing the grasslands and people along their banks. They are also the birthplace of the rise of the northern frontier regime and witnessed the entire process of Li Xiao's growth from a boy in Jinzhou to the King of Qin of the Great Qin Dynasty.

It was summer, but the banks of the Dalong River were not hot or dry at all.

The poplar trees along the riverbank are lush and green, the river water is crystal clear, and in the distance, cattle and sheep graze leisurely on the grassland, creating a peaceful and pleasant scene.

Following the Dalong River upstream, in a river valley, there is a neat camp.

This is the Jinzhou Military Academy, far from Longcheng, and it is under full military management. It is an important base for training young soldiers in the northern frontier.

Students at the school are allowed to go home to visit their families once a month.

For war orphans who have lost their loved ones, this is their home, and their instructors and classmates are their family.

Chen Muzhi was one of these orphans.

His mother died early, and his father died for his country in the Battle of Seven Rivers. After his stepmother remarried, he became a helpless child.

He became one of the first students when the military academy was first established.

Now 15 years old, he has been selected as class monitor due to his outstanding personal abilities and top performance in various training programs, and he manages more than 30 students of the same age.

Every day at the crack of dawn, the campsite is filled with the clear sound of the reveille.

The boys in the tent instantly woke up, quickly put on their gray clothes, folded their bedding, and within a quarter of an hour, they were lined up in the camp square.

Then came the morning exercises. The boys marched in unison, running laps around the valley, their loud slogans echoing through the valley, full of youthful vigor.

After the morning exercise, all the students would line up at the front of the square, facing a huge portrait of Li Xiao, and recite "The Revelation of the King of Qin" in unison.

"The territory of China must be defended to the death; not an inch should be given to others!"

"Any country that dares to offend us will surely perish, its people be wiped out, and its descendants be exterminated!"

"Nation first, people first, military first, victory first!"

"Wherever the sword points or the horse's hooves go, that is the territory of China."

"The rise and fall of China is the responsibility of every citizen!"

"Every inch of our land is bought with blood, and every 100,000 brave men are worth 100,000 soldiers."

"Of all the races in the world, only the Chinese are the chosen people, and the barbarians of the four directions should respect the Chinese."

"Sacrificing oneself for the country, staining the banners with blood, and dying on the battlefield."

"Dignity exists only on the edge of the sword, and truth lies only in the conquest by iron hooves."

……

After the message was read aloud, the boys placed their raised right fists to their chests and shouted in unison at the portrait, "Loyalty!"

The voice was firm, filled with reverence for the Great Qin and for Li Xiao.

Then came breakfast time. The boys quickly ate their millet porridge with pickled vegetables from their rough porcelain bowls, and also ate their naan bread very fast.

The high-intensity training every day is extremely taxing, so energy must be replenished as soon as possible.

The school meals were simple but plentiful, with unlimited naan bread and porridge to ensure that every student could eat their fill.

After the meal, the students would split into two groups: one-third of the students would take the sheep to graze on the school's private pasture.

Although the Protectorate General would regularly send supplies to the school, the school still planned a pasture for the students to raise cattle and sheep.

Firstly, it helps them develop their life skills; secondly, it replenishes the school's meat reserves, allowing the boys to regularly improve their meals.

The students will be divided into three groups to take turns, with two days of training and the remaining day for "life skills training," which involves herding and cutting hay.

Chen Muzhi's class was still in training.

The military academy had dozens of instructors, a few of whom were responsible for teaching cultural courses, including literacy, arithmetic, the "Outline of National Politics", the "History of the Northern Frontier", and ideological courses.

Most of the instructors are veterans who specialize in teaching military skills. Their scars and battlefield experience are the most valuable teaching resources.

For students like Chen Muzhi who had been enrolled for many years, the morning cultural classes were no longer simply about learning to read.

They are currently focusing on arithmetic, learning how to calculate the quantity of food and ammunition, and how to plan marching routes.

The "Outline of National Politics" allowed them to understand the Qin Dynasty's governing philosophy and policies.

The "History of the Northern Frontier" and ideological lessons help them remember the rise of the Northern Frontier and establish loyalty and a sense of belonging to the Qin Dynasty.

However, recently, a new volume of the "History of the Northern Frontier" series, "History of the Qin State," has been published.

Chen Muzhi heard that this was because the Grand Protector had won a great victory in the Guanzhong region, destroyed the Xia Kingdom, and annihilated hundreds of thousands of Jin soldiers. He was then appointed King of Qin by Heaven, and thus the northern frontier also became the Qin Kingdom.

Yesterday, the instructor finished talking about the Battle of Lingzhou. Today, he will talk about the Battle of Guanzhong.

The open-air classroom was already full of students. More than thirty teenagers, dressed in uniform gray coarse cloth clothes, stood up straight and stared at the instructors standing in front of them.

The instructor in charge of the class was Instructor Zhou, who had just arrived not long ago. He was once the deputy captain of the First Division of the Northern Frontier Army. He lost an arm in the Battle of Guanzhong and came to the military academy as an instructor after recovering from his injury.

Speaking of the battles I personally participated in last year, they were more vivid than the words in books.

"Guanzhong was a key area of ​​the Jin Dynasty, rich in resources. The Jin Dynasty deployed 100,000 troops there, commanded by their famous general Wanyan Gang."

Instructor Zhou picked up a wooden stick and drew the terrain of Guanzhong on the ground: "Wanyan Gang thought that our Northern Frontier Army had just destroyed the Xia Kingdom and was exhausted, so he launched a two-pronged attack on Weibei."

"But the king did not play by the rules. He first sent a small force to the west to attract the main force of the Jin army, while secretly concentrating the main force to cross the Ziwu Ridge and annihilate the Jin army on the east route."

"It turned the Jin army into a one-legged army."

"Instructor! Didn't the Jin army notice?" A boy sitting in the front row couldn't help but ask, and Chen Muzhi nodded in agreement.

He admired Li Xiao's unexpected tactics the most, and every time he heard this, he couldn't help but feel worried for the Jin army.

Instructor Zhou smiled and continued, "By the time Wanyan Gang realized what was happening, it was too late."

"The Eastern Route Army was wiped out by us long ago."

He paused, then his tone became impassioned: "In that battle, our Northern Frontier Army annihilated 50,000 of the Jin army's main force in just two hours..."

"After that, Wanyan Gang tried to escape with the Western Route Army, but was blocked by our pursuers on the banks of the Wei River. In the end, he only managed to escape back with more than 10,000 men."

"In the entire Guanzhong campaign, we annihilated over 100,000 Jin troops. We not only captured the most prosperous Weibei region in Guanzhong, but also forced the Jin state to sign the Wei River Alliance."

"Wow!"

A gasp of amazement erupted in the classroom, and Chen Muzhi's heart pounded, his face beaming with excitement.

"I also want to follow the King into battle and fight for the Qin Dynasty!" the boy next to him said loudly, and the other students echoed him.

"I also need to go."

"I want to be a cavalryman and follow the king to fight against the Jin Kingdom."

Chen Muzhi clenched his fist, his heart filled with reverence.

He used to only know Li Xiao as a great hero, but now, after hearing the details of the Battle of Guanzhong, he understands even more how formidable his strategies and courage were behind this "heroic" reputation.

He looked down at his hands, which had hardly ever seen blood yet.

But one day, he too will be able to use these hands to pick up real weapons, just like the king, to protect the land of Qin and comfort his father's spirit in heaven.

Looking at the excited boys, Instructor Zhou waved his hand to quiet them down: "It's good that you have this intention."

"But remember, if you want to be as powerful as the king, courage alone is not enough; you also need to master the skills."

"One must be both brave and resourceful to understand military strategy and avoid being deceived by the enemy."

"You need to train your physical fitness to survive on the battlefield; you need to master your military skills to kill the enemy."

"In less than a month, you will graduate from here. Whether you are promoted to the Hexi Military Academy or join the army directly, you will have the opportunity to fight alongside the King."

"The future belongs to you..."

(End of this chapter)