The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 374 The Boiling Dragon City, the Sleeping Central Capital

Just as the Qin army was conquering the Western Karakhanid Khanate, news of the great victory in the Western Regions was already spreading rapidly to various places along the Qin's post roads.

From the Seven Rivers Grassland to Dunhuang County in the Hexi Corridor, then to Xianyang in the Guanzhong Plain, and finally to the foot of the Donghai Seabe Mountains in the northern desert.

From west to east, spanning thousands of miles of territory, every post station mobilized.

The couriers rode at breakneck speed, spreading the news that "the Qin cavalry swept across the Western Regions, destroyed the Liao Kingdom, captured Yelü Zhilugu alive, and expanded the territory by three thousand li" to every inch of Qin's land.

When the news reached Longcheng, the capital of the Qin state was in an uproar.

On the streets, people spontaneously flocked to the streets, some beating gongs and drums, others holding wooden signs that read "Great Qin Victory".

At the market, the vendors who had set up their stalls stopped doing business and cheered along with the crowd.

One butcher even picked up his knife, slammed it heavily on the chopping board, and shouted, "All meat is half price today, to celebrate the victory of our Qin soldiers!"

The surrounding people immediately gathered around, and laughter and cheers rose and fell, immersing the entire Jinzhou in the joy of victory.

Under the old locust tree on the outermost edge of the crowd, several elderly people wearing coarse cloth short jackets were gathered together, their eyes and brows full of smiles.

They were all old men who had followed Li Xiao in raising an army in the Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages. Now they were too old to ride horses or wield swords.

After sending his sons and nephews to the army to continue serving the Qin Dynasty, he stayed in Longcheng to retire, but he always kept the Qin army's war in mind.

"Old Zhang, did you hear that? We've wiped it out! The Liao Kingdom has really been destroyed by us, and we even captured that old bastard Yelü Zhilugu."

Old Wang, his face covered in wrinkles, spoke with great excitement, his hands trembling slightly as he spoke.

"Back in the day, when we followed the King to raise an army in Jiubao, we didn't know where our next meal would come from, and we didn't even have a decent suit of armor."

"Who would have thought that we could now traverse three thousand miles of the Western Regions and suppress the Liao Kingdom, this fierce tiger, to death."

The old man, known as Old Zhang, had completely white hair, yet he still stood up straight.

He looked at the cheering crowd in the street, his eyes a little moist, and slowly said, "That's right! Back then, when we were dealing with the Wang Ting's people in the snow, our fingers were so frozen they almost fell off, and we never dared to imagine that we would be like this today."

"Back then, the royal court was so arrogant, always bullying us... Now it's all good, the king has led our northern border people to take revenge."

The cheers in the street continued, and the elderly people looked at the lively scene with smiles of satisfaction on their faces.

They knew that their choice to join Li Xiao in raising an army back then was the right one. The hardships they had endured and the blood they had shed had now transformed into the glory of Qin and the smiles on the faces of the Qin people.

Inside Li Xiao's palace, the atmosphere was equally lively.

Upon hearing the news of the victory, Li Xiao's wives and concubines gathered in the main hall to discuss the war in the Western Regions.

Only Xiao Yanyan, after a brief moment of joy, returned to her room alone.

She took out her brother Xiao Simo's memorial tablet from the cabinet, carefully placed it on the table, lit three incense sticks, held it with both hands, and slowly knelt down.

"Brother."

Xiao Yanyan's voice was choked with emotion, but her eyes were full of excitement: "Did you see that? The King led the Qin army, destroyed the royal court, and captured Yelü Zhilugu alive."

"The persecution and injustice that Wang Ting inflicted on you back then have finally been avenged."

She placed the incense sticks into the incense burner and kowtowed three times deeply to the memorial tablet.

With his forehead pressed against the cold ground, tears streamed down his cheeks: "Brother, don't worry, the Great Qin will grow stronger and stronger, and our family will live in peace and prosperity."

"I will stay by the King's side and assist him well, so as not to disappoint your expectations from back then."

Despite saying this, a complex sense of melancholy still welled up in my heart.

She raised her hand to stroke the jade pendant at her waist, a keepsake passed down from her maternal grandfather to her mother.

The Liao Dynasty, that was her motherland!

It was the land that my maternal grandfather, along with my paternal grandfather and others, conquered from the grasslands with sword and arrow, the once mighty Liao Empire that dominated the Western Regions and intimidated the world.

But now, this empire has been destroyed by her husband, Li Xiao, and by her own "unfilial daughter."

Meanwhile, on the training ground of the Jinzhou Military Academy, a conflict was quietly breaking out.

Li Shizhao was wrestling with an unusually muscular boy, surrounded by a crowd of children who were watching the spectacle. Some clapped and cheered, while others watched the fight intently.

"Squad leader, give him a good beating."

"This bastard dares to bully people in our class, we can't let him get away with this."

"Hit, hit!"

In the crowd, Li Zhaohui stood on tiptoe and shouted, while Xiao Mohe clenched his fists, watching the battle warily, ready to rush in and help at any moment.

They were all Li Shizhao's playmates and knew his identity as the eldest prince of Qin. However, in the military academy, Li Shizhao never flaunted it and only interacted with everyone by the name "Li Shizhao".

He was also the class monitor of Class 1, so he preferred to be called 'class monitor' by his classmates, who were all his underlings.

The boy who was pinned down by Li Shizhao was the class monitor of another class. He came from the Oirat tribe in northern Mongolia and his Han name was Shi Lieshan.

His father died fighting for the Qin state in the Battle of Guanzhong, so he was sent to a military academy.

Perhaps it was because of his ethnicity, or perhaps it was because he had experienced the pain of losing his father.

Shi Lieshan always had an arrogant and domineering demeanor, liked to solve problems with his fists, and acted like a little tyrant in order to avoid being bullied by other children.

"Let me go, or I'll beat you to death."

Shi Lieshan's face flushed red as he struggled to push Li Shizhao away, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break Li Shizhao's hold.

Thanks to the excellent genes and ample nutrition of Li Xiao and Xiao Yanyan, Li Shizhao was half a head taller than other children his age, but he was still slightly inferior in size compared to Shi Lieshan.

Shi Lieshan has an unusually large frame; at this rate, he will likely grow to be over two meters tall.

However, Li Shizhao inherited Li Xiao's strong genes. Although he doesn't look particularly strong, his muscles contain amazing power.

"Are you satisfied?"

Li Shizhao pressed down on Shi Lieshan's shoulder, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "If you dare to bully anyone in our class again, I'll beat you up."

After struggling for a long time, Shi Lieshan realized he couldn't break free, so he gritted his teeth and shouted, "I give up, I give up."

"It's good that you're convinced." Li Shizhao stood up, dusted himself off, and then reached out to help Shi Lie up.

“We are all brothers, it’s not a skill to bully your own brother.”

"If you're so capable, go to the battlefield in the future and fight against the enemies in the northern frontier, and fight against those who bully the Qin Dynasty."

He turned to look at the students around him and raised his voice: "You are the same. You are not here to play around at the military academy. You are here to learn skills."

"If you've been bullied, train hard and win back next time with your skills."

"If you don't want to be bullied anymore, train yourself to be stronger than anyone else."

"Only when the people of Qin are strong can our country be strong and not be bullied by others."

These were words he had heard Li Xiao say before, which he had memorized and was now putting to use to impress others.

The surrounding children immediately erupted in excitement: "If I were as good as the class monitor, Shi Lieshan wouldn't dare to bully me..."

"The squad leader is right. If anyone dares to mess with me again, I'll fight them to the bitter end."

"I want to train too. I want to be as strong as the squad leader so I can fight the enemy on the battlefield in the future."

Shi Lieshan got up from the ground, rubbed his shoulders, and looked at Li Shizhao's back with a complicated expression.

There was resentment, surprise, and a hint of barely perceptible admiration.

Just then, a clear whistle rang out, and the children on the playground instantly fell silent.

The instructors marched in with synchronized steps and shouted, "Everyone assemble!"

Li Shizhao and Shi Lieshan quickly returned to their respective class lines.

Li Shizhao, the class monitor, turned around and shouted to the students behind him, "Attention! Stand at ease!"

"Whoa whoa whoa~"

The children quickly lined up in neat rows, straightened their backs, and assumed the standard straddle stance, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Looking towards the distant statue of Li Xiao, they shouted in unison, "Loyalty!"

Once the troops were in position, the chief instructor walked up to the platform, glanced at the student soldiers below, and announced loudly, "I have some good news to tell you all."

"We have won the war against the Liao Kingdom."

"The Qin cavalry swept across the Western Regions, destroyed the Liao Kingdom, captured the Liao emperor Yelü Zhilugu alive, and expanded the territory of the Qin Kingdom by three thousand li."

"Wow!"

The students' eyes lit up instantly, their faces filled with excitement, but not one of them uttered a sound.

The military academy has strict discipline; no matter how excited you are, you must abide by the rules.

Even if Li Shizhao makes a mistake, he will still be punished.

Standing at the front of the line, he was incredibly excited, clenching his fists as the image of his father, Li Xiao, appeared in his mind.

He missed his father more and more, and longed to grow up as soon as possible, to fight on the battlefield like his father, and to make contributions to the Qin Dynasty.

The head instructor nodded in satisfaction at the students' reactions and continued his lecture: "Warriors, you must remember that the law of the jungle is the rule of this world."

"The Liao Dynasty perished because it was corrupt and weak."

"The reason why our Great Qin is so powerful is because of the leadership of Your Majesty and the sacrifice of countless soldiers."

"You have come to the military academy to learn skills so that you can serve your country and Your Majesty in the future."

"In the future, you will fight alongside the Qin army in battles across the land, and you will ensure that the Qin flag flies over every corner of the world."

"Serve the country! Serve the King!"

"Serve the country! Serve the King!"

……

The students chanted in unison again and again, their voices louder than before, their eyes filled with fervent light.

After the briefing, the instructors began to explain the battle situation to each class one by one.

From the beginning of the Battle of the Ili River to the decisive Battle of Chaqi, and then to the pursuit and capture of Yelü Zhilugu, each battle was described in vivid detail.

At the same time, they also introduced the students to the Qin warriors who emerged during the war, telling them stories of how they fought bravely against the enemy and sacrificed themselves for their country.

Li Shizhao listened with utmost care, memorizing the battle examples and the names of the warriors, and thought to himself, "They are the heroes of Qin."

Standing beside him, Shi Lieshan listened intently, the confusion in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a longing for the "Qin Warriors".

……

In the study of the General's Mansion in Xianyang City, Li Dongjiang sat facing Gao Zhongyi, the Governor of Weibei. On the table lay a victory report that had just arrived from Jinzhou, bearing the words "Destroyed the Liao Kingdom and expanded territory by three thousand li."

Gao Zhongyi held the victory report, his hands trembling slightly. He slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with excitement: "Great Qin!"

"This is the foundation of the Qin Dynasty for all ages!"

"Back then, when we were fighting against the Liao Kingdom, many of our brothers died at their hands. Now we have finally eliminated this great threat."

"Three thousand miles of territory have been incorporated into our Great Qin, and future generations will be able to enjoy this glory."

Li Dongjiang, however, appeared remarkably calm. He picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and slowly said, "Lord Gao, please calm down."

"Given the current strength of the Qin Dynasty, resolving the Liao Kingdom is a matter of course."

"Your Majesty has long planned this out. From training troops to procuring provisions, every step has been carefully considered. Now it is simply a matter of time before things fall into place."

Even so, a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction flashed in his eyes. As a key figure who had watched Li Xiao raise his army from Hexi Fort, he knew better than anyone how much the Great Qin had paid to achieve its current status.

Gao Zhongyi gradually calmed down, sat back in his chair, and said with emotion, "That's true, but when the good news actually came, I still couldn't help but get excited."

"By the way, General, I have also received another order from His Majesty."

"The king's intention is to conscript all the bachelors in the various states who cannot find wives, form the Western Regions Expansion Corps, and send them to the newly conquered Liaodong lands to cultivate the land."

"Once we get there, we'll follow the rules of Qin. Everyone will be allocated land and pasture to cultivate, and we'll also be able to take captive women as wives."

"The Western Regions Expeditionary Corps?" Li Dongjiang nodded slightly, as he was not yet aware of this information.

Because the Qin state had already begun to separate military and political affairs, with each managing its own responsibilities.

The conscription of bachelors was a matter for the governor's office, and the order was issued directly to Gao Zhongyi, with the army only needing to cooperate.

So Li Dongjiang was quite relaxed and chuckled: "I heard that during this western expedition, more than 400,000 women were captured, enough to match these bachelors."

"More than 400,000?" Gao Zhongyi's eyes lit up. He really didn't know as much as Li Dongjiang about the results of the western expedition.

He immediately exclaimed happily, "This really solves a big problem!"

"General, as you know, there are far too many bachelors in Guanzhong."

Throughout history, it has always been the same; for men from lower social classes, finding a wife is not an easy matter.

Women admire strength and would rather be a concubine or servant to a rich man than live a life of hardship with a poor bachelor.

During the last Qin expedition to the east, the local nobles and landowners were wiped out, and the large number of women, maids, and female slaves kept in their mansions naturally became spoils of war for the Qin army.

They were all sent to the northern frontier, so the bachelors in Guanzhong still haven't solved their practical problems.

“In the past, the lives of ordinary people were hard. They had no food or land, so women naturally didn’t want to marry them,” Gao Zhongyi sighed.

"Now that we, the people of Qin, have arrived and are in charge of the poor, we can't just conjure up women out of thin air."

"Now that we have these 400,000 female captives from the Western Regions, the most pressing issue has finally been resolved."

"It not only found wives for the bachelors, giving them something to be attached to, but also allowed them to go to the Western Regions to cultivate the land and turn the Liaodong region into our Han people's territory."

"In less than twenty years, the area will be inhabited by the descendants of Han people, and Liaodong will become the foundation of the Great Qin. There will be no need to worry about rebellion anymore."

Li Dongjiang nodded slightly: "I will issue an order tomorrow to have the garrisons in each prefecture cooperate with the local governments to begin conscription."

Seeing that he had agreed, Gao Zhongyi put his hand on his chest and took his leave, relieved.

Once Li Dongjiang was alone in the study, he walked to the wall, looked at the Guanzhong map hanging on the wall, and slowly traced the characters "Chang'an" with his finger.

When news of the great victory on the Western Regions battlefield arrived, he could no longer contain his excitement.

Since the end of the Eastern Expedition three years ago, Guanzhong has been peaceful, and his soldiers have been itching to get back to work.

"The Seventh Garrison of Lingzhou has been established, and the Second Garrison of Weibei, the Sixth Garrison of Mobei, and the Fourth Garrison of Gansu have also been fully staffed..."

He murmured, a sharp glint in his eyes: "The elite troops of the four garrisons total eighty thousand, with the assistance of militia and auxiliary troops, and the food supplies are also sufficient."

"As long as Your Majesty gives the order, we can march south and take Chang'an, and recover the entire Guanzhong region at any time."

He clenched his fist slightly. As a general of Qin, his pursuit was to conquer battlefields and expand territory.

Now that the Western Regions have been pacified, it's time to move on to Guanzhong.

The next morning, Gao Zhongyi's order was relayed throughout the various prefectures.

The prefectures north of the Wei River immediately sprang into action, with officials at all levels beginning to count and register the number of bachelors.

Moreover, recruitment was also launched simultaneously in prefectures such as Lingzhou and Gansu, where Han people were concentrated and land was scarce, as Qin's national policy was to migrate people to the frontier.

Expanding territory and stabilizing border defense.

Meanwhile, the officer corps that Li Xiao sent from the Western Regions was already on its way.

These are all meritorious soldiers of this western expedition. They will serve as the backbone of the Western Regions Expeditionary Corps at all levels, leading those bachelors to the Western Regions. They will not only teach them how to fight, but also teach them how to cultivate and settle down in the Western Regions.

The Jin Dynasty, Zhongdu.

The national mourning period for Wanyan Jing had long ended, and the capital city remained prosperous.

In the streets and alleys, the people were busy with their own livelihoods and didn't care who was the emperor.

Regardless of who's in power, they all have to pay taxes and make a living.

But deep within the palace, the new emperor, Wanyan Yongji, was indulging in the "pleasure" of royalty.

Incense wafted through the air, and palace maids carried various snacks and wines as they moved about.

Wanyan Yongji leaned back on the soft couch, holding a beauty in his arms, chewing on candied fruit, his face full of drunkenness.

Since ascending the throne, he has been lavishly selecting concubines, indulging in drinking and merrymaking all day long, and experiencing the "ultimate pleasures of the world," having long since forgotten about state affairs.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Councilor is requesting an audience, saying he has important matters to report." A eunuch cautiously entered, his voice extremely low.

Wanyan Yongji frowned and waved his hand impatiently: "What important matter? Can't you see I'm busy? Tell him to wait."

"But... the Privy Councilor said that this matter is of utmost importance and cannot be delayed!" The eunuch knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

Wanyan Yongji reluctantly pushed away the beauty in his arms, muttering, "What a spoilsport. Let him wait in the study."

After saying this, he quickly washed and dressed with the help of palace maids before lazily walking towards his study.

Although he was dissolute, he knew that "the important matter mentioned by the Privy Councilor" was no small matter and dared not delay it.

Inside the study, the newly appointed Privy Councilor, Park San Seol-yeol, had been waiting for some time.

He was a confidant of Wanyan Yongji, and initially he was just a bodyguard by Wanyan Yongji's side.

He was later placed in the army by Wanyan Yongji, but he didn't have any outstanding military achievements. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to reach the rank of commander of ten thousand men.

However, when his master, Wanyan Yongji, became emperor, Park Sanseol was promoted to Privy Councilor, which was criticized by many generals in the army.

Compared to his predecessor as Privy Councilor, his prestige and influence are far inferior.

Upon seeing Wanyan Yongji enter, he quickly bowed and greeted him. His gaze swept over the emperor's pale face and unsteady gait, and he sighed inwardly.

However, he still gently advised, "Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance. I hope Your Majesty will exercise restraint and also devote more attention to matters of state."

“Moderation? Too much trouble?” Wanyan Yongji scoffed, sat on the dragon throne, picked up a pastry from the table, and took a bite.

"I used to be a prince in name only, living in constant fear for so many years. Now that I'm the emperor, what's wrong with enjoying myself?"

"With ministers like you overseeing the affairs of the court, why should I worry about everything?"

"Tell me, what's going on?"

Seeing that he was unwilling to listen to advice, Park Sanseokyeol stopped talking and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, we have just received news that the Liao Kingdom has been destroyed."

"The Liao Dynasty? Destroyed?"

Wanyan Yongji was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Are you confused? The Liao Kingdom was destroyed by our Great Jin long ago."

“Your Majesty, it is the pseudo-Liao dynasty that Yelü Dashi rebuilt in the Western Regions back then!” Park Sanseol quickly explained.

When the Jin Dynasty learned that Yelü Dashi had established the Liao Dynasty in the Western Regions, it sent a large army on an expedition to eliminate any potential threat.

However, halfway through the expedition, due to severe weather and disease, the expedition suffered heavy casualties and had to be halted.

Therefore, the Jin Dynasty's consistent attitude toward the Western Liao was one of non-recognition, yet also of helplessness.

Wanyan Yongji then realized what had happened, his smile vanished instantly, and he sat bolt upright: "Who did this? Such a big thing, why are you only reporting it now?"

"It is...it is the Qin state."

Park Sanseokyeol's voice was even lower: "The news came from Xianyang, and it's not just Xianyang, it's spread throughout the entire Weibei region, so the news should be true."

"Barbarians from the northern frontier?" Wanyan Yongji's pupils shrank.

Yes, only the barbarians of the northern frontier had the ability to destroy the Liao Kingdom, which dominated the Western Regions.

He recalled the hardships the Jin Dynasty faced in its expedition against the Western Liao, and then thought of how easily the people of the Northern Frontier had destroyed the Western Liao. A chill ran through him.

Has the power of the Qin state grown to such an extent?

Previously, many ministers in the court had called for a western expedition to recover Guanzhong.

This was a strategy set during Wanyan Jing's reign, and preparations had been underway for two years. However, before the expedition could even begin, Wanyan Jing suddenly passed away.

Everyone assumed that Wanyan Yongji, having ascended the throne, was ambitious and eager to prove himself and consolidate his power, and would definitely launch a western expedition.

After all, this involves a struggle for military power.

With the pretext of a western expedition, Wanyan Yongji could easily place his trusted confidants in the army, thereby gaining control of more troops.

However, after so long on the throne, Wanyan Yongji did nothing but eat, drink, and have fun.

It wasn't about enduring hardship and biding his time, nor was it about making a name for himself. In reality, Wanyan Yongji simply didn't have the guts!
He was inherently cowardly and timid, and the princes in the court were eyeing him covetously and were unwilling to submit to him.

He only wanted to be emperor peacefully and didn't dare to start a war.

"If it's destroyed, then so be it..."

Wanyan Yongji composed himself, his tone carrying a hint of relief.

"The Western Regions are far from our Zhongdu. Even if the barbarians of the Northern Frontier destroy the pseudo-Liao, they can't threaten us."

"As long as they don't provoke us, we'll pretend we don't know anything... We can bring up the western expedition later."

Looking at him like this, Park San-seok-yeol felt disappointed, but dared not refute him.

This new emperor was ultimately an incompetent ruler.

(End of this chapter)