The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 156 What's so good about being a princess? (I don't want to...)
Li Jingxiao had previously ordered three thousand cavalry to sweep away the Jurchen tribes around Zhenjiang Fort, resulting in a devastating massacre.

With evidence that the Jurchens had sided with evil forces, the two thousand heads they had taken upon returning to the capital were a genuine military achievement.

Moreover, these three thousand cavalrymen had experienced numerous battles, both large and small, against the Jurchens, and had seen bloodshed.

Compared to when they were in the capital, their combat strength has improved considerably.

When faced with battle, these three thousand cavalrymen were much more proactive than before.

This way, he could at least report back to the emperor.

However, Li Jingxiao was still somewhat unwilling.

Moreover, there was a nagging feeling that Liaodong might just be a smokescreen by the Tatars.

The real target of the attack might be other places in the nine border towns.

Datong, Xuanfu, and even Jizhou are all possibilities.

But Li Jingxiao had no evidence, so he could only wait and see if the Tatars would ignore the unfavorable situation and insist on moving south.

Moreover, when he wrote a memorial to the throne and had it sent to the capital by fast horse, the reply he received, unsurprisingly, forbade him from initiating any disputes.

It was also mentioned that Datong and Xuanfu had made thorough preparations.

As for Jizhen, a force of several thousand men was also stationed at the Jizhen Great Wall.

Li Jingxiao sighed. It seemed that neither the emperor, the retired emperor, nor the bigwigs in the capital wanted to start a war.

Once war breaks out, the consumption of money and food will be a bottomless pit.

If we lose, the trouble will be even greater.

To keep the restless Li Jingxiao in line, the messenger who came to deliver the imperial edict included not only Zhou Yanfu, the Inspector General of the Inner Court, but also an acquaintance.

Even his father-in-law, Jia Zheng, was sent over by the emperor.

Li Jingxiao could tell at a glance that this was an attempt to win over and promote his father-in-law.

Unfortunately, Jia Zheng was truly unsuitable for a position of real power.

He has never done anything of substance since he started his official career. Suddenly putting him in a position of real power would be detrimental to him.

Jia Lian was traveling with them. When Li Jingxiao saw that the uncle and nephew looked travel-worn and had lost a lot of weight, he knew that they had suffered a lot along the way.

Upon meeting, they exchanged pleasantries, and Zhou Yanfu, representing the emperor, announced the imperial edict.

The general idea is that since the Tatars dare not move south, the Great Zhou must not provoke them too much and force them to move south.

He then praised Lee Kyung-hyo extensively, and mentioned that the court had already received a letter of thanks from the King of Goryeo.

It is also said that the King of Goryeo had a princess who was beautiful, gentle and virtuous.

We would like to ask the Emperor of Great Zhou to grant us the favor of marrying Li Jingxiao, a great hero who assisted the Quan family of Xihaidao in quelling the unrest within his territory.

Li Jingxiao rolled his eyes after hearing this. He wasn't interested in princesses at all.

If you really want to marry several wives, you might as well keep thinking about Wang Xifeng or Xue Baochai.

Since Li Jingxiao married Jia Yuanchun.

During the two months of the expedition, Jia Rong also went north with the army.

Every day during meals and casual conversations, it was easy to find out about some things concerning Jia's relatives.

Moreover, the book clearly states that Xue Pan is older than Wang Xifeng, while Baochai is only two years younger than Xue Pan.

At this time, Xue Baochai was actually thirteen years old.

However, unless the emperor grants a marriage, it will be quite difficult for Li Jingxiao to marry Wang Xifeng or Xue Baochai.

Making two women into concubines would be even more difficult.

With that thought in mind, Li Jingxiao couldn't help but think about Wang Ziteng.

As the only one still in power in the Wang family, and Wang Xifeng's uncle, if Wang Ziteng loses power, the Wang family will truly become a completely fallen aristocratic family.

As the saying goes, "A dragon in shallow water is mocked by shrimp, a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs, a cat that has achieved its ambitions is more powerful than a tiger, and a phoenix that has lost its feathers is no better than a chicken."

Declining nobles often found themselves in a position of lower status than ordinary people.

Fortunately, Li Jingxiao thought about it and realized that ruining the Wang family just to marry Wang Xifeng seemed excessive.

That's why I couldn't make up my mind for a moment.

But if Wang Ziteng provokes him or schemes against him, he will not feel any psychological burden in retaliating.

After Zhou Yanfu finished reading the imperial edict, he saw Li Jingxiao frowning and not speaking, and assumed that he was unwilling to stop the war.

They wouldn't stop until they had fought a battle with the Tatars.

I was incredibly uneasy, and soon my forehead started to sweat.

Fortunately, Li Jingxiao was only thinking about the Wang family.

He quickly regained his senses, expressed his gratitude, and accepted the imperial decree.

He stood up and said to Zhou Yanfu, "Father-in-law, I have already formally married two wives. How can I marry another?"

I cannot bring myself to divorce my wife and give way to that Goryeo princess.

"I urge you, Your Excellency, and I together to submit a memorial to His Majesty, declining the King of Goryeo's kind offer."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng, Jia Lian, and Jia Rong breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Looking at Li Jingxiao, he was extremely satisfied.

Before Zhou Yanfu arrived, he had been personally instructed by the retired emperor and the emperor.

If Li Jingxiao is willing, then grant him a marriage; the reason will be easy to find.

Although the matter of overthrowing Lord Jinyang cannot be stated openly.

However, it is said that Li Jingxiao assisted Goryeo in quelling a rebellion launched by mountain bandits who colluded with the Jurchens.

The King of Goryeo was so grateful that he insisted on marrying his daughter to Yi Kyung-hyo.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had no choice but to reluctantly grant the marriage in order to enhance the friendship between the two countries.

But if Lee Kyung-hyo is unwilling to marry the Goryeo princess, then you must not force him to agree.

To avoid Li Jingxiao from quitting in a fit of anger.

If he focuses solely on cultivating Taoism at Zhenwu Temple, then no one can really do anything to him.
No one dared to actually arrest him.

So Zhou Yanfu nodded without hesitation and said to Li Jingxiao with a smile, "My lord, before we came, the Emperor and His Majesty had already given me instructions."

If Your Excellency is unwilling, then this servant will send a messenger to the Goryeo capital to refuse this matter.

Li Jingxiao then smiled and handed the imperial edict to Jia Rong beside him.

Smiling, he cupped his hands to Zhou Yanfu and said, "You've come from afar, Father-in-law. I've already ordered a banquet to be prepared."

Please don't find this objectionable, Father-in-law.

Zhou Yanfu hurriedly waved his hand. He knew from the fact that the old eunuch had just referred to himself as a servant that he didn't dare to act arrogantly in front of Li Jingxiao.

Moreover, this is Zhenjiang Fort, so it would be far too easy for Li Jingxiao to kill a eunuch.

On the way here, I was worried that Li Jingxiao would not be willing to withdraw his troops and return to the capital.

The thought of that made Zhou Yanfu tremble.

As long as Li Jingxiao doesn't bring up the matter of sending troops north, then Li Jingxiao is Zhou Yanfu's ancestor.

Say what you say.

Li Jingxiao laughed heartily, then bowed to Jia Zheng and reminisced about the past.

Before they had exchanged more than a few words, Jia Zheng took out the family letters from Qin Keqing and Jia Yuanchun.

After not seeing them for three months, Li Jingxiao did miss his two wives.

Needless to say, Qin Keqing's entire heart and soul were already devoted to Li Jingxiao.

The letter was filled with longing and also told Li Jingxiao to take good care of himself.

Yuan Chun had only been married a few days when she set off to the north on an expedition.

The longing and hesitation expressed in the letter also made Li Jingxiao realize that Yuan Chun's biggest fear was that he would divorce her in order to marry the Goryeo princess.

So Li Jingxiao looked at Jia Zheng and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "Father-in-law, rest assured, I would never do anything like divorcing my wife and remarrying."

Jia Zheng had just heard Li Jingxiao clearly refuse to marry the Goryeo princess.

Naturally, no one doubted the truthfulness of Li Jingxiao's words.

Holding Li Jingxiao's arm, he said with emotion, "My son-in-law is of noble character, and I naturally trust you."

Then, she remarked on how fortunate Yuan-chun was to have married such a good husband. Jia Lian, standing nearby, kept echoing her sentiments.

However, in Li Jingxiao's eyes, besides joy, there was also a hint of fear.

I had rested in Liaoyang for two days before, accompanied Jia Zheng to a banquet, and learned about it while catching up with some old acquaintances in the army.

His brother-in-law, because the Jurchens had participated in the Goryeo rebellion, released three thousand elite cavalrymen, who slaughtered the Jurchen tribes within a hundred miles of Zhenjiang Fort.

I heard that more than two thousand people have been identified just from the head count.

Many more Jurchens were so frightened that they had no choice but to migrate north.

Who knows how many female humans will die of exhaustion or starvation along the way?

Li Jingxiao also earned a reputation as a butcher in Liaodong.

However, Li Jingxiao always kept his subordinates in check and did not act arrogantly in Liaodong.

Even in Zhenjiang Fort, where three thousand cavalrymen were stationed, there were no reports of oppression of the people and soldiers.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao had a very good reputation among the soldiers and civilians of Liaodong.

However, his murderous intent was too strong, and by this time, few officials, large or small, in Liaodong were willing to befriend him.

If Li Jingxiao knew, he definitely wouldn't care.

In any case, I have never liked associating with officials, and since the generals all hold military power, I should be even less likely to get too close to them.

With his constant cultivation, he basically left all the social interactions to Jia Rong.

And you know what? Eating, drinking, and having fun are exactly what a scion of a prominent family like Jia Rong is all about.

With his own authority over him, Jia Rong not only handled matters efficiently but also dared not overstep his bounds.

Li Jingxiao was quite satisfied.

Hearing Li Jingxiao praise him in front of Eunuch Zhou, Master Zheng, and Uncle Lian, Jia Rong straightened his back considerably.

Jia Zheng looked at Jia Rong with a face full of satisfaction, noticing that he was darker and thinner than before he left the capital.

But his eyes were much more determined than before, and he was taller and stronger.

It's clear that they put their heart into their work.

He then praised Jia Rong at length, making the boy beam with joy.

Moreover, although Jia Rong dared not take advantage of others, especially the army's provisions and equipment, he dared not embezzle even a single penny.

However, he was the heir to the Ningguo Mansion, and his uncle was Li Jingxiao, a powerful marquis.

The Palace Guard's three thousand soldiers have now earned two thousand military merits through their deaths.

Therefore, there were plenty of people in Liaodong who wanted to curry favor with Jia Rong.

The gifts given to him alone amounted to more than a dozen truckloads.

Ginseng, deer antler, mink fur, pearls, sea cucumber.
We harvested quite a lot of wild delicacies such as hazel mushrooms, matsutake mushrooms, and monkey head mushrooms.

They received at least six or seven thousand taels of silver.

He earned at least thirty or forty thousand taels of silver on the trip.

At this moment, Jia Rong wished he could go on an expedition with Li Jingxiao every year.

From now on, if he needs money, he won't have to worry about his father's attitude.

More importantly, although the expedition was exhausting, Jia Rong didn't actually go to the battlefield.

Just by handling logistics, not only is safety greatly improved, but one can also get promoted and make a fortune.
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Officials from Liaoyang Town had already come over and personally confirmed the headcount.

While waiting for the imperial decree from the capital, the Ministry of War also sent people to reconfirm the headcount.

Therefore, even though Jia Rong is only an "eighth-rank clerk," he will surely be promoted to the seventh rank after returning to the capital this time.

If you spend some money to smooth things over, getting to the sixth rank isn't impossible.

Of course, Jia Rong was not a graduate of the imperial examinations, so he couldn't help Jia Yucun obtain the fourth-rank official position of Jinling Prefect as easily as Jia Zheng helped him.

However, if Li Jingxiao were willing to help, he could directly appoint Jia Rong as the "Left Treasurer of the Garrison," which is also a sixth-rank official.

If that's the case, it would mean a promotion of four ranks, which might attract some controversy.

But if Li Jingxiao doesn't care about these things, there's nothing anyone can do about it.

After all, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was actually only responsible to the emperor.

The emperor would not care about a mere sixth-rank official in charge of the treasury.

Moreover, the Left Garrison Command is actually specifically tasked with dealing with the supernatural.

Li Jingxiao was in charge of this government office; even the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard wouldn't interfere with specific matters.

Therefore, if Li Jingxiao really wanted to appoint Jia Rong as the treasury official, the emperor would simply ignore Jia Rong's age and approve it directly.

While sitting at the table drinking with his uncle, Jia Rong actually wondered if he should give his uncle three to five thousand taels of silver.

Perhaps if his uncle is in a good mood, he will reward him with a sixth-rank official position.

After all, Li Jingxiao never refused any silver or gifts offered by the officials of Liaodong Town.

In Jia Rong's eyes, his uncle actually liked money quite a bit.

What Jia Rong didn't expect was that although the officials in Liaodong gave him money, no one took the initiative to ask Li Jingxiao for favors.

To put it bluntly, everyone pooled their money to give a generous gift, hoping that Li Jingxiao wouldn't take advantage of his status as a marquis.

He also independently commanded three thousand cavalrymen, not under the jurisdiction of the Liaodong Garrison, and caused trouble in Liaodong.

They were even more afraid that he, as the Left Garrison Commander, would secretly send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate them.

Therefore, the gift was several times more expensive than usual.

That's how we got 7 taels of silver and dozens of cartloads of local specialties.

Since Li Jingxiao accepted the gifts, it meant he wouldn't investigate his past misdeeds.

After he divided his three thousand cavalry into three thousand-man squads and sent them out in rotation to wipe out the Jurchens, killing countless people, he...

Many local bullies in Liaodong quickly set their sights on the vacant land.

Besides the Haixi Jurchen and Jianzhou Jurchen, there were also Jurchens living in Liaodong and Goryeo.

Many tribes have long been accustomed to living a semi-agricultural, semi-fishing and hunting lifestyle in the mountains of the no-man's-land.

Although the land reclaimed in the mountains is not much, it has been cultivated by each tribe for generations.

The land ranges from three to five hundred mu to one or two hundred mu.

More than a dozen tribes were wiped out by Li Jingxiao's men.

The total arable land is at least five or six thousand mu.

Li Jingxiao wouldn't let these lands go to anyone else.

Even such mature farmland is not worth much in Liaodong.

It's nothing compared to the farmland in the capital.

One mu of land outside the capital city is worth ten to twenty taels.

Even in Jiangnan, an acre of land costs seven or eight or ten taels of silver.

In Zhenjiangbao, although it is black soil, the yield is at most three to five taels of silver per mu.

In some places, you can buy it for 2 taels of silver.

Farmland in the mountains is even cheaper.

Fortunately, these Jurchen tribes have lived in the mountains for generations.

It's a well-established community.

Every piece of land that is cultivated becomes incredibly fertile.

Even with extensive farming methods, the annual yield can reach more than 200 jin of wheat per mu.

However, land that has been cultivated for many years will not yield such high yields.

Even so, according to the local gentry of Zhenjiangbao, the land around Zhenjiangbao can still yield 140 to 150 jin per mu after the grain is husked.

With fishing and hunting as their means, although life was tough for those at the bottom, they were still able to survive.

By focusing on these exterminated tribes and recruiting more refugees, more land can be cultivated.

(End of this chapter)