Colonial Era: From Remnants to European Dominator

The newly repaired plaque has been re-erected above the entrance. Today is a fairly sunny day, after several rounds of sleet in the past few days, which made it cold and damp.

If it weren't for the fact that the land in the countryside outside the city had long been entrusted to his nephew, Niu Shansong, given his personality, would have been anxious about whether the wheat he had just harvested last month was damp.

He coughed a few times, then turned and ran to the Lin family shop along the street to buy a string of firecrackers. After all, life should get better and better, right?

The crackling sound of firecrackers startled passersby, who turned their heads away. After all, setting off firecrackers at this time of year, when it's neither a holiday nor a festival, is somewhat inappropriate, especially on a day like this.

Jinshan Prefecture possessed several cannons acquired from the Dzungar Khanate. To maintain these cannons, a special firearms battalion was established. Every month, some gunpowder was distributed to the people to be made into firecrackers and fireworks for festivals.

"Entering the city, entering the city----"

"So many rat-tailed Tartars."

Niu Shansong looked at the excited young men shouting along the street, and first shook his head with a bit of a laugh. He was about to continue wiping the new tables and chairs in the shop when, as if he had just picked up a rag, he suddenly seemed to remember something and took off running. His Turkic wife, who was still busy in the shop, was a little puzzled. She wondered what had gotten into her husband today, how he could be so energetic. If he had this kind of ability in the side room, the shop would probably have another capable young man to do the work.

On the street, more and more people gathered. Niu Shansong stumbled and squeezed through the crowd. As soon as he rushed to the second row, he saw a scene he would never forget in his life.

The gray knight gleamed with a grayish-brown light in the sunlight after the change of weather. The scimitar at his waist, along with the quiver and bow at his side, appeared both fierce and warm in his eyes.

He knew this was the power protecting him, protecting his little tavern, and also protecting everyone here, safeguarding the entire Jinshan Prefecture.

"That is—"

Looking at the twenty-odd prisoners, ragged and with queues at the back of their heads, he knew that although he had been on the battlefield once in his youth, he had arrived later and his memories of the Qing demons were not as vivid. However, he had heard many stories about the Ming Dynasty told by storytellers, so he naturally didn't have a clear impression of these savage beasts. Now, seeing them, he realized they were indeed:

"Money Rat Tail!!"

"I'm afraid it would take a lot of money to string them together."

Niu Shansong kept calculating the size of the rat's tail in his mind, but his eyes kept wandering in the direction of the knight. He was searching, searching for a familiar figure, until:

"Young master!!"

"It's the young master, it's the eldest son—"

Several childhood friends of Li Yuanheng walked along the street, shouting as they tried to keep up with the procession.

Li Yuanheng pulled on the reins, and his horse "Zidian" swayed its black mane a few times, its breath constantly emitting white smoke.

"Has my brother forgotten us?"

The man in the lead took off his woolen hat, revealing a side-swept section of hair:

"Back in school, I was in the back row, and Dalang was in front of me."

"But Su Weinian----"

"Indeed, I didn't expect you to still remember me. Your great victory over the Tartars has greatly boosted the prestige of the Jinshan Han Clan."

Su Weinian turned around and introduced the people beside him:

"These are Song west, Ma Zhenyu, and Sang Youhai; they are all our peers from the academy."

"Greetings, young master—"

The men clasped their hands in greeting, and Li Yuanheng returned the greeting immediately.

"Since we are of the same generation, and we are busy today, we can send our name cards to the government office another day. We will meet again then."

Watching Li Yuanheng's departing figure, the group exchanged glances, their joy evident in each other's expressions.

"Is this kindness from the eldest brother truly a testament to the bond of classmates?"

Hu Wu, puzzled, spurred his horse to follow beside him. Li Yuanheng, upon hearing this, chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

"It's not that I'm treating him differently, nor is it any kind of classmate friendship. I remember the leader. Back in the academy, he was a pretty good student. Although he wasn't born into one of the four noble families and missed his chance, he's probably now in a lowly position and hiding in the sea. But there's one thing about him that those pretty-boy types can never match in their entire lives."

"What??"

"His trousers were covered in mud and straw residue. Given his grades at the academy, he would never have returned to his hometown to farm; at the very least, he would have become a local official. This morning, after rain and snow, he was already out in the fields harvesting straw, ensuring the villagers had enough firewood. Doesn't that make him a talented person?"

Jinshan Prefecture comprised three townships: Jinsui Township, North Township, and South Township, named according to their geographical location. The highest-ranking official in each township was the Township Head, followed by various auxiliary officials.

Hu Wu still didn't quite understand what firewood had to do with talent. In the army, he only knew that whoever killed the most and looted the most was considered a talent. How could firewood be related to that?

"What about the rest of them?"

Hu Wu asked again.

"Anyone still on the street at this moment is better than that filthy bunch up north—"

Li Yuanheng spurred his horse, Zidian, and the snow-white hooves quickly swept past the row of knights in front, carrying his master as they galloped toward the government office.

---------

"The most important affairs of the state are sacrifice and war."

"Young Master, now that you have achieved merit and are about to get married, you should offer sacrifices to our ancestors and submit memorials to comfort the spirits of our Li family ancestors and even the heroic spirits of Yan and Huang."

Looking at his son, who was growing into a powerful and influential family, Li Yanxing couldn't help but feel jealous. After all, he had never achieved such feats when he was young.

With nearly four thousand survivors, hundreds of thousands of taels of silver in assets, and even official hats and robes, each of these was an extraordinary achievement. Yet, his son accomplished it all in just one month. Who would believe it if word got out?

"Eldest son, after the sacrificial ceremony, we'll need to choose a courtesy name. Have you thought about what one you'd like?"

Second Uncle Li Yanlong patted his belly:

"This matter will be left to Master Wang. As the headmaster of the academy, it will be a piece of cake for him to come up with a courtesy name."

"You can ask the master; there's no need for Master Wang to help."

Li Yuanheng made his request, which surprised Li Yanxing and Li Yanlong slightly, but they quickly sent someone to inform him.

Less than half an hour later, while the group was still discussing how to conduct the sacrificial ceremony, a servant ran in and said:

"Grandpa said that the eldest son's courtesy name should be Boxian."

"Bo Xian----"

Li Yanxing chewed on those two words, his expression growing increasingly serious. He then turned to look at Li Yuanheng, who was also chewing, and instructed him in a tone he had never used before:

"Bo means elder, Xian means law and order. Your father values ​​you so much, so you must not lead my Li family astray. You must be cautious and thoughtful in everything you do."

"Never let one person's actions bring ruin to the entire clan and the whole family."

The heavy words struck Li Yuanheng's heart, as if his feet were shackled, but he quickly recovered and replied with the same serious expression:

"Father, rest assured, now that we have chosen Bo Xian, he will naturally become our leader, seek laws and regulations for the people, and bring peace to the land."

"Alright, the festival is in two days, it only happens once a year, why think so much? If you ask me, since Dalang won this battle, let Yuanzhen and Yuanshui see that you can't learn about national affairs in the school!!"

Li Yanlong chuckled and used the excuse to ask Li Yuanheng to go see his two cousins.

Li Yuanheng naturally understood the meaning behind it. After all, they didn't live in the same mansion and hadn't seen each other for so long, so it was inevitable that they would become somewhat distant. They were all members of the Li family, and since he was now calling him Boyan, he naturally had to take care of his younger brother.

Li Yanlong's two sons are both younger than Li Yuanheng and Li Yuanli; the oldest is currently only thirteen years old.

----------

On a hilltop outside Jinshan City, banners were already fluttering and the atmosphere was solemn.

They were all dressed in black armor, with their knives facing inwards, and everyone was bound with yellow cloth, resembling yellow turbans, but they were not yellow turbans.

"Knock knock knock----"

The drumbeats sound three times and then stop, only to start again, repeating endlessly without any sign of ceasing. It is neither music nor music, but rather evokes a profound sense of heaviness and nostalgia in the listener.

On the altar, Li Yuanheng, Li Yuanli, Li Yuanzhen, and even the youngest, Li Yuanshui, who was only eight years old, stood at the very back. In front of them were their fathers, uncles, and elders, with the very front being none other than Old Master Li.

He no longer carried the dragon-headed cane he used to rely on for walking; instead, the aged dragon-headed figure stood like an ancient pine tree, offering sacrifices. Before him lay a large cauldron and three sacrificial animals. These were no ordinary sacrificial animals; ordinary ones were merely domestic fowl such as pigs, sheep, and cattle. But the three sacrificial animals on this altar were:

"Bear, tiger, duster."

The so-called "麈" refers to a moose, which shows how extravagant it was. If it weren't only held once a year, even if the Li family owned the entire Jinshan Prefecture, they wouldn't dare to hold such a grand sacrifice. They simply couldn't afford it!

Looking at the eulogy he had personally drafted on the table, Old Master Li's slightly cloudy eyes suddenly brightened, and he turned and called out:

"Elder brother, please offer this sacrifice on my behalf."

The commotion ended abruptly before it could even begin. After all, the eldest son was no longer the same as before. The title "Bo Xian" had already established everything, and it was feared that in the future, the eldest son's power in Jinshan would soon surpass that of his father and uncle.

Li Yuanheng helped his grandfather down the steps, then walked up to the altar alone. He was dressed in a right-fastening robe, all in black, with a silver crown on his head. The qilin on his chest rustled in the mountain breeze, making it appear even more lifelike.

Li Yuanheng stood before the altar, gazing at the mountains ahead, the fields and villages below, and even the distant Jinshan City. He exhaled sharply, then picked up the Xuanhuang sacrificial text and solemnly recited it:

"In the 112th year of the Chongzhen reign, a certain official guarding the western frontier respectfully reports to the spirits of the nobles of the Great Han Jinshan Kingdom----"

"Alas! Since the decline of the Tang dynasty, you gentlemen strove to fight in Shazhou, wielding your swords, and pacified seven prefectures, allowing the Han dynasty's attire to reappear in the Hexi Corridor. Though a thousand years have passed, your heroic spirit remains undiminished."

"A descendant of the Longxi people, residing in the Jinshan Mountains, established a fortified village in the Altai Mountains. He made a pact with the various Turkic tribes, not out of envy for their meat and dairy products, but because he wished to emulate you gentlemen in controlling these tribes and preserving a lineage of Han people in the Western Regions. Last month, you decisively defeated the Qing army at the Ulungur River, beheading generals and capturing flags. This is precisely the result of your tacit and silent assistance."

"Although the Dzungar Khanate has now granted my father the position of Zaisang, every night when I remove my sword and see the three characters 'Li of Longxi,' I cannot help but rise in the middle of the night, facing west, and weep. What I uphold is neither land nor people, but a righteous spirit between heaven and earth. To ensure that the Han dynasty's legacy is not buried in the shifting sands, and that the historical record continues through the ages, this is my ambition."

"Your spirits are not far away; may you rest in peace!"

"May the Yan and Huang Emperors never cease to live, may the Han dynasty never end. We pray to Heaven to bless the Han people of Jinshan, so that their lineage may continue unbroken, and their descendants may number for generations to come."

As he read, Li Yuanheng's eyes sharpened. He knew this eulogy was prepared for him, and the memorial service was also a memorial service for him:

"Perform the ritual and offer sacrifices!!"

As the twenty prisoners were brought to the altar, the long sword fell instantly, and their bloody heads were placed on the altar in order. There were twenty in total, symbolizing Li Yuanheng's growth. From now on, he was both Li Yuanheng and Li Baexian.