Colonial Era: From Remnants to European Dominator

"Those who advocate for a swift victory are, remember, traitors who betray their cause in the face of battle."

"What if we win?"

Li Yuanzhen looked up at his elder brother, his eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge. In his heart, this cousin was the most capable, far superior to the teachers in the academy.

"We won!"

With a soft snort, Li Yuanheng lifted the curtain. As soon as he did, the smell of sand and dust blew into his nostrils with the north wind, filling the entire carriage with a dusty, earthy odor.

"If we win, either our tactics will change, or we'll be utterly destroyed!"

The scenery outside the window was so desolate, with bald mountain peaks and greenery spread across the mountains like sesame seeds, giving it a "naan bread" feel.

Li Yuanzhen thoughtfully bit into the honey, his favorite treat when he was thinking. He always felt that eating more sugar would make his mind work faster.

"Brother, what if this person changes his tactics and also has good luck? There are many such figures in history, and quite a few of them were ennobled and appointed generals. How could they all die without a burial place?"

Li Yuanheng glanced at Li Yuanzhen, who was wrapped in a cotton coat beside him. The latter's eyes were dark and bright, and the stubbornness inside was not easily seen if you didn't look closely.

"Third brother, is the cotton coat you're wearing more important for the farmer, for the cotton seeds, or perhaps both?"

"It should be both."

Li Yuanzhen's answer only amused Li Yuanheng, who then turned to look out the window, admiring the dull, withered world.

In this world, everything is important, and nothing is important. Just like the geography of the Western Regions, mountains and rivers are always accompanied by wind and sand, and beauty is always accompanied by disappointment. Almost every piece of life in the Western Regions is surrounded by indescribable wind, sand and desolation. Even here, the Tarbagatai Mountains are surrounded by semi-arid and arid landforms.

The carriage continued its journey, the escorting procession stretching for nearly a mile, when suddenly, a falcon in the sky let out a cry, and the procession stopped abruptly.

"My lord, Bu Lizai's entourage is just ahead. Should we say hello?"

The curtain of the middle carriage was lifted, and Li Yanxing, who had just dressed and was grooming his beard, tugged at a strand of his white hair:

"Tell Dalang to get ready quickly, and don't neglect Abbinorzaisang."

"yes!!"

When the news reached Li Yuanheng's ears, he was already fully dressed. Compared to his usual Hanfu, he was now wearing clothes with a strong grassland style, and was tying a wolfskin belt around his waist. Li Yuanzhen, standing beside him, had inserted a tiger-headed gold dagger into it.

"Brother's outfit really does resemble Zaisang's. If those women saw him, they'd probably all be scrambling to marry him—"

Li Yuanzhen then handed over a pair of deerskin riding boots. While Li Yuanheng was putting them on, her eyes darted around, and she playfully tugged at his sleeve, swinging it back and forth. All trace of the cleverness she had displayed just moments before was gone.

"Big brother, do you think I should go and meet that Bu Lizai-sang too? I've never met any other zaisang except for my uncle!"

"It's better to meet later. The other three Zaisangs will be arriving soon, and we can meet them all together. It's better than meeting just this one."

Li Yuanheng pinched the boy's displeased cheek, lowered his head, and said in a seductive tone:

"If you win the prize this time, I'll let you choose whatever you like—"

"real??"

Li Yuanzhen, pleasantly surprised, tugged at her sleeve again, extended her finger, and looked at Li Yuanheng with a serious expression:

"Pinky promise, whoever lies is a dog!!"

Li Yuanheng took out a silver fish-shaped talisman from his pocket and slapped it into Li Yuanzhen's palm:

"This item serves as proof; if the promise cannot be fulfilled, this will be used as payment—"

-------

Inside the military tent, roughly the size of a living room, several beautiful women of mixed colors with emerald green eyes and graceful figures were dancing around the central campfire. Compared to the Central Plains, the dances of the grasslands lacked the exquisite costumes and flowing sleeves of the Central Plains, and the movements appeared more rugged. Sometimes they swayed with the campfire, and sometimes they displayed charming expressions in front of the guests.

Before her charming beauty could even captivate, her heroic and extraordinary side was revealed, making people both tender and amazed by her imposing presence.

"This is Bulizaisang, whose full name is Aibinuoer Altun Bulizaisang."

While enjoying the song and dance performance, Li Yanxing quietly reminded Li Yuanheng again about Bu Lizai Sang's long and complicated name across from them, so that he wouldn't mispronounce the name when reciting the toast later.

It's important to understand that names aren't particularly important to people from the grasslands, but they become incredibly important to nobles, especially those in power. In fact, some people believe that removing even one word from a name could bring unimaginable disaster.

Take, for example, the tongue-twisting word "Aibinaor." It simply means Lake Aibinaor in the Western Regions, which is just a place name and nothing to boast about. However, when this word appears in a person's name along with "Zai Sang," the feeling it conveys and the power behind it are something that no one can ignore.

Holding his wine glass, Li Yuanheng pretended to drink while looking at Bu Lizaisang across from him. In his eyes, this slightly bald, round-faced, pot-bellied middle-aged man was observing them with the same subtle behavior, even though his gaze was always focused on the central campfire.

Especially feeling the repeated glances directed at him, the moment the dance ended, Li Yuanheng bypassed the table in front of him and, under everyone's gaze, walked straight to Bu Lizai Sang, raising his glass high:

"Respected Abbinur Altun Buli Zaisang, please allow me, in the name of Tengri, to extend my highest blessings to you and your family----"

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

Li Yuanheng's fluent and resonant Turkic voice echoed in the hearts of everyone present. As the one being toasted, Bu Lizaisang merely shifted the velvet cushion stuck to his buttocks, then stood up, his large belly protruding, and raised his wine cup:

"And I also wish you, Altay Yulduz Timur, the newly soaring eagle of the grassland, that you may forever soar in the blue and white sky and enjoy the protection of Tengger----"

"Similarly, I also wish your father, my dear brother, Altay Balstogan Alep Zaisang, to remain as strong, wise, and favored by Tengri as he was in his youth."

[Altay is the Turkic surname of the Li family in Junggar, symbolizing the Golden Mountain. The latter two words mean falcon and bravery, respectively, meaning a Zaisang as brave as a falcon. The former also means the starlight and steel from the Golden Mountain.]

Bu Lizaisang's toast brought the banquet to a climax. As everyone raised their glasses in a toast, Li Yuanheng took the lead, grabbing Bu Lizaisang's arm. The latter initially hesitated, but this was quickly replaced by enthusiasm. He even picked up his glass and, in front of Li Yuanheng, downed it in one gulp, displaying great boldness. Li Yuanheng was not to be outdone, also downing his drink in one go. Bu Lizaisang, still holding his shoulder, repeatedly praised his son in front of Li Yanxing:

"Yanxing, your son is even more generous than you were in your youth. He's like an eagle, a true man!!"

"As an elder, I should give him a gift when we meet for the first time."

As two people who have known each other since childhood, Bu Li has always addressed Li Yanxing by his Han surname in private. Although his accent is somewhat biased due to cultural limitations, it is still quite commendable on the grassland.

As a man of the grasslands, he always kept his word, and Bulizaisang fulfilled his promise on the spot:

"This was a gift from my uncle when I came of age. When it became mine, my uncle told me that a man should always put his family first, and that it is a symbol of protection and growth."

A short sword in the Jungar style was presented to Li Yuanheng. Gazing at the short sword, which was covered in silver and gemstones, Li Yuanheng solemnly performed a grassland salute. Then, in front of everyone, he inserted the short sword into the side of his tiger-head gold dagger to show that he was of equal status.

"This is a real man. You'll definitely be able to marry your girl in the next few days—"

As Bu Lizai Sang spoke, he subconsciously glanced at Li Yanxing's expression beside him. Seeing that Li Yanxing didn't react, he continued:

"According to the rules we set before, you should have found a girl you like after the hunt, but seeing you today reminded me of my eldest son who passed away four years ago. If he were alive, he would be about your age now."

Li Yanxing's expression changed slightly, as if he sensed what the other party wanted to say, and he immediately interrupted:

"Bu Li, the situation has become increasingly tense in recent years. I think a new war is coming soon. When that happens, we should stick together and protect the Khan's orders, just like before."

"Those damn Jurchen dogs are always so annoying!!"

Bu Li's expression remained unchanged; he merely cursed harshly before picking up his full wine glass.

"Cheers to Tengger!"

Li Yanxing and Li Yuanheng both raised their glasses to toast Tengri, and the grassland banquet ended in a period of mutual probing.

As the game ended, Li Yuanheng, who was returning to his carriage and preparing to head to the hunting grounds, was stopped by Li Yanxing:

"Brother, Bu Li is a very cautious man, but he's been so enthusiastic towards you today. I'm afraid—"

Li Yuanheng broke off a branch beside him, drank in the cool evening breeze, and looked calmly at his father, who was giving him a slightly warning look:

"They must already know about the good deeds my son did recently. Although Bu Li is cautious, even the most cautious wolf will drool over such a fat sheep as my son. Besides, this man's caution is just an act. His strength is mediocre, and he's just guarding a piece of land that's practically a coffin—with grasslands and farmland inside and sand outside. The area is also limited. If Bu Li didn't have this kind of personality, he would probably be beheaded long ago. How could he afford to support dancers?"

Lake Ebinur is situated between the Alatau and Borokonu mountains. The area inside the angle is fertile farmland, while the outer edge is pastureland. This location is easily defensible, but its outermost perimeter is desert, hence the successive governors of the region have always sought stability.

Li Yanxing hadn't expected his son to have such a clear understanding of the situation, and couldn't help but sigh:

"My original plan was for you to marry Bu Li's daughter. After all, he's a smooth talker and knows how to get along with everyone, so he'd be a good in-law. But now it seems that with your personality, you probably wouldn't even be interested in Bu Li."

"Wasn't it true that Father never took Bu Li seriously from the very beginning?"

Faced with Li Yuanheng's exposure, Li Yanxing shook his head helplessly;

"Having a son like Dalang cures all my headaches!!"