The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 14 Khitan Princess, Xiao Yanyan
Just as Li Xiao was bandaging the old man's wound, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from a distance.

The young and strong men of Hexi Fort who were cleaning the battlefield and collecting the Karluk war horses stopped their actions instantly and looked up.

From the southwest, three people were riding horses quickly.

"It's them?"

"They are still staying here~" Li Xiao shook his head slightly, thinking that these people had run away long ago!
"Khitan?"

The old man said calmly that he could tell them apart from their clothes.

"They are indeed Khitans. I encountered them on my way back to the village and they were being chased by the Karluk people."

Li Xiao briefly explained the reason to the old man.

Soon, three Khitans came in front of everyone.

"Uu uh uh~"

Under the cold gazes of the people in Hexi Fort, the three men immediately pulled the reins and did not dare to make any excessive movements.

In fact, the Han people in northern Xinjiang were not too fond of the Khitans.

No matter what era, the lower classes always have a certain resistance to the rulers.

Although the Khitans did not impose harsh and tyrannical policies on the Han people in the northern border, they still collected a large amount of taxes from the northern border every year.

Much of the hard work of the Han people in the northern border was squandered by the royal court.

Moreover, in the recent Battle of Beishan, it was precisely because of the reckless command of the Khitan governor that one hundred young and strong men in Hexi Fort were lost.

Hexi Fort also held the Khitans responsible for this.

"We mean no harm, we just wanted to come and thank you for your help."

Seeing that the people in Hexi Fort were staring at him covetously, with some even holding bows and arrows, Kunji quickly jumped off his horse and explained in a friendly manner.

"Are you Han people living nearby?" Kunji said in Chinese.

Western Liao was a country jointly established by the Khitan, Han, Uighur and other ethnic groups, but the Khitans were the major shareholders and had the greatest say.

Although the Han people have contributed a lot, they have very little say.

However, there were quite a few Han people in Western Liao.

According to historical records, there were about 100,000 Han people in Western Liao during this period.

They were mainly distributed in the four states in the northern border. In addition, there were also many Han people in the royal court, so Kunji had contact with the Han people since he was a child and learned the Han culture and language.

"No thanks necessary."

Shortly after Kunji finished speaking, a young man's voice sounded, and Li Xiao walked out, looking at the three Khitans in front of him with a calm gaze.

"If you're alright, leave now. It's not safe here. More Karluks will come."

It was possible to recognize at a glance that the short Khitan in the front was a woman, and the Qarlugs had been on a long raid in order to capture her.

His identity must be extraordinary.

But this has nothing to do with Li Xiao. He still has to clean up the battlefield and doesn't want to waste time with women.

Kunji had already recognized that Li Xiao was the young man who saved him, and he couldn't help but become interested.

"I recognize you. You just saved me."

As he spoke, he pulled out an arrow from the horse's back.

Li Xiao took a look and found that it was the arrow he had just shot. When he was bored at night, he would carve his name on the arrow.

Nothing special, just boring nightlife.

Only then did Li Xiao begin to look at the Khitan woman seriously.

He was short and thin, wearing a round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe commonly worn by Khitan men, a sheepskin short coat on the outside, and a sheepskin hat on his head, with all his hair gathered inside, disguising himself as a man.

He is in his early twenties, with big eyes and a high nose bridge, and seems to have a little bit of foreign blood.

Perhaps because of the long journey and the excitement, her face had an apple-like blush.

But her skin is delicate and fair, and she looks pampered at first glance, not at all like a grassland woman who is exposed to the wind and sun.

This is a mature and charming Khitan young woman, Li Xiao commented in his heart.

"This is indeed my arrow."

"No need to thank me." Li Xiao shook his head and stretched out his hand to take his arrow.

But the woman retracted the arrow, raised her head and said, "This is the arrow you used to save me, why don't you just give it to me."

"You may think it's nothing, but we Khitans are very clear about gratitude and resentment. You saved me, so I must repay you."

"And these Han people behind you."

"You have killed so many Karluks. You are heroes of the Liao Dynasty. I will have the Xianwen Prefecture reward you handsomely."

Perhaps it is the habit of being spoiled for a long time, but women always speak with a sense of superiority inadvertently.

She herself didn't feel anything, and ordinary people wouldn't think there was anything wrong with it either. After all, this has always been the case with the nobility.

Li Xiao found it funny: "This woman~"

Don’t you understand the principle of a tiger in troubled times?

He has fallen into this state, with only two followers left by his side, yet he is still so arrogant?

No one would know if they were all killed and the blame was put on the Karluks.

But no matter what he thought, Li Xiao would not do such a thing easily.

Fortunately, the woman was not particularly stupid and knew how to paint a rosy picture for Li Xiao and others.

Although this pie is a bit unreliable.

"Zhang Wen Mansion?"

Li Xiao chuckled and said, "The Battle of Beishan was lost, and the Jinzhou Army was completely annihilated."

"Even the governor of Jinzhou might have been captured by the Karluks. How could there still be the Xianwen Prefecture?"

Li Xiao's tone was very calm, and he really didn't have a good impression of the Governor of Jinzhou.

Jinzhou is now in a state of no government, so this woman’s promise may not be fulfilled.

But the woman's expression was quite firm, and she said in a deep voice, "It will happen."

"The Eastern Capital will not tolerate the Karluk rebellion. We just need to wait for a while. The Eastern Capital army will arrive and the Karluk people will collapse." Just as the woman finished speaking, a Khitan guard beside her suddenly whispered, "Kunji, we'd better go to the river first to see if any of our brothers are still alive."

This is also the purpose of their return.

Those companions stayed at the Dragon Bone River to cover their retreat. If there were any survivors, they would naturally do their best to rescue them.

This requires the help of the Han people in Hexi Fort.

The woman nodded gently, then looked at Li Xiao and said, "I don't even know your name yet?"

"Is it called Long?"

"Li Dalong!"

"You can also call me Li Xiao." Li Xiao nodded gently, but he was thinking in his heart.

The attendant just now called this woman 'Kunji'.

Although Li Xiao did not understand Khitan, he happened to know the meaning of this pronunciation.

Princess!

This woman is actually a princess?
Li Xiao was very surprised.

Unexpectedly, a dignified Khitan princess would come to the northern border.

No wonder those Karluk people tried their best to capture her!

There are very few historical records about Western Liao in later generations. Apart from those famous figures in the Yelu royal family, not much is known about other Li Xiaos.

The only princess known is Princess Hunhu.

She was the most beloved daughter of Jurghan, the Khitan Emperor Yelu Zhilugu.

Ten years later, she will be married to the Naiman prince Qu Chulu.

So according to age, the Kunji in front of us is definitely not the Princess Hunhu.

The latter should still be a young girl now, not the young woman in front of him.

And sure enough, the next moment Li Xiao heard the other party say with a chuckle: "Li Dalong? Li Xiao sounds easier."

"As your name suggests, you are a brave and skilled warrior."

"My name is Xiao Yanyan."

When she mentioned her own name, the woman unconsciously started to act strangely again, with her brows raised and her tone proud, as if this name contained great glory.

The same is true.

"Surname Xiao?"

Li Xiao pondered secretly in his heart.

He naturally understood the significance of the surname Xiao among the Khitan people.

It is not an exaggeration to even say that "Yelü and Xiao shared the world."

In Khitan history, many generals came from the Xiao clan, and most of the queens also came from the Xiao clan.

They are undoubtedly the descendants of the Khitan.

The same was true during the Western Liao Dynasty.

The queen of Yelu Dashi, the first Khan of Western Liao, was from the Xiao clan.

After Yelu Dashi died, his heir was young, so Empress Xiao served as regent for ten years.

Moreover, the first general under Yelu Dashi, a founding hero, and the King of the Six Courtyards was named Xiao Wulila.

The Xiao family also held an extremely important position in Western Liao.

Li Xiao didn't expect that this woman was from the Xiao family.

But this made Li Xiao puzzled. Although the Xiao family was noble, how could a woman from the Xiao family be named a princess? Queen was more like that.

However, Li Xiao naturally couldn't ask about this kind of thing, and then he heard Xiao Yanyan say: "Can I ask you for another favor?"

"My guards chose to stay and stop the Qarluk people to protect me."

"I would like to ask you to go to the river and do your best to treat those who are still alive, and bury the dead properly."

"I will give you sufficient compensation later, and I will also have Xianwen Prefecture exempt your fortress from taxes for three years."

Damn~
This woman is so arrogant.

But that’s three years of taxes, so tempting.

If it was a promise from the Jinzhou Governor's Office, Li Xiao would just treat it as bullshit.

But this woman is a princess and the daughter of the Xiao family, so it’s different.

The promise is more credible.

In Li Xiao's plan, Hexi Fort must grow and develop, absorb more population, and reclaim more land.

And this requires a lot of money.

Being able to exempt taxes would be of even greater help to Hexi Fort!
Other villages still had to pay taxes to the Khitans, but Hexi Fort had achieved tax freedom. How could the villagers of other villages not be tempted?

Move to Hexibao as soon as possible!
"can."

"I will personally lead people to the battlefield by the river." Li Xiao nodded.

I have to admit that although this woman looks arrogant and a little silly, she is from the Xiao family after all, and she has some skills in controlling her subordinates.

Just by writing a few blank checks, Li Xiao was forced to help her.

And Li Xiao was quite happy.

"Thank you."

"Brave young man!" Xiao Yanyan smiled at Li Xiao.

She is about twenty years old and has just shed her youthfulness. Her every move is full of the charm of a young woman.

It does have a fatal attraction for a boy of Li Xiao's age.

However, Li Xiao was an experienced driver who had seen dozens of G seeds in his previous life, so he would not be easily fooled by this witch.

(End of this chapter)