The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 148 The Golden Sword Prince Consort and the Wedding Night

The city of Dongdu was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns everywhere, and it was extremely lively.

Today is the wedding day of Li Xiao and Xiao Yanyan, and the whole city is immersed in a festive atmosphere.

By the way, it was also a "celebration banquet" held for the previous Western Expedition to boost morale.

The palace was even more lively. Xiao Yanyan sat in front of the bronze mirror, looking at the face in the mirror that was dyed red by rouge.

The scene that I had imagined countless times in my mind finally became a reality today.

She is getting married.

My husband is still a young man six years younger than me.

"Mrs. Li?"

While murmuring this name, Xiao Yanyan suddenly smiled.

I'm really not used to it.

"A'man, it's time to comb your hair." Shu Lu Wu Jin stood behind her and reminded her softly.

She nodded and let the maid tie up her long hair. Her slightly trembling eyelashes were reflected in the bronze mirror.

"You look so beautiful today."

Shu Lu Wu Jin put a phoenix crown on her head, and the tassels wrapped with gold threads hung down, swaying gently in front of her eyes.

Then she picked up a bright red wedding dress embroidered with a phoenix in gold thread and prepared to put it on her.

The moment she saw this dress, the smile on Xiao Yanyan's face slowly faded, and a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes.

Just because this wedding dress was worn by her mother back then.

She reached out and stroked the pattern on her collar, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"If Amo were still alive, she would be so happy to see you getting married." Shu Lu Wu Jin said with a slight smile.

Xiao Yanyan nodded slightly, sighed softly and said, "She should be happy."

"Unfortunately, I no longer remember what she looked like."

Yelu Pusuwan is a taboo in the Xiao family, and the decline of the Xiao family is directly related to her.

When she died, Xiao Yanyan had just been born and no longer remembered anything.

"Don't think too much." Shu Lu Wu Jin gently stroked Xiao Yanyan's face.

You Lian's voice said, "Although Azhu and Amo are gone, you still have your brother and sister-in-law."

"The palace will always be your home."

Afterwards, Shu Lu Wu Jin taught Xiao Yanyan some experience of being a new wife.

This kind of thing should usually be taught by the mother, but now it can only be done by Shu Lu Wu Jin.

It’s not about what happens in bed. After all, Xiao Yanyan doesn’t need to be taught about this. She even knows more than Shu Lu and Wu Jin.

The main thing taught is how to be a good mistress.

"Since ancient times, men have had three wives and four concubines."

"Although Li Xiao is young, I heard that he has several women. Maybe you will take one or two into your family after you get married."

"When dealing with concubines, one must be tolerant and yet maintain dignity."

"If your concubines behave themselves, you should treat them with kindness, and they will respect you as their mistress."

"But if someone is restless and tries to stir up trouble, you can't tolerate it."

"But remember, you have to consider the overall situation when handling this matter. You can't cause chaos at home and lose face."

"It would be best to use both kindness and force to make them understand that only under the leadership of you, the mistress, can the backyard be peaceful and everyone benefit."

"And the most important thing is to get pregnant as soon as possible."

"If you can give birth to a child for Li Xiao first, then he will be the eldest son, and no one can shake your position."

Shu Lu Wu Jin suffered a loss in this regard.

When she married Xiao Simo, Xiao Simo already had several sons.

Therefore, her son can only be a legitimate son, not the eldest legitimate son.

But it is different for Xiao Yanyan. It would be best if she could give birth to a legitimate son for Li Xiao.

Hearing this, Xiao Yanyan did not act shy. Khitan women have always been bold and unrestrained.

She just gently stroked her belly, feeling a little annoyed.

She is already twenty-two years old, and other children her age can ride horses.

She also wants a child.

Unfortunately, although she pestered Li Xiao until she was exhausted every time, she still couldn't get pregnant.

So Xiao Yanyan generously told Shu Lu Wu Jin about this problem.

When my sister-in-law heard this, her expression looked a little unnatural, but then she looked shocked.

"More than half an hour?"

"Does it take this long every time?"

Xiao Yanyan was puzzled: "Long?"

"It took more than an hour at most."

Shu Lu Wu Jin became withdrawn and subconsciously tightened her legs.

After a moment of silence, he forced himself to say, "Maybe it's because you haven't been together enough."

"You should keep pestering him after you get married."

"Before she gets pregnant, he's not allowed to touch other women."

Hearing this, Xiao Yanyan nodded heavily.

"it is good!"

Although she could not stop Li Xiao from taking a concubine, she still had the privileges of a princess.

I have to create conditions for myself and give birth to a legitimate eldest son.

"The princess has finished dressing up, and the prince consort has arrived."

"It's time to go out." The voice of the matchmaker came from outside the door.

Afterwards, Xiao Yanyan put on a red veil and came to the main hall with the help of Shu Lu Wu Jin and the maid.

At this time, Li Xiao was standing in the hall, wearing a gorgeous red brocade robe embroidered with a golden dragon.

He wore a dazzling golden crown, had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and looked very heroic. He also wore a belt inlaid with gems around his waist, which showed his noble status.

He looked at Xiao Yanyan who was walking towards him, took the red rope from the maid, and then looked at Xiao Simo and Shu Lu Wu Jin who were sitting in the middle of the main hall.

"Greetings, big brother, and hello to sister-in-law."

Xiao Simo looked solemn. He was in high spirits because of the good news. His complexion was better than the previous few days.

He coughed lightly a few times and raised his hand to signal the servant beside him.

The attendant immediately stepped forward slowly, holding an exquisite brocade box in both hands.

Xiao Simo opened the brocade box, and a short knife made of gold came into view. The blade was shining with noble light, and the handle was engraved with exquisite Khitan totems with delicate patterns and lifelike appearance.

Xiao Simo solemnly picked up the golden knife and handed it to Li Xiao with both hands. His eyes were full of expectation. He said in a deep voice: "Li Xiao, today I entrust Yanyan to you."

"This golden sword was prepared by my Xiao family for my son-in-law. It represents the responsibility and honor of my son-in-law."

"Holding this knife, I hope you will protect Ah Man's safety for the rest of his life, safeguard the glory of the Xiao family, and protect the peace of our northern border."

It's not just the Xiao family. Many nomadic tribes will prepare a knife as a dowry or token of trust when marrying their daughters.

However, only people of noble status can use the golden sword.

Li Xiao's expression was solemn. He took the golden sword with both hands and replied in a deep voice, "Don't worry, big brother. I will live up to your trust. In the name of this golden sword, I will protect Ah Man, safeguard the Xiao family, and guard the northern border."

He stood up and solemnly put the golden knife on his waist. The blades collided with each other, making a crisp sound, as if declaring his firm oath.

"it is good!"

As soon as the words fell, the hall was filled with the noise of the crowd.

Xuegu'eruda, Baliala and others all extended their congratulations.

As for Xiao Tuladuo, because of the urgent military situation, he left behind gifts and returned to the desert early.

At the same time, Jiu Meng An He also sent someone from Qihe to deliver a gift.

Afterwards, Li Xiao and Xiao Yanyan walked out of the hall amid everyone's blessings, and walked along the red carpet to the outside of the mansion.

Standing at the end of the red carpet, Li Xiao directly picked up Xiao Yanyan and helped her onto the horse.

He rode another horse and headed towards Li's mansion.

Along the way, people flocked to the streets to watch this grand wedding, and blessings were heard everywhere.

"Is this Commander Li? He looks really young."

"Now he is not only the governor of Jinzhou, but also the general of the Western Expedition and the Marquis of Wucheng."

"You and the princess are such a perfect match. How do you say that~"

"A talented man and a beautiful woman."

After the Western Expedition, Li Xiao's reputation spread throughout the Eastern Capital.

His achievements in conquering Husiwoerduo and destroying tens of thousands of Wang Ting's troops made the Khitan herdsmen who admired martial arts admire him very much.

Li Xiao has already gained considerable influence in the Sixth Academy.

You could even hear some young people shouting, "Marshal Li, take us to attack Wang Ting again next time and steal more money and women."

"Good~"

Li Xiao rode on his horse, smiling and nodding at the herdsmen on both sides.

Behind him, Dahu, Erhu and others were throwing money around like rich people.

They were all copper coins, scattered along the way as I walked.

After robbing Hu Siwoerduo, Li Xiao instantly became a dog tycoon.

No shortage of money at all!
But what made him uncomfortable was that he suffered heavy bleeding after returning to Dongdu.

A total of more than 900,000 taels of gold were directly taken away by Xiao Simo, and this was because Li Xiao concealed 400,000 taels.

He lied and said that he only got 500,000 taels, otherwise Xiao Simo would ask for more.

The reason is very simple. Without Xiao Simo's main force to hold back Wang Ting's main force, how could Li Xiao possibly break through the imperial capital?

Therefore, Xiao Simo must be given a share of the things seized from the imperial capital.

And it has to be the biggest one, because he is the boss.

So, Li Xiao could only pay out 300,000 taels with tears in his eyes.

He also gave Xiao Tuladuo and Jiu Meng'an 50,000 taels each, which was what they deserved.

But favors cannot be missed.

Although Xuegu Eluda stayed in the Eastern Capital, he was Xiao Simo's most trusted general.

It is very important to have a good relationship with him and not be stingy with even a little money.

And there are those General Shi Lie from the Sixth Academy, who knows when they might be of use?

Everyone knows that Li Xiao made a fortune in Husiwoerduo.

If you are stingy, you will easily lose friends.

So, Li Xiao gave them a total of 20,000 taels of gold, and the matter was settled.

Li Xiao only had 80,000 taels of gold left in his hands.

But in fact there were still 500,000 taels left.

After this huge spending, the results were very obvious.

There are friends everywhere, good people everywhere, and everyone in Dongdu has become Li Xiao’s best friend.

Even the rewards shared by the soldiers of the Sixth Academy were part of the 300,000 taels of gold that Xiao Simo had taken from Li Xiao.

They knew that it was because Li Xiao robbed the imperial capital that they were able to receive rewards, otherwise they would have nothing to show for it.

As a result, the soldiers' favorability towards Li Xiao grew even stronger.

The support and endorsement of these Khitan people finally gave Li Xiao some comfort.

This money was not wasted.

The wedding procession threw copper coins along the way, circled the city, and then arrived at the Wuchenghou Mansion.

This Wuchenghou Mansion is very close to the Wang Palace and its original name was "Xiao Mansion".

It was Xiao Linta's residence.

Dongdu is a small place after all, and there are only a few good houses in the city.

It would be too late to rebuild it, not to mention that Li Xiao does not live in Dongdu permanently.

So, Xiao Simo gave Xiao Linta's house to Li Xiao, and after some simple cleaning and renovation, it became the Mansion of Marquis Wucheng.

"Big brother is back."

"My eldest brother is back with his wife."

As soon as the wedding procession arrived at the street outside the mansion, the two little girls, Sanfeng and Sifeng, couldn't wait and ran in excitedly to report the news.

At this time, there were quite a few people in Li Xiao's mansion.

Except for the old man, the old lady, Qin Dani and others who had just arrived, all of them were soldiers who followed Li Xiao on the Western Expedition.

Li Dashan, Luo Ping, Li Sanhe, Amo and others.

Li Xiao didn't even forget about the ordinary soldiers. He slaughtered cattle and sheep several days in advance and prepared food for tens of thousands of people, which could be regarded as a celebration banquet after the war.

After the ceremony, Li Xiao still had to go to the military camp outside the city to offer a toast.

"Grandpa, grandma~"

"Mother~"

"I brought back the daughter-in-law of our Li family."

Li Xiao led Xiao Yanyan into the hall and said.

"Okay, okay~"

"Good grandson, good granddaughter-in-law."

The old lady in red festive clothes was very excited. She sat at the top and her eyes became red as she spoke and she began to wipe away tears.

She was obviously thinking of Li Dahai. From Li Xiao, she seemed to remember how Li Dahai looked when he got married.

"If the sea saw this, I wonder how happy it would be."

Qin Dani next to her also nodded happily.

The eldest son finally got married, and she was a princess.

The Li family’s ancestral graves are also filled with smoke.

"Okay, let's get married!"

The old man sitting at the top spoke, and his face, which had been as cold as ice for ten thousand years, softened.

I feel happy.

The ceremony officially begins. According to Han Chinese customs, the newlyweds first pay their respects to the gods of heaven and earth to thank them for their gifts.

Then, they bowed to the elders to express their respect and gratitude.

The couple bowed to each other, and after the ceremony, they walked into the bridal chamber hand in hand.

Women from the grassland are free and easy-going and don't follow so many rules. As soon as she entered the room, Xiao Yanyan couldn't wait to ask Li Xiao to lift her veil.

He even said confidently, "If I wait until you come back tonight to open it, my neck will hurt like hell."

"I don't want to wait around like an idiot."

Li Xiao smiled helplessly. This woman's temper was still so unruly.

After lifting the veil and setting Xiao Yanyan free, Li Xiao left the room following Xiao Yanyan's instructions.

"Come back early in the evening."

"Don't drink too much."

Outside the city, Jinzhou military camp.

The soldiers slaughtered cattle and sheep, and it was very lively.

Each soldier was given one pound of meat, enough food, and half a pound of wine and water.

Moreover, Li Xiao specially chose this day to distribute the rewards.

He was wearing red clothes and standing on a high platform, his eyes sweeping over the faces of each soldier.

Then he waved his hand and asked someone to open the box in front of him.

When the boxes were opened one by one, countless gold, silver and copper coins suddenly appeared in front of everyone.

A low cheer suddenly rose from the crowd below.

But no one spoke, everyone's eyes were fixed on the box under Li Xiao's feet.

"Haha~"

Li Xiao smiled and kicked a box full of dinar gold coins to the ground.

The shiny gold coins were scattered all over the ground.

There was a commotion in the crowd, and the soldiers were whispering to each other, suppressing their inner excitement.

Li Xiao said loudly: "Soldiers."

"I promised you."

"Every effort you make will be rewarded accordingly."

Li Xiao's voice was loud and could be heard far away in the silent camp, mainly because he had a simple loudspeaker made of iron sheets in front of him.

He kicked open another box, and gold coins poured out again like water, sparkling with an alluring light in the sunlight.

"On the battlefield, you fought bravely, fearing no life or death. I witnessed every charge and every fight."

Li Xiao looked at the soldiers in front of him with sharp eyes. The fatigue and confusion in their eyes were gradually being replaced by burning desire.

"These gold coins are the honor you deserve."

Li Xiao waved his arms vigorously and his voice became more and more excited.

"Now, it belongs to you."

As soon as the words fell, the soldiers' spirits instantly rose.

"I am willing to die for the governor!"

A young soldier suddenly shouted, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Soon after, more and more soldiers began to shout.

"I am willing to die for the governor!"

"I am willing to die for the governor!"

……

Even the nomadic tribes who did not understand Chinese shouted excitedly after knowing the meaning of this sentence.

The shouts were like surging waves, one after another, shaking the earth slightly.

The camp was filled with a warm atmosphere. All the soldiers were excited and their eyes were shining. It was the desire for wealth and the trust and following of Li Xiao.

At the same time, on the other side of the military camp, Wang Heizi and his family finally had their first meal of meat in so many days.

"One bowl of broth per person, no one is allowed to ask for more."

"There's plenty of food, eat as much as you want."

In the artisan camp, a row of large pots were set up in front, all of which were stewed with thick broth.

Wang Heizi and others lined up in several teams, holding bowls and chopsticks to get their meals.

Walking in front of them was the Li family.

Compared to Wang Heizi's taciturnity, Lao Li seems very straightforward. Over the past few days, he has become familiar with the Jinzhou soldiers in charge.

"Oh, such a thick broth, and plenty of pancakes."

"Old Zhou, what's the matter?"

"Our Jinzhou Army is having a hard time."

Old Li joked to the squad leader in charge.

Old Zhou is from the Zhou family in Feiying Fort. He is a farmer in his thirties.

He scooped a large bowl of broth for Lao Li and hummed, "Of course we have to live our lives."

"But who can blame us for the governor's wedding today?"

"And he married King Xiao's sister."

"The governor is pleased and will reward the three armies. Not only you, but even the prisoners of war will have better food."

Hearing this, Lao Li immediately looked surprised and delighted.

"Oh, it turns out to be Governor Li's wedding."

"Then you have to call me Prince Consort from now on."

"congratulations."

Old Zhou chuckled and said, "How can you possibly see the governor? I'm just randomly congratulating you."

"Eat your fill and work hard in the future, and the governor will be happier."

Soon, the families of Lao Li and Wang Heizi found an open space, squatted on the ground, slurped the broth, and took big bites of the bread.

"It seems that our lives will not be difficult in the future." Old Li said while eating.

"what?"

"What have you figured out now?" Wang Heizi asked.

"Don't you see? We eat the same food as the soldiers in charge."

"What this proves is that Jinzhou is not as poor as we imagined." Old Li said as if it was a matter of course.

"And seeing how Governor Li does things, he really values our craftsmen."

"Once we get to Golden State, we'll have to go about our lives as normal."

Hearing this, Wang Heizi nodded slightly: "That's right."

"If possible, when I get to Jinzhou, I'd like to open a blacksmith shop and pass on this craft."

Old Li chuckled and said, "I'm sure you won't be treated unfairly. It's your craftsmanship that they want."

At the same time, the prisoner-of-war camp on the other side did not receive such good treatment.

There was definitely no broth, but at least I had some noodles, which improved my diet.

After Li Xiao led his men around the prisoner-of-war camp, they prepared to return to the barracks to toast the soldiers.

Before leaving, he asked Li Sishui, who was guarding the prisoner-of-war camp.

"Fourth Uncle, how many people have passed the test these days?"

Li Sishui, who was in charge of the prisoner-of-war camp, immediately replied, "There are more than 320 people in one camp."

"It has been sent to the artisan camp."

As we all know, Li Xiao attaches great importance to craftsmen.

Among these captured soldiers, some were craftsmen.

So along the way, Li Sishui asked them to recommend their skills.

Once you pass the test, you will enter the craftsman camp and your salary will be raised to a higher level.

Of course, there were some people who pretended to be craftsmen for the sake of treatment, but after Li Sishui killed a few impostors, the atmosphere immediately cleared up.

"Currently, there are 1,532 craftsmen in the craftsman camp."

"There are still more than 22,000 prisoners of war in the camp, including about 3,000 Han Chinese."

Li Sishui knew everything about the prisoner-of-war camp.

Li Xiao heard this and nodded slightly.

More than 1,500 craftsmen were enough for him to initially establish Jinzhou's industrial system.

As for the prisoners of war, there were originally about 27,000 of them.

But there were some Khitans among them, such as the Xiong tribe's Pi Shi army.

These more than 3,000 people were taken away directly by Xiao Simo.

Including the prisoners of war who died of illness, exhaustion, or were executed on the way, there are only more than 22,000 left.

Once we get to Golden State, that number will be even lower.

"Three thousand Han Chinese prisoners of war were reduced to serfs."

"The rest of the prisoners of war will be demoted to mine slaves." Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

One sentence determined the fate of these people.

Although they are Han people, these people have lived in Husiwoerduo since their ancestors.

It is unknown how much they truly identify with the Han people in their hearts.

Moreover, these people had been enemies of the Jinzhou Army, so it was impossible for them to be pardoned simply because of their Han identity.

But Li Xiao was also willing to give them some preferential treatment.

Being a serf meant farming and herding, which was equivalent to labor reform.

Just do it first. In the next war, if someone can make contributions and prove his ability and loyalty, he will naturally be pardoned and rewarded by Li Xiao.

In contrast, other slaves were directly demoted to mine slaves, which was much more miserable.

Because the labor intensity in mining is much greater than farming and grazing.

It's not that they are not allowed to participate in the war in exchange for the status of free citizens.

But after continuous high-intensity labor, can their bodies still kill the enemy and make contributions?
Therefore, in Li Xiao's eyes, these mining slaves are just consumables.

For the development of Golden State's industry, someone must make sacrifices.

Even Li Xiao felt that the number of these mining slaves was far from enough.

We must continue to catch them.

"Naiman? Mongols? They're good at fighting."

"You can serve as a war slave."

"The Gaochang Kingdom is indeed restless." Li Xiao thought to himself.

It was a dark night. In the bridal chamber of the Li Mansion, red candles flickered, and the warm yellow light enveloped the entire room in an enchanting atmosphere.

Xiao Yanyan's suppressed groans continued to be heard, causing the moon to hide in the dark clouds.

(End of this chapter)