The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 414 The Martial Era, Conflict in the Northern Border

Inside the study of Fengtian Hall in Longcheng, the charcoal fire in the stove was burning brightly, illuminating the room with a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Li Xiao sat behind his large desk, holding a report from Lingzhou in his hand. His gaze swept across the paper, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

"Fan Zhongxin... is quite interesting."

He put down the report and tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the table: "They burned down the Datong Prefecture granary and even dragged the Jin Kingdom's 'imperial envoy' into it, which saved us a lot of trouble."

Standing to the side, Zhang Shi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, the information has been verified by the Third Thousand Household Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Confirmed."

"Fan Zhongxin arrived in Lingzhou by boat with his family and has been properly settled by local officials."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard currently has five commanders, each responsible for a specific area. The third commander is responsible for intelligence regarding the Jin Kingdom.

Zhang Shitou continued, "As for the 300,000 shi of military rations, according to investigations, it was the final figure for the Jin Dynasty's accounting, which included the portion that had been embezzled by officials."

"The actual amount of grain burned was far less than that, but it is true that the Jin Dynasty suffered heavy losses."

Li Xiao nodded, a knowing glint in his eyes: "Those officials in Datong Prefecture probably wish for such a big fire so they could get rid of the mess they left behind."

"However, in any case, the Jin Kingdom losing 300,000 shi of military rations is a huge advantage for our upcoming eastern expedition."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "Although Fan Zhongxin was exposed, it was worth it."

“We can support him in smuggling, and we can also support others. The Jin state’s official system is already rotten to the core, and merchants are just replaceable tools.”

"But Fan Zhongxin's contributions must be rewarded."

“Burning the enemy’s supplies is a military achievement, and smuggling strategic materials for us before was also a great achievement. We must let the world see that doing things for the Ming Dynasty will surely be rewarded handsomely.”

As he spoke, he looked at the two young men standing on either side of the desk.

The young man on the left is named Chen You. He is a Han Chinese from Jinzhou and has a calm demeanor.

The one on the right is named Cui Xian, from Dunhuang, and still has a slightly youthful look on his face.

Both men had previously worked in the First Town. Because of their competence, they were noticed by Li Xiao and transferred to the Military Affairs Office as clerks.

She was responsible for secretarial work such as receiving and sending documents, recording archives, and drafting imperial edicts. Although she did not have independent decision-making power, she was still a close person to Li Xiao.

"Preach my will."

Li Xiao spoke, his voice clear and powerful: "The secret letter informed Fan Zhongxin that I am very pleased with what he has done. I will not forget his contributions, nor will the Ming Dynasty."

"When the Ming Dynasty rewards those who have rendered meritorious service in the future, he will be granted the title of baron, which will be hereditary."

Chen You and Cui Xian immediately picked up their pens to take notes, their movements practiced and efficient.

They knew that although this "hereditary" baronship was not a high position, it was a signal from Li Xiao that he was "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones," intending to win over more people like Fan Zhongxin to serve the Ming Dynasty.

After the two finished taking notes, Li Xiao changed the subject, his gaze falling on a blank document on the corner of the table: "Now that the eight ministries and five departments are on track and the framework is in place, the next step is to fill the positions with manpower."

“Outstanding local officials and demobilized military officers from various states will be promoted one after another, and there are a lot of official positions waiting for people to fill.”

"However, the most important thing right now is to determine the candidate for Grand Councilor."

Chen You and Cui Xian exchanged a glance and held their breath.

As clerks, they not only served Li Xiao but also assisted the Grand Councilors.

Now that Li Xiao is finalizing the selection of the Grand Councilors, it's essentially the same as choosing their superiors.

Li Xiao, however, paid no attention to them and murmured to himself, "The Grand Council handles complex and heavy administrative affairs. We must enter the palace every morning and finish all our business before we can leave."

"It might interfere with one's primary duties, so the primary requirement for a Grand Councilor is that he be 'leisurely', but his abilities must also be up to par."

The Grand Council was an institution that served the imperial power entirely. Unlike the Cabinet, it did not restrict the imperial power. Grand Councilors could directly participate in the decision-making of political and military affairs and were the emperor's most trusted ministers.

Therefore, Li Xiao made his own choice in selecting the Grand Councilors.

After a moment's thought, Li Xiao said directly, "Draft an imperial edict."

"The Right Vice-General of the Protectorate General Li Dongshan, the Minister of Rites Zhang Xinghua, the Minister of Works Luo Ping, and the Grand Secretary Han Jiuguang are hereby appointed as Grand Councilors."

With the Eastern Expedition imminent, Left Commander-in-Chief Li Dongjiang is busy overseeing military affairs, while Li Dongshan is relatively free. He is familiar with military affairs and can help Li Xiao with many military decisions.

Moreover, since the various ministries were newly established, the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue were extremely busy, while the Ministry of Rites was relatively relaxed. Zhang Xinghua was also a trusted minister of Li Xiao and was able to handle all matters in an orderly manner.

The same applies to the Ministry of Works. As for the appointment of Han Jiuguang, Li Xiao did not send him to be a governor as the Han brothers had hoped.

Instead, he remained in the capital region as a Grand Secretary, a prestigious and respected position. The addition of the Grand Councilor allowed him to continue to play a role and participate in political decision-making.

After all, Han Jiuguang's abilities are quite good.

Upon hearing the four names Li Xiao mentioned, Chen You and his companion quickly replied, "Your subject obeys."

Subsequently, one person drafted the imperial edict, which was then handed to Li Xiao for review, before another person affixed the imperial seal.

The selection of Grand Councilors has been finalized, with only four people in the first batch. Li Xiao will adjust the selection as needed.

Thus, the Military Affairs Office was officially established, with its office located in a room next to Li Xiao's study, so that it could hold meetings at any time.

……

On a winter day in Xianyang, sunlight shone through sparse clouds onto the training ground, making the soldiers' red cloth armor glow warmly.

Thick cotton-padded clothes lined the armor, blocking the biting cold wind and keeping the soldiers warm even outdoors.

Since the news of King Li Xiao's ascension to the throne in Longcheng and the establishment of the Ming Dynasty spread, the entire camp was like a blazing fire, filled with cheers and jubilation.

At mealtime, the soldiers, holding steaming hot brown rice and eating salted dried meat, gathered in twos and threes outside the tents, their conversation revolving around the new emperor and the rewards.

An old soldier with a full beard took a bite of jerky and mumbled, "Our Emperor is so generous."

"Right after he became emperor, he issued an edict to give each of us ordinary soldiers ten silver coins."

"These ten silver coins are enough for an ordinary person to work for a whole year."

The young soldier next to him had a bright look in his eyes and put down his rice bowl to do some calculations: "That's right! My wife back home planted ten acres of land last year, and after taxes, she only managed to save five or six silver coins a year."

"That's great! With these ten silver coins, we can get a cow for the family in the spring, and the children can also go to the military academy and make a name for themselves."

Li Xiao has always valued his children's education. The military academies in each state implement compulsory education, and tuition is not charged as long as students can enroll.

The problem is that in this era, children are the labor force of the family, and they are good at everything from herding sheep and cutting grass to gleaning grain.

Many families are reluctant to send their children to school, mainly because they can't change their mindset.

Only these soldiers understood the benefits of sending their children to military academies, and they would definitely send them there if the conditions allowed.

"We've never lost out by following His Majesty."

Another soldier patted his chest, his tone full of pride: "Besides, after so many battles and plunders, when has our Great Ming ever lacked money? Giving this money to us is truly making the best use of it."

The Ming Dynasty was founded, and the reign title was Wutai, a cause for celebration throughout the land.

Li Xiao's first thought was the army. With a wave of his hand, he gave each ordinary soldier ten silver coins, which was equivalent to what an ordinary family might not earn in a whole year.

A shihu (a low-ranking official) receives fifteen silver coins, a duwei (a high-ranking officer) receives thirty; the higher the rank, the greater the reward.

In later generations, General Quan was so popular that soldiers were willing to risk their lives for him simply because he paid them nine months' wages.

Even after thirty years, when the former lowly soldier had become a big shot, he was still respectfully addressed as "Brigade Commander" with the utmost reverence.

Li Xiao was even more generous than Quan Xiaojiang; how could the soldiers not fight to the death?

The conversation gradually turned to the rewards for meritorious service, which made the soldiers even more excited.

A tall, thin soldier approached and whispered, "His Majesty has ascended the throne, and in a few days he will surely bestow great rewards upon his meritorious officials."

"What do you think the old commander-in-chief could bestow?"

“The old commander? Needless to say.” The bearded veteran immediately chimed in.

"But His Majesty's own uncle has made outstanding military achievements over the years, fighting from Jinzhou to Guanzhong. In which battle could he have been absent? In which battle could our Second Garrison have been absent?"

"In my opinion, he should at least be granted the title of prince."

"Yes, yes, yes." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Someone else said, "There's also Governor Li Dongshan. Although he's not as busy as the old governor now, he made a lot of contributions in the northern desert before. Maybe he can be made a king too."

"What about our current commander?" a young soldier suddenly asked.

"Our Commander-in-Chief is His Majesty's brother-in-law. In terms of relationship and military achievements, he is no less capable. Does that mean he can also be granted the title of King?"

After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent for a moment.

An older soldier stroked his chin and said slowly, "Throughout history, kings of different surnames have never had a good ending. Although our commander is His Majesty's brother-in-law, he is ultimately not a member of the royal family."

"In my opinion, even if he can't be made a prince, he'll at least be a hereditary duke, and his descendants will be able to enjoy the good life."

"What about those households with ten thousand or a thousand households in our second town?"

Someone pressed further: "Didn't Commander Zhang qualify for the title of Duke or Marquis because he killed a Jin general in the Guanzhong Campaign?"

"Maybe!"

The bearded veteran laughed and said, "Even us lowly soldiers, if we make meritorious contributions in the future, we might be lucky enough to be ennobled as barons, which would be enough to bring glory to our ancestors."

"Our descendants will be able to live a good life because of their titles, and they will no longer have to go hungry like we did when we were young."

Cheers and chatter filled the air as the entire camp was immersed in anticipation for the future.

However, in a corner of the camp, there was a figure that stood out from the lively atmosphere.

Xiao Cigu sat alone on a rock, his hands clenched into fists, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

He wore the same crimson cloth armor as the other soldiers, yet he felt the armor was as heavy as shackles. The news that Li Xiao had declared himself emperor was like a thorn constantly pricking his heart.

In his view, the glory and status of this world should rightfully belong to the Xiao family.

It was the foundation laid by the ancestors of the Xiao family, and it was his own father who established the prestige of the northern frontier. Li Xiao was nothing but a thief who stole everything that should have belonged to him.

But now, he can only endure it.

Although Li Xiao allowed him to join the army, he only gave him the position of deputy centurion and assigned him to an ordinary unit in the Second Town, without even the opportunity to come into contact with core power.

"Just wait, my good uncle."

Xiao Cigu thought to himself with resentment and jealousy, "I will climb up step by step, and one day I will take back everything from the Xiao family."

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the northern desert, at the Ming army's Daqingshan camp.

This area is part of the Ming-Jin confrontation zone. Thirty miles to the south lies the Daqingshan Mountain of the Jin Kingdom, an important node in the Jin Kingdom's border defense line.

On the Ming side, the Sixth Garrison, under the command of Wei Xuan, was responsible for the defense of this area.

Xiao Simo's illegitimate son, Xiao Jilie, who is also the son of Shaowa, is serving as a deputy centurion in the Daqingshan military camp.

He was standing at the tent entrance, looking at the training ground in the distance, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness.

Like Xiao Cigu, he always believed that Li Xiao owed the Xiao family everything that the Ming Dynasty had now belonged to the Xiao family.

But Xiao Jilie was more extreme and more impatient than Xiao Cigu.

He hated Li Xiao, and he hated Xiao Xuance even more. That bastard child who was adopted from who-knows-where, how did he gain Li Xiao's trust? How did he inherit everything from the Xiao family?
But he, a true descendant of the Xiao family, had to endure training in the military camp, crawling through mud and braving wind and snow, just like those slaves and commoners, all in order to rise above others.
He was born into wealth and was a true descendant of the Xiao family.

She was simply deprived of the position that should have been hers by Li Xiao and that bastard.

Last time, his mother, Lady Shaowa, tried to harm Xiao Xuance but failed. Fortunately, she was not discovered, which relieved him somewhat.

"But that's okay."

Xiao Jilie gritted his teeth: "I've come to the Northern Desert Army. As long as I can make a name for myself, I can revive the Xiao family's orthodoxy and show those who look down on me what I'm made of."

"I, Xiao Jilie, am the most courageous man in the Xiao family."

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, a soldier rushed in, panting, and reported, "Reporting to the Deputy Commander, something terrible has happened."

"Something's happened at the border market; the Jin people are causing trouble."

Xiao Jilie suddenly came to his senses, his expression changing.

Compared to Xiao Cigu, who served as a deputy centurion in the front-line troops, his luck was far worse.

Although he was also in the field army, he was assigned to the logistics department, responsible for helping to manage the border markets with the Jin Kingdom.

He was frustrated because he didn't deal with soldiers on a daily basis, but with calculating businessmen.

Upon hearing that "the Jin people are causing trouble," a strange light flashed in Xiao Jilie's eyes.

He snorted coldly, straightened his armor, and said in a deep voice, "Let's go, take the brothers and go take a look."

"I want to see what tricks these Jurchens dare to play on our Ming territory."

Perhaps this isn't a bad thing.

Xiao Jilie pondered in his heart that if he could handle this matter properly, he might be able to make a contribution and attract the attention of his superiors.

Then, I will be able to leave this stifling logistics unit and go to the front line to make contributions.

The first step in revitalizing the Xiao family may begin here.

……

The Daqingshan border market is located at the strategic point where the northern desert meets the Central Plains. Since ancient times, it has been the core trading place between the grassland tribes and the Central Plains dynasties.

For thousands of years, countless caravans have come here with silk, tea, and porcelain, and left laden with furs, medicinal herbs, and livestock. The sound of camel bells has never ceased.

After the Battle of Guanzhong, the Ming Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty signed the Treaty of Wei River. The apparent peace and the common need for resources led both sides to reopen the border markets.

Today, the Daqingshan border market is bustling with activity, with merchants from both the Central Plains and the Ming Dynasty gathering together.

Furs were piled high like mountains, silk fluttered in the wind, and rare items such as matches and glassware were displayed in abundance, filling the air with the hustle and bustle of trade.

That afternoon, a commotion suddenly broke out on the west side of the market.

A squad of Jin soldiers clad in exquisite armor strode in. The commander in charge, with a stern face, waved his hand and shouted, "By order of His Majesty, this shipment is to be seized. No one is to obstruct it."

The Ming Dynasty merchant caravan that was surrounded had no ordinary background; behind them stood Li Dongjiang, the current Left Vice-General of the Ming Dynasty, who was destined to be enfeoffed as a king in the future.

So the manager wasn't afraid at all and calmly said, "Don't you Jurchen barbarians know the rules?"

"Our trading company has already paid for these goods, so why should we just seal them off like this?"

"Even if you pay, it won't work."

The Jin commander's eyes narrowed, and he pointed at the goods, saying sternly, "This batch of goods belongs to the Fan family trading company. The Fan family has colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. His Majesty has ordered the confiscation of their property, and all goods must be seized."

Therefore, the Jin commander did not give the person in charge a chance. With a wave of his hand, the Jin soldiers behind him rushed forward and seized all the goods.

However, before they could leave with their goods, the Ming Dynasty's border inspection team, having learned of the news, rushed to the scene.

The deputy commander, who was in charge, reined in his horse and swept his sharp gaze across the Jin soldiers: "Are you openly robbing our Ming Dynasty's goods, trying to break the Treaty of the Wei River and start a war with the Ming Dynasty?"

Xiao Jilie was also in the group. He was wearing the armor of a deputy centurion and was riding a horse behind the deputy commander.

Seeing the Ming army's superior numbers, the Jin commander was not intimidated. He sneered, "The Fan family is a merchant family of our Great Jin. What business is it of yours, Northern Frontier people, to confiscate their goods? I advise you to mind your own business."

"The Fan family's goods?" The deputy commander of the Ming Dynasty sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm.

“I don’t care whose goods these were before. Now that my Ming Dynasty trading company has paid for them, the goods belong to Ming Dynasty.”

"If you want to take it, you'll have to ask the knives in our hands if they agree."

In fact, this deputy commander had already heard about the Fan family's affairs.

Previously, the Fan family's trading company had been very active in the border markets, and he had dealt with them several times, treating them as just an ordinary trading company from the Jin Kingdom.

It wasn't until recently that he accidentally learned that the Fan family were actually from the Ming Dynasty and had been secretly smuggling goods to the Ming.

Moreover, Fan Zhongxin not only engaged in smuggling but also burned down the official granary of Datong Prefecture in the Jin Dynasty, cutting off the Jin border army's food supply. He was undoubtedly a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty, and it is said that the court wanted to grant him the title of viscount.

Moreover, this batch of goods also includes tea that is urgently needed in the northern desert region.

The climate in northern Mongolia is cold, and herders mainly eat meat and dairy products. Tea is an essential item to cut through the grease and aid digestion.

Although it was possible to trade directly with the Song people through the Guanzhong border market, the journey was long and not as convenient as the Daqingshan border market.

Therefore, from any perspective, he had to protect this shipment.

Seeing that negotiations were fruitless, the Jin commander suddenly raised his voice and invoked the name of an important figure: "You dare to stop me?"

"To tell you the truth, this is an order personally given by His Highness the King of Yue to confiscate all the Fan family's goods at the border market."

"The Crown Prince of Yue will arrive soon. If you dare to stop him, you will be going against the Great Jin Dynasty and against His Highness the Crown Prince of Yue."

His words were half true and half false. The so-called "order from the King of Yue" was just an excuse for Wanyan Yonggong to annex the Fan family's property.

In the eyes of the Jin dynasty's powerful and wealthy, no matter how rich a merchant was, he was just a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Once he was fattened up, they could find a reason to kill him and eat him.

When the Fan family ran into trouble, it should have been the former master, Pu Sanjia, who seized the property. However, in order to appease the Prince of Yue, Wanyan Yongji gave this lucrative opportunity to Wanyan Yonggong.

This time, the Crown Prince of Yue came to the northern desert for sightseeing and to receive the property belonging to the Yue royal family.

"The King of Yue?"

The deputy commander of the Ming Dynasty remained unmoved: "Don't even mention your King of Yue, even if your Jurchen emperor came, he couldn't control the goods of my Great Ming."

"We've got this guy in the bag today."

The tension was palpable, and the atmosphere instantly froze.

Suddenly, it was unclear who made the first move, but the Jin soldiers swung their swords at the Ming soldiers, and the Ming troops immediately retaliated, throwing the market into chaos.

The sounds of clashing swords and screams rose and fell as people scattered in all directions.

Xiao Jilie wanted to take advantage of the chaos to show off, but he had spent most of his time in logistics and had very little combat experience. As soon as he rushed forward, he was spotted by a Jin soldier.

The soldier swung his sword, and Xiao Jilie, unable to dodge in time, was struck in the chest, blood gushing out instantly. He looked down at the wound in disbelief, his body slowly collapsing, eventually disappearing into a pool of blood.

When the deputy commander learned of this news, his pupils suddenly contracted, he was completely stunned, and his face turned ashen.

"What? Deputy Commander Xiao is dead in battle?"

"Oh no, this is a huge problem."

He knew Xiao Jilie's true identity; he was the young master of the Xiao family. The higher-ups had specifically instructed them to protect his safety, which was why they placed him in the border market inspection team, where the danger was not high.

But who could have imagined that he would die so tragically?

He was Xiao Wang's son, how could he be so useless in martial arts? He was killed by the Jurchens the moment they met.

Big trouble!

The deputy commander was filled with nothing but panic and anger. He pointed at the Jin commander, his voice trembling with excitement: "The Jurchen traitors."

"You killed the son of the Prince of Xiao, now await the declaration of war from the Great Ming!"

Jin Guo Qianhu finally realized what was happening and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Xiao Jilie's corpse on the ground.

That soldier who looks like a pretty boy actually has an unusual identity?
He panicked a little. He had only wanted to confiscate the goods, so how did it lead to a dispute between the two countries?

(End of this chapter)