Chapter 14: Khitan Princess, Xiao Yanyan

Just as Li Xiao was bandaging the Old Master’s wound, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly rang out in the distance.

The able-bodied men of Hexi Fortress, who were cleaning up the battlefield and gathering the Karluk warhorses, instantly stopped their actions and looked up one after another.

From the southwest, three people were riding fast toward them.

“It’s them?”

“They’re actually still here~” Li Xiao shook his head gently; he thought these few people had run away long ago!

“Khitans?”

The Old Master said indifferently; he could tell from the clothes of the three.

“Indeed, they are Khitans. We met them being chased by Karluks on the way back to the village earlier.”

Li Xiao briefly explained the reason to the Old Master.

Soon, the three Khitans arrived in front of everyone.

“Whoa whoa whoa~”

Under the indifferent gazes of the Hexi Fortress crowd, the three immediately reined in their horses, daring not to make too many moves.

In fact, the Han people of the Northern Border were not too fond of the Khitans.

Regardless of the era, the lower-class people always held a certain amount of resistance toward the rulers.

Although the Khitans did not implement harsh tyranny against the Han people of the Northern Border, they collected a large amount of taxes from the Northern Border every year.

Much of the fruits of the hard labor of the Northern Border Han people were squandered by the people of the Royal Court.

And not long ago, in the Battle of the Northern Mountains, it was precisely because of the chaotic command of that Khitan governor-general that Hexi Fortress lost one hundred able-bodied men.

Hexi Fortress also put this debt on the Khitans.

“We have no ill intentions; we just want to come over and thank you for your help.”

Seeing the Hexi Fortress crowd eyeing them covetously, and some even gripping their bows and arrows, Kunji hurriedly jumped off her horse to show goodwill and explain.

“Are you Han people living nearby?” Kunji asked in Chinese.

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

Although the Han people contributed a lot, their say was small.

However, the number of Han people in Western Liao was not small.

According to historical records, there were about a hundred thousand Han people in Western Liao during this period.

They were mainly distributed in the Four Prefectures of the Northern Border. In addition, there were also quite a few Han people in the Royal Court, so Kunji had contact with Han people since childhood and learned Han culture and language.

“No need for thanks.”

Shortly after Kunji finished speaking, a young man’s voice rang out. Li Xiao walked out, looking at the three Khitans in front of him with an indifferent gaze.

“If there’s nothing else, you should leave quickly. It’s not safe here; more Karluks will come.”

Being able to recognize at a glance that the thin Khitan in front was a woman, and that the Karluks wanted to capture her even after a long-distance raid…

Her identity must be extraordinary.

But this had nothing to do with Li Xiao. He still had to clean up the battlefield and didn’t want to waste time with a woman.

Kunji had recognized that Li Xiao was the young man who saved her just now and couldn’t help but be interested.

“I recognize you; you saved me just now.”

Saying that, she pulled an arrow from the saddle.

Li Xiao looked; this was exactly the arrow he had shot just now. When bored at night, he would carve his name on the arrows.

No special meaning, just that the nightlife was boring.

Only now did Li Xiao begin to seriously size up this Khitan woman.

She was very tall, almost catching up to an average adult man.

Her figure was on the thin side, wearing a round-collar narrow-sleeved robe often worn by Khitan men, with a short sheepskin jacket over it. She wore a sheepskin hat on her head, tucking all her hair inside, disguising herself as a man.

Around twenty years old, with big eyes and a high nose bridge.

Perhaps because of the long ride and emotional excitement, a faint apple-like blush showed through her deliberately smudged face.

But her skin was fine and fair; one could tell at a glance she was pampered, lacking the weather-beaten look of a grassland woman.

This was a green but charming Khitan woman, Li Xiao evaluated in his heart.

“This is indeed my arrow.”

“No need for thanks.” Li Xiao shook his head and reached out, wanting to take back his arrow.

But the woman pulled the arrow back, raised her head, and said: “This is the arrow with which you saved me; you might as well give it to me.”

“You might think it’s nothing, but we Khitans distinguish clearly between kindness and hatred. You saved me, so I must repay you.”

“And these Han people behind you.”

“You killed so many Karluks; you are heroes of Great Liao. I will have the Governor-General’s Office reward you well.”

Perhaps due to the long-term habit of being pampered, the woman always unintentionally carried a sense of superiority when speaking.

She didn’t feel it herself, and ordinary people wouldn’t feel anything wrong hearing it. After all, nobles were always like this.

Li Xiao found it funny: “This woman~”

Doesn’t she understand the principle of a tiger falling into the plains (losing power)?

Reduced to this state, with only two followers left, and still so arrogant?

If he killed them all and blamed it on the Karluks, no one would know.

But thinking aside, Li Xiao wouldn’t easily do such a thing.

Fortunately, the woman wasn’t particularly stupid; she knew to paint a big picture (make empty promises) for Li Xiao and the others.

Although this big picture was a bit unreliable.

“Governor-General’s Office?”

Li Xiao scoffed lightly and said: “Defeated at the Northern Mountains, the Jin Prefecture Army was completely wiped out.”

“Even the Jin Prefecture Governor-General might have been captured by the Karluks. Where is the Governor-General’s Office?”

Li Xiao’s tone was very calm; he really didn’t have any good feelings toward this Jin Prefecture Governor-General.

Jin Prefecture was now in a state of having no government, so this woman’s promise might not necessarily be fulfilled.

But the woman’s expression was quite firm, and she said in a deep voice: “There will be.”

“The Eastern Capital will not let the Karluk rebellion go unchecked. Just wait a few days; when the Eastern Capital Army arrives, the Karluks will surely disintegrate.”

Just after the woman finished speaking, a Khitan guard beside her suddenly whispered: “Kunji, we’d better go to the riverbank first to see if any brothers are still alive.”

This was also their purpose for coming back.

Those companions had stayed by the Dragon Bone River to cover the rear. If anyone was still alive, naturally they had to do their best to save them.

And this required the help of the local Han people from Hexi Fortress.

The woman nodded gently, then looked at Li Xiao and said: “I don’t know your name yet?”

“Is it Long?”

“Li Da Long!”

“You can also call me Li Xiao.” Li Xiao nodded gently and said, but he was pondering in his heart.

The follower just now addressed this woman as ‘Kunji’.

Although Li Xiao didn’t know the Khitan language, he happened to know the meaning of this pronunciation.

Princess!

This woman was actually a princess?

Li Xiao was greatly surprised.

He didn’t expect that a dignified Khitan princess would run to the Northern Border.

No wonder those Karluks risked their lives to catch her!

Historical records of Western Liao in later generations were very scarce. Apart from those few famous figures in the Yelü imperial family, Li Xiao didn’t know much about others.

The only princess he knew of was Princess Hunhu.

She was the most beloved daughter of the Gurkhan, the Khitan Emperor Yelü Zhilugu.

Ten years later, she would be married to the Naiman prince Kuchlug.

So judging by age, the Kunji in front of him was definitely not that Princess Hunhu.

The latter should still be a little girl right now.

And sure enough, in the next moment, Li Xiao heard the other party chuckle and say: “Li Da Long? Li Xiao sounds smoother.”

“Just like your name, you are a brave warrior skilled in battle.” (Xiao means brave/valiant)

“My name is Xiao Yanyan.”

When mentioning her own name, the woman unconsciously fell into her habit again, raising her eyebrows with a proud tone, as if this name contained great glory.

And the fact was indeed so.

“Surname Xiao?”

Li Xiao pondered secretly in his heart.

He naturally understood the significance of the surname Xiao in the Khitan ethnic group.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say ‘Yelü and Xiao share the world’.

In Khitan history, many generals came from the Xiao clan, and the vast majority of empresses also came from the Xiao clan.

It was undoubtedly the ‘Consort Clan’ of the Khitans.

It was the same in the Western Liao era.

The empress of the first Gurkhan of Western Liao, Yelü Dashi, was from the Xiao clan.

After Yelü Dashi died, the heir was young, so this Empress Xiao acted as regent for ten years.

Moreover, Yelü Dashi’s number one general, a founding father, and the Grand King of the Six Divisions was named Xiao Wolila.

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

Li Xiao hadn’t expected this woman to be from the Xiao clan.

But this puzzled Li Xiao even more. Although the Xiao clan was noble, how could a woman of the Xiao family be titled Princess? Empress would be more like it.

However, Li Xiao naturally couldn’t ask such a thing out loud. Then he heard Xiao Yanyan say: “Can I ask you for another favor?”

“My guards chose to stay behind to block the Karluks in order to protect me.”

“I want to ask you to go to the riverside. If there are any survivors, please do your best to treat them. If they are dead, please bury them properly.”

“Afterward, I will give you sufficient reward, and I will also have the Governor-General’s Office exempt your fortress from taxes for three years.”

Holy crap~

This woman talks big.

But that’s three years of taxes; very tempting.

If it were a promise from the Jin Prefecture Governor-General’s Office, Li Xiao would just treat it as a fart.

But since this woman had the identity of a princess and a daughter of the Xiao clan, it was different.

The credibility of the promise was somewhat higher.

In Li Xiao’s plan, Hexi Fortress definitely had to develop and grow, absorbing more population and reclaiming more land.

And this required a lot of money.

Being exempt from taxes would be an even greater help to Hexi Fortress.

Other villages still had to suffer paying taxes to the Khitans, while Hexi Fortress achieved tax freedom. Wouldn’t the villagers of other settlements be moved?

Hurry up and migrate to Hexi Fortress!

“Okay.”

“I will personally take people to the riverside battlefield.” Li Xiao nodded and said.

He had to admit, although this woman looked a bit silly amidst her arrogance, coming from the Xiao clan, she did have a way of managing subordinates.

Just by writing a few blank checks, she made Li Xiao have to help her.

And Li Xiao was quite happy about it.

“Thank you.”

“Brave young man.” Xiao Yanyan smiled at Li Xiao.

In her early twenties, not yet shedding the greenness of a girl, but with a hint of a mature woman’s charm in her every move.

She indeed had a fatal attraction for a young man of Li Xiao’s age.

But Li Xiao was, after all, an old driver who had seen dozens of gigabytes of content in his previous life; he wouldn’t be easily bewitched by this enchantress.

(End of this chapter)