Chapter 64: Feiying Fortress Lord

A few days ago, Huang Daquan suddenly learned the news that Hou Village had been breached.

He stumbled on the spot and almost fainted.

Fortunately, he later learned that it was not the Karluks who breached Hou Village, but the troops of Hexi Fortress.

His daughter, Huang Xiu’er, was also fine and was now living well in Hexi Fortress.

It was just that the son-in-law’s family had all been killed.

Huang Daquan felt relieved.

Coming to Wuya Village this time, he specifically found an acquaintance who used to be from Hou Village, now incorporated into the Hexi Fortress army and following Li Xiao on the expedition.

After asking about his daughter’s situation, he came to see Li Xiao.

“My daughter is clumsy and has caused trouble for Fortress Lord Li!”

Huang Daquan said, clasping his fists toward Li Xiao, as if very apologetic.

Li Xiao shook his head gently: “Not at all, not at all.”

“Madam Huang is intelligent and capable; she hasn’t caused any trouble.”

Huang Daquan didn’t take up this topic but sighed and said: “The Hou family brought this ending upon themselves.”

“Although this old man is related by marriage to the Hou family, I will absolutely not shield their traitorous behavior of harming their own people.”

“It’s just pitiful for my daughter!”

“Just twenty years old, she became a widow, without children. Thinking of her growing old alone, this old man feels heartache.”

Huang Daquan spoke to Li Xiao like an old monk chanting scriptures.

Slowly, Li Xiao also understood.

Coming to force an issue?

This Old Man Huang looked honest and simple, but he had quite a few schemes!

He must have learned about the relationship between Li Xiao and Huang Xiu’er from somewhere, or maybe he guessed it himself.

After all, the era was this barbaric.

Huang Xiu’er was young and beautiful, her husband’s family slaughtered, leaving her alone as a woman. Without a man’s protection, how could she keep half of her family’s cattle, sheep, and wealth?

Moreover, it was normal for the victor to possess the enemy’s wife.

Anyway, Huang Daquan just assumed that Huang Xiu’er had already followed Li Xiao.

The implication inside and outside his words was asking whether Li Xiao would marry Huang Xiu’er.

“Damn it.” Li Xiao cursed inwardly.

He only knew that young girls shouldn’t be touched lightly as it was easy to get entangled, but he didn’t expect touching a young married woman to be so troublesome too.

Did he really have to marry Huang Xiu’er?

Although Huang Xiu’er wasn’t bad—young, beautiful, a mature and desirable older sister type, with a gentle and considerate temperament.

But Li Xiao also had his own considerations regarding marriage.

Those who achieve hegemony often have a premise: letting the small head serve the big head.

Simply put, political needs.

Unless Li Xiao met a woman who moved his heart especially and whom he must marry, the first principle of marriage must be a woman who could help him in his career.

If he married Huang Xiu’er as a concubine, Li Xiao wouldn’t mind, but Huang Daquan obviously wanted more.

“Madam Huang is young and beautiful, with great years ahead of her; it would indeed be a pity to grow old alone like this.”

“But rest assured, Village Lord Huang, Madam Huang is now a person of my Hexi Fortress. My Li family will definitely not ignore Madam Huang,” Li Xiao said.

As soon as these words came out, Huang Daquan instantly understood Li Xiao’s meaning.

Ate her up and wiped his mouth clean, not wanting to take responsibility.

The smile on his dark face stiffened slightly, and the gaze looking at Li Xiao instantly became unfriendly.

In his view, Li Xiao became the Hexi Fortress Lord at a young age, and also the leader of the seven-fortress coalition.

Possessing both wisdom and courage, with illustrious military merits, and hearing that his relationship with the Khitans was very good, highly valued by the Grand King of the Six Divisions, Xiao Simo, his future was limitless.

Therefore, Huang Daquan wanted to establish a relationship with Li Xiao as early as possible.

Having Li Xiao become his son-in-law was obviously much better than the Hou family.

But unexpectedly, Li Xiao was playing dumb with him here.

Huang Daquan lost some face, but didn’t make the topic explicit.

After all, if he really said these words openly, once rejected by Li Xiao, it would really be irretrievable.

The relationship between Huangsha Village and Hexi Fortress would probably drop to freezing point.

Still the same sentence: Li Xiao’s strength was strong enough, and he had connections with the Khitans; Huang Daquan didn’t want to fall out with Li Xiao.

Even if they couldn’t become in-laws, they couldn’t become enemies.

“Heh, good, mmm good.” Huang Daquan nodded with an unnatural expression.

Then he said: “Xiu’er is my child after all. Her husband’s family is gone, but her maiden family is still here.”

“This old man wants to ask a favor from Fortress Lord Li, to see if Xiu’er can return to Huangsha Village to live?”

Let Huang Xiu’er return to Huangsha Village?

Li Xiao was really a bit reluctant.

But he couldn’t continue to make Huang Daquan lose face, so he said: “Of course, no problem.”

“As long as Madam Huang is willing, she can return to Huangsha Village at any time; my Hexi Fortress will never stop her.”

Hearing this, Huang Daquan breathed a slight sigh of relief, feeling Li Xiao wasn’t that unreasonable.

Good that he would let her go.

After all, in the end, the Hou family became traitors and were destroyed by Hexi Fortress; Huang Xiu’er was actually a captive of Hexi Fortress.

According to the rules, Huang Xiu’er belonged to Hexi Fortress.

If he didn’t want to tear up face with Hexi Fortress, unless Li Xiao agreed, Huang Daquan couldn’t directly take his daughter away.

Fortunately, Li Xiao agreed to this matter. Huang Daquan planned to take Huang Xiu’er back in a few days; she couldn’t stay in Hexi Fortress so ambiguously.

But Li Xiao was dismissive of his idea.

Regarding that woman Huang Xiu’er’s thoughts, Li Xiao could still handle them.

…

“Congratulations, Fortress Lord Li.”

“Young and promising.”

“Being personally appointed as a Thousand Household by Lord Xiao, Fortress Lord Li has a limitless future.”

After Li Xiao finished talking with Huang Daquan, several other Fortress Lords and Village Lords gathered around, congratulating Li Xiao.

Just now chatting with Qin Kaishan and others, they already knew the news of Li Xiao being appointed as a Thousand Household.

Their hearts were full of envy and jealousy, but on the surface, they all looked like they were sincerely congratulating Li Xiao.

This was the first Thousand Household personally appointed by Xiao Simo in Jin Prefecture, and Li Xiao earned it with his own military merits.

This showed how much the Eastern Capital Garrison Commissioner Xiao Simo valued Li Xiao.

At this moment, these Fortress Lords and Village Lords rejoiced even more in their choice.

Fortunately, they came to visit Li Xiao.

Building a good relationship with Li Xiao was definitely right.

“Fortress Lord Li is so valued by Lord Xiao; his future will definitely be limitless.”

“Just don’t know what Wang Ermazi and those people will think after knowing this,” the Changshan Fortress Lord said with a faint smile.

“What else? They must be incredibly sour,” the Heishan Village Lord chuckled.

Only at this time did Huang Daquan just learn about Li Xiao becoming a Thousand Household.

“Hiss!”

Looking at Li Xiao with surprised eyes, he couldn’t help but be astonished.

Huang Daquan didn’t quite understand what kind of official position a Thousand Household was, but he understood one thing.

The Eastern Capital Garrison Commissioner really valued Li Xiao; that was the biggest official in the Northern Border.

With Xiao Simo’s promotion, wouldn’t Li Xiao rise even higher in the future?

Maybe one day he could even become the Jin Prefecture Governor-General.

So Huang Daquan’s heart was also bubbling with sourness at this moment; if only Li Xiao could really become his son-in-law.

But even if not, he couldn’t offend him.

But Li Xiao ignored Huang Daquan and the others’ envy and asked curiously: “Who is Wang Ermazi?”

“Feiying Fortress Lord,” the Changshan Fortress Lord said.

And reminded: “Fortress Lord Li, that guy Wang Er has quite a big opinion of you.”

“Who knows what bad water he’s brewing; you have to be careful!”

The Changshan Fortress Lord and others came over just to say hello. After all, being fellow Han people, they could band together at critical moments.

Moreover, the Seven Fortresses of Hexi came here so long before them; they definitely knew more things, so they came to learn.

But when they learned about Li Xiao being appointed as a Thousand Household, their thoughts changed immediately, and their regard for Li Xiao himself instantly rose several degrees.

Decided to do Li Xiao a favor.

“Oh? Feiying Fortress Lord?”

“Why does he have an opinion of me?” Li Xiao asked curiously.

“Because the relationship between Feiying Fortress and the Hou family has always been very good. The wife of the Hou Village Lord, Hou Wen, is from the Wang family of Feiying Fortress,” the Changshan Fortress Lord explained.

Li Xiao understood instantly.

The Wang family of Feiying Fortress and the Hou family were related by marriage; Wang Ermazi was Hou Wen’s brother-in-law?

Hexi Fortress destroyed the Hou family and killed Hou Wen’s wife, who was Wang Ermazi’s sister; the hatred was naturally formed.

“Fortress Lord Xu, have you seen the Hou Village Lord, Hou Wen?” Li Xiao asked.

According to Lin Dazhuang and other Hou Village herdsmen, Hou Wen went to the Moman tribe at that time, preparing to discuss surrender.

But after Li Xiao breached the Moman tribe, he didn’t find Hou Wen among the prisoners and corpses.

This guy might have run away in advance.

Li Xiao was looking for him.

After all, adhering to the principle of weeding out the roots, with Hou Wen not dead, Li Xiao always felt a bit uncomfortable.

“Hou Wen?”

“Haven’t seen him.” The Changshan Fortress Lord and others shook their heads, all indicating they didn’t know where Hou Wen was.

Li Xiao kept this matter in mind.

Regardless of whether Hou Wen was in Feiying Fortress, since the Wang family had formed a grudge against him, Li Xiao would definitely find a chance to kill them.

“Have the troops from Feiying Fortress arrived?” Li Xiao asked seemingly casually.

Fortress Lord Xu shook his head gently: “Not yet, but they should be on the way.”

Li Xiao nodded slightly and didn’t say much more.

Afterward, everyone chatted about the upcoming battles and the registration of households.

These two matters were closely related to everyone.

Especially the latter, concerning everyone’s power and status. Understanding it clearly earlier and responding earlier, no one wanted to suffer a loss.

As the only one currently appointed as a Thousand Household, Li Xiao naturally became a hot commodity in their eyes.

They were eager to learn from Li Xiao how the Khitans prepared to register households.

Was there any way to strive for more benefits for themselves?

Half an hour later, Li Xiao stood outside the big tent, watching Huang Daquan and others leave. His expression was slightly solemn, as if pondering something.

Immediately, he turned to Erhu and said: “Let’s go, take a trip to the Khitan big tent.”

(End of this chapter)