Chapter 68: Huge Profit

No one could refuse Li Xiao’s ‘kindness’.

The next things were simple.

Under the coercion of Li Xiao’s six hundred iron cavalry and their arrows, led by the heads of the Qian and Zhou families, the men of the Wang family were all killed.

Looking at the corpses all over the ground, the entire Feiying Fortress fell into deathly silence; everyone was silent as cicadas in winter.

But Li Xiao’s heart was as calm as still water, his face full of indifference.

“So many people from the Wang and Hou families died because of you; do you have any regret in your heart?”

Li Xiao said in an indifferent tone, looking at a man kneeling in front of him.

Hou Wen!

With the cooperation of the Qian and Zhou families, Li Xiao successfully entered Feiying Fortress, eliminated the Wang family members, and took over the Wang family’s assets.

At the same time, he also found Hou Wen hiding here in a courtyard of the Wang family.

At this time, he was covered in filth, his face bruised and swollen, pressed to the ground by two Hexi Fortress able-bodied men.

But his gaze stared dead at Li Xiao, angry and unyielding, terrifying as if he wanted to eat someone.

“I have no regrets!”

Hou Wen let out a beast-like roar, veins bulging on his neck, gritting his teeth.

“I only regret not destroying your Hexi Fortress earlier.”

Li Xiao shook his head gently: “Stubborn and stupid.”

Subsequently, he instructed Li Dashan: “Send him on his way.”

Li Dashan nodded silently, drew the curved saber in his hand, and stepped forward, preparing to finish this enemy.

Hou Wen also knew he would surely die today, so he had no scruples at all.

He cursed loudly: “My Hou family indeed surrendered to the Karluks, but how much better is your Li family?”

“Aren’t you also acting as dogs for the Khitans?”

“Speaking of traitors? Your Li family are also traitors.”

“I refuse to accept this.”

Hou Wen shouted loudly. In the next second, Li Dashan’s short knife stabbed into his chest.

Blood gushed out instantly, and Hou Wen’s voice stopped abruptly.

But his lips were still moving slightly, as if continuing to utter silent curses against the Li family.

Li Xiao looked at his corpse with a solemn gaze.

“Acting as dogs for the Khitans?”

“What he said is not wrong,” Li Xiao suddenly chuckled.

But he didn’t care.

Those who achieve great things do not stick to trifles.

Han Xin endured the humiliation of crawling between legs, Goujian slept on brushwood and tasted gall, and even Temujin worked for the Jin people in the early stages; everything was to stand out.

Speaking of gaining the country most righteously, it was none other than Zhu Yuanzhang*, but who could understand the hardships of his first half of life?

Li Xiao’s starting conditions were much better than Zhu Yuanzhang’s, so there was no need to compare.

Of course, he could also quit, take people to become horse bandits, occupy territory as a king, free and unfettered.

But in that case, the road would be short.

Zhu Yuanzhang could stand out in peasant uprisings because there were objective factors at that time; the land of China was in chaos.

But order still existed in the current Northern Border, far from the time when heroes rose together.

The likes of horse bandits simply couldn’t make it onto the stage.

“Jin Prefecture Governor-General!”

Li Xiao said secretly in his heart.

Next, he had to do everything possible to get the position of Jin Prefecture Governor-General into his hands.

In this way, he could obtain enough autonomy.

Although subject to the constraints of the Eastern Capital, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away; Xiao Simo couldn’t pay attention to Jin Prefecture all the time.

His enemy was always the Royal Court.

…

“Fortress Lord, the Wang family’s assets have been roughly calculated.”

After a busy day, when it was almost dark, Li Xiao’s subordinates finally counted the Wang family’s assets.

Li Dashan came to report.

“Feiying Fortress is indeed a large fortress among the Jin Prefecture Han people. The Wang family has been the Fortress Lord for so many years, and their family fortune is really quite a lot,” Li Dashan said cheerfully.

“The Wang family has thirty-two households, totaling three hundred and fifty cattle, two thousand five hundred sheep, and three hundred and twenty horses.”

“There are more than a thousand mu of farmland, and about three hundred piculs of grain in stock.”

“Most unexpectedly, a total of more than one thousand strings of copper coins were found in the Wang family, plus a little scattered gold and silver worth about a hundred strings.”

Cattle, sheep, and grain were expected, but the Wang family was quite good at hiding money.

Mainly because Feiying Fortress was relatively close to the Great Desert.

Because of the Silk Road, the commercial atmosphere in the Desert was much better than in Jin Prefecture.

The Wang family sometimes sold Feiying Fortress’s cattle, sheep, grain, and other commodities to merchants in the Desert, so they had accumulated quite a lot of money over the years.

But in the end, it benefited Li Xiao.

“In these years, one still has to hold the gun tight,” Li Xiao smiled gently.

As the saying goes, when neighbors store grain, I store guns; neighbors are my granary.

A small Feiying Fortress could produce so much money, which made Li Xiao develop some ambitions for the Great Desert to the south.

That place probably also had foolish people with lots of money, right?

“Sixth Uncle, go call the leaders of the Qian and Zhou families; it’s time to have a good talk with them,” Li Xiao ordered.

Soon, the leaders of the two families walked in.

Both were men around forty, possessing the rough temperament of Northern Border people and the restrained character of Han people.

If it really came to a desperate battlefield, these two would probably be renowned Northern Border wolves, but in front of Li Xiao, they could only hide their fangs deeply.

“The Wang family is gone; Feiying Fortress will be dominated by your two families in the future.”

“Any thoughts?” Li Xiao looked at the two and said in an indifferent voice.

Zhou Dali and Qian San looked at each other and bowed their heads one after another: “From now on, we belong to you, Fortress Lord Li.”

“We hope Fortress Lord Li will accept us.”

The two had discussed it before.

Although the Wang family was gone, the strength of Feiying Fortress also suffered considerable losses. Currently, the best way out was to defect to Hexi Fortress.

After all, Li Xiao had promised each of them a Hundred Household official position.

Li Xiao himself was a Thousand Household official and could speak in front of the Eastern Capital Garrison Commissioner.

Defecting to Li Xiao would be beneficial for both of them.

“Good”

Li Xiao nodded gently and smiled.

He ran all the way to Feiying Fortress to eliminate the Wang family; naturally, he couldn’t make wedding clothes for others (do work for others’ benefit).

Subduing the population of Feiying Fortress and absorbing the Wang family’s resources were Li Xiao’s goals.

“We will take away the Wang family’s cattle, sheep, and property; part of it will be distributed as spoils of war to the brothers on this expedition,” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.

“The Wang family’s houses and farmland are the same.”

“But I have always been fair in doing things.”

“You people of Feiying Fortress can be considered to have forsaken darkness for light, so I can’t not reward you. Although houses and farmland cannot be given to you for free.”

“But if anyone wants to buy, they can register with my Sixth Uncle.”

“The price of ten sheep can be exchanged for one mu of farmland, and twenty sheep for a house.”

Houses and farmland were immovable property; Li Xiao couldn’t take them away.

Although ownership already belonged to Hexi Fortress, and Li Xiao believed no one dared to infringe on his things.

But Feiying Fortress wasn’t close to Hexi Fortress, and frequent travel was inconvenient.

So, Li Xiao decided to sell them at a low price to other herdsmen of Feiying Fortress.

Besides cashing out as soon as possible, it was also to win over the herdsmen of Feiying Fortress, giving them certain benefits.

Applying both kindness and severity.

Killing the Wang family might make them feel guilty, but if they could seek benefits for themselves from the Wang family matter, the herdsmen’s mentality would inevitably change.

To protect their own interests, they would unconsciously draw a clear line with the Wang family.

If the Wang family resurged in the future, to protect their acquired interests, these herdsmen would be the first to extinguish it.

Simply put, Li Xiao used interests to tie the herdsmen of Feiying Fortress to his war chariot.

“Ten sheep for one mu of land?”

Zhou Dali and Qian San were instantly moved hearing this price.

This price was very cheap, considered half-selling and half-giving.

Li Xiao was indeed generous enough.

So, the two agreed impatiently.

Thinking about it, ten sheep was just a price tag; it could completely be exchanged with gold, silver, copper coins, and grain.

Given the capital of other herdsmen families in Feiying Fortress, it was enough to swallow the Wang family’s houses and farmland.

“Good~”

“Fortress Lord Li, we will tell the herdsmen right away; I believe everyone won’t miss this opportunity,” Qian San said excitedly.

Farmland and houses could be passed down to future generations, and the price was so cheap; whoever didn’t buy was a fool.

Just like that, Li Xiao easily sold the Wang family’s real estate and gave the herdsmen of Feiying Fortress a wave of benefits, initially pulling them onto his war chariot.

At this point, Li Xiao’s purpose in coming to Feiying Fortress was completely achieved.

After staying in Feiying Fortress for another two days, Li Xiao led people away from Feiying Fortress.

At this time, besides the original six hundred cavalry under his command, there were also one hundred and fifty Feiying Fortress able-bodied men led by Zhou Dali and Qian San.

The group drove cattle, sheep, and warhorses, used carts to pull grain and wealth, and headed toward Hexi Fortress in a mighty formation.

This time, Li Xiao harvested a lot.

Far exceeding the share of military rations the seven fortresses should pay.

Huge profit!

Except for those distributed to the soldiers and paid as military rations, the surplus would stay in Hexi Fortress as Li Xiao’s startup capital for big things in the future.

Ten days later, the military ration share of ten thousand piculs of grain and ten thousand sheep ordered by Xiao Simo had all been transported to Wuya Village.

At this time, the small Wuya Village had gathered an army of twenty thousand from Yin Mountain, Beihai, and Jin Prefecture.

Everything was ready!

On this day, a low bugle sound rang out, and the atmosphere in the camp suddenly became oppressive.

Xiao Simo’s order was issued.

The army sets out, marches to the Altai Mountains, for a decisive battle with the Naimans.

(End of this chapter)

*Zhu Yuanzhang: Founding Emperor of Ming Dynasty