Chapter 151: The First Wife’s Dignity
Eastern Capital, Sixth Courtyard Department Royal Mansion.
In the Great Hall, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
Xiao Simo sat upright in the main seat, and upon hearing the bad news of Xiao Tula Duo’s death in battle, his expression instantly turned ashen.
His originally pale face due to injury and illness now had no color at all.
“What? Xiao Tula Duo died in battle?”
Xiao Simo abruptly stood up, eyes bulging with rage, fists clenched tightly with knuckles turning white, his voice trembling with anger.
“Damn it, damn it.”
“Uyghur People are utterly damnable.”
“This King will personally lead the expedition, eliminate Gaochang, and kill them all.” An angry roar echoed through the Great Hall.
Before the words had even finished, a violent coughing fit suddenly struck, forcing him to cover his mouth, body bending forward and shaking intensely.
The attendants beside him hurried forward upon seeing this, some gently patting his back, others offering tea, their eyes full of worry.
Once the coughing eased slightly, Xiao Simo caught his breath, his eyes revealing determination and reluctance.
“Great King, the most urgent matter is still your health.”
Gu Zizhong stood to the side, his face full of worry.
Xue Gu Eluda likewise said in a serious tone: “Great King, your wounds haven’t healed yet; you shouldn’t get angry, let alone personally lead the expedition.”
“This general is willing to lead a force of troops to attack Gaochang and avenge Xiao Tula Duo.”
Xue Gu Eluda said, his face equally ashen, radiating murderous intent.
The four Shi Lie generals of the Sixth Courtyard Department, though they had overt and covert rivalries, generally had good relations overall.
Xiao Lintta’s death was his own fault.
But Xiao Tula Duo’s death in battle was something no one could tolerate.
Xue Gu Eluda wanted to personally avenge him.
The others also stepped forward one after another to request battle, wanting to go attack Gaochang.
Meanwhile, Gu Zizhong frowned on the side and said somewhat worriedly: “Great King, I worry this is the Royal Court’s conspiracy.”
“The aim is to make our Eastern Capital’s troop strength empty, then take advantage to launch the Northern Expedition.”
“Especially since not long ago, spies from Yili reported that Geluolu People were suspected of contacting Royal Court envoys.”
“I worry Yili will also fall into chaos.”
“The Royal Court wants to nibble away at our Northern Frontier step by step.”
These were all aftereffects of the Western Expedition.
Xiao Simo had failed to eliminate the Royal Court in one go and instead returned to the Eastern Capital with heavy injuries, suffering losses in troops and generals.
This directly exposed his own weakness.
Thus, some forces in the Northern Frontier, under the Royal Court’s secret contacts, began to grow restless.
Especially the Geluolu People in Yili, who were originally the epitome of unrest, frequently causing rebellions.
Before, they had merely been forcibly suppressed by Xiao Simo.
Now, with internal and external troubles in the Northern Frontier, the Geluolu People might rebel.
“They dare?”
“If I’d known it would come to this, This King should have killed all the Geluolu in Yili back then.” Xiao Simo said angrily.
Under emotional agitation, he started coughing violently again.
But upon careful thought, the Eastern Capital’s troops indeed could not move lightly.
Thus, Xiao Simo said in a deep voice: “Send orders to Jin Prefecture Governor Li Xiao to immediately assemble troops and head south to the Great Desert.”
In the end, Xiao Simo decided to entrust the Great Desert matter to Li Xiao.
Xiao Tula Duo had died miserably due to underestimating the enemy and being betrayed by Shi Gu Bi; he believed Li Xiao would definitely learn the lesson.
As long as the Jin Prefecture Army performed at normal level, the Kingdom of Qocho could not make waves.
Afterward, Xiao Simo discussed the situation with all the generals: if the Geluolu People in Yili rebelled, how to suppress them.
If the Royal Court Army crossed the Ili River, how to counterattack, and so on.
It wasn’t until half a shichen later that everyone departed, leaving the empty Great Hall with only the personal guards and Xiao Simo.
At this moment, he could no longer hold on, erupting into violent coughing.
“Cough cough cough cough~”
His face turned bluish-purple, swollen like pig liver, hideous; the next second, he directly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“Great King, are you alright!”
Princess Consort Shu Lü Wujin happened to come with ginseng soup and was immediately frightened pale at the sight.
“Great King, you, you’ve coughed up blood.”
She squatted beside Xiao Simo, eyes welling up, full of heartache.
Xiao Simo drank the ginseng soup, and the coughing gradually stopped, his complexion improving somewhat.
He shook his head gently and said: “This King is fine.”
“Don’t let anyone else know about the coughing blood.”
As he spoke, he turned a stern gaze to the personal guards.
“Great King, you will definitely be fine. We’ll go to the Central Plains, to India, invite the best doctors; we can surely cure your injuries.”
Shu Lü Wujin said while silently shedding tears.
She had never imagined her husband, who was always as strong as an ox, would become so frail and weak.
If she’d known, she would have stopped Xiao Simo from the Western Expedition no matter what.
“No use. I know my own injuries well.” Xiao Simo smiled helplessly.
He had been shot in the lungs by an arrow; though the wound had healed, the lung damage was hard to cure completely.
Xiao Simo, however, took it quite openly.
“Now, I only hope Heaven grants me another ten years.”
“To watch Hu Gu grow up,” Xiao Simo said with a touch of sadness.
The biggest problem now was that his heir was too young.
Xiao Helun was currently only eight years old; if something happened to Xiao Simo, he couldn’t hold the situation.
As for those older sons?
Xiao Simo shook his head gently; each had their flaws—either ruthless yet inwardly cowardly and timid, or hot-tempered and even more unpopular; in short, none fit for great responsibility.
“Starting tomorrow, all of Hu Gu’s lessons are suspended; I will teach him personally,” Xiao Simo said in a deep voice.
What he would teach was definitely different from those misters.
Simply put, hands-on guidance on handling government affairs, employing people, commanding troops, and so on.
Xiao Simo’s military order arrived in Li Xiao’s hands just one day later, delivered by messengers riding day and night.
Also delivered together were reports on the Royal Court’s movements and a private letter to Xiao Yanyan.
After receiving the military order, Li Xiao felt relieved.
He could now fight without restraint.
“Send orders to each chiliarch’s troops: assemble at Longcheng Wasteland at dawn tomorrow,” Li Xiao instructed in a deep voice.
Which troops to mobilize had already been planned; they were just awaiting the final order to march.
Afterward, Li Xiao had someone deliver the private letter to Xiao Yanyan, while he himself went to a nearby courtyard.
Pushing open the fence door, he saw several sturdy women working.
Upon seeing Li Xiao, they immediately shouted respectfully in Naiman language: “Governor.”
Li Xiao nodded slightly and walked straight into the room.
A young woman was preparing dinner, while a woman in her thirties lay half-reclining on the kang.
Upon seeing Li Xiao, both women’s expressions changed abruptly.
The young woman immediately stood up in panic, flustered like a startled little rabbit.
The beautiful woman was calmer but still stood on the floor, saying in a slightly stiff tone: “Greetings, Governor.”
This beautiful woman was Da He Chu Luo Duo’s mother, once a high and mighty noblewoman.
But now, she could only grovel at Li Xiao’s feet to survive.
Of course she had thought of resisting, but those Naiman sturdy women outside were no pushovers.
After being severely disciplined several times, she gradually became obedient.
Now, upon seeing Li Xiao, she knew to greet him politely.
“Are you satisfied with life here? Is the food to your taste?” Li Xiao asked in Khitan language.
The young woman kept her head down, embarrassed to reply; it was the beautiful woman who spoke.
She glanced at the unfinished dinner: just two simple flatbreads.
She then gave Li Xiao a faint glance, the meaning clear: do you think I can get used to it?
After all, the beautiful woman had once been the matriarch of the Da He Family, never short of meat and milk, if not delicacies.
But in Jin Prefecture, it was flatbread every day, leaving her all dried up.
Li Xiao seemed not to notice her look, merely nodding faintly: “Good if you’re used to the food.”
Just two captives, and they wanted meat?
Having flatbread was already good; after all, many starved to death daily in this era.
“I’m here today just to tell you something.”
As Li Xiao spoke, he sat on the kang edge and pulled with one hand.
The young woman let out a startled cry, directly pulled into Li Xiao’s arms.
The woman’s face flushed red as she lowered her head; though not the first time, in front of her mother-in-law, she still couldn’t let go.
But she didn’t dare resist at all.
The beautiful woman, however, acted as if she saw nothing, merely lowering her head silently.
Li Xiao sneered: “Da He Chu Luo Duo is in the Great Desert.”
Hearing this, both women raised their heads simultaneously.
The woman’s face was full of shock, while a flash of excitement passed through the beautiful woman’s eyes.
With Kuyun-Ordu breached and the Da He Family slaughtered by half, the beautiful woman’s only hope now was her son.
Da He Chu Luo Duo.
“From your look, you’re quite excited?” Li Xiao said to the beautiful woman, lips curling slightly.
The beautiful woman quickly shook her head: “No.”
After being disciplined by the sturdy women in the courtyard, she had become much more obedient, not daring to be prickly.
“Hmph!”
Li Xiao snorted lightly, causing the woman in his arms to let out a low hum of pain.
“Da He Chu Luo Duo allied with the Kingdom of Qocho, colluded with traitors, and killed Great Desert Governor Xiao Tula Duo.”
“This general is ordered to head south and suppress the rebellion.”
“I believe you’ll see him soon.”
“Of course, you might see his head instead.”
As Li Xiao finished speaking, a flash of excitement passed through the beautiful woman’s eyes.
She thought to herself: “Well killed!”
“My son is heroic.”
Now, what she most anticipated was her son defeating Li Xiao, fighting all the way to Jin Prefecture to rescue her.
Da He Chu Luo Duo’s wife had similar thoughts; rather than being slaves in Jin Prefecture, she definitely preferred returning to the Royal Court as the young mistress of the Da He Family.
But Li Xiao’s next words plunged her into an ice pit.
Li Xiao kneaded with one hand while pinching her face with the other.
He smiled faintly: “What a pretty face; truly pitiable even to me.”
“Even this governor, who has killed countless, can’t help but sink into it.”
Then he sighed lightly: “Da He Chu Luo Duo has such a wife to accompany him lifelong; truly enviable.”
“Pity he doesn’t cherish her~”
Hearing this, the woman’s expression froze slightly.
Li Xiao smiled faintly: “This governor’s scouts report that Da He Chu Luo Duo claimed his wife died in Kuyun-Ordu; the one he brought to Jin Prefecture is fake.”
“He has already arranged a marriage with the King of Gaochang and will soon wed the Gaochang Kingdom princess.”
Upon hearing this, the woman felt as if struck by lightning, her whole body dizzy.
An incredulous expression.
“No, no, it’s impossible; he said he’d have only me as his wife in this lifetime.” The woman shook her head repeatedly.
Li Xiao sneered: “How can you believe a man’s words?”
“Moreover, with the Da He Family fallen, marrying into Gaochang Kingdom is more advantageous for Da He Chu Luo Duo.”
“You should understand that.”
Hearing this, sorrow welled up in the woman, her watery bright eyes quietly glistening with tears.
In truth, even without Li Xiao saying it, she could guess it was true.
After all, men were political creatures, choosing only what benefited them most.
Most importantly, she had been abducted by Li Xiao, her body defiled.
How could Da He Chu Luo Duo treat her as before?
It was all her own delusion.
Realizing this, the woman burst into tears.
Seeing this, Li Xiao directly threw her onto the kang, tore open her clothes, and prepared to vent.
That bastard Da He Chu Luo Duo was truly persistent.
No wonder in the later stages of the Western Expedition, he had vanished.
Li Xiao had thought he hid out of fear.
Unexpectedly, he had fled to Gaochang, threatening the Kingdom of Qocho to attack the Great Desert.
Crucially, he had succeeded; even Xiao Tula Duo died by his hand.
Forcing Li Xiao to head south and suppress the rebellion.
This time, he must kill that bastard; for now, Li Xiao was just collecting some interest.
The woman, hearing the bad news, went all in, not resisting Li Xiao’s actions at all and even becoming proactive.
In the end, she even pulled the beautiful woman over.
What was this?
Repaying Da He Chu Luo Duo with actions?
“Giggle giggle giggle~”
“Giggle~”
The next day, just as dawn broke, crisp rooster crows echoed across heaven and earth like an invisible horn, spreading through all of Hedong Fort.
Household after household awoke to the crowing.
Without a word, they silently dressed; women went to the kitchen to prepare food, men to the courtyard to take out bow and arrow, axes for final polishing.
At this moment, Hedong Fort seemed muted by an invisible hand; the entire fortress was silent, the atmosphere slightly heavy.
Only wisps of cooking smoke drifted upward in the morning light, adding a touch of human warmth to this tranquil land.
Luo Meng also slowly awoke.
He turned his head slightly, gaze falling on the kang beside him.
His wife Li Dafeng slept peacefully, her face serene.
Beside Li Dafeng lay a swaddled infant—their son Luo Wenzhong, not yet two months old.
Unfortunately, Luo Meng had been fighting in Kuyun-Ordu at the time and missed seeing the child’s birth, feeling a slight regret.
But the joy of first-time fatherhood still thrilled him.
Since returning home, he had stayed by the child almost all day; the tender, adorable sight filled him with love.
This was his son.
Watching the little one’s endearing sleeping face, Luo Meng’s lips curved up slightly.
At this moment, Li Dafeng was also woken by his movements and quietly watched the father and son without speaking.
“How long will it be this time?”
Luo Meng shook his head gently, rising to dress: “Don’t know.”
“But it shouldn’t be too long; Gaochang people aren’t Royal Court elites after all.”
“We’ll beat them to pieces.”
Luo Meng deliberately reassured her.
But how could Li Dafeng not know the dangers of war? Her father had died on the battlefield.
Yet on this Northern Frontier land, stepping onto the battlefield was every man’s fate.
Though worried, Li Dafeng couldn’t stop him.
She could only rise silently to help Luo Meng don his armor, complaining slightly: “You’ve been back less than a month, and off to war again.”
“When will the wars end?”
“When we grow stronger and no one dares provoke us, then wars will end,” Luo Meng said with a light laugh.
Li Dafeng disagreed: “By then, you men will go provoke others.”
Though she didn’t grasp grand principles, she understood human nature.
Insatiable greed was human nature.
Luo Meng chuckled and shook his head, hugging Li Dafeng from behind in jest: “Why don’t you tell Da Long.”
“We all listen to him now.”
Li Dafeng shook her head: “He’s a family man now; how could he listen to a mere woman like me.”
As the couple rose and spoke, a rough shout came from outside.
“Boss, Dafeng, up yet?”
“Open the door.”
Li Dafeng hurriedly broke free from the clingy Luo Meng, flustered: “It’s Father.”
“I’ll tidy up; you get the door.”
Soon, Luo Ping entered the room with his big belly, his mother following behind.
“Father, Mother, you’re here.”
Li Dafeng came out of the bedroom to greet them.
Luo Ping smiled warmly, nodding: “Brought you breakfast.”
Since Li Dafeng had just finished her confinement and was still weak, all three meals were prepared by Luo Mu and delivered.
Breakfast was simple: a few flatbreads and two bowls of hot sheep milk.
Placing them on the table, the couple entered the bedroom, cooing over the sleeping grandson.
Soon after, Luo Ping stepped out and said to Luo Meng: “Boss, this trip to the Great Desert is on you alone; Father can’t go with you.”
“Look after Second Master; Father awaits your return.”
During the Western Expedition, Luo Ping had felt himself waning.
His body grew heavier, almost unable to mount a war horse.
Continuing to battlefield like this was dangerous.
He wasn’t afraid of dying in battle, just of missing opportunities.
Thus, not long ago, Luo Ping had resigned to Li Xiao, planning to retire peacefully and enjoy his grandchildren.
His Hedong chiliarch position passed to Luo Meng.
This was also Luo Meng’s first time leading alone on a distant campaign.
“Rest assured, Father; I will.” Luo Meng nodded firmly.
After breakfast, Luo Meng went to the livestock pen, selected the strongest war horse, and two lesser ones.
He loaded the ten days’ grain prepared by Luo Mu, along with bow and arrow, axes and other weapons, onto one lesser horse’s back.
Nearby, Second Master Luo Gang did the same.
The two lesser horses for carrying supplies and travel; the best for riding in battle.
With everything prepared, Luo Meng and Luo Gang looked toward their family.
They all stood quietly, eyes full of worry and reluctance.
“Come back safe.” Li Dafeng held the child, saying softly to Luo Meng.
Luo Meng chuckled, glancing at his son: “Da Long said my life is tough.”
“Uyghur pups can’t hurt me.”
He then went to his two younger brothers, pinching their red-and-black cheeks in turn.
To Third Master Luo Tie, he said: “Third, after your second bro and I leave, you’re the man of the house; protect Father, Mother, and your sister-in-law.”
Third Master nodded vigorously, teeth gritted: “I’ll definitely protect Father, Mother, and them.”
“Big Bro, Second Bro, I’m growing up soon.”
“Next time, take me to fight too.”
Luo Meng and Luo Gang laughed heartily, roughly ruffling Third and Fourth Master’s heads.
Then they mounted and joined the Hedong chiliarch troops heading to Longcheng Wasteland.
……
Hexi Fort; that night, Li Xiao spent very comfortably.
But he didn’t linger in the gentle embrace, leaving the room early.
After he left, the limp beautiful woman suddenly found strength and rushed at the woman, slapping her.
“Slap~”
“Vile, slutty fox, shameless thing.”
“How did the Da He Family produce such a shameless whore.”
Before, both had been forced.
But last night, the woman had been unusually proactive.
The woman was stunned by the slap, clutching her cheek, dazed for several seconds before recovering.
Then she erupted, landing two slaps left and right on the beautiful woman’s face.
“You, you dare hit me.”
“You’ve gone too far.”
The beautiful woman stared wide-eyed, incredulous.
The woman sneered; broken anyway, she snorted: “What’s not to dare?”
“I’m a dead woman now, not the Da He Family daughter-in-law.”
“So what if I hit you?”
“I’m telling you, I won’t serve anymore.”
Their maids had all been rewarded to the meritorious, so they had to do everything themselves.
Precisely, the daughter-in-law served the mother-in-law.
But now the woman had awakened and wouldn’t tolerate it.
“I’ll kill you!”
With an angry roar and shriek, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law grappled.
But soon, a loud crash.
“Boom”—the door was kicked open.
Xiao Yanyan, face frosty, gnashing teeth, entered with several Khitan sturdy women.
Seeing the scene, she was furious.
Last night, Li Xiao hadn’t returned, saying he was inspecting other forts; but this morning, her maidservant saw her coming from this courtyard.
Xiao Yanyan instantly understood, bringing people to confront.
Sure enough, these two shameless vixens seducing her man.
Especially that beautiful woman, who had nearly become Xiao Yanyan’s mother-in-law.
“As expected, Da He Family people are no good.”
“Take them down.”
Xiao Yanyan decided to discipline them properly, establishing her authority as first wife.
