Chapter 221: The Northern Frontier’s Greatest Warrior
In October, the pasture grass on Jin Prefecture Grassland had already begun to turn yellow in large patches, undulating like golden waves in the wind.
This year’s war had already ended, and the townsfolk, after harvesting the grain, began mobilizing the entire family, old and young, to cut winter grass, storing food for the cattle and sheep to get through the winter.
Meanwhile, the construction of Dragon City was still proceeding in full swing.
Before the sun had fully risen, the prisoners of war were driven to work, transporting boulders or spreading mud evenly.
Exhausted men hunched their backs, their shoulders chafed by rough ropes into wounds deep enough to expose bone.
“One two! One two!”
In the hoarse chant, a young prisoner of war slipped, and a 300-jin blue stone instantly crushed his calf.
Amid the screams, the overseer’s leather whip fell again: “No stopping, everyone keep working.”
The other prisoners of war numbly passed by his contorted body, continuing to drag the heavy stones, as if it were just an ordinary corpse by the roadside.
The overseer dragged the leg-broken prisoner aside to avoid delaying the project’s progress; as for the wound, it was left to fate.
On this construction site, the most eye-catching sight was a row of flagpoles linked together by ropes.
Heads were hanging from the ropes.
This was because these people either planned to sneak away or incited others to rebel.
The scene made every passing prisoner of war feel a chill on their necks, yet no one dared to look up for more than a glance.
That day, Li Xiao stood on the completed inner city wall, the blue bricks under his feet still carrying the damp scent of fresh masonry, while in the dust cloud of rammed earth in the distance, the outer city site was still bustling with activity.
He casually picked up a brick from the ground, on which an artisan’s name was chiseled.
The man following him was a man around forty years old named Li Laowai.
Originally an ordinary artisan in Kuyun-Ordu City, he was brought to Jin Prefecture by Li Xiao after the city fell.
First he built houses for Hexi Fort, then participated in the construction of Tang Valley Steel Base, gradually earning Li Xiao’s trust.
Now he had become the Director of Manufacturing for the Dragon City project, mainly responsible for technical aspects.
Seeing Li Xiao holding the brick, he immediately explained softly: “Great Protector, this is to prevent artisans from slacking off.”
“If there’s a problem with a fired brick, we can find the artisan and administer the appropriate punishment.”
Li Xiao nodded lightly without speaking.
This trip to Dragon City was to check if these guys had cut corners, resulting in shoddy workmanship.
If so, Li Xiao would certainly follow Old Zhu’s example and have heads rolling.
But for now, everything seemed acceptable.
Li Xiao’s prestige was at its peak now, with the knife always hanging over their heads; he would never go soft when killing.
Then, Li Laowai took Li Xiao to tour other areas.
Because it was uniformly planned and built, the houses and streets in the city were not as chaotic as in other towns.
Instead, they were very orderly, straight horizontally and vertically.
Starting from the north-south and east-west main roads, numerous streets extended to both sides, like a chessboard, forming the current inner city of Dragon City.
At the very center was a relatively larger courtyard, covering more than forty mu.
It was precisely the Northern Frontier Great Protector’s Mansion.
Li Xiao stood at the gate, his fist lightly knocking the reinforced copper nails on the elm wood door panel, then turned to Li Laowai behind him: “This door hinge uses Hexi Steel?”
Li Laowai nodded repeatedly: “Yes, Great Protector, three full finger-widths of fine steel—even ten gelded oxen charging it wouldn’t budge it.”
Li Xiao then pointed to the stone pillar beside it and said to his personal guard: “Smash it with a hammer.”
The next second, with a clang, debris splashed from the pillar’s surface, but it still firmly supported the beam.
Li Xiao nodded lightly; Li Laowai’s head was safe for now.
Then, they entered the front courtyard, the working area of the Great Protector’s Mansion, with many gatehouses.
The back courtyard was Li Xiao’s private space; besides the daily living rooms, the largest area was a small horse-running field.
It could house dozens of good horses and allow the women in the back courtyard to practice riding and archery daily.
After the inspection, Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction: “Allocate extra reward silver from the ledger to the artisans. This place has no winding corridors, rockeries, or bizarre stones—far more practical than those fancy royal mansions in Kuyun-Ordu.”
“In the future, for urgent military reports, from the council hall to the stable is just half a tea’s time—fighting calls for neat and tidy!”
Then, Li Xiao inspected other houses in the city; though the quality didn’t match the Great Protector’s Mansion, it was far from shoddy workmanship.
“Not bad, Old Li, you’ve put in the effort.”
“To complete the inner city so quickly deserves heavy rewards.”
Li Xiao lightly patted Li Laowai’s shoulder with an encouraging smile.
The Dragon City as originally planned was now complete.
However, with Jin Prefecture becoming the core of the Northern Frontier, Li Xiao decided to add an outer city wall outside, which was now under construction.
Hearing this, Li Laowai was flattered and quickly said: “Thank you, Great Protector.”
“But this subordinate dares not take credit. Building the inner city so quickly was mainly due to the great efforts of the twenty thousand Kangli slaves brought by the Great Protector.”
“Without the Great Protector’s help, even if this subordinate worked himself to death, it would be impossible to finish the inner city so fast.”
Li Laowai’s rise from an ordinary artisan to Dragon City’s Director of Manufacturing relied not just on his skills.
High emotional intelligence and flattery were most important.
“Heh heh heh, keep up the good work, I won’t forget your merit.” Li Xiao chuckled.
Looking at this flatbread, Li Laowai said excitedly: “Thank you, Great Protector. This subordinate is willing to give his all to build Dragon City, to repay the Great Protector’s kindness in recognizing my talent.”
Li Xiao nodded lightly; he didn’t mind subordinates flattering him, as long as the work was done well.
Then, they went to the outer city and saw the bustling construction site.
Cold winds whipped sand and gravel against the Kangli prisoners of war, their clothes ragged, many wearing only a tattered sheepskin full of holes.
“Faster! No dawdling.”
The overseer brandished his leather whip, snarling viciously.
The brick-transporting line snaked like a long serpent, coming from a brick kiln in southern Jin Prefecture.
The prisoners hunched their backs, stacking bricks one by one; any slight deviation meant a lashing from the overseer.
Li Xiao watched all this calmly, feeling no pity for these prisoners’ miserable fates.
This world was governed by the law of the jungle.
Back when nomadic people repeatedly invaded south, the Central Plains Han people’s plight was even more miserable than these prisoners.
On this grassland, any pity was irresponsible to oneself and one’s kin.
Li Xiao only cared that if too many prisoners died from long-term high-intensity work, it would delay Dragon City’s construction speed.
After all, winter was coming soon; Li Xiao couldn’t continue launching wars to capture more prisoners.
“I heard that just after early autumn, the Uyghur people rebelled, smashing cooking pots to use as weapons?”
Staring at the ant-like laborers outside the city, the arc of Li Xiao’s upturned eyes was like a knife quenched in ice.
Li Laowai swallowed, recalling that bloody incident—three hundred Uyghur prisoners slashing overseers’ throats with pot shards, only to be trampled into meat paste by Jin Prefecture iron cavalry.
“Yes, they killed some overseers and tried to incite others to rebel, but they were quickly suppressed by Commander Li’s troops.”
Commander Li was Li Erjiang, whom Li Xiao left to guard Jin Prefecture during his campaigns.
At the same time, he was the overseer of Dragon City’s construction, in charge of the overall project.
After all, building Dragon City was a major undertaking requiring coordination on all fronts.
Li Laowai had previously been just an ordinary artisan, without the prestige or ability to serve as overseer.
So, he only handled technical aspects, while everything else was managed by Li Erjiang.
Li Xiao suddenly laughed, a chilling smile that sent shivers down spines, his deep voice saying: “Any rebels are to be executed in front of all prisoners; ringleaders get lingchi, no mercy.”
“Understood!”
Gazing at the thickening dusk, after a long while, Li Xiao sighed lightly: “Old Wai, why can’t these spineless wretches learn? Isn’t it good to work obediently?”
“They have to rebel—do the bricks of this Dragon City need their blood to stick firm?”
Hearing this, Li Laowai’s face showed some embarrassment, finally saying sheepishly: “Those prisoners are all barbarians outside civilization, with wolfish ambitions and no gratitude.”
“The Great Protector need not worry about it.”
“Heh~”
Li Xiao shook his head with a light smile; how could he not know the reason.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance.
Ultimately, it was because the prisoners were exploited too harshly.
Two years ago, Li Xiao had used some conciliatory measures toward these foreign races, assimilating capable ones into Han people with Han names.
But as his territory expanded, especially after recapturing the Eastern Capital, many Khitan and Turkic people joined his ranks.
There were plenty of brave and skilled soldiers.
He no longer needed to assimilate foreign races to fight for him.
What Jin Prefecture lacked instead was a large number of Han people to consolidate the foundation.
Thus, his attitude toward these prisoners changed: cutting off their paths to freedom, squeezing out their last drop of value, then turning them into nutrients for the pasture grass.
Without hope, the prisoners’ resistance naturally intensified.
“These prisoners still need to build our city walls; we can’t kill them all.”
Li Xiao pondered for a moment, then said flatly.
“We still need to give their taut nerves some appropriate relief.”
He decided to show some mercy to avoid further losses to his manpower assets.
Besides high-pressure measures like ‘collective punishment’ and ‘lingchi’, some conciliatory tactics were needed.
“Select a batch of slave women over thirty-five from the slaves—not too many, two or three hundred will do—and send them to the slave camp as rewards.”
“Based on the slaves’ contributions, select the two thousand hardest workers each day.” Li Xiao said gravely.
Slave women over thirty-five had nearly lost their childbearing ability; on the grassland, that meant losing their value to live.
Keeping them was just wasting grain; better to use them to motivate the prisoners—giving them a daily goal would make them work harder.
“Understood.”
Li Laowai nodded vigorously.
This matter wasn’t for him to handle, but with Li Erjiang absent, he could take the order first and pass it on later.
After arranging other matters, Li Xiao left Dragon City.
Dusk deepened, the city walls rising steadily under the blood-red sunset; every brick and stone was soaked in Kangli people’s blood and tears, and who knew how many more such dark days awaited them.
Above the city walls, flocks of vultures and crows circled, their blood-red eyes fixed on the ground, awaiting the next fallen life.
In this bloody dusk, the Imperial Guards’ cavalry troop rode farther and farther away.
On the flagpoles behind, the rebels’ heads swayed in the wind,
Their hollow eye sockets crawling with maggots gazed toward the departing Imperial Guards, as if weeping blood tears.
This bloody scene constantly reminded every Kangli prisoner of war that any resistance was futile.
……
Back at his home in Hexi Fort, Li Xiao handed his war horse to his guards and let them return to their rooms to rest.
Then he strode into the main hall, where Xiao Yanyan sat waiting in a chair.
Her belly was now very large; she would give birth within half a month.
Seeing Li Xiao return, she didn’t rise to greet him but asked curiously: “How’s Dragon City coming along?”
“When do we move there?”
It was because Li Erjiang had come a few days ago to report the inner city’s completion that Li Xiao went to inspect.
If not for being near term, Xiao Yanyan would surely have gone to join the excitement.
“The inner city is done, and so is the Great Protector’s Mansion, but we’ll wait a bit before moving.”
Li Xiao rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands in the basin brought by the maidservant.
After wiping off the water, he sat beside Xiao Yanyan, his palm gently stroking her belly.
He could clearly feel the fetus moving, even seeming to kick just as his palm touched.
This brought a playful smile to Li Xiao’s face.
After all, it was his first child, and Li Xiao valued it greatly.
“This little one has quite the strength!”
“And so active—definitely a son.” Li Xiao said with a chuckle.
He then looked at Xiao Yanyan: “Any discomfort today?”
“Not bad, no issues.” Xiao Yanyan shook her head.
She was inherently a tough Khitan woman, sturdy and robust; childbirth wasn’t as troublesome as imagined for her.
She could eat and sleep well, even ride horses, without any problems.
Vaguely, she gained a maternal radiance.
Even her temper had softened considerably.
“Good, our child will surely be strong as a little calf when born.” Li Xiao chuckled.
“Of course.” Xiao Yanyan raised her chin proudly.
Grassland women knew nothing of modesty; they strived to be first in everything.
She vowed confidently: “My Xiao Yanyan’s child will absolutely be the strongest and will one day replace his father as the Northern Frontier’s greatest warrior.”
Li Xiao laughed: “Hahaha.”
“I’ll await that day.”
At nineteen, Li Xiao’s physique had grown extremely robust; he could even wrestle a fierce tiger barehanded.
Though he never claimed it himself, many called him the ‘Northern Frontier’s greatest warrior’, his name resounding across the Western Regions.
Such a strong body owed much to acquired training, but Li Xiao felt the key was the innate advantage from his rebirth.
His physique seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, like a baptism.
Calling him a modern overlord was no exaggeration.
But Li Xiao wasn’t sure if this transformation could be genetically passed to the next generation.
If so, the child in Xiao Yanyan’s belly might one day surpass him as the ‘Northern Frontier’s greatest warrior’.
Then, Xiao Yanyan had dishes served and called the other women to eat together.
At the table, mentioning Dragon City, Xiao Yanyan shook her head: “Living in a city is no good at all—too many people, everything feels restrictive.”
“I prefer living on the grassland, riding freely anytime.”
Her words immediately won Sorghaghtani’s agreement.
She nodded her little head, eyes sparkling: “Yeah!”
“Sister is absolutely right.”
“Dad took me to the inside the city of Jin Dynasty once; it stank, houses packed together, couldn’t even run a horse—staying there was suffocating.”
Both Xiao Yanyan and Sorghaghtani grew up on the grassland, yearning for unbound freedom.
Li Xiao understood their thinking and swallowed a big mouthful of mutton: “If you don’t want to live in the inner city, that’s fine; we can live on the grassland for a few months in summer.”
“I won’t cage you birds.”
Dragon City’s establishment was more symbolic.
Li Xiao didn’t like staying in a small room handling affairs all day either.
Eagles should spread wings and soar.
Including his son, who would need daily riding and archery practice in the future.
Dragon City was good, but like a cage; prolonged living could erode one’s ferocity.
“Really?”
“Great!” Sorghaghtani said happily, her little tiger teeth showing, face beaming with smiles.
Though she left the Kereit Tribe, life in Jin Prefecture wasn’t much different; Li Xiao and Xiao Yanyan treated her well.
She just missed home occasionally.
Her only worry was, as others said, Li Xiao’s rising status meant his women should mind their identities.
No casual outings, no casual horseback riding.
But now, it seemed Sorghaghtani’s worries were unnecessary.
“Mm, Jin Prefecture winters are cold; Dragon City is best for wintering, and summers on the grassland.” Li Xiao picked up pieces of mutton for these wives and concubines.
But when it was Han Ying’er’s turn, after chewing a few bites of mutton, she suddenly felt nauseous.
“Urp~”
Han Ying’er turned away, face pale, looking like she wanted to vomit but couldn’t.
“Hm?”
Before eating, Li Xiao had noticed Han Ying’er’s off color; now seeing her retch, an idea formed.
He glanced at Xiao Yanyan, who met his knowing look with a nod.
“She’s probably pregnant.”
It had been two months since Li Xiao returned from the Eastern Capital.
During this time, he had devoted much energy to these women almost daily.
Hitting the mark was normal.
So Xiao Yanyan immediately sent for the doctor.
The doctor was an old man around fifty surnamed Sun, an old Han person from Jin Prefecture who had lived there for decades.
He had some reputation in the Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages.
Not a famed physician, but fine for headaches, fevers, or diagnosing pregnancy.
Crucially, his background was clean.
Soon, after taking the pulse, Old Man Sun smiled and cupped hands to Li Xiao: “Congratulations, Great Protector; the third madam is pregnant.”
Hearing this, Li Xiao smiled, his usually stern brow relaxing.
“Good, thank you, Mister Sun.”
“But keep this confidential, Mister Sun.”
Having been a doctor for so many years, Old Man Sun understood and nodded: “Rest assured, Great Protector; this old man knows.”
Then, they gave him his fee and saw him off.
Li Xiao turned to Han Ying’er, who now had tears in her eyes, weeping with joy.
Looking up with a grievance-filled gaze, she called: “Master~”
Her voice was soft and melting, but made Xiao Yanyan turn her head slightly.
She simply disdained Han Ying’er’s affected nature; instead, fellow grassland girl Sorghaghtani suited her temperament better.
But now both Sorghaghtani and Tajiguli looked at Han Ying’er with envy.
They wanted children too.
Li Xiao stepped forward to gently embrace Han Ying’er, comforting: “Why cry? This is good news.”
“Our Li Family grows stronger; you’re a meritorious official of the Li Family.”
Then, he instructed the cook to prepare more nourishing food for Han Ying’er daily.
No need for ginseng or bird’s nests.
In his view, the best supplements for pregnant women were meat and eggs.
Children raised on beef and mutton were much heavier than those on rice and steamed buns, even if they looked similar.
Their bones were harder.
Especially for Han Ying’er, who had a slender, delicate figure like a refined lady.
She needed even more meat to bear a strong child.
