Chapter 99: Victory Report, Deputy Governor, Shock
Located at the west end of Hexi Fort, there is a newly built area of thatched houses.
This is the temporary settlement for the herdsmen of Hou Village, and during this time, they have built their houses.
Although each household only has one or two rooms, they are more effective at shielding from wind and rain than tents.
Huang Xiuer’s house is further inside, with only one room where she lives alone. Besides that, there is a large courtyard where a hundred and fifty sheep, over twenty cattle, and three horses are kept.
These are all the assets of her and Hou Tiancai’s small family, and Li Xiao decided to give her half.
These cattle and sheep are all her own property and are sufficient to support her life, without needing to curry favor with anyone.
Huang Xiuer is quite satisfied and happy with her current life.
However, on the second day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Huang Xiuer tidied her clothes and was preparing to ride out for herding. Before she could leave her house, she was greeted by two unwelcome guests.
“Mother, younger brother, why have you come?”
Seeing the two covered in dust outside the door, Huang Xiuer’s beautiful eyes were filled with surprise.
“Xiuer, Mother has finally found you, Mother misses you so much.”
Huang Xiuer’s mother went straight forward, took Huang Xiuer’s hand, and spoke of her longing.
Her younger brother, Huang Erxi, walked into the courtyard with his eyes darting around, constantly sizing up the cattle and sheep, a lewd smile on his face.
Looking here and there, he seemed very restless.
Huang Xiuer quickly invited them into the room.
“Xiuer, you’ve suffered so much these past days, my daughter.”
“The Hou family is all dead, and now you are the only woman left, how will you live your life?”
“Every time I think of you suffering alone here, my heart feels unbearable, and I can’t sleep all night.”
“When I had free time, I hurried to bring your brother to see you.”
Huang Xiuer’s mother, tightly grasping Huang Xiuer’s hands, wiped away tears and softly spoke of her longing.
Huang Xiuer was also deeply moved, her eyes turning red. Wiping away tears, she gently shook her head and said, “Mother, I’m not suffering.”
“I’m doing quite well in Hexi Fort.”
“And no one dares to bully me.”
Except for that young man, Huang Xiuer added in her heart.
But in reality, she had been doing quite well these days.
Every morning she went out to herd, and returned in the evening, with no worries about food or drink, plenty of milk and meat, and no one daring to bully her.
Because of this, Huang Xiuer’s figure had actually become a bit plumper these days.
However, Huang Xiuer’s mother looked unconvinced, shaking her head and saying, “How can you live well without a man in the house?”
“Mother came today precisely to take you home.”
Huang Erxi, standing beside them, also quickly said, “Yes, second sister, we are really worried about you being here alone, come home with us.”
As Huang Erxi said this, his eyes kept darting around the room.
Upon hearing this, Huang Xiuer bit her lip, very hesitant and reluctant, and gently shook her head, saying, “Mother, I’m not going back. I’m really doing well in Hexi Fort, and I want to stay here forever.”
When her mother heard this, the tears on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by an unhappy expression: “Child, why are you so insensible? Your in-laws are gone, you should return to our home, what is a widow like you doing here?”
Huang Erxi also chimed in, “Exactly, sister, don’t be foolish, come back with us.”
Huang Xiuer lowered her head, her eyes slightly reddening, and said nothing.
Before coming, Huang Xiuer’s mother had also inquired about her daughter’s situation.
She knew that she had gotten involved with the Fort Master of Hexi Fort.
So she said without politeness, “Aren’t you just thinking about that young man?”
“But do you think he will truly marry you? All men are the same, he is only interested in your body.”
“Eventually he will marry a new wife, what will you do then? Continue to follow him without a proper title? Or become his concubine?”
“When you are old and your beauty fades, if you don’t have a child, how will you live in the future?”
Listening to her mother’s words, Huang Xiuer’s face gradually turned pale, as if she was truly frightened by the prospect of a lonely old age.
The Huang mother and son exchanged a smile upon seeing this.
They knew Huang Xiuer’s gentle nature too well and how to control her.
“Xiuer, listen to Mother, take your belongings and cattle and sheep from home, and return to Huangsha Village with Mother.”
Huang Erxi also nodded reluctantly, “Yes, yes, sister, let’s go home.”
It would be too much of an insult to let Huang Xiuer stay with the Hexi Fort Master without a proper title.
To sleep with his sister for free?
And not even receive betrothal gifts?
But if Huang Xiuer returned to Huangsha Village and was married off again, the gifts received would be much more substantial.
Not only would the Huang family receive generous betrothal gifts, but more importantly, all the cattle and sheep in Huang Xiuer’s possession would definitely remain with the Huang family.
“One hundred and fifty-three sheep, twenty-one cattle, three horses~”
Having gambled since childhood, Huang Erxi was particularly sensitive to money and possessions. With just a glance, he understood the extent of Huang Xiuer’s wealth.
He immediately became excited.
“I didn’t expect that even though the Hou family is all dead, my sister would still have so many cattle and sheep? Hahaha.”
“Now, Sha Lifeng’s gambling debts are covered, and there’s more than enough.”
Huang Xiuer’s father had gone to the battlefield with his elder brother, leaving only Huang Erxi and his mother at home.
Huang Mother had doted on her youngest son since he was little.
Without any restraint, Huang Erxi spent his days causing trouble with his disreputable friends.
Furthermore, not long ago, when he went to a town in the southern Great Desert to play, he lost a hundred sheep.
The creditor gave him ten days, and if he didn’t pay, the creditor would personally bring people to Huangsha Village to collect the debt with interest.
Huang Erxi could only tell his mother about the matter, and Huang Mother was greatly alarmed.
As the Village Master of Huangsha Village, the Huang family could afford to give a hundred sheep, but it would be a significant financial blow.
By the time Huang Father returned from the battlefield, he would undoubtedly break Huang Erxi’s legs.
After mother and son discussed it, they quickly thought of Huang Xiuer.
After the Hou family was wiped out, they heard she still had quite a few cattle and sheep.
So the mother and son decided to take Huang Xiuer back, which would not only help Huang Erxi pay off his gambling debts but also provide the Huang family with betrothal gifts in the future.
It was a plan with a double benefit.
However, what the mother and son did not expect was that Huang Xiuer’s temperament seemed to have softened less than before.
Although her eyes were red, her head was lowered, and she was in tears, and after being brainwashed by her mother and brother for a long time, Huang Xiuer finally raised her head and said firmly.
“Mother, I’m not going back, I want to stay in Hexi Fort.”
“‘A married daughter is like spilled water,’ that’s what you always used to say.”
“I am already married, and no longer a member of the Huang family.”
“Li Xiao is very good to me. Even if he can’t marry me in the future, as long as he can give me a child, I will stay in Hexi Fort for the rest of my life.”
Hearing Huang Xiuer’s words, Huang Mother and Huang Erxi were instantly stunned. They never expected that the usually soft-hearted Huang Xiuer would talk back to them.
“You, sister, what nonsense are you talking? We are family.”
Huang Mother’s expression became furious, she glared at her and said, “I did say those words.”
“But I married you to the Hou family, not their Li family.”
“If the Li family wants to keep you, that’s fine. Official marriage, an eight-bearer sedan chair, and one hundred and eight boxes must be sent to me.”
“Without all that, you expect my daughter to be unclear with the Li family?”
“No way.”
Huang Mother shouted loudly, “I’m telling you, you have to come back home, whether you want to or not.”
“You’re rebelling!”
Saying this, she looked at Huang Erxi and said, “Xiao Er, go help your sister pack her things, we’re going home this afternoon.”
Huang Erxi’s face lit up with joy, “Yes, okay.”
With that, he ran directly into the courtyard, preparing to take all the cattle and sheep back to Huangsha Village, and then rummaged through boxes and cabinets, wanting to see if Huang Xiuer had hidden any good items in the Hou family’s residence.
Facing her mother’s forceful demeanor, Huang Xiuer, with red eyes, still insisted, “No, I’m not going back.”
But in the next second, with a ‘snap’, Huang Mother slapped Huang Xiuer across the face.
She cursed fiercely, “Shameless slut, how could I have given birth to such a loose daughter?”
“Before your husband’s seventh-day memorial even passed, you were already fooling around with another man.”
“Shameless, today I will teach you a good lesson.”
Listening to these venomous words, Huang Xiuer’s expression instantly became stunned.
She could not believe that her mother would speak to her like this.
“Mother~”
She cried out with red eyes, but only received the sight of her mother and brother continuing to rummage through things in the room.
Huang Xiuer fell into despair and could only lie on the bed and weep in pain.
At this moment, people from the surrounding households had heard the commotion at Huang Xiuer’s house, and a group of women walked in.
Leading them was Lin Dazhuang’s wife, a strong-looking middle-aged woman.
“Huh, aren’t you that person?”
“Xiuer’s mother?” Lin Dazhuang’s wife said in surprise, looking at Huang Mother.
She had also gone to Huangsha Village for the wedding ceremony on Huang Xiuer’s wedding day, so she still had some impression of Huang Mother.
“Yes, I am Xiuer’s mother, and I’m preparing to take her back to Huangsha Village to live.”
Huang Mother, seeing their considerable numbers, put on a smile and explained.
Upon hearing this, Lin Dazhuang’s wife immediately shook her head, “That won’t do, you can’t take Xiuer away.”
“When the Fort Master left, he specifically instructed my man to look after her.”
“If you want to take Xiuer away, you’ll have to wait until the Fort Master returns and speak with him first.”
Saying this, her gaze shifted to Huang Xiuer, “Xiuer, you don’t know yet, do you?”
“The Fort Master, along with my man and the others, have won several great victories and are returning soon.”
“Moreover, the Great King of the Khitans personally enfeoffed the Fort Master as the Deputy Governor of our Jin Prefecture.”
As soon as this was said, the entire room fell silent.
Huang Xiuer immediately stopped crying, her confused expression turning into a raised head.
Her mother and younger brother’s expressions instantly became extremely interesting upon hearing this news.
The mother, who had been so aggressive moments before, had her eyes widen round, her mouth slightly agape, looking as if she couldn’t believe it.
Huang Erxi’s face first showed a flicker of shock, and then he suddenly seemed to understand something, his expression instantly turning into great joy.
Looking at Huang Xiuer, he began to chuckle.
As a seasoned gambler, he had already figured out how to maximize the profit from this situation.
The women of Hou Village had been discussing Li Xiao becoming the Governor, and now they were talking about this topic again, with endless things to say.
“I knew long ago that the Fort Master was no ordinary person, I didn’t expect him to become the Governor of Jin Prefecture.”
“Exactly, ordinary people wouldn’t become a Fort Master at the age of teens and also hold such a high official position?”
“He’s the Deputy Governor. I heard there’s a Khitan person above him as Governor.”
“So what? Does a Khitan person want to control us?”
“That’s right, we’ll definitely listen to the Fort Master then.”
These women chattered away in Huang Xiuer’s room, as if they had completely forgotten the presence of the Huang mother and son.
At this moment, after the initial shock, Huang Mother quickly understood the situation.
The Hexi Fort Master, her daughter’s paramour, had become a high official!
Moreover, he was one of the highest officials in Jin Prefecture, and even her own husband had to obey him.
Thinking of this, the mother’s attitude immediately did a complete 180-degree turn.
She tightly held Huang Xiuer’s hand, her face covered in smiles, a smile even more exaggerated than when she was faking tears earlier.
“Oh, my good daughter, why didn’t you say so sooner!”
“Your son-in-law has now become the Governor of Jin Prefecture, that’s a momentous occasion!”
“You absolutely must stay here and follow him closely.”
Huang Erxi also quickly came forward, fawning, “Sister, you truly have great fortune!”
“To find such a capable person as your brother-in-law, the future prosperity of our Huang family depends on you, sister.”
In fact, Huang Erxi was four years older than Li Xiao.
But just now he called Li Xiao a wild man, and now he could blurt out ‘brother-in-law’.
Seeing the change in their expressions, Huang Xiuer felt very hurt.
Tears flowed again.
She was no longer the naive young girl she once was. She had vaguely guessed the purpose of her mother and brother’s visit.
It was precisely because of this that she felt even more heartbroken.
Listening to her mother start chatting with the other women again, talking about how good she was to Huang Xiuer and how well she had raised her.
Huang Xiuer felt utterly exhausted.
“Li Xiao~”
“I’m so tired.”
Compared to the liveliness on Huang Xiuer’s side, the Wei family’s situation was exceptionally quiet.
After nearly two months of recuperation, Wei Xuan’s injuries were mostly healed, but he was still unable to engage in strenuous activity.
This noon, he returned home, and Er Ya had already prepared lunch.
Two bowls of steaming sheep milk, with a few pieces of minced meat floating in them.
This was the main meal for lunch.
“Brother, since this morning, the village has been a bit chaotic. Has something happened?” Er Ya asked, taking small sips of sheep milk, appearing very demure.
Wei Xuan nodded lightly, many people had died in Sanhe Fort.
The generation of young and strong men has almost been wiped out, leaving only a few old men who narrowly survived.
Then there are youths of similar age to Wei Xuan.
It is precisely because of this that the people of Sanhe Fort are even more united.
Wei Xuan has been with his tribesmen these days, mainly discussing what opportunities they can create to kill more Geluolu people and avenge and wipe out the shame for their relatives.
The news is of course not blocked.
So he said: “The great army that was conquering the Naiman people is about to return.”
Upon hearing this, Er Ya’s movements instantly paused, and she slowly pushed aside a few strands of hair from her forehead, revealing her fair and delicate face.
She looked at Wei Xuan with curious eyes and asked softly, “Did they win?”
“We won,” Wei Xuan nodded.
“Li Xiao has been appointed Deputy Governor of Jin Prefecture, his status in Jin Prefecture is second only to the Governor.”
Wei Xuan was not unfamiliar with the name Li Xiao.
During the time he had been awake, the name he heard most often in Hexi Fort was Li Xiao.
He had heard a lot about Li Xiao.
He was about the same age as himself, yet he had achieved many things that even adults could not.
He was brave and skilled in combat, intelligent and courageous, a very capable person.
Moreover, he also learned from Er Ya that his life had been saved by Li Xiao.
This made Wei Xuan feel admiration and gratitude towards Li Xiao.
However, when he learned of the rumors between Li Xiao and Er Ya, his feelings changed instantly.
That fellow named Li Xiao must have ill intentions towards his sister.
Although he saved my life and avenged Sanhe Fort, I can consider my life sold to him, but he shouldn’t think of taking advantage of my sister.
One thing is one thing.
“Deputy Governor of Jin Prefecture?”
Hearing this name, a look of confusion appeared on Er Ya’s face.
In her mind, she couldn’t help but recall that night, when her life was hanging by a thread, it was this youth who suddenly appeared and saved her life.
The scene of Li Xiao bursting through the door during this period could not dissipate from Er Ya’s mind for a long time.
She often remembered that handsome youth riding a war horse.
After he went on campaign, Er Ya worried for him in her heart, praying for his safe return.
But she never expected that the next time she heard news of him, he would already be a high official.
Others thought of the high position and power of the Deputy Governor of Jin Prefecture.
But Er Ya’s first thought was: “He must have suffered a lot, right?”
For a Han person to climb to such a status in a country ruled by the Khitan people, the hardships and efforts involved were likely unimaginable to others.
The dangers he experienced were even more unknown to others.
So at this moment, when Er Ya thought of Li Xiao, her heart suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
Wei Xuan, however, did not notice Er Ya’s emotions and continued to say to himself: “Although Li Xiao avenged our Sanhe Fort.”
“I still can’t see very clearly what kind of person he is.”
“When he returns, you must keep your distance from him, don’t be too close. Other matters can wait until I have a clear understanding of his character.”
Wei Xuan’s words contained a warning, and Er Ya knew what he meant as soon as she heard them.
Her face immediately flushed.
Placing the bowl on the table, she pouted playfully and said, “Brother, what are you talking about?”
“You believe what others casually say?”
“We really only did it to save you.”
Wei Xuan nodded lightly: “I understand.”
“However, that doesn’t represent his intentions.”
As a man, he understood men’s thoughts too well.
His sister was quite beautiful; he didn’t believe Li Xiao was genuinely seeking pure friendship.
In any case, Wei Xuan would never hand his sister over to another man easily.
After lunch, Wei Xuan rode his war horse, picked up his bow and arrow, and went to the mountainside to practice riding and archery, as well as battle formations.
Er Ya gazed at his receding back and sighed softly in her heart.
Originally, Wei Xuan’s personality was quite cheerful, and he liked studying. His grandfather always joked that perhaps their Wei family might produce a high official in the future.
But after this dramatic change, Wei Xuan’s personality changed.
He had never been seen to smile on his face, and he no longer enjoyed studying; instead, he spent every day practicing with his bow and arrow and spear.
Er Ya knew his intentions.
He was harboring a strong desire to personally avenge Sanhe Fort.
Although the Aslan Tribe was destroyed, there were still many Geluolu tribes in the world.
This knot in his heart would ultimately have to be untangled by himself.
