Chapter Forty-Seven: The Golden Blade

The people of Sanhe Fort arrived at Hexi Fort last night.

Originally numbering around a thousand, Sanhe Fort now had fewer than five hundred survivors.

Adding over five hundred from Hou Village, along with more than two hundred female slaves from the Aslan tribe, Hexi Fort had transformed into a colossal stronghold with a population exceeding two thousand five hundred.

Its strength was formidable, yet the situation was chaotic.

Li Xiao was overwhelmed trying to settle the herdsmen from Sanhe Fort and Hou Village.

However, as the fortress lord, he had to personally oversee certain matters to prevent losing control.

Handling affairs was essentially a struggle for power.

Only when the moon rose high did Li Xiao, weary, head home.

Arranging such trivial matters was more exhausting than battle—mainly because of the endless talking.

Some herdsmen’s comprehension was abysmal; even after repeated explanations, they failed to understand, driving Li Xiao nearly to collapse.

He wished he could impose military discipline and enforce martial law.

Riding home with Erhu, he found the courtyard gate open and heard crying from inside.

It was his mother and grandmother.

The body of Li Dahai had been brought back, and the two women wept bitterly.

Li Xiao felt uneasy but, following his father’s instructions, planned a modest funeral—three days of mourning before burial in the ancestral tomb.

Just as he was about to enter the house, noises arose from the neighboring courtyard.

With a creak, a heavy wooden door opened, and a woman stepped out from the adjacent room.

“Xiao Yanyan?”

Seeing her, Li Xiao felt as if he had crossed through time.

Although he had only been away from Hexi Fort for two days, it felt like an eternity.

The recent two consecutive fierce battles had drained his spirit, making time seem to crawl.

“Miss Xiao, not asleep yet?”

Li Xiao sent Erhu back first, then rode over to the courtyard of Da Hu’s house, intending to have a late-night conversation with Xiao Yanyan.

Naturally, he did not believe her appearance was by chance; she was surely waiting for him.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came out to look around.”

Xiao Yanyan stood by the door, clad only in a thin long robe, her ebony hair cascading over her shoulders. Her arms were crossed, and she leaned lazily against the doorframe.

Her smiling face greeted Li Xiao as he dismounted: “I heard you won a great victory?”

“Destroyed the entire Aslan tribe?”

Yesterday evening, the allied forces of the four forts had returned with spoils.

The triumphant news from Sanhe Fort spread quickly, filling everyone with exhilaration.

Xiao Yanyan’s expression upon hearing the news was remarkable—shock, joy, disbelief.

She had personally witnessed the Battle of Beishan and had nearly taken her own life while being pursued by the Geluolu.

She knew well the ferocity of the Geluolu.

Yet she never imagined that Hexi Fort, with only about six hundred men, could annihilate the entire Aslan tribe in one battle, instantly wiping out a third of the Geluolu rebels in Jinzhou.

Such an achievement stunned Xiao Yanyan.

It also highlighted the incompetence of Dahe Dulodo, who had so thoroughly bungled a battle where he held overwhelming advantage.

Xiao Yanyan had spent the entire day in her room cursing that man.

Moreover, she heard that the night raid on Sanhe Fort was proposed by Li Xiao himself, and during the fight, he personally killed more than twenty Geluolu men.

These facts greatly excited Xiao Yanyan and deepened her interest in this young man.

She decided to forgive his previous rudeness and give him a chance to make amends.

Hence, she waited for Li Xiao tonight.

“Not completely wiped out; a few Geluolu escaped under cover of darkness,” Li Xiao said.

He stepped forward, eyes scanning Xiao Yanyan.

She was truly beautiful.

Just over twenty years old, in the prime of youth.

Even when disguised as a man, she had been very attractive.

Now, dressed as a woman again, she looked even more stunning.

Removing the grime from her face revealed flawless, radiant skin; her loose hair shimmered under the moonlight, enhancing her noble bearing.

Like a proud snow lotus in full bloom.

While Huang Xiuer was also pretty, her charm leaned toward seduction, whereas Xiao Yanyan, being a princess, carried an innate noble aura unmatched by Huang Xiuer.

Such a woman, combining purity with allure, naturally had a strong effect on Li Xiao.

Yet he was rational and knew he could not treat her as he did Huang Xiuer.

Still, the seed was planted in his heart.

“That’s impressive enough. Even if some escaped, it doesn’t matter much,” Xiao Yanyan said.

Such a feat was rare even in the royal court.

Noticing Li Xiao’s gaze lingering on her chest, she frowned, crossed her arms, and gave him a light snort: “Your eyes are getting more and more daring.”

She knew she was beautiful, but few men dared to look her over so brazenly.

Most only showed outward respect while harboring sordid thoughts.

Li Xiao, however, was both shameless inside and bold in action.

“That’s not daringness, it’s admiration!” Li Xiao smiled, shaking his head lightly in response to her reprimand.

He was completely unbothered by her temper, fully aware she wasn’t truly angry.

“The great Tang poet Bai Juyi once wrote a poem for Yang Guifei: ‘With a glance and a smile, a hundred charms arise; the ladies of the palace lose their color.’”

“But I think that poem doesn’t quite capture your beauty, Miss Xiao,” Li Xiao continued, shaking his head.

“To me, you are more like a pure white lotus: unstained by the mud, cleansed by clear water, neither seductive nor common.”

“Noble, sacred, and exquisitely beautiful.”

Listening to Li Xiao’s words, Xiao Yanyan maintained a stern expression, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily lifted slightly.

She was used to flattery, but Li Xiao’s elegant praise pleased her deeply.

Still, she proudly lifted her chin and displayed her pristine swan-like neck.

“Hmph.”

“Didn’t expect you to be such a smooth talker!” she snorted.

Unaware that her tone had lightened and a smile was nearly at her nose’s tip.

Li Xiao saw this and knew his compliments were effective.

No matter how proud a woman, she loves hearing praise.

Though she might protest, inwardly she enjoyed it immensely.

Some men of later times, average in looks and wealth, could charm women into complete submission with just smooth words.

That was a skill Li Xiao admired.

“I’m merely stating a fact!” Li Xiao said seriously, shaking his head.

“I never saw Yang Guifei’s beauty.”

“But without doubt, Miss Xiao, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!”

His words made Xiao Yanyan blush; they were quite blatant.

Yet Li Xiao was honest—he had encountered few women in his life, most were weathered, sunburned, with dry, yellowed skin from life on the grasslands.

Truly, Xiao Yanyan was the most beautiful.

“You shameless!” Xiao Yanyan said with a shy smile.

She enjoyed hearing it but felt a little embarrassed.

Li Xiao chuckled and changed the subject, sensing that Xiao Yanyan was already a bit dizzy from his flattery.

Pushing further might backfire.

After all, she was no ordinary woman; she was independent and strong-willed.

“By the way, I have a gift for you.”

“It’s something I captured at Sanhe Fort. It looks beautiful and I’ve been saving it just for you!”

Saying this, Li Xiao turned to his horse.

Xiao Yanyan was a Khitan princess; regardless of power, maintaining good relations with her was beneficial to Li Xiao.

Not to mention, he was counting on that “three years tax exemption” deal.

As for the titles of hundred-household and thousand-household commander—

With Li Xiao’s achievements, securing a hundred-household title was no problem.

But that held little value for him.

Hexi Fort alone had over two hundred households, now nearly four hundred.

If the situation in Jinzhou remained unchanged after pacifying the Geluolu, it would be fine.

But once the Khitan committed to organizing households, Li Xiao would need to secure a thousand-household position to avoid being sidelined.

“Heh, didn’t expect you to bring me a gift!” Xiao Yanyan crossed her arms and smiled lightly.

She still preferred Li Xiao’s once rebellious nature.

But when Li Xiao retrieved the item from his horse, her smile froze instantly.

“This is the spoils I took from the leader of the Aslan tribe.”

“It’s a fine blade, the hilt made of gold, exquisitely crafted.”

Li Xiao displayed a short sword with a golden hilt.

It was the golden sidearm of the Aslan chief, naturally now Li Xiao’s prize.

About sixty centimeters long, the blade forged from Uz steel, the golden hilt adorned with intricate patterns.

It felt good in the hand but to Li Xiao, it was more a decorative item than a weapon.

He certainly wouldn’t use it in battle.

Though it could fetch a good price, gifting it seemed more fitting.

If it could help him secure a thousand-household title, he would gain greatly.

Unexpectedly, when he handed the golden dagger to Xiao Yanyan, her eyes reddened slightly.

She looked at the blade with a thrilled expression, full of joy.