Chapter 10

Of the same honorable ancestor's descendants in the near lineage, the two eldest brothers passed away prematurely, one in childhood and one after coming of age. Among this generation, the third son was the eldest. And he was three years older than Ye Suijin, so he was the elder brother. But although Ye Suijin was a younger sister, she spoke as the lord of the Ye Family Fortress. The younger brothers all looked to her, as she naturally had to speak first.Third Son thought back on the events of the day.

The knife piercing flesh, severing bone, blood splattering.

Ye Suijin said to the trembling butcher: "It's simple, just like carving pig meat, slice it off piece by piece."

Although knowing what this trip out was meant to accomplish, it was still...different from what I imagined when we set out.

How to put it, there was a feeling that my whole body had been washed in blood.

It was not the same as before.

He recalled again the gazes of the onlooking refugees. Not just the refugees, but also the local people, and even the county magistrate and other officials.

The eyes of all the people looking at the Ye Family Fortress people had changed entirely.

Whenever they looked at someone, those in that direction would quickly lower their heads to avoid eye contact.

Third Son had been too greatly shocked this day.

His mind swiftly reviewed the whole day's events, and he pursed his lips and raised his eyes to pledge: "Next time you give an order, I will definitely be the first to draw my blade." S~ᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Ye Silang, eldest son of Fourth Uncle Ye.

Her third older brother.

Ye Suijin seemed to see his future appearance—

"I am Dengzhou's Ye Silang! Left Wing General of the Ye Family Army!"

"Those who dare offend the Ye Family Army, come receive your death!"

His future was her memory of the past.

The pair of brothers Silang and Fifth Son had practically died right after Fourth Uncle Ye.

At that time, Silang's two sons and one daughter had all died young from the plague, and after Fifth Son's wife passed in childbirth without leaving an heir, he never remarried, and had no offspring.

Fourth Uncle Ye's line was thus completely cut off.

Ye Suijin was heartbroken to the core.

Her gaze swept over.

She had sent Fourth Son and Fifth Son to escort the captives back to Ye Family Fortress, leaving behind Seventh Son, Ninth Son, and Tenth Son. Seeing her look their way, Seventh Son and Ninth Son vigorously nodded their heads.

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

"A-And me too."

Tenth Son's voice was the weakest. He had vomited earlier, and his complexion was still a little pale.

This was the vanguard general who would cheer with delight as soon as the Ye Family Army reached the battlefield, but he was only fourteen now, still half a boy.

Ye Suijin's heart of iron these past dozen or so years softened. She patted Tenth Son's head, "Were you frightened?"

Indeed he was.

But hearing Seventh Son snort derisively, Tenth Son stubbornly denied, "I wasn't!"

He stuck out his neck and argued, "I'm still young, I don't have enough strength yet, that's why the blade got stuck. Duan Jin, don't laugh! Why are you turning your head, I already saw it!"

Absolutely refusing to admit he had been afraid in the moment, and thus couldn't exert his usual strength.

Seventh Son asked, "Then why did you vomit?"

At this reminder, Tenth Son's complexion instantly paled again and he covered his mouth as he ran back outside.

Ye Suijin helplessly said, "Jin, go get him some water to drink."

Duan Jin darted out to chase after him.

Seventh Son guffawed loudly, and Third Son and Ninth Son also laughed, the atmosphere abruptly turning light.

The young masters had unknowingly crossed a threshold, taking a step forward in growing up.

Duan Jin was outside patting Tenth Son's back as he finished vomiting, then handed him water to drink.

After a few gulps of water, Tenth Son felt a bit better. He wiped his mouth and asked Duan Jin, "How come you don't have any reaction at all?"

Duan Jin said, "I did odd jobs in the kitchens before, slaughtering chickens, butchering geese, gutting fish. I've done it all."

Tenth Son deflated. "Che."

Duan Jin held back his laughter as he fastened the waterskin, saying, "Hurry back, the master must have more to say."

Tenth Son hurriedly returned to the tent.

Duan Jin followed him in. In the dim lantern light he saw Zhao Jingwen's ruggedly handsome face.

He suddenly wondered, why was Zhao Jingwen able to kill without hesitation?

Where exactly was he lacking in comparison?

"This is just the beginning. We'll all have to get used to it," said Ye Suijin. "Why have so many people this year claimed themselves emperors and kings? Because they are unafraid of the new dynasty."

The dynasty name had changed from Liang to Jin in less than a year. In truth, even the people of Ye Family Fortress were not yet accustomed to it.

In truth, even Liang had not been accustomed to.

Short-lived and unstable dynasties could not leave a deeply imprinted mark. What was more deeply imprinted in people's minds was still Northern Wei.

"The previous dynasty, pah, I mean the false Liang, though its decrees didn't reach past the Yangtze, still the lands north of the Yangtze were united. No one south of the Yangtze dared be overly defiant."

"But now, how did this dynasty conquer Liang to establish itself?"

Eager to regain face, Tenth Son immediately answered, "I know, this emperor ceded the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun to the northern barbarians, borrowing their troops and horses as reinforcements, in order to seize the realm."

Ye Suijin said, "What do you make of his actions?"

Tenth Son stuck out his chest and loudly declared, "He's a coward!"

"No matter how us people of the Central Plains fight amongst each other, changing dynasties, renaming and replacing rulers, it's our own business."

"Can it be the same with the barbarians?"

"Through all past dynasties, whenever you hear of which emperor was the most formidable, it's always because he expanded the borders and territory. Yet this one directly handed over sixteen prefectures to others. He really is a wastrel! If I dared do this, my father would beat me to death!"

"After this, those sixteen prefectures may change hands, but more than that, even the people will change!"

Ye Suijin nodded, "People south of the Yangtze think this way too."

"Although our lands north of the river are still the strongest under heaven, they can't compare to the past anymore. Just the reduction in territory is a massive loss."

"Others will naturally want to stand up and vie when they see him as weak."

"Ambition is contagious, and will continually grow stronger. When lying beside someone, how can you tolerate his comfortable slumber? When I've claimed myself emperor, how can you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me."

Third Son understood the most. "So the chaos will only increase from now on, right?"

"It must." Ye Suijin said, "Don't think we can just hole up and defend. Even if we always lay low, we can't stop others wanting to expand their lands.

"Sooner or later there will come a day that none of us can remain so peaceful anymore, and we'll all have to truly take up blades and kill on the battlefield."

"Therefore, from now on, get used to it."

She said, "The sooner the better."

"You all did well today." Seeing Tenth Son puff up his chest, Ye Suijin held back her laughter, "Tenth Son also did well."

"We'll stop here for today and continue inspecting tomorrow."

The Ye manor's young masters filed out of the tent one after another.

But Duan Jin lingered uncertainly, as if his feet were stuck with glue.

Since Zhao Jingwen and Ye Suijin were husband and wife, they naturally shared a tent, so he had no need to leave. What business did this boy surnamed Duan have?

Zhao Jingwen asked in puzzlement, "Do you have other matters?"

"No matters."

"Then what are you doing here if you have no matters?"

"I'm leaving now."

Saying he was leaving, yet his eyes glanced at Ye Suijin.

Still so impulsive in his youth, completely lacking the bearing of the future Supreme Commander.

"Jin," Ye Suijin called him back with a smile.

Duan Jin's eyes immediately filled with anticipation.

Ye Suijin affirmed, "You did very well today."

Duan Jin's mouth split into a grin and he finally left, extremely delighted.

Zhao Jingwen laughed and shook his head. "This boy."

Ye Suijin didn't look at him, starting to undo her hair. "Yes, still just a child."

Zhao Jingwen felt a bit let down.

Even the cowardly Tenth Son had been praised, and the servant boy Duan Jin had also been praised.

Who doesn't want to be praised by important, highly-placed people? Everyone wants it. But she wouldn't even give him a proper look.

Zhao Jingwen roused his spirits and sidled over. "Riding a horse all day must have tired you out, let me give you a massage."

Ye Suijin was very happy to accept Zhao Jingwen pampering her like this.

"Go ahead," she said, settling down to comfortably enjoy it.

A man's hands were very strong. Massaging the shoulders felt much more comfortable than when her maids did it.

Thinking it over, she had never asked him to do these things for her before. He had always taken the initiative.

But after he became emperor, she realized how deeply he held his grievances.

The resentful emperor said, "Ye Suijin, I am your husband. Why can't you even give me a shoulder massage?"

The empress scoffed. "If you lack people to order around, then decree a selection across the land to enter one hundred and eighty fresh beauties, taking turns giving you massages every day."

Massage you until your dying day.

The emperor grew even angrier. "Ye Suijin, I am the Son of Heaven. Come give your emperor a shoulder massage. Quickly!"

The empress peeled an orange, saying, "I am the formal palace empress presiding over all women under heaven. I am not someone to fan and fetch drinks for you, knead your feet, and rub your legs."

The emperor fumed in irritation, "Can't you even do it for a moment?"

The empress flung orange peel at his forehead. "Scram!"

The emperor was mortified with anger. "Just you wait. If your emperor graces you again, I'll, I'll... Hmph!"

He flung the orange peel to the ground, flung his dragon robe sleeves, and left.

That day was the first of the month. The emperor would stay overnight in the formal palace on the first and fifteenth without fail.

Ye Suijin ignored him, carefully peeling the orange section by section and popping them into her mouth.

The new concubines in the rear palace were delicate and had lost favor, no one lasted long.

But on the fifteenth, the emperor gloomily came again, not mentioning a word of the oath he had nearly sworn.

Worthless.

Just as her thoughts were drifting far away, she heard Zhao Jingwen speaking by her ear.

"...The sixteen prefectures, that was where our Central Plains bred its warhorses. The Central Plains' finest steeds all came from there." Zhao Jingwen lamented, "The Jin emperor's actions have caused extreme harm."

Ye Suijin finally turned to look straight at him.

"Who taught you that?"

Zhao Jingwen was baffled. "Taught what?"

"What you just said," Ye Suijin asked, "Who taught you that?"

Only then did Zhao Jingwen understand. He gave an amused laugh. "No one taught me. Weren't those Master Yang's words?"

Ye Suijin was slightly startled. "When did he say this?"

Zhao Jingwen explained, "When we first learned the dynasty name had changed again. At the time, Master Yang sighed and said this. I'm merely parroting it back."

How could others learn to parrot this?

Because others had not considered the distant Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures. Everyone at the time was only concerned with matters related to themselves - whether the new dynasty would station new armies and governors, whether taxes would be collected again, whether refugees would become more numerous.

Only focusing on and caring about things directly relevant to themselves.

What business did Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures have with Ye Family Fortress? No one had been there before.

Only Fourth Uncle Ye had traveled afar in his youth, going as far as Hedong Circuit. That was already a very distant place.

As for the others, they had probably never left Henan Circuit before.

Mr. Yang's words, at that time, did not enter anyone's ears at all, including Ye Suijin.

Except Zhao Jingwen.

Heroes from all over the world compete for hegemony, and warlords rise together. It was not without reason that Zhao Jingwen went from beggar to son-in-law, and from son-in-law all the way to becoming emperor.

Ye Suijin turned her head back.

After a long while, she said, "Zhao Jingwen, you are a very smart man."

Zhao Jingwen finally got the praise he had been looking forward to, but it seemed different from what he had expected.

He always felt the taste was different, was he overthinking it?

Why was his wife so melancholy that her husband was intelligent?

Zhao Jingwen felt confused.

Ye Suijin gathered her hair and asked, "Where is your hometown, what is it called?"

"It's a small place you've never heard of. Northwest of Taiyuan Fu," Zhao Jingwen said.

Ye Suijin sighed, "It must have been quite difficult for you to get to Dengzhou."

Zhao Jingwen said, "People still have to walk more and see more." Like today, the gentlemen were all afraid, but I was not afraid."

However, Ye Suijin did not follow up with praise for him.

A faint sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Liar.

You're not afraid because you've already killed someone on your way south to escape the famine.

He was a scholar with money in his travel bag, and more importantly, he had food.

You ate his food, stuffed his money.

Finally, you even took over the man's name.

Because you felt "Jingwen" sounded better than "Doggy".