Chapter 55

To swagger and unfurl the banner, why do people like doing this? Because it makes things so much easier.Facing Biyang, Ye Suijin made a name for herself as "Da Jin". As expected, Biyang didn't dare resist and opened the city gates to welcome her.

According to the captives from earlier, over ten wealthy households in Biyang City could gather about a thousand men.

Regardless of whether this "thousand" was exaggerated or factual, it was certainly not comparable to the four old fathers-in-law from the insignificant Shangma County.

But numbers were numbers, and strength was strength.

A thousand servants and a thousand soldiers were two different things.

While Ye Suijin extracted information about Biyang from multiple captives, Biyang also sent people to spy on Ye's army. The reported situation made the Biyang families understand - although the numbers seemed similar, the difference was obvious...

So when Ye Suijin assumed the name Da Jin, the Biyang city gates opened up nice and docile.

With Li Laoye leading a group of masters, they personally came out of the city to welcome the Ye Prefect who now "concurrently administered Deng and Tang prefectures".

Although they knew she was a woman, seeing her alluring beauty beneath military attire still made some of the old men exchange glances.

That's just how shameful old men could be, looking down on both youth and women. Unfortunately for them, Ye Suijin was not only young but a woman as well.

Not only that, she was beautiful too.

A young, beautiful woman - she could be said to embody all the qualities these old men looked down upon.

Sanlang and Duan Jin were by Ye Suijin's side. They reacted most directly to these gazes, their eyes turning cold.

Both of them could sense what Ye Suijin felt even more strongly.

The way these people looked at her was different from General Guan.

Guan's gaze upon her was heated, but that was a man's instinct, without malice, and even admiration later on.

But the stares of these old fellows contained too much scheming and malice.

This was nothing. The sharp, literary tongues at court were the truly ruthless ones.

Ye Suijin reined in her horse and raised a hand.

With this gesture, her azure-clad troops transitioned from a halt to standing at attention. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NʘvᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Spear-tips hit the ground, swords and shields scraped. The long serpentine formation did not stand as rigidly as a square formation, so the sounds rang out in succession, like echoes in a valley.

It wavered, yet was startling.

Some of the old men were shocked enough for their shoulders to shake, unconsciously hiding behind their companions as their gazes dodged around. When someone's heart holds demons, it directly reflects in their actions, movements and eyes.

They had expected Ye Suijin to dismount and exchange courtesies. Unexpectedly, she merely halted her horse with no intention of getting off.

She looked down at them from her high vantage point. "Which one is the Li family?"

Li Laoye was a white-bearded old man. He stepped forward politely, "Your Excellency, this subordinate is Li Chong."

Ye Suijin looked him up and down. "What office do you hold?"

Li Laoye saluted with his hands. "A minor position as an Imperial Libationer."

This was a low civil service rank, obviously purchased - during the late Former Wei dynasty, the desperate emperor granted titles for money. It was an unpaid, rank-only position.

Ye Suijin's mouth curved slightly. "The former dynasty's irregular appointments are not recognized by the current dynasty."

Li Laoye's honorable status in Biyang meant a stomp of his foot would shake the entire city. He did not expect to be so humiliated by Ye Suijin. The others' faces also showed displeasure.

But Ye Suijin was completely justified in denying his irregular rank from the former dynasty.

Li Laoye waved his hand to pacify the others' impatience.

He personally had great endurance and replied calmly, "The lady speaks true. The previous dynasty is history and need not be pursued. We came out to welcome you and pledge our allegiance to the new dynasty and His Majesty. The sun and moon bear witness to our sincerity."

Only then did Ye Suijin look satisfied. She nodded, "You seem quite advanced in years. Get on the carriage. Lead the way."

Her arrogance towards these old masters made them darken in irritation.

But she had just denied their irregular ranks, rendering them commoners in her eyes.

In terms of status, she made perfect sense, yet it frustrated them enormously.

Li Laoye did not get on the carriage immediately. He glanced at the long column of Ye's troops and signaled to the others.

A middle-aged man stepped forward to advise, "Your Excellency, you have a great many troops. If they all entered the city, I'm afraid it would alarm the commoners."

Ye Suijin glanced at him. "Oh? Please elaborate."

The man said, "Why not have the generals set up camp outside the city? Your Excellency may enter the city with your personal guards, how about it?"

Li Laoye added, "We have prepared a banquet with wine in the city to welcome you."

Ye Suijin narrowed her eyes at them.

To be fair, their reception and prepared banquet were reasonably courteous, their attitude respectful enough. An ordinary person would have compromised by this point. But Ye Suijin leaned over to stare at them.

They were all crafty old foxes, yet wilted under the scrutiny of this young woman.

Many avoided her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes directly.

"That won't do," Ye Suijin smiled strangely. "If I don't bring enough men, how can I avoid your Feast at Hong Gate?"

Silence outside the city walls.

No one knew how to respond.

Suddenly, pfft pfft, Shi Lang couldn't help laughing out loud.

The Biyang people's faces were filled with awkwardness.

It wasn't that the Feast at Hong Gate hadn't crossed their minds, just that they hadn't reached that step yet. Usually everyone would sit down first to negotiate splitting the pie. If that failed...

No no, the key point was...how could she just blurt it out like that? This Dengzhou woman, what madness!

In any case, the masters of Biyang didn't bring up any more banquets. Ptooey.

Ye Suijin knew from the captives that the former prefectural offices in Biyang City remained relatively intact.

This yamen also had separate front and back sections. The Biyang families would gather here to discuss major affairs. Thus it had been maintained all along.

Ye Suijin had previously sent word to Biyang of her impending arrival and ordered them to prepare the prefectural offices.

The families had indeed followed her instructions.

All along the way, the azure-clad troops marched in neat, orderly rows with an imposing, murderous air. The spear-tips glinted with sharp reflections.

This formation was completely different from when they first left Dengzhou.

The common folk stood by the roadside watching. As the troops marched past them, they unconsciously shrunk back further. Women hid behind the men, children curled into their parents' embrace, only daring to peek out from between their guardians' arms.

The people's faces held worry.

Although taxes and levies had been extortionate and chaotic these past years, at least there was no threat to their lives, unlike villages like Fan and Niu which were massacred. That was real suffering.

But now, with these unfamiliar, intimidating troops entering the city, what impact would it have on Biyang's commoners?

At the very least, increased taxes probably.

Sigh.

That Ye woman's attitude meant the masters didn't bring up any banquets or the like anymore. Ptooey.

As expected, they went straight to the former prefectural offices.

It had to be said, the yamen was kept surprisingly tidy. Ye Suijin even praised it.

This made the others even more unhappy. Because this was an indication of their sincerity which was clearly wasted on this blind woman.

If they had known earlier, they wouldn't have tried so hard.

Ye Suijin went directly into the great hall and the two sides could finally sit down to talk.

"I heard that in recent years, Biyang had no magistrate and affairs were handled by you honored sirs?" she asked.

The middle-aged man who had advised her not to enter the city with soldiers outside the gates was Ke Laoye of the prominent Ke family, second only to Li in Biyang. He was just about to answer proudly when Li Laoye slowly cut in, "That is a false rumor, Your Excellency must understand, we are merely commoners without any authority to overstep our bounds and conduct affairs on behalf of the court and officials."

Ke Laoye promptly shut his mouth.

This was completely different from their earlier discussions.

Because Ye Suijin's initial attitude vastly exceeded their expectations, their plans were disrupted without a chance to re-strategize.

But it was obvious that Li Laoye's attitude had changed.

Everyone followed Li Laoye.

Ye Suijin asked about people's livelihood again, just as she had in Ciqiu County.

But Li Laoye was not the diligent Yuan County Magistrate of Ciqiu. Li Laoye pleaded ignorance to every question.

"You're asking the wrong person, sir." He acted as if he were blind and deaf, putting on an air of old age, "Us half-dead old folks just stay home doting on our grandchildren. How would we know any of this?"

Ye Suijin was not annoyed. She simply asked, "Where are the old documents and records of the prefecture?"

In Ciqiu, as soon as she had asked, Magistrate Yuan presented her with neatly organized historical records.

Li Laoye was no Magistrate Yuan. He sighed and said, "Back then, when the Xuanhua army rebelled, Biyang was at the forefront. The prefect died a violent death in Biyang, and it was us who retrieved his body. Fires broke out everywhere in the government offices, ransacked clean. It was thanks to us tidying up afterwards that it looks like it does today. But the old records from those years were lost long ago. My lady asks now, but I have no ability to conjure them up for you."

Ye Suijin understood: "So the treasury must also be empty?"

"That's right," said Li Laoye. "The rebel troops didn't even spare the prefect's life. How could they leave the treasury be? That was their target from the start. Alas, emptied out."

No direct resistance, just passive non-cooperation. The main tactic was to let your punch sink into cotton, leaving you no leverage.

The people of Biyang secretly rejoiced, finally letting out that stomach full of resentment from outside the city.

The Ye family of Deng Prefecture could hardly be called eminent, with nowhere near the deep background and connections of the Li clan of Longxi. A young woman who commanded some troops solely by martial skill, not knowing her place.

They all secretly gave Li Laoye a thumbs up.

But Ye Suijin did not get angry.

"No problem," she waved her hand, "I had only wanted to look at the old records and use them to estimate an appropriate amount.

"Since there are no references, there is no need to estimate."

"You all, prepare 10,000 shi of military provisions for me."

The barely suppressed smiles of satisfaction had not yet left their faces when "10,000 shi" came crashing down on their heads.

The people of Biyang were left seeing stars.

Li Laoye's murky eyes lifted, shooting out a sharp, vicious light.

For the first time, he looked straight at Ye Suijin.