Chapter 53

"When gods fight, the little devils suffer. Oh, I was wrong, what kind of god is Chen Hai?" Liu Yuan was just joking, but that didn't mean he was completely indifferent. He and Zhou Jingchen had been tied together from their infancy to their promotion, and now he was Zhou Jingchen's deputy. No matter what happened to Zhou Jingchen, he would bear the brunt of it. Even following orders required proper discretion, so what was this?

"Don't you have something from the sea in your hand?" Liu Yuan saw Zhou Jingchen remained silent and said, "You're really patient."

What if they couldn't hold their breath? They still hadn't figured out who Oguz was. He'd just arrived and confronted Shen Hai, refusing to back down. Regardless of who was superior and who was subordinate, it proved that Oguz wasn't a smart man. We don't fear clumsy people, we fear those who are clumsy and can't grasp reality. Who knows what monsters will come after Shen Hai is overthrown?

Zhou Jingchen pondered for a moment, tidied his clothes and prepared to go home.

"Hey? Where are you going? Are you just going to ignore this matter? Are you really leaving it to me?" When Liu Yuan saw that he was about to leave, he quickly stepped forward to stop him.

Outside the tent, the sky gradually darkened, and crimson clouds ignited half the sky, as if it were on fire. Zhou Jingchen glanced at Liu Yuan with disdain and simply refused to play along. He sneered coldly, "Just one Shen Hai can suppress you? Liu Yu'an, you've played dumb enough. If you can't handle this little thing, then you've truly been wasted in this Northwest."

Liu Yuan: “…”

Because Liu Yuan's courtesy name also contained the character "An," it sounded similar to Zhou Jingchen's. Zhou Jingchen rarely called him by his courtesy name. Liu Yuan hadn't been called by his courtesy name in years, so suddenly being called by it felt strangely like being scolded by an elder.

"I'll leave this matter to you." Zhou Jingchen said without turning his head, "I want to see the results in three days."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

Liu Yuan's approach to this matter was rather crude and simplistic. He followed orders, but he did so under the guise of Shen Hai. He left traces everywhere as he spread the rumor, appearing cautious but also giving them a good opportunity to be caught. Before the rumor could even get out, Ogus and his men arrived at the gates of Shen Hai's residence. A group of bloodied and armed roughnecks from Luntai arrived, terrifying the Shen family to the point of howling in terror.

Oghuz had a group of close associates, who, like him, were of mixed blood. Unacceptable to foreigners, they faced discrimination within Great Yan. Despite being ostracized by both factions, they possessed exceptional combat prowess. Otherwise, the higher-ups would have simply abandoned these individuals, rather than sending them far away.

The Shen family's house was smashed to pieces by a group of rough soldiers, with precious porcelain and jade shattered all over the floor. Even Shen Hai himself was hit on the head by Ogus. Early in the morning, he came to the camp with a bandage on his head, looking for someone to settle the score.

But soon he had no time to settle the score with Zhou Jingchen because the Zengqing mine in Hongshan was discovered by Ugus.

Chen Hai had no time to look for Zhou Jingchen, so he immediately took a group of people to intercept Ugus.

Even at this point, he still wanted to resist. This bluestone mine was his treasure, the guarantee of a prosperous future for the Shen family. Shen Hai had gone through so many subtle moves, all in an effort to drive Oguz out of Dongxiang Town and back to Luntai. Now that his hidden secrets had been exposed, he was completely doomed.

Although Ogus was a rough and illiterate man, he had risen to the position of Lieutenant General, demonstrating his extraordinary vision. When the Zengqing Mine was first revealed, he had no idea what it was used for. But after considering Shen Hai's actions, he immediately understood that his actions were intended to seize the mine for himself. Whatever the mine was used for, it was definitely not an abandoned mine.

Good stuff, you should grab it. Oguz's thoughts were straightforward. He was now the highest-ranking official in Kashgar County. Everything found here should belong to him. If Oguz had held out a little leeway before, now he was determined to punish Shen Hai to death.

Money moves people's hearts.

Zhou Jingchen escaped, but the situation at the base became even more chaotic. Liu Yuan rubbed his chin and thought for a long time, looking at him with an even more complicated expression.

"When did you discover the presence of Zengqing ore here?" Liu Yuan knew what Zengqing was. They were all sons of aristocratic families exiled from Yanjing. While not as wealthy as the royal family of Prince Jing, the Liu family was once one of the Four Great Families. With a family tradition of poetry and literature, and generations of great scholars, they were once a truly aristocratic family with three hundred years of history.

No one knew better than him that the upper classes of Yanjing were consuming Wushisan. Eight of the male members of the Liu family were users, and Liu Yuan had even tried it when he was thirteen or fourteen. He was also well aware of the exorbitant prices fetched by Yanjing's nobility.

"Ten days after entering the camp." Because the incident happened suddenly, Shen Hai took away his personal guards. Zhou Jingchen, who was incompetent, was naturally left behind in the camp. The two men, weapons in hand, looked at the cavalry formed in a square formation below, whispering, "Unlike you, who came in half a year earlier and knew nothing."

Liu Yuan: “…” Indeed, he had been stationed there half a year longer than Zhou Jingchen, so he really knew nothing about anything.

Before meeting Zhou Jingchen, Liu Yuan had considered himself a sober person. But Zhou Jingchen made him seem like a deaf and blind idiot. He thought he was keeping a low profile and understanding human nature, but when the chips were down, he was clueless.

"…Prince Jing is so talented, why would he order me to do all that?" Zhou Jingchen had clearly guessed what he would do and had a backup plan in place. Liu Yuan had initially thought he was playing a trick on others, but it turned out to be his own cleverness. He felt quite embarrassed, like a clown.

The carefree and unrestrained expression on his face disappeared completely. His face was wooden, and he was so embarrassed that he couldn't smile.

Zhou Jingchen glanced at him, not bothering to say anything to taunt him. Liu Yuan was simply too arrogant. It wasn't a bad thing for young people to be arrogant, but being arrogant and self-satisfied was not. "Isn't this for you to open your eyes and see the reality? There are always people who are better than you, and there are always things better than you."

Liu Yuan pursed his lips and remained silent. Zhou Jingchen's words were like a slap in the face of his self-righteousness.

Ultimately, Shen Hai failed to intercept Oguz. The blue-green mines at Hongshan were discovered by Oguz's men. All of Shen Hai's men were expelled, and the entire mine was guarded by Oguz's men. Compared to Shen Hai's stealthy approach, fearing discovery, Oguz was much more open and aboveboard. He was now the highest-ranking official in Kashgar County, towering over Shen Hai.

If Shen Hai dared to mobilize the troops at the garrison to imprison Oguz, perhaps there was a way to prevent him from seizing the throne. However, while Shen Hai might form cliques and feign obedience, he was no match for leading troops in battle. For years, the Shen family had been a local tyrant, and Shen Hai himself was stingy and greedy, leaving few at the garrison to command. Most people, sensing the tide was turning, immediately defected to Oguz. Even if Shen Hai retaliated, those with leverage over him would simply expose his recent misdeeds.

Once this happens, there will be two. Once one person sells, others will follow suit.

Shen Hai had garrisoned the border for sixteen years, embezzling countless treasuries. Shen's nephews and nephews had abducted local girls as concubines, and the Shen family had shown reckless disregard for human life. They even allowed bandits to plunder passing merchant caravans and raid nearby villages. Every detail was revealed, revealing the Shen family's complete rebellion.

As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it. No matter how intimidating Shen Hai was in the past, now there are many people stepping on him behind his back.

The rumors that Ogus had been investigating were now confirmed by witnesses. But that alone wouldn't make Shen Hai pay a heavy price; to convict him, he needed concrete physical evidence. Zhou Jingchen refused to hand over his account books. He had remained aloof from the ongoing battle between his two superiors, acting completely oblivious. While Ogus searched for evidence of Shen Hai's collusion, Zhou Jingchen washed up in the small lake behind the training camp and returned home for dinner as usual.

When he arrived at the door, he happened to bump into Ajiu who was coming back from outside. The two nodded to each other from a distance and entered the yard one after the other.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. After the beginning of October, the leaves fell and the grass was withered, and the weather gradually became colder.

When they returned, Ye Jia and Yu were grinding bath bean powder in the courtyard. The October scented soap had been delivered, and Linglong Rouge Shop had ordered additional stock. The originally agreed-upon price of 150 yuan had become 300. Three scents, 100 yuan each. The price remained the same as stated in the contract, and they received 360 taels of silver. Lihua Lane had asked for 240 yuan, but at the retail price, they still got over 400 taels. The total profit from the scented soap was nearly 800 taels. Adding the original profit of over 1,100 taels, Ye Jia had 1,900 taels of silver.

With so much money, Ye Jia returned home and gave Ye Wumei and Old Man Sun a raise. He also gave the two children who helped grind the beans a paycheck, though it wasn't much, just pocket money to buy them candy. Ye Jia also bought a lot of fresh food and prepared a big meal.

The two of them came back just in time, just in time to catch the delicious food ready at home.

Zhou Jingchen walked over, took the basin from Ye Jia's hand, and squatted down to help her wash the vegetables. Ah Jiu had just returned from Luntai, and was covered in dust after a long journey. He still didn't know what the melons were doing well. Seeing that he was about to speak, Ye Jia interrupted him with a very reasonable tone: "Pack up and go to the backyard to see Fourth Sister and the children first. When you're done, come back and talk to me later."

Ah Jiu nodded immediately, thanked Ye Jia for his kindness, picked up a bucket of water from the well, and went to the backyard.

He still remembered what Yu had told him: "If you come back from outside and are dirty, don't go into the house and fume your wife and children." Young people weren't afraid of cold water, so Ah Jiu fetched well water and washed behind the house. Only after washing did he go into the house to embrace his wife.

Fourth Sister Ye was still in confinement after giving birth and couldn't get up or walk around. Seeing Ajiu approaching to hug her, she quickly pushed him away: "Let go, let go! I haven't showered in half a month, and I smell!"

Ajiu smiled and pecked her on the mouth, shamelessly saying: "My wife smells so good! Who dares to say that my wife smells bad!"

Fourth Sister Ye's cheeks flushed from his kiss. She glanced sheepishly at the door, only to find it bolted. Two children were in a cradle beside the bed. This cradle had once belonged to Rui Jie'er, and when Yu Shi saw she had no cradle, she gave it to her. It just so happened that both children were small, so they wouldn't be crowded in the same cradle. It had only been two weeks since they'd last seen each other, and the children didn't seem so red anymore.

Ajiulai was unwilling to let go of Ye Simei, who was panting under his kisses. If she wasn't feeling unwell, she would have asked him to strip her clothes off: "Let go! Don't mess with me in broad daylight!"

After a few kisses, Ah Jiu explained in detail what she had done recently and her future plans to Ye Simei. Ye Simei was a gentle person and nodded quietly after listening. She didn't really have many ideas, but she was determined to support whatever her husband did. "Then you have to follow me. I may have a bad temper, but I have a good heart. I won't let my family suffer any harm."

Ajiu rubbed her hair, smiled and said nothing, then got out of bed and squatted beside the cradle.

The two children were born prematurely and were very small. But thanks to the good care they'd received, they'd grown considerably since birth. They were still smaller than average, though, and clung to each other like two kittens.

Although the two children are twins, they actually look different. One obviously looks like his father, with curly hair and deep features. The other looks like his mother, with straight black hair and delicate features. Ajiu stretched out a finger and poked the child's cheek, then stood up and kissed Ye Simei: "Yuanniang, I'm going to the front to talk to my sister. You rest well here."

Ye Simei nodded and watched him leave the house.

In the front yard, the vegetables had been washed and cut. Ye Jia was already busy in the kitchen. Since she had made a lot of money this time, she went to buy some beef. The three pounds of beef cost her almost one or two taels of silver. She had specially put a lot of chili peppers in it, preparing to make a spicy beef stew. While she was busy, Ajiu stuck her head out and took a look.

Ye Jia had sharp eyes and spotted him immediately. He looked like he had something to say, and the beef was already stewing. So Ye Jia asked Ye Wumei to watch the pot, wiped his hands, and walked out: "Let's go to the main room and talk."

Ajiu glanced at Zhou Jingchen, who was following behind Ye Jia, and nodded. The three of them went to the main hall together.

Ye Jia called Yu out as well. Yu sent Rui Jie'er to play outside, thought for a moment, and then came out and sat down.

Ah Jiu gave the Zhou family a brief account of their trip to Luntai. While winter melons were indeed difficult to sell here, there were many people in Luntai who knew about their products. This was especially true at the residences of some generals. Hearing that these melons were tribute melons, many people wanted them.

The price was high. Ajiu compared the prices offered by several houses and finally chose to send all the melons to the Grand Protectorate. Without weighing so many melons, the Grand Protectorate's steward directly gave a box of silver and said that the Grand Protectorate would buy all the melons.

Ajiu didn't dare to take the box of silver back, so he changed it into banknotes and brought it back.

Under the watchful eyes of his family, he pulled out the stack of banknotes from his arms. Three hundred taels, banknotes from the HSBC Bank. The HSBC Bank was a major bank recognized by every state in Great Yan, north and south. Banknotes could be exchanged for cash at any HSBC bank. Four carts of melons for three hundred taels—both expected and unexpected.

"Sister, this is the banknote given directly by the steward of the Grand Protectorate. The banknotes from the HSBC Bank can be exchanged anywhere." Ajiu explained the HSBC Bank to Ye Jia. She was afraid that Ye Jia didn't know about the HSBC Bank, so she explained it in detail.

Ye Jia understood; she naturally knew about the banknotes. "I agreed to give you a commission, and you can't be left out. And as for your people, how many are going to deliver the goods this time? Count them for me. Let's settle the wages today, so everyone won't have to wait."

The wages will not be delayed. Ye Jia always knows that if the money is settled quickly this time, it will be easier to find someone to do the job next time.

Ajiu hadn't said he didn't need to pay. On the way back, he'd been thinking about something. He'd been transporting furs to the Central Plains, doing some trading. While not as formal as a large merchant caravan or escort team, the work was the same. Ajiu couldn't help but wonder, if Ye Jia expanded his business, would he also need to ship goods to the Central Plains, or even go there to purchase goods? If so, he could certainly take on that part of the work.

But if I want to do this, I need Ye Jia to give me some clues.

Ye Jia first calculated the delivery man's wages, and then took a cut of the profit to give to Ajiu. Brothers should settle accounts clearly, and Ye Jia would not be greedy for the money he owed.

Yu Shi had no objection to this, of course. Jianiang had always been a responsible person. She was the one who handled the business, so it was natural for her to make the final decision.

As expected, Ajiu accepted the money, and Ye Jia told him about their plan to cooperate with him in a long-term business transaction in the Central Plains. "We have enough bath beans at home now, which can last for about half a year. If they are not enough in the future, we will have to buy more. At that time, we will not buy them from the town, but from the Central Plains. I am afraid that your subordinates will be needed to do this, and I will trouble you to keep an eye on it for me. I was thinking, why don't you help me do some work in your free time? I will pay you well and will never make things difficult for you in front of my subordinates."

"Since you trust me, of course I'm willing." As soon as Ye Jia opened his mouth, Ajiu readily agreed.

Zhou Jingchen sat silently beside Ye Jia, his gaze fixed on Ajiu with a deep look. He wouldn't interfere with Ye Jia's business dealings, but he would help him identify people. If Ajiu had been a businessman in his life, perhaps he wouldn't have become a bandit.

"Don't be in a hurry. This still requires a detailed plan." Ye Jia was just telling him now, and how to do it later would depend on the person and the situation.

Ah Jiu nodded, knowing full well what was going on. Business wasn't easy; there were rules to be followed. He pocketed the wages Ye Jia had given him and said he was going out. Needless to say, he was going to deliver the money to his men.

"Go early and come back early." Ye Jia didn't delay him from doing his work. "We'll have dinner when you come back."

Ajiu grinned and left quickly.

Zhou Jingchen watched his back disappear through the doorway, his slender fingers tapping on the table. His eyelashes drooped, and he was lost in thought. Ye Jia was about to get up, but when she turned to look at him, she saw something strange on his face. She paused, then followed his gaze, lost in thought. Could it be that Ah Jiu had some special identity?

Regardless of status or not. Yu Shi looked at the three hundred taels of silver that had come into her account, her eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. She had never imagined that the seeds that Jia Niang had bought for one tael of silver would earn her three hundred taels of silver. This ability to make money was truly impressive, something she had never dared to imagine before.

"My husband, please come with me to the tile market tomorrow when you have time."

The family couldn't wait to buy a mule cart, as they would need it in many places in the future. "I don't know much about livestock, so come with me to pick out a mule. One ox cart alone is definitely not enough for our family, and it would take too much time if we were really busy."

Zhou Jingchen naturally wouldn't refuse. A mule can walk faster than an ox. "When are you leaving?"

"Come find me at the shop when you're done with your work at the base." Ye Jia thought about buying a mule and then customizing a cart. Both a cart for transporting goods and a cart for people could be custom made. When they needed it, they could just harness it and use it.

These things are not expensive, and now that he has money in hand, Ye Jia feels more confident in spending them.

Yu remained silent throughout, delighted by the conversation between her son and daughter-in-law. Yun'an, unlike his older brother, had always been unusual. Yu had always thought him too intelligent and perhaps a bit cold. Even towards Gu Mingxi, he had been distant and polite, not close enough. Now, his treatment of Jia Niang seemed much more welcoming.

Feeling happy, she immediately stood up humming a little tune. These days, she didn't have to do much work, so she was busy at home when she had free time. Either she would make soup for Ye Jia or do some needlework.

Some time ago, she saw that Ye Jia had grown up a little, so she went to the cloth shop to buy some cloth to make clothes. Now she went into the house and took out a skirt.

Life at home was getting better and better. Yu Shi looked like a completely different person compared to the lifeless appearance of the previous year. Now, she was humming a tune with a raised lip, gradually regaining some of her old self from when she was in the palace. She went into the house to get her things, then stood at the door and waved to Ye Jia, "Jia Niang, come and try them on. This is the new dress I made for you. The ones you made before were too small, and they were too tight around the chest and looked unpresentable."

It would have been fine if she didn't mention it, but once she did, the eyes of several people in the room glanced at her chest.

Yes, thanks to the nourishing soup Yu Shi regularly brewed for Ye Jia, she had grown a bit taller, and her chest had grown considerably. Her clothes had become a bit smaller. It wasn't that they couldn't fit her, but they were too tight. In later times, this fit would have been acceptable for street wear, but in the conservative ancient world, it seemed a bit frivolous.

Zhou Jingchen coughed and turned his face away.

Ye Jia looked at his blushing cheeks in silence, and walked into Yu's room with a wooden face.

Yu's aesthetic taste was truly excellent, and the fabrics she selected were especially flattering to Ye Jia. They always managed to accentuate her beauty. With her help, Ye Jia put on her dress, which she had crafted to look incredibly ethereal.

"This is a Liuxian skirt. It used to be very popular in Beijing... well, in the Central Plains." Yu said jokingly, "I knew it would look great on you, Jia Niang. I'll get you a headdress and a pair of embroidered shoes someday. It will definitely look great together."

Ye Jia: "...very good, very good, thank you mother."

As Yu walked around her, she nodded with satisfaction and said, "Add a belt to this dress and a half-sleeve."

"Mom will do it just as I watch. Everything I do will look good."

Who doesn't like nice clothes? Ye Jia liked them too. It was just that she didn't get to wear them often, which was a little disappointing. Yu Shi also felt sorry for Jia Niang's beauty. "Our Jia Niang is a first-rate beauty. By the way, how do you like the ointment?"

Ye Jia's face flushed red from her praise: "What ointment?"

"That ointment I got from the clinic earlier, the pear blossom ointment." Yu glanced at her cheeks and hands. Her hands were barely noticeable due to her frequent use of water. Her face, however, looked much younger. "You still need to apply it more often. You can't be lazy just because you're young."

When Yu mentioned Ye Jia, she suddenly remembered how little she had used of the four bottles of pear blossom cream Yu had given her. She was always busy, and when she had some free time, all she wanted to do was lie down in bed. Most of the time, she was already drowsy after washing up, and fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes. Of the four bottles, three and a half were left, and the one she had used was only half. She replied vaguely, "I'm using it, I'm using it."

As soon as Yu saw her like this, she knew that this girl was useless. Glancing at her watery face, she thought of the pampered daughters of the Gu family in the capital. She couldn't help but tapped Ye Jia's forehead with her finger: "Even if you are born with beauty, you must know how to maintain it, otherwise you will become ugly when you get old. Your mother can help you replenish it from the inside, but you must also learn to protect it from the outside. Although it is not a good thing for a beauty in this area to come from a poor family, it is not absolute. When you are really unlucky, being good-looking can still earn you more preferential treatment. Beauty is a woman's weapon, and you must know how to cherish it."

Ye Jia didn't know why she heard a hint of disappointment. She pursed her lips, truly taking Yu's words to heart.

After washing up that night, Ye Jia sat on her bed and carefully applied the ointment to her body. It wasn't the argument that beauty is a woman's weapon, but rather Yu's words that touched her. Indeed, good looks make many things easier for people to do.

After Ye Jia finished showering, she took off her hair and lay naked on the bed.

Zhou Jingchen returned from washing up in the kitchen and, upon opening the door, was met with such a vivid scene that he nearly choked to death. A sharp cough echoed from the corner, and the door slammed shut with a clang.

Ye Jia pulled the quilt over herself and turned to see Zhou Jingchen standing in the corner with his back to her.

He stood erect, his back visibly stiff. His hair was draped elegantly over his shoulders, and water droplets trickled down his damp hair, wetting his back. His fine, sculpted skin was faintly visible. Amidst his dark hair, the tips of his ears blushed. Even more embarrassing for Ye Jia was the fact that his shadow, cast on the wall, couldn't hide the large, bulging mass of his lower body.

Ye Jia caught a glimpse of the shadow and almost bit her tongue. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at his back: "Zhou Yun'an! What are you doing!"

Zhou Jingchen felt both helpless and amused, his heart, which had been beating for a thousand years, hammering against his chest. He said nothing, letting the pillow hit him and fall to the ground. Bending down to pick up the object, he glanced at the prominent arched shadow on the wall, exhaled softly, and said shyly and shamelessly, "Jia Niang, I'll be 20 in seven months. I'm full of vigor and vitality, full of blood and vigor..."

Ye Jia: “…”