Chapter 110
She thought she might be a bit paranoid, but that didn't stop her from taking someone to check around the house. They didn't find anything particularly unusual, except for some areas where the grass had been crushed down by someone in the corners. Ye Jia looked around and saw signs of the grass being crushed in several places. It felt like a thief in the future scouting a place. Ye Jia's heart pounded, and a chill ran down her spine.
"Xiao Li, have you found out where those people from Sidao Village went?" Ye Jia immediately returned to the mansion and ordered people to clear all the grass and plants around the mansion.
Although he didn't know if it was what she thought, Ye Jia's intuition told him that something was wrong.
The situation in Luntai was becoming increasingly tense, and Zhou Jingchen was temporarily tied up in the Anxi Protectorate. Ye Jia considered borrowing a troop from Bazatu, but then wondered if such an action would constitute misappropriation of public troops. Although Dongxiang Town was located centrally within the Beiting Protectorate, after much deliberation, Ye Jia decided to speak with Bazatu.
"We found the mother and son, hiding in a sheep-raising household." Xiaoli was a master at tracking people. After so long in Sidao Village, she finally waited for them to emerge. It wasn't anyone else, but the Fifth Concubine, who was supposed to be trapped in the Protectorate.
"It's her?" Ye Jia frowned. "Where's that child? Did you see her?"
Xiaoli didn't see the child, and she didn't dare to alert the enemy by herself.
Seeing her shaking her head, Ye Jia lowered his head and began to think.
The Fifth Aunt escaped, and she had no other children with her except her own. Ye Jia just didn't expect the Fifth Aunt to escape.
She had no idea what was happening in Luntai right now. She had sent a letter to Luntai, but unfortunately, Yuan Chunsheng happened to be in the inner city. The letter that came back only indicated that the situation in Luntai was tense, without mentioning the Protectorate. If everything was normal in the Protectorate, how had Fifth Aunt managed to escape from Luntai through the layers of security?
Normally speaking, Fifth Aunt, a weak woman, would definitely not be able to do that.
Ye Jia's eyes narrowed as she recalled the day a detachment retreated from a small road to Sidao Village. He had helped Fifth Aunt escape the Protectorate and enter Dongxiang Town. Ye Jia couldn't help but think of sending Ye Wumei to the Zhou family... couldn't he be a member of the Yang family? If she remembered correctly, Yang Chenglie was Suletu's right-hand man. This time, Yang Chenggang had personally escorted Ye Wumei back to Dongxiang Town.
I have a vague premonition in my heart, but I can't be sure just by guessing, I have to find out.
Sidao Village was just north of Dongxiang Town, not too far away. It took about an hour to walk there. Ye Jia sat by the window, gazing at the grass in the yard, his fingers tapping on his knees.
She couldn't help but think of the Wu family again, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
...Is it possible that this group of people is related to the Wu family? Could it be that they want to take down the Zhou family as a bargaining chip in exchange for the Wu family's survival? It is very possible.
"Xiao Li!" Ye Jia shouted, "Go to the base immediately and ask Bazatu to come over."
Xiaoli immediately obeyed the order.
The location that had been stepped on corresponded to the most easily climbed part of the mansion. After much thought, she decided to take a double insurance policy: "Xilai, go call Fourth Aunt Qiuyue back. Xishi's shop will close early today."
Xilai is now much calmer and runs errands very efficiently: "Yes, Master."
As soon as Xilai left, Ye Jia ordered people to deal with these traces.
It was a scorching June day, and Ye Jia was already sweating profusely after standing outside for a while. Clothes in ancient times were thick and long, wrapping themselves tightly. She didn't have time to wash up and hurried to Yu's house.
Yu Shi hadn't left the house today. The medicinal materials for the workshop had been replenished, and the female workers had been hired. The shop outside was managed by a dedicated person, and the workshop only needed to keep supplying them. At this time, she was teaching Rui Jie'er to read and write in the house. Rui Jie'er was kneeling behind the low desk. When she saw Ye Jia come in, her eyes lit up: "Aunt."
Rui Jie'er is no longer a shrewd girl. She is very smart in reading and writing. At just four years old, she can recognize thousands of characters and can even recite some simple poems.
Ye Jia nodded and looked at Yu.
Yu put down the things in her hand and followed over: "What's wrong?"
The sound of reading aloud in the room soothed Ye Jia's anxiety. Ever since she became pregnant, Ye Jia's anger had intensified.
Yu's room was carpeted, and several children were crouching on a low table. There were also several plates of snacks. The snacks were made by Ye Wumei, who had recently taken a deep interest in cooking and had been busy in the kitchen early in the morning, whipping up a variety of dishes she had come up with. Ye Jia looked around, but didn't see Ye Wumei, so he casually asked, "Where's Wumei?"
"In the kitchen."
The three children were lying on the table. When Sun Jun heard the noise, he raised his head and looked at Ye Jia.
Ye Jia reached up and patted his head. The Sun Jun brothers were well-behaved, sitting nearby, diligently reciting their lessons. Rui Jie'er, upon seeing Ye Jia enter, tried to put down her pen, but Yu glared at her, and she obediently lowered her head and continued reciting. On the carpet, two little kids, no more than two years old, sat poking each other with their little wooden swords, though they weren't exactly noisy.
After a few days of recuperation, the twins were full of energy again. Seeing Ye Jia, they dropped their toys and rushed over like calves, hugging her legs. Ye Jia was only three months pregnant, so she couldn't be carelessly bumped into. As soon as the children got close, Huanpei stopped them, and Yu Shi was so frightened that she stood up.
"Auntie, auntie, auntie~" Xiao Ba opened his arms and jumped in front of Ye Jia like a fluttering moth, "I want a hug! I want a hug!"
One wanted to hug him, and the other threw away the small wooden sword in his hand and rushed over to hug him.
This sudden move frightened Yu. She quickly came over and took Xiao Ba aside. She tapped Xiao Ba's nose and started to scold him. Turning to look at Ye Jia who was standing beside her, she also scolded him, "Jia Niang, you too. These two children are at the age where they can kick and stomp. If they get kicked, it will be a disaster."
Ye Jia smiled and glanced around. A glance from her made Yu know something was amiss. She quickly dismissed her attendants.
Ye Jia pondered for a moment and told Yu about the unusual situation outside the yard.
Yu's expression suddenly changed, and she was shocked: "Really?"
"Well, the grass along the courtyard wall has been trampled in several places."
“Oh my God…” A dense layer of goose bumps appeared on Yu’s arms.
Yu had been out quite often these days, so she hadn't noticed anything. However, Yu knew she wasn't as alert as her wife, so after a moment's reflection, she couldn't help but wonder, "...Could I have seen it wrong? Perhaps some wild animal from the hills behind us escaped and trampled on it in the middle of the night? The walls of the mansion we live in are so high that even someone skilled in martial arts wouldn't be able to climb over them. Besides, our Dongzhen Town is a bustling place, and many outsiders pass through on business..."
Ye Jia thought about it and felt that it was possible: "It's better to be safe than sorry. This courtyard is indeed high-ranking. If someone really wants to do something, we can't stop them. We don't have any guards with outstanding martial arts skills now. They are all women and children. One or two men can cause us great harm."
When Yu heard this, her heart trembled. Indeed, the Zhou family consisted of only women and children.
After thinking for a moment, she became serious: "What does Jia Niang mean?"
"I've asked Xiaoli to go to the base and ask Bazatu to come over and tell you to be more alert when you sleep at night."
Ye Jia said in a deep voice, "Yun'an is in Anxi and can't come back, and there's a war going on in Luntai. If someone came to Dongxiang Town at this time and kidnapped our family, it would be very easy to succeed. Besides, it seems that the daughter of the Wu family has returned."
"Fifth Aunt?" When Ye Jia said this, Yu immediately became alert.
The garrison had just arrested the Wu family some time ago, and the Zhou family had taken advantage of the situation to swallow up the Wu family's assets. If the Fifth Aunt resented the Zhou family for this, she might actually kill them behind their backs.
"Yes." Ye Jia hadn't told Yu about the encounter with a group of people on the eastern path on the day they returned. "Yang Chenglie, the head of the Yang family, is Suletu's confidant. Yang Chenglie is a stubborn person. He might accept Suletu's favor and do something for the Fifth Aunt this time."
Yu's heart suddenly started beating fast.
"By the way, Mom, have you ever been down our family's tunnel?" Ye Jia had his men digging this tunnel in February, and it took a month and a half to finally be dug through. Ye Jia had drawn the main passageway, and Zhou Jingchen had made some adjustments after referring to the original drawing. Even after it was dug through at the end of April, Ye Jia hadn't gone down there yet.
The tunnel had been built for two months, but Yu had never gone down there. She shook her head.
"It's a good opportunity to go down there and learn the route over the next two days." Ye Jia had been wanting to go down there for a while. Although she had a map of the tunnel, looking at it and actually walking it were two different things. If something unexpected happened and they couldn't get through, and ended up being stuck inside, that would be bad. "If something happens in the future, we can leave quickly."
Yu knew what she meant. "When the tunnel was being dug, Junzi went down with the craftsmen. He has a great memory and a quick mind. We'll probably need him to lead the way down there."
"That's perfect."
Yu and Ye Jia were talking in the house when Ye Simei came back hurriedly after closing the shop outside.
Ye Jiayan said what he needed to say briefly and concisely.
Fourth Sister Ye was also very attentive. She had a vague feeling that there were new faces in the town. As soon as Ye Jiayi said that, she immediately came to her senses.
"But does Junzi still remember?" Sun Jun is only seven years old this year. The child is indeed precocious, but he is still a child.
"It's not a big deal if you forget, it's just a little troublesome." Ye Jia still had the structural diagram of the underground passage in his hand. He asked someone to lead the way because he was worried that the air down there was bad and he would get dizzy if he walked around for too long.
Yu called Sun Jun in and asked him. Sun Jun glanced at Ye Jia, lowered his head and nodded: "I recognize him."
"You're the best at recognizing people." Ye Jia praised him a few times, making the child blush. Yu smiled and sent the man away. Xiaoli went to ask Bazatu, who had returned. Bazatu had been waiting in the hall for a long time, and he stood up immediately when Ye Jia arrived.
Xiaoli had already explained the situation to him on the way here. Bazatu had been stationed in Dongxiang Town for two reasons: to protect Dongxiang Town from the Turkic invasion in the north, and to protect Zhou Jingchen's family. Ye Jia didn't even need to mention it; he immediately announced that he would send a team to guard the Zhou family.
"Master, please don't worry about this matter. I will arrange it immediately."
Bazatu knew Ye Jia was alert and admired her. He said, "I've already sent people to Sidao Village to check. We should have the details tomorrow."
Ye Jia's tense heartstrings finally relaxed a little: "Have you checked the fact that there are so many unfamiliar faces in the town?"
"They are all merchants from the south and east." Bazatu also noticed this and gently comforted Ye Jia, "They are here to trade in medicinal herbs. Master, don't worry too much. The soldiers stationed here are keeping an eye on them."
Only after hearing Bazatu's words did Ye Jia feel relieved.
That afternoon, Bazatu dispatched a team to the Zhou residence. Ye Jia arranged accommodations for them and then led Yu Shi's fourth sister and the others down the tunnel. The Zhou family's tunnel had three entrances: one in the inner room of Ye Jia's residence, one in the rockery in the East Garden, and one hidden in the rockery in the lake in the backyard.
They naturally had to avoid the crowds when going down the secret passage, and deliberately chose the one that led to the uninhabited Dongyuan rockery.
To ensure the excavation of the secret passage remained unnoticed, Zhou Jingchen had already arranged for several craftsmen who had previously worked for the Zhou family to leave Dongxiang Town. Sun Jun walked in front, holding a lantern, while Ye Jia, Yu Shi, and the others followed behind, each holding a torch.
This tunnel wasn't a meticulously constructed underground palace; it was just a passageway wide enough for two people. Although ventilation had been provided, the air underneath was damp and opaque, and the air was still not very good. Sun Jun's memory was truly exceptional, and he led his men straight along the path. In less than a cup of tea, they found an exit.
This exit was behind the rocks on the hill behind the mansion. When Yu came out, she felt a little dizzy due to lack of oxygen.
"It's really dark down there, it's not a place for humans to stay. If I were in poor health, I'd probably pass out in there." Fourth Sister Ye supported Yu and sat aside for a long time before she recovered. She took a deep breath before she could stand up.
Ye Jiadao was lucky, this was only the first exit, there were two more exits.
Standing in the woods and looking around, I realized that although this exit was close, it was actually quite hidden. However, if someone surrounded the Zhou family from behind the woods, or if there were more people, this exit wouldn't be so safe. There was another exit to the east, near the official road, but it was a bit far away, and it would probably be difficult to walk down.
Ye Jia took a deep breath and had to go down even if he didn't want to.
"Let's try the other two roads." Ye Jia stood up, "so that we won't be panicked and get stuck wandering around in there."
Yu Shi didn’t want to go down, but Ye Jia was right, it was better to get familiar with the place.
The three of them followed Sun Jun downstairs for the entire afternoon. Regardless of whether they knew the route well or not, they finally made it out. The second exit was at the end of Sidao Village in Dongxiang Town, while the third was a bit out of the way. It was near the Dongxiang Town official road, behind the back wall of a dilapidated temple. Ye Jia carefully examined each exit; if he really wanted to escape, the official road exit was the most convenient.
I was wondering if I should hide some valuables in the dilapidated temple so that I would have a way to deal with it if something really happened.
Seeing her looking around, Yu took a sip of water to calm herself down and asked, "What are you looking at, Jia Niang?"
"No," Ye Jia also walked back. The dilapidated temple was surrounded by weeds and trees. Dongxiang Town had few Buddhists, so having a temple was a rarity. But without believers burning incense, the temple was completely abandoned. Ye Jia looked up at the sky and realized that it was already late. "I guess everyone must be exhausted from running around underground. It's getting late, so it's time to go back and rest."
There was no need to go back underground at this point. Several people walked back to Zhou's house, and it was already dark when they got home.
Ye Wumei's dinner was also ready. After running around underground all afternoon, they were dizzy and felt their heads ache. After dinner, they all went back to their rooms to rest. Ye Jia touched Sun Jun's head. This kid had a really good memory. Although Sun Jun was not from the Zhou or Ye family, Ye Jia was reluctant to waste such a good seedling. "Is Junzi seven years old this year?"
Sun Jun was a much quieter child than most, with dark eyes. He nodded.
"I'll find you a teacher someday." It would be a waste of time for her to continue studying with Yu. Yu usually focused her teaching on Rui Jie'er. Rui Jie'er was only a little over five years old and was still learning to read.
Sun Jun's eyes lit up and he looked at Ye Jia eagerly: "Thank you, boss."
Ye Jia smiled and told him to go back and rest. Old Man Sun was sent out to do some work, but the Sun Jun brothers were not taken with him. The main reason was that Old Man Sun was a rough old man, and it was not convenient for him to live alone outside.
After a tiring day, Ye Jia arranged for the soldiers stationed there to patrol in shifts of five at night.
He returned to his room and fell asleep. Tired from the day's work, he slept soundly. But at midnight, someone banged on the door, waking him up. Ye Jiaqiang struggled to get up, only to hear something else happen.
Sure enough, someone climbed the wall at night. The patrolmen were also very aggressive. After a fierce fight, three or four people fled and four or five were captured.
Now, these men were masked and dressed like villagers from a nearby village. But their agility and well-trained demeanor made them look like guards. But who were they? They were now being torn off their arms and bound their hands and feet, leaving them in the yard. One of them attempted to escape but was hacked by a garrison soldier, leaving the yard thick with the smell of blood.
Before Ye Jia and others arrived, the garrison had already interrogated them once.
Yu Shi's Ye Simei and others were standing on the corridor, wearing their clothes and looking at this side. Seeing that these people were wearing swords, Ye Simei and Ye Wumei huddled together like quails, not daring to come down the stairs at all.
In the middle of the night, the Zhou family's house was brightly lit.
Ye Jia hurried over. Yu and the others were already terrified. Their faces were extremely pale. They rushed over and grabbed Ye Jia's arm, their fingers trembling slightly. "Jia Niang, Jia Niang, it's a blessing that you were alert and noticed the abnormality. If it were me, if I had been a little more confused, I'm afraid our family would have died in the night without knowing how..."
Yu was filled with fear and walked so fast that her steps were a little unsteady.
"It's good that they've caught him." Ye Jia helped her up, and Yu stood beside Ye Jia. "Are Ruijie's children okay?"
"It's okay, the person is still sleeping in the house."
Ye Jia nodded and turned to look at the guards.
Although the group sent by Bazatu wasn't large, each one was exceptionally skilled in martial arts. The leading sergeant, a half-breed from another race named Ashler, stood nine feet tall and could crush a cow with a single punch. His men were also incredibly alert. They caught the group almost as soon as they reached the wall. If the men behind them hadn't come up, they might have been completely annihilated.
"Master," Ashler stepped forward and bowed, "I just asked, and this group of people were ordered to come to the Zhou Mansion late at night to kidnap someone. Master earlier noticed that the grass and plants around the yard had been trampled, and it was these people. They claimed that they were only here to kidnap someone, not to kill anyone."
Ye Jia turned around and asked the sergeant stationed there, "Can you tell me who ordered this?"
Ashler shook his head. "Time is running out. Master, why don't you wait for us to take the man back to the base and then interrogate him thoroughly?"
This is nature.
Ye Jia thought about it, and in fact, he had a vague suspicion in his mind. He was dressed like a villager, and he only wanted to arrest people without intending to kill them. It was very likely that they were the Fifth Aunt's group. He nodded immediately and said, "That's fine. First, tie them up and throw them in the woodshed. We can try them tomorrow morning."
During the time they were gone, Ye Jia sent everyone back to rest. The female relatives were all frightened and huddled in the hall, unable to sleep. But wasting time like this wasn't a good idea. Ye Jia tried to comfort them, and Yu Shi saw that she was tired. She didn't say anything else. She just swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue: "Go back and have a good rest."
Ye Jia returned to the room. She was very tired, but she couldn't fall asleep after tossing and turning in bed.
Tonight's events weren't big, but they weren't small either. Had she not been vigilant, the plot might have succeeded. Ye Jia seriously suspected that this was how Yu Ruijie, the daughter of the Yu family, met her end in the northwest. But in today's precarious situation, it was perfectly normal for them to encounter such events. Ye Jia began to worry that her preparations weren't enough, and that danger might still exist.
How to change the current situation? She has been thinking about this question all night.
After much deliberation, the most reliable solution was to resolve the issue once and for all. There's a saying that goes, "Only by removing the rotten flesh can there be new life." Dayan's situation was like a piece of rotting flesh, with sores everywhere. If they didn't resolve the issue once and for all, they would never find peace.
Ye Jia sighed again as he thought about it. But war was also a deeply painful act of extermination. In this era, fighting meant bloodshed and tears. Ye Jia figured that a quick victory would require a lot of supplies: weapons, potions, food, and so on. Zhou Jingchen probably also wanted to quickly resolve the civil war, consolidate external defenses, and bring peace and prosperity to the people of Dayan.
So, how can we effectively change the current situation? How can we quickly resolve the war?
Her mind was spinning, and she could only consider a few options. Either improve the weapons or improve the life-saving medicine. She had already done her best with the painkillers, arranging for the old doctor and the military doctor to secretly develop and mass-produce them. But what about the weapons?
Ye Jia's background was civil engineering, not ordnance, so finding ways to improve weapons was incredibly difficult. This was the era of cold weapons, when forging technology wasn't yet fully developed. She couldn't just skip cold weapons and move on to hot weapons, could she? Wait, hot weapons? Ye Jia rolled over twice and suddenly opened her eyes—saltpeter.
Saltpeter, firecrackers, bombs. This is a reasonable direction to think about.
Ye Jia remembered that Liu Yuan had gotten some fireworks from somewhere. The explosions in mid-air were quite large. If the ability to produce fireworks and firecrackers existed in this era, could they be improved upon and developed into even the most primitive bombs?
What are the ingredients of a bomb? It's a bit difficult to make something too complex and advanced, but □□ should be able to make it, right?
There was saltpeter next to the toilet, but I wondered how much there was. Ye Jia figured there wouldn't be many saltpeter crystals next to the toilet, but he'd have to dig it up himself to find out exactly how much. But were there any saltpeter mines in Beiting? There was a cerium mine behind Hongshan Mountain, near the base, but they hadn't produced much yet. I wondered if there were other mines connected to it. Ye Jia remembered that the hills nearby were quite bare.
Something was weighing heavily on her heart, and Ye Jia couldn't help but think, if only Zhou Jingchen were here. Although Zhou Jingchen didn't talk much, he always gave her a very reliable feeling.
Ye Jia was thinking about Zhou Jingchen, who had already led people to capture all of Qiao Zhengyuan's confidants.
Torches encircled the entire Anxi Protectorate, ablaze with light. Four or five men, young and old, were bound and thrown at Zhou Jingchen's feet. After Qiao Xiqing's death, many people were agitated. Most were unwilling to be inferior to others. Some accepted Zhou Jingchen's identity as an orphan of the Jing Palace, while others naturally scoffed at him.
Zhou Jingchen had originally not wanted to start a war, after all, fighting would also result in losses in manpower. However, there were always some people who were shortsighted and wanted to take advantage of Zhou Jingchen's lack of strength to launch a major attack. If they succeeded, the tiger talisman would be his, and so would the Anxi Protectorate. The death of Qiao Xiqing was suppressed by the people of the Anxi Protectorate, and the court was still unaware that the Anxi Protectorate had changed hands. Seizing it would be like stealing it. But Zhou Jingchen was completely different from what they expected. He was young, had a strong attitude, and was very ruthless.
The first move was to silently surround their lair. They rushed in unexpectedly and captured all the conspirators in one fell swoop.
At this time, several people were kneeling on the ground. Some of them were afraid of death and were kowtowing to Zhou Jingchen and begging for mercy.
Zhou Jingchen regarded the men coldly, his gaze settling on one of the oldest lieutenants. This man was a close confidant of Qiao Xiqing, surnamed Fang and given the given name Pei. In terms of rank and prestige within the army, he was comparable to Li Wenzhu, who served alongside Suletu. While not as valiant and skilled in warfare as Li Wenzhu, he was still a formidable figure. For such a man, recruiting him for personal use was preferable to killing him out of frustration.
Fang Pei raised his chin, staring at Zhou Jingchen with sharp eyes: "How will the prince deal with us?"
"Naturally, everyone has their own destiny."
Zhou Jingchen's expression remained unchanged, and he sat at the head of the table, a most reserved member of the royal family. The dim light shone upon him, accentuating his already stunning features to an even more divine quality. Fang Pei scoffed inwardly; his appearance was quite intimidating. The others, however, were not as composed as Fang Pei. Some had turned pale, while others had foreheads red and swollen from kowtows.
"What do you think, General Fang?" Zhou Jingchen said, his expression making it impossible for outsiders to discern any of his thoughts. "If you can surrender to me, I will write off everything you've done."
"What if I don't surrender?"
Zhou Jingchen laughed and said calmly, "If you can't be used by me, I will kill you."
The gentle words were so powerful that the whole place fell into silence.
Fang Pei's eyes flickered. Naturally, no one wants to die if they can live. But he's been in the army for years, while Zhou Jingchen is a new arrival. Whether he can command the soldiers of the Anxi Protectorate is another matter. He can live, and he has bargaining chips.
"I'll give you two days to think about it." Zhou Jingchen still had some patience with Fang Pei, but not with the others. "General Fang, you can think it over carefully before replying. As for the others..."
Zhou Jingchen raised his lip slightly and said, "Kill them all, cut off their heads and hang them on the city wall."
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