Chapter 111
The next morning, Ashler led the group back to the base.
With the arrest, Ye Jia's heart was finally at ease. Regardless of whether Fifth Aunt was behind the incident, the Wu family's affairs should finally come to an end. Ye Jia found time to inventory the Wu family's assets and immediately ordered people to harvest the Wu family's poppy fields. Labor pain medication was crucial. The old doctor, working with the stationed military doctor, had already developed a painkiller that would take effect quickly and was waiting for the raw materials to be mass-produced.
Ye Jia took back most of the poppies to Dongxiang Town and ordered his men to continue purchasing medicinal materials from the Central Plains.
It's undeniable that the Wu family is truly wealthy. They possess over 1,500 acres of fertile farmland within Beiting, along with property in the Anxi Protectorate and surrounding areas. Vast fields of flowers, medicinal herbs, and grains abound. Not to mention the Yejia poppy fields, they also own over 40 shops, most of which are profitable rouge and powder shops, along with a number of jade shops. A renowned business, they have established connections with numerous merchants throughout the Central Plains of Dayan.
No wonder the Wu family cherishes their lives so much. If she had so much money, she would definitely cherish her life too.
In ancient times, the gap between the rich and the poor was enormous. Ye Jia recalled that two years ago, when they were still in Wangjia Village, Libei Town, all the assets the family held were not enough to buy a pair of shoes for a wealthy person.
Add the Yang family's assets to the Wu family's, and Ye Jia's existing assets: approximately 2,500 mu of fertile farmland, over 70 shops, a mine, a workshop, a business, over 155,000 taels of silver, and around 200 servants, not counting the three mansions with five entrances and exits... Ye Jia, suddenly rich, could barely contain his joy and leaped for joy.
Stay calm, stay calm. She took several deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. Although the shop's title deed was in Ye Jia's hands, the shopkeeper, Ye Jia, had never seen it. She didn't understand the account books or the business model. It would take a while to fully understand all of these businesses. But there was no rush; she could take it one step at a time.
The Wu family's affair caused a huge uproar in Dongxiang Town, and many people in nearby towns also heard about it.
The Zhou family's actions intimidated many merchants in Beiting. Some families were now privately considering whether they should offer tributes to the Crown Prince's Consort in exchange for peace. They dared not flee, as the Wu family had served as a cautionary tale. Not only had they failed to preserve their ancestral property for generations, they were also facing execution within days.
Ye Jia had no idea what the merchants were thinking. She was busy day and night trying to integrate these fields and shops.
Zhou Jingchen had received a response to the livestock raising project at the West Farm some time ago, and he naturally agreed. He didn't elaborate on the details, though. He couldn't come back, so his letters came quickly. He wrote every now and then, afraid they'd be forgotten.
Ye Jia naturally did not delay and at the end of June he tried to raise a batch of lambs and piglets on the edge of the west field.
When the Wu family of four were pushed to the east entrance of Washi, the woman who had been hiding in Sidao Village finally showed up. It was the Fifth Concubine, and with her was Yang Chenggang, who had not left.
It was Yang Chenggang who had been ordered to abduct the Zhou family that day. He had used the opportunity of escorting Ye Wumei back to Dongxiang Town to secretly bring the Fifth Concubine out. The men Ashler had captured were his men. They had originally intended to kidnap Ye Jia or Yu Shi, threatening their lives to force Bazatu to release the four Wus.
Yang Chenggang had no pretense of friendship with the Wu family, so he had no choice but to comply due to the Fifth Aunt's request. Considering the kindness Suletu had shown the Yang brothers over the years, Yang Chenggang agreed to the request out of a sense of luck.
He had no intention of hurting anyone, he just wanted to rescue the Wu family father and son.
Because of Ye Wumei's relationship with the Yang family's old man, the Yang and Zhou families had some ties. If something happened, Ye Wumei could maneuver and possibly help. But often, things didn't go as planned, and he couldn't always get what he wanted. Ye Jia was too vigilant, picking up on every little clue. As a result, the truth was revealed at the first trial, leading to this embarrassing situation.
"Master, what are you going to do with Yang Chenggang?" Bazatu threw him in front of Ye Jia, his face slightly grim. In truth, he quite admired the Yang Chenglie and Yang Chenggang brothers. Both Yang Chenglie and Yang Chenggang were men of character, capable fighters on the battlefield and straightforward individuals. If they could work together, they would be a perfect match. But Yang Chenggang's actions had left both sides feeling shaky.
Ye Jia was not surprised by this result at all, and felt a sense of regret that it was just as expected.
Yang Chenggang knelt on the ground, his head drooping, and remained silent for a long time. Although he had his own plans, he couldn't bring himself to plead for mercy in front of Ye Jia. If Bazatu wanted to protect him, he wouldn't have thrown him in front of Ye Jia today.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Jia looked up at Bazatu and said calmly, "Everything will be handled according to military regulations."
Yang Chenggang's heart suddenly tightened and he raised his head instantly.
Bazatu's brows also furrowed. He looked up at Ye Jia, and seeing Ye Jia's cold expression, he immediately lowered his head.
According to military regulations, Yang Chenggang and his team would undoubtedly be executed. Deserting their posts, secretly aiding the enemy in the attack on the Zhou family, and not distinguishing friend from foe—even with all these crimes, Bazatu couldn't find a way to plead for mercy. He pursed his lips, then finally closed them. Kneeling on the ground, Yang Chenggang's expression had long since faded. Cold sweat dripped down his face, and his lips were pale.
To be honest, when he agreed to do this, he never thought that Ye Jia would not care about the Yang family's care for Ye Wumei. He wanted to quibble, but when the words came to his lips, he was stunned and realized that he had no right to argue.
"The city gates are established on the basis of trust. Military rules are military rules, and there are no exceptions. If I let you go today, others will think I am weak and can be bullied. I hope the captain will understand."
After saying this, Ye Jia turned around and walked away.
Bazatu's heart was shocked, and Yang Chenggang's face turned pale.
Not to mention what happened in Dongxiang Town, there was another fierce battle in Luntai.
In just three months, no fewer than ten battles were fought. The Yan army, pampered for so long, lacked even one-tenth the strength, combat effectiveness, and even willpower of the border troops. Naturally, the Yan army was defeated in every battle. The garrison had been constantly fighting foreign enemies, and regardless of their tactics, every member of the border troops had seen blood on the battlefield. No matter how well-trained the soldiers of the Central Plains were, there was a fundamental difference between actual combat and actual practice. Fifty thousand elite troops faced the border troops, not only failing to break through the encirclement, but being driven back beyond Jiayu Pass.
Countless casualties were reported inside and outside Jiayuguan. Due to the ongoing war, even the east-west trade routes were essentially cut off. Merchants from the Central Plains, fearful of death, dared not venture into the Western Regions. To prevent being attacked from both sides during civil unrest, trade routes to the Western Regions were also closed. Even within Beiting, numerous checkpoints were established, and civil servants, led by Guo Huai, maintained strict inspections to prevent unauthorized individuals from slipping through.
No matter how fierce the war outside, only the common people will suffer. The rich and powerful will live their lives as usual, and the aristocratic families in Yanjing are still arguing with Zhou Ye for not wanting to expand his harem and allow other women to enter the palace.
The triennial selection was canceled because of Gu Mingyue. Although she gave birth to a son for Zhou Ye, a single child for an emperor was not enough. More and more criticism was directed at Gu Mingyue's maternal family, the Gu family. While dealing with external affairs, the Gu family was also plunged into anxiety over Gu Mingyi's death.
After Gu Mingyi fell from his horse, Gu Mingxi hurriedly took the Gu family back to Yanjing.
The Gu family's mission to find Zhou Jingchen was a private one, naturally afraid to alert the post station or local officials, much less to publicly seek medical treatment. Gu Mingyi's injuries were so severe that, as expected, he died on the way back to Beijing. By the time the coffin was brought back to Yanjing, his body had decayed to the point of bone. On the day it was brought to the Gu family compound, two of the family elders fainted.
Two went out, and one returned dead. Although Gu Mingxi had no direct connection to Gu Mingyi's death, she was inevitably the target of outrage. Especially Gu Mingyi's parents, who blamed Gu Mingxi for his death. Gu Mingxi faced the greatest hardship since his rebirth, with all his privileges at home revoked. He faced the hatred of the eldest wife, the scolding of the elders, and the gloating of his peers. The smooth sailing since his rebirth was shattered, and the glory of the past was gone.
She didn't dare leave her room, unable to bear the scolding and ridicule, and locked herself in her room all day. Her mind kept replaying the events of her past life, unable to figure out where the problem lay. What had she done wrong to lead to this situation?
Gu Mingxi is not a smart person. After thinking about it, he can only think of one special thing.
In this life, Brother Yun'an's country wife hadn't died. Gu Mingxi pondered over it day and night. She couldn't understand how a country woman's survival could have caused such a huge change. She also couldn't understand how that village girl from the Ye family had taken her place and impressed Brother Yun'an. Why would Brother Yun'an now ignore her, regardless of their relationship of more than ten years?
Didn't Grandfather say she was the lucky star of the Gu family? He said she was the lucky star sent by God to lead the Gu family to glory, and she knew everything.
She didn't think she'd made a mistake by not following Zhou Jingchen into exile. After all, she hadn't married yet, hadn't she? She also didn't think she'd done anything wrong by breaking off the engagement; after all, she hadn't done it herself. Thinking it over, she could only blame Ye Jia. If the Ye family hadn't taken advantage of the situation, her escape would have been smooth sailing. She would have rekindled her relationship with Brother Yun'an.
"Bitch! Bitch bitch bitch!" Gu Mingxi waved his hand and threw all the porcelain on the table to the ground.
There was a crackling sound, and Mrs. Gu, standing outside, looked very unhappy. Gu Mingxi had always had this temper, smashing things when she was not satisfied. Since she came back, the things in the yard had been replaced twice.
He immediately became annoyed and glanced at the maid waiting outside the door and ordered, "If it's broken this time, you are not allowed to replace it with a new one."
After saying this, he walked away with a dark face.
Gu Mingyi's death had intensified the internal conflict within the Gu family. The relationship between the first and second wives was now fraught with tension. In truth, the first wife and her husband had always disliked the second wife. It was only because of Gu Mingyue that they had been forced to avoid her. Now that the conflict between the two branches had become public, the head of the Gu family was in a state of panic. To appease the first wife, he had no choice but to order Gu Mingxi's confinement.
This detention lasted two months. Gu Mingxi was a vain person. This incident nearly drove her mad. Naturally, she wasn't convinced, making a small fuss every three days and a big one every five days. No matter how much kindness a person has, it will eventually wear out. The second wife and husband were now annoyed by her.
Regardless of the internal entanglements involved, these events poured a bucket of cold water on the Gu family, blinded by their lust for power. They gradually realized that even with the upper hand, people's hearts were not so easily controlled. Zhou Jingchen was unlike the powerful and influential people in Yanjing. The Gu family's attempt to manipulate him, relying on a slight advantage and their presumed high position, was a complete failure.
The Beiting group lost both their wife and their troops, which was like a slap in the face to the Gu family, making their cheeks burn with pain.
Gu Mingyue in the palace was overjoyed upon learning of this. She even held a grand banquet over the past few days, inviting concubines from other palaces to enjoy the flowers and have fun. As long as the Gu family suffered misfortune, she was happy, no matter who died.
Leaving aside the chaos within the Gu family, the old man, having learned his lesson, decided to teach Zhou Jingchen a lesson. He considered the Gu family, while not a large or small family, a prominent one. While not a mainstay of the imperial court, they nonetheless possessed considerable power. Now that he had learned of the opportunity, he had an additional, unbreakable bargaining chip. He thought it would be wise to reveal this opportunity to the court and help it strangle the rebels in the northwest, thus changing their fate.
With this hatred, the Gu family immediately turned to the imperial court. In order to reconcile the relationship between the first and second wives, the old man of the Gu family also asked the second wife to marry her off as soon as possible.
The second wife of the Gu family made up her mind and immediately went to find a match for Gu Mingxi.
Second Madam Gu had shown the utmost kindness to her daughter, Gu Mingxi. Even at this critical juncture, she diligently sought a suitable husband for her. One with a kind and honest disposition, a respectable family background, and a respectable character. However, when Gu Mingxi heard the chosen man was Zhu Yuanwen, the second son of the Zhu family and Minister of Rites, she nearly blew the roof off the courtyard.
Who is Zhu Yuanwen? Her husband in her previous life.
After wandering around and finding this family again, Gu Mingxi was so terrified she wanted to die. She'd wanted to bang her head in the house that day to prove her point. She jumped out of bed and slammed her head against a pillar, breaking it and bleeding. The second wife of the Gu family was so frightened she almost fainted on the spot.
"What do you want? What's wrong with the Zhu family?"
Mrs. Gu Er finally cried for her non-blood daughter and asked, "When will you finally wake up?"
"How could I not be clear-headed? How could the Zhu family's second son be even half as good as Brother Yun'an?" Gu Mingxi had been thinking about him for two lifetimes and would not give up until she achieved her goal. "Mother, you are pushing your daughter into the fire pit!"
"The Zhu family has an honest background and upright family traditions. Zhu Yuanwen is already a Juren at such a young age. He will be able to enter the officialdom in just a few years. Such a talented and learned man from an aristocratic family is hard to find even with a lantern, but it's like a hell of a pit for you to find him!" Mrs. Gu cried angrily, "Okay, okay, I want to see how far your eyes are. You can't even look down on a Juren!"
"I only recognize Brother Yun'an!" Gu Mingxi is a bully at home, and she will bully anyone who pampers her.
Mrs. Gu Er was almost made sick by her anger.
While others didn't know Gu Mingxi's true identity, the Gu family knew it all too well. For Gu Mingxi to be able to find a husband like Zhu Yuanwen was a stroke of luck. Second Madam Gu had deliberately resorted to favors to arrange the marriage. However, despite her efforts, Gu Mingxi showed no appreciation, crying and threatening to jump into the lake again, blaming Second Madam Gu for being cruel and unkind.
After Gu Mingxi's disturbance, even Mrs. Gu, who was a kind mother, felt cold-hearted.
"Forget it, forget it. If you don't want to, I won't force you." Mrs. Gu finally felt the bitterness. "You can do whatever you want in the future."
…
After a chaotic six months, Gu Mingxi ultimately failed to get married.
She looked down on Zhu Yuanwen, but there were others who did. As soon as the marriage proposal with the Gu family fell through, Zhu Yuanwen immediately betrothed another noblewoman. Within six months, they were married and had children. Besides that, Gu Mingxi was completely ignored because of the marriage proposal. Second Madam Gu didn't visit her as often as before, but she didn't take it seriously.
She wholeheartedly hoped that Zhou Jingchen would come to Yanjing as soon as possible so that she could fulfill her wish and become the queen.
One spring day, the old man of the Gu family entered the palace to request the emperor dismiss the two parties. After spending a day in the imperial study, he emerged with the Gu family suddenly gaining power. After this, the imperial court dispatched troops to the northwest. Not only did they contact the Turks and transfer troops stationed in Lingnan, but they also brought elite troops scattered in Dayan back to the capital. Zhou Jingchen had heard vaguely about the movements in Yanjing. However, he was tied down by the Anxi Protectorate and was temporarily unable to spare any time.
The itinerary, originally scheduled for two months, was not finally finalized until the end of August.
At this time, Luntai was caught in a bitter battle. With only 10,000 troops to resist the 50,000 troops from the Central Plains, reinforcements from Lingnan also arrived, attacking from the southeast side of Anxi Protectorate, attempting to cross Anxi Protectorate into Dongxiang Town and directly capture Zhou Jingchen's lair.
The two armies engaged in a fierce battle in Shicheng. A small group bypassed Shicheng and headed south from Xizhou, attacking Zhou Jingchen from both sides.
Zhou Jingchen had just about taken Anxi Protectorate and urgently mobilized troops to resist. His haste had him suffer a heavy loss. The group launched a surprise attack late at night, destroying two armories and burning the arrows in both warehouses.
The Lingnan garrison was one of the three greatest military forces of Great Yan, on par with the Anxi Protectorate's garrison. Furthermore, Great Yan mobilized 30,000 troops for this mission, commanded by Huang Xuanyun, a renowned general of Great Yan. These troops, trained for years in the miasma of the mountains, possessed extensive experience in mountain warfare. Their agility and skill made them a formidable opponent. They chose not to engage the border garrisons head-on, merely harassing them. For a time, the Anxi Protectorate was in dire straits, forcing them to urgently dispatch reinforcements from Beiting.
Once a war breaks out, it spreads everywhere. It took Luntai nearly three months to finally drive those people out of Jiayuguan. It was already the end of August when the news reached Dongxiang Town, and Ye Jia was still worrying about picking cotton and sewing cotton clothes.
Although the Central Plains troops were driven out of Jiayu Pass, they suffered heavy casualties. Ten thousand troops were reduced to less than five thousand, suffering heavy casualties.
The casualties in Luntai were heavy, and those of the Great Yan army were even more severe. Li Wenzhu, worthy of being the foremost general in the northwest, fought with a fierce and brutal style, showing no mercy. With 110,000 men against 50,000, he reduced the imperial force to just 12,000. Furthermore, these soldiers had been trapped in Jiayu Pass for four months, a prolonged battle that had worn them down mentally and physically. As the battle wore on, they felt increasingly exhausted, ready to throw down their weapons and armor. Had it not been for the imperial order forbidding retreat, they would have already retreated back inside the pass.
The two sides were deadlocked at the gate of Yongzhou City, but the troops from Luntai had already crossed Jiayu Pass and were heading towards Yongzhou.
As expected, the Yongzhou governor fled with his family before the enemy even reached his gates. Just like the Turkic invasion in their previous life, they abandoned the city and fled with no morale. The governor's flight further shattered the already broken morale of the Yongzhou army. Li Wenzhu effortlessly captured Yongzhou. Twelve thousand prisoners surrendered, and Beiting finally had a chance to breathe.
At the end of September, news came from Libei Town that Turkic soldiers in the northwest were eager to move south.
At the same time, there were sudden signs of reinforcements in Lingnan, and the situation suddenly became critical.
Ye Jia had several warehouses stockpiled with medication, and her painkillers had been tested and proven to be highly effective. She temporarily halted her business and secretly organized a supply shipment to Anxi Protectorate and Libei Town. Besides food and fodder, the most important supplies were painkillers. Having painkillers and healing remedies significantly eased the war situation.
After receiving two batches of painkillers, Zhou Jingchen missed Ye Jia even more. Ye Jia was his lucky star, always able to play a significant role at critical moments. With Ye Jia, he had avoided countless detours in his life.
"I wonder how this heartless little thing is doing..." Zhou Jingchen blew a breath of warm air on his hands and looked up at the gloomy sky. The weather was getting cold very quickly this year. After September, the northwest entered winter in early October.
Snowflakes fell from the sky, unexpectedly cooling down the heated situation.
This coldness was the unbearable bitter cold of winter. When the first snow fell, a blanketing blizzard engulfed the land. Whether it was the northwestern or southern Lingnan border troops, they faced the reality of snow-bound mountains, lack of clothing and food, and the agonizing cold and hunger. Ye Jia closely monitored the evolving battle situation. When the weather was bitterly cold, victory in a war depended not only on the numbers and combat power of both sides, but even more so on armaments and medicine.
Seeing the weather getting colder day by day, Ye Jia made a prompt decision to transport the food and fodder that he had stored earlier to areas outside Dongxiang Town.
Li Beizhen carried the largest shipments. Logically, Beiting had fought a single battle with the Turks just the previous year. The Turkic army suffered heavy losses, with nearly 60,000 casualties, and they likely lacked the energy for another battle. However, this weather could have cascading consequences, such as a food shortage in the northwest or even uninhabitable conditions due to the freezing cold. The nomadic peoples of the north, facing starvation and severe cold, would invade Beiting's borders like wild beasts emerging from the mountains in the depths of winter to forage.
These are things that must be paid attention to and constantly vigilant. Ye Jia never takes chances. Once he does, he is very likely to encounter a catastrophic disaster.
After several waves of food and fodder were dispatched, the situation in Luntai eased. The border troops led by Li Wenzhu possessed extensive combat experience, having fought battles even in the depths of winter. Compared to the frail and fragile Great Yan army, the harsh cold weather actually enhanced their combat effectiveness. Combined with Ye Jia's support of food and fodder and painkillers, he captured Yongzhou in a remarkably short time.
The troops occupied Yongzhou, drove the Great Yan army out of Jizhou, and temporarily rested and recuperated. Meanwhile, Zhou Jingchen and Huang Xuanyun of the Anxi Protectorate were in a stalemate, both sides entrenched at the border of Tuyuhun and unable to advance an inch.
The weather was getting colder and the first snow fell in mid-October.
Snow fell, and the seasons changed overnight. From the slightly cool autumn, they plunged directly into the bitter cold of winter. Most of the town's shops were closed, and the trees and grass withered overnight. Ye Jia looked up at the gray sky and asked his fourth sister, Ye Simei, to close Xishi's shop. This year, due to the abundance of food, Ye Jia, his fifth sister, and his fourth sister brewed hundreds of jars of strong liquor.
In winter, the soldiers only had a few things to keep warm: cotton clothes, liquor, and dry food.
She pondered this and took an hour to gather the few people in the mansion who were preparing for the winter. She also found three or four laborers who could do rough work and dug up the toilet where Xiaoqi and Xiaoba had accidentally ingested saltpeter. Although the fourth and fifth sisters of Ye Jia didn't know what she was going to do, they obediently followed Ye Jia's instructions and dug out the white crystals from the field.
"Sister, what is this?" Looking at the white gravel, which looked a bit like salt particles, Ye Wumei was curious. She grabbed a little crumb and put it in her palm, wanting to lick it with her tongue to see if it tasted salty.
Before he could lick it, Ye Jia slapped him on the head: "Have you forgotten how Xiaoqi and Xiaoba ate this thing?"
"Oh oh," Ye Wumei immediately remembered that she was stupid, "This thing is poisonous, I forgot."
Fourth Sister Ye rolled her eyes at her and looked at Ye Jia, who was squatting beside a dustpan, reading the broken white crystals, waiting for her to speak. Yu Shi held an umbrella, her brow furrowed tightly. "This is saltpeter. How could we have saltpeter in our house?"
In the hot summer, the palace would use saltpeter to make ice, so Yu was naturally familiar with it.
There was usually this kind of stuff next to the toilet, but not in large quantities. Ye Jia didn't have time to explain. He wrapped his head tightly and went to the toilet to take a look. Although he had expected it wouldn't be much, seeing at least three cubic meters of saltpeter, Ye Jia still raised an eyebrow. Ye Simei pulled the two children aside, not letting them get too close.
Ye Jia looked at it for a long time and gave the people at home only one task: to wash out all the saltpeter.
Ye Jia didn't remember exactly how the bomb was made, but she knew its composition. She'd recently asked Bazatu to find someone who knew how to make firecrackers. Now was the perfect time to use them. While the saltpeter wasn't enough to make many, the entire Beiting area wasn't the only place with saltpeter near the Shen family mansion's toilet; there were probably mines.
"Xiao Li, go to the base." Ye Jia stood up and said, "Tell Bazatu to bring over those firecracker makers we found."
Xiaoli was stunned and immediately said yes.
The station wasn't far from the Zhou residence, and soon four people arrived. Ye Jia had the housekeeper find a place for them to stay, not far from the Zhou residence. He instructed the firecracker makers to make large firecrackers for maximum explosion power.
"Try it first," Ye Jia had only one request, "the bigger the explosion, the better."
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