Chapter 126
Taking over Dayan seemed to be as quick as expected, and Zhou Ye had no determination to fight for it.
He had been on the throne for nearly six years, yet he hadn't done a single thing an emperor should do. The imperial examination system was ineffective, he appointed corrupt officials to disrupt the court, and he indulged himself in romantic affairs, neglecting state affairs. During his six years on the throne, taxes and levies grew heavier with each passing year. The aristocratic families, previously suppressed, grew like a tumor on the lifeblood of Great Yan, rapidly eroding its vitality. The vast imperial court became a battleground for power and profit, leaving the people in dire straits.
As the saying goes, those who are righteous enjoy many supporters, while those who are unrighteous have few. Zhou Jingchen's rise to overthrow the Longwu Emperor was in line with the people's wishes, and his purge of the court was in line with popular sentiment. In less than two months, he completely consolidated the court. Those aristocratic families in Yanjing who could not escape were purged one by one. Those who suffered greatly from this went to the Meridian Gate daily to watch, applauding the sight of corrupt officials being slaughtered.
Zhou Ye and his gang finally evaded the search and escaped from Yanjing.
Of the nearly 30,000 Imperial Guards who had been withdrawn, half were assigned to escort Zhou Ye's escape, while the other half served as bait, drawing the border troops out of Yanjing. A fierce battle ensued in the Qinling Mountains, resulting in 10,000 casualties and over 9,000 captured. By this time, Zhou Ye, escorted by the Imperial Guards, had already crossed the Huai River and fled south to the Yangtze River. He had captured Huizhou, centered around Anqing Prefecture, and planned to divide Great Yan into two, using the water as a dividing line.
But reality wasn't as rosy as he'd imagined. There was no respite on the run. Zhou Jingchen was busy rectifying the court and couldn't spare the time to punish the fallen dog, but that didn't mean he could let Zhou Ye, who had plagued Dayan for six years, escape.
The road to escape was filled with swords and spears, and the local people also acted as the court's spies, constantly informing the court of the situation. Zhou Ye and his group hid from place to place, like rats crossing the street, suffering unspeakably.
During this period, Gu Mingyue tried to escape countless times, but was caught by Zhou Ye's men every time.
She no longer possessed the dazzling beauty she had once enjoyed. Zhou Ye had severed the tendons in her hands and feet, leaving her feeling unwell. Deprived of proper care and constantly in fear, she rapidly lost weight. Her cheeks were sunken, her complexion pale, and she looked terminally ill. Zhou Ye's behavior towards her was strange and ambiguous. He clearly despised her deception, yet he insisted on keeping her by his side at all times. He would neither allow her to die nor to live comfortably.
Gu Mingyue was on the verge of collapse. She cried every day and begged Zhou Ye to let her go.
How could Zhou Ye let her go?
After losing his identity as the emperor, he no longer had to deal with those officials, and all his energy was used to torture her. Sometimes Gu Mingyue wished she could just die and be free, but she was still afraid when she really died. She had no choice but to beg Zhou Ye for mercy, so she could only turn to Lin Zeyu for help. Because after his identity was exposed, Lin Zeyu enjoyed all the favors that belonged to her in the past.
Even though he was a man and could not accept Zhou Ye as a man, Zhou Ye still gave him all his love. Lin Zeyu replaced her position and became the second master beside Zhou Ye. She, Gu Mingyue, fell from the sky to the mud.
Gu Mingyue had never felt jealous before, but now she was deeply jealous. She was jealous of Lin Zeyu, and when she couldn't see him, she deeply resented Lin Zeyu.
Not to mention the conflict between Zhou Ye, Gu Mingyue and Lin Zeyu, when the disaster victims in Lingnan headed north, Anqing Prefecture was no longer at peace.
Liu Yuan captured several key Lingnan Army generals and, with Zhou Jingchen's permission, recruited Huang Xuanyun and his men. Huang Xuanyun was a highly skilled general, a valiant warrior and a master of military strategy. Even though the Lingnan Army he led had repeatedly inflicted heavy losses on Zhou Jingchen, he was reluctant to kill him. Fortunately, while Huang Xuanyun was a tough guy, he wasn't blindly loyal. After careful consideration, he surrendered.
No one knew Zhou Ye's absurdity better than the men who actually carried out the work. Huang Xuanyun led his men in holding out, driven by his unwavering loyalty to Great Yan. Now that the dynasty had changed and the emperor had fled, he naturally followed his heart.
Liu Yuan recruited and reorganized Huang Xuan and other Lingnan Army generals, and reorganized the Lingnan Army with a new list to carry out disaster relief.
Yanjing was too far from Lingnan, and disaster relief supplies were too far to transport from the north. They had to be transferred from other regions. Jiangnan, the land of plenty, was occupied by Zhou Ye, and large quantities of supplies could not be transferred. Zhou Jingchen openly sent a letter to Dongxiang Town, asking Ye Jia for food.
During the past six months of the Eastern Expedition, Zhou Jingchen had never missed someone so much. He had never before been one for sentimental relationships, never believing he could be so deeply attached to someone. But now, he felt the intensity of longing. Late at night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, thinking of Ye Jia and the child. But the situation wasn't stable yet, and he didn't dare rush to bring her to Yanjing. He could only suppress his feelings privately.
I sent four or five letters in a row, and while waiting for a reply, I quickly cleaned up the mess.
Meanwhile, the letter arrived in Dongxiang Town, but Ye Jia didn't receive it. After driving the Wuhuan out of Suiye Town, Ye Jia devised a radical plan. The success of the land mines, coupled with the support of powerful crossbows and other weapons, gave Ye Jia confidence in victory. Allowing the Wuhuan to entrench themselves within thirty miles of Suiye Town posed a constant threat. As the saying goes, "One cannot allow others to sleep in vain beside one's bed." If she waited until the Wuhuan had recovered and then returned, the war would be endless. She didn't have the patience to waste time with the Wuhuan; she had to crush these covetous invaders once and for all.
Ye Jia immediately gathered the locals of Suiye Town. The research and development of the drug took a long time, but with the formula, production was much faster. With the locals participating in the production, they had a stockpile of usable drugs within a few days.
The powerful crossbow was deployed on the battlefield that day, and it proved quite effective. Ye Jia planned to quickly produce several more.
As for arrows, the Cheng family's strong support greatly alleviated the shortage of weapons. Although using the same trick twice might greatly reduce its effectiveness, it wouldn't be a bad idea to use it again in a different way.
Ye Jia hurriedly arranged for his men to set traps and dig trenches. Once everything was ready, he would have Chen Shiqing lead a cavalry force in a feint attack. After the feint, they would lure the enemy into a trap and repeat the two strategies they had used in Suiye Town. If the Wuhuan saw through the feint and understood the importance of not pursuing an enemy until they were desperate, these traps would still serve as the first line of defense in the west.
The Wuhuan were indeed a passionate people, and they couldn't stand provocation. If the same tactics were used again, they would still fall for them. As long as the soldiers led by Chen Shiqing cursed them harshly enough, they would still chase them out and fight regardless.
This battle went very smoothly. In less than three days, two-thirds of the five thousand Wuhuan warriors were reduced to nothing.
Less than two thousand men remained, their horses and soldiers exhausted. Oghuz led his garrison troops in pursuit, forcing the Wuhuan to flee a thousand miles, their armor and armor abandoned. As brazen as they had been on their arrival, they left in disarray. Oghuz drove the Wuhuan cavalry west of the Syr Darya River, whereupon the eager Turks subsided.
As Suiye Town finally found a respite, a letter from Yanjing, bypassing Dongxiang Town and arriving at Ye Jia via Libei Town, bypassed Dongxiang Town. The drought in Lingnan seemed to have been evident for a long time. The granary Ye Jia had stored in the Anxi Protectorate finally found a use.
Suiye Town had endured the ravages of several wars, leaving it devastated. However, the earthen forts continued to be built, ensuring a robust defense. Because of his victory against the Wuhuan, Ye Jia became a figure most revered and beloved by the people of Suiye. The locals, especially the women, were eager to follow Ye Jia as their lifelong faith. They even built a shrine and a statue in his honor.
Ye Jia's persuasion was futile, so he simply let them go. He urged the craftsmen to build the earthen fort, ensuring it was completed before the snow fell. Meanwhile, he was contacting Old Man Sun and Lingdang in Khotan to deliver food and fodder to the drought-stricken areas of Lingnan.
At the same time, Yu, who was far away in Dongxiang Town, was looking forward to Ye Jia's return day and night.
She had heard some news about the situation in Suiye Town, but not immediately. She only knew that Suiye had been attacked by the Wuhuan and that there had been an ongoing war. Yu Shi was worried that something might happen to Ye Jia outside, but she didn't dare to disturb or upset Ye Jia. She took little Shubai to her room and took care of him personally, never letting anyone else do anything.
He often wrote letters to Suiye Town, informing Ye Jia in detail about the situation at home and Xiao Shubai, so that she could feel at ease when she was away.
Little Shubai is the easiest child to raise, even compared to Ruijie, who has been well-behaved and sensible since childhood. This child is very quiet, a mirror image of his father when he was young. He rarely cries unless he's hungry or feeling uncomfortable. Now, at almost nine months old, he can already crawl and sit. He's probably fed well, plump and white, and crawls very fast. Sometimes, even Mrs. Yu can't catch him.
"Your father has a stubborn temper. Don't become like him when you grow up." Yu tapped little Shubai's nose and smiled again when she saw the child's eyes brighten. "But it's good for a man to be smart. It's best if he's like your mother. Smart and capable."
Little Shubai perfectly inherited his parents' outstanding looks, adding a touch of Ye Jia's gorgeousness to Zhou Jingchen's already distinguished features. Despite his youth, he's incredibly delicate, captivating. Mrs. Yu had never considered her own appearance captivating, but now, looking at her grandson, she felt he possessed the full beauty of the entire family. He was truly endearing, yet Mrs. Yu occasionally worried, "You're so good-looking, what if you don't like other girls in the future?"
"Aiya~" Little Shubai didn't understand what his grandmother said, so he grabbed Yu's fingers and laughed without teeth.
Seeing him smile, Yu's heart melted: "Smile, smile, smile, you are just like your father!"
With Ye Jia away, Yu, now caring for Rui Jie'er and Xiao Shubai, was much more vigilant. She knew the seriousness of the situation. Zhou Jingchen and Ye Jia were both out fighting the enemy, so she couldn't afford to let anything happen to her family. So, Yu shamelessly asked Bazatu for a team to guard the Zhou family home.
But even with such vigilance, an accident still happened.
One night, Yu, as usual, got up to visit her grandson. As she was about to return to her room, she heard a soft thud from the courtyard. Yu froze, standing still, her ears unconsciously straining to hear the noise. For some reason, she sensed a faint, unfamiliar presence in the courtyard. Her hair stood on end.
Yu lived in the main courtyard, located in the center of the front yard, sharing the same courtyard with Ye Jia. The east and west wings were separated, but the two rooms were actually quite far apart. However, since Ye Jia disliked having too many strangers in the courtyard, the main courtyard had few servants. Aside from a few personal maids, Ye Simei and the Sun brothers lived in the smaller courtyard.
The people in this yard are all here, who else could be in the corner?
Before Ye Jia captured Yang Chenggang, Yu Shi certainly wouldn't have been so vigilant. But that night, Yu Shi felt that the lights were not right. They were getting closer and closer, as if someone was heading towards the main courtyard.
And just as they were approaching the main courtyard, the fire suddenly went out. She pricked up her ears, always hearing the sound of rustling in the courtyard.
She had been feeling a bit sleepy, but she woke up with a start. She pretended nothing had happened and returned to Shubai's room. Without a word, she asked Yingtao and Xiaotao to bring Ruijie'er and Shubai out. The two nurses who were looking after the children came out, half asleep and dressed. They weren't too startled to see Yu bring the children out. They knew that Yu came to check on the children every night, so they were just a little surprised.
"Princess, it's the middle of the night, bring the child out..."
Yu's face turned pale, but she said calmly, "I'll take the child to my room to sleep. I miss him."
As she spoke, she acted as if nothing had happened: "If you two have nothing to do, go to the small courtyard and call the Fourth Concubine, Xiaoqi, Xiaoba, and Brother Junzi to tell them something. I happened to have something I forgot to tell them during the day, and I'm very anxious."
As Yu spoke, she listened vigilantly to the noise outside, her hair standing on end.
Seeing that the two were still dumbfounded and didn't react, she lowered her voice and told them to go immediately, "Hurry up and have the fourth concubine take the two young masters and come to Jianiang's room in the main courtyard without disturbing anyone."
The two wet nurses were a little puzzled as to what had to be said so late at night, but since Yu was the master, they naturally had to do whatever she told them to do.
When Ye Simei hurried over, carrying the two children, the two wet nurses, though unaware of what was going on, realized something was amiss. They followed without making a sound. Ye Simei had also experienced the Yang Chenggang incident, and as soon as Yu Shi's men mentioned Ye Jia's room, she immediately realized what was going on. Knowing this was urgent, she simply brushed off the others and took a side path. As she came, she saw shadowy figures in the yard, as if someone was hiding in the darkness, which frightened her to the point of confusion. She tried to feign composure, but she still showed signs of haste.
As expected, her panic caused the people hiding in the darkness to notice something was amiss. As she was about to take a detour, a dark figure emerged from the darkness and rushed in front of her. Ye Simei screamed in fear, her shrill cry instantly shattering the dead silence of the night.
Xiaoqi and Xiaoba were so frightened that they woke up and opened their mouths to cry. Ye Simei quickly scolded them and stopped them from crying.
The shadowy figure drew a knife from his waist and quickly rushed towards Ye Simei. At this moment, a huge wolf jumped out from the darkness and bit the shadowy figure's arm.
Ye Simei naturally recognized the wolf. Apart from the big wolf named Diandian raised by Ye Jia, the Zhou family had no other dogs.
The wolf howled, and four or five pairs of bright green eyes lit up in the darkness. I forgot to mention that Diandian is now a family wolf. Ever since returning from a six-month trip out in the wild last year, his whereabouts have been a mystery. During the bitter cold of last year, he went out and returned with a litter of puppies. Each one was the size of a palm, whimpering and threatening to freeze to death in the winter.
Diandian personally brought the little creature home, and Ye Jia even specially allocated a room for Diandian and the little creature's family to live in. The wolf cubs grew very quickly, expanding a full size in just a few months. After the Zhou family became wealthy, Ye Jia used to feed them meat, raising them to be fat and strong.
Ye Simei didn't care about anything else. With only a few wolves to stop her, she grabbed her two children and sprinted frantically into the yard. The two nurses, frightened and weak, had already hidden. She couldn't get to Ye Jia's house; there were people ahead, blocking the way. While the others were entangled by the wolves and unable to free themselves, Ye Simei madly rushed to the garden. Thanks to Ye Jia's foresight, he had set up three tunnel entrances in the mansion.
Ye Jia took them through all three entrances. Regardless of whether Ye Simei remembered the location of the rockery or not, she decided to give it a try.
When she was sweating profusely and still hadn't found the entrance, Sun Jun tugged at her sleeve and led her around a small pavilion and into the rockery. Finally, they found the entrance to the tunnel under the rocks of the rockery.
"I remember," Sun Jun said, now almost ten years old and much taller, "Fourth Concubine, come with me."
As he said that, he pulled his brother down the tunnel first.
Ye Simei was trembling all over. She'd run this far carrying two children, truly driven by maternal instinct. When she followed Sun Jun and his brothers down into the tunnel, her limbs gave way and she collapsed to her knees. Little Seven and Little Eight, still unaware of what had happened, clung to their mother, sleepily unable to open their eyes. Sun Jun asked Sun Cheng to hold his sleeve, offering to help Ye Simei hold one child.
Ye Simei looked at his small arms and legs and felt a little hesitant.
"It's too late," Sun Jun said calmly, not like a child. "Fourth Concubine, if you delay any longer and they find us, none of us will be able to escape."
This sentence frightened Ye Simei awake.
Sun Jun took Xiao Qi, the slightly lighter child, from her arms and led her through the underground tunnel. There was no lighting in the tunnel, so Sun Cheng pulled out a tinder from his chest and blew on it. He followed his brother's lead, following his lead. Several people dashed around in the tunnel, their heartbeats pounding like drums. If Ye Jia hadn't walked through earlier with her family, Ye Simei would have died of fright in here.
After many twists and turns, they somehow reached another exit. The fourth sister burst into tears when she saw Yu, Yingtao and Xiaotao holding two children, and the somewhat bewildered wet nurse standing beside them.
A wet nurse, who had been caring for little Shubai, stepped forward and took Xiaoqi from Sun Jun's arms. Ye Simei was about to ask what was going on when Yu made a quiet gesture with her fingers. She ordered Yingtao to climb up quietly and restore the roof of the house to its original state. Then, a second later, there was the sound of a door being pushed open. The quiet footsteps were particularly clear in the darkness, especially right above her head. Her heart skipped a beat.
The man walked around and around, searching for something overhead. Yu's face turned pale, but she still gestured for the others to follow Sun Jun.
After an unknown amount of time of running around down there, Yu walked to the back and felt her limbs go weak and her vision go dark, and finally she saw the exit.
The exit Sun Jun led them through happened to be the one at the edge of the camp. The moment they climbed out, Yu collapsed to the ground. Ye Simei didn't even have time to speak, so she quickly put the child down and went to help. She helped Yu up and pinched her philtrum for a long time before she gradually regained consciousness. The group had broken into the camp late at night, frightening Bazatu.
After finding out what was going on, Bazatu immediately sent a team to Zhou's house. They didn't return for the whole night.
It was not until noon the next day that Bazatu led his men back to the base.
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