Chapter 128
Yang Chenglie's words sounded strange, and the expressions of the people present changed instantly.
Ye Jia frowned. Although it is said that a dying man's words are often kind, she did not quite believe what Yang Chenglie said.
Firstly, the Yang family knelt at the door of the Zhou family to apologize some time ago, and now the whole family is in her hands and is not under anyone's control. Secondly, there are not many people who can threaten Yang Chenglie. Even if Zhou Jingchen dismisses Yang Chenglie, his prestige in the army is still there. However, this does not mean that what Yang Chenglie said is all lies. Unless Yang Chenglie has already defected to the court, it will be harmful rather than beneficial for him to deal with the Zhou family. Thirdly, Zhou Jingchen has set up strict checkpoints everywhere. Bazatu's people have imposed martial law on Dongxiang Town, and outsiders cannot enter Dongxiang Town at all. Unless someone lets you in, it is impossible to sneak outside the Zhou family yard quietly. But the specific truth can only be found out secretly.
"Bazatu, I'll place the people here with you first, and keep an eye on them." There must be loopholes around her.
Ye Jia didn't stay in the dungeon for long. He asked some questions and then planned to leave.
Bazatu agreed, and Ye Jia left the base.
Investigating this matter wasn't easy. Transportation was difficult in ancient times, especially in the bitterly cold northwest. Heavy snow made travel nearly impossible, and mail delivery took months. Information was scarce. Furthermore, Zhou Jingchen and the others were not in Beiting at the time, leaving Ye Jia with no means of reaching the military camp.
After Ye Jia returned home, he ordered someone to take the Yang family to the Zhou family.
The Yang family's elderly couple no longer looked as wealthy as the old official's grandfather had when they first met. The sudden loss of two pillars of support for the family had crushed the family's backbone. Old Man Yang knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face. Without Ye Jia asking, they told him everything.
About three months ago, someone from the Yang family did come.
This man claimed to be a distinguished guest from Yanjing, a distinguished and distinguished person, secretly brought to the capital to investigate the rebellion. He harshly rebuked Yang Chenglie, saying he was an official appointed by the imperial court and should have acted in compliance with the imperial decree, so how could he have colluded with the rebels? After intimidating the Yang family with his power, he claimed that if Yang Chenglie reformed his ways and secretly captured the Zhou family members as hostages for the imperial court, the court would forgive his past misdeeds. Yang Chenglie was not at home at the time, so how could the rest of the Yang family know the current situation? They were immediately intimidated.
Yang Yong, the son of Yang Chenggang, took the order without authorization and secretly contacted Suletu's former subordinates. Together with Lin Zhilan and others, he used Yang Chenglie's name to recruit Suletu's former followers. By the time Yang Chenglie realized that things were not going well, it was too late to stop them. Yang Chenglie was forced to join the Liangshan bandits.
"Your Highness Princess, this is because the child is ignorant and has been bewitched and acted recklessly."
The old man of the Yang family knelt on the ground and kowtowed loudly, tears streaming down his face as he said, "Cheng Lie had no intention of betraying us. He was forced into a desperate situation because someone threatened the lives of the women and children in his family. I beg the Crown Prince's Consort to spare his life."
The Yang family took the blame themselves? Ye Jia's brows raised. Their words coincided with the conclusion of Bazatu's interrogation.
"Who is Yang Chenggang's son?"
This time, the entire Yang family knelt in front of the door to beg for mercy. They were all the elderly, the weak, women and children, and there was no young man.
When asked about this, Mr. Yang's nose felt sore and tears threatened to fall again. Although the whole family was harmed by one person's ignorance, he was still his grandson after all. "Yong'er was taken away by that person some time ago. He said he would be released after the matter was completed. Now I don't know whether he is dead or alive."
Ye Jia frowned, thought for a moment, and asked someone to take the Yang family back.
Regardless of whether Yang Chenglie was actively or passively involved in this matter, the fact that he was caught by Bazatu proved that he was not innocent. Whether the main culprit or the accomplice, he must be punished. Ye Jia was more concerned about the people he mentioned.
Ye Jia never liked to have anyone around her. She was used to being alone, and at most, she would bring a few maids with her for protection. Because of this habit, the Zhou family didn't have many people besides the unarmed women. Furthermore, the Yang family was based in Luntai. Anyone who could come into contact with the Yang family's nephews must also be in Luntai. This made the circle of people around her quite broad.
I don’t know if Zhou Jingchen has received any news about the incident at the Zhou family.
Ye Jia was thinking about sending someone to investigate the shops. While she couldn't reach the military camp, she could send someone to Luntai to investigate. After much deliberation, Ye Jia wrote a letter to Yuan Chunsheng and the others, asking them to help keep an eye on the situation in Luntai.
Ye Jia was secretly investigating who the Yang family was in contact with. At the end of October, Cheng Feng came to visit on behalf of the Cheng family.
The Zhou and Cheng families had signed a three-year cooperation agreement, and now they were in their third year. The Zhou family's status had dramatically changed, becoming the ruler of Beiting and even Dayan. Even if it meant they wouldn't profit at all, the Cheng family would continue the partnership. This year, they were supposed to have negotiated a renewal for the following year, but it was put on hold due to a surprise attack by the Wuhuan. Upon learning that Ye Jia had returned to Dongxiang Town, the Cheng family immediately sent someone to the Zhou family to renew the contract.
Cheng Feng entered the flower hall under the guidance of the housekeeper. After Ye Jia coaxed little Shubai to sleep, she changed her clothes and went to discuss with him.
The Wuhuan withdrew from this route to the Western Regions, and this trade route was restored. The Cheng family was willing to give money to the Zhou family, and this contract renewal was naturally based on the purpose of making concessions and maintaining good relations, so they naturally agreed to any request. The negotiations went very smoothly, and Ye Jia did not intend to take too much advantage. The Cheng family had already made considerable contributions to the fight against the Wuhuan and the defense against the Turks.
Ye Jia is not such a greedy person, and he will still give the benefits that should be given to the Cheng family.
Cheng Feng sat opposite, his pair of bright eyes staring at Ye Jia without blinking, like a snow eagle circling over the prairie.
Ye Jia frowned, but didn't deliberately point it out. After the cooperation was settled, she politely asked the Cheng family to stay for dinner. Although she said she would keep them, anyone with ears could tell that Ye Jia's words were just politeness, yet Cheng Feng agreed without hesitation.
Ye Jia was stunned for a moment, then looked up at him with a half-smile.
"It would be disrespectful for us to refuse the gracious invitation from the Crown Princess." Cheng Feng showed his big white teeth and smiled brilliantly.
Zhang, who had come with Cheng Feng, secretly crushed his feet countless times, but the man seemed unconscious and continued to smile at Ye Jia. Zhang was terrified. However, seeing that Ye Jia showed no disgust, he breathed a sigh of relief.
After the meal, the Cheng family didn’t want to stay at the Zhou family any longer.
The snow had stopped, but Cheng Feng still wanted to wander around the Zhou family compound, reluctant to leave. However, Zhang, the head of the household, was practically frightened to the point of heart failure, and he dragged him away by the ear.
Ye Jiaren, wearing a large banner, stood in the corridor and watched the group walk away, sighing helplessly.
She felt her actions were obvious enough. From her speech to her handwriting, from building a blockhouse for Li Beizhen to raising an army for the Wuhuan. From her behavior to the way she applied for the position. If Cheng Feng wasn't stupid, he should have figured out she wasn't the original owner. But this guy was playing dumb, knowing the truth, and even wised up, not saying it so often. It was hard to even bring himself to tell her if someone pointed it out and kicked him out.
Shaking his head, Ye Jia turned back to teasing the child. Little Shubai, that rascal, could talk now. It was fun to tease him...
…
It snowed heavily in Beiting for a whole winter. When Zhou Jingchen received the news and reported back, it was already the twelfth lunar month.
Let's not even mention Zhou Jingchen's fury and fear upon learning of Yang Chenglie's nighttime raid on the Zhou family. He immediately dispatched his closest confidants to investigate. This incident alone taught Zhou Jingchen a profound lesson. If Ye Jia hadn't planned ahead and dug a tunnel for their escape, the tragedy of his previous life would have surely been repeated. Even Zhou Jingchen, despite his composure, found himself unable to sleep.
He thought it over again and again, and regardless of the fact that the situation in Yanjing was still unsettled, he decided to bring all his family to Yanjing. Only by keeping them under his own supervision could he feel at ease. He could not tolerate losing his family again.
However, things don't always go as smoothly as people expect. The people Zhou Jingchen sent to pick up Ye Jia and others and take them back to Yanjing had not yet arrived when they were attacked again.
However, these men were unable to enter Dongxiang Town, only engaging in a battle with the garrison in a village south of the town. This group's fighting style differed from that of a regular army, each individual possessing exceptional skill in individual combat. It's no exaggeration to say they could defeat a hundred with one. Furthermore, they were extremely difficult to capture, and upon failing to complete their mission, they scattered and fled. Their behavior resembled less that of serious warriors and more that of assassins.
Bazatu's men captured two people, but before they were taken to the base dungeon for interrogation, they bit their tongues and committed suicide on the spot.
Bazatu hadn't figured out who they were, but Ye Jia had a guess. Considering he was surrounded by former Secret Guards like Huanpei Xiaoli, the idea of having assassins wasn't too surprising. However, ordinary families couldn't afford assassins or Secret Guards; only the royal family and the wealthy could afford them. It seemed Zhou Jingchen's aggressive tactics in Yanjing had irritated quite a few people, prompting this kind of retaliation.
Being targeted by thieves so many times was unavoidable, even for the most composed and stoic person. Ye Jia wondered if he should move out and hide the Zhou family. Although Dongxiang Town had strict defenses, the enemy was hidden and we were in plain sight, making us easy targets.
This idea was supported by Mrs. Yu, who was almost frightened by these things. Especially after the birth of little Shubai, she really wanted to grow eyes all over her body and stare at everything: "Jia Niang, have you decided where to move to?"
Ye Jia's idea was naturally to hide in Zhou Jingchen's sphere of influence, but also in a place where he wouldn't be discovered.
After much thought, she naturally chose the Anxi Protectorate. But Yang Chenglie's words had alerted her. If there were anyone with ill intentions around her, she would be discovered wherever she hid. The most urgent task was to apprehend those around her who harbored ulterior motives. Zhou Jingchen would naturally investigate the military, while she would have to investigate individually on her own.
"Before you move out, check the people around you first."
Speaking of which, the origins of those around Ye Jia weren't entirely clear. Huanpei, Xiaoli, Yingtao, and Xiaotao were the maids Zhou Jingchen had brought back, while Laixi, Lingdang, and the others were personally selected from among the abducted women. Needless to say, Old Man Sun and his three grandchildren were locals, with Sun Yushan still garrisoning Libei Town. The later servants were originally from the Shen family, their indentures held by Ye Jia.
In addition, the hundred or so slaves inherited from the Wu family and the hundred or so slaves sent by the Yang family were no longer in the Zhou family, but many of them were capable and were assigned by Ye Jia to work in the shops or on the farmland. The only ones who could come into contact with the outside world were those working in the shops.
However, there were no fewer than thirty people working outside the city who frequently traveled to and from Dongzhen Town and maintained contact with Luntai. Ye Jia, in particular, had been concentrating on dealing with the Wuhuan in Suiye Town. While he also managed his family business, it was only a side job.
Yu frowned, "It will take at least two or three months to find out the cause of this."
Speaking of this, Yu couldn't help but look at Ye Jia with a guilty conscience. She was a little embarrassed to look at him. "In the final analysis, it's because Mother is too useless. When you were away, I should have been the one keeping a close eye on things. But such a huge mistake happened, and it almost ruined the whole family."
"Mother is very vigilant for being able to protect the family." Yu Shi had been pampered her entire life, having previously been in charge of little of the affairs of Prince Jing's mansion. Despite the hardships she'd endured, her heart remained pure. Ye Jia couldn't really blame her. "We had to investigate. Most of these people around here are from outside, and they should have been thoroughly screened, but the war delayed us. This will serve as a lesson for us."
Screening is actually not difficult. Let Bazatu cooperate and focus on checking the people who entered the Zhou family shops in Dongxiang Town before and after the Zhou family incident. If we expand the time period, we should be able to find them.
Although there is no surveillance these days, those who are assigned to guard the checkpoints naturally have good eyesight.
Ye Jia's investigation ultimately led her to three. Around the time of the Zhou family incident, Yuan Chunsheng frequently sent large numbers of people in and out of Luntai's Dongxiang Town, transporting goods and supplies. Each trip involved over twenty people, and many of these individuals, as confirmed by the garrison, had been involved in the attack on the Zhou family. Indeed, they had slipped through the checkpoints and entered Dongxiang Town under the guise of transporting supplies.
Two other exiles from Xichang, whose knowledge and skills had led Ye Jia to work in the shop, were also involved in the supply transport. It was later confirmed that they were also connected to Yuan Chunsheng.
To be honest, Ye Jia was really shocked when he found out about Yuan Chunsheng.
Yuan Chunsheng had played a significant role in the Zhou family's expansion and development. The shops and much of the food supplies within the Great Wall were secretly transported from there by Yuan Chunsheng. In other words, Zhou Jingchen's smooth conquest of Yanjing was largely due to his contribution. What was his purpose in attacking the Zhou family after Zhou Jingchen had already taken Yanjing?
Ye Jia couldn't accept this result.
In fact, after finding out this, not only Ye Jia was shocked, but even Bazatu found it unbelievable.
"Could it be a mistake?" Bazatu and Yuan Chunsheng had some connections. Occasionally, when the Zhou family couldn't do something, he would help out. The two had actually had the opportunity to work together many times.
Ye Jia frowned deeply and remained silent for a long time. The truth of the matter would be revealed through evidence.
"Send a message first, keep it quiet, and tell them not to rush into any charges." Ye Jia pondered for a long time, feeling she couldn't just condemn him. If there were other hidden secrets, she could consider it. "Thoroughly investigate Yuan Chunsheng's background and the lives of these three people."
Yuan Chunsheng needs to be investigated, and the other two also need to be investigated.
Bazatu would naturally investigate thoroughly. Ye Jia felt that something was odd about the situation, a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on. Yuan Chunsheng was someone Zhou Jingchen had brought back, and Zhou Jingchen was known for his caution and meticulousness. He wouldn't have sent him to her if he hadn't known the details. Was there something she'd overlooked?
Ye Jiasi was puzzled and it was already late when he returned home.
She hurriedly walked down the corridor and bumped into Yu, who was holding something and looking so excited that tears were streaming down her face. Ye Jia was stunned for a moment and called out to Yu. Yu wiped her tears and said happily, "Jia Niang, Jinyun has sent a letter."
"Jinyun?" This was the first time Ye Jia heard the name and he felt a little confused.
Yu came over and took Ye Jia's hand as they walked into the house. "Jinyun is your aunt, the late emperor's ninth princess, and your father's biological sister."
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