Chapter 129
Dad? Ye Jia took a moment to react and realized she was talking about the deceased King Jing.
Speaking of which, Ye Jia had only met one member of the Jing Palace's past. She had long forgotten their name, but it seemed to be an old servant. It was impossible for such a large palace to not have a few members of the past, but Yu had never mentioned them before. It was a rare opportunity for a family member to send a letter, and Yu was so happy that she couldn't help but wipe away her tears. She pulled Ye Jia aside and talked about the old days of the Jing Palace.
Prince Jing was the late emperor's seventh son, born to Consort Shu. He had only two siblings from the same mother. One, the eleventh prince, died of illness in the palace at the age of seventeen. This left only one sister, Jinyun, as Yu Shi referred to her, the Ninth Princess. While the Ninth Princess was not particularly favored during the late emperor's lifetime, due to Consort Shu's continued presence, she was considered neither inferior nor inferior to the other princes and princesses.
When the incident happened in Prince Jing's Mansion, she had already been married far away for many years, so she was not affected.
Over the years, the Ninth Princess hadn't contacted anyone from the Jing Palace. But they were blood relatives after all, and before she married, she had a relatively harmonious relationship with the Yu family. Of course, Yu would be delighted to receive her letter.
Ye Jia heard about the relationship here, but she wasn't moved. However, since Yu was happy, she listened patiently.
"What's the matter with Ninth Aunt's letter?" Ye Jia waited until Yu's mood had calmed down before she slowly spoke. While it might seem a bit unkind, since she didn't show up when Prince Jing's mansion was in trouble, and Zhou Jingchen remembered to send a message to the Zhou residence after he took over Yanjing, Ninth Aunt must be quite astute.
Yu didn't say anything, but handed the letter to Ye Jia.
Ye Jia took it and read ten lines at a glance.
The letter itself was not thick, only two pages. It contained little content, just greetings. It inquired about the Zhou family's well-being in Beiting and provided some information about her situation in Ganzhou. The Ninth Princess had no fiefdom; after her marriage, she had taken up a post in Ganzhou with her husband. Dayan had no rule prohibiting a consort from serving in the government, and the Ninth Consort was the Governor of Ganzhou. The letter emphasized that she and the Governor had two daughters and one son, the eldest daughter being a graceful fifteen-year-old.
Ye Jia's eyes fell on this line of words, and the corners of his mouth curled up faintly: "Mother, the cousin of the Ninth Princess seems to have reached the age of marriage."
Yu paused, wiping her tears, and raised her head. What Ye Jia could see, Yu could see as well. However, Yu had no intention of tightening the relationship. Yun'an was already married, and Jia Niang was more beloved to her than her own son, so she naturally ignored the Ninth Princess' words.
"Now that I'm of age, Jia Niang, please write a letter back to your aunt on behalf of me and Yun An."
When Yu Shi married Prince Jing, they had concubines and maids in their household. This was the custom of the Great Yan imperial family. Before a prince left the palace, he would be provided with a maid to teach him about human affairs. After he left the palace to establish his own household, the Chuxiu Palace would also provide each prince with a maid. Even when marrying a principal wife, concubines would be brought in two weeks in advance. However, Prince Jing's temperament was different from others; he loved his wife dearly.
There were only two concubines in the palace; the rest were rejected by King Jing. After the marriage, he almost exclusively stayed in Yu's room. Only when the Concubine Shu intervened would he visit the concubine's room.
Marrying into the royal family, Yu Shi naturally didn't have any thoughts of a lifelong couple. But she did hope her children could live a life without outsiders interfering with their marital relationship. Only when the couple was harmonious could the family be harmonious.
"Please choose a coming-of-age gift for your cousin on behalf of mother and Yun'an and send it to her." Yu picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and said lightly.
Ye Jia glanced at Yu, smiled, and nodded: "Okay, but we don't have any good things in Dongxiang Town. Don't blame my cousin when the time comes."
"It's okay to blame me," Yu waved her hand, "Our family is struggling financially right now, and we're just trying our best."
Ye Jia laughed and nodded.
However, Ye Jia's coming-of-age gift had not yet been sent, but the person Zhou Jingchen sent to pick up Ye Jia to Yanjing arrived first.
The one who came back to pick them up was none other than Ajiu, who had been accompanying Zhou Jingchen for some time, helping him secretly handle some people or matters. Zhou Jingchen didn't trust outsiders, so he had no choice but to entrust this task to Ajiu, his brother-in-law. Furthermore, Ajiu, like Zhou Jingchen, hadn't seen Ye Jia for a long time, and it would be even longer since she saw Ye Simei and the child. Bringing Ajiu back this time was a win-win situation.
On the day of his return, Ah Jiu briefly explained the situation in Yanjing and Zhou Jingchen's plans to Ye Jia. Ye Jia didn't respond immediately, but simply told him to go back to his room and rest. He would explain more later.
There was no rush to come back and fetch him; it would take at least half a year. Ah Jiu naturally agreed. He didn't even bother eating, as he settled his attendants. Upon returning to the Zhou residence, he immediately carried Ye Simei, who had rushed over after hearing the news, back to his own small courtyard.
"Ouch!" Ye Simei was shocked when her feet suddenly flew into the air.
When she smelled the familiar scent of Ajiu, she covered her chest and took a breath. After thinking about it, she smiled and raised her hand to hit him.
"I'm back." Ajiu hadn't seen Ye Simei for a long time and missed her like crazy.
"Go back to the house and take care of me."
Ye Simei's face turned red instantly after hearing his words.
She stretched her head to look around, catching a glimpse of someone in the corridor cursing him softly. Hearing his rude teasing, she couldn't help but bury her head and face in his, too embarrassed to look at anyone.
The small courtyard was right next to the main courtyard, not far away. Ah Jiu, carrying Ye Simei on his back, strode briskly through the garden and into the courtyard. In the courtyard, Xiao Qi, Xiao Ba, and the Sun Jun brothers—four children of varying ages—were gathered in the center of the courtyard, building a snowman.
Even in the freezing weather, they were dressed thickly, like a pile of earth. The high walls surrounding the courtyard kept the wind out, so it wasn't too cold. Nearby was the wet nurse that Ye Jia had hired to look after Ye Simei's child. The wet nurse was startled when she looked up and saw her mistress being carried in by a foreign man. When she saw Ah Jiu's expression clearly, she immediately swallowed the scream that was about to burst out.
Along the way, before the two of them had time to say a few more words, Ye Simei had already been carried to the inner room by him.
When Xiaoqi and Xiaoba turned around and saw a tall man carrying their mother into the house, they were so frightened that they dropped the snowballs in their hands. They ran after him with their stubby legs, crying as they went. Although the nurse didn't recognize Ajiu, seeing that Ajiu's features were similar to Xiaoba's, she immediately guessed the identity of the visitor and hurried forward to stop the children.
"Mom, mom..." The child became excited when someone stopped him.
"Little Master, little Master, stop messing around!" the nurse said tactfully, holding them back. She held one in each hand, not letting anyone pass. The little ones kept scrabbling forward with their tiny paws, still yelling, "Mother, that bad guy is trying to get me!"
Ye Simei felt her face getting hotter and hotter, and she wished she could suffocate herself to death on Ajiu's back.
The door closed with a click, and then it was bolted with a click. Neither Ajiu nor Ye Simei came out of the room the entire afternoon.
Everyone knew exactly what was going to happen in Xiaokuayuan. Ye Jia found time to prepare dinner. Ye Simei and Ajiu hadn't seen each other for over a year, and since a short absence is like a reunion, they didn't have the time to spare. Seeing that the weather was about right, Yu Shi specially asked the nurse to go and fetch Xiaoqi and Xiaoba. Xiaoqi and Xiaoba had played for a while and forgot about their mother. With Ye Jia keeping them captive, they simply slept with Ye Jia that night.
Not to mention that Ah Jiu showed up again the next afternoon and immediately mentioned that Zhou Jingchen was going to take the whole family to Yanjing. Ye Jia was in a dilemma.
I haven't seen Ajiu for more than a year, and he looks a little different.
While he once held a youthful air, he had now matured into a handsome, well-built man. His figure was tall, strong, and handsome, with deep features. His emerald green eyes were like those of a wolf in the night. Having weathered battle, he had shed his former roughness, like a sword unsheathed, ready to draw blood. However, upon meeting Ye Jia, his demeanor had become much more submissive than before.
Ye Jia didn't say anything. He picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and was thinking.
"...Mom, are you planning on moving back to Yanjing?" Although Beiting's climate and living conditions weren't great, Ye Jia had been there since he'd first seen it, and he felt a certain sense of kinship. He felt a bit reluctant to leave so suddenly. However, Ye Jia understood the current situation. Even with the protection of 7,000 soldiers, the Zhou family had still been repeatedly attacked. It wasn't exactly safe.
Yu sat aside, with a look of reluctance on her face.
Not to mention Ye Jia's reluctance to leave, Yu Shi might not be reluctant either. Although life was extremely difficult during the first three years after arriving in Beiting, Yu Shi's life has been enjoyable since Ye Jia married into the Zhou family. Beiting now has a large number of businesses built by Ye Jia, and if they move away, many things will be difficult to deal with. "Is this urgent?"
"It's best to move as soon as possible." Ajiu didn't have any attachment to his hometown; he just wanted to give Fourth Sister Ye and the child the best life possible. "Zhou Ye fled Yanjing with over 10,000 imperial guards. With his vengeful nature, I'm afraid he won't be able to stop so easily."
As soon as he said this, Ye Jia frowned.
"Besides Zhou Ye, my brother-in-law has been making drastic changes to the aristocratic families in Yanjing. Those aristocratic families that have been entrenched in Dayan for hundreds of years still have some power under their control. Whether it's business or personal connections, it's not that easy to eradicate them." Ajiu frowned and thought for a moment, then spoke bluntly, "If those traitors are determined to make a move on Dongxiang Town, my brother-in-law will be out of reach and it will be very troublesome."
Ye Jia naturally understood the reasoning. Dongxiang Town was now like a glaring target, waiting for someone with ulterior motives to shoot it. Although Zhou Jingchen had already arranged for garrison protection, he couldn't guarantee that it would be foolproof.
The first two times are living examples.
After all, the family was used to living freely here. Suddenly having to move to the strict rules of Yanjing was a natural reluctance. But compared to freedom, the safety of the family was more important. But here was Ye Jia's business, built from scratch and spent nearly three years working hard. It was almost all of Ye Jia's life's work in this world, and it would take a lot of courage for her to let it go so suddenly.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat opposite each other. Ye Jia thought for a long time and sighed: "...The things at hand can't be resolved so quickly, and it will take some time to deal with them. Let me think about it first."
Ye Jia was reluctant to part with these Beiting properties, and neither was Yu Shi. Although she wasn't primarily responsible for them, she had invested a great deal of effort in them. After much deliberation, they knew they had to return. Zhou Jingchen had worked so hard to conquer Dayan; he couldn't just give it away for nothing, could he? If he couldn't, how could Ye Jia, as the hostess, not go to Yanjing?
"...We have to leave." Yu could understand Ye Jia's thoughts.
After a pause, she persuaded, "If Yun'an ascends the throne in the future, you, Jia Niang, will be the Queen Mother of Great Yan, and our Shu Bai will be the Crown Prince. The positions of Queen and Crown Prince must not be relinquished. The country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and neither can the harem be without a master. If you return early now, Jia Niang can also put an end to the thoughts of certain people. If you really can't bear to give up the property in Beiting, you can only choose someone else you trust to take care of it."
Many people in this world are shameless and driven by fame and fortune. They'll do anything for power. With Zhou Jingchen now in a high position, those untouchable old guard will surely do everything they can to maintain their position. Aristocratic families, seeking family status, will resort to sending their daughters to the harem, leveraging nepotism to bind themselves to the new emperor. In other words, there's no shortage of women in Yanjing looking to take advantage of the situation. For example, noble ladies like the Ninth Princess's eldest daughter received exploratory letters even before their son became emperor.
With Ajiu still around, Yu Shi wouldn't say anything too bluntly. But with that look, Ye Jia understood what she meant.
Honestly, Ye Jia didn't think anyone could threaten Zhou Jingchen, nor did he think he would betray her for a woman. But Yu's love and care still made sense to Ye Jia: "...It's not that I won't go back, I'm just going to hold off for now."
Sooner or later, their family would have to go to Yanjing, but there was no need to rush. "How about this? Mother, take little Shubai, Fourth Sister Xiaoqi, Xiaoba, and the others back to Yanjing with Ajiu first. I'll stay here for a while to stabilize the business here, and then gradually move the business to the capital. Secondly, the last attack on the Zhou family hasn't been fully investigated yet, and I'm worried about them leaving in such a confused state."
Thinking about it, Ye Jia looked at Ajiu: "When are you planning to leave?"
Ah Jiu had just returned and hadn't had time to talk to the child. Besides, it was almost the end of the year. After a pause, he said, "It will probably be around the beginning of next spring. It won't be later than March."
If it's the spring of next year, there's no need to rush. Two months will be enough to move the property. "Okay, then, we'll leave in the spring of next year."
With the matter settled, the family felt relieved. Ye Jia thought about it and told Ajiu in detail about the late-night attack on the Zhou family. Ajiu was also a military man, having officially enlisted with Zhou Jingchen. After fighting in several battles, his position by Zhou Jingchen's side was now similar to Li Wenzhu's. If he were to investigate, it would probably be easier.
Ah Jiu had actually heard about this a long time ago. Not long after the Zhou family incident, news reached Yanjing. Zhou Jingchen had ordered a thorough investigation, but the distance was so great that simply sending a message was extremely time-consuming. Ah Jiu had actually come back this time with the intention of investigating this matter.
"I know." Ajiu nodded, "I will start investigating tomorrow."
Ajiu took action in the army, and Ye Jia was also inquiring outside.
Ajiu was very straightforward in his investigations. Once he found a clue, he would arrest the suspect first and then try him, regardless of whether he was right or wrong. With this simple and crude approach, the case was quickly resolved. Ajiu also knew many underworld figures in Beiting, and had connections in both the black and white worlds, which naturally made it very easy for him to find out about the matter.
Yang Chenglie's investigation led him to a deputy general serving as Li Wenzhu's confederate. This deputy general, now a general, was stationed in Luntai in Li Wenzhu's place. He was an old acquaintance of Prince Jing's palace. His surname was Qian, and his name was Qian Datong. He had been loyal to Li Wenzhu through thick and thin for many years. If Ah Jiu hadn't specifically investigated, he wouldn't have been caught.
The reason why Qian Datong attacked the Zhou family remains unsolved, but Ah Jiu discovered several old letters and an account book in Qian Datong's study. The correspondence was with someone in Yanjing, clearly connected to Zhou Ye. The account book's purpose remains unknown, as it's densely packed with names and amounts. Several of the names are Turkic, clearly indicating a close connection between the account book and the Turks.
No one expected to find these things in Qian Datong's mansion.
After finding these things, Ajiu immediately ordered the arrest of Qian Datong. Without giving Qian Datong any chance to defend himself, he dispatched hundreds of soldiers to surround Qian's house unexpectedly and sealed it off.
Ye Jia had no idea that this incident was related to an old case at Prince Jing's Mansion. By the time she received the news, Ajiu had already arrested everyone who needed to be arrested.
Eight years ago, King Jing was accused by Imperial Envoy Wu Min, along with Minister of Works Cai Cong, Grand Protector Ouyang Lin, and Imperial Clan Minister Zhou Gan, of colluding with the Turks and committing treason. Suddenly, the wall fell, and the public outcry spread like wildfire, evidence of his crimes pouring in. The once gentle and refined King Jing was transformed overnight into a despicable villain with ruthless ambitions and a kind face but a bitter heart. Even though King Jing never confessed his guilt, proving his innocence with his death, those with ulterior motives still twisted his story into a self-inflicted apology, a self-inflicted death out of fear of punishment.
The late emperor had intended to protect Prince Jing, but as evidence of his crimes surfaced, victims of his family's bullying came forward one by one to accuse him. Even if the family had a hundred mouths, they would not be able to refute him.
At this point, more than 500 people in Prince Jing's mansion were executed, and all the direct descendants of Prince Jing were exiled.
The case of King Jing was naturally of paramount importance to the Zhou family. Besides ending the chaotic situation in Dayan, Zhou Jingchen's other goal was to clear the unjust accusations against King Jing.
However, eight years had passed since the King Jing's treason case began, and many of those implicated were either dead or retired. Clues had been burned, and witnesses had almost entirely vanished, making the investigation a challenge. Zhou Jingchen, after considerable effort, had only uncovered a few clues. He had hoped to clear King Jing's name once the dust settled, but he hadn't anticipated finding a clue.
He couldn't help getting excited when he received the letter, and his hands gripped the cup so tightly that his fingertips turned white.
"Okay, okay, okay." Zhou Jingchen couldn't help but thank Ye Jia, "Jia Niang is my lucky star, the noble person in my destiny."
In fact, in his previous life, he never found enough evidence to clear the Jing Palace of its guilt. He even bore the stigma of a murderous nature for most of his life. Zhou Jingchen didn't care about his reputation, whether it was good or bad. The opinions of others were irrelevant to him; a clear conscience was all that mattered. But Jing Prince was different; his father was a true gentleman with a clear mind.
The huge palace was empty, and the cold winter wind blew into the palace through the curtains.
Curtains fluttered, and a goose-foot lamp in the corner swayed. Zhou Jingchen stared down, lost in thought, at a small portrait on the table. The portrait depicted a woman, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her face bare, her pink dress a bit disheveled, the collar slightly open. He slowly blinked his raven-feathered lashes, his eyes lowered to shield them from view, yet his expression held a gentleness.
"How cruel..." Zhou Jingchen put away the letter and picked up the piece of paper next to the portrait with the child's footprints printed on it. The footprints were much larger than when the child was first born. He laughed and said, "You don't even want to write one more word."
It's obvious that this little portrait was painted by Yu himself.
In fact, there was no one else in the family who was good at painting besides Yu. The small portrait showed that Ye Jia had just woken from a nap. Zhou Jingchen stared at the small portrait for a long time, feeling the depression in his chest slowly dissipate, and the corners of his red lips unconsciously curled up.
"Come find me quickly! It's so lonely in Yanjing..."
Ye Jia was completely oblivious to Zhou Jingchen's longing. While she occasionally missed him, she was mostly preoccupied with relocating her business. Since she was destined to go to Yanjing, Ye Jia wouldn't delay. These days, while she was transporting her belongings, she also had to keep an eye on the Qian Datong case. As a member of the Jingwang Palace, she naturally had to keep a close eye on her own affairs.
Ajiu has been busy uncovering the connection between Qian Datong and Zhou Ye, while Ye Jia has finally figured out the origins of Yuan Chunsheng and the other two shopkeepers from the Western Market. Yuan Chunsheng is from Anqing Prefecture, Huizhou, and was a servant of the She family, the Huizhou governor's family and the second wife of the Gu family.
As for why he was exiled, it was easier to find out. After several twists and turns, the matter finally came back to Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingxi.
Gu Mingyue, resentful of the Gu family and the She family, who had previously humiliated her, entered the imperial court and, after ascending to power, used Zhou Ye to bring down the She family. Unable to reconcile herself to her childhood as a slave on the She family farm, Gu Mingyue's actions were ruthless. The She family was imprisoned for corruption, the She governor was publicly beheaded, and the rest of the She family was either conscripted or exiled. Most of the family perished.
As the most capable official under Governor She, Yuan Chunsheng was naturally included in the exile list. However, he didn't have much of a master-servant relationship with the She family, and because he had been innocently implicated, he harbored a deep hatred for people like Gu Mingyue. This was why Zhou Jingchen trusted him with this position.
Yuan Chunsheng had no motive to harm the Zhou family. He had shielded Yang Chenglie's men from entering Dongxiang Town, but his lack of thorough investigation allowed someone to exploit the situation. Two of his colleagues, having accepted bribes in advance, turned a blind eye to the incident. Ye Jia hadn't expected the incident to ultimately stem from corruption. He hadn't known about these two men until he investigated, and the investigation left Ye Jia speechless. His original exile to the northwest was due to bribery. Even at this point, he still couldn't change his ways.
Ye Jia was so angry that he ordered the two men to be arrested and taken to the Kashgar County Government. As for Yuan Chunsheng, whose negligence and inaction nearly caused a disaster, Ye Jia immediately revoked most of his power. This incident also taught Ye Jia a profound lesson: strict management systems are essential.
"It's easy to change the country, but hard to change one's nature." Yu sighed after knowing the whole story. "Next time you hire someone, consider their character and behavior."
Ye Jia also sighed. The case was almost complete and they had finished what they needed to clean up.
"Forget it. After the New Year, our family will travel east to meet up with Yun'an." Ye Jia didn't dare to hand over the stall here to others casually. After thinking about it, he called Old Man Sun and Lingdang back.
Old Man Sun wasn't particularly capable of managing things, but he was perceptive and loyal. Lingdang did have some skills, but she needed experience. "When Lingdang returns, have both Lingdang and Qiuyue work with Yuan Chunsheng and learn for a year or two. If they can handle it, that's all the better. If not, we can find someone capable in Yanjing to send over."
Yu was very reluctant, but nodded and looked at the eastern sky: "Yes, it's time for us to return to Yanjing..."
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