Chapter 46
The gossip was harder to eradicate than expected. I had thought that punishing a few gossipers would be enough to intimidate this group of ignorant and untouchable people.
As a result, the more brutal his methods were, the more outrageous the rumors became.
Not only Chen Hai, but even the other people in the camp who had some connection to the bandits were terrified upon hearing this. Chen Hai had been acting like a firecracker lately, regularly throwing tantrums in the camp, leaving no one in his presence vulnerable. Everyone in the North Camp was now terrified, fearing that a single minor misstep would lead to their downfall.
However, before the rumors were suppressed, another crisis arose. Someone from above arrived. It was Lin Zhilan, the Grand Protector's most capable clerk, responsible for the Protectorate's paperwork and the performance evaluations of subordinate generals.
Great Yan followed the system of three provinces and six ministries. Besides the emperor's power of appointment and dismissal, the Ministry of Personnel also assumed primary responsibility for appointing and dismissing officials. Normally, the promotion and demotion of military officers also fell under the Ministry of Personnel's jurisdiction, but border regions like the Beiting and Anxi Protectorates were exceptions. Due to the harsh cold and the distance from Yanjing, the court, to save time and effort, delegated the appointment, dismissal, and removal of officials in these areas to the Grand Protectorate.
The Grand Protector was stationed in Luntai, a thousand miles away from the Governor's Office. The Grand Protector was busy with official duties and didn't have to personally handle everything. Most matters like appointments and transfers were delegated to his subordinates. Often, promotions came down to the words of these individuals.
However, on the first day of Lin Zhilan's arrival in Dongxiang Town, she was picked up by Niu Buqun, a lieutenant from the West Camp. Shen Hai was a step too late to pick her up, and with rumors swirling around town, he panicked, and chaos ensued.
That morning, after training the troops, Shen Hai called all his trusted associates into the main tent.
Zhou Jingchen, a newly promoted composer, wasn't originally qualified. But Chen Hai, for some reason, thought showing intimacy would win people over, or perhaps he was desperate and called Zhou Jingchen and Liu Yuan along.
They called it a discussion on the survival of Beiying.
Chen Hai possessed no other talents, but his tongue was quite incendiary. He set aside the question of whether or not he could seize the throne this time, and instead delved into the long-standing feud between the North and West Camps. Over the years, the two camps had engaged in ruthless backstabbing and backstabbing, a common occurrence. Chen Hai didn't need to dwell on this; everyone present knew the truth. However, Chen Hai's words weren't superfluous; they were simply a reminder to everyone to put aside their ulterior motives. Their current situation was entirely his responsibility; if he fell, no one would reap the consequences.
He was startled at first, noticing a change in the expressions of several people. Only then did he calm down, taking a deep breath, and expressing his concern. Finally, he promised himself that if he could overcome this difficult time, he would never forget the support of those around him, and would support them in the future if given the opportunity.
Of course, these words are naturally said to the newcomers.
There were only two newcomers here: Zhou Jingchen, who had just been promoted, and Liu Yuan, who hadn't spoken a word the entire time. Chen Hai was a master at forming cliques, and he readily offered favors like these: "I, Chen Hai, value friendship and loyalty, and I'm always looking out for those around me. If I take a bite, you'll take a bite. Only if I rise to the top will our North Camp be safe from the clutches of others."
He wasn't exaggerating. While Shen Hai was known for his greed and ruthlessness, if he wanted these trusted aides to work for him, something would inevitably slip through their fingers. Otherwise, who would want to work for him without some benefits? Besides, to prevent them from betraying him, he'd have to have leverage over them.
In other words, if Shenhai collapses, everyone will be finished.
When the news of Lin Zhilan's presence in the West Camp reached them, it wasn't just Shen Hai who was panicking; those shady people below him also felt somewhat worried. Now that Shen Hai had made his decision, the others naturally had to think of a solution.
Someone suggested secretly exposing all the dirty laundry the West Camp had done over the years. However, the suggestion was dismissed the moment it was uttered. The evidence they had on the West Camp would also be used against the North Camp. If they dared to expose it, the North Camp wouldn't sit idly by. If things went wrong, far from a clear winner, both sides would likely suffer losses.
The northwest lacked everything except generals. Seventh-rank lieutenants like Shen Hai and Niu Buqun were plentiful. If something unexpected happened, and the higher-ups revoked their eligibility to take over and sent someone else directly, they would be truly finished.
Someone else suggested catering to her preferences. Someone heard that Lin Zhilan had a lust for beautiful women.
If one wanted to win someone over, the natural choice was to send a beautiful woman to Mr. Lin. But such a beautiful woman wasn't easy to find. Dongxiang Town was such a vast area, how could such a remote and impoverished village produce such a beautiful woman? One had to look outside. Someone mentioned a pair of sisters who had recently arrived on East Street to do business. Their skin was as white as jade, their figures were slender, and they were incredibly beautiful.
As soon as these words fell, Zhou Jingchen in the corner slowly raised his drooping eyelids. His eyes were gloomy under his crow-feather-like eyelashes.
After a pause, someone nearby casually mentioned, "I heard that woman is already married. If you're sending a beauty, don't send her. If you're going to send her, send the freshest and most beautiful one. It's probably not a good idea to send a married woman. I heard that Lin Zhilan is Han Chinese, so she might be a little bit taboo in this regard."
Zhou Jingchen and Liu Yuan looked at each other, and Liu Yuan raised his eyebrows silently.
"Lin Zhilan is indeed Han Chinese. Scholars from Jizhou place the highest value on a woman's chastity." Upon hearing this, someone immediately remembered Lin Zhilan's past. They were now gathering their wisdom, so any news they had couldn't be hidden.
As soon as the words fell, someone said, "If Lin Zhilan values a woman's chastity, then sending her a beauty would not be a bond but an enmity."
The person who made the suggestion opened his mouth and immediately lost his composure.
The argument went on and on without any result. Chen Hai was so angry that he pointed at their noses and cursed: "A bunch of useless people! Is hanging a head around your neck just for decoration?"
The useless ones could only duck their heads and endure the scolding, while Zhou Jingchen and Liu Yuan listened intently from behind. Fortunately, Shen Hai didn't need them to intervene. He'd only invited them aboard to demonstrate his importance. It was also a way to bring them aboard, to show them that they were all in this together. Don't let any lingering grudges about the bandit suppression cause any trouble for him.
"Aside from these methods, there are no other ways? There are no other ways?" Shen Hai snapped his fingers. If he wasn't afraid to act rashly, he would have wanted to have Niu Buqun executed overnight. "Since you're giving me a beauty, why don't you go find her for me right away?!"
Shen Hai waved his hand in disdain and told everyone to get out. As soon as the curtain was lowered, there was another sound of porcelain falling to the ground.
After leaving the tent, everyone left in a hurry with gloomy faces.
Zhou Jingchen now occupied a separate tent, located at the outermost edge of the officers' tent area. He lowered his sword from his waist, his expression gradually darkening. He stared at a spot, narrowing his eyes slightly. After a moment, he stood up and headed for Sun Yushan's tent.
In the afternoon, Sun Yushan left the camp.
Lower-ranking soldiers were forbidden from entering or leaving the camp easily, but officers above the rank of flag bearer were exempt. He went to East Street alone, avoiding detection. He first ate a meal of beef at a delicatessen on West Street, then wandered the streets. Before returning to camp, he had his fortune told at a fortune-teller's stall. Sun Yushan knocked twice on the stall, then leisurely returned to camp, carrying a jar of wine.
After two days, the rumors took on a new flavor. The rumors that had not been suppressed before became more and more credible.
Originally, rumors were circulating that high-ranking officials in the garrison were colluding with the bandits, but now it was escalating to the point where high-ranking officials in the North Camp were colluding with the bandits, accepting bribes and abusing the people. With rumors that pointed the finger at names, how could Shen Hai sleep soundly?
These rumors were so bad that they were almost pointing at his nose and blaming him!
Shen Hai was so angry that he summoned his subordinates and confidants to investigate overnight.
How big is Dongxiang Town? They could find out about any little movement. Besides, Shen Hai had been keeping an eye on Niu Buqun, so he'd be notified immediately of any disturbance. Niu Buqun was clearly behind this, and Shen Hai was so angry he nearly killed him with a knife.
He immediately issued an order to teach Xiying a lesson: "He is unkind and I am unjust. Niu Buqun will do anything to get to the top. I am not afraid of him!" Shen Hai was furious. He had thought the overall situation was not exposed for what Xiying had done. Niu Buqun was a bastard and was playing him like a fool!
"He dared to throw all the dirty water on me, so don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Shen Hai immediately fought back.
In fact, Zhou Jingchen had indeed found quite a bit of stuff when he searched the tent that day. Besides the correspondence between Chen Hai and Su Gan, there was also an account book. All the loot Su Gan had robbed over the years was accounted for, and the names listed in the account book were all the people who had given money to him over the years.
Among them was Niu Buqun.
In fact, this situation makes sense if you think about it carefully. West Camp has a greater geographical advantage than North Camp. West Camp is located in a more forward position, between Libei Town and Dongxiang Town. It is less than ten miles away from Zhangjiaqiao. On the night of the Zhangjiaqiao massacre, West Camp remained completely silent. If this matter were to be brought up, West Camp's indifferent attitude would be untenable, no matter what excuse they might offer.
If the West and North Camps hadn't jointly covered up the massacre of the two villages, it would have caused an uproar. As the commander of the West Camp, Niu Buqun would bear the brunt of the blame. It would be even easier for Shen Hai to retaliate against Niu Buqun: he could just expose the incident.
Sure enough, when the news of more than 300 murders in Zhangjiaqiao and Yujia Village came to light, Lin Zhilan moved out of the Niu Mansion overnight.
Within three days, the superiors immediately sent people to investigate the matter.
Three hundred deaths is no small matter; no one can bear responsibility for such a serious matter. Lin Zhilan was indeed greedy for beauty, and the two beauties Niu Buqun had given him, however beautiful, could not compare to the official hat on his head. Naturally, he had to disassociate himself from the matter early on.
Naturally, Niu Buqun was furious about what Shen Hai did.
These two men were alike; one unkind and the other naturally unjust. If Shen Hai dared to stir up a hornet's nest, he would do it to the bitter end. Niu Buqun directly submitted evidence of Shen Hai's collusion with the bandits, claiming that it was Shen Hai who was the true colluder and that his actions were a frame-up.
Chen Hai was thankful that Zhou Jingchen, Liu Yuan, and the others had decisively eliminated the horse bandits. Without witnesses, no matter what they said, it would be groundless. Furthermore, the bandits still had their ears in the North Camp. No matter how the higher-ups investigated, he could only insist that he hated the bandits so deeply that he had gathered his strength for years to finally capture them. Niu Buqun was the one who had truly framed them.
Niu Buqun had evidence, as did Chen Hai, but Chen Hai's evidence, combined with his record of suppressing bandits, was more tenable. In addition to the correspondence, Chen Hai also had a clearly documented account book.
The two camps in the northwest were fighting fiercely. If there was any noise, everyone in Dongxiang Town would feel insecure.
After a full month and a half of turmoil, the entire West Camp group, led by Niu Buqun, was finally dismissed and investigated. The West Camp was now in chaos, while the North Camp had barely escaped disaster. Shen Hai had successfully defeated Niu Buqun, but he didn't take the top job. He had done nothing about the massacres at Yujia Village and Zhangjiaqiao, and while he wasn't primarily responsible, he was implicated. He was reprimanded, his promotion plans put on hold, and he was fined three years' salary.
The matter of merging the two camps into one has been put on hold for the time being, and personnel will be transferred from the Grand Protectorate soon.
Not to mention that Shen Hai was pissed off over this, all his hard work went to waste, and his path to promotion was cut short. If he had known this would happen, he would have continued to live in peace with Niu Buqun. With the change in circumstances, Shen Hai no longer had the energy to think about anything else, and began to worry about the new boss being difficult to deal with. The most important thing was that he would discover something was wrong with Hongshan. The western trade route had been cut off, and the Zengqing Mine in Hongshan was Shen Hai's lifeblood. Shen Hai would not allow anyone to covet it, and if a newcomer dared to touch his lifeblood, he would dare to stop him and kill him.
The days passed in the blink of an eye, and the big commotion in the two camps did not cause much impact on ordinary people.
Officials are officials, and the people are the people. As long as there's no war, and taxes and agriculture aren't affected, the people's lives will remain the same. The Zhou family went about their business every day, and aside from noticing more soldiers and officers on the streets, and their hurried pace, nothing else had changed much. Zhou Jingchen hadn't been home for two months, and Mrs. Yu was worried but didn't dare go to the camp. Sun Yushan had come to say hello, telling them not to go near the camp unless necessary.
Although Ye Jia didn't know the inside story, Sun Yushan's personal visit was definitely not without purpose.
But there was a twist. The day Sun Yushan arrived at the Zhou residence, he happened upon Old Man Sun, who had heard the noise and opened the door. Sun Yushan was overjoyed to finally find his father, whom he had been searching for for days. Besides his father, his two nephews were also being well-fed at the Zhou residence. They looked much better than when they were raised at home—taller and stronger.
Sun Yushan cried with joy and almost knelt down to kowtow to Ye Jia on the spot, thanking her for saving his father.
Ye Jia felt embarrassed by his solemn thanks, and quickly helped the man up and exchanged a few polite words. Then he stepped aside and told Sun Yushan and his son to go back inside to talk.
Old man Sun didn't hesitate and took Sun Yushan to his house.
It's unclear what the father and son said afterward, but when Sun Yushan came out again, he looked at Ye Jia with a look of much greater respect. He didn't say anything about how he couldn't repay his kindness, but before leaving, he vaguely briefed Ye Jia on the situation at the camp. He highlighted the arrival of a lecherous officer. Ye Jia pondered this for a long time, and hasn't even ventured near the camp in the past few months.
The days gradually became stable, and knowing that there would be no war, Ye Jia finally opened a shop on East Street.
Not far from the tile market, she had spent a long time looking at a shop opposite the entrance. The owner was moving out of Dongxiang Town, so the shop and land were all sold. However, since they were in no hurry, they offered a very high price.
How high is that? Let's put it this way. Ye Jia originally bought a house with five main rooms, two small rooms, a large kitchen, a cellar, and a large courtyard. Even with such a large plot of land, far from the main street, it was still a good deal, and he only spent a little over twenty taels. Now, this shop, less than a third the size of the house, costs twenty taels. Not a penny less.
Ye Jia spent a lot of time and effort trying to convince him, but his lips were worn out. Both the trafficker and the shop owner were very adamant, insisting that the location was prime and business was booming. He also suggested that twenty taels was a low price.
Yu thought that if she couldn't get this shop, she would change to another one, but Ye Jia really liked this location, so she finally compromised.
After buying it for twenty taels, there was nothing inside. The shop owner was really stingy and had dismantled everything that could be removed. If Ye Jia wanted to open a shop, he would have to renovate it and build furniture from scratch. The shop didn't have a sign, so after discussion, they decided to keep the name Xishi Stall, mainly to attract customers to the shop. Before reopening the shop, Ye Jia built furniture and repaired it, and he also spent about ten taels on various things.
The day before the shop was acquired, Yu suggested having a grand opening banquet to celebrate.
At the end of August, two deliveries of fragrant soap were made. Linglong Rouge Shop received 180 taels, while the shop in Lihua Lane, which wanted more, received 200 taels directly. With 380 taels in hand, Ye Jia naturally felt generous with her savings. She thought carefully, everyone had been busy lately. She had to manage business while also keeping an eye on the shop, so she really deserved a proper celebration.
He nodded immediately: "A whole table of good food! I'll go buy some beef from the stall tomorrow and we can have a good meal!"
As soon as the words fell, the whole yard cheered.
Since moving into the Zhou household, the three of them, including Fourth Sister Ye, Fifth Sister Ye, Old Man Sun, and their grandson, have enjoyed a meal of meat every few days. Now, their daily worries aren't about having enough to eat or catching something thick, but rather about what fresh food they'll get to eat today. Life has no other aspirations than to have enough to eat well. They truly live a happy life every day.
Originally, Ye Simei and Ajiu were supposed to move out once Ajiu's injuries had healed. However, there was a major movement at the garrison, and Zhou Jingchen even sent people to warn them to proceed with caution, as soldiers were frequently traveling between the North and West Camps. Furthermore, Simei's belly was incredibly large. Ye Jia, seeing it looked like twins, couldn't bear to see her traveling back and forth with such a large pregnancy, so she asked Ajiu and his wife to stay until Simei gave birth.
Ah Jiu was naturally full of gratitude, but he felt bad that his whole family was eating and drinking at Ye Jia's expense. He had already found a courtyard, in an alley behind the town's East Street. He planned to move in with his family after Ye Simei gave birth.
This was done for the sake of Ye Simei's health and the child, and also because he, a man who grew up alone, didn't understand women giving birth. At least the Zhou family had Yu, who had given birth to several children, so if there were any problems with the child's birth, there would be someone who would understand.
Having bought a house, he wasn't very wealthy these days. Ajiu didn't offer any empty promises about repaying his wife and family's kindness when he had more money. He simply remembered the kindness he had shown his wife and family. He tried to help with any chores he could. When Ye Jia went out on business, and Yu Shi couldn't go with him, he would go along, acting as both a laborer and a bodyguard.
Speaking of which, the reason why Ye Jia, with his looks and figure, was able to walk around the town without getting into any trouble was because Ajiu had secretly dealt with many people.
Ye Jia's looks meant she had to cover her face completely, or else she'd be harassed by some unscrupulous lecher. He'd never encountered anyone harassing him before, either because he was lucky or because he rarely frequented chaotic places. Lately, Ye Jia had been frequenting Lihua Lane to forge a long-term partnership with Cheng Linfang. With each visit, he'd always run into one or two fearless individuals.
Ah Jiu's attacks were much more brutal. He was a skilled martial artist with a ruthless nature. He would often have his hands and feet severed if he dared to cross him. If he wasn't afraid of causing trouble, he would have dared to kill. His ruthlessness also scared off those who coveted Ye Jia.
Ah Jiu didn't say these things, and Ye Jia knew some of them and some of them didn't. However, because of this, the Zhou family usually took good care of Ye Simei.
After closing up shop that day, Ye Jia went out and bought three pounds of beef, along with various vegetables that were on sale. He planned to close the shop tomorrow and officially reopen the day after tomorrow, focusing on business from now on.
A large load of delicious food was brought home in a bullock cart. Ye Jia sat on the cart and Ajiu followed behind it.
As soon as they reached the gate, they heard laughter and chatter from the courtyard. The gate was open, and before Old Man Sun could stop the ox cart, a dark figure suddenly appeared from the courtyard. It was so fast that it leaped onto the ox cart.
Ye Jia laughed and called out to Diandian. Diandian put her paws on Ye Jia's shoulders, licked her twice, and then got off the ox cart.
Old Man Sun drove the ox cart into the yard, and Ah Jiu went forward to unload the things. Ye Jia looked into the yard and saw another person there. The person had changed into the uniform of an officer and sat in front of Yu Shi with his back to Ye Jia. Perhaps because he was too tall, he sat with his legs bent on a wooden bench that had been built in the yard only last month. He turned around when he heard the noise. It was Zhou Jingchen, whom he had not seen for a long time.
Yu also heard the noise and turned around: "Jia Niang, Yun An is back."
Ye Jia said "Oh" and walked over. Yu Shi, who hadn't heard anything, was smiling so much that her eyes wrinkled. Seeing her approach, she stood up immediately. "A lot has happened in the camp. Yun An is now a military commander. He finally found time to come back today."
As she spoke, she patted Ye Jia's hand: "Yun An hasn't washed up before coming back. I'll go boil some hot water for him."
Honestly, after not seeing him for a few months, Zhou Jingchen looked much more handsome. He used to have a youthful air, but perhaps because he'd been through a rough patch lately, he'd lost some weight. His clear jawline had become noticeably thinner, and he looked like a fairy from a painting.
He looked up at Ye Jia and blinked: "I didn't wash my hair, so you saw how unkempt I am."
Ye Jia: "..." It's not like they have a relationship where they have to wash their hair before they can see each other.
Ye Jia nodded. She wanted to ask him how he'd been doing over the past few months, but then she thought it would be a bit unkind of her to keep asking him questions after he'd just returned. She decided to at least give him a break and went back to her room to change.
As she turned and left, Zhou Jingchen, who was sitting on the chair, blinked and met Ajiu in the yard.
As brothers-in-law, they rarely spoke. The last time they spoke was before the incident, when Zhou Jingchen came to his room and asked him to look after the women of the Zhou family. The two nodded from a distance, and Ajiu carried the things to the kitchen.
Zhou Jingchen lowered his eyes, stood up slowly, and returned to Ye Jia's room.
When he entered the room, Ye Jia was rummaging through things and happened to open a package on the bed.
She had been rummaging through things carelessly, and just as she opened it, she realized it wasn't hers and was about to close it. But then, by chance, she glanced at something familiar. She picked out the bright red fabric from among Zhou Jingchen's clothes. This familiar fabric, this familiar shape... She frowned and looked at it carefully. After discovering a familiar pattern on the bright red fabric, Ye Jia raised her eyes and looked at Zhou Jingchen who had just entered the room.
Ye Jia's strange eyes swept over him, and Zhou Jingchen felt a chill on his back for no reason.
Zhou Jingchen composed himself and said calmly, "...What's wrong?"
"Where did you get this?"
Ye Jia narrowed his eyes, and his gaze was so sharp that it seemed as if it could pierce through the underwear thief in front of him.
Zhou Jingchen blinked, his cheeks flushing the moment his gaze fell on the pink dress. He quickly entered the house and closed the door behind him. Awkwardly, he walked to the window and lowered it, then lowered his voice and said, "You sent it to me."
Ye Jia: “???”
She thought she was hallucinating or her brain was broken, so she asked again: "What did you say? Say it again?"
"You sent it to me, how else could I have gotten it?"
Ye Jia: “…”
Zhou Jingchen slowly walked to the table, took the clothes from her hands and folded them carefully.
Ye Jia was shocked: "????"
Zhou Jingchen stood before Ye Jia like a tall, straight bamboo. He gazed down at her with a condescending yet composed gaze. Understanding, yet a blushing expression escaped him. He spoke softly, yet his shyness was barely concealed. "But Jia Niang, please be more reserved when giving me things from now on. Never send private things like this again. If someone unruly enough opens your package without permission, I'm afraid it will be hard to explain..."
Ye Jia's face suddenly turned red.
"If you must give it to me, give it to me personally." He coughed lightly and turned his face away, the tips of his ears red as if dripping with blood.
She glanced around and caught sight of a piece of paper wrapped around something on the table. She dashed over, grabbed it, and tore it into pieces. Then she rushed back, scattering the paper in front of Zhou Jingchen's eyes.
Zhou Jingchen blinked: "???"
"Did you see that?" Ye Jia grabbed his collar and forcibly pulled him up to his own altitude. Blushing, he gritted his teeth, "Snow falling in June, thunder roaring in winter! Did you hear that? Dou E outside is crying out of anger. Did you hear what she's crying about?"
Zhou Jingchen breathed in the scent of the woman so close to him, the soft fragrance of pear blossoms. His thick eyelashes trembled rapidly: "...Hmm? Who is Dou E?"
Ye Jia grabbed his cheeks viciously. "The point isn't who Dou E is. The point is, she's crying. She's crying. I'm wronged! I'm wronged, you fake gentleman!"
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
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