Chapter 72
After a heavy snowfall, the sky finally cleared up.
The tile market in Dongxiang Town hadn't opened yet, but many shops had already opened on both sides of the street. People were shoveling snow daily, clearing the roads for people to pass through. After Yang Chenglie cleared out Chen Hai's former subordinates, he took Yao Lilai, the magistrate of Kashgar County, back to Luntai.
Yang Chenglie will not stay in Dongxiang Town for long. He only came here for the Zengqing Mine matter and will return immediately after taking care of the matter.
This man had served the Grand Protector since his rise to power, becoming one of his most trusted confidants and highly regarded by his superiors. During his journey to Kashgar County, he held the Grand Protector's seal, enabling him to exercise some of his powers. He came from humble origins, possessed a fierce temper, and held a deep hatred for evil. He was deeply displeased with the young men of aristocratic families meddling in the affairs of the northwest, and so he took action against Shen Hai and his group of idlers.
He represents the Grand Protector here, and it is legal and reasonable for him to deal with the Shenhai lineage.
The Shen family boasted of having high-ranking officials at court to protect them, but the head of the Shen family was only a third-rank official. How could he possibly contend with a second-rank Grand Protector General commanding 400,000 troops? Furthermore, the Shen heirs who were causing trouble in Kashgar were commoners, and despite their noble birth, they simply relied on their power to bully others. Suletu, who disregarded even the court, couldn't possibly be afraid of the son of a third-rank civil servant.
Now that Yang Chenglie had stepped in to take charge, the Shen family naturally had no choice but to leave with their tails between their legs.
Once those who were in the way were dealt with, the only thing left was to reward them according to their merits. In this part of Northwest China, the most important thing for those in power was to clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments. Without this, how could subordinates truly serve the people?
The higher-ups had already noticed Zhou Jingchen during the previous bandit suppression operation. They had previously withheld any recognition for his achievements, considering his recent service and the fact that he was still under observation. This was to prevent the young man from becoming arrogant and ignorant of the rules. Unexpectedly, Zhou Jingchen had achieved remarkable feats again in just a few months.
The Turks had infiltrated the Beiting Protectorate for years, sending countless spies who were impossible to capture. The borderlands had been plagued by Turkish incursions for years, and while the Grand Protectorate had publicly ignored them, it harbored a deep resentment. Zhou Jingchen, in a single move, apprehended 345 Turkish spies and captured alive Sailik, the third son of the Turkic king, who had been hiding in Dayan. Such remarkable feats were undeniably unstoppable.
Not to mention that Oguz had already been implicated in the hidden blue mine incident, which had drawn the attention of his superiors and led to him being transferred to Suiye Town, further west, to guard the border. The vacancy at the garrison became available, and Zhou Jingchen filled it in Kashgar.
Time was running out, so Zhou Jingchen immediately reorganized military affairs with great vigor and determination as soon as he took office.
The Chen and Niu families have been entrenched in this area for years. While they've publicly evacuated the area, some still exploit their power to wreak havoc on the community. Zhou Jingchen naturally couldn't tolerate this. For days, he'd been reviewing the military achievements of the garrisoned officers, demoting those unworthy of their positions and dealing with them accordingly. He was addressing the long-standing ills within the camp. He moved with remarkable swiftness, leaving no one time to react. He set things right in the most efficient way possible.
The case of Yao Lilai, the magistrate of Kashgar, who colluded with the Turks to abduct and sell local people, caused an uproar as soon as he was convicted.
The Yan court has been in chaos in recent years. The new emperor, having ascended the throne, has not only failed to diligently govern the country and employ talented individuals wisely, but has instead generously rewarded those who have followed his lead, disregarding the people's concerns. The court has neglected its affairs, laws have been neglected, and taxes have been levied relentlessly. Some border officials have committed crimes, and the procedures for handling them are extremely cumbersome. Yao Lilai's crimes are clear and indefensible, but it's also not feasible to execute him on the spot.
Zhou Jingchen only detained the entire Yao clan and confiscated their property. He had no power to punish Yao Lilai himself. Especially since Yao Lilai was a Jinshi (Jinshi) by birth, the Grand Protector could only order his men to escort him to Yanjing, where his crimes would be presented to the Dali Temple for a personal judgment.
After a month of hard work, these things were finally settled before the end of the year.
As for the confiscated Yao family wealth, according to the rules, a small portion would flow into the local treasury, while the majority would be transported back to Yanjing along with Yao Lilai and added to the national treasury. In reality, the exact amount of the confiscated money was determined by the list completed by the person carrying out the task. In the northwest, there was an established rule that whoever confiscated the money kept it.
After Oguz was transferred, Zhou Jingchen took over the task of confiscating the Yao family's property.
Zhou Jingchen was busy, and Ye Jia was discussing something with Ye Wumei and Ye Simei in the main hall. They were discussing whether Ye Wumei should be sent to Luntai to learn a trade, and whether Ye Simei could take over Ye Wumei's job and help her run the shop.
The soldiers carried large boxes of things into the yard. Ye Jia was shocked and wondered how Zhou Jingchen could get these things. When he found out that these were confiscated from the Yao family who were involved in human trafficking, he felt very strange.
...This is truly hard-earned money.
"Send the things to the east room first." Zhou Jingchen led Liu Yuan and others into the east room. "Jia Niang, I will explain it to you in detail later."
Yu pulled Ruijie'er into the house and watched through the crack in the door as the guards carried the alcove in. There were four large boxes in total, each half a person's height, stacked together so that no light could be seen in the room.
After a major overhaul, the garrison was much more orderly than before. Daily drills were punctual, and even the number of ruffians roaming the streets had decreased. The people's lives had become peaceful.
Now everyone praises the new resident commander and shows great respect to the Zhou family.
Let’s not talk about this matter for now, let’s just say that the east room is full of people at this time.
Zhou Jingchen sat upright at the table, his eyelids drooping, lost in thought, his expression icy. Ye Jia, who had just come in to fetch a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, couldn't help but glance at him. Though Zhou Jingchen was dressed in plain clothes, his aura was sharp and powerful, a different person from his usual soft, smiling self.
But anyone would be serious when discussing serious matters, so Ye Jia just took the things and left in a hurry.
When I reached the door, I heard someone talking inside: "...Suletu will not allow the court to extend its influence to the Beiting Protectorate. The successor will only be his man."
Ye Jia listened and closed the door tightly. Rui Jieer ran in from outside, and Ye Jia led her out.
Inside the east room, Liu Yuan slumped over the table like a boneless person. "There are only a few people around him that he trusts. Min Luoxin is a master of money, managing more than half of the Beiting Protectorate's finances. Yue Zongqin is currently escorting Sailik to Yanjing for him and is not in Luntai. Lin Zhilan is in charge of the Protectorate's general affairs, and Lin Zhixiao is Suletu's right-hand man... Suletu usually relies heavily on these people and won't transfer them easily."
"But don't forget, Brother Yu'an, there's a Zengqing mine in Dongxiang Town." Chen Shiqing knelt down at the bottom of the town, his face expressionless as he retorted, "Sultu wouldn't trust an outsider to take over such a large mine."
"The Zengqing Mine is important. Hasn't Suletu already planted people there?"
Liu Yuan took a sip from his teacup and glanced at Zhou Jingchen. What he meant was that Zhou Jingchen had already caught Suletu's eye.
Whether Zhou Jingchen caught Suletu's eye was another matter. His identity was no secret, and Suletu could have found it out if he wanted to. Just based on his status as the Prince of Jing, Suletu couldn't possibly trust him.
But now that Suletu showed his intention to win him over, Zhou Jingchen naturally wouldn't refuse: "Okay, let's get down to business."
With Yao Lilai's fall, the post of Kashgar County Magistrate remained vacant. A region must have a leader, so the imperial court would naturally appoint a successor as soon as possible. However, given Suletu's temperament, he would never allow the imperial court to interfere in the Beiting Protectorate again. Therefore, the replacement for this position would definitely not be sent by the imperial court, but would only come from the northwestern region.
The Yan Dynasty's official selection system was extremely complex, with numerous avenues for entry into the government. These included the imperial examination, family connections, recommendation, and even the vassal state. With so many avenues available, there was ample room for maneuver.
Of these, the imperial examinations and the practice of imperial patronage are both necessary. Most officials in the imperial court came from these two sources. However, in the northwest, the customs and education of the people were less developed than in the Central Plains. Talented and ambitious individuals were rare. Most officials were either recommended or recruited into the imperial court. Even those like Lin Zhilan and Min Luoxin, who were less educated, chose to join the imperial court.
The so-called recommendation and recruitment refers to the recommendation of capable people by high-ranking officials to the emperor. With the emperor's approval, they can enter the court as officials. If the emperor issues an imperial decree, it is called recruitment, and if the local government employs them, it is called recruitment.
Zhou Jingchen tapped the table with his index finger and looked at Guo Huai: "Zhong Le, are you ready for things in Luntai?"
"I've already established a relationship with Lin Zhilan." Guo Huai hadn't been in Dongxiang Town recently, having traveled to Luntai overnight after Shen Hai's arrest. He'd been hanging out among the scholars in Luntai for three or four months, and had shared a few drinks with Lin Zhilan through a friend's introduction. "But this person is a stickler for details, and hasn't even agreed to introduce me yet."
"No rush." Zhou Jingchen lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's try again."
Lin Zhilan's approach wasn't entirely reliable. While she might be attracted to beauty, she was also incredibly shrewd. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to maintain her footing with Suletu. Zhou Jingchen pointed his index finger at the table. If Lin Zhilan's approach didn't work, Yang Chenglie could still be used.
…
After spring came and the snow melted, the weather was still very cold.
On the 13th day of the first lunar month, Ah Jiu and Lin Zeyu set off with the Cheng family's caravan to the Western Regions. Fourth Sister Ye officially took over the Xishi Shop. With three people gone at once, Ye Jia was left with a difficult situation.
Ye Jia pondered for a few days and decided to find someone. This matter couldn't be delayed. If it was delayed, many things would not be able to be carried out.
In truth, she had considered hiring even after signing the contract with the Cheng family. However, the harsh winter weather made travel difficult, and coupled with her upcoming wedding to Zhou Jingchen, things were delayed. Ye Jia's original intention was to hire local women. Labor was cheap there, and many poor families, struggling to make ends meet, were willing to work for a meal. Secondly, Ye Jia didn't like having too many people in her household. She preferred an employment relationship to buying and selling slaves.
She told the family about this matter, and Yu Shi didn't object. It was just that in her opinion, buying and selling slaves was the safest way. However, the Zhou family's courtyard was not big, and it really couldn't accommodate so many people: "Didn't Yun An say that the people in the Shen family could do the work?"
Ye Jia frowned, not wanting to tell about the girls' backgrounds. However, Fourth Sister Ye interjected, "Auntie, those girls are so charming and alluring, each one looks even more delicate than me. I guess they can't do any work."
Fourth Sister Ye wasn't stupid. She looked weak, but that didn't mean she was. That day, the girls were brought in, standing in a row, all delicate and charming. She had watched them closely from the side. Their hands were so delicate they could squeeze water out of them; it was obvious they'd never worked in the water. And their faces were as beautiful as flowers, yet their eyes looked at people with hooks. Bringing girls like that home meant they were dissatisfied with their families' peaceful lives.
Unlike Ye Jiayu, she didn't believe a man wouldn't be tempted by a beautiful woman. "If we're looking for a woman, we should look for a woman who's strong and capable. Like the women from Liang Er's family in town. If that doesn't work out, we can recruit a man like Uncle Sun."
Ye Simei and Ye Jia had the same idea. It was frustrating to see that the person they brought back couldn't do any work.
Ye Jia pondered for a moment and said, "In two days, I will go to the dentist in town."
"Finding people is one thing, and another is naturally choosing a location for the workshop." Ye Jia had no plans to open a workshop in his own yard. Home is home, and it doesn't need to be filled with the smell of pigs all day long. "Building a proper workshop will give me a good presence when I do business with people in the future."
"That's right. With a storefront, we can expand in the future." Yu agreed very much.
"If you have a workshop, hiring women isn't enough; you need a capable manager." Ye Jia himself didn't major in financial management, so he's now forced to figure out management. In reality, running a business requires the help of experienced people. "You can't just do it step by step; you have to be quick and complete everything. Otherwise, if one thing goes wrong, it'll be a long time before you know it."
Ye Jia's current concern wasn't the workshop or hiring, but rather the fact that the production of fragrant pancreas relied heavily on pig pancreas. Although life in Dongxiang Town was much better than in Libei Town, they couldn't slaughter many pigs in a day.
In the past, Ye Jia would buy pig pancreas daily, buying for several days in a row and making it as she went along. But this wasn't very reliable. If the butcher shop in town closed one day, she would need a supply. If even one link was broken, her business would be severely impacted, perhaps even shut down. Ye Jia, worried, had a bold idea.
What if she started raising pigs? Raising pigs was a good idea, as she already owned a butcher shop and had plenty of meat to eat. She could also use the pig pancreas immediately. But raising pigs was a massive undertaking, and for Ye Jia, a civil engineering student, raising pigs would require a lot of determination.
She hadn't made up her mind yet, whether to raise it or not. It was just a thought now, so she naturally wouldn't bring it up. Of course, there was another alternative: upgrading the soap and making soap. She did know how to make soap. But the most important problem was that soap required sodium hydroxide, and there was no caustic soda on the market. Where would she get it?
She knew the chemical equation, but without experimental experience, she didn't dare tinker with it. After all, sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive chemical. The safest option was to use traditional soap.
Seeing Ye Jia's gloomy face, several people wondered what she was thinking. Thinking that she was worried, Ye Simei hesitated for a long time, looking at Ye Jia several times before speaking: "Sister, actually, after Ajiu left, he left half of the people here for me."
This was shocking, and Ye Jia turned his head instantly: "!!!"
"Ajiu told me not to tell anyone else," Ye Simei said, a little embarrassed. In reality, Ajiu held a number of people in his lap. Ye Jiayue was not aware of this, but the ones Ye Jia had seen were only a few. As Ajiu's bedmate, Ye Simei naturally knew there were at least a hundred of them. Normally, no one knew where these people lived, and they were rarely seen. But as soon as Ajiu called, they would come.
Ajiu only took half of the people to the Western Regions, and now he left half of them to Ye Simei so that she can use them if she needs anything.
"Then why did you tell me?"
"I'm not a stranger. There are about fifty of us here." Fourth Sister Ye glanced at Yu and said softly, "Besides, the three of us are living and eating here, and we even get some wages from you. How could I hide this from you?"
Yu's face showed no expression, but she looked at Ye Simei with a look of shock.
Ye Jia coughed for a moment, supporting his lips with one hand. Whether out of guilt or touched, he asked her, "...How many people did Ajiu leave for you?"
"About fifty people."
"So many?" Ye Jia was genuinely shocked. Ah Jiu didn't look like someone with any secrets. But then he thought, who doesn't have some hidden cards when they're out there? He suppressed his shock and asked, "Where are these people now? Why haven't I heard him mention them?"
"Those people are from the tribe that Ajiu trusts. I heard they live in Suiye Town. There's a foreign village over there, and many people like Ajiu who have foreign blood live there. Because they live far away, they don't usually show up here. Ajiu thought there was no need to alert the Zhou family about these things, so she didn't bring you here."
Fourth Sister Ye said honestly, "If the Zhou family needs to run away in the future, just tell me and I'll tell them to run."
Ye Jia thought to himself, no wonder Ah Jiu wanted to go into business. With so many people under his command, if each of them could fight and shoot like the five he brought out that time, they could indeed be used as escorts.
"Okay, I won't be polite with you either." Ye Jia was short of people, so who could he find? As long as he could do the work, it would be fine.
This is settled.
"Tomorrow I'll go to the town and ask the dealer to decide on the address for the workshop." Ye Jia added, "We can take our time hiring people. What we value most these days is sincerity and the ability to work. There's no rush to hire people right away. Let them try them out for a couple of days. If you're not satisfied with their work, we can fire them and find someone new."
Yu Shi naturally had no problem with this. Ye Jia would take care of these things, and she just had to follow suit.
As the town became bustling, the Zhou family also prepared to open a shop. Yesterday, Old Man Sun had already brought back the pig heads, pig intestines, and other things. Now they are all stored behind the kitchen, covered with a dustpan. They don't need to worry about spoiling in the cold weather, and they are still very fresh.
Ye Jia instructed Old Man Sun to move all the things to the well.
After Ye Wumei left, there was no one left to do the washing. It was a small girl, but she quietly did so much work. Ye Jia hadn't worked in a while, and suddenly she felt really exhausted.
The same goes for Mrs. Yu. She had been lazy at home for a whole winter, and now she was a little uncomfortable with suddenly having to do something.
"My dear Di Niang, you are really capable!" Yu pounded her waist and missed Ye Wumei sincerely.
Ye Jia just laughed when she heard it, "Fifth sister, it might not be easy over there either."
Ye Wumei had been gone for many days, and as a young girl, she wasn't sure if she could adapt to being in such an unfamiliar place. But Ye Jia was relieved. Zhou Jingchen had recently told her that Ye Wumei had contacted the eldest brother of the Ye family. Ye Qingshan had been transferred to Luntai and was currently working there. Zhou Jingchen had suggested that Ye Qingshan was planning to establish a residence there. Once he had established a firm foothold, he would bring his parents there.
Ye Jia didn't know whether he had any connection with Ye Qingshan, but since he knew so much, he probably did.
No matter what, Ye Qingshan was able to take care of the Ye family, so naturally he would not think of his daughter Ye Jia later. However, Ye Jia was overthinking it. With such a promising son-in-law like Zhou Jingchen appearing, how could Ye Tongsheng bear not to miss him?
Ye Jia looked around and saw that there was only a bucket and a basin by the well, which was not enough.
So he turned and went back inside, intending to take the basin behind the door to fill it with something. The door to the east wing creaked open from the inside. Chen Shiqing was the first to come out, and upon seeing Ye Jia, he immediately bowed politely. Speaking of which, since Zhou Jingchen's promotion, he's had more and more things to do. Even if Ye Jia didn't know the inside story of the garrison, he could tell from their busy appearance that something was wrong.
Ye Jia blinked. Zhou Jingchen was talking quietly with Guo Huai, his head bowed. Guo Huai had a strange smile on his face. He patted his clothes and stood up. "I'll do it right away."
After saying that, they hurriedly left the Zhou family.
I didn't even eat at Zhou's house and left with him.
After Ye Jia and her fourth sister, Yu, finished preparing the meat for the shop, she summoned Old Man Sun to the street. Dongxiang Town was a typical horse-drawn town, a long, narrow shape on maps. The town was divided into two streets: East and West. The west side was adjacent to Libei Town, while the east side was closer to the inner city. In fact, East Street was much busier than West Street because the tile market was located there.
In other words, the shops on West Street were cheaper. Ye Jia wasn't looking for a shop directly facing the street; she was looking for an alley. She wanted a larger space, close to the street, with a common path. This would make it easier to transport and deliver goods in the future.
The people in the dental shop were very fast. After the snow melted, they all needed to eat, so naturally they followed Ye Jia and ran.
After two days of searching, we finally decided on the location.
They settled on a large courtyard in the alley at Daying, the westernmost edge of West Street. They looked like the Zhou family's courtyard. There was a well in the yard, making it easy to get water. They connected the houses inside, creating a structure somewhat reminiscent of a modern factory. The owner was generous, offering only twenty taels of silver, along with the title deed and land deeds.
Ye Jia didn't waste any time. After confirming the address, he paid the money to the broker and got the deed.
With the workshop now set up, Ye Jia felt relieved. After a busy night, he returned home to find Zhou Jingchen home. It was a rare sight. When Ye Jia pushed the door open, he was sitting at the table, painting. His expression seemed to be contemplating, his painting casually.
Zhou Jingchen's face was extremely calm when he was thinking, and when he wasn't smiling, he looked like the moon in the clouds, making him seem unattainable. Ye Jia had always thought that he loved to laugh, because he was always smiling when she saw him. Only then did she suddenly realize that Zhou Jingchen was not a gentle and cheerful person. Ye Jia was lost in thought when she was suddenly distracted by a hand waving back and forth.
"Jia Niang?" Zhou Jingchen's breathing was light and shallow. "What are you thinking about?"
She blinked, regained her concentration, and then said, "No."
Zhou Jingchen stared at her suspiciously for a moment, seemingly unconvinced. Ye Jia raised her brows again, and he finally stopped scrutinizing her. After a moment's deliberation, Zhou Jingchen suddenly said, "Jia Niang, I have something to tell you."
"Hmm?" Ye Jia looked at him. "Go ahead."
"Look... can you please share this technique you developed for our kang?" He felt rather embarrassed. If this technique belonged to someone else, he wouldn't have been so polite and would have simply devised a scheme to seize it. But this was Ye Jia's invention, and Zhou Jingchen subconsciously wanted to maintain his gentlemanly image in her eyes.
Ye Jia thought he was going to say something: "...I can, but what do you want this for?"
"Of course it is useful."
Ye Jia had no idea what he was going to do, but she agreed without hesitation. After all, she hadn't invented the kang technology. She thought, "Winter has just passed, and spring is still here." Who knows, the weather might suddenly change and snow might fall again.
Ye Jia thought for a moment and asked him, "When do you want it?"
"No rush, just give it to me later." Zhou Jingchen sighed and looked up at Ye Jia.
He had been busy these days and hadn't had a good chat with Ye Jia for a long time. It was a rare day when he came back. When he looked at Ye Jia's face, a gentle smile appeared in his eyes and rippled lightly: "Why are you back so late today?"
In the past, he always came home late at night, and it was a rare occasion that Ye Jia was not home during the day.
The shady window cast a faint silver glow over him. His brows softened, and his eyes sparkled like the shimmering water of a thawing lake. Ye Jia didn't say anything, just stared at him with her eyes wide open. Zhou Jingchen didn't move, letting her stare. But after a while, Zhou Jingchen's heart inexplicably began to lift.
Ye Jiacai slowly withdrew his gaze, patted his clothes and stood up: "I'm going to make dinner, come and help me light the fire."
Zhou Jingchen breathed a sigh of relief: "...Okay."
Ye Jia was the first to leave the room, followed by Zhou Jingchen. His eyes fell on her slender neck and graceful back. For a moment, he almost thought Ye Jia was starting to dislike him. The cold look in her eyes frightened him.
The two of them left the house, and two people came in. Liu Yuan and Chen Shiqing.
At this moment, Chen Shiqing sat solemnly on a small stool. Frowning, he squinted his eyes at Ye Simei's movements. He followed her example, picking vegetables. Chen Shiqing's movements were quite standard, while Liu Yuan beside him was not as diligent. He almost cleaned the whole basket of vegetables. "This stuff is delicious, but I didn't expect it to be so troublesome to wash..."
Ye Jia: "..." When did these two people come?
After a quick meal, Zhou Jingchen, Liu Yuan, and the other two hurried off again. Was Zhou Jingchen so busy these days? If he was so busy, why would he just focus on his work instead of rushing back?
Confused, Ye Jia shook his head and went back to the house.
After waiting for several days, Ye Jia wanted a shopkeeper who could read and know how to greet customers, regardless of gender. He had found several people at the pawnshop, but none of them satisfied him. While Fourth Sister Ye and Yu were stewing meat that afternoon, he asked Old Man Sun to drive out. First, he went to the pawnshop to look at a number of people, but none of them met Ye Jia's requirements. Either they were illiterate or their speech was not smooth.
It's really hard to find someone who can read in this small place. Thinking of this, she turned around and asked Old Man Sun to turn around and go to the Shen Mansion.
Although the mansion now belonged to the Zhou family, Yu and Ye Jia were both used to living in their current courtyard. It was close to the station and convenient for commuting to the street. Ye Jia wasn't really happy about moving here unless there was no more room.
The Shen Mansion was located on East Street, and the plaque over the main gate hadn't been taken down yet. When Ye Jia arrived, the main gate wasn't open. She took a detour and entered through a corner gate. The Shen family's courtyard was a model of the Central Plains style, incorporating elements of the Northwest. The walls were thick, and the courtyard was deep. One gate led to another, and the detour alone took a long time.
Most of the Shen family had been detained, and the empty courtyard was deserted, with few people sweeping the grounds. None of the girls Zhou Jingchen had previously brought over were to be seen.
It was unknown how long they walked before they arrived at a flower hall in the backyard. Ye Jia went to sit down while the servants went to call over twenty or so girls.
When people were called, they didn't go into the hall, but just stood in the yard.
Before Ye Jia came out, the girls standing outside were not as well behaved as they were last time at Zhou's house. They were noisy and noisy, and some of them even started talking about something so loud that Ye Jia, who had come out, heard the sound of slapping.
She frowned, and the old servant of the Shen Mansion immediately scolded her: "Stop it! You are making such a fuss, how can you be so disrespectful!"
It turned out that a few girls were getting angry because someone else was being treated specially. Ye Jia asked what was going on, and the others immediately started talking. One loudmouthed one, saying that many of them were being squeezed into one room, and that the servants' bunks were the worst. She also said that some girls were being kept alone.
Not only that, some people swore that they once saw one of Lin Xiyue's girls flirting with the male master.
The man glanced in Ye Jia's direction and said, "Madam, Lin Xiyue and Liu Xi were both trained like Yangzhou skinny horses. They are the best at seducing men! Madam, please don't be fooled by their pitiful appearance!"
Ye Jia frowned.
Lin Xiyue immediately retorted: "Madam, that's not what they said!"
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, "My Lord did speak to me privately earlier, but it was already evening when I was sent here last night. My Lord just had something to ask me."
"What is it?" someone immediately asked aggressively, "Your Excellency is wise and powerful, what can I ask you?"
Lin Xiyue watched Ye Jia's expression, wanting to speak but hesitant. She bit her lip for a long moment before hesitantly asking for a moment's notice. Ye Jia wasn't worried about what Zhou Jingchen might do; it wasn't that she was confident, but she knew all too well that Zhou Jingchen, while seemingly easygoing, was actually quite arrogant. He kept his word and disdained any sneaky behavior.
Ye Jia glanced at her and didn't refuse.
The two of them stepped aside, and Lin Xiyue seemed afraid to speak. After a long moment, she lowered her voice and said, "Madam, the master knew that I knew some gynecological medicine, so he kept me here and asked me some questions about avoiding pregnancy."
After saying that, she looked at Ye Jia with some worry.
Ye Jia was stunned: "Avoiding children?"
"Yes." Lin Xiyue bit her lower lip. "My Lord doesn't seem to want children, so he asked me for a recipe for a contraceptive soup that's very safe and effective."
Ye Jia blinked and said nothing.
Seeing Ye Jia's indifferent expression, the girl's heart skipped a beat, and the worried expression on her face became a little stiff. She seemed to be surprised that Ye Jia didn't react to such words. She glanced at Ye Jia furtively, and he caught her, and she immediately lowered her head. Ye Jia just looked at her calmly.
Lin Xiyue became nervous when Ye Jia looked at her. Her expression changed several times before darkening. She added, "That medicine is for men."
Ye Jia: “…”
...Sima Zhao's intention was obvious, but Ye Jia's ears were burning silently.
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