Chapter 91
Gu Mingxi was not good at hiding her emotions. Even if she tried her best to conceal them, it still looked very clumsy.
Ye Jia's eyes fell on her, and before she could say anything, she couldn't help but look away. Not only could she not control her facial expression, but her emotions also made her speak without thinking. She was like a gambler who was not qualified to play cards, throwing the cards in her hand carelessly. Ye Jia had thought she was so powerful, but it turned out to be just a fool who had been dealt a good hand.
In reality, Ye Jia didn't know much about Cheng Yi. Aside from knowing he was Cheng Feng's older brother and that he seemed inclined to join the army, the only thing he knew was Zhou Jingchen's strange expression when they first met him. For whatever reason, Gu Mingxi shouldn't have known him.
Gu Mingxi, a daughter of an aristocratic family, was raised in seclusion, unknown to the world. Cheng Yi, the eldest son of a businessman, seemed rather unemployed, judging by the Cheng family elder's words. In other words, he probably didn't care much about the family business either. Logically, these two people shouldn't have any connection. Yet, Gu Mingxi not only knew him, but also displayed a clear fear and apprehension, unless this person had once had a significant and negative impact on her.
The logic contradicted Ye Jiacai, and he concluded that Gu Mingxi was weird.
"You don't have to pretend to test me! You and I are different. My Gu family is rich and powerful, and we have plenty of ways to get information." Gu Mingxi didn't realize what she had revealed. Seeing Ye Jia suddenly quiet down, she thought she had hidden it well. "National affairs, life and death, I won't allow you to deliberately obstruct and conceal them here. Take me to see Brother Yun'an."
Ye Jia: "..." Is this girl really stupid or just pretending to be stupid?
Ye Jiaben was about to retort, but suddenly he thought it was quite interesting to let her be so stupid.
A story about Han Xin that I'd read in a past life suddenly popped up in my mind. Han Xin was enjoying the coolness under a tree when a child urinated on Han Xin's head. Han Xin didn't get angry, but instead gave the child a few coins. A second person came to enjoy the coolness under the tree, and the child urinated on the second person. The second person raised his knife and chopped the child in half.
Looking at the angry Gu Mingxi in front of him, Ye Jia smiled and stopped glaring at her.
"Miss Gu, perhaps you think I'm of humble origin and unworthy of competing with you, so you don't take me seriously." Although Ye Jia didn't remember the plot, she remembered that her ending as Gu Mingxi was not good. "As a noble lady from an aristocratic family, it's best not to do anything shameless. It's not just for me, it's also for you. You're not only causing trouble for me, but also lowering your status."
As soon as the word "shameless" came out, Gu Mingxi's face instantly turned red to her ears, and she was so angry.
In truth, Gu Mingxi had never been subjected to such harsh and relentless criticism since her birth. Even when Gu Mingyue came to her house and accused her of being a fake who had usurped their throne, her parents had always protected her wholeheartedly. In her previous life, after marrying, she was bullied by beautiful women, but even those lowly concubines would kneel before her. Now, this Ye, this Ye actually... actually scolded her like this!
"You, who are you calling shameless?!" Gu Mingxi really didn't know how to curse. His face turned red with anger but he just glared at Ye Jia.
Ye Jia ignored her and asked, "Miss Gu, you came here to tip off the Zhou family. You must know more. If that's the case, why don't you tell us what you know in more detail? This way, we won't have to make this trip in vain, right?"
"If I have anything to say, I'll say it to Brother Yun'an. Why bother arguing with you?" Gu Mingxi said angrily, his chest heaving with anger.
"Zhou Jingchen is not here."
"You're lying!" Gu Mingxi was so angry that she almost died. "I saw Brother Yun'an return home today with my own eyes, and you lied without even thinking it through!"
"Ah," Ye Jia said calmly, "So you knew."
Gu Mingxi stamped her feet in anger at the mild words. She finally understood that Ye Jia would never let her meet Zhou Jingchen today, and it would be pointless to waste time. She then uttered an ambiguous remark: "How long do you think you can be so proud? She's just a crude village woman. Once you meet her, you won't be able to escape. You'll pay the price!"
After saying this, she flicked her sleeves and left angrily with her two personal maids.
"She?" Ye Jia blinked. Who? Gu Mingyue?
Putting aside the question of whether Gu Mingxi's words were credible or accurate, this matter still required caution. After all, a war would be devastating, and Dongxiang Town had thousands of civilians. As the commander of this area, Zhou Jingchen was even more responsible for the safety of the people. Ye Jia pondered for a moment, then turned back to his bedroom.
Yu had already left, and the room was silent. When Ye Jia entered, Zhou Jingchen was already fast asleep, lying on the bed as quiet as a noble young man. However, he was originally a member of a royal family, and nobility was ingrained in his bones.
Ye Jia stared at him, her mind drifting away unconsciously. It was undeniable that her feelings for him had begun with lust. But as they got along, she began to appreciate him as a person. Sitting upright on the bed, Ye Jia reached out and brushed the hair away from his cheek. "...Even though you're a bit troublesome and quite attractive to romantic interests, there's nothing I can do about it. I just like you."
After muttering softly, Ye Jia reached out and straightened the thin blanket for him, then stood up and left.
As soon as she left, the eyelashes of the person on the bed trembled slightly. Ye Jia left the room and closed the door behind her, not noticing that Zhou Jingchen's ears were slightly red amidst his dark hair.
Zhou Jingchen claimed his injury wasn't serious, but it still made Ye Jia feel uncomfortable when she saw it while changing his dressings that night. The arrow had pierced his lower right ribs. If it hadn't been lodged in the bone, it would have damaged his internal organs. The journey from Yongzhou to Luntai had taken over twenty days, so naturally, his wound wouldn't bleed. It was just that the punctured flesh hadn't healed yet, making it look particularly damaged.
As Ye Jia applied the medicine, she could hear a faint but noticeable hissing sound from Zhou Jingchen's mouth from time to time. Every time he moved, he would hiss softly. Ye Jia tried to make it as quiet as possible, but he still hissed in pain: "...Does it really hurt that much?"
"It doesn't hurt much." Zhou Jingchen lowered his eyes and watched Ye Jia quietly as she bandaged him. His lips were pale but his smile was gentle. "It's just a minor injury. You heard wrong."
Ye Jia pursed her lips and told him awkwardly: "...If it hurts too much, there's no need to force it. It hurts anyway."
"It doesn't hurt at all."
Ye Jia: "..." Okay, men need face, she can understand.
But considering Zhou Jingchen's injuries, Ye Jia made her already gentle movements even gentler. She carefully cleaned his wound and reapplied the golden wound medicine. Hearing him say it didn't hurt while still hissing, Ye Jia practically held her breath as she bandaged him.
She hugged his waist and wrapped the bandage around him. Just as she was about to tie a knot, Ye Jia lost her grip and the remaining bandage fell to the ground and rolled around.
Ye Jia loosened the bandage in her hand and turned around to pick it up when Zhou Jingchen hissed again.
Squatting on the edge of the bed, holding the bandage, Ye Jia glanced down at the bandage in her hand, then up at Zhou Jingchen's abdomen. His six-pack abs and smooth mermaid curves remained, his skin as white as ivory... and she hadn't even touched him. A furtive sidelong glance revealed Zhou Jingchen's eyes fixed on the letter beside him. He hadn't opened it at some point, his eyes fixed on the words, and he let out another nonchalant hiss.
Ye Jia: “…”
Zhou Jingchen: Hiss~
"...Does it hurt?" Ye Jia stood up expressionlessly and looked at him.
"It doesn't hurt." Zhou Jingchen raised his eyelids and looked at Ye Jia. His pale face was covered with a smile, making him look weak and pitiful.
"Of course it doesn't hurt." Ye Jia looked at the man speechlessly, "I didn't touch you at all."
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
Their eyes met, and Ye Jia's eyes gleamed faintly. Zhou Jingchen blinked, then suddenly closed his eyes and lay down on the bed: "Jia Niang, I feel a little dizzy. Maybe it's because I haven't eaten and I can't hold on..."
Ye Jia: “…”
Yes, Zhou Jingchen's face is getting thicker and thicker. He used to be so dignified and elegant, but now he's acting like a scoundrel, pretending to be pitiful and good at researching fire-avoidance diagrams. It really is true that when you lose your integrity, you're capable of anything!
Looking down at the person on the bed from above, Ye Jia was speechless when she noticed Zhou Jingchen blatantly opening his eyes to steal a glance at her face. Suddenly, she sneered. As if possessed by some unknown force, she reached out and pressed down on his vital point.
Zhou Jingchen's body suddenly stiffened and all his muscles tensed.
Ye Jia grinned and asked him quietly, "Husband, are you still dizzy?"
"..." Zhou Jingchen's face suddenly turned red all the way to his neck. He raised the back of his hand to cover his eyes, "I'm not dizzy anymore...Jia Niang, I'm hungry."
Ye Jia snorted, turned around and walked out of the room with a stern face.
This guy had been sleeping since he was brought back in the morning, and didn't wake up until the afternoon. Not only did he not eat lunch, he didn't even take the medicine for dinner. He was really hungry. Ye Jia was just about to go to the kitchen to check, but before she left the room, Xiaoli came over from the corridor with food and medicine.
When she saw Ye Jia, she bowed respectfully: "Master."
"Only medicine?" Ye Jia nodded and saw a small cup on the tray. He opened the lid and took a look. There was only medicine and no food.
Xiaoli shook her head: "My fourth aunt said that the master only eats the food you cook."
Zhou Jingchen wasn't entirely flawed in this regard. He wasn't a picky eater; eating was simply a necessity for him. He rarely ate at home, and most of the time he returned after dinnertime. Since Fourth Sister Ye couldn't help Zhou Jingchen with his meals, Ye Jia would do it for him. Over time, Ye Jia made all of Zhou Jingchen's meals, even those outside of mealtime.
"...never mind." Ye Jia rarely cooked since moving in. "I'll make him a bowl of noodles."
Zhou Jingchen had been seriously injured for some time, so he could only rest and recuperate at home, unable to move. Bazatu was currently in charge of the garrison. Sun Yushan was stationed in Libei Town, so the situation was relatively peaceful. However, Zhou Jingchen was restless, and even in the middle of the night, he was still reading a secret letter while leaning on his bed. When Ye Jia brought him food, he was looking at something, his expression somewhat solemn.
Ye Jia was stunned for a moment and asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen again?"
"Is there something going on between our family and the Wu family?"
"We had some disagreements over the soap business before. What's the matter?" Ye Jia brought the noodles to him and collected all the letters from the secretary on his small table.
Zhou Jingchen put down the things in his hands and took the chopsticks handed to him by Ye Jia: "The Wu family is a bit complicated."
Ye Jia thought about how the Wu family had instigated the Liu family to add poppy husks to their food, and guessed that Zhou Jingchen must have found something. Taking a seat across from the small table, Ye Jia frowned and asked, "Husband, what is the relationship between the Wu family and the Grand Protectorate? And how did the Wu family get the poppy husks? Isn't this plant supposed to be grown abroad? Is it also grown in Dayan?"
Zhou Jingchen broke his usual habit of not talking while eating or sleeping in front of Ye Jia, eating his food politely and silently. After chewing his food, he said, "The Grand Protector's favorite concubine is the daughter of the Wu family. She has given birth to a son and a daughter for him."
Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat and he looked at him.
Zhou Jingchen said calmly, "But the Wu family's greatest reliance is not the Grand Protector."
"My husband, do you mean the Wu family has connections in the court? Or do you mean the Wu family has some other, more stable support?" If even the Grand Protector General doesn't count as a backer, then the only option is to look to the center of power. Ye Jia hasn't even left the Beiting Protectorate, but he already has a glimpse into the chaos of the Great Yan court. The tyrannical second male lead who has won so many readers' hearts and tears is simply not cut out to be emperor.
Zhou Jingchen glanced up at Ye Jia. Under the light, Ye Jia's bright and beautiful face shone brightly. Her dark hair pressed against her temples, with a few strands falling down, making her look lively. He finished eating unknowingly, put down his chopsticks and wiped the corner of his mouth: "It's not just one person, but a group of people."
"What do you mean?"
"The Wu family holds the poppy fields."
Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat and he slowly opened his eyes wide: "Someone is taking it..."
"Opium cream."
Ye Jia's cheeks were covered with goose bumps unconsciously, and he felt a little scared.
Zhou Jingchen wiped his fingers slowly and reached out to brush the loose hair on Ye Jia's temples to her ears.
He really liked to smooth Ye Jia's hair, and he would do it every time he saw him. Ye Jia didn't understand his persistence and looked at him innocently. The moment Zhou Jingchen withdrew his hand, his fingers seemed to accidentally rub Ye Jia's earlobe: "It's okay, just a bunch of termites."
This was also the fundamental reason Zhou Jingchen had carried out a massacre in his previous life, slaughtering all the officials of the Great Yan court in a single day. Those rotten to the core had no reason to live. He mercilessly slaughtered all that was rotten. Of course, Ye Jia couldn't know about this.
Zhou Jingchen carefully hid the faint light in his eyes.
Ye Jia didn't notice the murderous intent that flashed across his face, but she was a little confused.
Since the Wu family has so many people behind them, why would they be so humble in front of a small lieutenant from the Zhou family? In fact, Ye Jia could sense the Wu family's fear regarding the rice seedling incident. Could it be that the Wu family was just being cautious?
Zhou Jingchen seemed to be able to see through Ye Jia's thoughts and said slowly, "The Wu family is very cautious and naturally dares not provoke others."
In fact, regardless of how many people behind the Wu family were supporting the opium line, opium paste had not yet been manufactured. At least, it had not yet become popular in Yanjing. The opium currently on the market was still considered a medicinal herb.
Recalling this, Zhou Jingchen looked up at Ye Jia again and said inexplicably: "Jia Niang is my lucky star."
“…” I always feel that Zhou Jingchen is a bit weird.
Ye Jia stared at him for a long moment, then silently carried the dishes to the table. A moment later, Huanpei came over, took away the empty bowl, and brought back some hot water.
Since moving into the Chen Mansion, the space has expanded. For example, the master bedroom they currently occupy has an inner and outer room, with a screened-off inner room for washing and dressing. A small study is located on the right side, near the window. On the left side of the room, there's a separate side room. It was built in ancient times for the maids to provide nighttime service.
Ye Jia had been busy all day and hadn't washed yet. The hot water Huanpei brought in was naturally for Ye Jia to bathe and change clothes.
She glanced at Zhou Jingchen, and he turned his head to look at her.
...never mind. We were already married, and we'd done things that kept our distance countless times. There was really no need to be coy. The main thing was, this guy was injured and couldn't move around. Ye Jia then went to wash up with a clear conscience.
Seeing her figure disappearing into the screen, Zhou Jingchen smiled silently: "Jia Niang, have you brought my books to me?"
"Yeah." Ye Jia was about to take off her coat when she saw the person on the bed looking at her through the screen. She put her coat back on and went to the bookshelf to get a book and handed it to him. Although Zhou Jingchen was unlikely to peek, giving him a book made her feel more comfortable.
Zhou Jingchen took the book and looked down at it. It was "The Sutra of Contemplation of the Buddha of Infinite Life".
Seeing his strange expression, Ye Jia reached out and snatched the book back. He flipped it open and saw, wow, a book of pornographic pictures. Ye Jia's face flushed and he was speechless. A copy of the Avatamsaka Sutra was outrageous enough, but now there was also a copy of the Amitabha Sutra. Could it be that Zhou Jingchen had bought all the pornographic pictures just to read these things openly?
"Jia Niang, although I've suffered a minor injury, it's better to move my waist less..."
Zhou Jingchen silently took the book back from her hand, closed it solemnly, and said calmly: "It's not convenient to take other medicines now. The properties of the medicines are in conflict."
Ye Jia's face grew hotter and hotter. She pinched Zhou Jingchen's ear and twisted it hard: "...How long are you going to keep playing with this crap?! Don't you know how boring it is, you boring person!"
Zhou Jingchen had never experienced such novel treatment in his two lifetimes. In his previous life, no one dared to touch him without his consent. When he found his ear was being twisted and gradually hurt, he was completely stunned. But when he realized it, Ye Jia had already turned around and left, grabbing the book. Zhou Jingchen touched his ear, which was a little hot, and blinked slowly, and chuckled.
Hearty laughter emanated from the bed. Ye Jia angrily scolded him speechlessly, "Where on earth did you find these books that are fake? And when did you start looking for them?"
"Well, ever since someone recklessly hurt themselves."
Ye Jia: "..." If she continued to talk nonsense to him, she would be a fool.
It is not so easy to let go of the Wu family's affairs. Just the opium cream is enough for Zhou Jingchen to hold them accountable.
That pile of stuff was ultimately consumed by the aristocracy, leaving the lower classes struggling to get enough to eat, let alone consume opium paste. But this matter was a ripple effect. Zhou Jingchen didn't care about the lives of those in the court, but he couldn't ignore the lives of the common people. It was precisely these parasites who held the lifeblood and power of the people of Dayan. If they were allowed to commit heinous acts, driven by opium paste, it would be a real hassle to deal with.
"I'll have someone keep an eye on this matter, so you shouldn't get involved." This matter is far more complicated than it seems, and the less you know, the better. "Jia Niang should just take the women in your family and focus on your business. After all, your husband will still be counting on you for support in the future."
Ye Jia: "...You're so confident in talking about being a gigolo. You should at least be ashamed of yourself."
"Well, I'm ashamed."
Ye Jia: “…”
Because Zhou Jingchen was injured, Ye Jia was afraid that he might bleed if he didn't sleep well at night, so she kicked him. After washing up and wiping Zhou Jingchen's body, Ye Jia took a mat and went to sleep on the soft couch.
Zhou Jingchen somewhat disagreed, but his disagreement was useless because Ye Jia had already fallen asleep on the couch.
Someone had been secretly watching the Wu family's affairs for a long time, and after hearing what Zhou Jingchen said, Ye Jia stopped caring about it.
The next morning, Old Man Sun took the meat and Ye's fourth sister, Qiuyue, to Xishi's shop. Ye Jia had spread the word to the beggars yesterday, so he naturally had to be there today. However, the meat at Xishi's shop was served starting at 9:00 PM, so there was no need to go too early. After waking up, Ye Jia washed up, then went to the kitchen to make breakfast for the family. It was noodles, of course, golden silk noodles.
Xiaoli had stewed the chicken early in the morning, and it was perfectly tender and fragrant when eaten. Ye Jia didn't make much noodles, just enough for a few people. Since the Zhou family had grown in size, the food had gradually been separated. As the head of the family, Ye Jia naturally didn't need to get up early to cook for the whole family.
After finishing their meal, Ye Jia saw that it was almost dark, so he asked Old Man Sun, who had just sent Ye Simei and the others back, to take the medicine to the herbal medicine shop.
A few days ago, Ye Jia had already arranged with the old doctor at the herbal medicine shop to visit Xishi's shop today. The old doctor had frequent contact with the Zhou family, so naturally, such a small matter would be a no-brainer. He agreed without hesitation. When Ye Jia arrived at the herbal medicine shop, the old doctor had already prepared everything, and the medicine box and the medicine boy were waiting. Ye Jia hurriedly invited the two of them to board the carriage and drove off to Xishi's shop.
It was already past three quarters past the hour of Chen when the carriage arrived at Xishi's shop. As Si hour approached, the meats were hung inside. A few strings of firecrackers were also hung in front of the shop, and red silk hung over the plaque, covering it.
In ancient times, entertainment was rare, so a little excitement could attract a lot of people. Now, Xishi's shop has changed its appearance and specially asked beggars to go from street to street to promote it, and many people in the town have come to wait.
As the mule cart slowly stopped at the side of the road, the crowd of onlookers slowly parted ways. Ye Jia helped Xiaoli down from the cart by the arm, while the old doctor helped Huanpei down as well. By the time they reached the shop, it was exactly the hour of Si. Lin Zeyu got a tinderbox, removed the lid, and blew on it. He lit the firecracker, and instantly, it began to crackle.
Children jumped and capered, covering their ears. The smoke from the saltpeter dissipated. Ye Jia grabbed the red silk hanging by her side and tugged hard, revealing a new plaque. The four characters "Xi Shi Shop" on it had been replaced with gilded characters.
In an instant, congratulations were heard everywhere. Inside the shop, Ye Simei and Qiuyue worked together to bring out the meat.
The old doctor stepped forward and inspected every piece of meat from the Zhou family. He then publicly ruled out the possibility that the Zhou family had added tobacco hulls to the meat. The old doctor treated patients and saved lives. Not only was he a good person, but his medical skills were also very good. He had been very well-known in the town over the years. His words naturally gained his trust. Those who were vaguely worried in the crowd were immediately relieved. They had not eaten meat for a while, and some people wanted to eat the pig intestines from Xishi's shop. However, trapped by rumors, no one dared to take their own lives lightly.
"I'm relieved now that Doctor Jiang says that!" Someone, who had already smelled the meat, was ravenous and said, "Boss, give me two pounds of meat! Two pounds of intestines!"
Even this is still stingy. There are those who are generous and ask for five pounds.
After all, Xishi Shop had already agreed to sell at half price. The money that used to buy one kilogram can now buy two kilograms. It would be a shame not to take advantage of this bargain!
Suddenly, many people came to buy. Ye Simei and Qiuyue quickly carried the large barrels of meat back and immediately got busy. Ye Jia, watching them overwhelmed, wanted to help out, but the noisy shop suddenly became quiet.
Ye Jia looked up and saw a group of burly men who came from nowhere and looked ferocious.
"Who are you? What brings you to my shop?" Ye Jia wasn't frightened by these people. There were countless tall and strong men from the northwest. He just saw that these people had no intention of buying meat and had knives on their waists.
The burly man in the lead had a fierce look on his face, his eyes gleaming with blood. "Are you from the Ye family?"
…
In the inn, Gu Mingxi stared at the dark circles under his eyes, climbed up, sat on the edge of the bed, and began to worry belatedly.
In fact, she'd said a lot of nonsense during her visit to the Zhou family yesterday. Thinking back on it now, she felt deeply uneasy. She carefully recalled what she'd said, and felt that some things she shouldn't have said. A more astute person might have guessed it. But that Ye was just a crude woman, quite intimidating. In her previous life, she'd been killed by that poisonous scorpion, Gu Mingyue, before she was twenty. She shouldn't have noticed anything, right?
She felt something was wrong, but she didn't dare to tell Gu Mingyi directly about the mess she had made.
Gu Mingyi was, in fact, very different from the rest of the Gu family. Everyone in the Gu family doted on him, but Gu Mingyi's eyes were solely on profit. Between him and Gu Mingyue, because she was more favored by her parents than Gu Mingyue, he was considered her brother. Later, when Gu Mingyue became a noble concubine, Gu Mingyi became her brother. If it weren't for Gu Mingyue's disdain and her reluctance to let him take advantage of her, Gu Mingyi would still be her closest "brother."
After thinking for a long time, she didn't dare to provoke Gu Mingyi, so she concealed the fact that she had gone to see Ye Jia. However, she couldn't swallow the anger in her heart, so Gu Mingxi kept pestering Gu Mingyi to seek justice for her.
How could Gu Mingyi have the time to seek justice for such an insignificant matter? He hadn't finished his work yet.
They had been stranded in Dongxiang Town for some time, unable to find a way to enter the Zhou family. Nor could they find a chance to speak with Zhou Jingchen in detail. After searching in vain, Gu Mingyi realized he should abandon his plan to reconcile Gu Mingxi and Zhou Jingchen. Otherwise, it would only unite the Zhou family against the outside world, and would yield no benefit at all. Furthermore, Gu Mingxi was a clueless fool; marrying Zhou Jingchen would only bring harm.
Recalling Zhou Jingchen's preference for beautiful village women, Gu Mingyi suddenly thought, if they could control this woman, would things go much more smoothly?
Ye Jiashang didn't know that Gu Mingyi was indeed preparing to attack her. At this moment, she looked grim in the face of this group of people who suddenly appeared.
"We are guards from the Grand Protectorate." The leader looked down at Ye Jia, his voice thundering, "May I have a word with you, Ye? Fifth Aunt invites you."
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