Ye Suijin glanced at him and said, "What's wrong? Didn't sleep well? But you were drinking all night?"
Drinking was unavoidable.
When a boy grows up, you don't know when he starts drinking, where, and with whom. Anyway, when a boy grows up, suddenly they start drinking.
The brothers were all like this, Duan Jin and Tenth Son were also like this.
At such a young age, they would go out drinking with the rogue veterans like Yan Xiao.
"No, I only had two drinks last night," Duan Jin said. "Not much."
He didn't speak with a smile today, unlike usual. He seemed to have something on his mind.
Ye Suijin asked, "Then what's wrong? What are you worrying about?"
"Nothing, um..." Duan Jin was silent for a moment.
Just as he was extremely familiar with Ye Suijin, knew all her habits, and could sense any change in her mood.
Likewise, Ye Suijin was the same with him.
So verbal denials were useless.
"Qiuqiu is going to get married." The thought of this matter came to his mind. "Please reward her generously, my lady."
Ye Suijin said, "You tell me."
Finally the topic changed. Duan Jin said, "I'll give her a pair of heavy gold bracelets. I promised her last year."
Duan Jin was just making small talk. But Ye Suijin stared at him intently.
Duan Jin said, "What's wrong? Not enough? Or should I add more?"
After fighting several battles, Duan Jin had made a small fortune nowadays.
Ye Suijin hesitated for a moment, "Duan Jin, Qiuqiu..."
Servant girls couldn't stay for too long. When they reached the age, they had to be married off. Otherwise, if they were kept for too long without letting them marry, it would hinder their chances. This could easily lead to resentment.
So batches of girls would come and go. The older ones left, the younger ones came. They would stay with their master for a few years, never for too long.
No matter how favored or intimate they were before, once married, they could not casually enter the residence anymore, or often appear in front of their former master. Very naturally, they grew apart over time.
The longer the separation, the more distant they became. After having children, turned into matrons slaving by the stove, disheveled and no longer glamorous. They wouldn't even get to greet their former master when occasionally coming to pay respects, the new and pretty servant girls wouldn't pass on their arrival, they could only bow their heads outside the door.
Unlike boys, growing from guard pages to gallant generals, staying by one's side.
In her previous life, Qiuqiu had married before she took Tang Prefecture. When Ye Suijin was reborn, her impression of Qiuqiu was just "former personal maid" and "married pretty well".
The maidservants around Ye Suijin came and went, only the palace ladies who later attended her intimately in the palace were the closest.
Because unlike maids outside the palace walls, palace ladies would stay until their hair turned white once they entered.
But Ye Suijin also knew Qiuqiu was a bit older than Duan Jin, there was a limit. The two came to her around the same time.
They grew up together. When Qiuqiu was with her, Duan Jin was still young, not yet needing to avoid suspicion, he could even enter the master bedroom back then.
It could also be seen as colleagues in another sense.
Or childhood friends.
Qiuqiu was getting married this month.
But it didn't matter. She was just a servant.
Duan Jin still didn't understand what Ye Suijin's hesitation over mentioning Qiuqiu meant.
He actually had something on his mind, Qiuqiu was just an excuse to conceal his emotions.
Unexpectedly, Ye Suijin said, "If you like her, I'll have the Qin family find another daughter-in-law."
Qiuqiu was engaged to Qin Liang, the son of Steward Qin. Among the servant families, it was considered to have prospects. Qin Liang would probably become a steward in the future.
Duan Jin was dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning.
Only then did he realize.
"How could I like Qiuqiu," he quickly denied. "We grew up together, like siblings. There is absolutely nothing indecent between us."
But Ye Suijin just looked at him.
Making his defense seem very weak.
Qiuqiu had a good marriage prospect, he was really afraid of ruining Qiuqiu's engagement, even more afraid of his lady misunderstanding.
Duan Jin said, "Really."
Ye Suijin asked, "Then why didn't you want Yu Meng?"
Manager Li had already reported last night that Duan Jin directly sent Yu Meng back.
Servant girls were groomed for specific roles since childhood. Qiuqiu was trained towards being a capable and efficient senior maid.
Yu Meng was clearly picked out since young to be groomed as a beauty, kept for his use. Usually they wouldn't even be placed by the master's side.
Ye Suijin had seen her personally.
Yu Meng was truly very beautiful, and just the right age.
Only after seeing and approving her did Ye Suijin give her to Duan Jin.
No one would reject Yu Meng with such looks. Yet Duan Jin didn't want her.
He couldn't escape this question after all.
Duan Jin said, "I'm just a family slave myself, what use do I have for maids. It would only invite ridicule. They already gossip that I've slept with prostitutes. If I take a maid, they'll laugh at me even more."
He didn't even dare to blink, finally taking the chance to say everything on his mind about this topic.
Unexpectedly, Ye Suijin didn't care at all whether he had actually slept with prostitutes or not.
In the past, the emperor would bestow beauties to his subjects. Selecting beauties and palace ladies was the empress's duty. It was part of the empress's role.
Matters between men and women were just like that to Ye Suijin, similar to eating, drinking, and excretion, innate human needs.
And it was even lower priority than eating, drinking, wealth and power.
It didn't matter whether Duan Jin liked Qiuqiu or Yu Meng.
"You've grown up, it's time to have someone by your side." She said, "I'll arrange someone for you, so you don't have to frequent the brothels, it's unhygienic."
When Ye Suijin spoke these words, she was very calm.
Duan Jin felt disappointed inside.
What was he hoping for? Such hopes were laughable in themselves.
Duan Jin collected himself and said, "There's no one. I've only gone once, because Yan Xiao forced me last time in Bamboo Mountain, said he would ridicule me as a child if I didn't go. He promised it was just for drinks, but they were up to no good, wanting to get me drunk. The courtesans were frightening too, touchy feely, luckily I ran fast."
It sounded a bit funny. Ye Suijin smiled.
But this wasn't the reaction Duan Jin hoped for.
She said, "If you don't like Yu Meng, just say it again. Whoever you like, come tell me."
She paused, then said, "Duan Jin, I wanted to wait until you've made your mark and achieve success before selecting a well-born maiden for you."
"But you're not young anymore either. If there's someone you like, come tell me."
"Be it a young lady of a prestigious family, or a maidservant slave girl."
"For those with status, I can suppress it. For those without status, I'll give her status."
"As long as you like her, anything is fine."
She thought for a bit, then added, "No limits on age."
The last sentence, most would think of younger ages. If too young, she could be kept for now.
Like Lan Niang who was much younger than Fifth Son, only married this year when she came of age.
But Ye Suijin meant the opposite.
Wu was also younger, like a youthful version of herself.
When Duan Jin was around thirty years old. As men grew older, they liked young maidens more. But Duan Jin didn't like Wu.
The one Duan Jin might like could be older.
He looked up at Ye Suijin.
Ye Suijin stared back at him.
Now in the three prefectures combined, perhaps only Twelfth Lady could endure Ye Suijin's stare without looking away.
Even Fourth Uncle Ye and Third Son Ye couldn't take it.
Duan Jin lowered his eyes.
"I haven't considered such things. I'm still young. My lady is currently expanding greatly, I only think of establishing achievements to be a vanguard for you."
"These affairs between men and women are unimportant."
Ye Suijin said, "Still have to think about it. There will be many more battles ahead, the fight will be treacherous. Have to consider succession."
Wu's child wasn't Duan Jin's.
Ye Suijin even gave the child the name Duan Lin, all kinds of rewards, appointed him Zhaowu Colonel at birth.
In the end her health couldn't take it anymore, she didn't get to deal with that seed of misfortune.
She really hated it to death.
This life, she would definitely not let Duan Jin be without an heir again.
Even if he fancied a married woman, it was nothing to fear.
With power and money, nothing was impossible. Without need for force, as long as her husband, father-in-law, father, and brothers were given sufficient benefits, they would willingly deliver her to Duan Jin's side on bended knees.
As long as it was someone Duan Jin looked upon.
Duan Jin raised his head.
He had something that was always on his mind. If not asked now, he might miss the opportunity.
"What about my lady?" He asked. "Will my lady consider taking another husband in the future?"
This question wasn't only on Duan Jin's mind. Deng Prefecture, Tang Prefecture, there were probably many with this question on their minds.
Just no one dared to ask.
Ye Suijin understood very well.
She didn't expect Duan Jin to be the first to dare ask.
Ye Suijin didn't understand why these men expected her to answer their questions about remarriage.
Just because someone else lost his wife, it didn't mean others should care whether he would remarry.
But Ye Suijin was different.
Marriage meant sharing power with the husband.
Men had an inherent advantage over women in this regard. If Ye Suijin remarried, her new husband would inevitably share her power and everything that came with it.
That would encroach on other men's resources.
So in fact everyone cared about this issue, even though no one spoke of it openly.
On this matter, all of them - her uncles, brothers, generals, subordinates - even Duan Jin - shared the same stance.
People's positions shifted according to their interests.
If those in power could see through to the crux of the matter, they could manipulate things skillfully.
To these men, twenty-one-year old Ye Suijin was still young. They probably thought she wouldn't remain a widow.
But how could Ye Suijin take another husband and let a man share her power?
The husband's authority was detestable. Even an in-law could make trouble in her name.
Fortunately she had no children. Otherwise, the husband's authority could become a father's authority.
With that foothold, a man could stir up even more trouble.
But Ye Suijin would not confess these thoughts to anyone, as the person in power.
Those in power could not be controlled by others. She could make promises to them, but she could not be controlled.
In her past life, she had suffered too much under the hands of civil officials.
She would not let that happen again in this life.
"This is none of your concern," she rebuked.
As expected, he had overstepped. Duan Jin lowered his head in apology. "You're right."
He raised his head. "My lady, I ask to be freed."
Ye Suijin was taken aback.
She quickly hid her emotions and laughed. "You've finally come to your senses. You should have been freed long ago."
She immediately called the steward Qin to come free Duan Jin. "Free Duan Jin."
Steward Qin laughed. "Finally going to do it."
With Duan Jin not freed, Er Bao and others also felt uneasy.
They were rewarded by the mistress, yet it seemed they were being disloyal.
Now that Duan Jin was also freed, they were all the same. There would be no more awkwardness or displeasure.
Duan Jin gave his thanks. "Thank you, my lady."
Steward Qin laughed again. "Time to change how you address her."
Servants called their masters 'master'. Subordinates called their superiors 'my lord/lady'.
Now even Er Bao addressed Ye Suijin as 'my lady'. Qiu Sheng didn't have the status to be freed yet, so he still called her 'mistress'.
Duan Jin reiterated, "Thank you...my lady."
From now on he would change how he addressed her.
Stepping out of the study, Duan Jin took a deep breath in the sunshine.
From now on he was no longer a servant.
He had just turned the corner when he realized his mistake.
No matter how laughable or far-fetched his fantasies were, they needed a foothold.
How could a servant work?
Servants were lowly. How could they match her status?
Although Zhao Jingwen had fallen to a beggar, his status was always that of a commoner.
At the very least that was needed!
Duan Jin regretted not having realized this sooner.
A servant boy came to congratulate him.
Duan Jin patted the boy's head and gave him some coins. "Serve our lady well."
Walking down the steps, crossing the courtyard, he embarked on a different life.
Sitting on the corridor bench eating candy, the servant boy heard Mistress Ye call him from the study.
He responded and went over.
Ye Suijin called through the window, "No more guests today. Have them come back tomorrow."
The boy acknowledged and rushed to pass on the message.
Ye Suijin stood at the window.
Slanting afternoon light filtered through the window paper, fragmented into bundles by the lattice.
Ye Suijin silently watched the dancing dust motes in the sunlight.
For a long time she was silent.
