A butterfly landed on a flower in the courtyard.
Ye Suijin stepped out of the study, startling it.
The butterfly flapped its wings.
And flew away.
The young servant came back and said, "I've already told the gatekeeper that we won't be receiving any guests today."
Ye Suijin nodded and called for Qiu Sheng, "Let's go out for a walk."
She changed into casual clothes and went out on the street with a few guards.
The old wealthy families in Biyang City had been cleared out, and new wealthy families emerged like bamboo shoots after the rain.
There were the members of the Ye clan who had moved here, the relatives and old friends who followed them, and some prominent families from Deng Prefecture who had come along because they saw potential in Ye Suijin.
There were also the newly appointed officials, bureaucrats, and underlings at various government offices.
People who heard and observed that this place was peaceful and stable had moved here from neighboring provinces.
And then there were the merchants.
Walking on the streets of Biyang now, one could feel the bustling and prosperous atmosphere, and a sense of peace among the people.
The preferences of those in power influenced the customs of the common folk.
Nowadays, many daughters of well-to-do families in Biyang City liked to wear convenient and practical clothes, simply because they were imitating Ye Suijin.
But these clothes were designed with slits at the hem, making them suitable for riding and walking. Many girls fell in love with them.
Ye Suijin strolled through the lively market with her guards.
She had seen many places ravaged by war, where even people dressed in fine clothes often had a look of despair on their faces.
The people of Biyang City, on the other hand, had much better appearances.
There were women carrying baskets, men fanning themselves, young girls going out together, and young men delivering takeout for the restaurants, running fast.
The lively and bustling streets gave Ye Suijin a sense of tranquility.
Those moments of unease and melancholy in her heart had all passed.
She wasn't that kind of person to begin with. As long as she could set foot on solid ground, she would go as far as she could.
People on the street occasionally recognized her, and most of them avoided and made way for her.
Some people with a certain status approached her and greeted her.
Ye Suijin nodded and returned the greetings.
She casually visited some shops, and the selected shopkeepers felt honored and shone with pride.
The lively atmosphere was very soothing.
Ye Suijin's mood became more relaxed.
Just as she was about to leave after drinking some excellent tea in a shop and chatting with the shopkeeper about the market and people's livelihoods, she suddenly heard a commotion on the street.
She could see people rushing away from the noise, their faces filled with curiosity and excitement.
When life was stable, watching a commotion was also a form of entertainment.
The common people, regardless of their wealth or social status, generally loved to watch such scenes.
Ye Suijin chuckled and stepped out of the shop.
It turned out that there was a disturbance in the neighboring shop. A crowd had already gathered, all watching the commotion.
Ye Suijin asked, "Whose shop is it?"
The shopkeeper replied, "It's the Fang family's medicine shop."
There was a court physician in the medicine shop, but misdiagnosis or even causing deaths was not uncommon.
Or perhaps some people were simply destined to die, but their family members wanted to extort money, which was also common.
Ye Suijin stood on the steps and saw that a patrol officer was running towards this direction. If someone was causing trouble, the patrol officer would naturally handle it.
She was ready to leave.
But in the center of the crowd, someone suddenly raised their voice, "Tell me where the Prefectural Governor's Mansion is! I'm going to find the Prefectural Governor!"
Ye Suijin and her entourage all stopped in their tracks.
Qiu Sheng and the others turned their heads in surprise.
Why did they mention the Prefectural Governor's Office?
The street patrol officer received a report that there was a disturbance here.
They had known beforehand that Ye Suijin was shopping nearby, but they didn't expect someone to cause trouble at this moment.
Damn it!
They better hope the military commander doesn't encounter this. It would make them look incompetent and incapable of managing the situation.
Street disturbances and conflicts like this don't usually escalate to the level of criminal cases. Most of the time, the standard procedure is to tie up the troublemakers and bring them back to Wuhou Shop for a severe beating.
They would first beat them black and blue, then ask, "Do you dare to cause trouble in my jurisdiction again?"
Usually, the response they receive is, "No, I won't dare. Please spare me, sir. I realize my mistake."
But this time, the street patrol officers encountered a tough nut to crack.
Upon hearing about the Prefectural Governor's Office, Ye Suijin decided not to continue walking and stood under the eaves of a shop, wanting to see how things would unfold.
As they saw the fierce expressions on the faces of the military officers, they confidently barged into the crowd. But within moments, an even louder commotion erupted from inside.
The crowd spread outward like ripples in water.
When the people inside resorted to violence, the common folks naturally retreated, causing the circle to expand.
As a result, some people accidentally stepped on others' feet, shoes were lost, and some people reached out desperately, causing those who were grabbed to cry out in pain.
In no time, chaos erupted.
The military officers were furious.
In fact, they had noticed Ye Suijin standing on the steps nearby earlier, but they pretended not to see her, wanting to quickly resolve the disturbance and demonstrate their efficient handling of the situation to the Prefectural Governor.
Perhaps, they could earn her appreciation through this.
Little did they know that this troublemaker from the pharmacy would dare to draw his sword openly in the street, refusing to be arrested.
The sound of unsheathing swords echoed, and the military officers drew their swords, gesturing for the common folks to step back.
What are they looking at? Is a commotion really that entertaining? Can't they see that swords are being brandished? If they're not afraid of getting hurt, they should come forward!
"Put down your weapons! This is a bustling market. Wielding weapons is a serious crime!" they shouted. "Kid, do you hear me? Stop this immediately!"
But the young man glared and said, "My family member is seriously ill, and I'm in a hurry to find medicine. If you don't bother me, I'll put away my sword!"
However, the situation had escalated to this point, with swords already drawn. How could the military officers let this young man go? If they didn't give him a severe beating that would make him unrecognizable, where could they show their faces as street patrol officers?
What's more important is that Ye Suijin is watching from the steps!
She's watching!!!
This brat! He actually dares to resist arrest!
They've been set up!
To make matters worse, this young man is incredibly skilled in martial arts.
After several attempts to surround and attack him, they found themselves unable to do anything against him, with sparks flying from their swords at every exchange.
Moreover, several of his followers also exuded a fierce aura, as if they could kill at any moment.
Who the hell are these people?
The military officers were drenched in cold sweat, trapped in a difficult situation.
Just then, a woman's voice suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
Though it was a woman's voice, it carried great authority.
The Wuhou soldiers held their swords steadfastly and looked over, and indeed, it was the commanding officer. They immediately sheathed their swords and bowed, "Commanding officer!"
Qiu Sheng had already figured out what was going on by asking the onlookers.
There was a young man who was passing through with his family from Tang Prefecture when a sudden illness struck one of their elders. After the physician examined him, he prescribed a medicine.
But among the ingredients, there was a kind of ginseng that had been aged for over five hundred years.
This ginseng was the most crucial ingredient in the prescription, and the other herbs could be substituted, but not this one.
The young man had searched all the pharmacies in the city but couldn't find a ginseng that was over five hundred years old. The oldest one he found was only three hundred years old, which wouldn't do.
However, this highly scarce herb was not just a matter of money. For example, if he kept it and sold it to a noble or presented it as a gift, it might have a greater impact or benefit than simply selling it to an ordinary person.
The young man suspected that the pharmacies refused to sell to them because they were outsiders, which led to an argument.
This attracted the attention of the Wuhou patrolling the streets, who wanted to apprehend him.
His loved ones were still waiting for him in the inn, desperate for help. How could he let himself be taken away?
So, he resisted with weapons.
Although the young man appeared tough, he was actually extremely anxious inside.
Suddenly, someone shouted to stop, and he looked over sharply. He saw the crowd parting on both sides as an elegant woman walked in.
Her face was radiant like a blooming flower, but the first thing the young man noticed was the aura of authority between her eyebrows.
Who was she? Why did everyone around her bow down?
To his surprise, those people said, "Greetings, Commanding Officer."
A commanding officer!
And she turned out to be a woman?
Gender didn't matter! She was a commanding officer!
The young man sheathed his sword and also bowed, "This humble one pays respects to the commanding officer!"
She was a high-ranking official. If he could humbly plead with this commanding officer in front of him, if she was willing to help, who knows...
Therefore, his attitude was extremely respectful.
Ye Suijin stared at him.
The young man looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, even younger than Duan Jin and Tenth Son.
At this age, there was a big difference between their faces and the faces of adult men. Ye Suijin wasn't completely certain, but he looked very familiar.
Calculating his age, it should be about right.
Ye Suijin tentatively asked, "He Yu?"
The young man hesitated for a moment and respectfully replied, "Daring to let the commanding officer know, this humble one's surname is He Lian, given name Feiyu. This humble one's nickname is He Lian Feiyu, not He Yu."
This young man was none other than He Lian Feiyu, who had left Fang Prefecture with his uncle He Lian Xiang Yun after the Pei family called off the engagement.
Ye Suijin continued to scrutinize him for a while and said, "Let me see your sword."
He Lian Feiyu hesitated.
But the guards behind Ye Suijin already had their hands on their sword hilts.
These guards possessed hidden strength without any obvious flaws, clearly surpassing the Wuhou soldiers by a significant margin. Even the female high-ranking officer in front of him didn't have any openings.
People with formidable martial arts skills had firm muscles and quick reflexes. Their bodies were in a constant state of tension, ready to unleash their power at any moment, so there were no vulnerabilities for someone to exploit.
She was formidable.
After a moment of hesitation, He Lian Feiyu thought about his current situation of needing help from others and wisely turned the blade around, offering it to Ye Suijin.
Qiu Sheng wanted to take it, but Ye Suijin was faster. She had already taken the sword in her hand and examined it closely.
This was not the typical shape of a sword.
The knives commonly used by Han people across the whole country are mostly Wei knives. The blade of a Wei knife is straight.
But this particular knife has a noticeable curve, which makes it quite unique.
She wouldn't mistake it.
Ye Suijin raised her eyelids and looked at He Lian Feiyu again.
Clearly, this is He Yu!
The young man looks quite adorable for his age. If you look closely, you can still see the resemblance to He Yu in his eyebrows and eyes.
He Yu later grew a big beard. Ye Suijin had always thought that his beard was too thick compared to others.
He Lian is a Han surname adopted by the Hu people. It turns out he has Hu bloodline, no wonder.
He Yu is a general from the Chu Kingdom.
Ye Suijin's subordinate and a defeated general.
This young man has some skills in warfare, but unfortunately, his lord isn't very capable.
Zhao Jingwen actually loves He Yu deeply.
Losing to Ye Suijin is not a shameful thing. There are not many at court who can stand up to Ye Suijin in military matters.
He Yu is one of the few generals whom Ye Suijin praised even after defeating him.
Ye Suijin has always felt that Zhao Jingwen actually wants to support He Yu and oppose Duan Jin.
But it's strange that He Yu has always been cold towards Zhao Jingwen.
His lord surrendered, so as a subordinate, he could only surrender as well.
He turned a blind eye to the emperor's goodwill and showed more respect to the empress who defeated him.
Zhao Jingwen couldn't warm up to this guy's heart, so he could only begrudgingly give up.
He Yu wasn't very ambitious and just idled away his time in the Great Mu Dynasty.
He kept a thick beard.
Ye Suijin has only seen his face once.
That was when he lost a bet to Duan Jin and had his beard shaved by Duan Jin, who then dragged him in front of Ye Suijin to show her.
But it was because she said, "He Yu, that kid, has a pretty good-looking face. I wonder what he looks like."!
