Ye Suijin looked at the man in the swirling dust and felt nostalgic.
He was just like General Duan Jin.
Extraordinarily valorous.
Even his back looked the same.
A man at this age was at the peak of his prime in every aspect.
At this moment, the youth Duan Jin standing beside her stared at the man in the field and lifted his foot, wanting to step forward and challenge him.
Who wouldn't want to try this, especially those who were usually outstanding in martial arts.
But as soon as Duan Jin moved, Fourth Uncle Ye held him back.
Fourth Uncle Ye was extremely excited.
Although he was past his prime, none of the youngsters dared to underestimate his martial arts skills. He was also a burly, sturdy man, just like He Lian.
Just as Duan Jin thought, who wouldn't want to go up and try.
However, before Fourth Uncle Ye could take a step, Ye Suijin put away the nostalgic smile at the corner of her lips and asked loudly, "Is Tenth Son okay?"
Fourth Uncle Ye: "..."
Oh, I almost forgot to ask about my nephew first.
"Little Ten—" he yelled hoarsely, "Can you get up?"
"Get up..." Tenth Son said with difficulty.
He Lian Xiang Yun reached out a hand to help him.
Tenth Son grabbed his hand, "Get up, can get up..."
He got up grimacing in pain.
My back hurts so much. Just now, I only felt my body fly up instantly, as if ascending for a moment, and then tremendous force pressed down.
I was stunned.
He Lian Xiang Yun patted him on the back, "Are you okay?"
Tenth Son quickly said, "It's okay, it's okay."
Alright, as long as he's fine. Fourth Uncle Ye took a deep breath, his chest swelled, and he was about to challenge He Lian Xiang Yun.
But who knew Ye Suijin would steal the march on him again—
"He Lian, let's try our equestrian skills!"
Cough! Fourth Uncle Ye almost choked himself and quickly said, "Let me do it."
"Uncle, don't snatch it." Ye Suijin elbowed him back, "My hands are itching."
Whose hands aren't itchy?
But Fourth Uncle Ye couldn't compete with her either. He was now the Vice-Prefectural Governor, an important official, and had to pay attention to his image.
In recent days, although He Lian Xiang Yun had been recovering from illness, he had already gotten to know the Ye family through He Lian Feiyu.
Among the Ye family elders, the burly ones in the army were Fourth Uncle Ye, Fifth Uncle Ye, and Seventh Uncle Ye, all of whom could lead troops. Eighth Uncle Ye was a civil official who did not lead troops.
This generation was led by Fourth Uncle.
Among Ye Suijin's peers were Third Son Ye, Ye Silang, Fifth Son Ye, Seventh Son Ye, Ye Jiulang, Ye Shilang, and Tenth Son. They were the grown-ups who could go into battle. Third Son led them.
Third Son Ye was also different from the others, as the rest were all his younger brothers, while he was Ye Suijin's elder brother. Ye Suijin valued him greatly.
Among the retainers, Marshal Yang was the most respected. Outstanding generals included Mao Mingyu, Li Gu, and Zhao Risheng.
Those who had surrendered and defected included Zhou Junhua.
Those of servant origin included Feng (Ye) Wang, Cheng (Ye) Quan, Gao (Ye) Youfu, Wu (Ye) Fenshou, and Wang (Ye) Laixi.
There was also a Duan Jin. He Lian Feiyu spoke highly of him. His status was also special. He was raised and taught by Ye Suijin.
Although not an adopted son, he was almost like one.
Now, looking at the Ye family’s structure, He Lian felt it was still very stable.
The status of clan members was the highest, and they held the most power.
Retainers and servants were generally of lower status than clan members, reflecting the closeness of relationships.
Servants were of even lower status than retainers, reflecting the nobility versus lowborn.
The Central Plains people valued clan and nobility. This hierarchical arrangement was accepted by all and seen as having no issues. It was a rather solid structure.
But He Lian Feiyu had gotten to know them all, and he concluded: “The Ye family does not feed idlers either.”
This meant that the retainers and servants were also capable people. Even though their status was lower than the Ye clansmen, their abilities were not weak.
Where there were people, there were cliques.
Now in the army, the Ye clansmen were from the main house and had close bonds, so they were a tight-knit group.
The retainers, surrendered generals, and servants had many factions.
That was how it was in the army. But it was fine. No matter how many factions there were, when facing external forces, as long as the leader was capable, they could still come together.
Yan Xiao and the others also competed fiercely, but that didn't affect their unity as the Pei army when facing outsiders.
There was no perfect existence without flaws in this world.
To be a leader was to face complex relationships and bring order and firmly control them.
From He Lian's observations over the past month, Ye Suijin had undoubtedly accomplished this and done it very well.
Her outstanding comprehensive abilities were beyond doubt.
But He Lian Xiang Yun was really curious about her martial arts skills.
He had been restrained when he arrived earlier, but the expressions on everyone's faces showed they understood his general level. Yet Ye Suijin still dared to challenge him.
She was very confident in herself.
"Alright," He Lian Xiang Yun said, "Let's spar."
The guards brought horses and weapons.
Ye Suijin asked, "Do you want protective gear?"
He Lian Xiang Yun glanced at her.
She should not be so arrogant. She could only say she had absolute confidence in her martial arts skills.
He said, "No need."
Everyone gasped.
Duan Jin frowned.
Fourth Uncle Ye and Third Son Ye spoke at the same time: "Sister Six!"
"It's fine," Ye Suijin laughed. "Have faith in He Lian."
He Lian Xiang Yun glanced at her.
They all carried dao swords on their waists daily. But dao swords were everyday weapons, and mounted combat had its own weapons.
The Ye family excelled in spearmanship, so Ye Suijin's mounted combat weapon was a nine-curve long spear, needless to say.
He Lian Xiang Yun's weapon was a horse lance.
The lance was eighteen chi long, hence the name horse lance. How long was it? Just the lance head itself if cut off would be a sword.
The horse lance was a long mounted combat spear. It was not something everyone could wield in the old days. During the heyday of the Great Wei Dynasty, many noble youths used horse lances.
One could not be an upstart. Even if upstarts could afford horse lances, they did not have martial arts passed down through generations, nor could they use lances properly.
Those who could use horse lances must have had some family background.
"Ancient Xihou Tribe of the Tiefu Department, kings of a long perished Hunnic state," He Lian Xiang Yun said. "Extinct for hundreds of years."
It was an ancient Hunnic country, long gone.
Several Chinese dynasties had already risen and fallen since then. The He clan had long assimilated and integrated, only occasionally producing someone with deep eye sockets and high nose bridges like He Lian Xiang Yun.
Ye Suijin said, "That is quite a background."
Everyone retreated to the perimeter, and one person mounted each horse.
"Dang!", the gong sounded.
The horses first trotted in the drill field, then galloped, then charged at full speed.
The wind blew, and the loess swirled under the hooves. Everyone's hearts thumped faster.
When the speed picked up, they turned their horses to face each other and charged!
No one dared to blink.
"Dang!"
That was the sound of blades clashing!
Then the horses flashed past each other.
They each ran a circle, maintaining speed.
"Dang!"
That was the first clash.
Mounted combat charges were not like infantry engagements with lots of grappling and fighting.
Between mounted troops, life and death were decided in the instant of the charge.
One would charge, the other would fall off horse, one would live, one would die, and the winner would be decided.
Ye Suijin and He Lian Xiang Yun began their third charge.
This time, the thundering of hooves intensified.
Everyone's hearts pounded with the hooves, and their throats went dry!
As the warhorses closed in to striking distance, everyone only heard the two let out a roar almost simultaneously!
Ye Suijin's helmet flew up, followed closely by the horses flashing past each other like lightning.
The fight ended.
Ye Suijin's hair bun came loose.
She pulled the reins tight and turned her head.
Her long hair flew in the wind.
A streak of blood slid down from her hairline, passing between her brows, diagonally across her nose bridge, and down her cheek.
He Lian Xiang Yun also pulled his horse to a stop.
He felt under his left ribs, his hand came away bloody.
Since it was just sparring, they had stopped at first touch. Otherwise, on the battlefield, he would have stabbed her eye socket while she pierced his heart.
He looked up at her across from him.
That exquisite face had a streak of red blood flowing down it, and she was smiling at him.
He had never seen such alluring makeup before.
No rouge could compare.
In the drill grounds, synchronized gasps could be heard.
It turned out everyone had unconsciously been holding their breath.
Their hearts had been in distress.
As someone dismounted, people crowded around.
"Scared me to death," Fourth Uncle Ye swore. "From now on spars on the drill grounds need padding! We're making rules and sticking to them!"
"What's with that look, Tenth Son! Just because Suijin and Xiang Yun can do it, don't go thinking just anyone can!"
"I'm not sending you young'uns off before my hair's turned white! Settling your deaths would be my job!"
Indeed, Tenth Son, Feiyu and the other youngsters had eager looks on their faces, sobered by Fourth Uncle's scolding.
"Oh..." they sighed.
How thrilling that was.
But also scary to go overboard.
Better than dying on the battlefield, it would be laughable to die by a brother's hand on the home grounds.
Xiang Yun and Feiyu went to bandage their uncle's wound.
Used to it by now, this was nothing but a scratch.
Xiang Yun and Feiyu roughly slapped medicinal powder onto the injury before wrapping it up, chattering all the while.
And done.
Tenth Son still sucked in a breath, feeling the pain for his uncle. "Go easy, why don't you."
Feiyu glared. "You do it if you're so capable."
Kids.
Duan Jin was much more gentle with Ye Suijin.
He used a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her face, very carefully brushed her hair aside to examine the cut, before exhaling in relief.
Instead Ye Suijin was startled by him. "It's not bald there, is it?"
Caught up in joy, she now felt the sting in her scalp. The wound itself was nothing, but a bald spot would be annoying.
"No," Duan Jin said gently, lightly pressing with the handkerchief. "Just here, at the peak of your brow, merely a scratch on the skin."
His voice was gentle, but Ye Suijin knew him too well.
"What're you angry about?" she looked up.
The young man's face was indeed taut, anger in his eyes.
"He should have held back more," Duan Jin said, suppressing his rage. "What if it scarred your face?"
"If it scars then it scars. Look at Xiang Yun's scarred face, still plenty handsome. My face, what use does it have for me anyway? What, am I going to find another husband with this face?"
Duan Jin fell silent.
He said nothing more.
With her scalp broken, he didn't dare tug her hair. He could only fish out a hair tie from his waist and bound up her loose hair at her neck.
Then he turned and looked far into the distance at He Lian Xiang Yun.
Today, everyone came to a conclusion.
He Lian Xiang Yun was truly the uncle of He Lian Feiyu, truly someone even Yan Lingdou had to defer to as "big brother".
Like a magnet, Zhou Junhua, Mao Mingyu, Li Gu, Zhao Risheng and the others were quickly drawn to him psychologically.
He was of the Pei family army, the first adopted son of Pei Ze. Everyone knew the caliber of the Pei family army. The drill grounds could only measure martial skills, unable to evaluate military capabilities. But his background was powerful proof of his military competence already.
He was not surnamed Ye. In the future, retainers and surrendered generals would naturally take his side.
Today's sparring had revealed the disparities, satisfying everyone.
On the way back, He Lian Xiang Yun walked with his hands behind his back.
September already, the sky was high and the air brisk, matching his mood.
"Uncle, what're you thinking about?" He Lian Feiyu carried his uncle's horse lance as he asked.
He Lian Xiang Yun looked up at the azure sky.
"An outstanding one..." he praised. "Truly exceptional."
"Yes, I didn't expect either. Really didn't expect it." He Lian Feiyu was also still dwelling on the earlier match. "The lady's skills on horseback are actually so accomplished."
"Truly outstanding!"
He Lian Xiang Yun recalled Ye Suijin's outstretched hand to him.
A faint smile. Ambling unhurriedly beneath the blue sky and white clouds.
These past few days, people had hurried one after another from Deng Prefecture to Biyang City in Tang Prefecture, heading for various manor gates.
"Dad!" Fourth Son Ye's expression was extremely ugly, footsteps urgent as he went to find his father Fifth Lord Ye. "Trouble in Deng Prefecture!"
