Du Jingzhong was still hungover today and did not get up.
After Third Son Ye left Yejiabao, he immediately sent someone to contact his in-laws.
Ye Fourth Master of Yejiabao actually wanted to win him over to plot against Yejiabao together. What a great opportunity for him and his in-laws!
He sent someone to inform Ma Jin in high spirits.
People from Nanyang came yesterday afternoon already.
His father-in-law didn't come, only sent an entourage, which was quite disappointing.
To be honest, Du Jingzhong was especially annoyed by these scholar types.
Pretentious faces.
But after all they were going to be in-laws, it was not good to break ties now, so he still got dead drunk with the entourage.
Waking up today at noon, he hazily thought, what did they discuss yesterday?
Oh right, the woman from Yejiabao had sent a message to his father-in-law, asking him to visit Yejiabao.
Du Jingzhong's intention was to take this opportunity to cooperate inside and outside with Ye Fourth Master, and kill the woman from Yejiabao on the spot.
But the entourage said his father-in-law had already considered this plan and rejected it.
Because he was worried that taking action in Yejiabao, with the woman having many followers, would inevitably lead to intense fighting, and be somewhat dangerous. It had the meaning of "unable to remain composed". He instead wanted to first solidly go to Yejiabao to respond to the invitation, probe the situation, then invite the woman back to Nanyang County before making a move, which would be more secure.
Bah, gutless coward!
Afraid of everything!
Du Jingzhong had been stationed in Fangcheng for a long time, gathering many commoners, and had gradually become inflated, and actually could no longer clearly recognize his true situation.
He always felt that his own strength was on par with Yejiabao's.
Just as he was pondering this, he vaguely heard noisy and chaotic sounds in the distance. He picked his ears, just about to ask "What's going on outside, is someone fighting in the streets?", when a subordinate had already burst in: "Bad news! Boss! This is bad!"
"Someone wants to seize the city!"
"Seize what?" Du Jingzhong was confused.
"Seize the city!" The subordinate thought he was still hungover and his head had exploded, and shouted, "Seize our Fangcheng!"
Du Jingzhong was not still drunk, he really was a little confused.
What was there in Fangcheng worth seizing? He was even a little sick of it himself.
Looking around, the nearest and fattest target was Dengzhou. If you wanted to seize somewhere, seize Dengzhou! Seize Nanyang, seize Neixiang, seize Ran County!
Why seize broken down Fangcheng? Who would be so stupid?
Although he did not understand the situation, with people breaking into the city to kill, he could not just lie there and do nothing.
Du Jingzhong hastily put on his armor, took his weapons, and first went up the mansion walls to see the situation. Taking a look, he realized it was bad.
Although it was street fighting, those soldiers in green outfits were not slaughtering randomly - long spears, short sabers, shields, shield bearers covering the charge, long spears stabbing through gaps, saber soldiers protecting the flanks. Five men in one group, cooperating flexibly.
This...
Du Jingzhong had not seen formations like this for a long time.
These were regular troops, these were soldiers!
As for the side being attacked, Du Jingzhong's own side, it was hopeless.
Hooligans, rogues, scoundrels, waving sickles and wooden sticks were considered soldiers. Bullying commoners was fine, but facing properly trained regular troops that could advance and retreat in an orderly manner, they immediately collapsed.
In recent years Du Jingzhong had lived a life of debauchery and excess, with a gradually expanding waistline and a bulging belly.
Today he suddenly became extremely sober.
It was as if he was the benevolent and brave company commander of Xuangua Army again.
He climbed down the ladder and gave the extremely decisive order: "Retreat!"
His trusted aides thought he meant to open the gates and confront the enemy, and prepared to raise their sabers to charge forward, but he kicked them flying: "Fools! Retreat from the back gate!"
The enemy were well-trained regular troops. He had no time to gather his men now. And did he vaguely hear something about "leave no survivors"?
A grown man does not eat losses in front of him, always leave himself a way out.
"Go! Ready the horses!"
"Where is my son? Go get my son!"
"The one in Nanyang? Damn you! Who has time to care if he dies!"
Ye Sanlang reported to Ye Suijin: "Du Jingzhong ran towards the north gate!"
"At least he has the sense to know to run for his life." Ye Suijin laughed loudly, pulling the reins, "Let's go! Follow me to chase!"
For the Ye family army's first battle, Ye Suijin had to start strong, had to take the first head.
"Leave no survivors!"
Du Jingzhong took a few dozen people and escaped from the north gate of Fangcheng.
He brought his closest aides, who could also be considered elites. As for those left in the city, he did not care about them. Experience over the years had taught him that gathering followers was such an easy thing to do, able to quickly snowball.
However, they did not get far before the violent sound of galloping horses came from behind - the pursuers had arrived.
This time, he finally knew who the other side was - a large "Ye" character banner fluttered as the fierce horses charged forward, exceptionally eye-catching.
Especially the one leading the chase, turned out to be a woman!
Damn it! It was Yejiabao! It was the Yejiabao woman!
It must have been Ye Fourth Uncle and Ye Sanlang who leaked the plan! They sent her to kill him first!
As he ran, Du Jingzhong kept looking back. Suddenly he said: "Not many chasers!"
It looked like only a few dozen riders, presumably most of the troops were left behind in the city fighting. Street battles were especially troublesome, and it was difficult to regroup in a short time.
Du Jingzhong was also a fierce character. Although he had momentarily cowered in the face of the situation and wanted to temporarily avoid the edge of the blade, he was also unwilling to just abandon the foundation he had built over the past few years.
He looked back again and again, especially since the one leading the enemy was highly likely to be the Yejiabao woman herself. If he could capture the bandit leader... Du Jingzhong steeled his heart and shouted loudly: "The brave wins in a narrow path! Damn them!"
The group of people turned from retreating to confronting the enemy. To avoid slowing down and affecting the impact of the charge, the horses circled around the open field, kicking up a large cloud of dust, turning around and rushing towards Ye Suijin, sabers drawn.
His son had sharp eyes and shouted loudly: "Father! It's Ye Sanlang!"
At this time Du Jingzhong also saw Ye Sanlang!
Damn it! So it was not that Ye Sanlang leaked the plan! Overthrowing Yejiabao was a complete scam!
Du Jingzhong was furious! He had not provoked Yejiabao at all! Yet Yejiabao had come to deceive him!
His broken down Fangcheng produced nothing, yet Yejiabao would not let him be!
If you corner a dog it will jump the wall!
Du Jingzhong, filled with rage, drew his saber and spurred his horse to charge. He swore to kill Ye Sanlang first, then capture alive the Yejiabao woman!
The sky was dry and the earth scorched. The two sides charged towards each other, churning up clouds of dust.
On the Yejiabao side, a rider in front suddenly accelerated to charge.
It was none other than that woman.
That was good too, he would capture this woman first, then kill Ye Sanlang!
The two fierce horses charged straight at each other, getting closer and closer!
Unconsciously, a thought flashed through Du Jingzhong's mind: This Yejiabao woman... was truly beautiful!
In a flash of silver light before his eyes, his chest turned cold. The earth suddenly seemed to sink down and spin.
It was as if he had taken flight.
Ye Suijin charged forward, lightning fast with her spear, directly piercing through Du Jingzhong's heart.
She did not withdraw her spear to let the corpse fall from the horse, but instead shouted loudly. Using the momentum of the two charging horses, she lifted Du Jingzhong high up, drawing an arc in the blue sky, and flung the corpse spurting blood behind her.
Heavily hitting the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Ye Suijin's horse did not pause, galloping straight towards the oncoming people to kill. One spear sealing the throat, striking down Du Jingzhong's son who was right behind him!
The large "Ye" character banner closely followed her, crashing into the enemy.
Ye Sanlang and the others arrived just a step later, also killing their way in.
A burst of intense metallic clashing rang out!
In the melee, several long spears, glinting silver, reaped lives.
Yejiabao's younger generation, from the small Fangcheng, followed Ye Suijin, stepping onto an iron and blood path.
In their previous life, they had fallen one by one midway.
This life, Ye Suijin would lead them to the end.
On the fifth day of the seventh month, the county magistrates of Neixiang, Nanyang, and Ran County came as promised to Yejiabao.
Ye Fourth Master greeted them at a pavilion, smiling with hands clasped: "May you enjoy great success and prosperity, may you enjoy great success and prosperity."
Although he said this, the three county magistrates who had dealt with him before could still feel that he no longer had the same respect for them as before.
The innate respect that commoners naturally held towards "officials appointed by the court".
Although the Neixiang and Ran county magistrates were dignified, they were also polite. Only the Nanyang magistrate had a long face, with no visible joy or anger.
Ye Fourth Uncle welcomed the three magistrates and their entourages towards Yejiabao.
On the way, the Neixiang magistrate suddenly cried "Oh!" and raised his hand to block the sunlight, peering into the distance and asking: "What are those over there?"
Some short, squat things stuck out of the ground, one side high and one side low, slanted like half a roof, with rammed earth walls on both sides. But if you called them houses, they were a bit too short. Adults would have to stoop to get in.
Uncle Ye Si said, "Dugouts."
Dugouts? The Prefect of Neixiang County did know about them. He said, "Aren't those things only in the north?"
Uncle Ye Si said, "Yes, I've heard they were learned from the north."
It was discussed in detail based on Ye Suijin's oral instructions and the drawings made by Mr. Yang before the size and dimensions were finalized. Each could hold ten people, just right for one fire.
They were dug into the ground, creating a lowered space, then surrounded by three rammed earth walls on three sides, with a slanted roof inserted directly into the ground.
Although they didn't look very good, they were practical.
More importantly, they saved money and were quick to build. Enough could be built before winter arrived.
The Prefect of Rang County asked, "What are these used for?"
Uncle Ye Si said, "For people to live in."
"Who lives in them?"
"The retinues," said Uncle Ye Si. "Ah, there are more and more people, and there's not enough space to live."
These words, when heard by the three prefects, did not give them a comfortable feeling.
In any case, the three prefects of Dengzhou were not very comfortable. Especially the Prefect of Nanyang, Ma Jinhui, his face looked even more unpleasant. In a low voice he said, "It's just after the summer harvest, and it's time to plant beans again. You're wasting manpower like this..."
Uncle Ye Si boldly waved his hand: "No waste. They are all those people who made trouble and looted grain that the Chief captured earlier."
After being caught, they first built walls and dug trenches to repair many places in the fortification that had been neglected for a long time.
Once Suijin Ye's plans and specifications for the dugouts were drawn up, they were put to work building the dugouts.
They were so useful!
But these words sounded even more unpleasant to the ears of the three prefects when spoken aloud.
They all felt somewhat threatened.
Ma Jinhui had been frowning the whole time. Finally, when they arrived at the Ye Family Fort, he looked around and asked, "Where is the Honorable Chief?"
In his eyes, given his official position, Ye Suijin, the Chief of Ye Family Fort, should have personally come out to greet him.
Although it had always been Uncle Ye Si who came out to entertain them in the past, the real master of Ye Family Fort was still this young woman, Ye Suijin. She was the one who haughtily invited the three of them to visit Ye Family Fort. How could she not show up now that he had arrived?
If she intended to wait inside the fort and not come out to greet them, it would be too insulting.
Uncle Ye Si didn't look flustered at all. He cupped his fists and said, "My chief had something sudden come up while she was out and has not yet returned. She sent word that she would definitely be back today and should return soon. Please bear with us for now as Fourth Ye plays host in her place."
Saying so, he stretched out his hand, "Please—"
The Prefects of Neixiang and Rang counties exchanged subtle glances, then rode into the fort with composure and courtesy but no loss of dignity.
The Prefect of Nanyang, Ma Jinhui, came last. He gave Uncle Ye Si a meaningful look.
Uncle Ye Si somewhat understood the meaning behind that look—Nanyang and Fangcheng were close, and travel between them was very convenient. After Third Son Ye went over there, Du Jingzhong had probably contacted this guy.
He just smiled amiably. "Prefect Ma, please."
Ma Jinhui felt that he and Fourth Master Ye had some tacit understanding.
He was annoyed that there was still no word from Du Jingzhong's side after several days. The aide he sent over there still hadn't come back. Du Jingzhong had captured many beautiful women and sent a few over to him. His aide must have taken the opportunity to enjoy the women's company and deliberately delayed returning. When the man still hadn't come back by yesterday, Ma Jinhui had sent someone else to urge him, but there was still no sign of him this morning. Having no choice but to attend this meeting without clear information or preparation, nothing could be accomplished today.
But it was just as well—this was a good chance to directly establish contact with Fourth Ye. It was said Fourth Ye had sons, right? Marrying his daughter to one of them would be hundreds of times better than marrying her to some bandit's son...
Everyone harbored their own thoughts as they were led into the fort.
A straight wide road led directly to the Chief's residence.
Ye Suijin and Zhao Jingwen were the only residents of the Ye house. Others like Uncle Ye Si each had their own houses.
Today, Uncle Ye Si was temporarily acting as host on behalf of Ye Suijin to receive the guests. He welcomed the three men into the great hall of the Ye house.
The seats and tables were already arranged. The three scholarly officials had equal positions, so they spent a long time politely deferring to each other before finally sitting down in order along the left side according to seniority.
Uncle Ye Si and the other members of the Ye family sat along the right side.
The main seat at the head of the hall was also set with tables and cushions, but remained empty with no one sitting there.
Since the guests had arrived, courtesy preceded confrontation.
First, wine and refreshments were served back and forth several times, then dishes flowed in like water.
There were even dishes they had never eaten before, which made the three Prefects involuntarily dismiss their arrogance a little—only prestigious families would have so many private recipes. Although they had heard the Ye family ancestors were military commanders in the previous dynasty, they still looked down on them, always seeing them as just an ordinary local gentry clan.
After all, a thin camel is still bigger than a horse.
With the extravagant dishes and lively singing and dancing, after three rounds of wine, Uncle Ye Si saw it was getting late but Ye Suijin still hadn't returned. However, the person she sent back informed him to just proceed according to plan.
Uncle Ye Si clapped his hands, the music stopped, and the performers withdrew.
Everyone knew it was time to talk business.
The three Prefects' eyes were focused.
"Since the Xuanhua Army disappeared, everywhere is in turmoil. Only Ye Family Fort alone is still supporting stability in Dengzhou. We can be said to not have disappointed the hopes of our elders and townspeople, and have protected the peace here. Our people can still get by." Uncle Ye Si said.
"But Ye Family Fort has paid a huge price to bear this responsibility."
"Consider when the Xuanhua Army was garrisoned here, they fed on the five prefectures of Tangzhou, Suizhou, Fuzhou, Yingzhou, and Dengzhou."
"After thinking it over, we Ye Family Fort don't have the great ability of the Xuanhua Army to protect five prefectures. But protecting just Dengzhou should be possible."
"Since Ye Family Fort has taken on the responsibility of guarding Dengzhou, it is only right that we feed on Dengzhou."
"I invited the three of you here today to inform you that from today onwards, Ye Family Fort will take on the responsibility of the master of Dengzhou."
"From today onwards, the civil administration of the three counties will be decided by Ye Family Fort, and the tax revenue of the three counties will all be handed over to Ye Family Fort."
"The three of you need not panic. You will continue in the same official positions you held before. As long as you govern justly and hand over taxes on time, we will certainly prosper endlessly."
Not bad, thought the Prefects of Neixiang and Rang counties. The axe has finally fallen after teetering on the edge.
Only the Prefect of Nanyang, Ma Jinhui, was furious. "Ye Si, do you know what you are saying?!"
