The weather in July was very good, but the mood of Sun Xiangxue, the magistrate of Rang County, was not good at all. He heaved a long sigh.
The arrears of three years of grain taxes were finally scraped together. Just thinking about how much he had vomited out, he felt a pain in his chest.
The men sent from Ye Family Fort were supposedly there to protect his safety, but in reality they were monitoring his every move.
Ye Suijin of Ye Family Fort was clearly just a young woman, yet somehow she was deeply versed in the ways of the dark bureaucracy. She had warned them early on, "You must not squeeze the commoners any further for this. Whoever has swallowed it must spit it back out."
Furthermore, "Those who refuse to spit it out will have their heads chopped off, and it will be dug directly from their bellies."
From what he heard, the people in Nanyang didn't know how fierce she was. They saw that the former Ye Sanlang and the new magistrate were both greenhorns, so they tried to play some tricks.
Little did they expect that Ye Sanlang didn't play these games at all. He flipped the table directly. At the first sign of trouble he enacted a killing ordinance.
This style of conduct was exactly the same as his younger sister Ye Suijin.
The staff of a county was always just a handful of people. With the county magistrate and sheriff killed, the rest immediately became docile.
The taxes in Nanyang were collected even faster than in his own county.
He was so frightened that the county magistrate and sheriff of Rang County urged him not to delay, to pay up what was owed and vomit up what needed vomiting.
Alas.
Magistrate Sun looked up to heaven and sighed deeply.
While Magistrate Sun was sighing ceaselessly, Fourth Uncle Ye had already arrived at the capital city. He craned his neck to look at the city walls, stunned by what he saw.
He had thought that the walls of the capital city would surely be much higher than the walls of the county towns, but he hadn't imagined they would be so much higher, so much more massive.
He was a man who had travelled afar, who had been to Hedong Road and seen Pingyuan Prefecture, yet he had never seen city walls so majestic.
Fourth Uncle Ye was truly shocked.
Now he finally understood what Ye Suijin meant.
He had to see it with his own eyes, in order to curb his arrogant mentality and realize just how weak and insignificant Ye Family Fort really was.
"Master Ye," an armored officer called to him, "Don't delay, let's hurry into the city."
Dengzhou was not actually very far from the capital city, but the journey had not been safe. He and Master Yang brought a hundred soldiers, and they encountered problems repeatedly along the road.
When they met the first army that looked properly regulated, Master Yang took the lead in reporting their origins and purpose. To Fourth Uncle Ye's surprise, when the other side heard their purpose, they treated them very well. That general even dispatched a contingent of men, with a lower officer to escort them into the capital.
"To curry favor," he laughed. "The hearts of all under heaven turning to His Majesty will surely delight him."
Everything Ye Suijin predicted had come true.
Therefore, although that lower officer looked at them as if they were country bumpkins, he still escorted them smoothly into the capital city.
His superior had explained it clearly to him - this was a good opportunity, and rewards were sure to follow.
They continued to receive good treatment after entering the capital city. The soldiers remained outside the city walls, while Fourth Uncle Ye, Master Yang, and some attendants were arranged to stay at the official guesthouse, with food and board provided.
Someone came to collect the memorial and the gifts for the Emperor.
Fourth Uncle Ye simply waited obediently, while Master Yang went out as soon as the other party left, only returning late at night.
"Didn't see the Imperial Son-in-Law, he's not in the capital city right now," he said. "But I did see the Princess, and she accepted the gifts."
Fourth Uncle Ye felt uneasy: "Can the Princess accomplish it?"
Master Yang laughed. "She's even more capable than the Son-in-Law."
The Jin Emperor favored the Son-in-Law because he favored the eldest daughter born to his original wife, loving the crow for the crow's nest. But the Princess was the real "nest."
Fourth Uncle Ye waited anxiously for two days before being granted an imperial audience.
To be honest, meeting the Emperor was much simpler than he had imagined, without so much convoluted etiquette.
This was clearly because the new dynasty had just been established, and there were too many things waiting to be handled. The Jin Emperor had not yet freed his hands to mess with these kinds of things.
As Fourth Uncle Ye kowtowed before the Jin Emperor, he couldn't help thinking of Ye Suijin's words - when the Emperor frees his hands, he will bring the hammer down on these surrounding thorns who refuse to bow and declare allegiance.
It seemed this was true.
They had come early enough that the Emperor did seem happy.
The Jin Emperor was a few years older than him, with greying hair and beard. A military man, he looked quite majestic.
But Fourth Uncle Ye still remembered - the man before him had ceded the sixteen prefectures of Yan and Yun to the northern barbarians, bringing in foreign troops to help him seize the throne.
Bah, this was a typical scoundrel who ruins his family, by the standards of commoners.
Fourth Uncle Ye suddenly didn't feel the Emperor was so impressive anymore.
Looking again, he was just an ordinary old man. His clothes were finer, his hat more gilt, the jade plaques on his belt more numerous.
He even had a big paunch. If it came to fighting on horseback with blades, Fourth Uncle Ye felt the Emperor might not necessarily defeat him. Fourth Uncle Ye was still quite confident in his own martial arts skills.
The Jin Emperor was indeed somewhat delighted, asking about the situation in Dengzhou. Fourth Uncle Ye responded according to Ye Suijin's teachings, weeping as he spoke: "Everywhere is in turmoil, only Dengzhou remains stable. At that time when the Xuanhua Army garrison was blown up, disorder spread through several prefectures. My family spent tremendous effort driving away as much of the chaos as we could, so Dengzhou did not fall into turmoil. After my elder brother unfortunately passed away prematurely, we younger generation knew we must defend the land for Your Majesty, and readily took responsibility wherever something happened in the counties.
Fangcheng originally had nothing to do with us, but the situation there was truly tragic, unbearable to watch. After those rebels finished ravaging Fangcheng and leaving its people with nothing to eat, they set their sights on our Dengzhou, so we had no choice but to take action. Otherwise we would not have wished to, it was such a large territory, with the commoners starving and desperate. We governing family members were also extremely anxious. I hope Your Majesty can advise what to do about Fangcheng.
The Jin Emperor waved a hand: "Since you've already taken it, merge it into Dengzhou. This new head of your family, she's only twenty years old?"
The Princess was also present to one side, laughing: "Father, she is a young woman."
The Jin Emperor laughed. "As capable as my daughter."
How interesting. It turns out the Emperor was just like an ordinary father, joking around with his children too.
Fourth Uncle Ye stole glances out of curiosity, increasingly feeling that an "Emperor" was not a deity descended to earth either, but a mortal with flesh and blood like himself.
The Princess had accepted their gifts, and honorably spoke on their behalf before the Jin Emperor.
Things went much more smoothly than Fourth Uncle Ye had anticipated.
"Come," the Jin Emperor commanded in his golden voice. "Grant Ye Suijin, Prefect of Dengzhou, establish the Dengzhou Army, to protect the local peace."
He paused, rapping his knuckles on the armrest of his chair.
Fourth Uncle Ye had noticed Ye Suijin make this motion several times recently. At first he thought nothing of it, but seeing this old Emperor make the same gesture, he suddenly felt a strange sense.
Hard to describe, just a flash.
The Jin Emperor had already considered: "Authority to wield the imperial sword, Governor of Dengzhou."
The authority to wield the imperial sword held greater power than simply wielding or temporarily wielding the sword, permitting execution of officials below 2000-stone rank in both peace and war.
The Jin Emperor was a wise man, and did not grant that authority, since this Ye Suijin already practically controlled Dengzhou. It would only make him look petty.
Having just ascended the grand throne, he urgently needed to buy horses with gold, to make a display for others' eyes. A person so intelligent and capable should be richly rewarded.
Fourth Uncle Ye touched his forehead to the floor: "Thank Your Majesty for your abundant grace, may you live ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!"
Unlike the bleak and mournful atmosphere of the Rang County administrative offices, the Nanyang County offices had practically taken on a whole new atmosphere.
After killing the county magistrate and sheriff, many commoners swarmed in beating drums and shouting injustice. Ye Jingyi reviewed a few cases before his face turned pale with anger, directly ordering a group of yamen runners seized.
These people had committed all kinds of misdeeds together with Ma Jinhui in the past.
The entire yamen was replaced with new people, except for the clerks. Even among the clerks, two were flogged with the plank before being dismissed.
After Ye Jingyi handled a few cases, the Nanyang commoners wiped their tears and directly proclaimed, "Our heavenly parents are here!" They also called Ye Sanlang an "Underworld Vajra."
The two young masters could kill people and handle cases without batting an eye, but they were utterly flustered by these commoners who wept as they kneeled to thank them. One would hurry to help someone stand, only to rush and stop another from kneeling -
"Old fellow, stop that, stop that, you're killing us!"
"Auntie, quickly get up!"
"Child, don't cry. The ones who killed your parents are dead, no need to be afraid from now on. Get up, get up, don't kneel!"
Ye Sanlang was here to protect and support Ye Jingyi.
Ye Suijin had specially summoned him over from Fangcheng. She had explained it very clearly to him: "This is the first person from the Ye family to enter officialdom. He must take this step steadily."
Before Fangcheng, Ye Sanlang would still argue with Ye Suijin about the worth of human lives. After experiencing Fangcheng, Ye Sanlang only gripped his sword hilt and nodded: "I understand."
He accompanied Ye Jingyi in Nanyang and stayed until July 21. The vacant positions in the Nanyang county government were filled with new officials who smoothed things over, and they could finally return to the stockade.
Ye Jingyi saw him off respectfully: "Sanlang, thank you."
Without Ye Sanlang, he alone as a scholar could not have settled the mess in Nanyang. Even if those guards were handed directly to him, it wouldn't work. He didn't have the guts.
He had also imagined many scenarios before coming, all using his own talents and intelligence to solve potential problems.
Only after arriving here did he realize the many tricks in officialdom that could easily play a newcomer like him round and round, especially since the county magistrate and county captain were local veterans of many years, not moved for decades, deeply rooted.
While he was still angry and helpless, the Third Son from the main family had already drawn his sword.
The obstacles in front of him thus disappeared.
At that moment, Ye Jingyi understood.
His past arrogance and talent were so laughable. As an individual in the world, no, just for a small Nanyang county, he was so insignificant and powerless.
But with the Ye family stronghold at his back, it was different.
This was the meaning of “clan.”
"Sanlang," Ye Jingyi looked at Ye Sanlang and affirmed, "You've changed a lot."
As clansmen of the same generation, they didn't often play together, but they knew each other. Or perhaps the Third Son from the main family didn't know him, but he certainly knew the Third Son.
Steady and prudent – this was how the elders described him.
To put it simply, he was honest and dull, didn't talk much, a simpleton.
But the steadfast, honest Sanlang that he saw in Nanyang acted with such cold ruthlessness that he was shocked, overturning all his previous impressions.
Hearing this, Sanlang lowered his eyes for a moment, then smiled and said, "And you, Yongxiu, how have you not changed?"
In his heart, Ye Jingyi had always been a quiet, weak, book-loving clansman. Among the many clansmen, he did not stand out.
Over the past half month, Sanlang had seen with his own eyes how meticulous and thoughtful he was, had seen his pair of eyes deepen day after day from innocent simplicity.
Removed from the secluded and refined study, thrown into the dye vat that was Nanyang, the simple scholar had to face tedious trivial affairs and sinister human hearts that battered him every time he opened his eyes.
It could be said that in the first few days, he was almost pressed to the ground and given a beating. Sanlang was even a little worried that he couldn't endure it.
But this clan brother gritted his teeth and persisted. By the time Sanlang cleared the obstacles for him, he was like a changed man.
Sometimes Sanlang also marveled at how Aunt Ye could pick the seemingly mediocre Ye Jingyi from the clansmen as the vanguard to take this first step.
Her appointment was not without dissenting voices. His father had quietly told him before leaving for the capital that some elders in the main family were quite dissatisfied with Ye Jingyi's appointment.
After all, it was the position of county magistrate! Just given to a young member of a branch family like this!
Clearly there were still so many seniors in the clan, which one was not more experienced than the young Ye Jingyi. Who could be convinced?
But Ye Suijin completely disregarded them. Once she had made up her mind, no one could shake it.
Fortunately, his father supported Aunt Ye.
His father said, "She has a point, youths have the momentum. If it was left to me, there would certainly be many faces I can't slight, inevitably constrained. The county judge and county captain are local veterans of many years, not like impermanent officials, deeply rooted here for decades."
His father also said, "What Aunt Ye said about reserving the main family's sons for the army is absolutely right. What's a county magistrate? We can still take it whenever we want with the Ye family stronghold. Nowadays, official seals are not mightier than fists. Just for that one sentence from Aunt Ye, I trust her." It was great that his father and Aunt Ye were of one mind.
Ye Jingyi smiled and asked, "Is everything still going smoothly at home?"
Within one province, communication was convenient. Every day there were fast horses going between Ye Sanlang and Ye family stronghold.
Ye Jingyi had known all along that his every response and action here each day were reported to Ye Suijin. Though Aunt Ye did not come in person, she had been keeping an eye on him from afar.
Fortunately, with Ye Sanlang's support, he had endured.
Although his entire being had been drained and reassembled, never to return to the past, Ye Jingyi had a strong sense that the path had just begun at his feet.
"The new troops have already started training," Sanlang said. "I have to hurry back. Before coming, Aunt Ye said to save me a spot. We're going to lead the new recruits ourselves."
Ye Jingyi apologized, "It's me who delayed Sanlang."
But Sanlang laughed and said, "There are priorities, Nanyang was more urgent. With you taking this first step, from now on everyone will know what to do."
The unintentional outline of the future in his words caused Ye Jingyi's chest to swell up.
The two brothers said farewell outside the county city. Just as Sanlang was about to mount his horse to return to the Ye family stronghold, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly approached. A Ye family courier had come again. Had something happened?
"Sanlang!" Seeing them, the courier swiftly reined in his horse and jumped down, bringing good news. "Fourth Uncle has returned!"
Hearing this, they were both invigorated and quickly asked, "Did it succeed?"
"Success, success!" As this was a glorious event for the entire Ye family stronghold, the courier was still excited. Seeing the busy traffic at the city gate, he raised his voice and loudly proclaimed, "The Emperor personally appointed our Lord as the Chief Inspector of Dengzhou!"
"With authority over Dengzhou!"
Many commoners at the city gate could understand appointment as an inspector, but not the latter sentence, and they buzzed in discussion, asking each other.
Until a scholar exclaimed: "Good heavens!"
"The Lord of Ye Stronghold, made Governor of Dengzhou!"
"Authority over Dengzhou!"
The city gate immediately erupted in commotion!
Ye Sanlang and Ye Jingyi exchanged a glance, both seeing the light in each other's eyes.
Inspector plus Governor, full civil and military power grasped in Ye Suijin's hands.
Ye Suijin, Ruler of Dengzhou!
In name and reality!!
