On horseback all the way here, the Ye family saw a much better scene than in Fangcheng at that time.
Although it was a little dilapidated, there were still people living in the villages. The fields were also better than in Fangcheng, without large areas of abandoned land.
The next day, Ye Suijin gathered people from nearby villages.
Hearing the news, which village dared not come when they saw the strong horses, waist swords, bows and arrows, and spears of the Green Clothes Army? They all came.
Only then did they know it was to interrogate Zhou Junhua's gang.
This was what Ye Suijin meant by their fate being in their own hands, whether to kill or not, depending on how much evil they had done.
With over two hundred people, even though Zhou Junhua restricted them, it was impossible for them to be completely innocent. They were already bandits to begin with.
Some had forcibly taken civilian women, some had seized family heirlooms, and some had killed indiscriminately.
All those who were accused and identified by the victims were beheaded on the spot.
The rest of the petty evils were still acceptable.
As for the food collected by Zhou Junhua's gang, the peasants did not actually complain much.
The county government in Shangma County had long been empty. They had all died during the wartime chaos earlier, and the few surviving yamen clerks had also taken off their official uniforms and quit completely. Some even joined Zhou Junhua outright.
Shangma had essentially only been supporting Zhou Junhua's gang. With just over two hundred people, the food they collected was less than the various harsh taxes and levies of the late Eastern Wei. So the burden on the common people was actually lighter.
Besides, they did provide some governance.
Some villagers said, "People from Fangcheng sometimes came to rob food and even kill people. They were the ones who drove them back."
In Zhou Junhua's view this was because those people had crossed the boundary and encroached on his "turf", damaging his interests.
But for the local villagers, Zhou Junhua was protecting the villages and preventing them from falling into an even worse situation.
Things in Fangcheng were really miserable. According to refugees who escaped, there was almost no way to survive there. The locals all felt it was Zhou Junhua's virtues that kept Shangma from deteriorating like Fangcheng.
Some who had committed petty evils were singled out and tied up in a line, obviously for separate disposal.
Zhou Junhua asked, "What will be done to them?"
Ye Suijin said, "Don't worry about it."
Zhou Junhua deflated. After a while, he asked again, "Then what about us?"
Ye Suijin did not answer him, but instead strode to the front of the tied up prisoners.
Apart from those who were killed and those singled out, there were still over seventy people left. Ye Suijin looked them over one by one. When she was done, she said to Zhou Junhua very affirmatively, "These are all former Xuanhua Army men."
Among those killed and singled out, there were also some former Xuanhua Army men, but the rest were all former Xuanhua Army.
Third Son Ye exclaimed at hearing this, "Really?"
Zhou Junhua looked around and finally nodded, "It really is."
Everyone greatly admired her and kept asking, "Sister Six, how did you see it?"
Because real regular troops and those messy gangs were different.
Ye Suijin had been at war for many years and was too familiar with the aura of soldiers, basically able to distinguish at a glance.
She said to Zhou Junhua, "You didn't lie."
Zhou Junhua said he had also restrained his subordinates.
That the ones left in the end were all Xuanhua Army proved he was telling the truth.
Because regular troops were used to following orders and military law, Zhou Junhua's restraints worked best on them. Those who joined halfway were harder to manage, because they went "rogue" and "joined bandits" from the very start. No matter how Zhou Junhua tried, he couldn't completely stop their petty evildoings.
As for those who committed greater evils, it was innate human nature, unrelated to background. It was just that when given the opportunity, the pus of evil burst out.
Zhou Junhua understood the meaning in Ye Suijin's words. He fell silent for a moment, then knelt down on one knee: "Lord Ye, my brothers and I just want to make a living. Please take us in! We will surely obey orders and strictly abide by military law under Lord Ye!"
Back then, Ye Family Fort was just a village fort. Zhou Junhua was a sixth-rank official, just one step away from general. He looked down on Ye Family Fort and brought some men to Shangma instead.
Who knew this would happen after all these years.
He also didn't want to be as unscrupulous as Du Jingzhong. Although he had amassed some personal wealth, that was it. The ideas and righteousness from those years had also worn away.
Looking at Ye Family Fort now, it had made a name for itself as "Ye Family Fort, Dengzhou".
With all kinds of troops, brave soldiers, and young and vigorous generals full of vigor.
Even Du Jingzhong was taken down by her.
Truly, the river flows east for thirty years and west for thirty years.
Zhou Junhua finally bowed his head.
"Alright, but coming under me, you can only start as an escort colonel," Ye Suijin nodded.
With news blocked everywhere nowadays, Zhou Junhua was surprised.
Ye Suijin then told him: "Dengzhou and Fangcheng are under my control. I am Governor of Dengzhou and Commander of Dengzhou Military Affairs. Ye Family Army is now Dengzhou Army."
Zhou Junhua gasped - he had still underestimated her after all.
But he had found a troop.
Zhou Junhua even felt a little like crying.
He had felt a kind of lost and helpless panic these past few years, even though he occupied territory and could provide for his brothers.
Now there was a sense of stability.
Ye Suijin called out, "Seventh Uncle!"
Ye Qi Shu then came over.
Ye Suijin said, "Colonel Zhou is one of us from now on. Go settle his men with him."
Zhou Junhua quickly said, "We are all Dengzhou Army and Ye Family Army men now."
He knew his place well.
Ye Qi Shu and Zhou Junhua then left.
Many of the villagers had not yet dispersed, watching Ye Family Army. Seeing their strict military discipline, some bolder ones came forward and asked, "Shangma will also be governed by Ye Family Fort from now on?"
"Is Ye Family Fort the court?"
Ye Family Fort had long had a unified response to this: "The court is the court, Ye Family is Ye Family."
"Yes, Shangma will be under Dengzhou and governed by Ye Family from now on."
"Don't worry, Dengzhou is good now."
Having executed the greatly evil earlier and avenged the commoners, as well as tied up the petty evils, the people's hearts were filled with awe and conviction. They all said, "That's good then. Someone is finally governing us."
Some also said, "Lord Ye is a...great woman."
Making Ye Family's men laugh.
As Ye Suijin walked to the main tent here, she suddenly made a strange hmm sound.
Duan Jin and Third Son Ye beside her both glanced at her. Third Son asked, "What's wrong?"
Ye Suijin sighed, "Zhou Junhua...is a man without much ambition."
Zhou Junhua was a man with a bottom line but little ambition.
According to Zhou Junhua, he had brought over a brigade originally. Developed until now it had only doubled.
Du Jingzhong had expanded to one or two thousand men, although the combat power was weak, the numbers were not.
Of course Ye Suijin was willing to accept Zhou Junhua and his men because Zhou Junhua did not involve the common people.
Having been an empress in her previous life, she viewed everything from the "court's" perspective, and hated those like Du Jingzhong who involved the common people the most.
Because this model had an incomparable destructive power on local areas.
Not only taking able-bodied labor away from production, it also easily burst all the pus of human evils, letting it all flow out. And it was irreversible.
Once someone went through this process, they could never go back to being a law-abiding citizen.
So in Fangcheng, Ye Suijin left no survivors.
But Zhou Junhua was different. He was clearly a man without much ambition.
He was obviously someone suited to working steadily within the system, getting promoted step by step. Occupying Shangma, he actually became a local army without organization, just making a living locally.
And that was it.
If it were someone like Zhao Jingwen instead...
In Ye Suijin's mind, she could almost map out a path to success for an ambitious man in turbulent times, using Shangma as the starting point.
Having ambition or not really made a huge difference.
Where was Zhao Jingwen now? Had he met Pei Lian yet?
Or could he even meet Pei Lian in this life? Would he still marry Pei Lian?
Ye Suijin raised the corners of her lips.
Although growing rapidly, Third Son and Duan Jin still could not understand that smile at the corner of Ye Suijin's lips.
They did not know that when one reached a certain age, they viewed and handled matters not merely limited to the matters themselves.
Especially officialdom and the inner palace were the places that most refined the human heart.
Ye Suijin had long reached the level of observing human nature and handling affairs. There really was nothing more interesting than studying human nature, unless it was wielding power.
And if one wielded power and studied human nature, that was the most interesting.
To compete with others was endless joy.
Zhou Junhua's dozen men were first not given weapons, only counted as extra. The seized weapons and horses also had to be checked. There were also some aggrieved people whose properties and several women were promised to be returned, which also had to be arranged. It took some time.
The next day, they broke camp and headed for Shangma County.
A masterless city, the defenses were actually stronger than Du Jingzhong’s Fang City. At least people on the city wall were conscientiously on duty.
Seeing the large group heading to Shangma County from afar, they immediately sounded the alarm. After some chaos at the city gate, they at least succeeded in closing the big door.
That’s commendable.
Ye Suijin was quite surprised.
Zhou Junhua said, "I trained them."
He was a little proud. After all, he used to be a proper military officer, hmm, maybe not an officer, but a lieutenant.
That was still his rice-bowl skill.
"My lords, please wait as I go to call to open the door," Zhou Junhua said, then rode forward and yelled, "Which family is above? Open the door, I'm back."
The people above were frightened by the large group and cautiously peeked out. Seeing clearly, they exclaimed in surprise, "Is it Master Zhou?"
"It's me. Is it the Wang family?" Zhou Junhua said, "Don't worry, open the door. It's me."
But the person in charge felt something was wrong just by looking.
Master Zhou had about a hundred people, but there must be thousands here, right? This didn't look right at all. Could Master Zhou...have been kidnapped?
Not daring to make the decision, the person replied, "Master Zhou, please wait. I will report to the elders."
Zhou Junhua awkwardly explained to Ye Suijin, "They must have been startled."
Of course Ye Suijin could see that the people on the wall hadn't foolishly opened the door right away. They hadn't done wrong. Even if they were civilians, they were qualified servants.
She was just curious, "Is your wife's hometown Shangma County?"
Zhou Junhua nodded and said "Mm-hmm."
His reply was somewhat vague and unclear what he was vague about.
After waiting for a while, an old man poked his head out from the top of the city wall and asked down, "Is it son-in-law?"
"It's your son-in-law." Zhou Junhua replied, "Father-in-law, open the door."
The old man asked, "Why are there so many people?"
Zhou Junhua answered, "This is the Ye family army from Dengzhou. Lord Ye from Dengzhou Prefect. Lord Ye has recovered Fang City and wiped out the rebel bandits Du Jingzhong. Son-in-law has also been enlisted. Now my lord wants to recover Shangma. Father-in-law, hurry and open the door."
Another old man's head popped out from the top of the city wall, "Really?"
"Really." Zhou Junhua knew what they were worried about, and said, "Father-in-law, don't worry. Ye family army's military discipline is strict and won't disturb the people. Please rest assured."
The Ye family people all thought, which old man are you talking to? Isn't your father-in-law the other old man? Got it mixed up, right?
The two old men on the wall both shrank back, seeming to have gone to discuss. After a while, they poked their heads out again, "Please wait a moment, my lords. We'll open the door right away."
The city gates really opened. Some servants holding sticks, spears, and steel knives came out, with one, two, three, four old men coming out in the middle. Judging by their dress, they should all be well-off townsmen with status in the county.
Seeing Zhou Junhua, the four all called out "son-in-law" or "worthy son-in-law".
Ye family's young masters: "..."
Ye Suijin had seen all kinds of messy bullshit in the chaotic times, and only she understood, smiling meaningfully.
Sure enough, Zhou Junhua introduced both sides, "The Wang, Zhang, Sun, and Qian families are all prominent gentry of Shangma County. Now the county defenses are taken turns guarding by the four families."
"Cough, these four..." Zhou Junhua's old face turned red. "Are all my fathers-in-law."
