"He doesn't deserve our lord," General Duan said.
The Empress helplessly reproached him, "Don't speak nonsense. He is the Emperor."
"So what if he's the Emperor," General Duan said. "He still doesn't deserve our lord."
The Empress admonished, "Don't say that anymore. After all, he is the Son of Heaven and you are his subject. To show such disrespect is asking for trouble."
General Duan was nonchalant. "I've said this many times over the years. He must already know."
That was indeed true.
This conversation happened to be overheard by a lowly cleaning servant.
He had lingered too long after sweeping and the Empress and General Duan were approaching. Fearing he would startle the nobles, he hid in a corner behind a pillar without making a sound. He never expected to hear such disrespectful talk about the Emperor from the Empress and the General.
Thinking this was the opportunity of a lifetime, the little servant ran to tell the Emperor.
The Emperor silenced him by having his mouth stuffed and beaten to death with rods.
The Empress was still the Empress, the General still the General.
The Emperor complained to the Empress, "Can you tell Jin not to run his mouth so much? I am still the Emperor after all."
The Empress said, "Oh hush."
The weather was so nice, the skies vast and blue, opening one's chest with comfort.
Ye Suijin called out, "Jin."
Duan Jin pulled his reins closer.
Ye Suijin asked, "Are you happy?"
She meant about renouncing the marriage of course.
For most women, having one's husband end the marriage to take another wife would not be a joyous thing.
But her lord was no ordinary woman.
In fact, Duan Jin felt the very air today was especially fresh.
"I am happy," he said, "Because I know my lord is happy."
Ye Suijin smiled, "You haven't been so glib in a long time. Why have you become so quiet nowadays?"
Duan Jin was puzzled, "Have I?"
Ye Suijin affimed, "You really don't joke around much anymore, always frowning. Xiao complained to me about it too, said you've become more and more like San."
Whenever Seventh Uncle scolded him, he would use you as an example."
This was also something that puzzled Ye Suijin.
Indeed, in his later years in the previous life, Duan Jin had taken on great burdens alone, becoming steady and reliable. It could be said he had taken San's place at her side.
But that was only after San had died in battle.
In this life, she didn't know why Duan Jin was no longer as lively as before at this age.
Duan Jin said, "Because I've grown up."
He had to grow up.
He couldn't remain a child in her eyes to be looked upon with maternal love.
Before today, Duan Jin had not consciously and systematically realized this, but he had already subconsciously started adjusting his manners. He no longer acted with a youngster's rashness.
But today, after seeing Pei Ze, it was like a flash of enlightenment.
He had to become that kind of man.
Of course there were many grown men in the household, whether they were of the Ye clan, military officers, or guests. Regardless of status, they were all Ye Suijin's subordinates, obeying her commands.
Only Pei Ze was different.
He conversed with Ye Suijin as an equal, sitting face to face speaking with courtesy.
Their eyes never left each other.
Moreover, Pei Ze was an exceedingly handsome man. Of noble birth and upbringing, though he had been in exile for many years, the noble spirit never left him. And now he commanded troops of his own, with the steady air of a leader and the ferocity of a seasoned warrior.
He even retained some of a scholar's elegance, likely due to his background.
Of course, although Duan Jin had just turned sixteen this year, in his eyes Pei Ze was an old geezer in his thirties.
It was common for teenagers to view their elders this way, just as Pei Lian saw He Lian.
But never before had Duan Jin seen Ye Suijin look at a man for so long with such admiring ardor.
She was enthusiastic towards General Guan as well, but without that sense of appreciation.
Duan Jin now felt it laughable that he had regarded Zhao Jingwen in his heart before, smashing clay figurines of him every day.
Zhao Jingwen didn't amount to shit.
He had thought "the lord's husband" was an important position, but turns out it wasn't.
Things like marriage clearly couldn't bind her.
His happiness today didn't stem from the abandonment of someone he always hated, but from seeing Ye Suijin's complete freedom and independence.
"You didn't need to do it yourself, my lord. You could have left Ye Mancang to me. Why dirty your own blade?" he said.
But Ye Suijin said, "Go easy on the killing from now on."
Duan Jin raised his brows.
Ye Suijin said, "You're all still young. I was too impatient, we should take it slowly."
She recognized her mistake in San's case.
Hence why the ancients coined the idiom "harm from helping seedlings grow." There was reason in it.
Fortunately she noticed in time. She arranged for San to return to the Ye family stronghold for a period, to be with his mother and wife. San improved a lot after that.
She slowed down the pace, paying special attention to Duan Jin in particular.
Among the younger generation, San and Duan Jin were the two most special.
One was the only brother she valued greatly, the other her personal attendant.
They both seemed to have some awareness, believing from the bottom of their hearts that they should take on more burdens.
There was no need.
In their previous lives, they had already taken on far too much. In this life, while Ye Suijin hoped they would quickly mature, she did not intend for them to shoulder as much as before.
She was here now in this life after all.
Duan Jin protested, "I'm not little anymore."
But this protest exposed his youth in contrast to the "steady and reliable" image he had built up recently.
Ye Suijin smiled, "Alright, our Jin is not little."
Don't treat me like a child to be pacified, sigh.
Duan Jin was helpless.
On the third day, an adopted son and an old general of Pei Ze's arrived leading a traveling party to the river bank.
"Uncle Qiao, take a look. This Ye army is not bad," upon seeing the Ye troops drilling on the river beach, the adopted son said to the old general.
The old general nodded, then sighed.
The adopted son asked, "Why the sigh?"
The old general said, "I heard the leader of the Ye family is very young."
His words carried a note of envy.
Though the Ye troops looked a bit less polished than Pei's, their leader was young. It meant power transitioned smoothly internally, and unlimited potential for the future.
The old general had followed Pei Ze from Sword South.
When they had left Sword South, he had still been in his prime. Now his hair was all white. His only young master was just nine years old.
How could he not sigh?
The adopted son said, "Oh."
But he too had feelings of his own, "Father made a mistake in this. If it were He Lian, we would accept her. But this Zhao Jingwen..."
The old general admonished him, "She is his first wife, Elder Sister-in-Law to you brothers, watch what you say in the future."
The adopted son said, "Alright."
The old general was also helpless, "Your father is set on her, nothing can be done."
Unable to contain his curiosity, the adopted son asked, "Is Mother that beautiful to make Father unable to forget her to this day?"
Because he felt guilty toward his official wife, Pei Ze indulged Pei Lian, treating her with tolerance far exceeding a normal father to daughter.
The old general said, "They married young after all. When the old master was still alive, all praised them as a match made in heaven. What a pity."
The adopted son said, "This Zhao Jingwen and the Ye lady also married young didn't they."
The old general spat, "Bah!"
The old general asked, "Did you get a look at the Ye lady back then?"
"No, we were in the main hall. She went straight from the study," the adopted son said. "Everyone sighed over it, told me to take a good look when I go back and describe what the Ye lady looks like."
He leaned in and lowered his voice, "We asked the gatekeepers and anyone who saw her said she was exceedingly beautiful."
"Enough of that," the old general looked ahead, "People are coming, must be the welcoming party."
As the two sides met and dismounted to greet each other, the old general and adopted son were also polite and respectful.
Introductions revealed the old general to be Qiao Huai Qiao Maosheng, and the adopted son to be Yan Xiao Yan Lingzhi.
Ye Suijin said, "So it is General Qiao and General Yan."
Both bowed and said, "You honor us too highly, Lady Ye."
Ye Suijin had already speculated about who Pei Ze would send to submit a petition in the capital this time, and it really turned out to be these two old acquaintances.
These two were with Pei Ze all along, loyally following him to the very end.
Then they followed Young Master Pei Dingxi.
Old General Qiao Huai also died in battle during the Western Expedition, serving three generations of the Pei family masters faithfully throughout his life.
Yan Xiao did manage to return alive from the Western Expedition and secured a position for himself in the new dynasty.
Later, when evidence of treason was found against the Eldest Prince, he was hanged to death in his confinement.
Zhao Jingwen executed the last survivor of the Pei family, Yan Xiao, under strict orders.
In the palace courtyard, Ye Suijin burned some paper money for the Eldest Prince and Yan Xiao to pay her respects. After putting Gu Cheng in order, she appointed new officials there.
With the low population, Ye Suijin spent money hiring some chivalrous men, telling them to spread the word far and wide that Gu Cheng was stable and secure, in order to attract more people to come.
She stationed troops at the river mouth. After the busy farming season passed, some fortifications would be built.
In fact, it was evident that defensive fortifications had existed here before, only they had fallen into disrepair and dilapidation over the years.
Ye Suijin wanted to restore the river mouth properly.
After making the arrangements, she took the entourages of Qiao Huai and Yan Xiao to Deng Prefecture.
As soon as they entered Rang County, the two noticed something different.
Liveliness - a strong sense of vitality and bustle.
Or rather, prosperity.
Of course Rang County could not compare with some big cities, but as a small county town, including the villages and towns under its jurisdiction, you could feel a sense of satiation built on a foundation of stability.
Don't look down on the two words "food and clothing", you should know this is what countless people desire but cannot obtain.
Sanlang welcomed them in Rang County.
Ye Suijin asked him, "How are San Sao and A Gui?"
Sanlang's brows immediately showed a smile. "Both are healthy."
Health is good.
Everyone should be hale and healthy.
They went to Nanyang. Ye Eighth Uncle hurried from Biyang to meet them in Nanyang.
This time, Ye Eighth Uncle and Sanlang would accompany her to the capital.
Ye Suijin also prepared a gift for the Emperor, an auspicious sign.
It was a stone as big as a horse's feeding trough. Looking closely, you could faintly make out the eight characters "Mandate received from Heaven, unifying the rivers and mountains".
The color of the characters was slightly different, a little darker than the surrounding stone, allowing them to be vaguely visible.
"Ah..." Yan Xiao reached out his hand.
"Ahem!" Sanlang pressed his arm down, "Just look, don't touch."
Afraid it would lose color.
Ye Suijin laughed swaggeringly.
"The Emperor will surely like it," she said. "Trust me."
