Duan Jin came to report to Ye Suijin, but Ye Suijin's two maidservants told him: "Madam is taking a bath. Is there any urgent military situation?"
Duan Jin said: "No, it's not urgent."
The maid said: "If it's not urgent, let Madam relax for a while."
When Ye Suijin went out on campaigns, she only brought these two women with her to take care of daily life and personal needs.
With only two people, they were very busy.
The maid had just come out of the clean room carrying clothes, and there was still steam from inside on her body.
There was no particularly elegant fragrance, those comfortable, luxurious things were all left at home. Ye Suijin travelled lightly when on campaigns. Everything for daily use was the same as others.
It smelled like ordinary, clean and refreshing soap.
But strangely, that ordinary smell lingered in Duan Jin's nose.
It just wouldn't go away.
She was bathing, just a thin wall away.
Duan Jin hurried away.
It wouldn't go away, it just wouldn't go away.
His heart thumped.
He hadn't been dreaming these days. The fighting consumed too much energy, even the most vigorous vitality was drained away, and he slept deeply at night without any romantic dreams.
Suddenly, those chaotic, absurd images flashed again in his mind.
It made him feel panicked, as if he had done something wrong, afraid that others would find out.
He happened to run into Yan Xiao, who grabbed him and said with shifty eyes, "Ah Jin, come on, brothers will take you somewhere nice."
Duan Jin felt guilty and tried to decline, but didn't dare to refuse firmly. He could only follow them.
He asked along the way: "Where are we going?"
But the others just smiled ambiguously and wouldn't say.
When they arrived at a place, it was quite lively at the door, with people coming in and out, all turned out to be comrades-in-arms.
There were people from Pei's side, and Ye's side too. He could recognize many familiar faces.
What kind of place was this?
Duan Jin asked: "A restaurant?"
The few laughed mysteriously.
Yan Xiao said, "You look quite grown up now, not like a boy anymore. Turns out you're still a child."
Duan Jin: "?"
They pushed him inside.
It was like a restaurant, with many tables and chairs, and many people drinking. There were almost no locals, it was as if Pei and Ye's armies had booked the whole place.
With one look, it was clear they were important people in the army. So a woman came up to greet them and ushered them into a private room, smiling.
Not a moment later, a bevy of coquettish women came in.
Duan Jin finally understood.
"This is..." His mind caught up. "This place is..."
Yan Xiao leaned his elbow on his shoulder. "Have you never had flower wine before?"
Indeed, this place, it turned out to be a brothel.
No wonder so many military men came.
The men had gone through months of deadly fighting, with high mental and physical tension. After the peace, they needed physical release, and Pei Ze didn't restrain them,
as long as they didn't violate decent families or harass locals.
Pei's troops soon found the place, and soon Ye's men also got the news.
So they came in groups.
Duan Jin knew what brothels and drinking flower wine were about, he wasn't an idiot after all.
It was just that he had never been to such a place before in his life.
Not only was he very young, but he had also been raised by Ye Suijin, and hardly ever left her side. Who would be so blind as to bring him to such a place?
It was needless to say, women did not like hearing about such things.
Duan Jin's first reaction was to want to run away.
But Pei's few rogues had anticipated his reaction and surrounded him.
"A real cherry boy!"
"Hahahaha! I knew it."
"Don't panic, little Ah Jin. Today brothers will treat you."
Duan Jin's shoulders and arms were held down. These were elites who could sever heads with a flick of the wrist.
Duan Jin scolded: "Go find Tenth Son! Don't corrupt me!"
But they said: "Tenth Son is still a child. You're a grown up now."
Duan Jin wanted to say he and Tenth Son were only months apart, why was Tenth Son a child while he was an adult.
Yan Xiao put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Just drink, drink some wine. What are you afraid of, scaredy-cat! What, you afraid these girls will overwhelm you?"
Everyone laughed loudly.
Duan Jin's neck turned red. After all he was still a youth, also curious about things he had never experienced before.
Indeed, as Yan Xiao said, these women could hardly overwhelm him.
What man who entered a brothel was overwhelmed? They all came willingly.
Duan Jin said: "Just drinking."
The others agreed, and let go of him.
Drinking, listening to music, toasting. Women snuggled up beside them, the atmosphere was sensual and intoxicating.
The rogues even signaled the brothel girls to go to Duan Jin.
Without their hints, Duan Jin was handsome and refined, tall and fit, with a clean aura. A rare young gentleman for the girls. Many were eager to snuggle up to him.
But Duan Jin warded them off.
But the group of thugs deliberately made him drink.
Duan Jin was still a youth at this time, not yet the man who could drink thousands of cups without falling down after years of army training.
The youth gradually couldn't handle the alcohol, and his vision blurred.
His mind was still half clear, knowing this was not good. He mumbled to stand up and leave.
Yan Xiao looked around and pointed to a woman with a plump figure and alluring brows, clearly an experienced hand in romance. "You."
He gestured with his chin at Duan Jin.
The woman came over smiling to support the stumbling Duan Jin. "Young Sir, let me help you to rest..."
Supporting Duan Jin, she left amid raucous laughter: "Go easy on our little brother, it's his first time."
Duan Jin hadn't had an erotic dream for a long time.
Today he dreamed of one again.
Through the thin gauze, he vaguely saw a beauty emerge from her bath.
His body was hard and aching, wanting to kill.
The scene shifted in the blink of an eye, and he was also in the water.
Much that cannot be described.
Suddenly, he smelled the scent of powder and rouge.
It was neither the elegant fragrance used at home, nor the simple, refreshing soap scent from the campaign.
It was an unfamiliar, vulgar powdery smell.
Duan Jin was jerked awake, and lashed out the moment he opened his eyes.
The woman was undressing him, having just pulled open his lapel, half-exposing his chest. The handsome young man suddenly came to his senses, seizing her wrist like an iron clamp, twisting and pushing down. Her entire shoulder was wrenched as she was shoved onto the bed.
Half her body was numb and powerless. Her wrist was about to break.
"Young Sir! Let go!" The woman cried out in pain. "Let go quick! You're hurting me to death!"
Duan Jin breathed heavily, chest heaving.
It was a good while before he regained control of himself and released the woman. Still half-dazed, he knew where he was. "I, I have to go back..."
He rubbed his face and stood to leave.
Swaying, his head banged loudly on the wood bed frame.
The woman had been complaining while rubbing her sore wrist. Seeing this, she couldn't help laughing. She came over and complained coquettishly: "You're still drunk, what's the hurry? The general picked me to serve you. You know, the spring night is short..."
"Oww, oww!" Before she finished, Duan Jin reached out again. Elbow against her throat, palm seizing her shoulder. She immediately cried out in pain.
Finally she understood, she wouldn't get a taste of this handsome young lord today.
Duan Jin released her and ordered: "Go get me a basin of water, cold!"
The woman rubbed her shoulder, grumbling as she left. Soon she returned with a basin of cold water on the table.
Duan Jin went over, gripped the rim of the basin, and dunked his whole head in.
The woman cried out in alarm.
Bubbles gurgled up continuously.
When the bubbles stopped, Duan Jin lifted his head from the water, taking deep breaths.
Water had drenched a large area, wetting the table and his clothes.
The front of his shirt was open, chest dripping with beads of water that ran down his cheeks, neck, collarbone.
Gorgeous and lively, what a waste.
Duan Jin wiped his face clean. Now fully sober.
He tidied his clothes, took some coins from his purse and threw them on the table, then strode out.
The woman picked up the coins and flipped them in her hand. Looking at the empty doorway, the handsome young man was already gone.
"Tsk."
Ye Suijin enjoyed a nice bath.
In the hot July weather, the military men jumped straight into the river to bathe. But she and her two maids could only scrub themselves hidden in the tent.
This was finally a satisfying bath.
Ye Suijin said: "You two go wash up too."
The two smiled and agreed. One said: "Duan Jin came by earlier, said it wasn't urgent business, seeing you were bathing, he left first."
"Oh, all right," said Ye Suijin. "After my hair is dried, go get him to come."
But when the maid went to find him, she couldn't locate the man.
The maid called out to Qiu Sheng: "Have you seen Duan Jin? Madam is asking for him."
Duan Jin said, "Do you have anything to do? I can go too."
The maid said, "Nothing, I'm just looking for A Jin."
Qiu Sheng had a loyal face: "He went drinking flower wine."
"..." The maid pounded his head, "Don't talk nonsense!"
"It's true." Qiu Sheng protected his head, "Second Treasure saw it on the street, he went into the building with Marshal Yan of the Pei family and several others."
The maid angrily went back and reported to Ye Suijin: "A Jin, A Jin went drinking flower wine!"
Ah, mad to death!
Ye Suijin was stunned.
"A Jin... can already drink flower wine?"
The maid cracked her knuckles: "When he comes back, I'll teach him a lesson."
"No need." Ye Suijin combed her hair and said slowly, "Don't bother him."
The maid was still a young girl herself, how could she stand such indecent things, she said, "It's time for him to properly marry a wife, with someone at home, then he won't fool around outside."
Ye Suijin just smiled.
The matter was not mentioned again.
The alliance of the Ye and Pei families, their power was like a rainbow, the capture of Shangyong was unstoppable.
In mid-August, Shangyong was captured, and the entire Fang Prefecture fell under Pei Ze's control.
Looking at the map, the allied forces of the two families started from Yanchen City in the east through Yunxiang and Fengli, went south to Zhushan, then west to capture Shangyong, basically looping around half a circle.
Jun Prefecture was divided between Pei Ze and Ye Suijin.
From then on, Tang Prefecture, Deng Prefecture, Jun Prefecture, Fang Prefecture, as well as the northern River Mouth and Gu City, which originally belonged to Xiang Prefecture, were connected together.
The two families looked after each other.
More importantly, from Fengli to Yunxiang to Yanchen City to River Mouth to Gu City, the entire upper reaches of the Han River were under their control.
The Han River flows south to Xiangyang Iron City, which Pei Ze and Ye Suijin could not yet frivolously imagine capturing together.
At the same time, the other major tributaries leading to Xiangyang mostly flowed through Deng Prefecture and Tang Prefecture. They converge in Xiangyang.
Controlling Jun Prefecture, Deng Prefecture and Tang Prefecture means controlling the waterways from the Central Plains south to Xiangyang.
Pei Ze and Ye Suijin were both forthright people, and the distribution of benefits could be satisfactory to both sides.
The initial cooperation had established trust. The young generals on the battlefield could rely on each other's backs.
When they parted, they were quite reluctant.
Tenth Son said, "Brother Xiao, come to Biyang for a drink when you have time!"
Yan Xiao said, "I'll drink you under the table, you little brat."
Everyone laughed.
Tenth Son said, "Say hello to the real kid at your home for me. Tell him about his Tenth Brother's heroic deeds on the battlefield."
This time, even Pei Ze laughed.
He said, "You are also welcome to come play in Fangling when you have time, Dingxi will definitely be happy to see you."
The young masters of the Ye family bowed: "If there is a chance, we will definitely go."
Zhao Jingwen stood among the crowd. Although he was not completely integrated, he was also not completely excluded.
Just as Ye Suijin understood, life and death on the battlefield can easily dilute some grievances and resentments.
In their past life, she and Pei Ze detested each other, but never sabotaged or stabbed each other on the battlefield. At least in this respect, the beliefs of the Ye and Pei families were the same.
Ye Suijin bid Pei Ze farewell: "Lord Pei, our two families will join hands again in the future."
Pei Ze said, "I look forward to that day."
Ye Suijin smiled and said, "It will certainly come."
Just as she was about to get on her horse, she suddenly saw Zhao Jingwen among the crowd.
Under the sun, he looked at her from among the people.
Ye Suijin suddenly stopped, let go of the reins, and walked up a few steps: "Zhao Jingwen, I have a word for you."
For a moment, some looked up at the sky, some looked down at the ground, and even Pei Ze turned slightly to pretend to look at something else.
Zhao Jingwen hesitated for a moment, thinking that this was in front of everyone, so he should be upright. He then walked over.
Ye Suijin pointed her horsewhip and took him aside a few steps, slightly away from the crowd.
After all, although so many people weren't looking with their eyes, their ears were pricked up.
"Come closer to my ear," Ye Suijin said.
Zhao Jingwen felt anxious, uneasy yet hopeful. He leaned down slightly.
Ye Suijin moved closer slightly and whispered in his ear in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"The matter between you and me is settled. From now on, the sea is wide enough for the fish to leap, the sky is high enough for the birds to fly, whatever you want to do, I won't hinder you."
"But I want to see Dingxi Pei grow up safe and sound."
"No matter how you bewitch Pei Ze, no matter how it looks, no matter how you explain it has nothing to do with you..."
"As long as anything happens to Dingxi Pei, I will kill you."
