Reborn Before My Husband Ascends the Throne

Chapter 21

Duan Jin suddenly darted out and caught up with Ye Suijin in the gallery: "Mistress!"

Ye Suijin stopped.

Duan Jin asked, "Will I be attending you later?"

He looked a little apprehensive.

In the past few days, several newly chosen attendants had finished learning the rules and started working. Including the two in the study.

Those used to be his duties, but not anymore. What would he do when Ye Suijin held meetings in the study later? Would he still have the privilege to follow her?

"Of course," Ye Suijin readily agreed.

Duan Jin's shoulders relaxed.

Ye Suijin understood clearly.

"Duan Jin. From now on, no matter what the occasion," she told him, "as long as I don't ask you to withdraw, you will stay by my side."

"Understand?"

Duan Jin stood up straight, chest thrust out: "Yes!"

Ye Suijin returned to her own room and told her maids, "Go get some patterned gauze to make Duan Jin some more clothes."

The maids laughed. "We're already making autumn clothes. Why are you still having summer clothes made for him?"

Winter furs, summer gauzes.

The patterned gauze from Youlin was light, soft and breezy. Early in the Da Wei dynasty, it used to be a royal tribute. Only later did it gradually spread among wealthy households. Even as it became more common, it remained high-quality material for summer clothes.

Ye Suijin said, "He practices martial arts and changes clothes frequently every day. Make him some more so he doesn't run out of clean clothes to change into. Check out the autumn clothes too, make him more of those. He's grown taller, his old clothes must be small now. Make him more, pick bright colors for him."

The maids didn't find anything inappropriate about this. They laughed. "You're dressing him up again."

Ever since Duan Jin was little, the young mistress had liked picking his clothes. Little Duan Jin was always dressed in fine, colorful clothes, just like a young master's son.

Only in the past three years, because the young mistress was in mourning for the late Lord Ye, everyone wore sober colors. Now that the young mistress' mourning period was over, she had started dressing up Duan Jin again.

No one found it objectionable.

The maids swiftly brought in hot water.

Ye Suijin washed up quickly, changed into clean, crisp clothes. Zhao Jingwen came in. "Mistress, is Third Son back?"

"Mm-hmm," she said. "I was just about to go over."

Zhao Jingwen smiled. "No rush, take your time getting dressed."

He even helped her with her sash. Then, as expected, he followed along naturally behind her after she finished dressing.

Ye Suijin's lips quirked. She didn't drive him away.

If it weren't for the Ye family forces' support, how far could Zhao Jingwen have climbed?

Interesting. She wanted to see.

When they arrived at the study, Duan Jin was already there, straight-backed in his military uniform, waiting to report. Seeing her arrive, he came up to brief her, "Mistress, Fourth Lord and Mister Yang are here."

Ye Suijin nodded and stepped up onto the dais.

Zhao Jingwen followed behind her. After a couple steps, he glanced back in surprise. Duan Jin fell in behind him, clearly intending to follow them inside.

Zhao Jingwen stared at him.

In the past, Duan Jin would have faced him with a slight smile, respectful yet unshrinking. After all, Ye Suijin didn't allow anyone to disrespect her husband, even though he was an adopted son-in-law.

But now, Duan Jin unconsciously lowered his eyes to avoid Zhao Jingwen's gaze.

He didn't know why he felt guilty himself.

But he would definitely follow them inside. Zhao Jingwen couldn't stop him on this. This was Ye Suijin's explicit instruction — as long as she didn't tell him otherwise, he would stay by her side.

Zhao Jingwen was surprised, but he knew Duan Jin seemed easygoing yet was actually reliable in his work. Otherwise, Ye Suijin wouldn't have made him her personal attendant.

Since Duan Jin dared to follow them into the study, it must be because Ye Suijin had given him clear instructions.

So Zhao Jingwen retracted his gaze and turned back around. He stepped over the threshold after Ye Suijin without blocking or questioning Duan Jin.

He knew in his heart, it was actually him who didn't have Ye Suijin's permission to tag along.

When you lack confidence, it's better not to make trouble.

But... as he walked, Zhao Jingwen thought, Ye Suijin spoiled this little attendant too much. He would have to advise her about this later.

Inside the study, Fourth Lord Ye, Mister Yang, Third Son Ye, and Xiang Da were already present.

Third Son Ye first briefed everyone on his interactions with Du Jingzhong and observations in Fang City. Xiang Da supplemented him.

So Ye Suijin gained a general understanding of the situation in Fang City.

"So it's here and here?" She tapped the map twice with a thin wooden stick.

Third Son Ye and Xiang Da both nodded. "Yes."

The wooden stick tapped several more spots. "And here, here, here and here have no defenses?"

Ye Suijin found it hard to believe. In her assessment, those were positions that must be defended when holding a city.

But Third Son Ye and Xiang Da were very certain. "None. We deliberately took a roundabout route and looked carefully. Indeed there were none."

Faced with Ye Suijin's confusion, Xiang Da thought for a moment and said, "He probably doesn't have enough men. Also, Fang City is so small, no one contends with him, so he has nothing to defend against."

Back then during the battle for Fang City, Ye Suijin had still been young herself. It was her first time applying book knowledge to reality, so she inevitably made some clumsy mistakes. Although after that, she grew swiftly, she still remembered that battle being quite difficult.

Now, reborn over ten years later, she was battle-hardened after experiencing hundreds of campaigns. Looking back at Fang City, it was like a sieve, full of holes big and small.

"I can't believe I wanted to try a stratagem..." Ye Suijin rubbed her temple. "I overestimated that Du fellow."

Third Son Ye socialized with Du Jingzhong, while Xiang Da reconnected with several old friends, gaining a lot of useful information.

In their previous lives, Xiang Da had been one of the earliest to follow Zhao Jingwen. But in this life, Ye Suijin recognized that this man was actually capable and pragmatic. Plus, he had refused to join Du Jingzhong and the others in becoming bandits back then, showing he had principles.

On reflection, Zhao Jingwen wouldn't have recruited a useless good-for-nothing either.

One of Zhao Jingwen's biggest strengths was his insight in judging character and daring to seize opportunities.

Once the situation in Fang Cheng was sufficiently understood, Ye Suijin told Duan Jin, "Go, gather everyone to meet in the council hall in half a shichen."

Duan Jin swiftly departed.

Ye Suijin asked Mister Yang, "How many men can we mobilize now?"

Only a small part of the Ye family battalion were full-time elite troops. The others still needed to farm. In June during the summer harvest, people were scattered across the fields. Only after the summer harvest ended could they free up manpower.

Mister Yang said, "We have 1,200 able-bodied young adults in active service. If needed, older men can be called up to reach 2,000."

This number didn't sound like much, but this was eighteen years ago. At this time, only the few contending forces in the Central Plains with ambitions on the imperial capital could mobilize armies numbered in the tens of thousands.

South of the Yangtze River, in another two to three years, a new state would arise called Chu, which would become Zhao Jingwen's arch nemesis. Once Chu was established, its strength gradually grew until it could wield such military might.

As for the rest, five thousand soldiers was already enough to fight a war over a domain.

Compared to the whole Central Plains, 1,200 able-bodied young adults was indeed negligible, not to mention the 50,000 elites of the Xuanhua Army back in the day. But the Xuanhua Army was gone, and in Deng Prefecture, the Ye family stronghold with 1,200 young troops was not to be looked down upon by anyone in Deng Prefecture.

By the time she reached the council hall, Ye Suijin already had plans in mind.

Seeing her arrive, everyone stood up and saluted.

Ye Suijin raised a hand to press them back down, then said, "Third Son, share with everyone Du Jingzhong and Ma Jinhui's intentions."

Third Son Ye stood up and informed everyone, "Magistrate Ma Jinhui of Nanyang County is colluding with the bandit Du Jingzhong in Fang City. They want to replace our Ye family stronghold and seize control of Deng Prefecture."

An uproar broke out among the crowd.

The two youngest, Ninth Son and Tenth Son, even jumped to their feet. "What is that Ma Jinhui! Cowardly bastard! He dares covet our Ye family stronghold!"

They had personally witnessed Ma Jinhui retreat several steps in fear, his old face turning green. These young masters now held zero respect for the Nanyang magistrate.

To think this coward would secretly collude with bandits and plot against the Ye family stronghold!

If they didn't kill him dead, they wouldn't keep the Ye name!

Ye Suijin added, "Third Son, also tell everyone about the situation in Fang City."

Third Son Ye sighed. "Fang City is in dire straits."

He recounted all he had seen and heard to everyone. Hearing this, they were all moved to compassion and sighed ceaselessly.

Although young, Ye Shi Lang had grown up in peace and safety. Listening to this, his face turned pale. He asked, "If there was no Ye Family Fortress here in Deng Prefecture, would it have become like that too?"

The chaos extended beyond just Fang City in Tang Prefecture. They had heard it was chaotic everywhere, so refugees were taking routes through Deng Prefecture. Moreover, many who discovered the stability of Deng Prefecture began to entertain thoughts of staying.

What Ye Shi Lang asked was exactly what everyone else wondered, and precisely Ye Suijin's intent.

She nodded and said, "Du Jingzhong had always kept his distance from us before. Why do you think he suddenly got together with Ma Jinhui and plotted against Deng Prefecture?"

Ye Shi Lang could not figure it out.

Third Son Ye resolved his puzzlement: "Because Fang City was ravaged until the common folk could barely survive, and there was not enough for Du Jingzhong's appetite anymore."

The other places in Tang Prefecture were only slightly better, still far from good. Only Deng Prefecture was fertile and fat, making mouths water.

Ye Shi Lang suddenly understood and slapped his palm: "I knew it! That's how it is!"

Ye Suijin stood up and everyone swiftly quieted down.

Ye Suijin said, "Then what should we do? Just wait here for others to come bully us?"

The conference hall exploded! "Beat the turtle bastards!"

"Don't let the Du's escape. I'll go right now with my blade!"

Some even stood up and clasped fists towards Ye Suijin: "Fortress chief! Strike first before being struck. React late and suffer disaster! We can't sit and wait for them to make the first move. We must take preemptive action!"

"Good!" Ye Suijin slammed the armrests and shouted, "Third Son, Fourth Son, Fifth Son, Seventh Son, Ninth Son!"

The Ye brothers who were summoned from the left seats stood up and cupped fists: "Here!"

Ye Suijin: "Xiang Da, Mao Mingyu, Li Gu, Zhao Risheng!"

The retainers summoned from the right seats also swiftly stood up and cupped fists: "Fortress chief!"

Ye Suijin: "Ye Wang, Ye Quan, Ye Youfu, Ye Fengshou, Ye Laixi!"

Several figures emerged from behind the left seats: "Master!"

Clan members, retainers, and servants who had been granted the Ye surname.

Ye Suijin shouted: "Follow me to Fang City and punish Du Jingzhong!"

Everyone roared: "Yes sir!"

Ye Shi Lang jumped high: "Sis! Sis! Why don't you bring me?!"

Everyone laughed loudly.

Ye Suijin also laughed: "You're too young! I'll bring you next time!"

"I'll bring you next time", wasn't that just placating a child?! Ye Shi Lang was about to explode with anger, stomping his feet and making a fuss: "How am I too young! I'm nearly fifteen!"

He suddenly remembered and turned his head. Sure enough, Duan Jin was standing there. He pointed at Duan Jin: "Is Jin going or not?"

Zhao Jingwen also wanted to ask this.

Because although Ye Suijin had summoned so many people, she did not call out his name. But now Ye Shi Lang was throwing a tantrum, so he did not speak up.

Hearing this, his eyes flickered over.

But Duan Jin knew that at times like this, he must not behave childishly like Ye Shi Lang.

He held his hands behind his back, stood upright, straightened his shoulders, and fearlessly met the many appraising looks cast his way.

Everyone in the fortress knew Ye Suijin doted on Duan Jin.

But Duan Jin had been raised by her side since childhood, and she had personally taught him martial arts and spear techniques. Although a servant, he was different from the rest, so it was excusable.

Moreover, with such a stark contrast as Ye Shi Lang, many instinctively nodded upon looking, thinking to themselves: This Duan Jin lad is much more steady in real situations than Ye Shi Lang, though he usually darts about swiftly as a rabbit.

He does not disappoint Ye Suijin's teachings.

Ye Suijin smiled and said, "Jin is already fifteen."

Ye Shi Lang was furious: "We're only months apart!"

Plus, no one actually knew when Duan Jin's real birthday was. His current birthday was just the day Ye Suijin had picked him up by the roadside.

His age was also estimated - he may not even be fifteen yet.

Ye Shi Lang stamped his feet and screamed: "No! I refuse! What does my age matter, I've killed seven, no, eight people already! I must go no matter what!"

His father Ye Qi Shu helplessly scolded him: "Rabbit brat, stop making trouble!"

Ye Suijin laughed heartily: "Alright, our Shi Lang is amazing, already killing eight people. Let's go together!"

Ye Shi Lang cheered.

Ye Qi Shu, embarrassed, grabbed him by the neck and knocked his head.

Everyone laughed.

Ye Shi Lang did not care at all, as long as he could go.

The atmosphere at Ye Family Fortress was great, with a feeling that everyone had twisted together into one rope.

Only Zhao Jingwen smiled along, but lingered outside this atmosphere.

It's fine, he told himself. I'm her husband, we're one body. Wherever she is, I am.

Whether she calls my name or not, it's irrelevant.

Wherever she is, I am.

Never parting.