So why did Zhou Junhua restrict his subordinates to ensure a basic stability after taking over? It was very simple, because he was the son-inw of Uploading.


    The four big families of Uploading each gave him a daughter, rted by blood or marriage, to stabilize him.


    The young men of the Ye family had stiff faces even after entering the city and having lunch. They didn''t know what to say.


    Indeed, they had heard from the storybooks about some rich merchants in Jiangnan who walked around outside doing something ambiguous, with both sides being considered formal wives.


    But there was a premise for that - the assets on both sides were kept separate, and they almost never met.


    Well, this Zhou Junhua guy had four wives in Uploading County, and they even knew each other and often met. It is said that they would even fight sometimes.


    The most ufortable thing was that the four were all formal wives.


    Bah, apart from continuing the incense with "one shoulder carrying two rooms", whichw has ever recognized this kind of "all formal wives" situation?


    What a mess.


    The Ye family considered themselves to be people who observed propriety, and the young masters had received orthodox education. If it was one wife and three concubines, it would be fine, but if it was four wives, what was going on?


    However, the four fathers-inw in Uploading seemed to ept it well.


    After discussing it briefly, they brought Ye Suijin into the Zhang family, apparently because the Zhang family had the best courtyard in the county town.


    Old Master Zhang even found some distant rtives with Ye Suijin. Going back and forth, he found someone from Deng Prefecture''s Ye family who had married off a daughter, and so they were rted.


    Ye Suijin smiled and acknowledged it, then got to the point: "Uploading has been without a leader for a long time. Now the court has newly established, decreeing that I supervise this ce. Since Uploading is without a leader, I will shepherd the people on behalf of the Emperor and bring it under Deng Prefecture''s jurisdiction."


    Part of her people entered the city, and part remained outside the city.


    Uploading hadn''t seen such arge troop for a long time, let alone one that was so well-trained and disciplined, not harassing anymoners along the way.


    Uploading County could not remain leaderless forever. Old Master Zhang was the first to stand facing the direction of the capital and bow: "By the Emperor''s grace, the court has finally sent someone to govern us."


    Uploading was handed over peacefully.


    Third Son Ye took people out for inspection, and came back to report to Ye Suijin: "The county office has copsed."


    If a building was left uninhabited for years, it would deteriorate. The county office had been vacant for several years and copsed.


    It didn''t matter if it copsed, it could be rebuilt.


    Ye Suijin assigned this matter to Zhou Junhua''s fathers-inw: "Either I collect back taxes for these years, or you rebuild the county office for me."


    The bigger thendholding of the powerful families, the more taxes they would have to pay.


    After deliberation, the four Masters finally took on the task of rebuilding the county office.


    Ye Suijin said, "I will leave two hundred people here to garrison. I will send a new county magistrate. You can select the county captain and county secretary yourself. Just one thing - no matter whether it is the county captain or county secretary, the clerks or scribes - in this county, my magistrate''s word isw. If his word cannot bew, then my de''s word isw. We''re not strangers to clearing out a county office."


    Third Son Ye was most familiar with this, and it brought back some unpleasant memories.


    He nced at the four men.


    All four felt a chill and promised, "We absolutely dare not obstruct the county court''s business. Please rest assured."


    Ye Suijin left two hundred people to garrison Uploading under Seventh Uncle Ye.


    "Seventh Uncle," she said, "Someone wille to rece youter. But you must know, I only recognize my Seventh Aunt. Other little aunties, I don''t recognize."


    Seventh Uncle Ye turned red with anger, craning his neck and saying, "What kind of man do you take me for?"


    Still worried, he added: "Don''t go telling your seventh aunt nonsense!"


    Tenth Son jumped out, "Father, be honest. If you''re not, I''ll be the first to tell Mother."


    Seventh Uncle kicked him. "Little brat! Get lost!"


    The nephews all covered their mouths to muffle theirughter.


    Seventh Uncle Ye sent off Ye Suijin when she left Uploading.


    The Ye family troops entered the city in orderly ranks, and left orderly ranks. Themoners of Uploading County finally felt relieved.


    Clearly the neers were even more disciplined than Zhou''s previous men, which was a good thing.


    Also a good thing that there were more of them than Zhou''s men.


    But there was one thing Third Son Ye couldn''t figure out.


    Among his younger brothers, Ye Suijin knew he was someone who used his brain and could think. She immediately noticed something was on his mind and asked him what was wrong.


    Third Son Ye said, "There''s something strange I can''t figure out."


    "I thought Uploading could be a little better than Fang City at best, still not much better."


    "But the result..."


    The result was much better than he had imagined, which made him feel confused.


    Ye Suijinughed, "That''s because you only valued titles."


    Third Son looked at her.


    She said, "When Zhou Junhua took men to the viges to collect food and riches, what do you think it was?"


    Third Son said, "Robbing and ransacking homes."


    Ye Suijin said, "What if he had been wearing official garments?"


    Third Son stopped short.


    People wearing official garments going to viges to collect food and riches?


    That would be...


    Third Son was a little confused: "Collecting taxes?"


    Ye Suijinughed, "Because Zhou Junhuacked the title, you felt he was a bandit. But he collected taxes from themoners, and drove away Du Jingzhong''s men who came to plunder, protecting themoners. The people in the county town also paid taxes to him, so he also defended the county town. "


    "In fact," Third Son thought to himself, "he did the government''s duties."


    "Yes. After all, he was different, having once held the sixth-rank office, his perspective was different." Ye Suijin affirmed.


    Third Son said, "So no matter what, a ce must always have someone who takes up these responsibilities."


    He didn''t say anything more, rode for a while, and suddenly added, "Titles and official status aren''t really important in the end."


    Ye Suijin nced at him and rode on ahead.


    So what was important?


    Third Son looked back.


    Duan Jin had been riding beside him and Ye Suijin, listening to their conversation. Seeing Third Son look back, he also looked back -


    At the long troops, the cold gleam of the long spears.


    The rhythmic tramp of feet.


    The melodic nking of armor and clothes rubbing.


    Whether it was Du Jingzhong or Zhou Junhua, both had died or surrendered in the end, simply because the Ye Family Fortress had the stronger troops and horses.


    Third Son and Duan Jin both turned their heads forward again. Ye Suijin rode ahead, back upright, forging onward.


    The two spurred their horses to catch up.


    The Ye Family Fortress soon received the prisoners escorted back from Uploading.


    Fourth Uncle Ye grinned - he loved these prisoners now, good workers! He didn''t even have to feed them fully, saving money!


    Asking about Ye Suijin''s situation out there, the messenger said: "A new recruit, used to be a captain in the Xuanhua troops. Brought a few dozen men to join us. The boss took the troops on to Ci Qiu."


    The men escorting the prisoners back also brought a letter in Ye Suijin''s hand, appointing He Zhou of Nei County as the magistrate of Uploading County.


    Themoners'' livelihood in Uploading was fairly orderly. Ye Suijin had given the positions of county secretary and county captain to local elders. It wasn''t a ce that required massive killings. Her brother Ye Jingyi was still too green, good for charging into battle butcking the experience to maneuver with local powers. He Zhou had abundant experience as a people''s magistrate, was astute yet principled, pragmatic, and was the most suitable person for Deng Prefecture now.


    Although reluctant to leave Nei County where he had governed for many years, He Zhou also knew Ye Suijin''s favor was most important. He swiftly packed and set off for Uploading County under the Ye Family Army''s escort.


    Waiting for him there was the Ye family''s Seventh Master.


    "General," he asked after the pleasantries, "Does the boss have any message for me?"


    "She does," Seventh Uncle Ye said. "Sixth Sis says the yamen has copsed, and all thend and poption records are gone. This is a good chance to resurvey thend and take a new census. Allnd and people not registered will be charged one by one as evaded tax and confiscated as the Ye Family Fortress''s property."


    Vicious.


    How could the powerful families still conceal any hidden households or evade taxes?


    He Zhou hesitated for a moment.


    Seventh Uncle Ye understood and waved his hand grandly: "All of us here are at yourmand."


    At a nce, it was sturdy troops in green shirts and ck pants, des and spears, packed densely in serried ranks.


    Suddenly, He Zhou''s morale rose.


    "Good!" he said. "I will surely not disappoint the Regional Commander!"


    In October, with the autumn wind gusting, legends of the Ye Family Army began circting in Tang Prefecture.


    The gang upying the stronghold in Ci Qiu was not bad, managing to seize a small fortress. Much smaller than the Ye Family Fortress, but still a small walled town. Ye Suijinughed when she saw it.


    Fang City didn''t even get a chance at a siege battle, yet she had fought one at this rural ce. Small in scale but a fully proper siege.


    The people on the walls of the fortress stared nkly at the blue-d soldiers running around, carrying lumber, and crawling on the ground just an arrow''s flight away outside the walls: "What the heck are they doing?"


    Someone familiar with military matters who had served in the Xuanhua Army climbed onto the wall, watched for a while, and suddenly understood. He cursed, "Damn it!"


    Outside the fortress, Zhou Junhua sat on his horse surveying the scene, feeling utterly speechless: "This is going too far."


    Earlier, his fellow brothers had already gone too far by using him to train the cavalry in encirclement, nking, and pursuit tactics. And now this was even more outrageous. Taking advantage of the terrain of the fortress, they were pretending this was a walled city with a moat.


    Those carrying lumber, and tying it together likedders, and crawling on the ground...they were pretending to build floating bridges to cross the river.


    Zhou Junhua had already surrendered, and had sat in on meetings in the main tent of the central army these past few days, bing acquainted with the Ye brothers. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he asked Seventh Son: "You''re not really out here training soldiers, are you?"


    Seventh Son, Ninth Son, and Tenth Son: "Mmm hmm mmm..."


    Zhou Junhua''s eyes bulged: "Really?"


    Seventh Son rubbed his nose: "Sixth Sister said that nothing can train soldiers better than actualbat."


    He truly felt that what their Sixth Sister said was right. No matter how much drill was done on the training grounds, it could never impart the understanding and conviction that came from being in actual terrain and situations. The instant they were faced with the realndforms and circumstances, it was as if they suddenlyprehended and grasped things that had eluded them before.


    Zhou Junhua had felt from the start that bringing such a huge force just to subdue his little band was making a mountain out of a molehill. The power of the Tangzhou forces was actually quite fragmented, and thergest faction led by Du Jingzhong had already been eliminated. There was no need tounch a massive campaign just to deal with the other groups.


    Now he understood clearly - Lady Ye, she...she was just using them to sharpen her de.


    Zhou Junhua swallowed the mouthful of curses welling up inside him once again.


    As dusk fell, the gong was sounded on this side and the troops withdrawn.


    The people on the fortress walls heaved a sigh of relief as well, pissing down and swearing.


    The leader brought his men to carefully survey the scene again, unable to guess what this group was up to. However, their numbers wererge indeed. Those in the fortress were able to pige and plunder at will, but if they wanted to take on so many in a one versus many battle, to pull off an ambush and gain victory like the giftedmanders in storybooks...everyone felt they didn''t have that kind of good fortune.


    As usual, the Ye army held an after-action review in the main tent that night.


    The "attackers" today were Third Son, Fourth Son, and Fifth Son. The three of them were earnestly reviewing the mistakes they had made during the "attack" phase.


    As Zhou Junhua listened, he recalled how he had been surrounded on four sides and fled for his life for several hours without even a sip of water, all for the purpose of training these young masters in soldiery. He was so angry his eyes kept rolling back in exasperation.


    "Does Cloud Fly have anything to add?" Ye Suijin noticed his exaggerated eye-rolls and smiled in amusement as she deliberately asked him.


    Zhou Junhua''s courtesy name was Cloud Fly.


    "Ahem." Zhou Junhua was a surrendered general, so he quickly hid his dramatic eye-rolls and assumed a humble demeanor. "This lowly officer has nothing to add."


    "Is that so? I see many problems in their performance that you seem not to have noticed. Could it be you were just coasting along during your time in the Xuanhua Army?" Ye Suijin sneered disdainfully.


    Don''t get angry, don''t get angry.


    When staying under someone''s roof, one has to lower one''s head.


    Don''t get angry.


    Zhou Junhua took a deep breath, then another.


    ...


    Damn it, he just couldn''t stand it anymore!!