Seducing men is a field of study. How to better seduce men is even more of a field of study. The Heavenly Demon Concubine, who once enchanted the Emperor to the point where he was unwilling to attend court, was undoubtedly a grandmaster who had mastered this field of study.
Every afternoon, watching the women of the Yun Family each carrying a small roll of carpet toward the small courtyard, Yun Ye couldn’t help but sigh mournfully.
The Heavenly Demon Concubine said that Xiao Ya had learned it wrong. She said a woman’s body is a weapon. This kind of weapon is invisible. Until the final moment, it absolutely must not be revealed before others. It’s like a bow—with an arrow nocked, drawn but not released, that’s when it’s most threatening. Once shot out, everyone will know your purpose and direction. Like the current Takayama Yoko—dancing erotic dances for the nobles of Chang’an all day long, pleasing the masses, completely reduced to the biggest joke of the Chang’an marketplace.
Yun Ye didn’t want her to corrupt the women of the Yun Family. But seeing even the most simple and honest Daya and Shishi shyly drilling into the small courtyard, Yun Ye could only let things take their course. Every woman needed such skills. Suppressing them blindly would only backfire. When Xiao Wu, wearing her favorite peony-patterned green gauze dress, ran past Yun Ye like a gust of wind full of charm, he had felt somewhat pleased—at least there was one strong nonconformist who hadn’t been attracted. Not bringing a small blanket meant she hadn’t gone to find the Heavenly Demon Concubine.
This joy only lasted an instant. When Xiao Wu’s little maid, carrying a small bag with a blanket tucked under her arm, greeted Yun Ye with proper respects, darkness flashed before Yun Ye’s eyes. A pervert plus a demon woman—who knew who her future husband would be? Would he even have the slightest bit of space to survive?
After processing official documents in the study and filing them one by one, the day’s time had already been consumed. The sensible Di Renjie poured a cup of tea for Master. Many of the official documents just now had been reviewed by Di Renjie. Master and disciple researched and judged each case. Di Renjie judged first, Yun Ye explained the background of the incident, then they judged again. Sometimes the two would even debate. After reaching consensus, they formed the final opinion, which Yun Ye personally wrote on the official document.
The official business of the Lingnan Navy was very complex, including military exercises, ship and personnel deployments, risk assessments, economic accounting, personnel rewards and punishments. All of this had to be completed within the circle of the Lingnan Navy—not exceeding bounds, not transgressing rules. Yun Ye discovered that what Li Er most detested were actually people who didn’t follow the rules. As long as you followed the rules, he could listen to anything. The reason Wei Zheng could stifle his bird to death was because he was a remonstrance official. Remonstrating the Emperor was his duty. So Yun Ye never did things outside his purview. When the Emperor nudged him, he moved. If not nudged, he absolutely didn’t move. Being an honest puppet was the secret to being a high official. Courage, vigor, and harboring great ambitions—these were things small officials needed to make a big show of. Having reached Yun Ye’s level, not striving for advancement was correct. As time progressed, personal prestige and family influence would naturally slowly emerge. Anyone still thinking of seeking wealth and honor through danger now must have had their brain kicked hard by a donkey.
Now at the family dining table, there were only Yun Ye, Old Grandmother, Di Renjie, plus two little babies. The remaining women were all going crazy. Xinyue thought her buttocks were a bit big and her waist had thickened. Recently she’d been following the Heavenly Demon Concubine eating bamboo shoots. It was said this could reduce excess flesh on the waist without making other parts smaller. Whenever Yun Ye saw her holding a flowered bowl crunching on bamboo, he had an impulse to throw the bowl away. Only pandas ate bamboo all day long.
Li Anlan thought her face was somewhat square. The Li Family’s hereditary square face looked imposing and domineering on men, but on women, the lines were a bit hard. Whenever it was time to sleep, her face wore a white jade mask. Cold light flashed from time to time through the two round little holes, making the entire room eerie with ghostly energy.
Grandmother took a bite of food and sighed. Finally, at her great-grandson’s urging, she reluctantly ate a bowl of rice, then took the two children to the garden to walk and digest.
After seeing Old Grandmother out the door, Di Renjie happily twisted off a chicken leg and perfunctorily offered it to Master. Seeing Master shake his head, he immediately stuffed it in his mouth. Alone, he circled the table picking dishes he liked to eat. Yun Ye put down his rice bowl and looked through the window at those women going in and out of the garden. This wave had now spread. Hypatia and Cheng Chumo’s wife Jiuyi had also gotten involved. Occasionally one could see wives of several Academy teachers also going in and out through the side door.
Returning to the bedroom intending to lie down for a while—he’d sat too long today—the soft couch in the bedroom was most suitable for lying down and reading books. The book “On Qin” written by Elder Yan Zhitui should indeed be carefully read. When a person who had become shrewd with age told you his philosophy of life, you must definitely listen attentively. Regardless of whether your ideas were a hundred times stronger than his, you needed to calm down and savor it carefully. In the old man’s book, he elaborated in detail on his understanding of pre-Qin times. The old fox refused to discuss the reasons for the fall of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. He only wanted to discuss how the Qin people, who herded horses for the Zhou emperor, gradually developed from horse herders into the mighty and imposing Great Qin Empire.
“Valiant Old Qin, reclaim our homeland. Until our blood runs dry, we never cease fighting. Valiant Old Qin, reclaim our homeland. Until our blood runs dry, we never cease fighting.” Yun Ye suddenly chanted these four lines. He had forgotten where these four lines came from. He simply thought these four lines were very appropriate for this moment.
The soldiers of Great Qin perhaps held such convictions, taking up simple weapons and battling time and again against the world’s most elite Wei warriors. Once, twice, three times—it took a full twenty years before they finally reclaimed the Hedong territory from the Wei warriors.
Since ancient times, Qin soldiers endured bitter battles—this was fact. The old man didn’t talk about victors and vanquished, nor did he talk about historical lessons. He was only expounding a spirit. Among the seven warring states competing for the world, the other six states all had heavily armored soldiers. Only Qin state soldiers wore plain clothes and light equipment. Could they not know that lacking protective equipment meant a greater probability of death? Of course not. The people of Old Qin fought for the state, fought for survival, unafraid of life and death. The people of Old Qin, located in the desolate and barren borderlands, were fierce and valiant, fond of courage and aggression, placing state interests above all—although at that time the state was merely a principality.
Throughout the old man’s entire book, he only discussed one question: we need to bare-handedly hack open a path through thorns, and then strive to continuously extend this path into the distance. Generation after generation of people passed it down this way. Competition between families and states—this was a game for the brave.
This was the homework the old man left for Yun Ye. If he didn’t comprehend it thoroughly, he would definitely suffer. Now many people had the habit of giving their books to Yun Ye to read. Li Gang, Yuanzhang, Yushan—even Gongshu Mu brought his book called “Rules” for him to read.
Yun Ye pasted a piece of paper at the back of the book “On Qin.” On it he wrote: “Valiant Old Qin, reclaim our homeland. Until our blood runs dry, we vow never to cease fighting.” He wrote it three times in succession.
Wrapping the book in cloth, he had a servant return it to Yan Zhitui. The Yan Family’s books were not lent out. Yun Ye had joked with the old man, saying the Yan Family neither lent out books nor wives. Who knew the old man very seriously said, “When unavoidable, wives can be lent out. Books cannot.” It choked Yun Ye speechless for a moment.
He had told Grandmother countless times that taking a walk right after eating wasn’t good. Waiting half an hour before walking was the best method. The old lady wouldn’t listen. She believed the ancestral experience and lessons couldn’t be wrong.
Who knew? Health matters couldn’t be explained. Many people with all five vices lived to a hundred years, while many who didn’t touch bad habits died young. One couldn’t say who was right or wrong. If the old lady liked it, let her be.
Yun Ye didn’t go to the garden now. Going once disturbed his peace of mind. Hearing Wang Cai neighing, he came to the front courtyard. The gap-toothed groom was changing horseshoes for Wang Cai, but couldn’t get Wang Cai to lift his hooves no matter what.
Wang Cai, tied to a frame, saw Yun Ye coming and shook his head wanting to break free of the reins. Yun Ye came to Wang Cai’s side, hugged the long face affectionately for a while, finally calming him down.
While scratching his belly, he lifted his front hoof. The horseshoe indeed needed changing. The groom quickly took over, prying off the old horseshoe, using a knife to gradually trim away the cracked hoof, then skillfully nailing on the new horseshoe. After changing all four hooves to new ones, he finally released Wang Cai’s halter.
The aggrieved Wang Cai followed closely behind Yun Ye. Strolling, they went out the main gate. In the evening, the market was still lively, with vendors everywhere selling off remaining goods. The proud Wang Cai never ate leftover goods, making many vendors eye the money pouch under Wang Cai’s neck with envy.
Going directly to find Old Jiang and the others—this was when the distillery should be producing liquor. Watching the liquor production was also a good thing. The distillery on the small mountain now looked more like a small fortress. The wall that looked flimsy from outside was actually a full four feet thick, entirely blue stone inside. This small mountain guarded the roadside. Anyone wanting to pass through the main road to enter the Yun Family estate needed to pass the foot of the mountain first. Others didn’t know, but Yun Ye knew clearly that the distillery had large crossbows manufactured by Gongshu Jia, and even a wheel-like throwing weapon that Yun Ye had never seen. Old Jiang said this was used to destroy siege vehicles. Thrown while rotating, its power was astonishing.
Yun Ye had never thought about returning to the point of needing desperate struggle someday, so he didn’t care much. But Old Jiang and the others enjoyed it endlessly. Old Qian secretly told Yun Ye that if winds and clouds arose, these would all be capital for the Yun Family to transform into a dragon and soar. The role of household retainers wasn’t just guarding homes and protecting courtyards. This kind of small fortress—larger families all had them. There was nothing strange about it. The Emperor was also very clear that once he ruined the world, the nobles who had been loyal to him in the past would immediately turn against him, and would absolutely show no mercy. Dynastic changes proceeded this way.
Shaking his head, he cast this terrible thought from his mind. No one knew better than him how terrifying Li Er was. He had experienced countless rebellions in his lifetime, including two sons who opposed him. The final result—those who opposed him seemed to have not one with a good ending.