Top-notch Little Horseman

"I'm giving myself to you tonight. I'd rather give myself to you than let that beast Liang Kun have it!"

As Qin Mengyao spoke, she untied her red bodice and lay down on Ye Chen's body.

Moonlight spilled onto the bed, where two bodies were entwined together.

"Crunch... crunch..."

Perhaps because he had just transmigrated and had exhausted too much energy, Ye Chen was somewhat dazed.

Perhaps it was a side effect of his time travel, but he slept very soundly.

However, that night, he had a wet dream.

……

The next day.

A ray of sunlight shone on the bed and landed on the beautiful bright red peach blossoms.

Ye Chen waved his hand to block out the sunlight, then suddenly opened his eyes. It wasn't a dream at all...

"Huff, huff!..."

He suddenly sat up straight. How could something like this have happened last night...?

He never expected that Qin Mengyao would actually entrust her innocence to him last night.

"Brother Chen, you're awake?"

Just then, a gentle voice rang in his ears, interrupting Ye Chen's thoughts.

He looked up and saw Qin Mengyao carrying a bowl of steaming porridge, walking in lightly.

"Brother Chen, I've cooked the porridge. Get up and eat it while it's hot!" Qin Mengyao's voice was soft, and the corners of her eyes still held the blush of her first time last night.

Looking at Qin Mengyao in front of him, Ye Chen's mind was instantly filled with the tenderness of last night.

"Brother Chen, what are you looking at?" Qin Mengyao's cheeks flushed, and her voice was tinged with shyness.

"Yaoyao...last night...I..." Ye Chen suddenly stood up, took the porridge she handed him, put it aside, and reached out to hold her hand tightly.

"Brother Chen, it was my own choice, it has nothing to do with you." Qin Mengyao's eyes reddened slightly, and she looked at Ye Chen with unwavering determination.

"After what happened yesterday, I've thought it through. If I really can't avoid it, I'm willing to hand over my innocence to you..."

Seeing Qin Mengyao's somewhat moved expression, Ye Chen was at a loss for words. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.

"That bastard Liang Kun wants to take you as his concubine, I will never allow it!"

Ye Chen knew that Qin Mengyao was willing to entrust her innocence to Liang Kun, the shepherd, because she was afraid that Liang Kun would make things difficult for her and cause her to lose her status as a horse herder.

If he couldn't even be a stable boy, then let alone Commander Gou, Liang Kun could probably kill him at will.

Moreover, even if he were just a horseman, if that bastard Liang Kun deliberately made things difficult for him, his future would definitely be tough, and he might even be killed by him.

"Silly girl!" Ye Chen was filled with mixed emotions and pulled her into his arms.

"You are now my woman. Even if it costs me my life, I, Ye Chen, will protect you and never let you suffer any injustice!"

Ye Chen knew what she was thinking, and now that things had come to this point, it was best to let things unfold naturally.

From his memories, he knew that Qin Mengyao was a good woman, beautiful and kind-hearted. Such a woman was rare in this chaotic world, and he had to protect her.

Things need to be dealt with one by one, and the most urgent task is to solve the problem of Liang Kun.

Qin Mengyao's eyes reddened, and she buried her face in Ye Chen's chest.

Ye Chen held her close, pondering what to do next.

Now that Qin Mengyao is his woman, Liang Kun, this troublesome guy, needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

"You stay home and rest. I'm going to cut hay." After finishing the unpalatable porridge, Ye Chen gave Qin Mengyao a word of advice, then picked up his sickle and headed out.

He's a squad leader, after all, with nine men under his command. The first step should be to win over these nine men.

The pasture was located outside the household quarters; that area was under military control and was called the pasture.

Ye Chen lived in Ma Ying, where one hundred officers and soldiers and five hundred horse herders lived together.

It is more than 10 kilometers from Maying to the pasture, and along the way you will pass a mountain called Yanfeng, next to which there is an official road.

Bandits often roam the official roads, and it would be difficult to bring back pasture if it weren't for the patrols of government soldiers.

Of course, stealing hay would be even more difficult.

Ye Chen led his team, pushing two wooden carts, from the official road to the pasture.

Along the way, one could see ragged and emaciated refugees everywhere, as well as some caravans fleeing the disaster.

These people all came from nearby villages, and they all wanted to go to Yanmen Pass to seek refuge.

Only by getting through the border can they survive.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Northern Barbarians attacked the pass.

During the Qin Dynasty, civil officials held power, leading to a complete imbalance between civil and military officials in the court and the military at the end of the Qin Dynasty, and the collapse of the system.

Civil officials held extremely high positions and were divided into numerous factions. Their empty talk led to the downfall of the country, and the civil official group was the actual power holder of the Qin Empire.

Civil officials were in charge of administration, supervision, military power, personnel, and finance, while local governors-general, governors, and military supervisors were all civil officials.

In order to undermine the military generals, civil officials even killed innocent people and claimed credit for them, leaving the people living in dire straits.

The people living on the border feared government soldiers more than bandits; entering the pass was their only way to survive.

However, gaining entry into the country is easier said than done.

However, even if one entered the pass, it would be difficult to find a way to survive in this chaotic world.

When the country is in great trouble, labor becomes extremely cheap, while the prices of daily necessities like rice, oil, and salt skyrocket.

Inside the pass, you can see toddlers everywhere sticking straw into baskets to sell, but they can't even get an equal weight of millet in return.

If they cannot be sold, they will eventually be taken by their parents to be exchanged for food, becoming food to fill their stomachs.

Ye Chen is not a saint, so naturally he wouldn't pity them, especially since he himself is now in a precarious situation.

To save the world, the first step is to overthrow this corrupt dynasty, and the most urgent task is to make money.

When Ye Chen arrived at the ranch gate, the soldiers who saw him, just like his own brothers, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Scholar Ye? Are you a human or a ghost?!"

The burly guard at the head of the gate, along with his fellow guards, all felt a chill run down their spines.

Their expressions were exactly the same as when Ye Chen's subordinates first saw him.

After all, news of Ye Chen's unexpected death had already spread here, but now he was standing alive right in front of us, which was truly terrifying.

"So it's Captain Zhang. I'd like to pay my respects to Captain Zhang." Ye Chen symbolically clasped his hands in a fist salute.

This Captain Zhang, whose real name is Zhang San, is nearly 4 years old and has been in the army for more than 20 years.

He had participated in several major battles and had made meritorious contributions. Logically, he should have been promoted to centurion long ago.

But he is greedy and lustful, bullies the weak and fears the strong, and he has no powerful backing. He will probably only be able to live on this ranch until he dies.

Since Zhang San can't bully adults, he can only bully lowly nobody like Ye Chen.

And this squad leader Zhang is the person in charge of handling Ye Chen's matter.

Because Ye Chen's neck was completely broken, Qin Mengyao came to him demanding an explanation, but he claimed that it broke during the fall, thus brushing it off.

He had no connection with Commander Gou, but he didn't care how a horseman died; he only cared about the compensation money issued by his superiors.

If he could just get rid of Qin Mengyao, the money would naturally be his, and he could enjoy another night of pleasure.

"You...you weren't dead? I checked myself, you're definitely not breathing!"

Zhang San broke out in a cold sweat. Could it be that an evil spirit had come to collect a debt?

"Hehe, actually that was a fake death. When I accidentally fell off the cliff, I choked and blocked my airway," Ye Chen said with a light laugh.

"Luckily, my daughter Yaoyao was pulling a cart with me to demand an explanation. The bumpy ride shook her out of the way, so she survived."

"Are you kidding me!" Zhang San looked Ye Chen up and down, his face full of disbelief.

"You think I'd believe you...?"

Ye Chen smiled slightly and said, "Whether you believe it or not, I've come back alive."

"Captain Zhang, you should think about how to explain this to the Ministry of War. Also, remember to return the pension you received."

These words immediately revealed the truth, and Zhang San became anxious.