When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds

Tan You smiled faintly. "Are you going to tell me you didn’t go out herding with everyone else after we reclaimed the nearby grasslands?"

Chen Yue replied defiantly, "But that wasn’t with you, Mother! Mother..."

When it came to wheedling, Chen Yue was the undisputed master. Of the three daughters, Chen Xi was composed and steady, and the third daughter, Chen Xing, also had a quiet disposition. Only the middle child, Chen Yue, was a mystery—no one knew who she took after.

In any case, Tan You felt Chen Yue was nothing like her. ’I’m such a quiet and proper person,’ she thought. ’How could I have possibly raised a little rascal like her? She’d climb any pole you put in front of her, and if there wasn’t one, she’d build her own ladder to climb it.’

"It’s the Matriarch! The Matriarch is really back!"

"Greetings, Matriarch!"

"The Matriarch is back!"

Seeing Chen Yue clinging to Tan You and wheedling, how could the common people not know Tan You’s identity? The more enthusiastic and bold among them approached to greet her. They were overjoyed even to receive a single word in reply.

Tan You greeted everyone along the way, mostly asking about their lives. Confirming that everyone was living well now, Tan You could finally feel at ease. At the very least, people were able to thrive under Chen Xi’s governance.

"Don’t you worry, Matriarch, we’re all doing very well. The children are all studying in school. In the evenings, whenever we have time, we attend literacy classes. We can recognize a lot of words now."

"Not only that, but last month my eldest son passed the test to work at the soap workshop. He earns a wage every month now."

"We have enough to live on from our farming."

Listening to their words and seeing the smiles on their faces, the smile on Tan You’s own face grew wider and wider. When Chen Xi received the news and rushed over from the government office, she saw Tan You surrounded by a large, jubilant crowd, every single person beaming with joy.

"The Eldest Miss is here!" Everyone, of course, recognized Chen Xi. When they saw her approach, the crowd automatically parted to form a path. Chen Xi composed herself, then led the Chen clan elders and capable young men slowly toward Tan You.

"Mother, you’re back."

Tan You nodded slightly. "Yes, I’m back."

She looked at Chen Xi with approval. The sixteen-year-old girl had shed the immaturity of two years prior; she was now more dignified and composed.

"From what I’ve seen on my way here, you’ve done an excellent job. I’m so proud of how outstanding you are. It’s truly an honor to call you my daughter."

Chen Xi’s eyes reddened, and she fought back tears. "I’m also honored to be a source of your pride, Mother."

"You’re not leaving again, Mother?"

Tan You nodded. "The grasslands have been completely reclaimed. There’s no need to rush all over the place anymore."

"Hooray! The Matriarch is invincible!"

"We’ve reclaimed the grasslands? That’s wonderful!"

"We’ll be completely safe from now on!"

The common folk and clansmen standing by immediately erupted into cheers. Wave after wave of sound washed over them, and Tan You’s ears twitched. ’For the first time,’ she thought, ’I’m realizing that having heightened senses isn’t always a good thing.’

With these thoughts in mind, Tan You led the group back to the Youzhou State government office. It was the state closest to the northern passes, so after consulting with everyone, Chen Xi had established their capital in Youzhou State.

The effect was remarkable. Youzhou State, once almost completely deserted, had gradually started to prosper in the two years since the Chen clan migrated there. In fact, with the establishment of various workshops, the once-ruined state was gradually developing into their most prosperous one.

Several clan elders walked unsteadily up to Tan You. She quickly steadied Third Grand-uncle. "It’s been two years. Third Grand-uncle, you look as hale as ever. How has your health been lately?"

"It’s good, very good," Third Grand-uncle said, his smile revealing his shrunken gums. "It’s just that with the Matriarch away, we were always worried about you. Thankfully, you’ve now returned safely."

Tan You supported him as they walked toward the government office. "It’s my fault. I’ve made you worry these past few years."

"You were out doing great things. All we could do was stay here and guard our home for you. Fortunately, the results have been good, so we can say we’ve lived up to the trust the Matriarch placed in us."

Tan You smiled. "Of course, I believe in everyone’s strength. The power of a community is limitless. The development of Yunzhou and Youzhou States to this point would have been impossible without everyone’s hard work."

The soldiers following Tan You lowered their eyes and smiled. The Matriarch was especially good at giving praise. When on campaign, she never took credit for herself. Every time they won, she would praise them to the high heavens. She never took the glory; instead, she always gave the soldiers generous rewards.

Everyone’s excitement didn’t calm down until they were all seated inside the Youzhou State government office. Chen Yue brought over a map and unrolled it in front of Tan You. "Mother, our territory has expanded again. Any further north and it’s no longer grasslands, but desert."

"Mother, what do we do next? Are we going to attack those rebel leaders?"

Chen Xi said softly, "’Build high walls, store abundant grain, and take your time claiming the throne.’ We’ve already built the high walls. For the past two years, taxes in the four states have been light, so the amount collected by the government offices hasn’t been much."

"We’ve opened quite a few workshops in these two years, and sales have been good, but I’ve exchanged most of the profits for grain."

Tan You understood Chen Xi’s meaning. "There’s no rush for that. We’ve only just reclaimed the grasslands; we need to let the people rest and recover. Let the outside world be chaotic. The time is not yet right."

Chen Xi nodded. "Then let’s focus on settling everyone in properly. They’ve only just started to live better lives after so much hardship."

Tan You smiled. "Exactly. Right now, Prince Yong and the other prefects are all at each other’s throats like fighting cocks. We occupy the region north of Yunzhou State. As long as we don’t expand inward, no one will want to attack us."

Chen Yue pouted. "Mother, those rebels might not want to attack you, but the Imperial Court does. They even want to offer us amnesty."

Tan You raised an eyebrow slightly; this was news to her. "When did this happen?"

"Two days ago," Chen Xi said, her face stern. "Their argument is that Yunzhou, Youzhou, Dingzhou, and Lin States originally belong to the Imperial Court. They now intend to take them back, along with the grasslands we conquered."

Tan You tapped her fingers on the table and let out a laugh born of sheer anger. "Are they trying to pluck the fruits of our labor? Or should I say, they want to dig up the entire tree?"

Chen Yue nodded vehemently. "Mhm, that’s what I thought, too. I was so furious at the time."

Seeing her expression, Tan You knew she must have had something up her sleeve. She asked curiously, "What did you do?"

Chen Yue looked particularly smug. "After Big Sis kicked them out, I took a squad of men, disguised them as bandits, and robbed them on the road."

Tan You just smiled faintly. "Well done. Don’t worry about the Imperial Court. Since ancient times, has anyone who accepted amnesty ever come to a good end? We’re free and unrestrained here. Why would we go and let ourselves be controlled by others?"