"Then hurry up, and don’t forget, the bounty for our heads combined exceeds ten thousand gold. For these rewards, those prefectural governors will certainly go all out," Ye Shikai joked.

"You’re right. We now have only five to six thousand troops, while a single county’s garrison can be at least thirty to forty thousand. However, they’re scattered across various counties and difficult to gather quickly," Shangguan Jian pulled out the map and pointed at the originally planned route.

"Old Ye, I initially wanted to go through San Chuan County, but we’ve been delayed for some time. To prevent any mishaps, I want to adjust the route. We’ll go through Yingchuan County; in this way, we can directly reach Nanyang County, which should save us two to three days," Shangguan Jian suggested.

"Yingchuan County, but it’s all plains there, with no mountains to block us. Would it be too dangerous for our remaining force?" Ye Shikai questioned. The mountainous terrain had been the best "shield" for their march; the more troops one had, the harder it was to command on rugged mountain roads, making it difficult to capitalize on numerical advantage.

"Yes, Yingchuan County is a battleground, easy to attack but hard to defend. Yet Yingchuan County isn’t large, with only a mere twenty to thirty thousand troops for defense. Moreover, I’ve heard of the prefectural governor there; he’s not a daring man, even somewhat timid and fearful. Our military name has been well-known since the great battle of the Wolf Clan, and I predict he won’t dare to intercept us with full force," Shangguan Jian’s analysis was somewhat unexpected for Ye Shikai, who didn’t think Shangguan Jian was so knowledgeable about the surrounding counties near East County.

"Old Ye, although there’s an element of gambling here, we’re in extraordinary times, so extraordinary methods should be employed," Shangguan Jian stated.

"Hmm, I agree with you. Besides, Yingchuan County isn’t large; we can quickly pass through and reach Nanyang County in two days," Ye Shikai considered for a moment and ultimately decided to trust Shangguan Jian’s judgment, promptly ordering his soldiers to change direction.

In actuality, whether East County, He Nei County, or Yingchuan County, they’re all situated in the Central Plains region, where mountainous terrains aren’t very abundant compared to the Chu Territory, known for dense river networks and towering mountains. Although there’s quite a bit of uprising activity here, development is hindered mainly because it’s hard to establish an easily defensible "stronghold."

Ye Shikai naturally had faith in Shangguan Jian, just as Shangguan Jian believed in Ye Shikai’s decision to rise against the Qin. This time, Shangguan Jian’s judgment was accurate; along the way, apart from the commoners, Ye Shikai’s group encountered no obstruction from the Qin Army and reached Nanyang County in just over a day’s time.

Late night.

Due to the urgent need to travel overnight, the soldiers couldn’t rest properly by setting up a camp; they had to find a level spot and sleep directly on the ground. Ye Shikai, as the commander, felt heartache naturally, but their current situation indeed didn’t allow for better accommodations. This was precisely why Ye Shikai was so conflicted when he decided to rise in arms.

If he hadn’t risen, these brothers under him could not only avoid the life-or-death battles but also wouldn’t have to endure injuries without proper medical care, as well as the hardship of outdoor dining and sleepless nights, always being on guard. When he first started the uprising, he had fifteen thousand brothers, but in just three days, only a third remained, with nearly a thousand of them lightly to severely wounded. Looking to the future, he couldn’t be sure how many would survive; perhaps everyone would die.

If this were the outcome, Ye Shikai would be very ashamed, for these brothers have entrusted their lives to him, yet he chose a path leading everyone to "certain death."

Reflecting on the past, Ye Shikai’s inner heart had wavered; was leading these many brothers to rise against the Qin right or wrong?

"Old Ye, we’re pushing too hard; the brothers are too exhausted," Shangguan Jian approached, handing over the little remaining wine. Ye Shikai took a swig, gasping heavily.

"Our current position is relatively safe, so let the brothers have a good rest tonight."

"Hmm. Additionally... our provisions are running low. We initially brought five days’ worth of rations, and the rest were distributed to the people. Three days have passed now; without replenishment, we’ll be starving before we even leave Nanyang County."

"No way," Ye Shikai hesitated for a while, suddenly flinging the wine jug to the ground excitedly, "We must find a way to get food. The hardship of outdoor dining would suffice, but enduring hunger would surely shake the military’s morale."

Shaken military morale was just one reason; Ye Shikai couldn’t bear to see these brothers suffering from hunger.

"Hmm, Nanyang County is a great county, with numerous towns, villages, and populations. It certainly stocks considerable amounts of food; we need to find a way to get some," Shangguan Jian proposed.

"The Qin Army’s strength in Nanyang County isn’t small. With our current forces, attacking a town is impossible. Not only would we fail to seize food, but we’d also lose more men."

"Do you have another method, Old Ye?"

"We can’t rob those rebellious troops and robbers; their stocks are drop-in-the-bucket solutions and definitely can’t rob the commoners as well. We have only one way left."

"What way?"

"Attack the Qin Army’s food transport team," Ye Shikai explained, "You and I were once part of the Qin Army; naturally, we’re familiar with the transport teams. Typically, a food transport team numbers between five hundred and a thousand. Since they don’t participate in frontline battles, these teams consist mostly of the old, weak, sick, and disabled. We now have a cavalry unit. Once successful, we can use the horses to carry the food back. Our horses are fast, so even if the Qin Army sends reinforcements, we would’ve already left."

Back then, the Wolf Clan used cavalry’s mobility to repeatedly raid villages and commoners, and this cavalry unit under Ye Shikai was trained to mimic the Wolf Clan’s heavy cavalry. Even the warhorses were purchased from merchants from the steppes, making them much stronger than Central Plains horses.

"Our time is limited. Once we’ve got the food, we’ll return immediately. We’ll head straight south without stopping. Additionally, we can set a team in ambush to divert the Qin Army."

"That’s indeed a very good plan."

...............

Nanyang County.

"Hou Ganxian, are you familiar with the terrain around here?"

"Commander Xue doesn’t need to worry; I’ve been in this place for five or six years now. I dare say, within fifty miles of here, I could find anything even with my eyes closed." Hou Ganxian boasted.

"Great, then find a route to safely reach Chu Territory," Xue San commanded.

"Certainly, Commander Xue. Please look at these mountains ahead of us; it’s a route leading to Southern County. Although the mountain path is rugged and not easy to traverse, it’s the safest way. The Qin Army would never pursue us here. Once we pass through these mountains, we’ll arrive at Southern County, which lies in Chu Territory."