"Are you really planning to deploy troops next year?"

"Did you think I was just talking casually? Perhaps we won’t have to wait until next year; at the end of the year, the Wolf Clan might start using troops. When they move south of the Great Wall, that will be when our army invades Shu," Mi Wen said resolutely, standing up and walking over to Ye Shikai.

"Do you still remember you owe me three conditions?"

"Of course," Ye Shikai said coldly.

"The first condition is that you must participate in next year’s campaign to invade Shu, and you must be the commander-in-chief." As soon as Mi Wen finished speaking, Ye Shikai was about to refuse. He considered himself unfit to lead troops, but was always ’forced’ to command tens of thousands into battle. However, Shu was different from the plains; such rugged terrain was unfamiliar to Ye Shikai. If he failed, it might also bring ’harm’ to his family."

"Can I refuse?"

"No, I already told you, you must agree to all three conditions, and unconditionally at that. Besides... as a general, don’t you want the opportunity to make contributions?" Mi Wen retorted.

"What if I insist on not going?" Ye Shikai rolled his eyes. Actually, Mi Wen always understood that fame was just an external matter to Ye Shikai. Even if he slept on piles of gold and silver every day, so what? If he truly cared about so-called fame, he wouldn’t have left the Qin Army in the first place.

"Then I will imprison you on charges of disbanding the troops without authorization, and furthermore, Miss He might also suffer a bit."

"You’re threatening me." Ye Shikai’s eyes flashed with murderous intent and hostility, undisguised. Being a cultivator, Mi Wen naturally felt it, but she was not at all worried. Linxiang City was her domain; if Ye Shikai really made a move, within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, her guard squad would have raided Ye Shikai’s home.

"You must be both angry and annoyed right now; actually, you don’t really need to worry about these things. I won’t target Miss He, as long as you obey my command."

"Alright, but what if I’m defeated?"

"Naturally, you’ll be treated as a defeated general, but rest assured, I won’t kill you."

"Aren’t you afraid that I might intentionally lose? These troops are your elite forces; if they are all gone, your grand plan will be ruined."

"That’s absolutely impossible. You treat those soldiers like your own brothers; how could you intentionally lose? So there’s no such possibility." Mi Wen had everything under control, and she knew clearly that Ye Shikai would never lead the troops to betray. Firstly, all levels of officers in the troops had Mi Wen’s confidants, and they wouldn’t easily defect. Secondly, Ye Shikai’s family was in Linxiang City. If he really rebelled, He Linghan would be the first to suffer.

"It seems you’ve really grasped all my weaknesses. Invading Shu, I must go." Ye Shikai murmured.

"At least now you only owe me two conditions. I think it won’t be long before you fulfill them all."

"Taking advantage and playing it cool."

Mi Wen had always used a combination of hard and soft tactics with him. Generally speaking, Ye Shikai neither responded to softness nor hardness; he disliked being threatened by others. But in this matter, he was truly at a loss. This isn’t modern times; it’s an era of feudal monarchy. If Mi Wen really wanted to kill someone, she could do it with just a word. As one of her subjects, Ye Shikai couldn’t refuse even if her demands were excessively harsh.

"Now there are still several months till next year; if there are sensible people in the court, they should have already noticed the Wolf Clan’s movements and won’t let it go unchecked. Since you’ll be deploying next year, you might as well start preparing now. This time, our army’s failure to invade Shu was due to insufficient preparation. If we can scout out a few more paths into Sichuan, and store more grain and forage in advance camps, we won’t be powerless when Wang Li cuts off the retreat." Mi Wen said casually.

Mi Wen’s words didn’t lack logic. Although there weren’t any Qin Army main forces in Shu, its terrain was equivalent to an army of 200,000 strong. Just the pre-war preparation alone required at least six months to a year. But ultimately, if it weren’t for Mi Wen’s eagerness to invade, how would this defeat have happened? Regardless of the major troop losses, just the 30,000 elite forces he led lost two-thirds. No one would blame her, of course.

"But, I still disagree with not allowing the soldiers to go home. They’ve barely survived the battlefield; you’re essentially ’holding’ them back." Returning to the main topic, Ye Shikai still resented Mi Wen’s decision. These brothers are looking forward to leaving the battlefield to reunite with their families, but having returned to the city, they aren’t being ’released.’

"Army returns to the city, disbanding most of the troops is just the usual practice, not necessarily the case. This is a special time, and troops are needed next year, these soldiers must stay for training."

"Then why don’t you let their families visit the camp?" Ye Shikai retorted.

"Most of these soldiers are locals, and if their families gather, there would be tens of thousands around the camp every day, what kind of order would that be?" Mi Wen said coldly.

"You are truly cold-blooded." Ye Shikai muttered with his head lowered.

"In war, there are inevitably casualties. It’s far better to be well-trained than to rush into battle."

"But... those soldiers have started to complain; if this continues, something might happen." Ye Shikai was very worried in his heart. Even though this was Linxiang City, it didn’t mean there couldn’t be rebels.

"If anyone resists, execute them on the spot to maintain military discipline. You’re a general; you shouldn’t be unaware of this."

"You say I’m the... general."

"Of course, what else would you be?" Mi Wen retorted.

"Alright, since I’m the general, those soldiers are under my command. Whether to disband them or not should be up to me." Ye Shikai said resolutely.

"You..."

"If you don’t accept, feel free to take away my command. I’ll resign and return home immediately."

"You’re threatening me." Mi Wen also understood his ’trick’; ultimately, Mi Wen was absolutely unlikely to strip him of command; otherwise, how could she lead troops to invade Shu? But the point was, if she didn’t strip him, those tens of thousands of soldiers recognized the Commander’s Seal, not the person; they’d all follow Ye Shikai’s orders.

"Once the general is out, the command from the sovereign may be neglected." Ye Shikai finished speaking and directly turned to leave.

"You... you stop right there." Mi Wen called out several times, but he pretended not to hear. Seeing this, Mi Wen quickly blocked his path.

"So, do you have any other instructions, my lord?" Ye Shikai’s mouth slightly curved up as he saw Mi Wen looking frustrated.

"I allow you to disband half of the troops, and as for those remaining, their families can also enter the camp to visit, how about that?"