"Haha, thank you, my lord. Rest assured, I will pass on the orders to the soldiers, stating this comes from you. This way, the brothers will certainly be grateful to you. Also, the city people will admire you," Ye Shikai said with a satisfied smile. This is exactly the effect he wanted. He knew this was Mi Wen’s bottom line, so he did not bargain further.

"Hmph, getting a bargain and still pretending to be magnanimous."

"Alright, I’ll notify the entire army right away, otherwise the brothers might get anxious," Ye Shikai said smiling, leaving the government office and riding towards the military camp.

"Old Ye, how did it go, is it settled?" Shangguan Jian and several generals were waiting for him in the hall. As soon as Ye Shikai returned, they all gathered around him.

"Of course, don’t worry. I’ve persuaded the lord to dismiss the ordinary soldiers and keep half for continued training. Family members will be allowed to visit the camp," Ye Shikai explained to the generals.

"General Ye, with more than forty thousand soldiers now, which ones should we dismiss?"

"Yes, if the allocation is unfair, the brothers might have grievances," another few generals asked.

"I’ve already thought about it on the way. I’ll divide the army into two groups and rotate their training every month. Those who perform well will be rewarded, while those avoiding duties will be punished. With this method, rewards and punishments are balanced, ensuring the army is united," Ye Shikai said to the crowd.

"With such arrangements, there shouldn’t be any problems," Shangguan Jian nodded, agreeing. It was a fairly reasonable arrangement, at least for the current situation.

"Since no one has any objections, hurry up and carry out the orders. Remember, those soldiers who gain merit in the campaign against Ba Shu must be well rewarded,"

"Yes."

"Yes."

Military camp.

"So, no trouble occurred, right?"

"Haha, don’t worry, Old Ye. Thanks to your arrangements, we rewarded the brothers who stayed, and their families were allowed to visit, which stabilized the morale. The enthusiasm for training also increased significantly among the brothers."

"That’s good. We need to mobilize next year, and these forty thousand brothers will be the vanguard. Honestly, training is indispensable. Otherwise, on the battlefield, they’d be like lambs to the slaughter," Ye Shikai said cautiously.

"Old Ye, we’ll be on the battlefield next year. Can’t the lord be persuaded?"

"It’s not possible. I underestimated the lord’s ambition. Her aspirations have long exceeded the Chu Territory. She wants the entire world and wants it immediately, day and night, to the point of being ruthless," Ye Shikai murmured to himself silently, especially the last sentence, which was so light only he could hear it.

"It seems we can’t avoid a bloody battle,"

"Ahem, well, Qin’s tyranny is unjust. If the lord can create a peaceful world, even if I die in battle, it would be worth it," Shangguan Jian nodded and said.

"I hope so."

Ye Mansion.

"Ling’er, holding my arm like this, I really can’t write," Ye Shikai glanced at He Linghan, nestling against him, with his eyes full of indulgence. Since coming home, He Linghan has always been like a "delicate bird," as if she had become a different person.

Ye Shikai knew it well, of course. After he left last time, He Linghan was anxious and regretful. Now that Ye Shikai finally returned, she didn’t want to be separated again, naturally showing this kind of closeness. Even in front of her maid Hehua, she still maintains the demeanor of a lady of the house.

"Sorry, husband, are you hungry? I’ll make some snacks for you."

"Alright, I’m indeed hungry."

"Okay, I’ll go right away."

Over two months have passed, and He Linghan is still so "clingy," but Ye Shikai enjoys it too. After all, this is the life he truly wants.

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

Swoosh, swoosh.

"Good archery, my lord."

"Your archery skills have declined lately. It seems life has been treating you well," Mi Wen said lightly, looking at the prey in the guard’s hand. Both of them shot arrows; her arrow pierced the deer’s neck directly, while Ye Shikai’s arrow was a few inches off, hitting the deer’s back.

"Skill comes from diligence and ruins from play, as is the case for a general," Ye Shikai sighed. In fact, although Mi Wen was just a woman, her archery had already reached perfection. Moreover, she was originally a noble, trained in archery since childhood, so her skills were naturally superior.

"Your three-month leave is over," Mi Wen suddenly said.

"What do you mean by this?" Ye Shikai had a vague premonition.

"Naturally, it means taking up a position in the government office. You are, after all, a general under me. How can you stay at home every day?"

"Ahem, Mi Wen..."

"Call me ’my lord.’

"Alright, my lord. Actually, I’m not suitable for a government position. Back in the Qin Army, I never worked in the government, did I?" Ye Shikai wanted to refuse. If He Linghan knew he had to go to the government office every day, she would certainly "dig to the bottom" of it.

"Everything starts from being inexperienced to becoming knowledgeable. Look at you, even your archery has regressed. If you don’t handle some military affairs in the government office, how will you command troops for the expedition next year?"

"I didn’t really want to go..."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Anyway, this matter is not open for discussion. You must go," Mi Wen said coldly.

"My lord, can’t we discuss this again?"

"No discussion."

"Wait a minute," Ye Shikai suddenly stopped her.

"What else do you have to say?"

"I heard... you’re recruiting soldiers in all counties of Chu Territory, is that true?" Ye Shikai asked.

"Your information is quite accurate, even knowing this. I indeed ordered King Zhang Lan and General Wang Lian to secretly recruit soldiers, selecting robust youths from various villages and training them in secluded mountains. I’ve never discussed this with anyone, but now you know," Mi Wen didn’t hide anything, even sharing all the details with him.

"These are soldiers for next year’s expedition, and you will eventually need them."

"How many people are there now?" Ye Shikai pressed further.

"One hundred thousand."

"So many?" Ye Shikai was stunned by the number. Including the forty thousand troops in Linxiang City, it was nearly one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers. Chu Territory’s population is not as large as that of the Central Plains. To organize such a large army is already the limit.

"Ba Shu is a major strategic effort. To win it, the stakes must be high," Mi Wen said with determination, showing her resolute intention to seize Ba Shu.