"Alright then, take care." Ye Shikai nodded in agreement.

"Rest assured, General Ye, I will send over a dozen brothers to escort your wife back to the mansion." The gate guard replied.

"Thank you." After speaking, Ye Shikai turned his horse around and entered the city with them, heading toward the government office.

Government Office.

"General Ye, the lord has been waiting for a long time." Upon arriving at the government office entrance, a dozen soldiers were guarding the door. Seeing Ye Shikai arrive, they immediately approached.

"I understand. Tie my horse well. Oh, it’s a bit hungry; feed it some good forage."

"Yes, sir."

Ye Shikai handed his sword to the guard and walked alone into the government office, entering the hall. The expansive interior had only Mi Wen sitting in the center. Ye Shikai pulled over a chair to sit opposite her.

"Where did you go in the middle of the night last night?" Mi Wen asked straightforwardly.

"Nowhere really, just went to inspect the military camp. Is there something wrong with that?" Ye Shikai knew Mi Wen would ask like this, so he had already prepared his "answer," lying smoothly without blushing.

"You went to inspect the military camp and even brought your wife along?" Mi Wen countered.

"She wanted to have a look and broaden her horizons. Is there anything wrong with that? As the commander, I should still have that authority, right?" Ye Shikai was somewhat surprised. Speaking of which, last night’s trip with He Linghan out of the city was meant to be a secret. The commander of the East Gate was his confidant, and the city guard was also under his command. He had instructed them to keep the outing confidential. But how did Mi Wen know? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ordered the North Gate Commander to issue commands in the middle of the night. Thinking of this, Ye Shikai couldn’t help but worry. Could she even know about the "secret location"? It shouldn’t be; Ye Shikai had closely monitored the rear en route, and there were no "tails" following.

It now seems that around him, there might be Mi Wen’s spies, possibly in the city, maybe near the Ye Mansion. Perhaps when Ye Shikai and He Linghan left the house, they were already noticed.

"It can’t be that simple. How could Miss He be interested in trivial military affairs?"

"You had the North Gate Commander and the soldiers stay up all night and brought me to the government office. It can’t just be to ask this trivial matter, right?"

"Alright, let’s discuss some important matters." Mi Wen smiled cunningly and poured Ye Shikai a cup of wine.

"It’s a fine brew bought from Ba Shu merchants, have a taste."

"It’s quite nice." Ye Shikai drank the wine in one gulp. The aroma was rich; although it had gone down his throat, the taste lingered in his mouth.

"What good wine."

"If Ba Shu were conquered, such wine would be readily available. You could have as much as you want. The fertile lands of Ba Shu, with inexhaustible resources, would all be ours."

"That would be after its conquest; otherwise, it’s all an illusion." Ye Shikai noticed Mi Wen’s enraptured expression but didn’t know what to say. A person with ambitions to restore a lost nation would naturally "covet" Ba Shu, but there are things he genuinely couldn’t agree with. Launching wars out of ambition would only displace the people, making them perish due to warfare.

"How’s the training of the new recruits?" Mi Wen suddenly asked.

"Not bad. There was a rumor in the army a while ago, but it’s calmed down now. The morale of the soldiers is of utmost importance, and the rapport between the commander and the general is crucial, don’t you think?" Ye Shikai suddenly questioned Mi Wen, implicitly referring to her appointing confidants within the army.

"Of course, you’re right. So... you replaced all the officers of the twenty thousand troops with your people."

As expected, Ye Shikai knew Mi Wen wouldn’t turn a blind eye. She didn’t pursue him last time because she hadn’t found the right opportunity. Now that the army was well-drilled, Mi Wen would undoubtedly inquire relentlessly.

"Wait, let me clarify. Although these people are my confidants, all of them are truly talented. After just two months of training, the army has transformed. It’s no longer a feeble group of new recruits; it’s a formidable force." Ye Shikai said firmly.

"Great Qin destroyed six countries, uniting the realm, thanks to a mighty army. Hundreds of thousands of troops, no single nation could stand against them... including the Chu State." Mi Wen murmured. As a member of the Chu royal family, she bore the grudge of a fallen nation, which might be one of her motivations. To overthrow Great Qin, she naturally needed a strong army. Although Ye Shikai had replaced the officers with his confidants, Mi Wen smiled because she knew that while this army might follow Ye Shikai’s words more closely, its combat power was exceptionally strong. Once on the battlefield, it could fiercely battle the Qin Army.

"Mi Wen, I truly thank you. If not for your willingness to help when I defected from the court, I’m afraid both Ling’er and I would be dead by now. At least... the brothers following me would likely be doomed." Ye Shikai took a sip of wine, his tone suddenly becoming calm.

"So throughout the past year, despite any complaints, I have always done my best to execute your orders. You wanted to launch a northern expedition to Nanyang and appointed me as the commander. To repay you and for the lives of my brothers, I commanded with all my might."

"Also, when you had Huo Ziqing attack Ba Shu, I noticed the unusual deployment of the army. I left in a hurry without explaining to my own wife, traveling thousands of miles to Ba Shu, even taking charge of covering the army’s retreat. Have I ever slacked in these matters? Never." Ye Shikai spoke with "righteous zest," and indeed, it was the truth. In the end, he didn’t want to fall out with Mi Wen, believing that harmony was precious, not mere words. Who would be foolish enough to engage in conflict and warfare?

"I don’t think I’ve ever wronged you, but you treat me like a thief, guarding against me. Your spies should be right near my doorstep, and in the army, you have placed people in various positions. Even in rewards and punishments, I can’t decide independently. Isn’t that intentionally guarding against me?" Ye Shikai got more emotional as he spoke, pouring out the grievances he’d kept inside for so long.

Mi Wen’s face turned cold. She walked past him, intending to leave. In his agitation, Ye Shikai grabbed her wrist.

"Answer me; are you guarding against me?" Ye Shikai shouted angrily.

"I’m not."

"I don’t believe you."

"Then I’ll prove it to you." Mi Wen said coldly.

"Alright, how will you prove it..."

Before Ye Shikai could finish, he suddenly felt a chill on his lips, followed by a sweet taste. As he opened his eyes, he saw their cheeks almost touching. Mi Wen had unexpectedly kissed him.

"So, now it’s proven, isn’t it?"