"Master, General Ye’s words are mistaken; even if the Wolf Clan moves south, Xianyang may not send troops to reinforce. Furthermore, the defender of the Great Wall is the Great General Meng Tian of the Qin Dynasty, along with three hundred thousand troops personally trained by him, battle-hardened. Even if the Wolf Clan is fierce, they likely cannot break the defenses of the Great Wall. So, if Xianyang doesn’t send troops, should we refrain from launching an expedition?"

"General Tang is right. Master, we would rather sacrifice ourselves bravely than idly feast and wait to die inside the city."

"I urge you to reconsider, Master."

The generals remained unwilling to give up, trying to persuade Mi Wen to deploy troops immediately. Ye Shikai did not wish to argue with them. He only had one mouth, and it was impossible to ’quarrel’ with more than twenty people—it was utterly pointless.

"This matter—I still need to reflect upon it further; all your points are valid. Please withdraw for now and await my command."

"Understood."

"Understood."

"Understood."

Ye Shikai walked out of the government office alone, feeling the ’venomous’ gazes of those generals behind him. If they could turn into knives, he would have been ’sliced’ into dozens of pieces already.

To those individuals, Ye Shikai hindered their ’path to advancement,’ and therefore their ’route to wealth,’ naturally wishing to get rid of him at once. Even if they said nothing openly, Ye Shikai could sense it.

"A bunch of rodents," Ye Shikai cursed coldly, then turned his horse and headed back to the mansion.

Ye Mansion.

"Master called me tonight; it must be about the campaign, correct?"

"Mr. Xu is indeed perceptive, hitting the nail on the head," Ye Shikai nodded, personally pouring tea for Xu Jia.

"The general is too courteous," Xu Jia remarked calmly as he accepted the tea.

"Mr. Xu, initially I had persuaded Master, but to my shame, those idle generals put on such a bravely fighting and fearless display; it truly makes one sick. If anything happens on the battlefield, they will surely slip away first, yet now Master hesitates, which is vexing," said Ye Shikai. Rather than sipping tea, he gulped down wine, feeling much better afterward.

"Is it the date of the expedition or those mediocre generals that trouble the general so much?" Xu Family asked, unhurried and serene, always providing Ye Shikai with a ’sense of security.’ Perhaps he was the ’Brain’ Ye Shikai had been waiting for, a ’puppet master’ behind the scenes.

"Both, with those people in the army, military discipline will eventually deteriorate, making it impossible to secure a grand victory." Ye Shikai knew how stringent the military discipline of the Qin Army was; though there were idle individuals in the army, the strict laws of the Qin Dynasty ensured severe punishment if discovered.

"If deployed, while I am the commander of the Chu Army, I directly command only forty to fifty thousand troops; the remaining one hundred fifty thousand are all under their command. If any disputes arise during command, they are sure to outwardly obey but inwardly disregard orders, causing difficulties."

"General, no need to fret; indeed, the Master has made a choice, hasn’t she supported you?"

"What do you mean," Ye Shikai retorted.

"Although Master verbally suggests debating another day, she is actually stalling, waiting for your date; once you finalize the date, she can gather the commanders, and deploy for a campaign against Ba Shu. This way, she fulfills your conditions without letting the other generals feel that she only listens to you. Their hearts remain somewhat balanced," Xu Jia explained.

"I see. Mr. Xu, I understand now," Ye Shikai realized how Mi Wen had been contemplating.

"But as I mentioned, if Xianyang does not dispatch troops to reinforce the Great Wall, our abrupt deployment may encounter mishaps," Ye Shikai continued, "I cannot confirm when the Qin Army will move; if Xianyang remains motionless, wouldn’t we have to eternally delay?"

"General, as a former Qin Army General, who stood personally at the Great Wall’s frontline, you must be well aware of the two armies’ strengths," Xu Jia turned the conversation to the Wolf Clan. Truth be told, facing the two armies at the time, Ye Shikai adhered to the principle of ’know thyself, know thy enemy, and remain undefeated in a hundred battles.’ Indeed he had thoroughly understood the Wolf Clan army, knowing its strengths and weaknesses, analyzed the strengths of the two armies, and even simulated several outcomes. However, the final result was the Wolf Clan’s defeat at the foot of the Great Wall, leaving the Qin Army with a pyrrhic victory. Ultimately, it was a mutual fight at the frontline, holding no advantage for either side, utterly pointless.

"Of course, I know. The Wolf Clan cavalry excels at charging; if on flat terrain, with both armies arrayed, the Qin Army is no match, and our Chu Army...is not a match either."

"Then, are you familiar with Great General Meng Tian’s capabilities?"

"Certainly, he possesses commanding talent; I am no match for him."

"Given this, do you believe General Meng can defend without Xianyang’s reinforcements?"

"Sixty percent chance of victory, maybe seventy."

"In that case, please do not worry, General. I think it won’t be long before Xianyang dispatches reinforcements," Xu Jia said with a slight smile, exuding confidence.

"Mr. Xu, are these words true?"

"Haha, absolutely true. Please rest assured, General, and wait patiently for a few days; it won’t be long before Xianyang sends troops," Xu Jia took his hand, laughing loudly.

"Alright, I will trust Mr. Xu’s words."

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

At the mansion door, Ye Shikai personally escorted Xu Jia to the gate.

"General Ye, please stay; I can walk the return route alone."

"Since Mr. Xu is my Brain, let me dispatch a house servant to escort you."

"General Ye’s face is somewhat red, still looking anxious; does the general not trust me?" Xu Jia commented lightly.

"Of course not; I certainly trust Mr. Xu’s words."

"In fact, at this very moment, someone is more anxious than you, General, and a hundred times more anxious."

"Who?"

"Of course, the Master; she needs your response, not only to ’deal with’ you, but to handle those other generals. In the court, everything cannot be one-sided, or else power will slip away. Thus, there must be two or even three forces counterbalancing each other, allowing the Master’s authority to remain firm."

"Mr. Xu means that I am one of the forces, while those idle generals are another force. The Master cannot be too biased towards me nor towards them, but must use me to moderate them, conversely using them to moderate me."

"Precisely; however, at present, it seems the Master favors you more. Though she is a woman, she has discerning eyes; otherwise, how could she recognize a hero? If command was entrusted to those generals, the Chu Army would have been defeated long ago."