East County, Commander Mansion.

"Mr. Ma, there are so many new recruits now, but there’s a severe shortage of junior military officers, so I request that these prisoners of war be carefully screened to select usable talent to supplement the military’s needs. Many of these prisoners’ officers are veterans with rich combat experience. If they can be utilized properly, it would be a win-win situation."

"Hehe, Ye, you’ve come a long way, there’s no rush with business, let’s have a drink first." Ma Yao didn’t answer directly, instead dodging the issue, and had the servant bring up fine wine and food.

"Come, come, let’s eat first." Ma Yao invited Ye Shikai to sit down, "You’ve been to Beast Mountain for quite a long time and surely haven’t had anything good. These are dishes I’ve had made by the best restaurant in the county. Try them."

"Mr. Ma, I am not hungry now, but what I’m talking about is very urgent, please approve it soon so I can carry it out." Ye Shikai’s mind was not on the dishes, but training the new recruits could not be delayed any longer. Who knows how long the peaceful days would last, perhaps not long before Ye Shikai would lead troops to war again.

"Ye, you might not understand my difficulties. Personally, I strongly support you, but if you wish to keep these prisoners, I’m afraid... it is difficult." Ma Yao slowly stood up, placing both hands behind his back, looking troubled.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Ma? Could you please be straightforward?"

"Ye, you are naturally a military talent, the War God, commanding the entire army, strategizing. I absolutely believe in you. However, the Emperor has already decreed to severely punish these rebellious troops; anyone involved, from generals to soldiers, is condemned to death." Ma Yao assumed a very difficult expression, then lightly ran his hand across his neck, making a decapitation gesture.

"This..." Ye Shikai was taken aback. Killing them all would mean more than a thousand people. He originally thought these prisoners of war would, at most, be subjected to forced labor, at which time he could supplement with penal soldiers. Yet, he didn’t expect all these prisoners of war to be sentenced to death.

"Mr. Ma, this is a major issue, as you know, penal soldiers are an extremely important source of manpower for the army. If all these prisoners are killed, it will greatly impact the replenishment of troops." Ye Shikai immediately retorted.

"Of course, I am aware of this, but you should also understand, Ye, that this is an Imperial Decree. How many heads do I have to dare openly defy an order? Such a rebellion is a grave crime punishable by death. I hope you understand my position."

"Sigh." Ye Shikai sighed deeply, not blaming Ma Yao too much. After all, he has a family, and openly defying a decree would implicate them all, and if discovered, Ma Yao and his family would all die.

However, he had to try to fight for it.

"Mr. Ma, the handling of these prisoners of war is of great importance. Please, could you be lenient?" Ye Shikai said, making a gesture of obeisance.

"Alright, I will try my best to negotiate for you."

"Thank you, sir."

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

Military camp.

"Xue San, I had you go to Chu Territory to gather intelligence; how’s the situation there?" Ye Shikai inquired.

"Sir, I’ve already had the brothers in the martial world inquire. Now, in those counties of Chu Territory, there are rebel armies everywhere, and the martial world is in chaos. Some rebel armies that just took action were eliminated the next day. The specifics are hard to track." Xue San was quite troubled. The Chu Territory is thousands of miles away from East County; even with fast horses delivering letters, it takes two to three days. With inconvenient transport and communication, Ye Shikai finds it hard to get in touch with Hua Liandie.

More than two months have passed, Ye Shikai remains very worried about Hua Liandie’s current situation.

"Alright, you may leave now," Ye Shikai waved his hand. "If any new intelligence is received, report it to me immediately."

"Understood."

"Shangguan, you heard it too, right? Chaos has already started in Chu Territory. I think it won’t be long before it’s our turn. These peaceful days won’t last long." Ye Shikai lamented, for in chaotic times, peace seems extremely precious, but the course of the great ship of history is not steered by a single ’helmsman.’

"I heard it, indeed. Chu Territory is a thousand miles from Xianyang, and the anti-Qin forces in Chu have always been substantial; this too is a major concern for the empire." Shangguan Jian nodded in agreement.

Even if Chu has only three households, Qin must fall by Chu.

"You can’t kill all the rebel armies," Ye Shikai murmured. The policies of the Qin Dynasty have already aroused public resentment; massive manpower is being used to build the Chidao and the Great Wall. Without the Great Wall, the Wolf Clan would invade, but the consequences of over-exhausting the populace are more fearful than the invasion of the Wolf Clan. As long as the policies do not change, the emergence of rebel armies is only a matter of time, and the Qin Army will lose strength in battle after battle, eventually leading to its demise.

"By the way, news has come from Mr. Ma; those prisoners of war are to be executed in a few days. The order has been issued, and the county garrison will carry it out." Shangguan Jian handed over a bamboo slip. Ye Shikai’s heart sank upon hearing the news. It seems these prisoners of war are indeed doomed. Ye Shikai could do nothing but sigh repeatedly.

"Old Ye, no one can defy the Emperor’s decree, especially not a regional commander like Mr. Ma. So many eyes are on him. To defy the decree would be a capital offense." Shangguan Jian explained.

"I understand what you are saying; I have never blamed Mr. Ma. He is acting in self-preservation; I only pity so many soldiers."

"The Emperor is also considering the bigger picture; now traces of rebel armies are present all over the country. If a warning strike could intimidate them, perhaps it would prevent greater losses."

"Let’s hope so."

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

Chu Territory.

"Leader, we now have tens of thousands of troops and have captured three or four county seats consecutively. Moreover, the nobles of Chu Territory support us, and many heroes from all over the country are joining our cause. I think the Qin Dynasty’s time is up." In a county seat, a woman in armor stands on the city wall, looking into the distance. Inside the city, many soldiers are moving the bodies of Qin soldiers. Behind her stand two men who appear to be generals.

"Very good, but the Qin Dynasty’s military is strong. Although Meng Tian’s 300,000 soldiers are stationed in the north, the empire still has over 200,000 troops internally. We cannot be careless and must quickly develop our military strength."

"Leader, you need not worry. Heroes from all over are rising up everywhere, tying down large numbers of Qin soldiers. Even with 200,000, they are scattered across counties and can’t unite. We can take advantage of this time to unify the various counties in the south."