"At that time, the garrison commander of the Shifeng Fortress actually defected to the Wolf Clan and wanted to hand over the fortress to them. There were tens of thousands of troops outside. Without the protection of the fortress, they could have easily charged in."

"Is it true that if we lost the fortress, we’d be defeated?" The soldiers discussed among themselves after hearing this. This was indeed the most critical moment of that battle. The old soldier was right; if the fortress had been given to the Wolf Clan, the few thousand soldiers would not have been able to match them. The result would be complete annihilation.

"That’s right, the situation was urgent at that time. If it had been any other general, they might have already led the troops to abandon the fortress. But our General was very clever. He used the situation to his advantage, luring the Wolf Clan’s forces into the fortress and then closing the gates to destroy them. He killed four thousand of them in one night, including that leader from the Wolf Clan named Helian, who was said to be a fierce general from the plains. General Man also beheaded him."

"That’s how it was, no wonder the people praise our General as the Wolf Clan’s nemesis. Eliminating four thousand men in one go, how much military honor could that earn?"

"Indeed, there’s more. When the Wolf Clan tried to surprise attack Ji County to kill General Meng, it was our General Ye who led the troops to the city entrance and caught the Wolf Clan off guard, earning him trust and favor from General Meng and commendations from His Majesty the Emperor."

"No wonder General Ye has achieved such high rank at a young age; he’s clearly favored by His Majesty."

"Exactly, and besides, the current Commander of He Nei County, Lord Han Hao, was once General Ye’s superior and a major officer under his command."

"What are you all talking about? Tell me about it." At this moment, Ye Shikai suddenly entered and said calmly. Only then did the soldiers notice Ye Shikai’s arrival and stood up in surprise.

"Greetings, General."

"Greetings, General."

"Alright, alright, everyone sit down." Ye Shikai gestured for everyone to sit, urging them not to be so formal. The soldiers exchanged glances, tense and nervous. They knew that Ye Shikai had overheard their conversation. Most generals do not like their subordinates discussing them and might even severely punish these soldiers, so naturally, they were afraid.

"So, what are your thoughts on the current war?" Ye Shikai inquired. After a few words, the soldiers saw no malice in him and relaxed a bit.

Ye Shikai wanted to understand the most genuine thoughts of the grassroots soldiers; they often represented the majority opinion of the army.

"General Ye, why do these days feel like the battles never end?" One soldier asked, hitting the nail on the head.

Presumably, most soldiers also did not understand the significance of this battle.

"Brothers, I suppose you all want to ask this question." Ye Shikai turned to look at them, and they nodded slightly, then looked down somewhat disappointedly.

"Actually, I don’t understand either." Ye Shikai suddenly said.

"As soldiers, we fight the rebellion to protect the safety of the people, but can we be sure we are in the right? I fear not," Ye Shikai said softly. "If the court were right, the people of the world should be loyal, and the Prefectural Governor would be loved. Why then do so many join the rebel army or flee to the mountains to become bandits?"

"General, if we are wrong, why do we continue to fight?" A bold soldier asked.

"That’s a good question. We cannot be sure if we are right, but are these rebels necessarily correct? I think not. This time when our army set out, we passed through seven or eight villages, all massacred by the rebels, even infants were not spared. Do you think this is right?"

The soldiers looked at each other in confusion. Ye Shikai’s words seemed a bit vague, and they did not fully understand.

"You all have fought the rebels for a long time, you must have heard about them. They call us the evil Qin," seeing the silence, Ye Shikai continued, "As a General, I have the duty to command and to follow orders, but my stance is always for the people, unshakable. If one day, the Commander asks me to harm the citizens, I will absolutely not comply."

"General Ye is right, we were all honest people once, and we would never commit such heinous acts."

"Right, the General is right."

"Everyone, quiet down." Ye Shikai waved his hand, indicating for everyone to be quiet.

"Throughout history, they say those who achieve great things do not stick to minor matters, but I do not believe so. Conversely, I am very particular about them. The reason I am unwilling to rebel like the insurgents is not because I am reluctant to give up military merits and titles, but because I cannot foresee the outcome of leading so many brothers in rebellion. I cannot confirm whether the result will be good or bad, so the only thing I can do is to protect everything around me." Ye Shikai’s tone was very sincere. Indeed, this was his heartfelt truth. Rebellion is a ’no return’ path. Ye Shikai now has a wife, friends, and so many brothers under his command. Their families also have elders and children. If he fails, tens of thousands of families would be ruined, and he would be the culprit.

Ye Shikai lacks the courage to do so, and he will not do it.

"General Ye, we all believe in you; you are a truly good General, and we trust your decisions. From this day forth, as long as it is your command, we will face any peril, without hesitation."

"Swear to follow the General to death."

"Swear to follow the General to death."

"Swear to follow the General to death."

The soldiers knelt on one knee with their hands over their chests, pledging their allegiance. More and more soldiers heard and joined in, and the shouts of tens of thousands broke the silence of the night...

......

Over the months, Ye Shikai had been rushing across the East County, leading his troops in battles against rebels. The insurgent army continuously depleted the Qin Army’s forces in the county, but the size of Ye Shikai’s army grew larger and larger. Hearing of his reputation, many rebels chose to surrender rather than resist. With Ma Yao’s recognition of him, resources like money and military equipment were prioritized for him, so his army grew like a ’snowball,’ getting bigger.

Gradually, the weather turned colder, and Ye Shikai realized that it was already winter. Soon it would be the next year...

"Ye, my dear brother, your efforts in suppressing the rebels these days are commendable. Here, let me first offer you a drink." In the Commander Mansion of East County, Ma Yao personally poured a strong drink for Ye Shikai. As the wine went down the throat, his body felt much warmer.

"Thanks to his lordship’s support from the rear, I have been successful on the frontline."