Chapter 134: Imperial Rewards

"Young Commander, you are being too modest," Qiu Xiang said with a smile. "I spoke with Qiu Jiangmen some time ago. To say nothing of the rest, the entire strategy behind beheading Zhuang Buxiu was masterminded by you from start to finish. I may not have many talents, but I have a keen eye for character. Qiu Jiangmen’s admiration for you is carved into his very soul; that cannot be feigned."

"Speaking of Zhuang Buxiu, ha ha ha..." Ye Xin laughed. "Through that battle, I finally realized what I love to do. Leading a hundred elite cavalry, charging across thousands of miles, destroying camps, smashing stockades, and seizing the enemy's banners—you have no idea how exhilarating that is. If I were to sit in a command tent, ordering troops about... I fear I would lack the patience for it."

"This is exactly what His Majesty fears!" Qiu Xiang shook his head. "You are the commanding general; how can you so easily court danger?"

"That is precisely why Father sent me and the Grand Academy to serve as military supervisors—to keep an eye on you," Tie Shudeng laughed.

Following this, Tie Shudeng and Qiu Xiang asked for Ye Xin's views on the Great Yu Kingdom. They chatted until noon before concluding. Ye Xin returned to the Ye estate, while Tie Shudeng and Qiu Xiang headed back to the Royal City, where Tie Xinsheng had been awaiting news.

It was not just Tie Shudeng; the core of the Great Wei Kingdom's decision-making circle—Han Sanmei, Shen Wangji, Deng Zhiguo, Guan Hanyu, and Wang Fang—were all present.

Tie Shudeng and Qiu Xiang recounted Ye Xin’s thoughts in detail, one after the other, before stepping aside.

"Dislikes sitting in the command tent, only desires to don armor and wield weapons, leading charges? Ha ha ha... Ye Xin still has the temperament of a youth," Tie Xinsheng chuckled. "Do you have anything to say?"

"That is only fitting for his age," Guan Hanyu added. "A young man has vigorous spirits and must have a way to release them."

"Grand Academy Head, does Ye Xin harbor any resentment knowing that I bypassed him to mobilize units of the Heavenly Wolf Legion?" Tie Xinsheng looked toward Qiu Xiang.

"Your Majesty, although Ye Xin’s personality is somewhat arrogant, he has absolutely no desire to contend for power or profit," Qiu Xiang said solemnly. "In my view, Ye Xin possesses a pure heart. Perhaps... he believes the New Heavenly Wolf Army is something Your Majesty personally fostered—the deployment of troops and the gathering of supplies were all your heart’s blood. It is only reasonable that you had Qiu Jiecha proceed to the southern front ahead of time; there is nothing improper in that."

"Oh?" Tie Xinsheng’s expression turned serious. "Does Ye Xin truly think that?"

"Father, others may not understand Ye Xin, but I am all too familiar with him," Tie Shudeng stepped forward and smiled. "From childhood to adulthood, Ye Xin rarely provoked others. It was always others who offended him or spoke ill of him behind his back, only then would he settle the score. Although his reputation for the things he does is quite poor, it is excusable."

"Your Majesty, I have one more thing to say," Qiu Xiang stepped forward again.

"Grand Academy Head, please speak freely," Tie Xinsheng said with a smile.

"Qiu Jiecha is in Jiuding City, and Your Majesty can issue direct decrees to him. But if Ye Xin reaches the southern front, and Your Majesty’s decrees continue to go directly to the units of the Heavenly Wolf Army without informing Ye Xin, he will inevitably harbor resentment," Qiu Xiang said.

"Have I ever done such a thing to Wei Juan or Ye Guanhai? 'When a general is in the field, he is not bound by the sovereign's orders.' I still understand that much," Tie Xinsheng laughed. "This time, I was merely teasing him to see if his temperament was truly mature."

"In that case, I am relieved," Qiu Xiang said.

"Ye Xin says he will only engage in a war of attrition with the Great Yu Kingdom next year. Does that mean I must endure for another year?" Tie Xinsheng suddenly frowned.

"If Ye Xin had boasted that he could destroy the military might of the Great Yu Kingdom in a year, I would have stopped him from commanding the southern front at all costs," Han Sanmei said slowly. "A centipede dies but does not fall—Ye Xin’s words are very wise! It is clear he has mastered the essence of military strategy. The core of military strategy, put simply, is one thing: achieving the greatest victory with the smallest cost! Even if Ye Xin truly possesses god-like strategies and superior combat prowess, and could crush all of Great Yu’s forces, the Heavenly Wolf Legion would be left a crippled force. At that point, how could he hold the Seven-Colored Lake? The initiative would likely fall to Duke Poshan, Ning Gaowu. We would have to do whatever he says."

"Grand Chancellor Han is correct," Shen Wangji said unhurriedly. "Allies are not to be trusted. If they were, look at the Great Yu Kingdom now! Decades of alliance, yet why have they fallen into such a state of disintegration? Only if the Wolf Army is strong will Duke Poshan, Ning Gaowu, abide by the treaty. If the Wolf Army is crippled, Ning Gaowu would not mind turning his sights toward our Great Wei Kingdom after taking the lands of the Great Yu. If he cannot swallow it alone, he could always form an alliance with the Great Zhao Kingdom."

"The Great Yu Kingdom, after all, has seven experts of the Upper Pillar State level; these are only the ones we know of. What about those we don’t?" Han Sanmei continued. "If they perceive that the Great Yu Kingdom is in danger of falling, these Upper Pillar experts will surely fight to the death. Relying on one Ye Xin alone will not stop them. You all surely know how Pan Yuanshan was defeated and forced to retreat, right?"

Tie Xinsheng scoffed inwardly. Part of what Han Sanmei said made sense, part was pure nonsense, and another part even subtly implied a reproach of him.

*See that the Great Yu Kingdom is in danger of falling and those experts will fight to the death?* Never mind others, even he, Tie Xinsheng, knew that when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. This time, he led the expedition himself and won in the end. After Ye Xin launched a surprise attack on the rear of the Great Zhao and beheaded Zhuang Buxiu, the Great Zhao army lost all will to fight. If he had lost, even if only by a single battle, these noble families of the Great Wei would likely have begun plotting their own escape routes, perhaps even actively signaling to Xiao Mozhi.

As for pointing out the inside story of Pan Yuanshan’s retreat, it was an accusation that when the Great Wei was at its most dangerous, he was still hiding his strength. Only when he saw that the spearhead of Pan Yuanshan’s Blood Mountain Legion was aimed directly at Jiuding City did he have no choice but to send out those two old men in linen clothes.

In fact, it wasn't just Xiao Fu; those two old men in linen also tried their best to avoid attracting attention. But on the battlefield, it could not be hidden. Their mission was to charge directly into the main camp and kill the Blood Mountain Legion commander, Pan Yuanshan. Shen Wangji and Wang Fang were not fools; how could they watch the main force of the Blood Mountain Legion fall into chaos without wondering why?

The news had already spread, causing an uproar among the various noble families. They were all stunned by Tie Xinsheng’s cunning and patience.

Upper Pillar-level experts are strategic weapons. Tie Xinsheng had stumbled upon a way to deal a heavy blow to the Blood Mountain Legion. By all logic, he should have taken those two linen-clad elders to the northern front. Then, the Great Wei’s Upper Pillar-level experts would have held an overwhelming advantage. With Tie Xinsheng, Guan Hanyu, Han Sanmei, Wei Juan, Deng Zhiguo, plus those two elders, how could they have been so terrified and cautious? They would have launched an all-out attack long ago.

***

Ye Xin returned to the Ye estate and slept until dusk. Ye Suifeng had returned, and hearing a great commotion outside the gates, he was puzzled and hurried out to greet the source.

On the street in front of the Ye estate, dozens of carriages were parked. More than a dozen gorgeously dressed maids stood in a row, and many palace guards were busy moving items from the carriages.

"What is going on?" Ye Xin understood, but still asked offhandedly.

"They are all rewards from His Majesty; I had no way to refuse," Ye Suifeng said with a bitter smile. He had no time to talk to Ye Xin, turning to direct the guards to place the items in their designated spots.

The Ye family line was somewhat thin, which had to do with the personalities of Ye Guanhai and Ye Suifeng. They had only one wife each throughout their lives and took no concubines, so there was no need to recruit large numbers of servants; a few dozen were enough. Since Ye Guanhai was murdered, those who were young and had a future had all defected to other families, leaving only the older servants. In a way, they had no choice; they were too old for heavy labor and would not be welcomed elsewhere, so it was better to stay at the Ye estate and rely on past loyalties to spend their remaining years.

Xue Baiqi walked to Ye Xin’s side and whispered, "I heard from the Second Master that this time, His Majesty rewarded you with twenty palace maids, as well as many gold and silver treasures. By the way, Master, have you seen the golden chest? It contains two hundred high-grade origin crystals, likely prepared for Ye Ling. Once Ye Ling’s foundation is stable and she can refine her innate ability, we won't have to scramble everywhere to search for crystals for her."

"These are nothing," Hao Fei said, gesturing with his chin. "Master, have you seen these guards? They must have been personally selected by His Majesty. Having them enter the Ye estate must be to serve as your household guards."

"If you like any of those maids, pick a few to take home," Ye Xin said indifferently.

"We have the heart of a thief but not the guts," Xue Baiqi laughed. "Who knows which of them is a spy for the Cloth-Clad Guard? Better to forget it. If one day you can’t even talk in your sleep for fear, then living is just suffering."

"We must keep an eye on them; don't let them get near Ye Ling," Hao Fei whispered.

"No need to be so careful," Ye Xin shook his head. "When I go on the expedition, all the Wolf Cavalry will move with me, and Ye Ling will be in the army too. Let them stay here to guard this empty shell."

"Are you taking Wen Rong as well?" Only Xue Baiqi had a rough understanding of Ye Xin's plan. He knew Wen Rong was a key link—or to be precise, Wen Rong was the blade meant for regicide.

"Of course I am taking her," Ye Xin said. "However, Tie Xinsheng will try to stop it. He has suffered enough at the hands of my father and Wei Juan. This time, when reorganizing the Heavenly Wolf Legion, he will surely try every means to break the bad habit of noble families controlling the army, making the Heavenly Wolf Legion truly his own—obeying his commands and deployments, even to the point of being able to replace the commanding general at will. Using resources to balance power... this method is too primitive for Tie Xinsheng; it cannot satisfy his desire for control. He wants his will to reach every single soldier. Ha ha ha... I have seen people like him, and I have studied them carefully. I can understand his thoughts as if they were my own."

"So... it is about to begin?" Xue Baiqi sighed.

"It is about to begin," Ye Xin also sighed. "I only hope... that not too much blood will be spilled."