Chapter 1617: Chapter 1617: Drinking and Heart-to-Heart Conversation
"The present is not like the past. Won’t you understand such a simple truth?"
"Alright, then tell me the reason." Mi Wen looked a little displeased. She was a person with strong opinions. Naturally, as a ruler, she had her own views. So once her opinions diverged from those of Ye Shikai, it was easy for the two of them to argue, even quarrel. Their acquaintance was an accident, and even now, Ye Shikai still saw her as a friend first, not a ruler. Plus, he was a modern man and didn’t understand the so-called "way of the monarch and minister." Therefore, in a moment of urgency, he even dared to argue directly with her. Probably no one else in the entire army would dare to do that.
"We have now conquered more than half of Nanyang County. This place is the heart of the world; it connects to the Central Plains in the north, joins the Chu Territory in the south, can advance to Han Zhong in the west, and further to Ba Shu, and can reach Huji in the east. It’s a battleground of strategic importance. Now that Nanyang is in our hands, the court won’t sit idly by. I predict it won’t be long before the Qin Army comes to suppress us," analyzed Ye Shikai.
"If they want to attack, let them come. This city has high walls and deep moats. If they dare to come, we can still fend them off. Moreover, the Qin has lost its way, and uprisings are erupting everywhere. They can’t easily gather troops," Mi Wen was dismissive, and indeed, she was right. The many uprisings had tied down a lot of the Qin Army, giving her the opportunity to strengthen her forces.
"You’re making sense, but likewise, we must leave at least seventy thousand troops in Nanyang County to ensure it’s defended. With so many troops here, how can we still have any forces left to capture Ba County and Shu County?" Ye Shikai retorted bluntly. After all, the court still held most of the world. Even though they couldn’t gather the military strength immediately, its manpower, wealth, and resources were beyond comparison with the Chu Army.
If it comes to attrition, the Chu Army will surely be defeated.
"The Central Plains are flat, the Qin Army can easily gather and strike swiftly, easy to attack and hard to defend. Previously, I opposed attacking Nanyang first, hoping to use it as a buffer zone between our armies. But now, we have already taken Nanyang. If the Qin Army doesn’t capture this place, it would be like a sword hanging over the heads of all the counties in the Central Plains, ready to fall anytime."
"So you’ve said so much. Are you afraid?" Hearing this series of "reasons," Mi Wen’s face gradually showed displeasure, her tone turning cold.
"If I were afraid, I shouldn’t be here at all and would’ve resigned long ago to return to Linxiang City."
"Are you saying you want me to hand Nanyang County back to the Qin Army?" Mi Wen retorted.
"I never said that." Ye Shikai shook his head. It’s a pity Mi Wen didn’t heed his advice initially. Even though the current situation was favorable to them, if the Qin Army invaded, they could repel them, but the premise was to keep the main force in Nanyang long-term. Trying to split the forces to attack Ba County and Shu County would only be robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Two hours later.
The two finally ended the conversation. Although they didn’t argue, Mi Wen indeed seemed angry... Despite her multiple denials, she was, after all, a woman. She said she wasn’t angry, but he could feel it. Otherwise, why else would she argue with him at midday, preferring to stay hungry?
"Old Ye, how did your conversation with the ruler go?" Just after walking out of the governor’s mansion, Shangguan Jian approached to ask.
"How else could it be? An unhappy parting," Ye Shikai waved his hand in resignation. At least... the two cultivators didn’t brawl on the spot.
"Old Ye, why do you always end up arguing with the ruler?" Shangguan Jian was quite curious. This wasn’t the first time. But he knew that the relationship between the two wasn’t an ordinary "monarch and minister."
"Who knows? Every time our opinions diverge slightly, she wishes she could scold me to death."
The two took advantage of a break to visit a tavern in Wan City for some "leisure," and meanwhile, to check on public sentiment. Reports from their subordinates indicated everything in the city was normal, and the people weren’t affected much, which he found somewhat hard to believe. So this visit was a chance to verify that.
"Sirs, please take a look at the jewelry."
"Sirs, there are fruits here. Have a look."
As they walked, the citizens seemed to live in peace and contentment, at least the market was still bustling. Most shops remained open, and the citizens didn’t run away from the patrolling soldiers on the roads, a result of their strict military discipline.
"I heard this tavern is the best in Wan City. Shall we take a look?"
"Alright."
The two arrived at a tavern. To avoid disrupting the business, they didn’t "clear the area," just rented a private room upstairs with guards stationed outside.
"I heard that generals come to the city to drink every day. How come I didn’t see them today?" Ye Shikai curiously asked.
"Isn’t it just because they heard that the ruler was here? If they’re caught drinking in the city, won’t they bring trouble upon themselves?" Shangguan Jian sneered, and from his expression, Ye Shikai seemed to understand something. It seems they’re just a bunch of "good-for-nothings."
"Sirs, here’s the meat and wine, please enjoy." The waiter brought up a large plate of meat.
"Waiter, is this good wine?"
"Rest assured, sirs. This wine is indeed a fine brew. If the gentlemen are dissatisfied, the shop won’t charge a penny."
"That’s good."
The two chatted while eating meat and drinking wine. The military camp didn’t have anything good to eat, and only after conquering Wan City for a few days did his days start to get a bit more comfortable.
"Shangguan, when do you think we’ll stop fighting?" Ye Shikai suddenly asked.
"Haha, Old Ye, since the day I was born, I haven’t heard of a few days of peace anywhere. Especially in these years, every day there’s fighting, every day there’s death, fighting the Wolf Clan today, battling bandits tomorrow, endlessly unpredictable." Shangguan Jian drank a cup of wine and sighed deeply, "Fear the world will never have lasting peace."
"Shangguan, if there really were a place without war, no one dying unjustly, would you go?" Ye Shikai drank quite a bit, his face flushed, and a sense of fatigue washed over his mind.
"Haha, of course, I’d want to go, but is there really such a place? Old Ye, don’t trick me." Shangguan Jian laughed loudly as if hearing an enormous joke, his tone laced with some skepticism.
"Of course. If there’s a chance, I’ll surely take you there." Ye Shikai said with a bitter smile, suddenly reminded of his days in the modern world. He used to think the underworld was bloody enough, not expecting that coming here would show him what it truly meant to be "bloody." He witnessed the carnage of corpses scattering everywhere. In a chaotic era, human lives were as insignificant as weeds.
