Chapter 1 The Aftermath

As the war drew to a close, the myriad issues stemming from the conflict, along with the assessment of merits and demerits, were gradually brought to the forefront. There was widespread disagreement about whether the Xue Qi Army had earned more credit or incurred greater blame.

"The Liang Jun Review Office doesn't directly report to the Ministry of War, but is merely co-managed by it. To say they acted arbitrarily is one thing, but to accuse them of unauthorized troop movements, and even tack on charges like treason or mutiny, is a stretch," the Minister of War stated. Though his authority in this matter was challenged, he didn't perceive it as a slight. Instead, he wholeheartedly defended the Liang Jun Review Office and exonerated Ye Tao. The military dispatches from Zhuo Mang had revealed the Xue Qi Army's crucial role in the entire campaign. They weren't just a participating force, but the guiding hand behind the entire operation. From the moment they arrived, the battlefield dynamics shifted. Initially, their harassment and mobile warfare prevented Tong Bingwen from concentrating forces to capture the crucial White Stone City and Ning Stone City line. Later, after the Xue Qi Army entered White Stone City, the operational plans provided by Ye Tao and his officers steered the entire campaign in a direction highly favorable to Dongping. All these significant objectives were achieved without the Xue Qi Army suffering heavy casualties. What astonished the court officials and noble families was that in such fierce and continuous fighting, the Xue Qi Army's actual losses were less than thirty percent. Most of these casualties were among the veteran soldiers and officers from the Imperial Guard and Ministry of War. The losses among the noble scions were negligible, and the key figures were practically unscathed. Instead, young officers like Qiu Haohui, Chi Lei, and even Zeng Zining demonstrated exceptional battlefield command and strategic judgment. In every aspect, the Xue Qi Army deserved credit, not blame. Now that the Xue Qi Army had become a major topic among the nations and a force to be feared by the Western Liang military, punishing and disbanding it would be a foolish act of self-harm. Ultimately, the problem wasn't the Xue Qi Army, but Ye Tao. What price should this talented, loyal, yet impulsive and headstrong young man pay for his rash actions?

"From the court's perspective, Ye Tao is undoubtedly guilty of a grave offense. Military matters are of national importance and cannot be trifled with based on the whims of a few individuals. Regardless of whether Princess Zhaohua is willing to marry into Western Liang, the agreement between the two nations cannot be altered because of one person or one army. However, that is the view of a court official. What about as a father? I don't know what His Majesty thinks, but I feel differently," said Situ Huang Xuping, speaking candidly with sympathy and admiration for Ye Tao. "Imagine if I suddenly found myself deeply in debt or threatened by political enemies," here, Huang Xuping glanced subtly toward a certain corner of the hall, "and they demanded my daughter's hand in marriage. Then, a young man appears, doing everything in his power to shield me from this, not for his own advancement or reward, even foreseeing the negative consequences for himself, but solely to prevent my daughter from being forced into an unhappy marriage. As a father, what would I think?"

Huang Xuping's words were simple, yet they surprised everyone. This was the Hall of Political Affairs, where such warm sentiments had rarely been heard in years. Huang Xuping wasn't a man of unprincipled gentleness either. This change was significant.

Tan Xiaopei remained silent, so Huang Xuping continued, "Furthermore, everyone can see Ye Tao's talent. General Zhuo Mang's military dispatches make it clear that Ye Tao's strategic imagination is exceptional. He only lacks practical experience in leading troops and achieving victories. Once he gains those, his military future will be limitless. And Ye Tao's talents extend beyond that. He improved the production of military equipment, designed a new type of trebuchet, planned and supervised the construction of Iron City and the two towns, and created the new district in Danyang that everyone now aspires to live in. These are achievements, aren't they? If Ye Tao were already a court official, he might not participate in every decision, but he would probably be qualified to sit in this hall, listening to court discussions as a form of learning. Although he would undoubtedly have enemies in court, with envious eyes everywhere, it's undeniable that in a decade or two, Ye Tao could rise to the rank of Grand Councilor. Can't we show leniency to such a young man with such accomplishments? At the very least, even if his offense is serious, Ye Tao is now recognized as a formidable adversary by the Western Liang military, and his crime is only known within our court. Considering his contributions, can't we show leniency?"

Tan Xiaopei pondered, unconsciously stroking his chin. "The Xue Qi Army will not be investigated. Issue an order to disband the Xue Qi Army on the spot, and everyone from top to bottom will return home for a month of reflection. After a month, everyone will gather at the Liang Jun Review Office training camp for further arrangements. Ye Tao…" Tan Xiaopei found it difficult to decide. He really wanted to let Ye Tao go, but leniency and pardon were two different things. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Let me think about it. Let him stay in White Stone City."

Thinking about how Ye Tao had put him in such a passive position throughout this affair, Tan Xiaopei's expression couldn't help but darken. However, he was more concerned about whether Ye Tao would change because of this. He was beginning to realize how dangerous it was to have such a person outside the court's control. Of course, he didn't intend to make Ye Tao his son-in-law to control him, but the thought had crossed his mind.

After the court session ended, many people breathed a sigh of relief. Tan Xiaopei's light punishment for the entire Xue Qi Army, or rather, the granting of a month-long home visit as a reward, was what everyone wanted and expected. With so many noble scions in the Xue Qi Army, it was certain that they wouldn't be severely punished. Representatives from the major families had already discussed the matter with various ministers and even Tan Xiaopei. However, regarding Ye Tao, many differences of opinion remained.

At this moment, while the situation was still unclear, those coveting the Ye family's assets took advantage of Ye Tao's uncertain situation and the complex feelings of the apprentices and workers in Ye's enterprises to begin a large-scale talent poaching operation.

The Ye family, after all, still held some sway in Danyang's circles, no longer the cautious and circumspect Ye family that had just entered Danyang. After a little investigation, however, it was discovered that the instigator of this large-scale poaching was the Nan'an Shi family, another aircraft carrier-level noble family in Dongping. The Shi family had been facing the challenge of transitioning from accumulating wealth through land and agriculture to industrial manufacturing. They had always coveted the Gao family's advanced technical skills and thriving development system. However, the Gao family had been cautious in both business and politics, never giving the Shi family any opportunities. Now, the Ye family had emerged. Everyone recognized that Ye's Workshop's technical system far surpassed the Gao family's, and Ye Tao, the most crucial figure to the Ye family, was in a predicament with his charges pending. Although they knew that Princess Tan Weixin was protecting the Ye family, this protection could secure Ye Tao's assets, but it couldn't ensure that everyone under the Ye family remained loyal. High salaries and the threat of Ye's uncertain future persuaded many people.

The Shi family mainly poached apprentices and workers recruited locally when Ye's Workshop entered Danyang and established its Danyang branch. These people had been working in Ye's Workshop for two years, and some had mastered many of Ye's unique techniques, such as mirror lacquer, basic ballistics, gear manufacturing, and clock assembly. The more critical positions were held by the apprentices and workers that Ye had brought from Yicheng, who weren't so easily swayed. These Yicheng people had watched Ye Tao build the greatest high-tech enterprise of this era from scratch, and they had almost worshipful trust in their young master. Even so, if the Shi family could utilize them, it would be enough to revolutionize their industrial structure.

Ye Laogeng came to the capital once again. He didn't know how to respond to the Shi family's poaching efforts. It wasn't that this seemingly honest man was helpless, but he didn't know where the Shi family's bottom line was. Ye's Workshop had long been spreading some basic woodworking techniques and shifting the entire Ye's Workshop toward large-scale construction, manufacturing, and metal and mixed machinery production. For Ye's Workshop, techniques like mirror lacquer were no longer important. After all, building trebuchets and repeating crossbows was more profitable than making furniture. However, Ye Laogeng feared further retaliation from the Shi family. The Ye family didn't have the power to resist the pressure exerted by such a large noble family on another level.

However, upon arriving in Danyang and meeting Princess Zhaohua Tan Weixin, after being sweetly addressed as "Uncle," Ye Laogeng learned the Princess's attitude toward the Shi family: they wouldn't dare do anything. Now, even if Tan Weixin didn't intervene, Crown Prince, Young Prince, and Embroidery Princess wouldn't allow the Shi family to use any non-commercial means out of gratitude for Ye Tao's righteousness and persistence. However, the inner court couldn't conveniently offer Ye's family too many favors through commercial means.

With this statement as a foundation, the seemingly honest Ye Laogeng showed everyone his other side overnight. Ye's Workshop added two new titles: technician and supervisor, re-examined the requirements for technical skills and qualifications at each level, and, in addition to Ye's existing recruitment methods, allowed any workshop or individual to enter Ye's Workshop to study after paying a certain fee. The scope of this study would be further expanded after a detailed internal assessment by Ye's Workshop.

This move instantly rendered the Shi family's huge upfront investment in poaching worthless. Ye's Workshop had a wealth of experience, and the veterans of Ye's Workshop firmly believed that as long as Ye Tao was still around, more and more miracles would occur. Those low-end technologies were irrelevant.

Another measure was even more astonishing. Even Tan Weixin exclaimed that Ye Laogeng, this honest man, was quite astute in business. Ye Laogeng announced that if any employee wanted to leave Ye's Workshop to establish their own workshop, Ye's Workshop could provide some capital and participate in the workshop's operation in the form of equity participation. The equity participation ratio would depend on the nature of the workshop that the employee wished to open. Some of the workshops would undertake the component production work that was previously done by Ye's Workshop itself. Although this measure wasn't very beneficial in terms of unit manufacturing cost, it allowed Ye's Workshop to focus on assembling valuable products. Equity participation in the affiliated workshops ensured that basic manufacturing technologies wouldn't be lost quickly. This measure greatly motivated the employees, because working for someone else for a high salary was never as good as being your own boss.

A few days after announcing these two decisions, Ye Laogeng announced the implementation details internally, and even announced Ye's Workshop's new reward and learning mechanisms, making the technician and supervisor tiers more professional and the apprentice and worker tiers closer to a combined learning and internship academy system. This series of decisions caught the Shi family off guard. Not only did they firmly resist the Shi family's poaching trend, but some of the people who had been poached by the Shi family even came back to inquire whether they could rejoin Ye's.

"Uncle is still... very powerful. From a management perspective, once Ye's production line mechanism is formed, it can unleash more energy than before. Have you never realized that your father is such a formidable character?" Tan Weixin playfully teased in another letter to Ye Tao.

Ye Tao didn't care. Ye Laogeng was, after all, his father. A father who could master such exquisite woodworking techniques couldn't be a fool. Although many technologies originated with Ye Tao, his father had also learned them. As Ye's Workshop gradually formed a very modern corporate mechanism under Ye Tao's leadership, Ye Laogeng's work became less and less, and he had more and more time to think, to think about a more reasonable development and operation model. In this situation, it was enough for his intelligence to be effectively utilized.

Although Ye Tao was kept in White Stone City, he was still in a good mood. Whether it was a reward or punishment, he didn't really care. After all, he had done what he thought was right, for the one he loved. And in his hands, he had a new, interesting job...