"What are the little master's plans?" Liu Zhongjiang, with slightly reddened eyes, clenched his fists and looked at her. Thinking of her experiences, he looked at her with pity. She was a county princess, of noble birth, yet she had grown up in a remote village and was almost sold. The prince would be heartbroken if he knew.
"The Prince of Qin in the west has rebelled, and the Emperor is focusing his forces on dealing with him. This is also the best time for us to make our move. Are you willing to take the risk?" Wu Caiwei looked at them with hopeful eyes.
At her question, everyone couldn't help but hesitate. Although they had endured so much injustice over the years and felt no sense of belonging to the court, they had wives and children to consider. If Master Ye was reliable and grateful, they would naturally want to follow him. If the little master's son inherited the throne in the future, it would be a way to repay the prince's favor of recognizing his talent.
"We are not outsiders. Please share any concerns you may have," Wu Caiwei said, looking at them encouragingly as they appeared to have something weighing on their minds.
"If we were alone, we would follow you without hesitation. At worst, we would give our lives to accompany the prince. However, we have parents above and wives and children below. We must consider their well-being even if we don't care about our own lives. You must show us your strength and earn our trust before we will throw ourselves at your service wholeheartedly." Liu Canjiang considered things more deeply. He wasn't thinking about them crossing the bridge and then destroying it. He simply felt that chaos was imminent. They had been guarding the border for so many years and had long been harboring resentment. If they could capture all those who had wronged them, it would be the best outcome for them. Even with the prince's kindness, they needed to find a wise leader.
"I wonder what kind of ability you wish to see from me. Is it poetry, calligraphy, painting, or martial arts like horseback riding and archery? If you wish to test me, you can attack now. I believe I am competent in both civil and military skills," Ye Xingli said confidently.
"We are all rough men, barely literate. We heard you come from an official family and are certainly well-read, so you won't be stumped. How about this: most of us are military generals. Let's have a sparring match. My training ground is behind me. Let's go there," the others agreed nodding. They were all veterans of the battlefield. They could strategize and command armies, but studying was torture for them. This was much more exciting.
So, Liu Zhongjiang had his confidants guard the entrance and led a few people to the training ground. To allow everyone to see more clearly, several torches were lit around.
"Choose a weapon you are comfortable with. You look delicate, so I can let you have a few rounds," General Zhang said, speaking directly and without much thought. He didn't intend to mock him, but he was afraid of hurting him, as he was the prince's son-in-law. He worried that his little master would be heartbroken.
"It's alright. Don't be fooled by my slender appearance; I am a trained martial artist. No one has ever been able to defeat me yet," Ye Xingli said, not taking his words to heart, as he could feel no ill will from him.
Hearing this, General Zhang no longer tried to dissuade him. He wanted to teach this presumptuous young man a lesson. He had been fighting on the battlefield for so many years, and he dared not speak such bold words. Yet this young brat was so arrogant. He needed to let him know that there was always someone better.
The onlookers, sharing similar thoughts, felt that they needed to re-evaluate Master Ye. As a leader, one must be meticulous in their actions and words. Someone like him would surely not be suitable. Of course, they couldn't dismiss him based on just one incident; they needed to observe further.
General Zhang raised his spear and charged at him. Seeing Ye Gongzi standing there motionless, his heart pounded. He instinctively veered to the side, not wanting to pierce him. But the next scene stunned him. He hadn't even seen how the opponent moved. He only felt his hand go numb, and his spear was in the other's hand. The next moment, it was at his throat.
"Thank you for the match," Ye Xingli said with a smile, handing the spear back with both hands.
General Zhang bowed, clasped his fists, and retreated into the crowd. The men exchanged glances, feeling that perhaps the opponent had won by sheer luck. Having known each other for so many years, they were all familiar with General Zhang's exquisite spear techniques. His martial arts were considered the best among them. To think that he couldn't even last one round against this young man was simply unbelievable.
"You can all attack together. Losing to me is not shameful, as no one has ever defeated me," he said, making a gesture of invitation.
Without further hesitation, the men charged forward with their weapons. This time, they finally managed to see some of his moves. However, his techniques were swift, precise, and powerful. By the time they clearly saw his moves, it was too late to react. This time, the men lasted a bit longer.
When their weapons also fell into his hands, everyone finally recognized his true strength. It was no wonder he had spoken so boldly. His skill was truly terrifying. This was the first time in many years they had encountered someone with such formidable martial arts.
Seeing their complete submission, he was satisfied. He then led them back to the study stealthily and said solemnly, "I understand everyone's concerns, but please believe me. Just as you need to consider your lives and families, I need to consider these issues even more. After all, I have the entire Ye family, hundreds of people, behind me, and the future of the entire Marquis's mansion is at stake. We will not put ourselves in a dangerous situation. We will absolutely think thrice before issuing any orders."
"Whenever you wish to make a move, Master Ye, please command us," Liu Canjiang was the first to declare, and the others quickly followed suit, showing their obedience. This was all from a fictional novel website.
They already had a general direction. Afterward, the couple and the generals discussed the details, striving to avoid any potential flaws.
"General Liu is yawning in broad daylight. Have there been no foreign incursions recently? What, have you done something to make you unable to sleep at night?" General Shen Youjiang said mockingly.
"You flatter me, General. Last night, my wife and I were reminiscing about the hardships we've endured over the years, and we talked for quite a while. I slept late and couldn't help but yawn. I didn't expect you to notice. It's truly a sin," General Liu replied calmly.
General You immediately put on a gloomy face and looked at him resentfully, implying, "I didn't expect General Liu, who normally despises gossip, to be interested in our family's private affairs. I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. My wife and I have a very good relationship. It was all a misunderstanding, and it's resolved now."