The Bodyguard King’s CEO Wife Chapter 1488: Hua Liandie’s Wedding Gift

"What about those robbers? Have they all run away?" Ye Shikai inquired, as there were no more traces of the robbers nearby, only many footprints.

"Don’t worry, Ye. I’ve already sent the cavalry to chase them. We won’t let those people escape," Han Hao replied. "It’s my negligence. I didn’t expect so many bandit soldiers to be lurking here. I apologize for startling you, Ye."

"Fortunately, nothing happened," Ye Shikai explained. Although a few hundred bushels of grain were lost, there were no casualties among the people, which could be considered the best outcome.

"Ye, I’ll immediately send someone to supplement another batch of grain. This is my responsibility," Han Hao said, feeling deeply remorseful. More precisely, he was worried. Ye Shikai was now a prominent figure in East County, and the top general under Ma Yao. If something were to happen to him in He Nei County, just this bit of blame would be enough for Han to bear.

"That’s not necessary. Encountering robbers was an accident. Lord Han, you don’t need to blame yourself. Moreover, the remaining grain is sufficient," Ye Shikai waved his hand. What can be solved with money is not a problem. Grain can be bought again if burned, but a lost life can never be recovered. In these chaotic times, those in high positions regard common people as insignificant. If today, there were a different commanding general, he might have chosen to sacrifice the laborers to protect the grain.

"In that case, I’ll have the cavalry escort Ye back to Heyang County." Faced with such an incident, Han Hao, as the "host," naturally felt regret, especially since Ye Shikai refused his compensation. So he now wanted to make amends.

"Very well, thank you for the trouble," Ye Shikai agreed, considering there were still a hundred or two li to go back, and there might be many robbers on the way. Having soldiers as escorts would at least prevent such incidents from happening again. Besides, those robbers had probably already fled into the mountains to evade the officers, but that didn’t mean they would give up the remaining thousand bushels of grain.

"Sir, those robbers are truly despicable. If our people were here, we’d ensure not a single one of them gets away," Man Cang complained along the way back, with resentment in his voice. Ye Shikai knew he wasn’t angry at the bandits but was self-blaming for not fulfilling his protective duty earlier.

"Enough, don’t overthink. The robbers didn’t get the grain and lost dozens of people for nothing. They didn’t gain anything either," Ye Shikai comforted him. He wasn’t very concerned about what had just happened. When dealing with these robbers, he had a hundred methods to handle them. What he cared about was the wedding banquet with He Linghan after returning.

"That’s true. Subordinate just can’t swallow this anger."

"Remember, Man Cang, as the commander of the army, in battle, the only thing to do is to achieve the greatest outcome with the smallest cost. Acting out of anger not only doesn’t help the situation but also drags more brothers to the brink of death," Ye Shikai said calmly. He had led troops in battles against the Wolf Clan and the rebels dozens of times. The reason he could win repeatedly was his talent for strategic thinking. Especially when dealing with the Wolf Clan, who lacked strategy, if he resorted to bravado and anger, they would only end up in mutual destruction.

"Subordinate will keep this in mind."

After the earlier battle, many laborers had been frightened away, leaving only a small portion. Ye Shikai even had to use the guards, barely making it enough. Fortunately, Han Hao sent cavalry to escort them; otherwise, if they encountered robbers again, they would truly have to abandon the grain.

Thinking of this, Ye Shikai suddenly understood why the county extracted grain from the villages. Even robbers dared to rob grain escorted by the army, let alone the common people...

In this environment, once the common people left the city with the grain, it was as good as delivering it into the robbers’ hands. The people’s supplies immediately turned into enemy resources. The robbers would use these supplies to attract more people to join them. In this way, the robber force would snowball, becoming increasingly large, making it much harder to eradicate.

"Could it be that I was wrong?" Ye Shikai murmured to himself.

..................

Shangshui Village.

"Wow, where did this come from?" Ye Shikai looked at the wagons laden with grain at the village entrance, eyes wide with shock. There were about two thousand bushels of grain, along with fine wine, cloth, and other supplies. Most crucially, there were hundreds of fully armed guards. They wore uniform clothing, light armor, and used crossbows and longswords as weapons. In Ye Shikai’s knowledge, only one person could achieve this...

"What do you think? Are you pleased with the wedding gift I prepared for you?"

Ye Shikai turned, observing Hua Liandie's unhurried approach. Truly, such a grand display was something only she could orchestrate. It became clear why, when Ye Shikai had sought her aid earlier, she remained enigmatic, advising him to wait and see her gift. Now, Ye Shikai understood. Hua Liandie had foreseen his need for assistance and had arranged these provisions beforehand.

"It's excellent, thank you." For a brief moment, Ye Shikai was at a loss for adequate words of gratitude. However... had she not kept her plans secret, Ye Shikai would not have purchased so much grain from the county town, nor would he have encountered the bandits.

Thus, it was best to be direct.

"Just those few words? I had imagined you'd be moved to tears," Hua Liandie remarked, a hint of displeasure in her tone. Ye Shikai felt a desire to voice a mild complaint, but considering Hua Liandie had offered crucial help during his time of need, this kindness alone warranted a thousand thanks. How could he possibly find fault?

"Where did you procure all this grain?" Ye Shikai inquired, his gaze falling upon the carts piled high with sacks of grain.

"I own businesses in several surrounding counties. Procuring several thousand bushels of grain is hardly an issue," Hua Liandie stated nonchalantly. Indeed, she was a veritable "great merchant," wealthy and audacious, a noble of Chu State with elevated standing.

"Lately, there have been numerous bandit groups and mountain rebel forces. Aren't you concerned about being robbed while transporting such a significant quantity of grain from multiple counties?" Ye Shikai pressed.

"My retinue is substantial. Guarding the grain presents no difficulty. Furthermore, many of my trusted personnel have established connections within the martial world; they ensure no robberies occur."

"I see," Ye Shikai acknowledged, drawing a deep breath. He had clearly underestimated the extent of Hua Liandie's influence.

"I heard you encountered an ambush on your return journey; is this true?"

"Yes, merely some bandits, nothing of consequence," Ye Shikai responded.

"I also heard that you utilized wine jars to fashion Molotov cocktails alongside the laborers; is that accurate?"

"How do you possess such detailed knowledge? Did Man Cang inform you?"

"It's fortunate I brought several carts of wine for you; otherwise, what would you have used to entertain your guests?"