The Bodyguard King’s CEO Wife Chapter 1547: "Fallen in Battle

"This is dire," Shangguan Jian's heart plunged; it was no wonder. Had Ye Shikai not concerned himself with those commoners, he would never have found himself ensnared in such a trap; it was a cruel irony that his attempt to save others led to his own predicament.

"Sir, what are our orders now? Thirty thousand soldiers are advancing upon us. General Man is attempting to hold them at bay. If we persist in this stalemate, I fear we won't even be able to maintain our current position."

Shangguan Jian felt immense anxiety, yet he commanded only three thousand archers, while Ye Shikai was encircled by an overwhelming force of fifty to sixty thousand Qin troops. Even dispatching soldiers to his aid would likely prove ineffectual and might result in the unnecessary loss of these three thousand men.

However, if no reinforcements were sent, Ye Shikai could very well face a tragic end...

"Sir, what should we do?"

"You will assume command of these three thousand soldiers. Your duty is to ensure the civilians retreat safely into the valley. Should the Qin Army draw near, unleash a volley of arrows." Shangguan Jian turned his steed and entrusted the Commander's Seal to a nearby Chiliarch.

"But sir, where are you headed?"

"I shall take only my personal guards to breach the encirclement."

"Sir, I implore you to reconsider. General Ye is already surrounded and may have... already fallen. If you were to meet misfortune, what fate awaits the remaining soldiers?"

Shangguan Jian halted abruptly at these words. He and Ye Shikai shared a bond of sworn brotherhood; he had also given his word to He Linghan to protect Ye Shikai. Yet, he also bore responsibility for thousands of brothers-in-arms, and should he perish, what would become of these loyal comrades ready to follow him unto death? They would be left without leadership, inevitably descending into chaos...

"Sir, please reconsider."

"If I fall, General Man Cang will assume command of the entire army. Convey this to him: if these remaining brothers wish to survive, they must seek refuge in the Chu Territory." With these words, Shangguan Jian spurred his horse forward, his guards in tow, hastening towards the direction of the Meteorite Crater.

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

Meteorite Crater.

"Advance."

Tens of thousands of Qin Army soldiers, raising massive shields and brandishing long spears, pressed forward incrementally, compelling Ye Shikai and his loyal soldiers to fall back, step by agonizing step, towards the Meteorite Crater looming behind them...

The meteorite itself was not particularly large, yet it had carved out a considerable crater, presenting a rather 'magnificent' spectacle. It was no wonder such a celestial event would cause such upheaval at court, leading to the execution of tens of thousands of commoners.

"General, what is our course of action now?"

Only two hundred remained by Ye Shikai's side, and all bore wounds. Their sabers were blunted, their spears shattered; the thousands of corpses strewn across the ground bore witness to the ferocity of the recent combat. Ye Shikai himself had sustained three blade wounds and two arrow strikes; his armor was in tatters, and blood flowed from his wounded arm, dripping incessantly from his palm.

"Brothers, we have no ground left to retreat. All that remains is to fight until our last breath."

"You truly refuse to surrender?" Han Hao emerged from the ranks, his voice echoing towards them. Ye Shikai's eyes were crimson-hued; he had fought with savage intensity, his physical strength depleted, and with the significant blood loss, a daze began to set in. This was the precipice of death, and he knew with chilling certainty that perhaps, this time, he might truly perish here.

"No... no surrender." Ye Shikai used his sword as a crutch, pulling himself upright, his gaze fixed with unwavering resolve. If he surrendered now, what would that accomplish? It would merely postpone the inevitable. Furthermore, if he surrendered, how could he face the brothers who had followed him faithfully? They had battled valiantly against the court until the very end, with thousands having already been sacrificed; under no circumstances would he yield.

"Very well, I shall grant your wish then." Han Hao sighed deeply, making a gesture with his hand, and the formation slowly advanced.

"Brothers, let us charge them!"

"Let's fight!"

The remaining brothers charged forward with reckless abandon, like cornered beasts. Before they could even reach the enemy's formation, they were impaled by protruding spears. Their objective was not to defeat the enemy, but rather to 'die' with honor, or more precisely, to seek a dignified 'end.'

Ye Shikai surged forward with all his remaining might, wielding his sword against the incoming spears. It was the blade gifted by Meng Tian, exceptionally sharp, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud. Ye Shikai carved a path into the formation, personally slaying over twenty adversaries, but his brothers began to fall, one by one...Suddenly, Ye Shikai's sight faltered; upon regaining awareness, a spearhead was already lunging towards him. Reacting was futile, evading impossible. Ye Shikai felt only a stabbing agony in his chest. Looking down, he witnessed the spear, far thicker than his arm and requiring multiple Qin Army soldiers to wield, relentlessly pierce his armor and impale his very being. Blood welled in his mouth. "Push!" With a unified shove from several soldiers, Ye Shikai was violently propelled backward. *Bang.* Suspended mid-air, Ye Shikai's consciousness went utterly blank, quickly followed by a searing pain in his back. His form tumbled without control... He plunged into the Meteorite Crater. "This time... death might truly claim me. Ling'er, my deepest apologies; I failed to survive, failing to see you again." Ye Shikai's eyelids drooped shut, as if all vitality had abandoned him, leaving him with no strength even to keep them open. ........................ "Lord Han, General Ye... he must be deceased. All his soldiers have perished; not a single soul remains." "Ah, what a lamentable end. Such a demise could have been avoided; had he not been so unyielding, how could he have met this fate?" Han Hao confessed, finding no satisfaction in Ye Shikai's demise. Instead, a profound disappointment settled upon him. Han Hao was no villain; he simply lived by the creed of "unflinching loyalty." The Qin Dynasty, with Ye Shikai gone, had lost a brilliant young general. Furthermore, Meng Tian had previously offered him considerable assistance; soon, whispers of Ye Shikai's alleged rebellion would inevitably reach Xianyang City, casting a shadow of criticism upon Meng Tian as well. "Indeed, General Ye was an exceptional commander against the Wolf Clan. Who could have foreseen he would face such an ignominious end, defeated and dead?" A Chiliarch standing near Han Hao lamented with a sigh. In reality, Han Hao harbored no desire to personally end Ye Shikai's life. Though rebellion was a crime punishable by death, Ye Shikai's force numbered over ten thousand, not easily subdued. Even sparing his life would have been an acceptable explanation to the court. The Emperor's clandestine directive to Han Hao was, in fact, to suppress these civilians, not to execute Ye Shikai. Yet, unexpectedly, rather than attempting escape, Ye Shikai chose a path of fierce resistance alongside his troops, prioritizing the civilians' safe retreat, leaving Han Hao no alternative but to take his life. "Ye, if only your resolve hadn't been so rigid, how much better things could have been," Han Hao murmured under his breath. "Locate his remains and ensure a dignified burial in a suitable location." "Understood, sir."