The Bodyguard King’s CEO Wife Chapter 1711: The Soldiers

The tunnel entrance was blown up and completely blocked, only then did Ye Shikai feel at ease. He continued moving forward with the Hidden Guard. The tunnel was not short, but with the Chasing Army behind, none of the more than two thousand people dared to slack off. They all quickened their pace, and soon reached the end.

"Old Ye, are you all alright? I heard from the rear guard that you had a skirmish with the Imperial Guard." As Ye Shikai just walked out of the tunnel, Shangguan Jian quickly came up to him.

"Don’t worry, it was just a skirmish." Ye Shikai said calmly. He looked around and saw that Man Cang’s troops, led by Wan Qi Yuan, had not yet arrived, causing him to feel a bit anxious.

"Where is Man Cang? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?" Ye Shikai asked.

"He should be here soon, don’t worry." Shangguan Jian explained. Sure enough, after a short while, there was a rush of footsteps and the sound of hooves pounding the ground. Turning to look, thousands of Iron Armor Army and cavalry were heading this way.

"General, I’ve arrived." Man Cang came the fastest. In fact, when he heard that Ye Shikai was placed under "house arrest" by Mi Wen at the government office, he was the most agitated, even considering leading the Iron Armor Army into the office. But he was immediately stopped by Shangguan Jian. Ye Shikai could have broken out of the government office, but he needed a complete plan prepared before taking action.

"How many troops can we mobilize now?" Ye Shikai asked.

"Three thousand cavalry, four thousand Iron Armor Army, and more than two thousand guards, totaling nearly ten thousand," Shangguan Jian replied. Hearing this, Ye Shikai hesitated.

"Old Ye, why are you hesitating? We should retreat quickly. It’s too dangerous here. Eight nearby camps have stationed a hundred thousand troops. If we don’t leave, the Chasing Army will catch up soon."

"Indeed, General, when our troops left the camp, Huo Ziqing noticed something unusual. He is the lord’s trusted confidant. He will definitely enter the city to investigate, and then he will personally lead the Chasing Army here," Man Cang agreed.

"No, the entire army cannot leave together." Ye Shikai suddenly said.

"Old Ye, what do you mean?" Shangguan Jian asked.

"We have nearly ten thousand brothers here, and this is Linxiang City, the heart of Chu State. Even if we retreat now, where can we retreat to?" Ye Shikai said seriously and firmly. "We are all battle-hardened, but Linxiang City has more than a hundred thousand troops. If they hold onto us relentlessly, how long can we last?"

Hearing this, everyone fell into silence. Now they were considered "rebels," but this time, not against the Qin Dynasty, but against Mi Wen. They were deep in enemy territory, without supplies, and facing over a hundred thousand Chasing Army. Even if heading north to seek other rebel forces, these ten thousand brothers might end up dying along the way. If they defend and resist here, they might hold out for a few days, but what then? With tens of thousands of soldiers, how long could they withstand? A week, or a month...

"Old Ye, I have thought about this. We can go to Huji. It doesn’t belong to Mi Wen. She won’t touch it easily. We can recruit and build our strength there, or go to Ba Shu, where I know many of the commanders. We can hold Ba Shu, away from the emperor’s reach, and Mi Wen can’t do anything to us." Shangguan Jian advised continually, pointing to the brothers behind him.

"Old Ye, among these brothers, some fought with us in the Battle of Nanyang, participated in the Battle of Ba Shu, and others were brought from East County and He Nei County. We have long shared our lives." Shangguan Jian said loudly.

"Willing to live and die with the General."

"Willing to live and die with the General."

"Willing to live and die with the General."

Nearly ten thousand brothers shouted out. Ye Shikai felt his eyes slightly redden. With so many willing to entrust their lives to him, it seemed his life was not in vain.

However, Ye Shikai still wouldn’t wage war.

In this situation, war basically meant mutual destruction, pushing these ten thousand brothers to death. Whether they were old comrades who stood together against the Wolf Clan at the Great Wall, or new recruits from Linxiang City, they were all human lives.

"Man Cang, Wan Qi Yuan."

"Here."

"Here."

"Take the troops and cause some disturbance nearby to delay the Chasing Army, but absolutely do not resist them."

"What, this..."

"No more talking, this is an order," Ye Shikai said firmly. The only way to save the lives of these brothers was for the troops to merely disrupt the Chasing Army’s direction, helping to delay and buy time for Ye Shikai’s retreat, and absolutely not to resist. This way, they wouldn’t be labeled as "rebels."

"General, I can obey your orders, but I must personally follow you." Man Cang suddenly knelt before Ye Shikai. "If not for you, I’d merely be a convict soldier now, perhaps already dead. General, no, big brother, I wish to be your guard, swear to follow to the death, with no regrets or complaints."

"Alright, we’ll stay together as brothers." Ye Shikai quickly pulled him up. In truth, he knew Man Cang well. He was a man of true character, and had long regarded Ye Shikai as his elder brother. In this situation, he would indeed choose to follow.

"General, I also... I also wish to go with you," Wan Qi Yuan dismounted and said. Ye Shikai agreed. Unlike the others, Wan Qi Yuan was a member of the Wolf Clan. Without Ye Shikai, Shangguan Jian, and Man Cang, he and the cavalry would certainly be ostracized in the army. Additionally, having previously helped the court resist the Wolf Clan, he was known among many of them, so naturally, he couldn’t return to the plains.

"Brothers, your trust in me, I accept it gratefully. But I cannot trade your lives for tomorrow. The lord is not a foolish ruler. Serving under her command gives me peace of mind."

In the end, Ye Shikai only took the Hidden Guard and dozens of his most trusted old comrades, as they were inseparable from him. As for the other soldiers, they returned to the camp.

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

"Old Ye, where are we going next?" Shangguan Jian asked.

"I’ve already thought it through, follow me." The group rode quickly on horseback. Their destination was naturally a pre-prepared "secret place." Ye Shikai’s reason for not taking the army as escorts was precisely this consideration. An army of ten thousand might seem like a protective force, but in reality, it would become a large target. Wherever they went, the Chasing Army would immediately catch up. However, with merely a few hundred guards, they moved like the wind, disappearing without a trace, nearly impossible to track.