"All troops, heed my command, march in formation," Shangguan Jian bellowed as he turned around, prompting all cavalry to immediately arrange themselves into four columns, with Ye Shikai leading at the forefront after turning his horse around.
"General, are you still thinking about that elf witch?" Along the way, noticing that Ye Shikai seemed somewhat distracted and preoccupied, Shangguan Jian associated it with the elves they had encountered earlier.
"Shangguan, have you ever seen an elf before?" Ye Shikai asked, turning his head slightly.
"No, I’ve only heard about them from the elders. Today was my first time seeing one alive," Shangguan shook his head and said, "The court has established a specific organization for cultivators, meant to combat these foreign races."
"General, should we report today’s events?" Shangguan Jian hesitated, knowing well the current affairs in government, as the royal court was widely posting notices seeking the capture of elves and asking the public for clues.
"Sigh, let’s just report the truth," Ye Shikai nodded and said.
At this moment, a fast horse approached from a distance, with a Qin Army soldier stopping in front of the troops.
"Reporting to General Ye, Commander Ma is waiting for you at the East County Training Ground," the Qin soldier dismounted and knelt on one knee before Ye Shikai.
"The training ground is ten miles from here; we must hasten our pace," Ye Shikai waved his whip and dashed forward.
"Everyone, follow me."
.....................
East County Training Ground.
Drums echoed and flags fluttered everywhere as thousands of Qin soldiers were training. In the center of the podium, a general clad in golden armor and helmet sat upright, picking up a cup of wine, and drinking it down, with dozens of generals arrayed neatly beside him.
"Capital Commandant, General Ye has arrived," at this moment, a general approached the podium and whispered into Commander Ma’s ear.
"Mmm, ask General Ye to come here; have the cavalry take their positions in the ground," the Commander on the podium, Ma Yao, who is the Capital Commandant for this region and also the military commander.
Ye Shikai rode toward the training ground, drawing the attention of everyone present; his aura as a natural-born leader was compelling.
"Capital Commandant, look at the imposing manner of General Ye," a general at Ma Yao’s side whispered in his ear.
"Heh," Ma Yao stood up, instructing a guard to prepare two cups of wine to follow him.
"General Ye, you have traveled far; it must have been tiring," Ma Yao briskly walked over, clasping both hands tightly around Ye Shikai’s.
"Commander Ma, I have arrived late," Ye Shikai bowed slightly and spoke softly.
"A slight delay is no concern, come, sit beside me, Brother Ye," Ma Yao pulled on Ye Shikai’s arm, directing him to sit next to him—an act of respect from a host to a guest, given that Ye Shikai’s cavalry was not under the jurisdiction of East County but had come from He Nei County, hence Ma Yao naturally played the host.
"Come, let’s drink," Ma Yao raised his cup, inviting Ye Shikai to drink together.
"This military review is an annual task of the Commander Mansion and part of my official duties," Ma Yao raised his cup once more, addressing the generals by his side.
"Here, I shall also proclaim His Majesty’s Imperial Decree," Ma Yao glanced over the leadership, waived his hand, and a servant respectfully presented a golden scroll. The hearing that it was an Imperial Decree, all the generals approached Ma Yao and knelt down to listen.
"General Ye Shikai, you have diligently fulfilled your duties, earning a reward of two hundred taels of silver. Additionally, due to the reassignment of defense areas, effective immediately, you are transferrd from the He Nei County Commander Mansion to the East County Commander Mansion under the command of Commander Ma Yao. I hope you continue to serve with utmost sincerity and protect the Great Qin dynasty."
After Commander Ma finished reading, all the generals were startled, clearly shocked by the content of the Imperial Decree. Ye Shikai’s transfer from He Nei under Commander Ma Yao’s command was something no one expected.
"Brother Ye, please keep the Imperial Decree safe." Commander Ma smiled, clapped his hands, and turned to the generals behind him, "Gentlemen, General Ye’s arrival at our East County Commander Mansion is indeed a joyous occasion. Tonight, I will host a banquet at my residence to welcome and cleanse Brother Ye from the dust of travel. You are all invited to attend."
"Congratulations Commander Ma, and welcome General Ye."
Several generals echoed in agreement, and Ye Shikai respectfully received the Imperial Decree, giving a bow to Commander Ma, "In that case, I would be troubled by your kind arrangement, sir."
"Those are modest words, Brother. You have trained troops for the empire, boosting morale and maintaining strict military discipline, truly deserving of His Majesty’s favor."
Ye Shikai was seated, processing official documents, when suddenly footsteps were heard from outside.
"Shangguan, what is it?"
"General, Commander Ma has just allocated five thousand taels of silver from the East County Treasury in the name of rewarding the troops," Vice General Shangguan reported to Ye Shikai.
"For our two thousand cavalrymen, each will receive two taels of silver, and with the remaining money, buy some livestock from the civilians to improve our food," Ye Shikai said while reviewing the documents.
"Thump, thump, thump." At that moment, footsteps were heard again from outside.
"General Ye, Vice General Shangguan." A man dressed in palace attire walked in from outside and bowed to them both.
"Mr. Sun, we failed to greet you from afar, please come in, serve the tea," Ye Shikai came down and respectfully spoke.
"No need, General Ye. This is His Majesty’s reward. Additionally, His Majesty has also bestowed upon you an Imperial Horse, symbolizing ’a precious steed for a heroic figure.’"
"Thanks be to His Majesty’s profound grace."
"General Ye, I have other important duties and shouldn’t stay for long, please excuse me."
"General, what does Mr. Sun mean by giving us so many rewards?" After Mr. Sun left, Shangguan curiously asked.
"Our division has been incorporated under the jurisdiction of East County; I think Mr. Ma might be trying to properly appease us," Ye Shikai murmured.
"Mr. Ma is no simple character. I’ve heard about him back in He Nei—smiling yet hiding a knife, extremely cunning," Shangguan Jian shook his head, skeptical of Ye Shikai’s thoughts.
"Let’s not speak of such things again. Gossip is fearsome, and speaking against one’s superiors can lead to execution," Ye Shikai’s expression changed, rebuking.
"Understood, General."
"Also, out of the two hundred taels of gold awarded, I will keep twenty taels. The rest, distribute to the families of our fallen brothers," Ye Shikai pointed to the pile of gold on the table.
"Understood." Shangguan Jian was about to leave, then suddenly turned around, "By the way, General, the Imperial Horse bestowed by His Majesty is waiting outside. Would you like to see it?"
"I’ll go see it later." Ye Shikai nodded, slowly sat back on the central couch, took out a whole sheet, and started sketching with a brush. Minutes later, a vivid sprite appeared on the paper, bearing a striking resemblance to Mona.