The Bodyguard King's CEO Wife

Chapter 1701: Chapter 1701: At Home Without Official Duties

Ye Shikai and Xu Jia talked late into the night, discussing both work and personal matters. Ye Shikai was always curious about Xu Jia’s plans for the future. Given his talents, once he gained importance, he would surely shock the world, a kind of talent where "if he cannot be used by me, he must be killed." However, by Xu Jia’s standards for choosing a master, it seems that few in this world are qualified for his assistance. Thinking of it this way, Ye Shikai felt quite lucky, but unfortunately, his "small world" was never the "big stage" Xu Jia sought.

At the mansion gate.

"Old Ye, this is as far as I’ll go. Please don’t come any further."

"Old Xu, when do you plan to leave? I... I’d like to see you off." Ye Shikai was indeed reluctant to see Xu Jia go, but every feast must end, and moreover, Xu Jia has his own pursuits; it’s useless to insist.

"Actually, I came this time to say goodbye." Xu Jia cupped his hands and said, "I will be leaving Linxiang shortly."

"So soon? Why not... wait a few more days?" Ye Shikai was a bit surprised; the world is large, and Xu Jia roams everywhere, which is equivalent to being unreachable. In this era without "cell phones," who knows when they will meet again...

"No need, whether it’s early or late, I have to go. There’s no need to dwell on it." Xu Jia folded his hands, bowed slowly, "Old Ye, I’ve greatly enjoyed our time together. If everyone were like you, the world would indeed be peaceful."

Ye Shikai was very touched after hearing this. He had wanted to persuade him to stay, but Xu Jia had made up his mind, and he couldn’t stop him.

"Old Ye, may we meet again if fate allows."

"Very well, we’ve made a promise; we will definitely meet again." Ye Shikai had Shangguan Jian’s Deputy General escort Xu Jia to the city gate. It was deep into the night, and there was a curfew in the city, so the gates were naturally closed. However, the east gate guard was a close associate of Shangguan Jian, making it convenient for Xu Jia to leave the city.

After Xu Jia left, Ye Shikai suddenly remembered the matter of the brocade pouch, and felt somewhat regretful. This brocade pouch was left to him by Xu Jia, who said to open it in times of crisis; it contained brilliant strategies. He had wanted to ask about it, but during their conversation, Ye Shikai had forgotten.

Ye Shikai took out the brocade pouch, intending to open it and take a look. But as soon as he did, his hand stopped, and after a moment of hesitation, he put the pouch back in his pocket. Since Xu Jia said it should only be opened in times of crisis, Ye Shikai decided to trust him and would only take it out during an emergency.

"Mr. Xu has left," He Linghan asked lightly from the bedroom. Ye Shikai seemed somewhat lost, which also worried her.

"Yes, he has left. Perhaps we will never meet again in the future." Ye Shikai lay on the bed, sighing repeatedly. No wonder when studying, they often learned farewell poems written by the ancients; one can only feel it personally to truly understand it.

Xu Jia traveled across the world, with the ambition of finding a king worthy of his support. In fact, Ye Shikai was already very clear during their farewell that this was their last meeting.

"Dear, you shouldn’t be too sad. Every feast ends, and Mr. Xu is pursuing his own ideals. We should support him, shouldn’t we?" He Linghan sat beside him, gently comforting him.

"Yes, you’re right. I hope there’s a chance to meet him again."

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

After Xu Jia left, Ye Shikai often felt lonely. Although Shangguan Jian and Man Cang often visited Ye Mansion, they still had troops to lead, leaving the mansion quiet and empty. Fortunately, He Linghan was always by his side.

Of course, Ye Shikai didn’t always stay in the mansion. Linxiang City had many entertaining places...

Tea house.

"Shangguan, how have you been lately?"

"Not much, really. It’s training every day. In reality, those tasks don’t even need my supervision. After the Ba Shu battles, the lord reduced military service to recuperate and nurture livelihoods, so it’s really quite leisurely now." The tea house was a place for leisure, and Ye Shikai often invited Shangguan Jian here for tea and chat.

"But don’t get complacent. Generals and soldiers who stay idle for too long become sheep on the battlefield," Ye Shikai reminded him.

"Old Ye, you still care about military affairs that much, huh?" Shangguan Jian remarked casually, making Ye Shikai somewhat tense. Indeed, nearly two years had passed since he arrived here, most of which was spent in military right from the Qin Army to the Chu Army. Leading troops seems to have become part of his life. Even after resigning, thoughts of military training often crossed his mind, and he even instructed Hidden Guard to inquire about the Great Wall’s battles and report to him at any time.

"Just asking casually."

"Seriously though, old Ye, would you consider returning to the army? Everyone has witnessed your leadership and command abilities, and with you around, our group of old brothers can feel at ease. Besides, the lord probably also wants you back; if you’re willing, she will definitely put you to good use." Seeing Ye Shikai not respond, Shangguan Jian continued, "I actually know what you’re thinking, old Ye. It’s because of the incident where the lord ruthlessly killed the prisoners, right?"

"Indeed, indiscriminately killing so many people is treating human lives as grass and would not be the act of a benevolent leader." Ye Shikai nodded in agreement.

"For those days, I was also angry. After the Ba Shu campaign, the lord personally stayed in Ba Shu for two months. The first thing she did was recuperate and nurture livelihoods, lighten the corvée, allowing the people to live a stable life. She even provided money to the families of those Qin Army prisoners. As such, two months later, no one in Ba Shu spoke ill of the lord."

"She’s indeed good at winning people’s hearts." Ye Shikai sighed lightly. It seems that humans are creatures that easily forget pain. After Mi Wen entered Sichuan, she abolished the court’s harsh taxes and brutal punishments, and eased forced labor, focusing on recuperation and nurturing livelihoods—these were the things people truly wanted. Although she indeed killed 80,000 people, by comparison, the populace preferred the former; long pain is better than short pain.

"Old Ye, creating a Peaceful Age requires paying a price, which may be tens of thousands of lives, or possibly more..."

"Two... gentlemen." Suddenly, the shopkeeper hurriedly ran upstairs, out of breath.

"What happened to make you panic so?"

"It’s the lord... the lord has come personally; she wants to see the two gentlemen."

Thud, thud, thud, footsteps resounded from outside. Before they could react, the wooden door was slowly pushed open, and Mi Wen walked straight in.