Chapter Thirty-Eight: Yielding Command

Early that morning, Ye Feng donned his armor, helmet, and gear with meticulous care. For days, his injuries had kept him from even venturing out to the streets; now, returning to the battlefield, excitement surged through him. The household servants brought him breakfast, which he devoured in just a few hurried bites. Then, wasting no time, he strode out the door, mounted his warhorse, and galloped straight to the City Lord’s manor without pause.

Upon arrival, he saw a red carpet unfurled across the steps, flanked by two rows of guards, rifles and swords gleaming with stern authority. Murong Yan stood at the forefront, dressed in radiant splendor, more spirited than ever before. Behind her, the assembled generals exuded a commanding presence, their eyes bright with purpose.

Ye Feng understood that this was the army’s highest ceremonial welcome for his return—a display of honor that left him both surprised and humbled. He dismounted at once. A soldier promptly took the reins of his horse. Ye Feng hastened forward, dropped to one knee, and clasped his fists in salute. “Marshal, your subordinate has recovered from his wounds and returns to the ranks to report for duty!”

Murong Yan reached out with both hands to help him up, smiling gently. “General Ye, there’s no need for such formality. Please, rise at once!” The other generals stepped forward, clasping their fists in congratulation: “Welcome back to the ranks, General Ye!”

Once Ye Feng was back on his feet, Murong Yan took him by the wrist. “Come, General Ye! Join me in the council chamber for the meeting.” The assembly filed in behind them, each entering the hall in turn.

Murong Yan seated Ye Feng beside her, speaking in a gentle tone. “A few days ago, when you left the camp injured, I reprimanded you harshly. It was only out of worry for your safety. I hope you will not hold it against me.”

“Not at all!” Ye Feng replied, bowing. “Marshal, I’m well aware of your good intentions.”

Murong Yan nodded, then addressed the room: “Comrades, even while bedridden, General Ye never forgot the needs of the battlefield. Despite his illness, he invented the giant crossbow and proposed the strategy of hidden jars for surveillance—both deeds of great merit. He deserves a commendation!”

The generals all offered their congratulations: “Congratulations on yet another great achievement, General Ye!”

Ye Feng waved his hands modestly. “It’s nothing, truly. The credit belongs to everyone. I was confined to my sickbed these days, unable to fight; you all bore the burden.”

Murong Yan nodded again. “Enough with the pleasantries—let us turn to the business at hand.”

She then proceeded to outline the current state of the war.

Ye Feng listened with utmost attention. It turned out that, during his recovery, the rebel army had faced dire straits. Though Ye Feng had earlier wounded the demon commander Meng Keshu, the creature’s regenerative powers allowed him to recover swiftly. Shamed and enraged, Meng Keshu led relentless assaults, conquering eighteen strongholds in succession and advancing all the way to the gates of Heitu City.

The rebel forces had lost many men and officers; with Ye Feng injured and no one able to counter Meng Keshu, they had no choice but to hold their positions and not venture out. Demon troops attacked from the air with the Flying Eagle Battalion, burrowed underground with tunneling units, and charged across the field with ground forces—the rebel army was stretched to the limit, barely holding on.

Fortunately, Ye Feng’s inventions—the giant crossbow and the hidden jar surveillance—had crippled the demon’s aerial and tunneling units, greatly weakening their ground assaults. Thus had the rebels managed to endure until now.

After completing her report, Murong Yan addressed the room: “Now that you all understand the situation, I ask: Does anyone have a strategy to propose? Please, speak freely!”

A heavy silence fell over the chamber. Not a single general spoke. The room was so quiet that the drop of a pin would have been heard.

Murong Yan’s face clouded with worry. After a long pause, she looked around and broke the silence again. “Does no one have anything to say?” She repeated the question three times, then finally said, “Very well. Let us hear General Ye’s thoughts on the matter.”

Ye Feng felt awkward being singled out. He scratched his head and spoke cautiously. “You all have fought in this war for some time and understand the situation far better than I do. If you’ve not spoken, it’s only because your plans aren’t fully formed. Now, since the marshal asks for my opinion, I can only offer some humble thoughts.”

He cleared his throat and continued solemnly: “There is an ancient saying—‘To seek alliance, start from within, and you will not lose yourself.’ I believe that to defeat a powerful enemy, it is best to strike from within. The demon general Xiao Ling is a human-demon hybrid, not truly one of the demon soldiers. If we can seize upon his weaknesses, coerce or lure him into defecting, their forces might collapse from within.”

The generals immediately began whispering among themselves—some in agreement, some skeptical, some opposed.

Murong Yan clapped her hands for order. “Enough! Let me speak!”

The hall instantly fell silent.

She continued, “General Ye has always combined wisdom and courage, and his proposals have always brought results. Even if some of you have doubts about this strategy, we have no better options—so let us try it!”

The generals nodded in agreement; even the dissenters had nothing more to say.

At this moment, Murong Yan rose to her feet, her expression grave as she surveyed the assembly. “Generals!” she declared, clasping her fists in a gesture of apology. “With the military situation discussed, I must now ask your forgiveness.”

She spoke with deep remorse. “Days ago, I disregarded General Ye’s repeated warnings and rashly sent our troops into battle, resulting in unnecessary losses. For this, I, Murong Yan, offer my apologies to all the soldiers of our army.”

With that, she fell to her knees and prostrated herself, knocking her head against the ground three times.

The entire chamber erupted in shock.

“Marshal!” “Marshal!” “Marshal!” the generals cried.

The little monkey, “Thousand Mountains Cliff,” was the first to leap out. “M-Mar-Marshal, this… this wasn’t all your fault. If anyone’s to blame, I share the responsibility!” In his agitation, his stammer grew worse. “A-at the time, General Ye tried to stop me, but I still wanted to fight him! Here and now, I must apologize to General Ye!” He fell to his knees before Ye Feng.

Ye Feng hastened to help him up.

Other generals added, “I encouraged you—it’s my fault as well!” “I didn’t stop you either, I went along with it!” “No one is to blame but the cruelty of the demon army, oppressing our Great Xia!”

Murong Yan, moved by the generals’ willingness to take the blame, tried to calm them. “Enough, everyone! A marshal must remain calm and steady, composed in crisis, commanding from afar and winning battles with careful strategy. I let hatred cloud my judgment; I acted on impulse—not the qualities of a true commander. If I continue this way, I will be unworthy of my ancestors, my country, and the people.”

Ye Feng tried to comfort her. “Marshal, there’s no need for this. Victory and defeat are common in war—heroes cannot be judged by a single moment!”

But Murong Yan stood up abruptly, pushing Ye Feng forward. “Everyone, you see for yourselves: General Ye surpasses me in virtue, talent, and wisdom. I am far inferior. Therefore, I have made a momentous decision today…”

The room fell instantly silent as everyone waited for her next words.

“I am prepared to resign my command and pass the marshal’s seal to General Ye!” She held out the seal to him with sincerity.

Ye Feng was taken aback. “Never!” he protested, retreating.

“General Ye, take the seal! Only you can lead us to victory against Meng Keshu and the demon forces!”

“Marshal, how can you do this? Are you not placing me in an impossible position?”

Murong Yan tried to persuade him, but one of the generals grew indignant.

“Ye, you scoundrel! You deceived my junior sister with false affection, and now you want to steal her command? I shall never stand for it!” Xu Zhihui cursed, drawing his sword to strike at Ye Feng.

“How dare you!” Li Yiqing shouted, leaping forward and sweeping Xu Zhihui’s legs out from under him.

With a thud, Xu Zhihui crashed to the ground. Li Yiqing pounced, snatching away his sword. “You? Harm General Ye? Nonsense!” He kicked Xu Zhihui, sending him rolling across the floor, and prepared to finish the job.

“Hold on!” Xu Yaozu stepped in, stopping Li Yiqing. “The boy is young and foolish—my apologies to everyone.” He bowed deeply to the assembly, apologizing repeatedly.

Li Yiqing, his pride stung, quickly returned the gesture. “Uncle Xu, if not for your sake, I would have sent him to the afterlife this instant!”

“Quite right! He deserves a lesson!” Xu Yaozu replied without offense, then turned and helped Xu Zhihui up. “Son, go home—you’ve embarrassed yourself enough.”

Xu Zhihui clambered to his feet, still fuming, but seeing that no one supported him, he realized any further outburst would only harm himself. He could only mutter, “Ye, I may be bested today, but this isn’t over between us!” One glare from Li Yiqing sent him scurrying away.

Li Yiqing shook his head. “I just can’t understand—how can a hero like Uncle Xu have such a son?”

With Xu Zhihui gone, Murong Yan spoke again. “General Ye, the people of our Great Xia have suffered under the tyranny of the demon kingdom for too long. Can you not take pity on them and shoulder this great responsibility?”

Ye Feng declined firmly. “Marshal, your father Murong Yun was the people’s most respected hero. It is only right that you, his daughter, inherit his mantle. If I accepted your seal, some would object; those who knew the truth would say you yielded it willingly, but others might think I usurped your position and bullied a woman.”

With a thud, he knelt, clasping his fists. “I, Ye Feng, pledge to serve you for life—no matter the risk. But as for the marshal’s seal, I dare not accept it!”

He would not yield.

Xu Yaozu, seeing the stalemate, realized something had to be done. He stepped forward with a laugh. “Yan’er, Feng’er, there’s no need to argue. In my opinion, Yan’er shall remain Marshal, and Feng’er shall be Vice Marshal. Yan’er will oversee all internal affairs, and Feng’er will handle military operations. Feng’er, don’t refuse—you’re only helping her with the burden!”

He let out a hearty laugh. “Besides, Yan’er holds you in special regard—how could you not help her?”

At this, Murong Yan blushed deeply. “Master!” she chided.

The generals burst out laughing. Xu Yaozu adopted a stern tone. “Enough laughter! Pay your respects to the Marshal and Vice Marshal!”

The generals, startled, quickly knelt on one knee and called out in unison, “Greetings, Marshal and Vice Marshal!”

Seeing that he could not refuse any longer, Ye Feng reluctantly accepted.

——

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Note: The ancient saying “To seek alliance, start from within, and you will not lose yourself” is from the Book of Changes, Hexagram Pi. Pi means closeness, mutual dependence. The commentary explains that after setting up layers of deception, one can cause enemy spies to defect and join our side.