Chapter 57: Argument

Qin Qingxue heard the soldiers’ commotion and finally realized something was amiss.

Shi Wushuang turned his head to assess the situation.

He was shocked speechless when he saw the carriage carrying the troops led by Li Ye.

Anger surged within him immediately.

He rode his horse to find Li Ye.

At that moment, Li Ye and Princess Ruyue were sitting in the carriage, playing chess to pass the time.

Xiaocui even brought along a charcoal stove to brew tea for them.

They had even started roasting skewers of meat.

Even Ling Yue, abandoning her usual aloof demeanor, was biting into a skewer heartily.

Qin Qingxue was absolutely infuriated by this scene.

She was agonizing over preparing provisions for the campaign, yet Li Ye treated it like a leisurely outing.

No one else could accept such behavior.

“Your Highness, Sixth Prince, what do you mean by this?” Qin Qingxue’s delicate face turned cold as she asked sharply.

Li Ye looked up at her, puzzled. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem? We’re marching behind you; it shouldn’t be affecting you, right?”

Qin Qingxue shouted angrily, “This is a military campaign! Yet you’re transporting soldiers by carriage, feeding them stewed meat every meal. Isn’t that undermining morale?”

“How can that be? How does what I do disrupt morale?” Li Ye replied. “My soldiers are older or have disabilities. If they had to march on foot to the south, many wouldn’t make it before their bodies gave out. How could they compare to your troops? What I’m doing is to maintain their fighting strength so they can leap into battle upon arrival.”

Qin Qingxue was well aware of this.

Traveling together with two armies naturally caused her troops to feel uneasy.

“Your soldiers may be fine, but my five thousand troops cannot accept this. If morale breaks, how can we stand against the enemy?”

“That’s your problem, not mine. The Emperor has already issued orders for each to prepare accordingly. If you don’t care for your soldiers, that’s one thing, but to criticize me for treating mine well? That doesn’t make sense,” Li Ye shot back, unmoved by her accusations.

Qin Qingxue was nearly driven mad with anger.

A day or two might be tolerable, but this journey would take one or two months.

As time passed, more soldiers grew discontented.

Orders would no longer be carried out wholeheartedly.

The army’s combat effectiveness would drop sharply.

Victory was already a slim chance; losing morale would be a disastrous blow.

“Are you doing this on purpose? To unsettle the soldiers so I lose the battle, allowing you to seize the marshal’s position?” Qin Qingxue accused coldly.

“That’s absurd. All the soldiers belong to the Great Yuan army. How could I watch them lose and send them to their deaths? As commander, you must lead the battle and care for the troops. You can’t forbid others from doing what you can’t do yourself,” Shi Wushuang said grimly.

He could find no grounds to blame Li Ye, yet this situation would certainly undermine morale.

They could not stand idly by, watching the will of the people waver.

Suppressing the anger in his voice, Shi Wushuang forced a smile. “Since the Sixth Prince also cares for the soldiers, perhaps you could put some distance between your forces and our main army. Either rest a half day longer and march slower, or move ahead. You managed to prepare enough carriages in two days; we’re not so capable. Please understand, Your Highness.”

Li Ye nodded slightly. “Alright, if you insist, we’ll slow our pace, marching an hour less each day. You go ahead first.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness!”

Knowing there was no point in arguing further, Shi Wushuang took Qin Qingxue away, urging the soldiers to quicken their pace and set up camp ahead.

“This is infuriating! Li Ye is clearly doing this deliberately to get revenge.”

“I never expected him to be so petty. Had I known he was like this, I would never have paid him any mind before.”

Qin Qingxue, previously leading troops without worry over supplies due to Li Ye’s support, now found managing provisions alone more difficult than fighting.

Less than two days into the journey, trivial matters had already overwhelmed her, making her temper increasingly volatile.

Shi Wushuang thought more long-term.

“Make sure the soldiers are well-fed at lunch, ideally with some meat. We must stabilize morale. We cannot be fooled or let the Sixth Prince’s actions disturb us. Once we reach the battlefield, we’ll settle things with him.”

“Agreed. I’ll send more scouts ahead to purchase supplies and order the local authorities to increase provisions by thirty percent,” Qin Qingxue commanded.

Clenching her fists tightly, her eyes blazing with hatred, she vowed, “Li Ye, I will never let you off.”

Li Ye sneezed while playing chess.

“Could it be someone’s thinking of me?” he mused.

Princess Ruyue covered her mouth, laughing. “Whether someone misses Your Highness, I can’t say. But I’m sure Qin Qingxue is cursing you behind your back.”

“I haven’t offended her. Why would she curse me?” Li Ye pretended to be puzzled.

Princess Ruyue shook her head helplessly. “You lead your troops by carriage, while the main army marches on foot with worse food. That’s bound to shake morale. Once morale breaks, the troops become difficult to command. Naturally, she blames Your Highness.”

“That’s her problem, not mine. My troops simply can’t endure a long march on foot. This is necessary.”

Princess Ruyue did not argue further, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

“The Sixth Prince often says he doesn’t know how to command troops, but I think he’s better at it than General Qin—much stronger, in fact.”

“Don’t flatter me! She’s the heroine of the Great Yuan Dynasty; how could I compare?” Li Ye replied.

Princess Ruyue spoke earnestly, “My father always told me the key to commanding troops is logistics—‘the army moves only after the provisions.’ Your Highness not only prepared ample supplies but also solved the problem of troop fatigue during the march, keeping them in peak fighting condition. How could such soldiers fail to win? Moreover, I see that you’ve entrusted command to capable generals, handling everything smoothly. This must be true governance by non-interference, enabling the army to reach its full strength.”