The Bodyguard King's CEO Wife-Chapter 1361: Parting Gift of Armor

"Mr. Ye, I appreciate your kindness. Ten taels of gold can indeed buy a lot of grain, but Ling’er and I often receive help from the villagers here. How can we keep it all to ourselves? I fear that when times are truly tough, this grain will be a mere drop in the bucket for the whole village." Master He kept sighing. Ten taels of gold is indeed a huge sum for an ordinary household, but if it were to buy grain for the entire village, it might not even last a few meals...

"In any case, once the war is over, I will hurry back. Master He, please take care of yourself." Ye Shikai nodded and bowed slightly.

At dinner, Ye Shikai still ate at Master He’s house. In this unfamiliar era, Master He’s family was like his own kin. He Linghan and Ye Shikai sat together, both appearing a bit tense. Perhaps Shangguan Jian was not wrong; He Linghan seemed to have feelings for Ye Shikai. However, this era is far less open than the modern times; He Linghan dared not express her feelings directly, and Ye Shikai, not having known Master He’s family for long, naturally dared not speak his mind. Besides, he had entrusted his secret to He Linghan, yet he was unsure if she could accept it. If it were anyone else, they would be lucky not to be shocked.

"Mr. Ye, I made this for you." After dinner, He Linghan fetched a piece of armor from her room and handed it to Ye Shikai. The inside was lined with fur, and the outside was covered with thick animal hide. It felt soft and sturdy, appearing to be quite warm.

"The winter in Yan is frigid and icy. The autumn harvest has just passed, and by the time Mr. Ye arrives there, it will already be the cold winter. The iron armor is cold and can injure the body from the cold. I made this through the night; please try it to see if it fits, Mr. Ye." Ye Shikai was very moved upon hearing this, as all his feelings were encapsulated in this piece of armor...

"Thank you." Ye Shikai nodded slightly. He did not refuse, as the armor represented He Linghan’s heart. He tried it on, finding it neither too big nor too small, just the right fit. Wearing it to Yan City would keep the cold at bay.

"As long as it fits." Seeing Ye Shikai’s satisfaction, He Linghan smiled knowingly. Ye Shikai touched the outside of the armor. It seemed there were also several pockets, and even buttons on it.

"This is..."

"In the pictures you showed me a few days ago, I noticed that all the clothes had such pockets. I thought that clothes from Mr. Ye’s era must have been like this, so I sewed two pockets especially for you." He Linghan explained softly.

"I see." Ye Shikai was truly surprised that He Linghan paid such attention to even this detail; no wonder the armor had a somewhat modern flair.

"Mr. Ye is not from our era, yet must he get involved in this war?" He Linghan appeared worried, still hoping Ye Shikai wouldn’t go to the front lines, as who could guarantee he would return safely?

"Ling’er, the truth is, I have not found a way back yet. Given my current status, I can’t connect with any experts in this area. Frankly, I may not be able to return in this lifetime." Ye Shikai was not being pessimistic, but stating the current factual situation. Ji Qian had once said that during the Qin Dynasty, there were already cultivators, and their scale and abilities were far greater and stronger than in modern times. However, cultivators were a small fraction among the people, and ordinary folk like Master He would not encounter them.

To be more realistic, if Ye Shikai were just an ordinary person, no matter how long he searched, he would never find a way back. He might even be regarded as insane.

"Then, take care of yourself on the battlefield. I have matters to attend to tomorrow, so I won’t see you off..." He Linghan’s eyes glinted with a hint of loss as she turned and walked into the room. Ye Shikai watched her departing figure without saying much and slowly left Master He’s house. But he did not know that his distant silhouette was also slowly disappearing from He Linghan’s sight...

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

The next day. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Ye Shikai rose early. In fact, due to the urgency, even before dawn, all the troops had already started to gather toward the county. The labor forces also had to arrive on time. Heyang County had some twenty to thirty thousand shi of grain to be transported to the front lines. Ye Shikai roughly estimated that it was about eight to nine hundred tons. In this era with hardly any transportation, a lot of labor was needed to carry these supplies.

"You’re dressed warmly. It was Miss He who prepared it for you, wasn’t it?" Shangguan Jian looked at the armor on Ye Shikai. The iron armor was underneath, while a thick "fur armor" was outside, like wearing a "fur coat." The thick layer of fur seemed warm, causing envy among the nearby soldiers.

"Of course, or would you think I made this?" Ye Shikai did not deny it. The two jested a bit. Shangguan Jian now was the Hundred Generals, with Ye Shikai and Li Ji both as village chiefs under him. Initially, he worried whether Ye Shikai would manage well with so many convict soldiers. But, seeing them today, his concern was unnecessary. These convict soldiers didn’t resemble ordinary prisoners but rather a group of "veterans." Their posture when marching with spears was orderly. Shangguan Jian noticed Man Cang at the forefront appearing as a big, robust man, with a fierce face.

"This time, over ten thousand laborers are tasked with escorting the grain and military supplies, along with five thousand accompanying soldiers. The destination is Yan City. Once there, we’ll reorganize and then move to the Great Wall front." Shangguan Jian explained and, looking at Shangshui Village behind, said, "You should take a look as well. If we’re able to return, it’ll be at least half a year later."

Ye Shikai wouldn’t realize that among the many villagers sending them off, He Linghan was silently watching him...

Heyang County.

"Lord Han is a garrison officer of the county, merely a Five Hundred Master. Where in the county did these five thousand soldiers come from?" Coming into the county, Ye Shikai was quite shocked. Since arriving in Qin Country, he had never seen so many troops.

"You clearly don’t understand. Normally, without war, these soldiers return to farming and store grain. Now that the war has begun, they are naturally summoned back to enlist. Having so many soldiers and horses isn’t surprising. And now Lord Han is no longer a Five Hundred Master; he is a Chiliarch, that is, a thousand-man commander."

"I see." Ye Shikai nodded. There were many soldiers present, all gathered from various townships and villages. Han Hao was on the stage commanding the formation.

"Shangguan, you seem worried." Ye Shikai noticed the concern on Shangguan Jian’s face, as if he was anxious about something.

"This year is exceedingly rushed. Normally, even when assembling troops, we should drill in the county for half a month to familiarize with formations, but this time the schedule is truly tight; we need to set out immediately."