The Bodyguard King's CEO Wife-Chapter 1396: Treason
Ma Peng has been stationed here for many years. The two thousand soldiers under his command have benefited greatly from him. Normally, Ma Peng shows a "dedicated and dutiful" demeanor and is well-regarded in the military with a great reputation. Moreover, Ma Peng has privately sold arrows to the Wolf Clan, earning vast sums of money, of which a significant amount has been used to reward his soldiers, making them willing to risk their lives for him.
Great General Meng Tian issued a military order requiring Ma Peng and his subordinates to obey Han Hao, a "stranger," which initially caused dissatisfaction among the stationed troops. If Ma Peng is rashly executed, it could even lead to a "military revolt." Although these two thousand soldiers are not numerically superior, if they engage in fierce combat, mutual destruction is a scenario Ye Shikai most wishes to avoid, but it is precisely what the Wolf Clan hopes to see.
"If we make them understand reason and show them emotion, these two thousand soldiers should know right from wrong. Selling military supplies is already a punishable offense. I wonder who dares to stand by him." Xue San finds it hard to understand. He used to be a bandit in the underworld and is naturally aware of the Qin Dynasty’s laws. Petty thefts are considered minor, but Ma Peng selling arrows to the Wolf Clan, especially if it leads to the fortress being compromised, constitutes treason, a crime that warrants extermination of the entire clan, implicating followers as well. Xue San believes that if those stationed troops understand that Ma Peng committed a grave crime deserving of clan extermination, they would naturally not dare to follow, and might even proactively report it.
"I’m not concerned about their potential rebellion; I’m worried about the Wolf Clan." Ye Shikai said with a heavy expression. "In the worst-case scenario, even if we suppress the rebellion, what then? If the Wolf Clan launches a massive attack on the fortress at that moment, the troops who just experienced a bloody battle might not withstand their ferocious assault. By then, if the fortress falls completely, everyone might face slaughter."
"Nevertheless, we must inform Han Hao and Shangguan Jian of this matter first." Ye Shikai said with a sigh as he looked at the bamboo slip in his hand. "Such a price, it would be hard for any ordinary person to refuse." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Main quarters.
"What did you say, Ma Peng actually did such a thing." Shangguan Jian shouted loudly, slamming his palm heavily on the table as he abruptly stood up. Han Hao also looked serious, staring at the bamboo slip in silence for a long time.
"I never expected Ma Peng would dare to collude with the Wolf Clan." Han Hao said, punching the table in distress, and then looked at Ye Shikai.
"Old Ye, it was you who discovered this. What do you plan to do?" Han Hao asked.
"If we alarm the snake, it could lead to the two thousand soldiers under Ma Peng rebelling, so we need to devise a strategy."
"Report, Ma Peng is outside, requesting to meet Lord Han." Before Ye Shikai could finish speaking, a soldier hurriedly ran in to report to the three.
"Good, I was just thinking about dealing with him, and now he’s sent himself here. I will have men ambush at both sides of the quarters. Once that kid enters, I’ll execute him on the spot." Shangguan Jian was fuming with anger, eager to tear Ma Peng apart immediately, but Ye Shikai stopped him.
"If we really do that, it might intensify the situation, Shangguan. Listen to me for now." Ye Shikai persuaded.
"Shangguan, let’s follow Old Ye’s plans." Han Hao also didn’t agree with the idea of rash actions, as no one could bear the consequences.
"Alright."
.................................
"I, Ma Peng, pay respects to Lord Han."
Ye Shikai took the opportunity to signal Han Hao with a look, and the two of them immediately understood.
"Haha, Brother Ma is here, have a seat, have a seat." Han Hao immediately "changed his face," adopting a warm demeanor as he personally stepped down from his position and helped Ma Peng up.
"Brother Shangguan, Brother Ye are both here."
"Indeed, I was here to report military affairs. We met during a meal just now, and I didn’t expect us to meet again so quickly."
"Brother Ma, what brings you here this time?" Returning to the main topic, Han Hao asked because generally, the more guilty one feels, the less willing they would be to approach others. But Ma Peng was the opposite, coming alone to the quarters. Perhaps... he hasn’t noticed that everyone has discovered his secret.
"I have obtained some intelligence that may be helpful for our tactics." Ma Peng said with a smile, taking out a cloth from his chest and handing it to Han Hao.
"I got news from a merchant acquaintance; not far in front of the fortress there’s a Wolf Clan supply base. They’ve sent over quite a bit of grain and fodder for winter for the horses. Lord Han, rather than waiting for the opportunity, we should take the initiative to burn all their supplies, forcing them to retreat."
Han Hao hadn’t expected Ma Peng to volunteer such advice, his expression momentarily surprised. Ye Shikai, quick-witted, sensed something amiss.
"Haha, this is certainly good news." Ye Shikai suddenly laughed, startling everyone.
"Brother Ma is truly a pillar of the Qin Army. It’s just... I wonder if this information is accurate." Ye Shikai walked over to Ma Peng and said with a smile.
"It’s absolutely true. The merchant who provided the information is an old acquaintance of mine, doing business between the grasslands and the Central Plains. He has provided me with a lot of intelligence in the past." Ma Peng firmly stated.
"Lord Han, Brother Ma is sincere, and I hope you will consider his advice." Ye Shikai turned and respectfully bowed to Han Hao.
"Ahem, since Brother Ma already has a plan, why not share it with us?" Han Hao coughed lightly twice. Ye Shikai said so, implying he has his own scheme. Han Hao was well aware that Ma Peng was not acting in good faith, but understood that Ye Shikai was playing along, so he followed Ye’s lead.
"The day after tomorrow, a batch of supplies will arrive at this supply base, and there will be few Wolf Clan soldiers guarding it. We can dispatch thousands of troops for a surprise attack, catching them unprepared."
Two hours later.
Once Ma Peng left, Shangguan Jian finally couldn’t hold back and immediately turned to interrogate Ye Shikai.
"Old Ye, what do you mean by this? He’s obviously trying to frame us, yet you agreed so readily."
"Shangguan, do you think I’m the type to make a losing deal?" Ye Shikai replied with a cunning smile. Clearly, he had already made preparations.
"Dispatching four thousand troops to raid a Wolf Clan supply base guarded by fewer than five hundred soldiers sounds like a sure victory. But this is certainly Ma Peng’s trick. If we really go, there’s no return. I fear that he has already allied with the Wolf Clan, not just selling arrows to them." Ye Shikai said coldly.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s capture him immediately." Shangguan Jian was anxious to "take action." Anyone would feel uneasy having a ticking time bomb beside them, wanting to eliminate it as quickly as possible.
"No need to rush, I’ve already got a plan. The night after that, we’ll mobilize the troops. If we don’t stage a scene, how can we lure the big fish?"
