Chen Country’s two hundred thousand elite troops, arranged at Zhenbei Pass, fought desperately against the Turkic grasslands. Afterward, many units were divided up and sent to Jiangnan for settlement.

The ones responsible for the settlement were Fang Ziqiao and others, meticulous in thought, resolving potential hidden dangers as much as possible. After the Great Khan died in battle, it also took some time to pacify the fragmented chaos of the Turkic grasslands.

During this period, Chen Tianqi was on the frontlines campaigning against the great nobles of the grasslands, while Chen Dingye swept away the loyal Chen Country generals, along with over ten thousand confidants, retreating towards the northwest.

However, this time Chen Dingye’s retreat did not involve taking Ye Zhongdao and Zhou Xianping.

By the time these two renowned generals reacted, Chen Dingye had already gone.

Ye Zhongdao, heavily wounded, stumbled out of his resting place and saw Zhou Xianping rushing in, not wearing armor, with a bare torso wrapped tightly like a zongzi.

"Ye Zhongdao, Ye Zhongdao!!"

"Where are you?!"

Zhou Xianping shouted, then saw Ye Zhongdao coming out, the former froze, his eyebrows drooped, and his lips quivered: "You were also left behind..."

Ye Zhongdao pressed his lips, looking at Zhou Xianping, these two battle-worn generals with greying temples realized that the brutal and murderous emperor had left them behind in the end.

Whether it was sadness, or relief, or an unspeakable pain as war generals nurtured in Chen Country, who never truly reached the very end.

Ye Zhongdao, Zhou Xianping, and other generals received a box given by Chen Dingye.

They seized this box from the personal soldiers, Ye Zhongdao regarded the box, Zhou Xianping also fell silent, the two renowned generals felt a heavy sense of struggle shared between them in an instant.

As generals well-versed in military strategy, having fought throughout the chaotic world for countless years, classic battles of the past surfaced in their minds——

If the secret message inside instructs them to cause chaos within the Qilin Army’s base camp.

If it demands them to assassinate the strategists within the Qilin Army.

To buy time for Chen Dingye’s escape.

Would they do it, and what choice would the friend opposite them, a lifelong competitor, make?

If there truly is such a secret message, should they act?

If their friend decides to act, should one try to stop them or remain indifferent?

Life and death, the nation, loyalty, betrayal, lord and vassal.

An overflow of emotions surged within, rendering them speechless, even Zhou Xianping, who usually enjoyed joking, was solemnly quiet as mountain rock.

Just as his hand touched the box, a voice suddenly came:

"Wait a moment."

Zhou Xianping’s hand trembled slightly, looking up to see Ye Zhongdao speaking up, he felt annoyed and cursed, "You never speak up, why suddenly now, almost scaring someone to death!"

"What’s the matter?!"

Ye Zhongdao said, "Let’s put down the weapons."

Zhou Xianping looked at his friend: "Alright."

Both renowned generals placed down their weapons, the Night Cavalry Blade, Hooked Scythe Spear, weapons closely tied to the three hundred-year Qi Fortune of Great Chen, and notably linked to the history of Night Rider Cavalry, Hooked Scythe Spear Troops, Great Chen’s formidable elite forces.

They proceeded to reopen the box.

"Wait a moment!"

Ye Zhongdao suddenly spoke again.

Zhou Xianping’s veins bulged on his forehead: "War generals are supposed to remain unfazed at impending disaster, with thunder in the chest but expression calm like a lake, where is your composure? Did a dog eat it?!"

Ye Zhongdao replied, "You ate it."

Zhou Xianping’s anger erupted instantly, tugging at his temple.

Ye Zhongdao looked at the box and said, "Open it."

They slowly opened the box, inside indeed were secret messages, and a sealed jug of wine, in the silent atmosphere, they opened the letter and saw the message.

It was written in Chen Dingye’s handwriting.

Indeed a secret message.

Containing simple orders for Ye Zhongdao, Zhou Xianping to sabotage the Qilin Army’s logistics from the rear, disrupting their plans, simultaneously targeting the strategists with weaker martial skills using Grandmaster Level war skills.

’Loyal ministers to the country must be prepared to die for the nation.’

’If not so’

’Drink the poisoned wine, consider it loyalty to the nation.’

’Act with loyalty and righteousness, or drink to treachery, the choice is yours, generals!’

Ye Zhongdao stared at the letter, silent for a long time, Zhou Xianping grinned slightly, he whispered: "...This tactic is still the one we know, Your Majesty in chaos, the clawed poisonous dragon."

"One absolutely cannot hold any expectations from this guy, cannot forget our emperor’s true character just because he displayed heroism against the Turks."

"Ye Zhongdao."

"We cannot ruin the future carved out by the children’s hands."

Zhou Xianping softly opened his mouth.

Ye Zhongdao quietly gazed at the letter, replying: "Their age is already greater than when we first set foot on the battlefield, Bu Yi charging through the lines is already in the later stages of Sixty Layer Heaven, with a great possibility of becoming a Grandmaster before thirty."

"Liu Ying has also reached Sixty Layer Heaven on the grassland battlefield."

"They are just in their twenties, much stronger than us."

"As generals, dying in campaigns against Turkic grasslands, achieving feats unseen for eight hundred years; as fathers, witnessing children come this far; as vassals, unable to complete the final journey, an ultimate regret."