In the capital city.
Outside the Hall of Glory, military personnel stood in attendance, all awaiting Ye Longlin.
He was back!
His return this time signified his ascent to the position of the Marshal of the Realm!
Everyone was incredibly excited, not a single person wasn't.
"He's not here yet? He should be. According to the schedule, he should have arrived by now. What's going on? It's already been twenty minutes."
Lin Langsheng glanced at his watch, his eyes filled with confusion.
From the military airport to here should take at most twenty minutes. He shouldn't be late yet. Even with traffic, he should have arrived. How could he still not be here!
Qin Hanlie also nodded, "Yes, it really shouldn't be. Ning Qi, ask him where he is."
Ning Qi, standing nearby, made a phone call, asking for an update.
"Generals, please don't worry. Perhaps something delayed him on the road, or perhaps Marshal Ye is sending his wife home."
Upon hearing this explanation, the generals nodded. It wasn't an impossible scenario. Given Ye Longlin's personality, he might very well send Mu Hanqi back directly. There was nothing to question about that; they all knew his temperament.
But at that very moment, Ning Qi's phone rang, directly contradicting his earlier statement.
"Ahem, General Qin, General Lin, Marshal Ye has gone to the Dingping King's residence. It's estimated that something might happen."
After Ning Qi spoke, the others exchanged glances. This was indeed characteristic of him.
"Prepare the car! Hurry and prepare the car to go to Chen Wu's place. If this kid kills him, it'll be a problem!"
Qin Hanlie immediately ordered. Ning Qi quickly turned to notify the Second Elder; this matter couldn't be taken lightly.
Even if the Dingping King were held accountable, at most, he would be stripped of his title and dismissed from office. But if Ye Longlin were to kill him outright, how would that look?
His identity hadn't even been revealed yet, nor had he officially taken up his position. Even the Supreme Sovereign's appointment document hadn't been issued. If he were to kill the King now, the situation would truly blow up.
If the currently enfeoffed kings were to jointly resist, it would make Ye Longlin's job difficult, especially in the southern and western war zones.
The northern and eastern factions would be somewhat better off, as Qin Hanlie and Lin Langsheng had good relationships with Ye Longlin. But the other two regions were uncertain.
Moreover, it was wartime, and killing a general in the midst of battle was a major taboo!
"Second Elder, Second Elder, something's happened, something's happened!"
Ning Qi had never been this flustered since becoming Executive Director. At this moment, he was truly panicked.
"What's all the fuss? What kind of demeanor is this?"
The Second Elder frowned, speaking with displeasure.
Ning Qi took a deep breath, "Marshal Ye, Marshal Ye has gone directly to the Dingping King's residence."
*Crack—*
The white chess piece in the Second Elder's hand instantly shattered. He was also startled.
"Are you telling the truth?" The Second Elder stared intently at him, speaking word by word.
Ning Qi nodded.
Li Chengdao breathed a sigh of relief and took out an appointment document from inside, handing it to Ning Qi. "Go ahead, announce it directly at the Dingping King's residence."
Ning Qi looked at it curiously – the appointment document for Ye Longlin as Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armed Forces!
He checked the date: January 29th.
This meant that at the end of last month, this document had already been issued. One could say that from that moment on, Ye Longlin was already the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armed Forces, it just hadn't been announced yet?!
"There's another document."
Flipping it open, he saw – the notice of punishment for Dingping King Chen Wu's unauthorized command, which resulted in the deaths of over a hundred thousand soldiers.
Opening it, signed and sealed by the Supreme Sovereign, it was a death sentence!
Following that was another document, detailing the newly promulgated military management regulations, which explicitly stated that when such heavy casualties occurred, the commander's crime would be aggravated to a death sentence!
"This..."
Li Chengdao stood up with a chuckle, hands behind his back, and said with a meaningful smile, "In the military, there have been quite a few incompetent individuals over the years. Do you know why Ye Longlin looks down on military academies?"
Ning Qi didn't understand, and the Second Elder didn't elaborate, merely waving his hand.
At the Dingping King's residence.
The so-called "Enfeoffed King" was merely a title, a promotion to the forefront, elevating their status somewhat, but their power remained the same as before. However, with it came responsibility and commitment. Just like in this battle, almost all twelve Enfeoffed Kings had taken to the battlefield.
The Loulan King died heroically, and the nation mourned.
The Dingping King, whose victory was built on the lives of his men, was reviled by the entire nation.
This was the extreme impact of status.
"Are people still saying that my victory was achieved by sacrificing lives?"
Dingping King Chen Wu looked at his wife with a grim expression. As a flesh-and-blood human, it was difficult to ignore the news online. Moreover, his public photos had been released before, so sometimes when he went out, he would encounter people who despised him and would hurl insults.
This made him extremely angry, furious to the extreme!
I fought for the country! Sometimes victory is just like that, and battlefield situations are constantly changing. No one can predict what will happen in the next second. How dare they curse me, he couldn't understand.
Admittedly, he had gone too far this time, but wasn't he victorious?
"Yes, I can't even go out the back door anymore. There are always people blocking it, and we're running out of food at home."
"Why did you have to provoke those people in the Northern Wilderness? Most of the Dragon Pavilion's soldiers come from the Northern Wilderness. Furthermore, when Ye Longlin was transferred from the Southern War Zone to the Northern Wilderness, it was destined for him to soar. The Dragon Pavilion was created by him, and General Qin Zun would naturally support him."
While his wife complained, Chen Wu felt even more aggrieved.
Since being summoned to the capital, he had been living in this small courtyard, a reward for his title as a king.
"It's just that a few people died in the Dragon Pavilion; it's endless nagging."
"If I were truly angered, those fifty thousand soldiers of the Southern Dragon Pavilion wouldn't make it back alive either!"
He gulped down a mouthful of wine, exhaling a breath of frustration.
His wife rolled her eyes and said exasperatedly, "Just say these things at home; never say them outside."
But suddenly, this Western King, the Dingping King who had weathered many storms, became inexplicably uneasy.
His gaze drifted to the doorway, where he saw a man in casual wear, hands in his pockets, walking in as if no one else was there.
"Did you just say you want to prevent my Dragon Pavilion's Southern soldiers from returning?"
Chen Wu's pupils suddenly dilated, his eyes filled with shock. "You, you, Ye, Ye Longlin!"
He never expected Ye Longlin to show up in broad daylight!
This was a visit to settle the score!
"I want to see how you plan to prevent my Dragon Pavilion's Southern soldiers from returning."