Chapter 111 – A War Rising (2)
At this critical juncture, Ye Li had abandoned his previous comrades and replaced them with these people. It could already be seen how much Ye Li trusted and valued them.
“General, is this your prodigal daughter? So very young! Her calmness amidst the chaos is indeed extraordinary!
An old general with a scar on his face, who was standing beside Ye Li, interjected. He faced Ye Li, doing as he pleased, but Ye Li did not have the slightest intention of lambasting him.
Instead, he laughed loudly and said, “That’s right, she’s my favorite daughter. She’s definitely an extraordinary one!”
Everyone laughed in tandem to this father praising his child. With their loyalty towards Ye Li, they naturally became intricately concerned for Ye Mu. Such a quick change in affection made Ye Mu feel at a trance, stirrings of an old memory coming back to her; she seemed to be able to see her old comrades before she had crossed into this world.
Nevertheless, when Ye Li was inside the treasure trove, killing his own trusted aides without blinking, how could these people still trust Ye Li so much?
Did they not know the true nature of Ye Li, or…did Ye Li do something for them?
Ye Mu couldn’t help but raise her head to ask Ye Li, “Father, are they your old subordinates? Why haven’t I seen them before?”
Ye Li touched her head as a profound light flashed in his eyes. “You haven’t seen them before because they were suppressed by the imperial government. They lived a life worse than pigs and dogs and I had no choice but to hide them for the meantime.”
Ye Li’s words caused the scene to quiet down. Many people’s expressions were moved as they were filled with gratitude towards him.
“When they were together with father, they all went out with me to take back the land occupied by the Chu country, and they even expanded this country’s territory in the process. Who would have known that after the war ended, the emperor, who had originally promised them wealth and glory, would actually go back on his word!
Other than father, there were also two generals back then. They were too honest–seeing that they were unable to reclaim the benefits a soldier deserved, they said something they shouldn’t have in anger and were killed by the emperor for harboring ‘ulterior motives’. I was the only one who survived, being careful and submissive…”
When he said this revelation, his eyes were so deep and tone tragic, as if he was speaking of a past he rather would not recall… his words caused Ye Mu’s heart to be thrown into turmoil.
Had she never truly known him after all this time? Wasn’t Ye Li a cautious and ruthless person? Or was everything just a facade and his carefulness and ruthlessness were for the people he secretly wanted to protect?
This-this was the truth?
Ye Li raised his head and swept his gaze across the entire arena with a serious expression.
“Mu’er, there are a lot of people here. They are all the people who fought on the battlefield and bathed in blood! Because of this, many of them did not have homes, and they had lost their healthy bodies. As they aged, they did not receive the rewards they deserved. Instead, they were endlessly enslaved and oppressed!”
In a more grieved voice, he continued, “The cowardly emperor was afraid that the influence of these warriors would be too great and endanger his own position, so he placed great importance on the scholars of the country and oppressed the warriors. Thus, many soldiers were rejected by society and they eventually died, living an unfortunate life! They did not even have enough to eat, let alone the glory they deserve for their sacrifices!”
“When those at the top benefited of the conquered lands without lifting their fingers as they spent all their time drinking and wasting the people’s riches, is it fair that those who had fought for it, with their blood, tears and sweat, live their days without proper clothes even covering their bodies and with nothing to eat?”
“Unfair! Since it’s not fair, there should naturally be someone who will rise from this oppression to uphold justice!” Ye Li used his internal energy to transmit his voice. As his voice became louder and faster as he spoke, the last few words caused everyone’s spirits to rise!
“From today onwards, we, the warriors, are no longer the inferior people! After I capture the Yue country, martial artists will replace those sleazy court officials! Since when did scholars only have the iron first to rule this country and a martial artist can’t? If they do not give us what we deserve, then we will snatch it away from their corrupt hands!”
His words filled with righteousness exalted everyone’s spirits in the audience.
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