The Bodyguard King's CEO Wife-Chapter 1353: Countermeasures

"I’ll station the others in the village to prevent bandit raids. If there’s danger here, send a signal arrow," Shangguan Jian instructed with finality. Normally, only twenty soldiers were stationed here, rotating duty between two centurions. But in these troubled times, this cave storeroom, crucial to the lives of over a thousand people in Shangshui Village, required utmost vigilance. Shangguan Jian couldn’t afford any negligence, thus he left Chief Li here with his men to guard it, totaling fifty to sixty men. Yet, even so, Shangguan Jian was not at ease, which is why he transferred Ye Shikai here.

Ye Shikai was new and unfamiliar with many aspects of Qin Law. In reality, if the storeroom were truly destroyed, the villagers of Shangshui would suffer hunger and cold through the winter; that was one issue. But if the required amount of provisions wasn’t met for the county, all villagers would be punished.

The scent of impending war filled the air, leaving the people anxious. As the army moved to the frontline, the rear was naturally left vulnerable. Bandits would seize the opportunity to pillage villages, or attack granaries to seize food, horses, and armaments. If Shangguan Jian didn’t have to remain in the village for defense, he would have liked to stay here with Ye Shikai.

"Chief Li, if you feel discontent, I’m willing to follow orders." After Shangguan Jian’s departure, Ye Shikai noticed that the village chief seemed displeased. How could a village chief follow a centurion’s orders? In the Great Qin military, ranks were clear, and obeying superiors was a matter of course.

"Mr. Ye, I follow the orders of the Hundred Generals. Since the commands have been issued, it’s my duty to comply with Mr. Ye’s orders, without a second thought." Chief Li saluted and continued, "Furthermore, during the martial arts contest, Mr. Ye battled Shangguan Baijiang for over two hundred rounds. Your martial skills are formidable, and the brothers greatly admire you."

"This storeroom is of great importance to the village; we must guard it with all our might against sabotage," Chief Li responded.

"I’ll leave it to you all, then." Ye Shikai walked out of the cave, examining the terrain closely. He Nei County was located in the north, dry and prone to fire. However, since the storage was in a cave, it wouldn’t catch fire without direct exposure to flames. In other words, unless tampered with intentionally, the storeroom was safe.

The cave was at a high elevation; with more fortifications, it could become a stronghold that’s easy to defend and hard to attack. But that was unnecessary. Shangshui Village was a mere village, not of strategic importance. Moreover, the villagers lacked the resources to build a fortress. Outside the cave storeroom, there were only a few wooden walls, a watchtower, and some bows and arrows—limited in number, as it was merely a garrison, not comparable to the military’s border defenses.

"Mr. Ye, the bandit menace is rampant; be extra vigilant at night." As night fell, Chief Li led his soldiers to patrol near the cave. Worried about Ye Shikai’s inexperience, he specifically stopped by to remind him.

"Chief Li, are there always so many bandits near Shangshui Village?" Ye Shikai suddenly asked.

"Ah, Mr. Ye, you might not know, but in the past, there were no bandit problems within a twenty-mile radius of Shangshui Village. But in recent years, constant taxation and heavy levies, coupled with strict Qin Law, have forced many into banditry. Initially, there were few; the county could eradicate them. But as the situation worsened, banditry became rampant, and we had to form a village guard." Chief Li glanced around to ensure no one was nearby before explaining to Ye Shikai. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Mr. Ye, you mustn’t speak of this carelessly. If heard by superiors, there’ll be trouble."

"I understand, Chief Li. Rest assured." Ye Shikai knew the danger of ’fearful rumors,’ hence his discretion. Yet, he hadn’t anticipated that even Qin military officers felt the same, indicative of the burdensome taxes.

Three hours passed in a blink. Ye Shikai sat within the cave, feeling somewhat drowsy. It was now early morning. Bereft of Inner Strength and suffering from acclimatization issues, his energy seemed ’downcast.’

"Something’s wrong; the granary is under attack!" Suddenly, a shout burst from outside. Ye Shikai snapped to attention, grabbed the bronze sword from the table, and dashed out.

"What’s happening?" Ye Shikai stepped out of the cave to see several soldiers anxiously surveying their surroundings.

Thud.

Suddenly, a soldier fell from the watchtower above, landing beside him. Hastily, Ye Shikai checked him—a sharp arrow pierced the soldier’s chest, and there was no breath left.

"Centurion, a group of bandits is advancing on us, seemingly intent on destroying the granary!" A soldier ran over hastily, shouting.

"Where’s Chief Li? Chief Li!" Ye Shikai shouted urgently, puzzled by Chief Li and his soldiers’ absence. He was deeply concerned, with only twenty-something men around him, unaware of how far the bandits were.

"Centurion, I’m here." Suddenly, an officer ran quickly to Ye Shikai’s side. In the moonlight, Ye Shikai recognized Chief Li, though his armor and helmet were stained with blood, seemingly fresh from combat.

"Chief Li, what’s the situation?"

"Several nearby strongholds have allied to attack our granary. I’ve been out intercepting them." Chief Li hurriedly explained, his body bearing wounds, the outlook grim.

Ye Shikai ascended the watchtower; outside the wooden walls, hundreds gathered—dressed in rags, wielding spears and blades. A few held crossbows, others sickles and hoes, evidently bandits.

Though poorly equipped, their numbers were overwhelming. The sixty to seventy soldiers defending the granary weren’t particularly strong, making the situation quite disadvantageous.

"Chief Li, have everyone retreat behind the wooden walls," Ye Shikai ordered promptly.

"Yes."

"Men, find heavy objects to block the wooden gate."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Ye Shikai directed the archers to the wooden wall, shooting arrows at the bandits, and ensured the wooden door was barricaded tightly, making it difficult for the bandits to enter.

Ye Shikai quickly grabbed a crossbow, fired a signal arrow into the sky—the sharp sound and the night firelight visible to distant reinforcements.

"Follow me." Ye Shikai instructed the remaining soldiers to form a defensive formation, with shield-bearers at the front, spearmen at the rear, and archers centrally. Though solid, the wooden wall couldn’t resist burning flames; relying solely on wall defense was inadequate.

"Centurion, they’re setting fire to the wooden gate!" Chief Li exclaimed with mounting alarm.

"Everyone, retreat into the cave." Seeing the narrow entrance, inspiration struck Ye Shikai, immediately devising a strategy.