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The battle at Tiger Back Ridge officially came to an end with the arrival of Wuan Jun and Bai Qi. This gave hope to the Qin Army, which had been prepared to sacrifice themselves at this location. The sudden turn of events filled the troops with joy, and any doubts about witnessing victory quickly vanished.
However, Zhao Kuo, who was hastily retreating, did not find it so easy. He did not want anyone to know that the greatest general of Huaxia had appeared in Shangdang. On his way back to Tiger Back Ridge, Zhao Kuo strictly ordered the soldiers to refrain from discussing the matter. As for when they could speak about it, they were simply to obey orders. Anyone who dared to spread this news prematurely would face military law.
After General Lu handed over command, the generals of the Qin Army approached to report on the battle situation. Casualties from various units needed to be reported, and achievements had to be documented. Since Bai Qi took over command of the Shangdang War Zone from Wang He, it was no longer required to report achievements based on enemy heads.
This led to complications in documenting merits, as each report required multiple signatures and seals, with the final decision resting with the military's general. In other words, any merit records submitted without a general's seal above were considered invalid.
Bai Qi was well aware of this reality and therefore did not take over the merit materials for review. After handing them over to Luzi, he indicated that this battle was fought before the transfer of command. After all, some of the reported merits were due to the efforts of the previous general, and later substitutes could not claim credit for them. Furthermore, it was reiterated that merit records upon taking over from Old General Wang He were similarly handled, so General Lu need not worry about any ulterior motives.
Not long ago, Luzi had deeply understood what morale meant. Although he felt that listening to the troops' slogans seemed a bit presumptuous, concluding that Bai Qi would betray Qin State was utterly unfounded. Besides, he was merely a passerby. Why would he seek merit without enjoying military rank?
Luzi requested that only Wang Jian speak in the tent and received permission from the Grand Commander before reaching out for the merit record and passing it to Wang Jian. Seeing that Wang Jian did not take it, he quickly nudged him and pointed at himself while quietly reminding him: "Once this battle officially ends, I will leave the army and return home. Senior Brother will follow Your Majesty to expand our Great Qin's territory; the future is limitless."
After saying this, Luzi stuffed the registration book into Wang Jian's hands. He turned around and saluted Bai Qi in the tent but did not use military protocol. "Your Majesty! I am not one of your military personnel; I hope Your Majesty understands. Since our army entered Tiger Back Ridge, it has been General Wang Jian commanding."
At this moment, only three insiders remained in the main tent, so discussing confidential matters posed no risk of leaks. Bai Qi nodded and stood up to walk in front of Wang Jian. "Listen to General Lu; after all, he is now appointed by the king to oversee military affairs. From today onward, General Wang will assist me in taking Shangdang!"
Upon hearing this, a flustered Wang Jian quickly knelt down. "Your Majesty! What virtue or ability do I possess to deserve this position? I..."
Bai Qi turned to smile at Luzi and then took Wang Jian's hands in his own. "The end of this battle means not only will General Lu leave the army, but I will also no longer remain in military service. Our Qin Army cannot be without a renowned general in command; General Wang is fit for this role. This is actually a shared thought between me and General Lu; I hope General Wang prioritizes our Great Qin! Set aside personal honor or disgrace and fight solely for the unification of Huaxia from now on!"
Why was it still so complicated? Why would Wuan Jun also not remain in military service? This was our Qin State's war god! Wang Jian suppressed his urge to ask Bai Qi about his earlier remarks and glanced at Luzi for answers.
If Luzi initially did not grasp the situation, he would soon understand the meaning behind Bai Qi, given his thorough knowledge of the domestic situation. This answer is not only known by Bai Qi; anyone with a bit of sense would likely recognize the source of this statement.
As the second-in-command of the Qin State, Fan Ju would never allow Bai Qi to take the spotlight. If Qin State were to lose this battle, the subsequent blame could lead to Bai Qi taking his own life to protect his family from repercussions. Conversely, if Qin State emerged victorious, Fan Ju's character would naturally prevent anyone from overshadowing him.
Indeed, at that time, Fan Ju might even concoct some nonsensical accusations against Bai Qi! Thinking of this made Luzi regard Bai Qi with newfound respect.
Faced with internal and external troubles, neither fighting nor abstaining from battle would yield good results. Bai Qi could easily remain uninvolved in the Shangdang War Zone. Once he entered, regardless of the outcome, he would place himself in a perilous position. Yet this God of War set aside personal honor and disgrace to stand up for the Qin Army!
Luzi sighed inwardly and pretended nothing was amiss as he instructed Wang Jian to verify the merits. With the approval of the Qin Army Commander, Wang Jian's seal would take effect immediately. As long as there were no objections from Luzi, who was not directly involved, this decision would subsequently receive approval from a Lord of the Nation.
Once Wang Jian left to prepare, only two people remained in the Main Tent. Luzi filled a bowl with tea and presented it to Bai Qi with both hands. "This is my tribute to the Grand Commander! It is for our Huaxia Good Man who disregards personal safety for the sake of our Huaxia Good Man's ambition to uphold the State!"
Between understanding individuals, there is no need for explicit communication, especially since these were two of Qin State's most brilliant minds exchanging thoughts. Bai Qi smiled and shook his head, accepting the ceramic bowl with both hands and saying, "Even if it's wine, I will drink it!"
Upon hearing this, Luzi was immediately filled with emotion. He vividly recalled a few years ago when Bai Qi personally led troops to storm the city walls on a smoky morning. At that time, seeing Bai Qi's cracked lips, Luzi had offered him a pouch of drink to quench his thirst. Since Bai Qi did not know how to drink alcohol, he had choked and cried tears on the spot. Reflecting on it now felt like just yesterday.
Taking a deep breath, Luzi closed his eyes to ensure there were no eavesdroppers outside the tent. Once he confirmed that everything inside and outside was as expected, he sighed lightly. He originally did not want to ask or confirm an answer he had already considered but felt compelled to seek it at this moment.
"Your Majesty! I have something I am unsure whether I should ask..."
Bai Qi set down the ceramic bowl and smiled, saying, "If General Lu wishes to inquire about military matters, I will certainly share everything I know without reservation. However, if you are asking about other matters, I fear that may be beyond my ability to answer."
Luzi quickly nodded in agreement that this indeed related to military affairs because there was nothing else worth asking about.
Seeing the other party being so straightforward, Bai Qi couldn't help but laugh. "Luzi's identity is indeed open to question! I fear that at this moment, Military affairs hold little significance for Luzi!"
Luzi was well aware of the urgency of time, as the Qin Army stationed at Tiger Back Ridge was about to depart. Therefore, he stopped beating around the bush and sought a direct answer. "Your Majesty! I truly do not understand why you still wish to come to Shangdang! Once this matter is revealed, there will be no turning back! For our Great Qin, can't Your Majesty endure just a little longer?"
Bai Qi turned to glance at the entrance of the Main Tent and smiled slightly. He patted his shoulder and said, "Here we bear the weight of our King Qin, and here we carry the burden of hundreds of thousands of my Qin Army brothers!"
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