Hiss.
A chill spread through his body instantly. Chen Wu looked at Ye Longlin with surprise and uncertainty.
Strictly speaking, this was his first meeting with Ye Longlin. The former Dragon Lord, the former Heavenly King, truly possessed an imposing aura. Even before arriving, he felt a prickle of fear.
After the first news of the Commander of the Three Armies emerged, their group had privately discussed who would become the most supreme figure.
In fact, they had already made a guess then: the top of the Divine General Ranking, Ye Longlin.
However, because he was too young, they quickly dismissed the idea. The new Commander of the Three Armies should be an experienced and seasoned old general.
But since it hadn't been officially announced yet, their guess couldn't be taken as fact.
"The former Heavenly King visits. Settling Peace King Chen Wu pays his respects to the former Heavenly King."
The implication was a warning to Ye Longlin that he was retired and now just an ordinary person. If he wanted to do something to him, he'd better think twice.
Ye Longlin glanced at him, then walked in, "Do not call me 'King' in my presence."
Chen Wu: "..."
"The former Heavenly King visits, so I must entertain you properly. Wife, bring out my prized tea."
Chen Wu said, sitting down with a smile, emphasizing the word "former" heavily.
Ye Longlin did not sit. Only after Chen Wu's wife brought out the tea did he calmly say, "If you have any last words, say them quickly."
His words caused the temperature in the entire courtyard to drop drastically. His wife also stared at Ye Longlin.
"Mr. Ye, you are just an ordinary person now. If you truly kill my husband, I fear you won't escape accountability from the Glorious Hall. Such a situation where both sides lose is not something your fiancée would wish to see, is it?"
Ye Longlin chuckled, "From the moment I returned, it signified that I have taken over the position of Commander of the Three Armies."
Chen Wu: "..."
His wife: "..."
What the hell...
The position of Commander of the Three Armies was reserved for him?
How was this possible? How could a young man less than thirty years old ascend to such an important position? This was the pinnacle of military leadership, bearing a six-star rank!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it unprecedented in history!
This guy, who was more than ten years younger than him, was simply going too far. As one of the Western Kings, battle-hardened and a pillar of strength, he was now being targeted for death over some trivial matters!
"I admit you have the talent of a general, but until the Glorious Hall issues their order, I will not believe your word."
"I have never believed my command had any issues. The Dragon Pavilion soldiers are indeed brave, but without a competent commander, no matter how brave the Dragon Pavilion soldiers are, they cannot win this battle."
"To put it mildly, even if the Dragon Pavilion soldiers suffered heavy casualties, I, Chen Wu, ultimately pacified the western front. Even if my merits and demerits offset each other, there are no problems."
"To put it even more bluntly, even if I am indeed supposed to be tried, it should not be you questioning me."
Ye Longlin nodded gently and continued, "So, you made the Dragon Pavilion soldiers bear the brunt of the attack, while you retreated to the second city with your men, causing three thousand of my Dragon Pavilion soldiers to die in vain. Afterward, there was no counter-reinforcement, and you even claimed that dying on the battlefield was their fate?"
Chen Wu: "..."
"You are not qualified to question me!"
Chen Wu roared, veins bulging on his forehead.
It was clear that Ye Longlin's questions made him extremely guilty.
*Thump, thump, thump—*
The sound of footsteps approached.
Chen Wu looked towards the door, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Qin Hanlie, Lin Langsheng, Ning Qi, Xiao Zhan, and many high-ranking officials from the military.
If it weren't for all the Kings and generals currently on the battlefield, perhaps more people would have arrived.
"Marshal Qin, Marshal Lin, Executive Director Ning, Commander Xiao... why are you here?"
For some reason, he had a bad feeling, though he didn't know where it came from.
Ning Qi stepped forward, opening the folder in his hand and reading aloud.
"Regarding the appointment of Ye Longlin as the Commander of the Three Armies..."
"Regarding the disciplinary notice for Settling Peace King Chen Wu's unauthorized command, which resulted in the deaths of over a hundred thousand generals..."
"Regarding the latest military regulations, promulgated as follows..."
Upon hearing these three orders, Chen Wu's eyes widened, looking at them in disbelief. An expression of impossibility appeared in his eyes.
"Why? Why is Ye Longlin the Commander of the Three Armies!"
"Even if my merits and demerits cannot offset each other, I, Chen Wu, have done so much for Great Xia. You declare it a death sentence, have you considered the opinions of other enfeoffed kings and generals? You are chilling the hearts of your old subjects!"
Chen Wu roared defiantly, his eyes fixed on them.
Ning Qi sighed, "Chen Wu, you don't understand how high the status of the Dragon Pavilion soldiers is in the inner court. In fact, it's not that their status is high, but rather that they are strong and have earned countless merits."
In every battle, contributions were distributed according to the magnitude of military exploits.
And in this battle, the Dragon Pavilion's contribution was the greatest. If not for the Dragon Pavilion, let alone Chen Wu, not even a single soldier from his direct subordinates would have returned.
In essence, the reason Ye Longlin pursued this matter was the principle of fairness.
They could forgo rewards and military achievements, as long as these fallen soldiers received the recognition they deserved. Other things could be relinquished.
Ordinary people might not understand, but soldiers in the military did. Some things, even if they had to give their lives, they would do so without hesitation.
Honor!
Even if all the Dragon Pavilion soldiers perished on the battlefield, they would not bring disgrace to the Dragon Pavilion!
"I will only ask you one question: Chen Wu, who did you rely on to return alive? Your direct subordinates, or the Dragon Pavilion soldiers I created?" Ye Longlin said calmly.
Chen Wu gritted his teeth, "The Dragon Pavilion."
"Since it is the Dragon Pavilion, how dare you attempt to claim the glory of the Dragon Pavilion for yourself?"
Chen Wu's scalp tingled. How was he supposed to explain this?
Anyone else could be deceived, but no one in their position was easily fooled.
Once certain things were heard, people would know in their hearts, understanding the cause and effect of events without needing to witness them firsthand.
"It is true that I, Chen Wu, acted improperly in this matter, but that doesn't warrant my death, does it?"
After a long silence, Chen Wu gritted his teeth and said, he had at least contributed to Great Xia. To be executed for this one battle, he was not convinced!
Why!
"Because you cannot explain to the fifty thousand sons of my Dragon Pavilion who sacrificed themselves, because you are not worthy to live in this world, because you are not qualified to sit in the commander's position!"
"My position, Ye Longlin's current standing, was achieved entirely by the North Wilderness and the Dragon Pavilion soldiers. It was the blood of millions of my Dragon Pavilion soldiers that brought me to this point."
"Whoever dares to bully them, even the King of Heaven himself, I will kill them!"