CHAPTER 460: CHAPTER 460: A HEART OF REBELLION

With tears in his eyes, he began to persuade earnestly.

"General, you absolutely must not do this. The glory we have now is nothing but a fleeting dream, is it really worth using the blood of these thirty thousand men to fulfill the Liu Family’s dream? If they are defeated, it’s their own doing, but as for us, we will face eternal ruin!"

One must admit, Vice General Sha’s words were indeed quite compelling.

Yan Yun still held to his opinion, if today’s rebellion was led by the Marquis of Northwest,

he would undoubtedly follow.

But when it came to his son-in-law Liu Qilin, it was not so certain.

As a result, his initially wavering heart began to lean towards Vice General Sha.

Seeing his father about to be swayed by this great opportunity,

how could Yan Yun’s son tolerate it?

In a fit of anger, he drew his sword and slashed at Vice General Sha’s arm.

Immediately, blood gushed forth!

Such a scene left everyone present staring at each other in dismay.

Vice General Sha was a highly regarded figure in the army, so compared to the young and inexperienced Yan Erlang, they preferred to side with Vice General Sha.

Seeing him wounded, several vice generals gathered around at once.

All asking if he was alright.

Vice General Sha clutched his wound, his eyes showing deep despair.

From that slash, it was clear that even if he managed to persuade them now, he probably couldn’t change the future.

If a person is determined to court death, how can they be stopped?

"Outrageous! Do you have any respect for me as your father?"

Yan Yun glared fiercely at his son, then immediately called out to the outside.

"Summon the military doctor!"

"Yes, sir!"

Then, he quickly stepped down and spoke to Vice General Sha.

"It’s my failure as a father, I apologize for the grievance you’ve suffered."

Previously, there hadn’t been any disputes between Vice General Sha and Yan Yun.

Compared to other generals, Yan Yun didn’t have any remarkable achievements.

But he wasn’t a bad person.

At least under his watch, the people of Yan State lived relatively peaceful lives.

However, at this moment, Vice General Sha had other thoughts in his mind.

He was born and raised in Yan State, protecting it for decades.

He had witnessed firsthand the devastation of cities by war, and how difficult life was for its people.

Therefore, he would never allow his hometown and loved ones to suffer the same fate.

If Yan Yun’s foolish son only cared about becoming Imperial Uncle and disregarded the people’s lives,

then he would no longer hold back!

Soon, he devised a plan in his mind.

The military doctor rushed in and bandaged Vice General Sha’s wound.

Although it looked like a lot of blood was lost, there was no damage to muscles or bones.

To those who had lived through days of licking the blade’s edge, it was merely a minor injury.

But Yan Yun instructed.

"Send Vice General Sha back to rest, ensure he is watched until his wound fully heals, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Vice General Sha felt more certain of his suspicion.

Isn’t this just house arrest?

Ha, utterly ridiculous.

It seemed Yan Yun was beyond saving as well.

If so, then he and his son might as well go and meet their doom together.

Rather than letting the people of this entire state and the thirty thousand soldiers lose their lives in vain for their fleeting dream!

Thinking of this, he feigned an expression of pain that he couldn’t endure.

Then, his soldiers helped him down.

As Vice General Sha left, the other vice generals couldn’t stay idle either.

The enemy hadn’t even attacked yet, and here they were, already in-fighting.

So, they pondered deeply, clearly dissatisfied with Yan Yun and his son.

After they had all left, Yan Yun cast a glance at his son.

His eyes showed disapproval.

Yan Erlang felt a twinge of fear, and quickly explained.

"Father, your son acted out of momentary impatience. You see, that Vice General Sha was completely shaking the army’s morale, when riches were right before our eyes and yet he wouldn’t reach out to take them—how utterly foolish!"

"I think you’re the one who’s utterly foolish."

Suddenly scolded by Yan Yun like that, Yan Erlang’s face flushed with embarrassment.

But Yan Erlang had no choice but to endure it.

After all, the control over the Yan State Army was in his father’s hands, so he had to suppress his anger.

After this scolding, Yan Yun fell into a long silence.

When Yan Erlang began to grow impatient, Yan Yun finally sighed deeply and said.

"Write to your brother-in-law, telling him that the Yan State Army will be his most solid ally."

Ultimately, a decision was made.

Actually, Yan Yun didn’t have much else in mind.

Just as Vice General Sha said, he wanted to protect the soldiers and people of Yan State.

Yan Yun also had his daughter and grandchildren to protect.

His granddaughter had already met a tragic end in the palace, it wouldn’t do to let his daughter follow the same path.

Besides, since the Liu Family had already raised the flag of rebellion,

their marital ties could not escape involvement.

Even if they surrendered to the Emperor, they would still be marginalized in the future.

What’s more, he would have to endure nightly hauntings from his daughter’s dreams.

Such a life he did not desire, so the best course of action was as his son suggested.

Take a gamble!

If it succeeded, the Yan Family’s status would be within reach.

Thinking of this, Yan Ben’s previously hesitant eyes became much clearer and resolute.

At the same time, he cautiously instructed.

"Find someone to keep an eye on Vice General Sha, be wary of any potential betrayal!"

"I understand, father, I’ll arrange for someone right away!"

Having followed his father Yan Yun in the military camp for many years, such matters were easily handled by him.

The father and son’s plan soon reached the ears of the other vice generals.

Their attitude toward following rebellion in Yan State was the same as Vice General Sha’s.

It’s not that everyone had the people’s welfare in mind.

There was another reason—a more practical one—namely that the Yan State Army couldn’t defeat the Liangzhou Army.

If they wanted to ally with Ganzhou, they would inevitably have to take down the Liangzhou standing in between.

But with their limited numbers and capabilities,

they would likely be annexed by the Liangzhou Army under Shi Daquan’s command before the Northwest Army from Ganzhou arrived.

After all, their eighty thousand men had combat strength that was in no way inferior to the Northwest Army.

So, the vice generals began to discuss how to save themselves.

After much thought, they decided to consult Vice General Sha on strategies.

Thus, a few vice generals secretly arranged for their trusted aides to make contact with Vice General Sha.

Before Yan Erlang could arrange for people to monitor Vice General Sha, the message had already been sent.

Vice General Sha’s suggestion was to send a report on Yan State’s situation to the Liangzhou Army’s leader, Shi Daquan, closest to them.

As a demonstration of their allegiance and loyalty to the Emperor.

The two places weren’t far apart, and so when the message was delivered, only two days had passed.

Within the Liangzhou Army camp.

Commander Shi Daquan was weighing the reliability of this information.

Despite his burly frame, Shi Daquan was actually very shrewd and cautious.

He naturally couldn’t allow Yan State and Ganzhou to join forces.

Otherwise, Liangzhou, caught in the middle, would face extermination.

But he also had to be wary of whether this was a trap set up for his Liangzhou Army.

Therefore, he did not respond immediately.

Instead, he instructed.

"Allow this general some time to devise a strategy before you deliver a reply."

"Yes, sir!"