Xiao Jue watched the flickering candlelight, unable to sleep. As a military commander, he naturally wanted to conquer more territory for Dachao. Yet once a war broke out, how many families would be shattered? If they didn't fight back, the enemy would only continue to test them with aggressive incursions. It would be better to strike hard just once and force them into submission. But he had to wait—at the very least, now was not the time. He had to wait for Wen Jiuh to forge powerful weapons for him, and for all his crossbows to arrive. Although he was confident, the greatest taboo on the battlefield was arrogance, which always led to defeat. The battlefield was ever-changing; he could guarantee nothing, nor did he wish to see heavy casualties among his men. He could only wait—wait for the weapons, wait for an excuse, and wait for the right timing.
He pulled out the military manual given to him by the Old General and began to read. Qinglong walked in. "Master, I see the lamp in your tent is still lit. Why haven't you rested yet? You really must take care of your health..." He went on and on about balancing work and rest, noting that so many men under his command were waiting for him to lead them, and he couldn't afford to run his body into the ground.
"Stop right there... I'm going to sleep right now. Get out." Xiao Jue's head was throbbing from all the nagging.
Chapter 75