As the art of war states, an execution serves to demonstrate military might. If the killing of one man can shock an entire army, then let him be killed.
Soldiers will not fear both the enemy and their own leaders.
If they fear their leaders, they will disdain the enemy; if they fear the enemy, they will disdain their leaders. If the leaders are disdained by the soldiers, the battle will be lost; if the leaders have authority among the soldiers, the battle will be won.
During this time, Chen Mo has learned a great deal.
Moreover, these five thousand men under Zhao Ye were originally assigned to him by Lu Yonggang, so Chen Mo could be considered Zhao Ye's superior.
Now that Zhao Ye wants to desert in the face of battle, Chen Mo naturally has the right to execute him.
The art of war also states that if one cannot earn the affection of soldiers for their willing service, they will not be of use to me.
