Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The two men in the lead were a man in his forties with a thin face, hawk-like eyes, a hooked nose, and eyes as sharp as knives. He was Yan Ying, the chief executioner of the Northern Garrison.

The other person was slightly younger and had an ordinary appearance, but his eyes always held a scrutinizing and indifferent look when he looked at people. He was the deputy, Leng Mian.

The group was stopped at the south gate of Ironwall City. The gatekeepers examined the official documents they presented, which were credentials issued by the Ministry of War to verify the defenses and grain reserves of the northern border garrisons.

"So it's a special envoy from the Ministry of War. My apologies for my rudeness. Please wait a moment while we inform the garrison commander." The city gate guards dared not delay and sent someone to report to the garrison commander's office.

Before long, Lin Feng, dressed in ordinary military uniform but without armor, strode over. He clasped his hands in greeting to Yan Ying and Leng Mian, saying, "This humble general, Lin Feng, greets Special Envoys Yan and Leng. I have been preoccupied with military affairs and am late in welcoming you; please forgive me."

Yan Ying's gaze fell on Lin Feng, and after sizing him up for a moment, he returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Commander Lin, you are too kind. I have come under orders, and it is my duty to immediately inspect the city's armory, granary, and other key defensive locations. In addition, there are some documents and files that I need to review at the garrison's office. Please, Commander Lin, lead the way to the garrison's office first."

"Please follow me. However, it is not appropriate to disturb the women of the household in the inner courtyard. I hope the special envoy will understand."

Yan Ying nodded: "Commander Lin has thought things through thoroughly. In that case, please lead the way, Commander Lin."

The group arrived at the garrison headquarters.

Yan Ying and Leng Mian meticulously reviewed everything, from troop rosters, defense zone deployments, and patrol records to grain and fodder deposits, weapon losses and replenishments, and city wall repair accounts—checking every single detail.

The verification lasted for nearly two hours, and it was already dark.

Yan Ying closed the last volume of documents, his face still expressionless, and simply said, "Commander Lin is strict in his military discipline, his accounts are clear, and his defenses are quite thorough. I will report back to the Ministry of War based on the facts."

"You've had a long journey, Special Envoy. Hot water and food have been prepared at the inn. Please rest first," Lin Feng said.

"No need," Yan Ying waved his hand, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the depths of the garrison headquarters.

"It is my duty to be vigilant day and night. I can borrow a room in the front courtyard of the garrison commander's residence to rest temporarily. This will also allow me to consult with Garrison Commander Lin on military matters at any time. As for my men, let them find a barracks outside the residence to settle down."

He wants to live in the garrison headquarters! This is undoubtedly a major destabilizing factor.

Lin Feng's heart sank, but he could only say, "This... the residence is simple and unassuming, I'm afraid it may have slighted the special envoy."

"It's alright. Even the soldiers on the frontier are not afraid of hardship, how dare I find fault?" Yan Ying said firmly.

"In that case, Han Tao, immediately prepare the east wing for the two special envoys to rest in. Make sure all necessary supplies are provided," Lin Feng said to Han Tao.

Back in his study in the backyard, Lin Feng's face darkened.

"Guards, Yan Ying is clearly heading for the inner courtyard!" Han Tao whispered. "If he does it at night..."

"I know," Lin Feng said. "Tell Yan Qing that he will be fully in charge of the inner courtyard guards, and that there will be two additional posts."

"yes!".

"Also, tell Shen Qingyi that she, Miss Xie, and Bai Xiaohe should all rest in Yun Li's room tonight. No matter what noises are heard outside, they must not open the door unless I speak to them. Have them prepare items for self-defense."

"clear!"

At the third quarter of midnight, all was quiet. Inside the garrison, apart from the regular footsteps of the night patrol soldiers and the sound of clappers, there was no other noise.

Two dark figures, like ghosts, silently slipped out of the east wing and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

Yan Ying twisted his body and slipped towards the inner courtyard. Leng Mian, on the other hand, made his way towards the west courtyard.

Two guards stood at attention, guns at the front of the moon gate in the inner courtyard.

Yan Ying lay in the shadows, observed for a moment, then took out two pebbles from his pocket, flicked them with his fingers, and sent them flying toward the walls on either side of the moon gate!

"Pfft! Pfft!" Two soft sounds.

"Who goes there?!" The two guards immediately turned their heads and looked towards the top of the wall.

In that instant, Yan Ying moved like lightning, skimming the ground and passing through their blind spot, silently passing through the moon gate and entering the inner courtyard!

The inner courtyard was even quieter, with only the main house and the east and west wing rooms still dimly lit.

Yan Ying moved swiftly through the shadows of the artificial hill and the flowers and trees, approaching the window of the main house. He held his breath, listening intently.

There were faint whispers of women inside the room, seemingly from several people, but they couldn't make out the details.

Suddenly, he heard a very faint sound, like the rustling of clothes in the air!

A sense of alarm suddenly arose in Yan Ying's heart. Before he could turn around, he lunged forward and simultaneously slapped his back with his other hand!

With a sharp "snap!", his palm collided with a hand that had silently struck his back! A subtle yet sharp force penetrated his palm, causing his arm to go numb slightly.

Yan Ying used the momentum to roll forward, stabilize himself, and suddenly turned around.

Not far behind, a thin, dark figure stood silently in the shadow of the pillars—it was Yan Qing!

"Your Excellency, it is late at night. Why are you here instead of resting in your room?" Yan Qing asked calmly.

Yan Ying felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that his whereabouts had been exposed.

He straightened up, dusted off his robes, and said calmly, "I was on night patrol inspecting the defenses when I heard some strange noises coming from here, so I came to investigate. Who are you?"

"This humble general, Yan Qing, is ordered to guard the inner courtyard." Yan Qing cupped his hands in greeting. "The garrison commander has ordered that the inner courtyard is a restricted area, and no one is allowed to enter at night to prevent spies."

At the same time, four more night spies dressed in black emerged silently from the surrounding shadows, wielding crossbows and blocking all of Yan Ying's escape routes.

"As a special envoy of the Ministry of War, I am here to inspect defenses and naturally have the right to patrol various locations. Why do I need a warrant?" Yan Ying forced himself to remain calm.

"The inner courtyard is the residence of women, not a place for defense, much less within the jurisdiction of a special envoy." Yan Qing stood firm. "At this moment, please return."

The atmosphere froze instantly. The crossbows of the four night watchmen gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the darkness.

"...It was my rudeness."

Yan Ying suddenly laughed, as if the tense standoff had never happened.

"Since this is the inner courtyard of Commander Lin's family, we should avoid suspicion. I will return now. General Yan is loyal to his duty, very good." With that, he actually turned around and walked towards the Moon Gate.

Back in the east wing, Leng Mian also returned. He shook his head slightly at Yan Ying, indicating that nothing had been found in the west courtyard.

The next day, Yan Ying and Leng Mian continued their routine inspection of the beacon towers and fortifications outside the city.

Upon returning to the city, Yan Ying did not mention staying overnight at the garrison headquarters again, and led his men to stay at the post station.

This seemingly concession, however, tells Lin Feng that the battle in the shadows has only just begun.

Sure enough, over the next two days, beneath the seemingly peaceful streets and alleys of Ironwall City, undercurrents were surging.

In the city's several warehouses and inns, the newly arrived "traveling merchants" were generous with their money, but they were also very interested in the ancient tales and legends of the borderlands, paying particular attention to words like "former dynasty," "prince," "treasure," and "ancient jade."

At secondhand bookstores and antique shops, people are offering high prices for "rubbings of ancient steles" and "antique jade artifacts," and some even bring simple drawings to inquire about them.

Even worse, the only scholar in the city who knew a little about epigraphy had his home burgled in the middle of the night, and several books on ancient jade appraisal and a few rubbings were stolen.

"Guard, these spies are resorting to underhanded tactics!" Lei Bao roared. "Why don't we capture a few and teach them a lesson?"