A daily intelligence report; in chaotic times and famine years, grain is plentiful.

Before long, the group arrived at the military camp in the north of the city.

The atmosphere in the military camp remained tense and somber.

Looking at the soldiers standing to the side, exuding murderous intent, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The officer led Chen Mo through the camp gate to the main tent where General Zhao was located.

"Go in, the general is waiting for you inside."

After the officer finished speaking, he stood guard outside the tent.

Chen Mo nodded slightly, then lifted the curtain and walked in.

The first thing I saw when I entered was General Zhao, who was sitting in the very center.

Beneath him was a tiger-skin chair, clearly from the tiger Chen Mo had hunted earlier.

General Zhao was just as serious as before.

On either side of him stood several officers.

"This humble citizen, Chen Mo, greets the General."

As soon as Chen Mo entered, he bowed respectfully. Having heard that General Zhao was unpredictable, Chen Mo dared not show any arrogance.

Get up.

Zhao, the adjutant, said casually, his gaze lingering on Chen Mo.

"What are your orders, General?"

Chen Mo asked respectfully again.

"Chen Mo, I ask you, were all the fields you cultivated on Black Wind Ridge burned down?"

"I asked Zhao, the military officer."

Hearing this, Chen Mo finally felt relieved.

Since this matter is being investigated, Chen Mo can make a good impression.

He immediately sighed heavily, knelt down, and said, "It is indeed true. Please investigate thoroughly, General. It was all the work of the Wang family. That villain Wang Mang secretly set fire to our fields, burning them down under the cover of night!"

Chen Mo sighed again as he spoke.

He did not intend to tell General Zhao the truth, leaving himself some room for maneuver.

"That was the result of months of hard work by our entire village. We were just about to grow enough grain to feed the army, but Wang Mang burned it all down! We beg the general to do justice for us and severely punish the Wang family!"

Chen Mo once again displayed a heartbroken expression, his eyes almost welling up with tears.

Seeing this, Lieutenant General Zhao still had a furrowed brow.

Before General Zhao could speak, an officer beside him couldn't help but interject, "Stop playing the victim here. There's only a month and a half left until the autumn harvest. Even if you start clearing land and planting new crops, it's impossible to make it in time. What excuse will you have when you can't deliver the grain?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo fell into deep thought.

This officer dared to interrupt General Zhao, which clearly meant what General Zhao said.

At this moment, Zhao Canjiang's eyes clearly held a hint of doubt.

"I sent men to investigate thoroughly, and the Wang family did not admit to setting the fire. Instead, they said it was you, Chen Moqian, and framed him."

General Zhao suddenly spoke up.

"General, do not believe them so easily. Why would a commoner burn his own land for no reason? This will only bring harm and no benefit!"

Chen Mo explained slowly and deliberately.

"Of course I don't believe it. The reason I've summoned you here today is to ask whether you can still deliver on your promise of 150 catties of grain per household?"

Zhao's tone became even more serious.

Chen Mo did not answer immediately, but pretended to be thinking.

Seeing that Chen Mo remained silent, an officer beside him couldn't help but say, "General, in my opinion, this man didn't have the ability to make such a boast. We should replace him as soon as possible to avoid delaying tomorrow's grain collection."

The imperial court now rarely provides military rations and pay; local armies have to find their own solutions.

Facing the questioning gazes of the crowd, Chen Mo suddenly became calmer, looked at General Zhao, and said firmly, "Please rest assured, General. Since I, Chen Mo, have promised you that I would gather 150 catties of grain for each household, I will absolutely not go back on my word!"

"There are only two months left until winter, can you really do it?"

General Zhao stared intently at the young man before him, and for some reason, he felt that the young man's cunning was unfathomable.

"Although two months is a tight timeframe, I, Chen Mo, have my own methods. I will certainly be able to pay enough taxes and grain before winter. If there is any mishap, I, Chen Mo, will submit to the General's judgment!"

Chen Mo spoke with unwavering conviction.

Looking at Chen Mo's confident demeanor, Zhao, the military officer, couldn't tell for a moment whether the other party was lying or not.

At this moment, Chen Mo suddenly changed the subject and said, "But General, you must find out that the person who set the mountain on fire is a member of the Wang family. The culprit must be severely punished to give justice to the entire village."

Zhao, the military officer, stared at Chen Mo for a long time. Seeing that the latter's eyes were open and honest, and that he did not seem to be lying at all, Zhao had no other choice but to accept it. Although he still had doubts, he had no other options at the moment.

"Alright! Then I'll trust you one more time."

Zhao, the adjutant, finally spoke, and his tone softened considerably.

He stood up, slowly walked to Chen Mo's side, and said, "I will investigate the Wang family's arson matter further. As for you, you must deliver grain to the military camp before winter. This is a military order; if you fail to do so..."

"Definitely! Thank you, General!"

Chen Mo quickly bowed in greeting.

"You may leave now. Hurry up and gather more food."

General Zhao waved his hand, regaining his previous serious demeanor.

"This humble subject takes his leave."

Chen Mo bowed again, then turned and walked out of the tent.

Not long after stepping out of the tent, Chen Mo bumped into someone who looked familiar.

At this moment, Wang Laoqi stood in front of Chen Mo with a worried expression.

The moment he saw Chen Mo, his brows furrowed and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

Behind him followed a butler, who was carrying a brocade box that clearly contained many fine items.

"Chen Mo?" Wang Laoqi gritted his teeth. "You piece of trash, how dare you come to the military camp?"

Chen Mo said calmly, "If you can come, why can't I?"

Hearing this, Wang Laoqi became even more enraged and said, "You villain, you set fire to the mountain yourself, and now you're framing my son, delaying the general's duties. Can you bear the responsibility?"

Hearing this, Chen Mo sneered inwardly.

"Old Wang, don't try to twist the truth here. It's clearly your son, Wang Mang, who was heartless and insane. He set fire to the mountain in the middle of the night, trying to cut off our entire village's livelihood. Now he's been caught red-handed by the government troops, and you're still trying to deny it?"

Chen Mo deliberately feigned anxiety, but in reality, he remained completely calm, waiting to see the Wang family make a fool of themselves.

"What evidence do you have? It's just that you're incompetent, knowing you can't complete the task the general gave you, and you want to find my son to be a scapegoat. Don't think I don't know."

Wang Laoqi turned the tables again.

He knew very well that now that the fields had been burned, the villagers had lost their harvest and would definitely not be able to gather enough rations for the army before winter.

When the general gets angry, Chen Mo will be the first one to be dealt with!

"Your Wang family has committed numerous evils in the village, and now you've condoned your son's arson. You'll get your retribution sooner or later!"

Chen Mo looked anxious again.

"Hmph, I don't have time to waste words with a poor kid like you." Old Wang waved his hand abruptly. "I'm here to pay my respects to General Zhao. Get out of my way and don't block my way."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Chen Mo and walked straight towards the camp.

Chen Mo stood there, watching his hurried departure. The anger on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a smile.