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

Inside the camp.

Lieutenant General Zhao remained seated in the tiger-skin chair, his expression unchanged, still maintaining a serious demeanor.

"Greetings, General!"

Wang Laoqi held the brocade box with both hands and carefully handed it over, his face full of humility.

"General, this is a small gift from a humble person. I hope you will accept it with a smile."

The guards beside him took the brocade box and presented it to Zhao, the adjutant.

When Zhao opened it, he found a pair of jade bracelets inside.

"Wang Laoqi? What do you mean by that?"

Zhao, the military advisor, closed the brocade box and casually placed it aside.

"This is my family heirloom, which I present to the general today, with only one request."

Wang Laoqi got straight to the point.

"What is it?"

Lieutenant General Zhao had already guessed the general idea.

Yesterday, Wang Laoqi had already sent people to see him several times, but Zhao Canjiang was busy dealing with the bandit suppression and had no time to pay attention to the Wang family.

"General, my son Wang Mang is young and ignorant, but he would never do something like setting the mountain on fire. He was found at the fire scene earlier, so he must have been framed. I beg you, General, to show leniency and spare his life. I will be eternally grateful."

Wang Laoqi immediately knelt down, his tone full of pleading.

His good-for-nothing son has been detained by the government troops for two days, and no one knows what his current situation is.

Upon hearing this, Zhao, the military officer, showed no surprise whatsoever.

"Framed? But I heard he was caught red-handed by our patrolling soldiers at the scene of the arson. Could it be that I framed you?"

Zhao's tone became more stern.

Whether or not Wang Mang set the fire was not important to Zhao, the military officer.

Now that the fire has been set, and Chen Mo has promised to replenish the food supplies, General Zhao doesn't want to pursue the matter further.

He deliberately suppressed this matter to give the Wang family a good warning.

"General, you are wise! My son is always very obedient; how could he possibly do such outrageous things? Someone must have deliberately set a trap to frame our Wang family!"

Wang Laoqi spoke nervously.

He felt completely unsure of himself and kept secretly observing Zhao Canjiang's expression.

These empty words were of little use; whether or not his son could be saved depended entirely on Zhao Canjiang's mood.

"Setting fire to the mountain and burning down the military grain fields is a capital offense. If I let him go easily, how can I maintain order among the people? Besides, the people whose fields were burned are crying and demanding justice from me."

Zhao Canjiang stared coldly at Wang Laoqi.

Upon hearing this, Wang Laoqi felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that Zhao Canjiang was trying to manipulate him.

If we continue with this nonsense, it's clear that Lieutenant General Zhao has lost his patience.

"General, my son may have some responsibilities at this time, and I am willing to make amends."

Wang Laoqi said sincerely.

"How can we make amends?"

General Zhao asked curiously.

As far as he was concerned, whether it was Chen Mo or Wang Laoqi, he would choose whoever offered him more benefits.

"The matter of preparing military provisions should be left to me. My Wang family has always handled the task of collecting grain from the village perfectly, and this time it will definitely not delay the general's plan to suppress the bandits."

Wang Laoqi kowtowed, displaying extreme loyalty.

His idea was very simple: now that Chen Mo's fields had been burned, the Wang family could take the opportunity to reclaim their job of collecting grain for the government army.

Not only will they be able to extort even more from the villagers, but they can also take the opportunity to suppress Chen Mo, killing two birds with one stone.

Just as Wang Laoqi was lost in thought, Zhao Canjiang said calmly, "I have already entrusted the matter of requisitioning grain to Chen Mo. Since he dared to make a pledge to me, I will trust him this time."

Wang Laoqi's face darkened, and he cursed Chen Mo inwardly.

This guy must have had some incredible luck to actually gain General Zhao's trust.

However, the situation was now unfavorable to the Wang family, so Wang Laoqi had no choice but to lower his head again, suppress his dissatisfaction, and continue to plead.

"General, Chen Mo is just a country bumpkin. He couldn't possibly have such abilities. Look at this fire; it's very likely that it was caused by his unauthorized land clearing. If he can't gather enough food, it would delay your important business."

After Wang Laoqi finished speaking, he continued to observe Zhao Canjiang's expression.

At this moment, Lieutenant General Zhao also seemed to be deep in thought.

"However, you're not wrong either."

Zhao, the adjutant, suddenly spoke up.

Hearing that Lieutenant General Zhao had changed his mind, Wang Laoqi finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "In that case, General, you might as well trust me and I guarantee that it will be handled as properly as before."

Before the government troops arrived, the Wang family had always colluded with the government to exploit the people.

Now that Chen Mo has suddenly appeared, the Wang family is eager to get rid of him.

"However, since I have already promised Chen Mo, if I suddenly change my mind, wouldn't it make me seem like I have no sincerity at all?"

Zhao, the military officer, spoke again.

"this……"

Wang Laoqi suddenly fell silent.

"I will keep an eye on Chen Mo's situation. If he truly fails to do so, he will be dealt with according to military law. If he cannot accomplish this, then the requisitioning of grain in the Shannan Town area will be handled by you from now on. What do you say?"

Zhao, the adjutant, probed.

He knew very well that if he handed the task over to these local gentry, they would reap countless benefits from it.

But given the current situation, Lieutenant General Zhao can't openly turn against them.

Hearing that there was still a chance to salvage the situation, Wang Laoqi knew he couldn't ask for anything more.

If Chen Mo fails this time, the Wang family will naturally still have a chance.

"Then...General, what about my son?"

Wang Laoqi spoke cautiously.

"I understand, but as local gentry, the Wang family should also share the burdens of the imperial court."

General Zhao then changed the subject.

Wang Laoqi frowned slightly, instantly understanding what Zhao Canjiang meant.

This will force the Wang family to bleed again!

The Wang family suffered a loss last time because of the tiger incident, but this time, they had no choice but to rescue Wang Mang.

Before Wang Laoqi could speak, Lieutenant General Zhao continued, "The battle to suppress the bandits in the north is at a stalemate, and the new recruits still need three months of training. However, the imperial army's rations are running low, and so many brothers under our command are waiting for food. We can't fight on empty stomachs. Do you have any ideas?"

Hearing these words, Wang Laoqi felt a chill in his heart.

Lieutenant General Zhao is openly extorting money!

"Don't worry, General, I will go and prepare food right now, and I will make sure that the government troops don't go hungry."

Wang Laoqi assured him.

Upon hearing this, Zhao, the adjutant, finally smiled and said, "Good, I admire people like you who understand the bigger picture. I will investigate Wang Mang's matter again. I believe there is indeed a misunderstanding. Once the matter is clarified, I will release him."

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, it was already a very clear commitment.

Wang Laoqi finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly thanked him, saying, "Thank you, General. I will go back and prepare immediately!"

After leaving the military camp, Wang Laoqi's face froze instantly.

In recent days, the Wang family's grain reserves have been plundered by government troops, with half of them already seized.

We must get all that profit back from those lowly people!