I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

That night, Zhao Mingcheng and his group were temporarily housed in a relatively well-preserved old house in the city.

Zhao Mingcheng took off his scarlet official robe and fox fur coat, which were stained with dust and the invisible stench of blood, and changed into a light cotton robe to sit by the charcoal fire.

Liu Zhongwu and Xia Zheng sat opposite each other.

Xia Zheng seemed preoccupied; what happened at the training ground today had clearly had a significant impact on him.

"General Liu," Zhao Mingcheng said, looking up at Liu Zhongwu.

"Wang Shan's military discipline appears strict, but the morale of the troops seems unstable, and the lack of provisions is a major problem. We cannot sit idly by now that we have arrived."

Tomorrow, you will take twenty elite men and, under the pretext of surveying the terrain and familiarizing yourself with the defenses, make a trip out of the city. Focus on two things: first, the activity and approximate strength of the remnants of the Xisheluosa tribe in the surrounding area; second, whether the grain routes to Xizhou and Hezhou are currently secure, and whether there are any signs of small groups of bandits operating there.

"Understood, sir." Liu Zhongwu clasped his hands in acceptance of the order. He understood that this meant gaining firsthand knowledge of the military situation, especially the security of the supply lines, which was a matter of life and death.

Zhao Mingcheng then looked at Xia Zheng.

"Lord Guiyi, you will also have to make a trip tomorrow. Take a few trusted old subordinates and, under the pretext of visiting old acquaintances and expressing your willingness to submit to the court for stability, visit the Tibetan tribes in the vicinity that you think might be willing to communicate."

"Don't mention the specific conditions for the purchase of grain. First, sound them out—listen to what they fear most, what they desire most, and their views on the Song army. Remember, be humble and sincere. You are now the Duke of Guiyi, appointed by the court; you are going to show them a way out."

Upon hearing this, Xia Zheng's spirits lifted slightly, as this task suited him perfectly.

He bowed and said.

"Don't worry, sir, I know what's important. There are a few chieftains from nearby tribes who I used to have some connections with. I'll go and try them out tomorrow."

Zhao Mingcheng nodded.

"Alright, be careful in everything you do tomorrow. It's getting late, everyone go back and rest."

……

Chen Yan arrived on time early the next morning.

Zhao Mingcheng changed into his official uniform, but instead of wearing that eye-catching fox fur coat, he simply wore a plain dark cloak.

Accompanied by several soldiers under Liu Zhongwu, Chen Yan went with him to the military office located on the side of the former puppet palace.

The so-called public residence was nothing more than a few slightly larger stone houses.

One room served as the signing room, and the other as the storeroom and accounting room.

The room was dark and damp, smelling of moldy paper and cheap ink.

Chen Yan directed two clerks to bring out several thick stacks of account books and pile them on the dusty long table.

"Your Excellency, this is a record of all the accounts since the fall of Shanzhou, including the receipt of military equipment, consumption of provisions, rewards and compensation for those who have rendered meritorious service. Please take a look."

Chen Yan stood to the side with his hands at his sides, his tone flat.

Zhao Mingcheng nodded, sat down behind the table, and casually picked up the top book, which was about the loss of military equipment.

He flipped through the pages quickly and intently.

Chen Yan initially stood quietly, but after seeing Zhao Mingcheng look at it for a while, he coughed lightly, took half a step forward, and pointed to a certain place in the account book.

"My lord, this record shows the destruction of damaged armor and weapons on the day of the main siege battle. Due to the intensity of the fighting, the number was quite large..."

"I understand it," Zhao Mingcheng interrupted calmly without even looking up.

Chen Yan choked for a moment and took half a step back.

A short while later, he pointed to another place.

"Sir, here are some records of the distribution of compensation money. Some of the fallen soldiers' places of origin are unknown, so they are temporarily being managed by the military..."

Zhao Mingcheng raised his eyelids, glanced at him, his gaze calm, yet it sent a chill down Chen Yan's spine for no apparent reason.

"Secretary Chen," Zhao Mingcheng's voice was flat, "I have my own procedures for auditing accounts. Just answer any questions you have; there's no need for constant explanations. Step aside and wait."

"Yes...yes."

Chen Yan felt a little embarrassed and awkwardly retreated to the door, inwardly cursing the arrogant attitude of this scholar from Bianjing.

Zhao Mingcheng ignored him and focused on reading.

He wasn't an accounting expert, but he understood modern accounting thinking and quickly identified some problems.

For example, the reported losses of certain weapons do not seem to match the scale of the battle; in the records of rewards, several names appear repeatedly and the amounts are quite large, while the records of many ordinary soldiers' victories are vague or the rewards are meager.

Most importantly, while the accounts for food consumption appear to show daily entries and exits, the total inventory figure is decreasing faster than the rate at which the supplies are recorded.

Zhao Mingcheng remained calm and secretly noted down these suspicious points.

About an hour later, he closed the last account book and stood up.

"I have already glanced at the accounts. Take me to the granary."

Chen Yan's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said.

"My lord, the granary is a heavily guarded area, not to be entered lightly, and can only be opened with a warrant from Commander Wang. Perhaps... perhaps we should first inform you of the amount of grain stored in the granary?"

"I am here by imperial decree to assist in border affairs, and supervising the supply of provisions is my duty," Zhao Mingcheng said, his tone softening.

"What, is it that I can't even look at General Wang's granary? Or does Secretary Chen think that the seal of the imperial envoy appointed by the court is no match for a single order from General Wang?"

Chen Yan's forehead was covered in sweat, and he stammered.

"My lord, please calm your anger. It was not that I was trying to stop you, but simply that it is the proper procedure..."

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

Zhao Mingcheng stopped wasting words with him and said to a soldier behind him, "Go, find a handy tool and smash the lock on the warehouse door. I will take full responsibility for everything."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier had long disliked the eccentric scribe, and upon hearing this, he immediately went out and soon found a discarded short-handled iron hammer from somewhere.

"My lord! You mustn't!"

Chen Yan panicked and tried to step forward to stop them, but was silently blocked by the other soldiers.

Another soldier stepped forward, swung his iron hammer, and with a few clangs, sparks flew as the copper lock fell to the ground.

Lifting the wooden board, a foul odor mixed with the smell of mold and stale grain rushed out.

Zhao Mingcheng bent down and went into the cellar.

The cellar was quite spacious, but it felt empty at the moment.

There were some burlap sacks piled against the wall, but the quantity was sparse, less than elevenths of the cellar's capacity.

He stepped forward and used his dagger to cut open a burlap sack, revealing barley that was dull in color and mixed with a lot of sand and barley husks.

Several more bags were cut open, and the situation was largely the same.

"Secretary Chen," Zhao Mingcheng straightened up, brushing the dust off his hands, "is this enough grain to supply the entire city's troops?"

Chen Yan's face turned pale, and he stammered.

"Your Excellency is wise... When Shanzhou fell, the barbarian chieftain had already moved or burned most of the stored grain... Resupply has been difficult recently..."

"How much is left? Enough for a few days?" Zhao Mingcheng interrupted him, directly asking the most crucial question.

Chen Yan broke out in a cold sweat and, not daring to hide anything, whispered.

"If...if we calculate based on the minimum daily rations for the current personnel, we...can probably sustain this for about half a month..."

Zhao Mingcheng's heart sank; this was worse than he had anticipated.

With rear transport almost completely halted and frontline food supplies only enough for half a month, how could morale be maintained?

Wang Shan's arrogance at this moment probably carried a hint of desperate madness.

After leaving the granary, Zhao Mingcheng had Chen Yan lead the way to inspect several major military camps in the city.

The military camps in Shanzhou were mostly requisitioned civilian houses or makeshift shacks, with extremely poor conditions.

As autumn drew to a close, the mornings and evenings here were already as cold as early winter. Yet many soldiers were still wearing thin summer clothes, huddled together in drafty rooms, warming themselves around a weak fire. Their faces were pale, and their breath turned to frost.

Upon seeing the arrival of the official in scarlet robes, the soldiers hurriedly rose to their feet and bowed, their eyes filled with numbness and fear as they secretly sized up this unfamiliar high-ranking official from the capital.

Zhao Mingcheng entered a relatively large shack, which was crammed with twenty or thirty people and smelled foul.

He gestured to the crowd not to be so polite and asked gently.

"My lords, you have worked hard guarding our territory and expanding our borders. Have you had enough to eat these days? Have you been given warm clothing?"

The soldiers looked at each other, not daring to answer, but their eyes darted timidly to Chen Yan, who was following behind Zhao Mingcheng and had a grim face.

Zhao Mingcheng immediately understood.

He turned around and said to Chen Yan.

"Secretary Chen, I am a little thirsty. Could you please fetch some hot water?"

Chen Yan knew this was an attempt to get rid of him, and although he was resentful, he dared not disobey and could only bow and say so.

"I will go immediately."

Before leaving, Chen Yan glared fiercely at the soldiers.

After Chen Yan had walked away, Zhao Mingcheng looked at the soldiers again, his tone even more sincere.

"There are no outsiders here. Please speak freely about any difficulties you may have. I am here on imperial orders to listen to the true voices of the soldiers at the front and report back to the court so that we can seek improvement. What you say today will be heard by me and will not be leaked to anyone. I will not let any of you be punished for it."

Zhao Mingcheng spoke earnestly, and although he wore a scarlet robe symbolizing a high-ranking official, he was unpretentious and had a frank gaze.

After a moment's hesitation, one of the bolder older soldiers finally spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone trembling with tears.

"My lord... you are a star in the sky, please have pity on us poor people! Every day we cook porridge with coarse rice and barley mixed with sand. It scratches our throats and we can hardly even get half full!"

It's getting cold, but we're only being issued single-layer clothing. At night, the cold is so intense it hurts to the bone! That's bad enough, but... but the reward promised during the siege is nowhere to be seen!

It's all been...it's all been taken by those guys up there! What are we risking our lives, shedding blood and sweat for?!

Once someone started, others couldn't help but chime in, each offering their own complaints.

"Exactly! Commander Wang's personal guards have dry rations and meat every meal! We can't even get enough porridge!"

"My fellow villager killed two barbarians, but when it came time to record the merit, it went to someone else! When he went to argue with the captain, he was beaten with a rod instead!"

"We haven't seen any grain carts for almost a month. If this continues, we'll starve to death even without the barbarians attacking!"

"My lord, taking Qing Tang City is a great achievement, but holding it... is a matter of life and death!"

The sounds of complaining, grumbling, and sighs filled with despair echoed in the cold shack.

Zhao Mingcheng listened silently, his expression grave.

He noticed that although these soldiers were full of resentment, they dared not call Wang Shan by his name directly, and instead referred to him as "the boss" or "men," their fear running deep in their bones.

Unfair rewards and punishments, insufficient food and provisions, inadequate clothing, and hunger.

This is the real Qingtang under Wang Shan's "strict" military discipline; it is a lonely city sitting on a volcano.

After finishing his inspection in the evening, Zhao Mingcheng had just returned to his old house when Xia Zheng also returned, his face even more ashen than when he left.

"My lord," Xia Zheng's voice was hoarse, "I've been to several small tribes nearby... They... they're terrified. They didn't dare let me into the tent at all, they just said a few words outside."

"What did they say?" Zhao Mingcheng asked.

Xia Zheng took a deep breath, his eyes revealing pain and lingering fear.

"They say... the Song army, especially Wang Qianxia's personal guards, are like tigers and wolves. After attacking the city, under the pretext of searching for the remaining enemy, they break into the tribes, steal grain, cattle and sheep, and women... If anyone resists, they are slaughtered."

There was a small tribe with over a hundred members. Just because they had hidden a few bags of barley, they were all killed, leaving only the old and weak... Their bodies were all thrown into a ravine.

They now dare not graze their livestock during the day, nor light a fire at night, and are terrified at the sound of horses' hooves.

When I mentioned that the imperial court might be willing to trade grain and livestock fairly, they... they looked at me like I was crazy, saying that if the words of the Song people could be trusted, all the snow on the snow-capped mountains would melt away.

Another chieftain secretly told me that the people of Xisheluosa were secretly contacting them, promising that if they joined the rebellion, the recovered wealth would be divided equally among them…”

The information that Xia Zheng brought back made things much clearer for Zhao Mingcheng.

The fear and hatred of the tribes towards the Song army were as solid as frozen soil, unbreakable.

Just then, Liu Zhongwu rushed back, bringing even worse news.

"My lord, my scouts have discovered traces of the Xisheluosa tribe in the mountains thirty li to the southwest. Their numbers are unknown, but estimated to be no less than several hundred. Furthermore..."

His expression was stern.

"Half an hour ago, a small grain transport convoy of about ten carts from the direction of Hezhou was attacked in Wild Wolf Valley, fifty li east of the city. More than twenty laborers and guards were wiped out, and the grain carts were burned and looted. Judging from the traces, it was the work of barbarian cavalry, most likely the Xisheluosa tribe!"

When it rains, it pours; the last straw breaks the camel's back.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the city.

Before long, a commotion and a flurry of footsteps could be heard outside the old house.

Wang Shan, fully armed and leading a large number of personal guards, charged straight in with murderous intent, only to be stopped by the guards arranged by Liu Zhongwu outside the courtyard gate.

"Zhao Fuyu!" Wang Shan's voice boomed like thunder, echoing through the twilight.

"Our supply convoy was attacked, resulting in twenty deaths! This is a provocation by barbarian traitors, an unforgivable crime! I have learned that the 'Black Tent Tribe' in the northwest of Wild Wolf Valley has been in close contact with Xi Sheluo Sa recently, and they must be colluding with us!"

"I have come here only to inform you, sir, that you will not obstruct me. I will immediately lead my troops to raze this tribe to the ground, to serve as a warning to others and to avenge the deaths of my brothers!"

Zhao Mingcheng walked out of the room and stood on the steps.

As dusk fell, Wang Shan resembled an enraged lion, his eyes bloodshot, while his personal guards drew their swords and nocked their arrows, their killing intent filling the air.

"General Wang,"

Zhao Mingcheng's voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Whether the Black Tent tribe is an inside agent is still unclear. Even if they are involved, the ringleader should be identified and punished according to the law. How can we rashly raise an army and carry out a massacre? Our army's food supplies are running low, morale is low, and the soldiers are hungry and cold. At this time, we should be even more cautious."

"Prudence?" Wang Shan laughed angrily.

"May I ask, Lord Zhao, how can I refrain from taking action when these barbarian bandits have killed my men and robbed my grain? If this blood feud is not avenged, the morale of my army will immediately crumble! Only swift and decisive action can deter these barbarians and make them feel pain and fear!"

Zhao Mingcheng remained resolute, refusing to back down or yield.

"I have come here by imperial decree to assist in border affairs, pacify the barbarian tribes, and stabilize the region. Today, upon inspection, I found that the grain reserves are only enough for half a month, the soldiers are full of complaints, and the barbarian tribes are filled with fear and hatred."

If the general continues to kill indiscriminately, not only will it fail to deter others, but it will also force all the tribes to side with Xisheluosa. At that time, we will be surrounded by enemies on all sides, and it will become an isolated and deadly place!

I understand that General Wang wants to avenge his brothers, but I urge you to consider the thousands of soldiers in the city and the imperial court's grand plan to recover the Hehuang region.

Revenge must be taken, but not in this way! The most urgent tasks are to stabilize morale, secure supplies, and investigate internal spies, not to escalate the war!

Zhao Mingcheng's words were all reasonable and forceful, especially his points that "the grain reserves are only enough for half a month" and "the soldiers are full of complaints," which directly hit Wang Shan's sore spot and his guilty conscience. Wang Shan's momentum faltered.

He hadn't expected Zhao Mingcheng to have figured out the details so clearly in just one day, and he was even pressured by the other party's "grand plan of the imperial court".

"Stop spreading alarmist rumors!" Wang Shan gritted his teeth.

"I know how to handle matters in the army. Lord Zhao, this is your first time in the Hehuang region. How much do you know about the situation here? Do you know that the barbarian dogs only recognize this thing on my waist?"

Wang Shan patted the knife at his waist.

Zhao Mingcheng showed no fear; instead, he stepped forward, his eyes blazing.

"I do not know how to slaughter tribes like a general."

"But I know that if we want the Hehuang region to be peaceful and stable for a long time, and if we want the Qingtang region to not be lost again, we cannot rely on this knife alone."

"As long as I am here today, without thorough investigation and confirmation, you cannot arbitrarily send troops to slaughter the Black Tent tribe. This is not to prevent the general from seeking revenge, but to prevent the general from making a grave mistake and trapping the entire army in a desperate situation!"

"If the general still insists on going his own way,"

Zhao Mingcheng raised the official seal of the envoy in his hand.

"I will immediately submit this memorial to Your Majesty and the court for a decision!"

"You!" Wang Shan trembled with rage, gripping the hilt of his knife tightly.

Even though he was furious, he didn't dare to lash out when he saw Zhao Mingcheng wearing a scarlet official robe.

The other party is an imperial envoy with the authority to submit secret reports. If we take forceful action today, it would be an open act of defiance of the imperial decree, tantamount to treason.

Although Zhao Mingcheng's words were unpleasant to hear, his foresight regarding the consequences calmed his furious mind slightly.

He knew better than anyone that the army was short of food.

The two remained locked in a stalemate.

In the end, Wang Shan gave up and forced out the words through gritted teeth.

"Good! Well done, Zhao Fuyu! This humble general... will listen to you this once and not send troops for the time being! But if it is found that the Black Tent is indeed an inside agent, and you still obstruct me then..." He snorted coldly, said no more, and suddenly turned around and shouted at his personal guards.

"Go back and send more scouts to keep a close watch on the Black Tent tribe! Any further mishaps will result in your execution!"

Wang Shan left with his men.

Zhao Mingcheng stood alone in the courtyard, watching the figures of Wang Shan and his group disappear into the darkness.

The autumn wind swept by, stirring up dust and sand from the ground, and the chill was biting.