His entire family perished in battle; he rose from the ashes to conquer the world.

"And you?"

Mu Yuan looked at another group of people involved in the fight.

Since it was a fight between two groups, he naturally couldn't only punish Dewey's group.

To avoid any unfair treatment and giving others grounds for criticism.

"We are willing to be punished."

The other group involved in the fight lost their previous tense demeanor and bowed their heads in submission.

Mu Yuan said sternly:

"The fight you had in the kitchen—that's where you eat—is a punishment! You're not allowed to eat today, and your training will be doubled!"

The army in Xifu is already facing a severe shortage of food supplies, and these hundreds of soldiers are now fighting each other while eating.

During this period.

This will inevitably lead to a huge waste of food.

Therefore, Mu Yuan's punishment was to starve them for a day and then increase the intensity of their training, so that they could truly experience what it meant to be physically and mentally exhausted!

Seeing that Mu Yuan had already punished them, Yang Dayan shouted at the group of soldiers in front of him:

"What are you all standing there for? The commander has spoken, so get to training now!"

These words were spoken.

The soldiers set off and began training.

"Dewey, you stay here."

Mu Yuan suddenly called out to Du Wei.

Dewey had some doubts, but he stayed anyway.

"I'd like to speak with Du Wei alone. You all go about your business." Mu Yuan looked at Yang Daye and the other commanders.

They sent everyone away.

Mu Yuan's gaze fell on Du Wei, who clearly hadn't spoken to the commander-in-chief of the first army alone and appeared very reserved.

"No need to be nervous," Mu Yuan said with a smile. "It's just a chat."

"Yes."

Seeing Mu Yuan's approachable manner, Dewey's tension eased considerably. He then asked, "What would the Commander-in-Chief like to discuss with me?"

Mu Yuan didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "What happened today was probably not something you initiated, was it?"

Upon hearing this, Dewey was taken aback, a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

"General, why...why would you think that?" Dewey's right eyelid twitched involuntarily, and his smile became somewhat forced.

Seeing that he was intentionally hiding something, Mu Yuan was not angry at all, but said softly:

"Should I say you're loyal and taking responsibility for others by covering this up, or should I say you're feeling guilty?"

After learning the whole story, Mu Yuan had seriously considered how Dewey, a centurion, could possibly mobilize so many people to participate in the fight.

It should be noted that the Western Army has been guarding the southwest for so many years, and in addition to being brave and skilled in battle, it is also known for its strict military discipline.

A brawl involving hundreds of people.

Everyone in the Western Army knew how serious the situation was.

Therefore, Mu Yuan had already concluded that Dewey was merely the one leading the trouble on the surface, while the real mastermind behind the disturbance was someone else entirely.

Moreover, this person is extremely well hidden.

It was inside the Western Army.

This is also why he sent everyone away and left Dewey alone for a talk.

Dewey was shocked by Mu Yuan's keen insight, knowing he could no longer hide it. After much hesitation, he slowly said:

"What happened today was ordered to me by Miao Hengping, the supervisor of the horse stables."

"Horse stables?"

Mu Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

The Horse Breeding Supervisor was in charge of the feeding and breeding of warhorses for the entire Western Army. This position was extremely important and was always held by someone trusted by the Mu family.

Miao Hengping's ancestors for three generations had all served as horse grooms in the Western Army.

It can be said that the Miao family enjoyed the deep trust of the Mu family.

"You may leave now."

Mu Yuan waved his hand, indicating that Du Wei could leave.

After he left, Mu Yuan's face turned extremely ugly. He had thought it was some commander who had secretly instigated it, but he never expected it to be Miao Hengping.

These three generations served the Mu family.

He was highly trusted by the Mu family.

However, they secretly sabotaged things.

Mu Yuan's feelings at this moment can be imagined.

He knew that the Western Army was unstable, but he never expected that the root of the instability came from the person most trusted by the Mu family.

Quickly composing himself, Mu Yuan immediately went to find Qin Hongxiu.

He planned to take her to the horse-breeding camp to have a good "chat" with Miao Hengping, the horse-breeding supervisor!

However, when Mu Yuan brought Qin Hongxiu to the horse-herding camp, they witnessed the most horrifying scene.

Miao Hengping, the horse herder, hanged himself in the barracks.

"Someone come here!!!"

Mu Yuan summoned all the horse herders from the stables, pointed to Miao Hengping's body hanging from the roof beam, and coldly questioned, "You knew nothing about him hanging himself?"

When the horse herders saw Miao Hengping hanged from the roof beam, they were all terrified, their faces turning pale and trembling with fear.

"General, Lord Miao usually prefers to be alone and doesn't like to be disturbed. We dare not disturb him rashly. We really don't know anything about his hanging."

"My lord, spare my life! I knew nothing about this matter, and I have no idea why Lord Miao would hang himself."

Faced with Mu Yuan's stern questioning, the horse herders fell silent, kneeling on the ground and expressing their grief and ignorance.

Qin Hongxiu was also shocked: "Why would he hang himself out of the blue?"

Mu Yuan remained silent, countless terrifying thoughts flashing through his mind.

He had just learned from Dewey that the mastermind was Miao Hengping, but as soon as he arrived, Miao Hengping hanged himself.

The whole thing.

Something eerie was about it.

This also illustrates...

Miao Hengping was not the real mastermind behind the scenes.

Dewey knew Miao Hengping, but there was someone else behind Miao Hengping.

"It seems the traitor within the Western Army is a hidden master, and his methods are extremely skillful!"

Mu Yuan's face was as cold as frost, and his eyes flashed with intense killing intent.

He had just received a clue from Dewey and thought that by finding Miao Hengping and interrogating him, he could find out the reason for everything.

However, Miao Hengping hanged himself shortly afterward.

Given that there were no signs of a fight at the scene, Miao Hengping most likely died by suicide.

But things were too strange.

Mu Yuan was certain that there were traitors with ulterior motives hidden within the Western Army.

The purpose was to divide and weaken the Western Army.

It undermines morale within the military.

As for whether this mysterious person hidden within the army was actually a member of the imperial court, Mu Yuan had no idea.

"Did Miao Hengping see anyone before he hanged himself?"

Since the horse herders were unaware of the situation, Mu Yuan had no choice but to change the subject and try to find some useful clues.

A horse herder with a face full of pockmarks replied timidly:

"There have been no military missions during this period, so there is no need for warhorses. The horse stables have been very quiet, and no outsiders have come to visit."

No outside visitors?

The clues suddenly hit a dead end.

Mu Yuan frowned, pondered for a moment, and then continued to ask:

"Since no outsiders have visited, has Miao Hengping gone out recently?"

Upon hearing this, the horse breeders looked at each other in bewilderment.

Finally, it was the horse herder with pockmarked face who spoke up: "Reporting to the commander, Lord Miao went out two days ago, and also an hour ago, he left the horse stables. After returning, he..."