Border Soldiers: My granaries are full of grain and meat, and I guard this region.

Zhong Shao shook his head and smiled gently.

"He certainly can't make a move openly. After all, the emperor's imperial edict has been issued, and no one dares to openly defy it. Even though the war is intense now, Huang Dingyuan is a veteran general, and he wouldn't dare to go against the emperor."

Zhong Shao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued:

"But he secretly sent someone to contact the constables who were preparing to escort Ma Shuo, and secretly slipped them silver under the pretext of taking care of them on the way, and arranged manpower. My father intercepted a secret letter in Shuofeng County. It was written by Huang Dingyuan's staff to the head of the criminal office in Longxi Prefecture. The letter only mentioned one thing: he hoped that the escort route would be taken from the west and detour to Liangzhou."

Qi Feng narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

"He's going to detour through Liangzhou? What's he planning to do?"

Zhong Shao cleared his throat and continued to explain, "Brother Qi, you may not know this, but Liangzhou is Huang Dingyuan's hometown. He served as a military commander in Liangzhou for ten years in his early years, and his men are everywhere in the local government offices. If Ma Shuo's prison cart enters Liangzhou, even if it only stays for one night, that would be enough for Huang Dingyuan to make trouble."

"Whether it's intercepting the prisoner, letting him die of illness on the way, or even having someone take his place, as long as the person isn't on the execution ground, there's room for maneuver. Huang Dingyuan's ambitions are considerable."

Qi Feng remained silent for a moment, but he had already guessed that Zhong Shao had a solution, otherwise he wouldn't still look so relaxed.

However, in order to highlight Zhong Shao, Qi Feng still sighed:

"Is there really no other way to deal with this?"

Zhong Shao waved his hand and smiled slightly.

"Of course not. My father, as the Prefect of Shuofeng County, sent an official letter directly to the Ministry of Justice, demanding that the escort route must take the eastern route, pass through Linzhao City, and verify the identity of the prisoners at all times along the way. The Ministry of Justice was initially hesitant, but my father sent over all the details of the case file on Ma Shuo killing innocent people and claiming credit. The Ministry of Justice was furious after receiving it and immediately agreed."

At this point, Zhong Shao's tone softened slightly.

"But the problem is, although Huang Dingyuan won't do anything openly, it's hard to say whether he'll make any other moves behind the scenes. In short, as long as Ma Shuo is alive, we can't let our guard down. This man is vengeful and must be dealt with."

Qi Feng nodded; he certainly understood this principle as well.

The real concern right now is what if something happens to Ma Shuo during his transfer, or if Huang Dingyuan turns his attention to him; then Qi Feng will be in a very passive position.

"Besides this, there's something else." Zhong Shao's expression became even more serious than before.

"I have already checked the military equipment accounts at Duma Village."

Qi Feng raised his eyebrows upon hearing this.

"You found out?"

Previously, Ma Shuo had often prevented Zhong Shao from going to Duma Village to investigate military supplies and equipment.

Zhong Shao, as a military clerk, came to Fuxing County to investigate the military supplies and equipment inventory of Duma Village, but Ma Shuo kept stopping him.

Now that Ma Shuo has been imprisoned, Zhong Shao is finally able to spare some time to investigate, and his investigation has indeed uncovered some problems.

"A complete mess!" Zhong Shao sneered.

"In the years that Ma Shuo has been in charge of the troops, Du Ma Village has received a total of 800 bows, 20,000 arrows, 400 ring-pommel swords, and 30 warhorses. According to the accounts, these items have been consumed in daily training and bandit suppression, but when I checked the armory of Du Ma Village, I found that at most, there were only 300 bows, 8,000 arrows, nearly half of the ring-pommel swords, and only 12 warhorses left."

This time, not only Qi Feng, but even Zhao Tongchuan gasped in shock.

"So much less?"

Zhong Shao nodded.

"Well, Ma Shuo won't say where these things went, and his four commanders also claim they don't know. But when I followed the clues further, I found that some of these weapons ended up in the hands of several private merchants around Fuxing County, and the investigation couldn't go any further. There's probably something deeper going on behind this."

In fact, selling military supplies and equipment is a serious crime, but Zhong Shao was even more afraid that these things would fall into the hands of the Rong people.

If the Rong tribe shifts its focus and launches a surprise attack on Fuxing County next spring, they will likely have a thorough understanding of the military deployment and troop distribution there, and the area will become a scene of devastation.

"Qi Feng, there's something I have to remind you of," Zhong Shao said, looking at him.

"While Ma Shuo's matter is very important, we must be even more wary of the movements of the Da Rong. If the Da Rong and others really attack Fuxing County in the spring, you should make plans as soon as possible."

Hearing Zhong Shao's words, Qi Feng cupped his hands in greeting.

"Understood, thank you for the reminder, Young Master Zhong."

Zhong Shao nodded, a look of relief on his face.

"However, there is no need to worry too much. Right now, the main force of the Great Rong is still tied down in Longxi Prefecture. It will not be easy for them to shift their positions and break through in a short period of time."

"Even if they really intend to move the battlefield to Fuxing County, we will receive the news in advance. The movement of hundreds of thousands of troops cannot be completely silent. The main reason for calling you here today is to keep you in mind and not let your guard down just because things have calmed down."

Qi Feng nodded, but Zhong Shao continued:

"There's one more thing I need to tell you."

"Young Master Zhong, please speak."

Zhong Shao shifted his posture and his tone became more casual.

"I heard in Linzhao City that your Ye Family Restaurant has been making waves lately, especially with that Qi wine. It's far superior to any other wine. Even my second uncle had someone bring back a few jugs of Qi wine, saying it's better than any wine he's ever tasted before."

Qi Feng smiled and said modestly:

"We were lucky; we just happened to produce a batch."

Zhong Shao shook his head.

"Brother Qi, there's no point in saying that. You can't brew that kind of wine even if you're lucky. You sent some to me and Magistrate Zhao before Qi Wine was even made. You've been planning Qi Wine since then, haven't you?"

Qi Feng touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, not expecting Zhong Shao to see through his thoughts at a glance.

He initially sent wine to Zhong Shao and Zhao Tongchuan to vouch for them and avoid being scammed.

Just like when he competed against Laixianglou, if Zhao Tongchuan hadn't shown up at the last minute and given his endorsement beforehand, Xing Zhao and Wang Dun would have really screwed him over.

"Brother Qi, I invited you here today not only because of Ma Shuo and Da Rong, but also because I wanted to talk to you about your Qi Wine."

Qi Feng was already prepared and put down his teacup.

"Young Master Zhong, please speak."

Zhong Shao sighed.

"My father served as the governor of Shuofeng County. Over the years, he entertained guests and friends on official business, and the cost of alcohol alone was a considerable sum each year."

"In official circles, wine is indispensable for welcoming and seeing off guests, but to be honest, my father didn't think much of any of the wineries in Linzhao City. Until the pot of Qi wine you gave me last time was placed on his desk, he drank one cup and then immediately gave all the dozen or so jars of aged wine stored in his study to his servants."

Upon hearing this, Qi Feng burst into laughter.

"Prefect Zhong is a straightforward man."

Zhong Shao smiled faintly.

"The matter of Ma Shuo itself has already made my father take notice of you, and after he learned that Qi Jiu was also invented by you, he specifically asked me to come and talk to you."

Qi Feng sat upright, waiting for Zhong Shao to speak.

Zhong Shao cleared his throat. "My Zhong family wants to open a shop specializing in Qi wine in Shuofeng County."