If I made you cannon fodder, how did you manage to achieve your goal of conquering the wolf's l

Outside Duanhe Fort, the night wind howled, carrying with it a flurry of snowflakes, making this border region exceptionally cold.

As Xu Qingshan stood atop the gate tower, the words "Let them smell the food first" had barely left his lips when, inside the barbican below the city wall, several large pots were already steaming. Thick brown rice porridge simmered in the boiling water, mingling with the aroma of dried meat, wafting out of the fortress through the cracks in the city gate.

More than 130 figures were helping each other as they trudged through the snow.

This is a larger and more disheveled force than before.

They were dressed in rags, and many of them had worn through their straw sandals, revealing their toes that were purple from the cold. Among the group were more than twenty children whose lips were blue from the cold, more than ten elderly people who were walking with difficulty, and three seriously injured people lying on broken wooden carts, their bodies wrapped in blood-stained rags.

In the middle of the group, there was even a heavily pregnant woman who was about to give birth. She leaned on the shoulder of a gaunt man, and every step she took seemed extremely difficult.

Looking at this group of refugees who seemed to have crawled out of hell, Liang Shun gripped the hilt of his knife and turned to look at Xu Qingshan.

"Sir, there are too many people, including many old, weak, sick and disabled ones. If we put them all into the inner fortress at once, it might cause trouble."

Xu Qingshan's gaze was calm as still water, and the data given by the system clearly appeared in his mind.

[Current combat-ready troop strength in the four fortresses: 187.]

[System task deficit: 113 people.]

He needs people. But the rules of Broken River Fortress cannot be broken.

"I said, only the outer gate will be opened." Xu Qingshan's voice was calm and unwavering. "Have people enter the barbican and the temporary camp outside the city in batches. No one is allowed to set foot in the inner fortress without verifying their identity. Give them a bowl of hot soup to keep them alive for now, and the rest will be handled according to the rules."

Liang Shun immediately clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, turned around, and ran down the city wall.

The heavy city gate slowly opened a passage as the winch turned, and the Zhenbei cavalry, who had been waiting on both sides, immediately raised their spears and shields, creating a safe passage inside the barbican.

"Put down your weapons! Line up! Anyone who cuts in line or tries to steal will be executed!"

Liang Shun's voice boomed through the wind and snow, carrying an undeniable authority.

The group of refugees, already dizzy with hunger, instinctively wanted to surge forward the moment they smelled the aroma of porridge, but they stopped abruptly when they saw the gleaming spear tips. They swallowed hard, cowered, and handed over their machetes and sticks for self-defense, before laboriously entering the barbican.

Just as the crowd had settled down and were about to receive their share of hot porridge, a clear, cold voice came from inside the barbican.

"First separate the wounded, the elderly, children, and pregnant women, and take them to the shed on the left."

Qin Yuenu, carrying a medicine kit and accompanied by several temporarily assigned medical personnel, strode into the crowd. Her eyes were sharp, her movements swift and decisive, completely unconcerned about the sour stench emanating from the refugees.

"Those with fever, cough, or external injuries should all be separated and not allowed to share wooden bowls with others!"

In this border region where medical resources are scarce, the slightest disturbance could escalate into a disaster. Qin Yuenu knew all too well that if an unknown infectious disease were to infiltrate Duanhe Fortress, this newly established foundation would be destroyed in an instant.

The medical staff immediately followed the instructions and categorized the people.

But just then, a woman's terrified cry suddenly rang out from the crowd.

"Baby! Baby, what's wrong? Don't scare your mother!"

A woman was holding a boy of about seven or eight years old in her arms. The boy's eyes were closed, his face was flushed, and he was trembling uncontrollably. His forehead was burning hot.

A gaunt man standing next to them peeked over, his expression suddenly changed drastically, and he cried out in alarm, taking several steps back.

"Disease! This is a plague!"

His shout was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan, and the crowd instantly erupted in chaos.

"What?! A plague?!"

"Get away from them quickly! Don't let them spread your illness!"

"Gentlemen of the Zhenbei Army, get this family out of here! They're trying to kill us all!"

Panic spread rapidly among the refugees, and their survival instincts made them exceptionally ruthless. Several bold men even picked up snowflakes from the ground and threw them at the mother and child, shouting that they would drive them out of the barbican.

The woman held her child tightly in her arms, knelt in the snow in despair, and kowtowed, crying her heart out.

"Quiet!"

Qin Yuenu shouted sharply, pushed through the crowd, and walked straight to the mother and child.

Ignoring the horrified looks from those around her, she crouched down, reached out and opened the boy's eyelids to look at them, then checked his pulse in his neck, and finally unbuttoned the boy's thick, tattered cotton coat to examine his chest and limbs.

The movements were fluid and seamless, without the slightest hesitation.

A moment later, Qin Yuenu stood up and coldly swept her gaze over the few refugees who had been shouting the loudest.

"Who said it's an epidemic?"

Her words were firm and authoritative, carrying the absolute authority of a doctor.

"This high fever is caused by catching a cold from a long trek, coupled with severe frostbite on the hands and feet! Walking in this icy and snowy environment for over ten days, you would have gotten the same fever!"

Qin Yuenu turned to the medical staff behind her and methodically gave instructions: "Go and brew two doses of strong medicine to dispel the cold, and bring a basin of warm water to wipe him down and lower his temperature. Remember, the excrement in the wounded and sick camp must be cleaned with quicklime daily, and all drinking water must be boiled before drinking. This is not only to prevent disease, but also to save your own lives!"

Upon hearing that it wasn't a terrible plague, the panic in the crowd gradually subsided. Many people breathed a long sigh of relief, and their eyes held a hint of awe as they looked at Qin Yuenu.

However, just as the crowd's emotions were beginning to stabilize, another unexpected event occurred.

A burly man in a tattered sheepskin coat suddenly stepped out from the back of the crowd. His eyes gleamed, but his voice was loud and clear.

"Don't believe their lies! The Zhenbei Army has no good intentions whatsoever!"

The burly man pointed at the tightly closed inner gate of the fortress and loudly incited the crowd: "They've been spreading rumors outside for a while, saying that once we come to the north wall, we'll be given land and grain! But look at us, now they're keeping us locked up in this dilapidated barbican like livestock, not even letting us through the inner gate. Where are we going to get any land?"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, waving his arms and trying to incite the anger of the displaced people.

"They just want to lure us here with a bowl of porridge, and after we finish this meal, they'll send us to be cannon fodder and do hard labor! Fellow villagers, we're going to die anyway, so we might as well break through this inner gate, go in and find food and seize land ourselves!"

People are most likely to lose their rationality when they are starving, freezing, and under immense pressure. The burly man's few words of incitement immediately turned some of the already hesitant refugees into irrational individuals.

"Yes! What happened to the promised land distribution? Why won't they let us in?"

"We want food! We want land!"

"Charge in!"

A dozen or so young and middle-aged refugees, their minds clouded by the frenzy, followed the burly man and crowded toward the inner gate of the fortress.

"Clang—"

The synchronized sound of swords being drawn echoed within the barbican.

Liang Shun's face was ashen. He drew his long sword and pointed it at the man who had instigated the disturbance, his eyes filled with murderous intent. The soldiers of the Zhenbei Cavalry stepped forward simultaneously, raising their spears horizontally, the tips pointing directly at the rioting crowd.

Just wait for Xu Qingshan's order, and these dozen or so refugees who led the charge against the army formation will be killed on the spot.

On the city wall, Xu Qingshan silently surveyed the scene. He did not immediately order the firing of arrows or the killing; instead, his deep eyes revealed a cold indifference that seemed to see through everything.

"Put the knife away."

Xu Qingshan's voice was neither fast nor slow, yet it clearly reached Liang Shun's ears.

He descended the city wall, passed through the ranks of the Zhenbei Army, and went straight to the group of agitated refugees. He didn't look at the burly man who was jumping up and down and stirring things up, but instead turned his gaze to the ordinary people whose faces were filled with confusion due to hunger.

"Want to divide the land? Want to have enough to eat?" Xu Qingshan retorted.

The crowd was completely silent, except for the sound of the flags fluttering in the cold wind.

"Qinghe." Xu Qingshan turned his head to the side.

Shen Qinghe, carrying a thick roster, walked steadily forward from the back. She had a gentle appearance, but standing in this battlefield-like border fortress, her aura was in no way weak.

She cleared her throat, and her crisp voice carried through the crowd as she announced the new rules of Broken River Fortress to the public.

"From this day forward, all those entering Broken River Fortress must first register as a 'temporary household for seven days'!"

"The first step is registration and background verification! The second step is that everyone, regardless of age or gender, must participate in labor within the fort to obtain rations! Only those whose identities are verified, who have no history of murder, and who complete seven days of labor can be officially registered as military households!"

Shen Qinghe held the roster in her hand high.

"Once you become a formal military household, wasteland will be distributed according to the number of people! Every inch of land and every grain of food promised by the Zhenbei Army will only be given to law-abiding and hardworking citizens, and we will never support idle, lazy, or scheming good-for-nothings!"

First register, then verify, seven-day temporary household registration, work and receive grain, and land is allocated after identity is verified.

These rules are clear, reasonable, and well-founded. For those refugees who truly came to survive, working in exchange for food is only natural, especially since there is hope of land distribution after seven days.

The initial agitation melted away like spring snow under the blazing sun in the face of these practical rules. Coupled with the aroma of porridge wafting from the large pots, the refugees completely quieted down. No one dared to cause trouble anymore; they all consciously returned to their original positions, lined up, and waited to register.

The burly man in the tattered sheepskin coat saw the situation was not good and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

He noticed that the way people were looking at him had changed, and if he stayed any longer, he would surely be exposed. He lowered his head, hunched his back, and tried to slip silently through the open outer gate of the barbican while the crowd was queuing.

"Stop him."

A deep yet exceptionally sharp female voice suddenly rang out.

Aman had already stood near the outer gate at some point, her eyes, sharp as a hawk and with a wild, prairie-like quality, fixed firmly on the burly man.

Two Zhenbei cavalrymen moved at the sound, their spears crossed, instantly cutting off the man's retreat.

"What...what are you doing? Fine, I won't go into the fortress!" The burly man tried to remain calm and shouted loudly.

Aman slowly walked up to him, her gaze traveling down his face until it finally settled on his worn-out boots covered in mud and snow.

"You are not a refugee," Aman said with certainty.

"You're talking nonsense! How can I not be a refugee? I came all the way from the south of Yunzhou by begging!" the man retorted, sticking his neck out.

"The soil south of Yunzhou is yellowish-brown, and even when mixed with snowmelt, it remains grayish-yellow."

Ah Man sneered and pointed at the side edge and sole of his boots.

"But the soles of your shoes are covered in extremely pure black coal dust. This kind of coal dust can only be found in the coal mines in White Wolf Village, which are specially made for iron smelting and heating. If you came from the south of Yunzhou, how could the soles of your shoes be covered in the unique coal dust of White Wolf Village?"

Upon hearing this, the man's face turned deathly pale. He instinctively stepped back, and with a flick of his wrist, a sharp dagger slid out of his sleeve, ready to flee.

"Take him down!" Liang Shun roared.

There was no need for Liang Shun to lift a finger; the surrounding Zhenbei cavalry swarmed forward. Shields slammed heavily into the man's chest, and spears swept across his knees. In just half a breath, the lurking spy was pinned to the snow, unable to move.

Liu Ruyan slowly walked forward from behind Xu Qingshan. Her once alluring eyes now held only a cold scrutiny.

"Since you're a guest from White Wolf Village, let me investigate what kind of shady things you're carrying."

Liu Ruyan squatted down and skillfully groped the man's body.

Her fingers paused slightly as they traced the tattered wool trim around the man's collar. She drew her dagger and, without hesitation, parted the seam inside the collar.

A very well-hidden lining of the collar was torn open.

Liu Ruyan pulled out a thin strip of paper crumpled into a long, thin sheet from the interlayer.

She stood up and slowly unfolded the note in front of Xu Qingshan.

The handwriting on the note was extremely small, and there was no signature or closing; it only contained three concise questions.

"How much grain is in the fort?"

"How many new recruits are there?"

"Has Xu Qingshan left the fort?"

Looking at these three questions, Xu Qingshan's lips curled into a cold smile.

The cold wind still blew against the north wall, but a silent battle had already quietly begun before the gates of Broken River Fortress.