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

Xu Qingshan escorted the Black Wind Stronghold's leader and the Chen family's steward back to White Wolf Village overnight.

The wind and snow continued to rage, stinging faces like knives. The chief, bound to his horse, was ashen-faced, yet he let out weak, manic laughs the entire way. He was certain that the fire in the backyard of Wanhe Caravan had already ignited the fuse in the dry well, and that the silver tent—which could have taken his life and the lives of important figures in Yunzhou—was now reduced to ashes.

However, when the group stepped into the North Street of White Wolf Town, the scene before them brought the leader's laughter to an abrupt halt.

The fire at Wanhe Auto Dealership has been completely extinguished.

Although the air still reeked of burning, and wisps of smoke rose from the remaining wooden pillars, the backyard hadn't completely collapsed. Shopkeepers from the surrounding stores and soldiers from the Zhenbei Cavalry were carrying buckets of water, extinguishing the last embers in the ruins. The ground was covered in mud and ash, but the dry well in a secluded corner of the backyard stood there intact.

The chieftain stared at the dry well, his eyes wide open as if he had seen a ghost, making a gurgling sound in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

"Looks like your gunpowder didn't get a chance to detonate." Xu Qingshan dismounted, his gaze sweeping coldly over the chief. "Take him away and keep him under strict guard. No one is to approach him without my order."

Two Zhenbei riders stepped forward and dragged away the ashen-faced chief and the trembling Chen family steward.

Xu Qingshan led Hou San and strode toward the dry well.

Bai Zhi was at Duanhe Fort and not with him at the time. Xu Qingshan then asked Su Jinniang to find an old colleague from the carriage shop to lead the way, and they first carefully examined the dry well.

This dry well has long been abandoned, and the blue bricks around its edge are covered with dried moss.

Hou San lay prone at the edge of the well, raised a torch, and cautiously probed downwards by its light. The well rope was taut, hanging low into the bottomless darkness. A gust of wind blew, carrying a faint, strange smell from the well.

"Centurion, there's something hanging from the bottom of the well rope." Hou San didn't pull the rope directly, but instead carefully sniffed along the edge of the well wall. His expression changed slightly. "It smells like tung oil, and there's a strong sulfur smell as well."

The old man who had been brought over terrified his legs went weak, and he stumbled backward, nearly falling into the muddy water: "Before the boss escaped, he warned us that there was explosive gunpowder buried at the bottom of the well! Anyone who dares to touch it will be buried alive with them!"

"It's not gunpowder, it's a series of interlocking fuses." Hou San patted the ash off his hands and sneered. "This setup is insidious enough. As soon as someone pulls the well rope from above, the friction will generate heat, and a spark will immediately ignite the fuses soaked in tung oil. If there's an oilcloth covering the bottom, the fire, combined with the sulfur, will burn everything below to a pile of charcoal in no time."

The head of the gang never intended for anyone to easily obtain the account books; this dry well was clearly a trap to burn evidence. If someone had been foolish enough to come here to fetch water during the firefighting efforts, or if they had rashly pulled the rope now, the account books would truly be lost.

Xu Qingshan looked at the dry well with a calm expression, without the slightest anxiety.

"If we can't move from the top, then we'll go from the side."

He took two steps back and pointed to an open space beside the dry well that had not yet been affected by the fire.

"Get the tools, dig down from here. Go around the well opening and drill straight through the middle of the well wall."

Several Zhenbei cavalrymen immediately found shovels and picks, went around to the side of the dry well, and began to dig.

The frozen earth on a winter night was as hard as iron. A single swing of a pickaxe could only leave a shallow white mark, making the soldiers' hands go numb. But the men of the Zhenbei Army did not utter a single complaint. Several men took turns working, their sweat turning into white mist in the bitter cold, rising from the top of their heads.

"Push harder! Dig deeper!" Hou San shouted from the side, holding a torch for light, "Watch out for the blue bricks at the bottom, don't collapse the well wall prematurely!"

After digging for nearly an hour, the soldiers finally dug a large pit half a meter deep on the side of the well wall, revealing the wet blue bricks in the middle of the dry well.

He took a pickaxe and, controlling his strength, pried the bricks outward little by little, following the gaps between them.

With a dull thud, three or four bricks were pulled out intact, leaving a gap in the well wall just big enough for one person to crawl through.

"I'll go down," a thin soldier volunteered.

Holding a tinderbox, he carefully crawled through the opening into the well. The space inside the well was very narrow, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of tung oil.

"Centurion! I've spotted him!"

From the bottom of the well came the suppressed excitement of the soldiers.

He avoided the several pottery jars hanging above and the tangled fuses, squatted in the dried mud and sand, and dug through a layer of loose soil with his hands to find a square box sealed with layers of thick, waterproof, and safe oil paper.

The box was handed to the ground intact through the opening.

Xu Qingshan took the square box, its heavy weight pressing down on his palm. He used the tip of his knife to pry open the outer layer of wax and oil paper. The paper wrapping fell away, revealing a thick, dark blue account book before everyone's eyes.

This is the "silver tent" used by the leader of Black Wind Stronghold to save his life.

Xu Qingshan carried the account book into the secret room on the second floor of the inn, where Su Jinniang and Liu Ruyan had been waiting for a long time.

With the candlelight flickered, Xu Qingshan turned to the first page of the account book.

With just one glance, the breathing of the people in the room simultaneously became heavy.

Compared to the Black Wind Stronghold's record of looting using various coded codes, this silver ledger's record is direct and blatantly chilling.

Every shady transaction was clearly documented in black and white, without any euphemisms, with neat handwriting and clear organization.

*Military rations were released: On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, the Yunzhou Beicang Outbound Transport Office allocated 200 shi of military rations under the pretext of "losses".

*Interception along the way: When Sun Kui of Tiemenbao and Ma Rong of Duanhebao were in charge of the transfer, how many shi (a unit of dry measure) were intercepted, and how much silver was equivalent to them?

*Divide the spoils: Black Wind Stronghold will leave 20% as escort reward for the number of men they send to escort the goods.

*End-user resale: After the stolen goods arrive at Wanhe Auto Dealership in Bailangji, they are sold to which unlicensed merchants at prices higher than the market price.

*Where did the silver go: Of the final profit, Chen Huaiyi received 50%, and several warehouse officials and transport officials in Yunzhou Beicang each received a certain amount of silver.

It included not only military rations, but also warhorses, military crossbows, and even able-bodied men and women abducted from border villages.

Every stroke of the pen is irrefutable evidence; behind every line of text lies the blood and tears of the soldiers and civilians at Beiqiang.

Liu Ruyan quickly flipped through the account books, her gaze growing colder with each page. She turned to the last page, carefully examining the signature and seal, her brow furrowing slightly.

"This document records the details of how officials at all levels divided the spoils, and it also bears Chen Huaiyi's signature, but it still lacks the personal signature or seal of Chen Huaishan, the garrison commander of Yunzhou." Liu Ruyan raised her head. "That old fox Chen Huaishan has cleaned himself up too much. If he turns around and accuses his cousin Chen Huaiyi of using his name to swindle and deceive people, this account probably won't be enough to seal his reputation."

"His autograph is not required."

Xu Qingshan's gaze was cold and sharp as he heavily tapped his fingers on the densely packed three characters "Chen Huaiyi" on the ledger.

"Chen Huaiyi is Chen Huaishan's cousin. He nominally runs a horse farm in Yunzhou, but in reality, he is a 'white glove' for the Chen family to handle their shady dealings. This ledger, along with the testimonies of the head of the family, the accountant, and the steward of the Chen family, is enough to prove that Chen Huaiyi has been using the Chen family's carriages, private seals, and military connections for a long time to participate in large-scale smuggling and trafficking."

Xu Qingshan stood up, his eyes revealing a resolute air.

"As long as this fire reaches the Chen family and Chen Huaiyi is captured, I don't believe Chen Huaishan can really stay out of it. No matter how deep the waters are in Yunzhou, I'm going to turn it upside down this time."

Now, Yan Song, the manager of Wanhe Car Dealership, the leader of Black Wind Village, the accountant, and the steward of the Chen family have all been apprehended. With witnesses and physical evidence in hand, a black market profit chain connecting the Yunzhou military supply depot directly to the bandits beyond the Great Wall has finally been completely severed.

With the money account settled, the next major task was to clean up the mess.

Although the backyard of Wanhe Auto Shop was burned down, most of the goods inside the large warehouses in the front were preserved thanks to Su Jinniang's timely establishment of a cordon.

As dawn broke, several cavalrymen from the Northern Garrison pushed open the warehouse door. Their eyes gleamed with fervent desire as they gazed upon the mountains of silk, tea bricks, medicinal herbs, and iron.

These are all real money.

"Centurion, what should we do with all this stuff? Should we empty it all and take it back to the Fourth Fortress?" Hou San looked at the overflowing warehouse, rubbed his hands together, and couldn't help but ask.

Xu Qingshan looked at the goods and shook his head firmly.

"No, we are not bandits, and the Zhenbei Army will never hoard food."

He turned to look at Su Jinniang, his tone solemn.

"Manager Su, in the name of the Zhenbei Army, invite all the caravan managers in Bailangji who have been robbed by Heifengzhai to come to the front yard of the caravan shop at noon today to jointly inventory the goods."

A hint of appreciation flashed in Su Jinniang's eyes. She immediately understood Xu Qingshan's intention, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"As long as you can produce a bill of lading or other conclusive evidence to prove that the item belongs to the original owner, it will be returned first, without taking a penny," Xu Qingshan said firmly. "If no one claims it, or if it is confirmed that it belongs to the stolen goods from the car dealership or smuggled contraband, then the remaining amount will be added to the Sibao public treasury."

"The centurion's move is truly brilliant." Su Jinniang bowed slightly. "Although we took less of the goods, we gained the hearts and minds of the entire White Wolf Market trade route in return. From now on, the Zhenbei Army's prestige in the North Wall will be unmatched. From now on, you will be in charge of the rules of this trade route."

Before noon, a large crowd had already gathered outside Wanhe Auto Dealership.

The news caused an uproar among the merchants of White Wolf Town.

In the past, when government troops suppressed bandits, all the seized supplies were confiscated as spoils of war. There was no reason to return them to their owners. Many merchants came to the car dealership with a skeptical attitude, clutching yellowed old invoices in their hands, feeling uneasy.

An elderly tea merchant with gray hair entered the warehouse under the guidance of Su Jinniang.

When he saw the several boxes of tea bricks engraved with his family's logo in the corner, his old hands trembled so much that he could barely hold onto his cane.

"This...this is the batch of Pu'er tea bricks that were robbed of me half a year ago!" The old tea merchant, tears streaming down his face, knelt down before Xu Qingshan with a thud. "I thought I would never see this batch of goods again in my life. This is the lifeblood of my entire family!"

Xu Qingshan stepped forward and steadily helped the old tea merchant to his feet.

"Please rise, sir. It is the duty of the Zhenbei Army to guard the border and protect merchants. Your invoice is correct; please take all these tea bricks with you."

The old tea merchant was so excited that he bowed repeatedly: "The garrison commander is so benevolent! The Zhenbei Army is so benevolent!"

This scene brought tears to the eyes of all the businessmen present.

They have lived a life of constant danger, exploited by bandits and extorted by corrupt officials. Now, finally, an army is willing to genuinely protect them and treat them as human beings.

This incident solidified the reputation of the Zhenbei Army in Bailangji. The merchants who had retrieved their goods expressed their willingness to supply winter clothing, farm tools, and medicinal herbs to Sibao at low prices to repay Xu Qingshan's kindness.

into the night.

The commotion at White Wolf Village gradually subsided.

Inside the inn, Xu Qingshan sat alone at the table, carefully perusing the silver ledger again by the flickering candlelight.

Although the overall situation was settled, he remained cautious and never overlooked any detail.

When he turned to the last page of the ledger, his gaze suddenly froze.

The ink on this page is very fresh, clearly written just before the leader fled into White Wolf Village.

There was no record of any transactions involving silver or any deductions from military rations.

It only records a batch of "scrap iron" that is about to be transported to the depths of the northern grasslands.

"Scrap metal?"

Xu Qingshan frowned, his gaze following the line of text downwards.

When he saw the specific quantity marked below, his eyes narrowed sharply, and an uncontrollable chill emanated from his body.

That's not scrap metal at all!

That's standard equipment for the border troops! That's a strategic material that's absolutely forbidden from entering the grasslands!

The ledger clearly states:

A, 300 sets.

Two thousand arrows.

These corrupt officials in Yunzhou not only withheld the rations of the troops stationed on the northern border, but now they have gone so far as to sell the armor and arrows that the soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty used to defend their country directly to the barbarians on the grasslands!

This is blatant treason! It's collusion with the enemy!

Xu Qingshan's hands were clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white. At the very end of the line, a circle was drawn heavily with a vermilion pen, and the delivery time was clearly marked next to it.

Just six days later.

A sense of impending doom hung in the dimly lit, candlelit room. Six days were all that Xu Qingshan had left to prepare.