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

The last page of the ledger, recording three hundred sets of armor and two thousand arrows, hung like a sharp blade over everyone's heads.

The outflow of border troops' equipment means that the people in Yunzhou are much bolder than expected.

But Xu Qingshan knew very well that one must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time.

The arms shipment won't be delivered for another six days. Right now, the most important thing is to take advantage of the collapse of Wanhe Auto Shop and the lack of leadership to clean up the mess in Bailangji.

The front yard of Wanhe Carriage Shop, which was originally a large open space where horse-drawn carriages were parked, was now filled with merchants from Bailangji.

Although last night's fire only burned the backyard, the news of Wanhe Car Dealership's collapse and the Black Wind Stronghold's leader being captured by the Zhenbei Army overnight had already spread like wildfire throughout the market.

Su Jinniang stood on the steps, holding a thick stack of invoices and ledgers. The cold wind blew through her fur coat, but it couldn't dispel the competence and composure in her eyes.

"Gentlemen," Su Jinniang's clear voice echoed throughout the front courtyard, "Yan Song, the manager of Wanhe Carriage Company, colluded with the Black Wind Stronghold to rob trade routes. The evidence is conclusive, and he has now confessed and submitted to the law. The Zhenbei Army has confiscated all of the carriage company's warehouses."

The merchants quieted down. They were all on edge. Based on the usual practices of the border troops in suppressing bandits, all the confiscated goods would surely end up in the soldiers' pockets, without them returning a single copper coin.

Looking at everyone's expressions, Su Jinniang smiled slightly and continued, "Commander Xu has ordered that all the property and money confiscated from Wanhe Caravan should be used to compensate the families of the robbed caravans and the guards and employees who died at the hands of the bandits."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the courtyard.

"Manager Su, are you sure you mean it?" Ding Wang stood at the front of the crowd, somewhat unable to believe his ears.

"The Zhenbei Army's swords are sharp, and their word is their bond." Su Jinniang posted a notice on a wooden pillar next to her. "After compensating the victimized caravans and their families, the remaining funds will be deposited into the public treasury of the four forts to be used for repairing the border forts and purchasing military equipment."

The merchants exchanged bewildered glances, their initial wariness gradually dissipating, replaced by genuine admiration. The Zhenbei Army hadn't simply replaced them with a new group of robbers; they were truly upholding justice for them.

Su Jinniang pressed her advantage: "In addition to compensation, the trade rules of Bailangji will also be changed starting today."

She held up three fingers, clearly outlining the new rules.

"First, in the future, when caravans pass through Iron Gate Fortress and Broken River Fortress, they will only pay the fortress fee once, and will never be charged again."

"Secondly, the Zhenbei Army will dispatch patrol cavalry to patrol and escort goods along the trade route. If any goods are stolen within the territory of the Four Forts, the Zhenbei Army will be responsible for investigating the matter thoroughly."

"Third, if encountering barbarian cavalry or roaming bandits, all nearby caravans must obey the Zhenbei Army's command, forming a wagon formation end-to-end to defend against the enemy!"

The three rules were put forward, and instead of any opposition, cheers erupted in the courtyard.

Pay once, and you get escort and tracking from the Zhenbei Army; in case of danger, you can band together for self-protection. Anyone in business can figure this out.

This swift and decisive approach made the merchants of Bailangji fully understand that Xu Qingshan didn't want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, but rather to ensure the long-term operation of this trade route.

"Manager Su!" The managers of the other three cart dealerships in Bailangji stepped forward respectfully, cupping their hands in greeting. "The Zhenbei Army is benevolent, and we can't just stand by and watch. If the Four Forts need wooden wheels or carts in the future, the three of us will supply them at the base price, without making a single extra copper coin!"

Several merchants dealing in ironware, smuggled salt, and medicinal herbs chimed in: "Sibao is in dire need of manpower right now. If Commander Xu is short of funds, our goods can be supplied to the Zhenbei Army on credit. We can settle the accounts next autumn after the harvest or when we have some spare cash!"

Su Jinniang smiled and accepted all the kindnesses, while calling Ding Wang to her side.

Ding Wang sighed: "I haven't received a reply from the employer yet. I'm just taking it one step at a time."

"Then stay in Bailangji and do me a favor," Su Jinniang said. "The Zhenbei Army needs one of its own in the market. If the Four Forts are short of any goods, or if there's any trouble in Bailangji, you'll be in charge of making the contact."

Without any hesitation, Ding Wang immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Don't worry, Manager Su. My life was saved by the Zhenbei Army. From now on, Ding Wang will follow the Commander's orders without question!"

This became Su Jinniang's first regular contact person in Bailang Village.

While business was being discussed in the front yard, Liu Ruyan was looking through another list in a guest room on the second floor of the inn.

That was a list of social contacts found in Yan Song's room. As the news hub of Bailangji, Wanhe Car Dealership was where Yan Song usually interacted with all sorts of people from all walks of life.

Xu Qingshan pushed open the door and walked in: "Whom have you set your sights on?"

Liu Ruyan circled a few names on the list with a brush and handed it over.

"These few," Liu Ruyan said softly, "the wine-pouring clerk at the wine shop on South Street, the broker at the horse farm in East Market, and the coachman at the post station who is specifically responsible for feeding the horses."

Xu Qingshan glanced at her and immediately understood her intention.

"It's inconspicuous, but you can hear the gossip."

"That's right." Liu Ruyan nodded. "The clerks at the wine shops can hear the merchants' true words after they've had a few drinks, the horse brokers know which family has acquired good horses and which family is about to run away, and the coachmen at the post stations know the whereabouts of every batch of official documents. These people are of low status, so no one will be wary of them."

She stood up and put the list away.

"I'll have someone contact them privately. Give them some spare change, or help them deal with some local thugs. The White Wolf Village's network of informants will be established quickly."

Xu Qingshan walked to the window and looked at the bustling streets of Bailangji.

Hou Sangang returned from running errands outside, pushed open the door, entered the house, picked up the teapot on the table, and took a big gulp of cold water.

"Centurion, we have such a good reputation now, why don't we just take over White Wolf Market?" Hou San wiped his mouth. "If we take over the shops here, Fourth Fortress will never be short of money again."

"I can't take it." Xu Qingshan shook his head and refused.

Hou San asked in confusion, "Why?"

"Bailangji is a treasure trove, but also a hornet's nest." Xu Qingshan looked out the window. "Not only are there hidden forces of various powerful families in Yunzhou, but also spies from several small tribes beyond the Great Wall. We currently only have a small number of troops, and we haven't even finished repairing the walls of the four fortresses. If we forcibly take over Bailangji, those people in the Yunzhou military supply depot will immediately seize on this and accuse us of abusing our power and plundering the commercial port."

"So, we're just going to leave this piece of fatty meat here?"

"We won't occupy the market, but we must control the vital passage." Xu Qingshan turned around and walked to the map, pointing to the only road leading from Iron Gate Fortress to White Wolf Market.

"Set up a patrol point for the Zhenbei Army at the entrance of the trade route. All bulk goods entering and leaving Bailangji must pass under our watchful eyes. Block the road, and we'll set the rules."

This not only preserved control of the trade route but also avoided the disputes that would result from directly occupying the market.

Two days later, the turmoil in Bailangji gradually subsided, and the trade route resumed operation.

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, a sizable caravan had already assembled at the south entrance of Bailangji.

This caravan was pieced together from seven or eight merchants and was filled with iron nails, medicinal herbs, coarse salt, and some winter clothing that Sibao desperately needed.

A brand-new wooden plaque was hanging on the shaft of the first large cart.

The wooden sign is engraved with a long sword and a shield, and in the center are four large characters painted in red: "North Wall Merchant Sign".

This was a new rule established by Su Jinniang; hanging up this sign meant being protected by the Zhenbei Army. Any bandits or thieves along the way who had eyes would have to take a detour.

"Let's go!"

Ding Wang stood by the roadside and waved vigorously.

The driver cracked his long whip, the mules and horses started moving, and the wheels left clear tracks on the frozen ground as they slowly drove towards Iron Gate Fort.

Xu Qingshan, accompanied by twenty Zhenbei cavalrymen, rode on their warhorses and quietly watched the caravan depart.

However, to Xu Qingshan's surprise, a large group of people were following not far behind the caravan.

Those weren't caravan crew members, but over two hundred migrants and border residents with their families. They wore tattered cotton-padded clothes, carried bundles of various sizes on their backs, and held children's hands, silently following behind the caravan's tracks.

Hou San rode forward, looking at the long line of people with some surprise.

"Centurion, what are these men doing? Why are they following the caravan?"

Ah Man returned from scouting ahead and heard Hou San's question.

"They are all unfortunate people who can't survive near Bailangji," Aman explained. "In the past two days, the news that the Zhenbei Army is distributing grain, wasteland, and recruiting new soldiers in Duanhebao has spread to the surrounding villages and towns. They heard that as long as they are willing to work, they can eat their fill in the four forts, so they followed the caravan all the way to Beiqiang to find a way to make a living."

Xu Qingshan watched the refugees struggling through the wind and snow, their eyes filled with hope, and tightened his grip on the reins.

"There are too many people," Xu Qingshan said softly.

"More people is better?" Hou San grinned. "What our Fourth Fortress needs most right now is manpower. With these people, what can't we do—farming, building walls, serving as soldiers?"

"That's good news." Xu Qingshan turned his horse around, pointed his long sword at the north wall, and said, "Let's go back to the fort. We'll go and welcome this group of new military households."

Accompanied by the neighing of warhorses, twenty cavalrymen of the Northern Garrison, like a black whirlwind, escorted the caravan and more than two hundred refugees onto the trade route back to Iron Gate Fortress.

The rules of White Wolf Village have been completely changed.

The strength of the four fortresses north of the wall is about to see a real increase.