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

After the turmoil at White Wolf Village subsided, a large convoy bearing the "North Wall Merchant" sign slowly drove towards Iron Gate Fortress, churning through the still-unmelted snow on the wasteland.

Behind the caravan followed a long procession of over two hundred ragged refugees and border dwellers. The cold wind howled across the wilderness, cutting into their faces like dull knives, yet a rare glimmer of light shone in their eyes. Some were unfortunate souls who could no longer survive around Bailangji, while others were farmers fleeing the war. Hearing that the four fortresses north of the wall not only distributed grain and wasteland but also upheld the rules, they gritted their teeth and followed along.

For the North Wall today, people are its most precious foundation.

With people, barren fields can grow crops; with people, dilapidated city walls can be rebuilt; with people, Xu Qingshan's force of just over a hundred men can truly expand into a powerful and invincible army capable of withstanding the barbarian army.

However, with so many people, the stewards inside the fort began to get restless.

Talent war

Blackstone Castle, Council Chamber.

On the large, long table lay a stack of newly organized household registration lists, thick sheets of paper recording the names, ages, family information, and skills of more than two hundred new migrants.

Around the table, the stewards of Sibao argued heatedly, their faces flushed and spittle flying, over the newcomers.

"These clerks who know how to do accounting, and those porters who know how to drive carts, must all be assigned to Iron Gate Fortress!" Guo Shan shouted in a rough voice, his hands on the table. "The trade route to White Wolf Market has just opened, and there will only be more and more caravans in the future! Iron Gate Fortress is the first checkpoint on the trade route. If we don't have people who know how to take stock, do accounting, drive carts, and unload goods, and those caravans block the entrance, where will our Zhenbei Army put our face?"

"I don't care if you, Iron Gate Fortress, want to settle accounts, but all the farmers who know how to farm and those who have some knowledge of water conservancy and masonry among this group must come back to Broken River Fortress with me!"

Liang Shun did not back down. He strode forward and tapped his fingers heavily on the roster.

"The irrigation canal upstream of the shallow river has just been dug, and eight hundred acres of prime wasteland are waiting for people to turn the soil! If spring planting is delayed next year, how will the hundreds of people in our Sibao starve? If we don't put all this labor into the fields, are we expected to grow any crops?"

Sitting on the other side, Zhou Laoqi snorted coldly and slammed his teacup down on the table with a loud thud.

"You two families certainly know how to pick and choose! Blackstone Fortress, as the central hub of the four fortresses, is lacking in everything right now! In Baizhi's workshop, the furnaces are burning every day, and there's a severe shortage of blacksmiths and carpenters! Also, the centurion just formed the Zhenbei Cavalry, which is meant to fight on the front lines! All the young, strong, and agile men in this group must stay in Blackstone Fortress and be incorporated into the recruit camp! Without the protection of swords and spears, no matter how much land you cultivate or how much trade you engage in, in the end, you'll only be providing supplies for the barbarians!"

Feng Shouyi, the steward of Qingya Fort who hadn't said much until now, was also getting anxious.

Qingya Fortress is strategically located, nestled deep in the mountains, and what it lacks most is scouts who can traverse the forests. He glared at Zhou Laoqi and retorted, "You can't even spot a ghost in Qingya Fortress! This time, the roster includes more than twenty hunters familiar with the mountain paths. These men are natural-born sentries and must bolster the defenses of Qingya Fortress!"

The four people each held their own version of events and refused to give in, creating a tense atmosphere in the hall, and it looked like they were about to fight over the roster.

Xu Qingshan sat in the main seat, holding a cup of hot tea, quietly watching them argue without saying a word to stop them. This kind of argument was a good thing, showing that his subordinates were doing their best for their respective defense zones. If they were all in harmony and shirking responsibility, that would be truly disastrous.

"Stop arguing!"

A clear and cold voice suddenly rang out in the hall.

Shen Qinghe, carrying several newly drafted documents, slowly walked in through a side door. She had a gentle appearance, but standing among this group of proud and fierce soldiers, her aura was exceptionally calm, causing everyone to pause their conversation for a moment.

She walked to the long table and laid out the scrolls of documents.

"It's true that Sibao is short of people, but people are not commodities. You can't just pick and choose like you're dividing pork." Shen Qinghe's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable sense of discipline.

She looked at Xu Qingshan, nodded slightly, then turned to face the four managers and announced the newly formulated resettlement plan in a loud voice.

"The garrison commander has ordered that the following four rules must be strictly followed in this personnel allocation."

*Article 1: Families must not be forcibly separated. All displaced people with both elderly and young members must be resettled as a whole. It is absolutely forbidden for able-bodied men to be enrolled in Blackstone Fort while the elderly and weak are abandoned in Broken River Fort to farm.

*Secondly, the individual's wishes take precedence. Before arranging a destination, the displaced person's own thoughts must be consulted. Forcing someone to do something against their will will only be a waste of effort; forcing a blacksmith to farm or a farmer to forge iron will only lead to a pointless waste of energy.

*Thirdly, the needs of the four fortresses will be considered secondarily. After fulfilling the individual's wishes, minor adjustments will be made based on the skills listed in the roster and the vacancies in each fortress.

Article 4. Implement a policy of substantial rewards. Sufficient compensation must be provided to dangerous and impoverished areas. Those willing to settle in harsh conditions will be allocated more land, receive an additional 20% increase in rations, and enjoy exemption from all corvée labor for the first three years!

Upon hearing these four rules, Guo Shan, Liang Shun, and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Although they still harbored some concern for the good laborers, they knew that this method was indeed fair and beyond reproach.

Qingyabao Hunting Grounds

With the rules set, the process of assigning people to different groups officially began in the square outside Blackrock Fortress.

More than two hundred refugees stood in several large square formations according to their families and skills. Shen Qinghe, accompanied by his clerk, erected four large wooden plaques to the side, representing the four fortresses of Iron Gate, Broken River, Black Stone, and Green Cliff.

As expected, the allocation process showed a clear bias.

Iron Gate Fortress had frequent caravans, making it easy to earn some copper coins for running errands; Broken River Fortress had irrigation canals and wasteland, where farming could provide enough to eat; Black Stone Fortress was the central hub and the safest, with extra grain cakes available for those working in the workshops. Long queues quickly formed in front of these three wooden signs.

The wooden plaque representing Qingya Fort was deserted, with not a single person in sight.

The refugees weren't fools. They had heard people talking about it along the way. Qingya Fort was in the most dangerous location, isolated on a mountain ridge. Not only was the land barren and unable to grow much food, but it was also often the first place to engage in battle if barbarians or bandits came into the mountains, where there was always the risk of losing one's head.

Feng Shouyi stood beside the lonely wooden sign, rubbing his hands anxiously, his forehead covered in sweat.

He looked at the twenty-odd mountain hunters not far away, carrying old bows and leading hunting dogs, and felt a surge of emotion. If these people could get to Qingya Fort, the fort's reserve scouting force could be set up immediately.

Seeing that the hunters were hesitating about whether to queue up at Duanhe Fort, Feng Shouyi gritted his teeth, strode onto a wooden box to stand on, cleared his throat, and shouted loudly at the crowd.

"Fellow villagers! Especially the hunters over there, listen to what I, Feng Shouyi, have to say!"

His shout was full of confidence, immediately attracting the attention of many people in the square.

Feng Shouyi took out a document stamped with the seal of the Sibao Garrison Commander from his pocket and held it high.

"I know why everyone is unwilling to go to Qingya Fortress! They think it's dangerous there, and that there's no good land to farm! But don't forget the fourth rule that Miss Shen just read out!"

He stared intently at the group of hunters and threw out the card he had been pondering all night.

"Qingya Fortress may not have any paddy fields, but we are surrounded by mountains! The garrison commander has already granted permission to come up with a 'Method for Allocating Hunting Grounds and Mountain Areas'!"

"As long as you are willing to settle in Qingya Fort, in addition to basic food rations and a three-year exemption from military service, dozens of designated mountain areas around Qingya Fort will all be allocated to you as your exclusive hunting grounds! Apart from your regular military duties of standing guard, you are free to go hunting in the mountains at other times!"

Feng Shouyi's voice carried far in the cold wind.

"Of the game you hunt, besides the 20% that we hand over as meat for the camp, the remaining 80% is all yours! You can eat the meat yourselves, and you can take the pelts to Iron Gate Fort to exchange for silver and fine grains! We don't farm in Qingya Fort; we live off the mountains!"

Upon hearing these words, the eyes of the twenty-odd hunters who had been hesitating suddenly lit up with a strange light.

For people who make a living in the mountains year-round, farming restricts their lives, while a mountain area that can be freely accessed and is rich in game is even more tempting than the best paddy fields.

A middle-aged hunter with an old scar on his face pushed his way out of the crowd and asked loudly, "Sir, are you serious? The Zhenbei Army really won't forcibly take away the pelts we hunt?"

Feng Shouyi slapped the document in his hand hard, making a loud crack: "The garrison commander's seal is affixed here, black and white as ink, the Zhenbei Army is a promise, we will never go back on our word!"

Without hesitation, the hunter turned and waved to his companions behind him: "Brothers, we're mountain folk, bows and arrows are more convenient than hoes. Since we've got such a good opportunity, why bother going to Broken River Fort? Let's go to Green Cliff!"

Attracted by the favorable conditions, more than twenty mountain families and hunters, carrying their packs, stood under the wooden sign of Qingya Fort. Looking at this group of capable laborers, Feng Shouyi breathed a long sigh of relief, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

Meanwhile, the allocation of the other three forts also went very smoothly.

Zhao Dahe, who had previously demonstrated his excellent carpentry skills while building the canal at Duanhebao, took his wife's hand and decisively chose to stay in Duanhebao. Looking at the wasteland in the distance, he felt very at ease; as long as he was willing to put in the effort, the land through which the canal flowed would not let him down.

Meanwhile, the experienced old craftsman Ma Fu, along with his two apprentices, was led directly to the armory of Black Stone Fortress by Zhou Laoqi. Bai Zhi was in dire need of such experienced workers who could read machine blueprints, and Ma Fu was immediately entrusted with important responsibilities upon arrival, with his rations being distributed according to the standards for a master craftsman.

The foundation of the recruit camp

After a full day of work, the new population of Sibao was finally re-registered.

As night fell, the candles in the Blackrock Castle council chamber were lit once more.

Shen Qinghe placed the final compiled list on Xu Qingshan's desk, her voice revealing a hint of barely suppressed satisfaction.

"Sir, everything has been verified. Including the previous population, the number of temporary residents in the Fourth Fortress has now exceeded four hundred, and the area has truly become a popular place to live."

She flipped to the last page of the roster and pointed to the densely packed red circles on it.

"According to the recruitment rules you set, those with physical disabilities, those who do not meet the age requirements, and those with criminal records have all been eliminated. Currently, there are a total of 141 young and middle-aged men who have voluntarily signed up for the recruitment assessment and have a clean record."

One hundred and forty-one people.

For Sibao, which was severely lacking in manpower, this was an extremely large influx of fresh troops. If all of these people could be incorporated into the army, Sibao's defensive strength would instantly double.

Xu Qingshan looked at the number, but his expression was far from relaxed. He knew very well that signing up was one thing, but actually taking up a knife and fighting on the front lines was another.

He turned his head and looked at Xiao Hongluan, who was sitting by the brazier, wiping the white ash wood spear with an oil-soaked soft cloth.

"One hundred and forty-one people," Xu Qingshan said calmly. "What do you think?"

Xiao Hongluan stopped what she was doing, raised her head, and her cold eyes revealed the sternness and ruthlessness of a general.

She didn't look at the thick roster, but continued to wipe the tip of her gun, her tone undisguisedly cold.

"One hundred and forty-one people were able to register."

Xiao Hongluan placed the wooden spear beside her, making a soft thud.

"If we can keep seventy people after the ten-day assessment, that would be good."