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

Outside Duanhebao, on the barren land, the cold wind swirled snowflakes and blew close to the ground.

One hundred and forty-one young men who volunteered to enlist changed into uniform coarse cloth short jackets and lined up neatly in a square formation. Among them were farmers who originally cultivated the land, refugees fleeing famine, and deserters from Yunzhou who had taken off their uniforms.

Xiao Hongluan, dressed in light leather armor and carrying a white waxwood spear, stood quietly at the front of the formation.

There was no lengthy lecture, nor any promises.

"The first task is to carry a heavy load for twenty li."

Xiao Hongluan pointed her wooden gun at the mountain of sandbags piled up beside her.

"Each person shall receive thirty catties of sand, walk along the official road outside the city to the fork in the road, and then turn back. Those who fail to complete the journey before sunset will be eliminated. Now, begin."

A soft gasp rippled through the crowd.

Thirty pounds may not sound like much, but walking twenty miles in snow that doesn't reach above your ankles is enough to drain the strength of a strong adult man.

One hundred and forty-one people quickly shouldered sandbags and formed a long line to step into the wind and snow.

Xiao Hongluan rode a blue horse, following at a distance from the side of the group. Her gaze wasn't fixed on who was running in the lead, but rather on the changes happening in the middle and back of the group.

After walking ten miles, the line had become quite long.

Several already weak refugees were too exhausted to walk any further and collapsed in the snow, sandbags and all.

A burly man strode ahead, displaying not only exceptional stamina but also the energy to turn back and mock those who had fallen behind. When a companion slipped and fell, reaching out to grab his clothes for support, the burly man disgustedly stepped aside, leaving his companion to tumble into the mud, while he quickened his pace and was the first to cross the finish line.

Xiao Hongluan rode up to him and looked down at him.

"You've been eliminated."

The man's smug expression froze instantly, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "Why? I was the first one back! I'm the strongest!"

"The Zhenbei Army isn't for comparing who's the strongest," Xiao Hongluan said coldly. "When a comrade falls, you won't even lend a hand. On the battlefield, who would dare entrust their back to someone like you who only cares about saving their own life? Get out."

The man's face flushed red, and he wanted to argue, but two Zhenbei cavalrymen had already stepped forward, gripping the hilts of their swords and staring at him. He could only grit his teeth and slink away.

The able-bodied men who returned later fell silent upon seeing this scene. Several thin refugees who had barely managed to cross the sandbags by supporting each other and taking turns helping each other were instead allowed to stay by Xiao Hongluan.

The second assessment followed immediately.

Temporary formation.

Xiao Hongluan shuffled the remaining hundred-plus people, grouping three strangers into a team and giving them wooden swords, shields, and spears.

"Three people per team, and the commands are taught only once."

She personally demonstrated a simple combination of advancing, retreating, shield defense, and spear thrusting.

"start."

At a command, the sound of clashing wooden weapons echoed across the wasteland.

This stage eliminated even more people. Many men, relying on their farming skills, abandoned their shield-bearing companions upon hearing the attack command and charged forward alone with wooden swords. Naturally, they were easily knocked to the ground by the veteran soldiers of the Zhenbei Army using long wooden poles.

What Xiao Hongluan wanted was absolute obedience to one's position. Anyone who dared to break away from the formation and disregard the lives of those on the flanks, no matter how skilled they were, would be immediately expelled from the team.

By the time darkness fell completely, the able-bodied men were exhausted. After eating, they collapsed in the makeshift barracks and fell into a deep sleep.

However, the assessment was not over.

At midnight, a piercing gong suddenly rang out outside the barracks.

"Enemy attack! Everyone, dress and form ranks!"

The roar of the Zhenbei cavalry came from outside.

The barracks erupted in chaos. The new recruits, who had just fallen asleep, were jolted awake. Some put on the wrong shoes in their haste, some couldn't find their wooden rifles in the dark, and some were even huddled in a corner of their bunk, trembling with fear.

"Anyone who cannot find their team within one incense stick's time is eliminated!"

Amid the chaos, most people stumbled out of the barracks and managed to stand in their assigned groups from the daytime.

However, seven or eight untrained soldiers who had served in Yunzhou did not immediately form ranks after running out of the barracks. They carried their weapons, looked around, and whispered among themselves, seemingly doubting the authenticity of the order.

Zhou Laoqi, carrying a knife, walked up to the group of people and frowned.

"The gong has been ringing for ages, and you're just standing here admiring the scenery?"

One of the veterans recognized Zhou Laoqi and said in a low voice, "Steward Zhou, back in the Yunzhou camp, when the officers would bang gongs in the middle of the night, nine times out of ten they were just deliberately causing trouble or covering up their own smuggling. We need to see if there are really barbarians coming, otherwise we'll not only make a wasted trip, but we might also end up taking the blame for someone else's scheme."

These low-ranking deserters had long since lost all trust due to the corrupt military discipline in Yunzhou. They were used to their superiors changing orders at will, and when faced with nighttime troop movements, their first reaction was not obedience, but suspicion.

After listening, Zhou Laoqi did not start cursing as usual.

He had served in the border army for too many years and knew all too well what these people were thinking.

Zhou Laoqi held up a Zhenbei Army token in front of them, then pointed to the bugler standing on a high place in the distance, and the torches and flags waving in the night wind.

"The rules of Yunzhou don't apply to Beiqiang."

Zhou Laoqi's voice wasn't loud, but it was very steady.

"Here, there aren't so many twists and turns. When you see the token, hear the bugle, and follow the flag signal, there's only one way to go. Even if the flag points to a cliff, you have to jump. Because if you don't jump, you'll die; if you jump, the Zhenbei Army will cover for you. Understand?"

Several deserters from Yunzhou looked at the token in Zhou Laoqi's hand, then at Xiao Hongluan standing straight under the torch not far away, and finally put away the doubt in their eyes and stood up straight in unison.

"clear!"

……

In the early morning, the roster was placed back on the table in the council chamber.

After a day and a night of brutal selection, of the original 141 young men and women, only 61 remained standing safely on the drill ground.

Shen Qinghe took the vermilion pen and solemnly copied the names of the sixty-one people into the official military register. Then, based on the vacancies in the four forts, he assigned them to the garrison of Black Stone, Green Cliff, Iron Gate, and Broken River.

Xu Qingshan sat in the main seat, and a line of faint handwriting appeared before him as expected.

Current combat-ready forces: 248.

We are only 52 people away from our goal of 300.

"What should we do with the remaining eighty people who were eliminated?" Shen Qinghe put down her pen and asked softly.

"We can't send them all away." Xiao Hongluan walked over. "Although these people are not suitable for front-line combat, they are all strong. Let them undergo ten days of intensive training to hone their skills. Blacksmiths and carpenters who know their craftsmanship will be transferred to the armory; hunters who can read the sky and track will be transferred to the scout reserve; and the rest will be assigned to the supply train to be responsible for transporting food and supplies."

The expansion of the army in Sibao proceeded steadily amidst strictness and pragmatism.

As evening approached, the night training session at Duanhebao had just ended.

The new recruits were lining up to go to the mess hall to collect their meals, their heavy footsteps and shouts echoing beneath the city walls.

Just as everyone was about to relax, the Zhenbei cavalryman on the city wall, who was on lookout duty, suddenly turned around, his expression changed drastically, and he pointed to the northwest and shouted.

"Urgent smoke! Urgent smoke is coming from the direction of Qingya Fort!"

Xu Qingshan and Xiao Hongluan stepped onto the gate tower at the same time.

At the edge of the twilight-shrouded horizon, on the precipitous mountain ridge where Qingya Fortress is located, two extremely thick plumes of black smoke rose straight into the sky, carried by the night wind.

This is the first time that two plumes of smoke have appeared since the four fortresses on the north wall re-established communication.

According to the new password agreed upon by Bai Zhi and Xiao Hongluan, a single smoke indicates safety, while a continuous stream of smoke indicates a request for help.

The simultaneous rise of two plumes of smoke signifies an extremely dangerous situation.

A large number of cavalry were discovered, but their direction was unknown.