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

The messenger cavalryman from the Yunzhou General's Office was like a domestic dog thrown into a pack of wolves.

He stared at the official document in his hand, heavily stamped with the seal of "Four Forts Garrison Commander," his face ashen. The bright red ink was directly over the name of Chen Huaishan, the garrison commander of Yunzhou—a blatant act of contempt and provocation in the army.

The cold, murderous gazes of the more than three hundred Zhenbei Army soldiers around him felt like tangible blades scraping across his neck. He could even clearly hear the subtle friction of the veteran soldiers pressing their sword hilts against each other.

"Go back." Xu Qingshan looked down at him, his tone devoid of any emotion. "Hand over this stamped document to Chen Huaishan intact. Tell him that I have noted the ten-day deadline."

The cavalryman, as if granted a pardon, scrambled onto his horse. Overwhelmed with fear, he twice failed to steady himself in the stirrups. Finally, amidst the mocking laughter of the soldiers of Duanhe Fortress, he whipped his horse in a disheveled state and charged out of the city gate like a stray dog, plunging headlong into the vast snowstorm.

As they watched the departing figure on horseback, the new and old soldiers on the drill ground erupted in a burst of cheers.

For years, the border troops on the north wall had been relentlessly suppressed by the Yunzhou camp, their rations and pay withheld, leaving them at the mercy of others. Today, their garrison commander finally slapped those bloodsuckers of Yunzhou hard across the face in front of everyone.

However, Xu Qingshan's expression did not show any sign of relaxation.

After giving instructions on the deployment, Xu Qingshan, along with Liu Ruyan, Su Jinniang, Hou San, and others, quickly returned to the council hall.

The heavy wooden door closed tightly behind me, completely shutting out the noise from outside.

The charcoal fire inside the council chamber was still burning brightly, but an unusually heavy sense of oppression permeated the air.

Xu Qingshan walked to the long table and repeated the contents of the crumpled piece of paper he had previously written on the training ground to everyone, word by word.

"Zhao Wu has disappeared." Xu Qingshan's gaze turned cold. "Lord Tang Su's secret letter says that Zhao Wu was ambushed and killed by unknown forces during his escort, and his whereabouts are unknown. This is definitely not the work of ordinary bandits."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people in the room changed drastically.

Zhao Wu was Tang Su's most trusted bodyguard, highly skilled and exceptionally cautious. Tang Su's decision to send him to escort important witnesses and evidence meant he would undoubtedly be using the most discreet route.

"They were able to accurately track Zhao Wu's movements and had the ability to ambush him en route, even preventing him from sending out a signal for help..." Liu Ruyan frowned, her fingers tapping lightly on the table as she analyzed the situation. "This means that the Yunzhou military supply depot's spies have been keeping an eye on Lord Tang Su for a long time. Chen Huaiyi, the 'Second Master' of the Chen family, has been operating in Yunzhou for many years, with deep-rooted influence in both the legitimate and underworld circles. He must have sensed the news of the Black Wind Stronghold's leader's capture, which is why he acted desperately and struck first."

Su Jinniang gasped, and said with some worry, "If Zhao Wu is arrested, or if those pieces of evidence are destroyed, wouldn't Lord Tang Su be isolated and helpless in Yunzhou? Chen Huaishan's official document came so quickly; he clearly wants to use this as an excuse to first accuse you of plotting a rebellion, so that he can legitimately send a large army to annihilate the four forts and kill you to silence you."

"That old fox Chen Huaishan is really shrewd," Hou San sneered, crossing his arms. "He gave us a ten-day deadline. These ten days are the time he has to mobilize his troops and set up a trap in Yunzhou City. If we don't go, we'll be seen as disobedient rebels; if we go, we'll be walking into a trap and facing certain death."

Everyone remained silent.

Chen Huaishan was, after all, the garrison commander of Yunzhou, commanding tens of thousands of regular border troops, and nominally Xu Qingshan's superior. If he were to seize the moral high ground, the three hundred-odd men that the four forts had just mustered would be utterly powerless to resist the crushing force of the Yunzhou army.

"Chen Huaishan thinks he's going to win this game," Xu Qingshan suddenly sneered, reaching for another thick, dark blue booklet on the table.

It was the silver ledger that was dug out of the dry well in Bailang Village.

"He miscalculated." Xu Qingshan's fingertip landed heavily on the last page of the account book. "He didn't know that his good younger brother, Chen Huaiyi, had done something behind his back that was enough to exterminate nine generations of his family."

All eyes turned to him.

"Three hundred sets of standard armor, two thousand military arrows." Xu Qingshan read out the line of record circled in vermilion ink on the ledger, his voice as cold as the solid ice beyond the Great Wall.

"Reselling military rations and embezzling military pay—in the officialdom of the Great Qian Dynasty, one might be able to find a scapegoat and spend a fortune to smooth things over. But to secretly sell the heavy military equipment used by the Great Qian soldiers to defend their homeland to the barbarians on the grasslands…" Xu Qingshan raised his head, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "That's treason! That's collusion with the enemy! That's betrayal!"

"As long as we catch them red-handed, and bring these weapons and the barbarian and Yunzhou officers involved in the transaction to the scene, that will be irrefutable evidence! At that point, even if Chen Huaishan were just a Yunzhou garrison commander, or even if he were the Minister of War, he absolutely could not protect Chen Huaiyi. He himself would be implicated, imprisoned, and his entire family executed!"

A glint of light flashed in Liu Ruyan's eyes as she quickly calculated the time in her mind.

"When we found this ledger in the dry well, the delivery date marked on it was six days from now. Subtracting the time we spent organizing the trade routes at White Wolf Market and recruiting soldiers at the Four Forts these past few days..." Liu Ruyan's breathing quickened slightly, "The transaction will take place tonight!"

"Good." Xu Qingshan nodded. "Time is of the essence. We must intercept this batch of weapons. This is our only chance to completely turn the tide and counter the Yunzhou General's Office."

He walked up to the sheepskin map hanging on the wall.

With the unlocking of the mission reward "Four Fortresses Defense Map", this map has become a three-dimensional sandbox in Xu Qingshan's mind with no blind spots.

"Three hundred sets of armor, extremely heavy. The people of Yunzhou could not transport these things out of the pass quietly, nor could they cross the rugged Qingya Mountain. Their only option was to take those long-abandoned smuggling trails."

Xu Qingshan tapped heavily on a hidden canyon on the map.

"Grey Bear Ridge, Luo'er Gully".

This is a narrow mountain gully located fifty miles northwest of Duanhebao. Steep cliffs line both sides, with only a perpetually dry riverbed in the middle for mules and horses to pass through. Crossing this gully means entering the territory of the nomadic tribes of the grasslands.

"This place is secluded and rarely visited, making it the perfect location for such shady deals." Xu Qingshan's gaze was firm as he made a decisive decision: "Tonight, we'll close the net here."

He turned to face the crowd and began to issue specific military orders.

"The defense of the four fortresses will be fully taken over by Xiao Hongluan and Liang Shun. The city gates must remain closed. No matter what happens outside, no one is allowed to leave the city to engage in battle. Just defend the city to the death."

"Yes, sir!"

"Hou San!" Xu Qingshan looked at the lean scout leader. "Select three of your most clever scouts, dress them in civilian clothes, and infiltrate Yunzhou City immediately."

Hou San's expression turned serious: "Does the centurion mean to investigate Zhao Wu's whereabouts?"

"Find Zhao Wu's whereabouts, and at the same time, find out what's been going on at the Chen residence these past two days," Xu Qingshan instructed in a low voice. "But remember, your mission is reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. If you encounter any danger, evacuate immediately. Never engage in a direct confrontation with them within Yunzhou City. If you can contact Lord Tang Su, tell him that the fire on the north wall has been lit, and that he must take care of himself."

"Understood! I'll go prepare right away!" Hou San bowed and accepted the order, then quickly retreated.

Xu Qingshan's gaze finally landed on Liu Ruyan and Zhou Laoqi.

"Seventh Brother, go to the Black Stone Fortress camp and gather fifty elite Zhenbei cavalrymen. Each man should have two horses, three days' worth of dry rations, and no need for spears. They should all be equipped with fine steel sabers for close combat and the newly forged armor-piercing crossbows from Baizhi Workshop. Gather them outside the north gate of Duanhe Fortress before sunset."

Zhou Laoqi grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty glint.

"Centurion, don't worry. Fifty old brothers, every single one of them is a tough nut to crack. Those scumbags hiding behind the scenes selling weapons, I'll chop them down one by one!"

As dusk fell, the setting sun, like blood, dyed the snow outside Duanhebao a dark red.

Fifty fully armed Zhenbei cavalrymen stood silently outside the north gate, like fifty iron towers. The warhorses had wooden pegs in their mouths to prevent them from neighing, and their hooves were wrapped in thick soft cloth.

The wind and snow intensified again, obscuring all traces of the march.

Bai Zhi, dressed in a thick cotton-padded coat, pushed a wheelbarrow to the front of the procession. The wheelbarrow was loaded with several heavy wooden boxes.

"These are armor-piercing arrows that the workshop rushed to make overnight," Bai Zhi said to Xu Qingshan as she distributed bundles of arrows to the soldiers. "The arrowheads are reinforced with high-quality steel and oiled, making them very hard. If the enemy is really wearing those standard armors, ordinary arrows won't be able to penetrate them at all. We'll have to use these heavy crossbow bolts to fire at a horizontal angle within thirty paces."

Xu Qingshan took the heavy armor-piercing arrow and put it into the quiver next to the saddle.

Thank you.

He mounted his horse with a clean and swift motion.

There was no farewell, no grand oath. Led by Xu Qingshan, the fifty riders vanished silently into the snowstorm on their way to Grizzly Bear Ridge, like ghosts disappearing into the night.

……

At the same time.

Yunzhou City, Chen Mansion.

The atmosphere in the study was so oppressive it felt like it was about to burst into flames.

Chen Huaiyi, the "Second Master" who wielded considerable influence in Yunzhou's business world and enjoyed the benefits of powerful connections, was pacing back and forth with a livid face. He was fair-skinned and slightly plump, and usually wore a kind smile, but now his face was contorted with extreme anger and fear.

"Bang!"

He slammed his hand heavily on the rosewood desk, shattering the teacup on it and splashing scalding tea all over the floor.

"Arrogant! Utterly lawless!"

Chen Huaiyi pointed at the messenger cavalryman kneeling on the ground, trembling with anger.

The messenger had just escaped from Duanhe Fort and was now trembling as he presented the official document bearing Xu Qingshan's seal on the table.

"What is Xu Qingshan anyway? He's just a lowly border garrison commander! How dare he use his seal to cover the general's name on the commander-in-chief's official documents! Is he trying to rebel?!"

A middle-aged strategist sitting in the shadows of the study frowned slightly, stepped forward, and whispered, "Second Master, please calm down. Xu Qingshan's actions, though extremely arrogant, also demonstrate that he holds enough leverage to make him act with impunity."

Chen Huaiyi suddenly turned his head, staring at the strategist with bloodshot eyes: "You mean, the silver ledger in the dry well really fell into his hands?"

The strategist sighed: "Yan Song has been captured, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold has been taken prisoner, and the manager we sent to White Wolf Village to silence them has also disappeared without a trace. Although there was a fire in the backyard of Wanhe Carriage Shop, according to reports from our informants in White Wolf Village, Xu Qingshan dug the dry well from the side. That account book is most likely already in his hands intact."

Upon hearing this definitive conclusion, Chen Huaiyi slumped into his armchair like a punctured balloon, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

He knew better than anyone what was recorded in that ledger.

Not only were there detailed records of the withholding of military rations and the distribution of spoils over the years, but most fatally, the last page contained transaction records for that batch of arms!

In order to fill the huge hole caused by extravagance and bribery in recent years, Chen Huaiyi was audacious enough to take advantage of his control over several government-run horse farms to secretly replace a batch of discarded armor and arrows in Beicang with brand-new standard equipment, which he planned to sell to the vulture tribe on the grassland at a high price.

He originally planned to finish this job, cover the losses, and then quit for good. Who would have thought that this crucial middleman from Black Wind Stronghold would be wiped out by Xu Qingshan at this critical juncture?

"No, this absolutely cannot be allowed to be known by my elder brother!" Chen Huaiyi gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Although my elder brother usually protects his own and turns a blind eye to my petty smuggling, if he finds out that I sold military armor to barbarians, he'll be the first to sacrifice me to protect the Chen family's reputation!"

The strategist lowered his voice and asked, "So, how does Second Master plan to deal with this? Xu Qingshan has the account books. What if he hands them over directly to the Ministry of War, or to Tang Su, who's been keeping an eye on us..."

"Tang Su is no threat," Chen Huaiyi sneered. "The men he sent to deliver his trusted confidants were taken care of halfway by assassins I hired at great expense. Now, Tang Su is a toothless tiger in Yunzhou City. Our men have surrounded his residence so tightly that not even a fly can get out."

He stood up, walked to the window of the study, and looked at the dark night outside.

"The only threat now is Xu Qingshan, and that ledger."

Chen Huaiyi turned around and gave instructions to his strategist.

"Take my personal seal immediately and go to the patrol camp outside the city. Deploy three hundred of my trusted cavalrymen, have them all dress in black, and do not display any flags. Leave the city tonight and head straight for Grizzly Bear Ridge."

The strategist was startled: "Second Master, are you still going to continue your deal tonight?"

"Of course we must continue!" Chen Huaiyi's face twisted in rage. "If I don't get this money, how will I cover up the accounts at the North Granary? If the accounts don't match, and the higher-ups investigate, I'll be dead anyway!"

He clenched his fist tightly.

"Tonight's deal at Grizzly Ridge is not just about getting the silver back, but about settling things once and for all! Three hundred elite cavalry, plus the barbarian cavalry coming to pick up the goods—even if that madman Xu Qingshan dares to lead men to intercept us, I'll make sure he doesn't leave alive!"

"As long as Xu Qingshan dies beyond the Great Wall and the account books are destroyed, I can write in the report that it was roaming bandits who attacked Duanhe Fort, and the garrison commander Xu Qingshan was unfortunately killed in battle. With no one to corroborate the story, I, Chen Huaiyi, will still win this game!"

The night wind howled, and whether in Yunzhou City or the desolate wilderness beyond the Great Wall, a massive net of slaughter had already been quietly spread out on this snowy night.