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

Outside the south gate of Yunzhou, a chilling wind howled across the bluestone official road, carrying snow with it.

Five hundred Yunzhou infantrymen, clad in iron armor, formed three long rows, their heavy iron shields piled high in the snow, their long spears gleaming coldly, completely blocking the main entrance to the city, which was over ten zhang wide. On the city wall, two rows of guards holding powerful bows and crossbows tightened their bowstrings, their cold arrowheads locked onto the figures of about twenty riders ahead.

A chilling atmosphere permeated the vast, snowy field.

Ma Rong, the deputy commander of Yunzhou, rode out slowly from the ranks. He was dressed in chainmail armor, with a dagger hanging at his waist, and his eyes were sinister as he surveyed the Zhenbei Army troops who were stopped thirty paces away.

His pupils narrowed almost imperceptibly as his gaze swept over the four-wheeled cart covered by a thick felt tarpaulin, and the listless, tightly bound prisoners in black beside it.

Ma Rong withdrew his gaze, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and his voice pierced the cold wind, booming out in front of the gate:

"Xu Qingshan! I am here to meet you on the orders of Commander-in-Chief Chen! Yunzhou is a strategically important place with strict military law. All officials from border fortresses entering the city to report for duty must comply with border defense regulations!"

Ma Rong raised his whip, pointed it directly at Xu Qingshan, and shouted sternly:

"Everyone dismount! Remove your armor! Surrender your swords! All vehicles, horses, and prisoners are to be handed over to the General's Guard for inspection! Anyone who resists in the slightest will be treated as a traitor and executed by being shot with arrows!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the five hundred armored soldiers on and below the city walls stamped their feet and shouted in unison, raising their swords and spears, their imposing presence overwhelming.

However, faced with such a formidable military formation, the twenty veteran cavalrymen standing behind Xu Qingshan did not even flinch.

Twenty warhorses stood firmly on the snow, soldiers with their hands on their sword hilts, staring expressionlessly at the encirclement ahead. Zhou Laoqi grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, his eyes filled with disdain and ferocity.

The entire team was like a sharp blade tempered with ice, exuding a seasoned composure amidst the silence.

Seeing this, Ma Rong's face darkened: "Commander Xu, you're used to disobeying orders at the North Wall. Do you really think you can rebel with just twenty riders now that you're at the gates of Yunzhou? Dismount! Disarm!"

Xu Qingshan sat upright on his warhorse, his gaze calmly meeting Ma Rong's imposing eyes.

He did not draw his sword, nor did he get angry. He simply raised his right hand slowly and made a gesture in mid-air.

Upon receiving the order, Zhou Laoqi spurred his horse back half a step and reached out his large hand to rip off the thick tarpaulin on the cart frame.

The tarpaulin slipped off, revealing ten fine steel spears stuck on both sides of the cart shaft.

The ten veteran soldiers of the Zhenbei Army moved in perfect unison, leaping onto the cart and raising the ten spears high into the air.

Each spearhead was topped with a set of fine iron lamellar armor that gleamed with a cold, bluish-black light!

Sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, scattering across the polished, mirror-like armor plates and refracting a dazzling light. On the breastplate of the central lamellar armor set, a deep, bone-revealing knife wound remained, dark red blood congealing into mottled scabs between the iron plates.

That was evidence from the handover site at Grizzly Ridge, which the Vulture Tribe barbarians wore on their bodies to test the knife!

On both sides of the city gate passage, hundreds of out-of-town merchants and porters who had stopped to watch because of the road closure, as well as passersby who were stopped outside the cordon, all let out a series of low shouts.

Xu Qingshan spurred his horse forward five paces, gently pulling on the reins. His clear, cold voice echoed across the open city gate, each word distinct, like ice falling to the ground:

"Dismounting is acceptable, surrendering your weapon is also acceptable."

Xu Qingshan's gaze swept over Ma Rong, then slowly moved to the five hundred Yunzhou border soldiers behind Ma Rong, whose faces were tense.

"Commander Ma, before you lay down your armor and surrender your sword, do you dare to loudly tell everyone in front of the three armies below the gates of Yunzhou City—"

Xu Qingshan raised his hand and pointed to the ten suits of fine iron armor hanging high above, his voice suddenly rising, causing the surrounding snow to fall in a flurry:

"Why is this heavy iron armor, made in the Northern Warehouse of the Great Qian Dynasty, number fifteen, made of Xuan-class steel and exclusively for the main force of border defense, being worn by the barbarian Vulture Tribe beyond the Great Wall?!"

"The soldiers of the Great Qian endured freezing temperatures and hunger, fighting bloody battles on the North Wall. Why did their life-saving armor become a bargaining chip for the Chen family to exchange for barbarian golden sables?!"

This question was like a thunderclap thrown into a calm lake!

The hundreds of merchants and civilians who were watching were initially taken aback, but then erupted into an uncontrollable commotion.

"Good heavens...that really is the standard lamellar armor from the Northern Warehouse!"

"The forging patterns on it are definitely genuine; it's an official, authentic piece!"

"How did it fall into the hands of barbarians? Could what White Wolf Village said a few days ago have been true?!"

Even stronger than the reaction of the common people were the five hundred Yunzhou infantrymen who stood blocking the city gate.

The dozens of veterans standing in the front row looked at the armor plates that gleamed coldly, and their fingers gripping their spears involuntarily twitched slightly.

They were mostly wearing tattered leather armor that had been patched many times, some even with the catkins from their cotton-padded jackets sticking out, shivering in the biting wind. Meanwhile, their prized Xuan-grade fine iron lamellar armor, which they hadn't seen in years, was now hanging on the bloodstains of the enemy!

Anger, shock, and humiliation quickly spread across their weathered faces.

Suppressed whispers began to rise from within the formation. The once seamless array of spears and shields had inexplicably developed a slight, disordered gap.

Upon seeing this, Ma Rong broke out in a cold sweat, his heart filled with a mixture of shock and anger.

He never expected that Xu Qingshan would not follow the rules of officialdom at all, and would expose this scandal to the public right away, even undermining the morale of the army in front of the lower-ranking soldiers!

"Spreading rumors and misleading the public! Don't let this undermine morale!" Ma Rong drew his sword and roared, his voice sharp but his tone weak. "This is a serious case ordered by the General's Office! Men, seize these scoundrels!"

However, no matter how much he roared, not a single one of the five hundred armored soldiers behind him took a step forward.

The soldiers looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt and anger, like dry tinder ready to explode at the slightest spark.

No one wanted to draw their sword against a comrade who had just snatched their armor back from the barbarians.

Ma Rong, sword in hand, froze on the spot, his face turning a deep purplish-red, caught in a dilemma.

At this critical juncture of confrontation, a crisp sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from deep within the city gate.

"Stop! Let's see who dares to use force!"

A stern command came from inside the city gate.

The crowd quickly parted to the sides, and a group of imperial guards wearing embroidered gold cloaks rode out on horseback, with a magnificent carriage in the center of the group guarding a vermilion banner with the words "Imperial Censor Inspecting the Border" hanging at each of its four corners.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Tang Su, dressed in a scarlet official robe of the second rank and with a thin and solemn face, slowly stepped down from the carriage.

Behind him, several border patrol officers held aloft the imperial banner and the imperial envoy's gold plaque bestowed by the emperor, their golden light gleaming and stunning everyone present.

"It's Commander Tang, the Border Patrol Officer!"

"The Imperial Envoy has arrived!"

Ma Rong's face paled, and he had no choice but to sheath his sword, dismount, and kneel on one knee: "This humble general, Ma Rong, greets Your Excellency the Border Inspector!"

Tang Su didn't even glance at Ma Rong. He strode across the snow to the front of the formation, his gaze lingering for a moment on the ten bloodstained lamellar armors and Xu Qingshan, a deep sense of approval flashing in his eyes.

Then, Tang Su turned around, faced all the soldiers and civilians present, and spoke in a booming voice:

"I am the Imperial Envoy, ordered to inspect the border defenses!"

"Xu Qingshan, the garrison commander of Duanhe Fort, ventured deep into dangerous territory, defeated the enemy, intercepted smuggled military supplies, and captured a key criminal who colluded with the enemy, thus rendering meritorious service to the country!"

Tang Su's sharp gaze swept over Ma Rong, his tone icy and leaving no room for argument:

"According to the military law of the Great Qian Dynasty, Commander Xu is a seventh-rank military officer. When he is transferred to report for duty, it is in accordance with regulations for him to carry a sword! How can there be any talk of him removing his sword and armor?!"

Ma Rong trembled and lowered his head to explain, "Reporting to your Excellency... the Commander-in-Chief has ordered that, in case of unforeseen circumstances..."

"Does the commander-in-chief's order supersede the laws of the court, or even the imperial banner?!" Tang Su snorted coldly, effectively shutting down Ma Rong's words.

"Issue this official's order—"

"The troops accompanying Duanhe Fort are stationed at the military post outside the city, under strict guard; the garrison commander is permitted to enter the city with ten personal guards, carrying swords!"

"The prisoners, evidence, and account books brought with them will be jointly guarded by the Imperial Envoy's guards and the General's personal guards, and immediately escorted to the General's main hall for a joint trial by the three courts!"

"promise!"

The imperial guards on both sides responded in unison.

Xu Qingshan, seated on horseback, clasped his hands in a respectful salute to Tang Su from afar: "This humble general obeys your command."

Ma Rong gritted his teeth, but dared not utter another word. He could only wave his hand sullenly, ordering the five hundred heavily armored soldiers behind him to step aside and make way for a wide road leading directly into the city.

……

Xu Qingshan dismounted and hung his long sword back on his waist.

He selected Zhou Laoqi, Liu Ruyan, and eight of the most valiant veterans of the Zhenbei Cavalry to accompany him. The group of ten walked steadily across the bluestone threshold of the south gate of Yunzhou.

Along the streets, the eyes of countless Yunzhou residents and soldiers guarding the city were focused on this young border fortress commander.

There was no cowardice, no fear.

Xu Qingshan, draped in a dark black cloak, walked with unhurried steps, his expression as composed as if he were entering his own training ground.

We passed through the bustling yet somber central imperial road, and through three heavily guarded gate posts.

Half an hour later.

A magnificent, solemn, and imposing building came into view at the end of the horizon.

The screen wall, shaped like an eight-character inscription, is carved with a majestic image of an eagle fighting a tiger. Two imposing stone lions, each weighing several thousand kilograms, stand guard on either side of the entrance. Above the vermilion gate hangs a large plaque with black and gold characters personally inscribed by the emperor.

Yunzhou General's Office.

Xu Qingshan stopped and looked up at the golden plaque that symbolized the highest military power in the northern border. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Walk."

He whispered something and stepped over the high vermilion threshold.

Passing through the wide courtyard and long corridor, the atmosphere in the main hall directly ahead is so heavy it's almost frozen.

On both sides of the main hall, dozens of fully armored captains and lieutenants stood solemnly, their swords drawn three-quarters of their length, exuding a murderous aura.

At the very top of the main hall, in the commander's chair, sat a burly, middle-aged general.

He was dressed in the golden armor of a first-rank general, his face as hard as a rock, his thick eyebrows slanting into his temples, and his deep and sharp eyes, like those of a vulture on the grassland, looking down at Xu Qingshan as he entered the hall.

Chen Huaishan, the garrison commander of Yunzhou and the commander-in-chief of Zhenbei.

The hall was deathly silent, with only the occasional tiny sparks popping from the charcoal brazier.

Xu Qingshan stood steadily three zhang below the hall, without performing a grand salute, but simply clasped his hands in a respectful and unassuming manner.

Two gazes collided in the air.

Chen Huaishan scrutinized the excessively young border fortress garrison commander before him, a chilling glint in his eyes. He spoke slowly, his voice deep and resonant:

"You're Xu Qingshan?"

Facing the other party's oppressive aura, Xu Qingshan's lips curled slightly upward as he calmly replied:

"General Chen has eyes and ears all over the northern border, so he must have heard about this many times."