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

Inside a side hall of the Yunzhou General's Mansion, a charcoal fire burned brightly, its red flames licking the walls of a copper basin, warming the entire room. However, the minds of the people sitting on either side of the long table were like a deep, frozen pool in the dead of winter, devoid of any warmth.

On the left side of the long table, Chen Huaishan, still in his golden armor, sat upright in a grand chair. A layer of unyielding gloom shrouded his face, as hard as a rock. Although Hu Lie, the commander of the transport and damage control battalion, had been captured and confessed, just as Xu Qingshan had predicted, Chen Huaishan was cunning and calculating. All the core instructions were relayed verbally through his trusted lieutenant; not a single trace of his handwriting, that of the Yunzhou garrison commander, could be found on the official records.

If the imperial court wanted to punish him, at most he would be charged with "lax military discipline and negligence." However, this battle tore open a huge rift in the absolute prestige that Chen Huaishan had painstakingly cultivated in the Yunzhou army over the years. The fire at the Beicang warehouse, the exposure of the damaged transport warehouse, and the defection and capture of his trusted confidant Hu Lie—each and every one of these events was like a resounding slap across the face of this commander-in-chief of the Northern Garrison.

On the right side of the long table, Border Inspector Tang Su held a teacup, his gaze calmly fixed on the first-rank official who held supreme military and political power in Yunzhou. In the center of the table lay the tattered account book salvaged from the fire, and a thick confession signed and sealed by Hu Lie.

The evidence was irrefutable. Although it did not constitute a capital offense of treason, it was enough to force Chen Huaishan to keep a low profile for a long time to come.

"General Chen".

The silence in the hall was broken by Xu Qingshan's calm and detached voice.

Xu Qingshan did not sit down, but stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the hall. Although his black cloak was tinged with the smell of cooking fires from Beicang, his posture was as upright as a pine tree, exuding an air of dominance. He looked at Chen Huaishan in the main seat, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Now that Hu Lie's confession has been confirmed and the shady dealings of the Transportation Damage Office have been exposed, let's have an open and honest discussion today about how the General's Office plans to compensate for the debts owed to the North Wall over the years for 'damage'."

Upon hearing this, Chen Huaishan's eyes twitched slightly. He raised his deep, tiger-like eyes and stared coldly at Xu Qingshan.

"Commander Xu, the imperial court will send officials to take over the remaining funds and provisions from the northern granary and reorganize military affairs. As for the past deficits of the various forts along the northern wall, that falls under the purview of the military supply department's annual allocation, and is governed by the regulations of the Ministry of War and the General's Office. You, a mere officer, surely don't intend to make exorbitant demands?"

Chen Huaishan's tone carried a hint of condescension and displeasure. In his view, although Xu Qingshan had gained the upper hand in this power struggle, there was still an insurmountable gap between them in terms of official rank and background. As long as he adhered to the rules of officialdom, Xu Qingshan would certainly not dare to make any outrageous remarks in the General's Mansion.

However, Xu Qingshan scoffed.

"Rules? If Commander Chen wants to talk about rules, then we might as well send the three hundred sets of genuine lamellar armor, two thousand armor-piercing arrows, and the dozen or so boxes of gold and silver recovered from the barbarians on Grizzly Bear Ridge to the Ministry of War in the capital for inspection."

Xu Qingshan took half a step forward, his gaze piercing Chen Huaishan like a knife:

"When the officials in the Ministry of War see that the armor that should have been issued to the elite border guards is instead being worn neatly by the barbarian Vulture Tribe, I wonder how Commander Chen, the General Who Guards the North, plans to explain the word 'rules' to the court?"

This sentence struck at Chen Huaishan's Achilles' heel.

Once the concrete evidence of Gray Bear Ridge's collusion with the barbarians reaches the capital, the nature of the matter will completely change. It will no longer be a minor case of local official corruption, but a genuine act of treason. At that point, let alone keeping his position in the General's Office, it will be uncertain whether Chen Huaishan will even lose his head.

Chen Huaishan's facial muscles twitched violently a few times, and the knuckles of his fingers gripping the teacup turned white. He suppressed the rage that was about to erupt within him and gritted his teeth as he spat out a few words:

"Xu Qingshan... what exactly do you want? Just say it!"

Seeing that the other party had finally dropped his arrogant facade, Xu Qingshan nodded slightly and calmly offered the bargaining chip he had already prepared in his mind.

"It's very simple. Today, in front of Lord Tang Su, the four fortresses of the North Wall will only raise three conditions."

Xu Qingshan raised his first finger, his voice echoing clearly throughout the hall:

"First, the three hundred sets of standard military armor, two thousand armor-piercing arrows, and more than a dozen boxes of silver seized from Grey Bear Ridge, which have been unjustly withheld and owed by the North Warehouse for many years, shall all be unconditionally transferred to the four fortresses of Broken River, Black Stone, Green Cliff, and Iron Gate. The General's Office shall not reclaim or interfere with them under any pretext!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the guards and generals beside Chen Huaishan immediately changed.

Three hundred sets of fine iron lamellar armor would be a core asset for equipping the elite troops in the Yunzhou camp. If they all fell into the hands of the notoriously unruly Zhenbei Army, it would be tantamount to directly funding a heavily armored infantry force!

"No! Absolutely not!" A lieutenant general couldn't help but step forward and shout sternly, "That batch of military equipment is public property stolen from the General's Mansion. How can it be directly allocated to a border fortress for embezzlement?!"

Xu Qingshan didn't even lift his eyelids, coldly glancing at the adjutant: "Public supplies? Commander Ma just now outside the city gate, didn't he confidently declare that it was smuggled black goods that the General's Office had ordered to be investigated? What, now that it's turned into public supplies? Your Yunzhou camp's accounts are quite flexible."

The military officer blushed and was so choked up that he couldn't utter a single word.

Chen Huaishan, seated at the head of the table, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. He knew perfectly well that the three hundred sets of armor were already in the hands of Duanhe Fortress, and even if he didn't agree, Xu Qingshan would never hand them over. Exchanging something already out of control for a compromise was painful, but it was the price that had to be paid.

"I grant the first condition." Chen Huaishan opened his eyes, his voice as cold as water. "Now, let's discuss the second condition."

Seeing that the other party had relented, Xu Qingshan then raised his second finger:

"Secondly, the military rations and winter fodder that were withheld by Beicang for the past two years due to 'snow damage and bandit looting' must be replenished by the General's Office within half a month! If one stone is missing, I will personally lead people to the gate of Beicang to ask for one stone."

"You—!" Chen Huaishan slammed his hand on the long sandalwood table, causing teacups to fall to the ground and shards to scatter. "The accounting office and transport and damage control office in the North Warehouse were just destroyed by fire. The grain in the warehouse has already been registered. Where are you going to conjure up the debts from the past two years?!"

"General Chen, don't be anxious."

At that opportune moment, Tang Su, the border patrol commissioner, spoke up. This imperial envoy picked up his teacup, slowly blew away the foam, and spoke with an undeniable air of authority:

"Before I came to Yunzhou, I reviewed the files kept by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. The imperial court has always allocated the full amount of grain and provisions for the four fortresses in the northern border on a quarterly basis. If the northern granary cannot produce grain, there are only two possibilities—either the transport and loss office has sold all the grain to Black Wind Village and the grasslands over the years, or the General's Office still has a large amount of illicit surplus grain in its private treasury."

Tang Su raised his eyelids, his gaze coldly locking onto Chen Huaishan:

"General Chen, do you intend to transfer grain from the General's Mansion's private treasury to supply the border fortresses, or would you prefer that I directly petition the Ministry of War and personally send someone to the Yunzhou camp to inspect the granaries?"

These words were like a heavy hammer blow, completely shattering Chen Huaishan's last escape route.

Once the private granary is investigated by the imperial envoy with his troops, it will not only involve the issue of tens of thousands of bushels of grain, but also completely expose the dark black industry of the entire general's mansion to the court.

Chen Huaishan's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, and finally he forced out cold words through clenched teeth:

"...The grain arrears of the three fortresses of Duanhe, Qingya, and Tiemen for the past two years will be allocated from the surplus grain of each camp by the General's Office, and will be personally escorted to the North Wall by the Supervision Battalion within three days!"

Upon hearing this reply, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Xu Qingshan's eyes.

The securing of the first two items—supplies and food—has completely lifted Beiqiang Sibao out of its previous predicament of living hand to mouth and scraping together scraps. But what follows is the most crucial, and the core issue that Chen Huaishan is most reluctant to discuss.

Xu Qingshan slowly raised his third finger.

"Thirdly, given the recent continuous southward invasions by the Vulture Tribe, the northern wall defense line is under strain, and the remnants of Black Wind Stronghold are still lurking outside the pass. To ensure the stability of the border, this humble general humbly requests that the General's Office and the Border Patrol Commissioner jointly approve this request—"

Xu Qingshan looked directly at Chen Huaishan and said, word by word:

"The four fortresses of Duanhe, Heishi, Qingya, and Tiemen are permitted to officially expand their wartime standing combat force quota from the current authorized personnel to 500!"

"boom!"

Upon hearing this, the Yunzhou generals in the side hall could no longer remain calm and turned pale with shock.

In the military system of the Daqian Border Army, the official personnel under the command of the garrison commander of an ordinary border fortress usually numbered no more than a hundred, and even in strategic locations, the number would never exceed two hundred. Xu Qingshan had previously managed to assemble a force of more than three hundred men through temporary acting authority and military achievements, which was already a breakthrough.

Now, he actually brought up the legal qualification of "expanding the army by 500 men during wartime" right in front of the general!

Five hundred battle-hardened, well-equipped, and even clad in standard heavy iron armor, elite border troops, given time, could easily evolve into an independent warlord force that grows too big to be controlled and keeps the Yunzhou General's Office on edge!

"Absolutely impossible!"

Chen Huaishan abruptly stood up from his armchair, the clinking of his golden armor producing a piercing clang. His eyes widened in fury, and he sternly refused:

"Xu Qingshan! What do you take the border fortresses for? These mere four dilapidated fortresses have been illegally expanded to five hundred men, far exceeding the imperial court's quota for border defense! This is a blatant act of defiance against the Ministry of War's regulations and an attempt to amass power through military force—a treasonous act! I will never allow it!"

Faced with Chen Huaishan's thunderous rage, Xu Qingshan remained completely calm. He didn't even flinch, but simply asked in return:

"General Chen says I'm abusing my power? Then let me ask you this: if it weren't for the soldiers of Beiqiang fighting to the death at Grey Bear Ridge and at Broken River Fortress, these hundreds of men would have already perished under the swords of the Vulture Tribe. The imperial court doesn't provide us with food, pay, or armor, yet we're not allowed to recruit our own soldiers to defend the border?"

Furthermore—

Xu Qingshan leaned forward slightly, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"The Vulture Tribe has twice invaded the south, losing over a thousand elite cavalry. Do you think they'll let the Northern Wall go unpunished? Within two months, these steppe barbarians will surely return. If General Chen thinks five hundred men are too many, he can simply issue an order to transfer two thousand elite troops from the Yunzhou camp to Black Stone Fortress to keep watch for us. As long as the Yunzhou camp is willing to send troops, I, Xu Qingshan, can tear up this petition for troop expansion on the spot!"

These words put Chen Huaishan in a very difficult position.

The main force and elite troops of Yunzhou Camp are the foundation for Chen Huaishan to control the entire city. How could he possibly be willing to send them to the bitterly cold and dangerous North Wall to fight the grassland barbarians head-on? But if he doesn't send troops, he can't come up with a legitimate reason to refuse the reasonable expansion of the North Wall for defense during wartime.

Moreover, Tang Su, the border patrol commissioner, was looking at him coldly with a scrutinizing gaze.

Tang Su coughed lightly at the opportune moment and slowly began to speak: "General Chen, what Commander Xu said is entirely reasonable. The northern border is currently in turmoil, with the Vulture Tribe eyeing us covetously. The imperial reinforcements are too far away to meet our immediate needs. If the border forts do not have sufficient troops, how can we defend against the enemy? If, at this critical juncture, the General's Office obstructs even the legitimate expansion of troops for border defense, outsiders will think that the General intends to use barbarians to eliminate the loyal and righteous soldiers who are resisting the enemy in the north!"

The weight of this accusation of "colluding with the enemy and using someone else to kill" was so heavy that it almost suffocated Chen Huaishan.

A suffocating stalemate ensued in the lobby.

Veins bulged on Chen Huaishan's forehead as he stared intently at Xu Qingshan, his gaze seemingly intent on devouring him alive. He had never suffered such a humiliation at the hands of an unknown junior. This interrogation, which should have been orchestrated by the General's Office, had been turned into a desperate act of dismemberment and spoils by Xu Qingshan, with no way out.

After a long silence, Chen Huaishan managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth, each word seemingly stained with blood:

"You're allowed to recruit soldiers legally during wartime... limited to 500 people!"

"But I'm going to make this clear from the start—"

Chen Huaishan's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Xu Qingshan's face, his tone chillingly cold:

"Although the supplies, armor, weapons, and troops of the fortresses along the northern wall have been expanded under special permission due to the war, they are all listed in the organizational register of the Yunzhou camp! If I ever discover that you five hundred men dare to cross the northern wall even half a step and engage in treason, rebellion, or robbery... I don't care who you are, I will mobilize the entire Yunzhou army and crush you to dust!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Commander Chen."

Xu Qingshan cupped his hands slightly, his face showing no arrogance after victory, only his usual calm and composure.

He knew very well that political maneuvering was never a one-off event. Chen Huaishan, that old fox, was a man of deep resources. Today, he had managed to extract three hundred sets of standard armor, two years' worth of grain arrears, and the legal means to expand his army by five hundred men from him. This was the limit of his efforts for this trip.

As for his official position?

In this chaotic world, the illusory official ranks and titles are far less tangible than real soldiers, food, and armor.

"Now that the matter has been settled, I will not disturb General Chen any longer, who is busy with many affairs." Xu Qingshan straightened up. "There is still a lot of military affairs waiting for me to deal with at the four forts of the North Wall. I will give the Yunzhou military supply depot three days to complete the inventory of these three hundred sets of armor and military rations. Farewell."

After saying that, Xu Qingshan ignored Chen Huaishan's ashen face, turned around and strode out of the main hall of the General's Mansion.

Liu Ruyan and Zhou Laoqi followed closely behind.

As they stepped out of the vermilion gate and were once again bathed in the cold winter sun of Yunzhou City, Zhou Laoqi finally couldn't help but grin and let out a suppressed, wild laugh:

"That felt great! That was fucking awesome!"

Zhou Laoqi clenched his fist, his face flushed with excitement. "Centurion, you didn't see the look on that old scoundrel Chen Huaishan's face just now. It was as ugly as if he'd swallowed a dead fly! Not only did he give us three hundred sets of fine iron heavy armor for nothing, but he also had to hold his nose and supply us with two years' worth of rations, and even stamp his seal to acknowledge our right to expand our troops by five hundred! This time, Duanhe Fortress is truly standing up for itself!"

A look of relief also shone in Liu Ruyan's eyes as she said softly, "After this battle, although Chen Huaishan retained his position as general, his prestige in the Yunzhou army has declined significantly. As for us, we now truly possess the hard power to establish ourselves in this northern border region and even expand outwards."

Xu Qingshan mounted his horse and calmly gazed at the snow-covered sky to the north.

He reached out and gently stroked the military order for expanding the army, which had just been stamped with the seals of the General's Office and the Border Inspector, his voice deep and powerful:

"He won't be promoted."

"We can have more soldiers first."

"Let's go back to the north wall."