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

The winters at the border are long and harsh, but after a light rain in March, there was finally a bit of warmth in the biting wind.

The snow at the base of the outer wall of Blackstone Fortress began to melt extensively, turning into trickles that seeped into the parched frozen soil. The mottled, dark brown earth was once again exposed to the sunlight, exuding the unique earthy smell.

In the inner fortress's drill ground, the sounds of the Zhenbei cavalry and infantry training still resounded loudly.

Stimulated by the "military merit points system," the soldiers' enthusiasm for daily training soared. However, Xu Qingshan knew very well that what fueled this fervor was the bags of refined white flour and dried meat in the warehouse.

Living off one's savings is a cardinal sin in military strategy.

Inside the main hall, Xu Qingshan dismissed his attendants and sat alone on the armchair, his eyes slightly closed.

His consciousness sank into the system panel in his mind. Some time ago, he wiped out the barbarian search teams, and with the remaining points he had accumulated, he had a considerable amount of military merit points.

After glancing over the tempting military strategies and advanced martial arts techniques, Xu Qingshan's gaze fell on the "Logistics and Construction" section.

In this barren border wilderness, to truly take root, swords can save lives, but food is the only guarantee of security.

He searched the list carefully and finally settled on one.

[Exchange: Cold-resistant, drought-resistant, high-yield wheat seeds (50 shi). Requires 60 military merit points.]

[Note: This seed has undergone systematic improvement and is extremely well-suited to the harsh, arid climate of the north. It has a short growth cycle and yields three times that of ordinary wheat varieties.]

"exchange."

Xu Qingshan issued the order without hesitation.

After deducting sixty military merits, dozens of tightly bound coarse cloth sacks appeared out of nowhere in the empty warehouse behind the main hall.

He stood up, walked to the back warehouse, and unsealed one of the burlap sacks.

The wheat grains inside are plump, with a dark golden luster. They feel heavy in your hand and exude a rich vitality.

With these superior seeds, Blackrock Fortress took its most solid step towards self-sufficiency.

At dawn, the south gate was wide open.

Unlike in the past, those who went out of the city today were not fully armed soldiers, but a dozen or so women led by Zhao Lihua, as well as old soldiers who had recovered from their injuries and were no longer able to fight.

In addition, there were dozens of infantrymen who were not on duty for drills today.

They removed their leather armor, donned coarse cloth short jackets, carried shovels and hoes, and pushed several wheelbarrows loaded with farm tools, marching in a grand procession towards the wasteland south of the city.

The wasteland was vast and flat, originally the land left over from the early days of border troops' farming. Later, it was gradually abandoned due to war and the corruption of the military leaders, and was overgrown with withered weeds.

"Keep up the good work! While the ground is still thawed, quickly clear away this patch of weeds!"

Zhao Lihua rolled up her sleeves, wrapped a coarse cloth headscarf around her head, and wielded a hoe in her hand. She worked in the fields more efficiently than many men.

The soldiers and laborers dispersed and began tilling the land while chanting work songs.

Under Xu Qingshan's guidance, the several curved plows that the carpenter and Bai Zhi worked together to create came in very handy.

This new type of farm tool penetrates deep into the soil and turns it up quickly. Several retired dwarf horses pull it from the front, turning the soil over and over, and the originally hardened wasteland is quickly plowed into neat furrows.

At noon, the sun was warm and gentle.

Xu Qingshan rode his horse and led several large carts filled with sacks to the wasteland south of the city.

"The centurion is here!"

The people working in the fields stopped what they were doing, stood up straight, and greeted them.

Their faces were covered in mud, and their backs were soaked with sweat, but each of them had a steadfast look in their eyes.

Xu Qingshan dismounted and walked to the edge of the field. He looked at the mostly cleared black soil and nodded.

"Pear Blossom, these are seeds." Xu Qingshan pointed to the large cart behind him, his tone calm. "These are specially made high-quality seeds that I asked Miss Su to find at a high price in the interior. They are cold-resistant and drought-resistant. Once planted, the autumn harvest will be three times that of ordinary wheat."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd gasped in surprise.

Farmers here fear early frost and drought the most. A year's hard work often only yields half a harvest. Cold-resistant varieties that produce three times the yield are like magic treasures to them.

Zhao Lihua vigorously wiped her hands on her apron, carefully walked to the cart, untied a burlap sack, and looked at the golden, round wheat seeds. Her eyes immediately reddened.

"Good seeds... these are truly life-saving seeds!" Zhao Lihua exclaimed, her voice trembling as she held the wheat seeds. "Centurion, rest assured, even if we don't sleep, we will definitely plant all these precious seeds and ensure that not a single grain is wasted!"

Xu Qingshan didn't say much. He took off his cloak, rolled up his sleeves, walked to the wheelbarrow next to him, and picked up a shovel.

"At the border, a knife can protect your head, but a hoe can protect your stomach." Xu Qingshan walked down to the field with a shovel. "Today I'm turning the soil with you. The sooner we sow, the sooner we'll have peace."

When the crowd saw their commander personally working in the fields, they were first taken aback, but then burst forth with tremendous energy.

"The centurion is already in the field, what are we standing around for? Let's do it!" Tie Niu had also run over at some point, shirtless, wielding a large hoe, and dug a big pit with one stroke.

With the military and civilians working together, efficiency is greatly increased.

Over the course of several days, nearly a hundred acres of wasteland in the south of the city were completely turned over. The dark golden high-yield wheat seeds were carefully sown in the soil, covered with soil, and watered, all in an orderly manner.

With the first seeds sown, the people of Blackrock Castle found greater peace.

This means that they are no longer drifting duckweed ready to flee at any moment, but have truly taken root in this land.

Just as spring plowing was in full swing, good news also came from another vital part of Blackstone Fortress.

That evening, a fairly large caravan appeared on the official road at the south gate.

Su Jinniang rode a docile mare at the front, followed by more than a dozen heavy carts loaded with supplies. Zhou Laoqi led a team of cavalrymen equipped with repeating crossbows to guard both sides, vigilantly guarding their surroundings.

The caravan entered the city smoothly, and the warehouse in the inner fortress immediately became lively.

"Centurion, I have fulfilled my mission." Su Jinniang handed a thick bill to Xu Qingshan. Although she looked tired, she was in excellent spirits.

Since establishing their dominance at White Wolf Market, the caravan from Blackrock Fortress has made a name for itself on that gray trade route.

"The merchants in Bailang Market are very well-behaved now. Manager Jin suffered a great loss last time, and now when he sees our merchant flag, he is very polite and trades at the market price without daring to make any discounts." Su Jinniang reported the gains of this trip in a clear and organized manner.

She pointed to the creaking horse-drawn carriages behind her, weighed down by heavy sacks.

"Everything you ordered has been purchased. These two carts contain top-quality salt, enough to feed the entire fortress and its warhorses for more than half a year. The other three carts contain the medicine list compiled by the Qin physician, with ample supplies of wound medicine and herbs to prevent epidemics."

Xu Qingshan flipped through the bill, nodded slightly, and turned his gaze to the last few large trucks with extremely deep ruts.

"What are those?"

Su Jinniang smiled and walked to the last carriage, asking someone to lift the thick tarpaulin.

Inside were large chunks of unforged pig iron ore and more than a dozen bundles of extremely tough beef tendons.

"Bailangji is located at the border, attracting not only merchants from the south but also tribes from deep within the grasslands to exchange goods," Su Jinniang explained. "I used the furs you gave me and some extra weapons to set up an iron trading line. Although the price was a bit high, these five cartloads of pig iron are all top-quality materials."

"Well done." A glint flashed in Xu Qingshan's eyes.

The food solved the survival problem, but this batch of pig iron could be directly converted into the fighting power of Blackrock Fortress.

Upon hearing the news, Bai Zhi had already run out of the blacksmith shop.

Her face was still covered in charcoal ash, but when she saw the truckloads of pig iron ore, her eyes lit up as if she had seen a rare treasure.

"Great! Finally, we have iron to cook!" Bai Zhi excitedly touched the pig iron block, turned to look at Xu Qingshan, and said with strong confidence, "Centurion, I have rebuilt the furnace and bellows, making them bigger and more fire-resistant than before. With these materials, I guarantee you will see the real thing in five days."

Looking at the energetic Bai Zhi, Xu Qingshan knew that the "real thing" she was talking about was definitely not an ordinary battle sword.

During the last probing attack by the Yunzhou army, Xu Qingshan realized that while the short crossbows that could be fired by manpower were effective in plains assaults and close combat, their range and penetrating power were still insufficient for defending city walls and deterring large regular armies.

They need heavy firepower capable of tearing through heavy armor at long range and even directly penetrating siege equipment.

That is, the ballista, a crucial defensive weapon for the city.

"We'll provide manpower and charcoal as needed. Just go ahead and make it." Xu Qingshan gave the most direct promise.

In the following days, Blackstone Castle exhibited a remarkable balance and prosperity.

Outside the city, Zhao Lihua led the farming team to work from sunrise to sunset, and the green wheat seedlings were already showing signs of breaking through the soil, bringing vitality.

On the official road, the caravan organized by Su Jinniang began to patrol regularly, using the warhorses and supplies captured on the grasslands to exchange for salt, medicine and iron ore needed for daily life from Bailangji.

Meanwhile, the blacksmith's shop in the inner fort kept its furnace burning day and night.

The clanging of forging became the most reassuring background sound within Blackrock Fortress. Fifty Northern Cavalrymen and fifty infantrymen took turns training, and with ample logistical support, their overall combat strength steadily improved every day.

Military, agriculture, commerce.

Three gears meshed tightly, propelling this once abandoned border town forward at breakneck speed.

Late that night, all was quiet.

Xu Qingshan stood atop the city wall, inspecting the defenses. Xiao Hongluan, clad in light armor and holding a white waxwood spear, stood quietly beside him.

"Life inside the fortress is becoming more and more peaceful." Xiao Hongluan looked at the dark fields below the city, her tone tinged with emotion. Just a few months ago, who could have imagined that a group of remnants of soldiers waiting to die would be able to carve out a foothold on the border surrounded by wolves?

"Stability is earned through struggle, not waited for." Xu Qingshan's gaze turned to the deep north.

Just then, a loud "bang" suddenly came from the direction of the blacksmith shop, accompanied by Bai Zhi's excited cheers that pierced the night sky.

Xu Qingshan turned around, a smile appearing on his lips.

The ultimate weapon is complete.