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

Warhorses with hooves pierced by caltrops lay in the mud, and the pit was filled with barbarian soldiers.

The corpse at the bottom had been trampled beyond recognition, broken wooden shields littered the road, and several heavy crossbow bolts were still embedded between the rock wall and the corpse.

One of them pierced through three heavily armored barbarian soldiers, its arrowhead deeply embedded in the frozen ground.

Tang Su dismounted and walked to the heavy arrow.

He reached out and touched the arrow shaft, then looked at the scattered Black Wolf Tribe armor along the way.

"These heavy armors are rarely equipped by the Yunzhou border troops."

Aman said, "One in five of the Black Wolf tribe's elite soldiers wear heavy armor. The two thousand men that Ashina brought are his reliance for annexing other tribes."

Zhao Wu asked coldly, "Who are you?"

Aman glanced at him.

"People of the grasslands".

Why did the grassland people follow Xu Qingshan?

"He saved my life."

A strange light flashed in Zhao Wu's eyes.

"I see."

"Xu Qingshan, you have nomadic tribesmen under your command, and there are traces of people circling around from the sheep path outside Luoyan Valley. Who can prove that all these barbarian soldiers were killed by Black Stone Fortress?"

Xu Qingshan countered, "Who does Commander Zhao think killed him?"

"You may have colluded with other barbarian tribes, used them to eliminate the Black Wolf tribe, and then claimed the credit for yourself."

Tie Niu did not travel with them, and Hou San also stayed in the fort.

With two fewer people interrupting him, Zhao Wu finally felt some peace and quiet.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than laughter came from behind the rocks.

Several Blackrock Fortress soldiers responsible for clearing the battlefield were escorting more than ten barbarian prisoners to move corpses.

One of the prisoners understood the Daqian language and couldn't help but ask in a stiff voice, "Other tribes?"

"When we arrived, the nearby tribes had already fled."

Zhao Wu's face turned cold.

"Who told you to speak?"

The prisoner shrank back.

Aman walked over and asked a few questions in the Man language.

She then explained to Tang Su.

"This man is a soldier of the Broken Horn Tribe. He said that in the Battle of Falling Goose Valley, the Black Wolf Tribe never received support from other tribes from the start of the attack to the defeat."

Zhao Wu said, "Can the words of a prisoner really be used as evidence?"

Xu Qingshan pointed ahead.

"There are still three Black Wolf centurions alive there."

Three barbarian officers, chained together, were brought over.

One of them suffered a severe leg injury and could only be supported by his companion.

Aman asked in turn.

The three answers were not significantly different.

The Black Wolf tribe's 300 vanguard members were completely wiped out.

Ashina led the remaining main force in a strong attack on the valley.

The first barricade was abandoned, and the main force pursued into the valley, where it was subsequently cut off by rolling stones.

Finally, the supply camp was burned, the banner was broken by a ballista, and Ashina died under Xu Qingshan's blade.

After listening, Tang Su looked at the heavy armor and the piles of corpses in the muddy water.

Battlefields can be faked.

However, it is difficult to create such a large number of corpses, armor, warhorses, and battle traces out of thin air.

Blackstone Fortress was indeed won, and won spectacularly.

Zhao Wu was still unwilling to give up.

"My lord, even if the merits of the battle are true, they cannot offset the crimes committed by Xu Qingshan."

Xu Qingshan laughed and said, "Commander Zhao finally said something useful."

Zhao Wu glared at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Military merits and military law should be discussed separately."

Xu Qingshan looked at Tang Su.

"I defended Black Stone Fortress and killed Ashina. My merits deserve recognition. Yunzhou cannot be swallowed up."

"I killed Commander Chen and took over Black Stone Fortress. How should this be investigated, Lord Tang can continue the investigation."

Tang Su stared at him.

"You're quite discerning."

"If you can't distinguish between them, it's easy for someone to use your war merits to cover up your crimes, and it's also easy for someone to use your crimes to swallow your war merits."

Zhao Wu sneered.

"Do you really think killing a few barbarians will save you?"

Xu Qingshan pointed into the valley.

"There are more than a few here."

Zhao Wu glanced back at the valley full of corpses, his expression turning even uglier.

Tang Su walked around the valley.

After examining all the traces left by the chevaux-de-frise, pitfalls, rolling stones, and ballistae, he finally stopped.

"The Black Wolf tribe's invasion of Blackstone Fortress has yielded results."

"The head of Ashina has also been confirmed."

"I will send the battle report to Yunzhou truthfully, and then forward it to the Ministry of War."

The soldiers of Blackstone Fortress around them relaxed slightly.

Tang Su then changed the subject.

"The investigation into battle merits is complete; now let's discuss military law."

The atmosphere in the valley became heavy again.

Tang Su looked at Xu Qingshan.

"The document sent from Yunzhou lists three charges against you."

"Firstly, he arbitrarily killed Chen, the centurion of Black Stone Fortress."

"Secondly, they forcibly seized the seal of a centurion and took over the border fort without authorization."

"Thirdly, they refused entry to the Yunzhou vanguard army and defied military orders."

Zhao Wu's lips curled up slightly.

He had been suppressed by Xu Qingshan the whole way, and only now did he feel the tightness in his chest ease a bit.

"Any one of these three crimes is enough to cost you your head."

Xu Qingshan unfastened the sword from his waist.

Zhao Wu's eyes lit up.

"What, scared?"

Xu Qingshan handed the long sword to Tang Su's personal guard.

"Since Lord Tang acknowledges the merits of the battle, I am willing to accept the questioning."

"A public trial tomorrow is fine, or you can take me back to Yunzhou now."

Xiao Hongluan frowned.

"Xu Qingshan".

Xu Qingshan raised his hand to stop her.

Then he looked at Tang Su.

"However, I have one condition."

Zhao Wu shouted, "You, a convict, dare to make demands?"

"The defense of Blackstone Fortress will continue to be under the control of Xiao Hongluan."

Xu Qingshan said, "Zhao Wu cannot touch the Zhenbei Cavalry, the crossbows, or the armory."

"You've agreed to the questioning, yet you still want to cling to military power?"

"Blackstone Fortress has just finished a battle, and there are still barbarian tribes active in the north. I don't trust the defense to someone who doesn't even dare to enter Falling Goose Valley."

Zhao Wu was furious.

"Who's afraid to come in?"

"Who was it that was worried I had set an ambush?"

Zhao Wu opened his mouth.

Tang Su raised his hand to interrupt the two.

"The defense of Blackstone Fortress will be temporarily handled by Xiao Hongluan."

"Without my permission, no one may move the Zhenbei Cavalry or the city's weapons."

Zhao Wu's expression changed.

"grown ups!"

"Haven't I made myself clear enough?"

Zhao Wu gritted his teeth.

"This subordinate obeys."

After returning to Black Stone Fortress, Tang Su stayed at the inner fortress inn.

Xu Qingshan was not imprisoned, but confined to a side courtyard, with four guards from the border patrol envoy standing outside the door.

That night.

Just as the oil lamp in the side courtyard was lit, there was a knock on the door.

"Who?"

"I."

Liu Ruyan's voice came from outside the door.

The guards at the gate stopped her.

"Lord Tang has ordered that no unauthorized persons are allowed to visit."

Liu Ruyan looked at the two of them.

"I've come to bring Xu Qingshan a change of clothes."

The guards inspected the package and, after confirming that it contained only clothing, allowed her to enter.

The door closed.

Xu Qingshan sat at the table, watching Liu Ruyan put down the clothes.

"Coming over so late, you can't really be worried I don't have any clothes to change into, can you?"

Liu Ruyan did not answer.

She took a small key from the bottom of her clothes.

Xu Qingshan's eyes flickered slightly.

"What is it?"

"Left by Commander Chen."

Liu Ruyan walked to the corner of the wall and lifted a loose floor tile.

Hidden beneath was a dusty iron box.

The iron box was small, and its surface was rusted, but the keyhole was well preserved.

Insert the key.

Click.

The lock is open.

Xu Qingshan looked at Liu Ruyan.

"What's inside?"

Liu Ruyan pushed the iron box in front of him.

"Military supplies registers, private seals, and secret letters between Commander Chen and Yunzhou."

"Tang Su should take a look at these things before his public trial tomorrow."

She reached out and lifted the lid of the box.

Yellowed documents appeared under the light.

Liu Ruyan said softly:

"What's inside is enough to keep the garrison commander of Yunzhou up at night."