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

Under the oil lamp, the documents in the iron box had a worn yellow patina, with a black leather book on top.

Xu Qingshan reached out and picked it up, turning to the first page.

The document above indicates the allocation of military supplies in Blackstone Fortress during the spring of a certain year.

There are 200 soldiers on the register, 1,200 shi of military rations, and 200 sets of winter clothing...

Xu Qingshan continued flipping through the pages.

Every few pages, you'll see Chen Baihu's personal seal and the red seal of the Yunzhou military quartermaster.

But he knew better than anyone what Blackrock Fortress had been like all these years.

Let alone two hundred sets of winter clothes, we can't even gather fifty complete sets of armor.

The granary was so empty that rats could run through it, most of the arrows were damp and moldy, and the wound medicine had not been replenished for several years.

Liu Ruyan sat opposite her and reached out to point to one of the pages.

Look here.

Xu Qingshan looked in the direction she was pointing.

The document states that 196 soldiers in Blackstone Castle received winter clothing last year.

But there was a roster next to it, with many names already blackened, and the collection date and fingerprints marked behind them.

"Are all these people in Blackrock Fortress?"

Liu Ruyan shook her head.

"Some died long ago, some never appeared, and there are a few names I've seen in White Wolf Village."

"A living person?"

"There was a cloth seller, a cart driver, and a worker in the wine shop."

Xu Qingshan flipped through the roster.

"Should we fill in the names of border residents in the military roster and use them to collect military rations?"

"As long as Commander Chen has someone press their fingerprint on the document, or has someone else press it on his behalf, the military supplies can be sent out from Yunzhou."

Liu Ruyan took out another document.

"After the goods left the Yunzhou warehouse, most of them didn't even make it to Blackstone Fortress."

Several transfer slips were tucked inside the booklet.

The record states that military rations were transferred at a post station eighty li away from Black Stone Fortress, and then sent to the East Granary of Yunzhou.

Winter clothes were transferred to the vanguard battalion.

Two more batches of arrows were eventually delivered to the personal guard camp under the command of Chen Huaishan, the garrison commander of Yunzhou.

Xu Qingshan raised an eyebrow.

"Chen Huaishan?"

"Chen Baihu's cousin."

Liu Ruyan picked up a secret letter.

The sealing wax on the envelope had cracked, revealing only a few lines of text inside.

After reading it, Xu Qingshan's face showed a strange expression.

The letter urged Commander Chen to complete the false registration form for Black Stone Fortress as soon as possible.

He was also reminded to be more careful in his work and not to let the new inspector find out.

The last sentence states that Blackrock Fortress is remote and barren, and no one will seriously investigate it, so he can rest assured.

There was no name at the end, but it was stamped with the private seal of the Yunzhou Garrison Commander's Office.

"Why would Commander Chen keep this kind of thing?"

"To save my life."

Liu Ruyan said calmly, "He relied on Chen Huaishan to secure his position as a centurion, and he's also afraid that if something happens one day, Chen Huaishan will pin all the blame on him."

Xu Qingshan put the secret letter back on the table.

"When did you find these things?"

"After Chen Baihu died, I searched his residence and only found this key. The iron box was hidden too deep. I only discovered the problem with the floor tiles a couple of days ago when I was tidying up the side courtyard."

Liu Ruyan paused.

"We originally planned to wait until the situation stabilized before opening up, but the people from Yunzhou arrived faster than we expected."

Footsteps came from outside the door.

The two stopped at the same time.

A guard from outside asked, "Why are the lights still on inside?"

Xu Qingshan casually replied, "Miss Liu sent me a few letters from home."

There was a moment of silence outside the door.

"Does Centurion Schultz still have family in Blackrock Fortress?"

"Just now."

Liu Ruyan glanced at him.

The guards outside clearly didn't know how to respond either, and could only remind him, "Lord Tang will be conducting a public interrogation tomorrow morning, so Centurion Xu should get some rest."

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Liu Ruyan closed the iron box.

"The items must be handed over to Tang Su before the trial begins."

"It's fine to leave it to him."

Xu Qingshan looked towards the door.

"But we can't just leave it to him alone."

Liu Ruyan quickly understood.

"You want to announce it publicly in court?"

"Zhao Wu brought three hundred men, and Chen Huaishan is the garrison commander of Yunzhou. If the items are handed over privately, there may only be an empty box left by tomorrow morning."

Xu Qingshan pushed the iron box back to her.

"Take it back first."

"Tomorrow, after Zhao Wu finishes stating his crimes, we will bring the items into the courtroom."

Liu Ruyan carefully put the key away.

"Aren't you afraid Tang Su will think you're deliberately concealing evidence?"

"If he really wants to find out the truth, he will understand why I did this."

"If all he wants is an explanation for Yunzhou, giving it to him tonight won't do him any good."

The next morning.

The area outside the council chamber in the inner fortress was packed with people.

The soldiers of Blackstone Fortress stood on the left, while the border patrol's personal guards stood on the right.

The Yunzhou army outside the city was still not allowed to enter the city; only a dozen or so officers were brought into the fort by Zhao Wu to listen in.

Tang Su sat in the main seat.

On the table were the official seal of the border patrol commissioner and a stack of documents.

Zhao Wu sat on the right, and finally a smile appeared on his face.

When Xu Qingshan was brought in, he was not wearing any weapons at his waist, nor were his hands shackled.

Zhao Wu glanced at him.

"You dare to walk in with your head held high while on trial?"

Xu Qingshan stopped in his tracks.

"Does Commandant Zhao like to walk with his head down?"

"you……"

Tang Su tapped on the table.

"quiet."

The sounds in the hall then disappeared.

Tang Su picked up the first document.

"Xu Qingshan, I hereby publicly inquire about the Black Stone Fortress today."

Do you know what crime you have committed?

Xu Qingshan stood in the hall.

"Lord Tang already said that yesterday."

"He arbitrarily killed Chen Baihu, forcibly seized his official seal, and refused entry to the Yunzhou army."

Tang Su nodded.

"What is your explanation for the unauthorized execution of Commander Chen?"

"Commander Chen condoned his subordinates' embezzlement of military rations and coerced female soldiers. When they resisted, he prepared to kill them to silence them."

Xu Qingshan recounted the story in a calm and measured tone, without a trace of fear in his voice.

"At the time, he was holding a knife, and there were General Wang and others around him. If I hadn't acted, it would have been me and the soldiers of Black Stone Fort who would have died."

Zhao Wu sneered.

"Commander Chen is dead, so you can say whatever you want."

"There were dozens of military households and soldiers present that day."

"Those people are now under your command; can their testimonies be trusted?"

Xu Qingshan looked at him.

"According to Commandant Zhao, anyone from Black Stone Fortress is untrustworthy?"

Zhao Wu said, "They are under your control, so of course they might give false testimony for you."

The soldiers of Blackstone Castle outside the hall looked angry.

Tie Niu stood in the crowd with one arm in a sling.

"Who is he accusing of perjury?"

Hou San quickly reminded him.

"Keep your voice down, he's a captain."

Tie Niu lowered his voice.

"Does being a captain mean you can spout nonsense?"

"I don't know if he can, but he's quite skilled at it."

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Wu turned around and glared angrily at the two men.

Hou San immediately looked up at the roof beam.

Tie Niu also turned his face to the other side.

Tang Su continued, "Why is the seal of office of a centurion in your possession?"

"After Chen Baihu died, Black Stone Fortress was leaderless. Wang Zongqi wanted to lead his men to surrender to the barbarians, but I killed his confidants and took over the seal of office."

Zhao Wu immediately said, "Everyone heard that; he admitted to forcibly seizing military power!"

Xu Qingshan smiled.

"If I don't accept the seal of office, Blackstone Fortress will have been razed to the ground by the Black Wolf Tribe long ago."

"The outcome cannot change military law."

"Commander Zhao is right."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

"So you can investigate today, and I'm standing here listening."

Zhao Wu was speechless for a moment.

Tang Su looked at Xu Qingshan.

Do you have any other evidence?

"have."

Xu Qingshan called out towards the door.

"Liu Ruyan".

The crowd was separated.

Liu Ruyan carried the iron box into the council hall.

The iron box landed on the table with a dull thud.

Zhao Wu's expression changed slightly when he saw the iron box clearly.

"What is this?"

Liu Ruyan took out the key.

"The things left behind by Commander Chen."

The latch is open.

One by one, military supply books and secret letters were taken out and placed in front of Tang Su.

Tang Su picked up the black leather book at the top.

After turning a few pages, his brows gradually furrowed.

"Blackstone Fortress has a permanent roster of two hundred people?"

Liu Ruyan replied, "The document states there are two hundred people."

"How much is it actually?"

"When Commander Chen was alive, there were fewer than a hundred soldiers who could stand guard normally, and even fewer who were truly willing to go up to the city to fight."

Tang Su continued flipping through the pages.

Why were military rations transferred to the eastern granary of Yunzhou?

"There is no explanation in the document."

"Why are arrows and winter clothing being brought into the vanguard camp?"

Liu Ruyan looked at Zhao Wu.

"Then you'll have to ask Commandant Zhao."

All eyes turned to Zhao Wu.

Zhao Wu's face was gloomy.

"The vanguard battalion receives countless military supplies every year; how could I possibly remember only a few batches of arrows and winter clothing?"

"Moreover, the origin of these documents is unknown, and they are very likely forged by Xu Qingshan to exonerate himself!"

He got up, walked to the table, and picked up a transfer order.

"It's not difficult to find someone to forge just a few marks."

"Commander Chen is dead, and there's no way to corroborate his testimony. You're trying to pin the blame on Yunzhou by producing these things?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan did not argue. She took out several old official documents from her sleeve.

"These are the land reclamation order, grain requisition order and two documents punishing military households issued by Commander Chen before his death."

"Many people in Blackstone Fortress have seen them, and it can be confirmed that they were all made by Commander Chen."

She placed the official documents side by side with the papers in the iron box on the table.

"When Chen Baihu wrote the character 'stone', he habitually added an extra stroke to the lower right."

"When writing the number seven, the last stroke should be an upward flick."

"Each time he stamps the seal, the left side of the seal will sink slightly because his right index finger was injured and he couldn't press the seal flat."

Tang Su placed the two documents together.

The handwriting is exactly the same, and there is a slight darkening on the left side of each seal.

Liu Ruyan took out two more pieces of paper.

"This is the hemp paper commonly used in Blackstone Fortress. The paper is rough and has a yellowish color."

"The secret letter in the iron box was made of paper specially supplied by the Yunzhou government. The paper pulp was fine and the edges had watermarks."

"Blackstone Castle can't make this kind of paper."

Zhao Wu said in a deep voice, "It might have been bought from a merchant in Yunzhou."

"The Yunzhou government's unauthorized sale of paper is also a serious crime."

Liu Ruyan looked at him.

"Which one does Commandant Zhao intend to investigate first?"

A few low laughs came from inside the hall.

Zhao Wu's face darkened completely.

"Sharp-tongued and quick-witted!"

Liu Ruyan remained calm.

"I'm just stating the evidence."

Tang Su picked up one of the secret letters.

When he saw the personal seal at the bottom of the signature, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Chen Huaishan's personal seal?"

Zhao Wu immediately said, "Sir, private seals can also be forged!"

"Whether it's true or false, we'll know once it's sent back to Yunzhou for verification."

Tang Su put down the secret letter.

"Guards, register all the documents in the iron box. No one is allowed to take them without permission."

Two guards stepped forward.

Zhao Wu stood to the side, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

The matter of Blackrock Fortress was originally quite simple.

Xu Qingshan killed Chen Baihu and refused to let the Yunzhou army enter the city.

Once the person is taken back, Chen Huaishan will have his own way of convicting him.

But things got complicated once this iron box appeared.