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The old granary is located on the west side of the inner fort.

The roof had collapsed by more than half, and only half of the wooden door remained. Wind blew in through the hole, stirring up the dust on the ground.

Wang Zongqi walked in front, wearing shackles.

Tang Su followed behind with his personal guards, while Xu Qingshan and Zhao Wu also entered the granary.

After walking around several broken wooden barrels, Wang Zongqi stopped at the corner of the wall.

There were more than a dozen moldy grain sacks piled up there.

"Move it away."

Two guards stepped forward and threw the grain sacks aside.

Below, a slightly lighter-colored blue brick is visible.

General Wang raised his hand, which was chained, and pointed to the brick seam.

"The cellar entrance is down below."

The guards pried open the blue bricks with a knife, and a musty smell quickly wafted out.

The narrow stone steps descended, ending in complete darkness.

Zhao Wu took half a step forward.

"My lord, the situation below is unclear. I will send someone to investigate first."

Tang Su looked at his personal guards.

"You may leave."

Two torches were lit.

The firelight gradually faded away along the stone steps, and soon after, the voices of the guards could be heard from below.

"We found a wooden box!"

The wooden box covered with tarpaulin was quickly brought up.

The outer layer of tarpaulin had turned black, but the knots were intact.

Tang Su personally untied the rope.

The wooden box contained six letters, four of which bore the sealing wax of the Yunzhou Garrison Commander's Office, while the other two were stamped with Chen Huaishan's personal seal.

After unfolding the first letter, Tang Su's gaze darkened.

The letter requested that Commander Chen send the 300 shi of grain and six warhorses intercepted that year to Yunzhou, and reminded him to complete the list of soldiers who died in the Battle of Black Stone Fortress to avoid gaps in the military supplies roster.

There was one more sentence at the end.

"The position of a centurion in Blackrock Fortress will guarantee you three years of peace of mind."

Zhao Wu stood to the side, his face slightly pale.

"My lord, a single letter is not enough to confirm that it came from General Chen."

Tang Su continued to open the second letter.

The letter mentions an old soldier who tried to report Chen Baihu to the inspector.

Chen Huaishan told him to deal with it as soon as possible.

The letter's original words were very simple.

"Bandits are rampant in the border regions, so it's not surprising that one person has gone missing."

The granary fell silent.

Tie Niu stood outside the door and couldn't help but peek his head in.

"That sounds familiar."

Hou San stood behind him.

"Commander Chen said the same thing before."

"After he finished speaking, he just disappeared?"

"The body has not been found."

Tang Su stacked the two letters together.

"Commander Wang, who is the veteran mentioned in the letter?"

Wang Zongqi kept his head down.

"His surname is Zhou, and he was originally a veteran of Blackstone Fortress."

"He discovered that Commander Chen had falsely reported his military rank and wanted to follow the caravan to Yunzhou to file a complaint, but we intercepted him halfway there."

Tang Su asked, "Where are they?"

Wang Zongqi's lips moved slightly.

"Buried under the rocky slope on the south side."

Tang Su's fingers tightened around the letter.

These handwritten orders corresponded with the military supplies documents in the iron box, making it difficult for Chen Huaishan to attribute everything to the deceased Commander Chen.

Zhao Wu continued to defend himself from the side.

"Sir, Commander Wang will say anything to save his life."

"Besides, he has been imprisoned by Xu Qingshan for so long, and the injuries on his body may have been caused by torture."

Qin Yuenu was summoned into the granary.

She examined Wang Zongqi's injuries on his arms and back and quickly came to a conclusion.

"The wounds were all inflicted more than ten days ago; no one has used torture on them recently."

Zhao Wu asked, "What makes you so sure?"

Qin Yuenu glanced at him.

"Lieutenant Zhao can make a cut on his arm, and come back to me in ten days. I'll check it for you."

Zhao Wu's lips twitched slightly.

"Nonsense."

"Then don't ask."

Qin Yuenu turned and left.

Tang Su put all six letters back into the wooden box.

"The handwritten document, personal seal, and sealing wax must all be sent back to Yunzhou for verification."

"Until the investigation is completed, all evidence shall be kept in the custody of my personal guard."

"Commander Wang is being held in solitary confinement, and no one is allowed to contact him without permission."

Zhao Wu's face was grim.

"My lord, Xu Qingshan's case has not yet been concluded."

"To be continued tomorrow."

Tang Su looked at him.

"We've uncovered enough things today."

…………

After nightfall, Wang Zongqi was moved to a side courtyard on the east side of the inner fort.

Two border patrol guards stood watch outside the gate, and Xiao Hongluan also sent four soldiers from Black Stone Fortress to guard the perimeter of the courtyard.

Just after 7 p.m., a soldier from Yunzhou arrived at the courtyard gate carrying a food box.

"Commander Zhao ordered me to deliver food to General Wang."

The border patrol officer's personal guards stopped him.

"Lord Tang has given instructions that no one is allowed to contact Commander Wang."

I put the food down and left.

The soldiers from Yunzhou placed the food boxes at the door and quickly disappeared at the end of the alley.

Just as the guards were about to pick up the food box, Liu Ruyan's voice came from the side.

"Don't move yet."

She led Hou San and Xiao Qi out of the shadows.

The food box was opened, revealing a bowl of meat soup and two flatbreads inside.

Liu Ruyan inserted a silver needle into the soup.

A moment later, a layer of black appeared on the tip of the needle.

Hou San squatted down beside him and took a couple of glances.

"The person who poisoned him was quite generous; even Wang Zongqi has never eaten anything this good in prison."

Xiaoqi asked, "What about food?"

"Send in a clean one instead."

Liu Ruyan closed the food box.

"The person who delivers the food is just the first step. Only after Chief Wang finishes eating will the people who actually take action come in to confirm."

Hou San rubbed his wrist.

"To catch dead or alive?"

"The mouth can speak."

Night was falling.

After the lights in the side courtyard were turned off, a dark figure climbed over the back wall.

The inside of the courtyard wall appeared to be undefended.

The shadowy figure crept along the wall to the front of the house, took out a thin copper tube from his pocket, and slowly inserted it into the window crack.

Just as the sleeping gas was blown into the tube, the door suddenly opened from the inside.

A wooden stool came crashing down on me.

The shadowy figure dodged to the side, then drew his sword and slashed.

Before the blade could fall, a noose had already been lowered from the roof beam and wrapped around his wrist.

Xiaoqi pulled back.

The shadowy figure lost his balance, and Hou San rushed out from the side of the door, his shoulder slamming into the man's chest, knocking him to the ground.

Torches were lit simultaneously around the courtyard wall.

The shadowy figure struggled to reach for its waist.

Liu Ruyan stepped on his hand.

"Don't bite the venom sac in its mouth either."

Hou San grabbed the assassin's chin and pried a wax pellet out from between his teeth.

"They're quite well-prepared."

The assassin's eyes were filled with ferocity, yet he remained silent.

Xiao Qi pulled open his collar.

A bronze waist tag fell off.

The front is engraved with "Yunzhou Vanguard Camp", and the back has a number.

Hou San picked up the waist tag.

"One of Commandant Zhao's men?"

Liu Ruyan looked at the sole of the assassin's shoe.

The wet mud was mixed with small white stones.

The interior of Blackstone Fortress is paved with yellow earth and bluestone, while only the area near the Yunzhou military camp outside the city has this kind of white gravel.

"They're too lazy to even clean the soles of their shoes."

She looked up.

"Send the person to Tang Su."

…………

As dawn broke, the assassin was brought into the council chamber.

Waist tokens, poison needles, wax pellets, and boots covered in white mud were placed on the table in order.

After reading it, Tang Su's face turned extremely gloomy.

Zhao Wuze stood in the hall.

"Sir, the Vanguard Battalion's waist token was once lost; it's possible the assassin deliberately planted it."

Tang Su asked, "Where's the mud on the soles of your shoes?"

"The roads near Blackrock Fortress are muddy, so it's not surprising that they're covered in similar mud."

"This person entered the city last night from the direction of your encampment."

"They might take a detour in advance."

Hou San listened with admiration.

"If Commandant Zhao were to become a storyteller, he certainly wouldn't starve."

Zhao Wu glared at him.

Tang Su slammed his hand on the table.

"That's enough!"

The hall fell silent.

"Zhao Wu, from this moment on, you will hand over the temporary command of the vanguard battalion to your deputy general."

Zhao Wu's expression changed drastically.

"My lord, you have seized my military command based solely on an assassin of unknown origin! I refuse to accept this!"

"I did not say you were guilty."

Tang Su stared at him.

"Until the matter is clarified, you shall remain at the post station and shall not leave or have contact with the guards outside the city."

"This is a military order."

Zhao Wu clenched his fists and lowered his head after a moment.

"This subordinate obeys."

The assassin and all the evidence were taken away by the border patrol's personal guards.

Xu Qingshan stood in the hall and did not take the opportunity to demand that Zhao Wu be punished.

Tang Su glanced at him.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

"Hand over both the people and the evidence to Lord Tang."

Xu Qingshan said, "How to investigate is up to you."

"Aren't you worried that I'll protect him?"

"Worry."

"Then why are you still paying?"

"If I kill Zhao Wu myself, Chen Huaishan can just add another crime to my list."

Xu Qingshan looked at the official seal of the border patrol envoy on the table.

"Since Lord Tang has come to investigate military law, I must give you a chance to act in accordance with military law."

Tang Su remained silent for a moment.

Suddenly, the sound of horns rang out from outside the council chamber.

woo-

The bugle sounded urgently, three times in a row.

Xiao Hongluan walked in quickly.

"Smoke is coming from the north wall!"

The group rushed to the top of the city wall.

Three plumes of blood-red smoke rose straight into the sky from among the distant mountains.

That was a distress signal that was lit only when the border fortress was attacked by a large group of barbarian soldiers.

A fast horse is galloping along the official road.

The rider on horseback was crouching low, with two arrows stuck in his back.

When they reached the city walls, their warhorse's front hooves buckled, and they fell into the mud.

The soldiers of Blackrock Fortress quickly carried the rider into the city.

Blood had soaked through half of his armor.

Qin Yuenu cut open the clothing near the arrow wound.

"We can't pull out the arrow now. Let's explain what happened first."

The rider caught his breath and struggled to grab Xu Qingshan's wrist.

"Qingya Fortress..."

"Three hundred Vulture Cavalry surrounded Qingya Fort last night."

"There are only thirty-five people left in the fort who can wield a knife, and there are still more than two hundred military households and civilians."

"A section of the city wall has collapsed; it can only hold out until tonight at most!"