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

By daybreak, the bloodstains outside the side gate of Duanhebao had been diluted by the river.

The twelve bandit corpses were carried to an open space, the survivors were separated and imprisoned, and the captured warhorses were tied up in the old stable.

After the eight grain carts came to a stop, Liang Shun personally led a group of people to guard them.

The wagon was filled with food supplies for the soldiers and civilians of Duanhebao to survive. Last night, Ma Rong almost sent it to Heifengzhai. Anyone who took another step closer would be questioned first.

Qin Yuenu arrived at Chenshi (7-9 AM).

After receiving the news, she rushed over from Tiemenbao with four medical staff overnight. As soon as she entered, she saw Hou San leaning against the wall changing his dressing.

The wound that had been stitched up reopened, and the burlap was covered in blood.

Qin Yuenu stood in front of him.

"I heard you were only responsible for looting the gatehouse last night?"

Hou San looked up at her.

"The gatehouse rebelled on its own."

"How did you resist?"

"Hit me with a hammer."

"Where's the hammer?"

"In the yard."

"Then go explain to Iron Hammer."

Qin Yuenu picked up the needle and thread.

"My job is just to sew you up."

Hou San's expression changed as he looked at the needle, which was thicker than usual.

"Did they give me the wrong needle?"

"That's right."

"Specializing in sewing up people who disobey military orders."

Screams soon came from behind the courtyard wall.

Xu Qingshan glanced inside as he passed by.

"Still alive?"

Qin Yuenu didn't even raise her head.

"Screaming so loudly, he won't die anytime soon."

"Then keep it."

Xu Qingshan said, "We still have to interrogate the bandits this afternoon."

Hou San, biting the cloth ball, mumbled a curse.

…………

The water in the old water dungeon was already above ankle level.

For two months, no one had cleaned it up. The rotting straw and excrement were mixed together, and the smell was so strong that several Zhenbei cavalrymen turned their heads away as soon as they stepped down the stone steps.

After inspecting the six imprisoned soldiers, Qin Yuenu carried out the two most seriously injured soldiers first.

The remaining four were so thin they were just skin and bones, their wrists and ankles covered in festering sores from the chains.

Feng Baozhang was placed on a wooden plank that had been temporarily moved in.

He drank half a bowl of warm water and then reached for the dry food next to him.

Qin Yuenu took away the dry rations and replaced them with a bowl of thin rice soup.

"Drink this first."

Feng Baozhang looked at the meager amount of rice in the bowl.

"I've been starving for two months, and this is all I get?"

"If you eat a few more bites now, you might end up back in the water dungeon tonight."

Qin Yuenu handed the bowl to him.

"You have to drink it even if it's not enough."

Feng Baozhang had guarded the border fortress for half his life and had never retreated when facing the barbarians, but now he obediently accepted the rice soup.

Liang Shun stood guard beside him.

Seeing him drink it down, his eyes started to redden again.

Feng Baozhang looked up at him.

"You cried just last night, and you're crying again today?"

Liang Shun wiped his face.

"The water dungeon smelled terrible, it was smoky."

"I lived in there for two months and I didn't get like you from the stench."

Liang Shun grinned.

Xu Qingshan moved a low stool over and sat down next to the wooden board.

"Commander Feng, what has happened at Broken River Fort in the past two months?"

Feng Baozhang held the rice porridge in his hand and remained silent for a moment.

Two months ago, Ma Rong brought back a letter from Sun Kui.

"The letter said that Tiemenbao had seized a batch of goods, intending to transport them from Duanhe Shallows to Bailangji, and wanted to use Duanhebao's route."

"After I refused, Ma Rong began to replace the guards at the city gates."

Xu Qingshan asked, "He only had a dozen or so trusted men under his command, so how did he manage to replace more than forty garrison soldiers?"

"Change them separately."

Feng Baozhang said, "First, transfer Liang Shun to guard the beacon tower, then send a few veterans to the north wall. The rest of the men are divided into several teams to guard the granary, the shallows, and the military households' area respectively."

"By the time I realized it, the side gate, the granary, and the water dungeon had already fallen into his hands."

Liang Shun lowered his head.

"It was my oversight."

"It's none of your business."

Feng Baozhang took a sip of rice porridge.

"Ma Rong has been with me for seven years. He once took an arrow for me when the barbarians attacked the city. Who would have thought that he would sell Duanhe Fort to the bandits?"

How did he catch you?

"Sun Kui sent two carts of so-called military rations."

Feng Baozhang gave a cold laugh.

"I took people to inspect the grain, and there were people from Black Wind Village hiding in the car."

"After the fight started, all six of my brothers were injured, and Ma Rong took the opportunity to stab me in the back."

"When I woke up, I was already in the water dungeon."

Xu Qingshan looked at the soldiers who had been rescued.

One of them still had an old arrow wound on his chest, and the other was missing two fingers on his right hand.

They were able to survive for two months only because the water dungeon was close to the underground sewers, and clean water would occasionally seep into the cracks in the walls.

As for food, Ma Rong would only have a few moldy grain cakes thrown down every few days.

They were kept on their last breath, neither dying nor having the strength to escape.

How did Sun Kui and Ma Rong end up cooperating with Black Wind Stronghold?

Feng Baozhang placed the empty bowl aside.

"Sun Kui guarded the Iron Gate trade route, responsible for seizing goods, delivering grain, and providing ironware."

"Ma Rong controlled the shallows of the broken river and turned off the beacon fires at night, allowing the people of Black Wind Village to patrol around the north wall."

"The stolen goods were transported across the river from the shallows and then along the mountain road on the west side to Bailangji."

Xu Qingshan asked, "How many people has Black Wind Stronghold killed for them?"

"I know of three types."

Feng Baozhang stretched out his finger.

"The caravan refused to hand over supplies, so Sun Kui gave the Black Wind Stronghold the route and number of people, and the bandits robbed and killed them ahead."

"The military rations sent from Yunzhou to Qingyabao passed through Duanhe, and several batches were intercepted by them. When the rations entered Heifeng Village, the documents stated that they were encountered by barbarian cavalry or that the river destroyed the ration carts."

"The third category is border troops."

The wind blew in from outside the water prison, and the torch flickered a few times.

Feng Baozhang's voice turned somber.

"Soldiers who discover embezzlement, smuggling, and the whereabouts of military rations will be sent to deliver messages and patrol the roads."

"Once you leave the border fortress, you can never come back."

Liang Shun clenched his fist.

"Zhao, the captain who went missing the year before last..."

"They were probably the ones who did it."

Feng Bao closed his eyes briefly.

"Captain Zhao has checked the military register of Tiemenbao and said he is going to Yunzhou to report Sun Kui."

Three days later, his body was found in the valley, with barbarian arrows embedded in his body.

Xu Qingshan asked, "Since so many people are involved, what makes Sun Kui and Ma Rong think that Yunzhou can't find out?"

Feng Baozhang opened his eyes again.

"On the day Ma Rong arrested me, he produced an official document."

"It's stamped with the Yunzhou Military Supplies Transfer Seal."

The people around them fell silent.

"What does the official document say?"

"Sixteen warhorses and a batch of ironware from Duanhebao were allocated to be transported by Tiemenbao."

Feng Baozhang said, "Duanhebao has never received those items, but they have already been registered in the military register."

"Ma Rong showed me the official document and said that someone was backing him up for this deal."

"As long as I nod, Duanhebao will receive grain and silver every month from now on."

Xu Qingshan recalled the goods in the Iron Gate Fort granary.

Sun Kui seized the goods, Ma Rong cleared the way, and Black Wind Village robbed and killed people while transporting the stolen goods.

Bailangji was responsible for selling the stolen goods, while Yunzhou Military Supplies Clerk provided a plausible destination for all the missing grain, warhorses, and ironware.

This road leads from the border fort all the way to Yunzhou.

Sun Kui and Ma Rong guarded the outermost layer.

Black Wind Stronghold was just a group of people responsible for wielding knives and moving goods.

The person who could make military rations disappear into thin air and then make the military registers match up again is still hidden behind the scenes.

Xu Qingshan said, "There should be account books in Black Wind Stronghold."

Zhou Laoqi nodded.

"With so many goods coming in and out, it's impossible to remember them all by memory alone."

Feng Baozhang braced himself against the wooden plank, preparing to stand up.

Give me a set of armor.

Liang Shun quickly helped him up.

"Fortress Chief, you can't even walk steadily now."

"Qi Biao has fled back to Black Wind Stronghold, and the chief will soon come to take revenge."

Feng Baozhang gritted his teeth and moved his legs to the edge of the wooden board.

"Duanhebao is my fortress, I have to go up the city wall."

His knees gave way as soon as his feet touched the ground.

Liang Shun and the old soldier next to him supported him at the same time, so that he could sit up again.

Xu Qingshan said, "Even if you put on your armor now, the armor will be more stable than you."

Feng Baozhang glanced at him.

"Is Commander Xu always this irritating?"

"The main concern is that you might be overconfident... Let's leave Duanhe Fort to Liang Shun for the time being."

Xu Qingshan stood up.

"You should recover well and take care of helping me identify the military register and old personnel. How many soldiers Ma Rong has replaced, who has been involved in smuggling, and who can still be trusted are all more important than you climbing the city wall now."

Feng Baozhang remained silent for a long time.

"Okay, but Ma Rongde needs to be handed over to me."

Xu Qingshan said, "He still needs to speak; he can't die yet."

"I didn't say I'd kill him now."

Feng Baozhang looked into the depths of the water prison.

"I want him to explain everything he has done in the past two months, one by one."

Liang Shun led several veterans to the wooden plank.

They removed their weapons and knelt on one knee on the damp stone ground.

"Lord Garrison Commander."

"Feng Baozhang and his six brothers were imprisoned for two months, and the military households of Duanhebao were almost sold to Heifengzhai by Ma Rong."

Liang Shun raised his head.

"Please seek justice for Duanhebao."

Xu Qingshan looked at them.

"Get up first."

"Ma Rong's life is in danger, and the things Sun Kui left behind will also be investigated."

"As for Black Wind Stronghold..."

He looked out at the gradually brightening sky outside the water prison.

"Qi Biao has already gone back to deliver the message for us."

"They'll be back soon."

…………

When Ma Rong was brought to the entrance of the water dungeon, the six imprisoned soldiers had already been carried outside.

He saw Chief Feng sitting on the wooden plank, and he saw the soldiers who should have died in the water dungeon, their legs gradually losing strength.

Hou San kicked him from behind.

"Hold on tight."

Ma Rong's knees buckled, and he knelt directly in front of Chief Feng.

"Fortress Commander..."

Feng Baozhang stared at him for a long time.

"Seven years ago, you took an arrow for me. For the past two months, I've been thinking about whether or not I should remember that arrow for you."

Ma Rong lowered his head.

"I'm doing this for Broken River Fortress too."

Upon hearing this, Liang Shun raised his foot to kick the man.

Xu Qingshan reached out and stopped him.

Feng Baozhang's face, however, showed little anger.

"So, they sold military households to Black Wind Stronghold for the sake of Broken River Fortress?"

"So, to protect Duanhe Fortress, they imprisoned the garrison in the water dungeon?"

"So, you sent eight cartloads of grain out for the sake of Duanhe Fortress?"

Ma Rong's forehead was pressed against the ground.

"Sun Kui forced me to do it all."

Feng Baozhang turned to look at Xu Qingshan.

"My lord, he used to lie this low when he lied."

Hou San asked, "Should we put a pillow under his head?"

Ma Rong's body trembled.

Chief Feng withdrew his gaze.

"Ma Rong".

"Where did you hide that official document stamped with the Yunzhou military supplies transfer seal?"

Ma Rong's fingers, which were lying on the ground, tightened instantly.