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

Chapter 86 Broken River Fortress: The First Full Meal

"The eight cartloads are just a deposit; once the fortress gates open, the military households along the broken river can get a discount."

Liang Shun stared at the line of words, his palm pressed on the table.

"Discounted price? They're selling the military households of Duanhebao as commodities?"

Ma Rong knelt on the ground, not daring to even lift his head.

Liu Ruyan closed the ledger.

"The prices differ for young women, children, and able-bodied men who can do heavy work."

"After Black Wind Village enters the fortress, they will first separate the people, and then deduct the grain and silver according to the prices in the account book."

Liang Shun kicked Ma Rong to the ground.

"You still dare to say you're doing this for Broken River Fortress!"

Ma Rong slammed his shoulder against the door frame, turning pale with pain.

"I didn't write this!"

"The account books were Sun Kui's, and the idea came from Black Wind Stronghold!"

Xu Qingshan put the account book into the oil paper.

"We can find out who wrote it later."

"You need to open the side gate so that Black Wind Stronghold can come in and select people. There's no escaping this."

Before Ma Rong could speak, Hou San grabbed him by the collar from behind.

"Go to jail and think about it first. Once you remember who wrote it, come out and talk about it."

Ma Rong was dragged out of the house.

Liang Shun stood still, his chest heaving.

Xu Qingshan looked at him.

"Bring all eight grain carts outside the granary and weigh them in front of the soldiers and householders."

Liang Shun was taken aback.

"Sir, aren't we going to transport this grain back to Blackrock Castle?"

"The grain, once it came out of Iron Gate Fortress, should have been delivered to Broken River Fortress."

Xu Qingshan said, "The bandits couldn't take it last night, and they won't let anyone else take it today."

Liang Shun nodded emphatically.

"I'll take care of it right away."

…………

The next morning, eight grain carts were parked side by side outside the Duanhebao granary.

After the news spread, the soldiers in the fortress came out of their houses one after another.

The streets were soon filled with people.

Several women huddled against the wall, holding their children, their eyes constantly following the movement of the grain sacks.

An old man stood at the back, leaning on a wooden cane; his cotton-padded coat was so patched that its original color was no longer visible.

More than forty soldiers from Duanhebao were also present.

They had participated in the battle to seize the gate last night and knew that the grain had been brought back, but they were still worried.

In the past, grain carts were also used to deliver grain to Yunzhou.

The carts were packed to the brim when they entered the fort, but when the granaries were opened the next day, only a few bowls of thin rations were left for the ordinary soldiers.

Now that a new garrison has been assigned to Sibao, no one can say for sure how the grain will be distributed.

Shen Qinghe arrived from Black Stone Fortress with two accountants, and took the grain register as soon as he dismounted.

She stood next to the first grain cart.

"Open the package."

The hemp rope was cut, and the first bag of grain was lifted onto the wooden scale.

"Five pecks and three pints."

The clerk immediately wrote it down.

The second and third bags were moved out one after another.

Each bag of grain was weighed, and damaged bags were replaced on the spot. The wheat grains that spilled on the truck last night were swept into a wooden basin and recorded separately.

Hou San sat by the wall, basking in the sun.

Seeing the soldiers of Duanhebao cleaning the ground with winnowing baskets, he couldn't help but say, "They've even dug out the ones that fell into the cracks in the rocks."

Qin Yuenu was tidying up the medicine box beside her.

"Believe it or not, if you starve for months, you can even gnaw through the cracks in the rocks."

"My teeth aren't that good."

"My back isn't good either, but I still dared to run around last night."

Hou San shut his mouth and took half a step to the side.

After all eight grain carts were inventoried, Shen Qinghe placed several pages of figures in front of Xu Qingshan.

"Seven carts were intact, and one cart was damaged."

"A total of sixty-three shi and four dou."

"Duanhebao currently has 317 military households and 46 soldiers. Including wounded soldiers, Zhenbei cavalry, and prisoners, it consumes at least four shi of grain per day."

Upon hearing this, the joy on Liang Shun's face faded somewhat.

"Only enough for half a month?"

"If we eat sparingly, we can last a few more days."

Shen Qinghe said, "Many people in the fort have been lacking food for a long time. If we continue to reduce their rations, their health will collapse first."

Xu Qingshan looked at both sides of the street.

The children's eyes remained fixed on the grain sack.

One of them was the youngest, and he had his fingers in his mouth. The woman next to him tried several times to pull his hand down, but she couldn't.

"Distribute today's rations first."

Xu Qingshan said, "The wounded soldiers, the six soldiers rescued from the water prison, and the children under the age of twelve will have their rations allocated separately."

"The military households in the fort are registered by household, and the soldiers are collected according to the roster."

"The Zhenbei Cavalry eat their own military rations and do not take a share from Duanhebao."

Shen Qinghe asked, "Where are the bandit prisoners?"

"The amount needed to sustain life."

"Anyone willing to disclose information about Black Wind Stronghold and participate in moving and cleaning up the bodies will receive an additional half-point."

"Ma Rong and his cronies?"

Xu Qingshan looked towards the water prison.

"As long as we don't starve to death, that's fine."

Hou San chuckled.

"The food rations were distributed fairly."

Shen Qinghe had the clerk bring over a stack of thin wooden plaques.

When each household receives grain, they must state the number of people in their household and their address, and then press their fingerprints.

One wooden plaque was kept in hand, and the other was hung in the granary.

The next time grain is distributed, the marks on both sides must match before it can be issued.

An elderly woman walked up to the table, looking somewhat nervous.

There are five people in my family.

"The son is guarding the north wall, the daughter-in-law is sick, and there are two children left."

The clerk opened the military household register that had just been verified.

"Zhao Wangshi, the third household in the east alley?"

The old woman nodded quickly.

"right."

"Receive three days' worth of rations, with an additional half-liter for children's rations."

A cloth bag filled with grain was handed to him.

The old woman reached out and caught it; its heavy weight made her pause for a moment.

"Are these... all for my family?"

Shen Qinghe said, "Keep the wooden plaque safe and come back in three days."

The old woman hugged the cloth bag, her lips moved a few times, and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she turned away.

The group continued moving forward.

The grain sacks were unloaded from the truck into the granary, and then distributed from the granary to each household.

The sounds of talking on the street gradually increased.

After receiving their rations, several soldiers squatted in the corner, repeatedly weighing the cloth bags in their hands.

Liang Shun walked over.

"What, you think it's not enough?"

A young soldier shook his head.

"The roster used to say two liters, but we only received half a liter."

"This is the first time I've taken enough."

The old soldier next to him chuckled.

"Your hands weren't shaking when you were killing the bandits last night, but now you can't even walk properly when you're carrying a bag of grain."

"I'm afraid I'm dreaming."

"Then give me the grain, and come back for it when you wake up."

The young soldier quickly hugged the cloth bag to his chest.

"I'll sleep a little longer."

…………

In the afternoon, six large cauldrons were set up outside the granary.

Brown rice and wheat grains were poured into a pot, and the seized dried meat was chopped up and cooked together.

The severely wounded warhorse left behind by the bandits could not be saved, so it was cleaned up by the people brought by Zhao Lihua, and the meat was divided into different pots.

The heat drifted down the street.

The soldiers lined up in a long queue, each holding a wooden bowl and a ceramic basin.

When the lid is lifted, the rice grains, minced meat, and oil swirl around together.

The child standing at the front tiptoed, his eyes almost touching the edge of the pot.

The old soldier in charge of cooking laughed and scolded, "Any further forward, and the whole person would have to go into the pot."

The child took a half step back and asked softly, "Can it be filled to the brim?"

"Able today."

A spoonful of hot porridge fell into the bowl.

The old soldier got another piece of meat.

The child held the bowl in both hands, ran a few steps, and then turned back.

"My mother hasn't received hers yet; she's at the back of the line. Give her this bowl first."

The old soldier glanced at him and then ladled out another bowl.

"Take it away."

"This bowl is yours."

The child grinned, grabbed two bowls, and ran towards the crowd.

For the first time in months, the aroma of food filled the entire street of Duanhebao.

Feng Baozhang was carried to the eaves.

Qin Yuenu only allowed him to drink half a bowl of thick porridge, and the meat was cut into very small pieces.

Watching the soldiers eat around the pot, he leaned against the wooden board and remained silent for a long time.

Liang Shun brought over a bowl of porridge.

"Fortress Commander."

Feng Baozhang took the bowl.

"Now that's what a living fortress should be like."

The items from Ma Rong's private warehouse were also moved onto the street.

More than 600 taels of silver, more than 30 grain coupons, four bolts of cloth, two boxes of salt bricks, and several pieces of jewelry of unknown origin.

Liang Shun stood to the side, his face still grim.

"This amount of food is enough for him to eat for several lifetimes."

Xu Qingshan said, "Let's register first."

"If the original owner can be identified, the property should be returned to the original owner."

"Silver and grain coupons will be used to pay the soldiers who are owed wages at Duanhebao first, and the remaining funds will be used to repair the city walls, clean wells, and repair the roofs of the soldiers' households."

An old soldier with gray hair and beard stepped out from the ranks.

"Sir, you captured Iron Gate Fortress and saved Broken River Fortress. You can't stay here forever."

"Once you leave and the grain is all gone, will we go back to what we were before?"

The surroundings gradually quieted down.

Several soldiers also looked up.

Xu Qingshan did not answer how long the grain would last, but turned and pointed to the river outside the side gate.

The river meanders around the shallows, leading to the trade route between Iron Gate Fort and White Wolf Market.

"In the past, Sun Kui seized goods from merchants, and Ma Rong cleared the way for Black Wind Village."

"From this day forward, this shallow water is under the jurisdiction of Duanhebao."

"Caravans are permitted to pass according to military orders; any bandits who dare to approach will have their horses and heads taken."

"Anyone who wants to pass through here, you'll have to ask if you agree first."

The old soldier looked at Liang Shun.

Liang Shun straightened his back.

"We can hold it."

"We were able to kill the bandits last night, and we can defend the shallows from now on."

Xu Qingshan took out a temporary team badge.

"Liang Shun".

"Your subordinate is here."

"Effective immediately, he will temporarily serve as the commander of Duanhebao, responsible for the reorganization of soldiers, patrolling the shallows, and defending the granary."

"Send a report on daily troop strength, food supplies, and patrol status to Iron Gate Fortress."

Liang Shun accepted the waist tag with both hands.

"Your subordinate obeys."

The surrounding soldiers all stood up straight.

Several lines of text immediately appeared before Xu Qingshan's eyes.

The military and civilians of Duanhebao have secured a stable food supply.

The garrison at Duanhebao has completed its initial reorganization.

[The allegiance of Broken River Fortress has begun to increase.]

[Currently under actual control: Three border fortresses.]

[The current grain reserves at Duanhebao are estimated to last for 16 days.]

Xu Qingshan looked at the last line, and his heart, which had just calmed down, jumped again.

Sixty-three shi of grain sounds like a lot.