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

As soon as Xu Qingshan finished speaking, Hou San had already walked to the center of the wooden building and stepped on the floor.

"How about we start here?"

Liu Ruyan glanced at him.

"If you trample the evidence, I'll have Qin Yuenü sew it up for you again."

Hou San silently withdrew his foot.

"Then you should do it."

The wooden building still bears the marks of the battle that had just taken place.

The overturned table was pressing down on half a piece of animal hide, the wine jar was shattered on the ground, and two short knives that hadn't been taken away were lying in the corner.

Before the chief escaped through the tunnel, he was clearly only concerned with taking the account book and the wooden box.

There was simply no time to pack everything up.

Liu Ruyan first inspected the desk.

There were only a few White Wolf collection tickets and loose silver notes in the drawer.

Su Jinniang picked up and looked at two of them.

"Wanhe Auto Dealership"

"I know this place."

"One of the largest carriage and horse rental companies on North Street of Bailangji, which usually rents out carriages and changes horses for caravans, and also takes on long-distance delivery business."

Hou San asked, "Does Black Wind Stronghold dare to send stolen goods to legitimate car dealerships?"

"As long as the car dealership is on their side, what's there to be afraid of?"

Su Jinniang flipped through the invoice.

A barely visible black wind pattern remains on the back.

"This ticket says there are twenty steppe horses."

"The date corresponds exactly to the phrase 'long legs crossing the river' in Ma Rong's account."

"The horses were transported from the shallows of the Broken River, and then Wanhe Carriage Company changed their saddles and horse tags. When they arrived at Bailangji, they became normal goods."

Xu Qingshan glanced at it.

"Put it away first."

"Once we catch the gang leader, we'll go to this car dealership for tea."

The wooden building was quickly searched and turned over.

The bed frame, cabinet, table legs, and even the knife rack on the wall were all taken down for inspection.

Hou San squatted by the bed, just about to knock on the second bed board, when Bai Zhi's voice came from behind.

"Stop knocking."

"here."

She stood in front of a wall that was against the mountain.

Half of the wooden building is built on the mountain rocks, and this wall should be close to the rock face.

However, in the corner, there is a gap about two fingers wide between the wooden pillar and the stone wall.

Bai Zhi used a short knife to try it out.

The tip of the knife went in about half a foot.

"The space behind it is empty."

Tie Niu immediately came over carrying a heavy axe.

"I'll split it open."

"You've already smashed down a door today."

Bai Zhi said, "Let this wall go."

Tie Niu stood by and watched.

Bai Zhi pried open the iron nails on the edge of the wooden pillar and had two wall panels removed.

A musty smell wafted out from inside.

There was a narrow interlayer hidden in front of the rock wall.

Inside were three oilcloth bundles, two wooden boxes, and several account books tightly wrapped in oil paper.

Hou San peeked inside.

"He's really more successful than Ma Rong."

"Ma Rong only kept one copy."

"This guy has a whole nest of them."

Liu Ruyan moved all the items to the table.

The top ledger has no title.

After it was opened, the room quickly became quiet.

The first transaction was with the Shuntong Caravan.

Six carts of salt and cloth were intercepted twelve miles northeast of Tiemenbao.

Seven people were killed on the spot, three were left behind, and the goods were split into two groups, one part was sent to White Wolf Market, and the other part was left in Black Wind Village.

They even remembered how the silver was divided.

How much did Sun Kui take?

Black Wind Village takes the lion's share.

The person in charge of selling stolen goods at White Wolf Market takes another share.

Ding Wang was in the wounded camp.

The bloody handprint on the invitation hadn't dried for very long.

Now even how his caravan was robbed and how many people died are clearly written in the account book.

Hou San stared at those few lines of text.

"These people are really not afraid of being raided by government troops one day."

Liu Ruyan continued flipping through the pages.

"They're afraid."

"That's why they use these accounts to manipulate each other."

"Sun Kui is afraid that Black Wind Stronghold will turn against him, and Black Wind Stronghold is also afraid that Sun Kui will deny his promise."

"The clearer it is written, the less likely people will be to be the first to overturn the table."

Xu Qingshan said, "In the end, we still managed to overturn the table."

The second ledger records military rations and weapons.

When Gao Bai turned to last winter, he suddenly pressed down on one of the pages.

"etc."

He stared at the date on it for a moment.

"This is the batch of grain from Qingyabao."

Xu Qingshan handed the account book over.

Before winter last year, Yunzhou had allocated a batch of emergency military rations to Qingyabao.

Feng Shouyi and the entire fort waited for more than ten days.

In the end, only two cars were seen.

The official document brought by the soldiers escorting the grain stated that heavy snow had blocked the mountain passes, causing the grain carts to overturn en route, resulting in the loss of most of the grain and leaving only twenty shi (a unit of dry measure) to be delivered.

Gao Bai remembers this very clearly.

Because eight people died in Qingyabao that year.

Two old soldiers froze to death inside the house.

The other six encountered barbarian cavalry while patrolling the border, and were so hungry that they could barely hold their spears steady.

Now, the Black Wind Village's account books clearly record that batch of grain that "turned into the ravine".

Just a few days after the grain was released from the North Granary of Yunzhou, three hundred shi of grain were handed over at the old Iron Gate Road.

Some of them went into the Black Wind Vault.

The rest were transported along the trade route to Bailangji.

Even the person in charge of receiving the car remembered his name.

Gao Bai's lips moved twice.

That year…

"The grain wasn't lost at all?"

Su Jinniang said, "The grain is indeed lost."

"It just ended up in their pockets."

No one laughed.

Liu Ruyan pulled out another military supplies document from the oilcloth bag.

It was the Yunzhou warehouse release certificate for that batch of grain.

Further down, there is a document detailing the damage that was later issued.

Both documents were stamped with the same set of military supply transfer seals.

The dates are only a few days apart.

This serves as proof that the grain has already left the warehouse.

On the one hand, they wrote that the grain was destroyed by snow disaster.

And the Black Wind Stronghold's account book conveniently filled in the missing section in the middle.

Xu Qingshan pressed the three items together.

"Now the mountain valley can speak."

Liu Ruyan said, "This proves that someone tampered with this batch of grain."

"This also proves that Black Wind Stronghold received the grain."

"But who allowed the military supply depot to change its accounts, and who is in charge of collecting payments in Yunzhou? We're still missing the last piece of the puzzle."

"Keep searching."

The remaining documents in the interlayer were all laid out.

Military supply route permit.

Caravan freight tickets.

Several unsigned letters.

There are also receipts left by several warehouses and cart companies belonging to the White Wolf.

Liu Ruyan stopped when she turned to one of the letters.

The letter was very short.

The sign ahead reads that the old White Wolf Road has been cleared and no one will be left in the way.

The last sentence mentions that the Vanguard Captain will be responsible for handling patrols.

Hou San immediately asked, "Zhao Wu?"

Xu Qingshan looked at Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan put the letter aside.

"This statement alone cannot be used to pin the blame on Zhao Wu."

"There was no name or personal seal in the letter."

"Keep it for now."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

No one who needs to be investigated will escape.

But the worst thing to do now is to rush to label someone just because you see half a name.

Black Wind Stronghold was able to do business on the North Wall for so many years, so the people behind it would never have left such a simple handle.

It wasn't until the third ledger was opened that the three words "Master Chen" reappeared.

This ledger contains the fewest records.

There will only be one payment every few months.

Master Chen entered the village.

Master Chen crossed the White Wolf Pass.

Master Chen retrieved the letter.

There was one time when someone even wrote down a sentence next to it.

With only one eye guarding the courtyard, Qi Biao was not allowed to enter.

Xu Qingshan looked up.

"Bring the one-eyed wolf."

…………

When the one-eyed wolf was led into the wooden building, his shoulders were still strapped with a splint.

The first thing he saw when he entered the room was the several ledgers on the table.

Their pace slowed noticeably.

Hou San sat at the doorway, letting his wounds dry in the sun.

"Third Master".

"Did you see an old friend?"

The one-eyed wolf had a cold face.

"What old friend?"

Liu Ruyan pushed the account book over.

"In May of the year before last, you led twenty-six men down the mountain and intercepted a seven-caravan merchant caravan."

"Killed eleven people, and brought back three women and two children."

"Last March, you ambushed and killed a medicine delivery team on the north side of the Duanhe River."

"Five people died, and medicinal herbs were brought into the village."

"Should I continue reading?"

The muscles on the one-eyed wolf's face tensed.

"Those were all recorded by the chief."

"So the accounts are real?"

The one-eyed wolf realized he had let something slip and shut his mouth.

Hou San was amused.

"Good."

"It saved us a trial."

Xu Qingshan turned to the page of the account book that read "Second Master Chen".

"You've seen this person before."

The one-eyed wolf glanced at it.

"Never seen it before."

"The account book says you're in charge of guarding the courtyard."

"Guarding the courtyard doesn't mean you've seen it."

Xu Qingshan looked at him.

"Then let me rephrase my question."

"What horse did Master Chen ride when he arrived?"

The one-eyed wolf remained silent for a moment.

"Yunzhou military cavalry".

Hou San couldn't help but say, "Haven't you seen it before?"

The one-eyed wolf's face darkened.

"I've only ever seen horses!"

"OK."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

"Then let's talk about horses."

"How many people?"

"Four or five each time."

"What should I wear?"

"Ordinary business travel clothes."

"weapon?"

"Two of them carry standard-issue waist knives."

"How many times have you been here?"

The one-eyed wolf hesitated for a moment.

"three times."

When was the last time?

"More than a month ago."

Xu Qingshan asked, "What did you talk about?"

"I'm in the outer courtyard, so I can't hear everything."

"Say as much as you hear."

The one-eyed wolf looked down at the ground.

"When the chief was seeing people off, I heard them mention the Fourth Fortress."

"Sun Kuineng can hold down the Iron Gate Fortress, and Ma Rongeng can divert the river."

"Qingya Fort is short of food and won't last much longer."

"Blackstone Fortress..."

He paused.

"They say Blackrock Fortress is also being watched."

Xu Qingshan continued to wait.

The one-eyed wolf could only continue.

"Master Chen said at the time that as long as Yunzhou stopped supplying grain, these forts on the north wall would fall apart on their own."

"At that time, the trade routes, shallows, and several mountain paths will all belong to Black Wind Village."

The room fell silent.

Xu Qingshan asked, "Is Second Master Chen one of Chen Huaishan's men?"

"I really don't know."

The one-eyed wolf raised its head.

"The boss forbids us from asking."

"Qi Biao is in charge of Bailang Market, and I'm in charge of going down the mountain to steal goods."

"The guests from Yunzhou only saw the chief steward and the accountant."

"Once, Qi Biao asked an extra question, and the chief whipped him in front of everyone."

Liu Ruyan asked, "Does White Wolf Village have a second set of accounts?"

This time, the one-eyed wolf hesitated for even longer.

"Every two or three months, the chief would take the accountant to White Wolf Market."

"Qi Biao said when he was drunk that the village could be rebuilt even if it burned down. As long as the accounts and people in Bailangji are still there, the business will never stop."

"I don't know exactly where it is."

Su Jinniang recalled the news the scout had just brought back.

"When the leader fled, he sent someone into White Wolf Village beforehand."

He wasn't looking for a place to hide.

Liu Ruyan continued, "It's to destroy the things on the other side."

Xu Qingshan looked at the one-eyed wolf.

"Wanhe Auto Dealership?"

The one-eyed wolf's eyes flickered.

There's no need to answer this time.

Su Jinniang slowly exhaled.

"Looks like I'll have to go to White Wolf Market tomorrow."

"And it has to be fast."

…………

After the one-eyed wolf was taken away, Liu Ruyan began to organize the evidence.

She didn't pack everything into the box destined for Yunzhou.

They selected only a few documents related to the 300 shi of military rations from Qingya Fortress, and paired them with the corresponding receipt records from Heifeng Village.

These things can bite each other.

Once it reaches Tang Su, it will at least prove that the supplies for the Northern Wall Army were deliberately intercepted.

The remaining ledgers remained in Black Wind Village.

Make another copy and send it back to Blackrock Castle for safekeeping.

Hou San looked at the thick stack of things on the table.

"Aren't you sending those pages to Second Master Chen?"

"Not all items will be delivered for now."

Liu Ruyan said, "Once the entire list enters Yunzhou, the people in the tent will all receive the news at the same time."

"By then, everyone will know what to burn, who to kill, and where to run."

Xu Qingshan picked up the letter that mentioned "Vanguard Captain".

"Give the strongest evidence to Tang Su first."

"The rest are for anglers."

"Whoever gets impatient first will be the first to reveal themselves."

Liu Ruyan nodded and closed the ledger again.

She suddenly stopped when her fingers touched the last cover.

"The cover is too thick."

Hou San came closer again.

"Still hiding?"

Liu Ruyan picked up a knife and pried open the stitches from the inside.

A thin piece of paper, folded several times, slid out from between the layers.

The paper bore the red annotations commonly used by the Yunzhou military supply depot.

Shen Qinghe took it and glanced at it, her expression quickly changing.

"This is the advance payment list for the four fortified villages north of the wall for the next three months."

Xu Qingshan walked to her side.

The paper did not record any military supplies that had been shipped out.

It's more like a plan that's been prepared in advance but hasn't been officially issued yet.

The names of the four fortresses—Black Stone, Green Cliff, Iron Gate, and Broken River—were written on the same piece of paper.

The quantities of grain, arrows, horse feed, and medicine that should have followed in previous years were all crossed out with a single stroke of vermilion ink.

At the very bottom, only a brief comment was left.

The allocation of funds to the old fortress at the north wall will be postponed.

Further discussion is pending.

Hou San frowned.

"How long will the postponement last?"

Shen Qinghe looked at the date in the upper right corner of the paper.

"Three months."

"This order has put the next three months on hold."

Gao Bai's face turned pale.

"Not even Qingya Fortress?"

"No, none of them."

Shen Qinghe said, "Stop all allocations of grain, horse feed, medicine, and arrows."

Xu Qingshan looked at the paper again.

Black Wind Stronghold dared to hoard more than 300 shi of military rations.

Sun Kui dared to treat the Iron Gate Fort trade route as his own business.

Ma Rong dared to include the military households of Duanhebao in the price list in advance.

Now the reason has finally been connected.

They already knew that the four fortresses north of the wall would no longer receive normal supplies.

Whichever fortress collapses from hunger first will have to bow down.

The remaining military households, trade routes, shallow waters, and weapons will naturally fall into their hands little by little.