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

The following afternoon, Tang Su arrived at Black Wind Village.

The snow on the mountain road had just been trampled into a new mark when more than twenty riders stopped outside the abandoned stone wall.

Tang Su dismounted, first glancing at the half-burnt Black Wind Banner, then at the soldiers carrying grain out.

"I heard you robbed a mountain stronghold in one night."

Xu Qingshan went to greet him.

"There's something wrong with what you said, Lord Tang."

"Suppressing bandits."

"The grain is military grain, and it should belong to the imperial court anyway."

Tang Su glanced at him.

"You're getting better and better at finding excuses for yourself."

"The title is not important."

Xu Qingshan said, "As long as the product is genuine, that's fine."

The two entered the inner wooden building.

Liu Ruyan had already rearranged the evidence she had selected last night.

The voucher for the release of 300 shi of military rations from Qingyabao was placed at the very front.

Next to it is the postscript that reads "280 shi of snow damage".

Further on, there is the corresponding receipt page in the Black Wind Stronghold's ledger.

The three items were placed together, with the dates differing by only a few days.

After Tang Su sat down, he first looked at the seal.

The first official document was stamped with the Yunzhou Beicang warehouse release seal.

The second document bears the official seal of the military supply transfer station.

The Black Wind Stronghold's ledgers had no official seal, but they recorded the delivery locations, the number of people receiving the goods, and the final quantity distributed to White Wolf Market.

Tang Su watched it for a full quarter of an hour.

Finally, he pressed the three items under his palm.

"The three hundred shi of grain from Qingya Fort did indeed come from the North Granary of Yunzhou."

"Indeed, someone changed it to snow damage later."

Gao Bai stood by the door, his fist slowly clenching.

Tang Su then pulled out the dates from the Black Wind Stronghold's account book.

"The grain that was supposed to be tumbled into the ravine arrived at the old Iron Gate Road the next day."

"Two hundred and eighty shi, not a single shi was lost."

"Black Wind Stronghold kept a portion, and the rest was sent to White Wolf to exchange for silver."

Xu Qingshan said, "Last year, Qingya Fort only received twenty shi (a unit of dry measure)."

"I know."

Tang Su closed the account book.

"Qingya Fort reported eight dead soldiers."

"Yunzhou's final approval was that the disaster was caused by natural disaster, and the relief funds would be provided as usual."

The room fell silent.

Gao Bai lowered his head.

When the eight people died, they thought it was just bad luck.

Heavy snow has blocked the mountain pass.

The grain cart overturned.

The north wall is poor.

Only now do we realize that the grain had already been transported to another route.

Tang Su continued to examine the other documents.

Ma Rong hid the transport documents in Duanhebao.

Sun Kui's personal imprint.

White Wolf Collection Wanhe Cargo Tickets

Delivery records for Heifengzhai.

Several items came from different places, yet they managed to stick together.

Shipped from Yunzhou military warehouse.

The route was changed at Tiemenbao.

Then it was transported away via the shallows of the broken river.

Finally, the stolen goods were received and sold by Black Wind Village and White Wolf Village.

Over the past few years, Beiqiang has repeatedly suffered from shortages of food, horses, and arrows, but now a path that can be traced has finally appeared.

Hou San stood by the table.

"So, what we lacked before wasn't actually that little bit of anything."

"They just won't come this way."

Tang Su said, "The gap in the north wall is partly due to embezzled funds and partly due to normal losses."

"But this batch of evidence is now enough to prove that someone is deliberately creating loopholes."

Xu Qingshan asked, "Can you move Chen Huaishan now?"

Tang Su looked at him.

"Not yet."

Hou San couldn't help but say, "The accounts have been turned upside down like this, and you still can't do it?"

"Chen Huaishan is in charge of the entire Yunzhou military supply system."

Tang Su said, "He has granary officials, transport officials, grain escort officials, and people in charge of collecting grain for each camp."

"What can be confirmed now is that these things have flowed out of his system."

"Who altered the accounts, who approved the travel permits, and whose hands the money ultimately ended up in—we have to investigate layer by layer."

He picked up the letter that mentioned "Vanguard Captain".

"This one is the same."

"This only proves that Black Wind Stronghold believed that someone would handle the patrols for them."

"Zhao Wu is not mentioned above."

"Forcing a name on them now would only give the other side a chance to overturn the verdict."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

"Then investigate."

"Anyway, we still have him in our hands."

Tang Su looked at him.

"I have come here today to formally introduce this matter to Yunzhou."

…………

Two more layers of guards were quickly added outside the wooden building.

Tang Su only picked out the most crucial few pages of the true accounts.

The original warehouse receipts, loss records, and corresponding account pages from the Qingyabao military rations case were all sealed in a wooden box.

The advance payment order for the next three months in the North Wall Four Forts was also included.

The remaining complete ledgers remained in Xu Qingshan's possession.

Hou San watched as Liu Ruyan resealed the box.

"After all the trouble we went through to uncover these accounts, Lord Tang only brought a few?"

Tang Su said, "The more you take, the more dangerous the journey will be."

"Moreover, if the real accounts are all in Yunzhou, and the news leaks out, those people in the accounts will all move together."

"When the shop closes, the warehouse catches fire, and the person in the know falls into the river, you won't even have time to find the body."

Xu Qingshan asked, "Where is Zhao Wu?"

"Take him back to Yunzhou."

Tang Su said, "Also, take that assassin we captured earlier who was trying to silence him back with us."

"I've already sent someone to bring it over from Blackrock Fortress."

"The two of them, along with this evidence, are enough to force the military supply department to formally open the case and conduct a thorough investigation."

Xu Qingshan frowned.

"If Chen Huaishan is truly involved, will he allow you to return safely?"

"That's why I don't take the main road."

Tang Su said, "The official escort team departed from Iron Gate Fortress."

"The real evidence follows me on a different path."

"Before entering Yunzhou, even the soldiers escorting the goods didn't know which box was the real one."

Hou San said, "This sounds more troublesome than our attack on Black Wind Stronghold."

"When attacking a mountain stronghold, the enemy stands on the wall."

Tang Su glanced at him.

"Once you enter Yunzhou, you might not even be able to tell who wants you dead."

Hou San thought for a moment.

"Then it's easier to fight a counterfeit."

Xu Qingshan asked, "Do we really have to go back now?"

"want."

Tang Su picked up the seal of the garrison commander of the four forts and glanced at it.

"You are currently only on temporary standby."

"Whether this seal will remain in your hands three months from now will not depend on how many fortresses you conquer."

"Everyone in Yunzhou has their own version of how dilapidated the four forts north of the wall were in the past."

"Some people will say that you killed Sun Kui without authorization."

"Some people will say that you seized Iron Gate Fortress."

"Some people will say that Duanhebao could have been resolved through appeasement, but you made things worse."

Xu Qingshan laughed when he heard this.

"Black Wind Stronghold is now pricing military households by weight."

"Can we still appease them?"

"That's why this ledger is important."

Tang Su tapped on the table.

"With it, you can take over Sibao and reorganize the border defenses."

"Without it, in some people's mouths, it might become you, Xu Qingshan, leading troops to seize power."

Xu Qingshan's smile faded slightly.

"Then I'll trouble Lord Tang to help me put this on securely."

"I'm not doing this on your behalf."

Tang Su stood up.

"If the north wall can truly be rebuilt, fewer border soldiers and military households will die."

"As for you..."

He glanced at Xu Qingshan.

"You've already caused enough trouble, one more won't make a difference."

…………

Before leaving, Tang Su went to the grain depot again.

More than 300 shi of grain have been re-divided and stacked.

Those that have been smoked by fire or have been exposed to water should be dried separately.

The Yunzhou Beicang mark on the complete military ration bags has been preserved.

Tang Su stood at the cave entrance and watched for a while.

"This batch of grain will give Sibao a breather."

Shen Qinghe is leading a team to check the numbers.

"Based on the current population, if we cut back a bit, we can hold out for a while."

Tang Su turned to look at Xu Qingshan.

"and then?"

"Then we continued searching for food."

"If you can find Black Wind Stronghold once, can you find it a second time?"

Xu Qingshan did not respond.

Tang Su pointed to the grain inside the cave.

"The biggest mistake you're likely to make right now is thinking that with these three hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), the problem of Sibao is solved."

"Grain is just one of the problems."

"The trade routes to Iron Gate Fort have not yet been truly restored."

"Most of the military farmland in Duanhebao is abandoned."

"Qingya Fort is short of arrows and medicine."

"Blackstone Fortress only has a limited number of men who can ride into battle."

"The most crucial element is people."

Shen Qinghe handed the newly compiled military register to Xu Qingshan.

The existing garrison at Sibao, plus the veterans who can be reorganized, is still nearly half the size of the 300 combat-ready soldiers.

Even if we include all the able-bodied men from the outskirts of Black Wind Stronghold who have been found guilty of blood crimes and can atone for their sins through labor, it still wouldn't be enough.

Xu Qingshan read it once.

Faint words then appeared before my eyes.

The reconstruction of the northern wall defense line is ongoing.

The stability of the four fortresses has improved.

The communication link between Sibao and the beacon towers has been restored.

The combat-ready force has not yet reached the target of 300 men.

[Remaining time: Less than three months.]

Xu Qingshan put away the military register.

"We don't have enough people, so we can hire more."

"The land is barren, but it can be cultivated."

"Trade routes may be cut off, but they can be reopened."

Tang Su said, "What if Yunzhou continues to obstruct you?"

Xu Qingshan looked at the grain bags in the grain storage cave that were printed with the words "military granary".

"Then rely on yourself to survive first."

"Wait until Lord Tang pries open the door in Yunzhou."

"I'll go back in and collect the debt."

Tang Su chuckled.

"You really dare to think that way."

…………

In the evening, Tang Su prepared to leave the village.

The real evidence has been replaced with an old wooden box used for storing medicinal herbs.

It was just wrapped in ordinary hemp rope, and there was nothing special about it.

Zhao Wu and the assassin who was tasked with silencing him would meet outside Iron Gate Fortress, and then be escorted separately.

Xu Qingshan escorted him all the way to Black Wind Pass.

Before mounting his horse, Tang Su looked back at him one last time.

"Hide the complete ledger."

Don't put everything in one place.

"A complete copy of Blackrock Fortress, and it would be best to keep another copy of Broken River Fortress."

Xu Qingshan said, "Liu Ruyan has already copied it."

Tang Su nodded.

"And there's the White Wolf Collection."

"The fact that the chief led the accountant in that direction means there must be something more important there."

"You can investigate, but don't empty out the four forts you just captured just to chase after a bandit."

"clear."

Tang Su reined in the reins.

After taking a few steps, he stopped again.

"Xu Qingshan".

"Um?"

"If Chen Huaishan knew that this ledger was still in your hands, the next person to come wouldn't be an assassin."

Xu Qingshan glanced down at the four fortress garrison seal on his waist.

Then he raised his head.

"Perfect."

"We are short of manpower and military merits."