Border Soldier: My fiancée snatched credit and broke off the engagement, so I promptly became a marq

The assassin was still alive when he was dragged to the list of military merits.

Zhou Tie dislocated his jaw, tied his hands behind his back, and pressed his knees into the snow.

There was still black powder on the corner of his mouth.

If Anado hadn't reminded him, this man would have gritted his teeth, and even if Zhao Hong hadn't died, the trail would have been lost.

The list of military merits was crowded with people.

Han Wenshan's personal guards were pressing in from outside the fortress.

Han Zhao's men were watching from the black camp on the east side.

The cooks, guards, wounded soldiers, and minor officials inside the fort all kept their eyes on the assassin.

The wind made the newly posted list of merits and demerits crackle loudly.

The first line is still empty.

Chen Mu sat beside the list, his chest wrapped in thick cloth, his face pale.

Lin Qinghe stood behind him, holding the smashed medicine box in her hands.

She had just knocked the crossbow off balance with her medicine box, cracking the corner of the box and breaking two medicine bottles inside.

She looked at the assassin, her eyes devoid of their usual gentleness.

It's just cold.

Anato squatted on the other side, her wrists still tied.

She stared at the powder on the assassin's lips for a long time.

"Black Sand Medicine".

Zhou Tie asked, "What is it?"

Anato said, "It's used by the Northern Barbarian assassins."

As soon as he spoke, hushed whispers immediately arose from those around him.

Northern barbarian assassins.

But the assassin was wearing a Liang army short jacket.

Chen Mu asked, "How did these things from the Northern Barbarians end up in the mouths of the Han family assassins?"

Anato smiled.

"You're asking me?"

"I want to know too."

Ji Yunzhou had already sat down behind the desk.

This time, he didn't wait for Chen Mu to urge him and spoke up himself.

"Registrar, record this."

The registrar immediately dipped his brush in ink.

Ji Yunzhou said, word by word, "The assassin broke into the dungeon at night, intending to kill Zhao Hong and destroy evidence. He was carrying what appears to be black sand poison, a drug used by Northern Barbarian assassins. This needs further investigation."

Chen Mu glanced at Ji Yunzhou.

This scholar finally started keeping his own accounts.

Han Wenshan's personal guard captains soon entered the fort to request an audience.

He did not bring any troops, only two attendants.

He was stopped by Lu family guards just three steps away from the top of the merit list.

The captain saw the assassin, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Lord Ji, Lieutenant General Lu."

"This person's identity is unknown, how can we directly link him to the Han family?"

Chen Mu did not answer his question.

He raised his hand and pointed to the assassin's boot sole.

Zhou Tie immediately took off his boots.

A small piece of black cloth fell out from the lining of the boot sole.

A tiny mountain character was embroidered on the cloth.

Han Wenshan's personal guard captain's eyes finally changed.

Lu Shuangyi raised her hand.

A guard lifted the piece of black cloth onto the wooden table.

Chen Mu said, "Vice General Han's personal guard, the Left Battalion's secret signal."

The captain said coldly, "What can a piece of cloth prove?"

Chen Mu nodded.

"A piece of cloth cannot prove anything."

He looked at Old Chai.

"Bring me the wooden pieces from this morning when we were counting the horses."

Old Chai immediately handed over the wood chips.

Those wood chips were originally scraps left over from chopping firewood in the kitchen.

They used to be so thin that they were considered unsuitable even for placing pot legs.

Now, the columns above are all the numbers of horses, bags, and bow bags of the Han family's personal guards.

The character for "charcoal" was crooked and uneven, yet it was clearer than the characters in many military officers' accounts.

When Ji Yunzhou picked it up to look at it, his expression clearly changed.

He had seen beautiful official documents.

I have also seen military registers covered with red seals.

But the first time he saw it, a few cooks lay on the city wall for half an hour and found out half of the strength of a personal guard.

Old Chai immediately handed over the wood chips.

Chen Mu turned to the third page.

The inscription reads: Left Battalion Imperial Guard, 54 horses, 6 crossbow quivers, 17 straw bags, and black cloth with mountain patterns on the edge of the captain's boots.

Old Chai grinned.

"I jotted it down while counting this morning."

The lowly soldier on the city wall doesn't understand official documents.

But they have sharp eyes.

They could remember whose boots had black cloth, whose horse was missing an ear, and whose bow case had an extra patch.

The captain's face turned completely grim.

Ji Yunzhou looked at the wooden piece, his voice becoming deep.

"The secret mark of Vice General Han's personal guard left wing matched the secret cloth hidden in the assassin's boot."

"remember."

The clerk's pen fell to the ground.

Finally, the first line of the supplementary list of crimes and merits had some words.

Han, the deputy general, is suspected of assassinating a witness at night and is awaiting trial.

When this line was pasted on, Han Wenshan's personal guard camp outside the fortress visibly moved.

Someone turned around.

Someone whispered.

Han Wenshan sat on his horse, looking at the notice from afar, his face as hard as iron pressed down by snow.

He originally intended to have Zhao Hong killed quietly.

The killing wasn't even accomplished, but the debt has already been posted.

Chen Mu looked up at the captain.

"Go back and tell Vice General Han."

"Even if you kill a witness, you must first enter the tent."

The captain stared at him, his fingers pressing and releasing on the hilt of his sword.

Finally, he turned and left.

In the crowd of cooks, someone whispered:

"Chen Wuchang really wrote down Deputy General Han's name as well."

This sentence was spoken very softly.

But it was like a spark falling into dry grass.

The way lower-ranking soldiers looked at the list of those listed as meritorious and demeritful was completely different from before.

Previously, the official titles listed were things they couldn't reach; it was something that the higher-ups could write however they wanted.

Now, even the personal guards of deputy generals can be listed.

Suddenly, the list gained weight.

When Zhao Hong was brought out again, his shoulders were still trembling.

That crossbow bolt was aimed at him.

He is afraid of death.

His fear was more obvious than anyone else's.

But it was precisely because of his fear that he finally dared to speak more frankly.

"Miao Jiu cannot stay in the Black Tiger Camp."

His voice was hoarse.

"Han Zhao will kill him first."

Chen Mu said, "The letter is finished."

Zhao Hong nodded.

Lin Qinghe re-bandaged his old shoulder injury and put the broken medicine box aside.

Zhao Hong glanced at her.

"Miss Lin just saved me."

Lin Qinghe said coldly, "I'm saving a witness."

Zhao Hong gave a wry smile.

"You all speak like Chen Mu now."

Lin Qinghe paused, but did not reply.

Su Wan, who was standing next to him holding the book, felt a slight stirring in her heart upon hearing these words.

She also began to learn Chen Mu's rules.

It's not because Chen Mu still wants her.

It was because she finally realized that only these rules could make people live a less degrading life.

Zhao Hong finished writing the letter.

Chen Mu did not send it out directly.

He handed the letter to Anato.

Anato raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to see it again?"

Chen Mu said, "See if there are any barbarian codes."

Anato took the letter and glanced at it.

"no."

She paused, then pointed to the three characters "乱葬沟" (Luanzanggou, meaning "mass burial ditch") written by Zhao Hong.

"But these three characters are written too straightforwardly."

"If Han Zhao sees this, he'll know you're trying to hook him."

Zhao Hong's expression changed.

Chen Mu asked, "How should we change it?"

Anado tapped the letter with her bound fingers.

Write, "The third crooked willow tree hasn't rotted yet."

Those who understand will understand; those who don't will just think it's nonsense.

Chen Mu looked at her.

"You're very good at delivering messages."

Anato smiled.

"If I didn't know how, I would have died on the grasslands long ago."

Zhou Tie snorted.

"They should have died in Blackrock Fortress long ago."

Anato turned to look at him.

"It's a pity that your Sergeant Chen can't bear to see me die."

The cooks immediately perked up their ears.

Chen Mu said calmly, "Because you are still useful."

Anato's smile froze for a moment.

Old Chai lowered his head and chuckled to himself.

Lin Qinghe carefully put away the fragments of the medicine box. She didn't smile, but the coldness in her eyes lessened somewhat.

She glanced down at the cracked corner of the box.

That medicine box had been with her for many years; the wooden surface was darkened by the medicine, and there was a small mark she had made when she was a child.

She didn't hesitate when she threw it.

But seeing the box broken now still makes me feel a little heartbroken.

Chen Mu saw it.

"remember."

Lin Qinghe was taken aback.

Chen Mu said, "Lin Qinghe is protecting the evidence. One medicine box was damaged; it will be replaced according to the standards for military equipment."

Lin Qinghe's lips moved slightly.

She wanted to say no.

But the cooks were all watching.

She suddenly realized that Chen Mu wasn't just giving her a box as compensation.

He was telling everyone that saving lives, protecting documents, and blocking arrows—even if it wasn't killing the enemy—all counted.

The clerk wrote this down.

Lin Qinghe held the tattered box, her fingers slowly loosening.

Lu Shuangyi stood beside the list, watching this scene unfold.

Chen Mu used enemy female spies as messengers, Zhao family centurions as bait, the cooks' battalion as a merit-recording team, and the military discipline officer as an accountant.

He held no official position.

But they are already hiring.

Lu Shuangyi looked at Han Wenshan's large flag in the distance.

"He won't wait until sunset."

Chen Mu nodded.

"He can't wait any longer."

Sure enough, half an hour later, the sound of drums rang out in Han Wenshan's personal guard camp.

It's not an attack drumbeat.

It's the whole drum team.

Three hundred imperial guards began to mount their horses.

The second document sent by Han Wenshan also arrived at the fort gate.

This time, the document contained only one sentence.

Chen Mu disrupted the military interrogation, manipulated the morale of the troops, and slandered the deputy general. If he did not hand over the man before sunset, Han Wenshan would personally enter the fortress to settle accounts.

Ji Yunzhou turned pale after reading it.

The phrase "clearing the accounts" is used too harshly.

This is a counterattack based on Chen Mu's words.

Chen Mu took the document and carefully folded it.

"He wants to settle the accounts."

"Then clean it for him."

He looked up at the list of military merits.

"Post all three lists."

Zhou Tie was taken aback.

"Three lists?"

Chen Mu said, "The list of merits."

"List of Sins".

"Arsenal Ranking".

"We won't defend the city tonight."

"Guard the tent."

In the wind and snow, three wooden planks were carried to the front of the Military Merit Hall.

The cooks, Lu family guards, and Black Stone Fortress garrison stood in front of the notice board, one layer at a time.

Chen Mu looked at the Han family's personal guards slowly approaching outside the fortress gate, his voice not loud.

"Who will tear up the bill?"

"Who should be recorded as the first person to be held accountable?"