The city gate of Zhenbei City was turned upside down by a burst of horse hooves and the bleating of cattle and sheep in the afternoon.
First, dust and smoke rose on the yellow dirt road outside the north gate. The city guards thought it was Helian cavalry scouting close to the city. The archers had just strung their bows when a familiar shout came from below the city.
"Open the gate! Captain Zhang of the Deputy General's Office is returning with goods!"
The soldiers on the city wall leaned forward to look down. First, they saw a small flag of the Deputy General's Office, then they saw flocks of cattle and sheep crowding the road. Behind them were a hundred tall warhorses led by more than ten private soldiers. The horses' manes flew wildly in the wind, and their hooves stepped on the hard dirt, making a sound that made people's ears numb.
"Mother, so many horses?"
"Where did the Deputy General's Office get the horses?"
"Didn't they say a few days ago that the office couldn't even afford to eat?"
The common people inside and outside the city gate also gathered around.
Everyone knew that Zhenbei City lacked horses.
A good horse that could go into battle was worth more than the lives of ten households.
Ordinary people couldn't even touch a saddle in their lifetime. Today, a hundred warhorses suddenly arrived at the city gate. The scene was so overwhelming that people were half speechless.
Captain Zhang rode on his horse, his back straight, but sweat dripped down his temples.
He hadn't had a good night's sleep all the way.
The Helian people gave the horses too readily, so readily that his stomach churned.
The goods were escorted out by the Deputy General's Office, and the approval was given by the Imperial Envoy's Office. However, the cattle, sheep, and warhorses exchanged back were so glaringly numerous that any step questioned could lead to a major crime.
He turned his head and lowered his voice to instruct the private soldiers.
"After entering the city, no one is allowed to shout. The horses will be led to the back alley of the Deputy General's Office first, and the cattle and sheep will be driven to the West Granary. Do you hear me?"
"We hear you!"
The private soldiers answered in unison, but they themselves were also nervous.
In the shadow of the city tower, He Minghu stood behind the battlements, half of his body hidden.
He had arrived early.
As soon as Captain Zhang appeared at the end of the yellow dirt road, he saw the horses.
The horses were tall, with long legs and plenty of fat. The horses of the Helian people were raised on the grassland, able to run and charge, making the cavalry camp of the Zhenbei Army envious.
He Minghu's throat moved.
If these horses entered his private stable, the brands would be removed in a few days, and then mixed into the old horse files. The deficit of the Deputy General's Office could be made up, and his subordinates could be at ease.
But looking at the rows of horse backs, he couldn't help but feel irritable.
Too many.
Fifty horses could still be squeezed in, seventy or eighty horses could still be covered up. A hundred warhorses entering the city from the north gate, half the city saw it. This was not sending wealth, it was clearly forcing him to stick his neck out.
Ma Jin'an came up from the side, his sleeves neatly pressed, and spoke in a low voice.
"There are many people at the city gate, we can't stay long."
He Minghu didn't turn around.
"Did you see it?"
"I saw it."
"Why did the Helian people give fifty more horses?"
"That person wants these horses to become a root of disaster."
He Minghu gritted his teeth.
"Then why do you still let this general accept it?"
"General He, it has already fallen into our hands, we can't throw it away."
Ma Jin'an swept his gaze around the city wall and quickly withdrew his sight.
"Hide them in the private stable of the Deputy General's Office first, break up the horse brands, and change the horseshoes. In a few days, report a replacement for old horses, saying that they were scattered and recovered in the army in the early years. The accounts can be done."
He Minghu was silent for a moment.
Below the city, Captain Zhang was urging the guards to open the gate.
The cattle and sheep were crowded together, and the common people were driven to both sides by the soldiers. A child stood on tiptoe to look at the horses and was pulled back into his mother's arms.
He Minghu pressed his palm on the city brick.
He was greedy.
He didn't deny this.
But to be an official to his level, greedy for silver, greedy for military power, greedy for a way out, which one wasn't supported by courage?
It was just that this batch of horses today was too fragrant to bite, but swallowing it would cut the throat.
"What the Right Luli King sent is not a gift."
He Minghu squeezed a few words out from between his teeth.
Ma Jin'an added.
"It's a lasso."
As soon as the two finished speaking, the noise inside the city gate suddenly parted to both sides.
A green-curtained carriage drove from the end of the long street, the wheels rolling over the bluestone road, followed by Li Sheng and more than ten personal guards.
The city gate official was originally verifying the token of the Deputy General's Office. Seeing the carriage, he immediately bent down.
"The Imperial Envoy has arrived!"
As soon as this voice came out, the reins in Captain Zhang's hands almost slipped.
He Minghu on the city wall tensed up.
Ma Jin'an also stopped talking.
When Xu Qinghuan got out of the carriage, her hem was stained with road dust. She raised her hand to tidy her cuffs, didn't look up at the city tower, and just walked to the city gate, sweeping her gaze over the warhorses, cattle, and sheep.
The herd of horses was restless, and a few raw horses snorted, making the private soldiers' arms sore from pulling.
Xu Qinghuan spoke very softly, but everyone around heard clearly.
"By the order of the Imperial Envoy to control military supplies, the warhorses, cattle, and sheep obtained from the trade outside the city will immediately be entered into the public account of the Zhenbei Army."
The city gate was quiet for half a beat, and then low discussions came from the crowd.
"Enter the public account?"
"Weren't these escorted back by the Deputy General's Office?"
"The Imperial Envoy came in person, there will be a show to watch now."
Captain Zhang dismounted and knelt on one knee.
"The last general Zhang Yuan, pays respects to the Imperial Envoy."
Xu Qinghuan looked at him.
"How many carts of goods went out?"
Captain Zhang's lips were dry.
"Eight carts."
"Who escorted the goods?"
"The last general."
"Based on what document?"
Captain Zhang couldn't answer.
He did have an approval document in his hand, but the document was stamped with the seal of the Imperial Envoy's Office, stating that it was permitted to exchange colored glaze and strong wine for cattle, sheep, and horses needed in the northern border, to be allocated in the army. It didn't say a word about private use by the Deputy General's Office.
He Minghu finally came down from the city tower.
He walked fast, followed by Ma Jin'an.
When he reached the city gate, He Minghu suppressed his anger and cupped his hands.
"Lord Xu, this batch of goods was ordered to be escorted out of the pass by the Deputy General's Office. We took risks on the road. When we come back, it must first enter the Deputy General's Office for inspection. How can there be a rule of grabbing the account as soon as it enters the city gate?"
Xu Qinghuan turned to look at him.
"Deputy General He said by order, whose order?"
He Minghu choked.
Ma Jin'an took a half step forward and took over the conversation.
"Naturally, it is based on the trade approval document of the Imperial Envoy's Office. The Deputy General's Office shares the worries of the Office, which is why we have this batch of cattle, sheep, and warhorses today. If Your Excellency wants to enter the account, you should also wait until the Deputy General's Office finishes verifying, and then hand it over to the Quartermaster's Office."
Xu Qinghuan raised her hand.
Li Sheng took out a document from his chest, unrolled it for the city gate official, quartermaster, and secretary of the Commander's Office to see.
"Read."
Li Sheng's voice was loud enough.
"It is permitted to exchange eight carts of colored glaze and an amount of strong wine stored in the Office for cattle, sheep, and horses. All proceeds belong to the military supplies of the Zhenbei Army. They shall not be privately divided, withheld, or entered into a secret account."
When reading the words "shall not be privately divided," someone in the crowd of onlookers laughed out loud, and quickly covered their mouth again.
He Minghu's face sank.
Ma Jin'an still wanted to delay.
"Your Excellency, the document says it belongs to the military supplies of the Zhenbei Army. The Deputy General's Office is also a part of the Zhenbei Army. Temporarily storing it in the Deputy General's Office does not violate the rules."
Xu Qinghuan took back the document, her tone still steady.
"If the Deputy General's Office wants to temporarily store it, fine."
He Minghu had just breathed half a sigh of relief when Xu Qinghuan's next sentence fell.
"Make a register first."
She turned sideways to instruct.
"The quartermaster records the total number, the secretary of the Commander's Office records the source, the city gate official records the time of entry. Three account books are written on the spot, signed on the spot, and sealed on the spot."
"The warhorses are registered one by one. Coat color, age by teeth, brand, hoof injury, shoulder height, and tail mane damage are all written in."
"Cattle and sheep are divided into numbers by herd. Male and female, large and small, sick and weak are listed separately."
"Whoever leads them away, signs; whoever underreports, takes the blame."
As soon as these few words fell, Ma Jin'an's calculations were all smashed.
Break up the horse brands?
It was useless.
Change the horseshoes?
Useless.
Claim in a few days that old horses were used to fill the gaps?
Three account books were laid out there, detailing the coat colors and ages of the horses. The gate officials had recorded the time of their entry into the city, and the commoners were all watching. Whoever dared to alter the records would be putting a knife to their own neck.
The quartermaster, having received Xu Qinghuan's orders early on, rushed forward clutching the account books and shouted at the top of his lungs to summon the men.
"Bring the first horse over!"
"Chestnut, six years old, Helian brand on the left flank, old injury on the right front hoof. Record it!"
The clerk from the Commander's office uncapped his brush with his teeth, dipped it in ink, and began to write.
The gate official didn't dare to slack off either, standing to the side and copying it down.
The private soldiers brought back by Captain Zhang stood rooted to the spot, unsure whether to lead the horses forward or step back.
Li Sheng rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and took two steps forward.
"Brothers, don't just stand there. The Imperial Envoy is recording your merits in the official ledger. This is a good thing."
His words were blunt, but they hit the mark.
Embezzlement was a crime.
Entering it into the official ledger was a merit.
Captain Zhang understood immediately and changed his tune on the spot.
"This subordinate is willing to cooperate with the registration!"
He Minghu turned his head and glared at him.
Captain Zhang lowered his head, pretending not to see.
The chatter among the surrounding commoners grew louder.
"The Imperial Envoy played a great hand. Even if the Vice General's estate wanted to swallow this up, they couldn't."
"A hundred horses! If they really went into the private stables, how would we ever see them?"
"Don't talk nonsense, or watch out for the military cane."
"What's there to be afraid of? The Imperial Envoy is right here."
The horses were registered one by one. The cattle and sheep were herded to the empty lot on the west side of the city gate, the bleating of the sheep giving people a headache.
Xu Qinghuan waited until the first ledger was filled before she spoke up to announce.
"Of the three thousand cattle and sheep, half will be allocated to the Farming Bureau. The military farms in the Hetao region need draft oxen and breeding sheep; today we will first solve this urgent need."
"The other half will be allocated to the wounded soldiers camp and the kitchens of the various guards. The sick, weak, and wounded soldiers will have meat broth first, and the rest will be distributed by camp."
Hearing the words wounded soldiers camp, the old veterans at the city gate straightened their backs a bit.
Someone muttered in a low voice.
"The last time the wounded soldiers camp had meat was in early spring when they slaughtered an old ox that had broken its leg."
"The Imperial Envoy hasn't forgotten our brothers with missing arms and legs."
Xu Qinghuan continued with her arrangements.
"The one hundred warhorses will be allocated to the cavalry camp under Commander Tie for trial training. The horses will be inspected in ten days. Those capable of charging enemy lines will enter the vanguard camp, those with good endurance will join the rangers, and the young or weak will be assigned to pack transport. No waste is allowed."
He Minghu finally couldn't hold back.
"Lord Xu, I am also the Vice General of the Zhenbei Army. The deployment of the cavalry camp should rightfully pass through my hands."
Xu Qinghuan looked at him, her tone even lighter than before.
"If Vice General He wishes to handle this, sign and stamp it right now."
Li Sheng handed over the ledger.
"Sign here. It states clearly that one hundred warhorses have entered the official ledger today, personally witnessed by Vice General He. In the future, if even one horse is missing, Vice General He is willing to investigate it together."
He Minghu stared at that page of the ledger, his hand not reaching out.
If he signed it, the Vice General's estate would have no room to maneuver.
If he didn't sign, in front of the soldiers and civilians at the city gate, he wouldn't even be able to maintain the dignity of a Vice General of the Zhenbei Army.
Ma Jin'an reminded him in a low voice from the side.
"My Lord, sign it first."
He Minghu understood the underlying meaning.
They couldn't take back this batch of horses at the city gate today. Making further fuss would only escalate the matter to Tie Lanshan.
He took the brush and wrote his name on the ledger, pressing down so heavily that the paper was scarred with indentations.
Xu Qinghuan took the ledger back, didn't even give it a second glance, and handed it to the quartermaster.
"Seal it."
The three ledgers were stamped, and wax seals were applied.
From the crowd at the city gate, cheers that had been suppressed for a long time finally erupted.
First, one or two old veterans clapped, and later even the old woman selling flatbreads joined in shouting.
"The Imperial Envoy is just!"
"Now this is what you call military supplies!"
"Giving the cattle and sheep to the wounded soldiers camp, excellent!"
He Minghu stood rooted to the spot, his ears filled with these words. His chest ached with stifled anger, but he could find no outlet to vent it.
Xu Qinghuan did not look at him again; she only instructed Li Sheng.
"Send the horses to the cavalry camp. When handing over the cattle and sheep, have the Farming Bureau and the wounded soldiers camp each send someone to sign for them. Whoever dares to skim off the top en route will be dealt with according to military law."
Li Sheng cupped his fists.
"This subordinate will go handle it immediately."
He finished speaking and turned around, but as he passed by Xu Qinghuan's side, he lowered his voice.
"Miss, the scouts have already gone out of the city to investigate. There are ten Helian rangers beyond the North Slope. They are keeping their distance, neither approaching nor retreating."
Xu Qinghuan paused her steps.
She did not order a pursuit.
Those ten people outside the city were the nails Chen Changfeng had placed out in the open.
As long as this batch of horses entered the private stables of the Vice General's estate, the Helian rangers would take the news away and send it to the capital through a certain channel. At that time, the blade of colluding with the enemy would fall upon them.
But now, the hundred warhorses had entered the official ledger, registered in triplicate, and witnessed by the entire city.
If Chen Changfeng wanted to deliver a blade, she would hang that blade right inside the imperial court's accounting office.
In the corridor, Lao Gou was squatting at the entrance of the temporary residence, scrubbing the floor. He dragged a rag back and forth across the stone steps. Hearing Li Sheng's words, his hand movements slowed by half a beat.
Xu Qinghuan stepped over the threshold and deliberately raised her voice.
"Tell the scouts not to disturb them."
"Let them see clearly that this batch of horses, not a single one missing, has all been entered into the imperial court's official ledger."
