Song Liyun said seriously, "You know these cowhides come from the garrison, so why don't you buy them directly from the garrison? The payment is the same."

She had already asked Wang Zhong this question at the garrison, and now she wanted to hear a different answer.

If the two sides can align, then I will be able to make a decision on this matter.

Fur merchants would never say they "don't compete with the people for profit."

Upon hearing Song Liyun's question, the shopkeeper pursed his lips and said after a moment, "Miss, that person's surname is Wan. He is the shopkeeper of this leather goods store and is also related to the owner."

As far as I know, although the Zhenbei Army has guarded Yunzhou for many years, it has always been marginalized by various parties, especially by the local government.

If we went to the garrison to buy things ourselves, the shop would definitely be shut down within a day. Tell me, how could we dare to go under those circumstances?

Manager Wan is related to the owner, so he naturally knows some inside information. It seems that the government has received an order from above not to do business with the Zhenbei Military Guard.

In fact, the various garrisons were not impenetrable; each had its own secret passages connecting it to the outside world.

However, since the Suijin Garrison was newly established and Suijin Town was stagnant, there was no opportunity to connect with the outside world.

The reason why Manager Wan was so proactive in promoting a long-term cooperation with Song Liyun was not only because he was able to obtain such high-end carpets last time.

He also heard about Min Gande's death on the way to Suijin Town on the day Song Liyun and the others left the city.

This also shows that Song Liyun, being a woman, not only has the convenience of selling goods without arousing suspicion, but also has the ability to protect herself.

If the person is a soldier, they will be investigated after entering and leaving twice.

When Song Liyun heard Manager Wan say that the Zhenbei Army was being marginalized, she was greatly surprised.

She was abducted by the Zhenbei Army after leaving Xiaoshi Village and taken to Suijin Town. All she knew was that the garrison's military pay was in arrears, and she never imagined that the imperial border army would be targeted by local officials.

Song Liyun was not a stupid person; she only needed to think about it for a moment before she realized what was going on.

The fact that the Zhenbei Army needed to seize laborers to build the border wall indicates that their relationship with the local government was indeed tense.

And the man who said that the constables were deliberately making things difficult for Xue Zhuang when we crossed the river today must have seen through his military background and knew that the vegetables came from the garrison.

How ridiculous!

The Zhenbei Army is like a wall that blocks the wind, yet some people are digging their own grave and destroying their own Great Wall. How could they be so foolish?

Song Liyun narrowed her eyes, feeling resentful: she was now a military household member, and if the garrison was not doing well, she would be even worse off.

Since that's the case, let everyone see that the town of Suijin, with its garrison, will become a blessed land that they can only dream of.

The price of the leather was not yet determined. After agreeing to meet again with Manager Wan in two hours, Song Liyun left Wan Chun's leather shop.

Stepping out of the shop, she loosened her headscarf. The February sun was already quite warm, and it was a bit hot wearing her thick coat at midday.

"Uncle Han, let's go to Tianxiang Restaurant!"

Last time I went to Tianxianglou, I wanted to bring Song Zhenping and Xiao An some roasted lamb chops, but Min Gande stole the food and even lost his life.

Hunters often appear in the form of prey.

This matter is definitely not going to pass like this. Rather than letting it fester in my throat, I might as well take the initiative to show myself today.

Let's settle this matter and, while we're at it, gather some information from the outside world.

At noon, Tianxianglou was packed with guests. Since there were no private rooms available, Song Liyun could only find an empty seat in the lobby.

Yunzhou is known for its strong and unruly people. Although there are no restrictions on women not showing their faces in public, it is rare to see women sitting in the lobby of a restaurant to eat.

The appearance of Song Liyun at this moment immediately attracted a lot of attention.

But when their gaze fell on Han Ming, they looked away again.

The scar on Han Ming's face now resembled a talisman, clearly displaying three words: Don't mess with me!

Seeing him respectfully serve Song Liyun as she sat down, the gazes directed at Song Liyun from the side became even less frequent.

Since it was a rare occasion, Song Liyun ordered two servings of roasted lamb chops, a special stewed chicken, and a few side dishes, just like last time.

While waiting for the food, I leisurely listened to the conversations around me.

I heard last time that bandits were causing trouble in various places, and they are still there now, and there is even more shocking news.

Someone has declared himself emperor in Pingliang Fort!

Upon hearing this, Song Liyun immediately spat out her tea.

She didn't know what Pingliang Fort was, and only felt that a few bandits occupying a garrison and wanting to become emperors were just asking for trouble.

Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, someone retorted: "Wrong, wrong! My maternal uncle's neighbor's nephew works in the county government."

Breaking news: Pingliang Fort is almost back, and they are currently besieging it.

Alas! The blame lies with the Xuanwei Army for their mistakes, allowing the barbarians to enter the country and gathering bandits to wreak havoc on the villagers.

Despite the laughter, Song Liyun, who was enjoying the commotion, still wanted to figure out exactly what had happened.

At her prompting, Han Ming asked the waiter for a pot of wine and sat down at that table.

The conversation was between three young men in their early twenties dressed in student attire, who were full of enthusiasm and ready to write. When they saw Han Ming bring over some wine, the three of them paused.

The oldest student among them asked with a look of disdain, "Who are you? Why have you taken this seat without permission?"

Han Ming chuckled and said, "I just heard the three scholars say that the bandits have been wiped out, so I came to ask about it."

He then changed his tone, his voice filled with anger, and said, "To be honest, I am from Broken Gold Town. I hate those barbarians and savages, and those bandits. I wish I could cut them into a thousand pieces."

Upon hearing that he was from Suijin Town, the three students immediately understood, and when he mentioned calling them "Master Juren," they became even more enlightened.

No wonder they came to ask.

The fate of Pingliang Fort is quite similar to that of the former Tax Town.

However, Suijin Town experienced a day and a night of looting, while Pingliang Fort has been occupied ever since.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!