When Commander Zhao summoned the commanders of the other two battalions, the three returned to the granary.
The three commanders arrived and stood in a row. They lowered their heads and looked each other up and down, none of them daring to speak for a moment.
They were afraid of being the first to speak out and being punished.
Song Yanqing scraped the tea foam with the lid, took a sip of the tea, and said after a moment, "I have gathered you all here today because there are three things to do."
First, the grain must be stored in the granary within seven days.
Secondly, the Shadow Guard will thoroughly investigate any unclear matters reported, and all ledgers and personnel are at the command of the Shadow Guard.
Thirdly, this is your only chance to redeem yourself. If any concealment or fraud is discovered, the Shadow Guards may act first and report later!
The three commanders breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the first half of the third clause, but the second half immediately made their faces turn grim.
The term "thousand-household commander" refers to someone who commands a thousand soldiers. For the Crown Prince to grant such power to the Shadow Guards is a blatant slap in the face.
Even so, they dared not utter a sound and could only bow their heads and obey orders.
The three of them left the grain camp, mounted their horses, and galloped away.
Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, Commander Zhao summoned a guard, whispered a few words in his ear, and then sent someone out of the camp to report the news.
The other two commanders looked rather grim; their actions simply couldn't withstand close scrutiny.
If they don't survive this ordeal, they might already be beheaded before the news even reaches them.
Looking at the two men's expressions, Zhao Qianhu felt a hint of disdain. He thought that these two wanted to get rich while also being afraid of death, and were destined to accomplish nothing.
However, he did not show it on his face, and invited the two commanders back into the house to discuss the next steps.
Since they have received orders from above, they will naturally take steps to arrange the follow-up issues. Even if the Shadow Guards investigate to the end, someone will step forward to take the blame, and it will never fall on their heads!
Lu Qiqi and her group rode back to camp.
After the three returned to the main tent, Lu Qiqi sat down at the low table and said, "These three commanders, I don't know whose power they relied on, actually dared to tamper with the grain supplies in the grain camp!"
Thinking of this, she felt aggrieved and wished that Song Yanqing would return to seize power, change the dynasty, and establish himself as king!
They are fighting desperately at the front, and not only is their food supply unstable at home, but now even the local food supply is not secure.
Throughout history, military battles have not only required manpower and weaponry, but most importantly, a sufficient supply of food and provisions.
Seventy thousand troops is no small number, and the daily provisions amount to tens of thousands.
Even if grain and fodder were gathered from all over the Great Jin Dynasty and supplied to the border city, the number of people transporting the grain and fodder was enormous, and a considerable amount of grain and fodder was required every day.
In addition, the grain and fodder were transported to the border by carts and horses. If there was heavy rain and the roads became muddy, they had to be carried by manpower.
Not only will the time be extended, but the loss of food and supplies will also increase significantly.
If 40% of the grain delivered to the border town is of good quality, then that's considered good.
Historically, there have been instances where 90% of the grain and fodder was lost.
Even so, which emperor didn't empty the national treasury to support the front lines during times of war?
Their emperor not only withheld medicine for injuries, but also failed to provide sufficient food supplies.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, and Lu Qiqi, enraged, went straight back to her own tent.
After she left, An Yi said, "Young Master, the Shadow Guards were aware of the grain camp incident a long time ago. Why did they wait until today to take action?"
Song Yanqing looked up at the alluring peach blossoms on the lantern and said, "They are wary of me on one hand, and on the other hand, they want to give me important positions."
The loss of grain supplies this time is severe. If I, the Crown Prince, can replenish the grain supplies, when I return to the capital, it will be clear that I have the intention to hoard grain and rebel!
They've really mastered the art of discarding a donkey after it's done its work!
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Wait until the grain camp finishes harvesting the grain.
"Immediately place the Shadow Guards in charge of the grain camp. All wounded soldiers transferred there should be sent back to their hometowns with sufficient travel expenses."
Upon hearing this, An Yi remained silent, understanding perfectly why the Crown Prince, who had always treated wounded soldiers kindly, would suddenly change his ways and severely punish the wounded soldiers left behind in the grain camp.
That year, the number of wounded soldiers in the army was more than two thousand. Since these wounded soldiers had the ability to stay in the grain camp and seek a place to retire.
They probably won't have to worry about food and drink after returning to their hometown; this is the lesson they should learn!
Song Yanqing turned his gaze away from the lanterns and looked at An Yi. "Those three commanders cannot escape responsibility for this matter. Let An Shi follow the trail and find the person behind it. As for those who protect them, they will be implicated and not let off lightly."
An Yi bowed his head and accepted the order, knowing that after this matter was resolved, both the grain camp and the military camp would undergo a major reshuffle.
The three commanders, unaware of the prince's true thoughts, received assurances after being informed by someone, and were thus relieved.
In the following days, they followed orders and harvested all the grain and brought it back to the grain camp.
The wounded soldiers also had to work, even if they were missing arms or legs, they still had to work in the fields with their buttocks sticking out.
The laziness I had indulged in after arriving at the grain camp was all made up for in these seven days.
Many of the wounded soldiers couldn't take it and lay motionless on the ground.
The three commanders were not going to tolerate this. They immediately ordered men with whips to stand guard and treat them like laborers.
If the harvest isn't finished within seven days, they'll be the first to be punished. Even if they get a guarantee, who can predict whether they'll suffer physical pain?
To prevent future troubles, we must do as the Crown Prince requests at this critical juncture!
The seven days passed quickly, and the grain camp worked tirelessly to harvest all the grain and bring it back to the camp.
The Shadow Guards conducted an in-depth investigation. The three commanders appeared to be taking the matter seriously, but in reality, they instructed their subordinates to do whatever they could to avoid doing anything.
It wasn't until Dark Ten directly slit the throat of a centurion that the grain corps dared not disobey anymore and produced all the accounts.
Having learned from the precedent of making an example of someone to warn others, the three commanders finally sensed the crisis and hurriedly sent someone to report and relay the message.
Unexpectedly, not only did the message fail to reach its destination, but the soldier who delivered it was also falsely accused and sentenced to death.
The three commanders were completely panicked. When the two commanders found Commander Zhao in the dead of night, they discovered that the dark circles under Commander Zhao's eyes were almost as thick as the ink on his desk.
Commander Wei had been so anxious these past few days that he had developed several blisters in his mouth, and his speech was somewhat slurred. "Commander Zhao, we're in this together now. If you hadn't promised us we'd make it big, neither of us brothers would have dared to take such a risk!"
He originally came to find Commander Zhao to discuss future strategies, but seeing Commander Zhao's miserable state, he couldn't help but question him.
Commander Lu also said, "Since the young master is determined to investigate to the end, and the other side is now acting this way."
Or should we do as the Crown Prince said, and make amends by telling the whole story?
Let's at least get through this hurdle first!
After remaining silent for a while, Commander Zhao snorted coldly upon hearing Commander Lu's words, "If you want to die even sooner, then expose our crimes in front of the Emperor and see if our actions will be offset by your exposure!"
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