On the way, Li You asked Sun Jian how to deal with the private army camp.
Sun Jian indicated that they didn't need to worry. As long as they wiped out the three Wei brothers, they would have a list of names, and none of the private soldiers would be able to escape.
In this matter, the lowly soldiers are not the main culprits; it is the instigators who are truly heinous.
Sun Jian divided the Imperial Guards into two teams, and ordered Xiong Juzheng to personally lead three hundred Imperial Guards to escort Wei Zhonghu back to the capital first.
He then led the remaining Imperial Guards and Generals Li You and Li Mu straight to the Tiger Camp.
"Generals, please remember, after entering the camp, go to my tent and retrieve the account books that have been prepared beforehand, and then..."
...
In the Tiger Warriors' camp.
Liu Shiyun had already led his team to compile the account books and calculate all the details.
Just as Sun Jian had guessed, once the carbon blocks and ice blocks in the detailed accounts were converted into gold and silver, all the expenditures and expenses would make perfect sense.
Based on the evidence in the ledgers, the matter is now largely clear.
The Wei brothers would falsely report their salaries to the imperial court every month, resulting in the court allocating an extra 10,000 people's worth of food and pay each month.
They went to great lengths to balance the accounts, employing numerous methods.
Liu Shiyun had not understood why the court had not noticed the extra rations for 10,000 people every month.
Now he understood just how cunning the Wei brothers were...
Instead of replacing worn-out armor, weapons, and horses, they had their private soldiers and elite guards exchange them.
Produce what you can produce yourself, and use separate accounts to cover any discrepancies in expenses.
"Keep this evidence safe!!"
Liu Shiyun directed several of his personal guards to quickly organize and summarize the evidence.
However, Wei Zhong'e had already sensed something was amiss and was now leading his troops to the scene.
"Liu Shiyun! You have some nerve!"
"They dare to tamper with military ledgers!"
Liu Shiyun was startled and turned around to see Wei Zhong'e and Wei Zhongbao already standing at the entrance of his tent.
The camp was surrounded by Wei family's personal guards, and he and several captains were completely surrounded.
"Wei Zhongbao...you!"
Liu Shiyun's gaze sharpened. He didn't think anything of Wei Zhong'e noticing him, but wasn't Wei Zhongbao ordered by Wei Zhong'e to ambush Sun Jian halfway?
How did they suddenly reappear in the camp?
"Good lad, if Zhongbao hadn't discovered your strange behavior after returning to camp, I really wouldn't have known that you had such audacity to secretly check the account books!"
"Hand over the ledgers!!"
As soon as Wei Zhong'e finished speaking, the guards around him immediately drew their blades and pointed them at Liu Shiyun and his three captains.
"Brother, this man is Sun Jian's inside man; he must not be allowed to live!"
"How about..."
Wei Zhongbao made a throat-slitting gesture, intending to remind Wei Zhong'e that if they were going to do something, they should go all the way. Since they had made up their minds to kill Sun Jian, Liu Shiyun and his confidants could not be spared either.
Wei Zhong'e did not heed his suggestion.
In Wei Zhong'e's view, Sun Jian was a man of Yao Tianzheng and the Crown Prince, and that's why he investigated the account books when he became suspicious of the Wei family.
Suspicion is one thing, but conviction requires evidence!
The emperor wouldn't arbitrarily demote members of the Wei family based on mere suspicion. Even if the Wei family wasn't so deeply entrenched, they couldn't be dealt with so easily simply because of their past contributions; doing so would greatly alienate the people!
The only evidence was the accounts, but the brothers had already made them flawless. As long as no one betrayed them, even if Sun Jian and Liu Shiyun investigated, they wouldn't find anything.
Moreover, Liu Shiyun was appointed by the imperial court as the General of the Tiger Guard. Although he did not have much prestige in the Tiger Guard and was not as popular as Sun Jian, who had only been there for a few days, he could not be killed in the Tiger Guard unless absolutely necessary.
"Hand it over!"
Wei Zhong'e raised his voice again, and his expression became sinister.
Liu Shiyun naturally wouldn't hand over the account books; the only option now was to protect the evidence and break through the encirclement.
He secretly made up his mind to fight Wei Zhong'e to the death, and his hand was already on his sword.
At this critical moment, Sun Jian had already appeared in the Tiger Warriors' camp with his men.
Sun Jian was no fool. He naturally knew that most of the Tiger Warriors were trusted confidants of the Wei family, and even many of the centurions were younger members of the Wei family.
A bloody battle will only lead to failure; a clever strategy will lead to success.
Moreover, with Generals Li You and Li Mu in tow, along with so many Imperial Guards, Sun Jian didn't believe that Wei Zhong'e and Wei Zhongbao would dare to openly attack him without knowing that Wei Zhonghu was in trouble.
"stop!"
Sun Jian strode into the tent first, and looking at the tense crowd, he pretended to be oblivious.
"Brother, what's going on? Why have you sent troops to surround General Liu's camp? Why are you all drawing your swords against each other?"
"Sun Jian!"
Upon seeing Sun Jian, Wei Zhongbao was overcome with the urge to kill him, but fortunately, Wei Zhong'e stopped him.
Wei Zhong'e's face darkened, and he did not answer.
"What's wrong? Why don't you speak, my brother?"
Sun Jian began to deliver an award-winning performance.
In any case, Wei Zhong'e and Wei Zhongbao were unaware of the situation at the moment, and didn't even know that they had captured Wei Zhonghu.
Act!
He brought Li You and Li Mu with him, all for this moment.
Wei Zhong'e pointed at Liu Shiyun: "Brother, I know you have a private relationship with General Liu. You are both protégés of Governor Yao. But this Liu Shiyun is incredibly audacious. He dared to take the opportunity to send me and the registrar away and steal the account books!"
Wei Zhong'e spoke with such venom that it was almost as if he were gritting his teeth; no one was a fool.
Liu Shiyun's actions must have been instigated by Sun Jian.
Sun Jian is still pretending not to know anything, how despicable!
Wei Zhonge was glad that he reacted in time. Liu Shiyun hadn't been checking the accounts for long, so he probably wouldn't have noticed anything amiss.
Let's get through this period first, get the account books back, and settle accounts with the two of them later!
Before Liu Shiyun could speak, Wei Zhongbao said in an unfriendly tone, "Deputy Commandant Sun, could it be that you instructed Liu Shiyun to steal the military account books?"
"Instigating crime is the same as what my Grand Law says..."
"presumptuous!"
Sun Jian interrupted Wei Zhongbao with a furious rebuke.
The sound was deafening. Wei Zhongbao and Wei Zhonge both trembled involuntarily. The sound even startled many of the surrounding soldiers, causing their swords to tremble.
Those soldiers must have cursed Sun Jian a thousand times over in their hearts at that moment!
This is insane... Is Sun Jian out of his mind?
Why did you suddenly say something like that!
Sun Jian ignored what these people thought, and instead frowned, feigning anger: "Wei Zhongbao, I am the Deputy Commandant appointed by the imperial court, your superior! It's one thing for me not to pay my respects when we meet, but you, a mere Lieutenant General, dare to speak to me like that! It's simply outrageous!"
"you!"
Wei Zhongbao was speechless after being rebuked, and his face turned red with anger, unable to utter a single word.
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