Extreme Frontier Army: Starting from the bottom ranks, conquering the chaotic world

Lu Jing turned and called out towards the outside of the tent, "Skinny Monkey!"

The curtain was lifted, and the skinny monkey poked half his head in, his nose red from the cold.

"Sergeant, what's up?"

"Pick twenty unbroken knives from the box, and wrap the handles with cloth tonight. Also, find some pig's blood and sheep's blood and smear them on the blades, the dirtier the better."

The skinny monkey was stunned.

"Where did our camp get pig's blood or sheep's blood?"

Lu Jing glanced at him.

"If it's not in the wooden buckets used for slaughtering livestock in the kitchen, then go look in the outhouse of the supervisory team. Anyway, they all smell the same from a distance."

The skinny monkey's face turned green.

"Sergeant, this is too filthy."

"Enough talk. After you're done, put the knife in the most conspicuous place at the camp gate."

Lu Jing paused.

"Also, have the brothers spread the word that we encountered northern barbarian scouts in the snow gully today, and killed seven of them with our new swords; none of them escaped."

The skinny monkey's eyes lit up.

"Understood."

"Let Gu Changfeng think we're really using this useless knife as a treasure."

"Not too stupid."

Lu Jing waved his hand.

"Get lost, and keep your mouth shut."

The skinny monkey withdrew his head, and the curtain fell again.

Ji Ruxue looked at Lu Jing.

"You want to lure Gu Changfeng's men to examine the knife."

"It's best if he doesn't come."

Lu Jing touched his chin.

"If he doesn't investigate, it means that this batch of knives is already a dead end in his eyes. But as long as he sends people over, it proves that this batch of goods has other connections, and he's afraid that we'll find something on the knives."

"If we follow the trail of those who came here, we'll eventually reach Deer Horn Slope."

Ji Ruxue said coldly, "Gu Changfeng isn't a fool. Even if you deliberately placed the knife at the camp gate, he might not fall for it."

"So we need to add fuel to the fire."

Lu Jing turned to look at Shen Qingqiu.

"Can the batch of farm tools from the Yichou year (1895) in the secret ledger be altered?"

Shen Qingqiu frowned.

"Change what?"

"Change 300 shi to 297 shi."

Shen Qingqiu stared at him for a moment, and her eyes gradually brightened.

"The Three Stones Gap".

"right."

Lu Jing tapped his fingers on the table.

"Let Gu Changfeng know that we not only have knives, but also an account that doesn't match up."

"If he were only using the discarded swords to smuggle the Eighth Battalion, there would be no need for him to care about the missing three stones. But if he was involved in smuggling, he would definitely know where the missing three stones went."

Shen Qingqiu shook his head.

"It cannot be changed directly."

"The figures in the Ministry of Revenue's secret accounts follow a logical structure; if you write them down hastily, you can tell at a glance that they are fake."

She held the tattered page in front of her and carefully examined it several times by the light of the fire.

"But you can add a comment."

"Back then, when the Ministry of Revenue audited accounts, if there was a discrepancy between the actual items and the documents, the registrar would leave a red annotation at the end of the page. As long as you found old ink of a similar color and then used fire to recreate the traces, it would be enough to fool people who were not familiar with the Ministry of Revenue's accounting methods."

Ji Ruxue suddenly said, "Gu Changfeng has someone familiar with the system of setting up tents."

Lu Jing turned his face to the side.

"Who?"

"I don't know the name."

Ji Ruxue's eyes turned cold.

"But when I was taken to the border by the Northern Barbarians, I saw a grain transport team at Lujiaopo. The team had no military flag, but the ruts were very deep. The people escorting the carts were wearing the uniforms of the Northern Xuan Army, and their right hands were always guarding their waists when they walked."

"That's not a soldier's habit, it's a clerk's habit of protecting the seal box."

Shen Qingqiu frowned slightly.

"He understands the Ministry of Revenue's accounting methods and can accompany the Northern Xuan Army in and out of Lujiaopo."

"Gu Changfeng had a clerk working for him to clean up his accounts."

Lu Jing slowly sat up straight.

This is what's truly useful.

The arsenal shipped the goods, the Ministry of Revenue balanced the accounts, Lanyue Pavilion cleared the way, and Gu Changfeng received the goods.

But such a large deal couldn't possibly be remembered by Gu Changfeng alone.

Someone must be managing his accounts.

Once we catch that person, we can follow the trail and expose the entire smuggling chain.

"That makes things even easier."

Lu Jing slammed the broken knife onto the table.

"Tomorrow, let Gu Changfeng's men see that fake annotation. If he brings someone who knows accounting, we'll arrest him. If he doesn't, we'll go back and check with that clerk."

"As long as we keep an eye on the people coming and going, we can eventually find this mouse hiding in its hole."

Ji Ruxue looked at him with a complicated expression.

Lu Jing's methods were not sophisticated; in fact, they were quite crude.

But there's one thing about this person that's most terrifying.

He's willing to risk his life.

If it were anyone else, knowing that Gu Changfeng held thousands of border troops in his hands, their first reaction would be to hide the evidence and wait for the imperial court to send someone to investigate.

Lu Jing, however, presented the evidence to Gu Changfeng instead.

He was forcing Gu Changfeng to make a mistake.

"Aren't you afraid he'll just lead his troops and wipe out the Eighth Battalion?"

Ji Ruxue asked.

Lu Jing was amused.

"If he dares to openly bring his troops here, I'd really have to thank him."

"The Eighth Battalion has over five hundred men, all of whom are cannon fodder without food or armor. If Gu Changfeng doesn't have a plausible reason, he'll dare to mobilize troops to slaughter us all. Tomorrow, the remaining soldiers at Yanmen Pass will all be in an uproar."

"He wants us dead, but he won't let us die by his sword."

Lu Jing pointed to the broken knife on the table.

"That's why he went to such lengths to send this thing over."

Ji Ruxue fell silent.

It must be admitted that Lu Jing's judgment was very accurate.

Gu Changfeng was able to secure his position as the commander of Yanmen Pass.

Besides being ruthless, he also cherished his reputation, feared being held accountable by the imperial court, and was even more afraid that his soldiers would mutini.

He wouldn't easily overturn the table until he was certain how much evidence Lu Jing had.

This was the only way out for the Eighth Battalion.

This is also their chance to retaliate.

"I can help you identify the hidden agents of Lan Yue Pavilion."

Ji Ruxue finally relented.

"Each of the six hidden stakeouts along the Deer Horn Slope is marked with a different crescent moon symbol. Ordinary members only know the one they are responsible for, but only the commander of the northern route has the complete list."

Lu Jing asked, "Who is that person in charge of the northern front?"

"have no idea."

Ji Ruxue's face was grim.

"The heads of the various departments of Lanyue Pavilion only communicate using code names, and their identities are personally verified by the previous head of the department. I have been in charge of Lanyue Pavilion for less than a year, and the old staff on the northern department have not been completely replaced."

Lu Jing raised an eyebrow.

"So, you, the eldest princess, are just a leader parachuted in."

Ji Ruxue didn't understand what "parachuted leader" meant, but she could hear the sarcasm in his tone.

She gave Lu Jing a cold glance.

"The chief of the northern route would send a secret report to the capital on the seventh of each month. Before sending the report, he would first verify the seal at the hidden stake at the easternmost part of Lujiaopo."

What day of the month is it today?

"The fifth day of the month."

Shen Qingqiu said softly.

Lu Jing narrowed his eyes.

Two days.

If they can find the mole at Deer Horn Slope within two days, they will have a chance to catch the tail of the person in charge of the northern route of Lanyue Pavilion.

That person is very likely the most crucial link in the entire smuggling chain.

"make a deal."

Lu Jing stood up and threw the broken half of the knife into the brazier.

The broken blade struck the charcoal, sending up a spray of sparks.

"I'll find out the mole who sold the patrol routes for you."

"Find Gu Changfeng's accounting office and the road to Deer Horn Slope for me."

Ji Ruxue raised her chin.

"I'm helping you, not to save those worthless lives in the Eighth Battalion."

"I know."

Lu Jing patted the iron filings off his hands.

"You're doing this for the country, for the people of Great Yan, for the dignity of the royal family. You can choose your own words, just don't neglect your duties."

Ji Ruxue felt a lump in her throat.

Shen Qingqiu lowered his head, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Just as Lu Jing was about to say something more, the bugle call for the change of guard suddenly came from outside the tent.

The deep bugle call pierced the twilight, leaving a long trailing sound over the soldiers' camp.

Lu Jing stood up and glanced outside.

"The ledger hasn't arrived yet, and that old dog Gu Changfeng is determined to renege on his promise." Lu Jing squinted at the camp wall in the twilight. "Let him renege. Once the work at Deer Horn Slope is finished, he'll vomit up everything he's supposed to vomit."