RWNEFE -Chapter 265 Offending Everyone, It’s Surely Zhou Ruyuan’s Doing!

He hurriedly said, “On the open ground outside the treasury.”

Wei Dongzhu fell silent. In such an obvious location, there was no way a mistake could happen.

There were only two possibilities: either the time on the documents was wrong, or Sun Qian misremembered.

According to Sun Qian, it was more likely that the document had the wrong time.

Shen Lanxi asked, “Are you sure the person who handed over the supplies to you was from the Ministry of Revenue?”

This question stunned both Sun Qian and Wei Dongzhu.

Outside the treasury, if it wasn’t someone from the Ministry, who else could it be?

“Even if someone impersonated them, they wouldn’t dare be so reckless, right?” Wei Dongzhu said, recalling that the treasury was heavily guarded. Soldiers rotated shifts day and night. During the handover, those guards couldn’t just have been for show.

Shen Lanxi glanced at Wei Dongzhu. He immediately fell silent.

“You just need to answer me: can you be certain they were Ministry officials?”

Sun Qian saw the coldness in her tone and quickly said, “I’m certain. They had Ministry documents and wore Ministry uniforms. There’s no way they were faking it!”

Shen Lanxi asked, “How can you be so certain? Do you know them personally?”

Sun Qian slowly shook his head. “No, I don’t know them.”

Shen Lanxi pressed further: “You’ve been escorting supplies for quite some time. Haven’t you ever met anyone from the Ministry?”

Sun Qian was momentarily stunned, then realized something.

“I know a few people who transport silver for the Ministry, but only casually, just by face. But the ones who handed the supplies to us that night? I didn’t know a single one of them!”

Shen Lanxi noted this down.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” she asked coldly, her tone pressing.

Sun Qian felt a chill in his heart and hurriedly replied, full of guilt and frustration: “I always thought the silver was stolen along the route. I never considered the possibility that it might have been taken before the handover.”

He felt utterly wronged, as if their escort team had been set up as the scapegoat.

Shen Lanxi’s tone carried a warning: “Think carefully again!”

Sun Qian tried, but truly couldn’t remember anything else.

Seeing that she couldn’t get more information, Shen Lanxi said, “You are an important witness in the case of the stolen Wei family army supplies. To prevent any accidents, you’ll stay with the Northern Garrison for now. After the northwest is pacified, you’ll return to the capital with us.”

Sun Qian nodded.

“To prevent anyone from silencing you, I won’t report your presence to the court,” Shen Lanxi continued.

Sun Qian understood her concern and nodded eagerly: “Thank you, General, for keeping me safe!” If news of his survival leaked, he didn’t know when he would end up as a lonely ghost.

Wei Dongzhu said, “I’ll assign him to our left-wing army.”

Shen Lanxi: “Good.”

Truly, the two people who cared most for Sun Qian’s safety were her and Wei Dongzhu.

Once Sun Qian was taken care of, Wei Dongzhu returned to Shen Lanxi.

“I’ve assigned Sun Qian to Shi Da’s first unit.”

Shen Lanxi: “Anyone sharp enough to sense danger and evade an assassination will have a backup plan. Don’t watch him too closely—see who else is behind him.”

Wei Dongzhu’s eyes flickered. “Could Yan Huai still be alive?”

Sun Qian and Yan Huai had been assigned together, then supposedly fell off the cliff together.

Shen Lanxi smiled faintly: “Most likely.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll go to the recruitment office. You urge Zhou Ruan to request supplies from the court.”

Wei Dongzhu: “We’ve been pushing for days, but the court hasn’t replied.”

Shen Lanxi snorted: “Then go borrow them. Zhou Ruan isn’t an ordinary prince; the emperor gave him special privileges. Let him go borrow supplies for the northwest cities!”

“Offending everyone, it’s surely Zhou Ruan’s doing!”

Wei Dongzhu thought of the other cities in the northwest, his eyes growing cold.

“Previously, when our Wei army tried to borrow supplies from the northwest cities, they made every excuse to refuse. If it weren’t for our army guarding the last line, they’d have been destroyed by the foreign tribes long ago.”

Shen Lanxi mocked: “That’s because your Wei army is too loyal and patriotic.” In polite terms, loyal and patriotic; in harsh terms, inflexible and stubborn.

“All that talk about the ruler demanding the minister’s loyalty, and the minister dying? It’s all nonsense!” Shen Lanxi scoffed.

“Fighting the foreign tribes isn’t just the Northern Garrison’s responsibility. Why should the other cities stand by? If they want to govern themselves, it’s far too early for that.”

Wei Dongzhu thought of those indifferent city commanders, and a cold light gleamed in his eyes.

“I’ll go find the Second Prince now,” he said, unwilling to wait another minute.

…

Recruitment Office

“Recently, very few people have been enlisting. Sometimes, we don’t see a single recruit for two days!” Shen Conglian sighed.

Shen Lanxi reviewed the enlistment rosters for the past ten days and closed the book.

In the last ten days, fewer than two hundred people had enlisted. This was unsustainable.

“Where’s Chief Officer Che?” she asked Cheng Zheng beside her.

He replied, “In the city, organizing the relocation of villagers.”

A quarter-hour later, Shen Lanxi met Che Mingyuan.

“I’ve moved all the remaining populations from nearby villages into the city. Next, we’ll resettle the prisoners.” He needed to carefully identify the prisoners, so he wouldn’t trust anyone else with the task.

Shen Lanxi instructed: “Post notices in the army: if someone has family at home willing to follow, the army will cover travel, provide housing, and help them earn a livelihood.”

Che Mingyuan: “…”

“This… consumes too much money.”

Shen Lanxi: “If money is needed, get it from Liu Yanhui.”

Che Mingyuan: Forgot about the salt mines and the gold-seekers…

Shen Lanxi continued: “If unmarried, and they have someone they like, the army will pay for the marriage, assign housing…”

“Unmarried couples, both in the army, willing to marry—army provides silver, housing, and raises their children until age eight with dedicated caretakers.”

Che Mingyuan’s eyes widened. Can recruitment really be done this way?

Shen Lanxi: “For relocated villagers, provide resettlement funds, housing, and livelihood according to their circumstances. You handle the arrangements!”

Che Mingyuan quickly grabbed his pen and paper to record the details. There were many specifics to decide—like prisoners, exiles—they could get housing and livelihood, but not silver.

Cheng Zheng, looking at his empty hands, had no choice but to dig another set of paper and pen from his bag.

Why does Che Mingyuan always snatch my pen!

After finishing, Che Mingyuan had another question:

“What if there isn’t enough housing in the city?”

Shen Lanxi: “Build more. Otherwise, why move so many people in if they’re just going to sit idle?”

This involved money and food, but Shen Lanxi could see what he was thinking.

“Don’t worry. Soon Zhou Ruan will secure the funds and supplies for us!”

Che Mingyuan turned to look at Ban Sicao. After he explained, Che Mingyuan couldn’t help but marvel.

I only knew our general was brave and skilled in military strategy, but I didn’t expect her to also understand statecraft and governance…