The Six Arts of the Gentleman in the Bright Moon of Qin Dynasty

Chapter 587 Behind the theft of Liaoyang [Subscription*Monthly Tickets]

"Even without us, the Liaoyang Treasury would have been burned!"

Yan Yan clearly understood the practices of the local nobles in Liaoyang.

Perhaps in the beginning, the few things left for them were deliberately left there by those termites that were teasing the sun, waiting for an opportunity to burn the warehouse with fire dragons.

Because they had left a base, even if it was burned, the Central Army Shogunate would not be able to find it.

This was because the appearance of Yan Yan and his party caused the warehouse to be emptied, and they had no time to replenish it, and were eventually discovered by scouts and spies from the Zhao State's Central Army Headquarters.

But now, no matter how much these nobles of Liaoyang explained, Zhao Cong and the entire Central Army Shogunate would not believe it.

It would be better to hand over all the food and supplies originally in the treasury. None of these people will survive.

However, what Yan Yan is worried about now is how to explain to Sima Shang.

After all, Sima Shang knew the exact amount of the entire treasury.

If the first cooperation fails, how can we have friendly cooperation in the future?

So on the second day after the incident, Sima Shang secretly met with Yan Yan and others.

"If we tell you that only one third of the food, supplies and treasures are left in the treasury, would you believe it?" Yan Yan stated truthfully.

"I believe it!" Sima Shang's answer was somewhat unexpected to everyone.

"Ah?" Yan Yan and the others were thinking about how to explain it, but they didn't expect Sima Shang to believe it so easily.

"You are not from the Military Control Commission's Handan Station at all. I have checked and the officers of the Military Control Commission's stations will never leave their own activity areas."

Sima Shang continued.

Yan Yan and Mo Ya were silent.

The Military Intelligence Bureau was responsible for intelligence gathering and assassinations. Under normal circumstances, the Military Intelligence Bureau in various places would not leave their jurisdiction.

"The Central Army Headquarters and Handan appointed me as the special envoy of the Golden Sword in the case of the theft in Liaoyang Treasury!" Sima Shang continued.

"So, you are here to arrest us?" Yan Yan's eyes grew slightly serious.

Although Sima Shang provided them with information about the treasury, that was when Sima Shang was desperate and not valued.

Now the situation has changed, and both Handan and the Central Army Shogunate value him very much.

Under such circumstances, it is possible that Sima Shang would really rekindle his fighting spirit instead of starting to prepare a way out for himself as he did before.

"Last night, I interrogated the magistrate and lieutenant of Liaoyang County overnight!" Sima Shang did not answer Yan Yan's question and continued speaking.

Yan Yan and Mo Ya had originally planned to escape, but after hearing Sima Shang's words, it seemed that there was something hidden in this matter that they did not understand, so they sat down again.

"Then they gave out the names of more than 60 people, including the Central Army Sima, the Quartermaster Sima, the Inspector General, and the others," Sima Shang continued.

Yan Yan and Mo Ya were extremely surprised, but after a little thought, they felt it was normal.

Such a large amount of food and supplies could not be consumed by the nobles of Liaoyang County alone.

In other words, the powerful people in Liaoyang County are not qualified enough to dare to covet these supplies.

The greatest noble in Liaoyang County was just a county baron, and among the five noble ranks of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron, he was at the lowest level. How could he dare to touch the army's supplies?

Even if those treasures appeared in a county man's home, they would not be able to grasp them.

"You wouldn't have arrested the Central Army Commander, the Quartermaster Commander, and the Inspector General of Posts, right?" Yan Yan looked at Sima Shang hesitantly.

The Sima of the Central Army is no ordinary person. He is the third person after the army's main general and deputy general. He is one of the top generals in the army.

As for the Quartermaster General and the Inspector General, they are also not ordinary people. One is the logistics chief of the army, and the other is in charge of the army's intelligence transmission, food and grass transportation, etc.

Even though Sima Shang has now become the special envoy of Jin Lingjian and is investigating the case on behalf of King Zhao, he is not King Zhao after all.

To arrest these people, even if Zhao Cong was asked to do it, he would not dare to do it. "Catch them!" Sima Shang's answer was beyond everyone's expectations.

It wasn't just Yan Yan. In fact, after he arrested the person, Zhao Cong and Yan Ju both came in person to inquire and asked Sima Shang to release him.

"You're dead!" Yan Yan's mouth twitched.

If these people are arrested, no one can save Sima Shang.

In order to stabilize the army, Handan would definitely order someone to recall Sima Shang.

Once the order from Handan arrived, these people would never let Sima Shang return to Handan alive.

"I know!" Sima Shang said bitterly, and then asked, "Is there any wine?"

Mo Ya ordered people to serve wine and answered with action.

"I've been made a scapegoat!" Sima Shang broke the seal on the wine jar and started drinking from it without even using a wine jug.

"The entire Zhao State and the entire army are rotten to the core."

"The Central Army Commander, the Quartermaster Commander, and the Inspector General are all just minor characters!"

"Half of the food and supplies you received were fake, replaced with old grain, obsolete weapons, and even sand and stone."

Sima Shang spoke while drunk.

Yan Yan was startled and motioned Mo Ya to go and check.

They transported the food and supplies out, but no one would bother to tear open the food bags and boxes to check what was inside, and time did not allow it.

Mo Ya decisively went to the place where food and supplies were stored.

The grain-taking pole was inserted into the grain bag, pressed down diagonally, and then the grain slid down through the hollow bamboo pole.

Mo Ya and the Military Control Commission personnel who came to inspect all changed their expressions.

What flows down the pole is not grain, but a mixture of sand and grain.

Mo Ya continued to test four or five bags in disbelief.

Only a small part of it was food, but it also had a musty smell, so it couldn't be new food.

Then Mo Ya led his men to check the boxes containing weapons and armor one by one.

Then they were shocked again, it all looked new.

However, all those present were martial arts masters. Once they got their hands on the weapons, they knew that the weights were not right. They were old items made to look new. The swords would break if they were subjected to the slightest force.

Not only that, the shafts of those spears were not made of takumi, elm or sandalwood that had been dried in the shade for two or three years, but of birch!

I dare not imagine the consequences of these weapons being used on the battlefield. The weapons would shatter at the slightest touch, and spears and halberds would break at the slightest touch.

Mo Ya quickly returned to the reception room and whispered the situation into Yan Yan's ear.

Sima Shang didn't care. "Don't worry, they don't plan to send these weapons and food to the battlefield!"

"What you mean is that someone replaced him during the transportation of this batch of food and supplies. Whether we took action or not, the final result would be the same, there would be such a big fire?" Yan Yan asked back.

"Are you still pretending now?" Sima Shang looked at Yan Yan and Mo Ya with coldness and sarcasm.

Yan Yan and Mo Ya frowned. They really had no idea that there was a problem with this batch of food and supplies.

Or perhaps the powerful people in Zhao State took action earlier than them.

"From the very beginning, you didn't manufacture or produce this batch of equipment and supplies, right?" Sima Shang looked at Yan Yan and Mo Ya coldly.

"Huh?" Yan Yan and Mo Ya were really shocked by Sima Shang's words.

Didn't the State of Zhao produce this batch of weapons and equipment from the very beginning?
(End of this chapter)