Chen Mo sat in the carriage, flicking the whip as he hurried toward the military camp. The warhorse he rode followed leisurely behind the carriage.
He had no intention of leaving either the carriage or his warhorse at home. Quite apart from the strong smell of horses, feeding and caring for one at home would be far too troublesome.
Unless he hired a groom, of course—but that would mean spending even more money. He might as well send the horse to the military camp to be fed and spare himself the worry and effort.
The military camp stood beside the official road, less than ten li from Zhun Niu Market.
Compared with the Guard Camp where he had stayed before, this military camp looked more like a sprawling compound.
A low wall just over four feet high surrounded several rows of hastily built earthen barracks. After years of wind and rain, the outer walls of the thatched mud huts were already pitted and furrowed.
At a glance, Chen Mo could barely see any soldiers in the entire camp. There seemed to be only thirty or forty, and most of them were old or infirm.
His brows drew tightly together at the sight. Even if the former Salt Transport Envoy had been claiming pay for nonexistent soldiers, he could not have taken it this far, could he?
A five-hundred-man camp had somehow been reduced to fewer than fifty.
If that was truly the case, then the former Salt Transport Envoy had been far too brazen!
Chen Mo had never even considered doing something like this. What kind of backing did the other man have to dare act so recklessly?
Suspicious, Chen Mo hurriedly waved the whip and quickened his pace toward the camp.
When he reached the camp entrance, an honest-looking