Chapter 4: The Meat Sausage is Too Delicious

The Military Advisor distributed the food, and the several dozen most severely ill wounded soldiers each received a small piece of Ham Sausage the size of a finger, as well as a small slice of peach.

The wounded soldiers were so moved that their eyes filled with hot tears.

"This meat sausage is so delicious!"

"Dear mother, I have never tasted a fresh peach in my life."

"It's delicious, but there's just too little of it."

Xiao Moting closed his eyes, a deep sense of guilt surging within him.

If he had eaten one less bite, he could have saved a bit more meat sausage, but at the time, he had been so delirious with hunger that he completely lost control of himself.

The soldiers outside the tent watched with hungry, greedy eyes, their gazes glowing green.

Suddenly, a thin, frail soldier fell straight to the ground.

Xiao Dabao's expression changed, and he rushed out of the commander's tent.

This was his twelve-year-old brother, Xiao Liujin.

The Military Doctor hurried over, examined him, and sighed, "He has caught a cold, his stomach is full of grass roots, and he hasn't had a drop of water or a grain of rice for several days; it looks like he won't make it."

"Liujin! Ah!!" Xiao Dabao cried out in agony, holding his brother tightly.

Six brothers of the Xiao family had joined the army; four had died in battle, leaving only him and his younger brother.

The soldiers watched in silence; such things happened every single day.

The sound of horse hooves rang out!

A scout galloped over, dismounted, and knelt before the tent.

"Reporting to the Prince, the Prefect of Xuancheng refuses to open the city gates and is unwilling to lend even half a grain of rice, saying that guarding the border is what we ought to do. The lack of provisions in the military camp is none of his concern, and he told you... told you that if you have the ability, go to Shengjing and ask the Emperor for grain..."

Xiao Moting's thick brows furrowed even deeper.

He had sent a scout to negotiate with the Prefect of Xuancheng, hoping to get the Prefect to open the granaries and lend them food.

This had been his last hope.

He had not expected it to fail after all.

The soldiers were all restless, and a tragic atmosphere permeated the military camp.

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"Damn it, we are risking our lives to protect Xuancheng, yet the Prefect refuses to open the gates, wanting us all to freeze to death here. We might as well attack Xuancheng and seize the grain!"

Xiao Moting's expression darkened, and he shouted, "Silence! You are all elite soldiers of Daliang; your mission is to protect the country, how can you plunder the people?"

After speaking, he stood up and pointed at the soldier, shouting sternly.

"Drag him away and give him twenty strokes of the military cane."

The camp fell into chaos.

"Prince, we protect Xuancheng, yet they want us to die out here; what is the point of this war?"

"Instead of freezing to death in the snow, we might as well attack the city and take Xuancheng."

"That's right, kill the Prefect of Xuancheng, and we'll have a chance to live."

Someone drew their blade with a *shing*, "Brothers, we can't go on living like this; let's go attack Xuancheng right now."

"Right! Kill the Prefect, seize the granary."

The entire army responded!

Seeing the chaos, Qin Zhan frowned deeply, "Fourth Prince, everyone has been hungry for too long, and it can no longer be suppressed! De Guifei has always wanted to find dirt on you; if you attack Xuancheng today, she will certainly take this opportunity to incite the officials and accuse you of treason!"

Xiao Moting's eyes were bloodshot.

The soldiers were all brothers who had lived and died with him; how could he not want his brothers to be fed?

But he could not plunder the people!

Seeing the calls to attack Xuancheng growing louder and louder outside the tent, Xiao Moting was just about to stand up to suppress them when he suddenly smelled a hint of blood!

Having bathed in the blood of the battlefield, he immediately recognized it as the scent of fresh pork!

He turned his head in shock and looked at the wardrobe in the corner of the military tent.

Could it be...

Xiao Moting stood up abruptly, stepped forward, and pulled open the wardrobe door; his pupils shrank instantly!

Inside the cabinet lay half a side of pork, over a dozen large bones, two large baskets of radishes, and there was even a bag of old ginger!

The gods had manifested again!

The excitement in Xiao Moting's heart was beyond measure, his heart pounding wildly!

Shouts rang out from outside the tent.

"Let's go, let's go kill the Prefect of Xuancheng, break the city, and seize the grain!"

Xiao Moting took a deep breath and strode out of the commander's tent.

"Everyone stand by where you are; those who disobey the Military Order will be executed without mercy!"

"Military Supplies Officer, move the food from my tent out, set up pots, and cook the meat!"

"Medical Officer, quickly boil ginger soup to drive away the cold and treat the wounded soldiers."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tens of thousands of soldiers fell silent; everyone was stunned.

The Prince... really brought food back!!

The next moment, cheers erupted, shaking the heavens.

"The Prince has brought back life-saving food!"

"There's pork, this is great."

"Xiao Dabao, there's meat and ginger soup; your brother Liujin is saved!"

The camp on the ice field finally saw smoke rising from the cooking fires, steaming hot!

All the soldiers were as happy as if it were the Lunar New Year.

Before long, the meaty aroma of radish, bone, and pork soup drifted throughout the camp, making people's mouths water.

The soldiers had been hungry and cold for a long time; now, holding the piping hot, fragrant pork soup, their faces were full of smiles.

Even though each person could only get a small bowl, and the soup was mixed with grass roots and tree bark, they were already satisfied.

"Bang!"

Xiao Dabao knelt on the ground, weeping and kowtowing desperately.

"Thank you, Prince, for saving the life of my younger brother, Liujin!"

The spicy, piping hot ginger soup had pulled Xiao Liujin back from the brink of death.

Xiao Moting sat in the tent, his sword-like brows locked tight.

The deity had bestowed food, but he no longer had anything left to offer in return.

A poor soldier makes for a poor man, and a poor general makes for a poor troop; the soldiers under his command were just as poor as he was.

He still had to feed thirty thousand troops; this bit of pork soup was only enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

Where would tomorrow's rations come from?

Suddenly, a scent of peaches drifted out.

A flash of inspiration struck Xiao Moting, and he immediately opened the Wardrobe.

He was shocked once again.

The previously empty wooden cabinet now contained another basket of fresh, succulent peaches, still covered in dew and overflowing with sweet fragrance!

At this moment, Xiao Moting's heart surged, and his eyes grew moist!

He had been demoted to Beijiang at the age of six, eating and living with the border-guarding soldiers, protecting the country, and establishing countless military merits, all while covered in wounds!

Yet his Imperial Father had not given him the slightest commendation, instead sending repeated edicts of reprimand.

His mother, the consort left behind in the deep palace, was also treated coldly, bullied by the other consorts, and dared not even lift her head.

Yet his deity had helped him time and time again.

Guilt welled up within Xiao Moting's heart.

The deity had gifted him precious supplies, yet he had only offered a worthless Jade Thumb Ring and half a Jade Pendant.

Just then, he suddenly saw writing on the Wardrobe and his eyes narrowed instantly.

... Can trade items with the deity?

Also, what kind of rune is ∩▽∩?

Xiao Dabao looked up and saw a large basket of fresh peaches sitting in the military tent; his eyes went straight.

"Prince, my mother said... eating alone will get you struck by the Thunder God..."

Qin Zhan scolded, "The Prince is not the type to eat alone. With the Thunder God as our witness, the Prince will surely give us peaches to eat, right, Prince?"

Xiao Moting's expression remained calm; it wasn't as if he couldn't hear the two of them singing in harmony.

It was just that he did not intend to distribute the peaches.

Because there were other uses for them.

Xiao Moting looked up, his gaze cold as he stared into the distance toward Xuancheng.

Snow filled the sky, and the city walls loomed high!

They wanted to trap him and his troops here to die; did they really think he would just sit and wait for death?

Now that he had fresh peaches, he immediately thought of a countermeasure!

"Xiao Dabao, Qin Zhan, come in and discuss matters!"

Qingshan Village.

"... The Phoenix Pendant is an ancient betrothal token. A man gives the Phoenix Pendant to the girl he admires and keeps the Dragon Pendant, and they join them into a pair on their wedding night." Chen Yeye held a magnifying glass, lifting the Phoenix Pendant to examine it carefully.

Bai Wei squatted nearby, listening with wide-eyed surprise!

She had taken a Phoenix Pendant from the Wardrobe yesterday and had come to find Chen Yeye for an appraisal first thing this morning.

She hadn't expected this Jade Pendant to be for betrothal.

Gui Dage gave the Phoenix Pendant to her; he wouldn't be trying to make her a ghost bride, would he?

Bai Wei broke into a cold sweat, stood up, and left.

She had to return the Jade Pendant to Gui Dage!

Behind her, Chen Yeye's voice drifted over.

"This Phoenix Pendant is worth at least two hundred thousand; if it were a pair, the price would double..."