Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved-Chapter 223 - Returning to Court Before the Years

Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Returning to Court Before the Year’s End

Chapter 223 -223: Returning to Court Before the Year’s End

The temperature at the Frontier Pass was even colder than in the Capital City, with a large difference between day and night temperatures.

The steaming hot dumplings warmed the hearts of several hundred thousand soldiers at the frontier.

However, there wasn’t much smoked meat, only the commanders could enjoy this luxury. The majority of the army’s dumplings were filled with green vegetables, known in some regions as cabbage, but they also contained dried shrimp from the coastal areas, giving them a unique taste. Drinking a bowl of hot soup would greatly invigorate a person.

The dried shrimp had been procured by Manager Chai’s merchant convoy from the coastal areas; they varied in size, with the smaller ones called shrimp skins, which also enhanced the flavor when added to soup.

Murong Jiu donated all these to the army, along with the food supplies they were transported with.

Although it was possible to buy a large amount of pork, it couldn’t be preserved for long and had to be made into smoked meat, which took even longer to transport.

Fortunately, three days after the start of winter, the convoy transporting the smoked meat arrived at the Frontier Pass.

Cart after cart, the sight made the soldiers, who hadn’t tasted meat for a long time, go wild with desire.

Learning that the Princess Consort had donated the meat to the frontier soldiers without asking for anything in return made many of them tear up.

Among them, some were over forty years old and had experienced previous wars.

Back then, not to mention meat, even the food supplies would be embezzled by the officials in charge. The actual share each soldier received could barely amount to half a bun or half a pancake, and sometimes they would go for days without food, forced to drink cold water and pick wild vegetables to stave off hunger.

But now things were different.

Although there had been no meat recently, they were able to eat their fill at each meal and always had hot soup to drink.

Today, they even saw endless amounts of smoked meat.

That day, Prince Ling immediately ordered the cooks to prepare dishes with the smoked meat, as if the entire Hexi region could smell the scent of the meat.

Officials and dignitaries preferred fresh meat, but for ordinary people, smoked meat was a treat, salt-cured with a savory flavor, cooking it didn’t even require additional salt.

Becuase for ordinary people, salt was too expensive, and they hardly used it in their cooking.

That day, all the soldiers ate their fill of meat, revitalized and feeling as though they could battle the Xiongnu enemy nonstop for three days and nights.

However, Vice General Ouyang was not pleased, believing that Prince Ling, indulging in the momentary pleasure of eating, was not considering the future.

The duration of the war was uncertain; almost all the smoked meat delivered that day had been consumed. What would they eat in the future?

Although there was a lot of smoked meat, the army too was vast, and even a thousand pigs wouldn’t last long with such consumption.

Vice General Ouyang, along with a few staff officers, went together to admonish Jun Yuyan. It was supposed to be advice, but in reality, it was criticism. He was over fifty, spoke loudly from a place of aged authority, chastising Jun Yuyan for being too young, shortsighted, caring only for his own pleasure, and ignorant of hardship.

Jun Yuyan didn’t even frown, looking instead to Su Kai at his side. “Princely Heir Su, since Vice General Ouyang and the others wish to continue enduring hardship, replace their meals with thin porridge. Remove their meat and rice meals and distribute them to brothers who have not yet had their fill.”

Upon receiving the order, Su Kai couldn’t help but laugh, speeding off himself to remove the meals from the rooms of Ouyang and the other officers, replacing them with bowls of plain porridge that had just a few grains of rice and not even any pickles.

Vice General Ouyang was still with Jun Yuyan when he heard such an indifferent command and nearly fainted from anger, his mustache bristling.

“Prince Ling! I am considering the well-being of the entire army. Even if I have to eat chaff and vegetables, I fear nothing, but your arrogant attitude disregards me completely! I’ve been fighting in battles for decades, and was on the battlefield before you were born. I have crossed more bridges in this life than roads you have walked. You disregard the old man’s advice, but one day you will regret it profoundly!”

“It’s laughable, Deputy General Ouyang, you have never established any military exploits but merely relied on your age to gain some experience. Only because Vice General Li died in battle did you rise from a minor staff officer to deputy general, and you have only been a deputy general for two months. Now you keep calling yourself ‘this old man’ and can’t even utter the word ‘junior officer’? The reason Prince Ling is known as the War God is because he has won countless battles! And you? You’re just a drifter in the military!”

General Fu strode in, speaking loudly. Deputy General Ouyang’s voice was resonant, but General Fu’s was just as loud, testing just how thick Deputy General Ouyang’s skin was.

Deputy General Ouyang’s face turned ashen, extremely embarrassed. He barked angrily, “I have been in the military camp for many years and speak bluntly without beating around the bush, but I mean no harm. Does General Fu need to humiliate a junior officer like this?”

Fu Heng spoke up, “Deputy General Ouyang, General Fu is not humiliating you but merely stating the truth. You’re so angry because this hits a nerve, doesn’t it?”

Deputy General Ouyang’s face became even more unsightly, and the several staff officers behind him muttered, not daring to speak out.

He gritted his teeth, “I didn’t come here to argue with you. Prince Ling, he actually indulges in the pleasures of the tongue. How is that different from indulging in pleasures? The Xiongnu enemy is powerful, and they possess terrifying secret weapons. Yet Prince Ling only cares about the present. What fault is there in me coming to offer advice?”

Jun Yuyan then lazily lifted his head from the Art of War Book:

“Deputy General Ouyang, you might have misunderstood one thing. Those smoked meats were sent by my Princess Consort, not on behalf of the Imperial Court. It counts as the property of my Prince Mansion. I can distribute it as I like, and it’s not your place to interfere.”

Upon hearing this, Deputy General Ouyang’s lips whitened a bit.

He knew that Princess Consort Ling had donated them, but he did not know that she hadn’t donated them to the Imperial Court. Therefore, they could not count as military supplies and were only Prince Ling’s personal belongings.

But he couldn’t spit out an acknowledgment of his mistake, so he lowered his head and left.

The several staff officers also hurried away, heads bowed, without making their presence felt.

“Deputy General Ouyang, do not be disheartened. Prince Ling is just such an arrogant man. It’s probably deliberate to make you lose face and establish military authority!”

Staff Officer Qian whispered in consolation.

Deputy General Ouyang clenched his fist, “This old man must report him in several memorials! Merrymaking without focusing on proper training of troops, how long can these city walls last?”

“Father-in-law, please take a seat.”

Jun Yuyan saw General Fu’s eyes filled with anger and smiled, “That Deputy General Ouyang was just instigated by others, don’t take it to heart.”

“It seems the Prince already knows; now I am relieved.”

“That Staff Officer Qian just now is one of the Second Prince’s men, intentionally stirring trouble, merely to increase the number of criticisms against the Prince in the Capital City’s Imperial Court.”

General Fu chuckled lightly, “Watching Deputy General Ouyang, I guess he will dispatch a message back to the Capital City overnight. When there are officials criticizing the Prince in the Imperial Court, we should almost be ready to act. By then, everyone is bound to be shocked.”

Fu Heng and Fu Sheng also nodded in agreement.

Suppress first and then uplift—this battle will be interesting indeed.

After laughing, General Fu solemnly said, “With two armies poised against each other, and the great power of Fire-thunder, we must be very careful. Our plan must also be flawless, ensuring to return completely and safely. Ah Jiu is waiting for us.”

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Jun Yuyan’s gaze shifted slightly as he looked out the window at the setting moon, his heart filled with longing.

“Before the year ends, the great army will surely return to the Capital City.”

By then, he would be by Ah Jiu’s side, accompanying her through childbirth.