Smelling the aroma coming from the fire room, the soldiers' stomachs felt like drums.
They haven't had a full meal for a long time, and they haven't even tasted minced meat this year.
Although everyone knows that it is impossible to eat enough today, it is enough to let them drink the broth.
There are 200,000 troops in Anyang County, and the more than 300 carts of grain and meat brought by Li Yunze and others are only a drop in the bucket.
The most I can do is let everyone taste the meat and get two more steamed buns, but there will be no more.
It's not that Dingbei Hou was reluctant to let his men eat.
He doesn't know when this disaster year will be over, so he has to plan to eat food.
The food in the military camp was very simple. They only cooked one dish in the evening, pork stewed with winter melon and chayote.
This one dish is the best even now.
Each of the soldiers had a spoonful of vegetables and three steamed buns.
Such a simple meal makes everyone very happy and satisfied.
Marquis Dingbei planned to ask the cook to cook more dishes to entertain Li Yunze and the three of them, but Li Yunze rejected this proposal.
He randomly picked up a bowl with a gap in the kitchen, filled it with some vegetable soup, and soaked a steamed bun in it. Just sit there and eat with the soldiers.
The people in the military camp are all rough and rough, and they usually speak with some color.
But when they saw Li Yunze sitting with them, everyone fell silent, and even ate and looked much more polite.
They had heard about these vegetables and meat in the morning, and they were all brought by this young master.
I heard that the soldiers in the North were suffering too much, so they specially found a way to get these things.
They traveled thousands of miles to deliver it to them just so they could eat the meat.
They were very grateful in their hearts and were afraid that they would say the wrong thing and leave a bad impression on the young man, so they didn't talk as harshly as usual.
Shen Erlang walked over with Ye Mingxuan and Ye Mingzhe with a smile, "You two usually have the loudest voices, why are you all mute today?"
Ye Mingxuan and Ye Mingzhe put a little of the food in their own bowls into the bowls of several thin soldiers, and then gave them the steamed buns in their hands.
Ye Mingzhe stood up and said in a very emotional voice: "Brothers, you are here guarding the border with blood and tears and protecting the people of Yunchao Kingdom. You have worked hard.
The past two years have been bad, and my sister and brother-in-law tried their best to get only this little thing.
When we go back, we will plant more land, feed more livestock, and try to bring more meat to everyone next year. "
Shen Erlang patted Ye Mingzhe on the shoulder, "Your situation is not easy either. Why don't you, the elder brother, know this? I don't know how many ways have been thought of to give us so many things in the north this time. We all understand."
He picked up the bowl in his hand and said loudly: "Brothers, although the capital does not allocate military pay and food to us, we must guard the north and never let foreigners come to Yunchao to burn, kill, loot and bully our people. ."
The soldiers shouted in unison: "Guard the north, guard the territory, and never let foreigners invade."
Li Yunze looked at the skinny soldiers and sighed helplessly. After finishing the steamed buns and vegetable soup in the bowl, he went to find Marquis Dingbei in the camp.
Dingbeihou and Shen Dalang were talking to several generals in the camp.
Seeing him come in, I wanted to stand up and ask him to take a seat, but I was afraid of exposing his identity. Then it will cause trouble for His Highness.
He just sat there without moving, just smiled and asked him to sit next to his eldest son, and introduced to several of his subordinates:
"The more than 300 cartloads of good stuff that came here today were the result of this young master finding a way to get them for us."
More than a dozen generals stood up and bowed their hands to him, saying respectfully: "Thank you, sir."
Li Yunze smiled and waved his hand, gesturing for them to sit down, "For such a small thing, how can I be thanked by all the generals? Compared with your efforts here, what I have done is not worth mentioning?"
The generals didn't know his identity, but seeing that the Marquis and the general treated him very politely, they knew that this man's identity was probably not simple.
They all became more respectful.
Li Yunze knew that it was inconvenient to talk here, so he winked at Dingbeihou, and the two of them left the camp one after another.
Today is sixteen, and the moon in the sky is big and round.
Li Yunze looked up for a while, then whispered to Marquis Dingbei behind him: "Master Marquis, tell the soldiers that their military pay will not be short. Give me three years, and then I will reissue it all to them."
Dingbeihou was silent for a long time, and then he solemnly raised his hands and said: "On behalf of the two hundred thousand soldiers in the North, I would like to thank His Highness the Crown Prince."
After ending the topic, both of them stood there without moving.
Not far away, Shen Erlang and Ye Mingzhe didn't know what joke they heard, and they laughed with a group of soldiers there.
Dingyuan Hou saw that the prince was in a heavy mood, so he smiled and comforted him, "Your Highness, don't worry too much. Although we are suffering a little here, at least we can survive."
Li Yunze nodded, "I know, it's Mr. Hardworking Marquis. I heard that the capital has not allocated money to Beidi for a long time. If it weren't for you and the two young masters running around, these 200,000 soldiers would have been dispersed long ago."
When Dingbeihou was under house arrest in the capital, Li Yunkai's second uncle took over Beidi.
But he did not pay these soldiers the military pay allocated by the capital.
While running away, he wanted to take away the money, but was finally snatched back by Shen Dalang and his men.
Dingbei Hou used the money to buy some grain at a high price from grain merchants, and then borrowed part of it on credit, so he could barely survive.
Marquis Dingbei smiled and shook his head, "Your Highness, I have been guarding the Northland since I was twenty-three years old, and I have a very deep affection for this place.
Even if Li Yunkai never sends military pay and food to Beidi, I will never give up here. As long as I live, I will not let foreign barbarians trample on our people. "
"The Marquis is loyal and courageous. It is a blessing for the people to have you guarding the Northland."
Li Yunze looked at the bustling military camp and said, "Master Marquis, prepare the land, and I will have someone come over to teach you how to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes when the New Year begins.
Didn’t my wife tell you to prepare more land? I'll bring you some seeds when the time comes. Within two years, our soldiers will definitely have enough to eat. "
Dingbeihou excitedly raised his hands and said, "Yes, Your Highness."
When Li Yunze returned to the Hou Mansion, he went to the courtyard where Ye Yutong lived temporarily.
He had just praised Haikou to the Marquis of Dingbei, saying that he would reissue military pay to the soldiers in three years. He had not yet told his wife about this.
Ye Yutong was lying on the bed reading a book. When he heard a familiar noise outside, he knew he was back.
She opened the door and asked: "It's so late, why are you here if you don't want to rest?"
"Tongtong, I have something to tell you."
"Then come in and talk." Ye Yutong took him into the house and poured him another glass of water.
Li Yunze took a sip and told her what he had just said to Marquis Dingbei. "Tongtong, I'm going to take action soon."
Ye Yutong immediately shook his head and refused, "No, we have too few people on hand. We must wait at least two more years to train the iron cavalry and then train a group of infantry before we can take action."
Seeing that he had misunderstood what he meant, Li Yunze immediately explained: "Tongtong, I also meant to prepare for another two years.
I originally wanted to wait a little longer, but tonight I saw that the soldiers didn't even have food, let alone military pay. I suddenly felt that I couldn't wait any longer. Two years was my limit. "
