"Wake up! Wake up! Time to get your food! Time to get your food!"
In the prisoner-of-war camp on the outskirts of Nanming Prefecture, a group of prisoners whose weapons had been confiscated were awakened by a loud voice. They stood up groggily. Most of the new Golden Dragon Guard were new recruits who had grown up around the capital and had never been on a ship before. Now that they were being transported to Nanming in several ships, they were naturally seasick.
Even though many people had slept all afternoon after reaching the shore and were still not fully recovered, they were soon attracted by a fragrant aroma.
Those with a strong bloodline are sensitive to high-quality meat. Good monster meat is a rare treat that aristocratic families can only enjoy occasionally, used to nourish the blood when breaking through bottlenecks. Being able to have enough beef to eat during daily military campaigns is already a sign of the Great Jin's strength.
They originally thought that being taken prisoner meant they would have to endure a miserable period of time, but to their surprise, they actually smelled the aroma of monster meat!
A group of scions of noble families immediately stood up as if injected with adrenaline, staring incredulously ahead. The smell was coming from several large barrels at the very front, where a long queue had already formed. At the very front were auxiliary soldiers, that is, ordinary soldiers without bloodlines.
Judging from the appearance of the two large barrels from which the aroma was coming, they were actually facing the group of prisoners!
Is it true or not?
Still feeling like they were half asleep, a group of bloodline soldiers nervously lined up at the front. After the other party served them a large bowl of thick meat porridge, they took the bowl and, ignoring how hot it was, gulped it down into their mouths.
The rich aroma of rice, the incredibly delicious flavor, the chewy texture of the meat, and the instant warmth that follows as you swallow the meat porridge.
There's no mistake, it's definitely high-quality monster meat!
A group of bloodline disciples immediately looked at the two large barrels again with eyes like wolves, their faces filled with disbelief!
Is this how prisoners of war are treated in Jiangnan?
Normally, shouldn't prisoners be treated with just thin gruel to keep them alive, so they have no strength to resist?
The key point is that if this preferential treatment only applies to those with special bloodlines, it's barely understandable. No, it's actually quite unbelievable, but at least one can barely imagine why such good things should be enjoyed even by ordinary people.
If it weren't for the menacing knives lurking around with their knives, they would definitely have snatched the auxiliary soldiers' meat. Such food was not something they could possibly enjoy.
Several lieutenants found it unbelievable. Had Chen Qing gone mad? These things were strategic resources even for aristocratic families! Feeding them to prisoners, and auxiliary soldiers no less? There's a limit to this wasteful use of resources!
At this moment, the ordinary soldiers were also trembling with fear, but after eating a bowl of meat porridge, most of them not only regained their spirits but also calmed down considerably.
"Relax, everyone. Judging from this, it doesn't seem like they're mistreating prisoners."
"Yes," a soldier next to him nodded in agreement. "These soldiers are incredibly brave on the battlefield, but they're quite polite in peacetime. Just now, I mustered up the courage to ask a young man where the restroom was, and he very politely led me there himself. His attitude was amazing."
The people around nodded in agreement. Putting everything else aside, the burly man serving the porridge seemed to be a warrior from a powerful family, yet he was incredibly hospitable when serving them the porridge, as if afraid they wouldn't have enough to eat. He even tried to give them as much meat as possible. By the way, what kind of meat was this? It tasted even better than beef!
"I've never seen such a gentle scion of a noble family in my entire life. No wonder he can win battles," a soldier whispered.
The others had complicated expressions. These auxiliary soldiers were like servants to the bloodline soldiers in the military camp. If they encountered someone with a bad temper, kicking, beating, and insulting them were common occurrences. Some were even cruel, using training as an excuse to humiliate and torture them in various ways. Many were even abused to death.
Some veterans couldn't refute this. Indeed, even some of the more approachable younger soldiers rarely treated people with the same politeness as those here, especially the way they looked at people—as if they were completely different people.
Suddenly, an old soldier hesitated for a long time before saying, "I think I just saw Gu Bei."
"Huh?" The group frowned. Who was Gu Bei?
Several auxiliary soldiers, around the same age as the veteran, couldn't help but be taken aback. "What did you say?"
" Gu Bei," the veteran pointed to the southwest corner, "Over there, wearing silver armor, wandering around with a dozen or so strong men."
"Are you kidding me? That's Gu Bei?" The group looked in the direction the other person was pointing and immediately saw a burly man who was over nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful build. He was incredibly imposing, and the dozen or so strong men under his command were also frighteningly strong. They were the kind of strong men who could take down a demon horse with a single punch on the battlefield.
Gu Bei and the other veterans knew each other; they had all served in the north. Gu Bei retired after his term was up, and it was said that he went to the Jiangnan and started a security escort business. Later, it was said that he became a maritime merchant who ran ships.
How did he end up in the army again? And serving as a soldier for a traitor?
The key question is... how could this possibly be him? He's so tall and imposing, and he can even command those fierce soldiers who brutally beat up the bloodline's offspring!
"You must have misread it."
"Well, I must have read it wrong." The veteran was also skeptical at first. After all, Gu Bei was bullied by the bloodline children in the north, and then he retired and went to the escort business. If he had such ability, how could he have been bullied and humiliated like that in the first place?
But they really do look alike. Gu Bei is a hero from the village next door. Back then, the young men from several of their villages had made a pact to join the army together.
"Commander Gu Bei!"
Just as they were thinking this, wondering how many people in the world looked alike, a voice suddenly made them freeze again.
"Lord Feihu requests your presence."
"Oh, alright!" Gu Bei grinned and quickly led his group of men back the way they came. After a few steps, he seemed to notice the group of veterans who had been staring at him. He frowned at first, then exclaimed with delight, " Old Zhang? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be up north?"
The group stared blankly at each other, and upon hearing the familiar voice, they suddenly realized what was happening.
It really is Gu Bei!
" Gu Bei, are you serving in the army here?" the soldier called Old Zhang asked, his mouth dry.
"Yeah, you don't recognize me?" Gu Bei chuckled. "Yeah, I've gained a lot of weight recently."
You call that fat?
Old Zhang's eyes widened. This guy was clearly twice as big as he used to be!
"By the way, Old Zhang, do you remember this kid?" Gu Bei casually pulled over a strong soldier next to him, patted the other's head, and asked.
The burly young man was clearly much younger, and even seemed a little shy. " Uncle Zhang."
The childish voice, calling him " Uncle Zhang," instantly excited Old Zhang: "You are... Heiwa?"
The other person's voice, expression, and dark skin instantly reminded him of a certain figure—a very thin, snotty-nosed boy who had once insisted on joining the army with them.
"Alright, Old Zhang, we'll talk tonight. I'll go see what the general wants with me."
"Oh, okay, okay," Old Zhang nodded repeatedly.
After the group of people had walked away, the soldier next to him approached and asked, "Do you know Old Zhang?"
"You know them, right?" Old Zhang was somewhat incredulous. Even now, he couldn't believe that those two guys, stronger than bears and so imposing on the battlefield, actually included Gu Bei and Heiwa?
What exactly happened?
--
"General, please have something to eat."
Inside a specially designed tent in the military camp, a tall and burly man lay on the ground, his upper body bare but wrapped in bandages. There were obvious dark red bloodstains seeping from his chest, but because some kind of herbal medicine had been applied, he was no longer bleeding heavily.
A middle-aged man dressed like a scholar advised, "I've tried this porridge. It should have a very good nourishing effect on your descendants. However, it seems that this stuff isn't rare here, Chen Qing. I just took a walk around, and everyone in the camp is eating this."
Yuchi Peng glanced at the rice porridge; it smelled incredibly fragrant, but he had no appetite whatsoever.
The one who was trying to persuade him was Luo Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Seeing that Yuchi Peng was still in a daze, he sighed and said, "General, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. It's good to survive. Why are you acting like this?"
Yuchi Peng glanced at the other man and said in a gruff voice, "This is the first time in my life I've been taken prisoner."
"Who hasn't done it for the first time?" Luo Yi said with amusement. "You can't just stop living, can you?"
Yuchi Peng sighed deeply, "How embarrassing!"
Losing to Xu Hu is not shameful.
A voice came from outside the tent. The two looked over and saw a man in black walk in at some point.
Both Yuchi Peng and Luo Yi were taken aback.
They recognized the visitor as Wei Gongcheng, but what surprised them was the way Wei Gongcheng had entered.
To prevent Yuchi Peng from catching a cold, the tent curtains were drawn. If the other party were to come in, they should at least have drawn the curtains, but the other party just appeared in front of them so suddenly.
Yuchi Peng didn't see clearly how the other party entered, nor did Luo Yi, because the other party's method should have been that of a sorcerer, but as a First Rank sorcerer, he didn't sense it at all!
Seeing Yuchi Peng in a daze, Wei Gongcheng didn't mind. Instead, he sat down with a pot of wine, opened the pot, and a unique aroma of wine immediately jolted the listless Yuchi Peng, who sat up straight.
"Red ginseng wine, a new competitor from Great Azure Mountain in Liuzhou, it's quite good." Wei Gongcheng smiled as he put down the wine pot and poured a cup for Yuchi Peng: "It invigorates qi and strengthens the spirit; it's the most popular wine among the Battle God Army right now."
Unable to resist the allure of the wine, Yuchi Peng picked up the cup and poured it into his mouth. Luo Yi frowned upon seeing this, for as a sorcerer, he was well-versed in medical principles and knew that injured people should not drink alcohol.
But for some reason, seeing how much better Yuchi Peng's energy and spirit seemed after downing a mouthful of wine, they suddenly became curious about the wine themselves.
He, who never drank, couldn't help but lick his lips; he felt that stuff... was good for warlocks too!
"Excellent wine!" Yuchi Peng exclaimed. "It's even better than the Fragrance in the Snow that's spread from Jiangnan to the capital. Is this red ginseng wine?"
Wei Gongcheng smiled and nodded, then poured Luo Yi a glass as well. "Lord Luo, would you like a glass too?"
"Thank you." Luo Yi's eyes lit up, and he quickly and politely accepted the gift. He took a small sip, and immediately felt as if his whole body was floating.
nice one!!
This stuff not only tastes incredibly sweet, but it can also bring one's vital energy into an extremely comfortable and saturated state. He was quite certain that this drink had the effect of replenishing spiritual power, making it even more advanced than the top-tier secret medicines of sorcerer families!
"You've gotten quite impressive too." Yuchi Peng looked at Wei Gongcheng: "I didn't even see how you got in."
"A little trick," Wei Gongcheng laughed.
"A little trick?" Yuchi Peng chuckled. "This kind of trick—being able to appear within three feet of me at any time without being detected—is rather frightening."
Wei Gongcheng didn't reply, poured himself a glass, and took a satisfying sip.
I never expected that my Wei Household would produce such a skilled brewer.
"Between you and that Xu Hu, who's more powerful now?" Yuchi Peng asked.
"Well, how so?" Wei Gongcheng put down his wine cup. "General Xu Hu is Battle God, specializing in warfare and killing. His direct combat strength is naturally stronger."
"A bit stronger?" Yuchi Peng squinted at Wei Gongcheng.
It's been a year. Gongcheng has changed a lot.
I'm so sorry for the late post; I haven't been able to save my Heavenly Demon.
I'll work harder to stockpile more chapters later, hehe, the average daily subscription is almost 8,000! Thank you all for your support!!