Does that mean they will soon be free from the oppression of Northern Yan and Southern Chu?
A surge of ambition suddenly welled up in his heart. Now, besides wanting to quickly achieve great deeds, he also yearned to fight for their emperor.
Heaven itself was on their side—what did they have to fear?
Arriving at the military camp, they happened to encounter mealtime. General Wei immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared to entertain Shen Yunyun and Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan waved his hand and said, "We'll just eat from the same pot as the soldiers."
"This..." Wei Min grew anxious at once.
Could the emperor eat the soldiers' food? The emperor had been raised in the palace on fine clothes and rich food—how could he stomach coarse fare?
He wanted to say more, but Tang Yuan cut him off.
Tang Yuan and Shen Yunyun joined the line together. General Wei had no choice but to prepare two bowls for them, then grabbed his own bowl and followed behind them, his heart in turmoil.
The soldiers waiting in line were terrified to see their general also queuing for food; they shrank their necks and dared not make a sound. Even General Wei himself shrank his neck and stayed silent.
Soon it was Tang Yuan and Shen Yunyun's turn. When they saw the watery porridge that could serve as a mirror and the small, fist-sized black cornbread, their expressions turned grim.
This cornbread was so hard it could knock a dog unconscious if thrown at it—how could people eat it?
Shen Yunyun's eyes widened at the soldiers' rations.
Was this fit for human consumption? The cornbread was so black and hard that it was inedible unless soaked in soup. And it was cold, too, quickly chilling the soup when dipped in.
It wasn't the cooks' fault—the weather was too cold, and food left out for a moment turned cold.
What Shen Yunyun couldn't understand was why each person only got one piece. About the size of a fist—could that possibly fill anyone up?
Neither of them spoke, their hearts heavy as they carried their bowls and sat down to eat alongside the soldiers.
General Wei also brought his bowl and joined them. The soldiers were terrified, wondering what had gotten into their general today. Why had he come to their tent? And he was eating the same food as them—it moved them deeply.
Tang Yuan imitated the other soldiers, breaking the black cornbread into pieces and soaking them in the soup until soft before eating.
Shen Yunyun couldn't eat any of it—it was too rough on her throat, and she simply couldn't swallow it. But Tang Yuan didn't even frown.
Seeing this, General Wei admired him from the bottom of his heart.
After finishing one bowl, Tang Yuan was still far from full. The soldiers were even worse off.
His expression darkened. The soldiers defended their country with hardship, yet they couldn't even eat their fill.
Shen Yunyun pushed her own bowl toward him. "Do you want more? I can't eat it."
Tang Yuan glanced at her, silently took the bowl, and ate without a word.
Wei Min's eyes went wide as he stared at Shen Yunyun in disbelief.
How dare she let the emperor eat her leftovers? And the emperor was so indulgent toward her that he actually ate them.
Tang Yuan finished the bowl of mush in a few bites, and even Shen Yunyun admired him.
Was this still the pampered little Tang Yuan? Though the Great Li Dynasty was weak, squeezed between two powerful states, he had still grown up in luxury.
How could he eat such things? She truly admired him.
After the meal, Tang Yuan took Shen Yunyun for a walk around the camp. He said it was to digest the food, but in truth, he wanted to learn more about the real conditions in the military.