On the first day of the first month of the second year of Longwu, after spending a New Year's Eve and letting the army have a good meal, the army set out.
Qi Dayong led the 50,000 troops towards Luomeng Pass.
Along the way, An Jiangchen and Song Seong-eun pointed out the way for Qi Dayong, telling him which roads were easier to walk on and which roads were easier to pass through. They were very dedicated.
Moreover, they did what they said. They really provided one-third of the marching rations for the army. Note, one-third of the marching rations for the 30,000 people of the Qin Army. They provided their own rations, and did not eat the rations of the Qin Army.
Qi Dayong found it very funny. He deeply felt the strong desire to survive of these two people.
But whether he should say it or not, this desire to survive was just right. It was very good to provide their own rations.
Moreover, when they learned that the Qin Army was not allowed to plunder the spoils of war, and that all seized goods should be returned to the public, and distributed after the war according to the number of merits, they also took the initiative to follow the rules of the Qin Army, and would never overstep it.
This performance was so good that even Qi Dayong felt a little surprised and a little embarrassed, so he took the initiative to invite them to eat with him.
At noon the day before the army arrived at Luomeng Pass, Qi Dayong hosted a banquet in his tent to entertain An Jiangchen and Song Seong-eun. The two expressed their gratitude in fear and trepidation, and then came to the banquet with their most trusted people.
Because it was in the army, the dishes were very simple and rough. Big fish and meat, wildly stir-fried and stewed, full of flavor, just like the cooking standards of the Ming Dynasty's Gwanglu Temple. It was a little heavy, but it was very suitable for people who were marching to war.
Xiao Ruxun stipulated that before the big battle, the soldiers must be allowed to eat dry rice to fill their stomachs, and on the march, they must eat meat at least once every five days. Normally, they must also eat their fill, and the oil allocated to the army was never short.
And when the army was rushing to march, they were given deep-fried pancakes made in Korea as rations.
The food of the Qin Army was much better than that of the Qian Ming Dynasty. Because of the addition of corn and potatoes, they didn't have to worry about not having enough to eat.
Moreover, after Great Qin had been established, Xiao Ruxun had ordered the local officials to promote the cultivation of peanuts in suitable areas to be used for oil extraction. Now, peanuts had been planted on a large scale in the Jiangnan region, and the number of oil crops that the commoners could eat had also increased.
Although there were more peanuts being used to extract oil, not many people were planting peanuts, and the techniques for extracting oil had yet to be perfected, so the yield of oil was not very high. Peanuts were currently treated as military supplies, and Xiao Ruxun mainly purchased them from the hands of the common people to extract oil for the army. A very small portion was shipped back to the capital to satisfy his cravings.
He had been thinking about fried peanuts for more than ten years.
And the army could also eat the fragrant peanut oil.
On the way back to the army, Xiao Ruxun transferred a large amount of easy-to-store potatoes to the granary in the southeast to go with rice and grains. Potatoes could be eaten as grains when needed, and they could also be used as stir-fried vegetables when food was abundant.
He also allocated a large amount of peanut oil to be carried with the army, so that the cooks could replenish the oil for the army. However, the use of the oil needed to be reported in advance to the commander-in-chief of the army. The commander-in-chief needed to know the amount of oil at all times, because at present, the most expensive thing in the army was this precious oil.
Qi Dayong liked to eat sour and spicy shredded potatoes very much. When he was stationed in the army, he would ask the cooks to make one for him to satisfy his craving. He had eaten it when Xiao Ruxun treated him to a meal when he was reporting his work in the capital. After that, he couldn't forget it, so he asked Xiao Ruxun for the method to make it. When he returned to the army, he would ask the cooks to learn it and make it for him.
This time, to entertain An Jiangchen and Song Seong-eun, Qi Dayong was also a little extravagant. He approved the use of oil to cook dishes. Sour and spicy shredded potatoes, stir-fried bacon, roasted several chickens, and then white rice. It was a very generous and unrestrained reception banquet.
"During the march, His Majesty stipulated that the army is not allowed to drink alcohol. Otherwise, even the commander-in-chief will be severely punished according to the military law. I don't dare to drink, and it's not convenient for the two of you to drink, so let's replace wine with tea and treat it as a banquet."
In Qi Dayong's tent, An Jiangchen and Song Seong-eun expressed their gratitude to Qi Dayong together and returned a toast to Qi Dayong, expressing their gratitude for his invitation.
People in the army didn't have so many words. After exchanging some pleasantries, they began to eat.
Qi Dayong was a generous and unrestrained eater, or it could be said that the Qin Army was very generous and unrestrained when it came to eating. They paid particular attention to fighting with all their strength and training with all their stomachs. Even if they didn't fight, the training was very heavy. Except for the days of rest, they couldn't stop training.
As a general, Qi Dayong had to be an example to the whole army. He had to train together with the army and play an exemplary role, including all the officers. The recruits couldn't be allowed to think that they could be lazy just because they were officers. They had to train no less than ordinary soldiers.
Therefore, Qi Dayong's appetite was very big.
An Jiangchen and Song Seong-eun, as descendants of a chieftain's family, had received an elite education since childhood and lived a life of luxury. Although they practiced martial arts because of their family background, they couldn't be compared with people who came from the army. They were all noble young masters who grew up reading the Four Books and Five Classics.
Seeing Qi Dayong open his arms and eat and drink to his heart's content, both of them were shocked.
Looking at the bold and unrestrained dishes in front of them, they felt that it was too different from the delicacies carefully cooked by famous chefs in the past.
But the other party was an important general of the Daqin and could meet the Daqin Emperor. It was very important to have a good relationship with him. Not to mention that these were normal dishes, even if they went bad, they would pinch their noses and eat them. It would be best if there was nothing left.
Although these dishes looked a bit horrible, they were unexpectedly not bad when they went into their mouths, especially the yellow strip dish, which tasted very good in their mouths. The sour and spicy taste made them instantly have the desire to eat.
But their appetite couldn't be compared with that of Qi Dayong, who was as strong as a water buffalo. It didn't take long before they couldn't eat anymore. Meanwhile, Qi Dayong was still crazily eating meat, which made the corners of An Jiangchen and Song Seong-eun's eyes twitch.
Finally, when he was full, a jar of rice was eaten up, several plates of dishes were also eaten up, and only a little soup was left. He patted his belly contentedly and took a sip of tea.
"Haha, you two must be joking. Our army consumes a lot and eats a lot. It's a little indecent to eat so much. Please don't blame me."
What he said was completely different from the way he ate.
The two of them secretly criticized him.
But they didn't dare to say it. They just said that the general was bold and unrestrained and they admired him, which was more elegant than the Han literati.
After that, An Jiangchen and Song Seong-eun thought there would be other programs, such as singing and dancing, but on second thought, the military rules of the Qin Army were so strict, how could women be allowed in the army?
What kind of program would it be?
In their expectant eyes, Qi Dayong walked to them and sent them to the entrance of the tent. The banquet was over.
Treating others to a meal was treating others to a simple meal. This was the rule in the army. Otherwise, what else would you want?
Qi Dayong said, "Our army is so direct, and there are no other things mixed in. You think too much."
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