s!"Tao Hongying advised, “Mother, Second Brother is a trusted guard of the Hou Mansion. You shouldn't be angry. After returning, just remind Second Brother to not take unnecessary risks in the future....In the distant north of the Yangtze River, there was no warmth like that in the south of the Yangtze.

The wild grasses on the hillside have only recently been clothed in green, and the trees have also sprouted branches, swaying in the wind.

If it were a normal year, industrious farmers would already be busy in the fields, sowing the seeds of hope for the coming year.

But because of the Manchus' ten years of occupation, almost every inch of land in the north was stained with blood and lost its vitality.

This land has witnessed too much suffering.

There were innocent people who, because they had been slow to escape during that year, were hacked to death by barbarian hordes.

Some women and children were lucky enough to survive, but were brutally tortured and killed by barbarians.

The Northern Army roared with anger, their bones as unyielding as steel.

Of course, the most common sights were the limbs of the slain, their blood staining the ground, and their faces contorted in a silent scream of defiance!

A debt of blood must be repaid with blood!

More than eight hundred li from the original border pass, the Northern Expeditionary Army had set up camp and held their position.

As night fell, torches blazed everywhere, crackling merrily and illuminating the entire camp like daylight.

Soldiers were meticulously washing and feeding warhorses, providing them with the finest care.

There were also soldiers fetching water to wash pots and chopping wood for fire.

Thanks to the abundant harvest, Tianwu has been resting and recuperating for so many years. Not only has it solved the people's food and clothing needs, but the army's rations have also improved significantly.

A large iron pot filled with water, the finely ground corn grits are simmered halfway through, then half a basin of white rice, a large basin of potato chunks, and a large basin of cabbage are added. Finally, a sprinkle of salt is added, completing the hearty evening meal.

Each soldier was given a large bowl, gathered around the bonfire, eating and laughing, it was quite lively.

If it weren't for the gentle breeze and the occasional wolf howls in the distance, one might mistake this place for a family gathering in their own courtyard.

When talking about wolves in the distance, everyone's appetite dropped a little.

The Man people are fierce, but they are far less numerous than the Tianwu people. They cannot achieve a scene of smoke rising everywhere.

Thus, the tigers, leopards, and wolves that had retreated to the mountains due to human warfare gradually came down from the hills.

Especially wolf packs, working together in perfect coordination, their groups are growing larger and larger, gradually becoming a scourge of the north bank.

Every time war broke out, the unburied bodies, or those buried too shallowly, would be dug up and devoured by them.

Left to their own devices, these wolves are no longer wolves.

At night, their eyes gleam green, coupled with their muscular bodies and chilling white fangs, they resemble demons from hell.

Compared to barbarians, the Northern Expeditionary Army even less wanted to encounter such a pack of evil ghost wolves.

The central army tent was adorned with a curtain. Li Lao Si, holding a bowl of porridge, squatted by the entrance on the west side, slurping it down, his brow furrowed as he listened to the distant wolf howls.

The lord in the tent finished his paperwork and brought out a bowl of porridge.

With quick eyes and hands, Ye Shan slipped a peeled salted duck egg into the marquis's bowl.

The Marquis was just about to speak, when Ye Shan had already slipped away.

Li Lao Si turned his head and said with a smile, "Your Lordship, please eat. This was specially brought to us by Fu Niuer. I've already had one."

The Lord then said nothing, and just drank his congee with the oily, salty preserved egg.

A squad of soldiers walked past the tent entrance. Seeing this, they all saluted and then straightened their chests and continued their patrol.

Most of them were veterans. Although they had long known that the Marquis and the generals ate and slept like them, never making a fuss, every time they met, they couldn't help but get excited.

The lord was a man of great wealth and status, yet he was willing to eat vegetable porridge like them!

With the whole army sharing weal and woe, how can we not triumph in our northward campaign!

The marquis finished his porridge in three or two bites and was about to call his personal soldiers together to discuss the deployment plan for the next few days.

Before the news could even be uttered, there were the sounds of galloping horses. A dispatch from the new capital arrived at breakneck speed, covering eight hundred miles in haste.

The marquis's face changed upon seeing it.

Li Lao Si was anxious. There were no outsiders in the tents around him, so he grabbed the official document and read it quickly, becoming angry.

"What's wrong with Da Yong How could he let someone destroy the military supplies right in front of him!"

The Lord also frowned, pondered for a long time before replying, "It is normal that Li Yong could not prevent it. After all, he acted out of sincerity but lacked forethought. Besides, who would have thought someone would sink the boats and destroy the grain Everyone's defenses were focused on the road, but no one expected trouble to happen at their doorstep."

Li Laosì also knew these things, but he couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Shall I gallop back to urge the army's rations"

The lord shook his head. "Not for now, we were worried about the front line stretching too long before, causing supply issues. The rear camp has been distributing at 70% capacity all along."

"The remaining food supplies should last for over twenty days. There's no immediate worry about running out of food. However, don't spread this news. It could easily shake the morale of the troops."

Li Laosi circled the ground twice before finally asking, “Lord Hou, the Emperor only said to have the local areas re-gather grain. This will delay things for half a month. And transporting it over here would take at least another month.”

"It's been a dozen days, Your Majesty wouldn't be oblivious to that, but this is how it was arranged..."

The lord shook his head gently, then looked out at the distant night sky. After a long pause, he replied, “Those serving in the army outside the capital are subject to different rules. Similarly, we are not in Xindu now. It is difficult to say exactly what will happen.”

"Don't worry, I've left people behind and someone will also send word from home. You'll know when the time comes!"

At this moment, Jiang Cheng and the rest of the generals, hearing the urgent message from eight hundred miles away, all gathered together.

The Marquis and Li Lao Si tacitly didn't bring up what had just been said, only saying that the army rations were delayed and asked everyone to keep it a secret.

The daily ration of food for logistics will be reduced by 10%.

Everyone looked grim. They had their heads tied to their waistbands, bleeding and sacrificing themselves at the front lines, fighting with all their might regardless of how their families were supported. Even getting a single sack of grain was a hassle, it was truly useless.

And to sink ships and grain stores, such a lavish expenditure, was definitely not something an ordinary person could arrange.

The Northern Campaign army was attacked by fierce barbarians in the front and unknown enemies at their back, truly facing a predicament of being surrounded on both sides.

Nobody can be happy!

With heavy hearts, the generals dispersed.

Over the next few days, although training and scouting continued as usual, skirmishes with the barbarians were tense. The soldiers didn't know what was going on, but they weren't fools either. Something felt off to everyone.

Then, four days later, someone from the Marquis's household sent news.

Li Laosi kept this matter in mind, and these days he practically ate and lived in the small tent next to the main one.

He wasn't worried about the Northern Expeditionary Army going hungry, after all, they had swords and spears. At worst, they could fight the barbarians to the death. They could take a risk and seize the barbarians' cattle and sheep.

What worried him more was that his family would be anxious about this and fall into the trap set by the mastermind.

Compared to Jiānběi, Xīn Dù is actually more dangerous.

Prominent families abound, with civil and military officials, each possessing countless cunning schemes.

Even if the second brother is shrewd and smooth, Mr. Wen is steady, and with the support of families like Liu and Jia, who knows what might happen It's better to be cautious and not suffer losses.

Thankfully, home once again did not disappoint him!

"Good, good!" Li Lao Si clutched the letter paper and spun in a circle on the ground, wishing he could jump up and down to express his joy.

"Second Brother and Mr. Wen are really amazing, they came up with such a good idea. It's only a four-day delay, which is absolutely no problem for us." didn't want to beat up everyone, after all, making too many enemies wouldn't be good for her or her family.Especially Uncle Second, he will also serve as an official with these few important minister...