Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Peerless martial arts can only be learned from childhood. You're too old to learn them now."

Shen Qing could only make up a random excuse.

Zheng Quan instantly seemed to wither away, utterly dejected: "Fine, I guess I'm just not lucky enough."

"Why can't I be a child?"

Even a tough guy would shed tears.

Shen Qing helplessly comforted him, "General Zheng has already been very brave; there's no need to worry about these things too much."

"I really want to be a child again..."

Zheng Quan was immersed in his own emotions.

Shen Qing: "..."

"General Zheng, what would you like to eat tomorrow?"

What to eat?

Zheng Quan's eyes lit up instantly: "Oil-splashed noodles, congee with preserved egg and lean pork, stewed vegetables in a big pot, I want to eat them all!!"

"Madam Shen, is it alright?" When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with anticipation.

Shen Qing: "No."

We have to use food to change the subject.

"There will be brand new delicacies tomorrow."

"I want to try all this new food. Can I have two servings?" Zheng rubbed his hands together.

Shen Qing shook her head: "No."

"We brought only a limited amount of food."

Her daily energy was limited; if Zheng Quan ate two portions, she could conquer one less soldier.

Limited ingredients?

Zheng Quan was taken aback. These words hit him like a ton of bricks, reminding him of only one thing.

That means—there might not be any food!

Without ingredients, there is no delicious food; without delicious food, how can he live?

No, that won't do, he absolutely won't allow it.

"Don't worry, Madam Shen, leave everything to me." Zheng Quan said solemnly, as if he had made a major decision.

Shen Qing: "???"

What's wrapped up on your body?

What did she say?

Before she could speak, Zheng Quan strode away, heading towards Song Leye.

That's enough.

Shen Qing ignored it and returned to his tent to rest.

[Ding—Congratulations, host, you have successfully defeated the enemy general Song Leye and 10,000 soldiers. Mission completion progress (30%/100%). Please keep up the good work!]

As for why it was 10,000 soldiers, it was simply because Shen Qing didn't make that many large pots of stew.

There are still many enemy minions that haven't been eaten.

However, this is still a significant step forward, which is cause for celebration.

[Ding—Tomorrow's stall sale: Braised pork with potatoes, quantity unlimited]

[Price of Braised Pork with Potatoes: 30 coins per serving]

Braised pork with potatoes.

The system is quite user-friendly. Since we arrived on the battlefield, the dishes have been very substantial, without any fancy gimmicks.

Braised pork with potatoes is a great dish that goes well with rice and is very filling.

......

As night deepened, the area around Pingkou City became quiet.

On the city wall, the soldiers were either dozing off or fast asleep.

They were already used to it; the enemy wouldn't make any moves at night anyway.

After all, many of Song's troops had already fled to the other side, so there was no need for them to launch a night raid.

Even Deputy General Sun tossed his telescope aside and kept dozing off.

It's the middle of the night, and you can't see anything even with a telescope.

"Open the door—"

"Open the city gates quickly—"

Just then, one or two shouts rang out.

Deputy General Sun was startled awake.

Looking down at the city, wow!

"General Zheng?"

"You're back!!!" Vice General Sun was overjoyed.

This is absolutely fantastic news!

"Quickly, open the city gates! Open the city gates!"

Deputy General Sun shouted and hurriedly ran down the city wall to greet him.

The Second Young Master and General Zheng are back; the Commander-in-Chief will surely be very happy.

Finally, some good news!

Zheng Quan and Song Leye exchanged a smile and rode their horses into the city.

"We need to take 10,000 soldiers out of the city to provide assistance. You also need to prepare 5,000 shi of grain and some fresh ingredients!" Song Leye began making demands as soon as he entered the city.

Deputy General Sun was taken aback and quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Second Young Master, this subordinate will go and report first..."

"Stop!" Zheng Quan shouted.

Song Leye continued, "My elder brother is in the enemy camp preparing to assassinate the emperor. I am bringing 10,000 elite soldiers and 5,000 shi of grain to assist him. If we succeed tonight, our great mission will be accomplished."

"The opportunity to fight cannot be delayed. If Father blames me, I will bear the full responsibility!"

"But, if Deputy General Sun ruins things and causes my brother's death, then you'll probably lose your head."

As Song Leye spoke, Zheng Quan, standing beside him, held a long spear with the tip pointing directly at Deputy General Sun, his face contorted with a fierce and menacing expression.

Deputy General Sun was so frightened that he trembled all over.

He didn't have time to think; he just felt that whether he went left or right, he would die anyway.

Fine, fine. At least Song Leye is the commander-in-chief's biological son. He'll listen to Song Leye. It's better than delaying military operations and causing the eldest son's death.

"This humble general will go and prepare provisions and ingredients immediately." Vice General Sun bowed and ran off in a flash.

Prepare, prepare, you must prepare.

Song Leye then rode his horse and mustered 10,000 elite soldiers.

"General Zheng, do you think we can really succeed tonight?" Song Leye asked in a low voice.

He was still a little apprehensive.

Zheng Quan said nonchalantly, "We must trust the eldest young master. That dog emperor is complacent and has no sense of vigilance. We will definitely kill that dog emperor tonight."

"As long as we kill that dog emperor, we can welcome Lady Shen into Pingkou City. There are plenty of fresh ingredients in the city, and Lady Shen can cook whatever she wants. We can eat our fill."

"Of course, the worst outcome is failure. If we fail, we can say that we are sending grain and troops to the emperor. That way, at least we won't lack food for the next few days."

Zheng Quan felt he was incredibly smart.

Everyone said he was reckless, but he felt he was incredibly clever!

No matter what, Madam Shen will never lack ingredients, and he will never lack delicious food.

Just think about it and be happy.

I wonder what Madam Shen will cook tomorrow?

"What about my brother?" Song Leye suddenly asked, frowning.

"Young Master..."

Zheng Quan slapped his forehead: "Oh dear, I forgot about the eldest young master."

The plan is flawless, except that if it fails, Song Anbang might be in trouble...

"General Zheng, you're too reckless!!!" Song Leye couldn't help but scold.

It's his fault; he came without thinking it through.

All I can think about is food.

"The only thing we can do now is to hurry and rescue the young master as soon as possible," Zheng Quan said, his voice lowering.

"However, perhaps the eldest young master has already succeeded..."

Song Leye: "..."

Sure enough, being around such a reckless person made him become reckless too.

"Second Young Master, the provisions and ingredients are ready." Deputy General Sun ran over at this moment.

Behind him was a group of people pulling supplies and ingredients.

Song Leyue dared not delay any longer: "Let's go!"

"Take me with you!!" Deputy General Sun knelt down in front of Song Leye's horse with a thud.

While preparing the provisions, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Something about tonight's events just feels off.

Why don't we go with the second young master to the other side?

If the second young master wins, he will also be a hero; if he loses, or if the second young master is a traitor, then he will surrender as well...

Anyway, staying in Pingkou City would definitely bring bad luck.