Chapter 852: Stability of the System

By the time the Xiliang soldiers reached their fourth lap and smelled the fragrant aroma of meat in the air, they went wild. Gan Ning had brought back spices by ship, and of course, Chen Xi hadn’t forgotten to experiment with them. The large quantities of meat being cooked, enough to feed an army of 30,000, sent the fragrance wafting for miles!

"This meat smells amazing," Hua Xiong sniffed heavily, his appetite piqued.

"Not bad, right? Just toss in all sorts of spices and boil it together," Chen Xi said with a smile. "Xingba found a place full of spices, and each of these has its own medicinal properties. Tempting, isn’t it? Want to try some?"

"No need. I’ll wait for the men to finish running, and we’ll eat together," Hua Xiong declined, displaying his habit of sharing the hardships with his soldiers, a quality that made him popular with them.

"Don’t worry, things are different now compared to when you were in Sili. Every injured soldier deserves extra nutrition," Chen Xi smiled. "The difference between us and others is that we pursue balanced development. We won’t fall short in any area."

"Hmm, they’re running pretty fast," Chen Xi commented, looking at the dust kicked up in the distance. "Weren’t they just on their fourth lap a moment ago? How have they sped up so much in just a quarter of an hour?"

"Go, have the steamed buns and meat soup ready, and prepare the wooden bowls," Chen Xi instructed his guards. Technically, Hua Xiong could be considered his personal guard, though Chen Xi never really treated him that way.

As carts loaded with meat arrived, the Xiliang soldiers pushed themselves even harder, exhausting every bit of strength to run faster. The long-awaited meat was right in front of them.

"Give them a bowl of meat soup first, let them rest for a bit, then they can eat," Chen Xi said with a grin.

"You did well, Hu Zhen," Hua Xiong patted the shoulder of one of the leading soldiers. Hu Zhen was considered a notable figure among the Xiliang forces.

"Haha, glug, glug!" Hu Zhen downed a bowl of meat soup in one go. "Refreshing! General, is there any other reward for being first?"

"I’ll give you a jin of wine and two more bowls of meat," Hua Xiong laughed, patting Hu Zhen on the back. Hu Zhen had once been under his command.

Before long, all the officers of the Xiliang army had arrived. The pyramid structure of the Xiliang forces, based on martial prowess, meant that the top three hundred runners were almost all officers. Those who ran faster generally held higher ranks. This pyramid structure’s stability was undeniable, even if it came at the cost of those at the bottom.

The first group to finish their laps each received a bowl of rich meat soup. Excited, they lined up to receive their lunch, while the slower soldiers could only watch enviously as others enjoyed their meat and soup. However, they made no complaints. The hierarchy in the Xiliang army was based on strength, and they respected that. For them, the rewards for speed were a reflection of their skills and rank.

"Commander’s orders! In accordance with the promised rewards, start distributing lunch!" A drumbeat signaled the arrival of the midday meal. Soldiers who finished their laps earlier received their food first.

Each soldier was given a bowl of soup, a serving of meat, and three steamed buns. The Xiliang soldiers sat on the ground and devoured their food heartily. Though some soldiers appeared puzzled, they quickly accepted the food and began eating.

"Taishan is truly wealthy," Hu Feng remarked, shoving a piece of hot meat into his mouth. He glanced at the cook ladling out more meat and turned to Wang Fang.

"Boss Hua really found us a good lord," Li Meng chuckled. "Who cares about anything else? General Li entrusted us to Boss Hua, and he won’t let us down. As long as there’s wine to drink, meat to eat, and battles to fight, that’s enough!" He tossed another piece of meat into his mouth.

Though the Xiliang soldiers were rough and unrefined, they had a clear sense of loyalty. Dong Zhuo had been brutal, but he treated them well, so they fought for him. Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji had all done their share of evil, but they had also treated the soldiers fairly, so the troops fought loyally under them.

When Li Jue entrusted them to Hua Xiong, the soldiers were prepared. They knew they were weapons of war, and only the battlefield could give them value. As long as Hua Xiong continued to share their hardships, they were willing to fight for him as they had for others.

For this reason, the Xiliang army was a pure and powerful force.

"As long as Boss Hua leads us, we have meat, wine, and battles. I won’t hesitate to fight for Liu Xuande," Hu Feng said with a bitter smile. "It’s been so long since we’ve had meat, and our men even longer."

"I wonder how my second brother is doing," Hu Zhen said quietly.

"With such serious injuries, he’s lucky to have lasted this long," Hu Zhen’s comrade sighed before raising his meat bowl. "We should go see him. Let him have some meat before it’s too late."

Though Hu Zhen’s tone was blunt, no one took offense. They had long been accustomed to life and death on the battlefield. Soldiers who were willing to take a blow for each other were as close as brothers, but no amount of grief could stop the inevitable loss of comrades.

For Xiliang soldiers, death was a constant companion. Rather than dwell on sorrow, they chose to vent their pain and anger on the enemy, using their fierceness to defeat their opponents and protect their brothers.

"Where are you going?" Hua Xiong asked as he noticed Hu Feng and the others preparing to leave with their bowls of meat. He quickly realized what they intended. "Just eat your own meat. The wounded are being given meat porridge today. You’ll only cause trouble if you go now. Visit them tomorrow."

To be honest, Hua Xiong didn’t hold out much hope for Li Jue’s other nephew, Li Li. His injuries were severe, and by the time they brought him back, he was already on the brink of death, his wounds festering.

Li Jue was ruthless in battle. He hadn’t kept his nephews by his side but treated them like any other officer. As a result, one nephew had died in battle, another was critically injured, leaving only Hu Feng alive.

But this loss had deeply affected Hu Feng. His strength and mental resilience had grown significantly, which was why Hua Xiong valued him so much.

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