Jingzhou military camp.

After General Zhou Mo set up camp as arranged by the military commander, he hadn't even started cooking when he smelled the aroma of meat coming from next door.

He originally intended to ignore the matter, but his soldiers couldn't stand it and went to the quartermaster to complain.

"Quartermaster, how dare you withhold our rations?"

Quartermaster Wu Zheng was so angry he almost cried when he heard this. In the Tang Dynasty, embezzling grain was a serious crime, punishable by death or exile of the whole family!

"Don't make false accusations! When have I ever withheld your provisions?"

"Meat!"

"Why should others get to eat meat while we only get to eat rotten vegetable leaves!"

The so-called rotten vegetable leaves are actually pickled vegetables.

This stuff was originally standard issue for the Tang Dynasty army, and they had been eating it for over twenty years without anyone daring to complain.

But now that they see others eating meat while they can't even get a sip of soup, they immediately feel resentful.

Wu Zheng could also smell the meat from next door. In fact, he was also curious about whose household soldiers were so extravagant that they started eating meat on the march.

Generally speaking, shouldn't soldiers be rewarded with wine and meat only after winning a battle?

"I have no idea!"

"Their wine and meat were not provided by me!"

"You didn't send it?"

"So what did you eat?"

After someone shouted this, soldiers immediately ran to the quartermaster's tent and searched it. Sure enough, they found cooked jerky in a pot.

"You still say you didn't embezzle military pay? Why is it that you get meat in your pot while ours only get rotten vegetables!"

Wu Zheng was speechless upon hearing this, and pointed at the soldiers causing trouble.

"This was given to me by my wife before she left. I was afraid it wouldn't keep for long, so I stewed it."

"If you want to eat, please take it. Consider it my treat!"

"But if you're making baseless accusations, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Someone, write down all the soldiers who caused the disturbance and report it to His Majesty, saying they have mutinied!"

Everyone was stunned when they heard this. Mutiny was a serious crime in the Tang army, and they could all be buried alive!

"Wu Zheng, what nonsense are you spouting? When did you see your grandfather rebel?"

"We're just talking to you to help you be more fair in your dealings!"

"Don't let this guy scare us. He's embezzled our grain, and if it gets reported, his crime will be even more serious!"

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Zhou Mo quickly stepped in to act as a peacemaker.

"Silence!"

"We must trust the quartermaster's character; he's not the kind of person who would embezzle military rations!"

"We don't believe it!"

"You two are in cahoots! You're ganging up on us!"

"We want to see His Majesty, tell him about your crimes, and ask him to punish you severely!"

Just as the Jingzhou garrison was making a ruckus, Li Shimin's sinister voice rang out.

"Who wants to see me?"

As soon as Li Shimin finished speaking, the entire military camp fell silent. All the troublemaking soldiers lowered their heads, and even the quartermaster who had just been arguing vehemently lowered his head guiltily.

Li Shimin walked into the group of soldiers as if no one else was there and casually called out the names of a few people in the crowd.

"Zhang Chong?"

"You're really something, aren't you? You've fought alongside me for twenty years and you're still just a deputy captain. I'm ashamed of you!"

When Zhang Chong heard His Majesty call his name, he straightened his chest and raised his head, intending to show off. But after hearing what was said next, he was so ashamed that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Your Majesty, please stop! This humble servant confesses my guilt!"

Zhang Chong knelt down with a thud, as if to apologize and plead for mercy, begging Li Er to spare his words.

Seeing this, Li Er stopped making fun of him and instead turned his attention to another person.

"Huh!"

"Isn't this Wang Erxi, my personal guard from back then?"

Wang Er was overjoyed to see His Majesty call out his name so readily, and his face lit up with pride. He immediately stepped forward and bowed to Li Er with clasped hands.

However, Li Shimin changed the subject and pointed at his military uniform, scolding him.

"You blockhead, how did you become a team leader again?"

"I remember you were a brigade commander ten years ago, weren't you?"

"Broken military law again, or caused trouble while drunk?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Erxi was so ashamed that he knelt down on the spot.

"Your Majesty, please stop. Please save me some face..."

Li Shimin snorted coldly upon hearing this.

"You still have any shame?"

"It's just a piece of meat, yet you dare to incite the soldiers to mutiny!"

"Even if I were to order someone to drag you out and behead you right now, it wouldn't be too much for me!"

"This humble servant...this humble servant is guilty!"

Seeing that he had subdued the two troublemakers, Li Shimin immediately shouted to the others in the room.

"And you too!"

"Although I don't know the names of some of them, every soldier in our Great Tang army who is over forty years old is an old man who fought alongside me to conquer the world in the early years."

"I will only ask one question: Have I mistreated you all these years?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's resentment dissipated, no matter how much they felt inside.

"We, your humble servants, acknowledge our guilt..."

"Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Li Shimin snorted coldly upon hearing this.

"I am going to punish you, but not now!"

"If any of you dare to shirk your duties, miss opportunities, or be cowardly during this trip to Liaodong, I will have you all beheaded!"

Upon hearing this, everyone proudly raised their heads and thumped their chests.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, if any of us retreat even a step on the battlefield, we will cut off our own heads and present them to Your Majesty without Your Majesty having to behead us!"

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