When Li Jue heard Li Er, that old man, utter the word "beg," he was so frightened that he turned and ran away.

Li Shimin and Li Shiji were stunned when they saw this. By the time they realized what was happening, the guy had already disappeared into the camps and among the soldiers.

"You unfilial grandson!"

"I haven't even said what it is yet, and this rebellious grandson has already run away. He's really showing me no respect!"

Li Shiji laughed heartily upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. It's possible that you've been too strict with your eldest grandson, which is why he ran away out of fear!"

"Am I stern?"

"You underestimate that grandson. If he had even the slightest fear of me, he wouldn't have run so fast!"

"Guards, bring that rebellious grandson back to me!"

As soon as Li Shimin finished speaking, the people around him roared in agreement, and then they pretended to search for Li Jue in the military camp.

What surprised Li Shimin was that his grandson hadn't gone far, yet these hundreds of people had searched for half an hour and still couldn't find him.

However, at this moment, Li Shimin also realized that the 50,000 troops he brought had been completely bought off by Li Jue.

Getting them to find Li Jue would be as difficult as climbing to heaven!

"Forget it, if you can't find it, then don't bother looking. Summon the General's Quartermaster!"

Su Dingfang, Li Yifu, Lu Zhaolin and others had been waiting on the side for a long time. Upon hearing His Majesty's summons, they immediately ran over.

What are your orders, Your Majesty?

How much Xianyang noodles are left in stock?

Upon hearing this, Li Yifu immediately glanced at Li Shiji warily, then shook his head and said.

"not much……"

Upon hearing this, Li Shiji quickly expressed his opinion.

"Your Majesty, I was just speaking casually. If there aren't many supplies left in the army, then there's no need to worry about those useless men under my command!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin flew into a rage and berated Li Yifu.

"I asked how much is left, what do you mean by saying 'not much'?"

"Lu Zhaolin, tell me how much is left!"

"If you dare to deceive me, I will punish you for deceiving the emperor!"

Lu Zhaolin was no match for Li Er's imposing presence and was so frightened that he immediately revealed his secrets.

"Your Majesty, the army's reserves are indeed low, less than 300,000 jin..."

"Three hundred thousand catties?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was secretly amazed, thinking to himself, "This grandson is quite something, managing to acquire so many good things without making a sound."

There are too many wolves and not enough meat. Even if there were 300,000 jin, it would only be enough to feed the soldiers under his command for a few days.

However, Lu Zhaolin's next words shocked him so much that he could have stuffed a duck egg into his mouth.

"There are still three million catties on the way... It is expected... It is expected to be delivered in about half a month..."

"What?"

Three million catties?

This time, not only Li Shimin was shocked, but Li Shiji, who was standing next to him, was also stunned.

What does three million catties mean? Even if all the soldiers in Youzhou City were included, it would be enough to feed them for a month!

After regaining his composure, Li Shimin asked in disbelief.

"Lu Zhaolin, you're not lying to me, are you?"

"Although I enjoy hearing the numbers you give me, I am also very aware that this product is not easy to prepare. It requires grinding wheat flour into powder, then cutting it into thin noodles, and finally deep-frying it in boiling oil..."

"Three million catties of Xianyang noodles...tsk tsk, even if you slaughtered all the pigs in the Tang Dynasty, you couldn't gather that much oil, could you?"

"Your Majesty, Xianyang noodles don't necessarily have to be made with lard; rapeseed oil, castor oil, or something similar will do..."

"Moreover, frying Xianyang noodles doesn't require much oil. One hundred catties of boiling oil can fry several thousand catties of Xianyang noodles without any problem."

"this……"

Li Shimin was stunned when he heard this, and after a long pause, he spoke with great magnanimity.

"First, allocate 100,000 catties to the Liaodong General, so that his soldiers can have a taste!"

"promise!"

Half an hour later, all the soldiers in Youzhou City, whether they were Turks, people from Guanzhong, or laborers conscripted from Hebei, were eating the smooth and delicious Xianyang noodles.

Many people were moved to tears after tasting the delicious Xianyang noodles. Some locals in Youzhou City couldn't bear to eat them and secretly took them back to their parents.

However, when they learned from the cook how to prepare the food, they immediately became excited.

So this delicious noodle is made from wheat!

This stuff is plentiful in Hebei; in fact, it's the main crop grown by almost every household!

As a result, a fried noodle craze swept through Hebei, and it quickly became a local specialty.

However, the name "Xianyang noodles" was something that Hebei province couldn't take away even after hundreds of years. Even centuries later, when their fried noodles were sold all over the Tang Dynasty and even beyond, reaching the Western Regions, they still used its original name – Xianyang noodles.

However, the authentic Xianyang noodles are from Hebei, and with the spread of Xianyang noodles from Hebei, it became a well-known saying in the Tang Dynasty.

Although Li Shimin wanted to wait in Youzhou City for the remaining three million catties of Xianyang flour, the thought of summer approaching and autumn soon followed made him lead his soldiers out of Youzhou City a few days later and head towards Liaodong.

Li Shimin's attack on Goguryeo was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision; in fact, he had been secretly preparing for it since the beginning of his reign.

His first step was to reduce taxes in Shandong and Hebei, allowing the people of those regions to quickly recover their strength and the economy.

Only when Shandong and Hebei become prosperous can they become his forward positions for attacking Goguryeo, and only then can the logistical needs for the campaign against Goguryeo be guaranteed.

Secondly, he spent several years establishing plans in Shandong and Hebei, selecting many capable officials to govern the two regions, and repairing the main transportation routes to Liaodong.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!