In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 734 A Sound Shakes the Clouds

Carrying his food, Wei Kui found an empty table and sat down. While enjoying the delicious braised chicken, he commented with satisfaction, "Chef Zhang's skills are getting better and better. This chicken is really delicious."

"Uh-huh."

Zhang Xiaoniu, who was also eating braised chicken across from him, nodded repeatedly. Chef Zhang had been a chef for so many years, so his skills were naturally beyond question. The same chicken could be made into different flavors in Chef Zhang's hands, allowing Zhang Xiaoniu to eat different delicacies every time.

"Little Cow, when do you think we can set off?"

"I don't know! But the news has already spread, so it shouldn't be too long."

"I also hope it won't take too long; I want to make a name for myself on the battlefield."

"..."

Wei Kui and Zhang Xiaoniu did not lower their voices during their conversation, which quickly attracted a large number of men from the Yang family army. They gathered around Wei Kui and Zhang Xiaoniu and began to discuss the matter of sending troops.

"I think it will take at least a few more months! With the heavy snow blocking the roads, it's impossible for Commander Yang to send troops out at this time."

"Not necessarily! I think we should send troops out within this month."

"I wish we could send troops out this month! That way I could earn merit more quickly."

"Niu Lao Er, you think you can make a name for yourself with your looks? Don't dream! I'll be the one who kills the most enemies!"

"Bullshit! I can kill at least five enemies."

"I can kill ten!"

"I can kill a hundred of them!"

"..."

Inside the kitchen, after their meal, the energetic soldiers chatted amongst themselves, as if they were heading not to a brutal battlefield, but to a place where they could glean credit.

…………

…………

Three days later, at the military training ground.

Yang Zheng, fully armored, stood on the high platform, accompanied by Yang Erlang, who was also dressed in armor.

Below the high platform stood the Yang family army soldiers, who were on high alert and looked grim.

There are a total of 80,000 Yang Family Army soldiers in this military camp, and at this moment, there are as many as 50,000 soldiers lined up on the drill ground!

At this moment, soldiers dressed in armor and holding long spears looked solemnly at Yang Zheng on the stage, their eyes filled with respect and admiration.

To people in other states, Yang Zheng was a butcher who killed countless people, a rebel who wreaked havoc across the land, and a traitor in the eyes of all scholars.

But in the eyes of these soldiers, Yang Zheng was like a second parent to them!

Before Yang Zheng's rebellion, many of them were farmers who toiled in the fields day and night, working like animals, yet they struggled to even fill their stomachs. Many of their family members died before their very eyes due to lack of food and clothing, either from freezing or starvation.

Yang Zheng changed their fate.

Yang Zheng provided them with a full meal and warm clothes, ensuring they wouldn't starve or freeze to death in the snow-covered wilderness.

Yang Zheng fed them well and gave them dignity, so they were naturally willing to fight for Yang Zheng and for Liangzhou!

"Brothers of the Yang Family Army."

Facing the expectant eyes of 50,000 people below the stage, Yang Zheng slowly began, "Have you all been eating meat lately?"

"We're eating!"

Fifty thousand people answered in unison, their voices seemingly shaking the heavens. Even the snowflakes falling from the sky seemed to tremble in fear of this sound.

"So, do you want to keep eating meat? Do you want to have meat with every meal?"

"miss you!"

This time, the voices of the 50,000 soldiers were even louder, and it seemed that only this one voice echoed throughout the entire world.

"Since you want to eat meat, are you afraid of war?"

"Not afraid!"

"Not afraid!"

"Not afraid!"

This time, the 50,000 soldiers roared three times, their voices soaring into the sky.

"very good!"

Looking at the spirited soldiers below the stage, Yang Zheng nodded in satisfaction. The Yang Family Army was originally a peasant army composed entirely of farmers and refugees, whose fighting style relied entirely on courage and reckless fighting.

However, a year has passed, and the brutal war and rigorous training have transformed them. In Yang Zheng's eyes, the soldiers of the Yang Family Army are now qualified soldiers.

Even in the bitter cold of snow, these soldiers stood like statues on the drill ground, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

"I know you all want to make a name for yourselves and give your families a better life!"

Looking at the youthful yet determined faces below the stage, Yang Zheng raised his voice a few decibels: "Now, the opportunity to make a contribution is right in front of you. Do you want it?"

"miss you!"

"If you're willing to go, then let's set off now!"

With Yang Zheng's order, the 50,000 soldiers on the training ground slowly began to move under the command of their general, forming orderly marching columns and slowly leaving the military camp.

They will brave the bitter cold and march from Liangzhou Prefecture to Taiping County, where they will resupply before continuing their advance into the heart of Qingzhou.

"Yang Shuai".

Wang He, the instructor of the Valiant Battalion, greeted Yang Zheng as he descended from the platform, and said with slight concern, "Isn't it a bit too much to march in this snowy weather?"

Sending troops out in winter has always been a major taboo in Kyushu.

Because the cold winter not only reduces the army's combat effectiveness, but also causes a large number of non-combat casualties such as frostbite and limb necrosis.

In addition, heavy snow in winter can block roads and cause problems such as supply difficulties.

In short, Wang He believed that sending troops out in winter was not a wise choice.

"I know what I'm doing!"

Yang Zheng remained calm. The supply difficulties had already been resolved by Chenjia Village and Taicang County. As long as the army could enter the territory of Taicang County, the problem of food supplies would naturally be solved.

As for the cold weather and soldiers getting frostbite...

Liangzhou has been a bitterly cold place since ancient times, and the people here are more resistant to the cold. Yang Zheng also believed that the sons of the Yang Family Army would not be afraid of any wind and frost.

"Relax."

Yang Zheng patted Wang He on the shoulder, "This expedition will surely be a triumphant one!"

After saying that, Yang Zheng and Yang Erlang mounted their horses and caught up with the main group that had gone ahead.

Meanwhile, many soldiers who remained in the camp watched the gate disappear into the distance, their faces showing envy.

"I really envy them! They can go to Qingzhou to fight and make meritorious contributions."

"Damn it! Why can they go to the battlefield, while we can only stay in the barracks?"

"Who told you you couldn't get into the Valiant Battalion! All three thousand men from the Valiant Battalion went on this expedition."

"I wish I could get into the Valiant Battalion! When we were selecting for the Valiant Battalion, I was just a little short in the physical fitness test!"

"Who wouldn't want to join the Valiant Battalion? The people there get meat every three days, their treatment is much better than ours!"

"..."