Chapter Twenty-Two: The Issue of Military Provisions

Xu Kang was, in truth, a homebody—before and after his journey across worlds. If it were possible, he would have preferred to stay at home, sleeping or daydreaming, but that was out of the question, for he had arrived not in an age of peace, but in an era of chaos.

As the saying goes, "Better to be a dog in times of peace than a man in times of turmoil." Living through such troubled times, one could forget about choosing a lifestyle; mere survival was a luxury.

Xu Kang yearned to seize control of his own fate. Especially after suffering humiliation from someone coming to his door, this desire burned even stronger. "If I hadn't become an official, never mind future warlords—even that Wu fellow today, a minor official with a hundred bushels' worth of authority, could have ruined my family. No wonder people say a true man cannot go a day without power; in chaotic times, it rings even truer."

With that thought, he silently set his resolve: he would strive, not necessarily to command the world, but at least to possess the power to protect himself.

Because of this, although departure was scheduled for tomorrow, he did not stay at home. Instead, he went to the encampment outside the city, where the soldiers were stationed, to oversee the preparation of provisions.

As the old saying goes, "The horses and men move only after the supplies." An army without logistical support cannot win battles; this has always been true. Xu Kang, though only an amateur military enthusiast, understood this well, which is why he paid such close attention to the preparation of supplies before the troops set out.

By dusk, the Grand General’s residence had delivered the food; according to the report from the supply officer, the provisions amounted to a thousand bushels.

The imperial command was to take three thousand men to support Changshe, but He Jin had only allocated a little over a thousand, and so the rations had been greatly reduced.

Even with this reduction, Xu Kang remained uneasy. After the supply officer left, he ordered Zhao Hong to conduct a second count.

Since the soldiers’ food was at stake, Zhao Hong was meticulous. Sure enough, a problem was found—the provisions amounted to only five hundred bushels, half as much!

It should be noted that the measures of the Eastern Han differed from later dynasties—a bushel was not over a hundred pounds, but just over fifty! Thus, He Jin's five hundred bushels amounted to just over twenty thousand pounds; divided among a thousand men, each would have less than thirty pounds!

Such meager rations, even with frugality, would barely last a month.

Though Xu Kang had been mentally prepared, upon hearing Zhao Hong’s report, he could not help but curse. "Damn that He Jin! Does he want my soldiers to starve? Damn him and his ancestors!"

Zhao Hong, hearing his lord curse the Grand General, silently turned away, pretending not to hear. In truth, after counting the rations, he too felt some resentment toward He Jin. Hearing Xu Kang's outburst, he developed a certain fondness for this young man, nearly twenty years his junior.

When Xu Kang finished venting and stood to leave, Zhao Hong hastily blocked his path.

"My lord, are you going to demand more provisions? You mustn't!"

"Hmm?"

Xu Kang had indeed intended to do just that. Seeing Zhao Hong obstruct him, he frowned.

"Why not? Should we simply tolerate them skimming our soldiers’ food?"

"It’s not tolerance, but helplessness," Zhao Hong sighed, then shook his head.

"My lord, even if you go today, you won’t see the person in charge. Even if you do, they will delay endlessly. The court has ordered you to depart tomorrow—if you’re delayed by the rations, you’ll be the one in trouble. Please, reconsider!"

Xu Kang was taken aback. He had not realized there were such "tricks" even in ration skimming.

"Indeed, there are those who know the way, and each craft has its experts. These leeches are skilled, and it seems the rations are lost to us!"

Resigned, he abandoned the idea of demanding more provisions, and bowed once more to Zhao Hong. "Concerning the rations, I ask you to instruct me, Commander Zhao."

"My lord is too gracious; I will speak openly," Zhao Hong replied, bowing in return, and continued.

"My lord, though we have only five hundred bushels, if we thin out the porridge, we can stretch the supply for a longer period!"

"Thin porridge? Will that work?" Xu Kang frowned again. "Will the soldiers’ bodies withstand it?"

"My lord need not worry—they can endure."

Seeing Xu Kang’s concern, Zhao Hong laughed and explained further.

"We’ll keep the meals thin in peacetime, and make them heartier during battle. Besides, it’s late spring now; the soldiers can forage for wild edibles to supplement the pot, saving a fair amount of rations. We can last two or three months, at least!"

Though it felt unfair to the troops, circumstances dictated otherwise. With no better option, Xu Kang could only agree.

"Alright, so be it. Let the soldiers suffer for now. When we defeat the Yellow Turbans, I’ll find a way to compensate everyone. I can promise several thousand bushels of grain, at the very least!"

"Several thousand bushels?"

Zhao Hong, who had been calmly discussing strategy, now drew in a sharp breath, his eyes filled with astonishment. After several moments, he recovered and bowed low to Xu Kang.

"My lord is benevolent—I thank you on behalf of the soldiers!"

Seeing this, Xu Kang hurried forward to support his arms, speaking once more. "We all go to battle together; we are brothers sharing life and death. There’s no need for formality. Now, it’s getting late, and the soldiers must be hungry. Let the quartermaster distribute the grain."

"Yes, my lord!" Zhao Hong replied, bowing again before leaving.

After Zhao Hong departed, Xu Kang returned to his simple bed and sat, frowning in contemplation.

"According to the historical records, Huangfu Song defeated the Yellow Turbans in two or three months. If our rations last that long, there should be no problem. But if we run out before then, trouble awaits."

Recalling those historical incidents of soldiers deserting and mutinying due to lack of food, Xu Kang’s expression grew grave.

"To be safe, I must prepare early. Looks like I’ll have to rely on my wizard’s skills!"

With that, he took a deep breath, reached into his spatial backpack, and pulled out a pouch of magical fresh water, pouring it straight down his throat.

"Gulp, gulp, gulp..."

Soon, the pouch was empty, and he tossed it aside, summoning the signature skill of a mage.

"Create food and water!"