The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 141

The border general frowned slightly upon hearing this. "The court just sent over a batch of grain not long ago, how come it's not enough again today?"

"We did send them, but you know how many people are in the army right now, and the wounded soldiers need to be fed better to recover. In just a few days, the food has been almost completely distributed."

"The next batch of grain from the court will arrive in a few days. Check how much is left and eat it sparingly."

"I've calculated it. If we keep eating until the day after tomorrow, we'll be completely out of food."

The border general sighed, a helpless expression on his face, clearly indicating that he had no other options.

Xu Tian then remembered that he still had plenty of grain with him, and he calculated in his mind that if he reached the merchant's hometown within seven days, he would still have a batch of grain left. So he looked up at the border general and said, "We still have some grain here, why don't we give it to you?"

As he spoke, he turned and entered the carriage, giving one of the bags of flour to the border general, along with two potatoes that had been left over from a few days ago, and two or three cabbages.

The border general was stunned at first, but when he came to his senses, he had already stuffed some things into his hands. There were many noodles, and if they all ate clear soup noodles, they could wait for the court to send more food.

In the past, officials from Chang'an were mostly arrogant and would not even glance at the soldiers. But this Grand Tutor Xu gave them his share of food when they were short of supplies, which showed that he was very kind.

He looked at Xu Tian and said gratefully, "Thank you."

Xu Tian waved his hand gently, "You guard the border, it's already hard enough, why thank me? Isn't it only right that I do these things? Besides, we have surplus food ourselves, it's no big deal to share some with you."

"Regardless, I still want to thank you," the border general said. "There are several countries in the Western Regions that are really hostile to the Tang Dynasty, so you must be careful."

"I had already considered this before I went to the Western Regions, but now the Tang Dynasty is facing a food shortage. I'm worried about what will happen if there's war in the future. So I thought I'd go find something that can increase crop yields. Even if I can't find anything, I'll find something that yields a lot of food and can be stored quickly." Xu Tian said with a smile, "When it comes to food, what difference does it make if several countries don't like the Tang Dynasty?"

The border general smiled slightly upon hearing Xu Tian's words.

Indeed, food is the lifeblood of a country. What should be done if food supplies are disrupted due to war?

Now, he looks at Xu Tian with a certain amount of respect.

“A Western Regions country ahead has long been hostile to our Great Tang. Otherwise, I would send a troop of soldiers to accompany you, so as to ensure your safety.”

Xu Tian thought about it and realized that if there was a Western Regions country that was hostile to the Tang Dynasty ahead, then they would definitely have to be extra careful.

Recently, there have been many reports of Chang'an merchants traveling to the Western Regions and being captured by the people there. It seems that once you're in someone else's territory, you need to have several people with you to feel at ease.

He quickly made his decision and nodded: "Then I thank you, General."

The border general laughed and said, "It's alright, let's return the favor."

As he spoke, he ordered a squad of soldiers to follow Xu Tian.

After chatting with the border general for a while, Xu Tian got back into the carriage and prepared to head to the Western Regions.

This Western Regions kingdom wasn't too far from here, and before long, the group arrived at the city gate of the Western Regions kingdom.

Just as the group was about to continue forward, a group of people dressed in Western Region attire suddenly appeared and blocked their way.

The head guard immediately shouted, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The group of people dressed in Western Region attire sneered. With a swift movement, they drew their daggers from their waists, the blades gleaming coldly.

The leader, like the border general, had a large scar on his face, but unlike the general, he had shifty eyes and a treacherous look, with a cold and murderous gaze.