I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

The news that Xiao Jingshi had decided to take his father's place in the army spread throughout the court the very next day. It was unexpected, yet also perfectly logical.

At a time when the emperor was seriously ill, the court was leaderless, and people were filled with anxiety, His Highness the Crown Prince stepped forward, which undoubtedly gave all the pro-war officials and frontline soldiers the most powerful boost of morale.

Of course, there were also dissenting voices. A group of civil officials, led by Grand Tutor Lin, tried every means to obstruct the prince's actions, arguing that "the crown prince is the foundation of the country and it is not appropriate for him to personally take risks."

This time, however, Xiao Jingshi gave them no chance to argue. He directly produced the imperial edict, which the emperor had personally drafted before falling ill, authorizing him to handle all military affairs in the southern border region.

Then, in front of all the ministers, he made a solemn pledge: "I will not return to the capital until I have defeated the barbarians on this journey to the southern frontier!"

His resolute attitude and unwavering momentum silenced all dissenting voices. Ultimately, with the full support of General Ye Xiao and other military commanders, the decision to send the Crown Prince in place of his father was officially finalized. The army was scheduled to depart in three days.

When the news reached Tinglan Water Pavilion, Ye An'an, after a brief moment of sadness and reluctance, immediately rallied her spirits. She knew she couldn't collapse; she not only had to take care of the child in her womb, but also safeguard this important rear area for him.

She remembered the "love pack" she had prepared beforehand. Instant noodles and compressed biscuits were good, but instant noodles required hot water, and compressed biscuits were too dry. She needed a new type of military ration that was easy to carry, had a long shelf life, and could be eaten directly when there was no hot water.

The idea for baguette bread popped into her head. No, more accurately, it was her super-hardcore, modified version—the "Military-Style Iron Baguette Bread"!

This stuff is extremely simple to make, and the cost is negligible. Yet it's as hard as a rock and doesn't easily spoil even after long-term storage. You can just grab it and gnaw on it when you're hungry; it has a wonderful wheat flavor.

If you break it into small pieces and soak it in hot soup, it will quickly absorb the broth and become soft and chewy.

Most importantly, due to its hard physical properties, this thing can even be used as a weapon in critical moments!

Imagine two armies fighting to the bitter end, running out of ammunition and food. The enemy can only fight desperately on an empty stomach, while your soldiers can wield "iron cudgels," taking a bite when hungry to replenish their strength, and swinging bread at the enemy's head when things get heated!

Just imagining that scene is full of humorous, almost comical, sense of overwhelming power.

"That's it!" Ye An'an exclaimed with determination. She had a large bowl of stiff dough mixed, rolled into sticks about the thickness of a forearm, and placed in a huge charcoal oven to bake for a long time.

When the first "King Kong Baguette" came out of the oven, the servants at Tinglan Pavilion were dumbfounded. Fuyun curiously picked it up, weighed it in her hand, and tried to take a bite.

There was a loud "crunch," the bread was fine, but she almost broke her tooth.

Ye An'an smiled smugly. She had someone bring over piping hot broth, broke the bread in half, and threw it in. In no time, the hard bread absorbed the broth and became soft and juicy.

Fuyun took a bite, and her eyes lit up instantly: "Your Majesty! This is amazing!"

She carefully tasted a small piece; the bread, soaked in broth, melted in her mouth, the rich meaty aroma mingling with the mellow wheat fragrance exploding on her tongue, yet with a unique chewiness. Fuyun's eyes widened in delight: "Your Majesty! This is so delicious! It's fragrant and soft, even better than the softest steamed bun!"

Ye An'an nodded in satisfaction. The baguette bread solved the problem of "eating," but war is not just about filling one's stomach. Looking at the steaming broth in front of her, her thoughts drifted to a more insidious and effective direction.

Is there something that is cheap, can be mass-produced, and can cause chaos on the battlefield, demoralize the enemy, and create an advantage for one's own side?

An extremely bold, even somewhat "malicious" thought, accompanied by a strong scent from the depths of her memory that could almost penetrate time and space, suddenly rushed into her mind.

In her hometown in her previous life, there was a type of pickled vegetable that people dreaded. It was made by mixing the stems of a special local vegetable with the fermented juice of rotten fish and shrimp, then sealing it in a jar. The smell was a biological disaster; when the jar was opened, people and animals within a ten-mile radius would flee. She had personally witnessed someone play a prank by throwing it into a stairwell, causing the entire building's residents to believe that a septic tank had exploded and resulting in an emergency evacuation overnight.

"If... we put this thing in a clay pot and launched it at the enemy's position with a catapult..." Ye An'an's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and a devilish smile curled up at the corner of her mouth, "The stench is unbearable, just thinking about it is suffocating."

This thing isn't very lethal, but it's extremely insulting!

"Or, during a night raid, smear it on their usual routes, or even... throw it into their water supply..." Ye An'an became more and more excited as she thought about it. This was practically a non-lethal weapon of mass destruction tailor-made for ancient warfare! It would definitely throw the enemy's morale into chaos and cause them to collapse without a fight!