My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Meanwhile, in the central command tent of the Tang Dynasty's western expedition

On the table, where military books, maps, and tallies should have been placed, there are now always a few paper buckets with colorful patterns.

Li Jing was extremely strict in disciplining his troops, and his meetings in his tent were always solemn.

But ever since His Majesty brought this rare and precious item from the "Immortal Realm," this ironclad rule has been quietly pried open by its domineering fragrance.

If there is anything that makes the soldiers look forward to it more every day than the military orders of Duke Li Jing of Wei, then there is nothing.

That was the strange, rich fragrance that filled the air precisely at the third quarter of Shen time (3:45 PM).

Today is no different.

"Slurp—ha!"

Hou Junji lifted the lid of the bucket that read "Old Altar Pickled Cabbage and Beef Noodles," took a deep breath of the rising steam, and then forked a bunch of curly, golden noodles into his mouth. He squinted as he chewed and mumbled a sigh.

"If I don't open this bucket every day, my heart feels empty, like it's being scratched by a cat! The food of the immortals is truly captivating!"

Xue Wanche held his "braised" pot, took a big gulp of the scalding soup, and felt so refreshed that his beard trembled.

"Absolutely! At first, I thought I'd get tired of it after a while. Who knew... this stuff is addictive! Now I think that all those camel hump and orangutan lips, all those royal delicacies, pale in comparison to this bucket of piping hot, spicy noodles!"

Even the usually quiet and reserved Li Jing was now holding a bucket of "spicy beef noodles," eating slowly but with great focus.

He used the tiny "celestial fork" from the celestial realm to pick up the noodles, savoring the complex and aggressive flavors—salty, savory, spicy, and a kind of "richness" and "addiction" that he had never tasted in any spice or cooking method before, which went straight to the top of his head.

"The wonder of this thing is truly beyond compare."

Li Jing swallowed the food in his mouth and slowly opened his mouth.

He has been eating this almost every day since the westward expedition began.

I tried everything from spicy to pickled cabbage, to mushroom chicken soup, to braised...

As a general, he could have eaten better food, such as roast meat.

But nowadays... nothing beats the aroma of instant noodles for barbecue!

Fortunately, His Majesty bought quite a few buckets, otherwise it really wouldn't be enough to eat.

If they run out of the bucket-sized food, then they'll all have to eat the bagged food.

Although the bagged version tastes about the same, for some reason, they just prefer the bucket version.

Li Jing slurped up another mouthful of hot soup, and even after eating it so many times, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Convenient and durable. Its flavor is layered, initially strong, but with a lingering aftertaste, and has the remarkable effect of boosting spirits and dispelling fatigue."

Li Jing looked around.

"Moreover, each bucket has its own unique flavor. The 'braised' is mellow, the 'spicy' is exciting, and the 'pickled cabbage' is refreshing... The culinary skills of the immortals are beyond comprehension."

Upon hearing this, the generals under his command nodded in agreement and began to feast on their respective "treasures."

Hou Junji prefers the sour taste of pickled cabbage noodles, Li Daliang prefers the light and fresh taste of "fresh shrimp and fish cake", and Gao Zengsheng has a particular fondness for the warm and nourishing taste of "stewed chicken with mushrooms".

For a time, the sounds of slurping, praising, and drinking soup rose and fell in the tent.

The soldiers guarding outside couldn't help but swallow hard when they smelled the delicious aroma inside.

"It's here again... the scent of fairy noodles!"

"Hey, I smell that again! It smells fucking good!"

An older veteran exclaimed in amazement.

"I've heard that after General Hou finishes eating, he can break a cow's horn with his bare hands! And after General Xue drinks that 'immortal soup,' his roar can shake down a mountain eagle!"

"Is it really that miraculous?"

The younger soldiers on the left lowered their voices, somewhat disbelieving.

"Of course!"

The old soldier glanced at him.

"This is a celestial artifact brought from the Celestial Realm by His Majesty!!!"

"Inside, there's just a flat, dry pancake and some flour, but guess what happens when it comes into contact with boiling water?"

"What's wrong?"

Several heads around them crowded even closer.

"Pour boiling water over it!"

The veteran slapped his thigh hard, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Then I heard a soft 'sizzle' from the bucket, like magic! A moment later, the dough's holes opened up and it became chewy!"

"Look at that spice packet again, the red, green, and yellow powders dissolve instantly in water, turning into a glistening, fragrant broth!"

"And those vegetable buns, they really did have dried minced meat and vegetable leaves inside, and they expanded when they came into contact with water, just like fresh ones! What else could this be but magic?!"

"Meat...minced meat?!"

The young soldiers' eyes widened, and they almost drooled.

In this harsh and cold land, meat is extremely precious!

Do not!

Not to mention in this bitterly cold place.

He rarely gets to eat more than a few pieces!

"Absolutely!"

Another, slightly older swordsman and shieldman licked his chapped lips and spoke up.

"I also heard from General Hou's personal guards that the taste is completely different depending on the color of the barrel!"

"The red ones are so spicy they make you sweat, they warm you up from head to toe, and you won't feel cold even in the coldest days of winter; the yellow ones are so fresh they make your eyebrows fall off, they brighten your eyes after drinking them; the green ones are sour and refreshing, they whet your appetite and you can eat three big bowls of millet rice even if you have no appetite!"

"Lord Wei and his generals are sampling different delicacies from the immortal realm every day!"

"If... if only we could have a taste, no, even just lick the rim of the bucket would be nice..."

The young soldier murmured, his eyes filled with longing.

"What's the rush!"

The veteran glared at him, then lowered his voice mysteriously.

"Didn't you hear what was faintly heard coming from inside the tent? Before the battle, every brother in the vanguard battalion will get at least a bowl of noodles! The other battalions will also get a bowl of hot soup! That was said by Lord Wei himself!"

These words were like sparks flying into a haystack. The breathing of the surrounding soldiers became heavy, their knuckles turning white as they gripped their weapons, and their eyes no longer held simple longing.

"The Vanguard Battalion... I'll risk my life to get into the Vanguard Battalion this time!"

The young soldier gritted his teeth and said.

Inside the tent, Li Jing had completed his deployment, and the generals were eager to fight, their fighting spirit boiling.

Hou Junji licked his lips, seemingly still savoring the aftertaste of the pickled cabbage, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Jing.

"Grand Commander, I will immediately prepare the light cavalry and depart at dawn tomorrow! With this immortal's guidance, I will certainly not fail in my duty!"

Xue Wanche also spoke loudly.

"I will immediately select the most valiant warriors; they will surely pave the way for the army!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the generals stepped forward.

The soldiers immediately fell silent and stood at attention, but their eyes were glued to the generals' ruddy and energetic faces, and they couldn't help but swallow hard.

Soon, the war drums sounded, and all the soldiers gathered.

Dozens of the largest marching cauldrons were carried by burly cooks, with charcoal fires burning brightly beneath them and white steam rising from their mouths.

A variety of complex, intense, and even overpowering exotic aromas, like tangible waves, swept through the entire front camp!

"They're here! They're really here!"

At the gate, the old soldier suddenly grabbed the young crossbowman's arm, his eyes fixed on the large cauldrons bubbling with orange-red, oily broth.

All the soldiers, regardless of which camp they belonged to, turned their heads in unison, their eyes burning with intensity, as if drawn by invisible ropes.

The only sounds in the air were heavy breathing and the crackling of charcoal fire. Even the warhorses seemed to be overwhelmed by the unprecedented aroma, snorting uneasily.

Li Jing still stood on the low platform at the gate, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the chilly evening wind.

He didn't say anything more, but simply glanced calmly at the dark, tense army below, and then nodded slightly.

The marching commander stepped forward, unfolded the roster in his hand, and spoke in a loud voice that drowned out the bubbling of the soup in the pot.

"By order of the Grand Commander! His Majesty's grace bestows 'celestial food' upon the soldiers to boost morale!"

"Left Vanguard Battalion, Right Vanguard Battalion, Trapped Battalion, Jumping Battalion—"

With each battalion name he called out, a low, suppressed cheer erupted from the unit that was called upon. The soldiers' chests puffed out even higher, and their eyes shone with an alarming intensity.

"Step forward! Receive your 'divine food'!"