Distribution of Supplies

"You don't lack food or drink in the army, so why would you need money? Besides, this is tuition, understand?" Ye Chuan backhandedly stuffed some silver coins into Irena's hands.

"Alright, just take this money and keep it safe. Carrying silver coins around is a bit safer than gold coins."

Pausing for a moment, Ye Chuan added,

"And look, doesn't a coin pouch filled with silver look a bit plumper?"

"Doesn't it give you a greater sense of security?"

Irena: "..."

A greater sense of security?

Irena looked at the silver coins in her hand, appearing somewhat bewildered.

Is this right?

This isn't right, is it?

However, since the money had already entered Ye Chuan's pocket, Irena knew very well that it was highly unlikely she would get it back directly.

The difficulty of doing so would be no less than capturing the royal capital.

Irena was quite clear-headed about it, and in the end, she could only accept this fact. In truth, Irena didn't care that much about the money; she just felt that keeping it on her might still be useful.

In the following time, Kaiaolen directly took over the Galen region, while hoping that Ye Chuan could bring over more food. Kaiaolen was no fool. For Ye Chuan to casually produce such high-quality food, he must have a specialized channel.

Kaiaolen even wondered if Ye Chuan could teleport to a prosperous region that didn't lack food, buy ingredients there at a low price, and then come back to sell them to him.

Although Kaiaolen knew this in his heart, it wasn't important at the moment. He only needed to get what he wanted. As for asking about the source of Ye Chuan's supplies, it would be meaningless and wouldn't bring any benefits.

Soon, Ye Chuan returned to the real world and brought over a massive amount of food, basically all very durable varieties—

Vacuum-packed rice, dehydrated compressed noodles, air-dried cured meat and sausages, as well as a large amount of well-sealed dehydrated vegetables.

These items not only had a long shelf life but were also easy to store and distribute, perfectly suiting the needs of marching and temporary relief.

He still used his backpack space to directly place the supplies into Galen's temporary granary, which was convenient and fast.

When Kaiaolen arrived with Princess Irena and the others, they once again saw a mountain of provisions. The vacuum-packed rice bags were neatly stacked, and the faint aroma of air-dried meat wafted through the air. These supplies were even more suitable for long-term storage than the previous ones.

"Xi Xi, your efficiency is just too high!" Kaiaolen stepped forward and patted a thick bag of rice, his face full of disbelief.

"Where on earth did you get so much food?"

"My home," Ye Chuan said straightforwardly.

Your home?

"China?"

"Yes."

"Lord Xi Xi, is your homeland... actually that prosperous? The commoners there shouldn't lack food either, right?" Irena asked.

"At the very least, they won't starve to death," Ye Chuan said. "There is a very great magician who developed a kind of magic seed that can double crop yields, so we don't lack food over there."

"That's amazing..." Irena murmured. "Do you know that kind of magic, Lord Xi Xi?"

Ye Chuan glanced at her and suddenly smiled. "If you're interested, I can bring some seeds for the people of the Hill Empire to plant later."

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

Kaiaolen looked at the food in front of him. "With this food, not only can the people of Galen safely get through this period, but our provisions for the subsequent march will also have an extra layer of guarantee."

Ye Chuan said, "These are all durable items. Have someone distribute them as soon as possible. Oh, right, the cost of the food this time is a bit higher than the last, but seeing as you're providing relief to the people, I'll still charge you at cost."

"No problem!" Kaiaolen readily agreed, then turned to the adjutant behind him and ordered,

"Immediately organize personnel to distribute food to the people of Galen per capita. Give each household an extra two pounds of air-dried meat and a pack of dehydrated vegetables. Make sure to keep a register to avoid waste and looting."

"Yes, Lord Earl!" The adjutant took the order and left. Soon, a long line formed outside the granary.

When the people learned that there was food to receive, wild joy appeared on their faces, and a bit of luster returned to their originally numb and hollow eyes.

They lined up neatly. No one pushed or shoved; there were only low murmurs of conversation and suppressed gratitude.

Ye Chuan and Irena stood not far away, watching this scene.

A woman who had previously been huddled on a street corner received her food while holding her child. She bowed deeply toward the granary, tears mixing with the dirt on her face as they rolled down, continuously muttering, "Thank you, Lord Earl. Thank you, my Lord."

There were also a few vagrants who had previously fought over bread. After receiving the compressed noodles, they found a corner and wolfed them down. Once they finished eating, they voluntarily joined the team helping to transport the food.

"They... finally don't have to go hungry anymore."

Irena looked at the scene before her, her emerald eyes full of emotion. She turned to look at Ye Chuan, her tone sincere,

"Lord Xi Xi, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? I collected money for this," Ye Chuan said.

"Besides, the one really doing the work is Kaiaolen. I'm just a food seller."

Irena suddenly covered her mouth lightly and chuckled.

"What is it?"

"Lord Xi Xi... is someone who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. I believe you were moved too," Irena said.

Ye Chuan didn't retort. His gaze swept over the people lining up for food, and he suddenly said,

"Where I come from, if you beg, you might not necessarily get money."

"But if you say you are hungry, basically everyone is very willing to help you, no matter who they are."

"When many people greet each other, they will ask, 'Have you eaten?' In essence, they are caring about whether you are going hungry."

Irena listened quietly, seeming a bit touched. "That's so nice... The king over there must be very formidable, right?"

"Being able to keep over a billion people from going hungry is indeed a remarkable achievement, but we don't have a king there," Ye Chuan said flatly.

"Eh? N-No king?"

"Yeah." Ye Chuan didn't want to say too much. He just looked at Irena. "Only by keeping your subjects in your heart can you govern the Hill Empire well."

"Lord Xi Xi..."

Just then, Kaiaolen finished handling the food distribution and walked over.

"Xi Xi, Your Highness, the food for the people has been mostly distributed."

"Everyone is very grateful to you both, especially you, Xi Xi. With the support of these people, our subsequent preparations and amassing of troops in Galen will go much more smoothly."

"It was just on the way," Ye Chuan responded calmly.

Kaiaolen didn't mind his coldness and continued:

"Also, the armies of the other lords are almost all here. Tomorrow we will hold a military council to discuss the specific plan for attacking the royal capital. We'll need your help then. After all, your spatial magic can play a major role on the battlefield."

Ye Chuan nodded. "No problem. Extra charge."

Kaiaolen froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter.

"Good! As long as we can conquer the royal capital, the cost is not an issue!"