Chapter 24 Guan Yu vs. Qin Qiong: I truly wish to experience his Azure Dragon...

Even though Jiang Ge assured Zhou Yu, he still had some concerns.

As he flipped through the registers of Songyang County, his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. He thought of Sun Ce, of the days they fought side by side, and of that spirited young general.

"Bo Fu, I will definitely save you," Zhou Yu murmured softly, a resolute glint in his eyes.

He knew he couldn't rush things.

This matter needs to be carefully considered.

Qin Shubao pulled over the defiant Yuchi Jingde and shouted, "Jingde, do you still not know who's inside?"

"Who is it? Isn't it just a pretty boy?"

Yuchi Jingde was indignant. How dare a pretty boy like him piss on his head? He really didn't know his place.

He wanted to teach this pretty boy a lesson.

"That person is Grand Commander Zhou Yu."

Zhou Yu, the Grand Commander?

This name sounds familiar; I feel like I've heard it somewhere before.

"Could it be... Zhou Yu from the Battle of Red Cliffs?" Yuchi Jingde slapped his forehead, finally remembering.

The Battle of Red Cliffs is famous throughout history, and Zhou Yu single-handedly changed the landscape of the Three Kingdoms.

It is also a frequently performed play in folk operas.

"It is him." Qin Shubao nodded, his tone tinged with admiration.

Yuchi Jingde's expression instantly became complex. Although he was rugged and unrestrained, he still held historical heroes in high esteem. He had heard the story of the Battle of Red Cliffs since childhood, and he couldn't help but admire Zhou Yu's wisdom and courage.

“So it was him…” Yuchi Jingde scratched his head, his tone less hostile and more embarrassed. “Well… well, you can’t blame me. Who told him to look so… so much like a pretty boy?”

Qin Shubao couldn't help but laugh: "You're just stubborn. Although Governor Zhou is handsome, his talent is unmatched. Let's not argue with him; getting along well is the right thing to do."

How to get along well?

It's easy to say, but it's not so easy to get along if you start a feud right away. However, thinking about Zhou Yu's fate in history, Yuchi Jingde didn't have the energy to compete with him.

He died young, his ambitions unfulfilled—this was the fate of Zhou Yu in history.

Yuchi Jingde pursed his lips, still somewhat resentful, but said nothing more. He looked up at the direction of the clerk's office and muttered, "Forget it, for the sake of the Battle of Red Cliffs, I won't hold it against him."

It was said that it was for the sake of the Battle of Red Cliffs, but in reality, it was because Zhou Yu's life was very short.

In the face of life and death, such trivial matters are not worth worrying about.

Yuchi Jingde was determined not to hold a grudge against Zhou Yu, so when he received his five packets of instant noodles at lunchtime, he could only stare longingly at Jiang Ge and say, "Magistrate Jiang..."

Give me back my instant noodles!

His eyes conveyed this meaning, but he dared not say it aloud.

I can only look on longingly at instant noodles.

Yuchi Jingde had a huge appetite; five packets of instant noodles were just a small amount for him. As for the question of getting tired of instant noodles...

He doesn't even have the freedom to eat instant noodles, how could he possibly get tired of them?

He didn't even notice how many times Li Shimin had hinted at this to Yuchi Jingde, saying whenever he had the chance: "Jingde, I haven't had an appetite for anything these past few days."

"I wonder if I'm sick?"

Are you sick?

"Your Majesty, if you're sick, find the imperial physician! I'll go find one for you right now." Yuchi Jingde turned and walked away with a simple and honest expression.

This left Li Shimin speechless with anger.

"Shubao, look at him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Shubao looked at the sky and the ground, but not at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin's eyes burned with intensity as he stared intently at Qin Shubao, leaving him nowhere to escape.

Forced into a corner, Qin Shubao had no choice but to declare, "Your Majesty, whatever you desire—bear paws and phoenix marrow—I can bring it to you."

Who cares about bear paws and phoenix marrow?

"It's not like I've never seen or eaten this before," Li Shimin thought, holding his breath.

"I want to eat instant noodles!"

Only his back was seen in response to Li Shimin.

Although they had already refused His Majesty, Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde still wanted to fulfill His Majesty's wish.

Yuchi Jingde didn't say it, but he was planning to get it out of his own mouth. Because of this, he even ate two extra pancakes that morning.

I ate until I was stuffed.

Thinking that if I eat more in the morning, I can eat less at noon, I can submit an application to Magistrate Jiang and bring the instant noodles back to His Majesty.

They won't give up until they reach the Yellow River.

Yuchi Jingde stared at Jiang Ge with expectant and pleading eyes. He thought of Li Shimin's longing for instant noodles and gritted his teeth.

“Magistrate Jiang…” Yuchi Jingde’s voice carried a hint of grievance, just like a child whose snacks had been withheld.

"Excuse me, could you... could you give me two more packs of instant noodles? I'll eat less for lunch."

Jiang Ge raised an eyebrow, looking at the burly man in front of her with such a pitiful expression, and couldn't help but find it amusing. She deliberately put on a stern face and asked, "What? Five bags aren't enough for you? If you're not full, you can eat a few more cornbreads."

Yuchi Jingde scratched his head and smiled sheepishly: "Well... that's a special case. I ate too much this morning, so I ate less at noon. I wanted to take the leftover instant noodles back for His Majesty to try."

"For His Majesty?" Jiang Ge was taken aback, then understood.

She had long heard from Yuchi Jingde that Li Shimin had been longing for instant noodles ever since he tasted them last time.

"Your Majesty is quite persistent. However, these instant noodles are a lunch perk provided by the county government, so they can't just be taken back home."

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Jingde immediately became anxious: "Magistrate Jiang, please have mercy! His Majesty... he's lost weight these past few days, constantly craving instant noodles, and he doesn't even have a good appetite. It breaks my heart to see him like this!"

Jiang Ge's heart softened when he saw his anxious look, but he still teased him on purpose: "Then tell me, what would happen if His Majesty couldn't get instant noodles?"

What will happen to His Majesty?

Yuchi Jingde scratched his head, hesitated for a long time, and finally managed to say, "If His Majesty can't get instant noodles, he might... he might cry."

"puff--"

Django almost burst out laughing.

She simply couldn't imagine that the wise and mighty Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, would cry because he couldn't get instant noodles.

However, seeing Yuchi Jingde's serious expression, she decided not to tease him anymore.

Fortunately, she had asked 004, and she was able to do this job.

He sighed and said, "Alright, since you're so thoughtful, I'll make an exception this time. But you have to agree to one condition."

"What are the conditions? Tell me!" Upon hearing that there was hope, Yuchi Jingde immediately perked up.

Jiang Ge pointed to Zhou Yu, who was eating nearby, and said, "From today onwards, you have to get along well with Governor Zhou and stop calling him a pretty boy."

Yuchi Jingde was taken aback for a moment, then patted his chest and said heartily, "No problem! I promise I'll never call him a pretty boy again!"

Jiang Ge nodded in satisfaction, took out two packets of instant noodles, and handed them to Yuchi Jingde: "Here, take them."

These two bags were originally intended for Yuchi Jingde, so it's like the wool coming from the sheep's back.

Yuchi Jingde accepted the instant noodles as if they were a treasure, nodding repeatedly: "Thank you, Magistrate Jiang! Don't worry, I will definitely get along well with Governor Zhou!"

If you say you'll get along well with Zhou Yu, then get along well with him.

Seeing Zhou Yu and Hei Fu sitting face to face eating, Yuchi Jingde also pulled Qin Shubao to join in, and sat down with his bowl without saying a word.

"Commander Zhou, from now on let's get along well." Yuchi Jingde rarely lowered his head and bowed to someone.

The main reason is that Zhou Yu is truly capable, so bowing his head is nothing to worry about. Moreover, Yuchi Jingde had previously seen those opera singers who played Zhou Yu, and he had developed a certain fondness for the character.

Zhou Yu remained silent, carefully examining the two people before him.

He had just managed to get information out of Hei Fu, and learned that Hei Fu came from the Qin Dynasty, while the two large figures in front of him came from the Tang Dynasty, several hundred years after his time.

As time passes and the seasons change, so too do the stars shift and the sun and moon rise and set.

This Magistrate Jiang actually has the ability to gather all these people together. It seems that there's no need to wait for time to rewind; it would be enough to have Magistrate Jiang recruit Brother Bofu to Songyang County.

His eyes flickered, but Hei Fu didn't notice Zhou Yu's expression. He was slurping his instant noodles, still happy that he had made a friend.

Even though the general repeatedly told him to be more wary of them.

Hei Fu didn't take it seriously at all. He was just worried about those two fierce old men from the Tang Dynasty. Zhou Yu was so handsome, how could he be a bad person?

Zhou Yu did not respond to Yuchi Jingde's words for a long time, and Yuchi Jingde began to get impatient. However, he was not angry and thought that if Yuchi Jingde ignored him, so be it.

Who told him to be Zhou Yu? It's normal for him to be a little arrogant.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yu pushed his packets of instant noodles to Yuchi Jingde: "From now on, let's get along well. This morning was just a misunderstanding that caused you to be punished with half of your lunch. Consider this my compensation to you."

oops!

This...this...

"I'm so sorry," Yuchi Jingde thought, trying to wave his hand to refuse, but he couldn't help himself and took it. "I'm sorry, I didn't want it either, but my hand keeps cramping."

He was talking about cramps, but he didn't return them.

What Yuchi Jingde had already acquired, he wanted to take it back?

No way!

Zhou Yu still had a smile on his face, the domineering aroma of instant noodles lingering in his nose, but he wasn't in a hurry to eat. He looked at Hei Fu beside him and asked, "Hei Fu, how much longer until you reach Xianyang?"

Those present had already spilled out any information that Hei Fu knew, including his own situation.

Upon hearing Zhou Yu's question, Hei Fu quickly swallowed the instant noodles in his mouth.

“I don’t know when we’ll arrive either.” Hei Fu scratched his head. He had never been to Xianyang. “However, the General said it will be soon.”

"That's good. You must have had a hard time traveling at night these past few days."

Anyone who hears this would feel comforted.

Hei Fu also said, "It's not hard work at all. The General is so kind to me. He even let me ride in a carriage. I'll be able to see His Majesty soon!" He was overjoyed.

Things are valued for their rarity, and the same applies to people.

As the only person in the entire Qin Dynasty to be recruited by an immortal, Hei Fu enjoyed the highest level of treatment, especially after he took out his watch, which doubled his value.

Zhou Yu nodded and smiled slightly in response. He knew about the historical developments, but he did not reveal them to Hei Fu.

The Qin dynasty lasted only two generations before its demise, followed by the Han dynasty.

The Han dynasty is not unfamiliar; Cao Cao, under the guise of restoring the Han dynasty, actually became a traitor to the Han.

Liu Bei claimed to be a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, a great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han, a grandson of Liu Xiong, and a son of Liu Hong, and also said that he wanted to restore the Han Dynasty.

Even Zhou Yu himself was loyal to the Han Dynasty when he was young. He received Confucian education from childhood and was taught to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country. During the Battle of Red Cliffs, he used the name of "restoring the Han Dynasty" to unite with Liu Bei against Cao Cao. However, this loyalty had long since become a slogan to win the hearts of the people.

There's a saying that perfectly describes Zhou Yu: "Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty."

So to whom did Zhou Yu pledge his absolute loyalty?

The answer is Jiangdong.

——

Zhou Yu's generous actions drew praise from Yuchi Jingde, who said, "Although this time he didn't recruit our people, this Commander Zhou is really generous. It seems that people in the Three Kingdoms period were quite good; they were all heroes."

This guy is so simple; he was bribed with just a few packets of instant noodles.

Qin Shubao really couldn't stand it.

"Jingde, in my opinion, it would be best to have people from later generations, so that His Majesty and the others can know about future events and gain the upper hand."

"What good is this for future generations? We can see Zhou Yu, and maybe Zhuge Liang in the future, and who knows, maybe even Guan Yu! Old Qin, don't you want to see Guan Yu?"

During the Tang Dynasty, Guan Yu was gradually deified and became a symbol of loyalty and righteousness. People began to build temples to worship him and called him "Lord Guan" or "Lord Guan the Holy Emperor".

Guan Yu was a "warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men" on the battlefield. Tang Dynasty generals and soldiers often regarded him as their guardian deity and prayed for his protection on the battlefield.

Everyone says Guan Yu was a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men, but Qin Shubao also had the reputation of "his horse trampled both banks of the Yellow River, and his mace struck three prefectures and six counties."

Qin Shubao believed he was no less capable than Guan Yu, and confidently said:

"If I ever have the chance to meet Guan Yu, I would love to experience the power of his Green Dragon Crescent Blade."

A note from the author:

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Thank you to everyone who watered my blog with nutrient solution! Thank you so much! [cheering emoji] Thank you also to everyone who commented; I've read them all. I'll keep writing! And thank you to everyone who added this to their favorites! [cheering emoji] Thank you all so much for your support. I'll work hard to write more and repay you all! [sprinkling emoji]