Chapter 44: The Banquet on the Locust Tree – King Cheng Drunkenly Retires in Three Months, the King of Yunhuai Kingdom Withdraws…

In March, the King of Yunhuai abdicated and Crown Prince Mizhen ascended the throne. Coinciding with the Ode to the Locust Tree Banquet, he took the opportunity to extend invitations to all countries to join him at the Ode to the Locust Tree Banquet on the fifteenth of the following month.

Needless to say, Yaoqi was invited, and as Mizhen's friends, Mingqi and Fengyi, though commoners, were also on the invitation list.

Yunhuai is located in the north. In its capital city grew a century-old locust tree that had never blossomed. When the founding king of Yunhuai beheaded the tyrant and established order, the locust tree unexpectedly blossomed. The king considered this an auspicious omen and named the kingdom "Yunhuai." To commemorate this moment, the king ordered locust trees to be planted throughout the land and held a banquet to celebrate the blossoming of the locust tree every year.

The "Ode to the Locust Tree Banquet" is also a good time for Yunhuai to do business with neighboring countries.

Yunhuai is a powerful yet low-key country.

Yunhuai has a great specialty—blacksmiths.

From royalty to commoners, everyone in Yunhuai was well-versed in mechanisms and hidden weapons. Even the children of Yunhuai played with various mechanical toys as children. The mechanisms made by the people of Yunhuai were ingenious and unique in the world, impossible for others to imitate. When used on the battlefield, they could greatly save manpower and reduce casualties. However, the people of Yunhuai were not warlike. Since the founding of their nation, they had never waged war against other countries, but they were never afraid of war either. Because of their renowned mechanical inventions, other countries dared not easily invade them.

Other countries either use war to end war or arrange marriages with princesses.

Yunhuai, however, went against the grain and started doing business with other countries, selling the mechanical weapons and hidden weapons he manufactured to them. The upper-level weapons were used to defend the territory, while the lower-level weapons were used for daily farming. Although the core blueprints were still in the hands of the Yunhuai people, they greatly contributed to the positive development of both countries.

Meanwhile, the ruler of Yunhuai Kingdom regularly sends people to other countries to learn, partly to cultivate good relations with them and partly to keep them in check, preventing them from easily attacking Yunhuai. Moreover, the people of Yunhuai are united and hard to shake. In the eyes of other countries, Yunhuai is both a lotus flower to be admired from afar and prey surrounded by wolves.

By the time of Mi Zhen's generation, the governing philosophy of his ancestors had been carried through to the end. He never pursued immortality or wealth; his only desires were for his country, his wife, and his close friends.

On the tenth day of the fourth lunar month, the locust flowers are in full bloom.

To welcome envoys from various countries who had traveled from afar, young girls held flowers and young boys held water, standing on either side of the city gate. A thick, bright red carpet was laid on the ground, leading directly from the city gate to the palace. When the guests entered the city, fresh flowers and water mixed with flower dew were sprinkled down at the same time, creating a shower of flowers to wash away the dust of their journey, a gesture meant to "welcome with fragrance and remove the dust."

The royal city was teeming with people. A band from the Western Regions sat atop camels, playing and singing with unwavering confidence; from the southern floats, wisps of smoke rose, and within one float lay a girl, appearing and disappearing in the mist—but upon closer inspection, she was revealed to be a black snake flicking its tongue, mysterious and astonishing; from the west, falcons and horses, proud and spirited, let out a cry of untamed freedom; from the east, a fish dance unfolded, joyful and spontaneous, the dancers clad in fish-skin costumes moving with the agility and grace of fish swimming in the water. Along with these figures came countless rare and exotic treasures brought by various nations to celebrate.

People in the high-rise buildings and along the streets clapped and cheered, their shouts and music echoing throughout the entire royal city.

The envoys were received by the welcoming ministers and royal court attendants personally appointed by the king, and were taken to the city's post station to rest. They were free to travel around the royal city until the fifteenth, and on the fifteenth, they would all go to court for a banquet.

Yaoqi and Muyi came with their own delegation. Mingqi, Yunxiang, and Fengyi came alone, but they were all received by Mizhen's personal attendants.

The next day.

Mingqi, with Yunxiang, and Yaoqi, with Muyi, strolled around the street, leaving Fengyi alone behind.

Feng Yi rolled his eyes at the two couples chatting and laughing in front of him and said, "Do you two always have to bring me along when you go out for a stroll?"

Upon hearing this, the four of them looked at him together and said, "You can be like us too."

Feng Yi was speechless. He really had made a bad choice in making friends!

Before Feng Yi could speak, the four of them abandoned him and headed towards a strange food stall. Feng Yi sighed and had no choice but to hurry after them.

The sign hanging in front of the stall was actually called "Braised Food with Stinky Sauce".

A large pot was set up in front of the stall, filled with all kinds of braised dishes. The aroma of the braised dishes was mixed with a rich herbal fragrance, and the dish looked very appealing, steaming hot.

As the stall owner packed up his goods, he shouted, "The braising sauce is pungent, but the flavor is guaranteed to be delicious!"

Upon seeing the group, the stall owner quickly wiped his hands, approached them, and said with a smile, "Would you like to try some of my braised dishes? They're freshly made and still hot!"

Mother Yi asked suspiciously, "Why do you call it 'Stinky Brine'? Can this stinky brine still be used? It smells quite good to us. Are you trying to trick us by mixing the stinky brine with the good one?"

Upon hearing this, the stall owner showed no sign of panic. Instead, he chuckled and calmly said, "You gentlemen are clearly from out of town. To be honest, my name is 'Lu Zhichou,' which is a homophone for 'stinky braising sauce,' meaning that Lu Zhichou's braised dishes are guaranteed to be delicious!"

The group then realized that "stinky braising liquid" and "Lu Zhichou" were indeed quite amusing.

Yaoqi said, "Interesting. But this is clearly a small stall, so why call it a 'shop'?"

Lu Zhichou said, "This braised food technique is my own creation. I want to make it bigger and stronger. I've already chosen a name for it and will pass it on to future generations."

The group exchanged smiles, and Ming Qi said, "Alright! Let us try your stinky braised dishes and see if they're really delicious!"

Lu Zhichou draped a towel over his shoulder and laughed, "Alright! Come and see what you'd like to eat!" With that, Lu Zhichou picked up a spoon from the side of the pot and pointed to each compartment in the pot, introducing them one by one: pig's trotters, sausage knots, chicken wings, bean curd rolls... everything was available.

With so many choices, the group was unsure what to pick. Seeing their hesitation, Feng Yi stepped forward and said, "Why think so much? Let's just have a little of everything and try them all!"

Lu Zhichou was delighted upon hearing this and said, "Alright! This young master has excellent taste. Today you've chosen the 'Family Reunion' dish, and you'll all surely have a happy and fulfilling future! Please wait a moment, I'll bring the braised dishes up shortly!"

The group sat down at the table, and Ming Qi slapped his forehead, saying, "That's right! We should all try it, and then ask that person to reimburse us!"

Yaoqi and Muyi agreed, saying, "That's a good idea! We're already on his turf, wouldn't it be a waste of our trip if we didn't take advantage of him?"

Feng Yi nodded, quite pleased, and said, "You've finally figured it out!"

After a moment, Yun Xiang said, "Although I also think it's good, isn't this a bit inappropriate? He has just ascended the throne; won't this bring him criticism?"

Yao Qi waved his hand and said, "Yun Xiang, don't worry. He'll just eat some of his food. He won't bankrupt you, and he certainly won't abuse his power for personal gain."

Mu Yi also said, "That's right. He'll be overjoyed if we eat and drink well here."

Ming Qi understood Yun Xiang's concerns, and the others were aware of them as well. Mi Zhen was now the ruler of a country, and times had changed. Even if the group had a deep bond, their changed identities meant their words and actions could not be compared to before. And how many eyes were watching them all?

Yaoqi said, "Don't worry, only we know each other's identities. No matter what happens, we will never fall apart! Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you!"

Mu Yi took Yun Xiang's hand and said, "Let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest. We still have a banquet to attend later. If they find out you have this idea, they'll be unhappy." Mu Yi paused for a moment, then added, "Although we come from different places, we're not pushovers. If anyone dares to make trouble for us, I'll unleash snakes to bite them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhichou brought a large plate of braised food to the table, along with a small bowl of dipping sauce and a few side dishes to cut through the richness.

Feng Yi immediately picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. It was fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry, and perfectly seasoned, leaving a lingering fragrance in his mouth. Feng Yi praised, "Your braised food is really good! It lives up to your reputation!"

Upon hearing this, the four knew without even tasting it that the braised food was excellent.

Feng Yi was a very picky eater. As a child, he was a wanderer and almost starved to death because he couldn't find food he liked. Later, he followed his master to learn martial arts, which somewhat changed his picky eating habits, but it was only a temporary solution. Unfortunately, he was quite strong, but he was always very thin and had extremely pale skin. When he wasn't carrying an axe, he always looked a bit sickly.

Later, he met Yaoqi and others. Unexpectedly, Yaoqi's cooking skills cured his picky eating habits, and his appetite returned instantly. After spending only a month with them, he became much stronger and more energetic, completely transformed.

Yunxiang and Mingqi were greatly shocked by this. They originally thought he had a health problem, but he was perfectly healthy. He was just too picky about food, which was really puzzling.

Friends exclaimed: It's a miracle that Fengyi has lived to be this old!

All four of them picked up their chopsticks and praised the food highly, but they all felt that something was missing.

Ming Qi raised his hand to Lu Zhichou and asked, "Shopkeeper, do you have any wine?"

Lu Zhichou seemed to have been waiting for these words. As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately took out a jar of wine from under the stall and brought it over.

Lu Zhichou said, "This is acacia flower wine made by my wife. It's sweet and refreshing, and it goes perfectly with my braised dishes!"

The group exchanged knowing smiles, and Ming Qi said, "Then let's get a jar!"

Lu Zhichou said with a smile, "Alright! Enjoy your meal and drinks, everyone!"

The meal was enjoyable. After paying the bill, as he was leaving, Yaoqi said, "I wish you a prosperous business and hope you can make your 'Braised Stinky Meat Shop' bigger and stronger soon! I hope that next time I come, you will have already established your shop!"

Lu Zhichou clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your kind words! Next time you come, I'll treat you to a meal!"

April 15th.

Envoys from various countries came to the palace to offer their congratulations, which lasted until evening, and the banquet was also held in the evening.

In the main hall, Mi Zhen and Yu Zhi, dressed in magnificent robes, sat upright, exuding royal nobility.

The group of people sitting below looked at Mi Zhen, their eyes lighting up. Having known him for so many years, this was the first time they'd seen him dressed like this. Even knowing his identity, they still felt a little unaccustomed to seeing him like this for the first time.

Ming Qi whispered in Yun Xiang's ear, "I'm so lucky! Prince Wumu, King Yunhuai, and chivalrous heroes are my friends, and you, the renowned physician, are my wife. I, Ming Qi, must have burned incense in my past life to be so fortunate in this one!"

Yun Xiang laughed and said, "You're so glib."

Seeing his friends all doing so well, Feng Yi suddenly felt a pang of emotion: he, Feng Yi, had wandered since childhood, not knowing where his home was or who his parents were. If he hadn't met his master and Yao Qi and the others, even if he hadn't starved to death, he would have been destined to live a lonely life.

Heaven has truly been kind to him!

Overwhelmed with joy, Feng Yi drank a few more cups than usual. He had always enjoyed wine, and on a day like this, he certainly wouldn't miss the chance. However, he had an excellent tolerance for alcohol and rarely got drunk, so while everyone else was tipsy, he remained sober.

After the banquet, the group bid farewell to Mi Zhenyu and returned to their respective homes.

Feng Yi was a wandering swordsman, naturally making the world his home. But these past few days he had been in a state of excitement and had drunk a bit too much.

One day, carrying a wine jug and a long axe, he wandered aimlessly through the mountains. He stumbled along, sometimes laughing, sometimes shouting, and when the wine got to him, he found a random spot, hugged his axe, and fell asleep. But in the middle of the night, he fell asleep, his body tossing and turning, and eventually, he tumbled off a cliff!

When he woke up again, a ghostly green fire floated past his eyes, almost scorching his eyebrows.

With a hiss, Feng Yi opened his eyes, only to find himself in complete darkness. He staggered to his feet, but felt unsteady on his feet. Looking down, he realized he was floating in mid-air. Just as he was wondering what was happening, a voice rang in his ears:

"Young brat, welcome to the Fiery Arena."

A moment later, Feng Yi sneered and said, "You're saying I'm dead?!"

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Author's Note: Here it comes! I'm here with a new chapter! Thank you all for waiting!

I was surprised to find that someone rated my story! Unfortunately, because I'm not verified, I can't see their comment. A lover of reading comments has been quietly disappointed. I wonder if you'll see this? If you can and it's convenient for you, could you please leave a comment? Whether you see it or not, I sincerely thank you for liking this story and giving it four stars!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who enjoyed this story, and thank you for not minding my slow writing pace. I still have shortcomings, but I will continue to work hard to write Chunshan well and finish writing Chunshan.

Hope you enjoy watching! Have a happy day!