Chapter 30 The history of the Three Kingdoms is never found in the writings of others…
In the square in front of the Songyang County government office, red silk ribbons hung high and colorful banners fluttered. Zhou Yu, dressed in a moon-white long robe, was personally instructing his servants on setting up the venue. Eight iron pots steamed on makeshift stoves, and ten long tables were arranged in a U-shape, covered with brand-new coarse cloth.
Several canvas banners fluttered gently in the breeze, each embroidered with different bean products: tofu, dried tofu, tofu pudding, fermented bean curd, stinky tofu... The most eye-catching banner was the Songyang tofu banner in the center, which shone brightly in the morning sun.
“Leave a three-zhang passage in the southeast corner.” Zhou Yu tapped lightly with his folding fan. “The Chen family caravan values etiquette the most, so they should be seated at the head of the procession.”
Jiang Ge hurried over carrying a stack of account books. Seeing that Zhou Yu even personally oversaw the arrangement of the desks, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Lord Zhou is so hands-on, even personally arranging the seating for the caravan. He's truly responsible."
Fortunately, we recruited Zhou Yu, which saved us a lot of trouble.
"Since we aim to make Songyang tofu famous throughout the world," Zhou Yu dusted off his sleeves and took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his robes, "I would like to request that Magistrate Jiang review the methods for preparing these tofu dishes."
Just as Jiang Ge was about to take it, he suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Speaking of which, these bamboo slips are really cumbersome. Perhaps we can try making paper another day..." He realized he had misspoke halfway through his sentence. One must eat one bite at a time and do things one step at a time. Why was he in such a hurry?
Just then, a great commotion of drums and music erupted outside the yamen—caravans from various regions had arrived.
The first to enter was the manager of the Chen family caravan, dressed in a cloud-patterned brocade robe with a jade pendant jingling at his waist. He bowed deeply and said, "I have long heard of the exquisite tofu of Songyang, and I have come today to witness its wonders."
Zhou Yu greeted him with courtesy, saying, "Manager Chen, you must be tired from your long journey." He personally led him to the head seat.
The following caravan filed in. The most eye-catching was a group of merchants with high noses and deep-set eyes, who asked in broken Mandarin, "Tofu, delicious?"
Django clapped his hands three times, and the servants immediately served a variety of tofu delicacies: golden and crispy fried tofu, jade-white tofu soup, and richly flavored braised tofu... In the center was a tofu sculpture of "Songyang Landscape," with layers of mountains dotted with emerald green vegetable leaves, a truly breathtaking sight.
"Please, everyone, taste it." Zhou Yu raised his cup in a gesture of invitation.
Manager Chen picked up a piece of pan-fried tofu, and his eyes widened the moment he tasted it: "Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, the aroma of soybeans fills my mouth!" As the merchants praised it, a snicker suddenly rang out:
"These are just some crude things, yet they deserve such a grand display?"
Everyone turned around and saw a young man in fine clothes waving a gilded folding fan, his face full of disdain. He was the son of a powerful figure from a neighboring county, who had come specifically to cause trouble.
Zhou Yu calmly put down his wine cup: "Does the young master think tofu is crude?"
"Isn't it?" the young master sneered, "food for the lowly to fill their stomachs."
"Oh?" Zhou Yu slowly walked to the center of the room and ordered someone to bring a piece of snow-white tofu and place it in the clear soup. In an instant, the tofu transformed into white lotus blossoms, slowly blooming in the soup. The entire room erupted in murmurs of surprise.
The merchant from Hu suddenly stood up and shouted in broken Chinese, "I want it! A thousand catties!"
Upon hearing this, the merchants erupted in cheers:
"Eight hundred jin!"
"1,500 jin!"
"I want two thousand catties! Cash transaction!"
It's impossible for one household to consume so much tofu; it must be the result of multiple households working together to achieve such a high output. Moreover, tofu is difficult to preserve, and merchants from distant places couldn't take away so much tofu. Only merchants in the vicinity could take it. However, although the merchants couldn't take the tofu, they could exchange it for dried tofu, fermented bean curd, or stinky tofu.
The young master's face turned ashen, and he retreated in a huff. Jiang Ge leaned closer to Zhou Yu and whispered, "Gongjin, a brilliant plan."
Amidst the clamor of voices, the tofu feast was considered a great success.
This tofu feast was entirely organized by Zhou Yu, and it was done beautifully.
Django only needs to assist from the sidelines, which is quite a leisurely job.
You can also stroll around the county town.
Hei Fu was leading Er Wang and the others on patrol. If Jiang Ge hadn't seen Er Wang and the others, he would have forgotten about arranging a new job for Ding Yi and the others.
With the arrival of Hei Fu, and then Yuchi Jingde and Qin Shubao, Songyang County, while not exactly fully staffed, was more than capable of taking on a hundred men each.
However, since the staff need to patrol the entire county and perform other tasks, they cannot be easily reassigned; they can only be assigned lighter tasks.
We can only wait until there are more people later to transfer Ding Yi and the others away from patrol. However, we can't let them leave the county government office. They have dedicated their lives to Songyang County, so we must take responsibility for them and provide for their retirement.
In the back alley of Songyang County Government Office, hurried footsteps echoed on the bluestone pavement.
"Magistrate Jiang, please wait!"
Jiang Ge stopped upon hearing the sound, and turned to see County Magistrate Xu hurriedly chasing after him, lifting the hem of his robe. The old county magistrate was sweating profusely, his chest heaving violently, and even his white beard trembled slightly.
"Why is Magistrate Xu in such a panic?" Jiang Ge held the old man's arm, his hand feeling its icy coldness.
Magistrate Xu's brows were furrowed, his chest heaving as he tried to compose himself: "Magistrate Jiang, outside..."
"What's going on outside?" Although Jiang Ge had served as the county magistrate for a while, he wasn't as quick to grasp certain information as County Magistrate Xu.
There are some things that only Magistrate Xu can know.
"There's going to be chaos outside. I've heard there's a gang of big bandits not far from here. They rob anyone they see, and after robbing them, they kill them too. They're utterly wicked." Magistrate Xu patted his chest. He had originally planned to retire and return to his hometown, but now that he'd encountered this gang of bandits, how could he possibly dare to leave the county town?
I feel safer in Songyang County. Seeing those two big bumps at the entrance makes me feel at ease.
Django's eyes sharpened, and he subconsciously asked, "Where are the local officials?"
Magistrate Xu patted his chest, slowing his pace. "Yes," he thought, "where is the local government?" Suddenly, something occurred to him.
"Could it be collusion between officials and bandits?"
If the voice is almost cracking, then there is a big problem. Although Magistrate Xu knew that the court was in chaos, he did not expect it to be this chaotic.
He was a disciple of the emperor and still harbored some illusions about the current emperor, after all, the emperor was also a wise ruler in his youth.
Officials and bandits are colluding; they're practically at our doorstep.
Magistrate Xu's eyes widened. "I knew it! Every wealthy merchant who returns to his hometown hires bodyguards, yet they all fall victim to bandits."
This world is going to be in chaos.
When Django returned to the office, only Zhou Yu was sitting and drinking tea; the others had already returned to their respective dynasties.
Zhou Yu sat here precisely to wait for Magistrate Jiang. He also wanted to see how future generations would record Zhou Gongjin in the TV series, whether they would remember him for his heroic feat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, his childhood friendship with Bo Fu, or his reputation as the handsome Zhou Lang.
Because it is unknown, we have expectations.
No one could understand Zhou Yu's feelings at that moment. He was filled with excitement and anticipation, as if he had a star in his arms that he was ready to fly to the sky at any time.
"Magistrate Jiang, I want to see..." Zhou Yu said with expectant eyes, "...a TV series about me."
Even a figure like Hu Hai has a TV series about him.
There will probably be even more to say about him, Zhou Gongjin.
Zhou Yu drank the tea in his cup, waiting for Jiang Ge to agree to his request.
Django's gaze was complicated, but he no longer resisted. Some things, whether they are good or bad, are only for the parties involved to decide.
It's better to let someone face the consequences than to make decisions for them on your own.
Are you sure?
Django asked one last time.
"Sure."
"Gongjin, please take a seat." Jiang Ge pointed to the round-backed chair in the center, the back of which was carved with intricate patterns. "What I will show you later is the story of the Three Kingdoms as interpreted by later generations."
I hope Gongjin can understand what she means; it's just a story from the Three Kingdoms period, not actual history.
Zhou Yu's fingertips traced the round-backed chair, his wide, moon-white sleeves cascading like clouds. "Later interpretations?" A slight smile played on his lips. "They must have portrayed me as dashing and romantic." The jade pendant at his waist clinked crisply with each movement.
Before he finished speaking, Django pressed the remote control, and the LCD screen suddenly lit up. In the dazzling blue light, the four gilded characters of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" slowly emerged, accompanied by magnificent orchestral music.
When the actor playing Zhou Yu lifted the curtain and stepped out, the real Zhou Yu unconsciously straightened his back.
"This..." His Adam's apple bobbed, his fingers unconsciously tracing his jawline. "This person's build is similar, but..."
He doesn't seem as handsome as me.
Zhou Yu would never say this aloud; he was used to being humble.
The "Zhou Yu" in the picture is dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, strategizing in his tent. The real Zhou Yu leans forward slightly, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "He does have some of my style."
During the Three Kingdoms period, heroes emerged one after another. Regardless of which side they belonged to, Zhou Yu always wore a smile. However, something seemed off about this plot.
Especially when the "Zhou Yu" on his sickbed trembled and stretched out his finger: "Since Heaven gave birth to Yu... why did it also give birth to Liang..." the camera slowly zoomed in, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the actor's pale face.
The real Zhou Yu abruptly closed his eyes, his long eyelashes casting trembling shadows in the candlelight. His chest heaved violently.
“What a…” His voice was hoarse beyond recognition, “What a narrow-minded Zhou Gongjin.”
When he opened his eyes, there seemed to be a fire burning in them. He grabbed the bamboo slips on the table, which clinked against the teacup with a crisp sound.
"Is this the Zhou Yu of later generations?" He stared at his frozen image on the screen, his voice as soft as if he were talking in a dream.
Jiang Ge handed over a snow-white silk handkerchief: "Fictional novels inevitably involve artistic embellishment. Look, this Zhuge Liang can even summon wind and rain."
Zhou Yu didn't take the handkerchief, letting the blood from his fingers spread across his clothes. He suddenly pointed to the end credits: "This Luo Guanzhong..." His finger trembled slightly in mid-air, "...just who is he?"
Who is this deity?
The author of one of the Four Great Classical Novels, Luo Guanzhong, wrote Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which has been read by at least hundreds of millions of people. Romance of the Three Kingdoms not only portrayed Zhou Yu as "jealous," but also established Guan Yu's status as a martial saint. It is famous for its respect for Liu Bei and suppression of Cao Cao. Sun Quan's side would also be implicated, with Zhou Yu being a typical example. Luo Guanzhong can be said to have stirred up the world with a pen.
“The storyteller from the Yuan Dynasty, it is said…” Jiang Ge paused, “was a disciple of Guan Yu’s descendants.”
"Guan Yu's men?" Zhou Yu suddenly burst into laughter, the sound shaking dust from the rafters. "No wonder they praise Zhuge Liang to the skies!"
As he laughed, his voice gradually changed tone.
He turned to face the window, the moonlight outlining his tense silhouette. Django noticed his shoulders trembling slightly, the cloud patterns on his clothes rippling like water in the moonlight.
"Gongjin, there's no need to be too sad. Your descendants also include great writers, such as Lu Xun." Jiang Ge had no idea how to comfort the injured Zhou Yu, whose image had been completely distorted by Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
"Would my descendants write a biography of Zhou Yu from the Three Kingdoms period? And shouldn't my descendants bear the surname Zhou?"
Would Lu Xun have written a biography of Zhou Yu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Of course not.
As for why Lu Xun's surname wasn't Zhou?
Um... how is Django supposed to explain this?
As dawn broke, Zhou Yu closed the last scroll of bamboo slips. Morning light streamed through the carved window lattice, casting a soft golden outline on his face. He rose, straightened his clothes, and carefully put away the broken bamboo slips.
“Magistrate Jiang.” His voice had returned to its usual clear tone, though his eyes still held a trace of moisture. “Although this historical fiction is fictional, it has made me realize something.”
On a sycamore tree outside the courtyard, a bird is flapping its wings vigorously, its feathers shimmering with a golden halo in the morning sun.
"People love to see heroes falter, love to see them consumed by jealousy." Zhou Yu pushed open the window, the morning breeze filling his sleeves, carrying the scent of dew. "But true history..."
The bird finally hopped onto the branch and uttered a clear, melodious song.
"Never in other people's writings."
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Author's Note: Only by updating more chapters can I repay everyone's love and support [three-flower cat emoji]. Working hard to write! [thumbs up] Please leave comments and messages about what time you'd like to update; I'll try to maintain a consistent update schedule from now on. If you like my work, please add me to your favorites! [rainbow fart emoji]
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