Chapter 255 Take a Step
After being arranged by Qiao Yan, Fu Shou was still listening to Qiao Yan's arrangements for the control of the Wei River, asking them to pay attention to where to widen and where to narrow it, where to build dams and where to divert water to irrigate the fields, but the next moment, she was sitting on the river bank with her waiting for the grilled fish.
She wrung the water out of her clothes and changed into short boots that were convenient for walking outside. Looking at the large parasol that Qiao Yan had calmly set up, she wanted to say -
My lord, do you think you are not doing your job properly?
But after being busy for such a while, to be honest, Fu Shou was indeed a little hungry.
What's more, Qiao Yan's grilled fish is completely different from other people's grilled fish.
Two years earlier, Xu Rong brought back pepper from the Silk Road.
When the first batch was brought back, because pepper was precious at that time and had medicinal value, Qiao Yan gave it to Hua Tuo after weighing the pros and cons to use in his pharmacology research.
But in fact, even if Qiao Yan did not make such a choice, just relying on her support for the development of medical skills in Leping, her promotion of pharmacology and Five Animal Exercises in the Leping Monthly, and her emphasis on the creation of books such as emergency prescriptions, Hua Tuo would change his original intention of coming to Leping to take a look and decide to stay here.
So half of the pepper was returned to her and mixed with the second batch that Xu Rong sent back later.
Due to the price, the second batch of pepper she brought back was not much, but it was enough for her to occasionally splurge and use pepper as a seasoning for grilled fish.
Powders of star anise, fennel, cinnamon, sesame and other ingredients are placed in another small jar.
It goes without saying that onions, ginger and garlic are common items nowadays.
If what Qiao Yan said is true, the only pity is that the origin of chili pepper is in Latin America and it is impossible to get it in a short time.
But the seasonings she used alone were luxurious enough.
For today's era.
Fu Shou tried to move her eyes away from the grilled fish being brushed with sesame oil, and turned to Qiao Yan and asked, "Speaking of which, is it really okay for you to leave Chang'an at this time?"
Although she had been following Bi Lan in the Wei River Basin recently, she had also heard a lot about the hot topics in Chang'an City recently.
It is hard to say whether these people who came in a hurry because of the alcohol restriction wanted to learn some inside information from Qiao Yan in advance, but Qiao Yan obviously had no intention of returning to Chang'an City in a short time.
She even told her attendant to go to the Guanzhong military camp to inform them that she would go there for a military review in two days to check if the soldiers from Bingzhou and Liangzhou could adapt to the local climate after arriving in Guanzhong, or if they were lax because of their previous victories.
Fu Shou felt that if he were to put himself in the shoes of those who came to Chang'an, nine out of ten would be confused.
But looking at Qiao Yan's calm face, based on the admiration he had for her since eight years ago, he finally came to one conclusion -
This is probably the psychological quality that a person who serves as a Grand Marshal must have.
Yes, that's it.
Qiao Yan signaled his attendants to turn the grilled fish over, and replied to Fu Shou: "If I'm not in Chang'an, will they break the law and destroy the road with the word Chang'an written on it?"
Fu Shou shook his head subconsciously.
At most, these people were just waiting and watching, and would never dare to violate the laws set by the Chang'an court.
Qiao Yan asked again: "If I am not in Chang'an, will people think that I, as the Grand Marshal, have deserted my post and am unworthy of my high position as the number one person under the emperor?"
Of course this won't happen.
The court already had an established system for recruiting talented people at the Hongwenguan.
Those who want to get an explanation from the alcohol restriction have already been received by the reception staff.
The Lord's purpose in leaving Chang'an was to improve water conservancy and people's livelihood, and no one would dare to criticize it.
Anyway, the time has been told to them, and it will be held on time at the end of May.
Seeing that Fu Shou still had a bit of worry on his face, Qiao Yan smiled and signaled the servant beside him to hand the things over.
Fu Shou took the thing in his hand curiously.
The grilled fish was not ready yet, but the meat that had been stewed on the shore earlier was already cooked.
The meat was sliced pork belly, but from what Fu Shou saw, there was a layer of strange sauce on it and it was sandwiched in a wheat cake folded in the shape of a lotus leaf.
Although the aroma of grilled fish was more distinct in his nostrils, Fu Shou's eyes widened immediately after taking a bite of the lotus leaf pancake wrapped in marinated meat in front of him.
"My Lord, this sauce..."
The aroma of meat and sauce are mixed together with the fragrance of beans. Although it looks simple, it is enough to conquer people's taste buds with its flavor.
"Do you want to know how it's made?" Qiao Yan took another one from the tray beside him and signaled someone to take the grilled fish off the rack.
Facing Fu Shou's eager eyes, she said something that almost made people wonder if there was something wrong with their ears, "Put the tofu in mold and make fermented tofu."
If Qiao Yan hadn't taken a bite right after that, Fu Shou would have been almost defeated on the spot by the scene he had imagined in his mind.
When she looked up, she saw Qiao Yan's expression of unable to hold back his laughter.
"My Lord!"
"Okay, I didn't lie to you," Qiao Yan replied, "It's just that wine requires koji, and tofu fermentation requires fermented bean curd. Wine is fermented from grains and is not poisonous, so would fermented bean curd be poisonous?"
Fu Shou always felt that there was something strange about this analogy, but when she thought that the prince had a figure like Hua Tuo under his command, she felt relieved because she thought that the prince would not joke about the safety of food.
Moreover, during this sensitive period of the alcohol restriction order, she suddenly mentioned the wine yeast, which inevitably made Fu Shou think too much.
But just as he was speaking, the spiced grilled fish was served in front of him, with a cup of milk tea on the plate.
At this moment, Fu Shou didn't have the extra energy to ask what the fermented bean curd looked like.
The pepper powder, which is still considered a luxury as a spice, is clearly visible on the surface of the grilled fish, making this grilled fish a food that Fu Shou has never tasted before.
The lack of seasonings and the mainstream cooking methods of steaming and boiling have led to the fact that the taste of most Han people tends to be lighter, but this heavy-flavored grilled fish does not make people uncomfortable.
When Fu Shou thought that the pepper that could produce this flavor had to be sent in from outside the region, he couldn't help but ask, "Why not just grow pepper directly in the Han territory? Wouldn't it be available anytime then?"
According to Fu Shou's idea, pepper should be no different from sesame, or just a little more difficult to handle like cotton.
Rather than purchasing from abroad, it is better to be self-sufficient.
Then she heard Qiao Yan laugh and say, "You don't think pepper can be planted in spring and harvested in autumn, do you? It takes two or three years for it to bloom and bear fruit, and it has to grow in places with extremely high temperatures. I think it can be planted in Jiaozhou, but forget about it in Guanzhong, let alone Liangzhou and Bingzhou."
Fu Shou looked at the grilled fish in front of him, then at the braised pork lotus leaf pancake on the tray in the distance, and couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that I still have a long way to go on this journey of thousands of miles."
It turns out that I still know too little.
However, as long as I follow you, I can always eat it... no, I can always see it!
While Qiao Yan was supervising water conservancy projects, reviewing the troops, and even enjoying some special delicacies, the situation on Yuan Shu's side was also changing.
With the death of Wen Chou, half of the Pei State occupied by Liu Bei returned to his rule, which was originally great news for Yuan Shu.
Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with Yuan Huan, Yan Xiang and others for contacting Sun Ce and attacking together without his permission, instead of following his plan and informing him in advance, when he thought of Yuan Shao's depressed look after receiving the battle report, Yuan Shu was immediately delighted.
It would certainly be much more comfortable to let his old enemy suffer a loss than to embarrass himself in front of Sun Ce's son, and than to have to send a batch of wealth to Yangzhou afterwards.
For this purpose, Yuan Shu even held a celebration banquet for several heroes in this battle.
As he raised his glass to greet everyone, he subconsciously thought of the news coming from Chang'an.
According to the fact that his position as Yuzhou Mu was granted by the court in Chang'an, it seems that he should have complied with the alcohol restriction order when it was officially promulgated?
But thinking that this time Yuan Shao sent people to lead the troops to attack, and his Yuzhou did not receive any support from Qiao Yan, but instead it was Zhou Yu who led the troops to attack, Yuan Shu decided to selectively obey with particular calmness.
What does the arrangement in Guanzhong have to do with his Yuzhou?
When a general is away from the court, he may not obey the orders of his king.
After preparing himself for the battle, Yuan Shu toasted Zhou Yu and said, "This time, we are in great need of Gongjin's help to fight against the traitors who usurped the imperial court. Sun Bofu, who agreed to send troops, is also a young talent who has made great achievements in Yangzhou. I only regret that I don't have a son like Gongjin, otherwise I wouldn't be afraid of that villain who claims the name of the Yuan family!"
Zhou Yu: “…”
Thanks to his strong psychological quality, he did not lose his composure when Yuan Shu said this.
Yuan Huan almost couldn't hold the wine glass steadily.
How can you praise someone like this?
It's fine to praise others for their achievements at a young age, bravery in battle, good command of troops, and having the style of their fathers, but what can you praise -
If I had a son like this, he would definitely be able to defeat Yuan Shao!
Sun Ce was the governor of Yangzhou, and Zhou Yu was his sworn brother and the subordinate he treated most kindly. How could he become Yuan Shu's son...
Yuan Huan quickly changed the subject to the outcome of this battle. Yuan Shu was completely unaware of the undercurrents and took over the topic, turning to mock Yecheng.
It is said that Yuan Shao boasted to others that Yan Liang and Wen Chou were both brave generals under his command, but one of them died at the hands of Dong Zhuo's subordinates, and the other lost his life here not long after he came to conquer Yuzhou. It seems that Gao Lan and Zhang He were not good at fighting.
I heard that he also handed over most of the military power to the scholar Ju Shou, which shows that he really has no one else to use.
However, Yuan Shu at the top kept talking, while Yuan Huan at the bottom had a blank look on his face.
He is wrong!
He shouldn't have tried to change the subject.
Why did Yuan Shu belittle Yan Liang and Wen Chou at this time? Wasn't he saying that Zhou Yu, who killed Wen Chou in battle, didn't actually have much ability?
Anyway, the one who was killed was just a second-rate general.
If you think about it carefully, this statement is not a mockery of the opponent at all, but a harm to the ally.
When the celebration party was finally over, Yuan Huan handed Yuan Shu, who was still muttering "I had a son like this", to his subordinates to take a rest. Yuan Huan finally had some time to bow to Zhou Yu apologetically and said, "Please don't be offended, Gongjin. Your Majesty has always been like this... He is not particular about small matters and will not miss anything promised to Yangzhou. I'd like to ask Gongjin to go with me and count them all."
Zhou Yu still looked gentle yet a little upright and dignified, and replied: "I guess it was because Lord Yuan was betrayed by his own people that he took such violent actions. I won't take it to heart. Besides, both Yangzhou and Yuzhou respect the Emperor of Chang'an, so they should help each other."
He said it in such a polite way, but as to what kind of evaluation he made of Yuan Shu, probably only he himself knew.
But probably neither Zhou Yu, who had just left Pingyu and returned to Yangzhou, nor Yuan Shu, who was satisfied with the victory, had ever imagined that in just half a month, such a powerful team would come from Chenliu County in the north, kill their way through Chen County and arrive in Runan.
The Xianzhen Camp led by Gao Shun and the soldiers temporarily recruited by Gao Gan in Chenliu were divided into two routes under the leadership of Ju Su.
Gao Gan took the lead and headed towards the Yuan family's old house in Runan.
You should know that Ruyang, located more than a hundred miles north of Pingyu in Runan County, is the ancestral home of this branch of the Runan Yuan family.
No matter whether most of the direct descendants had moved to Luoyang earlier, and some died in the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, and some went to Yecheng, the ancestral tablets and ancestral halls were always there.
Also, because the troops sent by Yuan Shao were still stationed in Pei State, Yuan Shu never expected that there would be divine soldiers sent from heaven to appear in Ruyang, so he did not have many garrisons there.
Yuan Shu was furious when he suddenly learned that another group of Yuan Shao's followers had emptied the temple in Ruyang in the name of "Yuan Shu was immoral and tarnished the reputation of our ancestors", and even "invited" the Yuan clan members who remained there to leave.
When Yan Xiang felt something was wrong and tried to dissuade Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu had already led thousands of troops stationed in Pingyu north to Ruyang.
But before Yuan Shu caught up with Gao Gan's troops, or in other words, before he reached Ruyang County, he was intercepted by a troop halfway.
This was a team so silent and solemn that one wondered if it was made up of living people.
But when the torrent of iron armor and strong shields tore through the marching ranks and the clash of swords made a sound of golden spears, this team suddenly burst out like lava.
With their sharp aura intertwined with that of their commander, they created a terrifying impact.
Yuan Shu originally thought that Yuan Shao had chosen such a shameless method as robbing the ancestral temple under duress just to prove his legitimacy.
But unexpectedly, this was just a way to lure the snake out of its hole!
If he had been a little more vigilant about the Ruyang Incident, if he had not chosen to pursue the enemy overnight, and if he had sent people to conduct reconnaissance before encountering such a valley terrain, he would not have suffered such a disastrous defeat.
He didn't even get to see what the silent sword in the night looked like before he was caught up in the chaos of the defeated army.
Fortunately, his subordinates fought hard to protect him and got him out of danger.
It was not until he had run several miles that he finally stopped being pursued.
Yuan Shu turned around and looked towards the valley, only to see a fire burning over there.
The sounds of fighting in the fire gradually faded into the night, becoming almost inaudible.
The only thing that became somewhat clear was the words spoken by the person opposite him when he was ambushed. As he hurriedly turned back, the words mixed with the night wind kept ringing in his ears.
"Yuan Gonglu, Master Benchu asked me to tell you two things. You are a fierce ghost on the road. Not only are you unworthy of being seen in the daytime, but you are also unworthy of being seen at night."
"The defeat a month ago was not at the hands of you, Yuan Gonglu, but at the hands of that young tiger from Jiangdong!"
Yuan Shu couldn't catch his breath and suddenly fell off his horse.
When he woke up, he heard news that made him hate it so much.
Those Yuan family members and tablets that were abducted were released and were not actually abducted.
Ju Su also had someone leave a letter for Yuan Shu.
The letter said that they did not take the things and people away, not because the previous words about Yuan Shu being immoral were invalid, but because they took into account that he was not only immoral but also had no talent. Sooner or later, Runan would fall back into the control of the Yecheng court. There was no need to disturb the heroic spirits of their ancestors and carry out a large-scale relocation.
I just hope that Yuan Shu can learn a thing or two from his ancestor Yuan Shaogong (Yuan An) in order to preserve the reputation of the Runan Yuan family.
Why learn a thing or two from Yuan An?
In his early years before he became an official, Yuan An lived in Luoyang. One winter, the magistrate of Luoyang went to visit him. Because the snow in his yard was very deep, he had to ask someone to clear a path before he could get in. When he got in, he saw that Yuan An had no thick quilt or clothes, and was shivering with cold. The Luoyang magistrate asked him why he didn't seek help from his relatives. Yuan An said that everyone was very poor at this time of year and he was embarrassed to disturb others.
Later generations used Yuan An trapped in the snow to illustrate the poverty of noble scholars. Yuan An was the first of the three ministers among the four generations of the Runan Yuan family.
The implication of this sentence is to let Yuan Shu stop seeking external assistance in this struggle.
If he can't even do this, how can he have the confidence to say that he is the heir of the Yuan family of Runan?
Yuan Shu was so angry that his head was about to explode. When he saw the signature at the end of the letter and learned that the commander-in-chief of this operation was Ju Shou, whom he had just ridiculed at the celebration banquet, his forehead throbbed even more.
But just as he was about to get out of bed, he discovered something even more uncomfortable.
Compared to his head, his feet might hurt more.
It was because after he fell off his horse, he broke one of his leg bones.
Yuan Shu lay back down, covering his injured leg.
After the pain subsided, he turned around and stared at his son Yuan Yao beside the bed for a long time, and said, "Go to the capital, ask the Grand Marshal for a reward, and invite Doctor Hua to come."
Even at this time, Yuan Shu felt that he should use the best.
A broken leg can be a big deal or a small matter. If it leaves any sequelae, wouldn't Yuan Shao, who has succeeded in this mission, make a fool of himself?
As for the fact that Ju Su had just reminded him to emulate his ancestors, Yuan Shu did not think it was a problem.
This is a request for a doctor, not a request for reinforcements!
If our ancestor was freezing to death, he would also have to borrow some clothes from someone!
When Yuan Yao arrived in Chang'an, there were only ten days left before the cocktail party.
As early as five days ago, Qiao Yan had returned to Chang'an.
That was the night before he arrived when Qiao Yan led his men to stand in front of the poured cement road.
The torch cast a shadow of light on the word Chang'an on the ground in front of him, giving the illusion that the word was floating in front of him.
The curing time of indigenous cement is indeed longer than that of ordinary cement, but at this point it is already solid, and it is time to step on it to test it in case there are any problems when it is officially put into use in a few days.
But for some reason, Qiao Yan still felt hesitant about where to stay when he looked at everything in front of him.
"This isn't the first time you've stepped on concrete, is it?" Guo Jia joked.
Actually, this thing was already in use when he first arrived in Leping in the fourth year of Zhongping.
It has been several years since then.
She should have known very well what would happen if she took this step, but she still felt strangely cautious.
Qiao Yan looked at the road in front of him.
On both sides of the road, section after section of guardrails were dismantled and removed until it became a new road with no obstructions.
This special material forms a clear boundary with the two surrounding roads, giving the city of Chang'an a unique look.
She did not look at Guo Jia, but looked at the dimly lit area ahead, and replied: "Perhaps it is because this is a groundbreaking step."
She said this before walking forward.
Crossing the word "Chang'an" written by her——
He took the first step onto the concrete road.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
