Chapter 101: The spear technique of turning back and forth, the long spear is as graceful as a startled wild goose.
In the kitchen, fragrant braised pork was cooking in a big pot on the stove.
The meat pieces rolled around, stewed until they were bright red and glistening with oil.
The rich aroma of meat mixed with the flavors of star anise, cinnamon and other condiments is so fragrant that it makes you salivate.
"It's almost done, take it out of the pot!" The chef, wearing an apron around his waist and with his sleeves rolled up high, was directing the cooks.
He has a square face with distinct contours, and his skin is dark yellow from years of being smoked by the fire. His cooking skills have already reached perfection.
"I say, your general is not fooling me, is he?" He wiped his hands on his apron.
"If I help you cook for the Northern Border Army for a few days, can I really introduce Miss Gui to you?"
Half a month ago, the army from Donglu was approaching.
Lizhou City was the first to suffer. The soldiers behaved like the local thugs who were rampant in the city. They even ate and drank openly in the shops on the streets.
The leading soldier kicked open the door of Taiyue Restaurant and demanded food and drinks. The owner was so angry that he dared not say anything and simply closed the restaurant.
"This kind of robbery is totally unjust!" muttered the chef Chen.
With no business to do, he simply asked for leave from the shopkeeper and secretly headed north. Mr. Muxi mentioned that his cooking skills were learned from Miss Gui from the northern border.
Master Chen, who had participated in the Chuhuai Spring Banquet, was very excited about this.
"Don't worry, Master Chef. Everyone knows that our general is fond of Miss Gui." The cook patted his chest and promised.
If you want to find the general's wife, just come to the military camp.
By chance, I caught a good cook at the city gate, I can't let him get away!
"Hey, kid! Hurry up and serve me some rice. What are you taking so long for?" the old man waiting in line for food scolded impatiently.
He was wearing a fur coat and smelled of a pungent mixture of horse manure and hay.
The old man had just finished feeding the horses, and his wrinkled face was full of irritation.
The cook quickly apologized and scooped a large spoonful of braised pork and poured it over the rice. The thick soup seeped into the rice grains, dyeing them into an attractive sauce color.
Seeing the fat and lean braised pork swaying in the bowl, the old man showed a look of joy.
Then he glanced at the chef, snorted coldly and left.
"Huh?" Master Chen was confused.
"Don't worry, Master Chef, Tofu Man is just like that." The cook explained cheerfully.
It turned out that Tofu Weng was a registered gatekeeper at the central government office, but he had a habit of grinding tofu in the middle of the night to make some extra money.
This gave His Royal Highness Prince Yue a headache.
When the housekeeper learned that Tofu Weng's daughter and son-in-law were making a living in Linghe, he came up with a plan.
He recommended a good job for the young couple, supplying horse feed to the newly formed cavalry company of the First Army defending the northern border.
He then explained the situation to Tofu Weng and persuaded him to come to the army to feed the horses.
Linghe County is rich in soybeans, which are suitable for making tofu.
At the same time, soybean meal, straw, etc. are also excellent horse feed.
Although Tofu Weng complained that horses were difficult to take care of, he was really good at feeding horses.
Next to the stable, the old man scooped a big mouthful of plump and oily rice and stuffed it into his mouth.
He ate the rice grains smothered in the braised pork sauce, savoring it with relish, oblivious to the sauce staining his white beard. "If you want to find Miss Gui, her shop is only ten feet away from the central government office."
"This stupid cook must have been cheated!"
Tofu Man smacked his lips and came to a conclusion in his mind.
No matter whether it is His Royal Highness Prince Yue or General Luan, none of the officials are good people!
Like Commander Cai, he collaborated with the enemy and betrayed his country. He only cared about being an official in the barbaric grassland tribe, leaving his old widowed mother to be too ashamed to face people and hanged herself.
The world is becoming more and more corrupt, and people’s hearts are no longer as they used to be.
The old man burped and stroked the horse's smooth and shiny fur with his rough palms, his eyes full of satisfaction and pride.
Horses are better than humans, they are smart and docile.
The confrontation between the two armies will eventually be broken.
The new commander of the imperial guards, unable to withstand the pressure from the court, was the first to blow the horn of charge.
"Form a formation!" He was wearing gorgeous and exquisite silver armor and shouted loudly to his soldiers.
The imperial guards formed a strict square formation, with the shield bearers closely connected in front to guard against hidden arrows.
The northern border troops, relying on their rich experience in fighting foreign enemies, used the mobility of their cavalry to charge at the flanks of the imperial army and disperse.
The war horses neighed and their iron hooves leaped up.
After just the first round of contact, blood and flesh flew everywhere the cavalry charged.
"Where did these peasants from Zhenbei get the good war horses?" Commander Jiang asked in horror, cold sweat running down his back.
Daliang valued civil officials over military officials. Since General Liang died in the battle against the horse bandits in western Hunan, the court had almost no military generals to show off.
He knew his own strengths and weaknesses and felt timid.
"Reporting to the commander, the rebel Luan defeated the nomadic bandits and seized a lot of grassland horses." A military officer replied.
Commander Jiang's eyes went dark, his body swayed a few times, and he almost fell off his horse.
He clutched the edge of his silver helmet, panicking.
You are so good, Luan Shuangbai. It is rumored in the capital that he is a young genius, but unexpectedly he dared to hide the captured wealth and keep his own troops.
How do we fight this battle?
The military officer looked at the commander's cowardly and evasive appearance and swallowed back his unfinished words.
According to the latest intelligence, the Northern Army is not only making money, but also expanding its military.
The wealthy gentry in Linghe County, led by Mr. Zhang, failed to resist the tax reform and were suppressed by His Royal Highness Prince Yue with thundering means.
For some unknown reason, most of the servants in the mansion also volunteered to join the army.
These local tyrants and evil gentry finally wised up, recognized the situation, and gritted their teeth to donate a large sum of military funds to support the Northern Army's war of resistance.
In the words of Mr. Zhang - if the silver is not used for military expenses, should it be kept as compensation?
As a general rule, if the court's reform measures offend the aristocratic families, it will be difficult to continue implementing them.
But in the northern border, both King Yue and General Luan are doing well.
It's really strange!
The situation on the battlefield was one-sided. Commander Jiang was fighting and retreating. When he was about to make up his mind to "sound the retreat", the situation suddenly changed.
"Woo woo woo."
A deep horn sounded, and the Northern Army, which had just advanced forward, turned their heads.
This sound was very familiar to them as they had been dealing with nomadic bandits on the grassland for many years. It was a marching horn that boosted morale!
The Danu people had somehow gotten behind the Northern Army and were pincer attacking the Imperial Army, intending to take advantage of the situation.
"Oh, you're finally not hiding anymore." Luan Shuangbai sat astride the snow-white warhorse, his back as straight as a pine tree.
The armor gleamed in the sunlight. The boy had a resolute face, his eyes were like cold stars, and the corners of his mouth were raised in a mocking arc.
"May I ask which leader of the tribe comes here to die?"
The young man raised his chin slightly, looking down from above, as if he was looking down at ants.
He raised his right hand holding the red-tasseled spear, and the formation of the mighty army behind him suddenly changed.
The cavalry still intimidated the imperial guards' flanks, while the infantry exchanged their spears for swords and axes, which were sharp weapons for chopping off horses' legs, and their momentum was overwhelming.
The Northern Army was obviously well prepared.
"Hmph! You're a bunch of weaklings, each one of you so weak, yet you're fighting among yourselves!"
Wushi Tuobalie, the leader of the Danu army, shouted.
He rode forward, his helmet decorated with colorful feathers and a braid hanging down his back.
"We, the men of the grassland, have seen this opportunity. You guys, just wait to die!" He spun his scimitar with a grin.
The one who was scout- ing for the Second Young Master was none other than the traitor Cai Miao.
He smeared reddish-brown liquid on his face and wore a bone chain, looking exactly like a Danuan.
Luan Shuangbai didn't want to waste time talking, and thrust out the spear in his hand flexibly, as graceful as a startled wild goose.
The tip of the spear transformed into several cold rays and pierced the enemy general's throat. Tuoba Lie hurriedly blocked it with his scimitar, but there was a "clang" sound and sparks flew everywhere.
Cai Miao took the opportunity to swing his knife.
Seeing this, Luan Shuangbai suddenly retracted his spear and squeezed his legs against the horse's belly.
The white horse Xueying neighed loudly and raised its front hooves high. The young man used the momentum of the horse's leap to twist his body in the air and thrust his spear from top to bottom, splitting the air.
"Soldiers, follow me and charge! Kill!"
The firm voice instantly ignited the blood in the soldiers' hearts.
The infantrymen gripped their swords and axes tightly, locking onto the enemy's horses.
After being struck in the leg, the horse fell to its knees, throwing the Danu rider off its back. For a moment, the enemy's formation was thrown into chaos.
However, the pincer attack from the north and the south that Wushi Tuoba Lie had hoped for did not occur.
Commander Jiang, who was watching the battle in Donglu, lacked talent but had a keen eye.
"A surprise attack! The traitor Luan's trick is a surprise attack!" He was so scared that he turned around and ran away, pissing and shitting.
In the face of danger, he turned around and stabbed Ling Jiuxiao with a spear like lightning.
That is General Liang’s ancestral skill!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com