diymy Chapter 56 Rice, Delicious
Chapter 56 Rice, Delicious
Lu Bu was nine feet tall, with a majestic and imposing appearance.
But at this moment, even the most powerful general in the world was tormented by hunger, his vision blurred, and his temper became extremely volatile.
"Lord Wen, please calm your anger."
Chen Gong stepped forward and cautiously advised, "The city has long been out of food. Now the soldiers can only survive by digging up grass roots and catching rats. Even Wenhou's Red Hare horse can only eat half a full meal of fodder each day."
Hearing that his beloved Red Hare was starving, Lü Bu felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
"Damn God! Damn Cao Cao!"
Lu Bu slammed his fist into a pillar, causing the dust on the tent roof to fall in a flurry.
"Gongtai, what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"
Chen Gong sighed and looked eastward.
"Lord Wen, there is only one person who can save us now."
"Who?"
"Qingzhou, Li Zhao."
Upon hearing this name, Lü Bu frowned.
"That nouveau riche from humble beginnings? I heard he knows some kind of sorcery?"
Although Lü Bu was brave, he was an arrogant person at heart. He always looked down on people like Li Zhao who rose to power through "unorthodox methods".
"Lord Wen, whether he's a nouveau riche or a heretic, it's true that he has grain in his hands."
Chen Gong said solemnly, "Qingzhou is now the richest place in the world. If we can borrow grain from them, we can be saved."
"Borrow? How can I borrow him? I'm not even familiar with him."
Lu Bu was somewhat embarrassed.
"Rest assured, Marquis Wen, leave this matter to the palace."
Chen Gong said confidently, "Although Li Zhao is powerful, his foundation is still shallow, and he urgently needs to establish an image of benevolence and righteousness in front of the world. As long as we speak kindly and explain the greater good to him, he may well lend a helping hand."
Lu Bu thought for a moment, then his stomach growled again, much to his dismay.
"Alright! Then I'll trouble you to make the trip, Gongtai!" Lü Bu waved his hand. "Someone! Go to the stables and pick out ten... no, five good horses! Take them to Gongtai as a gift!"
Chen Gong looked at the five skinny, bony "fine horses" and his lips twitched.
This gift is worse than not giving it at all.
……
Qingzhou, Linzi.
This city, known as the "paradise of the North," appears exceptionally bustling and vibrant under the warm winter sun.
The snow on both sides of the street was swept clean.
The shops were filled with a dazzling array of goods, and a sign hung at the entrance of the rice shop that read "New rice on the market, discounts for bulk orders," with prices so low it was outrageous.
The people wore thick cotton-padded clothes, their faces beaming with satisfied smiles.
The teahouses and taverns along the street were filled with idle people chatting about everything under the sun.
Their conversations were no longer about where there was another war or where people were starving, but about what new benefits the governor had given out this year and whose son had been admitted to the military academy.
This scene is like a completely different world from Yanzhou, which is just a hundred miles away.
Yingbinlou, the largest official post station in Linzi City.
On this day, two horse-drawn carriages stopped one after the other at the entrance of Yingbin Building.
The first person to step down from the carriage was Man Chong, whose face was gaunt and whose expression was full of bitterness and resentment.
He came here carrying the heavy responsibility entrusted to him by Cao Cao and the hopes of the entire Yan Province, his heart heavy with sorrow.
The man who stepped down from the second carriage was a slender middle-aged scholar with three long tufts of beard; he was none other than Chen Gong, Lü Bu's strategist.
He was followed by several guards, leading five skinny, emaciated "ceremonial horses," which made him look rather shabby.
The two messengers met unexpectedly at the door.
As the saying goes, enemies meeting are bound to be extremely hostile.
Cao Cao and Lü Bu fought each other to the death for more than a year, so naturally their envoys wouldn't be friendly.
"Oh, isn't this Lord Man Boning?"
Chen Gong spoke first, his tone laced with sarcasm, "What, even Cao Yanzhou is starving, so he sent you to Qingzhou to beg for food?"
Man Chong gave Chen Gong a cold look and retorted, "Likewise. Why isn't Chen Gongtai in Puyang eating rat meat with your Marquis Wen? What's he doing here in Linzi? Could it be that Lü Bu, that three-surname traitor, wants to switch allegiances and join Prime Minister Li?"
"You! How dare you!"
Chen Gong was furious, "My lord Wenhou is a hero of the world, how dare you, a petty person, slander him!"
"A hero? Hmph, just a reckless brute who only knows how to act bravely!"
Man Chong retorted sarcastically, not to be outdone.
The two started arguing right in front of the inn, attracting a crowd of onlookers who pointed and whispered about them as if they were watching a monkey show.
Just as the two were arguing fiercely...
A gust of wind blew from the direction of the inn's kitchen.
The next second, the two of them stopped arguing and stood on tiptoe, sniffing the fragrance in the air.
The rich aroma of meat, mixed with the smoky fragrance of fat bursting at high temperatures, and the unique sweetness of finely steamed rice.
This smell was like a deadly poison to two people who had been starving for a long time.
The argument between the two stopped abruptly.
Their Adam's apples bobbed violently in perfect unison.
Their eyes involuntarily darted towards the kitchen.
Chen Gong's previously aloof scholarly image instantly crumbled, and he even couldn't help but raise his sleeve to wipe the corner of his mouth.
Man Chong was even more disgusted; he had eaten that braised pork in Qingzhou the last time he came here, and he still couldn't forget it.
At this moment, that familiar aroma wafted over again, stirring up the deepest cravings in his stomach.
"Are you two honored guests hungry?"
A gentle voice sounded in their ears.
The two men snapped out of their daze and saw a middle-aged man who looked like a steward standing beside them. It was none other than Sun Fu, the clerk of the Prime Minister's residence. He was now considered the head steward of Qingzhou, and he was in charge of welcoming and seeing off guests.
Sun Fu wore a professional smile, secretly amused by the two envoys' pathetic appearance.
"When my Prime Minister heard that the two envoys had come from afar, he specially instructed me to prepare a simple meal at the Yingbin Building to welcome them and wash away the dust of their journey."
Sun Fu gestured for him to proceed.
"Please take your seats, gentlemen."
Man Chong and Chen Gong exchanged a glance, both seeing the embarrassment and longing in each other's eyes.
Forget Cao Cao and Lü Bu, forget deep-seated hatred.
At this moment, everything was forgotten.
They had only one thought in their minds right now—
Have a meal!
The two stopped arguing and rushed to follow Sun Fu into the welcoming building.
Inside the main hall of the inn, there were two tables.
The dishes on the table weren't particularly lavish; to the people of Qingzhou, they were just a standard work meal.
A large pot of braised pork belly, stewed until tender and flavorful; a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables; a bowl of egg drop soup; and a bucket of steaming, glistening white rice.
But in Man Chong and Chen Gong's eyes, this was the most exquisite delicacy in the world!
The two of them didn't even care about etiquette or manners; they sat down, picked up their chopsticks, and started eating.
Chen Gong picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth. In that instant, he felt like he was about to ascend to heaven.
The oil melted in his mouth, and the long-lost sense of satisfaction brought tears to his eyes.
He had never eaten such delicious meat in his life!
Man Chong, on the other hand, was holding the rice bucket, eating meat and rice in one bite, wolfing it down, choking and rolling his eyes, but he still wouldn't stop.