Chapter 104
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
The ancient saying about daily self-reflection was indeed true. After this self-reflection before bed, Gu Yuanbai reviewed all his actions up to that point, clearing his mind significantly, making his future plans much clearer.
Not long after, Tian Fusheng found the famous flowers in the capital, even visiting several imperial gardens to pick meticulously tended flowers that shouldn’t bloom in winter.
Each of these flowers was worth a fortune. During the previous emperor’s reign, a single Xifu Begonia that ended up in the hands of a wealthy merchant was bought for a staggering amount. The current emperor strictly controlled the palace, so no one dared to sell palace flowers outside, making them even rarer and more valuable. Any flower with the imperial name could fetch a high price.
When Tian Fusheng picked and dried hundreds of these flowers, his heart ached as if it were bleeding.
Xue Yuan said he needed edible petals, so the processing required much more care, taking about half a month. After giving the orders, Gu Yuanbai rarely inquired further, but rumors soon spread among the people that the emperor loved flowers.
As a result, the price of flowers in the capital soared once again.
Time passed, and the year end approached.
In the northern frontier, two days before the Lunar New Year, Great Heng soldiers, under the watchful eyes of the nomads, began preparing to celebrate the new year.
The New Year, or “Chinese New Year,” falls on the first day of the lunar calendar. It has been known since ancient times as the most lively and festive day of the year. As soldiers, they couldn’t return home to celebrate with their families this year. Though it was regrettable, they still made sure to create a lively atmosphere. The generals and soldiers celebrated together, welcoming the new year with large servings of meat and abundant good wine. They feasted heartily, bidding farewell to the locust plague, and showing those grim-faced nomads the strength and confidence of the Great Heng Dynasty.
Before the New Year, the postal service had already delivered enough spices and salt to the frontier. Early in the morning, General Xue led his men to slaughter sheep and cattle, while another group prepared duck soup.
On this day, Great Heng soldiers busied themselves with food preparation. Meat was laid out on cloth-covered ground, bones and piles of duck feathers everywhere, evoking a sense of harvest. Soldiers, bustling back and forth, felt immense satisfaction just looking at the food.
By evening, the cooks had processed the meat, storing it outside to freeze overnight. The next day, everyone rose early to prepare dumplings.
The dumpling filling had been prepared by the kitchen staff several days in advance. The kitchen staff, not holding back at all, handed over this task to the available soldiers. Those who went to battle were tough men who usually wielded swords, spears, and clubs. Looking at the dough and filling, the soldiers exchanged puzzled glances, most of them feeling at a loss.
Old General Xue and several other generals were among them, slowly making dumplings alongside the soldiers. The renowned generals placed their dumplings down, each one oddly shaped and none looking particularly appealing.
Old General Xue laughed heartily and pointed at General Yang Hui, saying, “General Yang, are these supposed to be dumplings?”
Yang Hui scratched his head, looking around with a pained expression. “General, look around, none of them look any good.”
General Xue chuckled, then noticed Xue Yuan was absent. His brow furrowed with concern, “Where’s that boy Xue Yuan?”
“Xue Jiuyao took some people to chop the bones,” someone explained. “The kitchen is short on staff, and those bones are tough. Xue Jiuyao is strong, so he took some men to chop the bones first.”
“They’re going to make bone broth,” Old General Xue said, feeling reassured. He smacked his lips. “Starting the broth today, in a couple of days, it will be so fragrant that it will make your mouth water.”
As for the dumplings, they had both meat and vegetable fillings. The fat rendered from the cattle and sheep at the border was plentiful, and while mixing the filling, it seemed like the oil and seasonings were used generously. When you picked up a piece of the filling with chopsticks, you could see the oil oozing out.
All the iron pots in the camp were cleaned and ready. When the oil was poured into the pots, whether it was for cooking dumplings or beef and lamb, the aroma would drift for miles.
Just thinking about it made their stomachs growl, making them wish it were already New Year’s Eve so they could quickly eat some of that juicy, savory meat.
After making dumplings for a while, Old General Xue and his colleagues went to check on the kitchen. As soon as they walked in, they were hit by a wave of delicious aroma. Following the scent, they saw duck soup simmering in a large pot. When the lid was lifted, the rich aroma wafted out, making everyone’s mouths water instinctively, almost driving them crazy with hunger.
The officers wiped their mouths discreetly, then glanced at the bone broth preparation, concerned, “Do you have enough people?”
“We’ve gathered all skilled folks from the military and civilians to help. We should have enough, though we’ll be very busy,” the head cook replied, sweating. “Generals, if you have no other business, please help wrap more dumplings instead of just standing here.”
Old General Xue and his men left sheepishly, returning to wrap more dumplings.
In these two days, the soldiers’ morale was exceptionally high. They worked tirelessly, processing food with great spirit, eagerly awaiting the New Year.
Besides preparing for the New Year, they also had to remain vigilant for any nomad attacks. The soldiers hoped the nomads would be wise enough not to attack during such a festive time, as any incursion would meet with fierce resistance.
At this moment, there were indeed nomads watching nearby.
The movements of the Great Heng soldiers on the same day were too conspicuous, and the Khitan tribes had already received the news. They couldn’t believe the apparent readiness of Great Heng to confront them head-on. The Khitan tribes felt a mix of disbelief, annoyance, and slight unease.
The communication between their tribes was sparse. Winter battles were not favorable for the Khitan people, so they could only station people at the border to watch for any signs of aggression from the Great Heng soldiers.
In the past two days, the north wind had been blowing, carrying the aroma from the Great Heng soldiers to the north. The eyes of the scouts sent by various tribes turned green from the scent.
It was too fragrant, really too fragrant.
The rich aroma of food, with meat, bone, and a sweet scent mingling with the rice and flour. When this scent entered their noses, it made their mouths water, and the howling wind and snow couldn’t dampen it.
The nomads standing on the border, looking towards the pass, stretched their necks, wishing they could see what the Great Heng soldiers were up to.
Why was it so fragrant? It was almost New Year’s Eve. Were they preparing for the New Year?
They even had meat, and there was a meaty aroma in the air. They even had oil.
Weren’t they affected by the locust plague? How could they eat so well!
The astonished nomads dryly remarked, “Have you smelled this fragrance?”
“I have,” another person sniffed. “Isn’t it just meat? There’s nothing special about it. We used to eat dried meat while marching and fighting. The Great Heng people may eat pork, but they can’t match us!”
“Yes,” a nomad lamented, “I never expected these Great Heng soldiers at the border to eat so well. But now, they’re all eating meat, while we’re still eating grass.”
Others fell silent, no longer in the mood to continue watching. They returned to their tents, but even there, they couldn’t escape the scent, which tantalized their stomachs.
The nomads didn’t have iron pots or experience with cooking. They couldn’t imagine meat having such a strong aroma, different from the dried meat they were used to.
Why didn’t the dried meat in the past have this aroma?
Perhaps it did, but they had never noticed it before. It had been a long time since they had eaten dried meat, and now that they thought of it, their mouths were filled with saliva, and envy arose.
They watched the Great Heng people on the front lines, but the rations and supplies sent to them from behind became increasingly inadequate. They ate whatever was left from their tribes, and even the grass for their horses was becoming scarce. At this moment, smelling the fragrance from the Great Heng side, they couldn’t help but wonder when they would be able to eat such things.
After occupying the Great Heng territory?
***
On the night of New Year’s Eve, the large bonfire blazed, and the soldiers gathered around it, each wearing a smile of anticipation and joy.
When the time came, the drums prepared by the military began to sound, booming incessantly. Amidst the resounding drums, Old General Xue raised his wine glass and loudly proclaimed, “We are grateful that His Majesty always remembers us, allowing us to enjoy so much good food on this day. Today, there’s no need to count, everyone, eat to your heart’s content! The old year has passed, and the new year has come. Congratulations to you all for a safe year ahead!”
The soldiers echoed in unison, their voices echoing for miles.
The bonfire blazed, its flames licking the firewood. The soldiers received their share of the feast and ate voraciously, laughing and huddling with their comrades by the fire, enjoying the warmth.
The duck meat in the duck soup had softened, generously seasoned with spices and salt. With each mouthful of the warm soup, the lips and teeth were left with a lingering fragrance. After just a few bites, they swallowed eagerly.
At this moment, no one cared about their conflicts or distinctions between new and old soldiers. Everyone leaned on each other, feeling extremely happy in the glow of the fire.
The more people, the more lively and festive it was, and laughter overwhelmed any tension.
New soldiers devoured dumplings filled with meat, blowing on them to cool them down. They couldn’t help but ask the soldiers who had previously been stationed in the northern frontier, “Were your New Year’s celebrations always this lively?”
The soldiers from the northern frontier, their heads down, couldn’t articulate their words due to the hot food, “How could they be? This is the first time!”
The soldiers from the capital remembered, “It’s because the previous emperor had no money. Now that the emperor has money, just wait, there will be even more good things.”
The soldiers from the northern frontier nodded, sighing, “It’s really delicious.”
Smacking their lips, they felt that just saying that wasn’t enough, “It’s really delicious.”
Below, the soldiers ate and drank heartily, and the officers and generals were no exception. After toasting, they eagerly dug into the grilled meat, dumplings, duck soup, and bone broth brought by the kitchen, their appetites whetted as they wielded their chopsticks.
Xue Yuan was among them, eating and drinking but speaking little. General Xue glanced at him a few times, pondered for a moment, and asked, “Do you want to return to the capital?”
Xue Yuan shook his head, “I can’t.”
Can’t or don’t want to? General Xue stared at him, “Are you trying to deceive me?”
“Since General Xue said so, then I’ll be frank,” Xue Yuan put down his chopsticks, picked up the wine jug, and drank, “I want to go back, but I also don’t want to go back. I haven’t finished what His Majesty assigned to me, so where would I go?”
“That’s the right way to think,” General Xue was somewhat satisfied. “Tell me, why do you want to go back to the capital? Could it be true what your mother wrote, that you have someone in your heart?”
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
