Jiangling City has gradually become the political and military center of the entire Jingzhou since the Guan Yu era. After Southern Migration, as Wang Dun Three generations of Powerful Minister,, Yu Liang, and Huan Wen, set up military towns here, and gradually became the economic and cultural center of the entire Yangtze River midstream.
The local prosperity is still not as prosperous as Jiankang, but compared to Jingkou, it is far ahead.
As the New Year approaches, early in the morning, smoke fills the area along the river. This is a typical phenomenon when water vapor evaporates after the river encounters the early morning sun, coupled with the intensive flow of boats, livestock and people.
Today is the first day of the official official annual holiday, and Western Expeditionary General's Office Chief Secretary Liu Cheng took the holiday early yesterday and slept in the dark. This morning, I was full of energy, but I obviously woke up early.. However, he didn't feel bored even when he actually walked from the city to the outside... That day at Jingkou, he also had to run a stall and deliver goods, but because of the road, he hadn't seen much of the morning scenes in these classical and prosperous places.
The only similar scene was in Beigu Mountain, but at that time, I and Liu Jili were so exhausted that we couldn't think of looking at others and only thought about bean porridge and salted vegetables. How could we be like now, relying on Yin Shou Crimson Robe rides Tall Horse and Straight Saber out of the city proudly, and then leisurely watches all kinds of strange aquatic creatures in the river at the fish market in front of Jinxiang Dadukou?
After reading it, the water vapor on the riverside had almost dissipated, and the sun was shining brightly. So according to Luo You's request, we followed Market's periphery to the east side of the ferry and found a silt that seemed to have been artificially piled up. Then just after passing the small slope, I saw a group of old women in shabby clothes, with their arms exposed in the winter, and their hands turned white in the winter, working hard to wash lotus roots in a pool, and beside them, a large number of muddy lotus roots were piled up.
Even though Liu Cheng had seen a lot now, he had already become hard-hearted and could not help but lead the horse to take a few more glances on the slope.
In fact, how could he not know that the hardships faced by these old women were exactly what the Jingkou refugees were striving for last year? Especially in these troubled times, it is a great blessing for a woman to reach this age and still have lotus roots to wash with and probably eat lotus roots to fill her stomach.
Even if you think about it, the old women who come to wash the lotus roots must be young laborers and the old men have other jobs to do. This is a bit of a prosperous age.
Only the human heart is made of flesh. Seeing so many elders working so hard still makes people feel some useless emotions.
"Which one of you Lotus Root Soup is doing well?" Liu Cheng came to his senses and realized that it was his arrival that made these people dare not continue chatting. Liu Cheng quickly spoke, and at the same time he rode from behind. He pulled out a bulging and heavy money bag. "Two people can eat at noon, but they must have a big cauldron at home. They must have fresh fish and shrimps, especially dried meat, preferably the kind with ribs. I have brought my own wine."
According to Luo You, this is a normal business for local lotus root washers. However, I don't know if Liu Cheng's clothes were too conspicuous. After a while, one of the old ladies below came up boldly, but also cautiously. "This gentleman, my family does well..."
"How much does it cost?" Liu Cheng didn't waste any time, he opened the wallet directly and counted inside.
"The main meat is more expensive, especially the ones with ribs, so you have to look to the left and right..."
"How much does it cost for two pounds of dried meat with ribs?" Liu Cheng interrupted.
"Two kilograms of dried meat costs one hundred and fifty sixty Five-Zhu Coins. We will prepare the case for the husband, cook the lotus roots, and prepare fresh fish and shrimp, and it only costs thirty yuan." The old woman could see clearly that the other party's wallet was full of serious Five-Zhu Coins, and she immediately felt relieved, and then gave a price.
The bacon was more expensive than expected, and the fish and shrimp were much cheaper than expected, but they all understood it. Liu Cheng didn't care anymore and handed the bag of money directly to the other party's soaked white hand. "There are more than three hundred dollars in it. Take them all and tidy them up. Don't forget to return the purse to me. I'll eat by the river under the tree over there."
The old woman felt it in her hand and found that the bag was indeed heavy. She couldn't help but be overjoyed. The other women washing lotus roots below were all envious. Some even stood up and shouted, saying they knew someone over there who had dried meat with bones.
Liu Cheng ignored them, turned around, tied up the horse, and went to wait.
Luo You arrived faster than expected - fast, not only means arriving early, but also fast.
When he climbed up the hill, he saw Liu Cheng dressed in crimson clothes sitting under a tree over there, with two sets of desks in front of him, and a large cauldron set up next to him. He was boiling, but he ran over at a speed that was not suitable for his thin body.
It has not yet reached the appointed noon time, but now that the host has arrived, let's start the banquet.
Although there were only two of them, they managed to put together two small cases, which was quite impressive. The old woman had been waiting by the side. Luo You wanted to give instructions at first, but when she saw that her actions were familiar, she shut up and let the other party watch. She helped serve the soup, serve the meat and divide the lotus roots, and she sat there happily enjoying it.
I drank the soup first, and the red Lotus Root Soup actually had a hint of sweetness. Then I cooked some fish and shrimp that I just picked up this morning. I didn't add any extra condiments. I just boiled them in the Lotus Root Soup and then fished them out to eat.
Then, Liu Cheng signaled to put the dried meat with ribs, that is, the cured pork ribs. In the same way, take it out after cooking and eat it with Lotus Root Soup and the lotus root that had been served in advance.
After eating here, Luo You finally couldn't help but said, "Yes! The dried meat is delicious, but what I am most afraid of is that the meat is too hard and the salt taste is uneven. Once cooked with boiling Lotus Root Soup, both problems are gone. The sweetness of Lotus Root Soup is added to it, and it is a perfect match! Yulong has been in the North since he was a child. How do you know the subtleties of Lotus Root Soup?"
"It's natural to judge the past by the present." Liu Cheng answered grandly. "The world's gourmet food is nothing more than the solid and fresh ingredients, and the fine and accurate cooking... Although I didn't drink much Lotus Root Soup before, I have seen other places using fresh soup to dissolve dried meat."
"That's it." Luo You suddenly realized, and then continued to chew his bacon ribs seriously.
The old woman next to me, who had always felt that something was wrong, finally realized what was wrong - these two people were too quiet! They kept eating without saying a word!
In fact, when I saw the young man in Jiangyi, the old woman and other lotus root washers, I felt something was wrong.
Why? The clothes, the big stamp on the waist, and the fact that a whole bag of money was thrown out later, it was obvious that he was the real husband, but a man came here to place an order with a horse in his hand, and did not call out Slave Retainers. Everyone was frightened at that time.
The person who came later, although his posture was a bit worse, his clothes were neat and he was obviously someone with status.
As a result, the two of them came to eat and drink lotus root soup. They actually ate and drank lotus root soup. They didn't whistle to the river or say anything with a white-haired broom. Isn't it strange?
In this way, the two of them didn't care what the people around them thought, they just ate hard and finally felt satisfied. Then Luo You got up again and took out two tender branches from an unknown tree on the shore. They peeled off one of them and directly used the sharp tip to pick their teeth. They even handed one to Liu Cheng, who was not polite. He took it and learned to use it, picking his teeth as well. Then he put down his energy and slowly drank the soup and talked... Of course, after eating and picking his teeth, Luo You just continued to drink the soup. Although Liu Cheng was certainly an adult in terms of official career, customs and mentality, but from the perspective of physical development, he was a typical half-grown boy, so he couldn't help but stick a big lotus root with chopsticks and nibble on it from time to time.
I guess I can have a big meal somewhere else in the evening.
Luo You looked at it with envy, and replied quietly, "If I were twenty years younger, I would eat more than you. Unfortunately, my family was poor at that time, how could I eat all this? Now that I am older, I can eat, but it is not as good as your appetite."
"If your family hadn't been poor and couldn't afford to eat these things when you were young, how could you still be so obsessed with food at this age?" Liu Cheng, who was chewing a big lotus root, also spoke frankly.
"That's right." Luo You also laughed. "It can be seen that it is true that you Northern Migrants said that you are homeless. Otherwise, you would not be so serious about eating."
Liu Cheng just nodded, and then suddenly asked, "Sir, fresh meat only costs seventeen or eighty cents per pound, but dried meat costs eighty or ninety cents. Why is it so expensive?"
"Of course it takes two or three kilograms of fresh meat to produce one pound of dried meat." Luo You opened his mouth to answer, but then shook his head to deny the statement. "No, not only is the dried meat less meat, but also because the dried meat is made early. During the conquest of Shu two years ago, the local consumption was huge, and prices were more expensive at that time."
"Then I'm curious." Liu Cheng had a lot of free time. "If the movement of soldiers has such a great impact on the local people's livelihood, then sir, as a local of Jingzhou, did you support Conquest of Shu that day?"
"There was indeed some hesitation that day." Luo You said frankly. "But then Duke Huan it happened. Otherwise, why do you think the price of meat dropped so fast? Although Chengdu only We have picked up tens of thousands of Household Registration, but Shu has so many people and supplies everywhere, why can't we still be tempted to leave the river to go to Lower Reaches?"
"That's true." Liu Cheng nodded, rummaged through the soup and found another big lotus root, and continued wearing the lotus root hole to ask. "So, do you support Northern Expedition now? Northern Expedition is not as likely to win as Conquest of Shu."
"I support." Luo You is still open-minded. "Why don't I support? Northern Expedition and Conquest of Shu are not the same thing and cannot be compared. Northern Expedition is not the same. In the end, At least you can defend the enemy from outside the country, right? Do you think that the Beibei will not attack you when they become stronger? Ten years ago, the hinterland of Jingzhou was attacked and plundered by the Beibei. At that time, no one cared about the price of a pound of fresh meat or the price of dried meat?"
Liu Acheng suddenly understood, and then continued, "Then I would like to ask you another question, sir, but if you find it troublesome, you don't have to answer it."
"I definitely find it troublesome." Luo You sipped a new bowl of Lotus Root Soup, taking his time. "But you invited me to eat Lotus Root Soup jerky, and you waited until I finished eating before asking, and you also laid the foundation for the price. You are somewhat better than those people. Even if you ask me now whether I will rebel with you, I am willing to answer... Anyway, I will not rebel with you."
Liu Cheng smiled awkwardly, "These are two different things. My husband and I made an appointment to come to eat Lotus Root Soup earlier. I encountered this question later. Even if there was no such thing, I would still come to have soup."
"Then hurry up and say it." Although Luo You urged, he remained calm. "Don't spoil your mood."
"Why on earth did Duke Huan delay Northern Expedition?" Liu Cheng asked sincerely.
"That's it." Luo You put down the soup bowl and squinted his eyes to look at Boy in Crimson Robes, who had re-sewed the cuffs on the front, with a look of surprise. "Did you go to persuade him again that day?"
"Yes."
"This matter is actually very simple, you don't need to think too much." Luo You said, turning slightly sideways and pointing to the distant sandbars in the river. "Do you know how many sandbars Yangtze River has in the Jiangling area?"
Liu Acheng shook his head blankly.
"I've been here for decades, and I actually don't know, but people don't say there are ninety-nine continents." Luo You said with a smile. "And the people have been prophesying since Wang Dun, saying that 'if there are hundreds of continents, the emperor will come out'..."
"I don't know whether he is mocking Wang Dun or feeling sorry for Wang Dun?" Liu Cheng couldn't help laughing.
"That's true." Luo You continued with a smile. "In contrast, if you are familiar with the stories of the Three Kingdoms, you should know that in the south, compared to Jingzhou, Yi Province and Yangzhou, they all have the emperor's energy. Of course, Yi Province's emperor's energy is weaker and naturally broken and exhausted."
"It's just to respond to people with your anger." Liu Cheng sighed. "The Three Kingdoms stand in triplicate..."
"It's not that simple." Luo You was a little solemn. "These prophecies existed long before Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Sun Quan followed the emperor's energy to find Stone City, and that's how came into being. Jianye and Jiankang, Yi Province have been circulating since Liu Yan, but they are only attributed to Liu, the Former Lord... Since ancient times, everyone has believed in this. If you and I don't believe it, we should know that other people do."
Liu Cheng nodded slowly.
"Now you know, Jiankang has kingly energy, Yi Province also has it, but Jingzhou doesn't." Luo You is concise and concise. "And Yi Province's kingly energy is broken and exhausted, far inferior to Jiankang, then Duke Huan naturally has to look at Jiankang first. In comparison, this and that, including your Northern Expedition, are fundamentally based on Jiankang... Duke Huan has to calculate the gains and losses from Jiankang."
Liu Cheng remained silent and just stared at the other party.
"If you think Duke Huan is not a superstitious person, then put it another way." Luo You had no choice but to continue explaining. "Jingzhou is surrounded by several big cities, Household Registration is still not as good as South of the Yangtze. After Yi Province is defeated, there are only tens of thousands of registered households. It is impossible to search out those hidden households in a short time. Jiang Province must be added. It can barely compete with South of the Yangtze, not to mention that many people from White Register have fled to Yangzhou... including the 50,000 soldiers that Duke Huan has been thinking about, but there has never been a formation. It is well established, but once Yangzhou decides on Northern Expedition, Northern Command, Western Command, and Central Army, there will already be fifty or sixty thousand.
"Yulong, where do you think the number of fifty thousand soldiers comes from?"
Liu Cheng finally shook.
When Luo You saw this, he said nothing and continued to drink the soup slowly.
However, this local elite of Jingzhou, who has long been considered to have "great charm" because of its delicious taste, does not know that the shock of Liu Cheng is not the answer given by Luo You, but Luo You himself.
To put it bluntly, Liu Cheng is a time traveler after all, so how can he not know Huan Wen's heartache at all? Don't talk about it now, in the next few centuries, or even in more than ten centuries, all southern separatist regimes will face fierce internal politics problem, and Huan Wen naturally carries the historical baggage of the opposition to Jing and Yang, and is personally ambitious, so it is not an unimaginable fact that he would regard the direction of Jiankang as the ultimate goal for his personal ambition.
The previous positive Conquest of Shu, as well as the special care for Xi Chao, of course also include the current Northern Expedition, Huan Wen are willing to actively discuss and prepare Northern Expedition, in essence, it is to ultimately win in the direction of Jiankang.
Liu Cheng is taking the opportunity to ask now. He is more looking for this local elite Jingzhou for verification. What is wrong with him?
Well, when Luo You pointed out this fact by using the term "wangqi" that is in line with the current era, Liu Cheng did not have any unbelievable meaning. He just realized that there are so many smart people these days, and Luo You is indeed a person with "great charm".
However, when the Attendant Gentleman in front of him mistakenly thought that he, Liu Acheng, did not believe this, and promptly changed his perspective and explained it from the economic and population perspectives, Liu Cheng was still a little shocked.
Because this means that Luo You is smarter, sharper, and more pragmatic than he thought. Even after they have known each other for only a few months, he already knows his way of doing things... Of course, it may also be that the other party happens to be fundamentally similar to him and cares more about things like Household Registration and the economy. Before, Wang Qi was just perfunctory because of the convenience of explanation.
The words "You Dayun" are extremely appropriate. I don't know who gave the evaluation.
"That sir." Liu Cheng came back to his senses and continued to smile. "I have to say Wang Qi, Household Registration, Luoyang, Chang'an, Isn't Yecheng more kingly? And if Yecheng is beyond reach, this time we discuss Northern Expedition, which means aggressive Guanzhong, so what about Chang'an?"
"The trouble with Chang'an is that if you want to gain Chang'an's kingly power, you have to Duke Huan personally run the business. Otherwise, you will either worry about Guanzhong being unhappy, or worry about someone using Guanzhong to strengthen yourself and cause trouble again. Unfortunately, Duke Huan was born in South of the Yangtze. When he grew up, he was surrounded by South of the Yangtze famous people. He also started a family and started a business in South of the Yangtze. Why should he give up Jiankang and start a new business in Chang'an? "Luo You said casually.
"So it's the same sentence." Liu Cheng nodded. "Duke Huan is reluctant to give up Jiankang."
"That's true."
"Then I understand. Let's not talk about this matter." Liu Cheng nodded and put down the big lotus root. "I will take Mr. home."
"No, I want a few more sips." Luo You quickly waved his hand. "Yulong Go back by yourself. I have been a local for decades, don't you know how to go home?"
Liu Cheng nodded and stood up to untie the horse. Halfway through, the man suddenly turned around and asked seriously, "Mr. Luo, have you ever eaten White Sheep meat from the northwest?"
Luo You was startled and immediately became awe-inspiring. "Since Southern Migration, mutton has been scarce, especially White Sheep from the northwest. North and South Under isolation, there are only a few occasionally. The dignitaries also use it to entertain other distinguished guests. How can I eat it?"
"Jiabin, Huaizhi and I were alone in Jingzhou. Duke Huan asked us to go to his house to celebrate the New Year. Last night, he sent Jiabin a post about the official New Year's Eve banquet, named White Sheep meat. I remember that Di people recently had When the messenger comes, I think he must have actually sent White Sheep from the northwest, rather than just using empty words in the post." Liu Cheng responded seriously. "On the New Year's Day, sir, do you want to have a meal? If you really want to go, I will take you in directly. Jiabin is there anyway, and Duke Huan can't lose his temper with us over this, right?"
"Eat! What's there to think about? It happens every year. If you can't eat White Sheep meat from the northwest this time, I'm afraid you won't be able to eat it in your life!" Luo You thought for a moment, but without much hesitation, he stood up and handed over his hand. "Well, thank you Yulong."
Liu Cheng nodded, accepted the courtesy calmly, led the horse away, walked past the other party, and turned back. "Sir, I already understand what Duke Huan means, and I will not have any more doubts in the future. But I personally think that Great Jin is so entangled inside that it has already become filthy. If you want to clear things up, you have to go outside, that is, Northern Expedition can open up outside. Start a new one without being cut off from behind, so that you have the strength and space to go back and clean up... Therefore, I think Duke Huan should focus on Northern Expedition, or even simply transfer to Guanzhong or even Luoyang. I know that Mr. is impatient with these words, but if even Mr. can't talk to him, I really don't know who to say these words to."
After saying that, without waiting for Fang Hui's response, he led the horse directly downhill.
Luo You glanced at the boy who was walking away, but showed no reaction. He just sat back and continued drinking his Lotus Root Soup.
------I am the dividing line between a big meal------
Outside Jiangling City there is Jinxiang, with many military and civilian ferries, and there are islands between the rivers, often used as warehouses. There is a market near the city on the river bank, where fresh fish, shrimps, vegetables and lotus roots are all available. Many people in the city get up early to buy them. Two hundred steps east from the market, there is a lotus pond siltation platform, named Lotus Terrace. In the past, when Emperor Taizu Gao of this dynasty was 16 or 17 years old, he was ordered to conquer the city. When the Western General Huan Gong made the imperial edict, Luo Gong, a local elder, tried to bring Taizu to this place to drink lotus root soup and discuss the royal aura of the world. Both Taizu and Luo Gong reported and discussed this matter, and it is known to everyone. Now there are dozens of high-rise restaurants on the stage, and they all say that Taizu Luo Gong ate lotus root ground, and his ancestor was smoked by the royal aura of that day. As of today.
Visitors, merchants, scholars, and people, all aware of the falsehood, still continue to climb the tower.
--"Miscellaneous Records of the Literati".Anonymous author of Qi Record
Duke (Luo) got acquainted with Emperor Taizu and had a good relationship with him. He tried to board Lotus Root Terrace together. He used Jingzhou's prophecy of the emperor's failure in ninety-nine continents to discuss the king's spirit in the world. Luoyang is too broken to count, and Chengdu is too biased to succeed. If you want to achieve great things, you must have Yecheng, Chang'an, and Jiankang.
--"New Book of Qi".Biographies Volume 14