Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 304 See you
Taihelou is the largest restaurant in Lin'an Prefecture. It is a seven-story red-painted building with countless attached courtyards and private rooms. There is a poem on the white marble screen wall at the entrance:

"Taihe Restaurant has 300 rooms, and the big vats are gurgling day and night. Thousands of men are carrying the dregs and tens of thousands of men are filling the jars. The wine is as vast as the sea and the dregs are as high as the mountains."

There are colorful decorative murals on the walls painted with oyster gray mixed with pepper. The stage on the first floor of the restaurant is equipped with 18 kinds of musical instruments such as zithers, pipa, etc. There are also ancient trees, rugged rocks, winding streams, and a clear pond with more than a dozen koi fish on the periphery. All of these are exquisitely designed and unique.

After sending Qin Huai and Feitian Yaksha into the gate between the two worlds and enduring various chores for an entire afternoon, Liu Gengyang finally entered the Taihe Tower with a bulging belly.

"I don't know where Hu Zi found helpers. A master of Heaven suddenly appeared during a meal. I haven't heard of hunting officers being transferred from other states. Could it be that he is a strange person who wanders around the world and doesn't want to be involved in worldly affairs?"

Although he was very curious about the identity of the masked burly man, Liu Gengyang knew his limits and did not investigate further. In the end, he turned a blind eye and let the two men into the gate between the two worlds.

"Distinguished guest, distinguished guest, a distinguished guest who can make Uncle Zhen and Father personally host a banquet for him, could it be that the one coming tonight is the imperial envoy from the capital?"

Liu Gengyang rubbed off the mud he had picked up along the way on the cushion in front of the door, and looked at the increasingly heavy rain outside, feeling not very happy.

"This horrible weather will last for at least half a month. I really don't know what Yunmeng Shaojun was thinking. He had to choose the rainy season to travel. Aren't they afraid of not being able to handle it?"

Liu Gengyang just complained in his heart but didn't say it out loud. After all, he knew that some things were not something that the younger generations like Ao Ling and Ao Tao could decide.

At this moment, a flash of lightning suddenly flashed in the darkness, the sky and the earth turned white, thunder rumbled, and the rain became heavier, forcing the vendors who were still wandering and setting up stalls on the street to return home.

Everything before my eyes was plunged into darkness, with only dark clouds and flashes of lightning. A huge dragon shadow enveloped the entire Taihe Tower, and pink ice crystal petals kept falling, still showing its style and momentum.

"This is... the pastry girl?"

Liu Gengyang looked up, seeing the ice flowers falling like star rain, and immediately thought of Ao Ling, the pastry-making girl whom he had met once.

The strong wind blew away the icy fog, and only four people stood in the dark clouds: the military general Tuolong with full armor, the lady from a noble family with wide and flowing sleeves, the handsome and leisurely hermit, and the gentle and gentle gentleman with a handsome appearance. What they have in common is that they are surrounded by extremely rich and dense water element that is almost suffocating.

Liu Gengyang looked left and right. The person on the cloud did not move. It was obvious that he had come from far away and was waiting for the host to greet him. The person in the building did not move either. He must have been instructed in advance that they were of low status and should not act rashly.

"I understand. I'll do it."

Liu Gengyang had been socializing in the officialdom for a long time, so how could he not know the purpose of Zhen Xian asking him to come here.

His father was the Grand Commander of Yangzhou, and Zhen Xian and Cao Jianbing were both in high positions, so it was impossible for them to condescend to take the initiative to go out and greet the Shuifu group who were considered juniors.

Is there anyone in Lin'an Prefecture who has a similar status, family background, and strength who can serve as the "welcomer"?
Yes, but not much.

Taking into account the closeness of their relationship and his interpersonal skills, it seems that Liu Gengyang is the only one who can do this job.

"Are you Young Master Yunmeng and the Lord of Yulong Palace? I am Liu Gengyang, the Secretary of the Wild Hunting Bureau, and I am waiting for you here!"

"Liu Sicheng, I haven't seen you for a long time. Are you all right?"

The clouds descended, and a pretty young lady in a pink dress took two steps forward and greeted Liu Gengyang gracefully.

"Jinghui is happy and healthy, and he enjoys everything he eats. He has been healthy and worry-free these days."

Liu Gengyang stepped out from the eaves, and the heavy rain above his head automatically parted, and not a drop fell on his clothes.

"Meet Liu Sicheng."

Ao Tao spoke at the right time, leading the three people and bowing: "I wonder if the Grand Commander has arrived?"

"My father, Zhen Shaoqing, and General Cao are waiting for you in the building."

Liu Gengyang returned the greeting and said with a smile, "Lin'an is prosperous, and talented people from Jingchu often come here. They all say that Yunmeng Shaojun from Dongting Water Palace has unparalleled temperament and looks like Pan An. I didn't believe it at first, but after seeing it today, I know what they said is true."

"Si Cheng, you are too kind. I live in seclusion in the Water Palace and rarely go out. How can outsiders see my appearance and temperament? They are just saying nice things to please others."

Ao Tao smelled the faint strange fragrance in the air, suppressed the hunger coming from his internal organs, and exchanged pleasantries with Liu Gengyang for a while.

"It's getting late. Please follow me upstairs. It is a sin to neglect your elders."

Liu Gengyang, contrary to his usual behavior, led the way and led everyone to the private room on the rooftop.

With the sound of staggered footsteps, Liu Gengyang and four others came to the semi-open Qiantang Pavilion one after another.

The furnishings in the pavilion are elegant inside and simple outside. Not to mention the priceless calligraphy and paintings, just the brushes casually placed on the table are all made of materials from thousand-year-old monsters, and one brush is equivalent to the annual expenses of ordinary people.

In the middle of the venue is a rose-red round table, with eight antique chairs made of Emei golden nanmu wood. Further out are exotic flowers and plants that are always in bloom, and a few rare birds with gorgeous feathers.

The table was filled with fragrant tea and fruit plates, and a well-dressed and beautiful prostitute led the group from the Water Palace to their seats.

Liu Shi sat in the middle among the others, wearing a purple and gold embroidered robe, holding an official document with wet ink in his hand.

From time to time, golden and red patterns flowed under his exposed skin like swimming fish, which looked very magical.

This was the first time that the siblings Ao Tao and Ao Ling met the Grand Commander of Yangzhou. They felt that he was very dignified and majestic.

Soon, the two were stunned by the sharp and unstoppable sword beside him and held their breath.

White Tiger holds power, Cao supervises the troops.

If the old dragon of Dongting Lake is an ethereal immortal who has washed away all worldly desires and returned to his original simplicity, then Cao Jianbing at this moment is the living white tiger, with a sharp edge like Gengjin, extremely strong and sharp.

On the contrary, Longchu Zhenxian, the Shaoqing of Guanglu Temple who holds an extraordinary status, does not look special at all, just like an ordinary middle-aged Taoist priest.

Liu Shi nodded slightly and said, "Young Master Yunmeng, I have heard a lot about you."

"Younger candidate Ao Tao, I greet the Grand Commander."

Ao Tao bowed politely and signaled Tuo Mo to present the gift list.

Liu Shi took the gift list and put it under the official documents without even looking at it.

His attention was not on the siblings Ao Tao and Ao Ling, nor on Tuo Mo, the Water Palace's family general.
"This guest looks unfamiliar. Where is the fairyland? Is there a name?"

Guard Cao stared at Luofu with a burning gaze and asked the question that Liu Shi wanted to ask.

"Hello, gentlemen. I have no name. I call myself Luofu Mountain Man because I live in Luofu Mountain in Huizhou."

Luo Fu's expression remained unchanged as he repeated the speech he had prepared earlier.

"you are not human."

A gleam of light flashed across Zhen Xian's eyes, and he suddenly said, "Is it a water tribe?"

"Shaoqing has a keen eye. I am indeed not a human being."

When Luo Fu touched it, his facial features bulged and deformed, and a lot of green and yellow hair grew out. In an instant, his head turned into a tiger's head!
"I lost my father when I was young, and lived on the legacy of my relatives until I reached adulthood. Later, I got some opportunities and was appointed as the Water Officer of Kyushu. With my skills, I wanted to seek refuge with the Dragon Kings of the four seas and four rivers to make a career. After many setbacks, I was fortunate to be taken in by the old Dragon King of Dongting Lake. I offered my talents and knowledge to help the young king escape from the water and become a real dragon."

Luo Fu briefly explained the background of the Nine True and One False, and looked at Zhen Xian with sincerity. "I have no intention of provoking you, please don't mind."

Zhen Xian said "oh" and turned to look at Ao Tao: "Young Master, will this banquet be hosted by this hermit?"

"The hermit brought a rare recipe and was responsible for collecting the ingredients. As for cooking, I will do it myself."

Ao Ling spoke at the right time, revealing a bit of uneasiness in his words.

"Rare recipes? I wonder if I could take a look at one or two? If Miss Ao is not capable of doing it, perhaps I can do it for you."

Ao Ling and Ao Tao looked at each other and thought that the trip was not in vain.

Even with the connections of the old Dragon Lord of Dongting, he was unable to invite a dragon chef to take charge. This was certainly because his old friends were no longer in Jiuzhou, but it also indirectly showed how difficult it was to get a dragon chef to take action.

If Zhen Xian was not a member of the imperial court and had the people in mind, and considered the calamity that might be brought to the people of Yangzhou by his transformation into a dragon, he would not have spoken rashly and taken on the trouble.

"Of course you can. Please take a look, Master Shaoqing."

Ao Ling pulled out the scroll of dry black bamboo slips and presented it with both hands.

Luo Fu frowned slightly, as if he wanted to speak up to stop him, but after thinking about it, he finally said nothing.

Cao Jianbing said nothing, taking in everyone's actions.

"Hundred Flavors Cooking? Yongren Banquet? Where did you get this?"

After reading the contents of the bamboo slips, Zhen Xian frowned and looked up at Luofu.

"I found this by accident in the mountains of Xiaoxiang. Does Shaoqing have any questions?"

Luo Fu's words were flawless and his expression did not seem false.

"Nothing, I just saw that the bamboo slips were well preserved, and I was happy to see them."

Zhen Xian waved his hand and said to the prostitute behind him, "Bring me some paper and pen. I'll write something to the young lady."

Zhen Xian splashed ink with his brush and wrote quickly. Soon, he had created a masterpiece of calligraphy.

"This dish requires demanding ingredients, but the technique is not difficult. I have written down a few key points clearly. You can follow them, young lady, and you won't go wrong."

"I dare not refuse the gift given by the elder. I thank you, Lord Shaoqing."

Ao Ling was very smart. She did not ask Zhen Xian why he changed his mind after reading the recipe, but just kept the calligraphy carefully.

"The other five fresh aquatic creatures are easy to find, but this fresh well is hard to find. So, Jinghui, open the hunting storehouse and see if there is anything useful, and send them to Dongting."

Liu Gengyang, who was eating fruits nearby, heard that there was still something for him to do, so he nodded quickly and accepted the task.

"Master Shaoqing and I have never met before, but you are so willing to help me. Is there anything I can do for Xiaolong?"

Ao Tao was also curious about why they met for the first time today. Before he could open his mouth, Zhen Xian seemed to know his purpose and made general arrangements.

"Young Master, if you can successfully transform from a dragon into a dragon without any problems, that will be the greatest reward to me and the people of Yangzhou."

Zhen Xian was not polite and looked at Ao Tao steadily: "Old Dragon Lord's decree has been issued for a long time, and there must be many evil demons and heretics who covet your opportunity. If they don't take action in the near future, they will surely kill you on the fifth day of May, the Dragon Boat Festival. By then, the stars will shift, dragons and snakes will rise from the land, and disasters will befall you. It will be difficult for you to withstand the natural and man-made disasters that strike at the same time."

"Then according to your opinion, do you have any good ideas? I hope you can teach me."

Ao Tao himself was aware of the issues that Zhen Xian mentioned, but he was in the middle of the situation and didn't understand it clearly for a while.

"Send more soldiers to guard, and ask some trusted warriors to help. If you are worried that the east wind will overwhelm the west wind, it means that the wind force itself is not strong enough. If you want to break it, just increase the force."

"Young Master, I have been around the Nine Provinces for quite some time and have met many heroes. If you need me, I can write a few letters to summon them to come and do my bidding."

Luo Fu spoke at the right time and he also agreed with Zhen Xian's proposal.

"Then I'll trouble you, my dear. If General Tuo and I have any close friends, you can invite them to watch the ceremony together."

Ao Tao looked at the man from Luofu Mountain who was very concerned about this matter, and did not refuse his kindness. He seemed to agree without much consideration.

"Brother."

Ao Ling felt something was not right. How could he allow so many outsiders to interfere in his brother's misfortune? What if there was someone with ill intentions among them? Wouldn't that make things very difficult?

"Little sister, there is no need to say more. I have my own considerations."

Ao Tao gave a rather confident smile, signaling her not to say anything more.

"Forget it, just follow my brother. With grandpa's plan and uncle's order, those evil dragons shouldn't be able to cause any trouble."

Seeing that Ao Tao had made up his mind, Ao Ling was also thinking silently in his heart: "Xie Pang and Xia Lang have other important matters, and I can't be without my confidants to protect me. What should I do? I have to think of a way."

"Zi Qi, are you done talking?"

Liu Shi, who had been concentrating on his work, finally looked up when he saw that no one was talking anymore. "Serve the food. I haven't had your [Burning Tail Feast] for a long time. If it weren't for the blessing of the junior this time, it would be difficult to get you to cook on other days."

That's right, the dishes that Zhen Xian prepared for the people from Shuifu tonight were none other than the [Burning Tail Banquet] that he made himself. The name of the banquet was inspired by the fact that a fish jumps over the Dragon Gate and its tail is burned by heavenly fire before it can transform into a dragon. It was an advance congratulations to Ao Tao on his successful journey of becoming a dragon.

The [Shaowei Banquet] consists of fifty-eight delicacies, including many [Daogong] delicacies. It can be said to be one of the top banquets in the world.

"Everyone, please."

Zhen Xian curled the corners of his mouth and raised his glass first.
-
While Princess Shaojun and the purple-robed officials were toasting each other, Xie Pang and Xia Lang were not idle either.

Fuyang County, Sanjiangkou.

Under the influence of the [Qiantang Junling] in Ao Ling's hand, Sanjiangkou, which should have been cloudy and rainy, did not receive a single drop of rain.

Xie Pang and Xia Lang, who were sent back to the East China Sea to recuperate by Ao Ling, mobilized their personal sailors, under the supervision of a golden-red parrot, to nail the formation bases carved with cloud-shaped taotie patterns into the surrounding rocks on the beach.

The Golden-Red Parrot stood on a mountain top, looking at the continuous low hills and the deeply sunken Jiangkou Plain below. It was easy to see that this was an irregular circle with high sides and a low middle.

"Miss Ling'er specially called me back from Taiyue and went through so much trouble to set up the battle formation, just for such a big pot?"

The parrot looked at the huge pot under its feet, which was as huge as the one carved by an axe from heaven and earth. It tilted its head, and a golden light flashed in its eyes. The rain clouds that had just gathered disappeared again.

"I don't know what kind of fish will be stewed in such a big pot."

(End of this chapter)