Three Kingdoms: Daily settlement helps Liu Bei revive the Shu Han dynasty.

Chapter 51 On New Year's Eve in the First Year of Xingping, You Have Hot Pot, I Have Yu's

In December of the first year of Xingping, in Yanzhou.

Several months ago, while Cao Cao was sending troops to Xuzhou, Lü Bu launched a surprise attack on Yanzhou.

Almost all of the eight counties and more than eighty cities in Yanzhou responded to Zhang Miao and Lü Bu and rebelled against Cao Cao.

Cao Cao led his army to retreat from Xuzhou and return to relieve Yanzhou.

But when he returned, the only territories he still controlled were Juancheng, Fanxian, and Dong'e.

Adding to the fact that the grain they had "laboriously" seized from Xuzhou was burned to ashes by Lu Yong's scheme, Cao Cao's army was beset by internal and external troubles and was in dire straits.

Cao Jun's central command tent.

Cao Cao sat in the main seat.

The people in the tent,

Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and others stood at the lower end, silent.

After a long time,

Cao Cao spoke first, saying, "That scoundrel Lü Bu has stationed his troops in Puyang, and Zhang Miao is holding Chenliu..."

We now only have three cities left: Juancheng, Fanxian, and Dong'e. We are surrounded by enemies on all sides.

After a pause, Cao Cao continued:

"The grain obtained from Xuzhou was burned by Liu Bei."

Let me ask you, how many more days can the army's rations last?

The agricultural officer in charge of provisions stepped forward shakily, prostrated himself, and said, "My lord... according to the plan to halve the rations today, we can still hold out... for five more days."

"Five days!" Xiahou Dun slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and roared, "And what about after five days? Are we sending our brothers to gnaw on tree bark and eat grass roots to fight Lü Bu?!"

"Yuanrang, sit down." Cao Cao gestured for him to sit down, then sighed, "An army without provisions will crumble in a single battle. We cannot let our brothers go hungry."

The tent was deathly silent.

After a long pause, Xun Yu stepped forward and said with a hint of reluctance in his voice:

"My lord, this year there has been a severe famine, and cannibalism has already been observed in Yanzhou. If we were to levy further taxes on the people, I fear..."

Cao Cao raised his head and looked at Xun Yu, and said with a wry smile, "Wenruo, I know all that you're saying."

But if no grain is requisitioned,

Five days from now, if we run out of food, then it will truly be too late to save us!

Just as Xun Yu was about to offer another word of advice,

A cold, steady voice suddenly came from behind him.

"My lord."

Cheng Yu stepped out from the ranks, bowed to Cao Cao, and then spoke:

"I have a plan that can solve the food shortage crisis."

Everyone turned to look at Cheng Yu.

Cao Cao stared at Cheng Yu for a moment and then said, "Speak."

"Please grant my request, my lord, to plunder that county."

The air inside the tent suddenly froze.

Xun Yu suddenly looked up at Cheng Yu, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Even generals like Xiahou Dun couldn't help but turn slightly pale.

Cheng Yu, seemingly oblivious, continued:

"Several counties around Juancheng, Fanxian, and Dong'e have not yet been ravaged by war, and their inhabitants still exist."

"I request to lead my troops there to requisition their grain and livestock to supply the main army."

Cao Cao did not reply, clearly indicating that he was undergoing a fierce internal struggle.

Cheng Yu stepped forward, his voice suddenly rising, and continued to speak:

"If our lord dies, Yanzhou will fall into Lü Bu's hands, and the number of people who die then will be ten or a hundred times that of today!"

Today's inhumanity is precisely for tomorrow's great benevolence!

As long as our lord has food, he can regroup, recover the eight prefectures, and then comfort the people, reduce taxes and levies, thus saving millions from suffering!

Otherwise, such womanly compassion at this moment would be the greatest cruelty inflicted upon the people of Yanzhou!

Cao Cao remained frozen in his seat, and slowly closed his eyes.

Images of the people he had slaughtered in Xuzhou flashed through his mind.

He dodged the sight of people freezing and starving to death on the road.

The raging fire flashed past Luoyang City...

After a long while, he opened his eyes.

In those eyes,

The last trace of hesitation vanished completely.

All that remains is the ruthless decisiveness of a tyrant.

"Zhongde".

"Your subordinate is here."

"As you say."

"Here you go!"

Cheng Yu led his army out of the city, and wherever they went, not even chickens or dogs were spared.

Grain was looted, livestock was seized, and men were conscripted; countless people cried out in despair.

When there is not enough grain, livestock are slaughtered;

Once all the livestock were slaughtered, he set his sights on...

Five days later,

Cheng Yu returned with a convoy fully loaded with grain.

Upon entering the city,

He glanced back, his lips moving slightly.

"In times of chaos, people are either slaughtered or starved."

"Rather than becoming a withered skeleton by the roadside, forgotten and forgotten, it's better to die with more significance!"

…………

Heavy snow began to fall in Yanzhou, while the winter rain in Danyang continued incessantly.

The people of Wanling City felt much more at ease during this year's Lunar New Year than in previous years.

Liu Bei had only been stationed there for a little over a month,

There was no exorbitant taxation.

There was no forced conscription.

It was much quieter than when Zhou Shang and Wu Jing controlled Wanling.

At Liu Bei's residence, things were bustling with activity.

This was Lu Yong's first New Year's Eve after joining Liu Bei.

He had already led Xu Sheng, Guo Jia, Lu Su, and others to decorate the front hall of Liu Bei's residence.

In the center of the main hall, there was a large round table with a copper pot on it.

The broth in the pot is a rich soup made by simmering pork bones and chicken carcasses for most of the day, with ginger slices, scallion segments and a small handful of Sichuan peppercorns added.

The copper pot was surrounded by various ingredients.

Lamb, venison, fish, tofu, radish, etc.

The ingredients are surrounded by pre-mixed seasonings.

Guo Jia squatted beside the charcoal stove, holding a pair of long chopsticks, staring longingly at the soup in the pot.

"Huai'an, how much longer?"

Lu Yong is adjusting the second pot.

Upon hearing Guo Jia's question, he replied irritably, "Wait a little longer."

Lu Su came over carrying a large platter of meat.

Guo Jia quickly took two steps back.

He casually wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

At this moment, Jian Yong walked in.

Jian Yong rushed to the pot and asked, "What is this? It smells so good!"

Lu Yong stirred the broth in the pot with a spoon and replied:

"This is called hot pot. You put the meat and vegetables into the broth to cook them, and then you just dip them in the sauce and eat them."

It's cold on New Year's Eve, so this is perfect to eat.

Jian Yong swallowed hard: "Hot pot... that name is quite fitting."

Liu Bei emerged from the backyard, carrying a jar of wine in each hand.

Both jars contained finished spirits produced by Lu Yong through several processes, which Liu Bei had kept.

He placed the wine jar on the table, dusted it off, and said, "This is a fine wine brewed in Huai'an. Tonight, everyone should drink a cup first to ward off evil spirits."

Mi Zhu and Sun Qian also arrived one after another.

Mi Zhu was carrying a basket of pastries, while Sun Qian was holding a roll of red silk.

Mi Zhu placed the pastries on the table and said, "These are New Year's cakes made according to the customs of my hometown, wishing for continuous advancement each year."

Sun Qian unfolded the red silk, on which were written eight large characters: "Peace and prosperity year after year, with abundant blessings."

He asked Liu Bei, "My lord, where should we put it?"

Liu Bei pointed to the lintel: "Put it there."

Sun Qian brought over a ladder.

Zhao Yun climbed the ladder,

Xu Sheng held the ladder.

Jian Yong then gave instructions from below:

"The left side is too high, move it down a bit... that's too high, move it up again... yes, right there!"

While everyone was busy, Guo Jia

He secretly poured a bowl of wine from Liu Bei's wine jar.

He took a sip, looking completely delighted: "This wine... is mellow, sweet, and has an unforgettable aftertaste... The wines I used to drink were practically garbage!"

Liu Bei noticed Guo Jia's bewildered expression.

He walked up behind Guo Jia, and then, taking advantage of his inattention, snatched the bowl from his hand.

Guo Jia turned around and saw that it was Liu Bei, and immediately looked resentful.

Huai'an said that this wine has a strong aftereffect and should not be drunk too much.

When everyone arrives, each person will have a bowl; no one is allowed to drink more than that.

Helpless, Guo Jia could only squat back down beside the table and watch Lu Yong busy himself.

Lu Yong finally adjusted the heat of both pots, clapped his hands, and said to everyone:

"We can begin!"

Liu Bei invited everyone to take their seats.

The round table wasn't too big; it was just right for nine people to sit around.

Liu Bei sat in the main seat, Lu Yong sat to his left, Zhou Tai sat to his right, and Guo Jia sat next to Lu Yong.

Liu Bei picked up the empty bowl in front of him and said to Lu Yong, "Huai'an, you start."

Lu Yong picked up his long chopsticks, took a slice of mutton, and put it into the boiling soup.

The mutton slices are cut as thin as paper, and they change color after being put into the soup for a few moments.

He picked it out, dipped it in the condiment bowl, and put it in his mouth.

Everyone watched as he chewed two bites.

Lu Yong swallowed and nodded: "Eat it like this, simple, right?"

Before he finished speaking, seven or eight pairs of chopsticks reached for the copper pot at the same time.

Guo Jia secured the first piece of mutton.

He didn't even bother with the dipping sauce before putting it in his mouth, and immediately his breath came out in pain from the heat.

But he couldn't bear to spit it out, and mumbled, "Delicious! Tasty!!"

Lu Su picked up a piece of fish, slowly dipped it in the sauce, took a bite, and nodded: "The strategist really knows how to enjoy life."

Zhao Yun, Zhou Tai, and Xu Sheng specialize in meat slices.

He kept eating, one chopstick after another, without stopping.

Liu Bei didn't eat much; he mostly watched everyone else eat, a smile always on his lips.

He picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and said to Lu Yong, "Huai'an, where did you learn to make this hot pot?"

Lu Yong casually replied, "My family did this once when I was a child."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei felt a pang of pain in his heart.

He still remembered that Lu Yong was from Kaiyang, Langya.

But there,

They've already been slaughtered by Cao Cao...

"Cao Mengde's army's food supplies were burned by Huai'an."

"I wonder if he'll be able to have vegetables and meat this New Year..."

The sound of firecrackers in the distance grew louder and louder.

In the first year of Xingping,

It's finally over.

[It is midnight; the year-end accounting for the first year of Xingping begins.]

Since joining Liu Bei's service, the host has devised strategies to defeat Cao Cao, planned the southward campaign, and assisted the lord in recruiting talented individuals such as Guo Jia, Lu Su, Zhou Tai, and Jiang Qin. He has also trained a new army, established secret communication mechanisms, and opened up new sources of revenue, achieving notable accomplishments in both military and political affairs.

Overall rating: S grade.

[Year-end rewards: 1 Gold Affix, 1 Special Item, 10 Free Attribute Points.]

Congratulations, host, you have obtained the entry: "Managing the World and Benefiting the People (Gold)".

Effects: In territories governed by the host, agricultural output increases by 20%, handicraft efficiency increases by 20%, commercial tax revenue increases by 20%, and the rate of social stability increases by 30%.

The area affected by this effect expands as the host's official rank increases.

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained a special item: Lu Ban's Secret Manual (Unique). Using this item will randomly grant you one technology blueprint. The item will disappear after use.]

The item has been automatically equipped, and its current attributes have been updated.

[Free attribute points have been automatically saved; the host can allocate them at any time.]

Lu Yong sighed inwardly:

"Having lived two lifetimes and nearly fifty years, this is the first time I've received a year-end bonus..."

After thinking it over, he tilted his head back and drank the liquor in the bowl in one gulp.