After Liu Hui left, Liu Bei leaned on the cushions, closed his eyes, and let himself rest a little.
Rinan County was the southern boundary of the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty.
General Fubo of the Western Han Dynasty, Lu Bode, conquered Baiyue in the south and established Rinan County. Later, General Fubo of the Eastern Han Dynasty marched to Jiaozhi and put down the uprising of the Second Expedition. Then he erected a bronze pillar in Xianglin County of Rinan County, which means "for the Han Dynasty"
Extreme realm].
However, because the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, coupled with the traffic congestion, the Han Empire's ruling power over Rinan County, Jiuzhen County and other places is relatively weak, and the power of the local indigenous people is not that weak.
Coupled with the conflict between the cultural customs of the Han and the local indigenous people, as well as the government's rough policies, the local indigenous people often rebelled against the government's rule in groups, and there would be one or two rebellions every few years.
The Han people of this era did not have a positive opinion of the natives of Jiuzhen County, Ninan County.
Later, Xue Zong, a famous Confucian scholar in the state of Wu, took refuge in Jiaozhou when he was a boy. He commented on Rinan County: "The mountains and rivers are far away, the customs are uneven, the languages are the same and different, re-translation is the same, the people are like animals, old and young are the same, and the vertebrae are all weak."
, The head is pierced to the left side, and the design of a long-term official is present or not... Men and women in Rinan County are not ashamed of their bodies, so in this sense, they can be called insects].
From this description, it can be seen that Ninan County was a land of miasma and barbarity at that time, and the local indigenous people were despised as insects.
This title was used by Liu Bei to address his enemies, and the natives of Rinan County were also called this, which shows the disdain the Han people had for these people.
But for the Han Empire, Rinan County was a treasure that should not be lost.
Nichinan County locally produces famous pearls, fragrant medicines, ivory, rhinoceros horns, tortoise shells, corals, colored glaze, parrots, jade, peacocks and other tropical specialties, making it a supplier of luxury goods to the imperial family and nobles.
More importantly, this place has been an important foreign trade center of the Han Dynasty since the Western Han Dynasty. Naturally, a large part of these tropical specialties came from the Maritime Silk Road, the maritime trade route directly to Ninan County, which was the predecessor of the famous Guangzhou Tonghai Yi Road.
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the central government's control over the Western Regions was not as good as that of the Western Han Dynasty, resulting in three connections and three absolutes. When the land Silk Road was relatively unstable, the role of the Maritime Silk Road became even more prominent.
Moreover, the navigation technology during this period was not developed enough, the technology of identifying directions at sea was not enough, and sharp-bottomed ships that could withstand wind and waves did not appear. Large ships were often flat-bottomed and could easily roll over if they encountered strong winds and waves.
Therefore, ships at that time generally sailed along the coast, where they would not easily lose their bearings or be capsized by wind and waves. Therefore, Rinan County, the southernmost point of the Han Empire, naturally became a window area for trade.
Businessmen and exchange envoys from Southeast Asia, India and even the Roman Empire would often arrive at Ninan County along the coastline, then land at Ninan County, and go north along the official road. While doing business and exchanges, they would go to the Guanzhong area, the core of the empire.
achieve various purposes.
Not only Rinan County, but also Hepu County and Xuwen County in Hepu County, and Panyu County in Nanhai County were all important foreign trade windows in the southern part of the Han Empire. Some Han business teams would also depart from here to arrive at Rinan County.
Nanjun trades with foreign merchants.
It can be said that although it is a wild land and the infrastructure is not very good, the local commerce and trade is really prosperous.
However, the Central Plains scholars at the core of the empire's rule were limited by transportation and stereotypes, and knew little about it. There was little exchange and contact between the two sides, and they did not attach much importance to this area of commerce and trade. They often paid no attention to it and failed to see significant consequences.
Where the interests lie.
The bureaucrats in the Jiaozhou area did not want their interests to be interfered with by the central government, so they closed their doors and engaged in things. Unless they were official envoys from foreign countries, they would not allow them to go north. If they were foreign businessmen, it would be a disaster.
Local officials are often corrupt and wantonly harvest foreign merchants who come to Nichinan County to trade, asking them to get more than 30% of the benefits, otherwise they will be oppressed, so "all countries suffer from it".
Of course, the local people in Ninan County are also suffering from the exploitation of corrupt officials. The conflicts between Han and Yi, the government and the people are quite prominent, and the negative status bonuses are abundant. If Ninan County can be stabilized, something will happen.
Previously, Liu Bei had no interest in Jiaozhou and he could not control Jiaozhou. However, as he ascended the throne and gradually established his foreign aggressive policy, he believed that Jiaozhou would become an area that he must control.
Especially the foreign trade in the Jiaozhou area is the key that he must control.
After the things were settled, the New Year's Eve of the first year of Zhenguan arrived. This time, the New Year's Eve had a stronger political attribute than a festival.
In previous years, as long as he was not on the battlefield, Liu Bei would gather his subordinates to hold a banquet and cook some delicious food for them to share their feelings. But if he was on the battlefield, he would have no choice.
But this year is different.
Today is the first New Year's Eve after he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor. Due to the implementation of various systems, many of his old subordinates are serving as officials in other places and were unable to come back to attend his enthronement ceremony. Therefore, this New Year's Eve is more like a
A serious enthronement ceremony.
He will hold a coronation ceremony for his old subordinates who have been with him for a long time, and make everything lively and lively, so that the Han Empire will usher in the first year of Zhenguan and the arrival of the Third Han Empire amidst celebration and joy.
.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Qian Zhao, Jian Yong, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Jia Xu and other core old subordinates had the important responsibility of stabilizing the place and preventing it from causing chaos in the previous incidents, so they did not have time to join Liu Bei.
enthronement ceremony.
This time they came to Luoyang for the reason of returning to Beijing to report on their work, mainly to meet Liu Bei, congratulate Liu Bei on his enthronement and proclaim the emperor, and talk about their long-standing emotions.
After arranging the events after departure at the local level, the old subordinates in these places set off one after another. Those who are closer to Luoyang will start later, and those who are farther away from Luoyang will start earlier.
For example, Guan Yu set out from Jingzhou in early December and went all the way north to buy some local specialties from Jingzhou and Yangzhou.
Guan Yu knew that Liu Bei didn't like luxury things, but Liu Bei liked to eat, so he chose some local agricultural products from Jingzhou and Yangzhou, and also brought a few famous local chefs from Jingzhou and Yangzhou and asked them to go to Luoyang to cook for Liu Bei.
.
Although the economy and culture of Jingzhou and Yangzhou are not as good as those of the Central Plains, they still have some local specialties. They are very good at making aquatic products and some delicacies. Guan Yu ate them and thought they tasted very good, so he decided to share them with Liu Bei.
He knew that Liu Bei would be happy if he did this.
Of course, Guan Yu is not the only one who thinks this way. People who are close to Liu Bei know that Liu Bei does not like luxury things, and because he does not want his subordinates to mess around, Liu Bei never reveals his preferences to the outside world.
Even his closest subordinates only knew that Liu Bei was a veteran gourmet. The reason why he gave the impression to the outside world that he lived a simple life was because he was not interested in the traditional delicacies of the Han Empire. He would make his own food.
A long time ago, Liu Bei's eating habits were slightly different from those of others.
For example, he likes to eat rice, and even makes his own fried foods and the like. He is obviously a foodie, but he is not a traditional foodie and likes new things.
So the subordinates all unanimously searched for the best local cooks and brought them to Luoyang, so that Liu Bei could experience the new feeling of being on a ship that he had never experienced before.
Liu Bei was very willing to accept the wishes of his subordinates and was very happy. However, the special techniques brought by the so-called outstanding local chefs and the special delicacies they produced may not be in line with Liu Bei's taste.
The fish soup made by the cook brought by Guan Yu was a bit interesting, and Liu Bei liked the fragrant soup.
The cooks Liu Sheng and Xun You brought from the land of Sichuan and Sichuan who were good at making local specialties also made good stews. The stews were stewed in one pot and tasted pretty good.
But the cook Jia Xu brought from Xuzhou who was good at making fish dumplings was a bit embarrassing. He actually made fish dumplings from fish in the Yellow River.
Although it is said that he removed all the fish bones, and Jia Xu also praised his skill of removing fish bones with one hand, which is rare in the world, the secret sauce he prepared is extremely delicious, and the fresh fish meat will leave a fragrance on your lips and teeth after one bite.
"In the local area, if you want to eat the fish and clams he cooked, you have to order him at least half a month in advance. This time I brought him to Luoyang, and I don't know how many people in Xuzhou will be obsessed with him.
Yeah, hahahaha!”
Jia Xu still looked very proud and told Liu Bei that the Chen family, a famous local wealthy family in Xuzhou, particularly admired this cook. Chen Deng, the son of the Chen family, worked under Jia Xu and highly praised this cook and would eat his cooking every few days.
Fish meat.
This cook was also recommended to Jia Xu by Chen Deng, and he was definitely eager to please.
Liu Bei believed this, but Liu Bei felt that he was really unlucky to endure this raw fish dumpling.
In order to look good, he symbolically ate a piece of it.
Indeed, the taste is quite bright. I don’t know what method was used. Maybe it was the sauce. The fishy smell of the river fish was also covered up very well, but Liu Bei really couldn’t get used to it.
In order not to hurt Jia Xu's face, Liu Bei chose to tell Jia Xu privately after the banquet: Never eat this food again. There are worms in this food that can multiply and grow in the human body. If you eat too much, you will get sick easily.
Jia Xu was shocked by this and said that this fish dumpling is a very famous delicacy in the local area. Luxury families flock to it. He has never heard of anyone getting sick after eating it. If there is something wrong with eating it, then the cook will kill someone.
murderer?
"Sea fish is okay, but river fish is not. Xuzhou is close to the sea, and people may not eat all river fish, so everything may not be OK. But if you focus on river fish, sooner or later something will happen. Wen He, it will be fine if you eat some sea fish, but you can still do other things."
Eat it cooked, never raw."
Jia Xu was a little confused about this at first, but when he thought it was Liu Bei who said this, he was convinced and decided not to eat this raw fish again.
In addition to this little episode, the few Xianbei chefs Qianzhao brought from the grasslands who were good at making dairy products and barbecue also made Liu Bei very difficult.
That smelly.
Liu Bei thought that as a Youzhou native, he often ate raw roast mutton when he was young. He was very tolerant of the fishy smell and even liked the smell of mutton.
However, this time, I probably ate too much of the good stuff, and I was a little overwhelmed by the too-original roasted lamb and dairy products.
Not to mention Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jia Xu, Cheng Yu and others, everyone looked like they wanted to vomit after eating, but they did not dare to vomit to save face, which was very funny.
What's more important is that this kid Qianzhao actually enjoyed the food.
Liu Bei finally swallowed a piece of cheese, resisted the urge to yue, and looked at Qianzhao with a look of enjoyment on his face.
"Zijing, is it delicious?"
“Delicious, really delicious.”
Qianzhao said with a smile: "At first, I was a little bit uncomfortable eating it, but the more I ate, the more delicious it became, and now I'm not used to it even if I don't eat it, hahahaha! To say that these Xianbei people are not good at fighting,
He is really good at making food."
Seeing Qianzhao showing off his cheese with big mouthfuls of cheese, Guan Yu, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but move his seat to the side, as if he didn't want to have too much interaction with this guy.
This guy hasn't been guarding Youzhou for a long time. How come he has become so ugly so quickly?
But overall, everyone had a good time. A group of old brothers ate and drank, and then congratulated Liu Bei on becoming emperor.
Finally, no one could stop what Liu Bei wanted to accomplish.
And they can also go about their business without worrying about any strange remarks from the government and the opposition that may catch them off guard.
Now, who else dares to gossip about Liu Bei?
At the banquet, everyone ate, drank, had fun, and enjoyed themselves to the best of their ability.
After the banquet, Liu Bei stayed with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong and Qianzhao. He invited them to drink and chat in his favorite pavilion, and together they recalled some interesting or thrilling things that they had experienced that year.
The four of them are Liu Bei's earliest team members, and they are the first old people who hang out with Liu Bei to fight for the "kingdom". The emotions between them are slightly different from those of other subordinates.
Everyone was drinking and reminiscing, and as they reminisced, they recalled many interesting things.
For example, Jian Yong laughed at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who fought with Liu Bei for the first time that year.
The two of them believed that they were strong, and when they fought with Liu Bei, they stood out from the queue and wanted to show their bravery. However, after defeating several of the opponent's men, they were surrounded by more people, punched, kicked and beaten with sticks. It was Liu Bei who waved the stick and beat the quilt.
The two people who were beaten into pig heads were rescued.
At that time, Jian Yong was also in the queue fighting with Liu Bei, and witnessed the whole scene of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei being beaten into pig heads.
He is specially responsible for sneak attacks. Liu Bei assigned many detailed tasks to the younger brothers who fought. Who is responsible for direct confrontation, who is responsible for outflanking, and who is responsible for conducting sneak attacks. There is a clear division of labor, so the winning rate in the battle is very high.
high.
Everyone obeyed Liu Bei's command, but these two guys wanted to express themselves. As a result, they became the biggest embarrassment in the whole team. They were laughed at for many days and almost died in the team.
"Back then, you two thought you were fierce, so you rushed forward and tried to beat ten of them, but you were beaten so hard that you couldn't get up from the bed for three days! Hahahahaha! Now that I think about it, I still find it funny!"
Jian Yong drank some wine and laughed at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei mercilessly, making the two men's faces turn red and black as they laughed.
Zhang Fei was so angry that he pointed at Jian Yong and scolded him.
"Old Jian! Don't laugh at me! Just when you fought with Li Changdao in the east of the city, you led a sneak attack and were surrounded by others. You were beaten until your nose was bruised and your face was swollen. Who led the people to rush over to save you? Yes?
Me! You still have the nerve to laugh at me?"
Guan Yu also stared at Jian Yong.
"Xianhe, don't blame us. We have no experience in fighting for the first time. You are an old man. Aren't you bragging that you are the first to fight with your elder brother? Why do I remember that you, an old boy, can't get up from bed?