Chapter 1 Luoshui Carp
Wei, Huangchu Seventh Year.
Cao Rui, who had just ascended to the throne of Great Wei three days ago, becoming the second emperor of Wei, was currently seated, waiting for his meal.
Several Attendants slowly entered, successively presenting nine dishes that filled the table. In the center of the golden plate was a large fish, its aroma wafting with the rising steam.
Cao Rui picked a piece from the fish's belly and put it into his mouth. The fish meat was delicate and incredibly delicious.
“Tai Guan Ling, what dish is this?”
Wei continued the system of the Han Dynasty. The institution managing palace affairs in the Han Dynasty was called the Treasurer of the Palace, and within the Treasurer of the Palace, the institution responsible for the emperor's diet was the Tai Guan.
And the Tai Guan Ling was the emperor's head chef.
The Tai Guan Ling, standing below the steps, dared not delay and quickly responded.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, this dish is called Golden Plate Sliced Carp.”
“Among the many places that produce carp in the world, Luoshui Carp is the best.”
“Luoshui Carp is extremely fresh, caught and quickly sent into the palace by fast horse. It's seasoned with Hanzhong dogwood, Hedong white salt, and Langya fermented black beans, then cooked by the imperial chef.”
“This carp, from the moment it left the Luoshui until it reached Your Majesty's table, took no more than an hour.”
Cao Rui nodded and continued to savor the carp on the plate. The cooking method of this dish was somewhat similar to braising, but the ingredients used were excellent, so the taste was vastly different.
Three days ago, Cao Rui transmigrated back to the Three Kingdoms period when Emperor Cao Pi passed away. He observed mourning for three days, ate vegetarian food for three days, and conveniently inherited an imperial throne.
Becoming emperor was great, and being above all others was also good, but eating vegetarian dishes and coarse grains for three consecutive days, with hardly any refined cooking, was quite harsh for Cao Rui.
Fortunately, he finally got to eat meat today. Luoshui Carp, half-year-old venison, roasted lamb...
“Is this the emperor's diet? It's truly not bad.”
As Cao Rui was feasting, the Attendant Bi Jin walked to Cao Rui's side and reported in a low voice.
“Your Majesty, Attendant Liu Ye has arrived and is waiting outside the hall.”
“Liu Ye Liu Ziyang? Let him in.”
Bi Jin walked quickly to the door with his head bowed, then stood still and announced in a high-pitched voice: “Announce Attendant Liu to have an audience.”
Liu Ye walked through the long corridor, heading towards the hall entrance with a nervous heart.
It was not surprising that Liu Ye was nervous, because he had almost never communicated with Cao Rui alone. The first time he saw Cao Rui was at the enthronement ceremony.
This might sound a bit strange. Cao Pi, as the emperor of Wei, did not introduce his heir to his ministers for a period of six years.
For Liu Ye, this was the first time Cao Rui had summoned him alone, so he couldn't help but be cautious.
Liu Ye knelt down in a standard grand salute: “Your subject Liu Ye greets Your Majesty.”
“Attendant, please rise.”
Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye with interest: “Liu Qing is from Yangzhou?”
Liu Ye rose and cupped his hands in reply: “Your subject is from Chengde, Huainan. In Jian'an Fourth Year, I joined the command of the Grand Ancestor.”
Cao Rui said: “Since you are from Yangzhou, have you ever eaten Songjiang Perch?”
Liu Ye looked up at Cao Rui, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
What kind of person was Liu Ye Liu Ziyang? He dared to kill at thirteen, single-handedly pacified thousands of rebels at twenty, and repeatedly offered brilliant strategies to Cao Cao and Cao Pi.
Liu Ye, a man of both courage and wisdom, had expected Cao Rui's summons to involve questions about military campaigns, state affairs, or assisting in governance. He had already prepared his thoughts before coming.
Who would have thought that Cao Rui's first question upon summoning him would be about food?
Liu Ye controlled his expression, maintaining a respectful demeanor as he replied: “Songjiang Perch is produced at the river mouth; it is precious and difficult to catch. Your subject has only eaten it twice.”
“The first time was in Lujiang. Your subject was then the Clerk for Liu Xun, the Administrator of Lujiang, and ate it at a banquet in the residence.”
“The second time was in Ye City. Your subject was the Granary Clerk in the Sikong Residence of the Grand Ancestor. The Grand Ancestor hosted a banquet for the officials of the Sikong Residence, and the alchemist Zuo Ci fished out a Songjiang Perch at the table, of which your subject also tasted a little.”
Cao Rui's interest was piqued. He was very curious about everything in this era, especially strange and unusual things.
Although he was the emperor, Cao Rui was still very interested in legendary figures like Zuo Ci.
Cao Rui raised an eyebrow: “So Liu Qing was also present? Was it truly fished out at the table?”
Liu Ye nodded: “Your subject witnessed it personally at Emperor Wu of Han's banquet. Emperor Cao Pi and Yongqiu Prince were also present at that time.”
Cao Rui said: “Emperor Cao Pi was intelligent and wise. Did he ever discuss the truth of this matter?”
Liu Ye said: “Emperor Cao Pi believed that the matter of the perch was of unknown authenticity, perhaps some kind of illusion.”
“But Emperor Cao Pi once mentioned Zuo Ci's magic, saying that Zuo Ci did have some real skills.”
Cao Rui was somewhat surprised to hear this: “Zuo Ci has many miraculous deeds. I had also heard of them when I was in the Eastern Palace.”
“Zuo Ci conjured a perch at the Grand Ancestor's banquet, then left the table to go to West Shu to buy ginger. He also turned dried meat into food for hundreds of people outside Ye City.”
“I've heard all these stories. What exactly were the 'real skills' that Emperor Cao Pi mentioned Zuo Ci possessed?”
Cao Rui asked Liu Ye with considerable curiosity.
Liu Ye was a wise man of his time. Since Cao Pi usurped the Han and became emperor, Liu Ye, in his position as Attendant, frequently accompanied Cao Pi, offering advice and consulting on state affairs, serving as a specialized strategist and a close minister to the Son of Heaven.
The advantage of being a close minister to the Son of Heaven was, of course, being closer to the center of power, holding a more esteemed position, and having daily contact with the emperor.
But the disadvantage was that if the emperor didn't talk to you about important state matters, but instead asked you to accompany him in amusement, it was easy to become viewed as a sycophantic minister. Dongfang Shuo during the time of Emperor Wu of Han was learned and talented, but his talents were never put to practical use.
Although Liu Ye was unwilling to become Dongfang Shuo, he truly could not fail to answer the emperor's questions truthfully. Even if there was a slight chance to increase the emperor's favor, Liu Ye did not want to miss it.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Emperor Cao Pi once mentioned Zuo Ci's bedroom arts.”
“In the past, when the Grand Ancestor was in Ye City, he summoned strange and unusual people from all over the world to Ye.”
“Among them, there were three alchemists: Zuo Ci of Lujiang, Gan Shi of Ganling, and Xi Jian of Yangcheng.”
“Gan Shi had the art of circulating qi and guiding energy, which Emperor Cao Pi believed could strengthen the body, but his words were exaggerated and unreliable.”
“Xi Jian was skilled in abstaining from grains; he needed no food other than poria and water. The price of poria in Ye City even increased several times because of Xi Jian.”
Cao Rui was a bit bored, and he stretched his legs behind the table. These two people's skills were truly uninteresting.
Liu Ye paused, hesitated for two seconds, and continued.
“Zuo Ci... Zuo Ci claimed to be able to command ghosts and spirits, but his true skill was the bedroom arts, which Emperor Cao Pi also acknowledged.”
Cao Rui's interest was piqued. He stood up from behind the table and shook the sleeves of his outer robe. Transmigrating to become emperor, while unifying the four seas and creating a prosperous era were indispensable, he also decided to enjoy all the pleasures of the human world.
Was there really such a magical thing as bedroom arts?
“Liu Qing, what exactly are these bedroom arts? Please elaborate.”
Liu Ye looked at Cao Rui's slightly interested expression, feeling a hint of disappointment. Emperor Cao Pi was both scholarly and martial, yet Cao Rui, immediately upon ascending the throne, inquired about bedroom arts with a minister.
A son unlike his father, Liu Ye thought.
Liu Ye's face gradually became serious. He bowed deeply to Cao Rui, cupping his hands, and said earnestly: “Your Majesty, your subject Liu Ye believes that Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. Externally, there are two enemies, West Shu and Jiangdong, and internally, the people's livelihood is in decline and urgently needs recovery.”
“Regarding the bedroom arts, not only has your subject heard of them, but all the ministers in Ye City in the past also practiced them. But at this moment, your subject truly does not wish to speak of this matter. I earnestly hope Your Majesty will prioritize state affairs.”
“Prioritize state affairs?” Cao Rui thought: “Although that's correct, the importance of state affairs isn't in this conversation. Just answer what I ask.”
The enthusiasm of the ministers still needed to be protected.
Cao Rui said: “Liu Qing, do not worry. I have my own sense of proportion regarding state affairs, and we will discuss them with the ministers at tomorrow's court assembly.”
“I am merely curious, what exactly are these bedroom arts?”
Liu Ye sighed inwardly. One piece of advice was his limit. From his bones, Liu Ye didn't care about external evaluations; he preferred practicality over empty talk, and gaining the emperor's trust was the most important thing.
Liu Ye cupped his hands: “Your Majesty, what are called bedroom arts, people mistakenly believe are all about matters between men and women, but their principles are far deeper than just that.”
“In short, bedroom arts originate from the Huang-Lao school of thought. The core lies in cherishing essence and loving qi, moderating desire, and preserving essence. They can nourish life, but to become an immortal and achieve longevity is wishful thinking.”
“But in terms of actual practice, they still have some connection with matters between men and women...”
...
The sun slowly set to the west. Liu Ye concluded his first audience with Cao Rui and slowly walked out of the North Palace gate along the road.
Beside the palace gate, a young aide had been waiting there for a long time.
The aide cupped his hands and said: “Liu Gong, Lord Sima and Lord Chen have invited you for a talk at the Imperial Secretariat.”
Liu Ye stopped. Clearly, Sima Yi and Chen Qun had learned that he had been summoned by the emperor, and it seemed they wanted to sound him out.
Liu Ye glanced at the aide, neither answering nor stopping, and walked directly towards the Imperial Secretariat.
First time writing a book, asking for readers to add it to their collection ~ Many thanks
