Chapter 53

On the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, Deng Gang woke his colleagues early. The officers of Lu Yao's unit gathered in front of the camp gate to burn incense and paper, set up peachwood figures, and hang ropes made of pine and cypress branches. Lu Yao personally slaughtered a chicken and sprinkled its blood on the doors and gates.

According to the beliefs of the time, the earth's vital energy began to stir and plants started to grow in the first month. Chickens, which feed on grains, were sacrificed to assist the growth of plants. There was also a myth that during the reign of Emperor Yao, a bird called the Chongming bird was presented by the Qizhi country. This bird had eyes like a chicken and a voice like a phoenix, capable of fighting fierce beasts and evil spirits. People hoped the Chongming bird would fly to their homes to drive away evil, but since it was unattainable, they hung chickens on their doors to scare away ghosts and demons.

After completing these rituals, Lu Yao and Xue Tong had to visit the governor's residence to pay respects to Lord Yuanshi.

On this day, apart from the generals stationed in various places and the necessary guards, all the civil and military officials under the jurisdiction of the governor of Bingzhou gathered. There were formalities for the New Year's celebration at the governor's residence, including dressing in formal attire to pay respects to superiors, burning large bamboo tubes in the courtyard, drinking pepper and cypress wine, peach leaf soup, eating sticky rice candy, and five-spice dishes.

Pepper and cypress wine was made by soaking pepper flowers and cypress leaves. People believed that pepper was the essence of the star Yuheng, and eating it made one young; cypress was a divine medicine that could cure all diseases. Drinking this wine on New Year's Day was to wish everyone good health in the new year. Peach leaf soup was made by boiling peach branches and leaves. Since peach wood was believed to have the power to drive away evil and subdue ghosts, drinking peach leaf soup expressed people's hope to expel evil and suppress ghosts.

After the ceremony, Lord Yuanshi held a lavish banquet as usual. Nearly a hundred officials attended, and if you counted the bodyguards and attendants, there were even more. Since the guest hall could not accommodate everyone, tents were set up in the courtyard in front of the hall. The exquisite dishes were served continuously, and Lord Yuanshi gave a speech, vowing to subdue the Xiongnu and promising promotions and rewards. All the generals showed their enthusiasm.

During the banquet, many colleagues came to toast Lu Yao and thank him, joking that if it weren't for Lu Yao's raids, the entire army would have run out of food. Especially Ding Miao and Wang Xiu, who were close to Lu Yao, took the opportunity to drink heavily.

Wang Xiu was still restrained, as he was a close guard of Liu Kun and could not drink too much. Ding Miao, on the other hand, almost hugged the wine jar. He had a poor drinking habit and did all sorts of mischief, making Lu Yao dizzy and pleading for mercy.

In these rare days of unrestrained laughter and joy, everyone was genuinely happy.

Wen Qiao seemed a bit drunk. He staggered down the steps and loudly recited: "Military service has its hardships and joys, but it depends on who you follow. If you follow a wise and brave leader, how can the army be overworked? The governor is conquering the frontier, his anger shakes the heavens..."

Before Wen Qiao could finish his recitation, a group of half-drunk officers cheered loudly: "What a great poem! What a great poem! Secretary Wen, you are talented!"

Lu Yao snorted and sprayed the wine out of his mouth. This wasn't Wen Qiao's poem at all; what were these rough men talking about! He laughed heartily, clapping the table. For the first time in months, he was enjoying the banquet without any worries, so he drank a bit too much.

If measured by modern standards, this incompletely fermented wine had a very low alcohol content. However, Lu Yao had a very low tolerance, and after three cups, his face turned red, and he felt a bit tipsy.

While drinking alone, Xun Run, the deputy secretary, called out from a few seats away: "Why are you laughing, Daoming?"

Xun Run was the second most powerful person in Lord Yuanshi's staff, just below Secretary Wen Qiao. During the reorganization in Jicheng, Xun Run had expressed his goodwill towards Lu Yao in front of everyone. According to the information from Lord Yuanshi's close aides, Xun Run had also spoken well of Lu Yao to Lord Yuanshi after Lu Yao's conflict with Liu Yan. However, Lu Yao didn't like this man.

This ability to read people came from Lu Yao's previous life. After doing so much work in reading people's expressions and moods, he naturally became adept at discerning their true intentions. To him, Xun Run was like an actor in a TV drama, and Lu Yao could easily judge his acting. Some actors were natural and smooth, while others were too theatrical. Xun Run was the latter.

Without a doubt, Xun Run was skilled in communication, and his friendly demeanor and honest face easily won people's favor. However, when Lu Yao talked to him, he always felt uncomfortable. Xun Run's every word and action, though intended to convey genuine emotion, seemed overly forced, giving the impression of a cunning person pretending to be loyal. If an example had to be given, perhaps a certain actor from the future who gazed at the stars could be compared to him.

Despite his inner disdain, Lu Yao had never neglected the surface-level interactions over the past few months. He always treated Xun Run with courtesy and respect. But today, perhaps due to the alcohol, Lu Yao lost his composure.

He burped, glanced sideways at Xun Run, waved his hand to dismiss him, and continued drinking.

This behavior, while merely frivolous in modern eyes, was extremely rude in ancient times, akin to dismissing a servant. Xun Run's eyes narrowed slightly, and he laughed self-deprecatingly: "Daoming is drunk; I won't disturb you."

Lu Yao didn't notice his own actions. He drew his sword and stood up, saying loudly: "Since Secretary Taizhen has sung, I, though lacking talent, will dance with my sword to accompany him!" With that, his sword was drawn with a ringing sound, the blade gleaming like snow, filling the hall with a clear light.

Wen Qiao raised his cup to Lu Yao and continued to sing: "One strike to destroy the Xiongnu, another to subdue the Qiang. We will reclaim the borderlands, as if picking up lost items. Rewards will surpass mountains, wine and meat will overflow. The army will be well-fed, and the horses will be fat. We will return on foot and by chariot, with more than we left with. We will expand our territory by three thousand li, and return as swiftly as the wind. We will enter Ye City with songs and dances, and all our wishes will be fulfilled!..." The civil officials beat time and echoed, singing with deep emotion and vigorous spirit.

Wen Qiao sang with great passion, and Lu Yao accompanied him with a sword dance. Though young, he was a seasoned general. Holding his sword, he exuded a fierce and solemn aura. He moved gracefully, following the flow of the sword light, like a silver dragon circling and weaving. The military officers cheered and pounded the tables, the noise almost shaking the roof.

Liu Kun, seated at the head of the table, listened and watched with delight, frequently raising his cup to toast: "Gentlemen, please drink!"

Liu Kun was in a very good mood. In the past few days, as the new governor of Bingzhou, he had made significant progress in integrating the northern counties and commanderies. Local officials and powerful clans from the emerging commandery, Yanmen commandery, and Leping commandery in the northeast had come to join him. Several people in the hall were representatives from these areas, indicating that these regions had nominally returned to the jurisdiction of the governor of Bingzhou.

Additionally, with slightly more military supplies, he had gathered troops to prepare to retake Shangdang commandery. Although Shangdang was in ruins, its strategic position was high and overlooked the east, south, and west. With Shangdang as a flank, the strategic environment of the entire Taiyuan kingdom would be greatly improved.

The choice of the commander for the Shangdang campaign was still undecided. This was a significant matter, requiring a general who was both wise and brave. Xun Run had several times recommended the general Long Jimeng, who originally served under Duke Dongying. However, Liu Kun was still hesitant.

Xun Run was capable and skilled in music, and had been favored by Liu Kun for some time. Generals like Linghu Sheng were secretly dissatisfied with this. Xun Run, on the other hand, actively sought to build alliances with military leaders to consolidate his position. His initial target was Lu Yao, but Lu Yao clearly wanted to stay out of the internal disputes of the governor's staff. So, Xun Run turned to Long Jimeng, who had recently joined Liu Kun's forces.

Liu Kun saw all the small maneuvers his subordinates made to consolidate their power. Although he disdained the use of political tactics, he did not intend to stop them. As long as they did not hinder the campaign against the Xiongnu, he would let them be.

Enough, why think about these things today? Speaking of which, Duke Dongying Sima Teng, who had been in charge of Bingzhou for years, had a strong army and brave generals but was defeated by the Xiongnu. He barely escaped with his life. In just a few months, I, Liu Yuanshi, have managed to build up an army, secure supplies, and stabilize the people, creating a vibrant atmosphere! Ha, my talent and ability are far superior to his!

This comparison made Liu Kun very happy, and he drank to the bottom of his cup.

In the hall, the large-bodied Long Jimeng held his cup with both hands and bent down with some effort in front of Xun Run: "Deputy Secretary, please drink this cup."

The respectful gesture of a commanding general like Long Jimeng somewhat quelled Xun Run's anger at being dismissed by Lu Yao. Xun Run looked at Long Jimeng's respectful expression with satisfaction and gently supported his arm: "General Long, there's no need to be so formal... If you have time after the banquet, please come to my residence for a chat, will you?"

Long Jimeng's face lit up: "Good! Good!"