Chapter 7

The heavy snow showed no signs of stopping, still falling despite the fact that it had been snowing for most of the day. The sky had turned from white to gray, and it was about to turn dark, but all that could be seen was a vast expanse of white snow and a gray horizon. Suning felt his buttocks had gone numb, or rather, he could no longer feel them at all. He wondered how the Tang cavalry, who still looked resolute, had managed to develop such iron buttocks, probably from sitting for long periods and getting used to it. But Suning's delicate buttocks couldn't take it!

Fortunately, Li Jing soon ordered a rest. The soldiers, relieved, dismounted and took out their hard, cold rations to eat, not minding the hardness that could chip their teeth. Water? Ha, with no air pollution in the Tang Dynasty, everything was pure and natural, even the snow on the ground was clean. Thirsty? Just grab a handful of snow and stuff it in your mouth, swallowing it with the hard rations.

"Hey! If I don't get a stomachache from this, I'll change my name!" Suning thought to himself. Seeing Li Jing, who was quite old, eating the same food, Suning couldn't help but worry. He took out the only meat floss bread he had from his backpack, tore it in half, and walked over to Li Jing, handing him the larger piece.

Li Jing was just fretting over the hard rations. Although his body was still strong, his teeth weren't as good as they used to be. The first bite was already a struggle, and he was worried that another bite might chip his teeth. His stomach was empty, growling, and he wondered how he could have the strength to fight if he couldn't eat. He wasn't young anymore! He needed to consider retiring from the front lines. His military achievements were too great to continue.

Then he saw Suning offering him the larger half of the meat floss bread. "General, you're older and your teeth aren't as good. These rations are too hard to swallow. Eat this instead!" Li Jing didn't know what it was, but seeing the smaller piece in Suning's hand, he understood. This young man was observant and thoughtful. The bread was soft and easy to eat. Li Jing smiled, nodded, and took the bread, feeling its softness.

"Call me Uncle in private, no need to be so formal. What is this food? Why is it so soft? How do you eat it?" Li Jing asked.

Knowing that Li Jing had accepted him, Suning smiled and said, "Uncle, this is called bread, created by my master. He made it because he had bad teeth and I couldn't eat hard things when I was young. It's made from flour but goes through many processes to become soft and delicious. The yellow, fluffy layer on top is called meat floss, perfect for the elderly and those with bad teeth. I only have this much left, and there are no ingredients here to make more. When I have the ingredients, I can make more for you. Just tear off a piece and eat it directly."

Suning tore off a piece and put it in his mouth, savoring the rich sweetness. He was glad he knew how to make bread and cakes and even had a chef's certificate. The old man was a famous chef with a peculiar temperament, and Suning was lucky to be his disciple. He learned cooking from elementary school to high school, developing excellent culinary skills. The old man, being a chef, emphasized food, so Suning had to have good culinary skills to be his disciple.

To train himself and avoid classes, Suning worked part-time as a chef in a restaurant during college. He made the business thrive, and even with several branches, the customers' enthusiasm couldn't be quenched. He was exhausted, but the boss gave him a bonus and promised him a job after graduation, ensuring he would never worry about food or clothing.

This time, Suning planned to seek out the old man first and then consider other options. Hehe, maybe he could try making food in the Tang Dynasty, where food was scarce. Could his skills withstand the challenge?

As for ingredients, he would look them up on Baidu and then consider the options. This was a type of pastry, similar to Chinese buns and steamed bread, though it originated from the West.

Li Jing, following Suning's example, tore off a piece of bread and put it in his mouth. He was surprised by its deliciousness and softness, perfect for someone with bad teeth. He was indeed hungry and quickly finished the bread, still savoring the taste. Suning saw that Li Jing wasn't satisfied and offered him the remaining bread. Li Jing hesitated, "I'm full, no need. You eat it."

Suning pushed the bread into Li Jing's hand and started eating the hard rations, smiling. "Young people can endure hunger and have good teeth. Uncle, you're older and need to take care of your health. Don't overwork or starve yourself, or your body will suffer. My master loves these foods. I didn't learn much else from him, but I did learn to be lazy and eat well. I had to learn cooking to have something to eat, so I developed good culinary skills. When I have the time, I'll make more for you."

Li Jing felt a warm feeling inside. He knew there was no need for more words and started eating the bread. "I'm a general, but I've read some books. Mencius once said, 'A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.' Your master must be very learned, but why didn't he teach you this? If he did, why are you like this?"

Suning felt a surge of anger. "I've read books too. My master said that Mencius' statement about keeping away from the kitchen wasn't about discriminating against cooks. Think about it, if there were no cooks, what would we eat? If cooks are considered immoral for killing, then those who kill to prepare food are even more sinful. Mencius' point was to teach us to be kind and not to kill indiscriminately. It was a metaphor to teach us righteousness, not to discriminate against cooks. Unfortunately, later generations misunderstood Mencius, causing cooks to suffer unjustly. Sigh!"

Li Jing was surprised. He thought about it and realized Suning was right. Cooks kill, but so do soldiers, and they eat meat. How could they look down on cooks?

"Hey, this world has too many things that can't be explained. I'm already an old man, why worry about these things?" Li Jing shook his head and smiled. "If you can make such delicious food, you could captivate all of Chang'an, maybe even the whole Tang Dynasty. You could open a restaurant and become rich. You wouldn't have to worry about food or shelter."

Suning's eyes lit up. If Emperor Li Er didn't accept him, he could open a restaurant. With Li Jing's protection, he could open branches and become the richest man in the Tang Dynasty. He was impressed by his business acumen. The old man's casual words had proven useful.

"From your words, it seems your master also taught you some classics?" Li Jing thought about it. Truly talented people who were both literate and martial were rare. Most so-called literate and martial people in the military were just literate enough to understand military strategy. Truly literate and martial people were few in history. Li Jing admitted he wasn't very good at the classics, but having more skills was always beneficial.

Suning nodded. He had read the Four Books and Five Classics, but the old man said they were for children's education, best taught when their character was still forming. They taught how to be a good person, which was their greatest use. They could also be studied for research, as they contained valuable principles. Using them as a standard for officials was a mistake.

Li Jing nodded. Literate people in the military were valuable. In this era, even being literate was rare, let alone understanding such profound principles. This young man was a talent!

After a while, Li Jing clapped his hands, stood up, and said, "Get up!" Suning immediately stood up. The old man's tone had changed, indicating he was the commander, not a kind elder. Li Jing mounted his horse, and Suning followed. The other soldiers also mounted their horses, and Li Jing looked around and shouted, "Move out!"

The horses galloped forward!

After an unknown amount of time, the snow continued, but it was now dark. The snow's reflection allowed them to see the path. Suning estimated that Li Jing would soon order a rest, planning to continue the next day. This day of riding had made Suning deeply understand the difficulties of ancient transportation. His buttocks couldn't take it! He understood why messengers would die from the long journeys. The journey was unbearable! Thinking about the poems mocking Yang Guifei's love for lychees, Suning nodded in agreement.

"A rider in red dust makes the concubine smile, but no one knows it's for the lychees..."

To become rich, one must first build roads. What a profound statement! Suning thought about how poor his village was, how long they had talked about building roads, but never managed to do it. The neighboring village had built roads years ago, sending herbs and timber out in batches, becoming wealthy. His village, with so many good herbs, was stuck in poverty. He had to ride a buffalo to go to school. Sigh! Although cars were impossible in the Tang Dynasty, roads were possible. He would look up how to make cement on Baidu and find a way. Sand was plentiful.

While Suning was lost in thought, he suddenly saw a faint light in the distance. At first, he thought it was the light he saw when returning to his village in the dark, which made him want to cry. But then he realized this wasn't his village! This was the Tang Dynasty! Light?

Suning was shocked and shouted, "General! Look there! Light!"

Li Jing looked up, overjoyed, and immediately shouted, "Halt! You, you, go investigate! What is that? Is it Dingxiang City?" Li Jing didn't expect to arrive so quickly and ordered his guards to investigate. If it was Dingxiang City, it would be a great victory!

It was night, and the soldiers had been traveling all night. It was time to rest. The city gates were closed, and the cavalry couldn't enter. They would wait until morning to charge in and defeat the enemy. Jiali, your good days are over! Capture the leader first!

The cavalry halted, looking at the lights, feeling excited. They were about to achieve great things! The two scouts returned, excitedly reporting, "General! It's a city! I can't read, but it's definitely a city! And I saw soldiers with torches who aren't dressed like our Tang soldiers! They must be Turks!"

Li Jing was overjoyed. "Good! Rest for the night. When the city gates open tomorrow, we will break through and defeat the enemy!" The cavalry didn't cheer but quietly dismounted to rest. The distance to Dingxiang City was still far, and the tents were white, covered by the snow, making them hard to spot. But Suning felt something was off. Baidu said Li Jing attacked Dingxiang at night, but why was it daytime now? Was Baidu wrong?

But a night attack would be better, right? Suning was confused and asked Li Jing, "General, why not attack at night?"

Li Jing, still happy, didn't mind the question and answered seriously, "A night attack depends on the target. A camp can be attacked at night, but a city is different. The city gates are closed at night, and we are cavalry without ladders. The walls are several zhang high. How can we break through with cavalry? Ha, you know strategy, but you need experience. Reading too many books without experience is just armchair strategy."

Suning understood. The city gates were closed, the walls were thick, and cavalry wasn't good at attacking cities. There were no tools like battering rams or ladders. How could they attack? But in TV shows, people used ropes and hooks. Li Jing didn't have those tools, or he wouldn't have given up the night attack. But giving up the night attack and waiting until morning seemed to miss an opportunity. Why not take advantage of the night?

But Li Jing was right. Without tools, how could they break through? Cavalry wasn't good at attacking cities, and Li Jing had no siege tools after a long journey. Surprise was their only advantage. But Suning still felt uncomfortable. Giving up the night attack seemed wrong. Attacking at night when everyone was sleeping would be easier and more effective. But there was no choice.

Seeing the great opportunity slip away, Suning was very frustrated.

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