Chapter 261

Chapter 261

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 8: Chang’an Wine Debate, Autumn Changes Chapter 261: The Banquet Begins

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 261: The Banquet Begins

Looking at Mi Heng’s “Parrot Rhapsody,” one can see his writing habits.

Obscure characters like 蓐翮巇觜坻矧歔牖 frequently appear in his writings, perfectly embodying the idea of highbrow art being unappreciated by the masses.

So the question arises: if Yuan Xi were born into an ordinary family, would he still recognize these characters?

This is not an era where everyone has a Xinhua Dictionary.

Hearing Guo Jia’s question, “Do you recognize all these?” Yuan Xi’s heart skipped a beat, fearing any unusual expression might show on his face.

Although Guo Jia is not much older than him, Tian Feng’s warnings have instilled a sense of awe in Yuan Xi towards Guo Jia.

He quickly replied, “Indeed, there are many characters I haven’t learned, which makes me regret not fully understanding the text and not being able to write as fluently as him.”

Though unaware that his “father” was once labeled a genius by Qiao Yan, pushing him to his current position, Yuan Xi instinctively felt this wasn’t a good term for him.

Whether he was moved by the parrot’s experiences in the text, feeling uneasy due to personal identification, or feeling inadequate in comparison, he just needed a plausible explanation.

Guo Jia didn’t intend to press him further, saying, “Alright, I’ll explain it to you on our way out of the city.”

Yuan Xi didn’t really want to revisit the rhapsody, but since he himself had provided the reason for not fully understanding it, he had no choice but to listen again.

He couldn’t help but curse Mi Heng in his heart for writing such a rhapsody, mocking Ye City and putting immense pressure on the second son of the Governor of Qingzhou.

Fortunately, once they were outside the city, Yuan Xi felt much more at ease.

Guo Jia, claiming to show Yuan Xi various posts around Chang’an, took him to many places under the pretext of inspecting on behalf of the Grand Marshal.

For Yuan Xi, the only hardship was the long walks.

Compared to the mental challenges, this was merely a physical test.

Contrast brings happiness.

Staying at Maiwu at night, Yuan Xi heard some good news from Guo Jia.

Why was Guo Jia inspecting on behalf of Qiao Yan, and why was the plan delayed by two days?

It was all because Yuan Shao took an unconventional route.

He had Ju Shou and Gao Gan attack Runan through the private troops of the Gao family in Chenliu, catching Yuan Shu off guard.

With Yuan Shu severely injured, he sent Yuan Yao to Chang’an for aid and medical help, forcing Qiao Yan to pay attention to the eastern war situation to ensure no interference in the wine debate’s interests.

“But there’s no need to worry,” Guo Jia said leisurely, handing roasted meat to Yuan Xi, “Given the recent conflicts, Ji Province remains peaceful and won’t affect your family. However, I suggest you advise your father to bring your family to Chang’an sooner rather than later, to avoid future chaos.”

Yuan Xi, just hearing of his father’s successful military move, was distracted by thoughts of the east. Hearing Guo Jia suggest bringing his family to Chang’an, he almost didn’t realize who he was referring to as “father.”

Thanks to his recent cramming, he quickly pulled himself back from the brink of exposure, replying, “I will advise my father.”

Guo Jia didn’t seem to notice the evasiveness in his tone, as the night’s firelight made emotions hard to discern.

Over the next day, perhaps due to familiarity and being of similar age, Yuan Xi felt less intimidated by Guo Jia.

He guessed it was because Guo Jia was now certain he was just an ordinary person.

Relieved to have passed the test, Yuan Xi even tried riding a mule cart in the fields.

Mules, a rarity even among nobles during the Spring and Autumn period, were still not widely used despite knowledge of their breeding in the Qin and Han dynasties.

Seeing such a thing in Guanzhong surprised Yuan Xi.

Based on his observations in Chang’an and recent experiences, the Marquis of Leping was pragmatic.

Like the new roads in Chang’an, seemingly plain but durable, the surrounding farmland and water conservancy were also well-managed. Why use mules for carts?

Mules rarely reproduce, making them a waste of resources.

Yuan Xi thought this and asked accordingly.

Guo Jia’s eyes flashed with amusement, but his reply showed no hidden agenda, simply asking seriously, “Do you know the difference between a mule born from a mare and a donkey, and one born from a donkey and a stallion?”

This wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t within Yuan Xi’s knowledge, so he shook his head.

Guo Jia explained, “A mule born from a mare and a donkey is called a horse mule, inheriting the mare’s docility and ease of training, superior in load-bearing and group effects compared to a donkey mule born from a donkey and a stallion.”

Pointing to the mule pulling the cart, he said, “This is a horse mule.”

“But…” Yuan Xi hesitated, “If it’s born from a mare, why not just breed horses?”

Guo Jia shook his head, “Let me ask you, how much grain does a horse need to eat in a day under load?”

Yuan Xi, though not directly involved in battles, had some knowledge to assist his father.

After thinking, he replied, “Excluding forage, about forty catties of concentrate.”

Guo Jia smiled, “And how much does a donkey need under the same load?”

Yuan Xi, unaware of the difference between donkey mules and horse mules, didn’t know the answer.

Guo Jia didn’t press him, directly answering, “Only ten catties of concentrate.”

Excluding forage, this was only a quarter of what a warhorse needed.

“These saved grains can be used to recruit more laborers for actual battles,” Guo Jia said seriously, “Don’t underestimate these numbers; they can form a decisive advantage on the battlefield. Moreover, mules are hardy, slow but enduring, especially excellent in mountainous transport. Otherwise, how do you think we quickly conquered Hanzhong?”

Yuan Xi pondered Guo Jia’s words and realized it made sense.

Unaware that improving transport tools directly could form an advantage without considering hard-to-produce mules, or how long it takes for a mule to grow from farm work to carrying military supplies, he thought their weaker calculation skills in Ji Province compared to Bingzhou and fewer military campaigns than Qiao Yan meant such conclusions wouldn’t be problematic.

After weighing his thoughts, he asked his final question, “But this way, these transport mounts can’t reproduce to expand the scale, right?”

Guo Jia shook his head, “You’re still stuck on numbers. Even if these mounts were horses, breeding the next generation would take a year or two, and raising them would take more time. But mules are less prone to disease and can work for up to twenty years. Is expanding the scale really necessary?”

He added, “Or do you think twenty years isn’t enough for the Chang’an court to reclaim the east and unify the world?”

Yuan Xi, now identifying as Yuan Feng’s son rather than Yuan Shao’s, naturally had to speak from the Chang’an court’s perspective.

He could only hope for the Chang’an court’s victory in seizing Ji Province.

Twenty years… the world surely wouldn’t remain divided for so long.

Completely fooled, Yuan Xi fell into the trap of horses being inferior to mules, planning to discuss this with his father upon returning to Ye City.

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard Guo Jia shout, “Watch the road ahead!”

Yuan Xi quickly refocused.

Earlier, to let him experience the mule cart, Guo Jia had handed the reins to Yuan Xi.

But in his distraction, he hadn’t noticed they were nearing Chang’an.

Due to their inspection route, they were returning from the north of Chang’an and encountered a mule team.

Perhaps because the mules were of different breeds, despite Yuan Xi’s efforts to pull the reins, their cart continued unstoppably towards one of the carts.








Crashing over, it looked like a car accident was about to happen!

Oh no!

Yuan Xi didn’t have time to think. Seeing the cart ahead loaded with jars and bottles, if they really crashed and broke, it could seriously hurt someone. With a strong pull from Guo Jia, he jumped off the cart.

Luckily, the mule wasn’t moving fast, and there happened to be a haystack by the field ridge, so their jump didn’t result in any injuries.

Almost immediately after Yuan Xi jumped off, the two carts collided.

The mule pulling the cart was only about four or five years old, barely old enough for farm work. Pulling such a heavy load was beyond its capacity, and the collision scared it so much it broke free from the reins and ran away.

After the loud crash, both carts overturned on the spot.

Their cart was relatively fine, but the other one had all its jars and pots smashed to pieces.

As Yuan Xi stood up, he was hit by the strong smell of alcohol.

The intense aroma of the high-proof liquor almost made him drunk on the spot.

Guo Jia reached out to help him, but as soon as he saw the scene, he pushed Yuan Xi away.

Yuan Xi had only ever seen Guo Jia in a relaxed and carefree state, never so distraught.

The young man pushed him aside and rushed to the broken jars, stopping in front of a few, pounding his chest in frustration, muttering, “My medicine! Why did these jars have to break?”

Yuan Xi looked closely at the shards and the remaining liquid, seeing nothing unusual except for some garlic fragments at the bottom of the broken jars.

It didn’t seem related to medicine at all.

But when he voiced his doubt, Guo Jia glared at him, “What do you know? Garlic, specially processed and soaked in alcohol, separates into a layer of liquid over time. This liquid can treat coughs and dysentery, even more effective than expensive medicines.”

Guo Jia sighed heavily, glancing at the now orderly mule carts and then at Yuan Xi, the troublemaker, saying, “Forget it, no use talking now. We’ll just have to start over.”

“All that’s left is a bit of residual alcohol; the useful layer is gone.”

Guo Jia searched through several broken jars but found nothing useful, his face growing darker.

“Forget it, let’s not look anymore. Come with me to change carts and head back to Chang’an.”

Yuan Xi listened helplessly as Guo Jia muttered about the preciousness of the lost medicine, feeling guilty since he had been the one driving the cart. As the Grand Marshal’s Chief Secretary, Guo Jia couldn’t really scold Yuan Xi, so he suppressed his anger.

Dysentery, known in modern terms, was something Yuan Xi was aware of.

The disease was common among the poor, often appearing during epidemics. If there was an easy remedy, it truly could be considered a treasure.

Now, several jars of it had been smashed by him.

He worried if this would expose his identity.

Trembling, he followed Guo Jia back to Chang’an, where he was handed over to Tian Feng, who informed him about the existence of allicin.

Tian Feng said, “Honestly, I don’t know exactly how it’s made. It appeared after Yuan Hua arrived in Leping. According to their tests, it can treat not just coughs and dysentery, but also brain fever and diphtheria. It was published in the Leping Monthly Report. But I only learned today that it’s stored in alcohol.”

Seeing Yuan Xi still anxious, Tian Feng comforted him, “Don’t worry too much. This could be a blessing in disguise. When you return to Ye City, inform the Lord. Ji Province has many skilled doctors; they’ll figure it out.”

“I’ll buy two bottles of finished allicin for you to take back for comparison, so we won’t risk harming the people of Ji Province.”

Hearing Tian Feng’s confident words, Yuan Xi felt somewhat relieved.

But compared to him, Guo Jia was much more relaxed.

Watching the medic bandage his sprained ankle and treat his minor scratches, he turned to Qiao Yan and said, “My Lord, mission accomplished.”

Guo Jia wasn’t much of an actor, but mixing truth with lies in a way Yuan Xi couldn’t discern wasn’t as hard as he thought.

Mules were good, but to replace horses to the extent he told Yuan Xi, even Qiao Yan, who had tried in Leping six or seven years ago, couldn’t do it, let alone someone improvising.

Allicin was also good, but thinking it could be extracted by simply soaking garlic in alcohol was naive. Even with a finished product for reference, breaking out of that mindset wasn’t easy.

These were the two traps Guo Jia carefully set for Ye City.

Two seemingly delicious traps that would only drain their resources!

Qiao Yan smiled back, “Now, we can safely hold this wine discussion.”

At the end of May, Chang’an was bustling.

A group of attendants took down the calligraphy and painting works at the end of the new road, marking the end of the ten-day submission competition.

These works would be sent to the court for evaluation, with the winning pieces displayed publicly.

If no objections were raised within three days, the results would be finalized, and rewards would be given as Qiao Yan had promised.

Onlookers whispered about the possible outcomes.

The top spot for manuscripts was undoubtedly Wang Can.

As the first to submit, he spurred others to participate but also put immense pressure on them.

No one surpassed him by the end.

If Qiao Yan were to judge, it’s true that moving articles touch emotions. Those who wrote volumes顺应时势 lacked the detail and genuine emotion in Wang Can’s every word.

Ni Heng also stood out, but his prominence was likely because—

He was beaten up two days ago while out.

Fortunately, Chang’an’s streets were safe, and the incident was quickly noticed. The patrols didn’t catch the attackers but ensured Ni Heng’s safety.

The reason for the beating was guessed by all—his “Parrot Fu” was too offensive.

But Ni Heng didn’t care.

As he told Yang Xiu, stirring emotions meant his piece was successful.

Yang Xiu could only laugh and ensure Ni Heng’s safety.

Below Wang Can and Ni Heng, there were many well-written articles, but perhaps due to time constraints, few stood out.

The third place was truly uncertain.

As for the painting group, aside from Zhang Chang’s undeniable top-three “Chang’an Fu,” there was a strikingly vivid painting.

The image was simple—a leather-armored arm and a black dog—but it leaped off the page, far from ordinary.

Only the name was marked as “Anonymous,” seemingly not ready to reveal the artist’s identity.

But not knowing the name now didn’t matter; if selected, they’d face public scrutiny.

Before the results, the more pressing matter in Chang’an was the wine discussion!

The noble youths eagerly awaiting the event were surprised to learn it would be held on the earthen platform outside Lingtai.

The wooden stakes there had been removed during the new emperor’s ascension, conveniently providing seating.

Even more surprising, as they sat down, two rows of people brought wine jars and bowls, placing them before each attendee.

Everyone was puzzled.

The wine discussion was supposed to be about limiting alcohol, so why serve wine first?

When Grand Marshal Qiao Yan arrived and took her seat, someone immediately asked, “Is the Grand Marshal planning to welcome us with a drink?”

Halfway through, the speaker laughed.

If so, the alcohol restriction would be a joke.

Qiao Yan looked at the speaker, filled her bowl with wine, and smiled, “Why not?”

Before she finished, she took a fire starter from her aide and lit the wine in her bowl.

Instantly, flames burst from the bowl!

She seemed unfazed, lifting the bowl and the fire!

In the sudden silence on the platform, she declared, “With this wine, I welcome you all!”