Ji Han Liu Zhang

Chang'an, Qin Palace.

Wu Ban pulled Wang Ping to sit down, and they started to roast a fire around the charcoal stove. Outside, the north wind was blowing hard, and the whistling sound was enough to make one feel the chill. Inside the house, with the help of the charcoal stove, although it was not as warm as spring, the warmth was real, and the body felt warm.

It's a pity that there was no hotpot in the late Han Dynasty, otherwise, according to Wu Ban's personality, he would definitely invite three or five close friends here when it was snowing heavily outside, set up a hotpot, eat some mutton, heat some good wine, eat and drink, and have endless happiness.

However, Wu Ban was not idle either. He found some Hu cakes and baked them on the iron rack above the charcoal stove. He also took out a pot of rice wine and placed it on the charcoal stove in the hope of having a cup of hot wine.

Soon, Wu Ban and Wang Ping were eating Hubing and drinking wine together.

Wang Ping took the first bite of the Hu Bing and found it very crispy and chewy. There seemed to be a meaty taste in the Hu Bing that bloomed on the tip of his tongue, which made him eat a few more bites to distinguish it.

After taking a few bites of the Hu Bing, Wang Ping was certain that the Hu Bing did contain meat filling, otherwise it would not have such a delicious meaty smell.

"How about this Hu Bing..." Wang Ping held up the half-eaten Hu Bing in his hand and planned to ask Wu Ban about the recipe of the meat-stuffed Hu Bing. The Hu Bing made in this way was indeed very delicious, which made him want to learn from him. He also wanted to chat a little to avoid a dull atmosphere.

Before Wang Ping could finish his question, Wu Ban seemed to have predicted what Wang Ping would say next. He smiled and interrupted Wang Ping, saying, "This was made by the chef in the palace according to the king's instructions. If you want to know how to make it, I'll ask the chef to give you a recipe tomorrow."

"Is the king also proficient in cooking?" Wang Ping asked, he was also a little curious. After all, as the King of Qin, he should not be close to the kitchen, but the King of Qin had such ingenuity in food.

"A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen." Wu Ban shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, of course, can't cook. It's just that your Majesty is a scholar and can do anything. He has learned cooking skills without a teacher and is very ingenious. The chefs in the palace are far inferior to yours."

"Your Majesty is truly Your Majesty. He is what is called a man of heaven, and is beyond human reach." Wang Ping sighed. He was filled with admiration for Liu Zhang both physically and mentally.

Wu Ban nodded in agreement. He also admired Liu Zhang and felt that he was a loyal man.

With a charcoal stove at the side and delicious food and wine at hand, Wu Ban and Wang Ping chatted with each other, the atmosphere gradually became tense, and the relationship between the two was getting closer.

Taking advantage of this intense atmosphere, Wang Ping expressed his doubts to Wu Ban: "Brother Yuanxiong, I have a question in my mind, I wonder if you can help me solve it."

Before talking about the specific matters, Wang Ping first sought Wu Ban's consent. Wu Ban agreed without hesitation: "Zijun, just tell me. If I know anything, I will tell you everything I know."

Wang Ping put down the wine glass in his hand and said seriously: "I am just a common Qiang from Baxi County. Because the population of Guanzhong was empty, I moved to Guanzhong to settle down."

"I was lucky enough to be appointed as a personal guard, and I am already very satisfied. However, when the king appointed me as the commander of a hundred men, I was very confused. I don't know what the king's intention is."

Not daring to ask the King of Qin directly, Wang Ping asked Wu Ban about the specific reasons for his promotion to the position of Governor of a Hundred Men. He always felt that he was not worthy of the position, and was also worried that he would make mistakes in the position and let Liu Zhang down.

"What is your intention?" Wu Ban said with a grin, "Your Majesty must value you, Zijun. Otherwise, why would he appoint you as the commander of a hundred men?"

"But the king and I only met and talked once?" Wang Ping still didn't believe it: "After a day, I can't even remember his voice and appearance clearly, how can I talk about whether he is respected or not." "One time is enough." Wu Ban affirmed: "In the past, Generals Shen Mi and Lou Fa only met with the king once and were awarded the position of lieutenant. What's more, your position as the commander of a hundred men is lower than that of Shen Mi, Lou Fa and others."

At this point, Wu Ban roughly realized the real intention of Wang Ping's question. Wang Ping, who came from a humble background, had a bad habit of belittling himself and was not confident in his own abilities.

As it was, Wu Ban comforted Wang Ping and said, "Your Majesty employs and dismisses people, and rarely makes the wrong choice. Zijun, you don't have to worry about anything. Your Majesty has appointed you as the governor of a hundred men, which means you have the ability and talent."

"Besides, the king often said that it is not a shame to be born in a humble family; only a man who can bend and stretch can be a real man! Birth is determined by heaven, and one can go into the army and the documents can be determined by the common people. There are also people who can become kings and nobles."

"The first thing you need to do now, Zijun, is to do your job well and find opportunities to make contributions. Who knows, you may be rewarded with a title of nobility in the future."

"A title of nobility!!!" Wang Ping looked frustrated. He repeated in a low voice, and then waved his hand and said, "Ping would be satisfied if he could be promoted to the rank of captain or lieutenant. How dare I hope for the reward of a title of nobility?"

"Zijun," Wu Ban said earnestly, "The world is in turmoil, and this is a time for heroes to rise up. You must not have such self-defeating thoughts. You should learn more about military tactics and study military strategies in order to seek the reward of being made a marquis."

"I will keep in mind what Brother Yuanxiong said." Wang Ping responded solemnly.

Next, amid the howling north wind and the rustling sound of falling snow, Wu Ban and Wang Ping ended their conversation and came to the bed together, sleeping on the same bed like real brothers.

On the bed, Wu Ban and Wang Ping had not fallen asleep yet, and continued their conversation at the wine table. It was not until late at night that they both fell asleep and greeted the arrival of tomorrow in their dreams.

The next day, when Wang Ping stepped out of the house, he saw that the sky and the ground were all white. The houses, corridors, pavilions, red bricks and green tiles were all turned white.

The heavy snow that was falling non-stop yesterday stopped quietly last night, and the rampant north wind also died down. So today's weather is very good, with light wind and clear clouds, and a bright sun in the sky.

The good weather made Wang Ping feel relaxed and happy. His recent promotion to the supervisor of a hundred men made Wang Ping feel clear-headed. Today's good weather made him feel even more relaxed and happy.

"Zijun."

Walking in the corridor and heading to the meeting room for duty, Wang Ping met his mentor, the King of Qin, on the way.

"Your Majesty." Wang Ping stepped aside, then bowed and paid great respect to Liu Zhang.

Seeing Wang Ping's extremely respectful attitude, Liu Zhang smiled and stretched out his hand, lifting Wang Ping up: "There is no such red tape in my palace. Next time, you don't have to kneel, but just bow your hands in respect."

"Yes." Wang Ping responded, as if it was a response from the bottom of his heart. Not only was his voice bright, but it was also full of Wang Ping's incomparable respect from the bottom of his heart. (End of this chapter)