The Proof of the Heavens Begins with The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Chapter 127 Dingzhou Ye Wan
In February of the fourth year of the Qingli calendar, Dingzhou grassland

In early spring, the south is already covered in spring colors, but on the vast grasslands of Dingzhou, there is a gap between green and yellow.

The cold wave has not yet gone away and spring is late in coming. It has always been like this in the north.

Fang Hao was wearing simple coarse cloth clothes. He held a pen in his right hand and wrote and drew on the cardboard in front of him.

Fang Hao seemed very focused when he entered the working state. Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu, who were standing beside him, did not dare to disturb him.

At the headquarters where the Second Prince's carriage was located, in addition to the master and his three servants, there was also a young general leading a team of cavalry, guarding not far away.

After an unknown amount of time, a mechanical device in front of Fang Hao's desk suddenly made a crisp ringing sound.

Fang Hao raised his head, looked at the sun in the sky, and said to those around him, "Is it time?"

"Your Highness, the time has come." Xie Bian said.

"Then let's go eat." Fang Hao thought for a moment and said, "Bi'an, go and invite General Ye over. He is helpless. Get him a piece of the spicy beef I pickled last month."

"Yes!" Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu responded in unison.

In the second year of the Qingli period, Fang Hao got bored of staying in Kyoto, so he traveled all over the mountains and rivers of Qing Kingdom on the pretext of compiling a comprehensive record of the land.

This is Fang Hao's third month of staying in the northwestern border state. Dingzhou is Fang Hao's last stop.

It's time to end this relaxing trip.

……

After Ye Wan instructed his soldiers to complete their guard duty, he walked straight towards the headquarters where Fang Hao was.

After walking a few steps, he smelled a unique spicy aroma. He knew that he was in for a treat today because he could taste the delicious food prepared by His Royal Highness the Second Prince himself.

"General Ye, you've worked hard. Have a piece!" At the headquarters, Fang Hao threw a long and narrow piece of beef to Ye Wan and asked him to sit over.

Ye Wan didn't hesitate and took a bite, feeling a thousand flavors disintegrating on his tongue.

Fresh, fragrant and spicy, all kinds of flavors are blended together, yet with distinct layers and no disharmony. The taste is so magical that you can't stop.

"Your Second Prince's craftsmanship is truly unparalleled in the world!" Ye Wan couldn't help but admire.

"Cooking skills are just a side dish." Fang Hao took a bite of the beef and tasted it carefully: "There is less pine resin and more agarwood. There is also a problem with the ratio of chili peppers."

"Your Highness is still so demanding." Ye Wan said with a smile, "No wonder he can make such a delicious dish. Even my master praised it highly after eating it."

Ye Wan is the eldest son of Ye Zhong, the commander of the Kyoto Garrison Division, the elder brother of Ye Ling'er, and the only person in the Ye family besides Ye Liuyun who has learned Liuyun Sanshou.

The "great man" he was referring to was naturally Ye Liuyun, one of the four great masters.

"It is my great honor to be praised by the Grand Master." Fang Hao said, "It's a pity that there are not many in stock, otherwise I would definitely send a batch to Senior Ye."

After Fang Hao mastered the "Five Supernatural Powers" of the Hidden Meridians, although it did not help much in martial arts, he achieved amazing results in various arts.

Using the "technique of the ghost nose" to blend fragrances and the "technique of tasting subtleties" to add seasonings, Fang Hao soon became the best chef in the world of Joy of Life.

In the past two years, Fang Hao has traveled across the country of Qing on the pretext of compiling the "Guodi Zhi". In addition to his duties, he has also developed a lot of local delicacies in his spare time.

This "spicy beef" is the best quality marinated beef made by Fang Hao from the finest grassland buffaloes from Dingzhou, mixed with the special spices of the Northwest.

Some time ago, Fang Hao sent a batch of them to the palace, which received unanimous praise from Concubine Shu, the Empress Dowager and even Emperor Qing.

"Is this the topographic map of the prefectures and counties in Dingzhou?" Ye Wan pointed to the map drawn on Fang Hao's desk. "Yes." Fang Hao nodded and said, "This Yuanshan County is the closest place to the Xihu territory in Dingzhou. After drawing this, the topographic map of the seven routes and twenty-six counties of Qingguo will be completed."

"It's incredible!" Although Ye Wan is young, he is also a veteran of many battles. He was once stationed in Nanzhao and is now guarding the border in Dingzhou.

It is not difficult to see that the map drawn by Fang Hao is very detailed, with the mountains, rivers, cities and villages marked in different colors.

Using the skillful brush to miniaturize the huge Dingzhou into a scroll is simply unheard of.

Even those experts in the Second Division of the Supervisory Yuan who analyze intelligence from around the world may be able to talk about it in a reasonable manner, but there are probably only a few who can draw such an accurate and vivid map.

"With mountains and valleys in my mind, I write as if inspired by God."

Ye Wan suddenly remembered this poem by Zhuang Mohan, a great literary figure in the Northern Qi Dynasty, which was about the Second Prince.

When Ye Wan received the task from the court to protect the second prince, he was not happy at first. Being a bodyguard for the prince was not as exciting as killing a few barbarians on the grassland.

But after spending a long time with the prince, he was impressed by his demeanor, which was like the bright moon and fresh breeze.

The Ye family is a large family in the Qing Kingdom, and there is a great master in the family. They will definitely become the target of the princes to win over.

But since the second prince came to Dingzhou, he has never said anything to win over others.

He is friendly and humble, and he cooks some rare delicacies from time to time. Frankly speaking, Ye Wan has a good impression of him.

"Second Prince, I see that the mountains in your painting are layered one upon another, with different shades of color. What does this mean?" Ye Wan said after looking at it for a while.

"Oh, I use the depth of color to indicate the height of the mountain, you see..." Fang Hao explained the concept of "contour line" in detail.

After hearing this, Ye Wan's eyes lit up. In this way, the "Dingzhou Topographic Map" drawn by Fang Hao would be more practical.

The two chatted for a while, and not long after, the mechanical device on Fang Hao's desk rang again.

So Fang Hao said, "General Ye, I should get back to work."

"Then I won't bother the Second Prince." Ye Wan showed a strange smile on his face.

If Fang Hao has any quirks that are hard to accept, working at regular times and locations is definitely one of them.

According to the Second Prince, he works for a maximum of four hours a day, and spends the rest of the time busy with his own affairs.

To this end, he specially asked the eldest princess to find some craftsmen in the inner treasury who were good at making machinery to customize this timekeeping machine.

This machine, which is similar to a mechanical clock, can help Fang Hao tell time accurately.

In Fang Hao's words, life is short, so enjoy it while you can and don't let work take up too much of your time.

Of course, apart from this quirk, the second prince's performance is impeccable.

On this day, as it was getting late, Fang Hao and his party rested for one night in Yuanshan County, preparing to set off tomorrow and return to Kyoto.

That night, Fang Hao was resting in the Yuanshan County Government Office. Suddenly, he opened his eyes abruptly.

When the "Ghost Nose Technique" was activated, Fang Hao smelled a bloody smell coming from the northwest that was impossible to conceal.

"Trouble has come." Fang Hao frowned.

(End of this chapter)