The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 243 Liu Biao usurps the title of Duke of Chu; Li Yi invents dumplings, leading to Zhao Ji's return to Han.

Meanwhile, Li Yi personally went to the Zhen family to express his gratitude, and happened to meet Zhen Mi in the backyard.

Zhen Mi bowed slightly, and Li Yi immediately returned the bow with his hands clasped in greeting.
“When I was surveying land in Ji Province, I received much help from you, young lady. I have come here to express my gratitude.”

Zhen Mi curtsied in return, her eyes like autumn water:
"...The Prime Minister is dedicated to eliminating evil for the country, and I have only done my humble best."

"Jizhou is now devastated, and its people are starving. I humbly request the Prime Minister's assistance."

"—Do not relax the law because of personal feelings."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was first taken aback, then burst into laughter:
"...This young lady is truly a national treasure!"

"If all the gentry in Hebei were like the Zhen family, why would the world be in turmoil?"

Afterwards, the two went to Zhongxi Garden together.

Seeing a set of Go pieces arranged on the stone table, Li Yi asked:
"...Does the young lady also play chess in her spare time?"

Zhen Mi nodded, "In my spare time, I often play chess with friends."

"Now that they've moved to the Bohai Sea, they rarely go down anymore."

Since Li Yi had some free time and nothing else to do, he invited Zhen Mi to play chess with him.

Halfway through the game, Li Yi, playing black, placed a piece at the center, but Zhen Mi responded with a piece at the edge or corner.

Li Yiqi asked:
"Ordinary people fight for the Central Plains, how can a young lady conquer the borderlands?"

Zhen Mi lightly tapped the chessboard with her fingertips:
"Though the corners are remote, the foundation is solid."

"For example, when the prime minister surveys land, he first stabilizes the poor, then subdues the powerful; this is the way to ensure long-term stability."

Li Yi stared intently at his features, and suddenly felt a surge of emotion in his chest, forgetting to place his piece.

……

As dusk approached, a sudden downpour began.

Zhen Mi took an umbrella to see him off, but when they reached the stone steps of the mansion gate, Li Yi suddenly stopped:

"Has the young lady ever considered... where she would like to reside after the world is at peace?"

Zhen Mi gazed at the ruins in the rain and said softly:

"If peace comes, I wish to build a hut on the banks of the Zhang River, plant willows and read books, and never hear the sound of war again."

Li Yi remained silent, then suddenly unfastened his sword and presented it to him.
"This sword has been with me for ten years, and I now give it to you, young lady."

"—Once the world is at peace, I will personally go to the Zhang River to hear you reading aloud."

Zhen Mi's cheeks flushed crimson as she bowed her head to receive the sword.

Li Yi hesitated for a long time before finally getting into the carriage.

Zhen Yao chased after him, holding an umbrella, calling out as he went:
"...Prime Minister, are you...are you leaving?"

Li Yi had already boarded the car and called out from the window:
"...Yes, it's raining heavily outside, so there's no need for you to see me off, Zhen Gongcao."

Uh……

Zhen Yao was taken aback and could only nod in agreement, but he glanced at Zhen Mi beside him.

Zhen Mi stood blankly beneath the rain pavilion, holding the sword given to her by Li Yi, her gaze fixed on the carriage that had already departed.

In the car.

Peach Blossom, who was serving nearby, couldn't help but ask in a low voice:
"The Prime Minister has come here to arrange a marriage with Lady Zhen."

"Why do you sit facing me all day, only giving me a sword and never mentioning marriage?"

Li Yi, supporting his sword and closing his eyes, said calmly:

“If she were an ordinary young lady, I would have sent a matchmaker to our door long ago.”

He paused slightly, then lifted the curtain and sighed:

"Precisely because—"

"Zhen, who could advise her brother to help with the land survey, dared to discuss the women of the world in the rain."

That's why I didn't want to use power to coerce them.

Li Yi can be described as a ruthless political machine.

However, Li Yi had a relatively pleasant relationship with Zhen Mi.

Why does Lao Liu dislike women and prefer being with his brothers?
Because women in ancient times were not like women in modern times, their levels of education were different, and they didn't have as much in common.

Aside from being pretty, she's really good for nothing.

But Li Yi saw in Zhen Mi a quality that set her apart from others.

Despite her high level of education, Zhen Mi was also a woman of independent thought.

This is actually something that Li Yi greatly admires.

If you can really find a person of the opposite sex with whom you share common interests, or even a soulmate.

No man would resist it, and Liu Bei was no exception.

After spending several time together, Li Yi realized that Zhen Mi truly understood him and had her own thoughts.

Unlike Mi Zhen and Yuan Ying, who simply followed their own desires.

This is actually quite rare.
Li Yi's workload is very heavy, and everyone needs an outlet.

Or rather, it's an outlet for venting emotions.

However, there are certain things that Li Yi simply cannot say to his superiors or subordinates.

But if you talk to the wives, they won't understand; they won't understand men's "pressure" and "worries".

That is why Li Yi was even less willing to use his power to coerce Zhen Mi.

Even if Zhen Mi herself did not object, it would still give this relationship a "servile" connotation, thus distorting its true nature.

Li Yi had a better idea—

“Ms. Zhen is talented and learned, and I admire her very much.”

"A conscription order will be issued tomorrow:"

“The talented woman Zhen Mi was recruited as the secretary of the Prime Minister’s office, with a rank equivalent to 600 shi (a unit of grain).

Tao Hong did as she was told and wrote it down. She also practiced writing on a regular basis and could occasionally act as Li Yi's secretary.

Thinking of this, Li Yi suddenly changed the subject and added a sentence:
Add the annotation "Xu Peijian enters the yamen".

Peach Blossom paused, finally unable to resist interjecting:
"Your Excellency, please forgive my indiscretion."

"It allows Miss Zhen to wear a crown and seal, and also to carry a sword, and to freely enter and leave the government office."

"I'm afraid it will cause those old Confucian scholars to gossip... Moreover, it's not in accordance with etiquette and law."

Li Yi, however, was confident and replied casually:

"In ancient times, Ban Jieyu was ordered by the emperor to continue writing the Book of Han."

"Among the officials of the court, who did not hold their breath to listen to his lecture?"

"I am merely employing Ms. Zhen as my secretary; why should others have anything to say?"

"As the prime minister, do I really need the approval of a Confucian scholar to appoint a secretary?"

Tao Hong sensed the displeasure in Li Yi's words, and quickly lowered her head to apologize.
"...Prime Minister, please calm down. I was just being nosy."

Li Yi did not reprimand her, but simply told Tao Hong to write it down and to send someone to the Zhen residence the next day to recruit Zhen Mi.

The next day, early in the morning.

As the morning light bathed the bamboo slips, Zhen Mi unrolled them.

His fingertips lightly brushed over the vermilion inscription on the "sword," and he suddenly chuckled, saying to the maids around him:
"This is... Prime Minister Li's letter of appointment."

……

Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

Cao Cao's envoy, Man Chong, has arrived in Jingzhou and entered Xiangyang.

Following Cao Cao's instructions, Man Chong secretly met with Cai Mao, the minister of Jingzhou, while resting at the post station.

They presented him with gold, silver, and brocade, and earnestly urged Cai Mao to say a few kind words to him at the conference the next day.

He then appealed to Cai Mao's emotions and reason, analyzing the current situation for him.

"Currently, Liu Bei is encroaching on Hebei, eyeing Yan and Dai, suppressing Liaodong, and Huainan is at his beck and call."

"The three prefectures of Qing, Ji, and Xu are united as one; if we were to gain Jingzhou as well..."

Cai Mao couldn't help but shudder. As Liu Biao's brother-in-law, he belonged to one of the four great families of Jingzhou.

They certainly didn't want to be annexed by Liu Bei.

But considering Liu Bei's current strength, wouldn't it be wise to yield to him as a way to protect oneself?
The candlelight illuminated Cai Mao's twitching face as he continued to ask:

"What should we do if Liu Bei gets angry and raises an army?"

Man Chong immediately bowed and answered solemnly:
"At that time, Duke Wei should advise Jing and Chu on their advances and retreats!"

Cai Mao took a deep breath, hesitated for a long time, and finally made up his mind.

"...Mao already understands the Manchu envoy's intentions."

"I just don't know what I need to do?"

Cai Mao asked earnestly.

Man Chong immediately explained to Cai Mao that he needed to persuade Liu Biao the next day.

The goal was not to get Liu Biao to accept the alliance between Cao Cao and Liu Biao, but rather for Cai Mao to persuade Liu Biao to accept the title of "Duke of Chu".

Why?

Cao Cao knew exactly who Liu Biao was.

A typical two-faced person, he prefers to stand by and watch, preventing Jingzhou from getting involved.

Therefore, even though he facilitated the alliance between Cao Cao and Liu Biao, Cao Cao did not expect Liu Biao to contribute much to this alliance.

However, if Liu Biao accepted the title of Duke of Chu, the situation would be entirely different.

Liu Biao also became part of the "usurper," meaning you were in the same boat as Cao Cao.

Trying to coast along is absolutely out of the question.

This was Cao Cao's wishful thinking.

The next day,

Man Chong, acting on Cao Cao's orders, brought the seal and insignia of the Duke of Chu to Xiangyang and offered his advice:
"Now Liu Bei controls the three provinces of Qing, Ji, and Xu, and has a million soldiers under his command, eyeing the Central Plains with predatory intent."

"With the Yuan family of Hebei destroyed, Liu Bei will surely conquer Jiangnan."

"Cao Cao governed Henan, which was adjacent to Jingchu, and they were as close as lips and teeth."

"We should unite as one to resist tyranny."

Man Chong immediately spoke frankly, explaining that he had come on Cao Cao's orders to form an alliance with Liu Biao.

"Liu Bei claimed the title of king despite being a distant relative of the imperial clan. As a member of the imperial clan, why shouldn't you also be king?"

"However, Duke Wei believed that we, as Han officials, should rightfully inherit Han titles."

"Therefore, Duke Wei wishes to share the land with Your Excellency, and submit a memorial to the Emperor, requesting that Your Excellency be enfeoffed as Duke of Chu, to forever guard the south of the Yangtze River."

After saying this, he presented the official seal, which was accepted by the attendant and given to Liu Biao.

Liu Biao stroked the seal and pondered for a moment, not responding immediately, but a look of joy appeared in his eyes.

Seeing this, Cai Mao decisively stepped forward and said loudly:

"Lord!"

"Liu Bei was a hero of his time."

"Li Yi is a truly treacherous and deceitful man, even more shameless than Zhang Yi."

"Previously, the promise made to the lord of the power to submit memorials from Yuzhang was just a perfunctory gesture."

“Sun Quan invaded Lujiang, and Liu Bei did nothing about it.”

"Liu Bei doesn't even consider that if it weren't for the large amount of grain that Jingzhou sends to Xuzhou every year..."

How did Liu Bei defeat Yuan Shao?

"If Jingzhou hadn't sold its warships to Xuzhou back then, how could Xuzhou have built a navy that could dominate the lakes and seas in such a short time?"

"Now that Liu Bei has pacified Hebei, he will soon invade and annex Jiangnan. Your Excellency must be cautious and take precautions!"

Although Cai Mao spoke in this way because he had received favors from Cao Cao, what he said was indeed reasonable.

Li Yi once imitated Zhang Yi, repeatedly outwitting Liu Biao, the King of Chu.

They sold the warships, gave away boatmen and sailors, and traded a million bushels of grain to Xuzhou.

As a result, they didn't even get an inch of land in Jiangdong, which was considered a great disgrace by the people of Jingzhou.

So much so that the title of Duke of Chu seemed somewhat ironic when applied to Liu Biao.

However, Liu Biao himself was very pleased with Cai Mao's statement.

After all, Liu Biao was a truly ambitious man.

For example, when holding sacrificial ceremonies to Heaven and Earth that only the emperor could preside over, there were acts of usurpation in terms of residence, clothing, and vehicles.

Liu Biao once had Du Kui, a court musician who had taken refuge in Jingzhou, perform imperial music for him.

But Du Kui refused.

He believed that this was for the emperor's use and that his subjects could not enjoy it.

What's even more interesting is that,
Liu Biao himself wanted to become emperor, but instead reported to the court that Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou, had violated regulations and harbored rebellious intentions.

It's unclear whether he was worried that Liu Yan would preemptively declare himself emperor, or because he couldn't stop Liu Yan.

Instead, he was inspired by Liu Yan and began to have improper thoughts.

Now, Liu Biao, who was ambitious, was very unhappy to see Liu Bei declare himself king first.

As members of the Han imperial family, why did Liu Biao and Liu Zhang dare not claim the title of king?

Because they were all descendants of Liu Yu, the King of Lu Gong of the Western Han Dynasty.

Liu Bei was a descendant of Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan during the Western Han Dynasty.

Descendants of the Western Han royal family could not claim the title of king in the Eastern Han Dynasty; this was an unspoken rule of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Liu Bei was the first to break this rule.

Although he did have the ability, it still aroused Liu Biao's extreme dissatisfaction.

The main reason is that in previous diplomatic dealings with Liu Bei, Liu Biao had always been the one who suffered losses.

This convinced Liu Biao that cooperating with Liu Bei was not a wise decision.

As early as when Liu Bei declared himself king, Liu Biao specially sent someone to deliver congratulatory gifts to Xuzhou.

On the surface, it was to offer congratulations, but in reality, it was to test Cao Cao's reaction.

After all, the only one in the world with the strength to rival Liu Bei was Cao Cao, and Liu Biao needed to see what Cao Cao's attitude would be.

The final result did not disappoint Liu Biao; Cao Cao was indeed provoked.

Not long after Liu Bei declared himself King of Qi, he became Duke of Wei.

Cao Cao's reaction surprised and delighted Liu Biao, who then said to Kuai Yue and the others:

"I expect that Cao's envoy will not arrive in Jingzhou for a long time."

Today, Liu Biao's earlier words have come true.

"His virtue is meager and his wisdom is limited; I truly do not know whether he should succeed the Duke of Chu."

What do you gentlemen think?

Liu Biao certainly wouldn't openly declare his intention to become the Duke of Chu; he could only hint at it through words.

You all hurry up and take stock of my achievements, and urge me to become the Duke of Chu!
The registrar, Kuai Liang, sneered and spoke frankly about the advantages and disadvantages.

"Cao Cao promised Gong Chu a noble title, actually intending to make me compete with Liu Bei so that he could reap the benefits."

"Furthermore, Liu Bei's benevolence and righteousness are renowned throughout the land. If I were to break my alliance, how would the people of Jingzhou view you, my lord?"

Cai Mao immediately retorted loudly:

“Clerk Kuai, you are mistaken. It was Liu Bei who broke his promise to our lord first and betrayed the alliance.”

"It is not that my lord has failed Liu Bei, but that Liu Bei has failed my Jingzhou."

"As for Lord Cao, he honored my lord as the Duke of Chu, which shows his utmost sincerity."

"Moreover, during the previous battles in Henan and Hebei, Cao Cao suffered the greatest losses, which shows that he would never betray his allies."

General Wen Ping, with his hand on his sword, said:

"A true man should stand tall and upright; how can he depend on others for his life?"

"If Liu Bei comes, I am willing to be the vanguard to defeat him!"

Wen Ping was a naval commander in Jiangling, and he also resented Liu Bei for having previously taken many of their warships from Jiangling for free.

Now that the Xuzhou Navy has been established, it has instead become a threat to the national defense and security of Jingzhou.

Kuai Yue hurriedly advised, "If Your Excellency accepts this title, you are handing Cao Cao a handle to use against you."

"It would be better to feign compliance and wait for Cao Cao and Liu Bei to fight before deciding on our course of action."

"Moreover, Liu Bei now controls five provinces and is very powerful. If he were to lose Jingzhou as well—"

"The greater good?"

Cai Mao interrupted with a cold laugh and ordered his men to bring in ten lacquered boxes.

Upon opening it, it turned out to be the salt tax ledger of Jingzhou!
It turns out that since Jingzhou and Xuzhou established diplomatic relations, Xuzhou has been dumping refined salt into Jingzhou.

Despite Liu Bei's order prohibiting such trade, the powerful families in Jingzhou, concerned only with their own family interests, continued to trade with him privately.

This led to a large influx of wealth into Xuzhou.

Because the salt trade had been monopolized by other families, Cai Mao was unable to get a share of it.

So they took this opportunity to settle scores with Liu Biao.

Many ministers in the hall changed their expressions drastically upon seeing the account books.

Because of this refined salt trade, they had a share.

The hall fell silent for a moment, and Liu's face turned ashen.

Cai Mao smiled smugly, then cupped his hands and said:

"Jingzhou borders the Five Ridges to the south and the Han River to the north, covering an area of ​​several thousand li and with more than 100,000 armored soldiers."

"Since Liu Bei could be called the King of Qi, Cao Cao could be called the Duke of Wei."

"Why can't you, my lord, ascend to the position of Duke of Chu?"

Strength is the foundation for becoming a king or a duke.

After recovering Jingnan, Liu Biao's strength increased greatly, bringing Jingzhou's national power to its peak.

At the same time, Liu Biao himself had a very good reputation in Jingchu.

That is to say,
He combined kindness and severity, and skillfully lured his followers.

The vast area was pacified, and the people were delighted and convinced.

They established schools and disciplines, and cared for the people and nurtured scholars.

A good shepherd in troubled times is not just empty praise.

This means that Liu Biao possessed both the military strength to claim the title of Duke and a popular base of support.

If no one had previously used the title of "Duke," Liu Biao certainly wouldn't have dared to be the first.

But now Liu Bei has declared himself king, and Cao Cao has declared himself a duke.

Why couldn't Liu Biao establish the State of Chu and become the Duke of Chu?
"...Everyone."

Liu Biao explained his views to everyone in a methodical manner.

"Now Liu Bei has occupied five provinces, and he is eyeing Jing and Wu. Sooner or later he will conquer the whole country."

"If we can form an alliance with Duke Wei and share his territory, that would be the best way to protect Jingzhou."

"I received this title solely to protect the people of Jingzhou and Xiangyang; I have no other intentions."

Liu Biao solemnly assured everyone.

Many gentry in Jingzhou admired the Chu culture, and their ascension to the rank of Duke of Chu was actually a means of winning over scholars.

The allure of the title of Duke was too great for Liu Biao.

Liu Biao was a typical person who loved fame more than profit.

Historical records state that Liu Biao "lived in Jingzhou for nearly twenty years, yet his family had no savings."

In his youth, Liu Biao also spent lavishly to make friends with famous scholars from all over the country.

This earned him a place among the top eight talents, allowing him to break into the top thirty in the national server at a young age.

Liu Biao was blinded by fame and position, and accepted the title of Duke of Chu offered by Cao Cao.

They formally signed an alliance treaty with Cao Cao.

Then the State of Chu was established.

He then ordered the ceremonial officials to change "the black bird of heaven" in the "Shang Song" section of the Book of Songs to "the blue rhinoceros of Jing", and to chant the "Chu Song".

Subsequently, an envoy was dispatched to the Chen capital to submit a memorial to the court.

This was clearly Liu Biao's preemptive action; regardless of whether the court agreed or not, he had already proclaimed himself a duke.

He then sent letters to various places, asking the feudal lords to send congratulatory gifts.

Even Sun Quan, who had always been hostile to Jingzhou and had been at war with it for many years, was urged to comply by Liu Biao.

He instructed Sun Quan to select forty loads of large tangerines from the city and send them to Xiangyang overnight as a congratulatory gift.

For a moment, the world was shaken.

……

Jizhou, Bohai Sea.

It was during the time when the weather was still chilly despite the warming trend, and someone reported to Li Yi that a large number of people in the countryside had been infected with typhoid fever.

Even in military camps, many soldiers contracted typhoid fever.

Li Yi immediately ordered Zhang Zhongjing to organize a medical team to investigate the matter.

Just then, the Xiongnu envoy arrived in Bohai.

This Xiongnu envoy was naturally from the Southern Xiongnu.

Although they are called the Southern Xiongnu, the Northern Xiongnu had already been destroyed after the rise of the Xianbei Tanshihuai, leaving only the Southern Xiongnu.

The Southern Xiongnu regime was also quite unique.
Even in official Han Dynasty documents, the Southern Xiongnu were defined as an internal vassal state, not a foreign vassal state.

What do you mean?
This means that the Han Dynasty had already tacitly accepted the Southern Xiongnu as a vassal state within Han territory, and no longer regarded them as outsiders.

The reason for this situation is mainly because the Han Dynasty, with its "scumbag" image, married into the Southern Xiongnu family.

The Han Dynasty's attitude towards the Northern and Southern Xiongnu was roughly, "I will sleep with her, but I will marry you."

When Han Ge married the Southern Xiongnu, he said, "I will definitely treat you well. You should break up with the Northern Xiongnu as soon as possible."

The Southern Xiongnu obeyed orders and not only served as mercenaries for the Han Dynasty, but also helped the Han Dynasty monitor the movements of the Northern Xiongnu.

As a result, the Northern Xiongnu backed down and took the initiative to seek peace with the Han Dynasty.

Emperor Ming of Han, Liu Zhuang, believed that since they had already married the Southern Xiongnu, how could they continue to flirt with the Northern Xiongnu?

You can't develop friendly relations with your ally's mortal enemy while expecting your ally to be completely devoted to you.

Finally, the Han Dynasty refused to accept envoys from the Northern Xiongnu.

As a result, the Northern Xiongnu were not discouraged.

The following year, he gathered a group of "roommates" from the Western Regions and other countries, and together they went to Brother Han again to ask for reconciliation.

It means, it's okay if you don't like me.

But with so many people coming to your house, for everyone's sake, you should at least say a few words to me, right?
As the saying goes, don’t hit the smiling person.

The Han Dynasty abandoned its policy of not establishing diplomatic relations with the Northern Xiongnu after only one year.

Although the Han Dynasty still refused to send envoys to the Northern Xiongnu, it did agree to allow the Northern Xiongnu to send envoys to the Han Dynasty. (What a terrible move by the Han Dynasty!)
This kind of scumbag behavior—sleeping with his enemy's mistress right after he's done sleeping with her—provoked strong dissatisfaction among the Southern Xiongnu.

They immediately sent someone to question the big man about his intentions.

Knowing that it was in the wrong, the Han Dynasty rewarded the Southern Xiongnu with tens of thousands of sheep as compensation.

Later, the Southern Xiongnu remained in Han territory, just like the Wuhuan people.

They gradually accepted Sinicization; for example, Liu Bao, the current Left Wise King of the Xiongnu, is a typical example of Sinicization.

Although the Xiongnu people accepted Sinicization and adopted an agricultural lifestyle, they were still primarily nomadic.

The main Hetao region is suitable for grazing.

However, as a vassal state of Han territory, it was naturally required to pay tribute to the central government every year.

Previously, when the central government was in power, tributes were directly paid to the central government.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, warlords rose up, and after Yuan Shao unified the north, the Xiongnu people began to pay tribute to him.

Now that Cao Cao and Liu Bei have unified the north, the Xiongnu people are trying not to offend these two powerful forces.

They simultaneously paid tribute to both the states of Qi and Wei.

Li Yi served as the prime minister of Qi and was in charge of all affairs in the north. Naturally, the Xiongnu people paid tribute directly to him.

This will save us the trouble of going back and forth to Xuzhou.

The Xiongnu envoy, named Huyanpu, handed over the list of tribute items to Li Yi.

There were three thousand sheep.

Huyan was one of the four noble surnames of the Xiongnu people. Li Yi ordered his men to invite Huyan servants to the post station to rest.

They also bestowed pearls, gold, and silk as a return gift.

He then ordered his men to slaughter all three thousand sheep, boil them into mutton soup, and distribute the soup to the soldiers to keep them warm and ward off the cold.

If there are any left over, they will be sold to the people and given to them to drink.

Just then, Zhang Zhongjing returned from investigating typhoid fever and reported his findings to Li Yi.

"Typhoid fever is rampant in the Bohai region."

"The people suffered from both cold and hunger, and countless people died."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw soldiers slaughtering a sheep.

Remove the lamb bones, boil them into a soup, and distribute it to the sick to warm them up.

Suddenly inspired, he said to himself:
"In cases of typhoid fever, cold pathogens enter the body, causing stagnation of qi and blood."

"If you wrap the medicine in dough, it will resemble a sheep's ear, and then boil it in hot soup."

"To ward off the cold externally and to unblock the meridians internally, isn't this a method that treats the symptoms and strengthens the root cause?"

Upon hearing Zhang Zhongjing's words, Li Yi quickly asked:
"Dr. Zhang, what did you just say?"

Zhang Zhongjing exclaimed:
"I have a method to cure cold-related illnesses."

So he ordered the dough to be mixed and filled with ephedra, cinnamon twigs, notopterygium root, ginger, angelica root, and other ingredients.

Then, broth is made from lamb bones, and all the dough pieces shaped like lamb ears are poured into the hot broth and boiled.

Li Yi noticed that Zhang Zhongjing was making dumplings.

It was at this moment that I remembered that dumplings had not yet been invented.

Zhang Zhongjing invented jiao'er (a type of fried dough), which then led to the development of dumplings.

Li Yi had previously invented the iron pot, which improved the quality of cooking for the people.

However, he was slow to invent dumplings, mainly because he didn't like eating them.

If it weren't for Zhang Zhongjing's sudden inspiration, Li Yi wouldn't even have remembered that dumplings existed.

However, Zhang Zhongjing's idea of ​​using dumplings as a warming food is a good one.

After the soup was cooked, it was distributed to the patients.

After eating, everyone sweated profusely, and their fever subsided after three days, and their chilblains gradually disappeared.

When this product reached the army, the soldiers scrambled to eat it, calling it "Jiao'er Dispelling Cold Soup".

Li Yi then distributed the Jiao Er soup to the people in the Prime Minister's residence.

He tried a bowl himself and praised it:

"This food is delicious, warms the spleen and stomach, and dispels cold. It is indeed an effective remedy."

"Dr. Zhang is very kind."

Zhang Zhongjing was in high spirits, stroking his beard and smiling.

“I named it ‘Jiao Er’ based on the shape of a sheep’s ear, meaning delicate and protective of vital energy.”

Li Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head and smiled:
"The term 'delicate ear' is in line with medical principles, but it lacks the quality of gentleness."

"If the soldiers eat this, how can they fully display their heroic spirit?"

He looked at the noodles in the bowl, saw the boiling water bubbling and the noodles floating like crescent moons, and said:

"This thing is shaped like a crescent moon and floats like a boat, so let's rename it—dumplings!"

"The word 'jiao' (饺子) means 'to interact,' symbolizing the harmonious interaction of yin and yang, and the balance of cold and heat."

"子" is a respectful term, signifying respect for doctors' benevolent hearts!

"I wonder what Dr. Zhang's opinion is?"

Li Yi respected the inventor's copyright and prioritized consulting Zhang Zhongjing's opinion.

Zhang Zhongjing didn't care about any of that.

He immediately bowed to Li Yi and thanked him, saying:

"Since the Prime Minister bestowed the name upon it, let this dish be called dumplings from now on!"

Ha ha……

Li Yi was in a great mood and immediately summoned Zhen Yao over.

"Zhen Gongcao, have you tried these mutton dumplings?"

Zhen Yao then cupped his hands in greeting and replied:
"Thanks to the Prime Minister's gift, I have already eaten some."

"This soup is indeed delicious and warms the body."

Ok……

Li Yi nodded and continued:

"It's better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone. Since this soup is delicious and also has the effect of dispelling cold."

"Hasn't the Ruzhen family already moved to my Bohai?"

"I intend to open several mutton dumpling and soup restaurants in Bohai, which will be managed by your Zhen family."

The emergence of dumpling soup is definitely a huge business opportunity.

Li Yi reciprocated by handing over the management rights to the Zhen family.

At the same time, government guarantees can ensure smooth operation.

It's essentially a state-owned enterprise.

Zhen Yao readily agreed and then inquired about the source of the goods.

Li Yi then said:

"I've heard that the Xiongnu tribe has flocks of sheep all over the mountains. You can go to Bingzhou for me."

"Find a single person to order a flock of sheep."

"...Hey, why must we have the sheep of the Xiongnu?" Zhen Yao asked.

Li Yi tapped the table lightly with his fingertips and said:

"The sheep in Jizhou are fed straw."

"The sheep on the grassland graze on licorice and Bupleurum."

As he spoke, he suddenly spilled the tea on the ground.

"Just like this tea, the tea tree growing on the cliff is three times more fragrant than the one at the bottom of the valley."

"...Understood, I will go and prepare immediately."

Zhen Yao immediately returned to his residence, assembled a caravan, and planned to go to Bingzhou to purchase sheep.

Before leaving, Li Yi sought out Zhen Yao alone and whispered to him:

"Yaoqing's trip is not solely for the purpose of buying sheep."

"The Xiongnu have long resided beyond the Great Wall, and their intentions are difficult to fathom. Although they pay tribute to our Qi state, they also trade with the Wei state."

"You should secretly observe their movements. If their troops have close ties with the Wei state, report to me immediately by swift cavalry."

After a slight pause, Li Yi seemed to have remembered something else.

Then he instructed Zhen Yao:
"I have heard that Cai Yong's daughter, Zhao Ji, was exceptionally talented in the Han Dynasty, but unfortunately she died among the Hu people."

"You should investigate their whereabouts. If you find out the truth, you can tell the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu: 'The Han dynasty has a system of ransom, and we are willing to exchange them for a thousand bolts of silk and a hundred cartloads of salt and iron.'"

"If they refuse, then tell them that 'the Prime Minister will personally lead his elite troops to punish Yinshan.'"

“If they know my name, they will surely offer me their daughter.”

"You may leave without worry; I will take care of everything."

Zhen Yao bowed repeatedly to accept the order.

"...Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly not forget your instructions and will definitely accomplish this task."

After the words are spoken, the words are carried out.

(End of this chapter)