Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 30: The Great Prison (Part )
The Thirty-Sixth Difficulty in the Difficult Classic states: "The gate of life is where all spirits reside and where the vital energy is connected."

Yuan Qi is the most vital energy in the human body and the source of all life activities. It is generated from the innate essence and is nourished by the acquired essence of water and grain.

Therefore, if the vital energy is deficient, the spirit will be deprived of nourishment, the internal organs will be out of harmony, and fatigue, shortness of breath and weakness will appear. The external manifestations are shallow and short breathing and pale complexion. If it is not replenished in time, it will be easy for external pathogens to invade, causing a variety of diseases. In severe cases, it will cause chronic diseases that are difficult to cure and even life-threatening.

Lu Shang was well versed in medical knowledge, so he naturally knew that after the loss of vital energy, it was necessary to replenish it immediately, otherwise it would be very easy to leave a root of illness.

In the office, several desks were put together, on which were written some Qi-replenishing and Qi-tonifying meals, such as Astragalus and Fangfeng Soup, Ginseng and Poria Porridge, Yam, Red Dates and Wolfberry Porridge, Steamed Deer Meat, and Boiled Lamb.

Lu Shang hunched over his desk, devouring his food voraciously. The mutton and venison were steamed and stewed in large chunks, then cooked until tender and well-cooked. Furthermore, he had mastered physical training, so his bones, while not exactly steel, were not far behind. Therefore, he chewed the meat and bones together, making a crackling sound.

"This……"

Fang Zian and his subordinates stood aside, staring at Lu Shang's eating habits in amazement.

At this time, Lu Shang completely ignored the astonished looks of his subordinates, and gobbled up everything in one gulp, swallowing ginseng, astragalus, mutton, and venison. His cheeks were stuffed full, and he chewed quickly with his mouth, using his hands and mouth. Soon, most of the medicinal food on the table was gone.

Watching Lü Shang eat, Fang Zian and the others looked at each other in bewilderment, some even burping. Just watching Lü Shang's appalling eating habits made Fang Zian and the others feel full.

Fu Bin, the most senior official among the subordinates, was amazed at Lu Shang's astonishing appetite. He said, "Your Excellency's stomach is as strong as iron and copper. I once heard that Gao Aocao of the Eastern Wei Dynasty ate an entire ox a day. I was a little skeptical at the time, thinking it was just a rumor. But now, seeing how much Lu Lantai eats, I realize that some people just can't be judged by common sense."

Gao Aocao, a fierce general of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, was renowned for his bravery, incredible strength, and exceptional skill with the horse lance. It was said that this fierce general had a prodigious appetite, consuming five dou of rice and fifty kilograms of meat daily. At his peak, he could devour an entire ox, a feat that was widely rumored.

Seeing Lu Shang's appetizing appetite, Fu Bin thought to himself, "Could this Lan Tailang also be a powerful warrior? If so, then we can no longer treat him as an ordinary relative."

Fu Bin knows a very simple truth: eating a lot does not necessarily mean being strong, but people with strong powers definitely eat a lot.

The most famous one is Lian Po in "Lian Po is old, can he still eat?". When the old general was seventy years old, he could still eat a bucket of rice and ten pounds of meat in one meal.

If Lu Shang is also a strong warrior like Gao Aocao, then Fu Bin will have to consider whether to hug Lu Shang's big and thick legs.

After all, someone as young and brave as Lü Shang, who was also a relative of the emperor, was bound to be highly valued by the emperor. If one could cling to Lü Shang's influence, not to mention meteoric rise to the top, it would surely be a hundred times better than holding on to this ninth-rank official position.

"It's a great meal,"

Lu Shang raised his head and gulped down a whole bowl of Fangfeng Decoction. He finally burped and turned to Fang An, saying, "Bring me some big goblets of Fangfeng Decoction and Shenling Congee."

A gong is a wine vessel. The big gong mentioned by Lu Shang refers to a vessel for holding porridge or soup.

When Lu Shang drank porridge and soup, he always complained that the bowl was too small, so he asked someone to bring a large goblet to serve the porridge and soup. It took more than ten bowls of porridge and soup to fill the large goblet.

"Yes,"

Fang Zi'an responded hurriedly, then waved his hand, and immediately a clerk came running to the Imperial City Food Bureau to get Fangfeng Decoction and Shenling Congee.

The Imperial City Food Bureau served as the main dining hall for the three provinces, six ministries, and various government offices in the imperial city. The medicinal meal Lu Shang was currently enjoying came from the Imperial City Food Bureau. As the main dining hall supplying the various government offices in the imperial city, the Imperial City Food Bureau's most notable feature was that officials could enjoy any food they desired, provided they had the money. Qi-boosting foods like ginseng, astragalus, beef, and venison were also freely available.

In order to replenish his strength, Lu Shang first sent someone back to his house to take out two hundred strings of cash and sent it to the Imperial City Food Supervisor, asking the Food Supervisor to prepare it based on the two hundred strings of cash.

At that time, two hundred strings of coins had a strong market power. In the first year of Kaihuang, Yang Jian ascended the throne and minted Kaihuang five-zhu coins. The custom was that each thousand coins weighed four pounds and two taels, and one thousand coins made up one string. One string could support a family of five with food and drink expenses for two months, and two hundred strings could allow a family of five to have no worries about food and drink for thirty years.

In other words, Lu Shang's medicinal meal consumed the household income of an ordinary family for thirty years.

"It seems I need to focus more on the stomach spirit in the future, and strive to cultivate it to a certain level."

Lu Shang felt his abdomen. Although he had consumed a lot of medicinal food, it would take some time for him to fully recover. This was mainly because his stomach and intestines could not digest enough to keep up with his current eating speed.

According to Huang Ting Nei Jing Yu Jing, the stomach god is responsible for the digestion and absorption of the five flavors of food, namely sour, bitter, sweet, spicy and salty.

If the stomach god is successful, one can eat an elephant every day.

Don't underestimate the power of eating an elephant daily. In secular martial arts, the stronger the force, the more one can eat. If one can eat an elephant daily, then the essence of water and grain will supplement the flesh and gradually become as strong as nine oxen.

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While Lu Shang was living in his office, spending two hundred coins every day and slowly recuperating his vitality with medicinal food, the three provinces and six ministries outside the Secretariat, and even the entire Daxing City, had suddenly begun to show signs of panic.

On normal days, there is a lot of traffic in front of the various departments, but now it is deserted.

Occasionally, a few officials came in and out in a hurry, with solemn expressions and not daring to say a word.

Those high-ranking officials who used to be eloquent in the court were now silent. Their previous high-sounding speeches disappeared without a trace, replaced by cautious whispers and meaningful looks.

The tense atmosphere gripped the city, and the people of Daxing were also affected. In the streets and alleys, people were no longer chatting and talking as usual, but were replaced by whispers and wary glances.

The guards at the twelve gates became increasingly strict. All civilians passing by were carefully checked, and anyone who was even slightly suspicious would be taken aside.

In teahouses and taverns, tea drinkers lowered their voices and dared not comment on current affairs as they did in the past. The entire Daxing City was shrouded in fear and anxiety, and the oppression was suffocating.

The cold winter of the fourth year of Kaihuang passed quietly in such an atmosphere.

The Duke of Yun's Mansion

In the cold garden, Wang Yi stood alone by the pond, gazing at the gloomy sky. After a long moment, he finally lamented, "That Luo Yan, that Luo Yan, what did I, Wang Yi, do wrong to deserve such a thorn in your side, the current emperor and my former best friend?"

"Could it be that I was really wrong back then? I shouldn't have supported you in usurping the throne of the Yuwen family. Otherwise, how could I, Wang Yi, be in such trouble today?"

(End of this chapter)