In the Three Kingdoms period, the opening scene features the killing of Huang Gai, shocking Zhou Yu!

Chapter 53 Winning People Over with Virtue

That is, it started from this day.

Because of this bowl of mutton brain soup, Ma Teng completely opened the door to a new world.

He got it.

She completely let herself go.

He discovered.

Cooking is actually just like fighting a war.

No, fighting is something only uncouth people do.

Cooking also requires finesse.

The imperial kitchen is now his central command tent.

Those little eunuchs chopping vegetables were his vanguard and suicide squad.

Those large iron pots were his battlefield.

As for those radishes, cabbages, pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses, they are the enemy troops waiting to be slaughtered!

"Listen to my command!"

This is the time for preparing lunch.

Ma Teng stood in front of the stove, wielding a large iron ladle with imposing momentum.

"Left Army (vegetable chopping team)! Prepare for assault!"

"Target: Three white radishes! Five carrots!"

"Requirement: Cut into thin strips! As thin as horsehair!"

"Be quick and stylish, don't disgrace the spirit of the Ma Family Army."

"kill--!"

"Kill them—!"

A group of eunuchs were inspired by Ma Teng's imposing manner.

He frantically chopped vegetables with a kitchen knife.

Da da da da!

"Central Army (Side Dish Team)! Fill in!"

Crush the garlic! Slice the ginger!

"Give it a hard cut! Those are the enemy's heads!"

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The garlic was smashed to pieces.

"Right Army (Cooking Team)! Prepare for fire attack!"

"Fire! Attack!"

"This time it's stir-fried pork kidneys! It's all about speed and excitement!"

"Before they can react,"

"Pour lard over my head and bombard me!"

boom--!"

The flames shot up three feet high.

Ma Teng advanced instead of retreating

The large iron ladle was already flying in the firelight.

"The enemy (kidneys) have entered the fray!"

Stir-fry for thirty seconds!

"Sprinkle salt! Sprinkle chopped green onions!"

"withdraw troops!"

A plate of stir-fried pork kidneys, bursting with color, aroma, and flavor, is ready to be served.

Ma Teng wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Looking at his work, he nodded in satisfaction.

"That was a brilliantly fought battle."

The tiger guards who were supervising the work were dumbfounded.

Is this cooking?

Anyone who didn't know better would think they were practicing a battle formation!

but……

The tiger guard sniffed.

It smells so good!

"Dr. Ma... Dr. Ma, these leftover scraps..."

Tiger Guard swallowed hard, pointing to the last few pieces of pork kidney remaining in the pot.

Ma Teng waved his hand.

"Here you go!"

"Take it and divide it up!"

"Follow me, and you'll never go hungry."

"Only when you're well-fed will you have the energy to work for the Prime Minister!"

"Thank you, General!"

"General, you are mighty!"

The group of Tiger Guards instantly lost their composure.

They swarmed around and grabbed the food.

It's over,

They've been completely bought off.

It wasn't just the stomach that was bought off,

My heart has been bought off.

Now, these Tiger Guards have become Ma Teng's die-hard fans.

of course,

We still have to listen to Cao Cao.

However, without violating principles,

The entire imperial kitchen,

It's now the happiest, most united, and best-fed department in the entire palace.

……

This matter, of course, also reached Cao Cao's ears.

"Wenruo,"

"Come and take a look at this."

Cao Cao handed the secret report to Xun Yu, who was handling government affairs.

Xun Yu took it and looked at it.

The message came from a spy planted in the imperial kitchen.

"At noon today, Ma Teng conducted a large-scale military drill in the kitchen."

"The shouts of 'Kill!' shook the heavens."

"Use fire attack tactics."

"And they threatened to 'shred the enemy' and 'fry them in oil'."

"As a result, His Majesty's appetite has greatly increased. Today he ate three bowls of rice and drank two bowls of soup, and even asked Ma Teng, 'What should we kill tomorrow?'"

Ma Teng replied: "Tomorrow we'll kill the chicken to scare the monkey" (it was later confirmed that he was actually making Xiliang spicy chicken).

Cao Cao stroked his chin, looking on with suspicion.

"Is Ma Teng... trying to send some kind of signal to His Majesty while cooking?"

"What 'fire attack'? What 'killing the chicken to scare the monkey'?"

"Is he implying to His Majesty that he is waiting for the right moment to burn down the Prime Minister's residence?"

"And those three bowls of rice... His Majesty used to only eat half a bowl of cat food per meal."

Eat three bowls now?

Are they conserving their energy, preparing to run away?

Cao Cao felt increasingly uneasy as he thought about it.

"Wenruo, do you think this might be a code they've created?"

Xun Yu almost burst out laughing after reading it.

He threw the sunflower seed shells into the trash can and shook his head helplessly.

"Prime Minister."

"Your paranoia is acting up again."

Everything looks like a conspiracy.

There's really no need for that.

"Oh? Then how do you explain that?"

Xun Yu pointed to the last line of the secret report.

There was another line.

Note: Your Majesty has recently gained five pounds, and has a rosy complexion and a rosy glow.

He no longer had nightmares at night, and no longer cried out, "Cao thief, spare my life!"

And on several occasions after meals, he would pat his belly and praise the Prime Minister, saying, "He has made the right choice in employing people and understands my heart perfectly."

"Prime Minister."

Xun Yu explained,

"According to General Zhao, His Majesty lacks a sense of security and always feels that he may die at any moment."

"But now, Ma Teng fills his stomach with delicious food every day."

"This is a biological principle; when people are full, their aggression is greatly reduced."

"Ma Teng treats cooking like a battle; it's his professional habit, and he can't change it."

"But he expended all his energy on radishes and pork kidneys."

"Isn't it better than venting your frustrations through rebellion?"

Xun Yu stood up and walked to the map behind Cao Cao.

"And, Prime Minister."

"This is also a huge political victory."

"How so?"

Cao Cao became interested.

"Prime Minister, think about it. Ma Teng, the governor of Xiliang, was willing to become a cook just to take care of His Majesty."

"What will people say if this gets out?"

"Would you speak of Ma Teng's loyalty and righteousness?"

"No!"

"They'll just say, 'Prime Minister, you have a knack for managing people!'"

"Even a wild horse like Ma Teng has been tamed by you and has become a cook."

"This is more deterrent than killing him."

Cao Cao listened.

I pondered for a while.

Too,

"Wenhe, that's brilliant!"

"Everyone says that you, Xun Wenruo, have the talent of a king's advisor, but I never expected that you would learn to speak so eloquently from Zhao Yu as well."

"Zhao Yu is right, this is called a 'win-win' situation!"

"but……"

Cao Cao licked his lips and rubbed his hands together a little embarrassedly.

"Um... Wenruo."

"That... the 'stir-fried pork kidneys' and the 'lamb brain soup' mentioned in the secret report."

"Is it really that delicious?"

"Even Liu Xie, that picky eater, ate three bowls?"

"I haven't had much of an appetite lately."

Xun Yu saw through Cao Cao's thoughts.

Aside from his lord's "wife-loving" attribute,

There's also a hidden attribute—"foodie".

"Would the Prime Minister like to try some?"