Great Wilderness Demon Lord

After news of the celebration spread, the entire Wangbeibao became lively.

Autumn had arrived in Shuofengyuan, and the weather was a bit chilly, but the festive atmosphere warmed everyone in the fort.

When the soldiers rested after training, they would gather together to discuss the celebration; the laborers always had smiles on their faces while working; even the old people sunbathing under the fortress walls often talked about the celebration and looked forward to this day.

Manager Wu was the first to get busy.

He took the note that Xiao Yunlan had approved and quickly called Xiao Yu and Xiao Duo into the warehouse manager's room. The three of them sat around a piece of coarse hemp paper and discussed the matter from morning till night by the light of the oil lamp on the table. They wrote down their thoughts on the paper as they talked, and slowly compiled a long shopping list.

"The silk must be red, the purest vermilion, for a festive touch." Steward Wu pointed to the first item on the list and tapped the paper with his finger. "The general said there's no need for extravagance, but a celebration should still look like a celebration."

"Take seven or eight bolts of red silk, hang them at the city gate and beside the market, and wrap them twice around the pillars of Tuoxin Hall; it will look very lively."

Xiao Yu gripped the charcoal pencil, quickly jotted down notes on the paper, and looked up to ask, "What about the wine? The tribal chief and guests are here; there'll definitely need to be wine."

Manager Wu stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then said, "We must have enough wine. Merchant caravans from within the pass always bring over a few jars of good wine. Manager Liu has connections and can get good wine from the capital, though it's a bit pricey."

We don't need to buy too many; ten or so jars will suffice to make a good impression.

Also, get some local spirits—high in alcohol and cheap—enough for the soldiers and laborers, so everyone can have a good time.

Xiao Duo leaned closer to the table, tapped it with his finger, and interjected, "What about the fruit? It's cold here in the Great Wilderness, and fresh fruit is rare. When guests come, we always have to put some fruit on the table."

Manager Wu paused, a troubled look on his face, but quickly composed himself: "The fruit is indeed difficult to handle. It takes four or five days to transport it from Zhenhuang Pass to here, and ordinary fruit would have rotted long ago."

Choose fruits that last a long time, such as apples, pears, and persimmons. Don't pick the ones that are too ripe. Wrap each one in clean straw paper and put them in a bamboo basket lined with wheat straw. Turn them over frequently on the way. They should last until the day of the celebration.

Buy some dried fruit and candied fruit, put them in a porcelain dish, that will make up the number and also help cut through the richness.

Xiao Yu wrote all of this down, paused for a moment, and then asked, "What about vegetables? We need to set up several tables for the celebration; we can't just have meat without vegetables."

Manager Wu waved his hand and said, "Vegetables are even more troublesome. Forget about fresh leafy greens; they'll all be wilted and inedible by the time they get to Wangbeibao."

Buy some radishes, cabbages, and potatoes—things that keep well and can be stored or cooked. Also, get some dried green beans and dried cabbage, plus some pickled vegetables and preserved vegetables that we make ourselves. That should be enough for seven or eight dishes to serve a few tables.

We have meat in our own fort. We'll slaughter a few fat sheep and a few pigs, and cook it fresh right away. It'll be very fresh, and I guarantee there will be enough for everyone.

The three of them talked and discussed for a long time, and the list got longer and longer, with the paper filled with dense writing.

Finally, Xiao Yu took the list to see Xiao Yunlan. Xiao Yunlan sat at the table, carefully reviewed it from beginning to end, crossed out a few overly expensive items, and added a few bundles of coarse cloth and a few jars of vinegar and soy sauce, which were practical items. He then told Xiao Yu to take it and handle it properly.

Xiao Duo, being a straightforward person, offered to personally go to Zhenhuang Pass to make the purchases.

Xiao Yunlan thought for a moment and then agreed, instructing him to take ten elite guards and ride a fast horse, and to be careful on the way so as not to waste time.

After Xiao Duo left, the preparations for Wangbeibao began in full swing, and busy but orderly figures could be seen everywhere.

Zhao Meng led a team of soldiers to sweep the streets.

The streets of Wangbeibao are usually very clean, and people often sweep them, but Zhao Meng is a serious person and not careless at all. He had his soldiers carry brooms and sweep the main street three times from beginning to end, even pulling out the weeds in the corners of the walls and the dust in the cracks of the stone slabs.

After sweeping the streets, they had clean river water brought over and poured buckets of it onto the bluestone pavement to suppress the dust kicked up by people walking on it, making the whole street look much cleaner.

Tieshan, along with dozens of laborers, was busy setting up the venue for the celebration.

The main venue for the celebration was set up in the square in front of Tuoxin Hall. The square was already quite spacious, but it needed to be carefully planned to set up the banquet, arrange the seats for the guests, and leave room for the martial arts performance.

Tieshan led everyone to drive sturdy wooden stakes into the square and strung up thick hemp ropes, clearly dividing the banquet area, the viewing area, and the martial arts demonstration area.

Several tall wooden poles were erected around the square, with iron rings wrapped around the tops, ready to be hung with red silk and lanterns before the celebration. From a distance, it already looked like a celebration.

Shi Biao led his scout team, specifically responsible for perimeter security.

During the celebration, people from surrounding tribes will come. With so many people and so many eyes, accidents can easily happen, so we must be careful.

Shi Biao rearranged the patrol routes, doubled the number of sentry posts in the fortress, and added hidden sentries at several key locations around the city gate and square. Each sentry post was staffed with elite scouts who took turns on duty day and night to ensure that no mistakes would be made.

The kitchen is the busiest place, always bustling with activity from morning till night.

Chef Sun has been walking briskly these past few days, always with a smile on his face, and full of boundless energy.

He and two helpers would get up before dawn every day to slaughter pigs and sheep, wash vegetables and cut meat, cook soup and make dough, without stopping for a moment.

Outside the kitchen, a row of simple earthen stoves were set up, with several large black pots on them. The fires burned day and night, and the mutton and pork stewing in the pots bubbled and steamed, the rich aroma of meat wafting far and wide. Soldiers and laborers passing by couldn't help but turn around to look, swallowing their saliva.

Xiao Yunlan went to check on the kitchen once during his free time.

At that moment, Chef Sun was wearing an apron, standing by the stove, holding a large iron spatula, vigorously turning the large chunks of stewed meat in the pot. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, but his face was full of energy.

Upon seeing the general arrive, he quickly wiped his hands with a clean cloth, strode over, and said confidently, "General, rest assured, I've taken care of the banquet on the day of the celebration! Stewed meat, roast chicken, steamed fish, stir-fried vegetables—nothing will be missing. I guarantee that all the guests will be satisfied and that I will live up to your trust."

Xiao Yunlan nodded gently, telling him, "Don't be extravagant, just do your best," and then turned and left. The aroma of meat followed him for a long time.