Three Kingdoms

Its daybreak.

Cao Zhen slowly opened his eyes.

Outside the window, the blue sky and white clouds look like a rare good weather in winter.

Except that this "window" feels a bit small, everything is very normal and beautiful.

I had a dreamless night and slept really well.

etc.

Windows, blue sky, white clouds?

Cao Zhen was confused for a moment, and then he remembered that he was not in the government office in Jingzhou, but in the Qiaoqi camp. The so-called windows are just "windows", which are ventilation holes supported by wooden frames on the tent.

Because the fire pit is set up in the tent, and it is in a relatively closed space, if the window is not opened for ventilation, it is inevitable that various complicated smells will be entangled with each other...

Cao Zhen was not sleeping alone in the tent. There were places for guards to rest in front and behind the tent. In addition, the soldiers were outside, so body odor and athlete's foot were flying around. Sweat and urine were dancing together. In addition, there were inevitably fleas, bedbugs and the like. The little goblins get into the bed at night and get together and make love, so generally speaking, it is difficult to sleep as comfortably as at home in a wild camp.

However, Cao Zhen slept extremely peacefully that night.

How is this going?

Before Cao Zhen arrived at the Hussar camp, he had deduced and simulated it in his mind countless times, but what he never expected was that the feeling he brought about on the first night in the Hussar camp was actually Comfortable? !

this……

Three steps away, the guard who was supposed to be on guard also tilted his head and fell asleep on the hay. The drool dripping from the corner of his mouth stained a large piece of the hay under him...

"Wake up!" 』

Cao Zhen stepped forward and kicked him.

The guard jumped up as if on reflex and reached out to touch the knife. Then he saw clearly that it was Cao Zhen and saluted quickly.

"Why do you sleep so deeply?" 』

Cao Zhen was a little confused. Could it be because he was too tired from the journey?

Or was Qiusi drugged last night?

Cao Zhen couldn't help but look at his armor.

There seems to be no problem.

"Don't you feel anything wrong?" ” Cao Zhen asked the guard. Although he could tell by looking at it, Cao Zhen still felt that he needed to confirm it.

"Return to the General..." The guard lowered his head in embarrassment, "Young man failed to fulfill his responsibilities... Please punish me, General..."

Cao Zhen waved his hand and said, "It's not a punishment... I usually stay in the military and am always alert. Why did I wake up to the light of day last night?" this……"

"The same goes for the little ones..." the guard said with some worry, "However, it seems that since entering Wuguan, my sleep has been much better this night..."

Um?

Wuguan?

Cao Zhen frowned, and then began to think about it, trying to find out what caused him to become lazier and lazier, and who was the culprit who didn't wake up until dawn overnight.

When Cao Zhen originally arrived at the Hussars camp, he was secretly happy because Guo Jia had not stayed in the Hussars camp for long before. In addition, Guo Jia was just a counselor and had no control over various trivial matters in the army. It's not very clear, so even after returning to Xu County, I can't tell you some specific matters in the Hussars camp. This time I have the opportunity to go to the Hussars camp in person, which is a great opportunity to understand the reality!

Cao Zhen originally thought that he would wake up in the middle of the night, and even if he couldn't move around, he could still take a peek...

Of course, this matter cannot be blamed on the guards, because Cao Zhen did not tell the guards his plan, and in order to prevent someone from monitoring him, he did not even tell the guards to wake him up in the middle of the night. He just felt that he could usually wake up in the middle of the night. Of course, it was okay to do it once, but I didn’t expect that I slept soundly until dawn.

Cao Zhen suddenly thought of something and immediately pulled the guard's robe with his hand...

"General!" General! ” The guard didn’t know what was going on and struggled.

"Don't move!" Let someone take a look! "Cao Zhen pulled open the guard's robe three times, then turned around and looked at it, "Well, sure enough, it's true..."

The guard's upper body was bare, and he didn't know whether to protect his hands in front or behind. He didn't know whether it was because of the cold or some other reason. There were layers of goosebumps on his skin, "General..."

"What to do?" Just look at it twice and you won’t die..." Cao Zhen frowned and said, "No wonder...don’t you feel that there don’t seem to be many insect bites and itching on your body these days? 』

The red spots and red spots from insect bites on the guard's body are obviously much less. Although there are still some marks, they all look old.

"Well? "The guard was stunned for a moment, and then thought for a while, "It seems indeed... yes, it seems that the itching has not been so bad these days..."

In an ordinary military camp, it is difficult to isolate insects and fleas. Although it is winter, there are fewer mosquitoes and flies, but fleas and bedbugs are indispensable. Moreover, people and livestock mix and infect each other...

No wonder.

Without the entanglement of these little goblins calling me day and night for more, I will naturally sleep soundly.

"See for yourself..." Cao Zhen threw his robe to the guard, "Wuguan, Wuguan...the two methods of water and fire are so effective?" Not only that... there was almost no noise last night..."

The hussars camp is a cavalry camp. Compared with the dense infantry camp, the intervals are naturally wider and the area is also very large. However, the people are relatively easy to control. No noise is strictly prohibited after the curfew, and the war horses are hungry. They can bark. Even if they are not hungry, they will get into a mood even if they see other war horses eating but they don’t have any. Therefore, the noise in the cavalry camp often comes from the war horses...

At the same time, because large animals excrete a lot, Cao Zhen has been to Cao Jun's own cavalry camp, and it is always full of the smell of feces and urine. However, in the hussar camp, it cannot be said that there is no smell, but it is lighter than Cao Jun's cavalry camp. a lot of……

"This...maybe the hussar has moved his horse farther away?" ” The guard didn’t think much about it.

Cao Zhen shook his head, "It's more than just that..."

Even if you are not a descendant of a noble family and do not know the important military strategies, as long as you stay in the army for a period of time, you can generally explain everything in the military based on experience, but it is not easy to do it.

Everyone knows these things. If you want to control the sound of war horses, you need to take care of them in time. If you want to control the smell of excrement, you need to clean them up in time. These things are like using water and fire to repel insects in Wuguan. See It sounds very simple, but if you insist on doing it, do it every day, do it well, and don't be lazy, it will be difficult to reach the sky.

Most people like to be lazy, and among all things, people can be lazy without being taught. What’s even more troublesome is that laziness is contagious. As long as one or two succeed in laziness, soon there will be a large number of laziness.

Scolding, whipping, and various punishments can solve the problem temporarily, but soon, as long as you don't keep an eye on it, it may relapse at any time...

"Tsk, tsk..." Cao Zhen couldn't help but sigh, "Hussars... are indeed worthy of their reputation..."

This is not Cao Zhen's false flattery, but Cao Zhen himself knows that for most people of this era, being in the wild is never an easy thing.

In the Han Dynasty, many civilians would flee to the mountains when they could not survive. Although it seemed that they could rely on the mountains to eat, open up wasteland in the mountains, pick fruits, dig roots, etc., if the problem of tigers and leopards was not considered, it seemed to feel good, and there would be no tax collectors to collect them. There is no tax, and there is no intrusion from outsiders, but in fact, nature has never been gentle to humans.

The reason why human beings have lost their respect for nature is because they have lived in the human circle since childhood. Once they leave this protective circle, nature will immediately give them a few severe slaps. If human beings want to fight against nature, Individual strength is very weak, but if gathered together, a combined force is formed...

Like now.

Cao Zhen reached a corner of the tent, opened it a little and took a look, "Sure enough..."

Insect repellent powder was sprinkled in the corners of the tent, and it looked like it was new or old. It was obviously not just sprinkled once.

Although these are small things, they ensure that the soldiers have a relatively good sleep in the wild, and good sleep also ensures that these soldiers can have sufficient physical strength. You must know that soldiers are not in the field for only one or two days...

In Cao's camp, even Cao Zhen couldn't guarantee that his tent could be as good as the current hussars, let alone the ordinary soldiers of Cao's army.

Or is this just a special case?

Cao Zhen frowned and thought.

"General Cao..." At this moment, someone's voice came from outside the tent, "But you're up?" The Lord invites General Cao to dine with him..."

When Cao Zhen arrived yesterday, it was already getting late, so this was Cao Zhen’s first official meeting with the Hussars...

Cao Zhen couldn't help but straighten his robes, then walked out of the tent, followed the guards of General Hussars, turned around the small camp, and walked towards the central tent area.

There was smoke everywhere in the camp.

Under the leadership of the hussar guards, Cao Zhen finally set foot in the core area of ​​​​the military camp.

The sun is just right, and the golden light pours down, bringing a rare warmth in winter.

On the side of the winding silver light belt in the distance, there are soldiers fetching water upstream, and soldiers washing horses downstream, occasionally splashing bits of broken jade light.

Further away, I don’t know whether they are preparing to leave camp for patrol, or the cavalry who have returned are lining up to take stock...

Everything seemed to be in order, but Cao Zhen didn't know why, but he always felt that something was wrong.

What's wrong?

Cao Zhen moved forward slowly.

The soldiers who can be near the core area of ​​​​the Chinese army's tent are naturally stronger and more capable. This is the same whether they are Qiusi here or Cao Cao's subordinates.

only……

Although Cao Zhen was reluctant to admit it, in terms of overall appearance and behavior, the soldiers in the Hussars Army were obviously of a higher level than Cao Jun's own...

When a general comes out of Kansai, it is true that the ancients were honest and never deceived.

When Cao Zhen was thinking about it, the hussar guard who was leading the way turned back and said: "General Cao, you can bring two guards in. The rest are here, and someone will arrange it..."

Cao Zhen nodded slightly.

This is common sense. There is nothing to say. I am already here and still making trouble because of this. I am afraid it is not cerebral palsy. After all, they were in a different place, and Cao Cao was unwilling to let the generals under Qiusi lead a dozen or twenty people directly into the Chinese army's tent...

Cao Zhen signaled and asked two of his men to follow him forward, while the rest were temporarily led by another hussar guard and went aside.

Whether it is human society or animal groups in nature, when eating, there is no doubt that it is an occasion that pays great attention to rules, or is called etiquette.

An important form of etiquette is hierarchical treatment. Just like if there is a dog at home that protects food, growls, or threatens someone in front of someone, it basically means that the dog thinks that its status in the family is higher than that person...

Starting from the Qin Dynasty, the twenty military meritorious officials have stipulated detailed dietary treatment differences. The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system, so it is generally the same. This is also obvious in the Hussars. Ordinary soldiers only have one bowl, which they carry casually. , either standing or squatting.

Basically, there are two bowls, the big bowl is for rice, and the small bowl is for sauce, which is usually eaten while sitting down.

Further up, the team rate is different. There are three bowls with broth.

As for the military lord Qu Chang, he has a separate seat...

These seemed to be similar to those in Cao Jun, but as Cao Zhen walked, his nose suddenly twitched twice, and he seemed to smell something unusual...

This is……

Cao Zhen's steps were confused.

The hussar guard in front noticed it and immediately turned his head slightly to look at Cao Zhen, "General Cao, what's the matter?" 』

"No, no... Haha, haha..." Cao Zhen said with a haha, "When I smell the aroma of this food, I can't help but feel greedy in my stomach... Haha, haha..."

Although the cavalry guard leading the way felt that Cao Zhen was pretending to be crazy, it was not his turn to expose it. He just nodded obediently, then turned a corner and handed over to Xu Chu in front of him. After accepting the errand and bowing his hands, he went on his own.

Xu Chu glanced up and down at Cao Zhen.

Cao Zhen suddenly felt the cold hairs on the back of his neck stand up suddenly, and the smile he had put on on his face suddenly cracked, and scum fell down...

"Cao Zhen and Cao Zidan are here!" 』

A calm voice came from the big tent, "Please!" 』

Xu Chu stretched out his hand and said, "Please!" 』

Cao Zhen managed to regain his cracked smile, "Haha, thank you, thank you..." Even after entering the tent, Cao Zhen still felt as if there was a knife on his back, which was a bit awkward.

In the large tent of the Chinese army, Fei Qian watched with interest the slowly approaching Zhen Zi Dan, er, Cao Zhen Cao Zi Dan.

From a certain point of view, Cao Zhen is the second generation Ruotou of the Cao family's Aman group...

This is probably what it means. Cao Pi was the second generation general, and Cao Zhen was the most important second generation general under him. From General Zhenxi to Great General, he fought against Shu, defeated Wu, and then faced the Qiang and Hu coalition forces. , pacifying border areas, almost omnipotent.

Moreover, when Cao Zhen was in power, he had always suppressed the thorns in the A'hao group, especially Sima Yi. If Cao Zhen's son had not been in trouble, Sima Yi would not have had the chance to rebel...

So this time Cao Cao sent Cao Zhen here, apart from the official articles on the surface, what other purpose did he have?

"Greetings to the Hussars..." In terms of etiquette, Cao Zhen behaved in a very orderly manner, with a measured advance and retreat.

Fei Qian waved his hand with a smile and said, "No courtesy, I'll give you a seat." 』

Cao Zhen took out the official document from his arms, forwarded it to Fei Qian, and said: "More than half of the refugees in Jingzhou have been gathered. This is a rough list, and there are several other volumes, which are specially sent to the Hussar for inspection..."

Fei Qian glanced at it slightly, signaled Xu Chu to put it away first, and then said: "I called Zidan here, just to eat some preserved meat together. What about this kind of thing? We can talk about it after we have eaten." ...』

After saying that, Fei Qian motioned to bring up the breakfast breast.

Before the food even arrived, the smell wafted over first, causing Cao Zhen to take a deep breath...

This, this is the peppery scent!

And rosemary!

There are some other aromas that even Cao Zhen can't distinguish clearly. They are mixed with the smell of the mutton itself and spread out from the food table!

"Gudu..."

Cao Zhen heard a loud swallowing sound, then looked up and saw Fei Qian's eyes. He cupped his hands with some embarrassment and said, "The foreign minister is hungry and has lost his manners. I look at Haihan..."

Fei Qian smiled and said, "It's okay, just use it." 』

The first thing to be served was a small plate of Yanjin plums.

This is a common appetizer in the Han Dynasty. As its name suggests, it is used to appetize, and then the main meal is served.

A food table with two ends slightly tilted up, like a flat-bottomed boat.

On the far right side of the food table, there are sliced ​​barbecues, with pieces leaning against each other. The roasted meat is charred on the outside and tender on the inside, with the ruby ​​red color in the center showing a faint sheen of fat. The outer layer is filled with minced various spices. Although it is a little cold, it is still fragrant and mouth-watering.

On the left side of the barbecue, there is a small shallow plate with sauce and vinegar. To the left, there is a plate with shredded ginger and green onions. To the left, there is a large bowl of mutton risotto, which is steaming hot. The fragrance that Cao Zhen smelled just now was probably emitted by it...

Then the waiter brought another bowl of soup. It was inconvenient to drink alcohol in the army, so a bowl of broth was served instead. The broth is obviously mutton soup, with chopped green onion as a garnish, and a few pieces of tofu floating in the soup.

"please! Fei Qian first picked up a piece of barbecue with chopsticks as a gesture, and then put it into his mouth. This is also part of the etiquette. The host needs to eat first before the guests can eat.

Cao Zhen couldn't hold himself back for a long time. After thanking him, he immediately raised his chopsticks and started gobbling up the food. Eating is the instinct of living things, and coupled with the exquisite food displayed by Fei Qian, Cao Zhen forgot everything for a while, except for the food in front of him.

It is pitiful to say that since the Xiqiang Rebellion, the Han Empire has lost its supply of spices and relied on reserves to survive. Therefore, no matter how large the original reserves were, after such a long period of time, there have been disputes and turmoil in various places. After that, how much will be left?

Therefore, for Cao Zhen, he was suddenly exposed to so many spices, which evoked the taste in his memory, and it was reasonable to lose his composure for a while...