### Chapter 0004 Sweet Bean Sauce

### Chapter 0004 Sweet Bean Sauce

In modern times, Xiao Rong had never participated in the elegant activity of brewing tea around a stove to prove he wasn't just a nobody. Now that he was in ancient times, he couldn't avoid it anymore.

This was because it was the only entertainment he could afford at the moment.

The tea here was not like the tea of later eras. The so-called "brewing" involved throwing in tea leaves, spices, and dried fruits all together into boiling water.

Once the water turned dark, it could be scooped out and drunk.

As for the taste... having any flavor at all was already good enough; there was no point in expecting it to be delicious.

In fact, the level of civilization at this time was not low at all. Most things that existed were already present, but they were not widely available. Whatever inventions were made were kept by the aristocratic families, who enjoyed them along with their allied clans. Ordinary people had no access to them.

When Xiao Rong first arrived, it was late summer, and he didn't have to worry about freezing. However, his hunger was something he couldn't solve immediately. Between the risk of stealing a bun or interacting with the locals, Xiao Rong chose the latter, albeit reluctantly.

His way of earning his first pot of gold was by observing passersby, following a servant, and finding a wealthy household. To this day, Xiao Rong still doesn't know the surname of that family. He pretended to be a newly emerged wandering disciple, claiming he had lost his belongings, and sold an oral recipe for a sauce to the household's master.

As for what kind of sauce it was...

Well, it was sweet bean sauce, something everyone in later times had tasted.

To convince the wealthy old man, Xiao Rong even cooked a meal that could make anyone sickly sweet, using sweet bean sauce which was originally meant for roast duck. After the invasion of the barbarians, the recipes in the Central Plains changed, and now the most common meats were mutton and pork. For someone as rich as the old man, beef was a daily dish.

The ingredients for sweet bean sauce were already simple, but there was one ingredient—oyster sauce—that he couldn't add. Nevertheless, it didn't matter since the old man ate meals seasoned with herbs every day, and even without oyster sauce, the sauce was enough to impress him.

Sweet bean sauce helped cut through the richness of the greasy, crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside roasted meat. After tasting the sauce's deliciousness, the old man's eyes flashed with interest, but he did not praise it outright. Instead, he slowly put down his chopsticks and raised his head with a displeased look.

Xiao Rong understood; he wanted to haggle the price down.

As expected, the old man began to talk in a roundabout way, saying the sauce wasn't worth buying and that he was only willing to pay because Xiao Rong was young and had suffered a great calamity. In essence, he was doing charity.

Xiao Rong listened with pursed lips, and the more the old man talked, the worse his expression became. When the old man mentioned the final price, Xiao Rong suddenly placed his hand on his sword, drawing it out slightly with a metallic sound.

Old man: "…………"

Young people these days are so impulsive! I didn't say you couldn't negotiate, why are you threatening me?

After some verbal sparring, Xiao Rong eventually sold the recipe for twice the price the old man offered, plus an extra zero.

The old man wanted to give him all small coins, but Xiao Rong insisted on silver ingots. Even though he hadn't seen the local prices yet, he knew that copper coins varied in quality and value fluctuated daily, while gold and silver retained their value.

After the transaction, the old man also required Xiao Rong to sign a document stating that he could neither use nor sell the recipe again. If discovered, the old man's family could send Xiao Rong to the authorities.

Xiao Rong agreed to everything. As soon as he left, both the old man inside and Xiao Rong outside wore smug smiles, each feeling they had gotten a great deal.

The old man thought Xiao Rong was too foolish; the recipe was worth far more than twenty times its price, and with it, his family could enjoy wealth for ten generations.

Xiao Rong, on the other hand, felt that an incomplete sweet bean sauce recipe could fetch such a high price. He planned to improve the diet of the common people by publicly sharing recipes for seafood sauce and sweet and sour sauce. Even if the old man held the sweet bean sauce recipe, its incompleteness would make it inferior to other sauces.

It was uncertain whether the old man would regret his decision later.

At the time, Xiao Rong didn't expect to chase after the Northern Pacification Army for half a year.

Half a year passed, and the silver ingots he got from the old man were almost depleted. If General Jian Qiao didn't find him soon, Xiao Rong might have to repeat his trick and sell another recipe to a wealthy family.

After nearly fifteen minutes of calling, Xiao Rong finally relented and told Ah Shu to open the door for him.

General Jian Qiao rushed in almost breathlessly.

Upon entering, he knelt before Xiao Rong in military posture, clasping his hands above his head.

"Mr. Xiao! Jian Qiao is blind and mistaken, treating Mr. Xiao as an ordinary scholar! Thanks to your guidance, Chang'an has been spared a great disaster. Please accompany me to Yanmen County, where the Northern Pacification King needs talents like you. I beg you to grant us this favor!"

Ah Shu's eyes widened in surprise. Although he had long believed that his Master was no ordinary person, seeing a great general like Jian Qiao bow so respectfully still shocked and awed him.

Time ticked by, and Jian Qiao glanced up, noticing Xiao Rong staring at him with a cold, indifferent expression.

Jian Qiao's heart trembled. From the moment he received news that the Xianbei had indeed attacked, he knew he had made a grave mistake. Because of his error, he had let such a talented person slip away. Not only did Mr. Gao want to kill him, but he wanted to kill himself too.

Their Northern Pacification Army desperately needed a strategist! Because of me, me, me...

Jian Qiao stopped hiding his emotions and looked straight at Xiao Rong, genuinely wanting to cry.

Just as he was about to speak, pleading once more, Xiao Rong sighed softly, making a face that said, "What can I do with you?" Then he blinked, tilted his head, and spoke warmly.

"Alright."

Jian Qiao was momentarily stunned and asked dumbly, "What did you say, Mr. Xiao?"

Xiao Rong's face suddenly turned cold again, as if offended. "I said alright. Has the General changed his mind?"

Jian Qiao: "…………"

He shook his head vigorously, and after shaking his head, Xiao Rong brightened up again, smiling at Jian Qiao. "Then let's depart tomorrow. I'll pack my things tonight. What do you think, General?"

Jian Qiao... Jian Qiao dared not say a word, not even daring to nod too hard, fearing Xiao Rong would change his mind again.

Having set the time, Jian Qiao quickly withdrew. After he left, Xiao Rong couldn't hold back his laughter, lying on the bed and rolling around a bit.

Ah Shu: "…………"

His admiration slowly faded, leaving only a sense of emptiness.

Ah Shu silently walked over to pack the luggage. He first picked up the sword hanging on the wall. Seeing this, Xiao Rong, who had laughed enough, sat up and said, "Give me the sword. I'll carry it myself."

When he came through, he had very few possessions, and only this sword could be carried with him.

Ah Shu handed the sword to him as instructed. Seeing how precious Xiao Rong was with the sword, Ah Shu suggested, "Master, why not find a blacksmith to sharpen it?"

Growing up working for the Xiao family, Ah Shu had seen his fair share of the world, but he had never truly seen a weapon without an edge.

Along their journey, they relied on each other for survival and encountered bandits several times. During those encounters, Xiao Rong used this unsharpened sword to scare off the thieves.

Xiao Rong's sword was one of a kind, with its sheath revealing the intricate craftsmanship. Only top-tier aristocratic families or top-notch swordsmen could afford such a sword, and ordinary bandits knew better than to provoke either.

One could only imagine the look on their faces if they ever discovered the sword had no edge...

Without hesitation, Xiao Rong refused: "No."

Ah Shu was puzzled: "Why not?"

Xiao Rong: "An ordinary blacksmith is not worthy of the craftsmanship of my sword."

After all, it was crafted by a world-renowned master swordsman from 1,500 years in the future. The sword was worth 300,000, and that was only because the dean knew the master personally and got a friend’s discount. If a subpar blacksmith messed it up, he feared the dean would come crying to him in his dreams.

Although, after the sword disappeared along with him, the dean might have already cried...

The next day, after packing up, Xiao Rong slowly left the inn under Ah Shu's nervous watch.

The feeling of being as light as a swallow had vanished once again.

It wasn't because Qu Yunmie did something despicable; rather, this was Xiao Rong's normal state before Qu Yunmie became emperor. He felt weak and heavy, improving when Qu Yunmie did good deeds and worsening when he did bad ones.

With the experiences of the past two days, Xiao Rong now had a high enthusiasm for helping Qu Yunmie. He dearly missed the days when he could jump and run.

Yesterday, he had deliberately scared General Jian, but today, lacking energy, he couldn’t even think about scaring anyone, making him appear much more subdued.

However, General Jian, once bitten by a snake, feared ropes for ten years, and treated him with utmost respect.

He even arranged a carriage for Xiao Rong, and Ah Shu helped him get in. Soon, the carriage started moving.

Inside the carriage, Xiao Rong, feeling bored, struck up a conversation with Ah Shu.

"People say the Northern Pacification Army is cruel and bloodthirsty, but in my opinion, they are somewhat naive."

Ah Shu was puzzled: "Why does Master think so?"

Xiao Rong shrugged: "If I received a secret message like that and it came true later, I wouldn’t simply believe the person had supernatural abilities. Instead, I’d wonder if it was part of a trap, indicating there was a traitor in the army. Perhaps the person who sent the message was an accomplice of the traitor, trying to lure everyone out to catch them all at once."

Ah Shu: "…………"

He replied with immense relief: "Fortunately, there is no one as suspicious as Master in the Northern Pacification Army."

Xiao Rong: "……Kid, that’s called being cautious."

Ah Shu chuckled, thinking to himself that it was indeed suspicion, but thankfully, people like Master were rare, impossible to find even if you searched with a lantern north of the Huai River. *

On the other side, in the military camp of Anding City.

Before leaving, Jian Qiao had taken leave from Gao Xunzhi. In a hurry, he didn’t have time to explain everything but left a personal guard to recount the entire story.

Upon hearing it, Gao Xunzhi was overjoyed.

"Is this really true?!"

"Oh, this is heaven helping our Northern Pacification Army, heaven helping our King! And he’s a scholar! Rare, rare indeed."

Seeing his joy, the guard was also happy and continued: "Not only that, Master Gao, Mr. Xiao comes from the Linchuan Xiao family. General Jian said the Linchuan Xiao family is a second-tier aristocratic family!"

Gao Xunzhi stroked his beard and nodded: "Indeed."

The hierarchy of aristocratic families always changed. The last change was sixty-five years ago, when the Yong Dynasty was established.

The founding emperor of the Yong Dynasty elevated his own family to the first tier and then appointed three others with significant contributions to the second tier, while the previously first-tier families were demoted to the second tier.

In other words, the Xiao family had a deep heritage, having produced many great figures in the past. Although Gao Xunzhi was a scholar, he was not from an aristocratic family; he was a commoner through and through. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up in Yanmen Pass, associating with the Northern Pacification Army.

While the army kept expanding, talent was scarce. Before Xiao Rong arrived, the only advisor the Northern Pacification King could rely on was a scholar named Yu, whose background was inferior to Xiao Rong’s and who lacked the King’s trust.

Gao Xunzhi couldn’t help but clench his fists in excitement.

Good, with Xiao Rong’s arrival, this awkward situation was resolved, and they wouldn’t have to endure the disdain of the southern faction anymore.

Eager to share the good news, Gao Xunzhi rushed to find Qu Yunmie. Seeing this, the guard quickly stopped him and told him about the six marks on Xiao Rong.

Gao Xunzhi: "…………"

Who taught you to report good news before bad?

Having just been elated, Gao Xunzhi fell into worry again. He spent the whole night pondering how to make Qu Yunmie accept Xiao Rong but found no good solution. In the end, he followed Jian Qiao’s old path.

First, report the good news, then the bad.

He didn’t mention the six marks on Xiao Rong but went to the main tent and reported that the hero of this great victory was Xiao Rong.

It was just after dawn, and every morning, Qu Yunmie would exercise his muscles, swinging a long saber until he shattered two wooden stakes before moving on to other tasks. Gao Xunzhi was accustomed to this routine; Qu Yunmie’s chopping didn’t hinder his storytelling.

When he finished, Qu Yunmie swung the saber forcefully, and the already scarred stake split apart.

Then, he stood straight, the tip of the saber touching the ground. Under the same spring sun, Xiao Rong needed a warm fire to feel comfortable, while Qu Yunmie wore only a single layer of clothing, his chest slightly open, sweat trickling down his neck, flowing over his honey-colored chest, and finally absorbed by his clothes.

Even though Gao Xunzhi watched him grow up, he still instinctively wanted to avoid Qu Yunmie’s sharpness.

He stood silently, a yard away from Qu Yunmie.

Qu Yunmie took a breath, then slowly sneered: "Is that what you think, Master?"

Gao Xunzhi was stunned: "Does the King see any problem?"

Qu Yunmie: "If divination could reveal major events in the world, why hasn't this world fallen into the hands of Xiao Rong? In my opinion, he might be involved as well. This could be a trap, or perhaps he changed his mind at the last moment and became a traitor to the traitors. If he hadn't changed his mind, our Northern Pacification Army would have been like turtles in a jar or birds in a cage, unable to escape even with wings. Such a two-faced person, does Mr. Gao still want to use him?"

Gao Xunzhi: "…………"

It's precisely because you accuse good people without evidence that we have no capable scholars here!

Who thinks like that normally! The Xianbei lost thirty thousand men, with countless more injured, and who knows how many more will die in Yizhou. Xiao Rong is unknown; how could he plan such a massive operation alone? Besides, are the Xianbei fools? To sacrifice themselves one after another just to let a Han Chinese infiltrate the Northern Pacification Army?!

But Qu Yunmie is like this; for those he distrusts, no amount of suspicion is too much.

Gao Xunzhi pondered for a moment before saying, "The King's words are reasonable, but they are ultimately conjectures. If Xiao Rong truly has such abilities and shows goodwill towards our army, dismissing him rashly could be counterproductive if he ends up serving others. I suggest keeping him for now and observing him closely. If there are any issues, we can deal with them then."

Qu Yunmie glanced at him and agreed with the plan: "Fine."

Gao Xunzhi was pleased but then heard Qu Yunmie ask, "Where is Xiao Rong now?"

Gao Xunzhi didn't understand why he asked but answered, "General Jian went to fetch him. He should bring him back to Yanmen County and settle him near the palace."

Qu Yunmie: "Good. Leave all matters here to you, Mr. Gao. I'll return now and see what extraordinary abilities this man possesses. If he turns out to be a fraud—"

With a wave of his hand, a guard brought over a horse. Qu Yunmie swiftly mounted it and looked down at Gao Xunzhi, smiling calmly.

"I'll bring his head back as an appetizer for you, Mr. Gao."

Gao Xunzhi: "…………"

In the blink of an eye, Qu Yunmie had galloped away. Gao Xunzhi stared blankly as he disappeared into the distance, finally closing his eyes in despair.

Now, only hope remains that when the King arrives, it will already be dark.

Dim lighting will obscure his appearance, which might eliminate at least two problems... right...

Author's note:

This is the only time in Qu Yunmie's life that he stands firm on matters concerning Xiao Rong. Let's commemorate it, as you won't see it again.