While several military leaders were busy taking over Linfen, Luo Yu took Li Xiuning to the mountain stream five miles north of Linfen City. Zhang Yang and two other special forces members were already waiting there. According to Luo Yu's instructions, they brought three

With the prepared hens, dried lotus leaves, seasonings and other items, two large fires were built not far away, which would be used to simmer the beggar's chicken later.

It's not difficult to make beggar's chicken. Apply seasonings such as fine salt, white pepper from the Western Regions, and mutton oil evenly on the chicken. Gently pat and massage with your hands to let the seasonings take in. Then soak the dried lotus leaves in hot water and wait until they soften.

Then wrap the chicken that has absorbed the seasoning, tie it with hemp rope, and then evenly apply the wet red mud prepared by the team members on the lotus leaf. The mud layer should not be too thick or too thin. If it is thick, it will be difficult for the chicken inside.

If cooked, it will break easily if it is thin, destroying the lotus leaves inside and affecting the taste.

Li Xiuning watched Luo Yu playing with the mud with interest. She was already looking forward to the delicious taste of beggar's chicken. When she wanted to ask Luo Yu how long it would take before he was ready, Luo Yu had already said: "Don't worry, the delicious food is worth waiting for."

, in fact, this is already a luxury version of beggar's chicken. The beggars only put a little salt in it, but it tastes very good. Zhang Yang, have you learned how to make it? You can make the other two chickens yourself!"

Zhang Yang took the order, followed Luo Yu's steps, and waited for Luo Yu's next instructions.

Luo Yu took the mud ball to the fire and pulled out the wood that was still burning. There was already charcoal in the ground. He used a new piece of wood to gather the charcoal in the ground into a hill shape, and then took the wood in his hand.

The mud ball is gently pressed on the hill. The charcoal below sinks and surrounds the lower part of the mud ball. Then the wood that was still burning is moved back and covered with the mud ball to burn.

Everything was ready, waiting for delicious food. Zhang Yang had already followed his example and made the other two clay balls. Luo Yu said: "It still needs a little time, you can move freely!" In fact, he didn't want them to be light bulbs.

How could Zhang Yang not understand? He hurriedly pulled his two comrades upstream to the stream. After all, this was the mountainside, and there were still many dangers beside the stream. Isn't it a good subordinate to clear out these potential dangers for the general and instructors?

Is this what a good student should do?

Li Xiuning smiled and glanced at Luo Yu who was washing his hands by the stream, then looked at the fire and said, "Where did you learn such a method?"

Luo Yu came to sit next to her and said, "My grandpa taught me this. He also taught me many kinds of delicacies. I should be able to rest for a while now. Can I cook them one by one for you to eat when I have free time?"

Li Xiuning leaned her head on Luo Yu's shoulder and said quietly: "I hope I can rest for a while. I don't know how my father is doing? Didn't you send someone to deliver the letter? Why haven't you heard back yet?"

Luo Yu gently stroked Li Xiuning's hair and said: "I just sent it out yesterday, how could I reply so quickly? Uncle Niu also sent someone to deliver the news. Don't worry, Mr. Tang will be fine...

"

Because of military affairs, Li Xiuning was wearing armor when he came here in the morning. Sitting on the rocks was a bit uncomfortable. Luo Yu took out a white fox fur and black cloak from the baggage brought by the team members: "Xiu Ning

Ning, please change your clothes, let’s enjoy this peaceful time now.”

Li Xiuning smiled and said: "You are fully prepared. What else is there? Let's take it out together..."

Luo Yu pretended to be mysterious and said: "No, I just want my wife to eat something good today. There will be good things waiting for me when I return to the city later!"

Li Xiuning raised her voice and asked, "Who is your wife?" After saying that, she quickly sat up, took her fur cloak and walked to the stone next to her to change clothes: "Turn around, don't peek!"

Luo Yu quickly turned his head and muttered: "Why are you so embarrassed? You will see it sooner or later..."

Li Xiuning had changed at this time and came to Luo Yu. The white fur on the white fox fur collar wrapped her pink neck. One third of her pretty face was covered by the white fur, revealing her bright red lips and long hair.

The wind was fluttering, like a fairy descending from the nine heavens, her cloak clinging tightly to her body, and her graceful figure could not be seen. Even like this, Luo Yu was still in a trance.

"What were you muttering about sooner or later?" Before Luo Yu could come to his senses, Li Xiuning asked: "Luo Yu, Luo Canjun, I heard you! Tell me, what do you want to see?"

Luo Yu thought to himself: "You can't talk about beating me to death!" Then he changed the subject and said: "The beggar chicken should be ready soon, why haven't the three of them come back yet?" He raised his voice and said again: "Zhang Yang, come here quickly! The chicken is ready.

Got it!"

Li Xiuning blushed and smiled: "Don't try to get away with it, I heard it..."

Luo Yu's head was covered with black lines. Just when he was about to say something, Zhang Yang and two team members carried a wild boar weighing more than 100 kilograms with long spears and hurried over from the stream. Zhang Yang was also holding two small ones in his hands.

It was tied up with hemp rope, making an indistinct "wow" sound, and its limbs were struggling hard. The big wild boar being carried was not moving, so it must be completely dead.

Luo Yu and Li Xiuning didn't care to talk anymore and hurriedly walked over to check. It turned out that the head of the big wild boar had been broken open by them, and the short tusks were still dripping with blood.

This is a good thing. The two smaller ones can be tamed. I originally planned to go back to Linfen to make braised fish for Li Xiuning. Now that I have this wild boar, are I afraid that I will have nothing to cook? Thinking of braised pork ribs, pig head meat, steamed pork with rice flour... I swallowed unconsciously.

.

He told them to put the wild boar aside and ignore it for now. It was more important to eat the beggar's chicken now. He took off the fire and used two sticks to pinch out the burned mud ball with some cracks. After cooling for a while, he used the stick to break open the mud ball.

, revealing the lotus leaf inside. Before the lotus leaf was opened, a strong smell of roasted chicken mixed with seasonings and lotus fragrance spread out. The four people sniffed their noses, as if imagining what this roasted chicken tasted like.

Of course Luo Yu knew that. He was very satisfied when he saw the looks of these bumpkin people. Where are you now? You are not allowed to swallow the wild boar in the evening.

No longer waiting, he stretched out his hand to untie the hemp rope, opened the lotus leaf, and exposed the golden bird body. There is no hot oil now. If there is, pour a little more, and it will be more delicious! Hold the lotus leaf with both hands and take it to Li Xiuning

In front of him, he said: "Beautiful general, a luxurious version of the beggar's chicken, please use it slowly!"

Li Xiuning came back to her senses, reached out to take it, and looked at Luo Yu, as if asking him: "How do you eat this?" Luo Yu smiled, pulled off a chicken leg with force, and handed it to Li Xiuning, as if she was grabbing it with her hands.

eat.

Li Xiuning had never eaten like this before. Even during the march, he tried his best to eat with chopsticks. However, Zhang Yang and the other three could no longer stand the torture of the smell. One of them tore off a chicken leg and was devouring it in large chunks while eating.

Talking about delicious food.

Li Xiuning got up and went to the stream to wash her hands, then took the chicken leg from Luo Yu's hand and took a bite. She felt that the chicken was fragrant and tender, with a spicy taste that was covered up by the fragrance of lotus leaves. After chewing it, the chicken was already inside.

Penetrated by the seasonings, the high temperature causes the outer chicken skin to shrink, and more moisture is locked in the chicken, making it even more delicious mixed with the caramel aroma of the chicken skin.

The taste was amazing, and she started to devour the chicken. Except for the head and neck of the chicken, all the chicken was eaten without realizing it. However, Zhang Yang and the other two were sent back by Luo Yu, who also took the wild boar away, and told them

What do they do with the wild boar? Wait until he goes back to cook. The little wild boar can be raised in a pen and fed with leftovers.

Li Xiuning burped and looked at the chicken bones at her feet. She couldn't believe that she ate them. She looked up and saw Luo Yu chewing on the remaining chicken neck. She felt guilty: "Should I leave half of it for you..."

…”

Luo Yu smiled and said: "It's delicious. When grandpa cooked it for me for the first time, I didn't leave any behind. I ate them all. You are much better than me, so you left some for me..." Thinking of the grandparents of later generations.

, the tone was a bit sad without realizing it.

Li Xiuning knew that he was thinking of his grandfather again, so he said: "Don't worry, I have already asked the caravan to go look for him in the jungle. I believe there will be news soon."

After Luo Yu finished eating the last bite of meat, he took Li Xiuning to the stream and washed his hands. While washing, he said: "Thank you! It's a bit cold here after eating. They should have finished receiving it. Let's go back to the city!"

Li Xiuning nodded and was about to get on the horse, but Luo Yu grabbed him and got on the horse first. Then he stretched out his hand. It turned out that Luo Yu wanted to ride with her.

Li Xiuning smiled and stretched out her hand. Luo Yu pulled hard. She got on the horse lightly and sat behind Luo Yu. She also used her cloak to block Luo Yu. The two of them were like one body and walked slowly towards Linfen City.

, another horse followed with armor on its back.

Feeling Li Xiuning's heat, Luo Yu felt a little distracted. He found a lighter topic and said, "I'll make braised pork ribs for you later. It's much more delicious than this beggar's chicken..."

Li Xiuning's face turned red, she hugged Luo Yu with her arms, and her body was pressed against Luo Yu's not-so-wide back. As the horse moved, their bodies were always rubbing against each other. She couldn't help but feel a little emotional. After hearing Luo Yu's topic, she continued:

"I don't believe it. This beggar's chicken is the best I've ever tasted. Is your braised pork ribs as good as this beggar's chicken? Pork smells fishy, ​​and we rarely eat it."

Luo Yu smiled and said: "Wait a minute, in addition to braised pork ribs, there are also charcoal grilled tenderloins, braised pork belly, red dates and pig's trotters soup, pork belly wrapped in chicken... I don't have to mention it, I'm going to drool!"

Just when Li Xiuning was about to speak, Luo Yu knocked his legs against the horse's belly and shouted: "Drive!" The horse paused and immediately spread its hooves and galloped forward. Li Xiuning behind him quickly leaned on Luo Yu's back due to inertia, letting Luo Yu

I felt the thrill of riding a motorcycle with my girlfriend and deliberately braking and accelerating.

He was slapped hard on the shoulder, and the tender flesh on his waist was pinched by Li Xiuning and twisted hard. Luo Yu grinned in pain, but he was extremely happy in his heart.

It was not far from Linfen City. It took only a stick of incense to arrive at the cavalry station. Li Xiaogong and Yue Yun were directing the setting up of tents and cutting down trees to build camps. When they saw Luo Yu and Li Xiuning galloping in, they greeted him with a smile.

Up.

Luo Yu originally wanted to rush all the way to Linfen City, but he didn't expect that the cavalry camp was located in the north of the city. Seeing that Li Xiaogong, Yue Yun and others had already come over, he had to rein in his horse and slow down. He came to the two men and cupped his hands and said: "Two military leaders

OK!"

At this time, Li Xiuning jumped off the horse, glanced at the two military leaders gratefully, waved his hand, and got on the other horse, with no expression of joy or anger on his face.

The two military leaders were just about to ask Luo Yu when they saw Li Xiuning's actions and thought: "Oh no, this is the wrong stop..." Without replying, they saluted Li Xiuning, turned their horses and galloped away to the camp.

I was afraid that Li Xiuning would cause trouble if I left late.

Luo Yu looked at the direction in which the two of them were going away in confusion, then looked at Li Xiuning's expression, and couldn't help but laugh: "Don't scare them, what's the big deal if we ride together? I just want to show the whole army, all the people

Linfen City declares that you are mine!"

Li Xiuning said angrily: "This is a military camp. You act like I am a little girl. How can I lead the army?" Luo Yu said in shock: "Who said that generals don't need love? On the contrary, I think women who have love

The general is more beautiful..."

Li Xiuning stopped talking and rode towards the north gate of Linfen. Luo Yu had no choice but to follow.

Linfen City, as a major city in central and southern Shanxi, is four hundred miles away from Taiyuan. It has been the second line of defense against the northern nomads since the pre-Qin Dynasty. It has a population of more than 100,000 and a large flow of people. It is the center of the city that goes north to Taiyuan, south to Luoyang, and west to Xi'an.

After the establishment of Axis City in the Sui Dynasty, the national border was pushed more than a thousand miles north, so the strategic location here gradually became less important.

When Dou Jiande raised his army, there were only 3,000 defenders here, and most of them were old and weak. Yang Guangzheng sent the young and strong to attack Wang Bo. Yu Chigong joined the army in this battle. After his meritorious service, he was sent to attack Yuncheng.

He was appointed as the guard general of Jiezhou.

Due to the previous strategic location, the city wall was built very high and thick, surrounded by a wide moat with deep and fast water, and four gates with suspension bridges. Dou Jiande was able to capture Linfen mainly because he had internal agents in the city, and Wei Yong, the captain of Linfen, was his

On the day when his nephew's army came to the city, Wei Yong opened the city gate and welcomed Dou's army, creating the myth of occupying Linfen without spending a single soldier.

If we attack hard, we don't know how many lives will be sacrificed. Three thousand old and weak people resisted for a while in the inner city. Seeing that they could not do anything, they had to put down their weapons and be captured, waiting for the verdict of their fate. Fortunately, Dou Jiande had a reputation as a virtuous man and did not embarrass them.

, Those who wish to stay will stay, and those who wish to leave will leave. Vouchers and travel expenses will be issued when returning home.

The prefect of Linfen lost the city and his land. Knowing that he had committed an unforgivable crime, he killed more than 20 members of his family and hanged himself in the prefect's mansion. When Dou Jiande heard about it after entering the city, he gave them all a grand burial, changed the prefect's mansion to the general's mansion, and re-appointed the squire in the city as the prefect.

, open a government office.

It has been more than forty days now, and Linfen City has not suffered any major damage. After the soldiers and horses attacked Yuncheng and Jincheng, Dou Jiande had great ambitions and relied on the three cities to thrive, recruit troops and strengthen his strength.

Wang Bodang joined forces to attack Luoyang in the south, and then used Luoyang as the center to plot the Central Plains.
To be continued...