"Let's leave Hezhou alone for the moment. We are not short of food and grass, so we are in urgent need of it. The most important issue now is soldiers and horses." Xiao Shilian frowned, "What are you going to do?"
The question of whether to attack Luzhou or Hezhou after taking Bajun directly exposed the problem of insufficient troops in Li Xinchen's hands. This is also the problem that Li Xinchen needs to solve most now.
Reaching out and patting Xiao Shilian's shoulder, Li Xingchen said in a deep voice: "Let's go, we have to talk to those young guys from aristocratic families tonight, maybe they can give us some help."
"But..." Xiao Shilian was a little hesitant. Although he was Xiao Mohe's son and a descendant of a general, in the final analysis, the Xiao family only began to rise from Xiao Mohe's generation, so Xiao Shilian can still be called his origin.
He comes from a poor family, so he doesn't have much favorable impression of these aristocratic families.
"Everyone takes what they need," Li Xingchen said with a faint smile. "After so many years, do you think these aristocratic families still have the original ambitions? They just want a way to survive. Zhang He and the Xianbei barbarians don't give them
, someone can give it."
Xiao Shilian was silent for a moment and nodded solemnly. Now neither Li Xingchen nor these aristocratic families had any other choice. And Xiao Shilian believed that Li Xingchen would definitely be able to find other ways to completely suppress the aristocratic families in the future.
"When Lian'er arrives in Bajun, can you two also think about the wedding? The matchmaker has already agreed, do you still want to wait for your father to come to propose marriage?" Li Xingchen suddenly remembered something,
"If Lian'er doesn't marry, she will become an old girl."
The dullness on Xiao Shilian's face was also wiped away, and he said with a smile: "This is natural. If I don't start a family and start a career, I'm afraid my father and mother will be anxious too!"
By the time Xiao Shilian returned to Jiangling and saw Xiao Maha, he didn't know what year it was. The engagement had been finalized, so naturally there was no need to delay it any longer.
Thinking of the marriage between Xiao Shilian and Li Lian'er, Li Xingchen then thought of herself. With Xiao Xiang's background, it was certainly impossible for the matchmaker to marry into the Li family, and obviously Xiao Xiang didn't have many requirements for this. All she wanted was a
Just a peaceful life.
So who will become his legal wife in the end?
A beautiful shadow flashed in Li Xingchen's mind.
I'm so busy, it seems like I haven't written a letter for a long time.
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For five thousand years, spicy food seems to have been a constant symbol of the Bashu region.
While the tastes in the Central Plains continue to change with climate changes and the spread of culture, spicy food has always dominated the taste buds of the Bashu people.
Chili peppers were introduced to the Bashu region in the Ming Dynasty, but long before chili peppers, peppers and dogwood, which also contain capsaicin and can give people a spicy feeling, have already made spiciness the main color of Bashu.
According to Jia Sixie's "Qi Min Yao Shu", dogwood, a plant that was well-known in later generations for "planting dogwood everywhere and missing one person", has been used to make spicy oil in the Sichuan and Sichuan areas, while plants such as prickly ash and rattan pepper are
It is widely used in Shu people's recipes and even wine making, and these pepper plants are collectively called "Sichuan pepper" to indicate their place of origin.
At the celebration banquet organized by Li Xingchen, these special plants of Bashu undoubtedly played an important role. Just look at the sweating of Chen Zhishen, Lu Zhiwu and other generals after eating. Obviously, this kind of spicy food is not a big deal for people like them from Xiajiang.
challenges.
For example, the dish placed in front of Li Xingchen is a plain-looking lamb tripe that is steamed and cooked. The lamb tripe is cut open with a knife. Inside the lamb tripe is placed a selection of fat and tender mutton, plus sliced ginger.
Steam cornel, vine pepper, garlic, onion, salt and other condiments together.
The steamed mutton is smooth and tender, and has the unique spiciness of Sichuan and Sichuan, which makes you unable to stop eating.
Li Xingchen knew very well that Bashu is located in a mountainous area, and most of the places where people live and farm are in basins. Many places are shrouded in clouds and fog all year round and have heavy humidity. Therefore, these Sichuan peppers are indispensable if you want to dehumidify.
Therefore, Li Xingchen didn't even know whether it should be the Bashu people who promoted Sichuan peppers and this spicy taste, or whether it was the Sichuan peppers that saved the people living here.
Later, Li Xingchen wanted to establish himself in Bashu, so instead of objecting to the soldiers trying this spicy taste, he encouraged it.
Firstly, this will allow the soldiers to better adapt to the climatic conditions of Bashu, and secondly, it can also avoid more conflicts with the soldiers from Bashu who will inevitably join the army in the future.
The cohesion of an army is often affected by many factors. There is no doubt that if you want the army to quickly form cohesion, then the rural army is the best choice. Soldiers from the same place are often better able to fight side by side and cooperate with each other. For generals from the same hometown
Also more obedient.
But it is obviously not that easy to meet this condition, so Li Xingchen can only start from other aspects. In addition to his own emphasis on walking down there from time to time, and even practicing in person, the most important thing is to naturally
Find ways to alleviate conflicts arising from geography between soldiers from different places.
If you want to completely integrate this foreign army into Bashu, it may be a good choice to first change the taste.
Seeing Li Xingchen holding the wine glass with a smile on his face, he didn't know what he was thinking. Tang Zhengliang also showed a smile on his lips. It was obvious that the young general was in a good mood, which showed that at least he was not bothered by the difficulties he was facing.
"Congratulations to the General for your visit to Dingba County." Tang Zhengliang raised his wine glass and made a greeting gesture towards Li Xinchen, "I would like to propose a toast to the General!"
Li Xingchen came back to his senses, raised his glass with a smile, and drank it all in one gulp like Tang Zhengliang. The eyes of the young people from aristocratic families sitting below Tang Zhengliang all lit up slightly, and they were suddenly ready to make a move.
Tang Zhengliang is the head of the Bajun Tang family. The Bajun Tang family is at best a branch of the Xiajiang Tang family. Even the Xiajiang Tang family is just a family that has risen in troubled times in recent years.
Not in the eyes of a family like the Dong family or the Qin family with a heritage of four to five hundred years, but now because of Tang Zhengliang's outstanding performance in the Battle of Bajun and the speed of his loyalty to Li Xinchen, there is no doubt that he is now the future Bajun in Li Xinchen's heart.
Head.
It is impossible to say that the remaining aristocratic families are not jealous.
They didn't expect Li Xinchen to kick Tang Zhengliang down and drag them up again. They just wanted to get a share of the pie behind Li Xinchen and Tang Zhengliang.
Now that Tang Zhengliang has spoken, he obviously intends to talk to Li Xingchen about the future cooperation between the aristocratic families. Of course, these young people who came to test the tone on behalf of the family can't sit still.
If they could get any clear promise from Li Xingchen, then they would have made a great contribution to the family.
Just seeing these eyes, Li Xingchen knew what they were thinking. These aristocratic families have been suppressed too hard by Zhang He and the Jianwei Zhang family over the years. Now that the Jianwei Zhang family has fallen, of course they are not willing to lie dormant.