Chapter 1 Luoshui Carp Wei, the seventh year of Huangchu. Cao Rui, who had just succeeded to the throne of the Wei Emperor for three days and became the second emperor of Wei, was sitting at the table waiting for dinner. Several eunuchs slowly came in and served nine dishes one after another, filling the table. In the middle of the table was a large fish on a golden plate, and the aroma spread with the heat. Cao Rui picked up a piece from the belly of the fish and put it into his mouth. The fish meat was delicate and delicious. "Taiguan Ling, what kind of dish is this?" The Wei Kingdom continued the system of the Han Dynasty. The agency that managed palace affairs in the Han Dynasty was called Shaofu, and the agency in Shaofu that was responsible for the emperor's diet was Taiguan. The Taiguanling was the emperor's chief chef. The eunuch standing at the steps did not dare to be negligent and responded quickly. "Your Majesty, this dish is called Carp Slices on a Golden Plate." "There are many places in the world that produce carp, but the carp from Luo River is the best."
"The Luoshui carp is extremely fresh. After being caught, it is sent to the palace by fast horses. It is served with Hanzhong dogwood, Hedong white salt, and Langya fermented black beans, and then cooked by the imperial chef." "It took no more than an hour for this carp to get from the Luo River to your majesty's table." Cao Rui nodded and continued to taste the carp on the plate. The method of making this dish is somewhat similar to braised, but the ingredients used are extremely good, so the taste is very different. Three days ago, Cao Rui traveled back to the Three Kingdoms when the previous emperor Cao Pi passed away. He kept vigil for three days and ate vegetarian food for three days, and at the same time inherited the throne. It feels great to be an emperor, and it's also great to be above everyone else, but eating only vegetables and coarse grains for three days without any fine cooking was a bit harsh for Cao Rui. Fortunately, we had meat today. Carp from Luoshui, half-year-old fawn, roasted mutton... "Is this the emperor's recipe? It's really good." While Cao Rui was enjoying his meal, the eunuch Bi Jin walked up to him and reported in a low voice. "Your Majesty, the Minister Liu Ye has arrived and is waiting outside the palace." "Liu Ye Liu Ziyang? Let him in." Bi Jin lowered his head and walked to the door in small steps. After he stopped, he said sharply, "Summon Minister Liu to the audience." Liu Ye walked through the long corridor and headed towards the palace door with a nervous mood. It's no wonder Liu Ye was nervous, because he had hardly ever communicated with Cao Rui alone. The first time he met Cao Rui was at the ceremony of his accession to the throne. This may sound strange. Cao Pi was the emperor of Wei for six years without introducing his successor to his ministers. For Liu Ye, this was the first time Cao Rui summoned him alone, so he couldn't help but be cautious. Liu Ye knelt down with the standard ceremony: "Your Majesty, I, Liu Ye, pay my respects to you." "Please stand up, Minister." Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye with interest: "Is Liu Qing from Yangzhou?" Liu Ye stood up and saluted and replied: "I am from Chengli in Huainan. I came to Taizu's camp in the fourth year of Jian'an."
Cao Rui asked: "Even if you are from Yangzhou, have you ever eaten Songjiang perch?" Liu Ye looked up at Cao Rui, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. What kind of person was Liu Ye Liu Ziyang? He dared to kill people at the age of thirteen, and pacified thousands of rebellious troops alone at the age of twenty. He repeatedly came up with surprising strategies for Cao Cao and Cao Pi. Liu Ye, a man of courage and wisdom, thought that Cao Rui would ask him about military affairs and government affairs when he summoned him. He had already prepared a plan in mind before he came. Who would have thought that when Cao Rui summoned him, the first thing he asked was about food? Liu Ye controlled his expression and replied respectfully, "Songjiang perch is found at the river mouth. It is precious and hard to catch. I have only eaten it twice." "The first time was in Lujiang. I was the chief clerk of Liu Xun, the governor of Lujiang at the time, and I ate there at a banquet in his mansion." "The second time was in Yecheng. I was a warehouse official in Taizu's Sikong Mansion. Taizu hosted a banquet for all the officials in Sikong Mansion. The Taoist Zuo Ci caught a perch from Songjiang River during the banquet, and I also tasted some." Cao Rui became interested. He was now interested in everything in this era, especially the various strange things. Although he was an emperor, Cao Rui was still very interested in legendary figures like Zuo Ci. Cao Rui raised his eyebrows: "So Liu Qing was also present. Was he really lured out at the banquet?" Liu Ye nodded: "I saw it with my own eyes at Emperor Wu's banquet. The late emperor and King Yongqiu were also present at the time." Cao Rui said, "The late emperor was smart and wise, did he ever discuss the truth of this matter?" Liu Ye said, "The late emperor thought that the truth of the perch incident was unknown, and it might be some kind of deception." "But the late emperor once mentioned Zuo Ci's magic, saying that Zuo Ci did have some real skills." Cao Rui was somewhat surprised when he heard this: "Zuo Ci did many miraculous things, and I also heard about them when I was in the East Palace." "Zuo Ci conjured up a perch at Taizu's banquet, then left the table and ran to Shu to buy ginger. He also conjured up dried meat outside Yecheng to feed hundreds of people." "I have heard all these stories. What exactly is the real ability that the late emperor said Zuo Ci has?" Cao Rui asked Liu Ye with curiosity. Liu Ye was a wise man of the time. Since Cao Pi usurped the Han Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor, Liu Ye had been with Cao Pi as a minister, offering advice and counsel on state affairs. He was considered a full-time counselor and a close minister to the emperor. The advantage of being a close minister to the emperor is, of course, that they are closer to the center of power, have a more respected status, and can have daily contact with the emperor. But the downside is that if the emperor doesn't talk to you about state affairs, but instead asks you to play with him, you will easily become a flatterer in people's eyes. Dongfang Shuo during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han was knowledgeable and talented, but his knowledge was never put to good use. Although Liu Ye was unwilling to be Dongfang Shuo, he had to answer the emperor's questions truthfully. Even if there was a slight chance to increase the emperor's favor, Liu Ye did not want to let it go. "Your Majesty, the late emperor once mentioned Zuo Ci's sexual skills." "When Taizu was in Yecheng in the past, he summoned all the extraordinary people in the world to come to Yecheng." "Among the alchemists there are Zuo Ci from Lujiang, Gan Shi from Ganling, and Xi Jian from Yangcheng." "Gan Shi has the art of Qigong, which the late emperor believed could strengthen the body, but his words are exaggerated and cannot be trusted." "Xi Jian was good at fasting, and he didn't need to eat anything except Poria cocos and water. The price of Poria cocos in Yecheng actually increased several times because of Xi Jian." Cao Rui felt a little bored listening to this, and stretched his legs behind the desk. These two people's skills were really boring. Liu Ye paused, hesitated for two seconds, and continued.
"Zuo Ci... Zuo Ci is said to be able to control ghosts and gods, but his real ability lies in the art of sex, and the late emperor also recognized this." Cao Rui was in high spirits, he stood up from behind the desk and shook the sleeves of his outer robe. After traveling through time and space to become an emperor, although unifying the world and creating a prosperous era was essential, he was also determined to enjoy all the pleasures of the world. Is there really such a magical thing as the art of sex? "Mr. Liu, what exactly is this art of sex? Please tell me in detail." Liu Ye looked at Cao Rui's slightly interested expression, feeling a little disappointed. The previous emperor Cao Pi was both civil and military, and as soon as Cao Rui ascended the throne, he asked the ministers about the art of sex. The son is not like his father, Liu Ye thought. Liu Ye's face gradually became serious. He bowed to Cao Rui and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I think that your Majesty has just inherited the throne. There are two enemies outside, West Shu and Jiangdong. The people's livelihood is in decline and urgently needs to be cultivated." "I have not only heard of the art of sex, but all the ministers in Ye have practiced it in the past. But I really don't want to talk about it now. I hope Your Majesty will focus on state affairs." "Putting state affairs first?" Cao Rui thought to himself, "Although this is true, state affairs are more important than just talking. Just answer whatever I ask you." The enthusiasm of ministers still needs to be protected. Cao Rui said: "Don't worry, Liu Qing. I know how to handle state affairs. I will discuss this with the ministers at the court tomorrow." "I'm just curious, what exactly is this bedroom technique?" Liu Ye sighed in his heart. Giving advice once was his limit. Deep down, Liu Ye didn't care about what others thought of him. He preferred to be pragmatic rather than idealistic. Gaining the emperor's trust was the most important thing. Liu Ye cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the so-called art of sex is mistakenly believed by the world to be something between men and women, but its meaning is far deeper than that." "In short, the art of sex originated from the art of Huang-Lao, and its core is to cherish essence and energy, and to abstain from sex to preserve essence. It can maintain health, but it is wishful thinking to become an immortal and live forever." "But when it comes to specific practice, it is still somewhat related to the affairs between men and women..." …… The sun slowly moved westward. Liu Ye ended Cao Rui's first summons and slowly walked out of the gate of the North Palace. Next to the palace gate, a young official had been waiting for a long time. The assistant clerk bowed and said, "Mr. Liu, Mr. Sima and Mr. Chen invite you to the Shangshutai for a chat." Liu Ye stopped walking. Apparently Sima Yi and Chen Qun knew that he was summoned by the emperor, and they seemed to want to test the waters. Liu Ye glanced at the assistant clerk, without answering or stopping, and walked towards the Secretariat on his own. This is my first time writing a book, please give it a collection~I will be very grateful (End of this chapter)
