Chapter 77: Promotion to a higher position Warriors like to drink, and so do scholars. Under such social ethos, things at the wine table gradually became socialized, as if the more you drink, the greater your ability. Alcohol has been quantified into a concrete form of "heroism". If you can drink, you are a hero, and if you can't, you are a coward. Just now Cao Hong said that he could drink one stone of wine. Cao Rui silently converted the measurement of this round number in his mind. One dan is 120 jin, and according to the calculation of later generations, one jin is now 250 grams. If Cao Hong could drink one dan, and the alcohol content of wine and beer is similar, wouldn't he be able to drink 60 bottles of beer? Five boxes at a time? Liu Biao's three cups, Bo Ya, Zhong Ya and Ji Ya, add up to only 18 liters, which is equivalent to more than seven bottles in later times. Even drinking seven bottles was within Cao Rui's understanding, so drinking sixty bottles would take a whole day and night. Hearing Cao Hong's words that he could drink one stone, Cao Zhen laughed out loud: "Your Majesty, this is the first time you drink with General Wei. If you ask General Wei to drink ten stones at a banquet, General Wei will also say that he can drink it." Cao Rui smiled and shook his head: "How much can the general drink?" Cao Zhen thought for a moment and said: "Although I am not as good at drinking as General Wei, I can still drink 50 or 60 liters." Fifty or sixty liters, which is about the amount of two boxes of beer, is understandable. At this time, the emperor sat at the top of the banquet, with five seats on each side, for a total of ten people from the Cao and Xiahou families. Behind the emperor on both sides, there was a small table. Guanqiu Jian was sitting behind a small table to the left of the emperor.
"The general and the general are both heavy drinkers!" Cao Rui turned around and looked at Guanqiu Jian: "Zhong Gong, the general is the oldest and has the highest seniority. Please pour wine for him. Then pour wine for the general." Guanqiu Jian stood up, smiled and saluted: "I will obey your order and serve the two generals wine on behalf of your majesty." Guanqiu Jian walked around a little and came down from the side, slowly approached Cao Hong's table, poured a glass of wine for Cao Hong, and bent down to offer it with both hands. Cao Hong took the wine and drank it all in one gulp, then looked in the direction of the emperor and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the wine." Cao Hong turned around and looked at Guanqiu Jian again: "Captain Guanqiu, your courtesy name is Zhonggong, right?" Guanqiu Jian nodded in agreement. Cao Hong patted Guanqiu Jian's arm and said, "Such a young talent should make contributions to the Cao family!" Guanqiu Jian blushed a little at this point, but he still bowed and agreed. Turning around, Guanqiu Jian walked to the table of General Cao Zhen and began to pour wine from the wine vessel into Cao Zhen's wine cup. As an assistant minister and a general in charge of military affairs, Cao Zhen naturally knew that Guanqiu Jian was directly appointed as a 2,000-stone official by the emperor as a close and literary minister of the Eastern Palace. The emperor first ordered Guanqiu Jian to welcome the guests, and then ordered Guanqiu Jian to pour wine for the two generals Cao. Cao Zhen already knew in his heart that the emperor was promoting Guanqiu Jian. Cao Zhen also took the opportunity to be a good guy: "Zhong Gong, although you are in the Five Colonels Camp, you have fewer opportunities to lead troops outside. If there is a war, would you be willing to come under my command as a general and fight in the battlefield with real swords and guns?" The positions of Yueqi Xiaoli and Pianjiangjun were both two thousand stones. Although Yueqi Xiaoli was stationed in Luoyang and was closer to the emperor, it was a military position that many people envied. However, if one wanted to increase his qualifications in the army, he still needed practical experience. Guanqiu Jian also smiled and said, "Of course I am willing to serve the country, but my dispatch will naturally depend on your majesty's arrangement. If your majesty wants me to charge into battle, I will naturally have no objection." Guanqiu Jian's words were very clever. On the one hand, he expressed his desire to lead the troops into battle, and on the other hand, he expressed his complete obedience to the emperor. This was a very appropriate answer, as it did not offend either side. "Hahahaha, not bad, not bad." Cao Zhen took the wine and drank it all. Guanqiu Jian also slowly walked back to his seat. The atmosphere of the banquet gradually became more heated as the wine was drunk one cup after another. Nine Hu dancers walked to the center of the hall and began to dance to the rapid and passionate music. Cao Hong stroked his beard and said, "Your Majesty, these Hu dancers have unique skills. Have you ever seen a Hu girl beat a drum with her feet?" Although Cao Hong was greedy for money and lustful, this kind of person who was good at drinking and sex was still very good at chatting. Cao Rui had indeed never seen it, so he shook his head and said, "I have been in Luoyang for a long time, and I have never seen it." Cao Hong smiled and said, "I remember that in the 23rd year of Jian'an, I, the Grand Marshal, the General, and the Palace Attendant Xin Pi defeated Wu Lan in Wudu and forced Zhang Fei and Ma Chao to retreat. At the celebration banquet, I saw dancers from Liangzhou wearing thin clothes and beating drums with their feet." "Your Majesty, why not ask these dancers if they can do the same?"
Cao Rui found it quite interesting. But before Cao Rui could send someone to ask questions, a eunuch came in to report. Zhang He arrived outside the palace gate. The last time Sun Zi reported the matter of Xiahou Mao, Cao Rui had already intended to withdraw Xiahou Mao back to Luoyang and let Zhang He be in charge of the military affairs of Yongliang. He specifically ordered Zhang He, who was stationed in Mei County, to return to Luoyang. Mei County is located west of Chang'an, and is a strategic location for traveling west from Chang'an to Chencang and controlling Longyou. Dong Zhuo, who was powerful in the court, served as the Grand Master, and was named Marquis of Mei, once built a fort in Mei County in order to pass it down to future generations. After receiving the imperial edict, Zhang He spent another three days to settle military affairs, and then rode to Luoyang. As soon as Zhang He arrived in Luoyang, he went directly to the palace to ask for an audience with the emperor without taking a rest. Seeing the eunuchs talking about something next to the emperor, Cao Zhen, Cao Hong, Xiahou Mao, Xiahou Ru and other relatives all looked over. Cao Rui smiled, raised his wine cup and said, "I summoned Zhang He back to Luoyang some time ago. Now Zhang He is outside the palace gate. Zhong Gong, go and greet him for me." "Everyone, raise your voice!" The emperor offered the wine, and everyone drank it all. After putting down the wine cup, Cao Zhen looked at the emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, although we are relatives having a feast here, why not add a table for Zhang Junyi. Zhang Junyi has been working hard for the king for a long time and is quite familiar with us. It is not good to let him leave directly." Cao Rui smiled and pointed to the empty seat behind him: "General, Zhang He has come from afar, how about letting him sit behind me?" It seemed that the emperor was well prepared, and Cao Zhen said no more. As a general, Cao Zhen was very familiar with the generals in the army. Xiahou Mao returned to Luoyang yesterday. Although he had the relationship with Princess Qinghe, he was eventually dismissed from his post as the governor of Guanzhong by the emperor, and his title as General Anxi was taken away. He was placed in the court as a minister. Cao Zhen knew that there was nothing wrong with the emperor's appointment. Cao Zhen had originally thought that after the banquet today, he would ask the emperor about the governor of Guanzhong's opinion, but who knew that the emperor would use a secret decree to summon Zhang He back to Luoyang! Are we going to let Zhang He be the commander-in-chief? (End of this chapter)