The Art of War

  Seeing the table full of various breakfast dishes, even the experienced Peng Jingrong was dazzled. With so many types, how to choose? "Does Sister Hu spend like this every day?" she couldn't help but ask.

  "It didn't cost much money, and there's nothing expensive, just something fresh to eat. It's not very convenient on the boat, so I just casually prepared a few dishes that I'm good at. Next time when you're in Hefei, I'll formally invite you to dinner." Hu Yimin sat down at the head of the table and invited everyone to take their seats.

  "Although it doesn't use expensive ingredients, they must be made from local materials and authentic craftsmanship, which is worth a lot of money just for that." Liu Ziguang commented, if you eat some bird's nest and sea cucumber, it would be too common. Gathering the customs and flavors of the whole world on one table is not an easy task.

  "It's too much praise, I just like simple food. People say that my family's kitchen is better than the imperial kitchen, which really embarrasses me. The emperor's food is truly good. Autumn lad, you used to work in the imperial kitchen, tell our guests about the current emperor's breakfast menu." She was humble with her words, but her actions were showing off. Someone who had jumped ship from the imperial kitchen could only be responsible for serving dishes in the Hu household - what else could this be but blatant boasting?

  "Yes, the Emperor's breakfast menu includes: mushroom fat chicken, three fresh duck, five silk chicken, stewed meat, stewed pork belly, meat slices stewed with white cabbage, braised lamb, lamb stewed with bok choy and tofu, cherry meat mountain yam, donkey meat stewed with white cabbage, lamb slices stewed with Sichuan turnip, duck strips stir-fried with sea cucumber, duck dices stir-fried with ginseng rice, roasted mushrooms, meat slices braised with jade lan slices, lamb silk braised with running vegetables, fried spring rolls, yellow leek stir-fried with meat, smoked pork belly and small intestine, boiled tofu, smoked dried noodles stewed with chopped scallions, Sichuan pepper oil stir-fried white cabbage, five spice dried tofu, sacrificial meat slice soup, plain boiled celery, braised white meat." The chef, called Qiu Tong, reported the Emperor's menu fluently like a crosstalk performer.

  Everyone is sweating, the emperor had these greasy and oily things for breakfast, it seems that Hu Dazhu's life is more delicate.

  Miss Peng Jingwei, who had already grabbed a bowl of Fujian small wontons and was savoring it, saw the strange thing in front of Hu Yimeng and couldn't help but ask: "Sister Hu, what kind of breakfast are you eating?"

  "This is milk cereal with egg, authentic Western-style breakfast. Want to try some?" Hu Yimin picked up a white napkin from her knee and wiped her mouth before responding.

  "Do Westerners like drinking milk? It's so strange, and they're not even weaned babies. Is this cow's milk from the yellow cows in the fields? How can they drink it?"

  "This is much better than porridge, bring more people and add three bowls of milk."

  The three guests were not resistant to new things, and they slowly savored the milk after receiving it. Liu Ziguang had never drunk fresh milk since he came to this world, and now he found a bit of his old feeling again. This milk was very fresh and had a bit of a radiant milk feel to it, not bad.

  "It would be even better with some yogurt, rich in bifidobacterium, and higher nutritional value. And Western breakfast can also have bread, butter, fruit juice, this egg is too old-fashioned, Westerners don't eat like that, only sweet heart eggs will do." He couldn't help but point and show off his vast knowledge.

  "Oh? Premier Liu has been to the Western world?" Hu Yimin remained expressionless, but was actually greatly astonished. How did he know about the proper way of dining in the West? These miscellaneous things couldn't be learned from books. This person is really impossible to see through.

  "I've never been there, but in our camp, there were a few Western soldiers who loved drinking milk and eating sugar heart eggs."

  "I see...". Hu Yimin nodded, almost forgetting that this Liu Zongli was still a general who led troops.

  "At the beginning of the year, there was a big battle in Licheng, I don't know if Premier Liu attended or not?" Hu Yimian only took a few sips of the Western-style food in front of her and said she was full after eating just a few mouthfuls. The maid behind her hurriedly brought over a silver basin for her to wash her hands.

  "Of course, we all participated. My sister and I followed the Iron Corps into the Qing army's camp and killed our way in and out seven times. Deputy General Liu wielded his sword at the forefront, opening a path with two horse-slaying sabers that danced like a stormy wind. Those Qing cavalrymen died as soon as they came into contact with us, and perished as soon as they touched us. My sister and I both witnessed it with our own eyes."

  "Ah, you're all here, I heard that blood flowed like rivers and then froze, making it difficult to move even an inch outside the city walls of Liguocheng. Is it really that brutal?" Hu Yimian asked.

  "Yes, yes! The corpses piled up like mountains, and the wild dogs in the nearby area were so full they couldn't eat anymore. Of course, they were eating the flesh of the Tartars. You know about our iron factory's steam-powered crossbow, right? That thing can fire 100,000 arrows a day! Even if the Tartar army had 100,000 soldiers, each one could get hit by an arrow. And then there's my dad's invention, the steam-powered cannon and iron-clad war chariot - those are the ultimate killing machines that have never been seen before. The cannon can shoot from ten miles away, and the war chariot is impenetrable to swords and arrows. When the Qing dynasty Tartars saw it from afar, they regretted not having two more legs to run with. We took advantage of our victory and counterattacked, with Deputy General Liu leading the charge on horseback. We chased the Qing emperor so hard he even lost his boots!" Peng Jingwei exclaimed enthusiastically.

  When ordinary people hear that the great hero who broke through the linked rings and captured the Qing emperor's boots is right in front of them, they will definitely be excited and at a loss for words. However, Hu Da Zhuang only lightly said "oh" and then lowered his head to think deeply.

  Peng Jingwei, who was waiting for Hu Yimins astonishing praise, was greatly disappointed and continued to drink milk with a low head. In her heart, she hummed a tune, wondering what else Sister Hu could think of to make a fortune in wartime.

  As expected, Hu Yimin raised his head after a moment of contemplation and said: "So the great victory of the Battle of Ligung mainly relied on the sharpness of the iron factory's defensive weapons, rather than the wild battle in the wilderness. That Governor Yuan's recovery of Shandong is not so easy, waiting for Qingguo to regain its strength, it's still too early to say who will die."

  This girl actually has such a clear mind, and a banker is so familiar with war and international situations, it's really not simple.

  Ordinary people don't know the pros and cons of the Qing army. If it weren't for the firepower support from the city walls, Liu Ziguang would not be able to defeat the 100,000-strong army even if he were ten times braver. Without the help of super weapons like steam-powered crossbows, steam cannons, and ironclad war chariots, relying solely on the Ming dynasty's Forbidden Army that arrived later, defending the city might have been barely possible. However, in a field battle with face-to-face combat, whether infantry or cavalry, they would not be a match for the Qing army.

  In terms of cavalry, the Qing army had tall and powerful Yan Yun horses and strong Mongolian horses, with seasoned soldiers skilled in horseback archery. The Ming army had expensive Three Rivers horses and Sichuan horses, which were not even ridden by their riders during peacetime, but instead led on foot, making them naturally inferior to the nomadic people who rode horses.

  In terms of infantry, the Qing army consisted of Han Chinese from outside the Great Wall, with tall and powerful physiques. They had occupied the fertile northern provinces, and their armor and weapons were not inferior to those of the Southern Ming. The Ming army, on the other hand, was mainly composed of soldiers from the Central Plains and guest armies from southern provinces, whose physical stature was naturally shorter than that of northerners. In close combat, they would definitely be at a disadvantage.

  It's been a while since I left Li Guo and I don't know how the war is going, it just so happens that Hu Yi Min is coming from the north, I can ask him about it.

  "Hu Da Zhanggui's remarks were high, the Qing army's linked horse charge was very strong, and ordinary infantry and cavalry equipment could not withstand it even if they were well-equipped and disciplined. Only by using a vast iron rain to restrain them. Liu Ziguang picked up the Bi Luo Chun tea cup presented by the maid and took a sip, the taste was good, better than the one he drank at the Little Emperor's place. He smacked his lips, spat out a tea leaf, and continued: "I don't know if Hu Da Zhanggui has any latest war reports to share with us after returning from the north."

  "This time I came north to investigate the situation in Shandong and also to explore the possibility of opening a branch in the north. The imperial court needs to use troops in the north, naturally requiring a large amount of money and silver. The Ministry of Revenue has already reached out to our Rishengchang again. Although recovering our great Ming dynasty is an unshirkable responsibility for us, since the money has been spent, I hope every single piece of silver is used on the blade. Our great Ming soldiers are fighting with armor, horses and equipment, if we have sufficient military rations, equipment and pay, how can we not defeat those Qing bastards?"

  "I am shocked to see the situation in Shandong battlefield. The soldiers at the front have not received their military pay for several months, and even the most essential weapon, the arrows used by the crossbow, are severely lacking. How can we win this battle? Fortunately, General Yuan's leadership is wise, and the Li Guo Iron Factory delivered some arrows in time; under such circumstances, they were still able to capture several cities. Now the main force is defending Xuzhou, but I don't know how long they can hold on."

  "Didn't they say they had already started negotiating? How can they be fighting again?" Peng Jingrong asked in surprise.

  "Sister, you don't know that the Qing emperor fell ill after returning to Beijing. Before that, the soft-imprisoned imperial uncle Dolon re-emerged, leading the capable and brave generals Ao Bai and Suoni to regroup and defend Tai'an. The plains of Shandong are suitable for cavalry battles, if it weren't for General Yuan's brave soldiers from Xuzhou, we would be in big trouble." Hu Yimeng is simply a frontline military observer, proficient in politics, military affairs, and economics, no wonder she was the manager of the largest bank in the Ming dynasty at just 19 years old.

  "What's the use of these officials who are fed and paid by the imperial court? The Northern Expedition to recover Shandong has become a tool for them to embezzle funds. It's tolerable if the millions of silver coins collected were used for military purposes, but it's outrageous that they would even deduct from the soldiers' pay and armaments! Doesn't this make the generals and soldiers who fight for their country and sacrifice themselves feel disheartened?" Peng Jingrong said indignantly.

  Peng Jingwei chimed in, "Exactly! Our great Ming dynasty has silver, has weapons, and even has good sons, so why can't we take back Beijing after all these years? I think it's because of those corrupt officials."

  "Every year, we sell so many weapons, armor and arrows to the iron factory, but I don't know who they are equipped for. The debt has been dragging on for years, if not for the help of a noble this time, I'm afraid the million owed silver will not be recovered even next year." Peng Jingrong continued, the two sisters sang and complained together.

  "Congratulations, as long as the silver is returned, I'm at ease. The silver I invested in your Riguang Iron Factory earns annual interest, and last year's interest has been deferred until now. Sister Rong can't cry poverty this time." It turned out that a large portion of the iron factory's working capital was a loan from Risun Chang, and Hu Yimin had done a good job with the credit work, lending only to high-quality enterprises.

  "This time the Minister of War is going north by boat, probably for military affairs. He might be able to resolve some issues with military salaries and equipment." Liu Ziguang couldn't help but interrupt.

  "Premier Liu is unaware, the Minister of War Cui Chengxiu and General Yuan have had a grudge for some time. The high-ranking officials in the court are unaware of the hardships at the front lines, they only know that they want achievements. Now that the war has resumed, how many people are relying on the lives of the soldiers at the front to gain promotions and wealth? General Yuan cannot achieve a quick victory, so Minister Cui is bringing the Imperial Sword to help, but it's unclear whether he's helping General Yuan or Dorje."

  Was Yuan Chonghuan also unable to escape his fate of being wrongly killed by his own people in this time and space? Liu Ziguo was shocked.

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