OFTLHFRO C126

Chapter 126: Good Wine and Good Food

It wasn’t long before a young officer delivered a message: General Hu had prepared wine and dishes at his residence and invited Huo Yan to join him for a meal.

At the side, Luo Mingchen asked, “Can we bring family members?”

The young officer froze, then said, “Yes, of course.”

Luo Mingchen continued, “We’ve also got three kids, two friends, and five bodyguards.”

“…That’s fine.”

“Good, then please thank your general for us.”

Perfect—no need to cook dinner tonight, and there would even be Han City’s specialty dishes to try.

After the young officer left, Luo Mingchen went with Huo Yan to find their children.

Luckily, they hadn’t taken the kids along to watch the excitement that afternoon. Otherwise, standing there so long and in the bitter wind, they surely wouldn’t have held up.

Since they were going to dine at someone else’s home, after traveling for so long, it was only proper to wash up and change into clean clothes.

Once they were ready, the group boarded their carriage and headed to the military compound on the other side of Han City.

Along the way, Luo Mingchen peered out the window and saw pale-faced refugees. At the sight of their carriage, those people hurriedly shut their doors and windows as if confronted with some fierce monsters.

“Looks like relations between the garrison here and the common folk aren’t good.”

At this, Huo Yan replied, “With war after war, all supplies must go to the soldiers first. There’s little left for the people.”

Naturally, this would strain relations.

But really, the root of the problem lay with the court sending too few supplies.

Huo Yan had long heard: if the emperor sent out a million taels in disaster relief silver, by the time it trickled down layer by layer, if even a tenth reached the stricken areas, it was considered heaven’s grace.

If the place was far from the capital, the officials would often buy a little moldy rice, mix it with sand, or issue spoiled flour—boil it into watery porridge and call it relief.

Their carriage stopped at the gates.

The group alighted and went in.

Halfway through, a middle-aged man with a goatee approached them with a broad smile.

“Well, well, this must be General Huo?”

As he spoke, the man cheerfully reached for Luo Mingchen’s hand.

Suppressing a laugh, Luo Mingchen nudged Huo Yan forward.

Huo Yan helplessly let himself be pushed a step ahead. “General Hu, I’m Huo Yan.”

“Oh?”

Hu Zhongyi glanced back at his deputy, puzzled. “Didn’t you say General Huo was a pretty boy?”

Luo Mingchen—whiter-skinned than Huo Yan: “…”

Now he really couldn’t laugh.

That deputy coughed awkwardly. “General, perhaps we should invite them inside first? It’s freezing out here, and they’ve brought children.”

“Of course.”

Hu Zhongyi smiled as he ushered them in. “Knowing General Huo was coming, we prepared some Han City delicacies just for you. I guarantee you’ll never forget the taste!”

Still expectant, Luo Mingchen walked inside, only to be floored. Good heavens—so-called Han City delicacies turned out to be stir-fried tree roots, gray lumps that resembled steamed buns, and a bit of watery congee that was the only thing remotely edible.

Even Xiao Lin was dumbstruck. “This…”

“You don’t know,” Hu Zhongyi explained cheerfully. “These are true Han City specialties. Ordinary folk can’t even dream of eating this well. Before you came, we ourselves couldn’t bear to touch such fine fare.”

His tone carried no trace of mockery; it was said so sincerely that if not for the sight of the dishes, Luo Mingchen might have believed him.

Little Huo Xiang, who had been expecting a feast, pressed his lips together when he saw the food.

This… was this really edible?

“Why stand around? Sit, sit, make yourselves at home.”

Hu Zhongyi sat down first.

After exchanging looks, the others also sat, waiting silently for the show to play out.

“Xiao Jin, pour wine for General Huo.”

At his command, the deputy brought over a clay wine jar, pouring a cup of dark liquid for Huo Yan. It reeked of grass and swamp.

“Come, let’s drink.”

Hu Zhongyi raised his cup, downed the blackish liquor in one gulp, and exclaimed, “Good wine!”

Huo Yan likewise picked up his cup, drained it, and said, “Indeed, fine wine.”

The stench carried across the table even before it reached the lips. That it could be called good—Luo Mingchen couldn’t believe it.

“Come, everyone, eat.”

Hu Zhongyi bit into a gray bun and chased it with a sip of root broth.

Watching him relish it, little Huo Xiang swallowed hard, picked up a bun that was warm to the touch, and found it rather stiff.

The others looked on, hearts full of conflicting emotions.

Luo Mingchen tried a spoonful of root broth. Bitter and astringent.

The five shadow guards managed to eat without changing expression.

After all, since Luo Mingchen and Huo Yan had started eating, they had to follow.

Huo Xiang took a bite of bun, but it was so hard that in an instant, a bloody gap appeared on it—his front tooth stuck in the crust.

“Little Daddy! My tooth fell out!”

Already in the middle of changing teeth, Huo Xiang looked ready to cry, clutching the offending bun.

The commotion drew everyone’s attention.

When they saw the tooth lodged in the bun, many struggled not to laugh, though quite a few couldn’t hold it back.

Amused, Luo Mingchen asked Hu Zhongyi for a cup of water.

Perhaps moved by the boy’s misery, Hu Zhongyi didn’t tease but instead had someone bring a proper cup of warm water.

Huo Xiang, experienced, swished the water in his mouth, gazing pitifully at his older brother.

Breaking a tooth at someone else’s dinner table—how embarrassing.

Huo Yuhui could only pat his shoulder in comfort.

Huo Yan set down his chopsticks and said, “General Hu, we’ve tasted your meal. Now perhaps you could tell us about Han City’s current state. For example, just how much grain remains?”

Time to speak of business.

Hu Zhongyi had invited them precisely to show how people here lived, so he dropped the act and replied grimly, “Han City is nearly out of food—barely bark and roots left. General Huo, you picked up those refugees on the road and brought them back here. What’s your intention?”

“In this bitter cold, with the city sealed, only half of those who fled would survive.”

Suppressing anger, Hu Zhongyi said, “But if they stay here, they’ll all starve to death!”

Huo Yan answered calmly, “Now that we are here, they won’t.”

“Is that so? Then it seems you already have a plan. Why not tell me?”

Though angry, Hu Zhongyi’s patience had grown after watching Huo Yan eat Han City’s “delicacies” without complaint.

“The rations we brought can last half a month. Bing City still has supplies.”

At this, Hu Zhongyi laughed coldly. “What supplies does Bing City have?”

Huo Yan met his gaze. “It does.”

Locking eyes, Hu Zhongyi understood. “You… mean to go against that dog Wu Qing?”

The insult made Luo Mingchen look at Hu Zhongyi anew.

So—there was bad blood between them indeed.