xymnovel Chapter 65 Stone Oil Water Found in Gaonu City
Chapter 65 Stone Oil Water Found in Gaonu City
Gao Huaide and Yang Chonggui made a solemn vow that neither of them should tell anyone about this.
Unexpectedly, after returning home, Yang Chonggui couldn't stand Gao Huaixuan's questioning. He couldn't lie, and Gao Huaide couldn't help but show off. He gave himself away in a few words and was inevitably scolded.
However, this adventure excited the two of them for a while, but as the excitement gradually wore off, they had an extra chore every day: walking the dog.
As he strolled around, Gao Yanei wandered too far, covering the entire area within a hundred miles of the prefecture and all the counties under its jurisdiction.
There are roughly two routes from Yanzhou to Luoyang: one can board a boat at Caisangjin in Yichuan and travel down the river by water; or one can follow the Qin Straight Road south to Chang'an, the western capital, and then travel to Luoyang via the Xiaohan Ancient Road.
No matter which route you take, it's at least a thousand miles long, and a round trip would take at least a month.
With Gao Xingzhou not in the mansion, who can control this young master?
Gao Huaide ignored his father's instructions and his mother's and sister's advice, and spent his days wandering around. Even Yang Chonggui, a perfectly good child, was turned into his follower.
If there's anything commendable about him, it's that he at least listened to advice and brought five more soldiers with him when he went out. Together with Fu An, that was enough to deal with a small group of bandits.
When they arrived at the neighboring county of Yanchuan, the group found a decent-looking restaurant, dismounted, brushed the yellow dust off their bodies, and sat down inside.
As summer approached and the weather turned hot, Gao Huaide and Yang Chonggui, being young and unable to drink alcohol, asked the waiter what they could do to quench their thirst.
"Hey, you're talking about that five-colored drink—Fu Fang Qing, Xi Chi, Luo Jiang Bai, Wu Mei Xuan, and Jiang Gui Huang—we don't have it here."
"Our shop doesn't even have a five-spice drink made with agarwood, cloves, sandalwood, orchid, and pine resin."
The waiter, after some roundabout talk, recommended one of the shop's specialties: "We do have a drink that you two young gentlemen might like to try."
"Why keep babbling? If it tastes good, bring me two bowls."
Gao Huaide said impatiently, "Deep-fried mushrooms, stir-fried bean sprouts with vinegar, and a few plates of clean and refreshing side dishes."
"Okay."
A moment later, the waiter brought over a small jar and placed two large, coarse porcelain bowls on it. Upon opening the seal, a sweet aroma immediately wafted out.
"It smells so good!"
A thick, golden liquid poured out, resembling neither wine nor honey. Gao Huaide took a sip; it was smooth and went down his throat, sweet with a hint of sourness—truly a perfect summer drink.
He urged Yang Chonggui to try it quickly and told the waiter to pour some for everyone else.
"This drink is indeed delicious. What is it made of?"
"On this Loess Plateau, the most abundant plants are vinegar willow and sea buckthorn covering the mountains and plains. Unfortunately, they are sour and astringent and unpalatable, so someone thought of using local honey as a base to adjust the flavor."
The waiter was quick-witted and eloquent, saying, "The little bee fell in love with wild sea buckthorn, and that's what this bowl of honey-sea buckthorn juice is all about."
Gao Huaide became interested, picked up the bowl and took another sip, then asked what other local specialties were available.
"Young sir, your accent doesn't sound like that of a local. If we're talking about specialties of Yanzhou, there are plenty to choose from."
The waiter counted on his fingers and listed, "Things like Huanglong honey, Ganquan wine, Wuqi vinegar, Luochuan apples, and our Yanchuan red dates are all good stuff."
"It all sounds like food."
Gao Huaide waved his hand, and Lu Qian understood, throwing a large coin on the table: "What other rare and interesting things do you have? Tell me as soon as possible."
This young master was very generous, so the waiter dared not be negligent and racked his brains to think of something that could meet his standards.
Have it.
"Young sir, have you ever heard this saying?"
The waiter merely threw out a prelude, and without Gao Huaide needing to respond, he answered his own question: "In Gao Nu City, there flows a greasy liquid, a mixture of sand and spring water, flowing out in a hazy, indistinct way. It resembles pure lacquer, burns like hemp, and has a glossy, inky black sheen. If you, sir, ask what it is, no one knows the secret of Yanchuan stone liquid." (Note 1)
Lu Qian stood with his hands clasped, listening with a smile, but upon hearing these words, his expression immediately turned serious.
After the waiter left, Lu Qian bent down and whispered in Gao Huaide's ear, "I didn't expect Yanchuan to produce such a thing. Young master, you must investigate this thoroughly and report back to the commander."
Gao Huaide found it interesting and asked curiously, "What is 'stone liquid'? Is it that rare?"
"Young master, enemies clad in heavy armor are difficult to harm with swords and spears. Besides striking with blunt weapons like mallets, do you know what you fear most?"
Lu Qian gave the answer directly: "It's either water or fire. This molten stone can adhere to iron armor and burn; water cannot extinguish it, and the fire only intensifies. It's truly a powerful weapon for attacking strongholds and defeating enemies. Therefore, it has another name: Fierce Fire Oil!"
……
Gao Xingzhou returned to Yanzhou in midsummer of May.
After dinner, the maid cleared away the dishes and served tea to rinse the mouth.
Gao Huaide noticed that his father was about to speak, most likely asking whether he had been practicing martial arts well these days and teaching Yang Chonggui spear techniques.
He quickly seized the opportunity and said, "I have recently acquired something and would like to offer it to you, Father."
"What are you talking about now, flowers, birds, fish and insects? Your father doesn't have that kind of leisure and refined taste."
Gao Xingzhou looked displeased: "Those two extra dogs in the kennel, I wonder whose they are."
"They all belong to Brother Gui."
Gao Huaide had already prepared his reason and answered fluently: "I saw that he was very lonely and missed his hometown. Father said that he would take good care of him, so I bought two dogs to keep him company and relieve his homesickness."
"Clever words and a flattering demeanor, resorting to sophistry and sophistry!"
Gao Xingzhou disliked his son's cunning and trickery the most, and became even more displeased upon hearing this.
The atmosphere was starting to turn sour, so Madam Gao quickly intervened to protect him: "Whatever it is, bring it out quickly. It's wonderful that my son has such filial piety. Although your father's words were stern, he must be very pleased."
With his wife causing such a commotion, Gao Xingzhou was helpless; his son had been spoiled rotten.
Gao Huaide took out a small jar, placed it on the table, and opened the seal. A fishy smell, similar to rotten eggs, immediately filled the entire room.
Madam Gao and Gao Huaixuan frowned slightly, thinking he was playing some kind of prank, and prepared themselves for Gao Xingzhou's fury.
Unexpectedly, Gao Xingzhou reacted similarly to Lu Qian, his expression changing slightly: "Where did you obtain this item?"
Gao Huaide successfully changed the subject and, with a hint of pride, recounted the process of his inspection.
On that day, the guide led everyone to a place where spring water containing stone liquid gushed out, the water color as muddy and filthy.
Many locals collect stone liquid on the sandy banks of the spring. They use pheasant tail feathers, which are up to five feet long, to stir the water back and forth. When the originally brightly colored pheasant feathers turn black and are covered with clumps of sticky liquid, they scrape it off with a knife and shovel and put it into an earthenware jar.
Lu Qian had read it and said that if the military governor knew that Yanzhou had this specialty, the young master would surely be praised.
Gao Huaide curled his lip in disapproval: "I don't want to be praised, it would be good enough if you didn't say I'm idle."
Even so, he still bought a small jar and took it back as proof.
"The Pagoda's Ingenious Scheme, the Clear Stream's Spring, and the Stone Liquid of Yanchuan—you've encountered several fortuitous opportunities."
Gao Xingzhou's words were sarcastic and didn't sound like praise: "Although he doesn't do proper work, he's quite lucky."
As the ancients said, a wise and brave general is not as good as a lucky one.
Gao Huaide comforted himself, saying that luck is also a kind of strength, and that's a privilege that only the protagonists in stories get, isn't it?
"While the 'fierce fire oil' is a powerful weapon, possessing it does not make one invincible; otherwise, the Khitans would have already conquered the cities of the Central Plains with it."
The next moment, Gao Xingzhou began to lecture: "Only by upholding the right path can one achieve extraordinary results. Have you ever heard of a famous general who could win every battle by relying on ingenious schemes and tricks or luck?"
Gao Huaide selectively ignored the second half of his father's admonition, wondering if this thing was also abundant outside the Great Wall.
"Although China has a large population, its people are not united."
Gao Xingzhou sneered: "There are those who collude with foreign powers, living in Jiangnan, who only want to stir up trouble. They present this item to the Khitan, inciting the Khitan cavalry to invade our borders from the south." (Note 2)
"Southerners are really something else," was Gao Huaide's initial impression of that unfamiliar country south of the Yellow River.
"You've had your fill of carefree living during my month-long absence. You're not allowed to step out of the manor these days. Pick up your martial arts skills again and don't slack off."
Gao Xingzhou admonished him, saying that he meant what he said and sent Lu Qianyuan on a mission, and also sent Fu An out, not knowing what kind of task he was assigned.
Having had his two close attendants with him for some time, Gao Huaide found it rather difficult to adjust to their sudden departure. Fortunately, he was naturally optimistic; being confined to the mansion and not going out—who said he couldn't find amusement?
Meanwhile, Gao Xingzhou brought back a group of young female entertainers, and chose the youngest one to serve as Gao Huaixuan's zither maid.
The older sister played the guqin, accompanied by a five-string ensemble. The different instruments complemented each other, and the blending of the sounds made the music even more beautiful.
When asked about her name and background, the young woman, who had just reached marriageable age, lowered her head, still shaken by the ordeal: "I am of lowly birth and do not deserve a name. Young master and young master, please call me Xiao Ling."
A few days later, Fu An returned, bringing back a message.
The town of Bao'an is in disarray, and the Dangxiang people are not in accordance with the king's rule. It has been discovered that a certain broker in the border market, Jia, has been secretly communicating with the king and is robbing people on the road in broad daylight.
The above facts were confirmed, and A confessed that the tribal leader was a habitual offender.
Without even needing the military governor's office to send troops, the garrison commander immediately mustered his men and went to the tribe, ordering them to select a new leader.
The current chief committed suicide by slitting his throat. All the men in his family were forced into hard labor, the women and children were enslaved, and the rest were left unattended.
After being questioned about his crimes, the broker, A, died in prison that very night.
The coroner examined the body and found no external injuries, concluding that the body was likely weak. The matter was thus concluded.
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Place Name Comparison
Gao Nu: present-day Yanchang County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province