Chapter 100

Chapter 734: May Your Fortune Flow Like the Endless Eastern Sea (福如東海長流水) May Your Longevity Rival the Ageless Pine of the Southern Mountain (壽比南山不老松) (1)

----------------- 734/753 -----------------

While Zhaodao was waiting for the right moment to discover the secret passage, in Hanguan, Luoshi was asking Gao Shun for a small favor.

"Can you deliver this letter to General Yu?"

"Why go to the trouble of finding me when sending a messenger would be much simpler?"

"Are you upset that I asked you to do such a trivial task?"

"No, my lord. It's a request from someone you trust. What could I not do? However, if it's a private letter, I wonder if I should be the one to deliver it..."

Luoshi smiled slightly.

"I have a somewhat difficult request for General Yu, and it's something that others should not know about. Can you help me?"

"Of course, my lord. I'll go right away. I was feeling a bit lonely not seeing you for so long."

"Thank you."

Luoshi handed a neatly folded letter to Gao Shun, who received it respectfully and bowed.

* * *

Without opening the gates of Hanguan, Gao Shun leaped from the high city wall.

With a thud, he left footprints and then dashed off like an arrow.

At Yu Bu's camp.

He was leisurely passing the time, having driven Huang Bosong's forces into the mountains.

Yu Bu plucked a handful of dry grass and let it fly in the wind.

"Great! Xiaofu, let's have some food!"

As soon as Yu Bu noticed the wind blowing towards the mountains, he called Xiaofu to prepare a meal.

"Xiaofu, let's have some meat soup!"

"Why not call Hou Bing?"

"Hou Bing doesn't smell, does he?"

"Why do you care about smells?"

Yu Bu pointed to the mountains with his finger.

"The wind is blowing that way. I want to irritate Huang Bosong, who's hiding in the mountains. We'll be eating our fill of meat soup in plain sight, while they'll have to strip tree bark to eat."

Yu Bu intended to provoke the enemy with the smell of food. Xiaofu grumbled with a wry expression.

"My lord, you're quite cruel."

"What's wrong with being cruel to the enemy? Besides, we don't need to keep this up forever, do we?"

"You shouldn't play tricks with food."

"It's not a trick but a military strategy. This is my way of inciting discord in the enemy camp, where they're running out of food."

Yu Bu looked proud.

He thought it was a brilliant idea. Whether it would work or not was uncertain, but he was excited about it.

"Huh! Huh!"

He blew on the boiling pot, opening the lid and blowing on it.

Gao Shun watched Yu Bu's ridiculous actions silently upon arrival.

Yu Bu, sensing someone watching him from behind, stood up as if nothing was wrong and turned around.

"Oh! It's Gao Shun!"

"I, Gao Shun, greet my lord."

"Speak up if you're here."

"You looked so happy... I thought I shouldn't disturb your amusement as a subordinate..."

Gao Shun scratched his head, then reached into his robe and pulled out Luoshi's letter.

"Ah! My lord, this is a letter from General Luo."

"From General Luo to me?"

"Yes, my lord."

"But why didn't he send a messenger? If it's urgent, he could have sent a letter..."

"He said it was a personal request and felt it was inappropriate to use a messenger, so he asked me to deliver it."

Gao Shun respectfully handed over the letter. Yu Bu took it and unfolded it.

* * *

[General Yu, this old man has a troublesome request for you.

Though we are enemies now, pointing swords at each other, we were once inseparable allies.

This month, on the third day, it's Huang Bosong's birthday.

I don't want to let this old friend's last birthday pass so miserably. I hope you can take care of it.

There are many eyes in Hanguan, so I couldn't send wine and meat to the leader of the rebels. I hope you understand.]

Yu Bu realized that Luoshi's request was to take care of Huang Bosong's birthday.

Sending wine and meat to an enemy general wasn't an unusual request.

War has its own etiquette. Even enemies can exchange gifts.

However, such actions aren't always permissible.

Especially in Hanguan, where there were Duan Wei and the Xiliang soldiers. Duan Wei, though under Luoshi's command, was still Dong Zhuo's man.

If he sent wine and meat to the enemy general, it would only be a matter of time before the court found out.

Huang Bosong's choice to join the eastern campaign had branded him a traitor.

The Han court had declared the Guanxi forces as rebels and issued a proclamation to exterminate Huang Bosong and his family.

Thus, Huang Bosong and the Han dynasty were irreconcilable enemies. Celebrating Huang Bosong's birthday could have serious consequences.

Sharp stones get chipped, and those with high prestige often face envy and jealousy.

He had already been slandered and fallen out of favor with the emperor, so he had decided to step down to avoid unnecessary political strife.

'He's asking me to send wine and meat to celebrate Huang Bosong's birthday. It shouldn't be difficult.'

Yu Bu had intended to irritate Huang Bosong with the smell of food. But after reading Luoshi's letter, his mind changed.

He thought that sending a little wine and meat might actually make things worse for the enemy.

"Xiaofu, bring a few pieces of cooked meat and about three barrels of wine."

"My lord, are you planning to start drinking at noon? Even if we've won, that's a bit..."

"There are always naggers everywhere. This isn't for me, so don't complain and bring them."

"Understood, my lord. I'm already boiling the meat soup, so I'll bring it as soon as it's ready."

Yu Bu left the preparation of the wine and meat to Xiaofu. But something felt missing. Yu Bu hesitated to put his hand on Gao Shun's shoulder, as Gao Shun was taller.

Gao Shun, unaware of this, thought Yu Bu was about to give an order.

"My lord, do you have any orders for me?"

"Gao Shun, come with me for a moment."

Yu Bu led Gao Shun to his tent.

"Gao Shun, General Luo asked me to send wine and meat to Huang Bosong to celebrate his last birthday and to show some old friendship."

"If it can ease his mind, it's not a problem. In Hanguan, with General Duan Wei and the Xiliang soldiers, he couldn't do it. But here, with only my army, it should be fine. Shall I go as the envoy?"

Yu Bu waved his hand.

"Not exactly. I think just sending wine and meat isn't enough."

"What else do you want to send?"

"Shouldn't it be more formal? After all, this is a gift from me, Yu Bu... If Guo Xian were here, I could ask him, but there's no one to consult."

Here, he only had the Xiahuan soldiers from Weiyue and the Gaozhu soldiers led by the Mo Tai brothers. Who could he ask about etiquette?

But Gao Shun had heard more stories and might know something.

"I've heard that a congratulatory message is often sent."

"Congratulatory message?"

"Yes, in my hometown, there was an old man who lived to sixty. The governor sent a congratulatory message and a cane, and held a feast in the village."

Living to sixty in the Han dynasty was considered a great achievement. People often said life was fifty years, and most died around that age.

With an average lifespan of fifty, reaching sixty deserved celebration.

Usually, the county magistrate would come to present the congratulatory message and cane. At seventy, the governor or prefect would present a congratulatory message and jade tablet in the emperor's name. At eighty, a stele would be erected.

But Bingzhou was a poor region, so reaching sixty was rare, and the governor had to step in.

"So, we should send a congratulatory message? Do you know any appropriate phrases? I..."

Yu Bu was embarrassed to admit he hadn't read much beyond the Book of Changes.

But even Gao Shun couldn't write a proper congratulatory message. He could read and write, but he wasn't as well-versed in classics as scholars.

"I do know one congratulatory message..."

"Great. Tell me what it is."

"There was an old man in my hometown who received a congratulatory message. It was hung on the door of the wealthiest house in the village, and I remember it clearly."

"Then we can use that. What's the problem?"

Gao Shun tilted his head.

"The officials in Bingzhou aren't known for their scholarly achievements. I'm worried that using a common phrase might tarnish your reputation."

"Right now, we don't have a choice."

"I'll write it down."

Gao Shun took a brush and wrote on a bamboo slip.

May Your Fortune Flow Like the Endless Eastern Sea (福如東海長流水) May Your Longevity Rival the Ageless Pine of the Southern Mountain (壽比南山不老松).

"May your fortune flow like the endless eastern sea, and your longevity rival the ageless pine of the southern mountain?"

"It means may you have