Zhuge Liang's handling of official affairs had always been diligent and meticulous, provided that no one interfered with him.
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, Zhang Fei, his face flushed red from drink, accidentally smashed a jar. At that moment, Zhuge Liang finally reached the end of his patience.
"Third General, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"Heh!" Zhang Fei let out a drunken burp, looking exceedingly pleased. "Zilong told me, when you and elder brother were in the side hall watching that auspicious sign, you already performed a ritual offering!"
"So I figured I'd do one too. Invite those juniors in the light screen… hic… to share a drink with me!"
Zhuge Liang set aside his work and watched Zhang Fei bustling about, at a loss for words.
By the time Zhang Fei was about to order soldiers to carry in half a pig, Zhuge Liang finally stepped in to stop him. If this continued, he seriously doubted whether the side hall would survive the day.
"Third General, have all of this cleared away. I will preside."
Without ceremony, Zhuge Liang took over, ordering the soldiers to carry that unsightly half pig back out. The mess of ritual implements scattered everywhere, incense burners, yellow talismans, dog's blood, all of it was cleared away as well.
Anyone unaware of the situation would likely think the county office of Gong'an was haunted.
The Third General was admirable in every way, save for his fondness for drink, which truly defied evaluation.
While silently remarking to himself, Zhuge Liang arranged the three small jars Zhang Fei had brought, placing them neatly beneath the spot where the light screen had appeared.
"Second Brother, you're here too! The Military Advisor is performing the ritual to the light screen for me. Do you want to join?"
Hearing Zhang Fei's voice behind him, Zhuge Liang turned and indeed saw Guan Yu standing at the doorway, peering in with curiosity.
His iconic long beard was wrapped in cloth for protection, and he wore a short training outfit, steam still rising faintly from his body, clearly having just finished practicing at the training grounds.
"If that is the case…" A thoughtful look crossed Guan Yu's ruddy face. "Military Advisor, wait for me."
In but a short while, Guan Yu returned, holding a bamboo scroll with great care.
"Judging by the words on the light screen, this junior has a rather unconventional style. This is a copy of the Spring and Autumn Annals that I obtained while taking Nan Commandery. I present it as a token of thanks, and also hope the junior will read more and cultivate himself."
Zhuge Liang understood and accepted it. A piece of silk cloth was spread on the ground in the center of the hall, upon which the three small jars and the bamboo scroll were placed together.
Facing the center of the hall, Zhuge Liang bowed and spoke:
"We request that the auspicious sign manifest. These are offerings from General Guan Yu and General Zhang Fei to the light screen."
A flash of light passed through the dim hall, and the items on the ground vanished without a trace.
A realization stirred faintly within Zhuge Liang's heart. It seemed this light screen, as his lord had said, did not adhere to rigid forms, sincerity alone was sufficient.
Guan Yu bowed solemnly in thanks, then promptly dragged away Zhang Fei, who was still insisting on drinking. Of his sworn brother's habits, he was all too familiar.
…
This time, the delivery was quite large. Wen Mang had to spend quite some effort persuading the courier over the phone before it was finally brought to his door.
Unexpected, yet somehow expected, the gifts themselves were simple.
A bamboo scroll that looked distinctly ancient, accompanied by a slip of paper reading:
"From Guan Yunchang, General of the Han and Marquis of Hanshou."
Three finely crafted small jars, likewise accompanied by a slip:
"From Zhang Yide, General of the Han."
The handwriting on both slips was elegant and refined, clearly from the same person.
"Well now!" Wen Mang laughed. "These fans sure have style when it comes to urging updates."
After arranging the items, Wen Mang snapped a series of photos and uploaded them, adding a simple caption:
"New video in progress!"
After a moment's thought, he also posted the photos along with the jade pendant from last time to his social feed.
After all, becoming a full-time content creator was no small step. It deserved celebration.
Perhaps while working on the video tonight, he could order some crayfish and indulge a little.
…
Back at the county office of Gong'an, Zhuge Liang, having just finished his bowl of noodle soup, rubbed his stomach and looked up at the light screen unfolding above.
As expected, it showed the items he had sent on behalf of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
Unexpectedly, there was also an image that appeared to depict food.
It was something Zhuge Liang had never seen before. It resembled shrimp, yet was several times larger. They were placed in a large bowl, coated in a vivid red sauce and accompanied by vegetables. Strangely enough… it looked quite appetizing.
Especially in the chill of winter, Zhuge Liang could feel his appetite stirring again, despite having just eaten.
Perhaps he should read the comments.
[Server Chat Log]
[Riverstone: "This is hilarious. That fan is actually pretty accurate. Around the time of Red Cliffs, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei did hold those exact titles."
NerdyGate: "They really put in effort. Bamboo slips are not easy to come by these days. By the way, did the uploader open those jars? What's inside?"
BadPingWifi: "Honestly, no matter what's inside, it can't beat a pot of crayfish. People online always talk about "going back to ancient times," but what's so great about it? No chili peppers, no crayfish."
GlassSword: "It's not that bad. The crayfish we eat today is the red swamp crayfish, an American species introduced via Japan. But there are actually three native types in China too, though they're mostly found in the northeast."
Marchifpaid: "So in theory, during the Three Kingdoms, garlic crayfish could exist. But realistically, only Cao Cao could feast on it freely. Liu Bei probably wouldn't get the chance, and if Sun Shinwan wanted some, he'd have to send his navy to steal it."
AntUnderroad: "Speaking of which, Sun Shinwan's navy is basically a bunch of advanced landlubbers. If there had been a proper navy, they could have used Taiwan as a springboard, whether heading north to Japan or south to Indonesia."
DolphinSummer: "Ancient shipbuilding was too focused on tower ships. Those things are useless for ocean travel. Naval forces existed as early as the Spring and Autumn period, but it took over a thousand years until the Ming dynasty for Zheng He's voyages."
But six hundred years after Zheng He, we now have aircraft carriers. Moving territory. Humanity's peak military power.]
"Go and summon General Guan and General Zhao," Zhuge Liang ordered as he stepped outside.
He understood that one mind could be limited. With more people analyzing these words, entirely new insights might emerge.
In mere moments, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun arrived. Seeing Zhuge Liang standing at the door with the windows shut, they already guessed the situation.
The moment Zhao Yun stepped inside and looked up, he saw the striking image of the crayfish, though it was only a picture.
"Is that not lagu?" Zhao Yun blurted out.
"General Zhao recognizes this?"
"In my youth, when I followed General Gongsun Zan in Liaodong, I saw this creature. The locals called it lagu, though it was smaller than this." Zhao Yun gestured with his hands. "They usually roasted it simply. It had a muddy taste and little meat. Children would catch them to satisfy their cravings."
Zhuge Liang smiled. "Then once we defeat Cao Cao, we must go to Liaodong and see what flavor it yields when cooked with garlic."
Guan Yu added, "It seems that each time this junior receives something, a response follows swiftly. In the future, we should present offerings together and wait for a time, lest we miss important information."
Zhuge Liang nodded. "General Guan speaks wisely."
For instance, Liu Bei was not present at the moment. The servants reported that the Governor of Jingzhou had taken A Dou out to visit General Huang.
It was said that before leaving, his expression was most fearsome, and he had even struck A Dou, something rarely seen, much to the servants' distress.