Chapter 21 A Wrathful Killing of the Inspector

Fortunately, every time Liu Liang's advice turned out to be a stroke of genius, the Mandate of Heaven would reward him handsomely.

This time is no exception.

[Reward for Suggestions: Sealed and Preservative Military Rations in Earthenware Jars (A Simple Prototype of Canned Food)]

[The practical dilemma: The military rations during the Three Kingdoms period were mostly millet and wheat cakes, which had a short shelf life (only ten days in summer) and were prone to mold and spoilage during long-distance transportation.]

[Implementation method: Mix cooked millet and dried meat, pack them into a ceramic jar, seal the jar with beeswax and linen (to isolate air and bacteria), and store it in a dry cellar.]

[Military Value: Extending the shelf life of military rations to over three months allows for the support of large-scale military expeditions (e.g., eliminating the need for retreat due to food shortages during Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions). It also solves the problem of resupplying naval forces during voyages.]

This time, Liu Liang did not choose to shelve the technology, but immediately promoted it in the army.

As for whether this technology will be leaked and learned by forces other than Cao Cao...

Liu Liang couldn't worry about that for the time being.

How can you care about so much when you can't even get enough to eat?

Let's solve the immediate problems of survival and growth first.

The task of "assisting Cao Cao" is becoming increasingly uncertain. It would be better to first ensure that the ship we are on does not sink due to basic supply problems.

Liu Liang summoned the military officers in charge of logistics and several veteran soldiers who had worked as potters and knew some craftsmanship, and explained the process in detail: Select a thick, crack-free, small-mouthed earthenware jar; mix millet or wheat with a small amount of salt, dried vegetables, and even chopped dried meat (if available), cook until done, and while still hot, pack it into the jar, pressing it down firmly. Seal the mouth of the jar tightly with linen soaked in beeswax, and then seal the gaps in the jar opening with a mixture of mud and wood ash. The finished earthenware jars were stored in a cool, dry cellar or warehouse.

"Military rations processed in this way should be safe for storage for more than three months, as long as the cans are not broken. They are also convenient to carry; they can be eaten immediately after opening the can or heated up," Liu Liang demonstrated.

The logistics officers were skeptical, but they still followed the order and tried it out.

The first batch consisted of several hundred cans, each labeled with a date for storage.

About a month later, Liu Liang had someone bring out one of the earliest sealed jars and opened it in front of everyone.

The mud seal on the jar mouth peeled off, the wax cloth was removed, and a fragrant aroma of cooked food wafted out. Although the mixture of corn and dried meat inside had cooled down, its color and smell were normal, with no signs of mold or spoilage.

After it was heated up, it was distributed to several soldiers to taste. They all said that the taste was acceptable and not much different from freshly made food.

Jian Yong, in charge of logistics and provisions, was overjoyed upon hearing the news. He grasped Liu Liang's hand and shook it repeatedly: "Sir, your skill is truly divinely inspired, resolving our army's life-or-death crisis! In the future, our army will no longer be overly constrained by fragile supply lines and short resupply periods when we fight in all directions. The army's mobility and endurance will be greatly enhanced. With this method, I can finally rest easy!"

Liu Liang thought to himself: What divinely bestowed technique? It's nothing more than the most basic food preservation principles of later generations.

But here, it is the key to saving lives and winning battles.

This technology can at least ensure that, whether we continue to "snowball" with Liu Bei in the future or need to flee one day, the problem of food supplies can be alleviated to some extent.

Liu Liang said in a low voice, "This matter should not be publicized. Let it remain a secret military practice for now, known only to you and me. There's no need to trouble Xuande with such trivial matters."

Jian Yong originally intended to report this astonishing news to his lord immediately, but upon hearing Liu Liang's instructions, he had no choice but to suppress his excitement.

Although he didn't understand why this "godfather" wanted to keep it a secret, he had already witnessed the man's methods.

If you can't figure something out, don't delve into it; just do it.

......

Liu Bei had been serving as the magistrate of Anxi County for more than half a year.

He valued people's livelihood and, with the assistance of Liu Liang and Jian Yong, quickly stabilized the county government, which had been devastated by war.

After suppressing bandits within the county and recruiting displaced people to cultivate the land, the county gradually returned to peace.

Thanks to his repeated victories against small groups of Yellow Turban raids and the relatively stable environment, more and more people joined his army, and Liu Bei's forces gradually increased to five thousand, with his food reserves also becoming more abundant.

By this time, the county granary had accumulated over 40,000 shi of millet, nearly 10,000 shi of beans and other grains, and over 100,000 bundles of dried hay, enough to feed the 5,000 soldiers under his command for half a year. Moreover, with the autumn harvest in sight, there would be more supplies to come.

However, the good times did not last long.

On this day, the inspector sent by the prefecture and county arrived in Anxi.

This person is greedy by nature; his routine inspections are a pretense, his real purpose is to solicit bribes.

In the county government office, he was arrogant and overtly hinted to Liu Bei that he needed to "show respect" in order to keep his position as county magistrate secure, and that he could even claim credit for him.

Liu Bei was kind-hearted, but not foolish, and he was unwilling to exploit the people to fill the pockets of corrupt officials.

He suppressed his anger, tried to reason with them politely, and dealt with them in a purely businesslike manner, showing no lack of courtesy, but refusing to give them a single penny.

The inspector was furious at Liu Bei's "lack of tact".

During his inspection of the county, he nitpicked and deliberately provoked Liu Bei. In the end, he even publicly accused Liu Bei of "using the pretext of suppressing bandits to allow his troops to harm the people and seize their land." His words were vicious, and he wanted to bring Liu Bei back to the prefecture to be punished.

Zhang Fei, who was listening nearby, was furious. He already despised such corrupt officials, and seeing that they dared to frame his elder brother, he could not stand it any longer.

Before Liu Bei could react, Zhang Fei roared, "You corrupt official, you're asking for death!"

He rushed forward, grabbed the inspector from the group of followers, slapped him to the ground, and then beat him until the inspector cried out in pain, his face bruised and swollen.

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

The inspector's attendants wanted to help, but Guan Yu glared at them coldly, and seeing Liu Bei's soldiers watching them menacingly, they dared not move.

When Liu Bei and Jian Yong rushed over upon hearing the news, Zhang Fei had already trampled the half-dead inspector under his feet and was still cursing loudly.

"Third brother! Stop!" Liu Bei said urgently, knowing that assaulting an official of the imperial court was a serious crime.

Liu Liang arrived even faster than them.

He glanced at the dying inspector on the ground, his eyes filled with resentment, and then at the panicked county officials and his entourage around him, his mind racing.

The fight has already happened, the feud is irreconcilable.

If he is allowed to return, he will surely embellish the story and twist the truth. When the state and county troops come to punish him, Liu Bei will be unable to defend himself.

Since we're going to fall out anyway...

"Yide, execute this corrupt official who has brought disaster to the country and its people on the spot!" Liu Liang's voice was not loud, but it carried a resolute killing intent.

Zhang Fei was taken aback for a moment, then reacted and shouted, "Good!"

Zhang Fei raised his knife and brought it down; the inspector didn't even have time to utter another scream before his head was severed from his body.

"Father! This..." Liu Bei rushed forward and, upon seeing the scene, turned deathly pale. "Killing the inspector...this is tantamount to rebellion!"

Jian Yong stamped his feet repeatedly, saying, "Sir, this is going too far! We've caused a huge disaster!"

Liu Liang remained calm and said to the two men, "The inspector has been beaten, and the enmity is established. If we let him go back, he will only fabricate even bigger charges and mobilize troops from the prefecture and county. At that time, we will also be accused of 'rebellion.' We now have five thousand elite troops, ample provisions, and our Anxi County is beginning to take shape. Are we going to abandon this hard-won foundation and go into exile again just because of the coercion of a corrupt official?"

Liu Liang's gaze swept over Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and he said in a deep voice, "A true man acts decisively! Rather than sitting and waiting to be wiped out, it's better to establish ourselves! We'll meet force with force, and water with earth! If the laws of this court can only protect such parasites and falsely accuse loyal officials, then we might as well disobey them!"

Liu Bei was deeply moved by Liu Liang's words.

He recalled the hardships he had endured, the difficulty of finally finding a foothold, and the despicable face of the inspector and the corruption of the court. A surge of frustration and pride rose within him.

After a moment of silence, he nodded emphatically: "Father is right! I was being too old-fashioned! Now that things have come to this, we can only strive forward!"

Liu Bei immediately ordered the arrest of the inspector's entourage, took full control of the defense of Anxi County, and began to prepare for war.