Chapter 2122： Dimming the Light with Food

If you weaken your prestige, most people won't say it, let alone a bureaucrat like a clerk who represents the face of the entire European government.

Of course, he patted his chest to guarantee that this was just a trivial matter. Even if they say that Europe is no longer in this region of the Middle East, relying on the outstanding reputation left by the past, it is enough for him to arrange the matter smoothly.

This is nonsense with eyes open, Nick Fury knows it. If you want to be famous, don't look at Europe on the Middle East side, it can't even compare to the United States far away across the ocean. Although the reputation of the United States is mostly negative, it is the kind that makes Middle Eastern people hate their teeth. But anyway, it's better than obscure fringe figures.

Of course, Nick Fury would not say that. Now that the clerk had patted his chest to guarantee it, he was naturally happy to see it happen.

It can also be said that this officer has the ability, but it is a new way to make troubles when the channel is completely cut off. That was less than a day's work, and with the help of a group of people who could not see the light, he forwarded the request for the meeting to Alexander.

When Alexander received the invitation, he was in the old mansion with a shabu-shabu. As a famous early wisdom monarch in history, he maintained the keen learning ability that he had when he was young and the broad mind that a wise monarch should have.

Therefore, with regard to shabu-shabu, a dining method he has never seen before, and the use of chopsticks that is absolutely complicated for him, he achieved acceptance and tolerance, and quickly developed both For your own hobby.

This is right. In fact, there is no reason for anyone who lived in the ancient Greek era to return to today and come into contact with the art of cooking in the country of big eaters.

In ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago, there were only two ways of daily cooking, roasting and stewing, which was still based on the premise that they had stepped out the technique of pottery. In the contemporary era, only ancient China and Egypt had the same technology. Under the premise of the development of productivity and craftsmanship at the time, everyone was actually different, there was nothing to compare.

At the very least, it means that the Chinese side is a bit special. On the premise that everyone used a knife and a spoon at the beginning, the use of a pair of chopsticks was extended. But there is still no difference in the way the food itself is cooked.

This is a pity, even though Alexander went from the West to the East, to India, and was only a mountain away from China during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. At that time, it was impossible for him to come into contact with any more special cooking methods.

Roasted meat and stewed broth are probably all he has in his life. Vegetables can only be eaten raw, as are fruits. So even if he was a king, he would never have imagined how much change the cuisine could bring.

Old is an eye-opener for him. As a Chinese living in the Middle East, a man who can be regarded as an old man in China, his research on eating is definitely out of reach for ordinary people. Even those who are born with power and wealth are not necessarily comparable to him.

There is a copper pot on the rack, underneath is the burning red charcoal fire, and it is boiled clear soup.

Different from the traditional Donglaishun's method of clear-water shabu-shabu, the old-fashioned method is to use the fish bones of the Nile sea bass, beef thigh bones, and tilapia to boil hard. Then use the cut, thin, fine meat foam to absorb impurities repeatedly.

While stewing the meat, the soup becomes clear. Finally, we add scallions, white peony, grass fruit, gastrodia elata, Chinese wolfberry and **** flakes and roll them on red charcoal, which directly tastes fresh into the bone marrow. Add the freshly cut lamb meat to the soup, dip it into the mouth with a sauce of sesame and olive oil. The taste made Alexander, the living king, unable to bear the feeling of oldness.

"After eating so many modern foods, after all, it is most amazing how old you are in your country. This intoxicating taste, even if it was in my time as a salute to God Are more than enough. The golden country of the East is indeed full of magic. "

It is no wonder that the Alexander Congress had such feelings. His greatest ambition in his lifetime conquered the end of the world, referring to Eastern China, which was already famous in Greece.

China, which was already in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, already had silk production, and this kind of fabric only produced in the East was only spread to the West through a small amount of tourist business before the Silk Road had risen. But even so, the West is astonished at this extremely fine fabric.

The Old Testament of the fifth century BC called it the most beautiful fabric. And the statue of Athena in the ancient Greek city of Athens was also covered with silk to represent the infinite admiration of mortals for her.

Westerners may never have thought that there would be such exquisite things in the world, and in their beautiful reveries, the East has also become a world of countless treasures, all over the world. With this vision, Alexander also launched his own expedition to the East.

He never really set foot on the East he dreamed of. This is probably the biggest regret in his life without regrets.

If others say this, old people will just listen. But Alexander was different. He was a true temper. So the first time I heard this, Yu was also shaking his face, and started haha.

"It's not as great as you think. This matter, to put it plainly, is actually the inevitable demand for the development of social productive forces."

After putting a plate of lamb and a plate of beef with marble patterns, the old man picked up a piece of cabbage into the soup pot and opened the conversation box.

"There are only a few ancient civilizations of your time. Egypt, Persia, Greek city-states, Indian countries, and my hometown of China. The reason why these different civilizations can rise from their own region And it is a temporary trend. A large part of the reason is that there are people and there are enough production methods to ensure that these people survive. "

"Cultivation is definitely the safest way in that era. At the very least, going back in time from the current point of view, there is no mature civilization that can develop itself without developing farming technology."

"It can be constrained by the times and it is also the development of farming technology. Even if it is the first country to adopt farming development methods, such as several ancient civilizations, it is impossible to say that hard work can meet the needs of all people. Farming is restricted, barren land cannot even support people, and fertile land is often fat in the eyes of many people. For this reason, war will always inevitably erupt. This is also the most primitive slogan of war. To survive. "

"Water and soil?" I thought about most of the wars I saw in my life. Although most of them have one reason or another, in the final analysis, the purpose is actually to occupy more fertile land and rivers.

Of course, there are other purposes. For example, kill the other man and steal the other woman. In the final analysis, this is just a way to grow your civilized population in disguise, it is just a different way of doing the same thing.

Alexander agrees with these old claims, but he doesn't understand how this has anything to do with social productivity. Therefore, in a spirit of shameless questioning, he also put down his chopsticks and said solemnly.

"I still don't quite understand. Is this necessarily related to what you said?"

"How do you say?" Looking at Alexander's pie, the old man could only put down his chopsticks, and the children were upright.

"War can lead to two situations. One is a long-term confrontation. Under the premise that the opponent cannot be eliminated at all, several identical forces will form a more embarrassing situation. That is because of their own needs and long-term killings. For reasons such as hatred, it is impossible to stop the war unilaterally. Even if it is impossible to conduct an absolute big conflict, there will sometimes be small frictions. And this will be the country ’s production resources, that is, food. A serious challenge. You should also understand that such a war, what kind of challenge would a group of soldiers who do not produce and consume huge amounts of food for the country's economy. "

Alexander nodded, and of course he knew everything. In this regard, the Greek city-states are one of the most vivid examples.

Not to mention the small city-states, but to say that Athens and Sparta are rivals. They had suffered a lot in the long confrontation.

Because of the war, Athens was increasingly in conflict with the states that depended on it. And Sparta has buried the hidden dangers of the Herald Uprising for this. It was not unreasonable that the two Greek regions were bright for a while, but replaced by rising stars Macedonia and Rome. Nowadays, a large part of the reason is that this stalemate consumes each other's national strength and complicates the pattern of the Greek region. In the end, it made them powerless to stop the rise of these rising stars.

That's how Alexander made his fortune. So he sees better than anyone else. And because of this thoroughness, he became more curious about another situation that was older than his mouth.

"So, what's the other situation?"

"It's unification, my Majesty. Take my motherland as an example. In your era, the seven great powers have their strengths and dominate each other. There is a contradiction between the land and a blood feud between generations. In a way, it is possible to repeat the mistakes of Greece. However, under the leadership of a wise king who is as good as yours, all this is over. "

"One kingdom, invincible, destroyed the other six opponents, and included all the land and people under its own control. Just like you do ..."

"The vast land has provided enough space for the people to grow. The lack of farming technology can be replaced by more land. The times are advancing, and the yield per mu of grain is also increasing. This has met more population needs in disguise. . While stimulating population growth, more people are being invested in this kind of production. "

"The most important thing is that stable government and rule do not require the people to change frequently between two identities, namely soldiers and peasants, nor do they need to fill their hard-earned gains in war. This appetite is almost In the mouth of the beast without a bottom. Farming can develop for a long time and steadily, and this also makes the food in the society begin to become extremely rich. "

"When everyone's food and clothing are met in this way, then naturally people start to pursue other things. Unlike now, rich entertainment will take away too much energy from people. In that era, the best entertainment The way is always reflected in these aspects of clothing, food and shelter. "

"When eating is not just eating, but studying it as a skill, a pleasant way to experience it. So naturally, this cooking skill that can satisfy the appetite of human beings to the greatest extent will be born. So To put it bluntly, this is not because of the magical place in the East. It is because we have the longest reunification journey in the world and the longest years of peace and beauty. "

"The truth seems to be such a truth, yes."

Listening to Yu Yu's long essay, Alexander listened to the sentiments as seriously as a student, but he inevitably sighed and sent his own emotions.

"However, I still feel the magic of that land. Don't be perfunctory, older, and don't forget, I am also a king. I know very well what it is like for a king to conquer with war, more clearly, the king What kind of thing is to use your wrist to rule your own territory. It is not easier or even more difficult than the former. Want to make the majority of the people who occupy the empire enjoy happiness and get enough food to fill their stomachs, It ’s not something an ordinary king can do in warm clothes. Even myself, I did n’t have the confidence at the time ... ”

Thinking back then, he couldn't help it. The great empire fell apart after his death, and it fell apart. You have to say that he didn't have a little bit of foresight before, and that's too much to underestimate the wisdom of this king.

"I'm good at war, no one can deny this. But governance ... I'm afraid the best scholars around me can't give me an ideal answer. No one in ancient Greece, Egypt or even Persia has ever had this. Such a great cause. Under my command, those proud and powerful men, they are willing to follow me faithfully. I can use war to conquer everything in front of me, and the benefits of war are enough to fill the greed in each of them. However, the question is, when the war cannot continue and there is no more land to conquer in the world, where should I go to satisfy their appetite and ambition? "

"This was one of the problems that bothered me the most. I could not even eat because of him. But fortunately, I don't need to worry about this problem, because fate has never given me a chance to witness that day ... Are you lucky? Older. Or do I miss an opportunity to make myself greater? "

This kind of question is not easy to answer. After all, they can't let time back. But think about it, a huge empire spanning Europe, Asia, Africa and the three continents will last long. Maybe it is indeed a glow in human civilization.

This is the true light of Western civilization. It is a pity that it did go out more than two thousand years ago ...