Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

When he arrived around the dock, Shangluo had already seen the chef himself.

It was standing alone with a loaf of lye bread, just as it had been when they had first seen it.

Chapter 1325 Chef's Bread

Meeting the chef again, Shangluo didn't know what to say. It felt like a long time had passed, because things had changed. The chef was a humble toaster at the beginning, but now he is the ruler of the Columbian Automaton Kingdom, who can compete with the Roman Empire.

His power as a ruler was already so strong that it could not be strengthened. He did not seem to need to compromise with anyone, nor did he need to be responsible to anyone. The only rule he followed was to make bread for all mankind under Shangluo's orders.

This motive is simple yet strong, enough to mobilize this huge mechanical empire to accomplish this goal by any means necessary, and it is focused and unique.

The source of all this is the skinny servant automaton holding a tray in front of Shangluo.

Like all other servant automata, the Chef's body is driven by a series of loose wheel springs, mainsprings, and crankshafts. The Vulcan core that drives this body can only provide weak power. Even the strength of a child can make this body lose balance. Even a dog can bite a dent in the fragile iron.

The power of a single automaton is weak, but once they are united by the same goal, they can use their wisdom and sophisticated craftsmanship to accomplish many impossible things, just like ants can build ant castles and bees can build beehives.

Although the Columbian Automata have not yet attempted to make any perceptible changes to the Earth's topography, Shangluo feels that judging by their style of doing things, they will probably do so soon.

"Greetings, your majesty." The chef bowed to Shangluo and handed him the freshly baked lye bread.

"Thank you." Shangluo picked up the bread and took a bite. It was still the same recipe and the same familiar taste. But the taste was more refined and harmonious, and it tasted better than before.

“Are you still working on bread now?”

"Of course, my Lord. The only purpose of our existence is to bake bread for you. We are your toaster, providing bread services for your empire. You just need to find someone else to perform the circus. But I am confident that we can replace the circus in the near future, because bread itself is the most exciting performance. We not only pursue production, but also strive for excellence in craftsmanship to make the most perfect bread."

[Isn't it still bread?] Apollonia muttered, [You can't become a bread immortal by making bread and then ascend to heaven in broad daylight.]

"Well." Shangluo thought for a moment, "So you are interested in steamed buns?"

"I am very interested because I also want to provide bread to your compatriots. Because according to previous feedback, you don't seem to like the Roman cooking method very much."

In fact, Shangluo had previously conducted some experiments on bread on a small scale. He mainly supplied bread for a fee, and the suppliers were mainly canteens. He also had quite a few of them in his school.

But as the chef said, the sales of these breads are not ideal. After all, the people of the Ming Dynasty have a limit to their acceptance of bread. The chef has tried very hard to make small buns at the level of snacks, but they still don't suit the taste here.

"It's not that I don't like it. It's just that this kind of snack bread can't be eaten for long."

“So I really want to know what makes steamed buns so soft.”

"There's no rush. I'll take you to my house later and you can try it then."

Shangluo has asked someone to prepare steamed buns - which happens to be today's dinner.

When we arrived at the door by car, the aroma of steamed buns was already wafting out.

"This is..." The chef sniffed. As a cooking robot, he did have a nose.

His well-developed olfactory receptors picked up the smell in the air, which is what Shangluo calls the steamed bun smell.

“The aroma of moisture, yeast, and wheat is different from bread.”

"Of course, the taste is very different." Shangluo opened the door, "Please come in."

"Then I'm overstepping my bounds." The chef was more polite than he'd imagined. After all, the master-servant relationship between them had already been established, and even if Shangluo was polite, he wouldn't use that as a pretext to overstep his bounds.

When he stepped into the door, the first person he saw was a familiar yet unfamiliar person.

"Shangluo, you're back? This steamed bun is so delicious!"

Victoria grabbed the steamed bun and gobbled it up, while Phaethon could only watch helplessly.

[Is it really that delicious?] Apollonia asked in surprise, [It’s not like I haven’t eaten steamed buns before.]

"Ask her herself." Phaethon opened another bag of steamed buns. "This girl's diet is actually very narrow, so as long as she has never eaten it, she will think it is delicious no matter what it is. Let me explain, she is a special case, because Ms. Agatha is extremely strict about the diet."

"Indeed." Lady Agatha, who was standing nearby, said, "I raised Victoria in the Spartan way. I usually provide her with a Spartan diet: efficient, delicious, a balance between luxury and simplicity, and safety. Safety is the most important thing. The wheat that Her Majesty Victoria eats has been carefully screened by magic."

"Then why does she like eating steamed buns so much?"

"I don't know about that." Ms. Agatha was also a little confused, "But as long as she doesn't overdo it, I don't mind her indulging herself occasionally."

"Is eating steamed buns considered indulgence?" He sat next to Victoria. "Is this steamed bun delicious?"

“Delicious! Very delicious!”

"Where's the delicious food?"

"Soft and fluffy! Extra soft, just like angel bread!"

"Huh?" Shangluo was stunned for a moment, "Are these two really the same? I think bread tastes better because it has a baked aroma."

"Excuse me, can I have a taste now?" The chef also came over.

Phaethon and Lady Agatha both glanced at the newcomer - Shangluo had already informed them that the [Master] of Columbia Automata was coming. He was not familiar with anyone other than Shangluo.

But since Shangluo invited him, others had no objections.

Although Victoria was eating voraciously, she actually only ate two steamed buns, because the buns were almost as big as her face.

After obtaining the consent of Shangluo and Victoria, the chef also took a piece of steamed bun. He put the bread into his mouth and chewed it carefully.

“I see.” He stuffed the entire bun into his mouth, making sure no waste was produced.

He said to Shangluo, "I know why Her Majesty Victoria loves to eat these steamed buns so much."

"why?"

"This steamed bun has the flavor of ancient elves."

"What do you mean?"

"This steamed bun was made with the yeast from the last fermentation, and the yeast from the last fermentation was the yeast from the last fermentation. The yeast in this steamed bun has gone through countless stories, so it tastes good."

Chapter 1326 People under the Rule of Automata

[In layman's terms: This is a steamed bun made with old dough. ]

"So that's how it is?" Shangluo also ate one - unfortunately, he couldn't tell the difference, because the perception of "heavy stories" was not within his taste. What really tasted good to him was auspicious food like sacrificial meat, not food with stories.

But from the perspective of ordinary steamed buns, this steamed bun is really good.

[Ah] Apollonia suddenly thought, [I know why she loved eating that pork elbow so much last time. Because the pork elbow was probably cooked with old sauce. She likes to eat this kind of taste that has been settled after years.]

This answer also surprised Ms. Agatha: "So that's why Victoria loves to eat ham and other foods. It's really a dereliction of duty. As her protector, I didn't even notice this. Thank you very much."

"You don't have to thank me." The chef bowed and said, "This is just my basic duty as a baking assistant. I think bread is indispensable in your life. And we are professionals in making bread."

"Hmm?" Victoria looked up. "You're the tin-headed guy who said he would make bread for us, right?"

"Yes, my majesty, I am the creation of your empire. You can call me chef. Now, in the past, and in the future, I will serve mankind wholeheartedly and prepare the best bread for mankind."

"I think you're quite interesting. I didn't even know that I like eating this steamed bun because of this."

"This is just a small improvement after our sublimation. If you need, we can provide more thoughtful services."

"Sit down." Before he came, Victoria wanted to scold this Roman traitor in front of Shangluo. But after they met, she couldn't open her mouth. Because she couldn't scold the cook.

"As you wish, my majesty." He stood beside Shangluo, "But please also ask His Majesty the King of Rome to sit down."

Shangluo understood that sitting was just a conversation etiquette for him, and he didn't need to sit at all. Although there were some barriers between the human and the machine, with the active cooperation of the chef, the conversation was still going smoothly.

"By the way, can you make bread like this?" Victoria asked.

"Oh, my great king, of course. But as you can see, these breads need to be fermented with ancient yeast to taste like this. According to my taste, the yeast in this bread is at least 22 years old."

"Yeah." Phaethon nodded. "It is indeed a time-honored old-fashioned steamed bun. I bought it on the next street. But they say it is a century-old shop."

Shangluo thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it was interrupted at some point. But yeast is not braising soup. We can't have Shuhan old noodles."

"Shu Han Old Noodles???" Victoria's eyes began to light up, "How delicious would that be! Is there any? Where can I find Shu Han Old Noodles?"

"No! Where can I find it? At Zhuge Liang's house?"

"Ah, I wonder how delicious yeast elves that are so old must be. Oh, why haven't I eaten one like this before? Don't the Romans know how to make them this way?"

"Your Majesty," the chef said solemnly, "perhaps it's because within your foraging range, you tend to use yeast powder for fermentation, or only use yeast two or three times. After all, preserving old dough is quite complicated. As far as I know, Tuscan unsalted bread and traditional Italian sweet bread are both fermented in this way. This is not uncommon. In fact..."

He paused. "Before the invention of modern yeast, almost all pastries required yeast to be passed down this way, otherwise they would have to rely on the natural yeast in the air for fermentation. However, if your capital was Rome rather than Constantinople, your chances of eating this kind of bread would be greater."

"Ah~~ What kind of world have I missed? What's your name?"

"Chef, my Lord."

"I will award you a knighthood. Let's call you the Onion Knight!"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but please forgive me for rejecting your kindness. I am no longer your subject. You are a foreign monarch to me."

"Tsk." This sentence brought Victoria back to her senses. "Well, I heard that you and your people are doing a great job?"

"Yes. Thanks to the blessing of the Creator and the grace of His Majesty the King of Rome, Columbia has been doing well recently. We have been serving the greater justice and the greater good."

"By the way, how are the humans who stayed in Columbia doing recently? I remember that in addition to New Antioch, there are actually quite a few cities in Columbia. Are those people okay?"

This was Victoria's biggest concern, because in the process of the fall of the New World, not only was New Antioch destroyed, but other cities under the viceroyalty were also incorporated into the rapidly expanding Columbia.

Rome was never able to reestablish contact with those cities, and it is unclear whether the people there were alive or dead.

"Your worries are unnecessary, my majesty." The chef replied, "We want to feed the world with bread, so of course we have to serve the human beings in front of us first. Those human beings are also the people of the King of Rome. After the King of Rome appointed me as the Lord, I have already started to provide free bread to those people. Not only is it free, but it is also available 24 hours a day without limit."

"Hmm?" This was somewhat beyond Victoria's expectations. "If that's the case, why didn't they contact the Empire?"

"It may be because I occupied the local communication network to expand the cluster intelligence. But please rest assured, they are all still alive. Some of them don't like to eat bread, so I dealt with them all in time."

"What do you mean?"

"Those who don't like bread can eat flatbread, my majesty. I am always passionate about humans, and I will always serve anyone. In fact, even at this moment, there are many humans who are destroying my facilities. Not only do they refuse bread, they also don't allow others to eat bread. For this, I can only persuade them."

"Have you ever used force?" Victoria asked again.

"Absolutely not, my Lord. I have never used any form of force against humans, not even once. Even if my terminal sub-individuals are destroyed again and again, I will definitely not attack humans. This is the underlying rule that was input when I was created. Automata must serve humans, nothing more."

[Wait. I think I just found something similar. Shangluo, do you know that when the Yellow Turbans started the uprising, they did not hold weapons at first, and did not resist the attacks of the officers and soldiers. It is not only with weapons in hand that they can rule. As long as they control the hearts of the people, the more they kill, the more stable their rule will be, because Zhang Jue just wanted to petition by relying on the number of people at the beginning. Zhang Jue has magic water, but he has bread here. ]

Chapter 1327 Zhang Jue’s Potential

Zhang Jiao.

A guy who could become Zhang Jiao is right in front of Shangluo.

In fact, judging from the early performance of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the records of various historical materials, Zhang Jue may not have really intended to rebel at the beginning.

He just wanted to mobilize everyone to gather in the direction of Luoyang, gather a voice of more than 100,000 people in Luoyang city, show the organizational strength of Taiping Dao, and then work together with high-level Taiping Dao believers inside and outside the court to force the court to convert to Taiping Dao so that he could become the imperial teacher.

The blue sky is dead, the yellow sky should be established. In the year of Jiazi, the world is blessed.

These sixteen words were not a slogan for sending troops, but a slogan for a religious parade. This slogan required everyone to tie yellow strips and march with him to Luoyang. Therefore, in Zhang Jue's plan, these people were not "army" from the beginning, because Zhang Jue clearly required that no one should carry weapons and should not fight back when encountering government troops.

This was not because Zhang Jue loved peace, but because only if everyone went empty-handed could it be possible to pass through the layers of government defense and allow a large number of believers to gather in Luoyang. If everyone brought weapons from the beginning, everyone would know that this was a rebellion.

Zhang Jue made such a plan because this kind of thing had been successful once in the Han Dynasty, and it was not very far from Zhang Jue's time.

In the fourth year of Jianping reign of Emperor Ai of Han Dynasty, a mass madness event called "Xingchou" broke out in the Western Han Dynasty. Xingchou was the "Xingxi Queen Mother Chou". In the spring of that year, various disasters occurred and there were rumors of "the end of the world".

Mass panic ensued under the disaster. No one knew where or when it started, but more and more people held paper, grass, wooden signs and other symbols in their hands, saying that the end of the world was coming, and that they would get the elixir of immortality if they only asked the Queen Mother of the West. After running until they were exhausted, the people passed the things in their hands to the next person like passing a torch, asking them to run again.

At that time, a massive marathon was launched across the Guanzhong Plain. Thousands of people held various kinds of chips and ran towards Chang'an. People even began to spread rumors that if you participated in the chip-spreading, you would not die. Otherwise, you would see white hair under the threshold in the autumn of that year. That was the mark of the Queen Mother of the West.

This incident caused a huge shock at the time, and Zhang Jue was well aware of this. As long as he could replicate the grand occasion of the fundraising event, and mobilize 100,000 people in front of the emperor in an organized and planned manner, he would be confident that he could achieve his goal and make Taiping Dao the state religion of the Han Dynasty.

However, although Zhang Jue's plan was very thorough in theory, it was full of loopholes in practice. Tang Zhou's denunciation directly leaked the secret of the operation before it started, and the government regarded it as a rebellion from the beginning. After the army crushed the unarmed Yellow Turban Army, the Yellow Turban Army in various places hastily took up arms.

However, because there was no plan to use force at the beginning, the Yellow Turban Army in various places could not be united at all, and each fought on its own. In addition, they were killed by the government army at the beginning, and the entire Yellow Turban Rebellion quickly disappeared with Zhang Jue's sudden death in the middle of the war.

This is a warning to future generations.

Especially for Shangluo now, it is a warning. The first group of unarmed Yellow Turban followers are very much like this group of powerless automatons. They really can't do anything, but they can also do everything. They have the potential to do anything.

Compared with Zhang Jue's slogans and talismans, the Colombian Automaton Kingdom has more tangible power: they have bread.

It is hard to say whether the talisman water can cure people, but Zhang Jiao himself died of illness.

But bread can indeed heal people - from FLAG's perspective, the chef will not starve to death because he does not need to eat bread.

Expecting the chef to die suddenly like Zhang Jue was unlikely. Shangluo had carried him out of the impending destruction of New Antioch, and he'd already died once. Now wielding the power to move mountains and fill the sea, he feared nothing.

Apart from repaying Shangluo for his kindness and life-saving grace, Apollonia could not think of anything else that could limit this machine.