Chapter 435: The Five Titans Assemble
Although Cleopatra was very proud, she remained quite submissive when introducing the King of Conquerors. After all, her ancestor, Pharaoh Ptolemy I, had followed the King of Conquerors since childhood and had always been his trusted confidant.
It was precisely because of Alexander the Great's unprecedented ambition—leading countless strong troops and valiant generals to complete a great journey that the world had deemed impossible—that her ancestor had the opportunity to be enfeoffed with a territory as vast as Egypt. In a sense, Cleopatra's throne as Pharaoh was inherited from Alexander.
After Alexander died, he left behind only a mentally handicapped half-brother, an illegitimate son, and an unborn child as heirs.
The King of Conquerors' powerful subordinates—both the Macedonian nobles and the ambitious, distinguished generals who had earned great military exploits—refused to submit to one another, instantly falling into an internal struggle known as the Wars of the Diadochi.
As a renowned general holding military power, Ptolemy was enfeoffed in Egypt as governor. He played a steady game during the Wars of the Diadochi, first overthrowing the regent Perdiccas, who had tried every means to kill generals who posed a threat to him, and later forming alliances to defeat the strongest veteran, Antigonus I. Finally, he was crowned King in Egypt, which led to the subsequent Ptolemaic Dynasty.
"In other words, it is precisely because of this great man that the 'God' in the 'Chef God's Grand Prix' is well-deserved! What we have prepared for the winner of the tournament is not just this golden cauldron! It also carries world-class glory!"
"'Chef God' represents not only the champion of this tournament but also the strongest person recognized by people all over the world. The final winner of this competition is, without a doubt, the person recognized by the world as having the highest culinary arts—standing at the pinnacle of humanity—worthy of the title of 'Chef God'."
The camera focused on the red carpet behind the second seat from the left. A robust man with thick, curly red hair, a beard, a straight, prominent nose, and a height comparable to a basketball center walked over from the backstage passage, showing off neat, white teeth.
"Ahahahaha, what a rare and magnificent sight! It has actually connected the whole world together, even attracting the attention of people from countries I couldn't reach while I was alive. Caesar!!! Thank you and Ptolemy's child for inviting me to participate in such a grand event!" The King of Conquerors, Iskandar, walked up to Caesar and extended a hand.
Caesar stood up and replied in a dashing voice that didn't match his appearance: "Hehehehe! Great Emperor! Iskandar! You were my idol in my youth and are Cleopatra's elder; it is my honor to sit at the same table as you."
Iskandar laughed boisterously, patted the red, rotund man on the back, and roared, "Ahahahaha, there is no need for such formalities. Gaius, you are the truly remarkable man. I
only led my brothers to pursue a dream, whereas you founded a truly lasting empire. The surname 'Caesar' became the synonym for legitimate emperors in Europe for generations to come! Your great achievements are second to none in this world."
"No, no, you are the true hero." Caesar was shaken all over by the pats, his front fat ripples like waves, but compared to engaging in commercial flattery with his idol, these were trivial matters. He didn't care at all, still laughing happily as he replied.
Human civilization needs to be divided by eras; otherwise, if you look back at the past, you will only arrive at various biases and erroneous cognitions.
Take the Analects, for example—it records the words spoken by scholars during the Spring and Autumn period, a time when the Zhou Son of Heaven's dynasty was a mere shell and ritual and music were collapsing. If you force an interpretation using modern thinking without considering the customs, habits, and social background of the people at that time, it can only become a forced, out-of-context motivational book.
The "gentleman" (Junzi) in Confucius's mind was a completely different species from the "gentleman" in the minds of modern people; in fact, it was very different from the gentleman of every dynasty—Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing.
Reading is certainly a good thing; knowing history and mastering idioms and proverbs is very helpful to a person. However, if someone wants to rely on reading classical studies to cultivate "vast righteous energy" and become a refined gentleman, it is actually no different from going to the gym to train for an inverted triangle physique and eight-pack abs, or going to a beauty salon for a haircut; it is all for the sake of that packaged, refined "aura." As for the realm described in the books, it never existed in the first place, or rather, even if you cultivated it, it wouldn't be the kind you wanted.
This is why, although the stories told by talk shows, lecture forums, and self-media can be attractive and seemingly full of wisdom and philosophy, they are still just as black as they are white—they can never truly be on the stage. This applies not only to books but also to people.
If you use the moral standards of later generations to criticize people from a thousand years ago, almost every one of them would be an uncivilized barbarian. Many were murderers, slave owners, bloody butchers, and destroyers of nature. Even for the Chinese people, whose heritage has never been interrupted and who are profoundly influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, these ancient rules are no longer practical in the modern era; instead, many have become dross. People value legal justice and human rights more than the ritual norms and morality dictated by the Confucian monopoly.
Turning back to the point: if humanity can survive until the year 3000, then by their standards, the humans of the 21st century will undoubtedly also be regarded as backward, ignorant, and hopeless ancient barbarians.
In this modern era 2,300 years later, if someone were to replicate what the King of Conquerors did, they would definitely be scolded like Hitler and treated as the public enemy of all humanity.
But to the world of over 2,300 years ago, what the King of Conquerors did was an unprecedented feat. At least for the Western European and American races who admire ancient Greek civilization, he was absolutely a great hero, skilled in both civil and military affairs. Even though Christianity had not yet been founded when he was alive and religious beliefs were different, there was at least a shared civilizational origin.
Therefore, Alexander the Great was the first true world hegemon in the Western world, or rather, among Europeans. At his peak, the territory he ruled covered five million square kilometers, the largest in the world at that time. World rulers before him were either from the Middle East, such as the ancestors of the Iranians in the Persian Empire, nomadic barbarians on the grasslands, or China in the East.
At his peak, he occupied three of the four great ancient civilizations. Relying on his personal charisma, which made rulers and the masses he encountered feel a sense of affinity, combined with the strategy of letting soldiers intermarry with local women, he quickly won the support of the local people.
By modern standards, whenever he went abroad, he would be highly popular and earn honorary citizenship certificates. Of course, he also obtained the fawning of local power-holders and received warm hospitality; therefore, he never missed any exquisite cuisine.
His journey did not just conquer a vast territory; it also promoted the fusion of Greek and Eastern civilizations and spread it to various parts of Europe, where it was inherited and carried forward by Rome. Although his reign was very short, it had a lasting impact. He established port cities named after himself in Egypt, which were collectively recognized by the Egyptian noble class and people as "Pharaoh." Kandahar and Herat, established in Afghanistan, are still the second and third largest provinces of that country in modern times. He built dozens of such prosperous cities, and most were accepted and preserved by countries of different faiths.
Moreover, because his aspirations set a good precedent, future generations were imbued with the ambition to conquer the world. In a sense, what he did for the West truly has achievements similar to Emperor Wu of Han, who employed Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.
Emperor Wu of Han's dynasty hit its first peak, allowing China—a country with a 5,000-year heritage—to use the name of his prosperous dynasty as the collective term for the nation. Under his rule, he recovered land lost when the Qin Dynasty fell, defeated the Xiongnu, Nanyue, and the Western Regions, and more than doubled the territory of the Han Dynasty. He was the first to open the Silk Road, letting the many countries beyond the Western Regions know that there was a superpower in the East called "Han," referring to the citizens of this great nation as "Han people."
He integrated people from originally different countries, different regions, and speaking different languages into a great nation with powerful vitality.
Undoubtedly, Alexander and Caesar are two figures in Western history that can never be bypassed; both are the "King" (K) in a deck of cards—Clubs and Diamonds, respectively. They are also two of Europe's four great military strategists, with the others being Hannibal and Napoleon. They were military leaders who spent their lives rushing and fighting; wherever their armies arrived, they ate, and they were quite knowledgeable about delicacies from various countries.
"Ahhhhh, I didn't expect... I didn't expect to be able to see two great men standing together on the same stage. Although Caesar-sama looks shorter and fatter next to him, he is still so dazzling. This is really unreasonable~!" Cleopatra clasped her hands to the side, watching the two men in front of the stage with excitement.
"It's great, this is simply too great! It's a miracle on earth. Applaud, cheer!" Cleopatra raised her hands repeatedly and shouted to the reporters below the stage.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!!!" The reporters below cheered along, though it was entirely just to support the beauty. Looking at how hard she was trying, they felt she was too pitiful, so it didn't matter anymore; they just wanted to share their strength with her.
The two men in front of the stage, who were enthusiastic about mutual flattery, were clearly full of presence, but the big beauty suddenly acted like a brainless fan. Fortunately, the microphone was not turned on, so the people at the press conference could not hear them. Otherwise, this baffling press conference would have ended before it even began.
'Tsk... what kind of standard is that female host... looks like another little vixen who climbed up based on her looks!' the reporter covering the scene complained inwardly. She simply signaled for the camera to switch lenses, chatted about the scenery, and started an interactive giveaway with the audience.
After a while, the press conference finally returned to normal and continued to introduce the subsequent judges.
The witty reporter said, "Alright, alright, let's switch lenses and see the female judges that the audience is interested in!"
She shouted loudly, "Alright, two super-excellent men have been introduced, so let us invite the next three female judges."
The big screen turned to the seat second from the right—that is, the seat to Caesar's right. Walking over from the passage was a gentle woman with long, flowing red hair. The woman on the screen waved at everyone.
"Hello everyone~!"
She was just like a gentle older sister. Under the big screen, the men around the venue couldn't help but raise their hands, wanting to respond to her.
"She is Ms. Boudica from Britain. She comes from a noble family, but she is actually a master chef who has satisfied many powerful existences, some of which are even legendary."
"Hello, you look like a very gentle and well-bred lady," Caesar stepped forward, gentlemanly pulling out a chair for her and reaching out his hand.
Boudica shook her head. She didn't shake Caesar's hand, only saying softly, "Although we have no grudge, the war launched against my country was something that happened after you died; it has nothing directly to do with you. But you are undoubtedly an important figure representing Rome. As a mother of children, I will not reconcile with you. I am only here to witness the birth of a dish that reaches the divine realm."
Next was a woman with long, straight hair and red eyes, wearing a black coat. Her slender figure possessed an extraordinary charm that did not belong to the mortal world. But her indifferent, almost hostile gaze also told everyone: Don't get too involved with me; I have no interest in humanity. However, she was not ignorant of the ways of the world and had once formed deep ties with many princes and nobles.
Although a True Ancestor, because her beloved protected humanity, she restrained her impulse to drink blood—one could even say she hated this nature. Therefore, for thousands of years, she had been consuming the same food as humans. As far as Chinese cuisine was concerned, she was definitely an authority among authorities.
"She is from the ancient country of China with its 5,000-year culinary heritage. Her cold appearance is like a fairy, possessing unimaginable nobility."
"How is it? Fairy, don't you have a few words to say?" The King of Conquerors looked at the woman beside him and asked.
"I heard you once charged alone into an army of ten thousand, then returned unscathed. Are you the warrior in the West who can be mentioned in the same breath as Lord Xiang Yu?" Yu Meiren looked at the red-haired, robust man with curiosity and said.
"Ahahahaha, China's Xiang Yu! If possible, I would also like to recruit such a character into my army. How about it? You join us too," the King of Conquerors said with a laugh.
"No need. Your 'hegemony' is definitely not the mandate recognized by Lord Xiang Yu, and I only hope for a peaceful life now. I heard that there is a delicacy here that can satisfy beings other than humans, which is why I came," Yu Meiren said coldly, visibly disgusted when she heard the word "war."
"The last one to appear is the provider of all the ingredients for this Chef God's Grand Prix—inexhaustible delicacies from mountains and seas, as well as delicious rice. Her name is Beni-Enma, Beni-chan~!"
Walking onto the stage was a tiny figure, but she possessed a certain majesty. In fact, she was no small fry. When she was alive, she was human; after she died, she went to hell and was adopted by King Enma. As a chef, she reached the pinnacle of the world of yokai. Tamamo-no-Mae, Kiyohime, Osakabehime, Tomoe Gozen, and many other goddesses were all her disciples, respecting and fearing her.
The absolutely fair and just Beni-Enma was a righteous swordswoman specializing in slaying Chaotic Evil. Currently, she worked as the landlady of the Enma-tei—a legendary hot spring resort specifically serving gods and sages—and took the opportunity to cultivate many culinary masters.
After the little red girl sat down, she looked at the audience seriously and spoke: "I swear as the landlady of the hot spring inn that I will strictly and fairly judge the culinary master who is truly worthy of the name 'God,' de-chu!"
"Yes, yes~ Then the introductions are over! These five are the judges for this Chef God's Grand Prix~!" Cleopatra raised her hands and cheered.
"..."
"..."
"Wait! What's up with that woman? She showered the two men with praise, so why, when it came to her own gender, did she gloss over it with a single sentence?" the reporter below the stage couldn't help but complain.
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