Chapter 65

As the saying goes: A穿越者 who doesn't want to activate the golden finger is not a good modern person. Since Xu is had traveled back to ancient times, he naturally wanted to indulge in the thrill of invention and creation, such as making guns and cannons. However, the problem was that he neither studied science nor engineering; he had even forgotten most of his junior high school chemistry and lacked practical skills from a young age, truly disgracing the穿越者.

His only strength was his interest in literature and history, having read extensively about the development of science and technology in ancient China. To be honest, saying that the ancient Chinese did not value science is nonsense. Ancient Chinese science was long at the forefront of the world, and there were many significant technological achievements—where else would the "Four Great Inventions" come from? The biggest issue was the lack of a good system for the inheritance of scientific knowledge, coupled with the periodic turmoil of dynastic changes, which led to the periodic loss of many scientific achievements. For example, it is said that the south-pointing chariot was invented during the time of the Yellow Emperor—though it is just a legend, there might be some truth to it—but by the Three Kingdoms period, Ma Jun had to reinvent it, and after the chaos of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, even Ma Jun's invention was lost again.

To explain briefly, Ma Jun's south-pointing chariot had nothing to do with magnets. It was actually a system driven by multiple gears that could maintain a set direction, even when going up mountains, crossing rivers, or turning in all directions, without the direction indicated by the small figure on the chariot changing. It was even more effective than a compass—albeit cumbersome, more than a little.

This shows that the ancients were not lacking in intelligence; they just lacked a good scientific research environment and correct theoretical guidance. Therefore, Xu is decided to take on this "historical responsibility," find some local scientists, give them some direction and funding, and let them create guns and cannons on their own.

Of course, scientific research cannot be achieved overnight, and the costs are also quite high. He had never made any plans before, just daydreaming. It wasn't until he settled in Yanzhou and Cao Cao provided him with some money and treasures that he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to make a big move. Unfortunately, ideals are full, but reality is bone-thin. He finally found an alchemist, but he was a second-rate and timid one, and the development of gunpowder showed no results. As for improving paper and researching printing, he couldn't even find a papermaker, which cut off his aspirations at the root.

So, out of frustration, he could only look up to the sky and sigh, then settle down to help Cao Cao—mainly by organizing documents and drafting official letters.

Xu is had a good foundation in classical Chinese in his previous life and had studied for more than three months with Sun Qian. Although he couldn't be called a literary genius, he could write ordinary official documents that were smooth and well-structured. What he found most challenging was not how to write beautifully or use allusions skillfully, but rather the opposite: he often had to check his articles repeatedly, fearing the use of overly beautiful words.

Many idioms known to modern elementary school students could not be used in this era. For example, if you wrote "水滴石穿" (a drop of water can wear through a stone), "口蜜腹剑" (sweet words, treacherous intentions), or "东山再起" (rise again from the east), although they didn't exist in this era, readers could generally understand them. However, if you wrote "闻鸡起舞" (rise at the crow of the rooster), "天方夜谭" (a tale from a thousand and one nights), "请君入瓮" (invite the gentleman into the jar), or "世外桃源" (a utopia), who would know what they meant? If he occasionally used modern words and idioms in conversation, he could easily bluff his way through, even claiming they were dialects. But if they appeared on bamboo slips, explaining them would be a huge hassle.

Fortunately, although Cao Cao's camp was full of talented people, there were not many literary scholars at this time. Cao Cao had not even gathered his twenty-five advisors, and the few he had were not as skilled as Xu is. Therefore, he felt confident in filling the gap. The reason was that Cao Cao was not from Yanzhou and had not been in power for long, nor was he officially appointed by the court. Many of the local aristocratic families either looked down on him or lacked confidence in him, unwilling to send their children to serve. These families had strong educational resources and a wealth of classical texts, and their children, though not necessarily capable of governing the state, were skilled in literary pursuits. Without the support of these families, Cao Cao's document team could not expand.

For example, in Chenliu Commandery, there was a family named Bian, with the head of the family, Bian Rang, known as Wenli, who had written the famous "Zhanghua Fu" and served as the governor of Jianghuai. When Cao Cao resolved the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou, he immediately sent people to recruit Bian Rang. However, Bian Rang not only refused to come out of retirement but also prevented his children from serving, even sneering at Cao Cao's envoy, "A bastard and a eunuch's descendant, how can you bend my will?"

The phrase "a bastard and a eunuch's descendant" translates to "a bastard and a eunuch's bastard." When this reached Cao Cao's ears, he immediately flew into a rage, drawing his sword and ready to rush to Bian Rang's house to cut him into pieces. Chen Gong and Xu Si quickly stopped him, saying that although Bian Rang should not have spoken so rudely, his reputation was too great, and killing him might cause chaos in Yanzhou. Xu is, who was standing nearby, saw Chen Gong give him a look and had to step forward to mediate, saying, "Bian Wenli's words are mistaken. A hero does not ask about one's background. Think of Emperor Gaozu, who was just a minor official in his time."

Chen Gong glared at him, "Hongfu, you spoke out of turn. How can you compare yourself to Emperor Gaozu?" Xu is replied, "Alright, let's use two other people as examples: Xiao He was a minor official in Pei County, and Fan Wu Hou was just a dog butcher. Were they any more noble?"

Hearing himself compared to Liu Bang... well, to Xiao He and Fan Kuai, Cao Cao's expression improved slightly. Xu is continued, "Moreover, you once executed the uncle of Jian Shuo and petitioned for the pardon of the partisans. You have long distanced yourself from the eunuchs. The lotus grows in the mud but remains unstained, and the clear water does not make it any less beautiful. Bian Wenli is pointing at the mud and calling the lotus dirty, which is his own short-sightedness. Why should you stoop to his level?"

With a "clank," Cao Cao threw his sword to the ground and turned to find ink and brush, "Hongfu always has wise words. 'Grows in the mud but remains unstained, and the clear water does not make it any less beautiful.' Good, I will write this down and one day compose a 'Lotus Ode.'"

Xu is wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking, "Zhou Dunyi, I'm sorry, but the best two lines from your 'Ode to the Lotus' now belong to someone else."

After staying for a few months, Xu is found that Cao Cao was actually quite easy to get along with, far better than the leaders he had followed in his previous life. First, he did not put on airs, and second, he did not like empty formalities. Moreover, since Xu is had done favors for the Cao family and was related to them, Cao Cao treated him with great courtesy, patiently pointing out mistakes in official documents without punishment. After all, Hongfu was still young, and who doesn't make mistakes when young?

Of course, if one thought that Cao Cao had no temper, that would be too superficial. As a great hero, Cao Cao's thoughts were not simple and would not easily be revealed to others. For example, regarding the matter of Bian Rang, Cao Cao seemed to have calmed down on the surface, but after a long period of observation and gossip, Xu is knew that he still harbored resentment. Moreover, Cao Cao had sent people to keep an eye on the Bian family, ready to pounce on any mistake to deal with the bastard who called him a "eunuch's descendant."

Xu is vaguely remembered that in the original history, Chen Gong, Zhang Miao, and others rebelled against Cao Cao and welcomed Lü Bu, and some analysts said it was because Cao Cao had killed Bian Rang, causing the scholars of Yanzhou to lose heart. However, he thought the issue was not that simple. No matter how famous Bian Rang was, as long as the charges were true and the evidence solid, no one could say anything. The scholars of Yanzhou did not like Cao Cao, and their dislike had accumulated over time. Bian Rang's death was at most the last straw that broke the camel's back. Moreover, historical records show that Bian Rang was killed during the Jian'an period, which was after the battle between Cao Cao and Lü Bu.

Some said that Chen Lin, in his "Edict to the State of Yu," clearly wrote that Cao Cao's killing of Bian Rang led to "the scholars' anger and the people's resentment, one man raised his arm, and the whole state echoed, so he was defeated in Xu and lost his territory to Lü Bu..." Chen Lin was a contemporary, so he should not have lied. This is nonsense. How many lies did Chen Lin tell in this edict? Edicts are meant to pour all kinds of filth on the target, so they cannot be trusted.

Sometimes, Xu is thought about whether he should give Cao Cao a heads-up about Zhang Miao and Chen Gong's future rebellion. After some consideration, he realized that due to his small influence, Cao Cao would not attack Tao Qian, so the future would definitely change. Moreover, Zhang Miao was a close friend of Cao Cao, and Chen Gong was his strategist. Saying bad things about them without evidence would not only be ineffective but would also make Cao Cao suspicious, leading to more harm than good. So, he decided not to.

Xu is was observing Cao Cao, and Cao Cao was also observing Xu is. The more he observed, the more he found this young man inscrutable. Privately, Cao Cao had discussed his evaluation of Xu is with Xun Yu and Xiahou Dun—first, in terms of courage and eloquence, Xu is was unmatched, truly "口吐莲花" (a mouth that spits lotus flowers, though Cao Cao would not use this term); second, his poetry was also good, though not numerous, it often contained surprising and brilliant lines; as for his articles, there was still room for improvement, but with time, he could become a literary giant. What Cao Cao found most puzzling was Xu is's insight.

Previously, in the camp at Suixiang, Xu is had spoken eloquently about the surrounding situation, but when he was brought under Cao Cao's command and asked deeper questions, he either changed the subject or remained silent. For example, how did he know that Yuan Shao was "good at planning but indecisive"? He had never met Yuan Shao!

It was very likely that all the analyses of the situation were things Xu is had heard, perhaps even a summary of the wisdom of the talented people from the four families in Xu, just spoken through his mouth. After all, he was just a young man in his early twenties, who had never held office, served as an official, or had a wide range of social connections. Could he really view the heroes of the world as clearly as reading a book? Was he a genius or a monster?

Xun Yu told Cao Cao that in Xu, the only person with such insight was likely Chen Deng, perhaps with some help from Cao Hong. As for Xu is, it was probably because he was Cao Cao's prospective son-in-law and had excellent debating skills, so the four families chose him to be their envoy and had thoroughly discussed the rhetoric with him beforehand. Of course, being able to integrate his own observations or the wisdom of the four families and express them systematically in his own words was already quite impressive. One cannot expect too much from a young person. With time and experience, Xu is might truly become a dragon among men and a strong support to his lord.

Cao Cao nodded repeatedly and then closed his eyes, daydreaming, "If one day I can obtain Xu without shedding blood and have Chen Yuanlong as my advisor, then the world will be easy to stabilize!"

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