The *Kaogong Ji* (Record of Works) from the *Zhou Li* (Rites of Zhou) states: "The six functions of the state, with artisans comprising one."
However, here on the banks of the Ying River, the motto of the Imperial Academy is: "The six functions of the state, with artisans at the forefront!"
From this statement, one can see... the Imperial Academy's emphasis on artisans.
Lu Yu's specific construction of workshops and hiring of numerous craftsmen clearly illustrates this point.
Of course, not everyone at the Imperial Academy is passionate about the artisan subjects. Much like Cao Mu in the past, most students, considering themselves heavenly prodigies, would hardly deign to become carpenters.
Furthermore, the Imperial Academy's regulations only require each student to master one or two artisan courses. If they aren't interested in carpentry, they can later study forging or smelting.
These subjects are directly related to the battlefield. In later generations, they would be highly sought-after professions.
Thus, out of sixty students, only a five-person team is diligently studying "carpentry."
This team includes Cao Ang, son of Cao Cao;
Huang Xu, son of Huang Zhong;
Zhuge Liang, descendant of the renowned Zhuge clan of Langya;
Xu Yi, son of Xu Chu;
And Dian Man, son of Dian Wei!
Figures like Xiahou Heng and Xiahou Ba are not at all enthusiastic about the discipline of "carpentry."
Naturally, the process of learning "carpentry" is tedious. Cao Ang, Xu Yi, Huang Xu, Zhuge Jun, and Dian Man are sitting under the scorching sun, sawing long logs with a large saw.
Wood falls repeatedly, saw teeth break and bend. Every half hour of sawing, they must use a file to sharpen the teeth!
They also have to learn to use chalk lines, and if the chalk line isn't done well, their hands and bodies are covered in ink, leaving them extremely disheveled.
As the saying goes, "Each trade is like a mountain." Being able to conquer cities does not necessarily make one a good carpenter.
It is only Cao Ang, Huang Xu, Zhuge Jun, Xu Yi, and Dian Man, these five honest individuals, who can patiently persist, constantly researching and experimenting.
As for the legendary "wooden ox and flowing horse," it's even more preposterous...
With only a manual titled "Method for Making Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses," and lacking any craftsman who truly understands what a "wooden ox and flowing horse" is, they, six people, must undertake an unprecedented "grand project"!
*Hoo... hoo...*
Inside the workshop, Zhuge Jun is manipulating an axe and a plane. His hands are already calloused and blistered, and his body is bruised and battered from collisions. He feels he cannot even lie flat to sleep or hold chopsticks to eat.
With the cooperation of the other four, they spent seven to eight days building a wooden ox that couldn't stay steady or stand upright!
This wooden ox, let alone transporting grain and supplies, would wobble and fall apart if one simply sat on it. Zhuge Jun fell to the ground, utterly dishevelled.
The difference was too vast...
Despite this, Zhuge Jun still got up, pondered for a moment, and discussed with his companions.
"We followed the instructions in the book precisely... No, no... Let's re-examine General Manager Lu's book, 'Method for Making Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses.' We must have gotten something wrong!"
Zhuge Jun is not giving up, nor are Cao Ang, Huang Xu, Dian Man, and Xu Yi.
For various reasons...
They all hold a near-obsessive admiration for Lu Yu.
Therefore, if Lu Yu says the wooden ox and flowing horse can be made, they are determined to make it.
"Is it here..."
The five of them sat together in the massive Imperial Academy workshop. Only they tirelessly and patiently continued their research.
After seven or eight days of integration, the five-person team had become increasingly synchronized.
Zhuge Jun had a charcoal pencil tucked behind his ear and a square ruler at his waist, silently sketching.
Meanwhile, Cao Ang held a charcoal pencil, constantly summarizing past failures and cross-referencing them with the text in "Method for Making Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses."
After half an hour of discussion, Xu Yi and Dian Man, being strong, continued to place one foot on the wood and saw with their arms moving up and down.
One must know...
Building a "wooden ox and flowing horse" involves at least fifty to sixty steps: drawing blueprints, selecting wood, planing the wood, drilling holes, and so on.
The most difficult parts are the auxiliary mechanisms mentioned in the "Method for Making Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses," as well as the flywheel mechanisms, gear mechanisms, and handle-less connecting rod mechanisms, which left the five of them utterly bewildered.
These are the core of the wooden ox and flowing horse, not merely simple single-wheeled or double-wheeled transport carts.
The reason why the wooden ox and flowing horse, once invented, was widely used in the mountainous regions of Bashu is due to the crank-connecting rod mechanism within it, which drives the flywheel through gears.
When the flywheel operates, its inertia provides assistance to the wooden ox, thereby achieving labor-saving purposes.
In addition to this, there is the braking mechanism, which is similar to the handbrake in cars of the previous life!
This allows the wooden ox and flowing horse to stand firm on slopes and maintain a constant speed when ascending and descending hills.
While these few sentences may sound simple...
The physics knowledge and principles involved are not so easy to grasp.
To be blunt, even if Lu Yu were to personally attempt to build this wooden ox and flowing horse, following the "Method for Making Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses," he might not succeed!
"Let's try again..."
Zhuge Jun, as the overall commander, began assigning tasks again.
The five people in the workshop immediately became busy again.
One must understand that students who can barely hold a chalk line are now attempting to build wooden oxen and flowing horses.
Many instructors and students come to observe daily, but... seeing the chaotic pile of wood in the workshop and the semi-finished products that could fall apart at any moment, they all leave in disappointment.
"Zi Xiu, give up..." Xiahou Ba could not help but repeatedly urge Cao Ang. "This wooden ox and flowing horse is too difficult. The way you are doing it will only waste wood and surely not be completed."
"If you have this much time, you might as well make a few chests for your future wives and concubines to store clothes!"
Xiahou Ba's remark was quite mocking...
Huang Xu felt a bit indignant, but Cao Ang "puchi"-ed with a laugh. "Zhong Quan is right. If we ultimately don't succeed, making chests out of this wood wouldn't be bad either. It's recycling!"
This is Cao Ang's character – filial, benevolent, easy-going, a standard honest person...
At the Imperial Academy, he never felt superior because he was the eldest son of the Commander of the Guards Cao. Instead, he was the first to take on the most arduous and tiring tasks.
Seeing him like this, Lu Yu, the head of the Imperial Academy, felt quite gratified.
For a moment, Lu Yu even pondered that if Cao Ang were Cao Cao's successor, perhaps... the tragedies of the Three Kingdoms uniting under Jin and the Wuhu rebellion would not have occurred.
It can be said that Cao Cao's character was suitable for founding an empire, while Cao Ang's character was very suitable for governing one.
In addition, if Cao Cao's hegemonic achievements were passed down to Cao Ang, Lu Yu felt at least a sense of peace.
This is a filial and benevolent emperor. Lu Yu even speculated... no matter how recklessly Cao Ang governed, he probably wouldn't die, thus not requiring excessive caution.
As for Cao Ang's posthumous title, Lu Yu had already thought of it for him – "Ren" (Benevolent)!
– Emperor Ren of Wei.
It's a pity, however, that things did not go as hoped... After Emperor Wu came Emperor Wen, and before Emperor Wen, how could there be an Emperor Ren?
Of course, "Ren Di" could also be interpreted as "Ren Di" (Benevolent Younger Brother)!
In the workshop that afternoon.
Dian Man and Xu Yi were sleeping on the mats. Like their fathers Dian Wei and Xu Chu, they were strong but disliked thinking.
Normally, they would do whatever Zhuge Jun, Cao Ang, and Huang Xu asked them to do.
However, there was one thing: they absolutely had to take a nap, otherwise... they would have a headache all afternoon.
At this moment, Xu Chu and Dian Man had a similar dream. They dreamt that the wooden ox and flowing horse had been successfully built. Countless grains were loaded into it, the wooden ox carried the grains, and they rode on the wooden ox, galloping on the official road, soaring into the clouds with the wooden ox and flowing horse!
Just then...
"It's done... it's done!"
A shout interrupted Dian Man and Xu Yi's sweet dreams. They rubbed their sleepy eyes and saw... a seemingly decent "wooden ox" and a "flowing horse" that was at least not wobbly...
Most importantly, Zhuge Jun was pushing them, and it was visibly effortless.
Is this the auxiliary mechanism mentioned in the so-called "Method for Making Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses"?
This...
After a long circuit of thought, Dian Man and Xu Yi finally realized.
It was done, they had succeeded, they had achieved it.
"Kong Ming, we..."
Xu Yi and Dian Man spoke in unison, their excitement palpable.
"Yongsheng, don't just stand there. Hurry and report to the head of the academy, tell him... we've done it, the wooden ox and flowing horse have been made!" Zhuge Jun was also very excited...
Huang Xu heard this and sprinted out of the workshop...
He was going to deliver this good news to Chief Manager Lu and Chief Manager Cai!
...
...
Shouchun City.
Shocking!
Shouchun City, defended by thirty thousand Yuan troops, could not be taken by over a hundred and fifty thousand Cao troops.
Cao Cao was surprised, and Yuan Shu was equally surprised.
He hadn't expected Ji Ling, who had succeeded Zhang Xun as the new "Grand General" of the Zhong family's imperial court, to be so formidable.
Relying on the high city walls of Shouchun and his decisive troop command style, Ji Ling managed to hold off the assault of Cao Cao's one hundred and fifty thousand troops with these thirty thousand Yuan soldiers whose morale had plummeted.
Both sides suffered heavy casualties...
More importantly, Cao Cao's failure to capture Shouchun City in one fell swoop dealt a fatal blow to Cao's army's morale, and for Yuan Shu, it was like a heavy sigh of relief.
The Cao army could now only surround Shouchun City and wait for another opportunity.
Thus...
The problem that worried Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai the most emerged. Due to continuous heavy rain, Shouchun, located in a low-lying area, became waterlogged, making it impossible for ordinary grain carts to pass.
Cao's army's subsequent supply of grain could not reach the front lines.
And this, from a seemingly clear situation, plunged them into a great crisis once more.
Cao Cao's Grand Camp, Central Army Tent.
"How long can our existing grain supplies last?" Cao Cao urgently asked the grain officer.
The grain officer replied truthfully: "Thanks to Lord Ling Xun's early instructions for each soldier to carry some grain, our army's supplies can last for another month!"
A month?
Through the window, Cao Cao looked at the towering city walls of Shouchun.
He Yan, the hidden dragon, had once informed Cao Cao of a piece of information: the grain reserves within Shouchun City were also not abundant.
However, how not abundant was it? Could it last a month?
Cao Cao did not know...
Therefore, the current situation had become a gamble, a test of who would run out of grain first.
"When will the subsequent grain arrive?" Cao Cao continued to ask...
This...
The grain officer shook his head, still replying truthfully. "It's hard to say, it depends..." At the end of his speech, the grain officer hesitated.
"Depends on what?" Cao Cao pressed.
"It depends on the weather..." the grain officer said helplessly. "If... it keeps raining, then... the accumulated water will likely grow, the slopes will be slippery, and going uphill and downhill will become extremely difficult. I fear the army's grain..."
The grain officer did not finish, but his meaning was clear!
Depend on the weather; it is currently the rainy season, and this area is low-lying. This is heading towards a starvation situation!
Cao Cao's brow furrowed heavily.
"I understand... you may withdraw!"
The grain officer, head bowed, slowly withdrew. As he reached the outside of the tent, he looked up at the sky. It was already overcast, as if... another torrential downpour was imminent!
The transportation of grain was likely to become even more difficult.
After the grain officer left...
Cao Cao helplessly clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table.
Xi Zhicai, standing beside him, understood Cao Cao's thoughts and said truthfully, "Commander Cao, this continuous heavy rain not only hinders our grain supplies but also makes the siege more difficult. Yesterday's assault, while certainly due to the enemy commander's composed leadership, was also undoubtedly aided by this continuous drizzle."
As Xi Zhicai said.
Under the rain, the city walls would become more slippery, scaling ladders would easily slide down, and it would be extremely difficult for soldiers to climb them. Not to mention the reduced visibility when facing the rain, and the inability to transport siege engines.
All of these are disadvantageous to the attacking side.
But... what could be done?
It is the rainy season, and there are no sunny days at all. There is no choice.
Cao Cao understood Xi Zhicai's meaning. He exhaled a long breath. Xi Zhicai was reminding him that under the rainy season, Shouchun City might not be taken within a month.
And the army's grain supply only lasted for one month...
Xi Zhicai was advising Cao Cao to prepare early.
"Let us maintain the siege!" Cao Cao said. "We lack grain, but how can Yuan Shu not lack grain? Let's drag it out and see who can't hold on first!"
Cao Cao was gambling, betting that Yuan Shu would falter before he did.
After all, if such a heaven-sent opportunity could not lead to the capture of the city? Then... it was unknown when another such opportunity might arise!
Cao Cao did not want to delay his ambition to conquer the central plains any longer.
"There is no other way," Xi Zhicai's eyes blinked. He was full of strategies, but facing a Yuan Shu who refused to come out, what could he do?
Let alone him, even Guo Fengxiao or Xun Gongda could not find a strategy to breach the city!
Now, all they could do was their best and leave the rest to fate!
They could only hope that Yuan Shu would falter first!
...
...
A series of urgent dispatches were sent back to Xudu City from the front lines.
The Imperial Secretariat...
The victory on the front lines should have delighted Xun Yu and Xun You of the Imperial Secretariat, but... the constraint of grain cast a thick shadow over their moods.
"To think that Chen State has grain, yet it cannot be transported to the front lines?" Xun Yu murmured...
His brows immediately furrowed into an inverted 'eight'.
"Uncle, Shouchun City is inherently a low-lying area..." Xun You explained. "Once it rains, it forms water slopes. These water slopes are one thing, but what most affects grain transportation are the steep slopes..."
"Once the current grain carts encounter rain, whether going uphill or downhill, it becomes extremely difficult, even dangerous... And according to past records, Shouchun in this season is precisely the rainy season... When the rain finally stops, who knows when that will be."
Many people may not understand the impact of the rainy season during this period.
One must know that the rainy season during the Little Ice Age was not to be trifled with.
Due to the Little Ice Age, the weather in the Han Dynasty was generally unpredictable. In June, during the sweltering heat of summer, hailstones could fall as large as chicken eggs, let alone rainwater...
In extreme cold weather, rainwater would quickly freeze into ice. Imagine, steep and icy uphill and downhill slopes... even for humans to walk would require great effort, let alone grain carts.
It can be said that under this rainy season, the supply lines to the front were completely severed, and there was no possibility of repairing them.
"This..."
Xun Yu's brow remained furrowed. "Are there any other methods, perhaps... transporting some grain to the Shouchun front line through other routes?"
"Considered it!" Xun You waved his hand. "Besides the road from Chen State, the only other route is from Xiapi and Guangling in Xu Province. Precisely, Xiapi and Guangling are under Lu Bu's territory. One misstep, and perhaps... our grain would fall into Lu Bu's hands."
Xun You paused at this point and sighed, "Uncle knows that Lu Bu is never a trustworthy person."
"This is difficult..." Xun Yu's brow furrowed even tighter...
Could it be that, with such a heaven-sent opportunity, Shouchun City still could not be captured?
Did they really have to leave it to fate?
Thinking of this, Xun Yu's eyes narrowed, and he helplessly looked at the sky through the window.
But at this moment...
*Whoosh...*
Xun Yu suddenly thought of something. To be precise, he thought of a brilliant title, a name that always created miracles – Hidden Dragon! Lu Yu!
That's right, there's an unwritten agreement in the Cao camp... that when there's trouble, find Lu Yu. As the saying goes... Lu Yu helps, the more he helps, the more trouble... no, it's Lu Yu helps, the more he helps!
Besides, what difficult task in this world can the Hidden Dragon not solve?
Instantly, Xun Yu's eyes opened. He subconsciously asked, "Gongda, what has Agricultural Minister Lu been doing recently?"
"Besides promoting the new agricultural policies of civilian and military屯田 (Tuntian), he is also..." Xun You replied truthfully, but he stopped halfway through his sentence, as if he remembered something.
Suddenly, his expression became much more serious, yet mixed with a bit of joy.
"At the Imperial Academy... Chief Manager Lu has constructed a workshop, and he is currently having students study 'woodworking,' one of the artisan crafts!"
In fact, these were not the key points. The key point was the last sentence.
"And currently, these students are collectively building an artifact called 'wooden ox and flowing horse.' It is said that this wooden ox and flowing horse can transport military grain. Once completed, it can travel on shallow beaches or steep slopes as if on flat ground!"
Xun You spoke with great conviction...
Of course, the reason he knew so much was that Xun Yu's eldest son, Xun Yun, had reported it to Xun You when he returned home during his break yesterday.
Although Xun Yun is Xun Yu's son, he is closer to Xun You than his peers and has even taken Xun You as his teacher.
Therefore, Xun You knows some of the recent movements of the Imperial Academy.
Precisely because he knew some details, and because of this "wooden ox and flowing horse," his eyes widened, and his heart pounded repeatedly at this moment!
"Uncle..."
Before Xun You could speak, Xun Yu grabbed his arm.
Indeed, upon hearing that the wooden ox and flowing horse could travel on "shallow beaches" and "steep slopes" as if on flat ground, Xun Yu became even more excited than his nephew Xun You.
"Let's go, you and I, to the Imperial Academy now!"
"Let's go see this wooden ox and flowing horse!"
"And let's pay a visit to our skilled artisan – Chief Manager Lu! Agricultural Minister Lu!"
As he spoke...
Xun Yu and Xun You had already disappeared from the Imperial Secretariat.
Despite being scholars, their footsteps at this moment were faster than rabbits!
...
...