Chapter Eleven: The Quiver and the Sour Plum Soup (Part Two)

  Cao Zhi poured the sour plum soup into two wooden bowls, and first handed one of them along with a spoon to Cao Cao. After taking it, Cao Cao first scooped up an umeboshi, and put it in his mouth together with the soup. At first, he felt a refreshing coolness, and in an instant, the heat inside his body was cleared by more than half. Then came a sweet sensation, which instantly swept away the remaining summer heat, followed by a faint sour taste. Cao Cao only felt that his tongue was producing saliva, and originally on a hot summer day when he had no appetite, this sour plum directly stimulated Cao Cao's appetite.

  Before he had even swallowed the sour plum in his mouth, Cao Cao couldn't help but dip his spoon into the wooden bowl and take a sip. Meanwhile, Cao Zhi picked up another wooden bowl and handed it to Mao Jie, saying with a smile: "Mr. Mao, please try some of my sour plum soup."

  Mao Jie saw Cao Cao's wolfish appearance and guessed that the sour plum soup must be very delicious. He didn't hesitate to take it over and started eating directly. Mao Jie was in a similar situation as Cao Cao, almost unable to stop after taking the first sip.

  Until they finished the bamboo tube of sour plum soup, both of them were licking their lips, with an expression of not wanting to stop. Cao Cao put down his spoon and laughed loudly: "Zhi'er's filial piety is commendable, this sour plum soup makes me very happy."

  Cao Zhi nodded and said, "As long as Father likes it, I'll teach the family's chef how to make it. Even if I'm not at home in the future, there will be someone who can make this sour plum soup for Father, Mother, and all my elder brothers to taste together."

  When Cao Zhi said this, Cao Cao was even more delighted. Mao Jie then cupped his hands and said: "Congratulations to you, sir! The fourth son is not only intelligent but also filial to his parents and respectful to his elder brother. It's truly a joyous occasion for you to have such a son."

  Cao Cao burst out laughing and said: "Xian, you'd better stop praising this little brat."

  Mao Jin stroked his beard and said, "Jin is just telling the truth."

  Cao Zhi was not an ordinary child, and he did not become complacent despite the repeated praise from Cao Cao and Mao Jie. Instead, he respectfully clasped his hands together and said, "Zhi still needs to continue learning from Father and Master."

  Cao Zhi's courtesy delighted Cao Cao, and Mao Jie also showed appreciation on his face. However, just then, Cao Zhi suddenly said: "Father can enjoy the sour plum soup made by the child here, but the people of Xu and Yan states are not so lucky. Just now when the child went to ask the head of the army to make sour plum soup, they told me that the nearby water source has dried up, and they have to dig a deep well to get water. Although the child is young, he also knows that crops need water, if the farmer uncles don't have water, I'm afraid everyone will be out of rice! Please father, enlighten!"

  "Hmm?" As soon as Cao Zhi spoke, the smile on Cao Cao and Mao Jie's faces immediately disappeared, and their two gazes suddenly focused intensely on his small body!

  Mao Jie looked at the thin body, and his eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. As for Cao Zhi, Mao Jie had heard of him before, but as one of the elite among the great Han people, he was naturally talented, so in his childhood, there would always be some extraordinary performances that were different from ordinary children. Therefore, when Mao Jie first heard about Cao Zhi, he didn't pay much attention to it. However, a few days ago, Cao Zhi's performance in the account made Mao Jie realize that this fourth son of Cao was not just smarter than an average child, his intelligence might be comparable to that of ordinary adults.

  However, such a person can be called a genius, but there is no precedent in history. To say nothing of the past, Kong Rong, who has become a famous scholar of his generation and is a contemporary of Cao Cao and Mao Jie, is also this kind of person. Therefore, towards Cao Zhi, Mao Jie also had an attitude of praise and some expectation, hoping that he would become a great figure like Kong Rong in the future.

  However, now Cao Zhi opened his mouth and talked about politics, which was completely beyond Mao Jie's understanding. At the age of five, he could think of the loss of farmers without water, even if Guan Lu was slightly inferior. Therefore, at this time, Mao Jie looked at Cao Zhi with a surprised look in his eyes, really wanting to know what unique insights this little child had on politics.

  Cao Cao, who shared the same idea as Mao Jie, was accustomed to the cleverness of this four-year-old and did not take it as a child's joke. He said seriously: "Playing with this sour plum soup can still hear so much and think so much, not bad."

  Cao Zhi smiled and said, "Father is overpraising me. I just want more people to not go hungry. The old man who taught me how to make this sour plum soup said that it has the effect of clearing the mind and calming the spirit. After Father drinks it, his head should be even clearer, which will be very beneficial for handling such important matters."

  When Cao Zhi said this, Cao Cao suddenly realized that after drinking the sour plum soup, the depressed air in his chest due to the hot summer had indeed dissipated, and his mind had become clearer as Cao Zhi had said. He smiled slightly and nodded: "This sour plum soup is really good." After a pause, Cao Cao's face showed a worried look, and he sighed: "His father was also troubled by Mr. Mao about this matter."

  "Your Excellency, this year since the beginning of spring plowing, there has been more rain than usual. However, after Qingming Festival, the rain gradually decreased. At the Dragon Boat Festival, it should have rained a lot, but instead, it didn't rain much. Entering the hot summer, the water level in all rivers must have dropped. If it doesn't rain within ten days, I'm afraid the land will crack and the crops will wither and die, which will severely impact this year's harvest. This place belongs to the western part of Xuzhou, adjacent to Yanzhou, with similar weather conditions. If Guangwei is like this, I'm afraid Yanzhou will be even worse."

  A brief analysis can reveal that Mao Jie has a solid foundation in terms of heavenly timing, geographical advantage, and agricultural affairs. Perhaps even an elderly farmer who has spent many years on the land would have a similar view.

  Cao Cao listened and sighed, "Xiaoren's analysis is reasonable, but the actual situation in Yan Province is even more severe than what Xiaoren said. Wen Ruo has already sent an urgent letter, and a great drought has indeed occurred in Yan Province, especially in the western part where a large number of crops have withered and died. This year's harvest will probably not be enough to make up for two-thirds of last year's."

  Cao Zhi heard this and his heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself: "It's already too late." He then turned to Cao Cao and asked urgently: "Father, is there any way to save those poor civilians?"

  At a young age, he already has the heart to love the people. Cao Cao and Mao Jie nodded in agreement when they saw him. However, regarding this matter, Cao Cao and Mao Jie were not gods, and they too were at a loss for what to do. All they could see was Cao Cao throwing up his hands and saying: "What else can be done? This is a natural disaster, beyond human control. If there really was a solution, my father and I would not have been sitting here idle for half a day."

  Indeed, even if it were 1,800 years later, the power that humans can exert in the face of natural disasters is still extremely weak, let alone in this era. In times of severe drought, all people can do is increase the amount of water taken from rivers or dig more wells. These suggestions would have been made by Xun Yu, a talented strategist, even if Cao Zhi had not mentioned them.

  Seeing Cao Zhi stunned on the spot, both of them knew he couldn't think of a solution. After all, even they were like this now, let alone Cao Zhi, a five-year-old child. Cao Cao waved his hand and seriously said to Mao Jie: "Xiao Xian, you immediately send a letter to Wen Ruo, telling him to pay attention to the emotions of the people in Yan Province, and never let the disaster brew again. Yan Province cannot be tossed about again."

  Ma Jun nodded heavily and said: "Don't worry, my lord. I understand." After finishing speaking, Ma Jun knew that Cao Zhi had other things to discuss with Cao Cao, so he prepared to leave.

  At this time, Cao Zhi suddenly raised his head and said to Cao Cao: "Father, I used to read a passage saying 'drought is extreme and locusts will appear'. Now that the great drought has occurred, I'm afraid there will be a locust disaster. Father, please let the teachers pay attention to this matter!"

  "Drought is extreme and locusts are coming!" When Cao Zhi said this, Cao Cao and Ma Jue, who had already stood up, suddenly shook their bodies. This saying has been circulating among the people for a long time, and there are many records in ancient books. Cao Cao and Ma Jue had also heard of it before, but they were thinking about the severe drought and did not associate it with this place. Now that they heard Cao Zhi's words, it was like an alarm bell ringing for the two of them.

  Cao Cao hastily called out to Mao Jie, "Zhi'er's words are reasonable. Xiaoxian, tell this to Wenruo as well and have him pay extra attention. This year's severe drought has already caused crop failures. If a locust plague breaks out again, I fear that the remaining grain will be scarce. We absolutely cannot be negligent!"

  Mao Jing also deeply understood the severity of the locust disaster, and with a loud voice, he said: "Jing understands!" After finishing speaking, he hastily turned around and left.

  Looking at Cao Zhi in the account, Cao Cao was quite relieved in his heart. He beckoned to him and said: "Zhi'er come here for your father." Cao Zhi heard that, immediately took a few steps forward, and drilled into Cao Cao's arms.

  Looking at his fourth son in his arms, Cao Cao chuckled and said: "Zhi'er has made great contributions again this time. What reward should I give you?"

  Cao Zhi looked up at Cao Cao with a benevolent expression and said in a clear voice, "Father, I want a piece of leather."

  "Leather?" Cao Cao asked in puzzlement, "What does Plant want leather for?"

  Cao Zhi said seriously: "Zhi wants leather to make a quiver."

  When Cao Zhi asked to make a quiver, Cao Cao's face sank immediately, shaking his head: "It's not possible, you're still young and haven't reached the age of martial arts training. This reward will be given to you by your father in a few years. For now, let's exchange it for something else."

  Cao Cao thought he was going to learn archery, but Cao Zhi touched his nose and said, "Father, I made the quiver not for learning archery."

  "Hmm?" Cao Cao, although a master strategist of his time, rarely could guess what this fourth son was thinking. Curious, he smiled and asked: "Planting isn't for learning archery, so what's the use of an arrow quiver?"

  Cao Zhi's face showed a serious expression, and he said: "Father, just now when the child came to see his father, he saw the soldiers practicing archery. But their quivers can only hold twenty arrows, and the arrows often fall out of the quiver. The child has calculated that the loss of arrows during marching and before battle is one-third of the total number of arrows lost. So the child wants to create a new quiver that can hold more arrows, allowing soldiers to have more arrows to use when they go into battle, and also preventing arrows from falling out of the quiver and being wasted."

  The problem of the quiver was naturally known to Cao Cao as the commander-in-chief, but there was no good solution. Moreover, this quiver had been used by the Han army for hundreds of years, and no one had ever solved the problem. Cao Cao knew that Cao Zhi would never shoot without arrows, so when he heard his words, he asked excitedly: "Zhi'er, have you thought of a way to solve it?"

  Cao Zhi did not expect Cao Cao's reaction to be so great, and he scratched his head, saying: "This child just has some ideas and hasn't tried whether they are feasible, so I want to ask my father for the leather to go back and experiment."

  Cao Cao burst out laughing and said, "Since you have ideas, just do it in your father's account. If you do well, your father will heavily reward you, even if you don't do well, your father won't blame you."

  Cao Zhi heard this, jumped out of Cao Cao's arms, and bowed his hands towards him: "Your son obeys."