The Three Kingdoms: The entire Cao Cao camp thought I was weak and frail.

Xun Hao's heart leaped into his throat.

He forgot that the guy in front of him was not only a strategic genius, but also a polymath with a great deal of knowledge about mechanical arts!

"I..." Xun Hao was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to explain.

Guo Jia looked at his nervous expression and suddenly smiled.

He leaned close to Xun Hao's ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

He paused, then added, "However, your design has a flaw."

He picked up a pen and made a few corrections on the drawing.

"Look, move this latch from here to here. Then add a reverse braking device. This way, the entrance can only be opened from the inside. Even if someone outside finds the mechanism, they'll be helpless."

Xun Hao stared at the revised blueprints, his eyes widening.

Guo Jia's few modifications, though seemingly simple, instantly raised the security of this secret room by several levels.

"Brother Fengxiao, you..."

"What do you mean, 'me'?" Guo Jia straightened up, looking smug. "Don't forget, your brother Fengxiao has read just as many 'miscellaneous books' as you."

He patted Xun Hao on the shoulder and lowered his voice: "Well done. However, having a 'cave' isn't enough; you also need 'dogs' to guard it."

Xun Hao's heart stirred.

He knew that when Guo Jia spoke of "dogs," he meant force.

"Brother Fengxiao, what do you mean...?"

Guo Jia didn't answer directly. He simply shook the wine jug in his hand, keeping everyone in suspense: "Come on, let's have a drink. I'm in a good mood today, so I can teach you a few more things for free."

Looking at his mysterious expression, Xun Hao knew that what he was about to say was the key point of the day.

He immediately put down what he was doing and followed Guo Jia out of the courtyard.

Instead of going to their usual spot by the stream, the two went straight back to the Xun residence.

Guo Jia easily found his way to the Xun family's wine cellar, picked out a jar of the best Dukang wine, and then pulled Xun Hao up to the highest pavilion in the backyard of the Xun residence.

This pavilion is the highest point in the Xun residence. Standing on it, one can overlook most of Yingchuan City.

The winter wind stung people's cheeks. Guo Jia, however, paid no heed. He sat down on the ground, broke the mud seal, poured himself a large bowl, and poured Xun Hao a small cup.

"Come on, have a drink with me."

Xun Hao is no longer the sickly teetotaler he once was. Through training and "recharging," his body has become much stronger, and he can now drink a little alcohol occasionally without any problems.

He picked up his glass and took a small sip. The spicy liquor slid down his throat, bringing a warm sensation.

"Brother Fengxiao, you just said that having a 'cave' isn't enough; you also need 'dogs.' What do you mean by that?" Xun Hao put down his wine cup and asked bluntly.

Guo Jia took a big gulp of wine, exhaled a puff of white breath, and stared somewhat unfocusedly at the rows of houses in the distance.

Xun Hao's heart skipped a beat: "Making the 'cave' harder means...reinforcing the city's defenses?"

"You're a promising young man." Guo Jia nodded approvingly. "The city walls of Yingchuan were built by the previous dynasty and have long been in disrepair. The city gates are not sturdy enough, and the moat is silted up. If we don't repair these things now, it will be too late to cry when the army besieges the city."

"However, repairing the city defenses is extremely costly, and it's not something my Xun family can decide on our own. It requires an order from the Prefect's Office," Xun Hao said, frowning.

"The Prefect?" Guo Jia curled his lip in disdain. "Relying on that idiot who only knows how to exploit the people? You might as well expect a sow to fly. This matter doesn't need to go through the government."

"Without going through the government?"

"That's right." A sly glint flashed in Guo Jia's eyes. "Under the guise of 'charity,' use money for 'work relief' to recruit idle men in the city and starving refugees outside to dredge the moat and reinforce the city walls. This solves the refugees' food problem, stabilizes public sentiment, and secretly improves the city's defenses. As for the prefect, you can use some money to shut him up. He gets paid and gains a reputation for 'loving the people like his own children.' Why not?"

Xun Hao was dumbfounded.

He had to admit that Guo Jia was a genius when it came to scheming and taking shortcuts.

This "work-for-relief" method is ingenious, achieving three goals at once.

"Then... what about the 'vicious dog'?" Xun Hao pressed.

“‘Vicious dogs’ are, of course, people.” Guo Jia put down his wine bowl and began to draw on the ground. “Isn’t your family recruiting guards now? Recruiting only three hundred people is too few. At least, expand by another thousand. Moreover, they can’t be called ‘guards,’ they should be called ‘local militia’ or ‘volunteer troops.’ In name, they are assisting the government in protecting the borders and the people. In reality, they are your Xun family’s own private army.”

"A thousand men?" Xun Hao gasped. "Wouldn't that be too conspicuous? The imperial court has explicitly prohibited powerful families from privately maintaining large armies."

"That's why you're so stubborn," Guo Jia rolled his eyes at him. "Who told you to put a thousand men in the open? Three hundred will be guards for your caravan, constantly out on the move. Three hundred will be 'local militia,' stationed in the city for daily patrols. The remaining four hundred will be scattered, mixed among the refugees building the city walls—civilians in peacetime, soldiers in wartime. That way, who can find fault with you?"

Xun Hao was completely convinced. Even my family's caravan knew that they had secretly left the city.

He felt that his own "three burrows for a cunning rabbit" strategy was nothing compared to Guo Jia's, it was like children playing house.

The seemingly lazy and unruly young man in front of you has an entire arsenal hidden in his heart.

"Brother Fengxiao," Xun Hao said sincerely, looking at Guo Jia, "a single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study."

"Stop flattering me." Guo Jia waved his hand, took another swig of wine, and said, "I'm not working for free. You have to give me something in return."

What do you want?

Guo Jia's gaze fell on a jade pendant hanging at Xun Hao's waist. It was a piece of fine Hetian warm jade, carved with a double fish pattern, a gift from Xun Hao's mother.

"That's it," Guo Jia pointed.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xun Hao took off his jade pendant and handed it over.

"for you."

Guo Jia took the jade pendant, played with it in his hand for a moment, and found it smooth and warm to the touch. He looked at Xun Hao and suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

"Ahem... I was just joking, you actually gave it to me." He stuffed the jade pendant back into Xun Hao's hand. "A gentleman does not take what others cherish. This jade pendant is clearly something you love, I cannot accept it."

"I'm not joking," Xun Hao insisted. "Brother Fengxiao, this jade pendant is worthless compared to what you taught me."

He forcefully stuffed the jade pendant into Guo Jia's arms.

Guo Jia held the jade pendant, which still retained the warmth of the boy's body, and suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling.