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

Xun Hao was certainly no saint. These official positions, which others regarded as treasures, were, in his eyes, nothing more than a few useless tickets on a sinking ship.

With the Han dynasty on the verge of collapse, who could these officials in the prefectures protect?

The Xun family took the lead in donating grain, and although other aristocratic families were unwilling, they could only grit their teeth and follow suit. In a short time, the granaries of the prefect's mansion were quickly filled.

"Work-for-Relief" notices were posted all over the streets and alleys of Yingchuan City. When the refugees outside the city heard that there was work to be done and that they would be provided with enough food, they flocked to the recruitment points.

Long queues formed in front of the porridge distribution tent. The steaming hot porridge dispelled the cold and warmed people's hearts.

The able-bodied men were organized and, under the leadership of the Xun family steward, chanted work songs as they repaired the city walls and houses damaged by the war.

The entire Yingchuan area has transformed from its former lifeless state into a vibrant and bustling scene.

Meanwhile, Xun Hao, the mastermind behind all of this, was enjoying the most "leisurely" days he had experienced since his transmigration.

He spent his days in his warm courtyard, reading books, playing chess, and occasionally listening to reports from Xun Yu or Guo Jia about the progress of disaster relief.

Guo Jia practically lived in his courtyard.

In his words, since he was only one person to feed and his whole family wasn't hungry, he might as well come to the Xun family's house and chat with his friends.

Inside the city, people's lives gradually returned to normal. On the streets and alleys, the most talked-about topics were no longer the soaring rice prices or which family had run out of food, but this sudden "benevolent rule".

"Have you heard? We survived this time entirely thanks to the governor's mercy!"

"What prefect? ​​My neighbor's second son works outside the city. He heard from the Xun family's steward that the prefect's granary has been empty for a long time. It was the Xun family that took the lead and brought out all their stored grain!"

"Which Xun family?"

"Who else could it be? It's the Xun family that produced eight dragons! That's the real family of charity."

Rumors sometimes spread faster and are more popular than official announcements.

Xun Hao never intended to be a saint who did good deeds anonymously. He knew that in this chaotic world, strength was the foundation, while reputation was a powerful tool that could amplify that foundation infinitely.

He simply had the stewards casually "mention" a few things while distributing the porridge, leaving the rest to the people to imagine and spread.

Xun Yu took this opportunity to gather many talented people.

With nothing to do, Xun Hao decided to visit the estate. Just as he stepped out, he ran into Guo Jia, who was there to check in regularly.

"Going out?"

"My brother said in his letter yesterday that he recruited many people from among the refugees, including some very talented craftsmen, and settled them in the manor outside the city." Xun Hao waited patiently for the person he was looking for, and the corners of his mouth curved up without making a sound.

"Oh? Is Wenruo planning to open a craft workshop?" Guo Jia joked.

"Just tell me if you're going or not?" Having gone through life and death together, Xun Hao spoke more freely.

"Alright, if you want to go, I'll go with you." Guo Jia readily agreed, and pulled the person closer to him. "It's windy outside, wear another layer."

The road to the village on the outskirts of the city was not smooth; after the snow melted, the road became muddy and impassable. The carriage came to a depression, where the wheels sank deep and could not move.

"Young master, the road is difficult to travel. You and Mr. Guo should get out of the carriage first, and we will push it out," the driver called from outside.

Guo Jia reached out and helped Xun Hao down from the carriage, complaining, "I told you this road was difficult, but you insisted on coming. Now look what's happened, you're covered in mud, and Wenruo will nag you when we get back."

Xun Hao winked at him, "I brought clothes. If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, my brother won't know."

Hearing the commotion, the tenants and vagrants of the village rushed out of their houses. Most just stood there watching, bewildered. Only one man, without a word, picked up a sturdy door panel from under the nearby wooden shed, walked to the wheel of the cart, braced it against the axle with his shoulder, and shouted to the driver, "Drive! I'll put this under you!"

He deftly shoved the door panel into the mud pit under the wheel, and with the neighing of the horse and the shouts of the driver, the deeply stuck wheel actually slowly came out of the mud with his help.

The whole process was swift and efficient, without a single wasted word.

Xun Hao's gaze, however, lingered on the door panel used as a stepping stone. The man had used skill, not brute force; the angle and timing of the door panel insertion were perfect, minimizing damage to the wheel. This man was clever.

After the carriage was pushed out, the man patted the mud off his hands and turned to leave.

"Brave warrior, please wait." Xun Hao called out to him.

The man turned around, his weathered face expressionless, but his eyes were steady. He cupped his hands in greeting to Xun Hao and Guo Jia, and said in a deep voice, "It was nothing, young masters, you needn't be so polite."

"May I ask your esteemed name, sir?" Xun Hao asked.

"Ma Heng".

His surname is Ma, but I don't know his relationship with Ma Jun.

"I wonder if this valiant man is skilled in carpentry?"

Upon hearing this, a slight ripple finally appeared on Ma Heng's usually impassive face. He raised his eyes and carefully examined the seemingly frail young man before him.

He initially thought it was just a polite remark from a scion of a prominent family, but the other person's eyes were clear and focused, not like he was joking.

"I know a little bit." Ma Heng's reply was still brief, but it carried a hint of seriousness compared to before.

"I came across an ancient book that describes a rather ingenious mortise and tenon structure called the 'Luban Lock.' It consists of six wooden strips that can interlock without nails or glue, fitting together perfectly. However, the diagrams are very complex, and even after studying them for a long time, I still haven't been able to fully understand them." As he spoke, he broke off a tree branch and used it to draw the breakdown diagram of the Luban Lock on the ground.

Ma Heng's gaze was immediately drawn to the pattern on the ground. He only glanced at it, but his eyes changed. It was the focus and fascination that only a craftsman would have when he sees a masterpiece.

"Young master, may I... take a closer look?" His voice was filled with excitement.

"nature."

Ma Heng squatted on the ground, gesturing vaguely with his fingers over the six intersecting wooden strips, muttering to himself, sometimes frowning, sometimes lost in thought. The surrounding noise seemed irrelevant to him; in his world, only those six intersecting wooden strips remained.

Guo Jia clicked his tongue in amazement. He leaned close to Xun Hao's ear and whispered, "This person is probably related to the Mohist school."

"Isn't that like finding a treasure?" Xun Hao's lips curled into a slight smile.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Ma Heng let out a long breath and stood up from the ground.

"Young master, the ingenuity of this design is unparalleled in my life. The six wooden strips, seemingly simple, subtly embody the principles of yin and yang complementing each other, and mutual generation and restraint. The dimensions of every groove and tenon must be precise, otherwise they will not fit together. This... I can make it."