Chapter 470: Planning for the Forest Garden
Ganquanzhong Township, the building.

In the early morning of summer, Cao Zhi also woke up to the sound of roosters crowing.

He walked out of the dormitory and stood in the yard. Through the low wall, he could see a flock of white ducks like a wave on the hillside seven or eight miles away.

After watching for a long time, Cao Zhi finally walked out of the courtyard when he saw the ducks coming down the mountain. His companion Dian Man was bringing him a basin of hot water. He said, "Sir, hurry up and wash up. The Grand Marshal may summon us today."

"It's been three days in a row. If you wanted to see him, why would you delay like this?"

While saying this, Cao Zhi still led Dian Man into the courtyard, then took off his crown, washed his hair, combed and re-tied his hair with the help of Dian Man, and put on a new crown.

While washing his hair, Dian Man said, "Yesterday, the Grand Marshal went to Egu, Dongxiang, and did not go south to inspect the counties of Sanfu. I think he should be free today."

"hope so."

Cao Zhi did not hold out much hope, as they were currently staying in the residence as officials sent by Hongnong, not envoys from Cao Cao's side.

When Gan Ning was in charge, he also gave them a layer of disguise.

After Cao Zhi finished washing, it was Dian Man's turn.

Dian Man is about the same age as Cao Zhi, but he develops faster and is at the age when he can eat, drink and exude oil.

Afterwards, Dianman lit the mugwort incense he brought and used it to fumigate the new robes distributed to the two of them.

At this time, officials from the shogunate came to the door, led by Yang Xiu. He came in exhausted and went straight to see Cao Zhi.

The guards were left standing at the gate of the courtyard. As Yang Xiu just stepped into the courtyard, Cao Zhi and Dian Man came out upon hearing the sound. Cao Zhi was stunned when he saw Yang Xiu, and Yang Xiu was also stunned.

As the former chief clerk of the Sikong Mansion, Yang Xiu almost watched the enlightenment and growth of Cao Zhi and other children.

Dian Man was also adopted in the Sikong Mansion since he was young. He received the same education as Cao Zhi and others and lived a collective life.

Yang Xiu coughed twice before asking, "Who is the envoy?"

"It was my uncle Ren Jun who was caught in the rain and cold when he was crossing Tongguan and was unable to pass, so he entrusted me with this important task."

Cao Zhi stepped forward, bowed deeply, and replied in a serious tone: "Is it the Grand Marshal who summoned you?"

"Yes, you two should change your clothes quickly."

After saying this, Yang Xiu turned around and was about to leave, but then stopped to say something else. However, when he thought of his father who committed suicide to die for the emperor, Yang Xiu paused for a moment, then stepped out of the courtyard and got on the carriage.

Cao Zhi and the other man in the courtyard did not dare to delay and immediately changed their clothes, shoes and socks from inside to outside.

The secret letter that was originally hidden in the belt of the brocade robe was also taken out by Cao Zhi and folded into his sleeve.

Then he went out with Dian Man, hanging swords around his waist.

Seeing that there was only one carriage with several knights guarding it, the two men boarded the carriage.

In the carriage, Cao Zhi had a stern face and a serious expression, as if the pressure of the family's survival was on his shoulders.

Seeing Cao Zhi's casual nature, Yang Xiu said, "Don't be nervous. When you meet the Grand Marshal, just answer his questions truthfully. Although the outside world has spread that the Grand Marshal was too harsh in killing Wang Yun's three clans, in fact, not many people were implicated. The Wang family of Qi County was not endangered, and the Wang family of Jinyang was not implicated."

"It was really because the scholars of Taiyuan were arrogant and refused to submit, which caused them to provoke the Grand Marshal, leading to the destruction of the two counties."

Seeing that Cao Zhi had regained some spirit, Yang Xiu said, "The Grand Marshal has a broad mind and a broad mind, so just be at ease."

This was said intentionally, and Cao Zhi also heard the hidden meaning in it. He lowered his head in shame.

The carriage started off, and soon it carried Yang Xiu, Cao Zhi and others to Baie Valley, beside the Hulu Pond.

It was almost noon, the carriage stopped, and Yang Xiu led Cao Zhi and Dian Man to walk closer. From a distance, they could see an artificial pool beside the Hulu Pond, with a curtain erected beside it.

Because it was far away, I could barely see the pool inside the curtain.

When we got closer and pulled up the curtain and went in, we found a dozen people wearing only shorts, playing in the pool.

Black Bear was sitting on a rock by the pool, scrubbing his armpits with sulfur soap. Some other people were also using sulfur soap.

This is something I just figured out recently. For some things, as long as you calm down, you can always quickly connect to the knowledge network and make them easily.

Seeing everyone playing in the water, Yang Xiu went to a high place and undressed himself, wearing shorts and the Jinxian crown. He was afraid that the water would wet the crown, so he took a thin undershirt and wrapped it around his head before he felt at ease to go into the water.

He swam to the vicinity of the black bear and pointed at Cao Zhi and the other two who were at a loss by the water: "Your Majesty, this is the envoy of Cao Mengde, his son Cao Zhi, and Dian Man, the son of Dian Wei of Chenliu. Their chief envoy is Ren Jun, who got sick from the rain and cannot go, so he stayed in Hongnong."

"Well, it's hot in the afternoon, let them play in the water too."

The black bear gave an instruction, stood up, walked into the water, and scrubbed his body.

It is impossible to take a bath in the gourd pond because there are too many geese. After coming back from grazing, they play in the big and small gourd ponds, drinking and spitting water non-stop, as if they were having their stomachs washed.

If the stream had not been large enough to constantly refresh the water in the gourd pond, the foul smell would have long been present.

In order to reduce pollution, male or female geese that have reached adulthood will be recalled and stockpiled as cards.

Anyway, the temperament of the geese determines that the mother goose will not lay eggs even if it eats grass, so it is better to save the grass and let the goslings eat it.

The water resources in Ganquan are no longer able to support the growing flock of geese, and the duck flock is also growing rapidly.

Compared to geese that eat grass, ducks, with their varied diet, have a strategic role to play.

The locust plague in Hebei Province has been rising and falling. If there are signs that the locusts are flying over the Taihang Mountains and spreading to Hedong, then it will be time for the ducks to set out on an expedition to Hedong and Taiyuan.

Even if it is for the food and recuperation of the geese and ducks in winter, Shanglin Garden must be enriched in the future.

In summer and autumn, he would escape the heat in Ganquan and govern the border and Hetao areas nearby; after winter, he would go to Shanglinyuan where the climate was relatively warm.

Only Kanrinyuan could produce enough wood to provide heating for the increasingly large shogunate center.

During the expedition to Shu, the mountains near Ganquan were severely deforested. Although this made it convenient to plant fruit trees in the spring, it would increase the distance and difficulty of cutting firewood the next winter.

Managing and developing Shanglinyuan in advance can make it easier to survive the winter.

Once coal mining and transportation are scaled up, we will be able to get rid of our dependence on forest resources in winter.

This dependence was and is almost the only one; apart from trees and grass bundles, there is really no other fuel.

While the black bear was thinking, Yang Xiu went to the shore to pass on the message.

Yang Xiu shrank into the water, revealing his head wrapped in a crown, and delivered a message to Cao Zhi and Dian Man.

Now Yang Xiu dared not go out of the water casually. Once the wind blew, even at noon, the mountain wind could make him catch a cold.

Cao Zhi and Dian Man had no choice but to take off their clothes except their shorts and jumped into the pool one after another.

Cao Zhi even folded the secret letter and bit it in his mouth, for fear that it would get wet.

Seeing him like this, some people couldn't help but laugh.

(End of this chapter)