Chapter 5: The Visit of Guo Jia

Guo Jia said: "Oh, do tell me, what new and interesting things do you have?"

Jia Renlu sat upright and said, "Thank you, Sir Xie, for your concern. Thanks to the blessings of Lord Cao, everything is well, and all matters are proceeding smoothly. However, it is just a bit too dull."

Upon arriving in the front hall, he invited Guo Jia to take the main seat. After exchanging pleasantries, Guo Jia said: "Ren Lu, I wonder how you have been lately? If you have any requests, feel free to bring them to me; I will certainly do my best to assist you." He was also aware that Cao Cao intended to harm Jia Ren Lu and was extremely reluctant to see this virtuous monarch captivated by the beauty of Diao Chan. Therefore, he planned to do everything within his power to help this unfortunate Jia Ren Lu, enabling him to turn misfortune into fortune.

Jia Renlu said: "It is just the ordinary life. Last night, I had a dream in which I went to the celestial realm and saw some novel little curiosities in the heavens that served as entertainment. I wonder if you would be interested to know about them?"

In "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," the three elder monks of Shaolin meditated under a pine tree for thirty years for the sake of one of their fellow disciples' eyes. How could one eye be more important than Diao Chan? Now, for Diao Chan, I must meditate for at least three hundred years. It is said that Wu Zixu, after enduring hardships at Zhao Pass, pondered over strategies and, in one night, turned his hair white from worry. I must summon this same spirit; even if it leads to empty sorrow, I must first turn this youthful head white. It is said that Wu Zixu, after enduring hardships at Zhao Pass, pondered over strategies and, in one night, turned his hair white from worry. I must summon this same spirit; even if it leads to empty sorrow, I must first turn this youthful head white. If I truly cannot protect Diao Chan, I must at least preserve my life, letting my hair flow as I ascend the mountain as the 'White-Haired Man,' to denounce the greatest 'Huang Shiren' of the Three Kingdoms—Cao Cao's tyranny. If later generations of playwrights do not forget, they will adapt this classic tale of 'Jia Renlu standing against the evil Cao and plotting against the books' into a popular drama titled 'The White-Haired Man.'

Guo Jia's expression became even more surprised as he asked, "Leisure life?"

Diao Chan was startled by the sudden "waking wood" and stepped forward to touch his forehead, saying: "My lord, please do not scare me again. If you feel unwell, do let me know, and I will go fetch a doctor for you"

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck me, as if a bolt of lightning had crossed my mind. I thought, "It seems there is a door; what was I just thinking about? Monsters? No... a computer? No... Ah, yes, it is boredom! Not just me, but I believe others in this era must also be very bored. Why were the ancient kings so absurd, singing by day and indulging in women by night, engaging in debauchery? This was due to a lack of entertainment options; with no way to pass the time, they spent vast amounts of it on such pursuits. Unlike a thousand years later, when computers, televisions, movies, and the internet provide an overwhelming array of activities; even trying them all would take considerable time, leaving no room to think about such matters.

Diao Chan, upon hearing this, withdrew and shortly returned with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. She placed the paper on the table and was about to go to the side to grind the ink. Jia Renlu said, "Diao Chan, I will grind the ink, and you will write." After saying this, he made way for her, knowing that his calligraphy was exceptional, but he did not wish to witness the scene where Guo Jia, upon seeing his astonishing work, would be so awed that he might spit out his breakfast.

Jia Renlu only spoke about some basic moves, yet even so, Guo Jia remained utterly confused, staring blankly at the chessboard diagram, trying to comprehend it, and was silent for a long while.

Jia Renlu smiled faintly and said, "Of course, I would be more than willing to assist Lord Cao immediately. However, I find this leisure time to be somewhat dull."

Jia Renlu slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Just in time!" He thought to himself, "I can't play the game of killing with borrowed knives, but surely I can manage to lay eggs with borrowed chickens. Guo Jia has arrived at the perfect moment; this person is exceptionally intelligent and should be very interested in these novel things. As long as I make good use of him, who knows, I might not have to spend a single penny and could have him create these things for me."

These items have a simple manufacturing process, with rules that are not complicated, making them perfectly suitable for someone like me who lacks power and money to invent. If managed well, I might even become a giant in the gaming industry akin to that of the Three Kingdoms period. Moreover, during the gaming process, I can interact with others and strengthen relationships, truly achieving multiple benefits at once. Yes! This is it.

Various ideas came rushing in, only to be rejected one by one by him. After meditating for an hour, he couldn't come up with a single decent idea, which led him to think: "Alas, the Three Kingdoms era is truly dull. If only there were World of Warcraft, I wouldn't be here meditating; I would have logged in and played happily long ago. In the past, I could play on the computer for over ten hours a day, but now there's nothing to play, and it feels really miserable! Oh heavens, could you grant me a computer for just one hour? Just one hour, and I would be willing to offer all the dozens of copper coins in my home... In the past, I could play on the computer for over ten hours a day, but now there's nothing to play, and it feels really miserable! Oh heavens, could you grant me a computer for just one hour? Just one hour, and I would be willing to offer all the dozens of copper coins in my home..." Thinking of World of Warcraft, tears, mucus, and saliva flowed simultaneously, resembling a standard addict who hadn't smoked marijuana for three months. Now, even if he were asked to exchange all his money for an hour of computer time, he would agree, even if it meant spending the rest of the time just drinking the northwest wind.

Jia Renlu looked at Guo Jia's bewildered expression, feeling overjoyed, and thought to himself: "This is what it means to have insights accumulated over a thousand years. No matter how mysterious your strategies may be, you are still being completely outwitted by a mere pawn like me"

Jia Renlu said to Diao Chan: "Diao Chan, help me get some paper... in a simple style."

The next day, Jia Renlu instructed Diao Chan to go about her tasks, and he went alone to the back garden, where he found a small tree and sat down beneath it to meditate on Zen.

Jia Renlu was eager to see Guo Jia and had no time to engage in banter with her. He abruptly stood up, disregarding his disheveled appearance and the dust covering him, and strode directly towards the front hall. Diao Chan, fearing that he might act irrationally in front of Guo Da, hurriedly followed him out.

Guo Jia grew increasingly alarmed and said, "This is very similar to the game of Liu Bo, yet it is much more complicated. Quickly tell me how it is played."

Guo Jia said: "This is easy to handle. Leave it to me, and I will definitely find the best materials to prepare it and deliver it to you. When the time comes, please provide specific instructions on how to proceed."

Diao Chan understood his intentions and sat down in his position. Jia Renlu, while grinding ink, instructed Diao Chan to draw the pattern of the chessboard. Once she finished, he said: "My lord, this is the pattern of the chessboard. This game, like Go, is suitable for two players. It is divided into red and blue sides, with a total of thirty-two pieces, each side having sixteen pieces, which include two rooks, two knights, two bishops, two advisors, two cannons, five pawns, and one general." As he spoke, he asked Diao Chan to list the names of each piece beside the pattern.

Jia Renlu smiled faintly, pointing at the diagram, and explained the basic moves of chess one by one. As the saying goes, the knight moves in an L-shape, the elephant moves diagonally, the rook is invincible, able to charge straight ahead, the cannon can only attack over a distance, and the pawn can only advance directly. The old general is the most useless, knowing nothing, only able to hide in the nine palaces, anxiously spinning around, while two young advisors anxiously accompany him, wiping his sweat.

The musket? Even more impractical. Even if I could produce one, it would likely be less effective than a simple fire stick. The greatest nemesis of the musket is cavalry. Looking at the history of warfare in Europe, it took an exceedingly long time for muskets to surpass cavalry. Countless scientists and military strategists devoted their efforts to improvements in manufacturing techniques, tactical theories, and combat methods. After numerous bloody failures and the loss of countless lives, muskets finally emerged as the dominant force, completely eliminating cavalry from the annals of history. Today, the cavalry in the Three Kingdoms can number in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Even with muskets, they would be instantly scattered. The only outcome is: 'Just wait to have your bodies collected!'

I cannot create sophisticated entertainment products like computers and televisions, but I can manage simpler games such as chess, military chess, playing cards, and mahjong. Particularly, mahjong has a long history; even in the era of rapidly evolving electronic products, countless people remain fascinated by it, and it has become a national treasure of our country. If someone were to say on the street, 'I don't know how to play mahjong,' they would likely be looked down upon by those around them. Just look at Uncle Mori from "Detective Conan," who knows nothing but can still engage in banter, yet is captivated by mahjong. This illustrates that this game truly possesses limitless charm.

As he was contemplating how to create these little trinkets, Diao Chan, Nana, and Tingting arrived. Seeing his bizarre behavior and strange expression, she chuckled and said, "Stop being hysterical; Lord Fengxiao has arrived. Hurry up and go greet him." With that, she moved forward to help him tidy up his appearance.

In this era of extreme technological underdevelopment, how can I protect the beautiful woman beside me? Explosives? No, although I know the formula is "one nitrate, two sulfurs, three charcoal," all the chemistry knowledge I had in high school was returned to the teacher after the college entrance examination. Besides, is it so easy to invent explosives? The foremost researcher on explosives was Nobel, who dedicated his entire life to this pursuit. After countless accidents and being blown to a bloody pulp numerous times, he finally invented smokeless powder. Although I am not afraid of being blown to bits, researching this requires funding, and what can I do with just a few copper coins at home? I think I should just forget about it.

Guo Jia observed that he was composed and behaved rationally today, unlike the previous Jia Fu who constantly cursed and spoke vulgarities. He felt a slight curiosity and said, "Oh, Ren Lu intends to take action now"

When Guo Jia returns from his ethereal journey, Jia Renlu remarks: "I find this chess very interesting and would like to make one, so I can play with my wife during our leisure time. However, our family is currently facing financial constraints, making it impossible to fulfill this wish, which is truly regrettable"