"General,I am Lin Yu,the one you sent for,"Lin Yu replied,surprise etched on his face.
"Are you Lin Yu?"Cao Hong couldn't help but be startled.When they last met,Lin Yu had been clad in tattered rags,with the appearance of a beggar.But today,having tidied himself up,he presented a handsome visage.His scholarly attire enhanced his charm,making him resemble a dashing and talented gentleman of great grace.The only slight blemish was his somewhat short hair.In ancient times,appearance did matter,as was evident from how the short and homely Pang Tong was initially spurned by Sun Quan.Cao Hong's previous discourtesy towards Lin Yu had partly stemmed from his looks.
Upon beholding Lin Yu's true appearance,Cao Hong's manner became notably more deferential."Mr.Lin,please,take a seat."
After Lin Yu sat down,he inquired with a gentle smile,"I wonder,General,why you have summoned me today?"
Cao Hong hesitated briefly before asking,"I was wondering if Mr.Lin has become accustomed to life in the camp?"
"Certainly,I am quite at ease here!"Lin Yu nodded with a smile.These past few days,he had either been practicing martial arts with Dian Wei or resting in his tent,leaving the task of safeguarding the provisions entirely to Dian Wei.It had been a rather relaxing time.
"I'm glad to hear that.If Mr.Lin has any requirements,do not hesitate to inform me,"Cao Hong said,also smiling.
"General,you didn't call me here just to express concern,did you?Let's get to the heart of the matter,"Lin Yu said,discerning Cao Hong's lack of sincerity and deciding to be direct.
"Mr.Lin is truly perceptive;nothing escapes your scrutiny,"Cao Hong remarked with a touch of surprise.
Lin Yu,however,pursed his lips,thinking to himself that as the saying goes,"No news is good news,"and"When the weasel goes to pay respects to the chicken,it's with no good intentions."A few days prior,Cao Hong had been indifferent to him,yet today he had summoned him and shown concern.Clearly,he had an ulterior motive.
"The matter is this,"Cao Hong composed himself and began speaking slowly."Didn't Mr.Lin recently suggest to Lord Cao the establishment of the position of'Gold Digger Commander'?"
"Yes.Hasn't Lord Cao already implemented it and achieved remarkable success?"Lin Yu replied with a smile.
"How did you come to know this,Mr.Lin?"Cao Hong looked at Lin Yu in astonishment.
Lin Yu remained calm and casually picked up the teacup on the table,taking a leisurely sip.The day after he joined Cao's camp,the recruitment of refugees had ceased,but recently it had resumed vigorously.Moreover,the soldiers in the camp now had many fine armors and weapons.Where else could Cao Cao have obtained the military funds if not from successful tomb-raiding?
"Mr.Lin is truly brilliant;nothing eludes you!"Cao Hong was thoroughly impressed by Lin Yu.After a sigh of admiration,he continued,"As you said,Lord Cao has acquired a substantial sum of money and entrusted it to me.I'm responsible for purchasing provisions and armor.However,the amount is vast,and the quantity of supplies to be purchased is enormous,making the logistics an extremely thorny issue.The men under my command are all rather rough-hewn and uneducated,and the accounts have been in disarray these past few days.Hence,I would like to request your assistance,Mr.Lin!"
"I thought it was something serious.This is but a trifle,hardly worth mentioning,"Lin Yu said with an air of nonchalance.
Hearing this,Cao Hong was overjoyed."Mr.Lin,are you willing to help me?"
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"Of course,"Lin Yu nodded with a smile.To make a mark under Cao Cao,it was essential to maintain good relations with senior generals like Cao Hong and Xiahou Yuan.
"Wonderful!Bring in the accounts!"Cao Hong ordered,and soldiers outside the tent carried in baskets filled with bamboo slips.
Seeing the mountain of bamboo slips,Lin Yu was taken aback by the sheer volume.It seemed that sorting out the logistics accounts would take at least three to five days.
Lin Yu stepped forward and randomly picked up a bamboo slip."On the morning of the third day,319 shi of grain were consumed,and in the afternoon,1200 shi of grain were purchased…"After a moment of reflection,an idea dawned on him."I have a method that can resolve the accounting problem once and for all."
"Please,Mr.Lin,do tell!"Cao Hong looked at Lin Yu expectantly.
"This old-fashioned bookkeeping method is far too complex and chaotic,not conducive to statistical analysis,"Lin Yu said,pointing at the content of the bamboo slips with confidence."From now on,the accounts will be divided into two ledgers.One will record the consumption of supplies,and the other will record the storage of supplies.In this way,when it comes time to reconcile the accounts in the future,simply subtract the amount of consumed supplies to determine the remaining amount,and then compare it with the quantity of supplies in the warehouse to check for any discrepancies."
Cao Hong's eyes brightened!Recently,having been put in charge of logistics and supplies by Cao Cao,he had some experience in this area.He immediately grasped the ingenuity of Lin Yu's accounting method.Separating income and expenses made the accounts far clearer and less muddled!
"Furthermore,General,you can use new numerical symbols for bookkeeping,"Lin Yu said with a smile.
"What are these new numerical symbols?"Cao Hong asked with curiosity.
Lin Yu casually picked up a stick,crouched down,and drew on the ground."This is 1,this is 2,this is 3…"He demonstrated all the numbers from 1 to 0 to Cao Hong and also explained the methods of addition and subtraction.
Cao Hong furrowed his brow in thought for a moment,then suddenly his eyes widened!Compared to the previous method of using myriads,thousands,and tens for bookkeeping,these new numerical symbols were clear at a glance and much simpler!Most importantly,they were easy to understand,and even illiterate soldiers could master them after a few attempts!With the accounting method Lin Yu had proposed earlier,Cao Hong would no longer have to worry about the logistics accounts.
"Mr.Lin,you are truly talented.Thank you ever so much!"Cao Hong grasped Lin Yu's hand,his excitement palpable.He hadn't expected that Lin Yu's simple plan could so effortlessly solve the problem that had been plaguing him.He was grateful that he hadn't been overly rude to him in the past.
"General,you are too kind.I am your subordinate,and this is all part of my duty,"Lin Yu said,waving his hand with a smile.
Without delay,Cao Hong immediately selected several intelligent soldiers and taught them the new accounting method and numerical symbols,putting them in charge of handling the accounts.Meanwhile,he personally hosted a banquet in honor of Lin Yu.
…
A few days later.
Cao Cao was in the central military camp,perusing a letter in his hand.After a while,he looked up at Xiahou Dun,Yue Jin,and the others."Yuan Shao has contacted the troops from all towns,and they will convene at Suan Zao to discuss the matter of dealing with Dong Zhuo.Time is of the essence,and our army must set out immediately.Does anyone have any objections?"
"We have no objections,"the generals replied in unison.
"That's good,"Cao Cao nodded with satisfaction and then turned to Cao Hong."General Zilin,what is the current situation with our logistics and supplies?"
As soon as he said this,the expressions on the faces of those present showed a hint of sympathy.Cao Hong,who had been responsible for the logistics,was known to struggle with the complexity of managing the supplies.However,today,he stood with a newfound confidence.
"Lord Cao,thanks to Mr.Lin's innovative accounting methods,our logistics are in order as never before,"Cao Hong reported with a smile."The supplies are well-managed,and the accounts are clear and accurate.We are fully prepared for the campaign ahead."
Cao Cao's eyes widened in surprise.He had expected the usual disarray in the logistics report,but Cao Hong's response was a breath of fresh air."Mr.Lin,it seems you have not only managed to tame the accounts but also to inspire efficiency in our logistics,"he remarked,looking at Lin Yu with newfound respect.
Lin Yu bowed slightly,acknowledging the compliment."It is my honor to serve and contribute to our cause,Lord Cao."
With the logistics in order and the army prepared,Cao Cao felt a surge of optimism."Then let us march,gentlemen,and meet this challenge head-on,"he declared,his voice filled with determination.
The generals roared in agreement,their spirits high as they prepared to face the trials ahead,confident in their readiness and united under Cao Cao's leadership.