Chapter 9 The Canals
Chapter 9: The Canal
"Luo Baiyue wants to contact me?” Gu-Chensha, unsurprised, opened the letter and there were just four words on it, "Canal Wharf”
It was inscribed with the word "Lou" and a shallow curved moon.
No doubt, this is Luo Baiyue.
Meet Gu-Chensha at the Canal Wharf.
"Let’s go, out of the palace, to the canal docks.” Gu-Chensha handed the letter to Little Yizi and said: "Take it and burn it, this kind of letter is evidence to Jingle up, don’t leave anything to chance.”
"Yes.”
There is no more prosperous place in the Great Yong Dynasty than the capital city.
The Great Yong Dynasty is the most prosperous place in the capital city than the canal docks.
The Great Skyseal Emperor’s first achievement was to "dig a canal to connect the four directions", and in the fourteenth year of his reign, he started this great project. The Great Skyseal Emperor, in the 14th year of his reign, started this great project and completed it in just ten years.
There was an ancient emperor who used countless human and material resources to open the North-South Canal for 30 years, which led to the people’s discontent and the world’s rebellion, and finally his country was killed.
But the Great Skyseal Emperor was different, as soon as he ascended to the throne, he opened the canal, but instead, he pulled the people’s strength, so that the starving people had food to eat and were paid, so that they would not make trouble, and in the process of digging the canal, if they encountered a big mountain blocking the way, often within a few days, that big mountain disappeared without a trace.
A river that is difficult to open is cut open in one night by a great power, cutting land into rivers.
Numerous folk called it a miracle, and over the years, it became known that the Great Skyseal Emperor was destined for heaven, and that ghosts and spirits were secretly transporting power to the Emperor’s disposal.
With the excavation of the canal, the Great Skyseal Emperor’s throne becomes more and more secure, and eventually the people’s will is unshakable.
Originally, the Great Skyseal Emperor was an illegitimate son of a wandering folk who had been slaughtered and crowned, but his position was unstable and his court was in turmoil.
And the opening of the Four Directions Canal, eliminating countless floods and droughts, ten thousand people’s droughts and floods, the Four Directions supplies can be continuously transported to the capital, making merchants prosperous, and even more living people.
Gu-Chensha stood on the dock and watched the ships coming and going with great emotion.
It can be said that none of the past emperors have ever been able to match today.
The canal is thousands of feet wide, and at a glance, the smoke is vast, and the water is even a hundred feet deep, so boats can pass through no matter how deep the draught. It was not at all the kind of small river, nor could it be done by manpower.
On top of the canal, there were ships everywhere, small canopied boats, and even larger ships with five teeth, in addition to the great angry whale ships with extremely deep draught, which were the Imperial court sailors, and were as imposing as ever.
Of course, the most striking is the Imperial court’s latest development of iron flywheel. That ship is not big, wrapped in iron armor, the bottom for the wheel, driven by fire steam, spinning, fast as an arrow, day travel a thousand miles is no problem.
This was the vessel that the Imperial court used to transmit the residence reports and memorials, which could be passed along the canal to the provinces.
With the canals, the Imperial court’s control over places was much stronger.
Numerous novelties are transported from all over the country to the capital and unloaded on the docks, which are well organized and extremely orderly.
The docks used to be dirty and perennially held by gangs.
the Skyseal decade, the Imperial court issued a decree to outlaw private gangs, a large number of evil gang leaders’ heads fell to the ground, a moment of great joy, the common people have praised the current emperor as an ancient emperor.
"Newspapers, newspapers, today’s newspapers, the Imperial court issued another proclamation, strictly prohibiting the common people from gold and silver transactions, goods are all to be bought settled in paper money, and if there is disobedience, confiscate the family and go to jail.” Many newspaper boys waved their papers and shouted.
"This world is indeed well governed.”
Gu-Chensha thought to himself that although she had little affection for the Emperor, she admired his way of governing the country.
The royal family has no flesh and blood, every prince is held away from his mother at birth, and is taken care of by a large group of housekeepers, court maids, sisters, and eunuchs, and when he grows up a little, he lives by himself, studies and martial arts, and brothers are suspicious of each other and guard against each other, and can never be friends.
A small family’s father’s kindness and filial piety, with brotherly harmony, this is what the royal family will never have.
The royal family ruled the world with "brotherly love and filial piety", but the royal family did not have "brotherly love and filial piety". It’s ironic.
But this can’t be helped, the imperial throne is so important, and the sacred weapons of the gods and goddesses of earth and grain are in their hands, holding the power of life and death of the subjects under the world, for the sake of this kinship must be put down.
"There’s no family love if there’s a country throne to fight for.” Gu-Chensha sighed slightly in his heart.
"Master, that letter only says it’s at the canal wharf, there’s no time for anything, are we just going to wait here foolishly?” Little Yizi asked.
"You underestimate the Lou family, I’m afraid I’m just out of the palace and my whereabouts will be watched, so people will naturally come to see me.” Gu-Chensha, however, sees through it.
Sure enough, before long standing, a boat came in on the wind and waves, docked on the side of the pier, and up came a man, who came up to him and asked for permission and said: "Nineteenth Master, come with me in the little boat, my master’s big boat is in the river, and is ready for a feast.”
"Lead the way.” Gu-Chensha knew it was the Lou family’s servant, and stepped on the warped board to get into the boat, Little Yizi following herself.
The boat suddenly flew away like an arrow and reached the center of the river in a short time.
The servant steered the boat smoothly and carried the oars as if flying, but did not stir up the slightest splash, and used his secret strength. This servant steered the boat smoothly, without stirring up the water, and used underhand strength. I’m afraid it’s even better than Little Yizi who has taken "the Tiger Wolf Pill".
The Lou family has such a power for a small servant, no wonder they can hold the government and stand unchanged.
A large building ship appeared in the center of the river.
This building ship is ebony black, actually wrapped in black iron, sturdy and durable, more capable of fighting on water.
From the small boat to board the big boat, but inside is a different atmosphere, carved fences, jade building, painting red porcelain gold, fragrance, surrounded by a large glass inlaid, you can enjoy the scenery, the breeze, the river boat, can be said to be a rare pleasure.
The big boat has four floors, the first floor is where the master lives, the second floor is the maidservant, the third floor is the kitchen, and below that is where the sailors who sail the boat live.
The ship is also powered by a flywheel, which runs with mechanical force, and walks through the water as if it was flying.
The so-called flywheel is a mechanism made by the Tiangong Institution, which is driven by burning kerosene and using the force of hot steam expansion. It is a revolution that has never been seen before.
The ship is like a black tiger lying on the river, it can house hundreds of people and store enough food to sustain them for ten days and half a month.
The people on the ship are all strong and forceful, even the women are agile and precise, like an army.
"The Lou family has achieved great success in war, and all of them use the military to govern the family in the residence, such a rule leads to the taste of prosperity.” Gu-Chensha’s mind figured that he had studied hard in all kinds of books and had recently become enlightened and wise, so he could make a big difference with a small one.
"You are all dismissed.”
The voices were heard, the slaves retreated, and the man who had brought the boat on board said to Little Yizi and said: "Eunuch, please come downstairs with me, there is wine and rice prepared downstairs.”
Little Yizi saw Gu-Chensha nod and followed.
There are just two people left on the upper deck of this building ship, a man and a woman.
The female is naturally Luo Baiyue.
She has her back to Gu-Chensha, wearing a pale blue cloak, and seems to have the air of a deep sea.
"The Skyseal dynasty, open east-west and north-south canals, through the rivers of east and west, the emperor ordered as the Yangtze River, while the north-south river is named the Heavenly River.”
Luo Baiyue’s voice was steady and said: "For this reason, the emperor also wrote astonishing words on the day the canal was opened.”
"The rolling Yangtze River eastward drains away all the heroes, the waves wash away all the heroes, the successes and failures turn their heads empty, the green hills are still there, the sunset is red for a few times. The white-haired fisherman and woodcutter on the riverside, accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze, a pot of cloudy wine happy to meet each other, how many things in ancient and modern times, all paid in laughter?”
She reads the words slowly, a cool sense of history coming through.
The Great Skyseal Emperor made this lyric, which has spread throughout the world and made the literati bow their heads.
Gu-Chensha also loved the lyric’s pale weight and often played with it in secret.
But right now he doesn’t know what Luo Baiyue means, so he just listens quietly and waits for her to finish reciting it. He smiled foolishly and said: "I’ve never studied hard, I can’t talk about poetry, what do you want from me today?”
"Gu-Chensha.” Luo Baiyue turned around, his figure seemed taller than it had been a few months ago, his temperament had changed out of shape, and his cultivation seemed to have become great and said: "Though you pretend to be a fool at every turn, you can’t hide it from anyone with a heart, you’re not a fool, and a true fool would not live to see today.”
"What do you want?” Gu-Chensha immediately looked suspicious and rather panicked, and rickety, this was a biding technique he had practiced for so many years, how could he be easily provoked and reveal his true form?
"I’m sure you already know that I’m befriending you by the Emperor’s order. What do you think?” Luo Baiyue speaks casually, as if this marital event has nothing to do with himself, talking beside the others.
"No, no, no...” Gu-Chensha waved his hands repeatedly and backed away, even more frightened, as if she had encountered a snake and scorpion, even though she had received the news earlier, but she didn’t know what drugs Luo Baiyue was selling, and it wasn’t impossible if she set a trap against herself.
A few years back, this woman let other princes beat herself up, not a good person.
"Although it is the emperor’s order, but today is a private meeting, there is no need to be formal, besides, you are a prince and I am a courtier, if this kind of gesture is spread out, I am afraid that the imperial historian will impeach me for my lack of courteousness.” Luo Baiyue waved his hand, and his tone was just a bit condescending.
According to the rules, Gu-Chensha is the prince, and this gesture by Luo Baiyue is highly disrespectful.
But Luo Baiyue is arrogant, even to other princes she was once sued for not being courteous to the prince, but instead of being reprimanded she was praised by the Great Skyseal Emperor, who said, "This woman is pride of the Emperor and has the grace of the ancients.”
This shows how much she is favored by the Emperor.
"What is Imperial Father’s command?” Gu-Chensha asked, acting cautious and nasty despite the stunt.
"You’re really annoying like that.” Luo Baiyue’s face darkened and said: "Although I, Luo Baiyue, despise the men of the world, but the current Sovereign is ambitious, suppressing evil spirits, destroying demons, helping the heavens, and pacifying the country, and even making the women of the world have a day to shine, sweeping away a thousand years of decay, no matter how unambitious you are, you should have set to inherit the Emperor’s bloodline.”
Gu-Chensha is just demented and said: "What are you talking about?”
"I met with you today to ask you a main question.” Luo Baiyue’s eyes peered down from above and said: "Do you have any ambition to make a name for yourself in the future or not?”
"Stand out?” Gu-Chensha took two steps back again and said: "What do I need to get ahead now that I’m a prince, a golden branch, a dragon and a phoenix (Emperorship and Empressship) what do I need them for?”
"You, the prince, are not living as well as a rich commoner, even if it’s a countryside honest family, all slaves’ dozens of servants, go out carriages and horses, gold and jade, food to eat, clothes to wear. And you are terrified, pretending to be mad, biding your time, even if you are alive you are a wimp, don’t you want all change?” Luo Baiyue’s eyes are staring intently, to see through something.
Gu-Chensha shook his head repeatedly and said: "It’s fine right now, I don’t want to change.”