Today’s survey was conducted on the upper reaches of the Yuan River, just two miles upstream from the Da Du Dam.
Chu Chengji and Cen Daoxi rode their horses up the mountain path until they reached a high cliff, where they stopped.
In the transit area of the Yuan River, both sides of the river were rugged, with exposed rock layers and steep cliffs. The rushing river water below roared loudly.
Unlike other mountains where paths could be found to ascend, the Da Du Mountains were surrounded by the river on all sides, with no paths up.
The Da Du Mountains resembled a giant island in the river, forcibly dividing the water of the Yuan River into two branches.
After the two branches of river water circled around the Da Du Mountains in a horseshoe shape, they converged again in the downstream main river channel.
The branch of the river on the left side bordered Yunzhou and had a dam called Yu Zhou Dam for irrigation purposes.
The branch on the right side belonged to Qingzhou, stretching from north to south, extending to the downstream main channel of the Yuan River.
Due to frequent flooding during the rainy season and water shortages during the dry season, the Da Du Dam was built in the Qingzhou area of the downstream main channel of the Yuan River.
The Da Du Mountains were located at the junction of Qingzhou and Yunzhou, not under the jurisdiction of either province.
This was also why the Qi Yun Stronghold was able to gain momentum in the Da Du Mountains in a short period of time.
After all, neither provincial government wanted to deal with bandits outside their jurisdiction.
Cen Daoxi brought Chu Chengji to this cliff, where they could see the course of the Da Du Dam and the Yuan River basin below.
He dismounted and pointed to the Da Du Dam, saying, “I have investigated the historical records of Qingzhou regarding the Da Du Dam.
The reservoir, covering an area of one hundred thousand acres, can supply water for the entire Qingzhou’s farmland even during severe droughts.
The Yu Zhou Dam in Yunzhou has a water storage capacity comparable to that of the Da Du Dam.”
Below the cliff was a vast expanse of blue water.
Thanks to the reservoir of the Da Du Dam, the southern region of Qingzhou never feared droughts in the summer, and Meng County, relying on the grain harvest from the Jianghuai region, earned the reputation of being the southern granary.
Chu Chengji gazed at the water in silence.
Cen Daoxi couldn’t quite figure out the thoughts of this young prince.
Thinking about what he was about to say next, he glanced at Chu Chengji’s stern profile and suppressed the inexplicable fear rising in his heart, saying calmly, “However, in recent years, a lot of silt has accumulated in the riverbed of the lower reaches of the Yuan River, causing the riverbed to rise. This has led to flooding of farmland and houses every time there is heavy rain.”
“Now that Meng County has fallen into Your Highness’s hands, the court has lost control of the Jianghuai grain warehouse.
With Li Xin’s methods, rather than letting Your Highness take over this lucrative resource, they would probably prefer to destroy it.” Cen Daoxi paused slightly here, observing Chu Chengji’s reaction.
Chu Chengji only said, “Go on.”
Although he hadn’t expressed his stance yet, Cen Daoxi felt that he seemed to have already grasped what he wanted to say.
Besides surprise, there was also a hint of excitement at meeting a wise adviser in his heart.
“If the court orders the release of water from the Yu Zhou Dam, the water and silt stored in the Yunzhou river basin will rush into the lower reaches of the Yuan River.
Blocked by the Da Du Dam, the silt will accumulate in the reservoir of the Da Du Dam, raising the riverbed, and the river water will overflow the Da Du Dam and enter the main channel of the river.
At that time, I’m afraid the entire Qingzhou and the downstream Meng County will suffer.”
The difference between a dam and a weir is that a weir can hold back water within a certain water level range.
If the water level exceeds this range, it will overflow the embankment without damaging it.
A dam, on the other hand, can only store water.
To let floodwaters pass a dam, the embankment must be breached.
The rainy season of this year has passed, and the reservoir of the Da Du Dam is already full.
If the water from the entire Yu Zhou Dam rushes in, the Da Du Dam will not be able to contain it.
The excess water will flood the banks of the river, inundating the nearby provincial capitals.
This speculation was too terrifying.
After all, if the court really took such a ridiculous action, it would be condemned by the world and hated for eternity.
Therefore, Cen Daoxi kept his mouth shut and didn’t explicitly state it.
But his worries were not unfounded.
If the court could make a big deal out of the reputation of a woman, when it came to a desperate situation, who could guarantee that they wouldn’t resort to such extreme measures when seeing Chu Chengji’s power growing day by day?
If several major provincial capitals were flooded, Li Xin’s name would be tarnished forever.
However, someone had to record this historical fact for future generations to know.
If Li Xin ultimately triumphed, how it would be recorded in history would depend entirely on the Li Dynasty’s manipulation.
It was uncertain whether this historical fact would even exist.
He was just a small strategist who had yet to achieve much since joining.
To say such nonsense, if it were heard by other powerful lords, they would be furious and frightened by the crisis he mentioned.
But Chu Chengji’s calmness was beyond expectations.
He turned to Cen Daoxi, exuding a force that made people inexplicably trust in him, “I want to hear your plan, sir.”
Cen Daoxi asked back, “How can I, as a lowly official, come up with a solution when Your Highness has already foreseen the problem?”
Under the scorching sun, Chu Chengji’s eyes were as dark as obsidian, making it impossible for people to look directly at him. “Bringing me here, sir, if you only wanted to tell me about this hidden danger, it would have been too much trouble.”
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With these words, Cen Daoxi looked at Chu Chengji differently.
If his previous words were ambiguous and somewhat probing the intentions of this prince, then at this moment, seeing Chu Chengji’s depth and vision, he finally let go of the last bit of doubt in his heart.
At present, most advisers excel in military strategy and political discourse, with few skilled in physiognomy, let alone astrology.
When Cen Daoxi traveled and studied widely in his youth, he learned physiognomy from an old man.
The reason he was persuaded by Qin Jian to come and serve, besides being surprised by how Chu Chengji, the prince who gathered refugees to conquer Qingzhou, had unexpectedly captured his attention, was also due to changes in the celestial phenomena in the south.
However, upon his arrival in Qingzhou, Chu Chengji had already gone to Meng County.
Nevertheless, although the one who received him was just a woman, she was wise and capable.
This made him curious about this notorious prince.
Being able to recruit a group of talented advisers and having a wise consort like the prince’s consort, in his view, the prince should be different from the rumors.
On the day of the prince’s triumphant return, he went with Song Heqing and other advisers to welcome him.
From afar, he felt that this prince had an extraordinary demeanor and outstanding bearing.
Listening to him discussing various matters with his advisers, he was also well-informed and concise in his speech.
So he made a quick decision to tell the prince his concerns while inspecting the river channels.
Sure enough, the prince did not disappoint him.
He only mentioned the beginning, and the prince guessed the ending.
A true judge of talent is hard to come by.
Cen Daoxi was sure that with this person in front of him, his talents would not be buried for the rest of his life.
He clasped his hands and said, “I dare not deceive Your Highness. These days, I have been inspecting various branches of the Yuan River in Qingzhou.
The flooding during this year’s rainy season in the vicinity of Daqie Village was due to the widening of this section of the river channel, causing the water flow to slow down and the deposition of silt to raise the riverbed.
The solution I thought of coincides with the current decision of the prince’s consort to dig a hidden channel.”
Chu Chengji asked, “Does Mr. Cen mean to dig a hidden channel on the upstream of the river in Daqie Village?”
Cen Daoxi’s eyes lit up. “Exactly. However, it is not to dig a hidden channel, but to widen the branch river channel under the pretext of irrigation, diverting the water of the Yuan River once again.”
Chu Chengji said, “How to divert the water again? Let’s hear it.”
Cen Daoxi quickly walked to the front of the horse, took down the Qingzhou map hanging on the horse’s back, and unfolded it for Chu Chengji to see:
“When the prince’s consort proposed to dig the hidden channel, she once put forward a plan to clear the silt from the riverbed of the Yuan River in the Daqie Village area, lowering the riverbed of this section of the river to form a natural reservoir.
Then, dig a hidden channel from Baoshu Village, which is lower in terrain.
When the water flow of the Yuan River is blocked back to the higher part of the downstream riverbed, it can flow into the hidden channel.
If the hidden channel is widened and deepened and connected to the Chishui River, the hidden channel will become a branch river channel.
Half of the water that the Da Du Dam cannot contain can flow to the Chishui River from here.”
Thinking that if this idea could succeed, Cen Daoxi couldn’t help but show excitement on his face. “In ancient times, there was ‘repairing roads openly, sneaking through Chencang’.
Today, with the prince’s consort digging irrigation channels openly, and secretly expanding river channels, it shouldn’t arouse suspicion from the court.”
One thing Cen Daoxi didn’t mention was that if Yunzhou opened the floodgates, it would mean giving up this year’s harvest.
Whether Li Xin could suppress such a shocking scandal was uncertain.
Just the famine caused by drought in Yunzhou would be a headache for the court.
Chu Chengji solemnly bowed to Cen Daoxi. “With Mr. Cen’s assistance, I have already obtained half of this world.”
The weight of these words was undeniable.
Cen Daoxi quickly returned the courtesy, bowing three points lower than Chu Chengji. “Encountering a wise ruler like Your Highness is also fortunate for me.”
Chu Chengji helped him up and said, “I heard that Mr. Cen is twenty-six years old and still unmarried. If Mr. Cen is interested in any noble lady, I can arrange for you.”
Although Cen Daoxi had a reputation for talent, he came from a humble background, and external evaluations of him were mixed.
When he served as an official in the court, no noble family was willing to take a second look at him.
Not to mention now, he was just a mere adviser.
In Chu Chengji’s words, there was clearly an intention to arrange a marriage for him.
Moreover, he specifically asked about noble ladies.
Anyone who heard this would think highly of Cen Daoxi.
Cen Daoxi also felt that the prince in front of him appeared cold but had a warm heart.
Seeing that he even paid attention to the lifelong affairs of his subordinates, Cen Daoxi felt moved and respected him even more:
“Thank you for Your Highness’s kind offer, but I am used to being idle. I have no official position or wealth. Marrying a wife would only be unfair to the girl. I will think about starting a family after achieving success and fame.”
He had stated the reasons clearly, so Chu Chengji naturally couldn’t force him to marry.
On the way back, Cen Daoxi noticed that Chu Chengji was not in high spirits.
Thinking that he might be pondering about opening up and connecting the river channels between the Yuan River and the Chishui River, Cen Daoxi took the initiative to bring up the current situation.
After several rounds of conversation, he was amazed at Chu Chengji’s broad vision and knowledge.
He became even more convinced that his decision to come to Qingzhou with Qin Jian was the right one.
...
After finishing her busy work, Qin Zhengjing found that Chu Chengji was missing.
She asked the people below and heard that he had gone to the mountains alone with Cen Daoxi.
Remembering what Chu Chengji had said yesterday, she couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.
She quickly arranged for soldiers to search for them, comforting herself that Chu Chengji was always fair in both public and private matters, so he should not deliberately trouble Cen Daoxi.
The soldiers below had not returned with any news. Qin Zhengjing had thought about all kinds of possibilities, feeling increasingly worried.
Just when she was feeling anxious, she saw the two of them returning with smiles on their faces, showing a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject.
She couldn’t help but feel a little dumbfounded.
Could it be that her persuasion yesterday was really that successful?
The food had already been prepared at the camp, waiting for Chu Chengji to come back and have a meal.
The officials dared not eat with Chu Chengji.
As the midday sun was scorching, Qin Zhengjing and Chu Chengji had their meal in the carriage.
While picking up food, she glanced suspiciously at Chu Chengji several times, intending to ask what he and Cen Daoxi had been doing.
However, Chu Chengji spoke first, “I will leave for Hu Prefecture tomorrow.”
Qin Zhengjing’s hand paused while picking up food. “Why are you going to Hu Prefecture?”
Chu Chengji helped her put food into her bowl. “The official treasury in Qingzhou has run out of official silver. Don’t you need money for digging the hidden channel?”
Qin Zhengjing became even more puzzled. Hu Prefecture was even poorer than Qingzhou.
How much official silver could Hu Prefecture mobilize?
He said he was going to Meng County to bring back some silver, and Qin Zhengjing believed him.
But the official silver in Meng County had to be reserved for military expenses.
When she thought of silver, Qin Zheng couldn’t even remember how many times Lin Yao had cried to her about being poor.
She sighed, “Okay, go to Hu Prefecture and bring back a few hundred or a few thousand taels of silver. At least we can dig another hidden channel.”
If it weren’t for knowing that food was more important than silver in wartime, she would even consider selling some old grain for silver.
When Chu Chengji heard her say that she only needed a few hundred or a few thousand taels of silver, his brow furrowed. “Is that all the money you need to dig the hidden channel?”
Qin Zheng almost choked.
This guy really didn’t know how tight money was until he saw the accounts.
Helplessly, she said, “Then bring back as much silver as you can from Hu Prefecture.”
Seeing Chu Chengji frown even more, she thought to herself that he must have realized the difficulty now.
Little did she know that Chu Chengji was thinking that since there were three imperial tombs in Hu Prefecture, he had originally planned to dig only one as a temporary measure.
Since Qin Zheng asked him to bring back all the silver, he might as well dig them all. It might be a bit troublesome, but so be it.