Yang Ge was in the midst of it and didn’t notice the underlying turmoil, considering it another major move in Wang Jiangling’s new policy. After briefly consulting with Fang Ke, he dismissed it from his mind.
In mid-May, Yang Ge secretly traveled to Bright Summit before the Ming Sect’s torch-passing ceremony, met with Yang Tiansheng, Li Jincheng, and Xiang Wudi, among other close friends. They drank heavily and chatted about their recent situations before he rushed back to Lu Ting to continue laying low before the ceremony commenced.
By late May, continuous heavy rain had raised the canal water by three feet, submerging half of Lu Ting City.
Zhao Hong, braving the rain, led his men in an emergency effort to drain the water, busy for half a day before returning to Yuelai Inn. He stared at the schematics all night long.
...
"Brother, good morning."
Zhao Miao, bleary-eyed and listless behind the counter, greeted Yang Ge as he burst through the door.
"Good morning…"
Yang Ge put away his oil paper umbrella and noticed Zhao Hong in the corner of the front hall, still looking at the schematics by the light of an oil lamp. His clothes, soaked by the rain the day before, were still wrinkled on him. With disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes, he exuded a strong air of decay.
"Did he sit here all night?"
Zhao Miao, yawning, replied, "I don’t know, but he was sitting there before I went to sleep last night and was still sitting there when I got up this morning."
Hearing this, Yang Ge let out a long breath and muttered to himself, "There’s still hope."
He handed his umbrella to Zhao Miao and walked over to Zhao Hong, "Haven’t found the problem yet?"
Hearing his voice, Zhao Hong looked up, his expression indistinguishable between crying and smiling as he croaked, "Shopkeeper..."
Yang Ge sat next to him and glanced at the schematics on the table. To be honest, he didn’t understand them either.
"Still can’t find the problem?"
He asked again.
Zhao Hong, eyes downcast, remained silent for a long time, then suddenly began to sob with a tone of grievance, "I did it all wrong... Zheng said that Lu Ting City’s northern side should be higher than the southern, greater than the west being higher than the north for drainage. The main channels should run north to south, with east to west as auxiliary. I just focused on directing canal water into the city from east to west, and once the water accumulated, it clogged the drains..."
"Why are you crying?"
Yang Ge lightly tapped on the schematics on the table and said with a smile, "But haven’t you already found the problem?"
"It’s too late."
Zhao Hong, despondent, covered his face, "The drainage ditches we dug earlier must all be filled back in. We need to resurvey the terrain, redraw the engineering schematics, and all the labor of everyone for the past three months has been a total waste. The 5,732 taels of wages all wasted, and we won’t be able to meet the deadlines... because of me, everything’s been wasted."
"I understand."
Yang Ge tapped the table again, his smile slowly fading, "But haven’t you already found the problem?"
Suddenly, Zhao Hong slammed the table and shouted hysterically: "I said it’s all wasted, it’s too late, don’t you understand human speech?"
Zhao Miao, behind the counter, was startled by his outburst, fearing he would be beaten again, and quickly walked over, "Don’t argue, don’t argue, let’s talk this out calmly... Brother, are you hungry? Should I go make you a bowl of noodles to eat?"
Without turning his head, Yang Ge waved his hand, signaling her not to worry.
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He looked up, staring directly at the flushed young man before him.
This was the first time Zhao Hong had yelled at him.
It was also the first time he found the young man agreeable to look at...
"I understand."
Yang Ge nodded, his tone firm and steady, "But haven’t you already found the problem?"
Zhao Hong, overwhelmed with anger, grabbed the schematics on the table, ready to tear them to shreds...
"So you’re giving up just like that?"
Yang Ge spoke indifferently, "Just because labor and resources were wasted, just because it’s late... you’re going to give up?"
Zhao Hong’s hands paused as he tore the schematics, staring blankly at Yang Ge.
Yang Ge stared back into his eyes, slowly and distinctly saying, "Suppose this was a battle, then you, Zhao Hong, are the commander, and the craftsmen and laborers under you are your generals and soldiers. Now, because of a mistake in your decision, you all have lost a battle, many soldiers have died, a lot of money and provisions were wasted, yet your soldiers are still waiting for you, their commander, to take charge of the situation. And here you are, wanting to desert?"
Zhao Hong shouted angrily, "Is this even comparable?"
Yang Ge scoffed with mocking laughter, "If you can’t handle even this small matter, how can you handle a great war?"
Zhao Hong’s face gradually softened.
Yang Ge lowered his eyelids, "Sit down."
Zhao Hong flopped back onto the stool and neatly spread out the blueprint in his hand.
Yang Ge: "I’ll ask you again, have you found the problem?"
Zhao Hong: "I have."
Yang Ge: "Is there really not enough time?"
Zhao Hong: "There isn’t."
Yang Ge: "Think again."
Zhao Hong glanced at him uncertainly and said, "There isn’t... perhaps?"
Yang Ge: "How many workers did you recruit before?"
Zhao Hong: "Five hundred."
Yang Ge: "Then why didn’t you recruit a thousand later?"
Zhao Hong: "You mentioned we need to cut costs!"
Yang Ge: "How many hours did you work each day before?"
Zhao Hong: "A little over four hours."
Yang Ge: "Then why didn’t you work eight hours later?"
Zhao Hong: "You said it shouldn’t disturb the normal lives of the Lu Ting people!"
Yang Ge: "Is there really not enough time?"
Zhao Hong: "There is!"
Yang Ge: "Louder, I can’t hear you!"
Zhao Hong flushed red, vociferously responding: "There is!"
Yang Ge looked at him puzzled: "Then why are you still sitting here?"
Zhao Hong’s face reddened further: "I, I... I’m hungry!"
Yang Ge: "Haven’t you already faced a defeat? What else is there to eat?"
Zhao Hong chuckled sheepishly: "A defeat needs to be eaten, and rice too!"
Behind Yang Ge, Zhao Miao upon hearing this, turned around and briskly walked toward the backyard: "I’m going to make a fire right now, it will be quick, very quick..."
Zhao Hong looked up and waved cheerfully at her retreating figure: "Thanks, big sister."
Yang Ge slowly let out a breath, his expression easing slightly: "I ask you, is this task difficult?"
Zhao Hong earnestly nodded: "It’s difficult!"
In the past, he sat in the warm hall, listening to his revered teachers expound on scriptures and histories, dissecting politics, believing that everything under heaven followed a traceable pattern, seemingly simple.
Now personally undertaking real tasks, he realized that doing things was challenging, doing them well was even more challenging, and trying to do one good deed well was yet more difficult...
Just this minor task of constructing a drainage canal required tending to the needs of hundreds of people—their eating, drinking, and personal necessities—while also considering time, weather, costs, facing all sorts of bizarre and unexpected incidents, hearing endless logical and illogical voices every day... He felt he had used up all the energy of his lifetime, yet he still fell short, exhausted by the effort.
Yang Ge continued asking: "Then do you think, being a good emperor is difficult?"
Zhao Hong thought for a while and fell silent.
Yang Ge also paused before saying, "I actually don’t know how difficult it is to be a good emperor, but from my understanding, it must be the most challenging thing in the world."
"And what’s more difficult than being a good emperor is being a good emperor for a lifetime..."
"If you don’t face the challenges with resolute perseverance, it’s better to extinguish the idea of being an emperor early, peacefully live as a carefree prince like me, playing mahjong, drinking tea every day, and tranquilly living out the rest of your days—this is not a bad choice."
"If you still want to be a good emperor, then show the determination and spirit needed for it, and fight against heaven, earth, and men!"
"If you win, you can be an emperor for a lifetime, wearing silk clothes and feasting delicately, perhaps even centuries later, people will compare you with Emperor Qin and Emperor Wu of Han, asking who was wiser."
"If you lose, your head might be the stepping stone for someone else to ascend the throne, and centuries later, there will still be people pointing at your name and cursing: ’That fool utterly disgraced the Zhao Family!’"
Zhao Hong listened to his narration, deeply resonating and shuddering: "If I can be a good emperor for a lifetime, Shopkeeper, can you lend me a helping hand?"
Yang Ge said unhurriedly: "If you can be a good emperor for a lifetime, why wouldn’t I lend a helping hand?"
"If you can’t, then you must pray every night, praying that when you wake up the next day, you don’t see me standing in front of your bed."
Zhao Hong imagined that scene and suddenly shuddered again, thinking: ’That would be too terrifying!’