I studied in modern times

Chapter 1069 The Canal (3)

Leaving aside Yang Ji's wild thoughts, Zhao Xu looked at the mountains and rivers on the sand table and finally recalled some things.

"Ji River, Wen River..."

"Linqing...Yunzhou..."

Zhao Xu murmured softly, the memories in his mind becoming clearer.

His hands caressed the mountains and crossed the rivers.

Finally, it stopped in Xuzhou.

He turned to Yang Ji and asked, "Minister Yang... judging from this sand table, Xuzhou isn't too far from Yunzhou..."

"Since the canal from Yunzhou to Linqing has already been dug, why not take advantage of the situation and build another canal to connect Yunzhou with Xuzhou!"

“In this way…” Zhao Xu said softly, “not only will it allow goods from the capital to travel freely to and from Hebei, but it will also allow goods from the southeast to enter the capital directly!”

Yang Ji listened with great admiration for the generosity and magnanimity of the young master before him!
This is because he served the late emperor!

Perhaps it was because he had heard many stories from previous dynasties, and the images of the Song Dynasty emperors in these stories were quite interesting!
Just like the stories he recorded and described in his private notes about his interactions with the late emperor.

On the surface, they praised it highly and extolled it.

However, upon closer examination, one can discern hidden words of praise and flattery between the lines.

Among these, the two most frequently appearing sets of text are—

Stingy!

Be a good bet!

From Emperor Taizong onwards, it has always been the same!

Each generation of the Zhao emperors was like a hamster, busy every day carrying away all the wealth of the land and hiding it in their own sealed treasury.

Why did the Song Dynasty mint coins every year, yet there was never enough copper coins?

The behavior of officials throughout history, often described as "hoarding scavenging," accounts for at least the majority of cases.

Because these officials weren't just busy moving their wealth into their own treasuries.

As the saying goes, those around officials naturally followed suit, bringing wealth into their own homes.

Those around these people will likely follow suit.

Yang Ji remembered clearly that when he went to the capital to take the imperial examination, he heard people say that a new nobleman named Wang Guangyuan had emerged in Bianjing.

This man is skilled in large characters; any one of his calligraphy works can sell for a sky-high price of a thousand strings of cash!
Even so, there's no market for it!

Because the prince was in a bad mood and didn't bother to write!
At that time, the most famous calligrapher in the world was Cai Gongjunmo (Cai Xiang).

But back then, a single copy of this calligrapher's work would be lucky to sell for fifty strings of cash!

Just like today, the price of calligraphy copybooks by Mi Fu, a contemporary master of calligraphy, is considerable.

So why is Wang Guangyuan's calligraphy so expensive?

A: Because he is Yingmiao's childhood friend and absolute confidant!
Emperor Yingzong might not listen to the prime minister, but he would definitely listen to Wang Guangyuan!

Therefore, countless people spared no expense to seek his calligraphy and paintings!

Because as long as they have his writing materials, regardless of other factors, ordinary servants will not dare to cause trouble easily.

It can be said that having a post from Uncle Wang Cai at home is better than having the Prefect of Kaifeng (who was in charge of the Kaifeng Prefecture)!
Although Emperor Yingzong only reigned for four years, the royal family amassed a fortune during that time.

Legend has it that the dogs kept by the Wang family back then were fed better than the sons of powerful families!

The officials were experts at making money.

But, they want to extract money from their packaging library...

It's almost like a dream!
But this young master is quite different now.

Yang Ji thought about what he had heard in the local prefectures and counties over the years and what he had seen and heard since returning to the capital.

Thinking back to what the young master had asked earlier, she was finally moved.

Even his voice trembled slightly—there was no other way! A technocrat like him dreamed of having someone willing to fund the construction of a magnificent project that would go down in history and be remembered for eternity!

Like Li Bing and his son from Shu, and like Wang Jing from Han...

These are all exemplary figures who were born as renowned ministers and died as deities, with incense offerings continuing to be made for them!
So, after taking a deep breath, he replied, "Your Majesty, I have indeed considered digging a canal from Yunzhou to connect to Xuzhou, and even Haizhou..."

In the past few months, he has visited many places. He has also surveyed and measured almost half of the terrain, geography, and hydrology of northern China.

"However... Yunzhou's terrain is far superior to Xuzhou's, and also superior to Linqing's..."

"If we simply dig a canal from Yunzhou to Linqing, Yunzhou's terrain is high and the water flows downstream, so there should be no problem!"

"But if we were to reach Xuzhou, the ships from Xuzhou would likely have difficulty reaching Yunzhou due to its higher elevation!"

"Even if we follow the Lingqu Canal model and install sluice gates for passage, the navigation capacity would likely be limited..."

"I humbly beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!"

As he spoke, Yang Ji bowed deeply.

Zhao Xu squinted as he looked at the sand table.

As an emperor, he had received a complete imperial education in his previous life.

He has a thorough understanding of the geography of the world, famous mountains and rivers.

Moreover, during his modern days, he frequently traveled around for work, visiting most parts of China.

In terms of experience and knowledge, few people in the medieval era could compare to him.

He was naturally familiar with the Lingqu Canal, and he had even personally visited that ancient canal that continues to this day.

Plowshare, large balance, small peace, diversion gate...

The engineering marvel and wisdom of the Qin people, built over a thousand years ago, still inspire admiration even today.

Naturally, Zhao Xu knew what Yang Ji meant by the Lingqu method.
It refers to the sluice gate and S-shaped bend of the south canal of the Lingqu Canal.

The sluice gates allow for water storage, enabling ships to navigate smoothly even during the dry season.

The S-shaped bend of the South Canal can slow down the water flow during the high-water season, ensuring navigation for ships!

Having seen the Lingqu Canal, Zhao Xu had naturally also visited the Grand Canal, which still plays an important role in modern times!

Not the current Grand Canal!

It is the Grand Canal that was built during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

The reason why Zhao Xu found Yang Ji's proposal familiar was that it was actually part of the Grand Canal of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties!

To be precise, it is part of the Huitong River!

The Huitong River is also an engineering marvel!
Especially the core of the Huitong River, the great water conservancy project of Daicun Dam, built in the Ming Dynasty and later known as the 'heart of the canal'.

That is the water conservancy regulation hub that is praised as "seven parts serving the emperor and three parts serving the south of the Yangtze River".

With that in mind, Zhao Xu followed his memory and found the approximate location of Daicunba, which he had visited in modern times, on the sand table.

“Yang Qing…” Zhao Xu pointed to the location of Daicunba.

Today, Nanwang is a grass-rooted city in Xucheng County, Yunzhou.

"What if we build a dam here to divert the Wen River southward and force it into the Xiao Wen River?"

Yang Ji looked in the direction Zhao Xu pointed, and at the same time, his memories of surveying and visiting the area came to mind.

He naturally knew that the place the official was referring to was the highest point in Yunzhou, and also the most difficult place for Xuzhou's grain transport ships to travel north.

Countless local rivers, such as the Wen River, Xiao Wen River, and Guang River, came to mind.

He also began to analyze the local terrain and geography.

Immediately afterwards, his life's work and experience in water conservancy engineering formed countless images in his mind.

Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Lingqu Canal, Grand Canal, Bian River, Luo River Diversion Project, Cao River, Wuzhang River...

Dams, canals, countless water conservancy facilities...

The water conservancy methods that Lord Hou had taught him back then also surfaced in his mind...

Shen Kuo taught him the method of measuring altitude by flying birds...

The engineering and construction techniques that Song Yongchen and he had discussed...

Then, Yang Ji trembled all over.

He knew—what the officials said was feasible!
Not only is it feasible, but if it succeeds in the end, the greatness of this project will be no less than those great projects that will go down in history!
(End of this chapter)