Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 548: The Strange Guest in the Restaurant
Liu He, who was looking for someone capable of river management in various places in Bingzhou, learned about the war in Luoyang after receiving several prompts from the system about the battles of Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Deng Yuan, Da Meng and others. At first, he was completely confused and had no idea why war had broken out in Luoyang again. However, after receiving the text message from the Flying Eagle Guard a few days ago and the letter from Xun Yu and Cui Jun that was just delivered two days ago, he now has a clear understanding of the situation in Luoyang.

Before the decisive battle of Luoyang broke out, Liu He was in a Xun's restaurant in Jinyang city. After having breakfast, he sat in the restaurant, ordered a pot of wine and a few side dishes, and drank by himself, hoping to hear some comments about flood control from the guests.

He had been searching in various places in Bingzhou for many days but had no results. Three days ago, he arrived in Jinyang and found that the owner of this restaurant was the same owner of the restaurant where Wei Zhong had caused trouble in Jiuyuan County. The other party recognized him and was about to greet him, but was stopped by Liu He on the pretext of a secret visit. At the suggestion of the owner, he planned to stay in the restaurant for a few days. There was a mix of all kinds of people here, including scholars, traveling merchants, knights-errant, minor officials, and even ordinary people who were better off. They would come here to eat and drink, and there was a lot of news.

Liu He sat there from the first quarter of the morning to the third quarter of the afternoon without hearing a single word about flood control. However, even though everyone was discussing their own affairs, or Yuan Shu's attack on Luoyang, his friends and relatives in Xihe County, and the recent changes in the three major forces in the Taihang Mountains, Liu He was still able to obtain some useful information from them.

Overall, Liu He, under Xun Yu's suggestion, spread the news of the Yellow River breach through imperial edicts and secret information, and now it has begun to show results. Many people fully believe that the Yellow River breach is related to Yuan Shao and many large families involved in the Luoyang Rebellion. When people mention this matter, they grit their teeth, and they all give thumbs up and praise Liu He for coming to the disaster relief in person and even going to the river bank to block the breach in person.

Liu He almost never heard any voice questioning him or speaking for others. Occasionally, one or two such voices appeared, but they all had foreign accents and were quickly attacked by the people around them.

"After all, the foundation in Bingzhou is solid, and the people are loyal to it. Even if Yuan Shao really seizes this place, it will be difficult for him to truly control it. It seems that I still need to find a way to continue to expand Bingzhou. If Bingzhou can be as prosperous as Jizhou, Yuzhou, and Sili, I can rest assured."

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look bitter again.

"The Yellow River has been troublesome since ancient times. If it is not properly managed, Bingzhou will never be able to achieve great success. Regardless of whether there will be floods in the future, even if it is the area hit by the flood this time, if it is not properly repaired, I am afraid that it will be difficult to cultivate it within a few years. Moreover, if the Sili makes a mistake, I will be alone in guarding Bingzhou and have to guard against attacks from the east and south at the same time. It is really not easy."

Liu He thought about these things, each of which made him very upset, so he poured himself a glass of wine and drank it.

At this time, two new guests came to the table next to him and sat opposite each other. Liu He looked up and saw that one was a gentle, elegant, fair and handsome young man, and the other was a middle-aged man with a rough appearance and a weathered face.

But the other party was just a stranger after all. Liu He just took a look at him and continued to drink with his head down.

The two men had just taken a few bites of their food when the young scholar spoke first.

"Brother Zhonghui has spent two months visiting all the counties where the dikes have broken. Do you have any solutions now?"

At this sentence, Liu He's ears immediately pricked up: "Why did these two people go to the breach at this time to check? Could they be spies sent by Yuan Shao or Yuan Shu? This young man has an extraordinary temperament and a soft voice like a spring bird. His family background must be extraordinary. I must pay attention to him."

He had an idea in mind, and while pretending to drink, he listened carefully to the conversation between the two.

The middle-aged man said, "This time the dam broke, the scope was extremely wide, and many places were affected. Nearly 100,000 people were affected, and countless fertile fields turned into sand in the blink of an eye. The tragedy is beyond description."

The young scholar nodded slightly: "Brother, what you said is not wrong. Fortunately, the court provided relief and compensation in time, and the great doctor Hua Tuo came in person, so we finally avoided a plague. The river embankments that were blocked in various places were also blocked. It can be regarded as a blessing in disguise."

When Liu He heard this person's evaluation, he felt that he was not his enemy, so he let down his guard a little.

The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "The court and the general certainly acted in time, but the damage is too serious. We must plug a few gaps to solve the problem. Harnessing the Yellow River, dredging silt, rebuilding riverbanks, clearing farmland, and developing water conservancy projects are all essential."

The young Confucian scholar seemed to trust this man very much, and nodded frequently after listening to his speech.

"Brother has studied water conservancy for half his life. He has made great contributions to river management in Jianghuai and other places. He is well versed in this field. I believe he has a plan in mind and a good plan to deal with it." Upon hearing his words, Liu He was shocked: "Mastering water conservancy? Isn't this the person I've been looking for?"

He was about to get up and visit the two people, but suddenly he suppressed the urge and said, "No, these two people have unknown origins. They suddenly appeared beside me. From their conversation, they seemed to have extraordinary talents. How could such a coincidence happen in the world? I will wait and see what happens."

When asked by the young scholar, the man nodded at first, then shook his head.

The young scholar was puzzled: "Brother, what do you mean?"

The middle-aged man said, "The flood control in rivers is similar in the world, and the principles are interoperable. The Yellow River flood is no exception. I understand the principles, but the Yellow River's breach this time is far from comparable to other rivers. Its force is so fierce and its disaster is so severe that it is not easy to control it. It is even more difficult to restore farming in various places as soon as possible. Moreover, the details are far more serious than the floods in Jianghuai and other places. If you are not careful, the harm will be endless. Tong is not well-versed in it, and I am not 100% sure."

Liu He was slightly disappointed when he heard this, but then the man said another sentence.

"However, if we have a group of people who are knowledgeable about water conservancy to help us, and everyone works together, we may be able to overcome all the problems. By then, it should not be difficult to keep the Yellow River safe for a hundred years."

After hearing this, Liu He was already eager to go over and visit this master.

At this time, the young scholar said, "I have a way. I can take you to Shangdang County to meet Guan Yu and other generals. With their introduction, you can see the great general in person. Let's eat quickly. I will order the innkeeper to prepare the carriage and set off immediately."

After saying that, he waved at the counter, and the shopkeeper came over with a smile. He glanced at Liu He, greeted him with his eyes, and then came up to the two men.

"May I ask what you two may do for me?"

The young scholar smiled very gently, took out a jade pendant from his bosom and handed it to the shopkeeper.

"Please prepare a carriage for the two of us, as well as some water bags and dry food. Thank you very much."

The shopkeeper was a little confused by his request. His hotel never provided carriage service for guests. Moreover, even if he wanted to prepare a carriage, the price would be extremely high, at least more than 100,000 coins. However, the other party did not pay and only gave him a jade pendant, which made him a little confused.

However, when running a restaurant, one must welcome guests from all over the world, and if it is not necessary, guests will never be offended. Therefore, the shopkeeper still took the jade pendant, examined it carefully, and wanted to determine its value.

But it didn't matter if he didn't look at it. When he saw the appearance of the jade pendant clearly, his face was immediately shocked.

Then, he repeatedly kneaded and stroked the jade pendant in his hand, as if confirming something. The young scholar was not in a hurry and just waited quietly.

Not long after, the shopkeeper had probably confirmed everything, and he handed the jade pendant back to the other party with extreme respect, even with his hands trembling a little, as he bent over.

"I didn't know that Young Master Gongda was coming. I'm sorry for not welcoming you. I beg for your forgiveness!"

(End of this chapter)