Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 174: Whenever the Han dynasty rebels against Wei, its cause can be revived.
When the Han emperor finished his tour of the counties of Fengyi and saw Chang'an again, it was already late June.

Hundreds of soldiers and civilians were dredging the silt around the canal.

"What are they doing?" Jiang Wei asked Guan Xing, finally unable to resist asking him as he watched the clerks writing something on bamboo slips.

Guan Xing followed Jiang Wei's gaze.

Before a clerk who was taking notes, soldiers and civilians were working together to place wooden stakes into the canal, and some people were carving something on the stakes.

"This is for setting up water features and recording water records."

"It is to record water levels in order to predict droughts and floods in advance, guide agricultural activities, and provide a basis for future water management and silt removal."

Guan Xing's gaze fell upon the two wooden stakes in the canal. He pointed to them and said:
“Look, Boyo.”

The "water level gauge" on the left side of the canal is used to record the highest water level in history.

"The 'water level gauge' on the right side of the canal records the highest water level for each ten-day period and each month of the year."

Jiang Wei nodded as he looked at the canal, and roughly understood what Guan Xing meant.

Guan Xing then asked:

"Didn't Boyue see such a method of flood control when he was in Tianshui?"

"Or is it that the Tianshui section of the Wei River is not at risk of drought or flood, and therefore does not require such management?"

Jiang Wei shook his head:

“The Wei River section in Tianshui also suffers from drought and flood every two or three years, but the governor and prefect of the pseudo-Wei state do not recruit people to dredge it, and just let it run its course.”

Guan Xing was somewhat surprised:

"Do the powerful clans who own land along the Wei River also neglect to manage the flood?"

"What if there is a drought or flood? Should we just let nature take its course, like the governors and prefects of the puppet Wei dynasty?"

Jiang Wei affirmed, "As far as I know, that is indeed the case. The Jiang family also owns land along the Wei River, but I have never heard of anyone managing the water or dredging the sand."

Guan Xing had never been to Tianshui, but from Jiang Wei's words, he understood that agricultural practices in Tianshui were no different from those in Guanzhong.

They rely entirely on the weather.

In an instant, the image of the Prime Minister appeared before my eyes.

He sighed:
"We'll know when Boyue returns to Hanzhong and Shu with His Majesty."

"The Prime Minister's governance of the country is based on agriculture, encouraging farming and sericulture, and promoting water conservancy."

"Not to mention that over the past ten years, four or five hundred ponds and reservoirs of various sizes have been opened up in Hanzhong and Shuzhong."

“Just take the Dujiangyan Irrigation System in Sichuan and the Xiaocao Irrigation System in Hanzhong as examples; they have been in disrepair for decades or even centuries.”

"The large amount of silt deposited and blocked the river channel has rendered the Dujiangyan Irrigation System useless for water diversion and the Xiaocaoyan Irrigation System completely ineffective for flood discharge."

"Hanzhong in Sichuan has always been prone to floods rather than droughts, and almost every three or four years, it will experience a major rainstorm."

"The elders all say that when the late emperor had not yet entered the territory of Bashu and Hanzhong, whenever there was heavy rain, the waters would swell and the fertile plains and fields for hundreds of miles around Chengdu and Nanzheng would turn into a vast swamp."

"After the late emperor entered Shu and the prime minister took charge of the country, he dredged the Dujiangyan and Xiaocaoyan irrigation systems again and established a complete and comprehensive system for annual maintenance, sending people to maintain them regularly."

"Over the past ten years, Sichuan and Hanzhong have experienced seven or eight heavy rains, with rainfall exceeding that of the past."

"But no matter how heavy the rain was, Sichuan never encountered such flooding again, and the people had bountiful harvests year after year. Everyone remembered the Prime Minister's merit in controlling the floods."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wei was somewhat surprised, but more than that, he felt admiration and emotion for the Prime Minister, as well as a certain degree of disbelief.

He had previously been recruited as a granary clerk in the Prime Minister's office and had been by the Prime Minister's side for more than three months. He only knew that the Prime Minister's military management, training, and tactics were unparalleled in the world, but he did not know that the Prime Minister's governance of the country could also win the hearts and minds of the people of Shu.

After all, the Han Dynasty only occupied the territory of Yizhou. How could a small country fight against a large country and manage to accumulate so much grain and gather so many troops? Logically speaking, the people of Shu should not be living a very good life.

I still remember when he was young, the late emperor was fighting Cao Cao for Hanzhong, and the governor of Tianshui mobilized the young men of Tianshui to aid Cao Cao in his rebellion against Han.

It is said that the late emperor was too aggressive and warlike, and in order to seize Hanzhong, the people of Shu had reached the point where "all men were fighting and all women were transporting supplies," and the people were living in misery. If the late emperor were to take Hanzhong and then plunder Tianshui, the people of Tianshui would also suffer.

Looking back now, it was utter nonsense.

Now that the war has just ended, the Prime Minister has already begun to carry out water conservancy projects without stopping.

Combined with Guan Xing's words, the reason why the Han Dynasty was able to defeat the strong with the weak and conquer the large with the small was undoubtedly due to the Prime Minister's military capabilities in training troops, governing the army, military strategy, and tactics.

But he could not only provide ample food and supplies for the troops, ensuring that the soldiers had no worries about the rear, but also appease the people and make them grateful for the Prime Minister's kindness. Such ability to govern the country and pacify the people was probably unmatched by Xiao He of the Former Han Dynasty.

He truly deserves to be called the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Shan, who had been silently listening to Guan Xing and Jiang Wei's conversation, suddenly spoke up as he gazed at the dredged canal:
"The Prime Minister went to Hanzhong a year later to prepare for the Northern Expedition. Before leaving, he was still worried about the people of Shu and Dujiangyan."

"Therefore, a series of regulations were established, and the dam official was in charge of more than 1,500 soldiers to protect it. In accordance with the regulations, it was repaired every year."

"The weir official? He repairs it every year?" Jiang Wei paused again.

He could understand the Prime Minister's good intentions in controlling the floods, and he also knew that the Prime Minister was not the only one in the world who was in charge of flood control.

But I have never heard of any dynasty or era that specifically appointed water conservancy officials to manage water and had officials in charge of supervising soldiers to repair the dikes every year.

Liu Shan immediately turned to look at Jiang Wei.

He noticed Jiang Wei's surprise and smiled.

"Dujiangyan was opened up by Li Bing of the Qin Dynasty. After Dujiangyan was opened up, the name of the Land of Abundance was moved from Guanzhong to Shuzhong."

"He has done a great service to the people of Sichuan, almost giving them a second life. His contributions are truly remarkable."

"But for more than 500 years since Li Bing, until the Prime Minister governed Sichuan, although officials have worked on the irrigation system from time to time, it was the Prime Minister who pioneered the establishment of a dedicated water conservancy official to manage the Dujiangyan Irrigation System."

"The Prime Minister also issued an edict, explaining in detail all matters concerning the management and annual maintenance of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System."

"For example, the water level of the weir, the depth of dredging, and the date of dredging each year are all documented in writing. The weir official only needs to follow the Prime Minister's instructions."

Jiang Wei became increasingly surprised as he listened, to the point that he eventually became somewhat puzzled.

When the emperor issues an edict, it is called a holy edict.

The Prime Minister issued an imperial edict, which was called an instruction.

Flood control is very important.

But... national affairs are not limited to water management.

Even something as simple as flood control, which could be handled by a prefect, required the prime minister to issue decrees, and he had to arrange even the exact date for dredging to begin.

Is it really necessary?

After all, what he had just thought of as the Prime Minister governing Shu was a strategic vision, a comprehensive plan, and then instructing his officials and staff to carry it out.

Upon this thought, Jiang Wei immediately recalled his experience of accompanying the emperor on an inspection tour of Fengyi over the past month.

It was undeniably tiring and boring.

Of course, there were gains.

Identify problems and solve them.

But the emperor of the mighty Han Dynasty, instead of taking overall control of the country and handling military and national affairs from a strategic perspective, personally toured various counties to see how ordinary people in villages were living and how to improve their lives. Wasn't this putting the cart before the horse?
Jiang Wei, this young man from Liangzhou, had not yet learned to hide his emotions. Liu Shan easily gleaned some of his thoughts from his expression and smiled:
"Boyue, are you wondering why the Prime Minister insists on handling everything personally, and why I should also follow his example and personally attend to trivial matters?"

Jiang Wei was taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting the emperor to be able to see through his thoughts, yet he still nodded slightly as if possessed. Guan Xing, Mi Wei, and other close ministers who had served the emperor for more than ten years also saw through Jiang Wei's thoughts, and upon hearing the emperor's question, they all turned their gazes to the emperor.

They understood why the prime minister insisted on handling everything personally.

They were initially puzzled as to why His Majesty had suddenly changed his temperament and become so willing to personally handle civil affairs.

However, after serving His Majesty day and night for three or four months since the Northern Expedition, they have observed His Majesty's way of dealing with the world and felt the changes in His Majesty, and have gained some understanding.

A moment later, the Emperor stood with his hands behind his back facing Chang'an, his sleeves fluttering in the wind as he slowly spoke:

"The Han Dynasty intends to use the land of a single province to defeat the large and overcome the strong with the small."

"It is like a lone boat on a stormy sea, unable to withstand even the slightest wind and waves, or a precarious cauldron hanging by a thread, unable to withstand even the slightest tremor."

"One wrong move and the whole game is lost."

"A single misstep can lead to utter ruin."

"The Prime Minister was well aware of this situation, so he worked diligently day and night, racking his brains to ensure that all matters concerning the military and national affairs of the Han Dynasty were under his control. He dared not easily entrust important matters to others, for fear that the Han Dynasty might make the slightest mistake."

"The so-called skillful warriors do not achieve great feats."

Why?
"The enemy feared its strength and dared not fight it."

Therefore, war is fought invisibly and ends before it even begins.

"Therefore, no one knew of its strength."

"Since he took office, countless people have advised him not to do everything personally."

"But if the Prime Minister had not personally handled everything, who would know if the Han Dynasty would still be in its present state?"
"Boyue did not understand why the Prime Minister had to personally inspect the Dujiangyan irrigation system, personally set the rules and regulations, solemnly issue the decrees, and finally arrange everything down to the smallest detail, such as the date of the dredging start date."

Why?
"For more than 500 years since Li Bing built the dam, no one has paid more attention to the management of Dujiangyan than the Prime Minister."

Why?
The principles are the same.

"Because only the Prime Minister understands that the seemingly insignificant Dujiangyan Irrigation System is actually related to the lifeline of the entire Shu region and the future of the entire Han Dynasty."

"If the Dujiangyan Irrigation System were to malfunction, the entire western Sichuan Plain would suffer a complete crop failure, and a large-scale epidemic would also occur due to the floods."

"If the harvest fails, the plague rages, and the population dies and flees on a large scale, then Shu will be in chaos, the logistics will be disrupted, and the military preparedness of the Han Dynasty will be completely collapsed. How can we then defeat the strong with the weak?"
“If there is a flood, it will take three to five years for farming to recover in Sichuan. The population loss caused by the flood will probably take ten or twenty years to recover.”

"For more than five hundred years, only the Prime Minister has elevated its importance to the level of the nation's lifeline. Therefore, the Prime Minister dares not entrust this matter to others, nor dares to allow even the slightest mistake to occur."

"The Prime Minister's meticulousness and caution, which are often misunderstood, have invisibly averted countless potential floods and disasters, allowing the Han Dynasty to survive to this day."

"But this disaster never happened, so who can know the Prime Minister's merit?"

Whether now or in the future, the Prime Minister's hands-on approach to everything has been criticized and misunderstood, but once the burdens of the world begin to fall on his shoulders, he will be able to deeply understand the Prime Minister's feelings.

This is why he wants to exchange Huang Quan for Huang Quan, and why he wants to establish a school. This is also why he is saying these words to Jiang Wei and the others now.

The Han Dynasty needs someone to share the burden with the Prime Minister.

"As for the trivial matters that I personally handle..."

"The late emperor once said, 'Cao Cao is hasty, I am lenient; Cao Cao is violent, I am benevolent; Cao Cao is cunning, I am loyal. Only by doing the opposite of what Cao Cao does one succeed.'"

"The same is true today."

"If we compare the world today to a tree, then the aristocratic families are the canopy, the powerful and wealthy are the trunk, and the common people are the foundation."

"The Cao Wei regime governed the country from top to bottom, with the fundamental principles reversed. It took the aristocratic families as its foundation and controlled the powerful and common people throughout the land."

"However, aristocratic families are like a canopy; if there are no powerful and influential people to support them and no common people to provide them with sustenance, they will surely perish."

Therefore, the Han dynasty should govern the country in the opposite way.

"We must start from the bottom up, insist on taking the common people as our foundation, supplemented by a group of powerful clans, and extract the resources from the aristocratic families. Then, the Cao Wei regime, which is based on the aristocratic families, will surely perish."

"The ruler is the boat, and the people are the water. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it."

This was the first time Liu Shan clearly explained his thoughts to young generals such as Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, Mi Wei, and Jiang Wei.

These words probably mean something like what the primary contradiction is, what the secondary contradiction is, who our friends are, and who our enemies are.

The late emperor and the prime minister understood this principle.

Therefore, they consistently suppressed powerful clans and restless local magnates, while supporting ambitious local magnates.

At the same time, we should find ways to solve the problem of the poor having "no place to stand".

This has led to the Han Dynasty's current resurgence.

However, this principle is something that the vast majority of people in the world today cannot understand and find difficult to accept.

Even with close and trusted advisors like Mi Wei, Zhao Guang, Zhao Tong, and Guan Xing, Liu Shan dared not say that their attitude towards the common people would be the same as his own, and that they would regard the common people as the foundation of the country.

Not to mention now, even in future generations, haven't there been great differences in the relationship between industry and agriculture, with cities surrounding rural areas and rural areas surrounding cities?

In this day and age, the upper class and the lower class seem to be separated by reproductive barriers, with almost no possibility of mobility. The idea that all beings are equal above oneself and that there is a strict hierarchy below oneself is the prevailing sentiment among most people.

"King Wu loved swordsmen, and the people suffered many wounds."

"King Chu loved slender waists, and many starved to death in the palace."

"In those days, Emperor Ling loved to travel incognito. He would often drive a carriage drawn by four donkeys, holding the reins and whip himself, and ride around the palace gardens."

"The nobles and relatives of the capital vied to imitate this practice, and the price of donkeys soared."

“There were even donkeys that cost ten thousand coins, which caused great suffering to the people.”

The folk rhyme goes: "The donkey brays, the emperor is carefree."

This is what is meant by "what the superiors like, the inferiors will do even more".

"Since the Northern Expedition, I have changed my ways. Whether in the army or among the people, I personally attend to even the smallest matters and understand the situation of the people. Why is that?"

"In the military, it is to boost morale and inspire the troops."

"As for the people, it is to make loyal and diligent ministers know what I like and cater to what I like."

"When Chen Zhi and Chen Fengzong, the Vice Minister and Magistrate of Linjin, first came to my side, they were also very insightful and eloquent in discussing the affairs of the world."

"Now I have entrusted him with the county of Linjin. As soon as he arrived in Linjin, he worked diligently and conscientiously to serve the country. Isn't this change in line with my preferences?"

"Thus, my purpose has been achieved."

"The Prime Minister was pragmatic and dedicated, and as a result, the vast majority of the officials and staff in his office were also pragmatic and virtuous ministers who avoided empty talk."

"I too am down-to-earth, taking the long way around from the shortest, focusing on practical matters and avoiding empty talk, emphasizing the essential and de-emphasizing the trivial. Why should I worry that my subjects may not be as pragmatic and truthful as I am, and why should I worry that the Han Dynasty will not prosper?"

Liu Shan dared not say that he could change the minds of most people in this era on his own, but...

For want of a nail, the horseshoe was lost;
A lost horseshoe, a lost warhorse;
They lost a warhorse, and they lost a king;
They lost a king and a war;
They lost a war and lost a country.

If we take this folk song in reverse, who knows, he might be trying to save a country by picking up a nail?

Jiang Wei, Mi Wei, and the others looked at the emperor's serious expression, seemingly lost in thought and feeling something.

(End of this chapter)