Taiping Dao at the end of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 21 The Weight of the Tripod: A Story of Flood Control in Hebei
The riverbank was low-lying, and dappled sunlight filtered through the elm trees, casting shadows on the children's rosy faces. Barefoot, they measured the path, their steps echoing like the calls of deer. They drew with their fingers, etched calculations into the sand, and debated the answers like warbling birds.

"Zhang Yuanpu! You've miscalculated!"

"Haha! Xuanli is the most foolish!"

"Your faces are covered in mud, as black as Yuanpo!"

"Aren't you the same? You muddy little dog! Hehe!"

"Call me Shoucun! I'm sure my calculations are correct..."

"Hahaha!…"

Under the warm, slanting sun, the children's innocent shouts transformed into bursts of laughter. Their flushed faces, glistening with sweat, shimmered in the sunlight, reflecting the dew like morning light. That vibrant energy, captured by the gaze of an old man and a young boy on the riverbank, left them mesmerized.

"Wow! What wonderful kids! When I was a child, by the pond near our old house, I was also... sigh..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu withdrew his gaze from the children and looked at the sighing old man, Li. In that one glance, from the children's smiling faces to the old man's wistful gaze, forty years of vicissitudes had passed in the blink of an eye.

The trials and tribulations of life have etched wrinkles like ridges on a field. These wrinkles, piled on the face of this fifty-year-old man, conceal a lifetime of toil and wasted time. Who doesn't reminisce about their youth? Looking back, only a sigh escapes their lips!
"That's all! They're all gone!..."

Old Man Li tilted his head and wiped his eyes. Zhang Chengfu remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

“Grandpa, since this is a fabricated charge, is there an opportunity to appeal to the county officials? Ye City is an important city in the county, with a governor, prefect, and county assistant. If they could find out the truth…”

"Master Zhang, that's easier said than done..."

Call me Chengfu!

"Hmm, the talisman master. The minor officials in the prefecture are always skilled with their pens and ruthless. Since it's a false accusation, why would they give you a chance to plead your case? If the old man doesn't escape, once he's imprisoned, he'll be silenced that very day. And when autumn comes, he'll be dragged out and beheaded, thus eliminating any possibility of evidence being uncovered and investigated again. Perhaps, when the old man dies, he can even take some more blame to offset some of the prefecture's water management deficit..."

Old Man Li shook his head, his expression wistful. He was a man of experience, having worked on river repairs all over the country and seen far too many petty officials in the counties and prefectures. If he hadn't acted decisively and fled, he probably wouldn't have survived until the autumn of that year.

"He fled, he fled! This escape confirmed his guilt. The land and houses passed down through generations have all fallen into the hands of the government and the county officials. He spent his whole life repairing rivers for the court, and in the end, he couldn't even protect his ancestral graves... Alas! There's nothing we can do. Isn't this how we common people are when faced with officials and bureaucrats above us? We can only choose between the fiercest and the fiercest, the worst and the worst. Even if it's someone else's crime, we can only bear the consequences for them..."

"Heaven above! This world is indeed like this, and it's time for a change! Fortunately, Grandpa, you escaped in time and should be able to bring your wife and children out."

"Wife and children..."

Old Man Li remained silent, then lowered his head and wiped his eyes. He looked at the children in the distance and smiled bitterly.

"...Chengfu, this old man has had bad luck. On the way we fled, my wife contracted the plague. The following year, my daughter also contracted it. They were both weak and didn't survive... Only my only son was saved by the talismanic water of the immortal masters. He barely survived, but his lungs and internal organs were damaged, and he can't do heavy work. He also knows a little about river works and understands some principles. Please, Chengfu, keep him by your side and make him do some odd jobs... so that he can absorb some of the immortal energy!"

At this point, Old Man Li turned around, bowed deeply, and was about to kneel down. Zhang Chengfu quickly helped Old Man Li up, shaking his head repeatedly and saying sincerely.

"Grandpa, that's not true! We in the Way of Peace don't employ others. We have hands and feet, and we do what we can ourselves! ... Your son is frail, but he understands river works, so he stays with my disciples and helps teach them. It's you, Grandpa, who knows more and has broader knowledge. I'd like these children to spend more time with you and learn more about river works when they have free time!..."

"Huh? You want me to teach these immortal masters' apprentices? How can that be? I'm just an old river worker..."

Upon hearing Zhang Chengfu's arrangement, Old Man Li was initially relieved, but then he was taken aback. He waved his hands repeatedly and shook his head.

"No, no, this old man is not fit to be a teacher..."

"How could I not be worthy? There may be a sequence to learning, and each profession has its own expertise. But there is no set order in the pursuit of knowledge; one should only learn from those who have achieved mastery!"

Zhang Chengfu grabbed Old Man Li's arm and said with a smile.

"Heaven bears witness! We cultivators value the fundamentals and pursue the Great Dao. We need not imitate the haughty manners of those aristocratic families, clinging to their birthright. Wherever they go, they proclaim, 'I am from such-and-such a prominent family,' and 'You are from such-and-such a prominent family,'..."

“But we are different. My disciples not only learn from you, but also humbly seek knowledge from other skilled farmers and craftsmen! This is our way, the way of the Way of Peace!”

Hearing these words about "seeking the Way," Old Man Li was taken aback. He carefully observed Zhang Chengfu's expression and saw only sincerity. After a long while, he stroked his beard with a complicated expression and said softly.

“Master of the Talisman of Bearing, this old man is not knowledgeable and does not understand much. This is the first time I have heard of this kind of ‘Dao’. Your ‘Dao’ is indeed rare. But… it sounds good.”

"Not bad, right? Look at the spirit of these children, I think it's quite good too!"

Having said that, the old man and the young man looked at the children running around and laughed at the same time. Their laughter, though heard by the river, carried much further than the children's laughter.

The laughter of the crowd drifted across the riverbank, past the vibrant weeds, the thriving bean sprouts, and the lively children, all the way to the distant countryside of Julu. The most ordinary yet vigorous vitality in this world is rooted in the soil, rooted in the countryside.

"Grandpa, are there any other outstanding craftsmen in this village?"

“Excellent craftsmen? Master craftsmen? Hmm, there are some! There’s a carpenter named Wang Pu in the village, who fled from Anping Kingdom. There’s a blacksmith named Zhao Shuo, who fled from Zhao Kingdom. There’s also a stonemason named Sun Li, who fled from Changshan Kingdom. And a bamboo weaver named Liu Zhu, who fled from Zhongshan Kingdom… Their skills are all very good. I don’t know if they are master craftsmen, but they were all personally trained by Master Ma Fu.”

"Wow! So many outstanding craftsmen... Grandpa, what's your name?"

"Old man's name?... Ah! Forget the old name, just call me Li Laohe!"

".good!"

Zhang Chengfu smiled and nodded, then fell silent in thought. Although he had expected it, he was still surprised and delighted to hear that there were so many craftsmen. Senior Brother Yuanyi had indeed planned ahead and made considerable preparations in all aspects.

"Now that we have these excellent craftsmen, perhaps we can try to improve upon them and create some tools? Like..." Some ideas flashed through my mind, but I suppressed them for the moment. Right now, nothing is more important than repairing the pond and storing water.

"Master Zhang! We've got it! We're the first to get it!"

"We were the first! You just ran over here first..."

"Master Zhang, were our calculations correct?... "

As dusk fell and darkness descended, the children returned in groups, each carrying a different answer. Zhang Chengfu noted down their answers but didn't reveal the correct one. Because at least half the groups looked troubled, knowing they wouldn't be able to solve it today.

"How far have you progressed in your calculations?...

"Hmm, not bad, let's continue tomorrow."

"And you?... "

"Huh?? Still counting steps?! Haven't you calculated the area and volume? Don't you know how to calculate them?!..."

Zhang Chengfu's eyes widened suddenly, his voice rising, and the two-pound pointer in his hand cracked as he gripped it. He looked at Zhang Yuanpo, who was looking down, and Zhang Xuanli, who was scratching his head, veins throbbing on his forehead. He then looked at the team members led by these two team leaders; they were all equally robust, with clear eyes, staring at him blankly.

"Master Zhang?... "

"."

For a teacher, the most troublesome thing is not students copying answers in groups. It's ten "bad students" gathered together, none of whom know the answer, so there's nothing to copy! After a while, he reached out and pressed his brow hard, muttering to himself.

"How did you two groups of idiots even come about?... After this calculation is finished, I'm definitely going to switch you guys with the others... No switching you back behind my back!"

"Come here first! Let Grandpa Li tell you a story... Hmm, the story of repairing the river in Jizhou!..."

The night was still, a breeze blew along the riverbank, and starlight shone on the low grass. The children, having finished their wheat porridge, sat in a large circle, gazing at the stone in the center. A bonfire burned before the stone, and Li Laohe sat on it. He showed no sign of tension, only repeatedly adjusting the hem of his clothes. It wasn't until Zhang Chengfu smiled and encouraged him that the old man was startled, bowed slightly while standing on the stone, and quickly sat down again.

"Ahem! Ahem! Well... then this old man will tell you the story of the river repair in Jizhou. Jizhou has fertile land and a large population, all of which rely on the river and the great marshes for irrigation... Legend has it that when Yu the Great was taming the floods, it was in Jizhou that he began!"

"Oh, the old folk song goes like this... 'Having reached Hukou, governed Liang and Qi. Having repaired Taiyuan, reaching Yueyang. Having achieved great things in Tanhuai, reaching Hengzhang. Its soil is only white loam, its taxes are only the highest, its fields are only average. Heng and Wei have followed, the mainland has been established. The island barbarians wear leather clothing, flanking the right side of Jieshi, entering the river'..."

Before the flickering campfire, an old, hoarse voice sang stories from two or three thousand years ago. The story of Yu the Great establishing the nine provinces is the origin of Ji Province. And Yu the Great's flood control efforts began in Ji Province, bringing it its first prosperity. After the ancient ballad ended, the old man by the campfire looked up at the starry sky, then at the children listening. His face was no longer tense; he simply spoke with a leisurely, wistful expression.

“Back in the time of Yu the Great, Bingzhou and Jizhou were combined to form the Greater Jizhou! He traveled from west to east along the Yellow River, dredging and clearing waterways all the way from Hukou to Liangshan and Qishan, and then to Taiyuan and the south of Taiyue Mountain. This was part of Bingzhou.”

"Then, he arrived at Qin Huai, which is roughly in Henan Commandery. Then he went to Zhangshui, which led him into Ji Province, to Wei Commandery. After that, he discovered that the land in Ji Province was excellent! It had soft, white soil that should produce top-quality crops and taxes. But at that time, the river had not been properly managed, and the following year the quality of the land was downgraded. If we want to cultivate the land well, we must repair the river!"

"Yu continued his work, heading north, taming the Heng and Wei rivers, and then reaching the Dalu Marsh. This Dalu Marsh is the large marsh in the center of Julu County! It's also a place where Yu stopped and made his mark..."

"Then he continued north, along the great river, all the way to Bohai Commandery. North of Bohai Commandery, Youzhou was still an island barbarian state at that time! And it was here that the Yellow River flowed into the sea..."

"After Yu the Great tamed the rivers of Jizhou, our Jizhou was gradually cultivated and transformed into a prosperous land of 'superior fields'! So, since ancient times, the fertile land of Jizhou has been inseparable from the tamed rivers. Why? Because farming cannot be done without water; we fear both drought and floods. The river must be tamed and made to behave so that it can benefit the crops instead of harming them!"

The children seemed to understand the earlier part of what he said, but after this year's drought, the planting in the fields, and the surveying of the ponds, they understood this part, nodding their heads vigorously.

Seeing this, Old Man Li smiled happily and began to recount the story with even greater seriousness.

"The time of Yu the Great has passed too long, and the river courses have been constantly changing, with the Yellow River flowing into the sea in different locations. But one thing has remained constant: the major rivers of Ji Province all originate from Bing Province in the west. When these rivers from Bing Province flow into Ji Province, they form the three most important, most turbulent, and most in need of management: the Qing River, the Zhang River, and the Hutuo River!"

"Why is the Qinghe River important? Because its upper reaches connect to the Yellow River! The Yellow River used to flow into the Bohai Sea, but now it has changed its course to Qingzhou in the south. However, there is still a tributary that flows north through the Qi River and into the Qinghe River... However, the Yellow River always carries silt. When it reaches the Qinghe River, the water slows down, and the silt settles down! Therefore, the Qinghe River is often silted up, and if it is not dredged regularly, it will definitely flood in years with heavy rainfall!..."

The children probably only caught the gist of what Old Man Li was saying, but Zhang Chengfu understood it completely. This Qinghe River is the section of the Yellow River that flows into the sea in Hebei, which is the later "Yongji Canal" that leads all the way to Zhuojun.

After Cao Cao conquered Hebei, his first act was to "drew the Baigou Canal," clearing the Qinghe River, which had become silted up. This was essential to ensure the supply of waterways and provisions, allowing the army to travel from his base in Yuzhou to the Yellow River and then into Jizhou. Only by opening this river could he support the northward march of hundreds of thousands of troops.

"Next is the Zhang River. It originates from the southern part of the Taihang Mountains in Bingzhou, flows into our Julu Commandery from Wei Commandery, and then into Anping State in the northeast. This river, coming down from the Taihang Mountains, was originally quite turbulent, with a bad temper, rushing everywhere! But during the time of the six states before Qin, Ye City belonged to the State of Wei. There was a powerful man in Wei named Ximen Bao, who built twelve canals along the Zhang River. One canal after another, these twelve canals calmed the Zhang River down, irrigating vast tracts of fertile land..."

“These canals were built very solidly, and they are still in use in Ye City today! Every few years, they need to be dredged and reinforced. I used to do this job. If it weren’t for these canals, the rivers in Wei County would often flood, and the fields along the banks would be uncultivable, just like the Hutuo River!”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengfu seemed to be deep in thought. The Zhang River flows north through Ye City in Wei Commandery, irrigating four commanderies in Ji Province and creating hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land. Downstream, it splits into the Qing River and the Hutuo River.

After Cao Cao occupied Ye City and consolidated his power, he once again used Ye City as a military supply depot to launch a northern expedition against the Wuhuan. This time, the logistical supply route followed the Zhang River and then the Hutuo River.

To extend the grain supply route to Youzhou, Cao Cao also excavated the Pinglu Canal, connecting the Hutuo River with the Youzhou River, thus enabling him to advance all the way to the border. This Zhang River was not only the foundation of Jizhou's wealth but also the fundamental route for transporting Jizhou's money and grain!

"Finally, there's the Hutuo River. It originates from the northern Taihang Mountains in Bingzhou, entering the northern part of Julu County from Changshan County, then flowing into Anping State, Hejian County, and Bohai County... This river! Alas! It's incredibly dangerous! In the upper reaches of Changshan County, it floods and breaches its banks every few days, inundating all sorts of farmland. The middle reaches aren't much better. Only when it enters Bohai County does it finally calm down, irrigating the fertile fields of Bohai County..."

"Oh, God Taiyi! If only a canal like the Twelve Canals of Zhangshui could be built in Changshan County, the Twelve Canals of Hutuo... then this river could become a docile and fertile river, and countless acres of farmland could be created along its course! It's a pity that, given the state of the court, even dredging the Qinghe River is impossible, let alone building a new canal... What a pity! Alas!..."

The campfire flickered, casting long orange flames and long shadows. Old Man Li sighed deeply, lowered his head, and the firelight on his face disappeared into the shadows, much like the state of the world today. The story of river management in Jizhou came to an abrupt end here. The past remained untold, and who would write the new chapter?

At this moment, Zhang Chengfu gazed at the firelight and the children around him, unaware of what the future held. But he knew very well that the one who could wield the pen and write down the story of controlling the great river of Jizhou would truly win the hearts of millions in Jizhou. Then, he would inherit the achievements of Yu the Great in controlling the floods and seize the heaviest of the Nine Tripods, the Jizhou Tripod!

(End of this chapter)