Miao Chu

Chapter 329 in Advance
Upon seeing that the speaker was Cai Xiu, Lü Zhongchang's previously gloomy face brightened considerably.

"Oh, it's Xiao Cai!" He smiled. "Where is that flat land you mentioned? Is it far?"

Putting aside everything else, this "Little Cai" alone, with his reputation as a talented student of the Imperial Academy and a rising star, is enough to earn him respect.

Moreover, this person is indeed quite capable. Since he brought a group of students to Chanzhou, he has managed them very well, without causing Lü Zhongchang any trouble.

Of course, it's not without its flaws.

He had a bad reputation among the students in the river channel. It was said that he loved to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak, was opportunistic, acted unfairly, and often stole credit from others.

But for Lü Zhongchang, these were minor issues and nothing to worry about.

It takes a lot of people to be jealous of someone, and besides, where in this world is there any such thing as fairness?

He completed all the tasks assigned to him without any compromise, and did not cause any trouble on the surface. Most importantly, the children of a group of wealthy and powerful people who had been placed in the group all found good places and would be able to share the credit and gain recognition in the future.

He was already very promising. Once he returned to the capital, these people would speak well of him and he would be appreciated by so many important figures. How could he not rise to prominence in the future?

Although Cai Xiu couldn't guess Lü Zhongchang's thoughts, she could clearly feel the other party's appreciation for her.

He immediately replied, "It's not far, just by the confluence of the Huihe River. Although there's a lot of mud and sand piled up right now, it will be just as convenient once it's cleaned up!"

"Lead the way."

Cai Xiu readily agreed and led a group of people to the place they were talking about.

Before long, everyone saw a large "flat area" piled with timber, bricks, tiles, and sand.

It's said to be near Huihekou, but it's actually quite a distance away.

"It's quite far!"

"There's too much debris blocking the way. Right now, we can't even see the riverbed. How will we be able to see the Tonghe River the day after tomorrow?"

Cai Xiu hurriedly said, "The river is not visible right now because the terrain here is too low. Since Councilor Li and that angel will not arrive until the day after tomorrow, including today, there is still a day and a half to go!"

As he spoke, he turned to Lü Zhongchang and said, "This student is willing to share the burden for you, Master Lü—please provide the personnel and materials, and I will arrange everything through the night. I guarantee that the platform will be set up by tomorrow afternoon!"

Lu Zhongchang hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How high do you plan to build it?"

Cai Xiu said, "I think we should build a high platform, at least ten feet high. The higher the platform, the clearer people will be in the future. Otherwise, when the river is opened, there will definitely be people coming and going along the riverbank, which will block the view and make it difficult to see the direction of the river."

He added, "Use timber to build it. After it's built, set up steps, and then put some chairs on top. There should be railings on all four sides..."

Seeing how carefully he had considered things, Lü Zhongchang felt much more at ease.

He nodded and said, "Calculate how much material and manpower you need, and get it ready—build it quickly, it needs to be finished by noon tomorrow at the latest!"

Cai Xiu nodded immediately and, without delay, sent someone to fetch paper and pen from the shed. While still following the officials around to inspect the place, he took every opportunity to write and calculate.

Not long after, in front of Lü Zhongchang, he asked the official beside him in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, for labor and materials.

The reported amount was actually a bit too much, but since Lü Zhongchang had just spoken, the subordinates couldn't say anything and reluctantly agreed.

Cai Xiu seized the opportunity and immediately went to select materials.

Before leaving, he specifically sought out Lü Zhongchang, only saying that he was about to inspect and count the items, thus bidding farewell in a proper and thorough manner.

Seeing Cai Xiu's actions, although he was overly deliberate in many ways, he was thorough and attentive to his instructions, taking them to heart and even taking the initiative to help solve problems. Lü Zhongchang couldn't help but nod in approval.

With the Liuta River about to be opened to traffic, he was so busy with the canal project that he was overwhelmed. Even so, after learning that Li Zhai, the Vice Chancellor, and a Yellow Gate Attendant who had been ordered by the Emperor were about to arrive, he still managed to find time to personally follow up on the matter, but it was impossible to keep an eye on it all the time.

His subordinates were all busy with their own tasks and were busy dredging the river, but in this world, it is never as good as being good at talking and acting.

No matter how well Tonghe handles things, if he fails to properly host this group, once they return to the capital and say a few bad things, no amount of effort he puts into Chanzhou can undo the damage.

Moreover, in recent days, Lü Zhongchang has vaguely sensed a change in the court's, especially the emperor's, attitude towards him.

They come every few days to urge me about the progress and to ask for various reports.

The most aggressive of them all was the Three Departments.

The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Finance were one thing, but even the Salt and Iron Bureau had to get involved.

I just asked about labor and materials today, and a few days later, they sent me an inquiry letter about labor and materials, asking me to explain why there are such numbers and to compare them with previous data.

In the past, he would often just go through the motions, but since the beginning of summer, he was working on the same project in the two circuits of the capital region, repairing dikes and dredging rivers. Wang Jinghe's project went smoothly and was completed in less than two months, with very little money and materials spent.

I heard that after the project was completed, although there were occasional instances of the river overflowing, the floodwaters were brought under control in time.

Not only that, when the river was dredged, many dikes and ditches were dug to divert and store water. As a result, the people along the river used the water for irrigation, and in the end, a lot of farmland was added.

Local merchants, including those from Lianwei Prefecture, participated in the transportation and collection of grains, materials, cloth, medicinal herbs, and other goods. Huazhou, already a major thoroughfare, saw its docks and river channels expand and increase as a result.

The last time the prefect of Chanzhou came, he was supposed to check on the progress, but as they talked, he started talking about Huazhou, and his tone was so sour it was almost dripping with jealousy. It's only autumn now, but the commercial tax there has increased several times over. The scale of Liuta River is only going to grow larger, and Chanzhou has contributed and cooperated even more. When will we receive such a return?
Lü Zhongchang barely managed to restrain himself from embarrassing him to his face, nor did he hurl insults at him in his reply to the court.

How could I possibly accept that!

How can such a minor water-related issue as Huazhou be compared to the Liuta River?

How much canal does Wang Jinghe plan to dig? I heard it's only a few miles!

How many more canals need to be dug along the Liuta River? How much labor and materials will be required?

Just the arrangement of manpower and the transfer and allocation of materials to ensure that everything arrives in full and in batches is enough to give anyone a headache!
But these are inexplicable.

In order to persuade the court to agree to his plan, Lü Zhongchang naturally used some subtle and euphemistic language.

The difficulty of dredging the Liuta River has been reduced in terms of labor and materials, making it seem much simpler. Now, the three departments are questioning him about the previous plan and the expenses in Huazhou, leaving him with some unspeakable difficulties.

—There was no embezzlement, no collusion, yet this much was spent! And because his progress was so excessively slow, not only was the emperor growing increasingly impatient, but even his most supportive ministers, Cao and Li, had sent letters to question him.

He was aware that Cai Xiu's "Biography of Lü Zhongchang" had been sent to the capital, and although he didn't push for it, he tacitly approved of it.

However, the article only caused a considerable stir among scholars, while the imperial court remained completely silent, which was quite puzzling.

Both were essays, both were biographies, and both were students of the Imperial Academy. One, surnamed Han, wrote about an ordinary patrol inspector who, apart from catching a thief and solving some cases, made some contributions, but these were ultimately minor matters. Yet, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor summoned him, praised him, and even bestowed gold and rewards upon him.

A man surnamed Cai wrote about his important role in managing the water affairs of the two rivers, a matter of national and global importance, yet he had not only failed to gain any benefits, but had also received more and more inquiries about the waterways lately, making him feel somewhat uneasy.

After leading a group of people to inspect the entire river channel and uncovering many problems, Lü Zhongchang arranged for people to rectify them before returning to his house.

But just as he sat down and took a couple of sips of tea, a messenger arrived with a message.

The man entered and said, "Sir, a man has come from outside. He says he is an old friend of yours, surnamed Li, and lives outside Tianbo Gate. He has urgent business to discuss with you."

Lu Zhongchang was taken aback at first, but quickly remembered who the person might be and hurriedly said, "Quick! Quickly invite him in!"

Before long, a person quickly slipped in.

Upon seeing him, Lü Zhongchang's first reaction was to smile and greet him, then he asked, "Why did you suddenly come to Chanzhou? Is there something urgent?"

The man opposite first put down his bundle, looked around, and then checked the doorway to make sure no one was eavesdropping before quickly returning and whispering, "Brother Lü, I've come to deliver a message to my elder brother—the reason Li, the Councilor, and that eunuch came to Chanzhou this time is not for anything else, but to ask you to delay the opening of the river by three months."

Lu Zhongchang, who was initially smiling, was shocked upon hearing this. He grabbed the newcomer's hand and asked urgently, "What? What did you say? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

The man said, “It was precisely because of this news that my elder brother was worried that Brother Lü was unprepared. When Councilor Li arrives, and the envoy brings the Emperor’s decree, the deed will be done, and there won’t be time to react!”

Lü Zhongchang found it utterly unbelievable.

He said, "When the two gentlemen wrote to me last time, they were urging me to get the river flowing through here as soon as possible. How could things have changed so drastically overnight? It doesn't make sense!"

"It's Vice Minister Fan—the expenses at Liutahe are excessive, and the Ministry of Revenue keeps pressing the issue. Every few days, Vice Minister Fan selects past reports, documents, and plans to compare, and also compares them with the expenses in Huazhou. He only says that for the same thing, the price quoted here in Liutahe is more than double that in Huazhou, and suspects that there is something fishy going on..."

"There are also repeated examples from the Directorate of Water Conservancy. Among them, besides Wu Chang, an official of the Directorate of Water Conservancy, there is another student surnamed Han—that is, Han Li—both of whom returned from Huazhou with Wang Jinghe."

"The two men molded clay and wood, then took the Liuta River to the capital to report and made a calculation based on it. They said that with the current water volume and the width and depth of the Liuta River, if the river were to be dredged, it would definitely overflow..."

"The two men tested the instrument they had used, and sure enough, the river was breached and the water overflowed. When Li, the councilor, saw this, he was terrified and reported it to the emperor. Only then did he receive the imperial decree and come here. If it is indeed as Wu and Han predicted, then the dredging of the Liuta River should be temporarily suspended, and other arrangements should be made. A new person should be appointed to take over the area, and the dredging should be carried out again in late autumn or early winter when the drought has stopped!"

Lu Zhongchang's expression was extremely unpleasant.

What if things drag on and nothing happens by winter?
Even if it doesn't just fizzle out, all that hard work I've put in these past few days, if someone else takes over, it would be a complete waste of my efforts. How could I accept that?

“My elder brother and Brother Lü are like grasshoppers on the same rope; if one suffers, the other suffers; if one prospers, the other prospers. That is why I have come to ask you this question—but I do not know whether what Wu and Han said has any basis, or is it just empty talk? In any case, I urge Brother Lü to deal with this carefully!”

Lü Zhongchang did not answer immediately.

The elder brother of the man opposite was an official under Li Zhai, a capable right-hand man, and also a former classmate of Lü Zhongchang.

There were many opponents to the Liutahe project at the time, and it would have been impossible to realize it without the strong advocacy of Councilor Li and Minister Cao.

The fact that Li Zhai was persuaded was due not only to Lü Zhongchang's extensive family learning and genuine talent, but also to the significant efforts of his classmate, who was part of Li's faction.

If the Liutahe incident encounters setbacks, he will definitely be implicated.

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for your eldest brother." Without even thinking twice, Lü Zhongchang made his assurance to the other party.

He made some assurances and provided some data, and then ordered his men to lead the people on the other side on a walk around the river.

The other party did not stay long, not even for a meal. They left behind a copy of the documents written by Wu and Han, along with many other manuscripts, and hurriedly returned to report the news while it was still light.

After seeing the visitor off, Lü Zhongchang first looked at the copied manuscript.

There's not much to say; they're all just assumptions. Different standards and different calculation methods lead to different results, and there's really no way to explain it.

He wasn't confident he could persuade Li Zhai, so he simply didn't waste time trying. Instead, he gathered his men and made new arrangements.

"The political sages and angels will be arriving tomorrow. Let's do a rehearsal before they come. If there are any problems, we can find them early and fix them in advance, so we won't be caught off guard on the day."

Some people were suspicious and asked how the rehearsal was conducted.

Lu Zhongchang said, "Let's open the river today—let's try it once. Tomorrow morning, we'll put down the sluice gate and the shovels to block the river and pretend that it hasn't been opened. We'll open it again the day after tomorrow to show the councilor and the envoy."

Hearing that the river was to be opened today, no one dared to delay. They each accepted their orders and hurried off.

After assigning tasks to the rest of the people, Lü Zhongchang called Cai Xiu over.

“You also have a very important matter here—instruct those students to measure the depth, current and flow of the Jiahe and Jianhe rivers again as soon as possible…” He glanced at the time. “It’s noon now, there’s still time—the results must be reported before 3 PM. Xiao Su and the others need to compare them with the previous data to decide whether the river can be opened.”

Cai Xiu immediately replied, "Don't worry, sir, leave it to me! I will handle it perfectly and meticulously, without the slightest negligence!"

He readily agreed in front of Lü Zhongchang, but when he returned to the shack on the river and saw many newly arrived young men from Shezhe, he dared not utter a single word.

As the group entered with their luggage and belongings, they complained about the poor conditions, the damp heat, the stuffiness, and the abundance of snakes, insects, and rodents. Upon entering, Cai Xiu inquired about their well-being and then relayed Lü Zhongchang's instructions.

"Time is really tight, so please take a moment to do the tests so I can submit them to you!"

Those who only knew how to eat, drink, and enjoy life had no idea what to test or how to test it, so they all asked questions.

Cai Xiu thought of the many handwritten notes and files lying in the inner room of Lü Zhongchang's room, still sealed with wax, and said, "You all decide what to do—I'll just come and collect them when the time comes. As for how to write them or how to revise them, I don't know!"

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

When he returned in the afternoon, although no one in the house had gone out and was just sitting around the ice to cool off, a new set of hydrological data was already on the table, waiting for him to pick it up.

(End of this chapter)