Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Zhou Qiao's face instantly darkened.

Zhao Pei tried to smooth things over, his tone less impetuous than Zhou Qiao's, but still full of the disdain typical of an old minister.

"Editor Gu, this plan is indeed very detailed. But theory and practice are two different things."

"You mentioned this sand-flying weir, which uses water flow to wash away silt. It sounds intriguing. But how do you control the water flow on the construction site?"

What materials are used for the weir? How is the overflow calculated during the flood season?

He posed three questions in a row, speaking slowly and deliberately, yet each one hit the nail on the head.

Gu Mingli listened quietly to the end.

"That's a good question, Lord Zhao."

He pulled a roll of paper from his sleeve, walked to the long table in the hall, and spread it out.

It was a hand-drawn cross-section of the river channel.

The lines are extremely fine, the markings are dense, the ink is of varying shades, and in some places you can see the marks of repeated corrections.

This is what he painted last night after returning home, continuing until dawn.

"The height of the Feisha Weir crest needs to be lower than the normal water level of the Neijiang River and higher than the water level during the dry season. The specific value depends on the actual measured data of the river cross section."

He pointed to a mark on the map.

"This is a reference value I calculated based on the hydrological records of Jiangzhou archived in the Hanlin Academy. The error range is within three inches. We will calibrate it on-site."

He changed his location.

"The weir material is made of bamboo cages filled with pebbles. It is inexpensive, quick to construct, and can be repaired at any time if it is washed away."

He looked up at Zhao Pei.

"As for the overflow budget,"

Gu Mingli picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing formulas directly on the blank space of the drawing.

A very simple formula for calculating traffic flow.

In modern times, this is a basic course for first-year water conservancy engineering students.

However, during the Dayong Dynasty, no one in the palace could understand it.

Zhao Pei stared at the symbols and numbers, his beard twitching slightly.

"What is this?"

"Arithmetic."

Gu Mingli didn't even look up, his pen never stopping.

"A method for calculating water flow. I can teach it to the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works so they can calculate and adjust it themselves on the construction site."

He finished writing the last number, put down his pen, and straightened up.

"Lord Zhao, the reason you haven't been able to repair the dike in thirty years is not because the craftsmen are incompetent. It's because the calculation method hasn't kept up."

The hall fell silent again.

Zhou Qiao's expression had changed from disdain to a complex one, showing resentment but unable to utter a rebuttal.

Zhao Pei remained silent for a long time.

He looked down at the dense markings and calculations on the blueprints, then glanced at Gu Mingli.

There was no arrogance, not even a hint of pride, in the young man's eyes.

It's simply a pure confidence and conviction in one's professional field.

Zhao Pei has lived for over sixty years and has seen countless kinds of people.

Some people's confidence is feigned and cannot withstand scrutiny.

Some people's confidence comes from within, because they truly know the answer.

The person in front of you is the latter.

Xiao Ye remained silent.

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, and watched the whole process.

"Zhao Pei".

"Your subject is here."

"Do you think this plan is feasible?"

Zhao Pei hesitated for a moment, then finally bowed.

"Your Majesty, the plan is indeed innovative, and some of its theories are things I have never heard of before. However, whether it is feasible or not can only be determined by on-site inspection."

He paused for a moment.

"However... it's worth a try."

Xiao Ye's fingers stopped.

He looked at Gu Mingli with a deep gaze, as if he were looking through this person at something else.

"Gu Mingli".

"Your subject is here."

"You promised to make a pledge to eradicate the flooding in Jiangzhou within six months. If you fail, you'll bring me your head."

Gu Mingli felt a tightness in his back.

He wrote these words himself, but when the emperor read them aloud, their weight increased tenfold.

He gritted his teeth.

"That's what I said."

Xiao Ye stared at him.

"I grant your permission."

Gu Mingli suddenly looked up.

"Effective immediately, Gu Mingli is promoted to Assistant Director of the Ministry of Works on loan, and concurrently serves as the Supervisor of Water Conservancy Construction in Jiangzhou. The Ministry of Works shall allocate 300 craftsmen for a period of six months."

After saying this, Xiao Ye picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Then another sentence was added.

"I must return to Beijing once a month to report on my work. During the report..."

He paused for a moment, his gaze falling on Gu Mingli, his expression indifferent.

But there was a very subtle curiosity and inquisitiveness in his tone.

"Bring along your newly discovered secrets as well."

Gu Mingli was stunned.

Liu An, who was standing nearby, heard everything clearly and couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Is Your Majesty... reluctant to let Lord Gu stay away for too long?

Oh my goodness, this is incredible!

This Lord Gu really took an unconventional approach and won the emperor's favor!

Gu Mingli didn't dare to think too much about it.

He bowed respectfully, his voice trembling with barely suppressed excitement.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

When he left the Wenhua Hall, he walked twice as fast as usual.

After walking past the corner of the colonnade and confirming that no one was around, I made sure there were no other people nearby.

Gu Mingli grabbed a pillar and buried his face in his arms.

His shoulders were trembling slightly.

So exciting!

He finally got the chance to show his skills in ancient times.

The system screen lit up quietly in front of me.

[Emperor favorability: -570→-569]

[Reasons for the change: Recognition of academic competence + Approval of practical water management solutions]

Gu Mingli stared at that number.

I reduced it a little.

A seaweed dance, plus a life-saving folding cloth.

I stayed up all night.

He slowly loosened his grip on the pillar, leaned against the wall, and looked up at the patch of sky peeking out from under the eaves.

He exhaled a long breath.

When he reached the palace gate, he saw Gu Mingyue waiting by the carriage.

The brother and sister looked at each other from a distance of twenty paces.

Gu Mingyue understood everything from his expression.

"Approved?"

"Approved."

"What about the favorability rating?"

"The dance fee was reduced by five, and my request was just approved, so it was reduced by one again."

Gu Mingyue's brows relaxed, and she revealed a genuine smile, a rare occurrence.

"Looks like the seaweed dance is quite effective. My brother is incredibly charming!"

Gu Mingli rolled his eyes at her, pulled back the curtain, and climbed into the carriage.

Gu Mingyue got into the car, and immediately stopped laughing as soon as she sat down.

"I've received the 100,000 taels from Father. I have a month to go. Brother, you shouldn't have any new assignments right now, right?"

Gu Mingli let out a long sigh of relief.

"I need to catch my breath. I can't keep up with the constant attention I get in front of the emperor."

Gu Mingyue chuckled to herself and stopped teasing.

She pulled a piece of paper from her sleeve and laid it on her knees.

"Let's prepare over the next few days. I need to arrange the work for the Citrus Red division first. Then I'll go to Jiangzhou to set up the production lines for masks, Citrus Red products, and spinning wheels. And the spinning wheel technology over there..."

Gu Mingli leaned against the car wall and closed his eyes.

"I'll draw up the blueprints for several textile equipment tonight. I also need to coordinate with the Ministry of Works and the Jiangzhou Prefectural Government."

Gu Mingyue nodded, "Speed ​​up and try to get it done within seven days, then go to Jiangzhou."