June marks the start of the flood season, and the entire Miaozhou region is on high alert.

Zheng Boyuan also got busy. After the first rain, he often went to inspect the dike, and sometimes he didn't come back at night.

Xu Zhi asked the kitchen to prepare broth for her every day. When she came back, she would make a bowl of hot soup noodles and drink it with the broth. This would relieve a lot of her fatigue.

That evening, Zheng Boyuan returned home covered in mud.

Xu Zhi quickly helped him wash up and change clothes. After Zheng Boyuan finished getting ready, the two sat in the courtyard, watching the sunset in the western sky.

Zheng Boyuan leaned back in his bamboo recliner, sighed, and said, "Today, many places along the Miao River are holding river-worshiping ceremonies. I walked a long way along the embankment and felt quite sad."

Xu Zhi looked at Zheng Boyuan, who had a worried expression, and poured him a cup of fruit tea. Zheng Boyuan thought of the scene he had seen during the day, shook his head, and said, "The flood in Miaozhou really can't be left unresolved. If it's not resolved, the people in this area will have an even harder time in the future."

Xu Zhi recalled the court's practices in previous years and said, "Does the court always reduce taxes for Miaozhou and allocate silver and grain for disaster relief every year?"

Zheng Boyuan shook his head and said, "These are all stopgap measures. The best way to solve the problem is to address the root cause. It's a pity that we haven't found an effective way to control floods all these years."

When Xu Zhi heard about flood control, she immediately thought of the Liao family she had met in Ganzhou.

Xu Zhi leaned closer to Zheng Boyuan and whispered, "Back in Ganzhou, I met a family surnamed Liao. Their daughter was raped by the Third Prince and gave birth to a child. Because of this, the Third Prince sent people to hunt down their family. My father and brother managed to rescue them and later found a place to settle them. I remember the old man from the Liao family saying that a very famous water conservancy expert from the previous dynasty was one of their ancestors. Do you think we should go and ask this old man from the Liao family?"

Zheng Boyuan hadn't expected such a thing to happen. However, given the feud between his family and the Third Prince, even if the Liao family members were truly talented in flood control, it would be a matter of careful consideration before they were put to use.

Zheng Boyuan pondered for a long time before saying, "Ajiu, I need to think about this carefully before deciding whether to invite the Liao family to help with flood control. My father-in-law and brother-in-law only settled them here for their safety. If I invite them for my own sake and put them in danger, I would be letting down my father-in-law and brother-in-law's good intentions."

Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Then Brother Boyuan, please think it over carefully. By the way, I heard that Lord Wan recently returned to the capital. Is there something wrong?"

It was rare to see Xu Zhi so interested in gossip. Zheng Boyuan said, "Lord Wan told Lord Chu that a letter came from the capital. His mother has not been feeling well these past few days, and he was worried, so he asked for leave to go back and check on her. I heard that he brought his concubine with him back to the capital."

Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Then Madam Shen's target is the Yun family. Originally, the Yun family was a duck that was already cooked on her chopping board. Who knew that the duck could fly away? I guess her master will not let her off easily."

Thinking about all this, Zheng Boyuan was still somewhat worried. Wan Jingchen had returned to the capital, and it was uncertain whether he would come back in the future. If he didn't return, then who would take over the position of Assistant Prefect of Miaozhou? If it was someone who genuinely wanted to help the people, that would be fine. But if it was someone who was only interested in exploiting the people, then it would be really hard to know how to proceed with the work.

During the day, Madam Ming, the eldest wife of the second branch of the Yun family, came over to express her gratitude to Shiliu for saving her life. She said that her daughter had been running a fever for several days after returning home and was still unable to get out of bed. Madam Ming had taken care of her for two days and was thinking about Shiliu's life-saving grace. Today, she was finally able to find the time to come over.

Thinking of what Madam Ming had told her during the day, Xu Zhi said to Zheng Boyuan, "I heard from the lady of the Yun family that the Yun family has already met with the Emperor in private."

Zheng Boyuan took a sip of tea and said, "Of course, they are the largest cotton growers in Daliang. They want to hand over all their cotton production to His Majesty, and not just for one year, but for every year thereafter. Do you think His Majesty wouldn't be tempted? Daliang has hundreds of thousands of soldiers. How much cotton do they need for uniforms, quilts and blankets every year?"

Xu Zhi sighed softly and said, "Money can be a powerful motivator. Even in the face of great disaster, if you find the right path and have the resources, you can find a way to survive."

Zheng Boyuan put the teacup on the table and said, "You can't say that. Every year, the Yun family takes out 10% of their net income for charity, either to buy urgently needed supplies for the court or to build bridges and roads. A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have good fortune. Who knows what might happen next?"

Xu Zhi nodded, but in her heart she thought, "Indeed, people should do good deeds. In my past life, I remembered the favor Zheng Boyuan had given me for the rest of my life. In this life, I'm going through fire and water with him. Just do good deeds and don't worry about the future. Heaven will never let those who do good deeds feel disheartened."

Xu Zhi sighed and said, "It's just a pity for that girl from the Yun family. Because the Yun family offended Madam Shen, Madam Shen took her anger out on her. Fortunately, our girl has Shiliu, who secretly helped her out. Otherwise, now, that girl from the Yun family would not only be criticized for losing her chastity, but she would probably also be pestered by some hooligans to marry her off."

Zheng Boyuan sneered twice and said, "It really is some people's trick. They always like to use girls' reputations as a weapon. They're all low-class methods."

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