August of the 40th year of Kangxi's reign

The Governor-General of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong submitted three memorials in succession, stating that the continuous torrential rains had caused flooding. The number of casualties in each memorial was increasing, and according to the comparison of the figures, this flood was much more severe than in the past.

Upon receiving such a memorial, Emperor Kangxi was in a very bad mood. Officials in the court were all on edge. Didn't they see that just two days ago, someone was dismissed from office for writing a single word wrong in a memorial? That was too unfair.

Seeing that the flood situation was becoming increasingly critical, it was imperative for the imperial court to send an imperial envoy to provide disaster relief.

Although Yu Chenglong, a capable minister in charge of flood control, unfortunately passed away last year, he left behind a wealth of experience and documents related to flood control. Emperor Kangxi had already ordered them to be compiled into a book and issued an edict for officials to study them carefully.

Therefore, how to control the flood was not the primary problem at this time.

"Any of my beloved ministers have volunteered to go to the disaster relief effort this time?" Kangxi asked during the morning court session.

The Crown Prince stepped forward, saying, “Father, I have read Yu Gong’s letter and have long admired the things he wrote about. I believe I have learned eighty percent of Yu Gong’s skills. I beg Father to allow me to go to the disaster area in person.”

Emperor Kangxi was satisfied with the Crown Prince's attitude.

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed! His Highness the Crown Prince is of noble birth, and the task of controlling the floods will be fraught with difficulties, both natural and man-made." Suoertu stepped forward, his face full of anxiety, and said, "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, the very foundation of the Qing Dynasty. A son of noble birth should not sit under a dangerous roof. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"

With Suoertu taking the lead, officials from the Crown Prince's faction came out to echo him.

Kangxi did not object, nor did he really want the Crown Prince to go. It was a good opportunity for the Crown Prince to express his opinion so that things could continue later.

“Father, if the Crown Prince cannot go, your son is willing to go.” Prince Zhi stepped forward with his hands clasped. “Your son is most skilled at leading troops into battle, and water management is nothing to him.”

Kangxi frowned upon hearing this. This eldest son was brave but lacked wisdom. Could he manage the flood control?

Have you finished reading the Water Classic written by Yu Gong?

"No." Prince Zhi could not lie before the Emperor, so he quickly added, "Father, I can just bring more officials who know how to manage water."

Kangxi waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more. The general knew nothing about water management, so how could he solve the urgent problem in Jiangsu and Zhejiang?

After Prince Yinzhen and the other princes expressed their opinions, he spoke up: "Father, let your son go. Honghui's teacher, Zhu Shi, has a lot of experience in the study of the Water Classic. In recent years, your son has often consulted Mr. Zhu and I believe that I have gained some or two of Yu's insights."

Kangxi looked around and saw that no one agreed or objected. He suddenly felt that his fourth son's personality made him a useful tool to be a loyal minister.

"In that case, the Fourth Prince shall lead the way and head to the disaster area immediately to manage the floods for me. Remember, the people must come first in everything."

"Your subject obeys the decree."

The Crown Prince also knew that he would never leave his father's sight. The Fourth Prince had always been obedient to him over the years, and in his eyes, Yinzhen was his staunch loyalist.

The Crown Prince praised Yinzhen for volunteering for the mission. After the court session, he spoke to Yinzhen privately, encouraging him to do his best in his duties and to take care of his own life. He promised to look after Honghui for Yinzhen.

Yinzhen, as always, acted as a respectful younger brother. When he heard the Crown Prince mention Honghui, he glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. The Crown Prince remained calm and composed, as if it were someone else who had previously plotted to kill Honghui.

Yinzhen lowered his eyes. Whether you genuinely care about Honghui or are using your son to threaten him, he would make sure the Crown Prince saw things clearly during this operation.

He can be a good younger brother, provided you are a good older brother first!

******

When Yihua heard that Yinzhen had volunteered to go and control the flood, she was a little flustered, but she still directed Chen Mama and Abao to pack Yinzhen's luggage and also purchased a lot of disinfectant and fever-reducing medicines.

Yinzhen was busy all day, carefully selecting the officials to accompany him before returning to his residence.

Yi Hua was waiting for him to have his meal, while Hong Hui had already gone to bed.

As usual, Yinzhen went to see the child and inquired about Honghui's daily life before he and Yihua could finally have their meal in peace.

"My wife is pregnant now, so there's no need to wait for me to return." Yinzhen felt a little guilty, as he had been so busy today that he forgot to send someone back to the mansion to inform her.

Yi Hua was a little sleepy at this moment, but she still mustered up her energy to talk to Yinzhen: "Your Majesty, you don't need to worry about me. I've already eaten. Now I'm a little hungry again, so I'll keep you company and have some."

"Sir, I don't know anything about flood control, but I'm a little worried that after the flood, countless people have starved or drowned. After a major disaster, there's a fear of an epidemic. We need to prepare for this as soon as possible."

Yinzhen was somewhat surprised: "When did you learn these things, Fujin?"

Yi Hua's knowledge was based on hearsay from her previous life, so she could only make things up: "Mr. Zhu has recently assigned Hong Hui a lot of homework related to floods, and I've learned a little bit from it every day."

Yinzhen hadn't expected this, and gestured for Su Peisheng to bring over all of Honghui's homework from this period of time.

After the two had dinner, Yinzhen flipped through the pages one by one: "Honghui's calligraphy has improved a lot."

Upon hearing this, Yi Hua laughed and said, "Let's improve from dog crawling to cat crawling."

"To be honest, I haven't seen the Princess's calligraphy yet. I've heard that Lord Fei Yanggu's youngest daughter writes in the Yan style of 'Slender Gold' calligraphy. I wonder when Your Highness will have the honor of seeing it." Yinzhen spoke up for Honghui, who had only been writing calligraphy for a few months but already showed considerable talent.

"I'm tired today," Yi Hua quickly said. She had no idea about the Slender Gold style calligraphy. Yinzhen had given her a hint today, and she would have to try it out another day to see how much of the original owner's skills she had inherited.

Yinzhen did not insist. He carefully read through the contents and annotations: "Mr. Zhu is doing this for my sake. He conveyed his thoughts and suggestions through Honghui. It is all thanks to the wife's thoughtfulness, otherwise such a good prescription would have been missed."

“Mr. Zhu was a good teacher. Although Honghui was ill, the assignments Mr. Zhu gave him were always just right, neither too heavy nor too slow.” Yihua had the utmost respect for Zhu Shi.

Yinzhen carefully put away the calligraphy and lay on the bed with Yihua in his arms, chatting: "The auspicious day calculated by the Imperial Observatory is the day after tomorrow. If it were up to my personality, I would rather go today. Why wait for an auspicious day? A lot of people will die if we wait these two more days."

Yi Hua heard this while half asleep and half awake. She hugged Yin Zhen and kissed his chin: "Your Majesty, human strength has its limits. As long as we have a clear conscience, that's enough."

"Yihua, after I leave, Father Emperor will most likely summon Honghui back to the palace to show his favor. Although the Empress is watching over him in the palace, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against a hidden arrow in the dark. Tomorrow, take Honghui to stay at the estate for a while. If you can avoid it, then do so; if you can't, delaying it for a few days is better."

Yi Hua's sleepiness was completely dispelled by these words. In the unlit heated tent, Yin Zhen's eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

She wanted to put Yinzhen at ease: "Your Majesty, go in peace. Honghui is more powerful than you think."