Chapter 226 Water Control
Pei Luoshu hugged Chen Shiyi and lay in the simple wooden house, listening to the continuous moderate rain above their heads.
Inside the house, there was complete silence except for the sound of rain.
The candle on the wooden table was covered by a lampshade, emitting a hazy light and shadow.
"Ah Luo, what's the water situation like now?"
"It's not good."
“Are we going to evacuate people and prepare for disasters?”
"We have sent people to notify them, but we dare not say anything too absolute for fear of causing panic and unrest."
Chen Shiyi rubbed the worry between Pei Luoshu's brows.
"Officials work for the welfare of the people. You work so hard, no one will say anything bad about you. Only those with bad intentions who want to pull you down from your position will do so. We are not afraid. At worst, I will support you."
Pei Luoshu held her hand tightly, and his brows relaxed a lot.
"I'm not easy to support. I have many demands, both money and people. If you get tired of me in the future, where can I go to be sad?"
Chen Shiyi frowned slightly. This guy's bad habit of being smooth talker came back again.
Pei Luoshu looked at Chen Shiyi's disgusted expression and smiled. He hugged her tightly and sighed.
"Eleven, if I can completely solve the flood problem, we can stay in Jiangzhou forever. We won't go to Kyoto anymore. When the old man retires and returns home, we will take him in and take care of him. What do you think?"
Chen Shiyi nodded in agreement without even thinking about it.
"Wherever you go, I'll go."
"I don't want to go to Kyoto."
"My husband doesn't want to go, and I don't want to go either."
Pei Luoshu kissed her cheek.
Chen Shiyi suddenly remembered something.
"A Luo, why were you so eager to stay in Kyoto when you were in Yougu County? Why don't you want to go now?"
Pei Luoshu pondered for a long time.
"Eleven, I was enrolled in the imperial examinations before because I wanted to protect you and give you support. Naturally, I would go wherever you go. Even if I didn't like Kyoto, I would still follow you. But now that we have settled down here, I don't want to go to Kyoto, the prison of fighting and strife."
Chen Shiyi agreed.
"I also feel comfortable in Jiangzhou. I like it very much. Besides, I am the wife of the governor of Jiangzhou. No one dares to look at me coldly."
"I'm here, and I'll show my displeasure to anyone who dares to give you a cold shoulder."
Pei Luoshu has been even busier these days, and has been so busy that he has no time to rest.
He and his dozen or so subordinate officials were always discussing something. Sometimes they came back covered in mud, and sometimes they were so busy that they didn't even have time to eat.
The next day after a busy day, Chen Shiyi prepared some simple meals, carried a lunch box, held an oil-paper umbrella, and went to the place where they often stayed.
Pei Luoshu was standing by the river, seemingly talking to a few people, someone of whom was shouting.
"Sir, the lady is here."
Pei Luoshu turned around, stopped talking, and hurried over to take the food box.
"It's raining heavily and the roads are slippery. I'm not worried about falling. Don't send it next time."
"Okay, you guys eat first and go ahead, don't worry about me."
The water level on the river surged, covering more than half of the reeds on the bank. The ripples were covered with white foam, and the water was a murky yellow, no longer as clear as it had been a few months ago.
Chen Shiyi found a chair to rest, sat aside, and listened quietly to their analysis on how to prevent the impending flood.
As they talked, they discussed reporting the matter to the court in Kyoto.
It is said that if they excavate the Black Wind Canyon, they may not have enough time. Moreover, they have to report to the court. Even if they agree, they have to wait until the funds are allocated and handed over to them before they can start excavating. Who knows how many people will be drowned by the flood.
It simply doesn't work.
Chen Shiyi was a little puzzled. Aren't all the matters in Jiangzhou decided by Pei Luoshu, with the Tongpan supervising from the side? Aren't water conservancy matters handled according to local conditions?
When Pei Luoshu had almost finished eating, Chen Shiyi handed him the kettle.
"Is it important that you excavate the Black Wind Gorge?"
Pei Luoshu nodded.
"If it is dug properly, the frequent flooding in Jiangzhou will be reduced by half in the future. At least there will be no major floods that sweep people away."
"That's a good thing. Now that we have found a way, we should do it right away. Floods are merciless, so we must act quickly."
Pei Luoshu smiled.
"You are right, but this is a serious matter and must be reported to the court. We have to wait for the funds to be allocated, and it will take a long time. I am afraid that distant water cannot quench immediate thirst."
Chen 11 asked.
"How much money will it cost to excavate, how many days will it take, how many workers will be needed, where will the excavation tools be found, how will the workers be resettled, have you prepared the excavation drawings, what are the risks, etc. You need to think about all of these, and then reconsider them over and over again to decide whether it is worth doing. I think you are being a little hasty."
Pei Luoshu looked at her quietly, then smiled again.
"Eleven, you are very smart and think comprehensively."
Chen Shiyi shook his head.
"It's not about being smart. I'm doing business outside. Every time I make a decision, I must know how much profit this decision will bring me. What is my ultimate goal? Is it to make a short-term profit or a long-term profit? Is it a one-time huge profit or a long-term profit? Different ideas lead to different approaches."
Pei Luoshu agreed very much.
"In the past few days, officials from the Water Resources Department, together with a few local elders who are very knowledgeable about water, have determined the specific location for excavation and have also carefully considered the risks."
Chen Shiyi frowned slightly.
"Now, you are actually just waiting to report to the court and wait for the funds to be allocated?"
Pei Luoshu nodded.
"Moreover, at least 300,000 taels of silver must be reported."
Chen Shiyi's eyes were shocked.
"Why do you need so much?"
Pei Luoshu sighed softly.
"After the emperor approves the memorial, it is sent to the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Revenue has a limited amount of money, and they are waiting for money everywhere. When the money is allocated, it may be 100,000 taels at the beginning. After the transportation, travel, labor, escort and other losses, there will be 60,000 taels left when it arrives in Jiangzhou, which is already a very small loss."
Chen Shiyi was very puzzled.
"So much damage?"
"Besides, it would take a long time for them to transport the silver here. It would take at least ten days, not to mention the time it would take to dig through the Black Wind Canyon."
"If this is the case, digging through the Batu Strait has lost its meaning for flood prevention nowadays."
Chen Shiyi thought about it.
"Would it be convenient for you to show me the agreed document?"
Pei Luoshu smiled.
"What's the inconvenience?"
After Chen Shiyi took it, he read it carefully several times, and after careful consideration, he spoke.
"We recruited more than 20,000 people to work day and night for ten days. If we hire a porter at 40 wen a day, it would cost about 10,000 taels of silver. Then we need to rent their own hoes, carry the goods, and provide them with food. The cost is about 20,000 taels. The tools and materials for repairing the excavation are 8,000 taels. The total cost is 40,000 taels of silver."
Pei Luoshu listened to Chen Shiyi settling accounts with a smile on his face.
"A Luo, go ahead and do it. I'll pay for this."