Chapter 77: Even capable ministers need to clash with each other
Xuanye had originally thought that, thanks to his diligent efforts, Xiuyu would soon bear him a prince, allowing him to raise her status in the name of continuing the royal bloodline. Unfortunately, fate was somewhat unkind to his wishes. Even when spring arrived and the ice in Changchun Garden melted, the imperial hospital's report still hadn't arrived.
While turning the red brush in his hand, he looked at Xiu Yu who was sitting not far away and drawing intently, and sighed inwardly.
Xiu Yu finished a drawing and held it up before his eyes, feeling very satisfied. He turned his head and saw Xuanye looking at him. He asked with a smile, "Have you finished reviewing the memorial?"
"I've finished reviewing it." Xuanye came back to his senses and was about to write "I understand" on the memorial with the red pen in hand, but he held the pen upside down, which was very embarrassing.
Xiu Yu found it amusing, so he stood up and walked over to Xuanye, snatched the pen from his hand, and asked, "What were you thinking about just now?"
"I miss you..." Xuanye stretched out his arms to hug Xiuyu's slender waist, his right hand resting on her lower abdomen. "I miss you, but why haven't you moved yet?"
Xiu Yu slapped Xuanye's hand away: "Fourth Princess is so young, she needs to take a break, otherwise she will age quickly."
"Are you afraid of getting old?" Xuanye gently pinched Xiuyu's petite chin. "I believe that someone as beautiful as you will never grow old. Even if you grow old someday, I will be old too. It would be great if we could grow old together."
Xiu Yu snorted with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, you are good at coaxing people."
"I am not the kind of emperor who coaxes every time I see him. You are still the most important person in the harem." Xuanye couldn't help but sigh: "What a pity, someone doesn't seem to appreciate it. It's hard for me..."
"What's the trouble with you?" Xiu Yu knew that Xuanye said this because he must have prepared some good things for her, or he was planning to take her to see something good.
Xuanye didn't hide anything and said with a smile, "I have summoned Jin Ziyuan and his capable subordinates to enter the palace. I guess you would be interested. Would you be interested?"
"Can I go with you to meet the minister?" Xiu Yu had stars in her eyes. She had been locked up in the harem for too long and missed the days when they held meetings to discuss the progress of projects.
Xuanye smiled and nodded: "Put on men's clothes and stand beside me. Jin Ziyuan is a smart man. Even if he sees it, he won't expose it."
At the time, Jin Ziyuan had already been appointed Governor of the Hedao. He had made considerable contributions in the Three Feudatories War, and according to his wife, he had already made great contributions and could retire. Even if he continued to serve as Governor of Anhui, doing good things for the people would be a great contribution. Governor of the Hedao was indeed not an easy job.
However, some people are born to accomplish great things, such as Jin Ziyuan. He was probably born to control rivers.
In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Xuanye sat calmly on the dragon throne, Xiuyu standing beside him in the guise of a guard. Jin Ziyuan sat beside Xuanye, and beside him stood a spirited young man.
Xuanye picked up the teacup, then put it down again. He looked at Jin Ziyuan and asked, "Do you have any complaints about me appointing you as the governor of the river?"
"I dare not." Jin Ziyuan bowed slightly: "The river issue is of great importance. The emperor appointed me as the governor because he values me."
"Being the governor of the river is not an easy job. Isn't that what you all say in private?" Xuanye joked with a smile.
Xiu Yu stood aside and smiled along with Xuanye.
Jin Ziyuan replied, "Whether it's a good job or not depends on how everyone sees it. Healing the river is a great achievement that will last for generations to come. I should thank the Emperor for giving me this opportunity to go down in history."
"Even if I give you an opportunity, you still have to be able to seize it." Xuanye looked at the young man standing next to Jin Ziyuan. "I have seen the name 'Chen Tianyi' more than once in your memorials. Is the person standing next to you Chen Tianyi?"
The young man standing next to Jin Ziyuan walked up to Xuanye, knelt on the ground, and said, "I am Chen Tianyi, your humble servant, and I am honored to meet His Majesty."
"Chen Tianyi..." Xuanye stood up and walked to Chen Tianyi, looking down at the young man. He said, "Stand up and talk. Jin Ziyuan said you are from Xingxiu Sea?"
Chen Tianyi stood up and said, "I am probably a fish in the Xingxiu Sea."
Jin Ziyuan immediately said in a deep voice: "Tianyi, you must not be rude in front of the emperor."
"It's okay." Xuanye looked Chen Tianyi up and down, then asked, "Was 'Bundling Water to Attack the Sands' your idea?"
Speaking of his old profession, Chen Tianyi said: "This idea was proposed by Pan Jixun. I just copied it and used it."
Xiu Yu frowned, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke, "'Bundling Water to Attack Sand' can certainly clear the silt in the river, but the source is still there, and it's only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. However..." She changed the subject, "Harnessing the Yellow River is not something that can be accomplished overnight, over decades, or even centuries."
"This gentleman means..." Chen Tianyi frowned, "to reduce the amount of sediment flowing into the Yellow River at its source?"
"Yes." Xiu Yu walked over to Chen Tianyi and said with a smile, "I've seen Mr. Chen's drawings of the water reduction dam. It's feasible, but it's only a temporary solution. However, solving the root cause isn't easy either."
Chen Tianyi put his right hand behind his back and fell into deep thought: "When Brother Ziyuan and I were surveying the river, we were only thinking about how to reduce the silt in the river. If we want to control the sand at the source..."
"The methods of preventing wind and sand are different. Brother Tianyi only has one pair of hands and can't do both." Xiu Yu waved his hand.
Chen Tianyi smiled and said, "I think you have a good idea. Since you are by the emperor's side, you must be a good helper to the emperor."
"Tianyi!" Although Jin Ziyuan wasn't considered an old fox, he had been in the officialdom for many years and was quite scheming. He stood in front of Chen Tianyi and bowed to Xuanye, saying, "Your Majesty, Tianyi is ignorant and his words were abrupt. Please don't blame him."
Xuanye's smile remained unchanged as he simply said, "Chen Tianyi, a fish in the Xingxiu Sea, a talented person, is like this. Ziyuan, you have such a person to help you, so I am confident that you can be the governor of the river."
When Chen Tianyi and Jin Ziyuan left the Palace of Heavenly Purity, they felt a little reluctant. After all, the hardest thing to find in the world is a close friend, and a close friend who knows how to manage a river is even rarer. Now that he had met one, but couldn't have a good chat, wasn't that a great regret in life?
"Brother Ziyuan, the gentleman accompanying the Emperor is clearly a capable person." After leaving the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Chen Tianyi finally stopped being cautious. "If you and I can get his help, perhaps river control will be easier."
"You." Jin Ziyuan glanced at Chen Tianyi and said, "You are said to be very talented, and you are indeed very talented, but when it comes to reading people's expressions, you really know nothing about it!"
"How can river management be related to observing people's words and expressions?" Chen Tianyi was confused. "When recruiting people, those with ability should naturally show their ability, especially those who are able to serve the emperor."
"Don't say that again." Jin Ziyuan grabbed Chen Tianyi's arm and quickly walked out of the palace. "You can't afford to offend that gentleman. Even if he is truly talented, he is not someone our River Governor's Office can afford. We should repair our water reduction dam and properly 'control the water and attack the sand'. This is the right way."
In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Xiu Yu pondered what Chen Tianyi had just said and said to Xuanye, "It is destined that your river management efforts will make progress this reign. Chen Tianyi's borrowing of the methods of his predecessors will eventually yield results."
Xuanye looked at Xiuyu for a long moment before saying, "I think you have a better method than Chen Tianyi's 'Bundling Water to Attack Sand'?"
"Your Majesty, do you also want to control the Yellow River at its source?" Xiu Yu sat down beside Xuanye at Xuanye's gesture. "To prevent wind and sand, and preserve water and soil, we need to plant trees. That requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and of course, financial resources. It's far different from Chen Tianyi's current method, which might only take a few years or even a dozen years to be effective. Your Majesty, do you also want to take that path?"
Xuanye hesitated after taking out another large sum of silver.
Xiu Yu held Xuanye's arm and said with a smile, "With Jin Ziyuan and Chen Tianyi here, your dynasty has already far surpassed others in river management. Don't think too much."
Xuanye patted Xiu Yu's hand on his arm and frowned. He certainly understood the principle of treating the symptoms and the root cause, but there were too many things he wanted to do, and each of them required money. If he really took out some more money to "treat the root cause", then other things would probably be neglected.
"It's difficult." Xuanye couldn't help but stroke his forehead: "Yu'er, money is spent like water, but it's not easy to earn it."
"I understand." Xiu Yu could naturally sense Xuanye's helplessness. "But I believe in you. Whatever you want to do, you can definitely do it. It just depends on whether you want to do it or not."
"Oh?" Xuanye looked at Xiuyu and asked, "Then tell me, what do you think I want to do?"
Xiu Yu released the hand that was holding Xuanye's arm and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually, Yu'er thinks the emperor is a smart man. For example, you like to study Western knowledge brought by missionaries, whether it's mathematics, medicine, or even anatomy, you are willing to learn."
Xuanye nodded.
Xiu Yu continued, "But you only learn by yourself..."
Xuanye frowned: "What do you mean by this?"
Xiu Yu's words were somewhat cryptic: "Chen Tianyi saw Pan Jixun's 'Bundling Water to Attack Sand' and then realized that this method could be used to control rivers. People always have limitations, but they also have infinite possibilities. Perhaps there are many talented people like Chen Tianyi in the world, but they suffer from a lack of access to these new things, and thus they are buried."
Xuanye slammed his hand down on the tea table and said in a deep voice, "Yu'er, you've crossed the line."
Xiu Yu raised her head and said, "Although this is a violation of the rules, it comes from the heart. Your Majesty, you should believe in yourself and believe that you have won the hearts of the people because you have made their lives better, rather than using your imperial tactics to force them to 'obey' your rule."
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