Chapter 71 This summer's great floods, in the south...
This summer, there were severe floods, and many sections of the dikes in the south breached. This autumn, the imperial court began allocating funds to rebuild the dikes.
Although the winters in the south are also cold, they do not freeze, so the construction of dikes can continue even in winter.
Su Yunting did not follow the river; instead, he planned his route and went directly to the breach in the dike from his previous life.
Su Yunting had thoroughly researched the ins and outs of dam construction in his previous life, and now, after a trip to the dam under construction, he had a general idea of the specific tricks involved.
He had already figured out a solution.
Su Yunting said to Lu Yide, "Brother Lu, we've been traveling for over a month now. Why don't we rest here for a few days?"
These past few days have been a continuous journey, with only brief stops of one or two days each. Lu Yide had long wanted to rest for a few days, and when Su Yunting suggested it, he agreed.
After settling into the city, I rested for a day and went out to experience the local customs and culture. Naturally, I heard about the prominent families in the area.
After spending a few days researching, Su Yunting chose a prominent Zhang family.
Officials embezzled funds intended for dike repairs, and a few years later they were transferred away. Whatever happened here afterward, it had nothing to do with them anymore.
But the local clans are different. Their ancestors have lived here for generations, their roots are here, this is their home. If there's a problem with the dike in front of their home, how could they let it develop unchecked!
...
On this day, the Zhang family patriarch received a visiting card from a scholar who had come to study.
Chief Zhang was highly respected for his virtue and placed great importance on education within the clan. When a scholar came to visit, he would immediately have his servants invite him in.
Su Yunting came to pay his respects to Chief Zhang on his own. He didn't reveal the shady dealings at the construction site to Lu Yide, not because he didn't trust him, but because it was too complicated. Keeping Lu Yide in the dark was a way of protecting him.
When Chief Zhang saw Su Yunting, he thought to himself, "What a fine temperament!"
After exchanging a few polite words, Su Yunting began to talk about his experiences along the way, gradually shifting the focus to the differences between the North and the South.
The differences between the North and the South are a fascinating topic; they differ in almost every aspect, from food and clothing to housing and transportation.
Through their conversation, Su Yunting learned that the Zhang family patriarch was not only well-read but also knowledgeable about all kinds of administrative affairs.
Since he knew, Su Yunting started talking about the projects he had seen outside the city, and how the construction of dikes was different in the north and south.
Su Yunting then explained to Chief Zhang in detail how the dikes were built in the north, and how they were built outside the city.
At first, Chief Zhang also thought that there were indeed differences between building dikes in the north and south, but after listening to Su Yunting talk about the situation of building dikes outside the city, he gradually began to take it seriously.
Chief Zhang raised several detailed questions, which Su Yunting answered carefully.
Chief Zhang's expression turned serious.
Seeing that Chief Zhang's expression changed, Su Yunting also pretended to suddenly understand.
Chief Zhang stood up and bowed deeply to Su Yunting, who quickly went to help him up.
Clan Chief Zhang: "If it weren't for you, young master, this place would surely have become a vast ocean in a few years!"
Su Yunting: "Clan leader, you must not say that. The clan leader is busy with clan affairs and is just temporarily unaware of the progress of the dam. When you go to the construction site, you will naturally discover the problems."
Chief Zhang sighed inwardly. He was indeed busy with clan affairs, but he was still very concerned about the construction of the dike. He specially assigned a clever young man from the clan to keep an eye on the quality and progress.
Little did they expect that the clever young man had gone astray!
He was furious, but this kind of family scandal couldn't be known to outsiders.
Chief Zhang first said to Su Yunting, "This matter involves a great deal of issues, and I already have a good understanding of it. Young master, once you leave, do not mention it again, lest someone take the opportunity to retaliate."
Su Yunting's face also tensed up, and he quickly said, "The imperial examinations will be held next year, and I need to go to the capital in advance, so I will say goodbye to the clan leader here."
Chief Zhang didn't try to stop him, saying, "Then I wish Young Master Su success in the imperial examination."
Su Yunting clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you."
After leaving the Zhang family, this trip to the south came to an end.
Regardless of whether Chief Zhang can improve the quality of the project, this is all I can do. Any more would be dangerous. It would be better to wait until I enter officialdom next year and then report the situation of the dikes to the imperial court.
He was lost in thought when he almost bumped into someone at a bend in the road.
Fortunately, both Su Yunting and the other party were quick-witted. They not only stopped in their tracks but also took a half step back.
Su Yunting looked up at the other person and almost couldn't control himself and bowed directly.
He controlled his actions, but not his gaze.
Seeing the person opposite him lower their gaze, Su Yunting knew that he had definitely begun to have doubts.
The person Su Yunting almost bumped into was the next emperor, the current Prince Chang.
Prince Chang was skilled in court politics and was chosen by the emperor from among many outstanding princes to inherit the throne. He was no ordinary person.
Having already aroused the other party's suspicion, Su Yunting gave them another questioning look before saying, "Sorry."
King Chang: "It's alright."
Su Yunting cupped his hands in acknowledgment, then 'couldn't help' glancing at the other person before preparing to continue walking forward.
But he was stopped by someone from Prince Chang's side: "Does the young master know my young master?"
Su Yunting shook his head directly and said, "I've never seen it before."
The man was about to ask again, but King Chang said, "Zeng Xing, do not press him further."
Zeng Xing glanced at Su Yunting and had no choice but to let them pass.
Watching Su Yunting walk away with only a servant by his side, Zeng Xingcai said to Prince Chang, "Young Master, this man doesn't seem to be unfamiliar with you."
Chang Wang thought it was fine, as his trip wasn't top secret, and besides, the matter was over now, so it didn't matter whether the other party knew him or not.
That's what he was thinking at the time, but when he returned to the inn that night and entered the courtyard he had rented, someone from the neighboring courtyard happened to come out.
King Chang turned his head and looked over, then his eyes met those of the people he had almost bumped into during the day.
Su Yunting: ...
What a wonderful coincidence!
He smiled and said to Prince Chang, "So you're also staying at this inn, brother."
Prince Chang smiled and said, "Yes."
They nodded to each other, then went in and out separately.
Upon entering the room, this time without Zeng Xing asking, Prince Chang instructed him to investigate.
Meeting each other on the way was a coincidence, but could it also be a coincidence that the inns we stayed at were right next to each other?
The results of the investigation forced him to admit that it was indeed a coincidence.
Su Yunting had already checked in here five days ago, but whether he himself would have stayed here five days ago was something no one knew.
After returning home, Su Yunting couldn't help but marvel at the fate between the two. In his previous life, he first met Prince Chang after passing the imperial examination with top honors.
At that time, all that was known was that Prince Chang had just done something that pleased the emperor. No one knew the specifics of what it was until later, when Prince Chang ascended the throne and reorganized the Maritime Trade Office. He was fully aware of the details, and only then did the officials learn what he had done when he left the capital.
Su Yunting knew what Prince Chang had done, but he was unaware of his travel route.
I've encountered this twice in one day now, and I might encounter it even more times in the future.
Because both of them were going to the capital.
Sure enough, the two groups set off almost simultaneously the next day, and the routes they took after leaving the city were also similar, with the two caravans almost forming one.
Su Yunting knew that people from the royal family were often suspicious, so he had the caravan stop and rest halfway through the journey.
Unexpectedly, after he stopped his convoy, Chang Wang's convoy also stopped.
Since that's the case, Su Yunting took the initiative to visit him.
Prince Chang already knew yesterday that Su Yunting was a scholar who had gone on a trip. Today, seeing that he had also checked out of his room and headed to the capital, he felt it was normal. However, after Su Yunting stopped ahead of time, he couldn't help but have his caravan stop as well.
He stopped because this young man he met by chance always gave him an inexplicable sense of closeness.
After Su Yunting arrived, the two exchanged pleasantries and names. Prince Chang was twenty-five years old this year and referred to himself as Wang when he was out, also saying that he was traveling.
Since he was older, Su Yunting addressed him as "Brother Wang" and then said that the two were destined to be together.
After resting for a quarter of an hour, Prince Chang felt that this newly acquainted scholar was exactly to his liking. No matter what he said, the scholar could follow his train of thought and had his own insights.
The initial sense of closeness increased from two points to five points!
Prince Chang felt both close to Su Yunting and found it unbelievable.
He didn't understand why he felt so close to someone he had only met a few times and had only talked to for half an hour!
Su Yunting returned to his carriage and began preparing to dispel Prince Chang's doubts.
In his previous life, he only met Prince Chang after he entered officialdom. When they first met, they felt like they had known each other for a long time.
However, this meeting in this life began by chance. For ordinary people, it is fate, but for the royal family, they have experienced too many 'coincidences'. In their view, behind every coincidence, there is definitely an inevitability.
They met by chance yesterday, and at close range, the other person saw his uncontrollable reaction, so Su Yunting deliberately looked at him a few more times.
After returning from their visit today, the two talked for lunch in a town, where Su Yunting wrote a letter and had his page deliver it.
We continued our journey in the afternoon.
Inside the carriage of Prince Chang, Zeng Xing presented a letter with both hands.
Prince Chang looked at the copied letters on the table for a while before picking them up.
Although he had doubts about Su Yunting, deep down he still hoped that their meeting was truly ordained by fate.
Unfortunately, the letter he had his page 'secretly' send away at noon shattered his hopes.
King Chang unfolded the letter and paused upon seeing the first sentence.
This is a letter Su Yunting wrote to Qiu Yuruo. The first sentence is: To my beloved wife.
King Chang: ...
Zeng Xing lowered his head, not daring to meet the gaze of his lord.
King Chang wondered: Could this kind of opening be a secret code?
He continued reading:
I've been away from home for over a month, and without your company, I can't sleep soundly at night. I only managed to sleep peacefully yesterday after dreaming of my beloved wife.
Prince Chang looked at Zeng Xing again. He suspected Su Yunting, but Zeng Xing couldn't just copy everything!
For a prince like himself to have his subordinates copy down love letters someone wrote to their wife is truly...
But Zeng Xing, who was his closest confidant, kept his head down the whole time.
His reaction made King Chang think that he would be able to find clues later.
He continued reading.
The following passages no longer express explicit longing and love, but instead describe his observations in the previous state capital. Only after turning the page do I see him mentioning himself.
In his letter, Su Yunting wrote that he almost bumped into someone yesterday. When he saw the person, he felt that he knew him, but he had never seen him before in the previous twenty years of his life!
The story then describes several chance encounters between the two, and how they are now heading to the capital together. They chat along the way and feel a strong sense of kinship, just like when they were young and had a close relationship with Sun Ruimin.
Upon seeing this, King Chang's serious expression turned into a knowing smile.
He continued reading, and in Su Yunting's letter, he wrote: If it weren't for the fact that the other party wasn't from Miao territory, he would have suspected that the other party had used a curse on him!
Upon seeing this, Prince Chang finally couldn't help but burst out laughing...
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