Chapter 254: Weishui River Management
"Are you sure that Marquis Leping has no other intention in making this arrangement?" Ni Heng asked suspiciously after hearing Yang Xiu's words.
Qiao Yan was very happy to see that Yang Xiu did his reading comprehension when he shouldn't have thought too much, but restrained himself and stopped thinking when he should have thought more.
At most, he always has a few "smart" friends who will give him some reminders.
But to be precise, Ni Heng didn't really have a big opinion about Qiao Yan.
What he was more concerned about was that soon after she took office as Grand Marshal, she began to make drastic changes to establish internal order.
On the one hand, this relatively wild court can indeed establish rules in the early stages of its development, so that subsequent development can be built on this basis.
This can avoid the need to tinker with one's own rules during subsequent expansion, which would slow down the pace.
But on the other hand, Qiao Yan's too many actions inevitably made people suspicious. If the path she took was wrong, then would she lead the entire Chang'an court into an unpredictable abyss from the very beginning?
Take the alcohol ban for example.
The alcohol restriction may not only restrict alcohol.
Just like most scholars today use wine to entertain themselves at banquets and compose poetry, is the restriction on alcohol also restricting their freedom of speech, or is it just using wine as a gimmick?
Liquor is a very important source of income for today's aristocratic families. Is this restriction on alcohol a way for the court to weaken their power in order to achieve the concentration of combat resources?
This is a very dangerous signal for most people who are prone to making further associations.
Even if Qiao Yan did not punish Ni Heng for his disrespectful words, it does not mean that the first doubt can be easily dispelled.
After all, the alcohol restriction had not yet been officially implemented at this time, and there were no relevant clear regulations. It was illegal for Ni Heng to drink and praise wine as a holy product.
In addition, now is the stage when scholars from all sides are flocking to Chang'an and people with interests in wine are coming to the wine party. If she punishes Ni Heng, it would be an unwise move.
It seemed that it was not just because Yang Xiu pleaded for Ni Heng.
Ni Heng intuitively felt that letting Yang Xiu serve as the host of this cocktail party was like sending a signal to the guests.
Yang Xiu, who came from the Hongnong Yang family, was brought out as a symbol, which was a simple response to those two doubts.
In addition, there are many officials in the court who have vested interests in this matter, but to this day no opposition has been heard. Due to the influence of this "authority", most people will choose to wait a little longer.
At least wait until she states the clear rules before expressing your own opinions.
Otherwise, if Qiao Yan's real intentions were different from what they imagined, wouldn't it seem that they were not calm enough?
There are probably only a very few people who would sing while beating drums as straightforwardly as Ni Heng.
After all, most people still want to maintain their image.
Hearing Ni Heng's question, Yang Xiu shook his head and said, "I still think there's no need to think so much. In the early years when you were still in Leping, you had reached a deal with the Wang family of Taiyuan related to wine. After returning victorious from the northern expedition against the Xianbei, you had a banquet with your soldiers at Yanmen to celebrate. You are definitely not someone who despises this."
"Besides, since I am the chief clerk of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, I cannot be an idle person. Because of my previous speculation on the Lord's intentions, I was punished in Baidaochuan. After returning to Chang'an, it would be inappropriate for me to join other positions in the established system. It is better for me to be responsible for hosting the cocktail party and do things independently."
Seeing that Ni Heng was still doubtful, Yang Xiu said, "Zhengping has no intention of becoming an official now, so why not first see how the discussion on wine in Chang'an turns out?"
It just has to wait until the end of May.
But if Ni Heng were to say, this time would also be confusing.
At the end of May, there was still a month left before this moment, and the battle line had dragged on a little longer.
Although according to Qiao Yan, since new rules are to be formulated, people must think carefully and consider whether or not to come to Chang'an to hear the rules in person, and then leave people time on the road.
But even if someone heard the news from the most southeastern place, it probably wouldn't take that much time.
Needless to say, most people from that direction would not come here.
Ni Heng thought about it and still felt that Qiao Yan had other intentions.
But at the moment Yang Xiu felt that her move was appropriate. Cai Yong, Xun Shuang and others were all sitting still in Leping, and Lu Zhi and Wang Yun had not said a word. He was arrogant but not without vision, so it would not be too late to speak out after waiting for a while.
The move to postpone the wine party to the end of May did not only make Ni Heng feel strange, but Wei Ji, who was later invited by Qiao Yan to serve as Yang Xiu's deputy, actually had the same doubts.
Wei Ji, who had long been optimistic about Qiao Yan, invited Zhang Zhi to come for her in October last year. He also gathered the people from Henei in the name of the Hedong family. After the establishment of the Chang'an court, Qiao Yan naturally invited him to serve as an official.
However, since Wei Ji did not have any actual resume at hand, he was asked to assist Yang Xiu in completing this wine discussion first.
Later, he was appointed as You Fufeng on the recommendation of Qiao Yan because of this achievement.
Starting directly from the rank of prefect, even though Wei Ji was born into a prominent family and was definitely capable, and with a somewhat special time, he was indeed promoted, and it was inevitable that he would be criticized, unless...
Unless Qiao Yan is certain that the effect of this drinking party is more than just a drinking ban.
Wei Ji saw Qiao Yan's calm face, which did not seem to be disturbed by the recent noises in Chang'an City. He had some guesses in his mind, and then he heard her say, "Rather than calling it a drinking party, it's better to say that this is also a grand event where Chang'an fully demonstrates its capital style."
"If there is no gimmick that could break the undefeated myth, how can people focus their attention on this place?"
Wei Ji was still a little confused.
However, he had already understood something from Qiao Yan's words.
Thinking of the detour to the south of the city that he had taken on his way into the city, just as the Zhang Chang brothers who had also come from the east had done, he subconsciously asked, "Is Chang'an Road in the south of the city also part of the route?"
Although the earth-made cement road has not yet been completely maintained and formed, people can already see some clues.
As time went by, from the first two words "Chang'an" to the end corresponding to the Gui Palace, they gradually formed a solid block, like a huge, integrated stone.
From the surface, the originally wet cement surface has also turned into a dry plane during the drying process, as if it has changed from being able to draw on it to being unable to leave any marks on it.
Of course, whether it is really as Wei Ji guessed or not, we have to wait until we actually go up there to verify it.
Qiao Yan did not directly answer this question, but only replied, "You are very smart."
It is quite comfortable to talk to a smart person like Wei Ji, especially since although he is smart, he takes a pragmatic approach.
After Qiao Yan hinted that there were other projects, he did not ask any more questions and took on the task of greeting the families in the wine-making business.
Qiao Yan thought about it and found that she already had both the identity representative and the image representative in charge of the reception. The wonder was under maintenance, the first batch of bamboo paper would be delivered in May, high-concentration alcohol could be delivered directly from Bingzhou, and other things had also been prepared long ago. So before the start of this grand event, she had nothing to do. In this case, there is no need to focus all your energy on this matter.
So those who arrived in Chang'an in late April and early May heard that Qiao Yan was no longer in the city.
After dropping such big news, she just left the storm in Chang'an City and ran away?
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and then they heard that Qiao Yan had actually gone to deal with the prevention and control of the Wei River upstream of Chang'an, so they had no choice but to return.
Since mid-April, the fields around Chang'an had already been covered with green seedlings. Although it was not yet in full bloom, the vitality of the crops made people happy even though they knew there was still food left.
The Guanzhong Plain is irrigated by the Wei River and its tributaries. The soil is fertile and the water resources are abundant. It is indeed a land suitable for farming.
The scene before our eyes makes it hard to imagine that this place had experienced the disaster of the locust plague in Sanfu a few years ago.
But in Qiao Yan's opinion, the Guanzhong Plain needs to guard against more than just drought.
Bi Lan, who currently serves as the Dushui envoy, has the same idea.
As Qiao Yan walked along the river bank, he heard Bi Lan say, "The Wei River is prone to flooding in the summer. Although there are many tributaries now, it is still difficult to guarantee that there will be no backflow. If we want to ensure that this year's farming results will not be accidentally damaged, we should make preparations early."
In fact, this situation is not only happening with the Wei River. The Yellow River, which frequently changes its course, is experiencing this situation more frequently at this stage.
Fortunately, the number of military settlements in the Yellow River Basin is limited at present.
The military settlement of Jincheng County in Liangzhou used the Huangshui section, Wuwei County used the Lushui River under the Qilian Mountains, and all other irrigation sources in Bingzhou except Baidaochuan were from tributary rivers. Hanzhong, needless to say, used the Hanshui River, while Guanzhong used the Weishui River.
Instead of considering issues such as diverting the Yellow River and flooding it, it is better to consider the management of the Wei River.
After gaining experience in digging rivers and canals in Liang and Bing states, Bi Lan could naturally shift his attention to the Wei River.
Now with the help of the Dujiangyan project manpower provided by the kind-hearted Liu Yan, Bi Lan also has a lot of extra helpers.
Fu Shou followed behind Qiao Yan and Bi Lan, listening to the two discussing the need to complete the initial control of the Wei River before August, and wrote furiously in the notebook in his hand.
Two years ago, because she wanted people who stayed at home to understand the scenery of mountains, rivers and streams, she started by recording the flow characteristics of rivers in Bingzhou with the encouragement of Qiao Yan. When she expanded her sphere of influence to Ziwuling Mountains, Fu Shou also followed her to the Nishui River Basin.
The more she recorded, the more she felt that it was really interesting to turn the unpredictable rivers into orderly water conservancy projects. This is why she saw Fu Shou's words about water conservancy in the two states in the Leping Monthly.
So now she followed behind as well, listening very attentively.
Perhaps it was because, represented by the prince Qiao Yan, the female officials and generals who were in charge of important responsibilities outside the country gradually became well-known, and a trend of concise and capable style of clothing appeared in women's clothing when they went out. What Fu Shou was wearing at this time was of this style.
It was this kind of attire that allowed her to follow Qiao Yan and move easily along the edge of the mudflats created by the Wei River without looking embarrassed.
Bi Lan pointed forward and said, "Those are the four water flow control devices brought by the Yizhou water conservancy personnel. We have set them up in this river tributary to confirm their effectiveness."
In ancient times, it was impossible to prevent floods by building reinforced concrete dams as easily as it is today, but the ancients also had their own wisdom.
Four of these were brought back from the Dujiangyan Engineering Department.
One of them is the bamboo cage mentioned by Qiao Yan and Liu Yan. Bamboo strips are woven into a round cage and filled with stones. This is a slope protection component and also the earliest one that appeared in the Dujiangyan project.
The second one is called a "杩叉", which is a device composed of multiple triangular wooden frames and is used to intercept flow at the weir.
The third one is called a sheepfold, but unlike ordinary sheepfolds, the wooden stakes contain stones instead of sheep, which are used to prevent water flow in dangerous sections of the river.
The fourth type is called dry-laid pebbles, which are built into a whole according to the slope and are used in canal slope projects.
Wood, bamboo, stone and rope are all the materials used in these water conservancy projects.
But these devices can be used not only in the Dujiangyan project, but also in areas where the Wei River passes.
Before Qiao Yan arrived in Chencang, Bi Lan had already led Fu Shou to record and measure the water flow speed and river width of each river section in the area.
This is the result of four months from January to April now, and it finally turned into a map that appeared in front of Qiao Yan.
The survey extends from Niaoshu Tongxue Mountain at the source of the Wei River to Tongguan, east of the confluence of the Jing and Wei Rivers, on the edge of the Sanfu area.
Qiao Yan looked at the beautiful handwriting on the map and found it was no longer as childish as it used to be. Then he turned around and remembered that Fu Shou had grown from four or five years old when he first met her to fourteen years old now.
Seeing that Qiao Yan turned to her after reading the map, Fu Shou said, "Envoy Bi and I have the same idea. Before August, we will first complete the cleaning and widening of the river channel where it is silted up, and then use bamboo cages and sheep pens to consolidate the embankment. After the autumn harvest, when we have more manpower, we will use forks to intercept the flow and further plan the irrigation fields and villages, and use dry pebbles to reinforce the local slopes."
Qiao Yan thought for a moment and replied, "Have you ever thought of another way to clear the silt?"
The situation in the upper reaches of the Wei River is still okay, but due to the silt from the Loess Plateau brought by the Jing River, there is silt deposition from Gaoling where the two rivers meet to Huayin.
After the people of Sanfu were dispersed due to the Qiang rebellion over the past hundred years, the cultivated land area here was greatly reduced, so these problems were not very obvious.
But now that these places are to be reopened, we can no longer turn a blind eye to it.
Fu Shou asked curiously, "What is the other way?"
Qiao Yan waved at her and Bi Lan, "Come."
She did not care about her identity, but stopped on the mudflat where the water had just spread over her calves. Fu Shou watched her and called her subordinates to use the mud in the river to erect two "walls" slightly above the water surface, forming a small river in the river with varying widths.
After doing all this, Qiao Yan asked her, "What do you think of the flow rate here?"
Fu Shou studied it for a moment and replied, "Your Excellency, are you saying that the flow speed is faster in narrow places?"
Qiao Yan nodded. "This is true in a miniature place like this, and it is also true in the river. Your records of various places in the Wei River also prove this. It is not entirely due to the natural ups and downs of the terrain."
From the perspective of later generations, this is already a very simple and easy to understand truth, but for the ancients who attributed flood control more to the weather, some things have to wait until someone puts forward the concept before they can discover the trick.
For example, using water to attack sand.
"When the flow rate is fast, the sediment deposited on the riverbed can be carried away. Widening the river channel and developing branches is a good way to prevent floods. Is narrowing the river in some areas to ensure smooth passage of the river also a good way?"
Qiao Yan said this and pointed to the sheepfold in the distance. "But this method requires that the river channel will not be washed away by the accelerated water flow. You just said that the sheepfold can play a role in preventing water flow from washing away the river. It might be a good idea to use it more often."
“But where and on what scale to use it depends on your ability.”
We can't expect her to be proficient enough to design water conservancy projects!
Qiao Yan rationally and confidently acted as a hands-off boss again.
But for Bi Lan and Fu Shou, this method of dredging that goes against the grain, although she did not put forward the clear theory of "restraining water and attacking sand", was enough for them to start a new direction for water management.
Qiao Yan noticed the enthusiasm of the two men and looked towards the east where the river was flowing.
The vast fields and settlements east of Chencang all rely on this river for irrigation. Only by regulating its temper and sculpting its contours can it truly become a blessing for the Guanzhong Plain.
From the canal to the Wei River, it is undoubtedly a big step forward.
So is it possible that in a few years, their target will be the Yellow River?
Qiao Yan couldn’t give an answer for the time being, but anyway, everyone should always have a goal.
She withdrew her gaze, fell on the fish swimming in the river, and said again: "Someone come!"
Fu Shou thought Qiao Yan was going to give some guidance, but the next moment she heard her say, "Fork two fish and grill them on the river bank.":,w,
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