"Alright, Brother Huaidao, you tell me how to repair it. I'll tell my father and let him decide," Qin Yue said through gritted teeth.
"How do I fix it? How would I know? I'm not familiar with these things. You should ask someone who knows."
"Ah! If we had someone who knew how to fix it, would we have had to wait until now?" Qin Yue asked, his eyes wide.
“They didn’t know how before because they had no ideas. I will write down the general principles, and how to fix them is their problem,” Qin Mu explained.
"Yes, yes, I was confused. Brother Huaidao, please write it down quickly." Qin Yue nodded repeatedly.
"We're out of paper."
"I'll have someone bring it right away," Qin Yue said, jumping up immediately. Then he shouted towards the door, "Someone come here! Someone come here!"
"Second Young Master!"
"Go, quickly bring me some Xuan paper."
Being genuine is always more comforting than pretending. Seeing that Qin Yue was completely devoid of his usual refined demeanor, Qin Mu couldn't help but smile.
The Xuan paper arrived quickly, and Qin Mu didn't waste any time. He wrote down the method he had in mind and also drew a simple diagram. He believed that with these, the Qin family could definitely gather master craftsmen and build the reservoir. Even if the Qin family didn't have the technical expertise, the imperial court should have someone. This was why Qin Mu had reminded him that it would be best to request the court's support.
After Qin Mu finished writing, Qin Yue and his sister couldn't wait to leave, truly coming and going in a hurry.
Looking at the messy room, Qin Mu tidied up a bit and decided to go back to sleep.
On the other side, the Qin siblings rushed into their father's study, carrying a large stack of Xuan paper.
"Why are you in such a panic? Where has your usual composure gone?" Qin Yao's face darkened, and he glared at Qin Yue with displeasure.
"I…"
"Hmph! You think you can learn Confucianism with that attitude?"
Qin Yue could only obediently accept his father's words, but seeing Qin Yue grinning and making faces beside him, he felt extremely resentful. However, he dared not disobey and could only pretend not to see them.
"Speak! What is it?" After reprimanding him, Qin Yao took a sip of water and asked casually. Of course, he knew that Qin Yue wouldn't step into his study unless it was something important.
"Huai Dao has made plans for Xiao Yue. There are some things that require your decision, Father." Before Qin Yue could speak, Qin Yue, who was massaging Qin Yao's shoulders from behind, introduced the situation.
"Let me see it," Qin Yao said. If it was reasonable, he wouldn't mind helping his son.
Qin Yue handed over the Xuan paper and began explaining to his father. At first, Qin Yao didn't pay much attention, just thinking it was a young man's idea. But as Qin Yue explained, he gradually sat up straight, eventually staring intently at the simple diagram on the Xuan paper.
"The younger generation is truly formidable!" After a long while, Qin Yao raised his head and exclaimed.
"Is it feasible, Father?" Qin Yue asked expectantly.
"These improvements are definitely feasible. As for the reservoir, I don't know anything about it, but it's highly credible," Qin Yao said, tapping lightly on the table.
"I told you there was no problem. Brother Huaidao said these things are all recorded in our ancestral books," Qin Yue said excitedly.
"Oh! Who were his ancestors?"
"I don't know," Qin Yue replied blankly.
"Go and invite your second uncle, third uncle, and Uncle Wang. Also, gather the craftsmen from within the pass." Unable to complain about his son, Qin Yao waved his hand listlessly.
As cavalrymen rushed out of the Qin residence, soon more people hurriedly entered the Qin residence.
In Qin Yao's study, everyone solemnly examined the Xuan paper Qin Yue had brought back, passing it around in complete silence. However, in the courtyard outside the study, many people were whispering amongst themselves.
In the courtyard, a pile of timber was being stacked up and its position was being constantly adjusted.
"Now that everyone understands the situation, what do you think?" Qin Yao asked after everyone had seen it.
"Let's first summon Master Li and ask if the reservoir is feasible," Wang Wei suggested.
"Greetings, Patriarch." As Qin Yao nodded, a thin middle-aged man walked into the courtyard.
"Master Li, please have a seat. I wonder how your calculations are going? Is building a reservoir feasible?" Qin Yao asked with a friendly smile.
“Going home, Master, is absolutely feasible. The person who came up with the idea of building such a large reservoir is truly a genius. His understanding of water conservancy is in no way inferior to that of our ancestors. Once completed, it will certainly be no less impressive than the Jianpeng Irrigation Project.” Master Li was none other than Li Xiaozu, a descendant of Li Bing, who built the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
"What! Is this true?" Wang Wei asked in surprise.
"Yes, according to our calculations, the reservoir is entirely feasible. If the land conditions are suitable, irrigating hundreds of miles of land will not be a problem at all," Li Xiaozu replied confidently.
"Where would be a suitable location?" Wang Wei asked excitedly.
"Although there are no large rivers in the Taihang Mountains, there are many streams that flow continuously, which is not only conducive to the construction of reservoirs, but also makes water storage convenient."
"Alright, Master Li, select a location as soon as possible and try to start construction after the autumn harvest," Qin Yao decided.
“Master, we have plenty of stones in the Taihang Mountains to build a reservoir, but we can’t do it without enough manpower,” Li Xiaozu reminded him.
"How many people do we need?" Qin Yao asked, frowning. He knew this was a difficult question.
"The more the better! Besides, without master craftsmen, it's impossible for one person to handle it. It's a small matter if I work myself to death, but if I delay the patriarch's important matters, I will be guilty of a thousand deaths."
"Master, let's report this to the imperial court and ask them to send someone to help. It would be even better if they could conscript some laborers," Wang Wei suggested.
"Yes, I will report this matter to the imperial court. The reservoir issue is not urgent; other matters should be addressed as soon as possible," Qin Yao nodded.
"My father's birthday is approaching, let's deal with this matter after the birthday banquet."
"Second brother is right. Third brother, you should start the preliminary preparations," Qin Yao agreed.
"Father, what about me? Why is it that I'm not involved?" Qin Yue asked anxiously, pointing to himself.
"You? You can go ahead and make ink. After deducting expenses, split the profits 30/70. We'll take 30% to keep things running," Qin Yao said, waving his hand.
"Yes." Qin Yue knew he couldn't control the overall situation, but he was already quite satisfied with managing one matter on his own, especially since Qin Mu was given 70% of the profits, which he felt was the right thing to do.
"This profit is not enough to thank Qin Huaidao. Take this sword and give it to him." Qin Yao stood up, opened a bookshelf in the study, took out a sword, and placed it on the table.
"This..." Everyone else stood up in surprise, but in the end, no one said anything.
Qin Yue was equally surprised, not expecting his father to take out this item as a thank-you gift. He took two steps forward, stretched out his hands, and carefully picked up the sword.
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