Chapter 113 Inspection of the Sluice Gate and Letter from Jiangzhou
Ouyang Rong opened his eyes very early.
It was just past dawn outside, and the sky was still dark inside.
But the cheerful chirping of insects in the early morning already filled the air.
He stared blankly at the curtain above the bed for a while.
I sniffed.
Hmm, I feel a bit stuffy in my nose.
Ouyang Rong glanced down at the blankets covering him, and without thinking much, he spread Wei Lai's fair left leg off his waist and got off the bed.
The sound of him getting up also woke up the sleepy-eyed Wei Lai.
The latter rubbed his eyes and got up, looked around groggily, and then, more awake, quickly jumped out of the warm bed and ran to help his master get dressed.
Ouyang Rong got up and stretched.
The white-haired maidservant half-embraced him from behind, her small hands encircling Ouyang Rong's waist to fasten his belt.
She was taller than her peers, but even when she stood on tiptoe, she could only reach the chest of her slender owner.
"How did you sleep last night, Master?"
"It's alright, I've been sleeping quite well lately, no insomnia."
Wei Lai asked curiously, "Is your face still uncomfortable this morning?"
Ouyang Rong touched his face.
When I woke up this morning, I still had a sour and astringent taste in my mouth, but it was less so. My face also didn't feel as spicy anymore, which was much better than the previous few days.
He shook his head and muttered to himself:
"She's much better now. It seems she should eat less spicy food these days. My aunt hasn't had the kitchen cook it these past few days, and she's actually feeling better... Maybe it's some kind of strange allergy."
Wei Lai, unperturbed by the dirt, knelt down to straighten his clothes and put on his shoes. She looked up and smiled gently.
"The mung bean cakes made in the kitchen are also delicious. Nu'er, go and learn how to make them."
The master and servant chatted for a while longer. After washing up, Ouyang Rong, as usual, had breakfast with Zhen Shi before going out to meet his junior sister.
...
"The Yue Nu Gorge is truly a masterpiece of nature. At the confluence of the two water systems, it narrows like the slender waist of a beautiful woman, with two mountains facing each other on both sides. The underwater terrain rises, which is really strange and wonderful."
"We must thank Magistrate Ming and Mr. Chen for building this sluice gate with everyone. This is truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship; otherwise, no matter how ingenious the terrain, it would be useless. It is thanks to the brilliance of Magistrate Ming!"
"Di Gong Gate was not the original site I chose. It was Di Gong who proposed building it. I was just following his example. Lord Diao, please don't flatter me. I can't accept that."
"Your Excellency is too modest. You should know that following the established practices is also a kind of wisdom. It shows that you are calm and composed, do not blindly compare yourself to others or show off your abilities, and are willing to learn from your predecessors..."
"Moreover, in my humble opinion, the Zheyi Canal, which Your Excellency first proposed, is in no way inferior to the Di Gong Sluice Gate. On the contrary, it can promote commerce and benefit people's livelihoods, and is slightly better. Your Excellency is so capable at such a young age. In time, you may become another 'hidden gem of the Southeast' like Master Di, and enter the ranks of high-ranking officials."
“Lord Diao, Lord Di is a respected elder statesman whom even His Majesty values and honors. I am merely a lowly seventh-rank official; there’s no way we can compare.”
Ouyang Rong turned his head, a half-smile on his face.
As usual, Ouyang Rong and his junior sister arrived early in the morning at the site where the Di Gong Sluice Gate was being built upstream.
This place is known locally as Yue Nu Gorge. The water from Yunmeng Marsh to the south enters Butterfly Creek through this gorge, meanders along the way, passes through Longcheng County, and then flows into the Yangtze River.
Only by looking up from a high place, like right now, can one clearly understand why the terrain of Yue Nu Gorge is so suitable for building a sluice gate and why Di Renjie chose this location.
On both sides of the Yue Nv Gorge, there are two mountains facing each other.
Locals refer to them as Dragon Back Mountain and Rainbow Phoenix Mountain respectively.
The two mountains extend from the riverbank to the riverbed, with rocks protruding from them.
A few days ago, before Ouyang Rong led everyone to start building the sluice gate, he sent Liu Ashan and others who were familiar with swimming to dive into the bottom of the river.
They discovered that there was a stone passageway at the bottom of the river, stretching for tens of feet.
This is naturally a good place to build a sluice gate, which can relatively control the water that overflows from the vast freshwater lake of Yunmengze from its source.
Ouyang Rong understood why the previous magistrates of Longcheng County were so keen to rebuild this sluice gate. It wasn't just to maintain the political achievements and reputation of the current magistrate, but also because if it weren't for the new water conservancy project, the Zheyi Canal, this large sluice gate would indeed be very suitable for Longcheng County, which was prone to floods.
The only problem is that the Di Gong Gate seems a bit prone to collapse...
At that moment, Ouyang Rong, along with his junior sister, Liu Ashan, and clerks including County Magistrate Diao, climbed Longbei Mountain on the south bank of Yue Nu Gorge to overlook the newly built sluice gate below.
This was also what Ouyang Rong liked to do every few days: take his subordinates and followers to stand on the top of the mountain to take a closer look at the general outline of the Di Gong Gate and to understand the progress of the construction.
These days, thanks to Ouyang Rong's daily coordination, the efforts of Mr. Chen and other craftsmen sent by the Liu family, and the group of able-bodied men sent by the county government, the team has been working hard.
Di Gong Gate took shape rapidly under everyone's watchful eyes, changing almost daily.
After casually brushing off the sycophantic Magistrate Diao, Ouyang Rong squinted at the large, multi-hole stone sluice gate below.
He seemed to be plotting something in his mind.
He remained silent for a long time.
Sweating profusely from climbing the mountain, Magistrate Diao took a towel from his subordinate and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
He was getting old, and he couldn't compare to the energetic young magistrate, who was also a man of great initiative and decisive action. They would greet each other and then, without a word, lead everyone up the mountain and into the forest...
County Magistrate Diao took a breath, glanced at Ouyang Rong's calm profile, and tried to speak:
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Your Excellency has just been appointed as a local official. Perhaps one day your talent for governing the world will win His Majesty's favor or the assistance of a noble person."
"If we go straight to the Emperor's heart, he might just soar to great heights. I only hope that when the time comes, Your Excellency will not forget the days when we worked together in Longcheng to control the floods and repair the sluice gates."
"Lord Diao has indeed worked hard, being willing to go through all this trouble with me."
Ouyang Rong regained his composure, sighed, and shook his head:
"Jane is favored by the Emperor... perhaps with the help of a benefactor... hah."
There were some truths that Ouyang Rong didn't say aloud.
However, even a minor county magistrate of the eighth rank knows that having the talent to govern the world and the ability to control water is not enough; one also needs the support of a benefactor.
Of course, if you can win the favor of the current empress, then you can achieve your goal in one step and start working and discussing affairs in the central government office of Luoyang tomorrow.
That's not an exaggeration at all.
Look at that Master Di. He had only been prime minister for a few months when he was stripped of his post and demoted to the position of magistrate of Longcheng. Then, not long after, he was promoted back to Luoyang and became prime minister again.
The steepness of the ascent is like a roller coaster, it's like a joke...
This is because although the Great Zhou Dynasty had the imperial examination system, it was not a politics of scholar-officials, but rather an aristocratic politics.
Rising stars like Ouyang Rong, who were newly rich in the imperial examinations, could hardly compare to his junior sister, who came from a prestigious family that had been prominent for nine generations. Their path to advancement was merely a narrow, winding path that had branched off from the latter's broad road.
The fact that only a few dozen people are selected from both the north and south for the annual imperial examinations in the capital is clear evidence of this. And not everyone is as lucky as Ouyang Rong to be granted an official position at the Apricot Garden Banquet.
The Guanlong aristocracy and the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families were the main players on the stage of the Great Zhou Dynasty court.
The newly rich through the imperial examinations were at most icing on the cake, mere building blocks used by emperors throughout history to balance the scales of power.
Therefore, local officials outside of Luoyang, without the help of influential people, would mostly never be promoted to the capital.
Because of the gradual centralization of power in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the central government and local governments became more centralized and less centralized. Local prefectures and counties were divided into many levels, and even if they were promoted several times, it was as if they had not been promoted at all, and the improvement was not significant.
This is also the situation that might happen to Ouyang Rong if he stays and gets promoted after this disaster relief and flood control. He might end up in a mediocre position in a prefecture in Jiangnan, which is not as comfortable as being a county magistrate. Hmm, he might even get a "Jiangzhou Sima with wet blue robes".
This also explains why Ouyang Rong's promotion from a ninth-rank official in Luoyang, a position similar to the emperor's secretariat, to a seventh-rank county magistrate was a demotion in disguise.
As for the influential figures Ouyang Rong could find, upon closer examination, the only one who truly valued him was his mentor, Xie Xun. Unfortunately, the latter seemed to be no longer involved in the officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"Lord Diao, there's only one person like Master Di. Besides, His Majesty has been on the throne for a long time, and not just anyone can win his favor now. Let's not think too much about it and focus on what's at hand."
Ouyang Rong, who only wanted to finish controlling the flood and make a quick getaway, glanced at County Magistrate Diao, who harbored ambitions of becoming the governor of the capital for five days, and said casually.
County Magistrate Diao had no idea that someone was on a completely different track from him.
Both being officials in Longcheng, one of them advocated for a swift and decisive approach.
"Absolutely, absolutely. We should focus on repairing the sluice gate now."
Magistrate Diao nodded, glancing discreetly at the Xie family noblewoman who followed closely behind Ouyang Rong, and smiled:
"I just couldn't help but say it in advance, haha. I have a very good eye for people. Your Excellency is likely to rise to prominence."
Ouyang Rong smiled but did not reply.
Behind them, Xie Lingjiang, dressed as a man and carrying a sword, glanced at County Magistrate Diao.
Actually, she always thought the pairing of the senior brother and Magistrate Diao was quite interesting.
The two types of scholars who most broadly represent the Great Zhou Dynasty had fewer ways to realize their ambitions, while the latter had more.
The eldest brother pursued a bottom-up approach, while Magistrate Diao pursued a top-down approach.
Ouyang Rong then gave a few more instructions to the county magistrate and the clerks behind him, and the crowd dispersed.
Only Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, Liu Ashan, and others remained, continuing to gaze from their vantage point at the new sluice gate under construction below.
Xie Lingjiang was the first to ask Ouyang Rong what was on his mind:
"This incredible terrain and such an exquisitely crafted sluice gate, which looks sturdy, how could it collapse every few years and not last more than four years?"
"It's even worse than the dilapidated sluice gates I've seen elsewhere."
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then turned back with a smile: "Maybe there really is a Dragon King?"
He pointed south to the boundless Yunmeng Ancient Marshland, dotted with green islands.
Xie Lingjiang chuckled knowingly.
"Senior Brother, is the Di Gong Gate almost repaired?"
“It’s about 80 or 90 percent complete. Once it’s finished, it should be no later than mid-month,” Ouyang Rong said casually. “Let’s go down and take a look at Mr. Chen’s place.”
"Mid-month... okay." Xie Lingjiang muttered to herself, looking down.
The group gazed out from the high vantage point for a while longer before turning and heading down the mountain.
They arrived at the construction site of the sluice gate.
Along the dam embankment stretching for dozens of meters, many skilled craftsmen and shirtless young men were working diligently, moving stones and transporting sand...
The weather has been kind these past few days, with little rain and a low water level at the breach in Yue Nu Gorge. Many men who are good swimmers are floating on the water on both sides of the sluice gate, carrying goods by water.
Taking advantage of this opportune time and place, the construction of this brand-new Di Gong Gate is in its final sprint.
Xie Lingjiang followed behind her senior brother and saw him walking around the sluice gate construction site, stopping and looking and touching things.
The young magistrate would occasionally smile and ask the laborers working around him about their food and lodging, focusing on whether the Liu family, who paid for the sluice gate repair, had cut corners or neglected the workers. Occasionally, when he saw a man resting, drenched in sweat, he would take out his water pouch and hand it to him.
Xie Lingjiang didn't care whether her senior brother was putting on a show or not; a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions.
She only observes the "qi" (vital energy).
The Di Gong Gate under our feet was built to its current state, which is nearing completion, thanks to the daily visits, inspections, and supervision of our senior brother.
Ouyang Rong led his men to take a look at the three inner gates under construction inside the sluice gate: Jinglou, Zhuangtang, and Pingshui. These are considered the core buildings inside the Di Gong Sluice Gate, serving as a kind of preparatory gate and the last part to be completed.
It was here that I met Mr. Chen.
Upon meeting, after exchanging greetings, the old craftsman from the Liu family's sword shop respectfully bowed and said:
"Reporting to the magistrate, we have followed your instructions and had a long stone tablet erected on the bank of the sluice gate, which was cut according to the dimensions you suggested."
Ouyang Rong, with his hands behind his back, nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."
Mr. Chen looked somewhat puzzled, hesitated for a moment, and then asked:
"Your Excellency, is this monument erected to commemorate Xinzha? Why not inscribe more text on it?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head and said:
"This is called a water level marker. It is not for commemoration. I use it to observe the water level. In the future, not only will a water level marker be erected at this sluice gate, but also in many places downstream."
He sighed and said earnestly:
“We can’t wait until the Di Gong Sluice Gate is destroyed or the flood is imminent before we know to run away. We can’t rely solely on experience and rhymes to predict floods. We need some measures for early observation and warning.”
Mr. Chen and his old craftsmen nodded as if they understood, and couldn't help but glance at the serious-looking young magistrate.
After conducting a routine inspection of the sluice gate under construction twice, Ouyang Rong led Xie Lingjiang and others to the riverbank to visit County Magistrate Diao, who was in charge of coordinating the sluice gate repair materials.
Walking on the tree-lined path.
Xie Lingjiang noticed that the senior brother in front of her had slumped his shoulders slightly, as if he had relaxed a bit.
She tried to speak:
"Senior Brother."
"Um?"
"Do you remember... you still owe me a small wish?"
"Um, it seems there is such a thing, little wish... So you've thought it through?"
Ouyang Rong paused, then turned his head and asked curiously:
"Then tell me..."
Just then, a shout came from afar:
"My lord, you're here! A message has arrived from Jiangzhou!"
Then Yan Liulang, carrying a courier with a crossbody bag, hurried over and handed Ouyang Rong a tightly wrapped envelope.
Xie Lingjiang swallowed her words for the moment.
She heard the senior disciple beside her glance down at the envelope, muttering to himself:
"Lord Shen replied quickly..."
(End of this chapter)
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