106 106
◎Qin Bing: "I am completely convinced by my sister!"◎
The brother and sister had dinner with their father and Concubine Li. Emperor Xingwu praised his daughter's performance today to Concubine Li truthfully.
What kind of personality does Concubine Li have? The more the emperor praises his daughter, the more she wants to help Prince Jing gain more respect.
Emperor Xingwu then praised his son: "Yes, although the second son didn't fully understand the details of the Xingyang Guard, he has spread his reputation and made the more than 5,000 soldiers in Xingyang know that I have a son with outstanding martial arts skills."
Concubine Li was embarrassed. Was this really a compliment?
Qin Bing's face flushed immediately. He just didn't like reading, but he could tell the difference between good words and bad words.
Qin Bing did not blame Concubine Li for her kindness but thwarting all else, because when he and his sister were replying to their father, Qin Bing had guessed that his father must be dissatisfied with him. He did not get angry then, probably because he wanted to wait until tomorrow when he messed up his job of patrolling the dike before getting angry. After all, this was the father who had scolded the three brothers for more than twenty years, so his father would not be polite to him.
Qin Bing was a tough guy and was not afraid of being scolded by his father, but he had a stronger sense of shame than his third brother. His father had specially brought him on a southern tour. If he messed up his job one after another in Xingyang, the first big city he inspected during the southern tour, even if his father did not scold him, Qin Bing would feel guilty. He couldn't just make such a long trip just to spread his own "reputation", right?
At this time, Qin Bing was thinking about how to patrol the dike tomorrow.
Without the comparison of his sister, Qin Bing would think that patrolling the dike was very simple. He just had to ride on horseback to inspect whether the dike was strong or not, just like going to Xingyangwei to check the soldiers' physique, morale and training. But with the comparison of his sister, Qin Bing knew that what he had to do was not just a simple "patrol of the dike".
After dinner, Qin Bing invited his sister to sit in his courtyard for a while and said bluntly, "My second brother is a rough man. He couldn't do his job as a military envoy today, and he's even less confident about patrolling the dike tomorrow. Sister, please teach me quickly, or I'll mess things up and delay Father's southern tour."
Qingyang could see his second brother's determination to patrol the dikes, so he asked Jie Yu, who had just returned from her villa, "I asked the Water Supervisor for a map of the waterways in Xingyang. Did he deliver it?"
Jie Yu: “It has been delivered.”
Qingyang: "Go get it."
Qin Bing: "Don't bother, I'll go with my sister."
Qingyang brought his second brother back to her place. When the water vein map was unfolded, it could cover the entire surface of a tea table, so the brother and sister simply stood and watched.
The longest and widest river on the map is naturally the Yellow River.
While observing the other water systems below, Qingyang asked, "Second brother, guess which section of the riverbank will the Shang County Magistrate and his men ask you to inspect tomorrow?"
Qin Bing pointed to the Yellow River section just north of Xingyang and said, "Of course it's here. It's close and convenient for traveling back and forth."
Qingyang: "Since the safety of Xingyang City is at stake, the riverbanks in this area must be the most fortified. Second brother, why don't you skip this section and take them directly to inspect the northeastern section? It'll only take a few dozen miles at most if you gallop."
Qin Bing: "Yes, it's easier to fool people here."
Qingyang: "Since ancient times, the Yellow River has been prone to frequent floods. The embankments stretching for thousands of miles have always had weak spots that are unavoidable due to human intervention. The areas around Xingyang and Kaifeng are particularly vulnerable to embankment breaches and flooding, as quicksand accumulates and the riverbed rises above the ground."
Qin Bing: "So the riverbanks in this area need to be strengthened."
Qingyang: "Yes, but simply repairing the dikes and dams cannot eradicate the flooding of the Yellow River. Instead, we must implement the four-word flood control strategy at the same time. Tomorrow, my second brother will inspect these four aspects of Xingyang County's measures."
Without waiting for his second brother to ask, Qingyang explained the four words word by word.
"The first word is dam. When the river rises, the simplest and most direct way is to build embankments to hold back the water. That's why my second brother first inspected the dams along the Yellow River."
"The second word is 'direction.' The Yellow River often floods, so local governments can dig ditches ahead of time to divert water to dry, barren lands. During droughts, the water can be released for irrigation, and during floods, it can be diverted to relieve pressure on the Yellow River embankments. Second Brother's second inspection will be of these ditches, checking to see if any existing ditches are blocked and asking the water conservancy officials for flood control measures in the event of ditches breaching their embankments."
"The third word is 'containment.' Diversion is necessary before there can be storage. Ditches have a limited capacity for water diversion, so if we encounter low-lying areas between mountains and hills, we can use ditches to divert water and build embankments to store water, forming ponds and weirs to store some of the Yellow River water. Tomorrow, ask the Water Conservancy Commissioner how many such ponds and weirs there are in Xingyang County. If there are none or if there are too few, Second Brother will have him lead his men to survey more areas for pond construction."
"The last word is 'connectivity.' The river in this area is higher in the north and lower in the south, carrying a large amount of silt with it. As the silt settles, it easily forms sandbars of varying sizes in the middle of the river. Once a sandbar forms, the river tends to flow only to one side, increasing pressure on the south bank. Therefore, the local government should promptly organize manpower to clear the silt and sandbars during the low water periods of autumn and winter to restore the flow of the main river."
Qin Bing memorized each word he heard. After hearing the fourth word, he almost forgot the first three, so he asked his sister to repeat them to him.
Qingyang's index finger began to move along the Yellow River, blocking it by building embankments and diverting it by digging ditches.
There were no canals on the map, so Qingyang pointed to a river called the "Honggou" south of the Yellow River. "Brother, you can treat this river as a canal. If we dig a canal here to connect the Yellow River and the Honggou River, wouldn't the Honggou also become a channel for diverting floodwaters? Since we're going to use it to divert floodwaters, we have to ensure its channel is unobstructed and that the embankments on both sides are strong enough to prevent water from leaking here and causing floods..."
Halfway through her speech, Qingyang pointed her finger south along the Honggou River, where it merged into another wider river, the Ying River. The Ying River went further south and out of Xingyang County, but based on Qingyang's knowledge of all the water systems in Da Qi, she remembered that the Ying River eventually merged into the Huai River.
The Yellow River floods recorded in historical records prove that building embankments alone cannot hold back this mighty river, and ordinary ditches and canals have limited water diversion capabilities. But if a large river could be artificially connected to divert the Yellow River's flow...
Qingyang looked at his second brother beside him excitedly.
Qin Bing: "...Okay, I'll go tell Father that you should go patrol the dike. I don't understand or remember these things, and it would be even more of a hassle if I mess up."
Qingyang had a big plan in mind, and she felt that she had to go and investigate in person. Only she could make clear arrangements for what the local water conservancy authorities should do.
Qin Bing pushed the dike patrol back to his sister. He sat down on a chair to the side and thought about going to Xingyangwei tomorrow. Qin Bing said worriedly, "I also want to find out the details of those military officers, but how can I get them to tell me?"
Qingyang looked at his second brother and said, "Second brother, you're mistaking it. The achievements of the county magistrate and other civil servants are reflected in the people of the entire county. We can't travel the entire county in two or three days, so we need to understand the character of these civil servants and carefully distinguish the truth from falsehood in their words. At the same time, we let them know that we know everything. That way, in the future, they won't dare to be too perfunctory about the court's orders or fabricate their achievements in their memorials."
Qin Bing: "Are military officers different?"
Qingyang: "When there's no fighting, a military officer's first priority is to diligently train the troops to maintain their combat effectiveness. So, with over 5,000 soldiers gathered together, Second Brother can assess their strength and the morale of the barracks by observing their fighting. Then, by inspecting the condition of their weapons and armor, and asking the soldiers about their pay and winter clothing, he can tell if the generals are engaging in obvious corruption or mistreating their soldiers."
Qin Bing: "Then I did both. I observed the military and asked Zhang Su to check the military equipment."
Qingyang: "Second brother should go and investigate personally, because the local soldiers may never see a member of the royal family in their entire lives. Only if you investigate carefully will the generals respect you and the royal family. Only if you personally interact with the soldiers will the soldiers recognize you and our royal family more because of this care and honor. Second brother, if you let Zhang Su go, you are giving him prestige and military morale. Then what is the point of your father taking you and me on a southern tour?"
A wise ruler who implements benevolent policies can indeed win the hearts of the people, but if a wise ruler goes deep into the people and comforts them, and the stories of the ruler and the people are passed down, this can further consolidate the people's hearts.
My father has been in power for more than ten years. His civil and military achievements have brought peace to the world. No local forces can shake my father's rule. My father is well aware of this, so he gave my eldest brother the opportunity to be regent, allowing him to lead the civil and military officials of the court in advance, giving her the opportunity to deal closely with local civil officials, allowing her to establish her prestige among local officials so that these people can no longer oppose her entering the court, and letting my second brother become famous in the local army, so that soldiers all over the world know that the royal family has a brave prince.
Only if the brothers and sisters are united, and only if the Qin royal family holds the hearts of the people, will the Great Qi Dynasty not be in chaos when the emperor finally leaves one day.
Qin Bing was stunned. When he came to his senses, he saw his sister carefully examining the water map on the table. Qin Bing couldn't help but stare at his sister's face. For the first time since she grew up, he looked at her carefully. Then he asked the question in his heart: "Sister, did the emperor teach you all this, or did you come up with it on your own?"
Qingyang glanced at his second brother and said, "Some I learned from books, some I learned from my father and the ministers, and some I came up with on my own."
Compared to empty talk, my father prefers to lead by example. By observing how he gets along with civil and military officials, one can naturally learn how the royal family should govern their subordinates. By observing how he inspects the border troops during his northern tour, one can naturally see the wonderful effect of his words and deeds from the courtesy of the senior military officers and the enthusiasm of the soldiers.
In short, no matter how things change, the core remains the same. If you want to win the hearts of the people, you must be good to them. If you want the loyalty of civil officials and military generals, you must use both kindness and power.
Qin Bing: “…”
My sister said it so simply that it made him look like a fool for not having learned it!
Qin Bing didn't think he was stupid. It must be because his sister was too smart. She was a little princess who could recite Thousand Character Classic at the age of three. He shouldn't compare himself with his sister!
Finally, Qin Bing glanced at his sister who looked at the map as if it were a treasure, and strode off to find his father.
Emperor Xingwu was very interested in his daughter's four-word flood control strategy: "Which four words?"
Qin Bing: “…”
He tried hard to recall, but could only repeat three words.
Emperor Xingwu looked at his son expressionlessly and said, "You are the elder brother, but you don't know as much as your younger sister. I teach you, but you still can't remember. I want to ask you if you are ashamed."
Qin Bing: "I haven't learned how to control floods. It's not a shame for me not to learn. Besides, I have no interest in controlling floods. But my sister is really amazing. I am completely convinced that she can enter the court!"
Emperor Xingwu: "Get out!"
My daughter has been in the court for almost a year, and this idiot is only surrendering today?
After driving away the useless second son, Emperor Xingwu thought about it and asked Concubine Li to go and listen to his daughter's plan for flood control.
The emperor and his concubine were gone for more than an hour.
Concubine Li didn't understand, but seeing her daughter calmly discussing politics in front of the emperor and looking so high-spirited, Concubine Li finally understood why the emperor always praised her daughter.
Because her son Lin is really amazing!
【Author’s words】
The Honggou is the Jialu River in Zhengzhou. The "Jialu" in the Jialu River refers to a Minister of Works in the Yuan Dynasty who was very good at river management. Of course, our little princess just discovered an opportunity, and the specific river management matters were left to the professionals, so I won't go into details here.
100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
P.S.: The four-word strategy of "blocking, diverting, and keeping open" is something I learned from an article about how Zhengzhou prevents floods. It is not my personal wisdom.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com