Linked gate
The atmosphere in the imperial study was so heavy it could be squeezed out of you.
Lingyuan and Xuangui stood side by side and recounted the whole story of Xie Mingde's family's murder.
"...Your subject/brother failed in their duties and did not provide timely warning. By the time they arrived, it was already too late..." Xuan Gui's voice grew softer and softer, and his head drooped.
The emperor, behind the dragon throne, was ashen-faced, his fingers gripping the edge of the memorial as if he were about to crush it.
"Very well, very well indeed!" The emperor slammed the report on the table. "A high-ranking official of the court, along with his entire family, escaped right under your noses and was even murdered! You have utterly disgraced me and the court!"
Ling Yuan remained silent, offering no explanation.
Just then, Crown Prince Xuan Shuo, who was standing to the side, suddenly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Father, please calm your anger! This matter... this matter is indeed shocking, but I believe that my uncle and sixth brother did not intend it. It is likely that Xie Mingde knew that his sins were grave and that he had offended other enemies, which led to this misfortune. My uncle and sixth brother were momentarily negligent, which is understandable..."
His plea only fueled the emperor's anger.
"Excusable circumstances?" The emperor sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping over Ling Yuan and Xuan Gui. "Xie Mingde was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue's finances, and now he's dead, all leads have gone cold! Tell me, what are you going to do next? Huh?"
He grabbed another memorial and slammed it on the table: "The flood season is approaching on the Qinghe River, and the planned dam construction project is in complete chaos due to funding shortages and the death of the official in charge! If it cannot be completed before next year's rainy season, what will happen to the people of the three prefectures and seven counties downstream? Can you bear this responsibility?!"
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xuan Gui's forehead.
The Emperor took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and stared at the two men: "Continue investigating Xie Mingde's case! As for the Qinghe project... Lingyuan, Xuangui, I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourselves. The task of building the dam is now entrusted to you two. If you do it well, you'll atone for your crimes. If you don't..."
He paused, his voice cold and hard: "When the time comes, don't blame me for being ruthless and punishing you for all your crimes!"
"Your subject/brother, we obey the decree," the two replied in unison, their voices heavy.
Inside the Lingxiao Pavilion of the Prince Duan's Mansion
When Ling Yuan returned from court, he looked unwell.
Yan Shu was sitting by the window making small clothes. Seeing that he was sitting there without even changing out of his court robes, she knew something must be wrong. She put down her needlework and asked Chun Tao to bring her a bowl of hot soup.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Ling Yuan rubbed his temples and recounted Xie Mingde's matter and the task of building a dam on the Qinghe River. When he got to the part about the emperor's anger, his tone was relatively calm, but Yan Shu could hear the frustration in his voice.
"...My elder brother has passed this hot potato to us. If we don't handle it well, we'll likely be severely punished."
Yan Shu's heart skipped a beat. Xie Mingde's death had indeed brought a host of troubles.
"Yu Qinghe...is it that a dam is going to be built in the Qingfeng Gorge section?" she suddenly asked.
Ling Yuan looked up: "How did you know?"
Yan Shu knew, of course. She had organized this information in the tomb of Prince Duan before she transmigrated, and she clearly remembered the dam breach at Qinghe during the Yongye era. At that time, the old method of "diverting the flow and building dams" was used, but when the flood season came, the dam could not hold, and several counties downstream were flooded.
The solution to the flooding in Qingfeng Gorge was a technique called "linked sluice gates".
"I...I think I saw it in some old book," she said, trying to sound uncertain, "The current in Qingfeng Gorge is too strong; building a high dam there probably wouldn't be reliable."
Ling Yuan became interested: "Yes, the Ministry of Works reported that they were going to build a high dam."
Yan Shu walked to the desk and spread out a piece of paper. Her drawing skills were poor, and she could only draw a crooked, gourd-shaped canyon.
"Your Highness, look at the terrain of Qingfeng Gorge. The water is choked here, its force is extremely strong. If you try to block it, it's like trying to hold back a raging torrent with your hand; it definitely won't hold for long."
She marked three dots on the waist of the gourd.
"I was thinking, could we build three low stone sluice gates here, here, and here? When the water level is low, we could close them to store water, and when the water level is high, we could open them one by one to dissipate the force of the flood."
As she spoke, she drew, trying to explain the principle of the "interlocking gate" as clearly as she remembered it. Suddenly, she froze—wait, could she have taught him this technique?
Her heart suddenly started racing. Had history come to a standstill here?
Ling Yuan initially listened, but later became more and more focused. He walked to the table and tapped the three dots with his finger.
"Your idea... is quite interesting." He looked up at her, his eyes probing. "Which book did you read it in? This method is very sophisticated; it doesn't seem like something you came up with casually."
Yan Shu's heart tightened, and she put down her pen: "I can't remember exactly, it might be some ancient book about water conservancy..."
She dared not say more, afraid of giving herself away. She couldn't very well say, "I found this in your grave after you died, could I?"
Ling Yuan stared at her for a while, then didn't ask any more questions. He picked up the sketch and examined it carefully.
"It's certainly more ingenious than the Ministry of Works' method." He nodded. "If it really works, the people downstream will be blessed."
Yan Shu quickly said, "Then Your Highness should use this method to report to the Emperor! Just say it was your and Prince Chen's idea!"
Ling Yuan frowned: "This was your idea..."
"No!" Yan Shu grabbed his sleeve. "Your Highness, this credit must belong to you. I... I don't want anyone to know."
She, a mere woman from the inner court, has been interfering in court affairs time and again; who knows how much trouble this will cause if word gets out. The Cui family is watching her closely now.
Ling Yuan understood her concerns and squeezed her hand: "Okay, we'll do it your way."
Yan Shu was relieved and urged him, "Then Your Highness should quickly go and discuss this with Prince Chen, and finalize the plan as soon as possible."
Ling Yuan carefully folded the sketch and tucked it into his sleeve, glancing at her one last time before leaving. His gaze was complex, unreadable to Yan Shu, but she didn't dwell on it.
After he left, Yan Shu picked up her needle and thread again, but she was a little absent-minded.
She suddenly recalled seeing a water conservancy map while researching the tomb of Prince Duan in modern times, with a small note next to it stating, "The prince pioneered the linked gate system to solve the flooding problem in Qingfeng Gorge." At the time, she remarked that this prince was truly a man of both literary and military talent.
I never expected... that she was the one who taught him this method?
History took a turn here, and the instigator turned out to be herself.
"Your Highness, the soup is here." Chun Tao brought in the soup. "Why is your face so pale? Are you feeling unwell again?"
Yan Shu shook her head and took the soup bowl. Only after drinking the hot soup did she feel a little warmer.
She gazed out the window, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She realized she hadn't just come to change history; she herself had become a part of history.
This realization made her both apprehensive and inexplicably at ease.
---
Two days later, Lingyuan and Xuangui presented the "Chain Battle Gate" plan.
The emperor summoned his ministers to discuss the matter. Several senior officials from the Ministry of Works initially disagreed, saying that they had never heard of such a method. However, Lingyuan laid out his reasoning point by point, and Xuan Gui added data from the side, leaving the senior officials speechless.
Finally, the emperor made the decision, ordering Prince Duan and Prince Chen to proceed according to the new method.
When the news reached the Prince's residence, Yan Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
When Lingyuan returned in the evening, his expression was unusually relaxed. He handed Yan Shu a small brocade box.
"What's this?"
"Open it and take a look."
Yan Shu opened the box, inside was a pair of small and exquisite jade pendants, carved into the shape of small fish, which looked adorable.
"I saw it at a jade shop I passed by today," Ling Yuan said casually, "and I thought you'd like it."
Yan Shu picked up a small fish-shaped jade pendant; its surface was warm and lustrous, and the carving was exquisite. She suddenly remembered that among the burial objects unearthed from the tomb of Prince Duan in modern times, there seemed to be a pair of similar jade fish pendants…
Her hand trembled, and the little fish almost fell to the ground.
"What's wrong?" Ling Yuan held her hand.
"N-nothing," Yan Shu said, squeezing the little fish tighter, "It's just... I like it too much."
Her mind was in turmoil. Weren't these little fish also unearthed from the tomb of Prince Duan?
History is like a closed loop; she stands at the center, watching everything slowly turn.
"Your Highness," she asked softly, "if...if I had a dream, a dream about things far in the future, would you believe it?"
Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Dreams are always the opposite of reality."
"What if...it's true?"
Seeing her uneasy expression, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"Whether it's a dream or reality," he said, "I'm here."
Yan Shu leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Yes, no matter how history turned, at this moment he was real, and the child in her womb was real.
That's enough.
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