Chapter 177 South-to-North Water Diversion Project
Even though Bai Lingxuan was of noble status, she was still a commoner without any official rank or title, and therefore powerless to interfere in government affairs.
Once she left the refugee camp, she had no desire to explore any further.
"Fengzhi, when will Father return from the capital?"
The guards behind Bai Lingxuan immediately replied, "They just left a couple of days ago, they'll probably be gone for ten days or half a month."
"It's going to take this long?" Bai Lingxuan was somewhat disappointed.
She understood that the prefect and his men had seized this opportunity to drive away the refugees.
Although the prefect is the highest-ranking official in Yuzhou, the Bai family, who hold noble titles, live here and are more influential than the prefect.
The two families appeared to be on good terms, but behind the scenes, they each had their own agendas.
This has sparked controversy and differing opinions regarding the handling of refugees.
Wan Qiqi followed behind, observing her every move.
The more noble a woman's status, the more concerned she is with national affairs, rather than being petty and only concerned with trivial matters at home.
Bai Lingxuan's actions today deeply moved Wan Qiqi.
She walked a few steps to Bai Lingxuan's side, looked back at the direction of the refugees, and said, "Even if we leave them behind, there will be another round of expulsions. There are so many people; leaving them behind is not a solution."
Bai Lingxuan stared at Wan Qiqi, momentarily stunned.
She knew this all too well, but what good was it that the imperial court had money and enough grain in its granaries?
"With enemies eyeing us covetously on the borders and refugees fleeing and bandits causing trouble within, the imperial court needs to ensure the supply of military provisions first..."
"So these refugees have nowhere to go?" Wan Qiqi took two steps forward, turned to look at Bai Lingxuan, her eyes sparkling, and asked, "Do you know what my first impression of Yuzhou was?"
"What?" Bai Lingxuan frowned, not quite understanding what she meant.
Wan Qiqi looked at Wu Gousheng, "Gousheng, tell me your feelings about being here!"
Wu Gousheng was surprised that the two people would mention him. He was stunned for a long time before he said, "This place is so big and so rich! If our place had even a tenth of this... no, even a twentieth, I would be satisfied!" He said with a hint of envy in his eyes.
Bai Lingxuan still didn't understand the meaning behind those words. Wasn't it normal for Yuzhou and Yunhe County to be prosperous?
Wan Qiqi asked, "Why are there no refugees in our small place, but there are refugees in the towns that are adjacent to Yuzhou?"
Why?
“Because we know that the imperial court will not care about our little village, we can only rely on ourselves. But the people around Yuzhou know that Yuzhou is wealthy and the Bai family is kind-hearted. They believe that they will definitely find a way to solve the problem here.”
Bai Lingxuan seemed somewhat taken aback.
The other party had only been here for a day, yet they discovered these problems, while she had never even considered them.
Having grown up under her father's care, she had visited many mountain villages but had never grown up in one, so she was naturally unaware of the differences.
But the two people in front of them knew very well.
"Did you know that there are women in the village who would rather go hungry themselves than let their offspring go hungry?"
Bai Lingxuan looked at her quietly, waiting for her answer.
“If they had money, they would definitely buy grain first and then furnish their homes, because they knew that even if they were suffering now, the things they made could be used by future generations.”
Wan Qiqi smiled and said, "What good is money? In chaotic times, money may not buy everything, but food can ensure your survival!"
Bai Lingxuan summarized what she had said and finally realized where the problem lay.
The court is wealthy, Yuzhou is wealthy, and everyone thinks about leaving their money to their descendants, but no one thinks about using this money to make something so that future generations can rely on it for survival.
She suddenly understood why Wan Ziyan cared so much about this younger sister.
Wan Qiqi is really smart and clear-headed.
"Miss Bai, the south is flooded and the north is suffering from drought. If we divert the water from the south to the north, wouldn't that solve the problems in both places?"
If others heard Wan Qiqi's words, they would think it was nonsense.
The two sides are far apart and have different terrains, so it is simply wishful thinking to try to divert water from the south to the north.
Bai Lingxuan was slightly shocked, feeling that Wan Qiqi had a broad mind, thought what others dared not think, and did what others dared not do.
The South-to-North Water Diversion Project is indeed a method.
It can not only solve the problems of floods in the south and droughts in the north, but also make use of displaced people from various places, allowing them to find work.
However, it is extremely difficult to accomplish this. Not to mention the enormous scale of the project, the limited manpower, and the long construction time, it is also unknown whether the imperial court would be willing to fund the project.
She often heard her father say that there was a lot of corruption in the court, and if the project were to be built, a reliable and honest official would be needed to oversee it in order to do it well.
Wan Qiqi noticed Bai Lingxuan's deep thought but did not interrupt her.
She knew better than anyone how massive the project was. Even in modern times, it would have taken decades to open it up, let alone in ancient times when technology was so backward.
However, opening the canal not only alleviated the crisis brought about by natural disasters, but also increased exchanges between the north and south through water transportation, thus promoting economic development.
In any case, this is a win-win situation.
Bai Lingxuan knew this wasn't something that could be resolved in a day or two, so she didn't dwell on it anymore and instead continued shopping with Wan Qiqi.
But this time, it's not just about introducing the fun aspects, but more about the development.
In Hefeng Town, Wan Ziyan opened a small piece of paper, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he looked at the delicate handwriting inside.
After seeing the contents, his smile widened.
Chen Yongliang craned his neck to stare at the note, but after a long time he could only recognize one or two words. He was a little anxious. "Brother Ziyan, how is my sister-in-law? Is she alright?"
He heard that a town near Yunhe County had been plundered and massacred by bandits, and that the entire town had been wiped out, with a fire burning all night long.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
