Undercurrents
Although the newly completed canal transport hub is orderly, there are always corners that are not touched by sunlight along the thousands of miles of canal.
A few days later, late at night, Di Renjie, holding a scroll of secret reports, requested an audience with the Emperor and Empress.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness,” Di Renjie said solemnly, “recently, there has been unusual loss of grain transported by the canal, mostly in the section between Xuzhou and Bianzhou. The escorting officials have all reported encountering storms, but I have checked the weather records and there were no strong winds during that period.”
(OS: The classic excuse, "The waves were too big, so the rice got wet," works timeless!)
Li Zhi frowned: "Could it be that officials along the way have committed corruption?"
Wu Meiniang took the secret report and examined it closely, her fingertip pointing to the loss figures: "The loss on the same section of the river is more than 30% higher than elsewhere. Wind and waves? It's probably caused by 'human waves'."
Taiping, who had been dozing on his mother's lap, forced his little head up when he heard his parents' serious tone. He looked drowsily at the canal map spread out on the table.
Her little hand unconsciously traced the marked abnormal area, and she mumbled a word: "...hole..."
Li Zhi and Wu Meiniang exchanged a glance.
A glint flashed in Di Renjie's eyes: "What Your Highness says may not be untrue. If there is a 'hole' in the riverbed, then there is a 'hole' in the accounts."
Ten days later, at Bianzhou Wharf.
A batch of cargo ships bearing special seals quietly arrived.
On the surface, this was still official grain transported to Luoyang.
Wu Zetian brought Princess Taiping with her, ostensibly to "inspect the people's conditions with her daughter."
Li Hong and Li Xian also accompanied them, one carrying the "Regulations on the Inspection of the Grand Canal" and the other carrying the newly invented "underwater spy mirror".
During the inspection, the military advisor of Bianzhou Granary was all smiles as he directed people to move the grain into the granary.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Suddenly, Taiping, who had been quietly observing, tugged at Di Renjie's sleeve and pointed to a bag of grain that had just been opened.
The bottom of the sack was filled with a lot of sand and gravel!
(OS: Good grief, adding sand to increase weight, this method is too crude!)
Almost simultaneously, Li Xian ran back from the riverbank, panting, with his "underwater sighting device": "Mother! There are sludge bags underwater in the river bend! They look like... like grain that has sunk!"
The scene froze instantly.
The military advisor's face turned deathly pale.
Wu Meiniang's face was ashen. She picked up Taiping and coldly swept her gaze over the officials present: "It seems that this canal must not only guard against natural winds and waves, but also against the undercurrents of human hearts. Minister Di, investigate thoroughly!"
Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) issued an imperial edict at the opportune moment: "Effective immediately, the Grand Canal Inspection Office shall be established, with Di Renjie concurrently in charge. The accounts, warehouses, and waterways of all prefectures and counties along the Grand Canal shall be inspected at will."
That night, inside the inn.
The initial interrogation revealed that local powerful figures colluded with granary officials to steal and sell good grain, then mixed it with sand and gravel to pass it off as good. When inspected, they lied and claimed that the grain had been flooded.
The scope of the implications exceeded expectations.
Wu Zetian said to Li Zhi, "Your Majesty, it seems that simply relying on the 'New Regulations for the Grand Canal' to standardize the process is not enough; we need a sharp sword hanging over it."
Li Zhi nodded: "What Meiniang said is absolutely right. The Inspection Division is that sword."
Taiping was not asleep.
She lay on the table and used the charcoal pencil that Di Renjie had given her to draw on the back of a discarded document.
She drew a great river with many black dots hidden at the bottom. There was a large boat on the river, and a small figure stood at the bow of the boat, holding something that emitted light. The light shone on the riverbed, and the black dots disappeared one by one.
Li Hong looked at it thoughtfully: "Is my sister painting... to dispel darkness with light?"
Taiping raised her head and nodded vigorously.
(OS: Her expressive ability is far superior to that of her second brother, who only invents strange mirrors!)
Wu Meiniang embraced her daughter and said softly, "That's right, Taiping. Establishing rules is the framework, strict inspections are the flesh and blood, and this 'brightness' made public is the weapon that leaves no room for parasites to hide."
——
[Mini-drama: The Junior Advisor of the Inspection Department]
(Excerpt from Di Renjie's work notes)
Although the princess was young, her observational skills were astonishing.
During today's inspection of the granaries, she pointed to a floor tile and said it sounded strange. Upon prying it open, she found a hidden compartment containing account books.
When asked why, the answer was, "The sound of footsteps is in the air." Children's senses are far more acute than those of ordinary people.
The second prince presented him with a "peeping mirror," hoping to explore the secrets hidden underwater.
The idea is excellent, but the mirror is bulky, inconvenient to operate, and prone to causing water-related dizziness.
Its practicality remains to be seen.
His Highness the Crown Prince has begun revising the "Detailed Rules for Inspection and Rewards and Punishments," which are well-organized, rigorous in law, and quite in the style of His Majesty.
The Cui family recently voluntarily paid back the taxes owed for previous years' canal transport, amounting to a substantial sum.
It is said that the head of the Cui family gave a strict order, saying, "Do not provoke the imperial family, and especially do not attract the attention of that little princess."
The princess's words, "Your knowledge is shallow," had such power.
Today, the princess drew a "light dispelling darkness" on the map, and I wholeheartedly agree.
A copy has been made and hung in the main hall of the Inspection Department as a warning.
(The smooth operation of the Grand Canal is not something that can be achieved overnight. With such a wise ruler and virtuous empress, such gifted children, and such dedicated and innovative officials, how could the Grand Canal be disrupted or the world be in turmoil?)
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