Chapter 33: Dispute Over River Management

Chapter 33: Controversy Over River Management

In late August, Zhu Yunjing's letter to his family and the memorial requesting the title of heir for his son reached Zhu Yunxuan's hands. Zhu Yunjing's second son had just celebrated his full moon, and upon his birth, Zhu Yunxuan had showered him with generous rewards. This time, he ordered his personal treasury to be opened, sending the finest treasures to his nephew.

Zhu Yunxuan eagerly picked up his pen to draft an imperial edict, but Liang Zhen chuckled softly beside him, asking, "Your Majesty, you're granting the title of heir to Duke Ding's newborn son. What about the child in your own womb?"

Zhu Yunxuan's hand holding the pen paused, the smile on his face fading gradually. He did not answer Liang Zhen until the edict was completed.

Watching him solemnly stamp the jade seal onto the edict, Liang Zhen continued, "Marquis Ding Yuan now has two sons – the elder as heir to the marquisate, the younger as heir to the duke. In this scenario, the older brother seems to be at a disadvantage. Wouldn't there be resentment between them in the future? After all, not everyone in this world shares the deep bond that Your Majesty and Duke Ding do."

Zhu Yunxuan slightly furrowed his brows. Although he knew Liang Zhen's tone was mocking, there was some truth in his words. He pondered seriously before saying, "You're right. Marquis Ding Yuan has fought for Great Yan and achieved great feats for many years. I should have rewarded him long ago. I will issue another imperial edict, promoting Marquis Ding Yuan to First Class Duke Ding."

"…" Liang Zhen was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected his casual remark to secure a dukedom for He Huailing. Now, the He family would have two dukes, an extraordinary honor. Zhu Yunxuan truly bestowed generosity and trust upon those he believed in. Regrettably, such unguarded trust might never be extended to Liang Zhen himself.

After preparing and sealing both edicts, Zhu Yunxuan instructed his attendants to deliver them. As soon as the eunuch left, Zeng Hui arrived with several cabinet ministers and the ministers of revenue and public works, requesting an audience to discuss the reconstruction of river embankments.

Zhu Yunxuan's voice turned serious. "Let them in."

With the floods receding, the plague eradicated, and displaced people resettled, it was imperative to address the subsequent river management and repairs to the levees.

The breach of the Yellow River was a headache for every dynasty, and Emperor Zhaoyang had also invested heavily to reinforce the dykes in the most vulnerable areas of Qin and Yu Provinces. Despite the massive expenditure, the efforts proved fruitless due to corruption and shoddy workmanship among the river officials. The newly-built dykes were washed away by sudden floods that year. At that time, the head of the river administration was Zhu Yunxuan's uncle, Duke Xie Chongming, sowing the seeds of disaster. Despite the continuous allocation of silver from the imperial treasury over the years, it failed to alleviate the annual floods and natural disasters. Presently, the management of the river had become the most pressing issue for the Great Yan court.

Whenever Zhu Yunxuan thought about this, he regretted his father's lenient punishment of Xie Chongming, who died during exile. His uncle had not only plagued the nation but also brought suffering to his elder brother. Even now, Zhu Yunxuan wished to exhume his corpse and punish him posthumously.

Given that the culprit was from the Xie family, becoming emperor made him even more determined to rectify past wrongs and eliminate potential threats.

Zeng Huai and his team had come to request funding from Zhu Yunxuan. Recently, Zhu Yunxuan had transferred the 60 million taels of silver returned by Liang Zhen from Emperor Zhaoyang's private treasury into the national coffers. With a now ample treasury, there was sufficient funding for river management and dyke reconstruction. Liang Zhen's action had indeed alleviated the court's immediate financial crisis, putting everyone at ease.

The Minister of Works, concurrently serving as the head of the river administration, discussed the arrangements for dyke restoration with Zhu Yunxuan. While the emperor listened attentively, Liang Zhen's patience wore thin. After listening for less than an hour, he interrupted, "Your Highness, I only wish to know if, after the emperor allocates the funds and repairs the dykes, we can ensure no breaches occur during future floods?"

The Minister of Works was taken aback, perhaps not expecting such a straightforward question from Liang Zhen. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, "How dare I, as a mere official, make a definitive statement about the whims of nature? We shall do our utmost to mitigate the disaster. If we can gain the favor of the heavens..."

In other words, even if the funds are allocated to reinforce the levees, whether they can withstand the next flood would still be a matter of fate.

"Certainly not. It's just that...this matter is inherently unpredictable..."

Liang Zhen spoke bluntly, leaving the Minister of Works unable to respond. Zhu Yunxuan's expression darkened, and Zeng Huai frowned. "Does Prince Zhao even understand hydraulic engineering? The effectiveness of newly-built levees in resisting floods is uncertain. Floodwaters are as fierce as tigers; even the strongest riverbanks can be swept away. If this old minister were to assure the emperor today that these levees would last for ten or twenty years, it would be nothing but a baseless fabrication, tantamount to deceiving the sovereign."

"Is that so?" Liang Zhen drawled the words out leisurely. "Yet, how is it I heard someone daring to make such a guarantee? It was precisely because I lacked understanding of water management that I recently sought advice from others. A Mister Zhou, an official from the Ministry of Works, assured this prince with his own chest that if his method were adopted to divert the river course in Qin and Yu Provinces, it would ensure at least a century of safety."

The Minister of Works hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, I know who you're referring to. That Doctor Zhou is young and somewhat arrogant. He only has a superficial understanding of the river management and relies on theoretical knowledge. His proposal was indeed mentioned to me before. He suggests diverting the river from the upstream section in Qin State, bypassing the eighteen most populous and prosperous prefectures in Qin and Yu States, and redirecting it to Lu State. It's an interesting idea, but it's overly ambitious. Not to mention the enormous labor and resources required, just relocating five hundred thousand people alone would be a daunting task. It would be exhausting for the people and wasteful for the treasury; the court has no need to undertake such a project."

Liang Zhen disagreed, "Frequent breaches occur in both the Qin and Yu sections of the river, which are related to the current river course and the landscape. Choosing a suitable path for diversion could avoid potential dangers. Instead of reinforcing and repairing every year, directly altering the course would reduce the likelihood of floods, solving the problem at its root. It might require more effort, but I don't see it as unrealistic."

Zeng Hua argued, "Your Highness, the Duke of Zhao speaks easily. Have you considered how to relocate these five hundred thousand people and how to do it? Many of them have lived on their ancestral lands for generations. Now you want them to move. Where would they go? You're uprooting their lives! Furthermore, how many laborers would such a massive project require? Have you thought about where they would come from? If the court forcefully conscripts them and triggers unrest, what then?"

"There isn't anything in this world that can't be solved with money," Liang Zhen said dismissively. "For those unwilling to move, provide them ample compensation, and they'll leave willingly. With five hundred thousand people, the neighboring states and prefectures can share the burden. There will always be room for them. The same applies to laborers. As long as they're fairly compensated and officials don't exploit them, people won't lose their livelihoods working for the court. There won't be any complaints, let alone resistance."

Zeng Hua was distraught. "How much silver would that require? Doing so would be throwing money into a bottomless pit!"

"How is it a bottomless pit?" Liang Zhen clicked his tongue. "Didn't the Ministry of Finance receive six million taels from His Majesty recently? Why are you already complaining about poverty after just two days? I'm curious, since the lifting of the maritime ban, how much additional revenue from tariffs does the court collect each year? Yet, when it comes from the mouths of the Ministry of Finance officials, there's never enough money. Where does all the money go?"

The Minister of Finance, whose name had been mentioned, turned red with embarrassment. "Money should be spent wisely. The world is vast, and there are endless places that require funding. Your Highness, your extravagant proposals would exhaust even several times six million taels."

"Lining the river is also for the benefit of the country and its people. How is it not a wise investment?" Liang Zhen's expression turned cold. "Modifying the river course is a contribution to the empire and future generations. If not for me bringing it up, none of you would have dared to suggest it to His Majesty. Now, you're making excuses and procrastinating. What are your intentions?"

Zeng Hua was furious. "What intentions could we have? It's clearly you who are being unrealistic, disregarding the people's welfare. You..."

"I've heard that Prime Minister Zeng's ancestors are from Qin State. Could it be that you fear altering the river would disturb your family's graves, so you're obstructing the plan?"

"You-!"

"Enough," Zhu Yunxuan, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke to interrupt their dispute, gesturing to Zeng Huai and the others. "Postpone the discussion on allocating silver for the river project. You may withdraw for now."

"Your Majesty!"

"Withdraw."

Once the main hall was devoid of other people, Liang Zhen asked Zhu Yunxuan with a smile, "Does Your Majesty find this subject minister's words reasonable?"

Zhu Yunxuan reminded him in a cold tone, "Prime Minister Zeng is already in his seventies. Even if you have differing opinions on state affairs, you should at least speak politely to avoid others saying that Prince Zhao shows disrespect to elders and lacks virtue."

Liang Zhen found the situation amusing. "Is Your Majesty worried about this subject minister or defending your Chief Minister on his behalf? If it's the former, I am truly honored."

Zhu Yunxuan ignored his nonsense. "Who is this Undersecretary of the Ministry of Works you mentioned? Since he proposed the solution, have him present himself in court tomorrow to defend his proposal."

"Does Your Majesty also find this method feasible?"

"The feasibility will only be determined after the court debate."

Liang Zhen smiled and shook his head. "Your servant will send someone over tomorrow, but I'm afraid I'll disappoint Your Majesty. Just watch—no matter how excellent this method is, there will be people, many people, who will leap forward to strongly oppose it."

"Why?" Zhu Yunxuan's expression darkened. "What have you done now?"

"What else could I have done?" Liang Zhen replied calmly. "Naturally, I've been alleviating Your Majesty's worries."