"You should recognize this place, Mr. Xu. Please also check if I've drawn these next locations correctly." Hua Zhi carefully traced on the sand table with the Commanding Baton while comparing it to the map she had drawn last night, taking care not to disturb the existing elements.
Xu Yangjun initially didn't understand, but when Hua Zhi marked three locations, he suddenly had an insight. Forgetting propriety, he immediately grabbed the nearby Topographic map and opened it for careful comparison. His throat tightened as he realized these seemingly insignificant places could actually be utilized in the current situation...
"Any mistakes?"
"None." Xu Yangjun pushed aside Bo Fan and Yu Tao who stood in his way and approached Hua Zhi, pointing at a spot on the map. "And here. When this place nearly dried up years ago, two villages fought over the last water source here, resulting in four deaths. That's why I remember it clearly."
Realizing she had found the right person, Hua Zhi abandoned the meticulously drawn map from last night and began marking locations on the sand table according to the Topographic map.
"Yes, exactly here. Did you find this through county records? Those aren't specific enough. Actually, this river course is forty-three zhang longer than recorded in the county annals."
Hua Zhi glanced at him. Regardless of his character, the fact that he could cite specific numbers offhand indicated he was quite competent at his job.
The two worked in perfect coordination—one speaking, the other acting. After their efforts, seven additional river courses appeared on the sand table.
"Mr. Xu, do you know the current status of these rivers?"
"Dry river courses have been abandoned. With limited manpower, no one has paid attention to them since."
"So we don't know if any have been reconnected with water?"
Xu Yangjun nodded bitterly. He hadn't thought much of it before, but being questioned like this filled him with shame. This was his dereliction of duty.
Hua Zhi sighed softly. This meant her half-night's work might have been in vain. Still unwilling to give up, she continued asking, "Not even one is known?"
"Not exactly none." Xu Yangjun took the Commanding Baton from Hua Zhi, pointing cautiously to avoid damaging the sand table. "I've visited here and here later. The riverbeds can hardly be called riverbeds anymore. The fertile river mud has been cultivated by locals into vegetable plots, some converted into farmland. They've dug ditches and reservoirs that handle normal rainwater drainage well—these areas haven't flooded in recent years. As for other places, I truly don't know."
Seeing Hua Zhi remain silent, Xu Yangjun couldn't help asking, "Are you thinking of reviving these rivers, Miss?"
"It's not about what I want." Hua Zhi beckoned to Little Six and patted his shoulder when he approached. "My child asked me if there were any solutions, so of course I must do my utmost to think of some."
Sixth Prince's nose tingled, nearly bringing him to tears—tears of joy, pure joy.
Hua Zhi thrust the Commanding Baton into his hand. "Little Six, you explain."
Sixth Prince looked at the newly added river courses and voiced what he had been considering. "Sister Hua, are you thinking of reopening these dry riverbeds to relieve the pressure on the Wei River?"
"Exactly. Any questions?"
"Yes." Sixth Prince pressed his lips. "Are these seven river courses wide enough? How deep are they? Can they serve our intended purpose? Also, if this does relieve Xiangyang's pressure, what if it's raining downstream too? Then...""This is the role the Water Report should play. We should inform the downstream areas about Xiangyang's situation as soon as possible, even if we haven't received the upstream Water Report yet. Moreover, the downstream issues aren't solely due to flooding."
Hua Zhi unfolded the topographic map and pointed, "This area isn't entirely flat plains anymore. With increasing mountains, the likelihood of landslides and mudslides rises significantly after continuous rainy days. As you said, if Xiangyang safely avoids this danger, the downstream pressure will multiply."
"Is there no solution?" The Sixth Prince immediately regretted his blunt questioning and quickly added, "Sister Hua, I didn't mean anything by it, the words just slipped out..."
Hua Zhi smiled, "I actually have some ideas for the downstream area. There's a small county town called Lingzhou here - never heard of it, have you?"
The Sixth Prince shook his head while looking at the place Sister Hua indicated.
"No surprise. It's indeed very small with just over four hundred residents - some villages have more people than that. Lingzhou actually covers quite a large area, but it's barren mountains and vicious waters with extensive marshlands and rocky mountains, making survival difficult. I recall that in the early years of the Daqing Dynasty, some people were relocated there, but they eventually all left, and afterwards the court abandoned the area."
Her commanding baton lightly traced across the map, "If we divert water through here, not only could Lingzhou itself absorb considerable volume, but from Lingzhou the water could flow directly into Sha River, then merge with another major river, Jing Shui River. The downstream might then remain unharmed."
"The current problem is what to do with Lingzhou's four hundred residents. If the court could provide them with relocation land, they might be willing to leave. No matter how beloved one's hometown is, it must be livable to be worth cherishing."
As Hua Zhi's voice faded, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It sounded... it sounded almost straightforward. So why had no one ever considered this direction despite years of flooding in Wei River?
What were four hundred people? Even four thousand could be relocated!
Hua Zhi walked back to drink tea to refresh herself. Her head ached slightly - this was the best solution she could devise to relieve downstream pressure, provided they could first resolve Xiangyang's situation. As for how to handle the downstream, with a prince and several Seven Constellation Bureau members present, she presumed it wasn't her concern anymore.
The immediate priority was confirming the situation of the other five river channels. Rubbing her temples, Hua Zhi turned around, "Bo Fan, can you find a way to investigate the conditions of those five river channels? Quickly."
Bo Fan exhaled the breath he'd been holding and nodded, "I'll go immediately."
Xu Yangjun didn't even dare look directly at Hua Zhi anymore, though his mind raced wildly: From the capital, surnamed Hua - there's only one prominent Hua family in the capital. Could it be... could it be...
Rumors had long circulated among scholars that the Hua family was now managed by the eldest young lady, who demonstrated remarkable capability. Having friends in the capital, he'd heard in their letters how when the Hua matriarch passed away, the eldest young lady had managed all family affairs with perfect orderliness, even bringing back married Hua women who had suffered mistreatment. His friends' letters overflowed with admiration, praising her as truly worthy of being from the Hua family.Xu Yangjun's breathing quickened at the mere possibility, his heart pounding so fiercely it felt ready to leap from his throat. This must be a daughter of the Hua family—only the Hua family could have raised such an extraordinary young woman with such profound knowledge. Old Master Hua was such an enlightened man! Yes, yes, it must be! There could be no mistake!
And this Little Six must surely be a young master of the Hua family as well. Judging by his age—around ten years old—he perfectly fit the profile of those exiled at that tender age. Rumors said the eldest daughter had a ten-year-old brother—it all matched perfectly!
P.S.: So much heartache, so much tragedy, so much that moved the soul—all these emotions swelled within his chest.
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