Transmigrated as the Princess Consort of a Fallen Nation-Chapter 91

The water level, flow rate, and water flow of the Yuan River main channel had already been measured by Qin Zheng and her team during their earlier survey of the river.

In modern times, water levels are often analyzed using absolute and reference base levels.

The absolute base level is usually the average sea level at a recognized seaport. However, in this era, there was no concept of an absolute base level.

Qin Zheng couldn’t find a seaport to measure the water level to establish an absolute base level in a short time, so they only measured the reference base level.

Her main job was in engineering, and collecting river data was not directly related to her field; this was the work of hydrologists.

In her first year of work, her mentor was involved in a massive project to build a bridge across the sea.

As an assistant, she attended the seminars and listened to the team leaders from various fields.

She realized that she didn’t understand many of the terms and could barely make sense of the drawings presented.

The other senior members of the engineering team could understand and analyze these diagrams expertly.

From that moment, she realized that to advance in her engineering career, the knowledge she gained in school was insufficient.

After returning, she immersed herself in books covering all the fields that might be involved in such projects.

She didn’t aim for mastery, but at least wanted to understand the basics when other fields were discussed.

This was the first lesson she learned after starting work, and it benefited her greatly in the future.

Because she learned a bit of everything, she was more competitive than her colleagues when projects came up.

Her mentor preferred to give opportunities to those who showed initiative.

Eventually, she became the fastest to be promoted among her peers.

There were various rumors about why she advanced so quickly: some said the mentor favored her, others said she was a sycophant, and some believed she had connections.

Few recognized the countless certificates she earned in related fields besides her relentless hard work.

Qin Zheng was grateful for her past self.

If she hadn’t been so persistent in learning knowledge outside her field, she might only be able to direct construction from existing engineering drawings today.

Anything beyond her expertise would have left her helpless.

To prioritize the project of digging a flood diversion tunnel, Qin Zheng found the relevant data last night.

After preliminary processing, she spent the whole next day calculating with officials skilled in abacus.

Qin Zheng was the only one who knew longhand calculations, and the numbers were too vast.

She taught a few mathematically talented officials the method, and they calculated together.

Other officials used over a dozen abacuses for the calculations, going through several stacks of paper.

After calculating, they cross-checked the results of the abacus and longhand calculations.

The initial results differed greatly, so they recalculated twice more until the results matched.

The water storage capacity of the Yuzui Dam was comparable to that of the Dadu Dam, but there were no water level records for Yuzui Dam in Qingzhou’s archives.

Qin Zheng estimated using Dadu Dam’s water volume.

The Dadu Dam area covered 100,000 mu (about 16,474 acres), with the deepest water level at 30 zhang (about 100 meters) and the shallowest at 10 zhang (about 33 meters).

Conservatively estimated, its water storage capacity was about 1.3 billion cubic meters.

In previous decades, the main channel of the Yuan River could discharge floodwaters at a rate of 80,000 cubic meters per second.

However, in recent decades, the downstream plain had widened, slowing the flow, causing silt accumulation and raising the riverbed, thus reducing flood discharge capacity significantly.

If the reservoir’s water suddenly flowed into the Yuan River, the main channel could only discharge half of the floodwater, with the other half needing to flow through an underground tunnel.

This meant they had to dig a branch channel with flood discharge capacity comparable to the main channel of the Yuan River within two months.

In ancient times, without modern technology and machinery, this was clearly unrealistic.

After discussions, Qin Zheng and the water conservancy officials decided that, instead of digging a new underground tunnel with half the flood discharge capacity, it would be more practical to dredge the downstream silt of the Yuan River during the current dry season.

This would restore 70% of the river’s flood discharge capacity, and then they could dig an underground tunnel with 30% capacity, which would be more manageable.

Before the two armies engaged in battle, a large amount of manpower and resources were spent dredging the riverbed and excavating underground rivers.

Naturally, there were those who felt that Qin Zheng was not distinguishing between important and trivial matters and openly opposed this action.

“Military pay cannot even be distributed to the three armies, yet the Crown Princess still wants to labor the people and waste resources on digging canals and rivers? To govern a country, you must first have a country to govern.

Now that war is imminent, if we do not spend the money where it is most needed and instead waste it on such projects, this is clearly putting the cart before the horse!”

The official who spoke threw his sleeves fiercely, his face tight with tension.

He had a square face, high nose, narrow eyes, and a burly figure, making him look as stern as a rock.

Qin Zheng knew this man.

His name was Qi Guanghe, and his father had served as a river inspector.

Their family had been serving the Ministry of Works for generations.

Qi Guanghe himself had some talent, but he was quite stubborn and self-opinionated.

Unlike Cen Daoxi’s arrogance, Cen Daoxi was wild but acknowledged the talents of others.

Whenever Qi Guanghe discussed matters with others, he always referenced the water management book his father had written before his death.

He dismissed other water management books, except for the well-known ones by predecessors, and the others was worthless.

It seemed that in this world, only the Qi family’s water management techniques deserved to be revered.

Qin Zheng knew that what he said was indeed a concern shared by other officials.

She said, “The funds for military pay and canal excavation will be managed by His Highness and me.

The Yuzui Dam is located upstream in Qingzhou.

If the rebels open the sluice gates and flood the Yuanjiang River downstream, the Datuyan Reservoir will no longer be able to store water.

The entire area south of Qingzhou would be flooded, which would be a real disaster. Now, dredging the lower reaches of the Yuanjiang River and digging flood relief channels are precautions.”

Qi Guanghe snorted coldly, “This is clearly worrying unnecessarily! If the Yuzui Dam sluice gates are opened, not only will the farmland in the Zhuzhou area have no irrigation and result in no harvest this year, but the villages along the river in Zhuzhou will also be flooded!

Now, with the Li Xin rebel army camped on the opposite bank of the Yangtze River, opening the sluice gates would be equivalent to digging their own graves!”

His words were aggressive, but Qin Zheng did not raise her voice.

Her gaze became more intense, and she managed to suppress his arrogance. “The two armies have yet to determine a winner, and the Li Army would not take such desperate measures.

However, after Governor of Meng surrendered to His Highness and went to persuade other court officials, they were all exterminated by Li Xin before they could even express their stance.

I ask you, Lord Qi, if His Highness wins this battle, how can Li Xin remain calm?”

Qi Guanghe retorted, “But we cannot disregard the lives of the people! If Li Xin were to do such a thing, he would be scorned by everyone!”

This time, Qin Zheng did not need to respond personally.

Song Heqing, still furious about the desecration of Emperor Wu’s tomb, immediately spoke up upon hearing Qi Guanghe defend Li Xin:

“Lord Qi, you are mistaken! Has Li Xin not committed enough heinous acts?

How did he sustain his army back then?

By capturing and plundering city after city!

Are the people raped and plundered by his soldiers not human?

His son even dared to desecrate Emperor Wu’s tomb to gather private funds.

The confession of the rebel leader who led the army to Longgushan has already been announced to the world. What else can’t the Li family do?”

Qi Guanghe was rendered speechless.

Qin Zheng knew that the accusation of desecrating the imperial tomb was actually pinned on Li Xin by Chu Chengji.

She was momentarily stunned when Song Heqing mentioned that the blame eventually fell on the second prince.

Li Xin sacrificed his most favored son to save himself?

But on second thought, the troops were led by the eldest prince, and the general who went to Longgushan was also one of his men.

Suddenly blaming the second prince could only be seen as the eldest prince’s scheme.

The fight between Li Xin’s two sons only made the Li family shoulder the blame for desecrating the imperial tomb more firmly.

Qin Zheng spoke at the right moment, “If there are no further objections, let’s proceed with this plan.”

Qi Guanghe, playing the contrarian, boldly asked, “If the Yuzui Dam sluice gates are not eventually opened, wouldn’t all the manpower and resources spent on the canal be wasted?”

Qin Zheng replied, “Once the waterways connect Yuanjiang and Chishui, trade between Jianghuai and Shu will become more frequent.

Merchants traveling to Shu will find it more convenient, and Qingzhou might develop into a trading hub comparable to Wu County.

Moreover, villages along the canal can dig their own channels to irrigate their farmland.

This project opens up trade routes and benefits agriculture. How can it be considered a waste?”

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Other officials, initially hesitant, felt that digging a flood relief canal had more benefits than drawbacks after hearing Qin Zheng’s analysis.

Not only does it prevent flooding and irrigate farmland, but it also promotes trade development.

Only a fool would not undertake this project!

Hearing the surrounding colleagues’ approving discussions, Qi Guanghe felt as if he had been slapped in the face, his cheeks turning bright red.

With no more objections, the decision to excavate the flood control underground river was settled.

As the officials left the council hall in twos and threes, Qi Guanghe, still feeling embarrassed from earlier, couldn’t help but grumble to two of his close colleagues, “Our Crown Princess is always trying to build herself a reputation for virtue, claiming everything is for the people. Who dares to criticize her?”

In his anger, Qi Guanghe sneered repeatedly, “A mere woman who has read a few books and knows a few words dares to claim she understands river engineering.

If it weren’t for a group of people cleaning up her messes, imagine how many jokes she’d make of herself! As the Crown Princess, instead of assisting her husband and raising children, providing heirs for His Highness, she repeatedly meddles in state affairs.

It’s only because there’s no one else around His Highness.

If he had a few gentle concubines to bear him children, the Qin family wouldn’t even stand firm in the back courtyard, let alone meddle in state affairs...”

Qi Guanghe, full of grievances, was almost speaking without thinking.

The two officials walking with him quickly fell behind, not daring to associate with him any longer.

After venting his frustrations, Qi Guanghe looked around and realized he was alone.

Ahead, in the corridor, stood a tall man in a dark robe with a kylin design, his posture straight and face stern.

“Your... Your Highness...”

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Qi Guanghe’s forehead.

“The Crown Princess is concerned for the people, and this is how you malign her?” Chu Chengji’s voice was cold and deep.

Qi Guanghe’s knees buckled as he knelt down, “Your Highness, please calm down. It was my reckless words. I deserve to die!”

Chu Chengji glanced at him coldly, as if looking at something filthy, “I have achieved what I have today thanks to the Crown Princess’s assistance. You slander her, and you slander me. I will not tolerate this! Guards, cut out his tongue and throw him out!”

Qi Guanghe initially thought of begging for mercy but seeing Chu Chengji’s determination to punish him harshly, he started cursing, “You foolish ruler blinded by beauty! Ignoring loyal advice, you will be ruined by women someday!”

The guards behind Chu Chengji immediately stepped forward, twisting Qi Guanghe’s arms and gagging him.

Strategist Lu Ze, who had just been transferred back from Xuzhou, glanced over and asked, “Do you really want to cut out his tongue?”

Lu Ze asked not because he thought cutting out the tongue was too much, but because this Qi character, relying on his ancestors’ merits and his high self-esteem, had clearly stopped respecting the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

For what he said, beheading wouldn’t be excessive.

The main issue was that such severe punishment had been abolished for over a hundred years.

The Chu emperor who abolished it was even hailed as a benevolent ruler.

If Chu Chengji reinstated such punishment, it would give his critics ammunition.

“Give him a hundred blows and imprison him,” Chu Chengji ordered.

For someone like Qi Guanghe, even if his tongue were cut out and he were expelled, if he harbored resentment, he would surely defect to hostile forces.

It was better to beat him and imprison him, ensuring he couldn’t take their secrets to the enemy.

Chu Chengji had always known that Qin Zheng’s handling of state affairs was not easy, but Qin Zheng had never complained in front of him.

He had previously thought that with Song Heqing’s assistance, the officials wouldn’t dare to make things too difficult for her.

Hearing Qi Guanghe’s words about Qin Zheng in secret today, he suddenly realized that what he had seen was probably just the tip of the iceberg of what Qin Zheng experienced daily.

His heart felt as if it were gripped by a giant hand.

Entering the study, he saw Qin Zheng still writing at her desk.

On the wall behind her hung several long couplets, the strokes bold and elegant, full of character.

Her slender figure seemed to stand straighter and firmer as she wrote.

Chu Chengji stood leaning against the door, watching her, lost in thought for a while.

The summer breeze swept through the courtyard, ruffling his robes and scattering the unpinned abacus calculations across the room.

Qin Zheng quickly put down her brush to gather the papers blown away by the wind.

Looking up, she saw someone standing by the door and smiled, “What brings you here?”

He was supposed to be training troops at the Qingzhou camp today.

Chu Chengji picked up a few sheets that had fallen at his feet and handed them over, glancing at the densely written calculations.

Without answering her question, he asked, “How did the discussion about digging the underground river go?”

Qin Zheng took the papers from him and placed them back on the desk, pressing them down with paperweights.

She replied, “It’s settled. I’m calculating the budget now—labor costs, material costs, and various other expenses. It will require a significant amount of silver. I heard that General Lin has contacts in the black market. We’ll first move a box of jewelry through there.”

Chu Chengji looked at the papers and documents covering the entire desk, a complicated expression flashing in his eyes, “You’ve worked hard, Ah Zheng.”

Qin Zheng found his sudden change in demeanor strange and laughed, “What’s gotten into you today?”

Chu Chengji walked over, pulled a grand chair next to her, and sat down, “Have others given you this much trouble before?”

Qin Zheng was slightly taken aback but quickly realized he was referring to Qi Guanghe’s opposition earlier that day.

She said, “It’s not really trouble—just differing opinions. We persuade each other with reason. Today, Lord Qi thought it was inappropriate to undertake such a large-scale project. I laid out the pros and cons, and he had nothing more to say, right?”

She winked and smiled at Chu Chengji, “Scholars call this a battle of wits and words.”

Seeing that she was unaffected by Qi Guanghe’s remarks, his expression softened.

Watching her occasionally shake her wrist, he noticed the piles of calculations still on the desk and realized she must have been working non-stop all day.

He took her right hand and began to massage her wrist, “Does it feel tiring?”

Qin Zheng was about to say it wasn’t tiring, but seeing his focused expression while massaging her wrist, she quickly nodded vigorously, her eyes drooping as she exaggeratedly said, “Tiring, it’s worse than eating bitter herbs...”

Chu Chengji paused his massage and looked up at her, “Then let me share some of your burden?”

Qin Zheng thought to herself, “What could you possibly help with, the budget calculations?”

She looked at him skeptically.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and motioned for her to come closer with a beckoning finger.

Still holding her wrist, she leaned in a bit, and Chu Chengji leaned forward, briefly kissing her lips.

Qin Zheng’s eyelashes fluttered, and she accidentally knocked over a brush resting on the inkstone.

The half-written budget sheet was instantly smudged with a blot of ink.

She looked at Chu Chengji wistfully, “Is this your idea of sharing the burden?”

Chu Chengji wiped the excess ink off the paper with a cloth, pulled out a fresh sheet, and started copying it, “That was an advance payment for my reward. Tell me what else needs to be accounted for, and I’ll help you with the calculations.”