Chapter 79: Paving the Path For You (2)
Gong Che was convinced with Gong Yi Mo’s suggestion, but would the emperor give him a chance to leave the capital? What reason would he give the emperor for his departure? He could not solve this problem by himself; such a significant move must be discussed with other advisors.
“No need to bother with them.” Gong Yi Mo’s eyes brightened as she smiled eagerly. “I have thought of a wonderful idea for Elder Brother!”
She quickly added, “If His Majesty the emperor refuses your request, you can ask him in return: ‘Didn’t you say that all the princes are given the opportunity to prove themselves?’ Since you are also one of the emperor’s sons, a prince, you should be treated equally. As for the reason for your departure from the capital...the more ambitious your justification is, the better!”
Gong Che was dumbfounded when Gong Yi Mo said he was also a prince; it reminded him that his title as Crown Prince no longer held any special meaning, and that he was just the same as any other prince.
Gong Che pondered for a moment before saying, “There was a report yesterday saying that the rainfall was quite abundant this year, but the dam was built too small and was thus insufficient. There were many requests for the capital to send funding for the embankment.
Gong Yi Mo smiled. “That’s good, you can be assured; there won’t be any disasters this year, but next year won’t be so promising since flooding occurs once every three years. Who knows if calamity will strike again next year.”
“Do you want me to repair the embankment?”
Gong Yi Mo shook her head in disagreement. “While that can be a contribution, it won’t be enough to be considered a great merit. Moreover if you work on the embankment, I’m afraid that others would try to dispute and steal this project from you.
Gong Che laughed; his Sister Gong had always been witty.
He watched Gong Yi Mo pull out a piece of paper from her sleeves. Surprisingly, she had painted her own map. She pointed at a spot with her jade white finger and said, “Prince Brother, please take a look at this spot.”
Gong Yi Mo pointed to the Long Teng River at the edge of the capital, then moved her finger and pointed to the Yulong Inner Canal, which was directly below the Yangtze River.
“The only canal that exists in our Great Tang Dynasty today is the Yulong Inner Canal which was built way back during the Spring and Autumn Dynasties. Its length only extends from the Yangzte River to the East China (Shandong) Huaihe River, and its waterways served as a barrier between opposing regions. But since there has been no civil war for nearly a hundred years, the canal has essentially lost its purpose...By now, I’m afraid that the river has been blocked up and abandoned.
As she spoke, Gong Che seemed to sense that she was on to something significant. He listened intently as his sight followed the direction her fingertips pointed; a magnificent picture of mountains and rivers slowly unfolded in his mind.
“Therefore, I want Elder Brother to take of the task of flood control in Dong Zhou. With such a task, please re-open the Yulong Grand Canal and continue to excavate the blocked riverway. In this way, we can open up a waterway that connects the North and the South; the canal will pass through the Huaihe River, up to the various waterways of Huanglong (Yellow River). This will make its way northwards towards the Long Teng River in the capital, forming a direct connection from north to south!
There was so much information carried in her words that Gong Che couldn’t help but ponder them for a long time.
Gong Yi Mo touched her chin as she sat up confidently. She slowly emphasized, “Water...is alive. As long as you guide its flow, there will be no flooding.”
Nowadays, the disaster at Dong Zhou was due to the overflow of water from the Huanglong River, along with the blockage of the Yulong Inner Canal; with no other exit, the waters had no other place to go and thus caused flooding. Second, the riverway is a raised-bed river, meaning the riverbed is higher than the land. In order to solve this problem, the river channel must be widened if the inner canal is to be rebuilt.
In addition, there are many rivers in the south. After the Yangzte River is filled up from the heavy rainfall, these waters will make its ways through these various southern rivers until it all empties out into the sea. If such a feat is accomplished, it will no longer be a dream for the flooding to be solved once and for all!”
With her words, Gong’s Che’s mind painted a magnificent waterway that ran from north to south!
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