From cute to empress

Chapter 127: Water Benefits All People

The morning light filtered through the window lattice, casting a golden glow across the palace. I lay awake all night, my mind reeling from Zhen Youcai's worried expression last night. The border war was tense, and internal troubles were also beginning to emerge. As the empress, I bore a heavy burden.

"Your Majesty, it's time to attend the morning court." The gentle voice of my personal maid brought me back to reality.

I took a deep breath, suppressed my annoyance, and stood up to straighten my court robes. Today, I had something even more important to do—find a fundamental solution to the flooding problem that had plagued the people for so long.

In the Golden Palace, all civil and military officials had already gathered. I sat upright on the dragon throne, my gaze sweeping across the faces below, some respectful, some solemn, and I spoke aloud, "My dear ministers, years of flooding have left the people destitute. I have resolved to develop water conservancy projects along the Huai River to completely resolve the flood crisis and return the people to a peaceful and prosperous life!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers began to discuss the matter. Some looked delighted, some frowned, and some bowed their heads in silence, wondering what they were thinking.

"Master Craftsman Li, can you tell me, does this water conservancy project have a plan?" I looked at Li Cheng, the Vice Minister of Works. He was a veteran of three dynasties, had rich experience, and was quite knowledgeable about water conservancy projects.

Li Cheng stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have already surveyed the terrain in the Huai River area and formulated a preliminary plan. But..." He looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak.

"Just what? Feel free to tell me," I encouraged.

"Your Majesty, the Huai River is narrow and the water is fast. To cure the flood, we need to widen the river and strengthen the embankment. This is a huge project, and the manpower and material resources required are astronomical!" Li Cheng said in a deep voice.

I pondered for a moment. This was indeed a difficult problem. How could the national treasury, with its empty budget, support such a massive project?

"Lord Li, the emperor naturally understands what you said, but..." Minister Liu beside me suddenly spoke with a meaningful tone.

"But what?" I pressed, a sense of foreboding rising in my heart. Minister Liu cleared his throat and said slowly, "It's just that the Emperor has only recently ascended the throne. I'm afraid the money in the treasury hasn't even warmed up yet. If all of it is used to build water conservancy projects, where will the military pay and salaries come from?"

As soon as he said this, many officials began to whisper, and it was clear that some agreed with his statement. My heart sank little by little. Minister Liu was right. The empty treasury was a problem I had to face.

At this moment, a rough voice came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, I am willing to contribute to the country and build water conservancy projects!"

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a burly, dark-skinned man striding into the hall, a look of determination etched on his face. He was dressed in coarse linen, and his hands were covered with calluses, revealing that he had been a commoner for years.

"Who are you? Why did you trespass into the Golden Palace?!" the guard shouted sternly.

"I'm Wang Dazhuang, a villager living by the Huai River. Our village suffers from floods every year. Your Majesty wants to build water conservancy projects, and I'll be the first to sign up to join the construction team!" Wang Dazhuang ignored the guards' attempts to stop him and knelt down in front of me with a firm tone.

"Your Majesty, the common people are also willing!"

"We all do!"

Wang Dazhuang's words were like a stone, stirring up ripples on the still surface of the water. More and more people began pouring into the Golden Throne Hall. They were all villagers from both sides of the Huai River, victims of the flood. At that moment, they all expressed a common desire: to contribute to the construction of water conservancy projects.

Looking at the weathered yet resolute faces before me, I was deeply moved. With such support from the people, why should I retreat?!

"Good! On behalf of the people of the world, thank you!" I took a deep breath and said loudly, "Craftsman Li, you must immediately draft a charter for recruiting construction teams. Make sure it's fair and just, and give preferential treatment to the people!"

"I obey your order!" Li Cheng knelt down excitedly to receive the order.

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the palace, and a familiar voice rang out: "Your Majesty, I am back!"

I suddenly looked up and saw Zhen Youcai standing at the door of the palace, exhausted. Behind him was a team of elite soldiers, who had obviously just returned from the border.

"You're so talented, you..." I looked at him in surprise, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"I heard that the emperor wanted to build a water conservancy project, so I brought troops to assist him." Zhen Youcai walked in front of me and knelt on one knee. His eyes were firm and gentle. "I am willing to share the emperor's worries and serve the people!"

"Okay, okay!" I said "Okay" twice, trying hard to hold back the tears in my eyes. "With your words, I feel relieved!"

"Your Majesty, I've brought something with me this time..." Zhen Youcai said, pulling out a scroll from his bosom and slowly opening it. "This is an ancient water conservancy map I found on the frontier. It may be helpful in building water conservancy projects."

I took the scroll and looked at it carefully. It was an ancient map that detailed the topography of the Huaihe River area and the design drawings of some ancient water conservancy facilities.

"This map..." I raised my head and looked at Zhen Youcai with burning eyes, "Where did you get it from?"

Zhen Youcai smiled faintly and was about to open his mouth to explain when he was interrupted by the shrill voice of the eunuch outside the palace: "Your Majesty, the construction team has assembled and is waiting outside the palace!"

Zhen Youcai and I smiled at each other, then stood up simultaneously and walked out of the palace… I quickly walked out of the Golden Throne Hall, followed closely by Zhen Youcai. He whispered to me, "Your Majesty, don't worry. This map is…" I lowered my voice and asked, "We'll talk later. Let's go check on the progress of the project first."

Despite the scorching sun, the banks of the Huai River were bustling with activity. Tens of thousands of people participated in the construction of the water conservancy project. Some worked tirelessly to dig ditches, others worked together to move stones, and still others learned to operate simple tools under the guidance of craftsmen.

I walked down the ridge of the field and came to Wang Dazhuang, who was digging the soil with a hoe. His dark skin was shining in the sun, and beads of sweat were rolling down his cheeks, but the hoe in his hand did not stop at all.

"Brother Wang, thank you for your hard work!" I handed him a handkerchief and asked with concern.

Wang Dazhuang was flattered and took the handkerchief. He smiled naively and said, "It's not hard at all. It's a blessing for ordinary people to be able to contribute to the country!"

I looked around and was pleased to find that all the people involved in the project had positive and optimistic smiles on their faces. Although they worked hard, they were full of hope and strength.

"Your Majesty, look!" Zhen Youcai said excitedly, pointing to the dam being built in the distance. "Craftsman Li has developed a new type of ramming tool that will greatly improve the stability of the dam!"

I looked in the direction of his finger and saw that a tall and sturdy dam was taking shape. The new ramming tools had indeed played a huge role. The work that originally required dozens of people to complete could now be easily done by just a few people.

"Good, good!" I praised repeatedly, "Craftsman Li is indeed a skilled craftsman. This ingenuity deserves a reward!"

However, just as we were happy about the smooth progress of the project, Craftsman Li came running over in a hurry, his face full of anxiety and uneasiness.

"Your Majesty, this is bad!" he gasped. "We've come across a huge rock that can't be moved with ordinary tools. What should we do?"

My heart sank, and I hurriedly asked, "How big is the rock? Where is it located?"

Craftsman Li led us to a high hillside and pointed to a huge rock in front of us. He said, "Your Majesty, look, that's the rock! It's blocking the path of the canal. If we don't remove it, the project can't proceed!"

I looked at it carefully and found that the rock was indeed huge and had a strange shape. Ordinary tools could not cause any damage to it.

"It seems we've run into a problem." I turned to look at Zhen Youcai, my brow furrowed. "What do you have in mind?"

Zhen Youcai pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I do have an idea, but..."

He hesitated to speak, and I suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. I pressed on, "Just what? Just tell me!"

"It's just..." Zhen Youcai looked at the people around him and said in a low voice, "We need a special kind of gunpowder to blast this rock..."

"Gunpowder?" I was shocked. I knew the power of gunpowder, but if it was not controlled well, it could easily cause casualties.

Zhen Youcai saw my concerns and quickly explained, "Your Majesty, rest assured. The gunpowder I'm talking about is not used in warfare. It's specifically designed to break rocks and blast through mountains. It has limited power and is easy to control."

I pondered for a moment and asked, "How much gunpowder do we need? Where can we get it?"

Zhen Youcai replied, "The amount of gunpowder required is considerable. I suggest that the Emperor issue an imperial edict, recruiting skilled craftsmen from across the country to develop this special gunpowder. Furthermore, he should collect saltpeter, sulfur, and other raw materials needed for the production of gunpowder from the public."

I nodded and said decisively, "Okay, as you say! Zhen Youcai obeys!"

"I'm here!" Zhen Youcai immediately knelt on one knee with a solemn expression.

"I command you to immediately draft an imperial edict and announce to the world that anyone with skilled craftsmen or the necessary supplies may come forward to offer their skills and supplies. I will reward them handsomely!"

"I obey your command!" Zhen Youcai took the order and left. I watched him leave, my heart filled with anticipation and anxiety. I hoped the problem would be solved as soon as possible, and I was anxious about whether the project could be completed before the flood season.

"Your Majesty, don't worry, we will do our best to complete the project as soon as possible!" Craftsman Li and Wang Dazhuang said in unison, with a determined light flashing in their eyes, infecting everyone present.

I took a deep breath, suppressed my anxiety, and said loudly, "Okay! I believe in you! To benefit the people as soon as possible, I will fight alongside you!"

In the following days, the entire court was mobilized. Zhen Youcai worked day and night to draft the imperial edict, contact officials from all over the country, and convey the imperial decree; officials from the Ministry of Works ran around looking for skilled craftsmen and raising the necessary materials.

I, on the other hand, visit the construction sites daily, boosting the morale of the people involved and addressing their concerns. Watching water conservancy projects rise from once-barren land fills my heart with hope and strength.

However, time waits for no one. In a blink of an eye, there is only less than a month left before the flood season, but the huge rock still lies across the canal, like an insurmountable chasm, blocking the progress of the project.

During the morning court session that day, I sat upright in the Golden Throne Hall, looking at the civil and military officials below with different expressions. I felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on my heart, so heavy that I couldn't breathe.

"My dear ministers," I said slowly, a hint of fatigue in my voice, "are there any good ideas for the Huaihe River water conservancy project?"