Chapter 331

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

On the tabletop in the corner, the measurement drafts left behind by the previous group of students had not even been collected; they still lay scattered about.

Cai Xiu was sharp-eyed and spotted them at a glance.

But he treated them as unseen, merely counting the manuscripts on the tabletop, giving their contents a rough sweep, then said with a smile: "You have all worked hard. Since superiors from court will arrive tomorrow, Lu Hook Dang is preparing a rehearsal today and will open the channel first — I fear you gentlemen will still need to lend a hand when the time comes!"

Since it is a rehearsal today, then when people arrive tomorrow, the channel will naturally be formally opened.

Seeing it was a matter of drilling and showing their faces, everyone immediately grew eager; nearly every single one responded loudly.

"Whatever needs doing, just send word; as long as it is within my ability, I will absolutely not shirk!"

"Indeed — but if there are trifling measurement tasks like today's, should there be a next time, do not trouble me again; there are plenty of petty clerks, and it is not that difficult — whoever goes will do just the same!"

"I have heard that this time both the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue have people coming; my family elders are acquainted with quite a few officials in those two departments, and I also know several. Once you obtain their names, tell me; aside from that I will say no more — if I go out to receive them, I guarantee I will not lose face in the least!"

Cai Xiu put away the manuscripts, then cupped his hands all around, replied with a few fitting words, and hastily took his leave.

He went to seek out, at midday, that subordinate official surnamed Su whom Lv Zhongchang had mentioned.

The man was busy to the point of distraction; seeing Cai Xiu, and hearing he had come to deliver today's newly obtained hydrological data for the Jia River and Jian River, he merely pointed to the document boxes at the side and said: "Put them there!"

Just as he spoke, someone else rushed in from outside, saying: "Su Guanren! The River Sweep Storehouse has come asking again; the craftsmen doing the sweep work below are urging for materials — they have asked several times and none have been supplied. Today the channel is to be opened; if they do not arrive now, it will truly be too late!"

Su Guanren was annoyed beyond measure and said: "Did I not tell the River Sweep Storehouse to go demand them from the Chan Prefecture Office? What use is asking me!"

"The Chan Prefecture side says canal transport is not smooth, and the Capital has also been experiencing river floods recently; they do not have enough for themselves and have not sent any for half a month already. They told us to first negotiate with the Transport Commission; the people below have no choice but to come report..."

"They have no choice, so I have a choice??"

Here the urging for materials had not finished when several more groups of people arrived.

Some demanded manpower, some asked about the specific evening procedures, and there were also men sent back from the front saying Lv Zhongchang was inspecting on the river channel, found several spots unsatisfactory, and ordered rectification — resulting in yet another shortage of materials.

Because every quarter was contending for the remaining bit of bamboo material and thick paste, and also needed long iron nails, a quarrel broke out, and they wanted the higher-up — that is, Su Guanren — to go adjudicate.

Seeing this, Cai Xiu took the chance to slip to the side and quietly flipped through the things inside the wooden box — sure enough, they were still those manuscripts, still not even the wax seals broken.

He placed the newest one on top, saw that Su Guanren had no leisure to attend to him, greeted a clerk at the side, and withdrew.

Cai Xiu left in haste, so naturally he did not know that after this place had clamored for a while, someone else came from outside to urge: "Su Guanren, Lu Hook Dang has sent someone to ask whether the verification of all data — main channel water depth, water momentum, and the Jia River and Jian River — has been completed."

That Su Guanren busily replied: "Still verifying; please ask Hook Dang to wait a moment!"

Speaking, he called two subordinates over, pointed to the wooden box at the side, and said: "You two compare them, see how great the changes are!"

The two broke the wax seals, hurriedly compared for a while, and before long brought the figures back to report.

"The Jia River was a bit deeper these past days, but today it has fallen back a few tenths..."

"The Jian River deepened four tenths..."

Su Guanren checked the data on the manuscripts, nodded, and said: "The past few days it was a little deeper, but still acceptable; most likely water rose somewhere upstream — I see it has dropped back considerably today."

He further asked: "How much silt and sand is carried?"

He fired off several questions in a row; seeing no major issues, he set his mind at ease and had someone take the data to find Lv Zhongchang and reply.

The whole afternoon, up and down the Liu Ta He river channel, all was busy without cease.

Cai Xiu also did not idle for half a moment; after squeezing out time to deliver the hydrological data once, he immediately went back to keep watch over the building of the River Viewing Platform.

Although that group of Young Masters all said to come call them promptly if anything arose, promising they would certainly help, he did not breathe a word of it to anyone; all matters he only assigned to the corvée laborers and craftsmen on the river channel.

Therefore, with the river channel everywhere short of materials and lacking supplies, even though Cai Xiu had cultivated quite good connections up and down the Liu Ta He, and was borrowing the pretext of building a platform for superiors, there were still some things he could not gather in full — they simply did not exist, and could not possibly be produced.

Seeing him arrive, the craftsman hurriedly came to report: "Scholar Cai, this platform has no piles, and the timber below is also insufficient; we can only nail a few pieces together to prop it up — I fear it will not be stable..."

Cai Xiu frowned and said: "How do you people do things? It is merely building a platform; all materials that could be requested have been requested, and it is only for two days, not two months — how can this still not work?"

That craftsman hurriedly defended: "It is not that it cannot work; let Scholar Cai know — a high platform like this, if it cannot be piled and lacks enough support, then if a great wind or great rain comes, or if too many people stand on top or the weight is too great, a single careless moment and it could easily collapse."

Cai Xiu said impatiently: "In this weather, where is there wind, where is there rain?"

And said: "When the time comes, those going up the platform are only a few superiors, plus their attendants and the various officials on the river channel — at most thirty or forty people, plus ten-odd armchairs, a few tables and such — would this really collapse?"

The craftsman instantly shut his mouth, hemmed and hawed a moment, and said: "Hard to say; just best to be careful — if a few piles could be driven, that would be best..."

Having stayed these days at Liu Ta He, Cai Xiu had dealt quite a bit with craftsmen, laborers, miscellaneous servants, and that group of students; he knew well that the ones who most love to speak alarmist words are the craftsmen.

Relying on having a bit of skill in hand, they all like to pinch the superiors; today they say this will not do, tomorrow they say that will not do.

In fact, by the end, forcing through the 'cannot do' with a stiff upper lip, eight or nine times out of ten everything turns out fine, and nowhere is seen to be amiss.

Hearing such a reply from the other side now, Cai Xiu did not take it to heart at all, convinced this was again the craftsman aggrandizing himself and absolving responsibility, so he could not be bothered to pay heed, merely saying: "All usable materials are here; there are no more. If those piles cannot be driven, you figure out how to make do."

As he spoke, he raised his head and saw quite a few people already surrounding the railing above, and saw that although the steps were somewhat crude, they were already built, so he directly climbed the steps upward.

It was originally a platform built of timber; the terrain here is low, and in order to look down from a height, the platform naturally had to be even higher.

Craftsmen and laborers had bustled for half a day and had already erected a high platform nearly two zhang tall.

Though hastily built and rather crude, both when climbing the steps and when standing on the platform, treading on it felt quite steady.

Cai Xiu jumped hard a few times, stomping several stomps.

This time, he felt the underside was hollow, giving off thudding sounds.

He called two laborers over and ordered: "Go to the storeroom and get some red cloth, the thicker the better; or if there is no red cloth, ask for some thick blankets, then lay red cloth on top — go quickly!"

And sent another few people to fetch chairs.

Before long, chairs, blankets, and red cloth were all brought.

Once they were laid layer by layer, it indeed looked quite presentable.

The surface work was done about seven or eight parts complete; Cai Xiu inspected once more, saw the hour was not early, the stair position had only horizontal boards and no vertical boards sealed in, and thinking of Li Canzheng's advanced age, he said again: "These vertical boards cannot be left empty; otherwise if a superior accidentally steps into the void with one foot, startling or injuring them, you would be guilty of a crime worthy of ten thousand deaths!"

The craftsman stood at the side, unable to resist saying: "Scholar Cai, there is no bamboo material, no timber left here!"

Cai Xiu pointed to a pile of boards beside him and said, "Isn't that it?"

"You said just now there were no extra materials left, sir. I was thinking of taking some to prop up the piles and support the platform..."

By this time, the rugs and red cloth had been laid, the armchairs, tables, and other furnishings arranged, and there were ten or twenty people on the platform, some tidying up, some working on the railings.

With so many people up there, the platform remained very steady, without the slightest wobble.

"It's fine now, no need to drive any more piles!" Cai Xiu waved his hand. "Tell them to pay attention. We'll seal off the steps in a moment. This is something people see at a glance—when Lu Guanren comes later, he might want to inspect this platform!"

Cai Xiu had not guessed wrong.

Shortly after the Shen hour, Lv Zhongchang arrived with a group of people.

He climbed onto the platform to look into the distance, praised Cai Xiu a couple of times, then mentioned two places that needed changes.

First, the platform should be raised another zhang, and higher still if possible—so that Li Zhai and the others can see the water flow more clearly when they look out tomorrow.

Second, for safety's sake, the vertical boards on the stairs and the railings on the platform must be installed as soon as possible, without delay. Also, it would be best to cover the middle of the steps with rugs and red cloth, making it more comfortable to walk on.

Cai Xiu agreed repeatedly, not mentioning the craftsman's talk of driving piles and instability, but simply restated the points Lv Zhongchang had raised. He called several head craftsmen to the front, urging them to speed up and adjust immediately.

After the inspection, Lv Zhongchang did not leave, but sat directly on the high platform and told his subordinates, "Ask if everything is ready everywhere. We're releasing the water to open the river!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone on the platform grew tense. Some who had received orders took the warrant Lv Zhongchang gave them and hurried down the platform toward the river channel.

While waiting for a response from the river channel, Lv Zhongchang chose the middle armchair and sat down, telling his confidant, "When the Canzheng and the others arrive tomorrow, count the number of people, note their names, and rearrange the chairs here. Also, select two good chairs separately for the Canzheng and the Imperial Envoy to sit in—these two cannot use the same standard chairs as everyone else."

The confidant hurriedly said, "Everything on the river channel is urgent. I'm afraid many things won't be ready in time..."

Lv Zhongchang's tone carried some displeasure. "They won't arrive until tomorrow afternoon. Even when they arrive, they may not go up the platform right away. There is clearly more than a day left. If there's nothing on the river channel, can't we find a few suitable chairs in Chan Zhou Cheng?"

The confidant dared not shirk responsibility any longer and quickly agreed.

Just as they were speaking, they suddenly heard a sharp whistle from afar.

Everyone on the platform immediately held their breath. Even the craftsmen working on the railings stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

Lv Zhongchang especially put aside a document he was holding, stood up, and looked toward the river channel in the distance.

The whistling sounded for a good while, but there was still no movement from that direction.

Everyone stared for a long time. Just as they were starting to feel tired, someone suddenly shouted, "It's here!! It's here, it's here!"

Indeed, though no sound was heard, at the place where the new and old river channels met in the distance, surging river water suddenly burst forth. The water was muddy yellow, but the rolling waves were white.

Since they were looking down from a height, they saw the river water almost instantly fill the new channel. It rose higher and higher, carrying countless white waves, following the excavated Liu Ta He channel toward the northeast.

Not a single person on the platform spoke; they simply watched the river water roll on.

After a full half-teacup's time, seeing that the river water showed no sign of overflowing, an official who had long followed Lv Zhongchang finally shouted loudly, "Congratulations, sir! Congratulations, sir!! Liu Ta He is open!!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the platform seemed to have a backbone. Everyone echoed, shouting "Congratulations," "Congratulations," and so on.

Lv Zhongchang's face was flushed red. He seemed drunk, only watching the river channel, with no time to attend to his subordinates' congratulations.

He took a deep breath, stared at the water flowing in Liu Ta He for a while, and without bothering to give other orders, quickly stepped down from the platform and hurried toward the riverbank.

Cai Xiu followed behind the others, hurrying after them.

In a short while, the group arrived at the riverbank.

Up close, the impression was completely different from looking out from the platform earlier.

Now they could not only hear the rushing sound of the rapid water but also see the murky yellow color that was hard to gauge. Where the main channel met Liu Ta He, much of the mud and sand on the bank had been washed away by the current. Though still ten or so steps from the river channel, they could already feel the spray hitting their faces.

Lv Zhongchang stood by the bank, frowning, and shouted loudly, "Where are the people?! Why haven't they measured the water depth?!"

Soon someone brought a long pole, a measuring ruler, and other items to measure the water depth and current.

When the measurement was finished, Lv Zhongchang saw the data and the surging river water before him. His long-tense face finally relaxed a little, and he laughed heartily.

After working for nearly a year, the river was finally open. Seeing Lv Zhongchang's reaction, the others also sighed in relief and came forward to congratulate him one after another.

Seeing so many people gathered here and that he couldn't get a word in, Cai Xiu seized the opportunity to say a few flattering words, then withdrew.

He hurried back to the viewing platform.

The river was open, Liu Ta He was a success. So when Li Canzheng and the others arrive tomorrow, it will be his time to show himself.

The platform was built by him, the students were brought by him, and the water conservancy records were measured under his leadership. Although only a part, with his eloquence, he could turn one part into ten, let alone there was more than one part here.

As he walked, he drafted his speech in his mind.

Although he didn't know how the Imperial Envoy would act, as the leader of the Taixue, he would definitely be able to participate in receiving Li Canzheng.

By then, as long as he could find a way to insert his own contributions into the conversation, it would be enough.

When he returned to the viewing platform, the sky was already half dark.

Tomorrow is the real battle. He must have enough energy to perform well.

Cai Xiu did not waste time here. He only told the craftsmen they must finish modifying the viewing platform within the time limit, then returned to his room.

After tidying up a bit, he fell into a deep sleep. In the several rooms next door, the Shiyi disciples were not able to sleep at all.

Everyone had heard the news that the river had been opened early, and they were all very excited.

"For such a big event, why didn't they call us to go?"

"Cai Xiu did it on purpose, I think. I just heard someone say he spent the whole afternoon having craftsmen build the viewing platform, preparing for Li Canzheng and the others to use tomorrow. He didn't reveal a thing, just sent us off to measure some damn water conservancy records."

"It's dark now and we can't see anything. Why not get up early tomorrow and go see for ourselves? After all, this is something we participated in!"

"No good. It seems they're going to close the checkpoint gate tomorrow morning, then reopen the river in the afternoon."

"When do they close it?"

After hearing the time, someone said, "Get up an hour early. Then we'll go see them close the checkpoint gate."

Having been stuck in Chan Prefecture for several months, although they had not missed out on eating, drinking, and entertainment, it was ultimately not Jingcheng. Coming and going, it was just that big a place with that many things. Everyone was already bored. Now that they had something new, they all wanted to join the excitement.

So the next morning, before dawn, everyone took lanterns and went out the door. "Let's go take a look first? Let's go up and see? We can see exactly how they close the checkpoint gate!"

The whole group went up the platform and sat on the armchairs, slowly waiting for the gate to close. Sitting and sitting, since they had gotten up early and were sleepy, they fell asleep one after another.

I don't know how long passed. One of them was sleeping soundly when he heard a "bang" from beneath him, and his whole body jolted.

He woke up in a daze. As soon as he opened his eyes and looked up, he saw that heaven and earth were two different colors—the sky white and the earth yellow. The surging yellow water stretched endlessly, and not only was the platform beneath him shaking, it was actually moving slowly.

This person's expression changed greatly, rubbed his eyes, then pinched his own thigh hard, discovering it was actually not a dream; just now he panickedly shoved his companion beside him, shouting loudly: "Hey! Hey!!! Wake up quickly!!! Something happened!!! Quick, quick, everyone get up!!!"

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