Deliberations

The ship altered course slightly.

"This river is the Jigeng River." Luo Pei had made this journey many times. Pointing toward its mouth, he said, "Another twenty li east and we'll enter the canal. The current is steadier there, and we can put ashore anywhere."

"Come to think of it, that was a legacy Emperor Shizu of Great Wei left in his later years."

"Emperor Shizu truly deserved to be called an emperor for the ages. He took the throne as a child, brought the powerful ministers to heel within a few years, then spent little more than a decade pacifying the realm. He dug the canal, instituted the Imperial Examinations, brought the peoples of the four frontiers into submission, and drew tribute from ten thousand nations. Thinking about it leaves me full of wonder."

Su Ziji agreed. "Especially the canal. It linked north and south by water and formed a network of waterways. He spread the work over twenty-five years and divided it among the commanderies and counties, so little was built in any given year. There was no vast mobilization to exhaust the people and drain their wealth."

"You've put your finger on it. An official must avoid vast mobilizations." Luo Pei nodded and studied Su Ziji. Only after a long while did he say, "To understand that at your age—you deserve your title of Top Scorer."

Su Ziji smiled. He had only gained that insight by reading history and learning its lessons. Luo Pei was in the mood to talk and went on to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of governance.

Su Ziji offered lines of poetry now and then while answering Luo Pei's questions. His earlier education had not gone to waste. Though he had never studied flood control in depth, he drew on the principles