The memorial about the floods in Jiangnan reached Xuanzheng Hall in mid-June. The rain had been unnaturally heavy those past few days. Torrential downpours battered the three prefectures of Suzhou, Songjiang, and Jiaxing, and Taihu Lake rose three feet overnight. The embankments along its shores burst, flooding several towns. The figures reported by local officials were alarming: over a thousand houses swept away, tens of thousands of mu of farmland submerged, and disaster victims crowded onto city walls, waiting for government relief. When the Grand Secretariat submitted the memorial, the faces of the elderly ministers were grim.
Qi Xiao summoned several grand secretaries to the Side Hall of Xuanzheng Hall to discuss the matter, with Qi Ling standing at the front. The Minister of Revenue said the treasury could allocate funds, but someone needed to go to Jiangnan to oversee operations, coordinate relief spending, and supervise the rebuilding of the embankments. The Minister of Works said materials for rebuilding could be requisitioned locally, but someone capable of keeping the local officials in line needed to supervise them. Qi Xiao listened from his throne, then rested his gaze on Qi Ling and said, "The Crown Prince will go."
It was not a question, but a decision. Qi Ling stepped forward and bowed. "Your son obeys." Qi Xiao looked at him for a moment, then said, "Leave tomorrow. Take your people from the Eastern Palace. Local officials are not to hold banquets to welcome you or see you off along the way. Once you reach Jiangnan, first investigate where the relief funds have gone, then supervise the rebuilding of the embankments. The Ministry of Revenue will issue two hundred thousand taels of silver to accompany you. Every expenditure must be recorded. I will audit the accounts myself when you return to the