Zhao Zhiwei Was Impressive
During this time, seeing his sons die, become disabled, or fall ill one by one, Xiao Ge couldn't help but feel depressed and distressed, no matter how broad-minded he was.
Hearing such good news and imagining that the Great Jin would show signs of prosperity under his leadership, he finally felt relieved, and the frustration that had been building up in his heart for some time dissipated considerably.
Seeing Xiao Ge like this, Qi Xugu breathed a sigh of relief.
He took a folded document out of his pocket and handed it to Xiao Ge.
Because of the backlog of memorials during this period, he wouldn't submit any memorials that weren't very important. He had this memorial in his pocket before coming here, hoping to see if there was an opportunity to present it to the Emperor.
"What is this?" Xiao Ge knew that Qi Xugu was alright and wouldn't just casually hand him a memorial, so he opened it out of curiosity.
Qi Xugu didn't keep them in suspense, saying, "After learning that the agricultural tools invented by Her Highness the Princess Consort of the Prince of Qi had played a significant role, I specially sent someone to Nanyang to check on the water conservancy projects that Her Highness had organized for the people of Nanyang to perform corvée labor before she left office."
Upon hearing Qi Xugu's words, Xiao Ge knew that this water conservancy project must be very beneficial; otherwise, Qi Xugu wouldn't have bothered to submit a memorial explaining the situation. Moreover, Zhao Ruxi's improved farming tools had given them a pleasant surprise.
He carefully examined the document.
This memorial was written by Qi Xugu's subordinates at great expense and time.
The map above roughly depicts the water conservancy system around Nanyang, with annotations in some areas.
The text below, corresponding to each label, clearly explains whether an elevated waterwheel or a special construction method was used to allow water to flow smoothly through unfavorable terrain.
Seeing that Xiao Ge's gaze had moved to the end, Qi Xugu couldn't help but say, "This report seems to only mention the construction of dams in a few places and the installation of a few waterwheels. Apart from the novelty of the waterwheels' construction and the slightly different methods of building dams and canals, it doesn't seem to be any better than the water conservancy work done in other places. It's not worth mentioning."
"But if Your Majesty were to visit in person, you would find that this water conservancy system is quite complete. It utilizes existing streams, canals, lakes, and previously constructed irrigation ditches, connecting and linking them in various ways to create a very complete water conservancy system in Nanyang that can be rationally adjusted using dams of various sizes during floods and droughts."
"It can be said that with this water conservancy system, as long as there are no particularly large floods or severe droughts, the agricultural harvest in Nanyang will not be greatly affected."
Xiao Ge had just read the contents of the memorial and had gained an understanding of the water conservancy project.
He wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "That's absolutely right. The methods aren't novel, but the dedication is commendable. She only stayed in Nanyang for half a year, and was even called back to the capital during the winter when she was working on water conservancy projects, but the water conservancy system she created will benefit the local people for a long time to come."
Zhao Ruxi utilized several existing large lakes in the area as natural reservoirs. These reservoirs store water during periods of abundant rainfall and can hold as much excess water as possible during floods, preventing Nanyang from suffering from water disasters. When drought strikes and water is needed, the water from these lakes can be released in stages to provide irrigation water for farmland and sufficient drinking water for urban residents.
The method wasn't novel, but her design was extremely ingenious. It can be said that she used minimal money and effort, yet ensured the agricultural harvest and safety of Nanyang.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ge sighed deeply, "Looking across the Great Jin, how many officials possess such ability, ingenuity, and a heart devoted to the country and its people?"
Ancient officials were completely different from modern highly educated individuals. They spent decades studying the Four Books and Five Classics, learning how to write effective policy essays, and many of them were simply bookworms. Even when writing policy essays required some principles of governance, they merely parroted what others said, as the saying goes, "All writing is plagiarism, it just depends on how well you plagiarize." That's why the essays of the top three scholars in each year were the most sought-after.
These people, after passing the imperial examinations, went directly to their posts as officials. Serving in various ministries in the capital was fine; they could learn from their seniors before taking on any task. But those assigned to serve as county magistrates in different regions had to understand and manage all aspects of the county's politics, economy, criminal cases, and agriculture. Since they themselves were still inexperienced, wouldn't they be at a loss? It would be good enough if they didn't cause trouble; how could they possibly achieve any significant political achievements? Their superiors would spend a lot of energy watching over them to prevent trouble, and wouldn't have time to properly consider how to develop the province's agricultural economy.
Compared to the performance of newly appointed scholars in previous dynasties, Zhao Ruxi's achievements were quite remarkable, considering he only served as an official for half a year.
Not only is she capable, but what's rare is her dedication.
Just as Xiao Ge was lamenting that Zhao Ruxi could no longer serve as an official and that the Great Jin had lost a promising talent, Qi Xugu asked again, "Your Majesty, do you know how much silver Consort of the Prince of Qi spent when she built these water conservancy projects?"
Xiao Ge snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Qi Xugu: "Is it a lot? But this money is well spent. If it weren't for this water conservancy system, how much would Nanyang lose if it suffered floods or droughts? Have you calculated that?"
"Haha, Your Majesty, that's not what I meant." Qi Xugu waved his hand and laughed. "What I meant was that the water conservancy system built by Consort of the Prince of Qi not only didn't cost the government a single penny, but actually made a fortune. Do you believe me?"
"How could that be?" Xiao Ge asked instinctively.
However, after asking, he knew it was absolutely true; otherwise, Qi Xugu wouldn't have said that.
He is the emperor; his subjects wouldn't dare joke with him like that.
He perked up and asked eagerly, "What happened?"
The dams that Zhao Ruxi built required a lot of cement, sand, manpower, and materials. The construction and installation of the elevated waterwheels also cost money. The money she spent was definitely more than what Nanyang spent on water conservancy projects in previous years, at least one or two times more.
Emperor Xiao Ge was a diligent and capable ruler, and he was very familiar with the situation of the government offices at all levels. He knew the annual budget allocated to water conservancy by each level of government. The water conservancy project undertaken by Zhao Ruxi far exceeded the government's budget.
He simply couldn't understand why Zhao Ruxi not only didn't spend money, but actually made money.
"Does Your Majesty still remember the textile factory that Consort of the Prince of Qi and Grand Princess Shangde used to run together? The textile machine she manufactured could be powered by water. Consort of the Prince of Qi discussed this with Grand Princess Shangde when she was building these dams. If Grand Princess Shangde paid for the dams, the Nanyang government would grant her a five-year free usage period for the dam, after which she would be charged annually."