Chapter 281: Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Five
"Lao Zheng said to me to handle it." Prime Minister He said, "I must meet his two sons to know how to arrange for them." Lao Zheng said his eldest son resembles him to some extent, but to what extent, he must assess. As for the second son, if he is indeed devoted to the Mo Family and only wants to make things related to Mechanical Techniques, there’s no position suitable for him in the court. However, if he likes doing other things besides Mechanical Techniques, then perhaps we can arrange for him to apply for an official title at the Shangfang Department."
The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Then handle it accordingly." For the emperor, no one could replace Zheng Xilin, not even his sons.
"Lao Zheng also said that once I’ve arranged for his two sons, I should no longer concern myself with their matters." Zheng Xilin’s intention was that if his two sons supported a certain prince, Prime Minister He and others shouldn’t interfere, and whatever happens next would be up to their destiny.
The emperor heard this and raised the corner of his mouth with interest, "Oh, what does he want his sons to do?"
"Lao Zheng means to let them meet their fate," Prime Minister He continued, "He also said that the fledgling eagle, once grown, should be allowed to fly freely."
"Is he willing?" The emperor smiled playfully, "Isn’t he afraid his sons might doom themselves?"
"Lao Zheng said that the descendants will have their own fortunes, whether blessing or disaster, life or death—it is their choice."
The emperor clicked his tongue and said, "He truly takes it lightly."
"Your Majesty, what do you think?" Prime Minister He inquired.
"Lao Zheng asked you, not me, because he wants me to stay out of his sons’ matters." The emperor wasn’t upset that Zheng Xilin approached Prime Minister He instead of him. "In that case, you make the arrangements for his sons."
"I will arrange properly." Although Zheng Xilin and Prime Minister He are good friends, Prime Minister He wouldn’t rashly appoint positions for Zheng Xilin’s two sons. Besides examining his two sons, he also needs to temper them. "Your Majesty, when Lao Zheng’s sons arrive, should we bring them to meet you?"
"What for?" the emperor said, showing a look of resentment on his face, "Lao Zheng didn’t ask me for help. Besides, I won’t treat his sons any differently because of him. Do what you need to do."
"I thought you might be curious about Lao Zheng’s sons."
"I’m not curious."
Seeing that the emperor indeed had no curiosity about Lao Zheng’s sons, Prime Minister He stopped speaking of them and shifted the topic to matters in Yangzhou.
When speaking of Yangzhou matters, Grandmaster Liu recalled something.
"Your Majesty, before I returned to the capital, Governor Liang mentioned something to me."
Hearing "Governor Liang," the emperor slightly raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What did he say?"
"He said that this summer, Yangzhou might face flooding, and he wants to reinforce and heighten the riverbanks in Jiangnan."
"Flooding?" The emperor looked surprised, "Where did this come from?"
"He said that since the beginning of spring, it has been constantly raining in Yangzhou," Grandmaster Liu said, "This year, the rainfall has been much more than usual. Based on past experiences, if there’s an unusually wet spring, there’s a high likelihood of flooding in the summer."
Song Dekang chimed in, "Boss, you have no idea the amount of rain that has fallen in Yangzhou these past few months; it’s been driving people mad." The north doesn’t get as much rain as Jiangnan.
The emperor frowned slightly and said, "The south is always rainy, isn’t that what they say about spring rain over there?"
"There is plenty of spring rain in Jiangnan, but this year it is extraordinarily abundant," Grandmaster Liu said solemnly, "Before returning to the capital, I specially looked at the water levels of Yangzhou’s rivers, and they’re indeed much higher than in previous years. If it continues to rain there, it won’t be long before the water overflows the banks. Governor Liang’s concern is not unfounded."
After listening to Grandmaster Liu’s words, Prime Minister He’s expression suddenly became very grave.
"Your Majesty, Jiangnan cannot be disrupted. Whether or not there will truly be floods this summer, we must prepare in advance." Jiangnan produces a lot of grain every year. If flooding occurs in Jiangnan, this year’s grain harvest will be reduced, possibly even wiped out.
Additionally, there is a lot of grain stored in Jiangnan’s granaries. If a flood occurs, the granaries might be submerged, and by then, the people of Jiangnan will face a situation where there is no food to eat. At that point, there’s a possibility Jiangnan will fall into chaos.
Jiangnan must not be allowed to fall into chaos!
The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Then raise and reinforce the riverbanks."
Grandmaster Liu added, "The riverbanks in Jiangnan haven’t been repaired for many years, it’s about time they were fixed."