The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Extra 10 Neighbors
In the Mozi – Book of Rights, it says: “The hundred craftsmen use a square for the ruler and a circle for the compass, so all craftsmen, when engaging in their work, follow the prescribed measurements.”
Last year, after the Great Xia expanded its territory, the northwest region, which includes Yizhou, Xizhou (the former Western Rong), Bingzhou (the territory in which the Turks were merged into the Great Xia), and the borderlands between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, became particularly important.
The emperor and the empress decided that the Great Xia would focus on developing the northwest.
Subsequently, the former Deputy Minister of the Military Department, Chen Xun, was appointed as the Governor of Yangzhou in the northwest.
However, no matter which capable official was sent to the northwest to oversee the situation, they could only lament, “It’s a headache.”
The northwest has few rivers, suffers from droughts, and the land is slightly barren. It is very difficult for it to become fertile land that could support the people.
Therefore, even when the Pingxi Army was stationed in the northwest, they were unable to establish large-scale farming. Most of the grain and supplies were transported from the Jiangnan region.
To change the inherent problems of the northwest’s land would require an enormous amount of human, material, and financial resources. Even Qin Yan, who once held the first financial institution of Great Xia, Yu Qingfeng, did not consider major actions in the northwest but instead chose to plant grain in the more fertile Shenxi Valley along the border.
A few years ago, the Great Xia treasury was empty, and enough military funds had to be kept aside in case of sudden border conflicts with the Turks and the Western Rong. Therefore, large-scale water projects were not carried out in various regions.
The flooding in Jiangnan the year before, which disrupted the grain transport, was also a result of years of neglect in river maintenance.
However, the northwest, such an important area, cannot be self-sufficient in grain and must rely on transportation from other regions. This is not a long-term solution.
Now that the great war has ended and the national power of Great Xia is gradually recovering, Qin Yan and Feng Zhan have decided to prioritize solving the problems of the Northwest.
To establish large-scale farming in the northwest, the first priority is to solve the issue of water scarcity.
The existing canals in the northwest are often blocked by sediment, and when there is heavy rain, the riverbeds become unstable, leading to the destruction of canal banks. The canals have experienced multiple cycles of construction and collapse over the years. Despite efforts from past dynasties, the problem has never been fundamentally resolved.
Therefore, when it comes to water management in the northwest, in addition to repairing old canals, it may also be necessary to build new ones.
Lin Liang, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works, was appointed to oversee the northwest’s waterworks and led a group of officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to first conduct an inspection of the northwest.
The emperor ordered the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to come up with a feasible plan and estimate the cost in silver by the spring of the following year.
Since the waterworks project in the northwest is enormous and involves a wide range of issues, it is customary to assign officials from the Imperial Censor Bureau to oversee the project.
The Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion, Feng Subei, after requesting permission to travel west, was assigned to the task of overseeing the northwest’s waterworks, a responsibility typically held by the Imperial Censor Bureau. The officials from the Imperial Censor Bureau did not raise any objections.
As the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion, an imperial family member with a wealthy background, it was assumed he would not engage in bribery or corruption.
Moreover, this Shizi had no personal connections with the officials of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue, so it was expected that there would be no favoritism.
Wait… no personal connections?
Did the officials overlook the connection between the Ministry of Works and a certain young lady from the Qin family…?
As the stationed troops in the northwest, the Pingxi Army would be led by General Shen Ci, who will fully cooperate with the Ministry of Works in the canal construction.
Chen Ci had originally planned to leave the capital after the spring, but due to receiving the order to escort Princess Rong’an of Northern Liang, he had to depart early to take up his post in the northwest.
Additionally, the day after Xie Changyuan requested permission from the emperor to go to the northwest, an imperial decree was issued, and the emperor granted approval.
This outcome was exactly as Xie Changyuan had anticipated.
Xie Changyuan had to admit that Emperor Feng Zhan was indeed a wise ruler who knew how to separate public matters from private interests.
The imperial edict stated that Xie Changyuan would be sent to the northwest to join General Shen Ci in leading the Pingxi Army to assist the Ministry of Works with the waterworks.
———
When Feng Subei arrived at the capital of Yongzhou in the northwest, Cangcheng, it was on a winter evening in the twelfth month.
After entering the city, the Duan Wang Mansion’s carriage headed straight to a medium-sized mansion in the east of the city.
When Feng Subei got out of the carriage, he paused for a moment before the door. He turned his gaze toward another mansion, just a wall away from the one he was about to enter. His eyes lingered on the tightly shut gate for a brief moment before he withdrew his gaze and entered the mansion.
Before Feng Subei returned to the Great Xia, Lin Shu had already sent people to the northwest with news about Qin Lin.
Qin Lin had arrived in the northwest, Yongzhou along with the officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue. The officials from the capital were staying at a large mansion under the ownership of Yu Qingfeng. However, since it wasn’t convenient for a woman like Qin Lin to stay with those officials, she rented a small house in the east of the city, accompanied by a maid and a guard.
Without needing Feng Subei to point it out, Lin Shu had spent a large sum to purchase the house next door to Qin Lin’s residence. Even the house Qin Lin lived in had been transferred to the name of Lin Shu’s son through some maneuvering.
Lin Shu was efficient in his dealings, and in this regard, Feng Subei was somewhat satisfied.
The task of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue in the northwest was a heavy one. Even though it was inconvenient to go out for inspections during the winter, they still visited the Governor’s office every day to discuss official matters.
The officials did not plan to return to the capital for the New Year, as they did not want to waste time on a trip back.
After the spring arrives, they will immediately organize another survey of the terrain and water sources, aiming to quickly draft a feasible plan and send it back to the capital for approval.
Currently, the waterworks project is at a crucial stage, and the officials are so busy that they don’t leave the Governor’s office until nearly dark each day.
Whenever Qin Lin leaves, Yuan Mu always expresses concern about her, a woman, traveling alone at night, and insists on escorting her.
Qin Lin’s maid… Does Lord Yuan not see that the young lady has bodyguards?
Qin Lin politely declined, but Lord Yuan seemed quite persistent, following her carriage at a distance until she got out and entered the gates of the residence.
And today was no different.
Yuan Mu watched as Qin Lin entered the house but did not immediately order his driver to leave. Instead, he remained in place for a moment.
Previously, after being outmaneuvered by the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion, Yuan Mu did not contest his engagement to Qin Lin.
Now that Miss Lin had come to the northwest, it seemed like fate.
During this time, Yuan Mu saw Miss Lin’s other side.
Miss Lin was exceptionally intelligent, often offering unique insights during discussions of official matters, which were sharp and to the point. When they traveled over mountains to survey the terrain, Miss Lin would go along with everyone without saying a word.
All of this made the officials from the Ministry of Works, as well as Yuan Mu, secretly admire her.
Yuan Mu gradually began to regret his previous actions, where he had backed down out of fear of power.
And now, could this be an opportunity…?
———–
While serving her young lady with her grooming, Qin Lin’s maid muttered, “Miss, it seems like someone has moved in next door.”
Qin Lin, feeling a bit tired, didn’t care much about the neighbor next door. She just wanted to rest quickly and didn’t think much of it.
Next door to Qin Lin’s residence, Lin Shu entered the study, where Feng Subei was sitting behind the desk, reading a copy of The Exploitation of Natural Resources.
After greeting, Lin Shu said, “Young Master, Miss Lin has returned.”
“Mm.” Feng Subei didn’t look up, but his gaze remained fixed on a few words in the book.
Seeing that his young master had no further instructions, Lin Shu withdrew.
Lin Shu didn’t mention that Miss Lin had been escorted back by her former betrothed, as he feared the young master might not be able to stop himself from going over there.
In the study, Feng Subei continued to read the book in his hand.
Although he had come to the Northwest for other purposes, he was in a position of power and had to fulfill his responsibilities; he could not disappoint the emperor’s trust.
———-
The next morning, the current governor of Yongzhou, Chen Xun, came to pay his respects to the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion.
The order for the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion, Feng Subei, to oversee the waterworks in the northwest had already been delivered, and Feng Subei had arrived in Cangcheng ahead of the official announcement.
The evening before, when Feng Subei’s carriage entered Cangcheng’s city gates, Chen Xun received word of his arrival and learned that the young master had already made arrangements for his lodging.
Since it was getting late, Chen Xun didn’t want to be rude and didn’t go to welcome Feng Subei immediately. Instead, he waited until the next morning to come.
Chen Xun was somewhat puzzled by the arrival of Shizi in the northwest. After all, the waterworks project in the northwest was still in the survey stage, and the specific plan for implementation wouldn’t be finalized or start until the spring of next year.
In this freezing cold weather, Chen Xun couldn’t imagine that this royal figure would come all the way here for no reason, just to wander around.
And as for the Shizi’s mansion…
Chen Xun knew that it was right next door to the house of Miss Lin from the Qin family.
Could it be because of this young lady?
However, if it was a personal matter between these two, it had nothing to do with Chen Xun.
In the main hall, Chen Xun reported to Feng Subei, who was sitting at the top seat, about the progress of the northwest waterworks:
“Shizi, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue are preparing to send the preliminary plan back to the capital in the next few days. They are currently working intensively on the discussions.”
Feng Subei was silent for a moment before speaking, “Have they made smooth progress?”
Chen Xun replied, “Indeed, there have been some obstacles, but…”
Chen Xun paused for a moment, then glanced at the young master, whose expression remained unreadable. He then continued, “The Empress has sent Miss Lin from the Qin family to the northwest on behalf of the Ministry of Works. She now holds the title of a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Works. Although her position is not high, she has some ability.”
“Whenever they encounter obstacles during their discussions, Miss Qin is always able to pinpoint the key solution. She must have truly learned from Minister Qin himself.”
Feng Subei remained silent for a moment before speaking, “Bring me to take a look.”
———–
At the Governor’s office.
When the officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue saw the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion enter with Governor Chen Xun, they weren’t particularly surprised, as they had already been informed that the young master would be overseeing the northwest waterworks.
After exchanging formal greetings, Feng Subei was invited by Governor Chen Xun to sit in the place of honor, and then Feng Subei raised his hand, signaling for the others to continue.
At this point, a large rectangular table was set up in the hall, covered with open books and blueprints.
When Feng Subei entered earlier, he had exchanged what seemed to be an unintentional glance with Qin Lin. They both quickly shifted their gazes away.
Afterward, Qin Lin occasionally felt a burning gaze from the upper seat, but it seemed more like an illusion.
Initially, the officials felt somewhat restrained due to the presence of the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion, but soon, they became fully engaged in handling the official matters.
“If we only continue to repair the old channels,” one official said, “I’m afraid that within a year, the channels will once again be blocked by silt, and the banks will collapse.”
“I share the same concern,” another official responded. “At the very least, we should add new channels in areas where the old ones are steeper, to divert the water and reduce the erosion of the banks, which will extend the lifespan of the channels.”
“I agree. We just need to figure out where to add the new channels, so we can minimize costs while maximizing the improvement of the channels.”
……
The officials from the Ministry of Works began discussing the proposed idea, as well as the information gathered from the earlier surveys.
At this point, a tall, slender, and refined young man sitting in the middle of the long desk glanced at Qin Lin, who was quietly sitting at the end of the table, and then spoke, “Everyone.”
As soon as this man spoke, everyone stopped talking.
After all, this man, Lord Yuan, was a beloved disciple of Minister Qin and held considerable influence in the Ministry of Works.
Sitting in the lower seat, Governor Chen Xun introduced him to Feng Subei, “Shizi, this is Lord Yuan Mu, the Left Minister of the Ministry of Works.”
Feng Subei’s eyes narrowed suddenly, a cold aura emanating from him.
Yuan Mu?
Could it be that one?