Nan Shiying raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled faintly, "Since Lord Wang is humbly asking for advice, then I, Feng, shall offer a few words."
Her demeanor, as if saying "Since you've asked, I won't hold back my teachings," practically ignited the temper of even the most placid person.
For a moment, tempers flared.
Xuan Yi suspected that if these esteemed officials were martial artists, they would have long since grabbed their axes and halberds, eager to debate with his Princess Consort.
Nan Shiying, however, remained unfazed. Staring at their enraged gazes, she spoke, "To treat floods, at least three steps are needed: barrier, drainage, and embankment. Yet, you have only mentioned barriers and embankments. What about drainage?"
"One must know that blocking is inferior to draining. One of the reasons for the flood in Yuzhou this time was the blockage downstream, which caused the water level upstream to rise. Coupled with continuous heavy rainfall, the sea water backflowed and breached the embankment... With the water level not receding, the breached embankment cannot be fully repaired. It is deep autumn, and not the best season to construct embankments. Therefore, the most effective method to lower the water level now is to dredge the downstream river channels and find another suitable location to dig a new channel to drain the accumulated water. This is the proper course of action."
"Furthermore, even setting aside drainage, regarding the barriers and embankments you proposed, your solutions are far too simplistic. I would even go as far as to call them crude. Let's not even discuss barriers. Merely speaking of embankments, in my opinion, an embankment should be divided into four types: distant embankment, parallel embankment, grid embankment, and crescent embankment. The parallel embankment is the first major embankment parallel to the river, located closer to it. Further away from the river, a second line of defense is built—the distant embankment. Between the parallel and distant embankments, at intervals, embankments perpendicular to the riverbanks are constructed, forming 'grids,' called grid embankments. At critical points and dangerous sections, crescent embankments are added, encircling the parallel embankment in a crescent shape. Only when these four types of embankments cooperate with each other can the most effective flood control be achieved."
"And you only intend to build a distant embankment? The backflowing seawater could breach the embankment, yet you believe a single distant embankment can withstand it? This is simply wishful thinking!"
Upon hearing Nan Shiying mention dredging downstream, the officials couldn't help but scoff. They were not some incompetent fools; how could they not understand the principle of drainage? It was just that Lord Hong had already dispatched people downstream for dredging, which was why it hadn't been mentioned.
Hong Yi, who had expected Nan Shiying to have some brilliant strategy, could not help but show disappointment. He inwardly mocked himself for placing his hopes on a physician, wondering how she could possibly understand flood control.
He couldn't help but shake his head, and then he thought she was simply too young and arrogant.
If this was all she had to say, how could she lecture all these ministers? Just as he was considering whether to interrupt her, he heard Nan Shiying propose the theory of four types of embankments, something they had never even heard of.
Hong Yi's eyes suddenly sparkled with a fervent glow. He couldn't help but listen intently. The more he listened, the more he was shaken, and the more he was astonished. In the end, all his emotions transformed into excitement and eagerness, coupled with a sense of yearning for knowledge.
The other officials were even more thrilled. They completely abandoned their earlier mockery and anger. At this very moment, they wished they could grab Nan Shiying and urge her to quickly draw out the four types of embankments she had described.
"Good, good! Mr. Feng is truly a great talent of this era!" Hong Yi couldn't help but laugh heartily, feeling that for Lin Yuan to have such a person was a blessing for the court and for the people.
Lord Wang, abandoning his previous indignation, stepped forward and firmly grasped Nan Shiying's hand. He patted her hand heartily and laughed heartily, "Mr. Feng, I was presumptuous just now. I hope Mr. Feng will overlook my offense and not bear a grudge... I wish to ask, what do these embankments you proposed look like, how should they be constructed, and what are the requirements..."
The back of her hand was being patted so hard it hurt. Nan Shiying looked at Lord Wang, whose face was creased with laughter, and twitched her lips slightly. "What, are all the civil officials of Lin Yuan like this?"
"Weren't they supposed to be cunning and insidious?"
Seeing the eager and expectant gazes of the officials, Nan Shiying could only say, "Does anyone have paper and brush? I will draw them."
"I have, I have!"
The scribe accompanying them handed the paper and brush to Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying looked around, found a relatively flat stone, placed the paper on it, and began to draw.
The officials crowded around, each one like a child returning to their curious youth.
Xuan Yi was already accustomed to this. He declared that nothing could surprise him anymore.
He had been tempered!
Poison Elder glanced at Xuan Yi and couldn't help but roll his eyes. "If you're not surprised, why are your pupils trembling!"
...
Hearing that Hong Yi had already dispatched people to dredge downstream, Nan Shiying felt a bit too arrogant. Even if Lin Yuan had many shortcomings compared to Da Yuan, these officials, who had broken through obstacles and achieved their positions through genuine skill, were not to be underestimated.
Nan Shiying couldn't help but feel a sense of vigilance, secretly warning herself not to underestimate anyone, lest she capsized in a ditch one day.
Summer was the farming season, creating a conflict between embankment construction and production; autumn brought heavy rainfall, making the "earth weak and difficult to form"; winter had "frozen soil," neither of which was suitable for building embankments. Only in the third month of spring, when the temperature was suitable, could the constructed embankments be sturdy.
Therefore, the current period was not ideal for building embankments. Besides dredging the blocked downstream river channels, Hong Yi also humbly accepted Nan Shiying's suggestion to find a suitable location to dig another channel.
"How about here?"
Hong Yi pointed to a spot on the map and asked Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying pondered for a moment and said, "This path leads to Xielin County. Xielin County, it seems, has no backflow river channels. This river channel should ideally form a backflow with the sea. Lord, do you think this place might be better?"
The two discussed for a long time and decided to go for a physical inspection.
At dawn, the two, each with their retinue, headed east, leaving Yuzhou.
As they passed through a dense forest, their horses suddenly neighed.
"Whoa~"
Hong Yi's attendant suddenly tightened the reins. The horse's hooves kicked up dust and then landed heavily, causing the carriage to sway violently a few times. Hong Yi quickly clutched the carriage window to avoid being tossed about.
Nan Shiying braced herself against the carriage wall, steadying her figure.
Xuan Yi leaped from the carriage, drawing his long sword with a swish and looking around vigilantly.
Fallen leaves swirled, and the scattered leaves suddenly transformed into hidden weapons, flying rapidly towards the carriage.
At the same time, several figures in black leaped down from the treetops, their swords glinting, exuding a murderous aura as they attacked Xuan Yi and the carriage.