On the seventeenth, the results of the palace examination were announced. On the twenty-first, Emperor Yongchang would host the Banquet of Auspicious Tidings to entertain the new successful candidates. Then, on the twenty-second, the Ministry of Personnel would begin the selection process to assign official posts to the second and third-tier graduates.
Entrusted by Prince Hui, Yan Lun knew it would be best to recommend Di Xian to Emperor Yongchang before the banquet. If Emperor Yongchang also found Di Xian suitable, the Emperor could personally inquire about Di Xian's canal-building methods during the banquet, thereby building momentum for Di Xian to take charge of the Fengyan Canal project.
The Ministry of Works was swamped with affairs. Prince Hui had only approached him on the morning of the eighteenth. During the day, Yan Lun had no time to meet Di Xian, so upon returning to his residence at dusk, he sent a servant to the inn where Di Xian was staying, insisting on bringing Di Xian over that very night.
Di Xian was just about to head out to a social gathering with his fellow graduates. Hearing that it was the Minister of Works, he guessed that Prince Hui had opened a door for him. He asked He Wenbin to apologize to his peers on his behalf and immediately left with the servant.
While other second and third-tier graduates were busy currying favor with Ministry of Personnel officials in hopes of remaining in the capital, Di Xian's family was financially strapped; he had no silver to pave such a path. Even if he did, he would have begged the Ministry of Personnel to send him to Qingxia County or a neighboring county to serve as a magistrate. Now that Prince Hui had dropped this golden opportunity right into his lap, even if the Minister of Personnel himself invited him to dinner tonight with the promise of a capital post better than the top scholar's, Di Xian would still choose to visit Yan Lun's residence without hesitation.
The setting sun burned like fire. Di Xian looked at his long shadow on the ground, reminiscing about his father as he walked.
After his father passed away, Di Xian had followed his dying wish and traveled far to Qingxia County, burying a lock of his father's white hair beside the head of the new canal his father had personally selected. His father had said that if the souls of those who died with regrets truly lingered in this world, his soul would be drawn by this lock of white hair. His father would stand guard on the banks of the Yellow River until the new canal was completed.
That year, Di Xian had walked along the route of the new canal chosen by his father over and over again. He had also personally surveyed the dozens of nearly abandoned and blocked old channels of the Fengyan Canal. The winding, dilapidated channels seemed to morph into the deep wrinkles on his old father's face, forever etched into his mind.
If his wish came true and he went to Qingxia County, Di Xian would walk those paths a few more times. Once both the new and old canals were fully restored, he would dig up his father's white hair, carry it with him, and walk the route one last time, joyfully sending his father off on his final journey.
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Yan Lun was much more talkative than Prince Hui and appeared quite amiable. Upon seeing Di Xian, he first asked about his family situation, learning that Di Xian was twenty-eight this year, already married with children, and had an older brother who had given up the imperial examinations to wholeheartedly become a teacher, as well as a second brother who didn't even want to take the exams and focused solely on farming. His elderly mother and father had passed away one after the other.
After gauging Di Xian's understanding of various canal construction projects, Yan Lun brought up three past construction disputes and asked Di Xian how to resolve them. These included dilemmas where funding failed to keep up with the project, leading to work stoppages; situations where conscripted laborers died on duty and their families came demanding exorbitant compensation; and geological challenges frequently encountered during canal construction.
For a project involving tens of thousands of laborers, a six-month timeline, and hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, if Di Xian only understood how to build canals but was ignorant of worldly affairs, he could only serve as a deputy.
The fact that Di Xian was chosen by his father, Di Yong, from among three sons to inherit his legacy meant he had already passed an initial assessment by his old father. Prince Hui's screening was the second. This test with Minister Yan, he thought, must be the final one.
Di Xian thought deeply and answered each question thoroughly. Even when Yan Lun pointed out areas where his proposed handling was less than ideal, Di Xian humbly accepted the feedback without showing any panic or anxiety over potential gains and losses.
Yan Lun nodded and reminded him, Whether it is your meeting with me or with Prince Hui, keep it to yourself. Do not speak of it to outsiders.
Di Xian understood.
The next morning, Yan Lun estimated that Emperor Yongchang had finished meeting with the officials scheduled for the morning, and only then did he head to the imperial study to request an audience.
Hearing it was Yan Lun, Emperor Yongchang felt a slight headache coming on. Construction projects across the empire needed to be done, but they consumed vast amounts of silver and labor, and every step required meticulous deliberation.
Tiring as it was, an emperor could not delay important matters just because he wanted to slack off. He still had Eunuch Wang bring Yan Lun in.
After paying his respects, Yan Lun looked up and flashed Emperor Yongchang a wide smile. Your Majesty, I have great news to report.
Emperor Yongchang stared at him for a moment and snorted, It must be another construction project that will bring great benefits to the court and the people. Tell me first, roughly how much silver will it cost? Construction projects were slow to show returns, yet the silver had to flow out like water first.
Yan Lun smiled, Your Majesty is wise, a perfect guess. However, this time it only requires this much. The construction will take half a year, and if we make it in time, we can collect this amount in land taxes next year.
He first held up five fingers on his left hand, then four on his right.
Forty or fifty thousand taels of silver was not worth bringing before the Emperor. Emperor Yongchang asked in surprise, A project costing five hundred thousand taels of silver can yield four hundred thousand taels in land taxes next year?
Yan Lun replied, Exactly.
He took out the map of the Fengyan Canal. Once this canal is repaired, it can turn forty thousand qing of barren land in this region into fertile fields. Forty thousand qing is four million mu. The summer and autumn grain taxes combined amount to two dou per mu. The tax for four million mu of fertile land would be eight hundred thousand shi. Based on the current market price of one tael of silver for two shi of rice, that is exactly four hundred thousand taels. Furthermore, it will resolve the poverty of the local people, saving the court from having to issue additional grain and funds for relief.
Emperor Yongchang frowned. Has this matter been brought up before?
Yan Lun said, Yes, in the fourth month six years ago. But at that time, battles were frequent in the north, and the border army had no certainty of holding that region. The ministers unanimously opposed investing silver to build the canal. Now that the Wu State has been defeated and submitted as a vassal, and the borders are secure, it is the perfect opportunity for the court to repair the canal and turn waste into wealth.
Before Emperor Taizu of the Great Qi Dynasty unified the realm, the central plains had endured over four hundred years of fragmentation among various states. Because of the frequent wars, the ruling family could be the Li family this year and the Wang family the next. The courts were solely focused on self-preservation and had no spare energy to repair the ancient canals for the people, which gradually fell into ruin as the Yellow River shifted.
The Great Qi Dynasty had been established for over a hundred years now, but in all this time, only by sheer coincidence did a man named Di Yong emerge with the thought of repairing canals to improve local livelihoods. Other magistrates might have thought of it too, but not knowing how to build a new canal, they simply gave up on the idea. More often than not, they lacked both the talent for canal building and a heart for the people.
Emperor Yongchang carefully examined the map, somewhat moved. He casually asked Yan Lun how he had suddenly thought of this.
Yan Lun borrowed Prince Hui's rhetoric, claiming he had heard of a new third-tier graduate named Di Xian whose father was named Di Yong. Upon calling him in to ask, it turned out he was indeed the son of the very Di Yong who had proposed the canal-building method.
Emperor Yongchang asked, Did this Di Xian intentionally show off his father's canal-building methods? Otherwise, how would his father's name have spread?
Unless a father was extremely renowned, it was unheard of for new graduates to have the habit of introducing themselves by declaring their father's identity to everyone they met.
A proposal that the court had previously rejected was now being flaunted everywhere by Di Xian. Was he subtly mocking the court for being incompetent and deliberately ignoring a good policy that could enrich the people?
Yan Lun chuckled inwardly. It was a lousy excuse Prince Hui had come up with himself, so he could not be blamed for lazily copying it.
Well, I have met Di Xian. The young man is rigorous and steady; he is absolutely not someone who fishes for unearned fame.
Emperor Yongchang: "How did the name of the father of a mere third-class graduate reach the ears of the dignified Minister of Works?"
Yan Lun looked hesitant, his eyes darting around.
Emperor Yongchang motioned for Eunuch Wang to leave.
As soon as Eunuch Wang left, Yan Lun dropped to his knees, lowered his head, and said, "Your Majesty sees clearly. I did not intentionally deceive you. It is truly... it is because Prince Hui intentionally recommended Di Xian to repair the canal but did not want to claim the credit, insisting that I take the credit for this recommendation."
Emperor Yongchang was taken aback: "Prince Hui?"
Yan Lun then clearly recounted how Prince Hui had suddenly summoned him yesterday.
Emperor Yongchang temporarily suppressed his pride in his second son's ability to recognize talent and his heartache over his second son giving up the credit, and continued to ask, "How did Prince Hui know Di Xian?"
Yan Lun: "I do not know. That is just what Prince Hui told me, and I did not dare to ask more. But I speculate that Prince Hui has been exceptionally knowledgeable and possessed a strong memory since childhood. When the Fengyan Canal was discussed in court years ago, Prince Hui was also present. He might have heard Di Xian's name somewhere, and because the surname Di is rare, he remembered Di Yong. Oh, right, a few days ago, Prince Hui went alone to the storehouse where rejected proposals are kept; he must have gone to look for Di Yong's memorial."
Hearing this, Emperor Yongchang also remembered. This year, his second son had not paid much attention to the spring examinations. However, after the palace examination, when the emperor and his ministers were discussing the candidates for the top three scholars, his second son had seemingly casually flipped through some exam papers. He must have been looking for Di Xian's essay at that time.
But his second son usually stayed cooped up in his office when he came to the Ministry of Works, and went straight back to his manor when he left. He never chatted with the eldest or the third son or other officials if he met them halfway. How did he hear about Di Xian?
Suddenly, Emperor Yongchang thought of Empress Zhou's casual family talk. She had mentioned that the second son's wife was planning to choose a cousin-in-law from among the new graduates and had gathered a lot of information about various talented scholars, which saved her a lot of trouble in choosing a prince consort.
Thinking again of the second son's wife's mouth, which was like a lark's and could pour out a long string of words once opened, Emperor Yongchang immediately understood.
The speaker had no special intent, but the listener took it to heart. His second son indeed had a good memory!
Moreover, his second son not only had a good memory, but he also genuinely wanted to do practical things for the imperial court and the common people. He did them without wanting credit, not wanting to steal the limelight from his eldest brother and third brother.
Emperor Yongchang looked again at the canal map on the desk.
Of course it had to be repaired. Once repaired, it would not only allow the local people to fill their stomachs and increase the court's land tax, but also, if there were further wars in the northwest in the future, having such an additional granary meant the court could transport less military grain from other places. It was highly profitable. His second son was well-versed in military strategy and must have seen through this layer before deciding to push this matter.
After a long silence, Emperor Yongchang said to Yan Lun, "Since Prince Hui asked you to step forward, let's just say you recommended him."
Yan Lun: "I obey the decree."
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On the twenty-first of March, the Emperor held the Banquet of Felicitous News, and the three princes also attended the banquet with the Emperor.
Emperor Yongchang temporarily set a topic, asking the graduates to compose a poem on the theme of "Spring." When reviewing their poems, Emperor Yongchang praised a few. As he flipped through, he took out Di Xian's poem. It was mediocre, but Emperor Yongchang still called Di Xian forward, building momentum for Di Xian step by step just as Yan Lun had envisioned.
When Di Xian wielded his brush to draw a clear and distinct map of the new and old channels of the Fengyan Canal in front of all the officials and over three hundred fellow graduates, the spring breeze fluttered his green fine cloth robe. The young scholar was full of lofty aspirations and high spirits. The brilliance of the top three scholars of the first class was overshadowed by him, and even the two prime ministers and the three princes yielded their radiance at this moment.
Emperor Yongchang changed his previous appreciative expression, frowned deeply, and asked Prince Kang, "What do you think?"
Prince Kang looked around and saw that the officials and graduates who had just been nodding in agreement now showed solemn expressions. Prince Kang pondered for a moment and said to the canal map, "The original intention of repairing the canal is very good, but the labor and material resources required to renovate over two hundred miles of the canal are immense. For the sake of prudence, it is better to ask the ministers to discuss it together."
Emperor Yongchang nodded and looked at Prince Qing.
Prince Qing: "I believe this canal should be repaired. However, the head of the old canal is only eight miles from the banks of the Yellow River. I think we can send capable officials well-versed in river channel construction to survey first and see if it is feasible to directly dig an eight-mile new canal to connect with the old one. Di Yong and his son have limited experience after all. What they see as a difficult problem might not be a problem for capable officials."
Emperor Yongchang still nodded, his gaze sweeping over Prince Hui sitting in his wheelchair, and asked Yan Lun, "Minister Yan, you are a capable official in river control. Tell us."
Yan Lun said respectfully, "Six years ago, the Ministry of Works sent people to verify it. The head of the old canal indeed cannot be directly connected to the banks of the Yellow River anymore. Digging rashly will definitely cause the disaster of a breached dike. The sandbar area chosen by Di Yong is the closest choice for a canal head to the old canal."
Emperor Yongchang: "In that case, leave the matter of repairing the canal to Di Xian. You will pick two capable people from the Ministry of Works to assist him."
Yan Lun received the decree, and Di Xian knelt and kowtowed in gratitude.
Emperor Yongchang waved his hand and continued the banquet.
Prince Kang and Prince Qing looked at each other. Prince Kang believed he had not answered incorrectly, and Prince Qing felt his consideration was also comprehensive. It was their royal father instead; just by listening to Di Xian's impassioned speech, he handed over a construction project worth hundreds of thousands of taels to a poor scholar who had probably never even handled three hundred taels of silver. Wasn't this inappropriate?
