Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 265 The human heart is sinister
The Jiangnan area has a dense water network and intricate canals that closely connect the Taihu Lake, Yangcheng Lake and other water systems.

Because Suzhou is located in the downstream area with a small terrain difference, whenever Huanglong passes through, the flood gates in the middle reaches have been opened to release floodwaters, and when the news reaches Suzhou, the flood situation is not too serious.

Therefore, the embankments in Suzhou are not built very high, and they are not built high just to cope with more dangerous flood situations.

The main function of the river is shipping, and if the embankment is too high, it will be inconvenient for ships to operate.

Therefore, although Suzhou has water conservancy projects every year, it is very likely that the prefectural government and the river government will enrich themselves from them.

The evidence of Zhu Zhifu's corruption was even more real in the eyes of the people.

But Yue Ling did not consider the case based on the evidence they provided.

On that day, Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyun each wore a casual dress. Although they were not coarse linen clothes, they were just common clothes of ordinary families. They were slightly inferior to the silk clothes worn by Xiangling.

If the saying goes that clothes make the man and saddles make the horse, then these two men made the washed and bleached clothes look exceptionally beautiful in them.

They are pure and beautiful, just like snowflakes without any dust on them.

After taking off her robe, Miaoyu is indeed not as dignified as before, but she has a more cool and quiet girl next door feeling, which is also very likable.

But the clothes seemed a little short for her. They were Xing Xiuyan's clothes and didn't fit her anymore.

"I've met the Marquis."

The two of them saluted Yue Ling, who raised his hand and said, "No need to be polite. Today we are just here to investigate the condition of the dam."

"If the dike had been repaired this year, then the injustice against Governor Zhu would have been solved. If the dike had not been repaired, then the matter would have been more complicated."

"In short, I don't think it's accidental that the conspirators put the accounts on the river channels and canals. There must be something behind it."

"We should carefully check along the way, maybe we can find something unusual."

Both of them nodded, neither commenting on Yue Ling's arrangement.

Yue Ling added, "There are many people here, and we are a group of one man and three women, so we are a bit conspicuous. You two go in the direction of the city, and Xiangling and I will go outside. We will meet at the Caoyun Guild Hall at the dock outside the city before dark today."

The two of them glanced at Xiangling who was beside Yue Ling, then looked away, said goodbye to Yue Ling and left.

Xiangling looked at the two girls with such beautiful faces, and her heart couldn't help but feel a little sad, so she lowered her head again.

She was sensitive and fragile by nature. Seeing Yue Ling working with such a beautiful woman all day long, how could she not feel jealous?

Yue Ling also noticed her little thoughts, and couldn't help but touch Xiang Ling's head and teased: "What are you thinking? Do you think I'm some big man succubus? I think everyone can love me? There is nothing wrong between me and them. There is no connection at all."

"They are the two nuns we have seen before. The injustice of Governor Zhu is related to them, so they are brought along. They are of course different from you."

Xiangling nodded blankly without saying anything.

Yue Ling frowned and said, "Call me, sir?"

Xiangling looked around and saw many passers-by. She said shyly, "We are outside now. We can go back home later..."

Before he could finish his words, Yue Ling was about to shake Xiang Ling's hand away. Xiang Ling quickly grabbed it and called out sweetly, "Husband, husband."

Yue Ling showed a triumphant smile, held Xiangling's hand and walked forward.

Xiangling hesitated for a while, but couldn't help asking, "Husband, what is this succubus you're talking about?"

Yue Ling was stunned and stopped, "Well, she is a demon who can bewitch people and make them like her as soon as they see her."

Xiangling recalled the sparse rain and strong wind last night, and felt that this description was really appropriate for Yue Ling. She turned around and looked at the two girls with a worried look on her face.

If one counts on one's fingers, there are already six young girls in Yue Ling's room, and if one includes the ones around Xue Baochai, there will be nine. With two more girls with outstanding looks, I wonder what position Xiangling will have.

Yue Ling ignored the troubled little girl and watched the condition of the dam carefully.

It’s not that it’s in disrepair, as the dams and canals near the city are still in good use.

The construction of Suzhou city is not the work of one generation.

The Jiangnan area has been the purse of several dynasties, and its livelihood projects such as water conservancy are much more advanced than those in Cangzhou.

"Old man, this field is really well planted."

After walking for a distance, we arrived at the farm outside the city. There were roads and paths, rice fields everywhere, and many people were working.

Near the canal, an old man was taking a rest while diverting water to the fields. Yue Ling chatted with him.

The old man looked over leisurely and saw that it was a young man who was talking to him. He was also very curious, "This year the weather is good and the harvest is pretty good. There should be a good harvest." Yue Lingyin asked again, "If I buy land this year, how many shi per mu will I get?"

The old man had nothing to do, and he didn't mind chatting with the young man in front of him. "In the years of good harvest in the past, an acre of land yielded more than 50 shi. If you really want to buy some land, you might as well wait until next year."

Yue Ling nodded, "Then if it is a normal year or a disaster year, how much is one acre of land worth?"

The old man shook his head and sighed, "It usually takes about 30 shi per year. If there is a disaster, the land will not be sold at a high price. Let alone a few shi, even if I don't starve to death, I have to sell the land."

"Has the levee been repaired this year? The flood season has arrived, and I'm afraid it will take a few more rains."

Hearing Yue Ling talking about the flood, the old man couldn't help but frown, "Someone came to inspect this year, but they didn't repair it. I don't know what happened. In previous years, they would have repaired it."

Yue Ling then sighed, "In this case, the old man must pay attention to flood prevention."

After saying that, Yue Ling left leisurely, leaving the old man there in deep thought.

Xiang Ling couldn't keep up with Yue Ling's train of thought at all. She looked up in confusion and asked, "Husband, what do you mean?"

Yue Ling sighed several times again, "I never hesitate to assume the worst. From our observations this time, the dikes and canals have indeed not been repaired. Even if Governor Zhu died, the successor should have responded to the flood season and repaired the dikes in a short period of time, but they didn't."

"As to whether this is his fault, it is not. The successor has only been in office for a short time, and perhaps he has not yet managed the official business properly."

"But if this loophole is expanded, it will probably lead to disaster. The conversion of rice to mulberry is difficult to implement, not only because of the obstacle of the prefect, but also because the price of land is a bit too high due to the good weather and good harvest."

"People are conservative. Farmers are not willing to convert rice fields into mulberry fields. Mulberry leaves are not edible. Even if the profit is huge, not many people will take the risk."

"But in order to change from rice to mulberry, someone has to come in and do the conversion. This burden falls on the local wealthy families in Suzhou. Well, maybe your uncle too."

"But they are no different from businessmen in that they pursue profits. The government needs to give them enough support to ensure their profits. Only in this way will people continue to implement the policy of replacing rice with mulberry."

Xiangling was completely confused and didn't understand what she heard.

When Yue Ling saw Xiangling shaking her head, he couldn't help but smile. He was accustomed to treating Xiangling as Lin Daiyu.

If Lin Daiyu were around at this time, perhaps she could add a few words.

"To put it simply, I'm afraid someone will destroy the dikes and flood the fields, deliberately creating man-made disasters to drive down the price of the land and forcefully promote the conversion of rice to mulberry."

Xiangling understood what he said and asked in astonishment, "That's too bold. Destroying the dike is a capital crime."

Yue Ling sighed, "An ancient wise man once said that if there is a 10% profit, capital will be used everywhere; if there is a 20% profit, capital will be active; if there is a 50% profit, capital will take risks; for a 100% profit, capital will dare to trample on all human laws; if there is a 30% profit, capital will dare to commit any crime, even at the risk of being hanged."

"This capital is for those who commit crimes, and it is most appropriate to use it here."

Xiangling had a bitter face. If her uncle did such a heinous thing, wouldn't her mother be implicated as well?
But if it is really as Yue Ling said, then I am afraid that hundreds of thousands of people in Suzhou City will suffer from it.

Xiangling said in distress: "Since my husband has guessed it, should we send people to guard the dam at all times? To prevent someone from causing trouble?"

Yue Ling shook his head helplessly, "How can we count those who are deliberately causing chaos? The embankments in Suzhou stretch for dozens of miles, and it is impossible for human power to guard them all."

"But, but what if the field is really destroyed?"

Yue Ling sighed, "My appointment has not yet arrived in Suzhou. Even if I reveal my identity now and prevent things from happening, they will still kill me at all costs and then arrange a Japanese pirate prisoner to get away. Because according to the decree, I am not in Suzhou."

"They knew I wouldn't have enough time to do anything, so they rushed to make the final decision during the flood season."

The more Xiangling listened, the more anxious she became. She had experienced a lot of hardships, and it was difficult for her to watch others suffer, even when her relatives were doing evil.

"Then, sir, is there nothing we can do?"

Yue Ling shook his head. "Although it is a flood, Suzhou is downstream after all, so the flooding will not be too serious. It will not destroy houses one by one and cause an irreversible situation."

"There are also two major lakes, Taihu Lake and Yangcheng Lake, storing water to divert the flood. The situation will not be too serious."

"For Suzhou's fields, if there is no tillage or rest, the rice yield is actually insufficient. What we need to do now is to deal with the aftermath of the floods."

"We need to plan ahead for this matter and think about it in the long run."

"Let's go back to the Caoyun Yamen first and wait for Miss Miaoyu and Miss Xing to come back to see if they have any other discoveries."

Xiangling lowered her head and followed Yue Ling, completely losing the joy she had when she went out.

All the way to Caoyun Guild Hall, Yue Ling's base camp, someone immediately came to deliver a message.

"My Lord, a letter from an official ship on the canal."

(End of this chapter)