The grass in the factory should be plucked

The female officials were dressed in official uniforms, looking graceful and high-spirited. Their heroic demeanor was completely different from that of the girls in the boudoir, which made many young officials look at them with admiration.

There were also some old ministers who kept shaking their heads, secretly sighing that the world was going downhill and people’s hearts were no longer the same as they used to be!

Since ancient times, men have been responsible for external affairs and women for internal affairs.

Now that women have come out to serve as officials, we can't let a man stay at home to do housework and raise children, right?

It's really like a hen crowing at dawn, reversing yin and yang!

Prime Minister Liang cast his gaze towards Prince Jing'an, who was radiant in his ceremonial attire, and snorted, thinking that it was all because of this woman's good example!

Jiang Li noticed Prime Minister Liang's displeased look, raised his glass to him and gave him a slightly provocative smile.

Prime Minister Liang felt depressed and his brows were furrowed so tightly that they seemed to pinch a mosquito to death.

Xie Changan took the wine glass from Jiang Li's hand and whispered, "Don't be naughty."

Jiang Li refused to give in and pouted: "He provoked me first!"

"Master Prime Minister is older than my adoptive father, so you should just respect him as an elder."

Jiang Li laughed: "Okay."

Prime Minister Liang was sitting not far from them. He could vaguely hear the two people whispering, which made him feel even more upset.

This evil woman's promotion speed is astonishingly fast, and now she is already a princess.

Above him is the Regent, truly second only to the emperor and above everyone else!

I should have taken action earlier and brought her down, but now it's out of reach!

Alas, it’s too late to regret!

When the banquet started, Nangong Qinghe raised his glass first: "I am holding a banquet today to reward the army that conquered the south and to celebrate the expansion of the territory of Great Chu."

"The soldiers of the Southern Expedition Army left their homes, slept in the open air, and went deep into the dangerous areas of Southern Xinjiang. After hundreds of battles, they finally conquered Southern Xinjiang and expanded the territory for our dynasty. Their contributions are unparalleled!"

"This campaign has enhanced the prestige of our country and protected the peace of our people. I hope that you will continue to be loyal to the country and ensure the eternal stability of our country. I will share a peaceful and prosperous era with you!"

Civil and military officials raised their glasses one after another: "May the mountains and rivers of the Great Chu be forever stable, may the people live and work in peace and contentment, and may the emperor live forever!"

This time, the banquet was not just a variety of dry goods, but also had many local specialties.

Among them, the special dishes such as Shu Di Ya Yu, Erhai Hot and Sour Fish, and Wild Mushroom Chicken have received unanimous praise from everyone from the emperor to the ministers.

Longmen Dim Sum’s “Hundred Flowers Crystal Basil” also appeared at the palace banquet, and was praised by everyone.

This treasure of the store is too expensive, and low-level officials cannot afford it on a normal day. Now they can finally taste it, and it is indeed delicious!

As the palace banquet was coming to an end, Nangong Qinghe summoned several of his confidants to the imperial study to discuss matters.

When Prime Minister Liang saw these people disappear, he sighed secretly. He was getting old, and the power in his hands was gradually being stripped away. He was really unwilling to accept that feeling of powerlessness!

In the imperial study, the topic this time was the "Water Diversion from South to North" project proposed by Xie Changan and Jiang Li.

“Divert water from the south to the north?”

Feng Wuhu was greatly surprised. The south is low and the north is high, and water flows to the lower places. How could it flow upstream?

Jiang Li turned to Mo Qilang: "Brother Mo Qi, can you do this?"

Mo Qilang smiled and said, "Of course it is possible in theory. Just use a waterwheel to lift the water to a higher place and then let it flow to a lower place."

“But we still need to conduct on-site inspections to determine whether it can actually be operated.”

Nangong Qinghe was overjoyed: "Great! As long as there is a general plan."

If we can divert water from the south to the north, we can completely solve the drought problem in the north!

Cui Jue frowned and thought for a while: "There is still one question, how to prevent local interception of flow?"

The journey of diverting water from the south to the north is very long. If someone blocks the flow along the way, the water will not be able to pass.

Everyone pondered, this was indeed a big problem. They couldn't just send someone to guard the route for twelve hours, right?

"How about using sealed pipes or underground culverts?" Mo Qillang suggested.

"That's great!" Everyone agreed unanimously.

Everyone discussed the map in detail for a while, and finally decided on a preliminary plan:

The water is drawn from the Yangtze River in Yangzhou and transported northward step by step via the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and then sent to Hongze Lake, Luoma Lake, the South Four Lakes, and Dongping Lake for storage.

After leaving Dongping Lake, the water goes all the way north and is transported to Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi and other places using sealed pipes or underground canals.

The "southern water" that was brought in was strictly managed by local governments, and people were not allowed to use it privately. In years of drought, the government would distribute it to the people.

Nangong Qinghe was in a good mood and full of energy: "Once this project is completed, our Great Chu will not have to worry about drought or famine for the next hundred years!"

Everyone was excited. When the team that went to Southeast Asia returned with the red potatoes, there would be no more famine in Da Chu. What a prosperous world it would be in the future!

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Brother Mo Qi, you have a long way to go. It's up to you!"

Cui Jue also smiled and said: "After this project is completed, the Mohist disciples will be remembered for eternity!"

Mo Qillang smiled bitterly. This project was so huge that the on-site investigation alone would take more than half a year, and the entire project would take at least two to three years to complete. He couldn't even think about going home for several years!

Wouldn't this delay him and his wife from having children?

Jiang Li chuckled and said, "You can take your sister-in-law with you. She's not a boudoir girl who never leaves the house. She can endure more hardships than you."

That’s right. The disciples of Ghost Doctor Valley go deep into the mountains and forests to collect herbs all year round. It is common for them to sleep in the open air. Shangguan Ling'er is naturally not a weak woman.

Mo Qillang thought so too. Didn’t Sister Sixteen also find time to give birth to a baby while marching and fighting? She didn’t delay anything!

If you want to marry a wife, you have to marry a capable girl like his wife, Sixteenth Sister!

He couldn't help but glance at Cui Jue. This man's wife was a delicate and weak lady from an aristocratic family. No wonder Lord Cui was always alone wherever he went!

Cui Jue felt upset. How could talking about water conservancy works turn into comparing wives? This is crooked, no personal attacks!

Xie Changan also looked at his beloved wife with an expression of pride.

Nangong Qinghe held back his laughter and patted Mo Qilang on the shoulder: "My dear Mo, thank you for your hard work. With such a contribution, the position of Minister of Works must belong to you!"

What he meant was that when the South-to-North Water Diversion Project was completed, he would be promoted to the Minister of Works.

Mo Qilang was overjoyed and said, "I will definitely live up to your expectations!"

Nangong Qinghe turned to Xie Changan again and said, "I'm afraid Xie Qing will have to lead his troops to the northern border."

Xie Changan said solemnly: "But is there any movement in Mongolia again?"

Nangong Qinghe nodded: "Yes. The north is dry, and Mongolia is naturally the same, not to mention..."

He glanced at Jiang Li and said with a smile, "Thanks to our Prince Jing'an, the famine in Mongolia came especially early this year."

In previous years, the Mongols and the Jurchens would only come to Da Chu to plunder when winter was approaching. This year, Jiang Li made a plan and let the Longmen Trading Company dump precious inedible goods such as silk and porcelain to the Mongols and the Jurchens at low prices in exchange for their cattle, sheep and dairy products.

By the time the Mongol Khan and the Jurchen King finally came to their senses, food was already scarce in their country and famine had already begun.