Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

The Fourth Prince anxiously awaited the return of the men he had sent out to search for water, his heart as restless as the earth scorched by the scorching sun. Finally, the sound of hurried horse hooves echoed in the distance. It was the water-seeking team returning! They brought exciting news, a thrilling and heart-stirring message.

Not far from the Xiongnu camp, a sharp-eyed soldier had discovered something unusual. After careful investigation, they determined that there was a hidden underground river. According to those who reported back, the river was plentiful, a gift from heaven that could completely alleviate the immediate crisis.

Upon hearing this news, the Fourth Prince's heart instantly became extremely excited, like a long-drought seedling finally receiving a gentle rain. He immediately ordered Baili Xi to be summoned to his presence, eager to discuss the next steps with this resourceful strategist.

"Master Baili, now that the water source has been found, the remaining problem is to find a way to divert the water to irrigate the dry farmlands in order to completely solve this severe drought. Do you have any good ideas for this?" The Fourth Prince looked at Baili Xi with bright eyes, his tone full of expectation and trust.

Baili Xi's face was calm, without any trace of humility. After hearing this, he clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to the Fourth Prince, and said in a loud voice: "Your Highness, the Fourth Prince, I have a suggestion. I wonder if I should say it?" The Fourth Prince raised his sword eyebrows slightly, looked at Baili Xi with a sharp gaze, and responded without hesitation: "Sir, please speak up! There is no need for so much red tape and beating around the bush between you and me!" After receiving such a positive response from the Fourth Prince, Baili Xi was no longer polite. He looked solemn and began to analyze: "In my humble opinion, "To completely resolve the current difficulties facing the Northwest, we must have sufficient silver and a large amount of money and food. Regarding these two things, I wonder how your Highness has prepared them?" Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince's face was troubled. He sighed helplessly and said, "We do have some money and food prepared, but the eldest and second brothers are in charge. We are still working hard to collect them. However, due to the long distance and difficult transportation, these supplies will probably take about a month at the earliest to reach the Northwest!"

Upon hearing this, Baili Xi couldn't help but frown. After a moment's thought, a hint of helplessness appeared on his face. He slowly said, "Then how long can Qianling Mausoleum last this time? I urgently need an exact time so that I can formulate a detailed and comprehensive plan!"

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince fell into deep thought. His brows furrowed, his gaze heavy, as if he were silently calculating something. After a long pause, he sighed softly and said, "Even with all my might, I can only manage to hold out for about two weeks. After that, the front lines will run out of food and fodder, and we won't have anything left to feed the people."

Upon hearing this, Baili Xi's expression instantly darkened, and he responded bluntly, "If that's the case, then you absolutely must find a way to gather enough food from elsewhere to last another two weeks! Otherwise, this shortfall will cause great unrest. The people are already starving to such an extent, if they continue to be deprived of food, they will likely do something extremely horrific. Perhaps, even though you're in the imperial family, you've never truly understood the extent to which people can go mad under extreme hunger, even resorting to cannibalism, a horrific and uncontrollable situation!"

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince frowned, knowing full well that the situation was quite serious. However, he quickly set this worry aside and instead asked anxiously, "So, how do we solve this water problem?"

Baili Xi, standing nearby, saw this and understood the Fourth Prince's anxiety. He stopped beating around the bush and responded directly, "Your Highness, you must give these refugees something to do! Only in this way can you prevent them from harboring distracting thoughts. In my opinion, you might as well recruit them to dig the canals. This way, they will not only have a place to stay and a stable source of livelihood, but will also prevent them from wandering around and causing unrest. But it is important to ensure that they can fill their stomachs."

Since it's impossible to grow food right now, we can assign a large number of young and strong men among the refugees to dig ditches, while the women and children will be responsible for logistics. As for those who are truly elderly, frail, and unable to move, we can also assign them tasks within their capabilities. After all, as long as people have work to do and something to look forward to, they will not have any other extravagant desires. Ultimately, they simply desire a stable life and a full stomach. If this small wish of theirs can be met, they will surely have no desire to participate in the unrest.

The Fourth Prince listened intently to Baili Xi's in-depth analysis of various policies, nodding frequently, inwardly admiring his precise insights and clear thinking. However, after a brief moment of elation, the Fourth Prince's brows gradually furrowed as a series of practical challenges loomed before him: Who should be sent to collect the crucial food and fodder? Who would oversee the massive project of digging the canal? The thorny matter of recruiting Liu Min was a particular headache. With so many tasks to deal with, how could he implement them in an orderly manner?

Facing the Fourth Prince's expectant and pleading gaze, Baili Xi revealed a hint of helplessness. He gently shook his head and said slowly, "Your Highness, I am only a counselor. I have done my best to offer you advice. Now that I hold no official position and have no authority to mobilize manpower or material resources, I am truly unable to help you!"

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince was not angry or annoyed. Instead, he smiled generously and responded generously: "Sir, don't worry about this. You naturally don't need to do these specific execution matters yourself. After I return to the palace, I will hand this matter over to Chen Dujun and his subordinates. I believe that with their abilities and experience, they will be able to complete the two tasks of digging ditches and recruiting Liu Min properly. As for the matter of raising food and grass, it seems that this prince will have to go out in person and run around." After speaking, the Fourth Prince's eyes revealed determination and courage, as if he was ready to meet the challenge.

After an in-depth discussion, the Fourth Prince and Baili Xi finally agreed on a brilliant strategy. Afterward, the Fourth Prince carefully instructed his men to escort Master Baili to his guest room so he could rest peacefully and drift into a sweet dream.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince wasted no time in summoning his trusted and close courtiers to discuss important matters. Upon receiving the order, these ministers rushed to the scene, gathering in the spacious, brightly lit hall. They looked at each other, their hearts filled with confusion and curiosity. Some couldn't help but murmur, "Why is the Fourth Prince summoning us so hastily at this dead of night?" Another echoed, "Yes, I have no idea either!"

"Alas, the Fourth Prince truly understands nothing of the sufferings of the world. We're so busy and exhausted in this remote land. But he's so good! At a single command, we all drop everything and rush over immediately." However, just then, someone else whispered, "Silence! Walls have ears. You're nagging the Fourth Prince like this. What if someone else hears and accuses you of disrespect? What will you do then?" Upon hearing this, the man who had been complaining so fluently turned pale with fear and quickly clamped his mouth shut, daring not to utter a single sound. For a moment, the hall was filled with the only sound of whispers, like the buzzing of a swarm of industrious bees happily gathering nectar from the flowers.

Amidst this clamor, a resounding cry suddenly rang out: "The Fourth Prince has arrived—" In an instant, the once bustling hall fell silent, so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard. Only after the Fourth Prince steadily entered the hall and calmly took his place on the throne did everyone, as if awakened from a dream, kneel down in obeisance, and shout in unison: "Greetings to His Highness the Fourth Prince!"

The Fourth Prince sat upright on his high throne, his gaze sweeping across the row of kneeling ministers below. His handsome brows arched slightly, a subtle glint of contempt flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "These good-for-nothings, all day long, doing nothing but flattery and scheming, yet when the real action hits, they all become cowards!" However, this was not the time to vent his anger. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the raging fire within him. With a sullen expression, he spoke, "What is the purpose of summoning all of you ministers here today?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers below began to whisper among themselves, looking at each other with a bewildered expression on their faces. Seeing this, the Fourth Prince frowned even more and spoke with a slightly heavier tone: "The people I sent out to explore for water have returned and have successfully discovered an underground river with abundant water. Simply by diverting this water into the various counties and canals, we can completely solve this long-lasting drought problem."

To this end, this prince has already dispatched a special envoy to the capital at full speed, inviting a hydraulic designer with extensive experience in flood control. He has also dispatched a well-trained scientific expedition team to collaborate with him. Now, it is up to all the ministers present to work together to help this prince accomplish this great feat, which will benefit the present and future generations! If anyone dares to shirk their responsibilities or slack off, don't blame this prince for being ruthless! "With this, the Fourth Prince's eyes, like sharp swords, pierced every person present.