Jinting Han people

Chapter 377 Opening the Canal in Xingyang

In August of the first year of Yongning, after Liu Xian and Sima Jiong had an in-depth discussion about the rebellion of the King of Donglai, Liu Xian left Luoyang under the pretext of digging the Bianying Canal and went to Xingyang County to recruit laborers.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the autumn harvest is gradually coming to an end. Migratory birds frequently appear in the sky, heading south, and a gentle breeze carries a hint of melancholy. The trees along the roads and paths are ablaze with golden hues, and fallen leaves carpet the ground in layers. Knights ride slowly through this carpet, their creaking and chirping sounds reminiscent of the noisy cicadas of summer. Now, with the sounds of insects and birds scarce, a sense of longing arises.

After Liu Xian and his staff arrived in Xingyang, they were greeted by Luo Sui, the prefect of Xingyang, and other officials. They were then warmly received within the county. Xingyang's pomegranates were plump, juicy, and delicious, and its persimmons were white, seedless, soft, and easy to store—all very famous local specialties, which everyone greatly appreciated. However, Liu Xian had no time to enjoy these things; time was precious. He only stayed briefly before beginning to work on the important Grand Canal project.

Liu Xian, along with Lu Yun, Xi Jian, and others, had been studying the canal project for a month, and the plan was now quite complete. The 900,000 bushels of grain needed for the canal's construction were being transported to Ao Granary in Xingyang.

This was an enormous undertaking, requiring the conscription of 30,000 laborers and a year to excavate a 150-mile-long canal. Starting from scratch would have been impossible. Fortunately, Henan has historically been a crucial area for flood control throughout history. From Yu the Great's flood control efforts to the Spring and Autumn Period, and even the Warring States and Qin-Han Dynasties, the land of Henan is dotted with various flood control legacies from our ancestors. Liu Xian could utilize and integrate these, which would significantly reduce the time required for construction.

For example, when the State of Wei was developing the Central Plains, it built the Honggou and Yinggou canals in Xingyang, connecting the Yellow River and the Ying River, making them the most important water transport hubs in the Central Plains at that time. During the Chu-Han Contention, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu signed a peace treaty with the Honggou canal as the boundary, which sufficiently illustrates the importance of the canals. More than twenty years earlier, Fu Zhi had also painstakingly built the Shenlai Weir at the confluence of the Ji River and the Bian River in Xingyang County to control the flow of river water into tributaries, greatly reducing flooding in Henan.

With the legacy of his predecessors, Liu Xian was able to accomplish things much more efficiently. The first section of the canal he was building was to connect the Bian River and the Wei River, starting from the Shenlai Weir and utilizing the abandoned sections of the Honggou Reservoir.

However, plans aside, when Liu Xian personally inspected the Honggou ruins, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. The clash of swords and the thunder of horses that once traversed the Honggou were long gone. The first canal in the Central Plains during the Warring States, Qin, and Han dynasties was now mostly covered by weeds, with some parts converted into farmland. If it weren't for the inscriptions and wharves left from the Han dynasty, Liu Xian would have found it hard to imagine that the grassy slope before him, with its faintly discernible undulating outline, was the famous Honggou mentioned in historical records.

He couldn't help but remark to his staff, "There's a folk legend that says the East Sea has turned into mulberry fields three times. I used to think it was just a joke, but now it seems to be true."

"Fate is unpredictable, but even so, human strength should not be underestimated! Our ancestors, once unarmed, were able to carve out a river connecting the north and south in the wilderness, and we can certainly do the same. I hope you will all strive for it!"

On that day, Liu Xian built a hut at Shenlai Weir and officially recruited laborers to build the canal.

The biggest challenge in digging the canal was managing the laborers. It was extremely strenuous work, not as dangerous as mining, but the laborers were inevitably exhausted both physically and mentally after a long day. Adding to this, they were sometimes exploited by officials for food, yet they couldn't slack off on their work, which naturally fueled their resentment.

Therefore, when the imperial court constructed such projects, it typically forced the people to work through corvée labor, while also deploying considerable military force to supervise and prevent the laborers from escaping. Alternatively, if laborers did escape, new laborers would be immediately conscripted locally to fill the ranks. However, this resulted in the people becoming even more resentful of the government, refusing to perform corvée labor, and trying every means to escape the canal, which could even lead to unrest.

However, Liu Xian's approach was quite different. He had discussed this matter with Lu Yun, Xi Jian, and others many times, and did not intend to solve the problem by forcibly conscripting laborers. Instead, he posted notices in Henan and Xingyang prefectures, recruiting laborers through recruitment.

This was Lu Yun's suggestion, and he wrote down the specific recruitment details on the notice:

The recruited laborers were paid their wages and rations daily. The settlement method was very simple and clear: for every bag of soil dug from the river, the laborer was given a specially made bamboo slip from the government. The settlement was conducted every evening, and the rations and rations were distributed according to the number of bamboo slips each person had.

After the notice was posted, officials and common people in both prefectures discussed it extensively, as this method of recruitment was very novel and had never been seen before. Then, one after another, people signed up.

Although digging and repairing irrigation ditches is hard work, it's almost Mid-Autumn Festival, and the autumn harvest is nearing its end. The next period will be the off-season, and there's not much to be done in the fields anyway, so it's better to earn some extra money. If this Lord Liu is lying, the pay is settled daily, so even if I suffer a loss, it's only for one day; I can just leave when the time comes.

When the laborers discovered that the daily payment of wages was indeed true, refugees from the surrounding area flocked to the area. In about seven days, Liu Xian had recruited 30,000 people, and the Bianying Canal was able to start construction smoothly.

At this time, people discovered another advantage of daily pay.

In truth, Liu Xian's treatment of laborers wasn't particularly high. As mentioned earlier, when calculating costs, he planned to provide laborers with only slightly more than one hu (a unit of dry measure) of grain per month. One hu is ten dou (another unit of dry measure) of rice; an adult male could barely manage to save two or three dou after a month's supply. If corrupt officials were involved, they would likely have to pay out of their own pockets.

Because the method of distributing wages was simple and clear, the related accounts were also very transparent and closely linked to the work progress, making it difficult for local officials to manipulate them. The only way to embezzle was to try to shortchange the laborers when distributing grain, but this was easily detected by the laborers. Once they realized they had been cheated, they wouldn't come back the next day. At this point, the corrupt officials couldn't complete their tasks on time and naturally had nowhere to hide.

As the Commandant of the Capital Region, Liu Xian was naturally hesitant to act against officials in the Luoyang court who displeased him. But now, with the canal being dug, the officials in charge were all minor local bureaucrats; if they were corrupt, how could he possibly be lenient?

Almost every day, Liu Xian would deal with two or three corrupt officials. By early September, he had punished more than forty people, imprisoning them all in the Sili Imperial Prison to await his judgment. The atmosphere in Xingyang's officialdom was thus rectified, and corruption was greatly reduced.

From then on, the canal construction project was on track.

The principle is actually quite simple. The laborers don't ask for much; as long as they receive their promised daily rations, they are content. They may be exhausted, but at least they won't run away. In this way, the Sili Prefecture saves on the expenses of deploying troops to supervise the laborers. Correspondingly, by simply assigning a few more officials to be in charge of the calculations and to safeguard the granaries, this system can be kept running smoothly.

What was originally an extremely laborious and costly undertaking was accomplished by Liu Xian with almost no complaints. On the contrary, by the end of September, a local folk song even circulated praising Liu Xian: "First there was Fu's mother, now there is Liu's father."

This places Liu Xian alongside Fu Zhi, who built the Shenlai Weir, and can also be interpreted as implying that, in the eyes of the common people, Liu Xian held a higher status than Fu Zhi.

However, this wasn't entirely due to Lu Yun's good idea. It was also because Liu Xian's usual conduct greatly impressed the local people and laborers.

Thanks to Li Mi's earnest guidance after the mourning period ended, Liu Xian, despite being a duke, was down-to-earth and extremely hardworking. When the canal was being dug, he not only planned the route and rectified official conduct, but sometimes he would also personally go among the laborers and work alongside them.

At first, the laborers were quite uncomfortable, thinking Liu Xian was just putting on a show. But as time went on, they were surprised to find that this Commandant of the Capital Region, not only could he work himself to the bone covered in mud, but he could also chat with the refugees about topics such as the seasons, seed selection, and pest control. He was clearly an expert, not someone who could put on a show, which made them feel much closer to him. In addition, Liu Xian showed no leniency towards corrupt officials and shared meals with his subordinates. After spending some time with him, the people no longer saw Liu Xian as just an ordinary good official, but as a true benevolent and caring official.

During this time, Liu Xian distanced himself from the intrigues and power struggles of Luoyang, finding genuine ease among the simple, honest people. To be honest, Liu Xian did feel a sense of relief after eliminating Sun Xiu, but this relief soon vanished. The oppressive and complex political situation in the capital region, and the unpredictable circumstances in Sichuan, constantly unsettled him.

Liu Xian worked alongside the people because he wanted to recall his teacher's teachings and draw strength from them, just like when he was young and practicing swordsmanship.

Before their parting at the age of fourteen, his teacher advised him to learn patience and to wait, to judge the right time for himself. Now, Liu Xian has been waiting for more than ten years, but has not yet found a suitable opportunity.

Although Liu Xian always appeared calm, he was still human after all. He would constantly examine himself and ask himself, "When is the right opportunity? Is my judgment really correct?" Therefore, he would sometimes feel some doubts.

But now, standing among the refugees, watching penniless farmers, panting and exhausted after a long day's work, finally laughing over a small bag of rice and flour, he felt a vibrant life force emanating from their eyes and flowing into him. Liu Xian thought, even the smallest speck of dust believes in tomorrow. How could that long-awaited fruit not come to him? His doubts vanished.

The people only knew that the Commandant of the Capital Region loved the people like his own children and cared for them, but the more realistic situation was that Liu Xian was now increasingly convinced that he was not walking a very difficult path, but rather the path that was meant to be.

The canal was dug faster than Liu Xian had anticipated, and unlike his efforts to stabilize prices, this achievement was tangible and would be remembered for many years. Most importantly, he gained the approval of the laborers, a truly invaluable asset.

By mid-October, the first section of the canal, thirty li long, had been successfully excavated. At this time, Liu Xian received a letter from his wife, A'luo, containing news from Luoyang three days prior. The letter stated that Li Han and Zhang Fang had finally led the Western Expeditionary Army out of Luoyang and returned to Chang'an. Meanwhile, Sima Jiong also dismissed Wang Yan from his post as Governor of Henan without cause, causing quite a stir in the capital.

These two events seem unrelated on the surface, but Liu Xian could see that, in essence, it was a break between the King of Qi and the King of Hejian.

This was directly related to Liu Xian. Before leaving Luoyang, he shared his opinions on the political situation with Sima Jiong, especially his view on Wang Yan's secret collusion with the Prince of Hejian. However, regarding how to proceed, Liu Xian suggested first secretly investigating the evidence. After all, relying on mere rumors was insufficient to launch a direct political offensive.

But the result was that Li Han and Wang Yan did it flawlessly. After two or three months, although nothing seemed to happen on the surface in Luoyang, Liu Xian knew the inside story. The Prince of Qi tried every possible method in secret, but still could not find any clues to convict them.

But this overly clean execution only suggested something was amiss. Now, Sima Jiong's patience had run out, and he simply dismissed Wang Yan without charge. Li Han's departure with his followers at this time was clearly a political break as well.

He discussed the matter with Li Sheng and said, "It seems that the King of Qi will have to deal with the rats in Luoyang properly."

Li Sheng judged, "I'm afraid it will be difficult to succeed."

That's how politics is. Opponents are like weeds in a field; they grow back no matter how many you pull them out, and you can never get rid of them completely. When those in power lose patience and try to use drastic measures to eliminate opponents, they only create fertile ground for destruction and stimulate even more opposition.

Liu Xian agreed with Li Sheng's opinion, but as the ruler, he needed to think further ahead. Therefore, he said, "Whether it succeeds or not, the King of Hejian will definitely not stand by and watch anymore. I think that in the next two years, the King of Qi will have a major battle with the King of Hejian."

This outcome is not hard to guess. Even if the rebellion of the King of Donglai had not come to light, the King of Qi had originally intended to deal with the King of Hejian anyway. It was just that he had just come to power and did not want to start a war immediately, so as not to give people a warlike image.

"That's true." Li Sheng then asked, "Who will win?"

Liu Xian said, "Although the King of Qi has a large and powerful army, he doesn't have many truly capable generals under his command. Although the Western Expeditionary Army has fewer soldiers, it is not lacking in fierce generals who dare to charge and fight, and it also has the advantage of terrain. Regardless of who wins, I estimate that this battle will be a protracted and fierce war."

Hearing this, Li Sheng knew that Liu Xian had already made up his mind, so he asked, "What are your plans, my lord?"

“A fierce battle is an opportunity, and someone like me will surely be put to use. Regardless of who wins, it will be a good opportunity for me to regain my military power.”

After leaving Luoyang, Liu Xian had been pondering this matter. The current development of the situation confirmed his earlier predictions. All he had to do now was act according to his plan. Therefore, he summoned Lu Yun and said to him, "Shilong, you will be in charge of the canal digging project for the time being."

Lu Yun agreed, and then asked, "What business does Your Excellency have?"

"Xingxian." Before leaving Luoyang, Liu Xian already had the idea of ​​Xingxian. In the meantime, while dredging the waterway, Liu Xian was also determining the route of Xingxian.

The term "roving through counties" refers to an official's inspection tour of local townships and counties. This tour served two purposes: firstly, it allowed the official to familiarize himself with the local customs and traditions, and secondly, it served to assess the performance and capabilities of officials. It was an indispensable part of local government affairs for prefectural and county officials.

This was Liu Xian's first inspection tour of the counties since taking office. But under the current circumstances, this inspection tour was more than just an inspection tour; it was preparation for war.

Liu Xian's first stop on his journey through the counties was Hongnong, where he would survey the terrain of the future battlefield.

(End of this chapter)