Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The establishment of military garrisons and outposts was like building an impregnable wall of iron along the border of Hanyuan, keeping the threat of foreign enemies outside the country's gates.

However, if these newly reclaimed millions of acres of wasteland are to truly become fertile land, and if tens of thousands of displaced people are to truly settle down and establish their livelihoods, relying solely on swords and sweat is far from enough.

"Water conservancy is the lifeblood of agriculture," Xiao Chen knew this principle well.

Although the northern lands have great rivers flowing through them, rainfall is uneven and droughts and floods are frequent. If the rivers cannot be tamed and water cannot be diverted for irrigation, even the most fertile land will eventually yield no harvest.

Therefore, while the military settlements were being expanded, an unprecedented "water conservancy campaign" was also being launched in full swing throughout Hanyuan.

Xiao Chen personally took command, with the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Academy of Natural Sciences working together. The army, refugees, and artisans all joined the effort, determined to transform the rushing Baishui River and its tributaries into nourishing rain for all things.

Water conservancy projects require planning first.

In the past, flood control relied heavily on experience, or even superstition about "water veins," which often resulted in less than half the results and even wasted manpower and resources.

Xiao Chen ordered that the "Water Conservancy Department" of the Institute of Natural Sciences must take the lead in surveying and planning.

Students from the School of Geology carried plane tables, levels, compasses, and measuring tapes to conduct high-precision surveys of the Baishui River and its main tributaries, creating detailed "water system topographic maps" that marked elevations, slopes, flow rates, and water level changes.

"Water level markers" are erected at key points along the river to record water level changes during the dry season, wet season, and flood season, in order to find the best water intake and storage points.

Based on the survey data, an overall plan of "tiered water diversion, high storage and low irrigation, and long vines bearing fruit" was formulated.

Instead of relying on simple "flood irrigation," the project utilizes the terrain to construct a four-tiered irrigation network consisting of main canals, branch canals, distribution canals, and farm canals. It also leverages natural depressions or excavates artificial reservoirs to store rainwater and surplus water from the flood season for use during droughts.

The Dingbo Weir was the core and key project of this major water conservancy campaign. It was located in the middle reaches of the Baishui River, thirty miles north of Panshibao. Here, the river narrows, the riverbed is stable, and the terrain is relatively high, allowing for gravity-fed irrigation of hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land downstream.

The project was personally overseen by Ou Tiejiang, the head of the Construction Bureau, who mobilized 3,000 engineers and 5,000 refugees, and for the first time used cement and gunpowder on a large scale.

The project employs "water-binding sand-attacking" and "grass-and-soil cofferdam" techniques to divert the flow in sections, clear the riverbed silt, and pour cement foundations.

The dam adopts a gravity dam structure, with large blocks of stone at its core. The gaps are filled with cement mortar, and the water-facing side is coated with waterproof mortar. It is exceptionally strong and can withstand a once-in-a-century flood.

The institute designed a "lifting cast iron gate," controlled by gears and a winch, which can precisely regulate water level and flow. The institute also designed a "sand flushing gate," which is opened periodically to flush away silt in front of the dam and prevent siltation.

The "Fish Mouth Water Diversion Project" was built at the head of the weir, dividing the river into an irrigation canal and a main channel, a "40/60 water distribution" that ensures both irrigation and flood prevention.

The Dingbo Weir project was completed after four months. On the day of its completion, Xiao Chen personally attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

As the sluice gate slowly opened, the rushing waters of the Baishui River flowed merrily along the newly excavated "main canal" to the parched land in the distance.

People on both sides of the strait cheered thunderously, their cries of "Long live the Prince!" echoing through the sky.

The Dingbo Weir is the dragon's head, and the canals are its body. Driven by the Dingbo Weir, a wave of canal construction swept across the entire Hanyuan region.

The Dingbo Main Canal is 100 li long, 3 zhang wide, and 1.5 zhang deep. It is lined with cement to prevent seepage and collapse, and ensures smooth water flow. Aqueducts are set up along the way to cross ditches, and inverted siphons are set up to cross roads, demonstrating a high level of engineering technology.

Branch canals and tributary canals branching off from the main canal extend like blood vessels to the fields. Under the organization of the government, displaced people and farmers spontaneously dug agricultural canals and irrigation ditches to bring water into their own fields.

In areas with higher elevations or far from the main canal, natural depressions or artificially excavated reservoirs are used to store water during the rainy season and use it during the dry season.

Harvests even in years of severe drought are no longer just a dream.

For sloping land that is too high to be irrigated by gravity, Xiao Chen ordered the promotion of waterwheels.

The dragon-bone waterwheel is driven by human or animal power and can lift water from a low place to a high place, with a lift of up to 10 feet.

The waterwheel automatically rotates using the impact force of the water flow, lifting water to a higher trough. It operates day and night, requires no manpower, and is extremely efficient.

Wind-powered waterwheels are being promoted in windy grasslands and hilly areas to "lift water using wind power".

The Gewu Institute also designed a water hammer pump, which uses the impact force generated by the drop in water flow to pressurize a small amount of water to a higher position for irrigating extremely high terraced fields.

Along the banks of the Baishui River, waterwheels stand in rows, creaking and groaning, continuously lifting clear river water up the slopes to irrigate the once arid land that relied on the heavens for its livelihood.

Such a massive water conservancy project would have been a waste of resources and manpower in the past, drawing widespread complaints.

However, Xiao Chen implemented a work-for-relief program, perfectly combining water conservancy construction with the resettlement of displaced people.

The displaced people participated in repairing canals, building dams, and digging ponds, and were paid according to the amount of earthwork they moved, receiving daily wages or grain. This not only solved their food problem but also provided them with extra money to support their families.

The cement, ironware, and tools used in the project were provided by government-run workshops, which stimulated the development of related industries and created more job opportunities.

After the project is completed, the displaced people who participated in the construction will have priority to obtain land in the Xinguang District and enjoy a three-year tax exemption.

The displaced people built their own irrigation canals to irrigate their own fields, and the project progressed at an astonishing pace.

The large-scale water conservancy projects have yielded immediate and significant results.

An additional 300,000 mu of irrigated land and 200,000 mu of improved irrigation conditions were added, totaling 500,000 mu, accounting for 40% of the total cultivated land area in Hanyuan.

With ample water resources, farmers began experimenting with planting high-yield crops such as rice and wheat, replacing traditional millet and oats. Rice cultivation in the north became a reality.

Irrigated land can yield more than two shi per mu, which is two to three times that of dry land. It is estimated that the annual grain production will increase by 500,000 shi, enough to feed an army of 100,000.

The weirs and ponds effectively regulate runoff, providing irrigation during droughts and water storage during floods, greatly enhancing disaster prevention capabilities.

During the autumn harvest season, golden waves of rice ripple across the newly irrigated area, their heavy ears drooping low.

The farmers wielded their sickles to harvest, their faces beaming with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

"The prince gave us water and a way to survive!" This is the most sincere sentiment of the people.

The benefits of water conservancy projects extend beyond agriculture.

With its crisscrossing canals and numerous ponds, the area has increased air humidity and improved the microclimate, transforming what was once a barren Gobi Desert into patches of oasis.

The Dingbo main canal and some of its branch canals are deep and wide, allowing small cargo ships and rafts to pass, which facilitates the transportation of agricultural supplies and the export of agricultural products.

The abundant water resources provided power and cooling water for the Black Mountain Iron City and the hydraulic workshops, promoting industrial development.

Standing atop the Dingbo Weir, Xiao Chen looked down at the rushing river and gazed at the golden fields in the distance, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

"Old Han," he said to Han Lie beside him, "when water conservancy prospers, all industries prosper. The water of the Baishui River not only irrigates the fields, but also nourishes the foundation of Hanyuan."

"Your Highness is wise."

Han Lie sincerely said, "With this water conservancy advantage, Han Yuan will no longer have to worry about famine and can now freely contend for supremacy over the world."

The development of water conservancy not only solved Hanyuan's food problem, but also laid a solid foundation for Hanyuan to "establish itself as an agricultural nation and strengthen its industrial base".

This crisscrossing network of waterways, like blood flowing through the body of a cold abyss, infuses this emerging power with a continuous stream of vitality and life.