The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Jiang Lin's words were like a cold knife, piercing straight into the hearts of the canal gang and the salt gang.

Is it about numbers? Or about who's more ruthless?

Those of them who are involved in the underworld know the ins and outs best.

The so-called "brothers" under their command were, to put it bluntly, a bunch of rabble. They might shout a few words when things were going well, but if they encountered a tough opponent, especially those three thousand starving civilians who would do anything to survive, they would run away faster than anyone else.

If a fight really breaks out, they will definitely be the losers.

The Salt Gang leader, Li, and the newly-as-you-go leader, Qian, exchanged a glance and both saw fear in each other's eyes.

They were scared.

This seemingly frail "book boy" is no pushover at all; he's a madman! A madman who dared to lead three thousand men in a bloody fight against them in Hangzhou!

When the Lin family head saw that things were not going well, he cursed the useless members of the Canal Gang and Salt Gang in his heart, for they actually chickened out at the crucial moment.

He quickly stepped forward, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Ahem! Young master, your words are rather impulsive. We're all in this for the money; harmony brings wealth. What kind of behavior is this, fighting and killing like this?"

He forced a smile to smooth things over, then turned to Su Shi: "Lord Su, even if the labor issue was a misunderstanding, the blockage of the canal is a fact, isn't it? West Lake connects several important trade routes in Hangzhou. Now you're carrying out large-scale construction, dumping silt everywhere, making it inconvenient for merchant ships to travel, and many merchants are complaining. You have to give an explanation for this, don't you?"

He felt that Su Shi could no longer avoid this issue.

This is a technical problem; it can't be solved by having more people or by who has the strongest fist.

Lord Wang, having recovered his composure, quickly echoed, "That's right! Patriarch Lin is absolutely right. Prefect Su, repairing the dike is your business, but it absolutely cannot affect the fundamental water transport system of Hangzhou! Otherwise, don't blame me for petitioning the court and impeaching you for 'causing chaos in the region'!"

They thought they had found Su Shi's Achilles' heel.

However, Su Shi showed no sign of panic upon hearing this. He merely glanced at Jiang Lin indifferently.

Jiang Lin made a hand gesture.

Shen Kuo, who had been silently following behind Qian Duoduo, stepped forward.

Shen Kuo still looked as unkempt as ever, but his eyes were unusually bright. He took out a huge scroll of blueprints from the leather bag he carried with him and unfurled it with a "whoosh" on the two tables that were pushed together.

It was an incredibly detailed map of Hangzhou's water system.

West Lake, the Grand Canal, the Qiantang River, and all its tributaries, large and small, are clearly marked with lines of different colors. Even data such as water depth and flow rate are indicated in fine, tiny characters.

This picture alone made everyone present gasp in shock.

What a massive undertaking this is! How long will it take to conduct on-site surveys and draw the map?

Shen Kuo pointed to the map and began to explain in his characteristic, emotionless tone:

"According to our on-site survey, the north and south causeways of the West Lake project will only temporarily affect a tributary called 'Yongjin Canal.' This tributary is not a main canal for water transport; it mainly carries the passage of some small merchant ships and tourist boats."

He paused, then pointed to another location on the map.

"Moreover, our plan is not just to build a dike. While building the dike, we will also use some of the dredged silt to dredge and widen the two main waterways connecting West Lake—the Yanqiao River and the Maoshan River."

Shen Kuo picked up a charcoal pencil and quickly drew on the map.

"According to our calculations, after the project is completed, the navigation capacity of these two main waterways will increase by at least 30%! Sections of the river that could only accommodate boats carrying 100 shi (a unit of volume) due to siltation will be able to accommodate large boats carrying 300 shi in the future! At that time, the overall efficiency of the canal transport in Hangzhou will not only not decrease, but will be greatly improved!"

After finishing his speech in one breath, Shen Kuo raised his head and looked intently at Lord Wang and the Lin family head.

"We're not blocking the waterway, we're dredging it! We're upgrading it! You two keep saying we're affecting the canal transport, but do you have detailed survey data like mine to support your claims? Or are you just making things up out of thin air, spouting nonsense?"

These words, coupled with that outrageously detailed map, were a complete game-changer.

Lord Wang was dumbfounded.

The Lin family head was also dumbfounded.

The white paper fan from the canal gang was dumbfounded, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

What data do they have? They just want an excuse to cause trouble! Who would have thought that the other side would even have prepared something like this!

This isn't just repairing a lake; it's like completely replanning the water conservancy system of Hangzhou!

The merchants in the hall now looked at Su Shi and Jiang Lin with a gaze that had changed from admiration to awe.

Merchants, especially those in the canal transport business, were particularly excited.

If the main road could really be widened as Shen Kuo suggested, their business would be even better! This Prefect Su is practically a god of wealth!

Su Shi felt extremely pleased as he looked at the expressions of dismay on the faces of Lord Wang and the head of the Lin family.

The gentleman was indeed incredibly insightful; he even anticipated the excuse the other party would use and had Shen Kuo make thorough preparations in advance.

Following my husband is so comfortable!

Seeing that the situation was about right, Jiang Lin decided to add fuel to the fire and completely crush these people.

He walked up to the businessmen who had won the bids for the land with a smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Dear business owners, as you've all heard, our efforts to improve West Lake are not just for the sake of its beauty, but also to make your businesses thrive. This is a great thing that benefits the country and its people."

He abruptly changed the subject, pointing at the Lin family head and the members of the canal gang and salt gang, his voice turning cold.

"But there are always some people who can't stand to see everyone doing well. They would rather cling to the old rules and hold onto their petty gains than see Hangzhou become better or see everyone's wallets get fuller."

"Today, they can obstruct the West Lake project under the pretext of 'affecting the canal transport.' Tomorrow, once your restaurants, teahouses, and shops are built on the Su Causeway, will they also use the excuse of 'bad feng shui' or 'affecting the city's appearance' to force you to close down?"

"If they dare to threaten Lord Su today, they'll dare to threaten every single one of you here tomorrow!"

Jiang Lin's voice grew louder and louder, becoming increasingly inflammatory.

"This is no longer just about Lord Su! It's about all of us! It's a blatant provocation against all of us who invested in the West Lake project! Ladies and gentlemen, your money, your future, are being targeted! Can you tolerate this?"

These words were like pouring a spoonful of cold water into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar among the merchants!

Yup!

We've spent tens of thousands of strings of cash! And these canal gangs, salt gangs, and the Lin family actually want to make our money go down the drain?

Can this be tolerated?

"This is intolerable!"

The first person to stand up was Zhang, the owner of the silk shop who had been the first to bid. He was already being suppressed by the Lin family, and now he was betting his entire fortune and life on Su Shi.

He pointed at the Lin family head and roared, "You old scoundrel Lin! And all you bunch of stinking bastards! You want to cut off our livelihood? Ask me first if I'll allow it! I, Zhang, am saying this right now: anyone who dares to touch a single blade of grass at the West Lake construction site, I'll make them pay!"

"That's right! We're not finished with them!"

"Dozens of merchants have invested tens of thousands of strings of cash, and you think you can just stop like that? Do you think we're made of clay?"

"Lord Wang, as an official appointed by the imperial court, why do you not stand up for us merchants, but instead collude with these local ruffians? What kind of logic is that!"

Immediately, public sentiment was agitated.

The entire hall instantly transformed into a denunciation meeting against Lord Wang and the Lin family.

The situation is completely out of control.