Disciplining Emperor Gaozu of Han

The mouth of a gourd.

The water intake point of the Zheng Guo Canal.

Because the terrain of Guanzhong is high in the west and low in the east, the Zheng Guo Canal diverted the Jing River to flow eastward and into the Luo River.

The water intake point was located in a low-lying area, so the Jing River could not flow directly into the main canal. Therefore, the State of Zheng built a dam to raise the water level. When the water level reached a certain height, it would naturally flow into the main canal, then be channeled through the main canal to the branch canals, and finally to the fields through the peripheral canals.

The dam is still there, though it bears many signs of damage. It has been preserved because the dam was built so sturdily that it was not easy to destroy. However, the sluice gates used for water storage are gone.

"Repairing the Zheng Guo Canal is a huge project that can't be done in a short time." Liu Ying saw this and felt very annoyed.

The Zheng Guo Canal, covering an area of ​​hundreds of miles, was the largest water conservancy project in Guanzhong. If it could be repaired, it would surely benefit countless people. Unfortunately, Xiang Yu destroyed it thoroughly, filling the canal with mud, which would be a considerable undertaking to clean it up.

"After pacifying the Three Qin regions, the King of Han wanted to repair the Zheng Guo Canal, but after inspecting it, he gave up." Xiahou Ying nodded heavily: "Guanzhong is in ruins, and there is a shortage of able-bodied men. Repairing it in a short time is impossible."

"He really wants to fix it?" Liu Ying was somewhat surprised.

"Liu Ying, I know the King of Han kicked you off the chariot, which upsets you, and you always think the worst of the Han Dynasty." Xiahou Ying was speechless and said, "The King of Han does have many flaws. He is fond of wine and women, and even engages in daytime sexual activity, which is known throughout the land. However, he is not bloodthirsty, and he would never watch the common people starve to death. From Xiayi to Xingyang, did you see the King of Han abandon a single commoner?"

"Good." Liu Ying thought for a moment. Liu Bang really kept his word and did not abandon the common people. The people who came from Dang County all went to Xingyang.

"The King of Han truly wants to repair the Zheng Guo Canal to benefit the people in the surrounding areas," Xiahou Ying added. "The King of Han also intends to repair other water conservancy projects in Guanzhong, which are also severely damaged and cannot be repaired in a short time due to a lack of manpower."

After leaving Zheng Guoqu, Liu Ying, led by Xiahou Ying, continued his inspection.

"There isn't a single good water conservancy project in Guanzhong." Liu Ying spent a day looking north of the Wei River and then two days looking south of the Wei River, a total of three days, but still couldn't find a single intact water conservancy project.

Guanzhong is a plain formed by the alluvial deposits of the Wei River. The Wei River has convenient water conservancy on both banks, making it the main grain-producing area in Guanzhong. The only area that could not be used as a grain-producing area was the region of three to four hundred li around Pinyang County. It was not until the Zheng Guo Canal was built that the salt and slag in this area were controlled, and all of Guanzhong became a major grain-producing area.

As a result, the Qin state became even more prosperous and powerful, laying a solid foundation for Qin Shi Huang to conquer the other six states.

"Before the water conservancy projects are repaired, we can only grow drought-resistant crops." Liu Ying said with great regret. Guanzhong is not short of water, but because the water conservancy projects were damaged, they can only grow drought-resistant crops.

"That's the only way." Xiahou Ying was equally speechless.

"Let's go ask for some water." Liu Ying felt thirsty, and there was a village ahead where people lived, so they could ask for some water.

"I'm a little thirsty too," Xiahou Ying chimed in.

The group hurried inside, and had just arrived at the entrance.

"Thief!" The old man guarding the gate, with gray hair and beard, closed the open inner door.

"Old man, we just want a drink of water." Liu Ying said without saying a word, then clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and explained his purpose.

"Thief!"

"Do you want to drink my pee?"

"You scoundrel! You've made us suffer so much, and now you want water? Dream on!"

The closed inner door opened again, and a group of women and children rushed out, carrying weapons such as wooden sticks, plows, and kitchen knives... all of them glaring at Liu Ying and his group with eyes flashing with hatred.

"My lords, please don't misunderstand. We are men of the King of Han." Xiahou Ying clasped his hands and bowed to everyone.

"The King of Han?"

Xiahou Ying's use of Liu Bang's name had only a minor effect; it merely meant that the hatred towards him wasn't very strong.

"My sons and sisters should know that the King of Han has not slaughtered Guanzhong. Why do you hate him so much?" Xiahou Ying said helplessly, feeling that Liu Bang was being implicated.

"There isn't a single good person among the Shandong thieves."

"If it weren't for those Shandong thieves, would we have fallen to this state?"

Liu Bang did not participate in the massacre, but he was implicated by Xiang Yu and hated by the people of Guanzhong.

In the end, they failed to get any water.

After leaving this place, we found a stream, drank a lot of water from it, and then continued on our way.

Liu Ying felt he had seen enough, so he returned to Liyang and, led by Xiahou Ying, headed straight for the market.

The market, located south of Liyang, is dedicated to the trading of various goods.

It occupies a considerable area, enough for two wards, and there are soldiers guarding the entrance. However, it is too deserted, with very few people coming and going.

"It's so deserted." Liu Ying entered the market and saw that there were quite a few shops, but not many buyers and sellers.

"Guanzhong is in such a dilapidated state, how can it not be deserted?" Xiahou Ying shook his head.

"Good!" Liu Ying also felt that her words were somewhat superfluous.

"Your price is too low," a woman's anxious voice rang out.

Liu Ying turned his head and saw a woman in her forties selling a bolt of linen in front of a shop called "Lu's Shop". She was anxious because the shop was trying to lower her price.

"Twenty coins, take it or leave it." The shopkeeper was very arrogant.

"I'm not selling anymore." The woman, clutching the burlap, her eyes reddening, walked toward the Cao family's shop next door.

"I won't buy it." As soon as Cao's shop saw her coming, they refused before she could even speak.

"You..." Tears welled up in the woman's eyes.

"If I don't want to buy, can you force me to?" The shop assistant at Cao's shop curled his lip in disdain.

The woman had no choice but to go to the Fan family's shop next door, where the shopkeeper laughed and said, "We sell dog meat, we don't accept this."

The woman had no choice but to go to Zhou's shop, but was refused service. After going around in circles and finding no one willing to accept her, she had to return to Lu's shop.

"Why not accept these shops?" Liu Ying found it incomprehensible. Why not make money when there is money to be made?

"Liu Ying, you don't know this, but the Lu family's shops belong to Lu Wan, the Cao family's shops belong to Cao Can, the Fan family's shops belong to Fan Kuai, and the Zhou family's shops belong to Zhou Bo," Xiahou Ying explained.

Before she could speak, Liu Ying understood: "They're in cahoots; they've agreed to work together to drive down the price."

"Good." Xiahou Ying gave Liu Ying an approving look: "After pacifying Guanzhong last year, the King of Han distributed the profits from the shops to his ministers, which led to the current situation."

"Uncle, you don't have it?" Liu Ying looked around but couldn't find Xiahou's shop.

"Yes, I do, but I'm only good at driving carriages, not doing business, so I won't bother," Xiahou Ying said with a smile.

"Where is the Prime Minister?" Liu Ying asked.

"The Prime Minister also does not engage in trade, just like me," Xiahou Ying explained. "The Prime Minister believes that if he, as the Prime Minister, were to engage in commercial activities, he would be oppressing the common people."

"Great! Lucky!" Liu Ying had a new understanding of Xiao He.

"Who else has the right not to open a shop?" Liu Ying asked.

"They are your uncles, great-uncles, and great-aunts." Xiahou Ying understood the situation: "Their thoughts are the same as the Prime Minister's."

"Where are Liu Jia and Ji Fu?" Liu Ying asked.

"Only Liu Jia opened a shop, but he didn't do any of the business; he only collected jewelry. Xiang Yu plundered Guanzhong and left, so jewelry was scarce there, and his business was very slow." Xiahou Ying explained in detail: "As for Liu Jiao, he believed that he and the King of Han were like brothers, and the King of Han wouldn't let him starve to death, so he didn't need to do business."

"Great! Lucky you!" Liu Ying was very satisfied with the two people's actions.

Liu Jia's involvement in the jewelry business was clearly a way of avoiding offending anyone, appearing too aloof, and oppressing the common people.

"My aunt's husband sells dog meat, he's really something else!" Liu Ying looked at Fan's Dog Meat Shop, which was doing quite well, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Fan Kuai said he only knows how to sell dog meat, and he will only sell dog meat in his shop. He won't do anything else." Xiahou Ying also thought Fan Kuai was very unusual, and smiled with his lips pursed.

"Where is Han Xin?" Liu Ying asked.

"Han Xin refused outright." Xiahou Ying exclaimed in admiration, "Han Xin said that he had followed the King of Han for too short a time and his merits were insufficient, so he dared not accept the offer."

"The general is quite good." Liu Ying wholeheartedly approved of Han Xin's character.

"I don't want the taels of silver, I want half a tael of silver." Just then, the woman had already completed the transaction with the Lu family's shop and was in the process of settling the deal. The shop assistant gave her twenty coins, but she refused to accept them.

"This is half a tael of silver." The shopkeeper stared at the woman.

"I want half a tael from Qin, not half a tael from Han," the woman reminded him.