Sky Curtain: My Great Qin must have an aircraft carrier!

On the sky, a mighty torrent of water surged forth.

The water was crystal clear, with shimmering blue waves that revealed the pebbles at the bottom.

If it weren't for the label next to it saying "Yellow River," no one would guess that this is actually the Yellow River.

Inside Weiyang Palace, Liu Che rubbed his eyes repeatedly to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

When the Yellow River breached its banks at Huzikou, he personally led civil and military officials to sink a white horse and a jade disc into the river and ordered the breach to be sealed.

He knew all too well what the Yellow River was like.

It wasn't just a yellowish patch; if you scooped it up with a ladle and dried it, you'd find at least half a pound of mud and sand.

The clear river in the sky was completely different from the one in his memory.

Could it be that I tamed a fake Yellow River back then?

Or is it that the immortal deliberately used a different river to fool the people of the world?

"When the Yellow River runs clear, a sage will appear!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stared wide-eyed at the clear Yellow River in the sky, speechless for a moment.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the Yellow River has never been a cause for concern.

The dikes breached and flooded every few days, submerging countless fertile fields and leaving corpses of the starving everywhere.

The amount of manpower and resources the imperial court invested in river management each year was practically a bottomless pit.

Zhu Yuanzhang was really fed up, but he couldn't ignore it, so he could only keep feeding money, grain, and lives into the system year after year.

Could it be that a sage has been born and tamed the unruly Yellow River?

"But Tianmu was originally an immortal from later generations, so it's only natural that he managed to control the Yellow River?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to see what the explanation was.

In the Changchun Garden during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi was browsing through a newly compiled dictionary.

Upon seeing the contents of the sky, he put the book aside and summoned Jin Fu, a renowned official in charge of river management, to an audience.

"Jin Fu, you've been managing the river for many years, have you ever heard of the Yellow River ever being clear?"

Jin Fu quickly knelt down and kowtowed, cautiously replying, "Your Majesty, this humble subject has consulted ancient texts and occasionally found records of the unusual phenomenon of clear water in parts of the Yellow River."

"I have also sent people to investigate. It is mostly because of the drought upstream, there has been no mountain torrent to wash away the mud and sand in the water, which has naturally settled and made the water clear for a short time."

Emperor Kangxi nodded slightly; this explanation was indeed reasonable.

The Yellow River turning clear is usually accompanied by severe drought, and is considered an unusual phenomenon.

However, upon closer inspection of the sky, he noticed that the water was vast and did not resemble a drought.

Could there really be so-called sages in later generations?

After a moment's thought, Kangxi decided to investigate the reason.

When people think of the Yellow River, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a yellow river.

However, many tourists who went to visit the Yellow River during this year's Spring Festival holiday were completely dumbfounded.

They discovered that the Yellow River isn't yellow at all!

I took a picture and posted it on WeChat Moments, but nobody believed it was the Yellow River.

So here's the question: why is the Yellow River, which we've known for its muddy waters for thousands of years, no longer yellow?

"Good heavens, is this the Yellow River?"

The farmers working in the fields stared wide-eyed when they saw it.

Is this still the unpredictable Yellow River I remember?

The people have extremely complex feelings about the Yellow River; they both love and hate it.

Nourished by the Yellow River, crops can grow in the surrounding fields, sustaining generations of people.

But once the Yellow River rages, breaches its banks, and changes its course, it becomes a vast expanse of water, with corpses floating for miles.

Not to mention the annual corvée labor for river management, which was a deadly and arduous task.

"If the Yellow River stays this clear, wouldn't we be spared the forced labor service?"

A commotion broke out in the crowd.

If the Yellow River could truly become so docile, it would be even more practical than the arrival of a sage from heaven!

To understand why the Yellow River has become clear, we must first understand why it was yellow in the first place.

The answer is simple: the Yellow River flows through the Loess Plateau, where the soil is loose and ideal for reclamation, making it a nascent stage for agricultural civilization.

However, every advantage has its disadvantage. The loess is too loose, and heavy rain can wash away a layer of soil, eventually causing all the silt to accumulate in the Yellow River.

As silt accumulates, the Yellow River naturally becomes muddy and turbid; this is known as soil erosion.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng wholeheartedly agreed.

The Qin state was able to rise to power in Guanzhong by establishing large-scale military farms on the Weibei Plateau.

The soil there was indeed easy to dig, and the grain grown there fed the Qin people and also sustained the army that swept across the six states.

It can be said that without the Loess Plateau, there would be no Qin Dynasty.

Ying Zheng stroked his chin thoughtfully, "So that's how the mud and sand come about."

"But I remember that place wasn't this yellow, was it?"

Inside the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin secretly rejoiced.

Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the Yellow River has been relatively compliant and has not caused much trouble.

After Emperor Ming of Han carried out large-scale river management, this giant dragon slept for hundreds of years, saving him a lot of trouble.

Wang Jing's efforts in controlling the river have indeed benefited future generations.

Once we understand the factors that contribute to the Yellow River's turbidity, the approach to river management becomes clear: it boils down to controlling the water and improving soil conditions.

After the founding of New China, a large-scale governance project was launched on the Loess Plateau to reduce soil erosion.

One important measure is to build terraces on the slopes, which can both reduce the intensity of rainwater erosion and retain water, achieving two benefits at once.

Kublai Khan, who was eating a roasted lamb leg, stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.

When he led the Mongol cavalry south to destroy the Song Dynasty, he had seen this kind of field in the mountains.

At the time, he wondered why southerners made such a complicated process of cultivating their fields, but he didn't think about it deeply.

Who knew that terraced fields could have such a wonderful use!

Slowing down the water flow, preserving water resources, and stabilizing the soil...

The more Kublai Khan thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.

If this method were used in the north, in Guanzhong, wouldn't it turn all those mountainous areas into fertile fields?

"Guards, summon Guo Shoujing to the palace!"

Before long, Guo Shoujing, who was in charge of water conservancy and agricultural affairs, rushed over and kowtowed in greeting.

Kublai Khan pointed to the sky and spoke very quickly: "Minister Guo, there are many terraced fields like these in the south. Quickly send someone to bring back the blueprints and craftsmen to me."

"The Yellow River breaches its banks every year, and the imperial court spends mountains of silver on it. If the terraced fields can truly stop the siltation, I will credit you with the greatest achievement!"

Guo Shoujing looked up at the sky, his eyes sparkling with wonder.

Moving the terraced fields of the south to the Loess Plateau in the north—this idea is absolutely brilliant!

He immediately kowtowed and accepted the order, and went back that very night to pack his bags.

Meanwhile, in Changchun Garden, Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed, repeatedly muttering, "Auspicious omen, truly an auspicious omen!"

He had thought that controlling the Yellow River would be as difficult as climbing to heaven, but unexpectedly, Tianmu provided a solution that addressed both the symptoms and the root cause.

This method of terracing is simply a stroke of genius!

It can not only reclaim barren mountains and increase grain production, but also curb soil erosion at its source and reduce pressure on the lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!

"Issue an imperial edict to the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission to immediately survey the terrain in all prefectures and counties along the Yellow River and to construct terraced fields on a large scale."

"I want to see results after the New Year. Anyone who dares to outwardly comply but inwardly defy me on this matter will have their head chopped off!"

Li Guangdi knelt at the lower end, repeatedly kowtowing and agreeing.

If the Qing Dynasty could effectively control the Yellow River, then the achievements of its rulers would surely surpass those of Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang.

It wasn't just Emperor Kangxi; emperors throughout history have all recognized the immense value of terraced fields.

Similar imperial edicts were issued from the political centers of various dynasties, flying towards the yellow earth that nurtured Chinese civilization.

At the same time, another amazing invention was built on the Loess Plateau – silt-retention dams.

To put it simply, this thing is basically building a wall in a ravine to block the muddy water flowing down the ravine.

Once the silt settles, a flat, fertile patch of land appears in the ditch; this is called silt-reclaimed land.

Finally, there's the landscaping project, which uses the roots of plants to hold the soil in place.

After dealing with the soil, the next step was water. The country constructed numerous water conservancy projects, the most representative of which is the Xiaolangdi Water Control Project.

A towering gray wall appeared in the sky, spanning both banks of the Yellow River.

The towering dam, like a giant steel dragon, cuts off the rushing Yellow River.

As the sluice gate opened, the water rushed down with tremendous force, creating a mist tens of meters high.

The force of the water, with its overwhelming pressure, rushed straight to the screen.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

The people were so frightened that they all backed away, fearing that the floodwaters would rush out from the sky and drown them.

Even seasoned warriors were so terrified by this immense power of heaven and earth that their legs went weak.

"A miracle, truly a miracle!"