I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Chengping returned the blueprints after reviewing them.

"Keep this for now, no rush. First, sort out the county examination matters."

Song Huaiyuan stood to the side, observed the situation, and immediately spoke up.

"Your Highness, since Qing'er has presented this map to you, please accept it directly. There's no need to be polite with him."

By this time, Song Huaiyuan already considered Xu Qing as one of his own.

How can we take back what our own family members presented to the Crown Prince?

Chengping chuckled.

"The blueprints are just blueprints, but others have searched their whole lives and still haven't found them. It's not that easy."

Seeing this, Xu Qing cupped his hands and said:

"May I ask Your Highness, Your Highness, Uncle, besides the matter of the treasure, is there also preparation for the construction of water conservancy projects in Hengyang?"

None of them answered immediately. Chengping stood on the riverbank with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the water in the distance. After a moment, he sighed softly.

"You're right, you're smart, you should do both of these things."

Li Jingyan took over the conversation from the side, speaking clearly and logically.

"The matter of water conservancy construction goes without saying. As for the strategy of confining water to attack sand proposed by Lord Song, it must be tested in a certain place before it can be used on the main river."

The hydrological conditions in the Hengyang area are relatively simple, and Lord Song is familiar with them, making it the safest place to proceed. As for the sunken treasure from the previous dynasty…”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"If we can find that batch of silver while taking advantage of the opportunity to build water conservancy projects, it can be used as payment for the river management. It's like getting exactly what we need; it's like a stroke of luck."

After listening, Su Man frowned and asked another question.

"So, we're going to start construction here first? Will the imperial court allocate special funds for it?"

She pinpointed the biggest challenge in one sentence.

Chengping glanced at him and shook his head.

"It's difficult. I've had it estimated that implementing Lord Song's plan along this stretch of river would cost anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 taels of silver. The court's finances are already fixed; where can we squeeze out 500,000 taels on short notice?"

After he finished speaking, his tone was filled with undisguised exhaustion, clearly indicating that this problem had been troubling him for some time.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Just then, Xu Qing suddenly spoke up.

"I have a plan that can solve all the problems at once."

Song Huaiyuan's brows furrowed sharply, his tone sharp.

"Nonsense, Qing'er, is this something you can take on all by yourself?"

His voice was much louder than before, and it sounded like he was scolding Xu Qing.

However, Xu Qing understood that the real meaning behind his words was actually to exonerate him.

The implication was: Don't say anything more, and please don't make any promises you can keep. If you say something wrong and the Crown Prince investigates, you won't be able to handle it.

Lin Su Niang glanced at Song Huaiyuan, didn't speak, but nodded slightly. She agreed with her husband's statement.

Xu Qing did not back down and met Song Huaiyuan's gaze.

"Uncle, rest assured, my idea is risk-free."

He turned to look at Chengping and recited his thoughts, which he had just organized in his mind, point by point:

"We've combined river channel management, treasure hunting, fundraising, and commercial tax deduction into one event, so anyone who contributes money can enjoy the procurement services."

All materials used in the project were purchased first from the investors' businesses, ensuring a steady flow of funds.

If the investor's own business does not need the project materials, then the difference can be made up by tax deduction. Both land tax and commercial tax can be deducted.

In this way, the merchants' money wasn't wasted, and the imperial court could launch the project without spending extra silver.

He paused, then continued speaking.

"If a treasure is unearthed after construction begins, the profits will be divided according to the investment ratio, with a maximum of three times the investment. The remainder will be turned over to the national treasury."

If any profitable transactions occur during the process, investors can invest based on their investment amount. Even if no treasure is found, the money has already been spent on the river and will not be wasted.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Chengping and continued.

"We can also consider recruiting refugees to provide work relief. The river needs to be dug, and we need enough manpower. If the refugees have work and food, the court won't have to spend money to support them separately."

Chengping did not immediately express his opinion after listening. His gaze lingered on Xu Qing's face for a while, as if he were re-evaluating the person.

Song Huaiyuan stood to the side, his brows still furrowed, but the wrinkles were much shallower than before. His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to speak, but he held back.

Xu Qing then steered the conversation back to the treasure map.

"As for treasure hunting, we don't need the whole map; the half we have is enough. He drew the upstream area."

Xiao Mingyuan, who was listening from the side, was completely confused and couldn't help but interrupt.

"Brother Qing, what are you talking about? The silver is sunk to the bottom of the river. Shouldn't we look for it downstream? Why are we going upstream?"

Xu Qing said with a smile.

"You don't understand the basic principles of buoyancy."

As he spoke, he walked to the water's edge and squatted down.

Xu Qing picked up a pebble the size of a fist from the riverbank and placed it in the shallow water near the shore. The water flowed steadily, swirling around the pebble on both sides.

Xu Qing pointed to the shallow pit that the water had carved out as it passed over the pebbles.

"You see, the water flows and crashes against the riverbed in front of the rocks, carrying away the silt and sand. The ground in front of the rocks is hollowed out, and the rocks will roll forward. Over the years, the rocks that were originally at the bottom of the river will slowly move upstream."

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he stood up and patted the mud and sand off his body.

"The treasures at the bottom of the water are all heavy objects, and they all work on the same principle. The silver from the previous dynasty will not sink to the same spot; it will move upstream little by little along the direction of the current. You can't find it downstream; you have to go upstream to find it."

The riverbank was quiet for a moment.

Chengping looked down at the shallow pit carved out by the pebbles by the water's edge and nodded thoughtfully.

Song Huaiyuan's brows finally relaxed completely, and he glanced at Xu Qing.

The rigid, stern expression from just moments ago had completely vanished, replaced by a seriousness never before seen in him.

"Your brain is just like your father's, no, it's probably even smarter than your father's."

Chengping did not hesitate any longer. He took out a bright yellow scroll from his pocket, unrolled it, and spoke in a solemn tone.

"Song Huaiyuan, receive the imperial decree!"

Song Huaiyuan straightened his clothes and knelt down.

The others also knelt down.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Song Huaiyuan's loyal, diligent, and skillful river management strategies are incisive and address the current problems. He is hereby appointed as the Governor-General of the Yellow River, a second-rank official, in charge of all river affairs in the empire. He shall begin by implementing the method of constricting water flow to attack sand, starting with the Hengyang section. This is the imperial decree."

Song Huaiyuan kowtowed to receive the imperial decree, and when he stood up, his hand holding the scroll was trembling slightly.

He had expected to be highly valued by the imperial court, but he hadn't anticipated that the official position promised would be so prestigious.

The position of River Conservancy Governor, a second-rank official.

A river management official position that had never existed before

It is clear that the imperial court has high hopes for this matter.

Fortunately, Xu Qing came up with a solution; otherwise, as the river governor, he wouldn't even have rice to cook.

We need to get moving right now!