kvmb Chapter 331 A Newly Arrived Sixth-Rank Compiler
Chapter 331 A Newly Arrived Sixth-Rank Compiler
"Su Xiu wrote to—"
As the gatekeeper called out the names, the conversation in the courtyard suddenly quieted. Dozens of gazes shot towards him, some curious, some scrutinizing, and a few with clear hostility.
"This humble official pays respect to Lord Su."
A tall and thin woman in a green robe stepped forward and saluted. Her brows were cold and she had a medicine bag hanging around her waist. She was Du Ruoheng, a female doctor who ranked second in the same department.
Behind her stood several humble scholars, all of whom bowed respectfully. On the other side, the women in brocade robes only nodded slightly, and one of them, a woman in a fifth-rank uniform, even snorted softly.
"No need to be so polite, Doctor Du." Su Yue bowed in return, her eyes sweeping over the plaque under the eaves that read "Ji Gu You Wen".
Du Ruoheng stood out in the spring examination with her essay "On the Prevention and Control of Plague". She was the talented woman from a humble family whom Su Yue secretly recommended to the Emperor.
"Lord Su."
A white-haired female official came over holding a document: "This is a copy of the 'Grain Transport Records' from previous years. His Majesty has instructed you to familiarize yourself with it first."
Just as Su Yue was about to take it, a hand painted with nail polish suddenly reached out from the side: "Liu Dianbu, wait a minute."
The fifth-rank woman took half a step forward, with a white pheasant embroidered on her chest patch - it turned out to be the attendant scholar Cui Yue.
She pressed her fingertips on the document: "Su Xiuzhuan is new here, why don't you learn the rules first? For example..." Her eyes glanced at the jade pendant on Su Yue's waist, "Officials below the seventh rank are not allowed to wear jade."
The air in the yard suddenly froze.
Du Ruoheng frowned slightly, and the medicine bag in her sleeve made a slight clinking sound - it contained powder that could cause a rash to appear instantly.
"I appreciate your advice." Su Yue calmly removed the jade pendant, revealing the ivory fish charm underneath. "But this is a certificate from the Ministry of Works and the Water Conservancy Bureau. Lord Cui, do you want to take it?"
Cui Yue's expression froze.
The fish token is an official certificate. If she takes it by force, it will be an interference in the department's affairs.
"If Scholar Cui has any questions about the Ministry of Works' regulations," Du Ruoheng suddenly spoke, her voice as cold as an icy spring, "you might as well ask Dean Li. I heard that your father loved to examine these when he was the Minister of Works."
Cui Yue's face suddenly turned pale.
Her mother was dismissed from her job because she embezzled money from river workers.
In the library, Su Yue and Du Ruoheng stood side by side.
"Thank you, Doctor Du, for helping me out."
"No need." Du Ruoheng took a fragrant pill from her medicine bag and placed it on the desk. "This can prevent borers." She glanced at the stained copy of the "Grain Transport Records" and suddenly lowered her voice. "Three days ago, the Imperial Hospital was ordered to see the old lady of the Cui family. They said she had heart palpitations, but I diagnosed her with aconite poisoning."
Su Yue's heart skipped a beat. Aconite is highly toxic, who would...
"Lord Su!"
The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his thoughts. A young eunuch hurried over, carrying a red lacquer tray. "Your Majesty has ordered Su Xiuzhuan to go to the Ministry of Works immediately—the Yellow River's Puyang section has burst its dike!"
When Su Yue hurried to the Ministry of Works, the hall was already in chaos.
Minister of Works Zhao Rui was slamming the table and angrily scolding his subordinates, several vice ministers were flipping through the river engineering map with sweat on their foreheads, and the officials of the Water Conservancy Bureau stood by trembling with fear, not daring to make a sound.
"The Puyang section of the dike burst, flooding three counties downstream and causing tens of thousands of casualties!" Zhao Rui shouted. "You useless bunch! Don't you always boast of your expertise in water conservancy? How come you can't even come up with a plan?"
When they saw Su Yue coming in, everyone looked at her with scrutiny, suspicion, and mostly disdain - what insights could a sixth-rank editor who had just entered the court have?
"Lord Su is here." Zhao Rui suppressed his anger, but his tone was still contemptuous. "His Majesty ordered you to participate in the meeting. I wonder what your opinion is?"
Su Yue bowed calmly, then walked to the sand table and carefully observed the location where the Yellow River burst.
Although she wasn't a water conservancy expert, her modern knowledge gave her a basic understanding of water management. Furthermore, she had read extensively on the tablet in her space regarding Yellow River management.
"Master Zhao," she said in a deep voice, "was the dam breach caused by silt accumulation upstream, which raised the riverbed and prevented the water from flowing out?"
Zhao Rui was stunned, obviously not expecting her to be able to see the problem at a glance.
"That's true," Chen Yu, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, took over. "But the most urgent task now is to stop the breach, otherwise the disaster downstream will only be more severe."
Su Yue shook her head: "It's better to open it than to block it."
"Remove?" Zhao Rui frowned. "How do you do that?"
"We'll open a flood discharge channel downstream of the breach to divert water and relieve pressure on the main river channel," Su Yue said, pointing to the sand table. "At the same time, we'll build a dike upstream to contain the water, using the water's momentum to flush away silt and lower the riverbed."
There was an uproar in the hall.
"Ridiculous!" an elderly official from the Ministry of Works slammed his desk and said, "The Yellow River has always been a dam, how can we allow it to overflow?"
"It's been blocked for a hundred years, and the dam breaks every year." Su Yue retorted calmly, "If we don't change our thinking, the disaster will only recur."
Zhao Rui stared at her with a complicated look. Although she didn't like Su Yue, she had to admit that her suggestion was indeed unique.
At this moment, the eunuch's shrill voice came from outside the palace -
"Your Majesty is here!"
Everyone knelt down hurriedly to salute.
The empress, dressed in a black dragon robe, walked into the lobby of the Ministry of Industry with a stern expression. Her eyes swept over everyone and finally landed on Su Yue.
"Su Qing, I heard that you have a good plan for flood control?"
Su Yue took a deep breath and explained the suggestion in detail.
After listening to this, the empress was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "Interesting."
She turned and looked at Zhao Rui: "Zhao Qing, what do you think?"
Zhao Rui's forehead was covered in sweat. "Your Majesty, while what Su Xiuzhuan said makes sense, it's also extremely risky. If the floodway isn't dug properly, it could lead to even greater disasters..."
"Let me ask you," the Empress interrupted him, "Does the Ministry of Works have a better solution?"
Zhao Rui was speechless.
The empress sneered and then looked at Su Yue: "Su Qing, I order you to go to Puyang immediately and take charge of the management of this dam breach."
As soon as this statement came out, the whole room was shocked.
Asking a sixth-rank official who had just entered the imperial court to oversee such a major project? This was simply unheard of!
Su Yue was also stunned, but she quickly reacted and kowtowed solemnly: "I accept your order."
The empress nodded slightly, her eyes deep: "I will give you three days to prepare, and we will set off in three days."
After the empress left, everyone in the Ministry of Works looked at each other, and the look they gave Su Yue had changed from contempt to fear.
Zhao Rui walked to Su Yue's side and whispered, "Master Su, the matter of the Yellow River is of great importance. If anything goes wrong..."
"I understand." Su Yue smiled faintly, "I will definitely live up to your majesty's trust."
In the imperial study, the empress was reviewing memorials with a calm expression.
A trusted female official asked softly, "Your Majesty, Su Yue has just entered the court. Is it appropriate to let her handle the Yellow River's dike breach?"
"Is it too risky?" The empress put down her red brush, her lips curled slightly, "I just want to see how capable she is."
"But she was recommended by the Grand Emperor after all, and she's also on good terms with Prince Ning'an..."
"That's why I want to use her." The Empress's eyes were deep. "If she is truly talented, I don't mind having an extra sharp weapon. If she is just a name, it will be a good opportunity to strike a blow against the Grand Emperor's lineage."
The female official suddenly realized: "Your Majesty is wise."
The empress looked out the window and said calmly, "I have already sent secret guards to monitor the Yellow River incident. If she dares to play tricks..."
The unfinished words are filled with murderous intent.