“What do you think — is there any possibility of rebuilding the Shang River Weir?”

Xu You stood at the prow of the boat, his expression grave, looking at the two hydraulic engineers beside him.

The two white-haired craftsmen exchanged a glance, each reading the same difficulty in the other’s eyes.

After a long pause, the older of the two craftsmen spoke:

“The embankment is severely damaged. From the state of the water flow, there are at least a dozen places where the ground beneath has collapsed. Does Your Excellency have the original design drawings for the weir?”

Xu You shook his head. “The Shang River Weir has been standing for over five hundred years. The design drawings were lost long ago.”

The old craftsman let out a sigh.

“If there were design drawings, this old man might still venture a try…”

“Is there truly no other solution?” Xu You said with a furrowed brow. “The rainy season is almost upon us. If the Shang River Weir cannot be rebuilt, the four neighboring prefectures will certainly suffer disaster again. If you are worried about manpower, materials, and funding, I will find a way to address those. I just need you to put forward whatever approach you think is workable.”

“If that is the case…” the old craftsman hesitated briefly, then said, “What does Your Excellency think of building smaller secondary embankments outside the breached sections, using the Shang River Weir as the foundation?”

“I am merely a military man — I know nothing of hydraulic engineering,” Xu You said. “You are the most authoritative hydraulic expert in this region. If you believe it is workable, I will allocate manpower to you.”

“But… the cost involved would not be inconsiderable.”

“No matter how much it costs, it must be done,” Xu You said. “Otherwise, when the rainy season comes, the four prefectures will suffer terrible devastation once again. You need not worry about the money. You must resolve the issue of the collapsed embankment before the rainy season arrives. When you return, discuss things among yourselves and submit a rough estimate of the budget to the Zhenchuan Prefectural Office. Whatever you cannot solve, I will solve for you.”

“Your Excellency is a man who places the country and its people in his heart, and who is generous of spirit —” the old craftsman said, bowing with wholehearted respect. “This old man gives thanks on behalf of the people of the four prefectures!”

After the wooden boat reached the shore, Xu You left a few Zhenchuan soldiers to escort the two craftsmen as they conducted their on-site inspection. He himself, accompanied by his attendant officials, returned in haste to the Zhenchuan Military Commissioner’s Office.

“Rebuilding the Shang River Weir will require enormous funds, and the manpower needed is no small matter. Go ahead and speak — does anyone have a solution?”

The flower hall that Li Qia had used for entertaining guests had been converted into a temporary military conference chamber.

Xu You and the old and new officials and generals of the Zhenchuan army sat around a table. Xu You’s expression was grave and troubled, while those under him exchanged glances, each unwilling to be the one to open their mouth and shoulder the burden.

After quite some time, no one at the table had spoken a word.

Xu You flew into a rage and slapped the table. “The Zhenchuan army spends so much money on all of you every year — was it to feed you idle? Speak! Every single one of you must put forward at least one solution. Anyone who cannot will be dismissed from office and investigated immediately!”

A stir went through the long table. Expressions varied across the faces assembled, but Xu You paid no mind to whatever grievances they were harboring. He went directly to the person at the very end of the long table: “You. Say something.”

“…Me? Is Your Excellency speaking to me?” the man said, taken aback.

“Of course I mean you!” Xu You said angrily.

The man stammered out several suggestions, all of them stale and of no practical value. Xu You’s face darkened immediately and he pointed to another person.

From the end of the table to the head, people were one after another pushed into speaking against their will.

When it came to a local official seated in the middle of the long table, he hesitated briefly, then said: “Perhaps we might also take a leaf from Xiangzhou’s approach.”

Xu You asked: “What approach does Xiangzhou use?”

The local official clasped his hands in a bow and said: “This official has heard that the Prefectural Governor of Xiangzhou, Li Zhuzong, following a suggestion from his wife, adopted a method of using labor in place of relief to gradually receive and settle the refugees. Refugees who were willing to repair city walls, official roads, and other public works would be given priority in receiving settlement and assistance. Those willing to settle in Xiangzhou permanently could enter the cities and towns directly to find work. Given that the four prefectures have suffered disaster and there are countless displaced refugees, we might borrow this method to gather the manpower needed for the embankment repair.”

Xu You listened attentively and pressed further: “If manpower can be resolved in this way, what of the materials and funds needed for the embankment repairs?”

The local official reflected for a moment and then said: “The gold and silver left behind by the previous Military Commissioner can make up a portion of what is required. As for the rest, Your Excellency might write letters to the various prefectures under your jurisdiction to borrow grain and silver.”

“That will never work!” A prefectural official, upon hearing this, changed color in alarm and cried out at once.

“Why would it not work?” the local official replied, unperturbed. “If the Shang River Weir is not repaired, the four prefectures will suffer two or three disasters every single year. If that continues, the four prefectures will become a breeding ground for bandits and brigands. Do you think Yangzhou will be unaffected?”

The Prefectural Governor of Yangzhou was just opening his mouth when Xu You cut him off impatiently: “You object so strongly — do you have a better method?”

“That… well…” The Prefectural Governor of Yangzhou looked deeply troubled.

“In that case, listen to what others have to say!”

The Prefectural Governor of Yangzhou had walked into a wall, and could only fall into sullen, resentful silence.

Seeing this, the others understood that the newly appointed Military Commissioner of Zhenchuan was someone who responded to neither soft nor hard persuasion, and they too had the sense to swallow their objections.

After a conference lasting two full hours, letter after letter bearing the seal of the Military Commissioner of Zhenchuan was dispatched by dedicated couriers riding at full speed to every prefecture and city under his jurisdiction.

While the officials of other prefectures were gathering their advisors to work out a strategy for fobbing off their superiors, the disaster relief work in Xiangzhou had just reached a natural pause. Li Wu had seized upon this rare moment of leisure to coerce Shen Zhuxi into organizing his collection of poems.

In the main courtyard’s inner chamber, sunlight pouring down in full glory, Shen Zhuxi found herself with nowhere to flee to and no ground to retreat to — held fast between Li Wu’s two long legs, unable to budge.

“What do you mean, ‘another day’?” Li Wu said with displeasure. “A day you seek is worth less than a day you seize. I see that today the breeze is gentle and the sun is bright — a perfect day for organizing a poetry collection. If you’ve forgotten the poems, I can recite them to you again. If you’re short of paper and brush, I’ll call Old Lu to bring them right away. And if you need to set them to music before you can start writing, I’ll sing my poems for you right here beside you —”

“No no no!” Shen Zhuxi cried out in horror.

Li Wu grew even more displeased: “If the Book of Songs can be sung, why not my poetry collection? Shen Zhuxi — do you look down on me?”

“When did I ever —” Shen Zhuxi gave up the struggle and said, on the verge of tears, “I’ll write it, I’ll write it…”

Only then did Li Wu release his hold on her.

Shen Zhuxi walked toward the writing desk with a miserable expression —

Heavens above, Mother dear, today her reputation was truly done for!

Shen Zhuxi sat down at the cluttered desk and, while straightening up the mess Li Wu had left after his work, grumbled: “You ought to tidy up after yourself when you’re done with the desk. You can’t just use something and leave it wherever. How will you find anything later?”

Li Wu answered without a moment’s pause: “As long as there’s someone to tidy up for me, things don’t get lost.”

“I don’t want to tidy up for you either — but I need to use the desk too!” Shen Zhuxi said irritably. “You have your own study, which is bigger and more comfortable than mine. Why must you come and take over my desk?”

Li Wu turned around and sat in the armchair, both hands gripping the back of it, lounging without a care in the world as he watched Shen Zhuxi’s cheeks puff up with indignation. He grinned and said with complete candor:

“Because I like it.”

A flush spread over Shen Zhuxi’s face. She bowed her head to sort through the scraps of paper on the desk, her lips moving soundlessly — but no complaints came out.

Li Wu rested his chin on the back of the chair and watched Shen Zhuxi tidying up, savoring a warm, satisfied feeling in his chest. He thought: as expected of his woman — the more he looked, the better she was.

When she was throwing a temper, she was endearing. When she wasn’t throwing a temper, she was very endearing. When she was being silly, she was endearing. When she wasn’t being silly, she was even more endearing. When she was neither throwing a temper nor being silly, and still called him “husband” — she was extremely, extraordinarily endearing.

There was a saying — how did it go — keep her in the mouth and fear she’ll melt, hold her in the hand and fear she’ll be lost, and even guard her every day and still fear a dog will carry her off.

Wretched dog.

How has no lightning bolt struck it dead yet.

While Li Wu’s thoughts were drifting further and further away, Shen Zhuxi suddenly made a sound of surprise.

“Xu You? Isn’t this the newly appointed Military Commissioner of Zhenchuan?” Shen Zhuxi said, looking at the oil fingerprints on the letter, catching the scent of braised pig’s trotters wafting toward her nose. She said with disbelief, “You used the Commissioner’s letter to you as a napkin to wipe your hands?”

“Who told him to write nothing but useless chatter. Any man who could squeeze money out of me hasn’t been born ye—” Li Wu glanced at Shen Zhuxi and changed course mid-sentence, “No man who could squeeze money out of me has ever been born.”

Shen Zhuxi unfolded the greasy letter and read its contents with a grave expression.

When she had finished reading the entire letter, she said: “Repairing an embankment is thankless, hard work. That Xu You is still willing to take on this difficult problem of his own accord — he appears to be a good official who genuinely cares for the people. If we have any capacity to spare, let’s help however we can.”

“Where would we get any capacity to spare?” Li Wu said. “You know better than anyone what’s left in the treasury. Xu You is asking me to lend grain and silver, but I’m the one who wants to ask him for grain and silver!”

The silver in the treasury was indeed scarce. Every bit of it had been carefully set aside by Shen Zhuxi for the coming winter.

After floods, epidemics inevitably followed. Even if this epidemic proved relatively mild, the floods had submerged vast stretches of farmland across the four prefectures, and grain prices in the capital region would inevitably surge this winter.

The money Shen Zhuxi had saved was there to save lives in winter.

But if the Shang River Weir was not repaired, the water disasters would come year after year, bringing with them an endless tide of new victims.

If they truly wished to provide relief, the only real solution was to rebuild the Shang River Weir.

Shen Zhuxi turned it over in her mind for a moment, then made up her mind: “Leave this matter to me.”

After she spoke, she lifted her eyes — and was startled by Li Wu, who was staring fixedly at her.

“What are you staring at me for?”

“…If the useless officials in the prefectural seat had even half your ability, I wouldn’t have to work this hard.”

Then, his expression turning smugly self-satisfied, he preened aloud:

“As expected of the woman I chose.”

His directness brought the color rushing to Shen Zhuxi’s face. She glared at him with shy indignation, and Li Wu broke into a gleaming grin.

“What are you laughing at?” Shen Zhuxi asked.

“I’m happy when I see you,” Li Wu said.

The color on Shen Zhuxi’s face deepened further. She dove back down toward the writing desk as if in flight.

With Xu You’s letter as a welcome distraction, Li Wu forgot all about his poetry collection. Shen Zhuxi finished tidying up the desk, and seeing that he hadn’t mentioned it, smoothly guided the conversation in a different direction.

By the time Li Wu remembered his poetry collection, Shen Zhuxi had long since gone out to work on raising funds.

The treasury had no silver to spare, and the Li residence had none either. Shen Zhuxi had sold everything she could. If she wanted to gather funds, she would have to look outside.

She paid a personal visit to the Chen family — one of the four great clans of Xiangzhou, residing in Xiangyang County — in the hope of securing a monetary donation. Yet no matter how she emphasized that the reconstruction of the Shang River Weir would benefit all parties, the Chen Madam who received her remained unmoved.

Shen Zhuxi spent two full hours at the Chen residence and came away with nothing. The Chen Madam was perfectly composed — gracious, accommodating, and willing to share tea, admire flowers, and make small talk. But the moment donations were brought up, she would deftly steer the conversation elsewhere.

Shen Zhuxi left the Chen residence, disappointed.

The Chen family was not the only wealthy household in Xiangzhou. Heartening herself with that thought, she got back into her carriage and continued on to her next destination.

What awaited her, however, was one rejection after another.

The wealthy, powerful households seemed to have all received word at the same time. Without any prior arrangement, they all chose this very same day to perform ancestral rites, go on excursions, visit relatives, call on friends — anything and everything, it seemed, except being home.

Shen Zhuxi could not help but feel anxious. She had made a bold promise to Li Wu. If she had made her claim and could not deliver on it — how would that do?