Yun Xi didn't miss the surprise in the eyes of the officials, but she felt no pride. Instead, she continued methodically,
"After nearly a decade of on - site surveys of the riverbed downstream of the Ling River, we've found that the Ling River Weir has been constantly accumulating sand and silt over the years. Simply raising the embankment and the bridge piers can only solve the problem temporarily, not permanently. Although it has been repaired several times, whenever the autumn tide surges, the passengers on the boats are in great danger."
"Therefore, in my humble opinion, if we want to overcome these difficulties, the primary task is to solve the problem of silt accumulation in the Ling River. In ancient times, there was a precedent of 'building embankments to confine the water and using the water to flush the sand'. We can also divide the river into two parts according to the actual situation of the Ling River. The upstream of the Ling River has a rapid flow, so we can widen the river channel to slow down the speed of the water rushing downstream. In the middle and lower reaches, the water flow slows down, and the sediment is likely to accumulate here. Then we can narrow the river channel and use the speed of the water to flush the sediment on the riverbed!"
In this way, as long as the plan is reasonably constructed, there will no longer be sediment accumulating in the middle and lower reaches of the river and raising the riverbed. The Ling River Weir won't need to be repaired every few years, which will save a lot of labor and money!
Yun Xi dared to say this not because she was talking nonsense without any basis, but because it was the result of her staying up all night and thinking over and over again.
When she was a child, she was in poor health and was often called a sickly girl. So rather than going out to make friends, she preferred to stay at home alone.
She had two hobbies in her life. One was eating, and the other was reading. She read books of all kinds, so her knowledge was quite extensive.
After Qi Rong took her to see the Yan Cave, he told her about the actual situation of the Ling River he had surveyed on their way back in the carriage.
She was deeply touched by the fact that Qi Rong, such a cold - hearted man, cared so much about the people along the Ling River. At that time, she really wanted to help him and do something within her power for the people downstream in the project of building the weir and the bridge. So after she got back, she carefully thought about it. It wasn't until dawn that she realized she had stayed up all night.
Therefore, her idea was based on Qi Rong's survey results. She originally wanted to tell Qi Rong her idea, but after the banquet in the prefect's mansion, she forgot about it.
And now she chose to say it in public because Qi Rong had forced her into this situation. She didn't want to be laughed at by the officials and also wanted to "slap Qi Rong in the face".
She wanted him to stop looking down on her in the future. She wasn't a woman who didn't know anything and was as useless as a straw bag!
Yun Xi's words not only pointed out the root cause of the repeated repairs of the Ling River Weir but also provided a specific implementation plan, which almost made the officials drop their jaws in surprise.
The meeting hall fell into a brief silence. The officials' looks at Yun Xi were completely different from before. There was shock, unwillingness, and even hope in their eyes.
Only Qi Rong stared at Yun Xi's shining little face with a slightly deeper look in his eyes. There was always a smile on his lips, as if he wasn't surprised at all.
"Building embankments to confine the water and using the water to flush the sand. Dividing the river into two parts? What a brilliant idea!"
One of the officials carefully thought it over and immediately showed great joy in his eyes.
Since they were assigned to the task of building the weir, they had at least looked up information about the Ling River Weir and the characteristics of the water area.
The method proposed by Yun Xi seemed bold and radical, but in fact, it had a remarkable effect on dealing with the silt problem. He had once read relevant information in some books.
At that time, the person who proposed this idea was criticized for being unrealistic, but the actual result really surprised everyone.
It made all those who had once questioned this strategy finally convinced!
"May I ask, Your Highness, why do you say that the construction of the Ling River Weir should be combined with the economic development?"
Another official no longer cared about his pride and asked humbly.
After listening to Yun Xi's words just now, he had every reason to believe that Yun Xi's previous question was not just a casual remark.
Now the construction of the weir was extremely urgent, and they were all under great pressure. If there was something beneficial to the matter, they were naturally willing to adopt it carefully!
"The Ling River connects the north and the south of the Liu Kingdom and flows through many places. However, because of the frequent floods over the years, the merchant ships traveling on it often capsized. Gradually, this unique natural waterway was abandoned."
"However, if the strategy of dividing the river into two parts and using the water to flush the sand works, it will no longer be difficult to sail on the Ling River. At that time, trading docks can be built along the Lingchuan River, and the natural products in the middle and lower reaches, which are difficult to transport out because of the winding mountain roads, can be shipped out. Over time, it will surely boost the local economy!"
Yun Xi's words were like a timely rain to the anxious officials, and they all nodded in approval!
Especially Cheng Yu, the prefect of Lingchuan who was "under punishment". After hearing that the economic development of Lingchuan could be boosted through the construction of the weir, his eyes immediately lit up. He stood up excitedly and took the lead,
"I strongly support Your Highness's proposal! The construction of the weir is originally for the benefit of the people, and boosting the economy can fundamentally change the people's lives. It's really a win - win situation!"
In this way, if the plan was implemented smoothly, he could not only atone for his sins but also have a chance of promotion!
The officials thought Yun Xi's idea was feasible and even persuaded Qi Rong to adopt it.
Seeing that her suggestion was recognized by the officials, Yun Xi felt a little relieved.
Qi Rong, however, looked at her with a smile in his eyes and said nothing. His look made Yun Xi feel a little creepy for no reason.
The reason why she could summarize these suggestions and even get them recognized was entirely based on Qi Rong's actual survey.
What she had done was like "stealing" Qi Rong's achievements in public!
Yun Xi couldn't help feeling a little guilty. However, thinking of Qi Rong's bad behavior just now, she couldn't help retorting bravely on the outside but timidly on the inside,
"Your Highness, didn't you want to hear my opinion? Why are you silent now? Does the fact that the officials approve of my suggestion make you feel embarrassed?"
Qi Rong, as the chief supervisor of the project of building the weir and the bridge, was outshone by a woman. For an ordinary person, it would surely be embarrassing.
Yun Xi's words were obviously a provocation.
Everyone was surprised and looked at each other in dismay. They even didn't dare to look at Qi Rong's face.
Not long ago, they also felt their proud self - esteem was hurt because Yun Xi entered the meeting hall.
However, after listening to Yun Xi's summary, they had to admit that although Yun Xi was a woman, she had far - reaching vision and was not inferior to men!
They didn't dare to look down on her just because of her "female" identity.
Moreover, at present, they urgently needed to come up with a new plan for building the weir and the bridge to convince the emperor.
If they could combine the construction of the weir with the economic development of Lingchuan, it would be a great help for them to persuade the emperor to adopt the new strategy!
After all, every ruler hoped to leave brilliant achievements and be praised by future generations.
But the saying goes that "a virtuous woman needs no talent". They wondered if the King of Xian could accept that the woman he fancied was so intelligent!