Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The precious rain went on for two entire days and nights. It only began to gradually subside at dawn on the third day.
As the golden morning sun emerged through the foggy mist, the air was saturated with water vapor, and one could smell the scent of soil. Only then did Jiang Pengji have some peace of mind. To be safe, she went around inspecting the drains and reservoirs with Zhang Ping and the craftsmen of the woodworking workshop. After making sure that the water was able to flow smoothly, she felt slightly relieved. If a flood was to occur after the drought, it would be nearly impossible for the people to carry on with their lives.
The murmur of running water could once again be heard from the previously dried-up brooks. The leaves that had appeared wilted for the entire summer unfolded, the plants gradually regained vigor.
“The rain has stopped — ” The pond in the courtyard was once again filled with clean and clear water. Under Taxue’s instruction, the servant girls released a few goldfish that had been kept in tanks into the pond and added some aquatic plants to it. The fresh-looking servant girl with a slim waist also had a joyful expression on her face, making her look rather innocent.
The weather gradually turned cool after the rain. The air no longer felt stuffy and hot. One could almost feel one’s internal organs getting moister as one inhaled deeply.
Jiang Pengji changed into the autumn clothes the servant girls had newly made. The fabric was slightly thicker than that of the clothes she had worn in summer.
Impacted by the martial power integrated from her former body, the genes of her current body had improved. At the age of 17, she was already taller in height than some adult males. Converting her height to the units the audience of the livestream was familiar with, it would be about 1.75 meters. Judging from the current growth rate, she would probably still grow a few centimeters taller. Compared to the average male and female heights in the era, her height was already considered fairly rare.
“Langjun, you’re awake.” Taxue was the first to sense her gaze. She bowed and greeted Jiang Pengji with a smile and the other servant girls bowed as well.
They were all beautiful young girls and the gentlemen watching the livestream were yelping with excitement. Jiang Pengji’s mood also lightened up.
“Mmm.” She nodded and said, “I’ll be at the government office.”
Tick tock. Raindrops dripped from the branches. Feng Jin, who had been worrying about the drought, was also feeling rejuvenated.
“Good morning, my lord.” After greeting her and getting a response from her, he continued with his work.
Jiang Pengji flipped through the bamboo slips on her table and asked, “Xiheng hasn’t come to the government office today, has he?”
Feng Jin asked, “Are you looking for him?”
Zhang Ping was bad with administrative work. Plus, he was obsessed with the various woodworks, so he might not even drop by the government office for more than ten days in a row. However, if one was to look for Zhang Ping in the woodworking workshop, he would definitely be there without fail.
Jiang Pengji replied, “The rain was frighteningly big for the past two days, I’m worried that a flood might occur… I’m planning to bring Xiheng along and take a look…”
Many flash floods weren’t caused by torrential rains but happened because of the shortcomings of the drainage system beneath the city, such as a failure to pump the water out in time causing too much water to collect in one place. Jiang Pengji also gave due consideration to the construction of the sewers when she was rebuilding Xiangyang District. But the district was not really big in size so the sewers built were not very complicated either. When the rebuilding of Xiangyang District was complete, so was the construction of the sewers.
The rain was frighteningly heavy for the past two days and she had thought that Xiangyang District was going to be flooded. Fortunately, both the old and the new sewers worked well, and with the drains built before summer, the amount of accumulated water could be controlled. Even the farmlands were largely unaffected.
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Feng Jin couldn’t help but laugh and remember how Jiang Pengji, in a straw rain cape, led a team to inspect the reservoirs two days ago and he felt slightly touched. “It’s great that you have compassion for the people, my lord.”
Before they exchanged further words, Zhang Ping, the homebody who was an expert in handicraft, came over. He was wearing peasant clothes with a bamboo hat on his head. He looked down-to-earth and he totally lacked the airs of noble intellectuals. Jiang Pengji put down her work and left with Zhang Ping.
The sewers in this era were very different from the sewers the audience of the livestream were familiar with. Modern sewers were more like underground passageways that carried sewage and run-off away from the cities. However, relative to the human capital and labor available in the current era, such an engineering project was huge in scale and had many flaws. It would take a fool to initiate the building of such sewers.
Why so?
Firstly, the cost effectiveness was too low. The materials in the ancient times could not fulfil the criteria required for such a high-level building structure. Even if the construction was possible, the final cost of labor and materials would be too big. It was totally impractical, thus, Jiang Pengji had never considered the option.
Secondly, the form of war in the current era also meant that such sewers could not actually be built. Whose fault would it be if the enemy soldiers were to sneak into the city via the sewers and launch a surprise attack on the guards? It would not just bring harm to the governor and the soldiers, but to the people of the entire city as well.
Actually, at the moment, the so-called sewers were just drains all over the city and they were rather bad at carrying water away. During rainy seasons, puddles would often form. If the situation was to worsen, floods would swallow the whole city.
After setting up the brick kiln, Jiang Pengji specifically ordered the craftsmen to produce hollow tubes with a thick diameter. Inspired by the mortise and tenon joint structure of the roof beams, the tubes were designed so that each of the cylindrical hollow tubes could be connected to each other. Then she gave orders to dig drains along the main streets of Xiangyang District. Finally, the produced hollow tubes were buried in the drains. They were interlinked and their outlets were connected to each other… Such sewers were all over the entire Xiangyang District.
In the past, whenever it rained so heavily, Xiangyang District would be submerged in knee-deep floodwater. It was very different at the moment as the roads were still unaffected.
The two found a small teahouse to take a short rest.
Jiang Pengji thought of the urgent mail she received yesterday and couldn’t help but laugh. “… I have already given orders for the other three districts to draw on local materials to produce similar hollow tubes. When the sewers are truly complete, the people of the three districts will no longer have to worry about their homes being flooded while they are sleeping…”
The other three districts, namely Jiaoping District, Maolin District, and Cheng’an District, were all flooded by the rain, and the floodwater was knee-deep. Thankfully, it did not rain for longer, and the water would recede in about one day.
Zhang Ping said, “You have thought it out well, my lord. The matter should be done as soon as possible. We didn’t even have a drop of rain the whole summer and the situation is still alright as it has only rained once. In past years, rain was abundant. The entire Fengyi County was probably submerged by water and the farmlands were affected.”
Since following Jiang Pengji, Zhang Ping had never had another free day, but he enjoyed it. He had never thought that Mohist handicraft tricks could be so useful.
If Mohist scholars could specialize in it and integrate Mohist techniques throughout various aspects of the daily life of the people, they would have a status no lower than that of Confucianist scholars.
The drainage system must be fixed so that the rainy season next year would pass smoothly without incidence. The drainage system had nothing to do with war but it was closely related to the quality of life of the people, so Jiang Pengji naturally considered it to be of high importance.
The two talked in low voices and the other people in the tea house subconsciously lowered their volume as well as they dared not disturb the two.
As Jiang Pengji often showed up on the streets, never put on the airs of a district magistrate, and even helped old farmers with farm work when she was bored, all the people of Xiangyang District knew her. Such instances of her strolling along the streets and discussing policy matters with her subordinate were really common.
In a corner, the young man wearing an old greyish shirt furrowed his brows slightly.