According to Da Jin’s regulations, those who have the privilege to attend court and et the Holy Emperor must be officials ranked third grade and above. Even Bai Qihong, the Minister of Public Works, is only ranked fourth and has no opportunity to stand in the court hall, let alone those like the Minister of the Ministry of Water and Extraordinary Minister who are rely ranked below secondary fifth.
Therefore, even though they could be considered Capital Officials in the past, they never had the chance to et Prince Xiaoyao, and naturally did not recognize Lu Qing.
However, upon eting this handso Daoist with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, who spoke with such a commanding tone, they couldn’t help but feel uneasy in their hearts and dared not react rashly. Their eyes darted towards Bai Qihong to observe his attitude.
Bai Qihong listened to Lu Qing’s words, his expression unchanged, and politely clasped his hands. He then turned to instruct the two beside him, "Continue with your work while it’s not raining. Hurry up."
"I’ll be back soon."
The two naturally wouldn’t stop him and quickly agreed.
Bai Qihong, with a blank expression, gestured to Lu Qing and others, leading them to another area not far from the channel, where there was a temporary shelter with a relatively spacious thatched roof for shade and rain. The surroundings lacked even wooden boards, providing a wide view, making everyone’s movents inside visible.
Seeing this, Fu Wen and Fu Lu voluntarily stood outside the shelter. Fu Lu was a burly man with a wide fra, while Fu Wen, although smaller in stature compared to him, was also considered tall and robust among ordinary people. The two brothers stood side by side, forming a wall of flesh, preventing outsiders from seeing the actions inside the shelter.
Only then did Bai Qihong clasp his fists and bow deeply, "This humble servant greets the Prince!"
Lu Qing didn’t plan to conceal his identity from him, so he appeared relaxed and didn’t put on any airs. He gestured for Zhu Yu and himself to sit down together, then made a slight lifting gesture towards Bai Qihong, "Vice Minister Bai, please be seated. I am traveling incognito, so there’s no need for formality.
I’ve heard that Vice Minister Bai was assigned to Huazhou for channel construction, and happened to pass by today, so I ca to take a look."
Bai Qihong straightened his waist, his face and hands still streaked with mud from working by the channel, showing no pretense of a fourth-grade Capital official.
He frowned slightly, appearing sowhat solemn, and shook his head at Lu Qing, "The Prince shouldn’t have co here."
"Why does Vice Minister Bai say this?" Lu Qing asked knowingly.
Bai Qihong knew about Lu Qing’s years sent to Shanqing Temple for sutra copying and blessings, accepted as a secular disciple by the Qi Yun Mountain People, and wasn’t surprised seeing him with two guards and other young n dressed as Daoists.
Now, seeing that Lu Qing did not avoid the presence of these two others, Bai Qihong spoke directly, "Recently, unfavorable rumors about Shuo Country have reached the Capital, and the Prince’s relations with Shuo Country are extraordinary, making it all the more crucial to avoid suspicion at this ti."
Zhu Yu discreetly observed Bai Qihong, finding his solemn deanor appearing sincere in reminding Lu Qing, with no hidden intentions.
This sowhat surprised her.
Bai Qihong was Zhao Bi’s son-in-law, also serving an official role in the court, presumably aligning closely with his Yue Family’s interests; why would he extend such a kind warning to Lu Qing?
Lu Qing listened to Bai Qihong without speaking, rely looking at him in silence.
Bai Qihong, feeling Lu Qing’s gaze, did not feel uncomfortable. He guessed the unspoken thoughts in Lu Qing’s mind and simply voiced them, "In the Capital previously, the Prince worked to clear General Cao’s nephew’s wrongful charges; I heard about it.
My father-in-law and the Prince have never been amicable, but General Cao is close to my wife’s family. The Prince’s magnanimity and prioritization of justice left in deep admiration.
Personally, I’m not one with great ambitions. Since becoming an official, I’ve achieved little but have shalessly regarded myself as a gentleman.
Court disputes don’t concern ; I act according to my conscience."
"I see, thank you for the reminder, Vice Minister Bai." Lu Qing nodded with a smile, "I had no intention of passing through here; it was only after hearing about the worsening floods in parts of Huazhou along the way that I decided to bring fellow brothers for a trip.
Since Shanqing Temple has always been deed a blessed land by the Holy Emperor, perhaps my fellow brothers could perform rituals to disperse the clouds and stop the rain?"
Bai Qihong paused, glancing at Zhu Yu and Yan Daoxin, but showed no courtesy towards Lu Qing, directly waving his hand, "The Prince’s kind intentions are appreciated, but I believe these rituals aren’t necessary.
Before I ca here to oversee work, the State Governnt had no solutions, and monks and Daoists were frequently invited; countless rites were held, with no effect.
Elsewhere in Huazhou is manageable, but this area is urgently critical; the people are nearly starving, and if the accumulated water here isn’t drained quickly, lives could be at risk. There’s no ti or resources to waste on such matters.
Thus, the Prince’s goodwill is acknowledged by on behalf of the people, but the rituals can be skipped."
"On our way here, the condition in Huazhou, as Vice Minister Bai stated, is indeed most severe only in this area." Lu Qing showed a compliant attitude and asked, "Could there be sothing particular about this region?"
"The Prince may not know; Huazhou’s territory is half flat and half mountainous, and this place lies in the mountainous area near Shuo Country.
The terrain here is extrely low-lying, surrounded by a mountain and several ridges. As long as the wind direction is unfavorable and blows the clouds over the mountain into this encircled area, they can’t get out, and only once the rain thoroughly dissipates can it be considered over.
This year, unfortunately, the wind consistently blows here, keeping the clouds from dispersing, resulting in nearly continuous rain."
Bai Qihong, being straightforward, has been troubled by the channel construction in Huazhou for a long ti. Previously, no one took him seriously, so when Lu Qing inquired, he couldn’t help but vent his grievances, "Two or three years ago, I submitted a petition to the Holy Emperor requesting permission to construct channels in Huazhou.
Huazhou usually lacks water, limiting agricultural production, leading to unsatisfactory harvests. Its unique terrain causes flood risks in unfavorable wind years, requiring channel construction for water managent.
In droughts, water can be channeled from the rainy Li State to arid areas in Huazhou, solving farming issues.
During floods, channels help drain excess water, avoiding agricultural losses.
However, Huazhou never had major floods in the past, only occasional droughts without significant problems, so the proposal was dismissed, and my father-in-law advised against pursuing it.
Yet, delaying for so long this year, the continuous rain finally prompted the Holy Emperor to approve, allowing to lead the channel construction here...
But now it seems it might not be ready in ti!"
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