The palace lanterns hung high in the Crown Prince's Mansion were as bright as fire.
There were two carriages parked outside the mansion, and the four walls were covered with dark carriage clothes.
In one of the carriages, two middle-aged men were sitting.
One person is fat, has a white face and no beard, is gorgeously dressed, has slightly swollen eye bags, but his eyes are quite sharp.
This person was the leader of the Korean envoys to Da Qin, Yuhou Han Yi.
The other person has a square face, slit eyes, a short nose and a long philtrum, thick lips, a short stature, a bronze complexion that looks very healthy, and wears a brown robe with only a piece of cloth tied around his waist. He is a water worker.
Zheng Guo.
This man studied mathematics and mathematics intensively and was a master craftsman of water conservancy projects in his time.
Han Yi was teaching earnestly and enlightening Zheng Guo: "Qin Chu Zhao Huaizhong is very important to the purpose of our trip. This person may be the master of Qin in the future.
If we can convince him and Lu Buwei, our trip will be more than half successful."
"I won't get off the car later. Mr. Zheng, please remember what you said before and be sure not to say anything wrong. Just say that you are visiting alone to offer advice to the people of Qin. Building water conservancy can help the people of Qin solve their worries."
Qin's location lacks plains, making it difficult to cultivate farmland and producing insufficient grain.
Your suggestions will be very attractive to the people of Qin."
Zheng Guo said worriedly: "If this plan is successful, it will indeed give us Koreans a chance to breathe, but what will happen in a few years? If the Qin people really build water conservancy, when it is completed, our Koreans will be in danger, and I am afraid that there will be no more people in the world."
People can stop the Qin people from marching eastward."
Han Yi's eyes turned sharp and he said angrily: "We don't know what you said, but if we don't follow this plan, a catastrophe is just around the corner."
Then he took a breath and said, "If the Qin people fall into the trap, we should unite with Zhao and Wei to strengthen ourselves. In a few years, we may not have the chance to stop the Qin people from going east."
Zheng Guo was silent for a long time before letting out a sigh.
Han Yi thought: "The Qin prince Zhao Huaizhong is still young and has been a hostage in Zhao for many years. It must be much easier to deal with than Lu Buwei. When you meet him, first give him the gift you are carrying to impress him.
Then take the opportunity to propose a surrender proposal.
We will use Qin Chu as a breakthrough point to open the Qin people's internal barriers and implement our plan."
In the history of China, the Koreans were forced by the Qin army and became increasingly decadent. When King Huan of Han was desperate, he adopted a so-called strategy of "tiring Qin".
The famous water conservancy engineer Zheng Guo was used as a spy to go to Qin to lobby for the construction of a large irrigation channel between Jingshui and Luoshui (North Luoshui, a tributary of Weishui).
On the surface, it is said that Qin's agriculture can be developed, but the real purpose is to consume Qin's strength and shift its focus to water conservancy construction, so that it can invade Korea flawlessly.
This strategy was successful to some extent.
Because the Qin people did accept Zheng Guo's suggestion and chose to build China's earliest large-scale water conservancy project, which took more than ten years to complete.
During this period, the Qin people devoted all their national efforts. At that time, the cost was huge, including manpower, material resources, and land. It indeed provided a breathing space for the Koreans.
But on the other hand, the construction of Zheng Guo Canal further strengthened the Qin State.
The Zhengguo Canal, which stretches for more than 300 miles, was completed, diverting the Jingshui River from the west to the Luoshui River in the east, instantly turning the barren land that was short of water into fertile farmland that could be irrigated, while also reducing the flooding on both sides of the Jingshui River.
Its existence turned the Guanzhong area into a fertile plain and became Qin's main grain-producing area at that time, laying a solid foundation for Qin to unify the six kingdoms.
The Qin State then wiped out the Han Dynasty and took the first step to unify the six countries.
The construction of the Zhengguo Canal gave the Qin people thousands of hectares of fertile farmland, and they could harvest an extra minute of grain from each mu of land.
According to the measurement units of the Qin State at that time, one bell was equivalent to ten cauldrons, one cauldron was equivalent to four areas, one area was equivalent to four beans, and one bean was equivalent to four liters.
In other words, the output of one acre of land is 640 liters.
You must know that at that time, the average yield per mu of land was only about a hundred liters. This increased by more than six times. In the fertile fields thousands of miles away, the grain output would be a quite astonishing figure.
There is almost no comparable place in the world.
Sufficient grain production, huge material reserves, and Guanzhong is no longer trapped by droughts and floods, which undoubtedly gives Da Qin no worries.
At this time, when Han Yi and Zheng Guo were discussing in a low voice in the car and just saying a few words, there were Koreans accompanying them beside the car and came to inform them that Qin Chu was inviting them.
Han Yi lowered his voice and said, "Sir, go ahead. I'm here waiting for good news from you."
Zheng Guo bowed, got out of the car, straightened his clothes, and walked into the Crown Prince's Mansion with his head held high.
He followed the chamberlain who led the way and walked all the way, but his heart was amazed by the layout and luxurious style of the prince's palace.
The Korean people's national power is declining, and in comparison, they are much shabby and crude.
As Zheng Guo moved forward, his thoughts were ups and downs, and he felt inexplicably that he was carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders.
As he was walking all the way in the Crown Prince's Mansion, he suddenly heard the sound of silk and bamboo wind music coming from ahead. The tune was beautiful, and a woman's voice was singing a cappella. Listening carefully made people forget about the world.
After a while, Zheng Guo's eyes lit up and he had arrived at the main hall of the Crown Prince's Mansion.
I saw a young man wearing a black robe, with a majestic and stern face, and a calm gaze with a formidable aura, sitting at the head of the hall.
There were several people sitting around him behind him, and they were obviously his bodyguards.
The scene in the palace was very lively. More than ten beautiful dancers from the prince's palace were dancing. The first woman was wearing a dark dress and a colorful skirt.
When Zheng Guo came in, the woman was singing:
"Si Si Kong Fu, six bridles in hand. The prince's charming son, follow the prince to hunt..."
The singing is melodious and the rhythm is wonderful.
Zhao Huaizhong was in the first place and looked at Yan Huansha who was singing. This girl knew that he wanted to listen to the music, so she dressed up and sang to please the music, and she sang with all her strength. It was really beautiful.
Zhao Huaizhong clapped his hands gently and raised the corners of his mouth.
Yan Huansha, who had just finished singing, had a long-awaited look in her eyes, her face was charming, her delicate face was slightly rosy, and when she peeked at Zhao Huaizhong, she looked enchanting.
Seeing Zheng Guo walking in, Zhao Huaizhong stood up slowly: "I heard Mr. Zheng's name a long time ago, and today I finally meet him."
Zheng Guo was a little confused. In the eyes of the Qin people, Han's status was declining, and he was just a water worker, far from the level that the prince of Qin could hear his name.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he came in, the prince stood up to greet him.
Zhao Huaizhong waved his hand for the dancer to retreat.
Zheng Guo sat down with a puzzled look on his face and sat down with Zhao Huaizhong.
While he was thinking about what to say, Zhao Huaizhong had already taken the initiative to ask: "Sir, what is the purpose of coming here?"
Zheng Guo thought for a while and then said the lines designed by Han Yi in advance:
"I am here to pay a private visit to the Crown Prince. I really have something I want to tell you."
There was no change in expression on Zhao Huaizhong's face, but the way he looked at Zheng Guo always gave Zheng Guo the illusion that the prince's eyes seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts and that he knew what he was going to say.
Zheng Guo was frightened by Zhao Huaizhong's momentum and suppressed the fluctuation in his heart before saying:
"As far as I know, Qin lacks fertile plain land, so its grain production is not rich, which greatly limits the development of Qin."
Zhao Huaizhong smiled and said: "Sir, you must have a good idea before you come here. Please speak out."
Zheng Guo was stunned. This was what he was going to say next. He used the previous words as a foreshadowing, and when he was about to offer his advice, he was overtaken by Zhao Huaizhong. He choked for a moment before continuing:
"The State of Zheng indeed has a strategy to offer to the crown prince. If my strategy can be implemented, it will relieve the Qin people's worries about lack of food and make Qin stronger."
Zhao Huaizhong had the teasing thought of stealing the show, and continued: "Sir, wait a minute, let me make a guess. Based on your expertise in water conservancy, I guess your plan must start with water conservancy, but you want to persuade me to study in Daqin."
Build water conservancy projects to gain more fertile land, thereby enriching the country and strengthening its military?"
Zheng Guo was stunned.
What's going on?
Before he opened his mouth, what he wanted to say was said by the prince again.
Zheng Guo held it in for a long time before spitting out two words: "Exactly."
He gathered his thoughts and said: "The prince is a great talent. What Zheng Guo wants to say is to build water conservancy to solve the problem of food shortage in Qin."
Zhao Huaizhong: "I would like to hear the details."
Zheng Guo's spirit perked up slightly, and he immediately began to explain in detail the benefits and specific measures of building water conservancy projects.
About half an hour later, when Zheng Guo came out of the Crown Prince's Mansion, he looked a little dizzy.
After he came out, he looked back at the Crown Prince's Mansion behind him.
Tonight's meeting with Zhao Huaizhong, the Crown Prince of Qin, he always felt that something was not right.
Returning to the carriage, Yuhou Han Yi, who had been waiting in the carriage without daring to show his head, couldn't wait to ask: "Why did Mr. Zheng come out so quickly? How is the situation?"
Has Chu Chu of Qin ever agreed to the plan proposed by Sir?"