There seems to be a touch of playfulness in every line of King Xuan's words.
Xiao Yuan looked at it and smiled slightly.
Seeing this, Liu Yuzhi was somewhat curious: "Your Majesty, I don't know what is in this letter to declare the king..."
"Oh, Xuan Guo is about to build water conservancy, and they want to second Mr. Zhang Jingrui to take charge of this fortification." Xiao Yuandao.
After hearing this, Liu Yuzhi immediately said: "Wei Chen suggested that we should help declare the country. This matter can also further promote the relationship between the two countries."
Xiao Yuan smiled and said: "This is what I think. Then please go to Mr. Zhang and ask him to come over when the Prime Minister returns home."
"Yes, if there's nothing else to do, I'll leave first."
"Well, go ahead."
Liu Yuzhi bowed and retreated.
More than half an hour later.
After receiving the news, Zhang Jingrui hurried over. As soon as he arrived in the study, he naturally saluted first: "I am here to see the King. I wonder what the King has ordered after being summoned."
"Get up and talk." Xiao Yuan looked him up and down. He was still the same as before, dressed in standard civil official attire and with a well-groomed beard.
After looking at it, he also asked casually: "Master Zhang, you haven't been too busy with official work recently, right?"
"This is good." Zhang Jingrui lowered his body slightly and stood respectfully below.
"That's it." Xiao Yuan got to the point: "Xuanguo is about to build a water conservancy project. King Xuan also sent a letter just now. He wants to ask Mr. Zhang to come over and help them make suggestions and plans. Take a look. See how to fix it.”
"Ah?" Zhang Jingrui was obviously a little confused, and then he said with a puzzled face: "But Your Majesty, once I leave, the Ministry of Household Affairs..."
"Don't worry about this. I will send someone to take over temporarily. When the fortifications are completed, you can return to work." After Xiao Yuan finished speaking, seeing that Zhang Jingrui was still a little confused, he said seriously: "Master Zhang, you also know that we will follow The relationship between Xuanguo and Xuanguo is unpleasant to say the least. If Xuanguo hadn’t helped to lock the border and cut off the coalition’s supply lines during this war, we would have been in big trouble!”
"Now, a letter written by King Xuan has arrived. We have to help with this."
"This..." Zhang Jingrui paused and said, "Yes, your Majesty is right. As far as the country is concerned, I should go all out."
"Yes." Seeing his agreement, Xiao Yuan looked very happy: "This is a big thing. If it is done, the Xuan Kingdom will also thank Master Zhang. In terms of diplomatic relations, this is a contribution to the Qin State."
"I understand." Zhang Jingrui no longer hesitated and began to speak seriously: "I just don't know how Xuanguo plans to build it and what their water conservancy project requirements are. Knowing this, I can make some preparations in advance."
King Xuan mentioned the general outline of the matter at the end of his letter.
Xiao Yuandao: "It should be to build a large canal in Tongzhou, mainly for irrigating farmland. There have been many droughts in that place, and water conservancy has not been improved."
After saying that, he also started to search. After a while, he handed Zhang Jingrui a roll of maps and said: "This is the detailed map of Xuanguo. Later, I will ask someone to send the map of Tongzhou to you. After you go back, study it first. Rush to Xuandu as soon as possible to meet King Xuan."
"Wei Chen takes orders." Zhang Jingrui took the map and couldn't help but asked curiously: "Your Majesty, how come you have a detailed map of the Xuan Kingdom in your study?"
"Haha, this king has not only maps of the Xuan Kingdom, but also maps of all the countries in the world."
"The great king is so talented that the humble ministers admire him endlessly."
"Okay, go ahead." Xiao Yuan waved his hand.
"Yes, Wei Chen is resigning."
After leaving the palace and returning home, Zhang Jingrui dove into the study.
He is indeed a talent in water conservancy, and there is no problem in serving in the Ministry of Household Affairs. The fact that Xuan Guo wanted him by name also shows his talent.
After studying in the study for more than ten days, Zhang Jingrui began to meet with Xiao Yuan and then set off. However, for his own safety, Xiao Yuan not only sent some elite guardsmen, but also wrote back to King Xuan specifically to explain.
In fact, he was superfluous. Zhang Jingrui's official position was not low, and he came to help Xuan Guo with water conservancy. How could King Xuan let anything happen to him? He must have been very considerate in protecting him.
After more than ten days, Zhang Jingrui arrived in Xuanzhou.
The person in charge of receiving him was Wang Su. When the two parties met, they naturally exchanged polite greetings, and then they were invited into the reception area, where they were given wine and a banquet to warm him up.
On the next day, Zhang Jingrui changed into clean clothes and dressed decently before following Wang Su into the Xuanguo court.
In the court meeting hall, he stretched out his sleeves and robes, bowed his hands, bent down and gave a deep salute: "Foreign Minister Zhang Jingrui, I have met His Royal Highness King Xuan."
His etiquette was in place and his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. King Xuan smiled slightly, raised his hand slightly and said: "Master Zhang, no courtesy. This time I rushed to Xuanguo. It was a bumpy journey and the boat and carriage were tiring."
"Your Majesty, your words are serious." Zhang Jingrui returned politely.
King Xuan kept smiling: "Presumably, King Qin has informed Mr. Zhang of some matters."
"Yes."
As soon as Zhang Jingrui finished speaking, a minister stood up and said directly: "In that case, I dare to ask you if you can make some plans for repairing the canal."
"Yes, on the way from Qinzhou to Xuanzhou, with Master Zhang's talent, he must have already made a plan, right?" someone else said.
Inviting a foreign minister to improve the country's water conservancy. Obviously, many ministers are doubtful and dissatisfied. Of course, jealousy is also inevitable.
Zhang Jingrui was well prepared for this and said calmly: "May I ask His Highness King Xuan whether Tongzhou is the main focus on the big river canal."
"Yes, there are many droughts in Tongzhou, the rivers are blocked, and water sources are scarce. Once the sky is dry, it will be a famine year." King Xuan said slightly worried.
Zhang Jingrui nodded, "Then, can you show me a detailed map of the mountains and rivers in Tongzhou, so that I can explain it in detail to His Highness and your Lordships?"
King Xuan didn't say anything, he just raised his voice and shouted: "Come here, take the picture above!"
"Promise." An attendant responded and immediately turned around and left. Not long after, a detailed map of Tongzhou's mountains and rivers had been fetched and spread out in the center of the hall.
The picture is large and very detailed.
King Xuan stood up from the throne and walked down. The ministers on the left and right also gathered around Tu Qian.
Zhang Jingrui had studied this picture for a long time. He squatted on the ground and took a general glance at it. After confirming that it was correct, he pointed directly to a place: "Here, there is an ancient river before Tongzhou. Although it has dried up long ago, it is suitable for In the construction of river canals.”
"Along here, passing through Meixian, Yunlin, Fucheng and other places, it reaches Huai'an, then from Huai'an, through Xingyang, and ends at Changling."
While speaking, his finger also drew a winding line on the map, and said: "Of course, this is only a preliminary plan. If the canal is built according to this, it will not only irrigate Tongzhou, but also the other three counties." ."
"However, in the opinion of foreign ministers, it is best that the starting point of this large river channel is not in Tongzhou, but in the Yujiang River in Yuzhou, in order to divert water from the south to the north. Otherwise, there will be insufficient water resources."
