Northern Song Dynasty Text Copyist

Chapter 12 is complete!

After finalizing the plan to deal with the drought, Shen Zhong'an knew that there was no time to lose and dared not delay.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, he took Liu Laocao to find Tang Geng, who was still sorting out the local customs and conditions. He told Tang Geng that he might have thought of a way to deal with the drought and that he needed to return to the county government immediately to inform Luo Shi, the county magistrate, and discuss whether it was feasible.

Upon hearing this, Tang Geng, disregarding the fact that the two had no apparent relationship, repeatedly tried to dissuade him.

"Registrar Shen, this matter should not be rushed."

We've only been in the countryside for a day, and have only gotten a general idea of ​​the drought situation in a few rural areas. We haven't even covered the entire county yet. Turning back now would be far too hasty.

Besides, drought relief concerns the livelihoods of everyone, and we cannot make hasty decisions. It would be better if we investigated all the townships and summarized the overall situation before returning to the government office to discuss it together.”

From Tang Geng's perspective, Shen Zhong'an passed the imperial examination at the young age of eighteen. It seems that he has devoted all his energy to studying the classics and preparing for the imperial examinations. As for agriculture, water conservancy, drought relief and disaster relief, he may not even be as good as Tang Geng, who comes from a scholarly family and has some knowledge of miscellaneous subjects.

His so-called measures to deal with the drought were probably just an excuse he made to avoid going back to the government office because he felt that going to the countryside to investigate the drought situation was too arduous and tiring.

Lord Luo Shi is a strict man who cannot tolerate such cunning and deceitful people. If Shen Zhong'an were to return to the county office to offer his advice, his career would likely face a major setback, if not an end due to this matter.

However, Shen Zhong'an had already made up his mind and had a real plan in mind, so Tang Geng could not persuade him.

"I appreciate your kindness, Brother Tang."

But the drought waits for no one. Every day of delay means more damage to the people's fields. The sooner a solution is offered, the greater the hope.

My mind is made up. I will return to the county government today. I will leave the remaining townships to you, Brother Tang. Thank you for your hard work.

Seeing that Shen Zhong'an's attitude was firm and he showed no sign of wavering, Tang Geng knew that further persuasion would be useless, so he could only nod helplessly.

"In that case, Registrar Shen, please return to the yamen first. I will do my best to investigate the drought situation in the remaining townships as planned and return to the yamen to meet you in time."

The two immediately parted ways, and Tang Geng, accompanied by his entourage, continued to visit the towns and villages they had not yet visited.

Shen Zhong'an, along with Liu Laocao, hurriedly rode towards the county government office.

However, he returned after only one day in the countryside. When the news reached Luo Shi, this pragmatic county magistrate was immediately displeased, as he detested those who were afraid of difficulties, avoided things, and were perfunctory.

When Shen Zhong'an first took office, he organized the messy warehouse documents into an orderly and meticulous manner, which Luo Shi secretly praised, thinking that he had gained a practical and capable subordinate. However, he never expected that he would be so hasty in returning after only the first time he was assigned to handle practical matters. This was truly unacceptable.

But when the yamen runners explained that Shen Zhong'an had returned to present a plan to deal with the drought, Luo Shi suppressed his anger and patiently summoned Shen Zhong'an into the yamen.

Luo Shi wanted to see what decent countermeasures Shen Zhong'an, a clerk who had passed the imperial examination at a young age, could come up with.

Shen Zhong'an entered the magistrate's hall and saw Luo Shi sitting upright at his desk, his face gloomy and his aura extremely low. He knew that Luo Shi was unhappy.

Before Luo Shi could speak, Shen Zhong'an bowed first.

"Your subordinate Shen Zhong'an greets Your Excellency."

"I heard that Registrar Shen found a solution to the drought in just one day during his trip to the countryside?"

Luo Shi didn't even lift his eyelids upon hearing this; his cold tone carried a hint of sarcasm and impatience.

"That's incredibly fast. Please, Registrar Shen, explain in detail. I'm all ears."

The dissatisfaction and doubt in those words were clear to everyone present.

Shen Zhong'an did not take Luo Shi's cold words to heart. He bowed slightly, composed himself, and spoke in a deep voice, clearly explaining the four strategies he had repeatedly considered last night.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, I have devised four strategies to address the drought situation in Chenliu County."

Firstly, parallel waterwheels are installed along the river, with six units per trough, allowing everyone to work together to lift water and irrigate the fields, which can alleviate drought in the fields near the river.

Secondly, shallow wells were dug on high ground, one every hundred steps, equipped with a well sweeper and a waterwheel for convenient water lifting, which also served remote high ground areas;

Thirdly, a tall water-lifting frame is installed, with a long wooden frame, a tall water-lifting wheel axle, and an extended bamboo tube. The lower end of the tube hangs down into deep water, and a small wing plate is added to the wheel. Even with only a weak water flow, the wheel can be driven to lift water.

Fourth, the method of loosening the soil and irrigating in holes should be adopted, and flood irrigation should be strictly prohibited to conserve water. This method can both retain soil moisture and save water resources, and is suitable for all types of farmland.

At first, Luo Shi remained indifferent and unconcerned, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. But as he listened, he gradually sat up straight, his brows relaxed, and the anger in his heart had long since dissipated. A hint of undisguised amazement even flashed in his eyes.

"Are all four of your strategies your own ideas?" Luo Shi asked impatiently the moment Shen Zhong'an finished speaking.

"My lord, all four strategies are based on classical texts."

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty records the use of waterwheels and well sweepers. The Treatise on Food and Commodities in the Book of Han records methods for irrigating fields. The Book of Fan Shengzhi details the techniques for loosening soil and conserving water. The Water Regulations of the Six Auxiliary Canals and the Water Department also record methods for lifting water to irrigate fields and using water rationally.

"I merely adapted these methods from ancient texts to suit the local conditions of Chenliu County, taking into account the drought situation there."

"If we use your four strategies, how long will it take to see results?"

"With all four strategies employed, the wheat seedlings will turn green in less than five days!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Shi immediately burst into laughter, his previous displeasure completely vanished.

"Hahaha! Excellent! Well done, Shen Zhong'an! Just as the world says, he is truly a genius! Well done! Well done!"

Luo Shixin was delighted, and Shen Zhong'an, seizing the opportunity, bowed and reported:

"Your Excellency, although these four policies can be based on ancient texts, they ultimately need to be tested in conjunction with local realities to confirm their suitability."

I humbly request that Your Excellency designate a location as a pilot site, employ the four strategies, and once the results are evident, then promote it throughout the county. This way, we can ensure absolute success.

"You're absolutely right, caution is the best policy..."

Luo Shi stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and nodded in agreement.

"Qilihe Village on the outskirts of the city is only a quarter of an hour away from the county government. The terrain is varied, with both riverside plots and dry fields on higher ground. It is suitable for the trial implementation of the four policies, so let's choose this place."

You may allocate the necessary manpower and resources as needed, and the county government will provide full cooperation.

Having obtained Luo Shi's permission, Shen Zhong'an dared not delay and immediately began to allocate manpower.

Three scribes were selected from the Registrar's Office to be responsible for measuring the acreage of drought-stricken fields, registering farmers' information, and compiling statistics.

Two capable officials were assigned to go to the countryside to explain the drought relief measures and supervise their implementation. At the same time, they were to contact the village head and household head to coordinate and organize the villagers to cooperate.

Four experienced carpenters and five handymen were summoned from the official workshops to prepare materials such as wood, bamboo tubes, and ropes to ensure the necessary equipment was modified.

He then requested the county magistrate to dispatch four archers to patrol the villages and prevent disputes among the people over water, so as to ensure the orderly progress of the trial work.

That afternoon, Shen Zhong'an led his men straight to Qilihe Village.

Shen Zhong'an had come with orders and acted swiftly. Upon arriving at the village, he decisively summoned three respected figures from the village—the village head, the head of the household, and the elder—and announced that Qilihe Village would be the pilot site for drought relief and seedling protection in Chenliu County, and that the previously proposed four-pronged irrigation method would be fully implemented.

"The drought is urgent, the crops are withered, and water is scarce. These four measures are specifically for drought relief, crop protection, and to save everyone's harvest. They are related to the livelihood of the entire village. I ask that you all cooperate wholeheartedly and without any shirking or negligence, and you must not secretly obstruct us."

After explaining his purpose, Shen Zhong'an took the opportunity to announce the conscription of villagers.

"Now, under the pretext of drought relief and seedling protection, each household will send one able-bodied person to participate in drought relief work."

Rest assured, everyone, the villagers are not working for nothing. The government will provide them with rations every day as a form of work relief, and will not treat them unfairly.

In addition, all civilians participating in drought relief will be temporarily exempted from miscellaneous duties for one month, which will also ease the burden on their families and allow everyone to contribute their efforts with peace of mind.

With such tangible benefits, and the fact that the work was being done right in the village, all in an effort to save their own wheat seedlings, even though a few villagers worried that Shen Zhong'an was too young to handle the responsibility, no one dared to cause trouble or shirk their duty.

In less than half an hour, the village head, the head of the household, and the elder, together with the village chief, gathered the villagers and selected 36 strong men from the 36 households in the village to assemble at the village entrance and await orders.

These four strategies are not ranked in any particular order and must be implemented simultaneously to achieve the fastest results.

Shen Zhong'an first selected eighteen strong men and handed them over to Liu Laocao for command.

"Old Liu, you often travel around the countryside and are familiar with the local waterways, so you should take the lead and guide these eighteen people to find the waterways."

Liu Laocao and the eighteen men bowed and accepted the order.

Eight more strong men were then assigned to accompany the county constable's archers to Guanshan.

"You will accompany the archers to Guanshan to cut down official bamboo, and prepare the bamboo and wood needed to improve the high-cylinder water lifting frame and parallel tippler as required. After returning, you will also assist the official carpenters in building and modifying the machinery. Do not delay."

The group responded in unison and immediately set off with the archers.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Zhong'an took out the blueprints for the machinery that he had stayed up all night drawing from his pocket and handed them to the four official carpenters who accompanied him.

"These are the blueprints for the improved water lifting frame and parallel tipper. Please study them carefully. If there is anything you don't understand, please write it down. I will explain it to you one by one later. Do not rush into doing it on your own."

The carpenters took the blueprints and immediately gathered together to examine them closely.

Finally, Shen Zhong'an led the remaining ten skilled farmers straight to the dry fields in the village.

Shen Zhong'an squatted down, picked up a small hoe from the side, and personally demonstrated the method of loosening soil and irrigating the hole. His movements were skillful and his explanation was easy to understand.

"To loosen the soil, use a small hoe to lightly hoe the surface of the wheat field. Do not go too deep. The purpose is to cut off the soil's air channels, prevent groundwater from being absorbed to the surface and evaporated, and preserve the little moisture that is under the soil."

For hole irrigation, dig a small hole about one inch deep next to the base of each wheat seedling, half an inch away from the roots, to avoid watering too close and rotting the roots. Pour half a ladle of water into the hole, and immediately cover it with soil after watering to allow the water to seep into the roots of the wheat seedlings.

A bucket of water, if used for flood irrigation, can only irrigate one-tenth of an acre, but by using spot irrigation, it can irrigate eight-tenths of an acre. Only by saving water in this way can more wheat fields be saved and the drought overcome.

The method itself is not difficult, but it takes a lot of effort to implement. Shen Zhong'an demonstrated it only twice, and the ten agricultural experts had already grasped the essentials.

These ten people served as team leaders, each leading thirty to fifty villagers to loosen the soil and dig holes for the wheat seedlings in designated areas.

With all matters properly arranged, Shen Zhong'an gave a command, and the entire village of Qilihe, young and old, men and women, sprang into action, creating a lively scene in the fields.

Liu Laocao divided the eighteen strong men into three teams of six, and they broke ground to dig wells at three locations with abundant water veins that he had selected.

Two men in the well were holding shovels, bending over to dig through the soil and clear away the rubble;

A simple wooden windlass was set up at the wellhead, and thick hemp ropes were tied to bamboo baskets. People above the well took turns working to turn the windlass and remove the soil from the well.

When they encountered hard soil, the group swung their pickaxes and worked hard to break through, sparks flying everywhere.

The well walls were reinforced with thick wooden planks as they were dug to prevent collapse and injury.

The water level in Chenliu was already shallow, and with Liu Laocao's accurate water-finding skills, within half a day, damp soil appeared at the bottom of the three wells, and the faint sound of water could be heard. Everyone's spirits were greatly lifted, and their enthusiasm increased.

By dusk, the three wells had taken shape. The deepest one was twelve feet deep, and the shallowest one was more than nine feet deep. Springs gushed from the bottom of each well, and the clear, sweet spring water slowly accumulated and submerged the bottom of the well.

Upon hearing the joyous news that all three wells had yielded spring water, the villagers dropped what they were doing, grabbed buckets and basins, and rushed to the three newly dug wells, their cheers echoing throughout the village.

With a water source available, the holes dug next to the wheat seedlings by ten skilled farmers and the villagers came in handy.

The women operated the well sweep and pulled the cart, methodically drawing water from the well.

The elderly people carefully carried wooden buckets and basins to transport the spring water to the fields.

The children waited by the hole, and after the adults poured water into the small hole at the base of the wheat seedlings, they immediately used their little hands to scoop up soil and cover the hole.

On the official carpentry side, Shen Zhong'an's drawings were simple and clear, with clear markings, and the modifications were mostly minor adjustments, not complicated.

The four carpenters pondered and discussed it carefully, and soon fully understood Shen Zhong'an's meaning.

Once the bamboo-cutting team returned fully loaded with official bamboo, the four men immediately got to work. Following the blueprints, they methodically modified and processed the overturning cart and the tall, connected water-lifting frame, planing wood, shaving bamboo, and binding it with skillful and efficient movements.

However, while it was easy to draw up a picture on paper, it took a long time to actually carry out the modification. It wasn't until noon the next day that the high-cylinder water lifting frame, modified according to Shen Zhong'an's request, was finally completed.

Under the curious yet expectant gazes of the villagers, the carpenters carried the modified tall, connected water-lifting frame to the riverbed, which had long since dried up and was now only covered by a thin layer of water clinging to the mud, and secured it securely.

A weak current of water gently pounded against the wheel rim, once, twice, three times, but the tall, connected water-lifting frame didn't budge an inch, three times, four times, five times...

The water flowed tirelessly for a full quarter of an hour before the wing plate finally began to rotate, causing the large wheel to slowly turn as well. The bamboo tube scooped up the river water and poured it steadily into the trough at the top. The water droplets flowed down the trough into the wheat field, and the parched and whitish land finally regained a glimmer of life.

Immediately following was the completion of the parallel rollover modification of the six sections in one tank.

When one tipper is working, the water flow is barely a thread, but when six tippers are working together, the sound of rushing water is incessant, and in a short time, several acres of land on the riverbank are soaked.

Six waterwheels running side-by-side along the riverbank ensure the safety of wheat fields, while high-cylinder water pumps allow water to flow to areas inaccessible to the waterwheels. Shallow wells and loose soil irrigation further encompass all wheat fields.

Just as Shen Zhong'an said, in just five days, all of the nearly 600 mu of wheat fields in Qilihe Village turned green again, without exception.

These four strategies for drought relief and seedling protection have been successfully implemented!