Accidentally dressed as an empress

Chapter 215: Building a Dam

Funding was a problem, but finding and diverting the water source remained a daunting task. Yunxiu, along with experienced elders and craftsmen familiar with hydrology, journeyed over mountains and through deep forests.

They were looking for suitable water sources. Some rivers seemed to have abundant water, but were difficult to drain due to the high terrain; some water sources were close to farmland, but the water quality was turbid and not conducive to irrigation.

After countless surveys and discussions, we finally found a more ideal water source.

However, precisely directing the river water to the farmland required meticulous planning of the canal's route. The complex terrain, with its interlaced valleys and rolling hills, required avoiding hard rock layers and difficult-to-dig clay areas, while also ensuring the canal had a sufficient slope to allow the water to flow smoothly. Yunxiu personally participated in the measurements and calculations, poring over the blueprints day and night.

Yunxiu also led a group of experienced elders and craftsmen familiar with hydrology to search around this vast area.

They traveled through the mountains and explored every stream and spring in person.

Some water sources seem to have abundant water, but the elderly said that the flow rate drops sharply during the dry season and cannot meet the needs of large-scale irrigation; some water sources are located in remote areas and are extremely low-lying, and they need to travel a long distance to divert water to farmland.

After repeated investigations, Yunxiu finally identified a river with stable water volume and relatively easy drainage as its main water source.

After determining the water source, the planning and excavation of the canal is even more challenging.

The area has crisscrossing valleys and undulating hills, and the geological structure is extremely complex.

When digging a water diversion channel, one must avoid the iron-hard rock layer and bypass areas with loose soil to prevent leakage or even collapse after the channel is built.

During the construction process, new technical difficulties arose. Halfway through the excavation, they encountered a unique stratum where the soil was mixed with a large amount of gravel, which was easily damaged by ordinary hoes and shovels.

The craftsmen looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

After calm thinking, Yunxiu called everyone together for brainstorming and finally decided to use a special digging tool.

Yunxiu instructed Zhong Yi to draw the blueprints and asked blacksmiths to make tools according to the blueprints.

The front end of this tool is sharp and can easily penetrate the gravel layer, while the rear end has a reinforced iron ring, which facilitates force and greatly improves excavation efficiency.

When the canal extends to a low-lying area, how to ensure smooth water flow becomes a key issue.

If excavation is done directly, the water flow will be too fast and will wash away the channel; if the slope is slowed down, it may cause water accumulation or even backflow.

Yunxiu pondered and, drawing on the experience of water conservancy projects in other regions, proposed a stepped canal design.

A multi-step drop is set up in the low-lying area, and each step has a special buffer device, which can not only slow down the water flow but also guide the water flow to pass in an orderly manner.

After the plan was determined, how to reasonably arrange working time so that the progress of the project was not affected became an urgent problem to be solved.

Although the people were enthusiastic, they were also busy with farm work and trivial matters at home.

Moreover, different construction links require labor with different skills and physical strength. Digging canals requires strong young men, while building dams requires patient, meticulous and experienced craftsmen.

Yunxiu sent guards to understand the situation of each household, formulated a detailed work plan, and divided the people into groups and teams to take turns working.

At the same time, in order to boost morale, he also set up a simple canteen on the construction site to provide sufficient food for the working people so that they could recover their strength after hard work.

During the construction process, the transportation of materials is also a major challenge. The large amount of stone and wood needed to build water conservancy facilities are often produced far away from the construction site.

Yunxiu organized the people to widen mountain roads and strengthen bridges. At the same time, he invented some simple means of transportation, such as using rollers and ropes to move boulders to reduce manpower consumption.

During the construction of the water conservancy facilities, Yunxiu sat down with the craftsmen to discuss how to solve the problem of water flow guidance in a complex bend.

An experienced old craftsman frowned and said, "Sir, the water in this bend is very fast. If we repair it according to the conventional method, it will definitely break the embankment. In my opinion, we should build a half-moon embankment on the inside of the bend, using large stones to cushion the impact of the water."

Yunxiu pondered for a moment and then responded, "Master, your idea makes sense, but mining and stacking these large stones is quite difficult and expensive. Is there any other alternative?"

At this moment, a young craftsman had an idea and said, "Sir, can we use bamboo baskets filled with small stones to replace some of the large stones? Bamboo baskets are flexible and can better adapt to changes in the water flow. They are also easy to obtain and can be made quickly."

Yunxiu's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, but the durability of the bamboo cage still needs to be verified. Let's make some samples first and place them in the water for a few days to observe."

When the construction reached the critical part of building the aqueduct, Yunxiu had an argument with the craftsmen responsible for the engineering structure.

The craftsmen insisted on the traditional wooden structure: "Sir, wooden aqueducts are what we are best at. The craftsmanship is mature and it can be built quickly."

Yunxiu said worriedly, "But the climate here is humid, and wood rots easily. This aqueduct is going to be used for a long time, and I'm afraid the wood won't last."

The craftsman said, "Sir, we can apply tung oil on the wood surface to prevent corrosion and maintain it regularly."

Yun Xiu shook her head. "This isn't a long-term solution after all. I've heard there's a method for building a stone arch aqueduct. While it's more difficult, it's sturdy and durable. Is it worth trying?"

The craftsman looked embarrassed and said, "Sir, we have never built a stone arch aqueduct before. If it fails, it will delay the construction schedule."

Yunxiu encouraged him, "Because we've never tried this before, we need to take on the challenge even more. I'll ask experienced craftsmen from other places to provide guidance. With everyone working together, we'll definitely be able to overcome this difficulty."

While dredging a water source, a laborer came to Yunxiu and complained, "Sir, this silt is so smelly and deep. We dig with our hoes for half a day and still can't dig up much. This work is too hard."

Yunxiu smiled and consoled, "Everyone, only when the silt is cleared can the water source be clean and the water flow be unimpeded. I've already arranged for someone to find some lighter digging tools, and I'll give you all some extra pay for your hard work."

After hearing this, the laborers became more motivated: "Since your Excellency has said so, we will grit our teeth and persevere. We just hope that the water conservancy project will be repaired soon."

Yunxiu went on, "Fellow villagers, this water conservancy project is our long-term plan. Although it is hard work now, we will be able to live a good life in the future. Once the water source is clear and the water can flow smoothly to the fields, our crops will surely have a good harvest, and every household will have full granaries." The laborers nodded one after another.

Not long after, Yunxiu brought lightweight digging tools, and efficiency was indeed improved.

But a new situation arose. During the dredging process, a spring was discovered, and water continued to gush out, making it difficult to continue the silt cleaning work.

Yunxiu quickly gathered everyone to discuss the matter. An elder said, "Sir, the elders have said that in this situation, we need to drain the spring first. We need to divert the water from this spring to another place and then plug it after the silt removal is completed."

Yunxiu pondered for a moment and asked, "Then how can we drain the water safely? What kind of material should be used for the drainage pipe?"

A craftsman replied, "Sir, we can make pipes out of fired clay. We can use local materials to make them, but firing them will take some time."

Yunxiu made a decisive decision: "Then we will immediately arrange for people to make clay pipes, and the rest of the people will first build a temporary dam around the spring to slow the water flow."

Finally, the clay pipe was fired, and everyone worked together to drain the spring and successfully completed the dredging work.

Before the snow fell, the entire water conservancy project was gradually coming to an end. Yunxiu looked at the facilities that had begun to take shape and said to the craftsmen and laborers around him, "Everyone, we have overcome countless difficulties.

Once completed, this water conservancy facility will not only protect us from droughts and floods, but will also make our land more fertile. Future generations will remember your contributions."

"It's all thanks to the governor!"

Yunxiu humbly responded, "This wasn't just my accomplishment. It was the concerted efforts of all the craftsmen and laborers, who braved the hardships and hardships that enabled this project to be successfully completed."

An old farmer stepped forward and said excitedly, "Sir, I've lived most of my life and have never seen such a large and sophisticated water conservancy project. In the past, during the dry season, my family could only watch helplessly as our crops withered; then during the rainy season, floods destroyed everything. Now that we have this guarantee, we no longer have to worry. I will definitely plant more food this year."

The young man next to him excitedly chimed in, "Sir, with this water conservancy project, the village elders say we can reclaim more land and raise fish and shrimp. Our lives will definitely get better and better. Also, I heard people from other places envy us and want to come and learn our construction skills."

Yunxiu listened to everyone's words, feeling relieved. "Everyone must take good care of this water diversion channel in the future, and the embankment must be cleaned regularly to prevent silt blockage."

The villagers nodded quickly: "Don't worry, sir, we will cherish it even more."

Yunxiu smiled and said, "That's great."