Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 104 The Battle of the Canal

Linqing Prefecture, canal wharf.

As dawn broke, the docks were already bustling with activity.

More than 500 laborers were divided into ten teams, each with their own task. Some were moving timber, some were operating pulleys, and some were driving barges.

Lu Yan stood on the high platform of the dock, overlooking the entire construction site.

"Master, the first batch of imperial timber has been loaded onto the ship and is ready to depart at any time."

Zhao Tie stepped forward, looking exhausted, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.

How many are there in total?

"Twelve. Six catamarans, two per vessel."

Lu Yan nodded.

"Alright. Pass down the order: begin transport!"

As the horn sounded, six catamarans slowly sailed away from the dock and headed north.

Lu Yan jumped onto a small boat and followed behind the fleet.

Zhao Changying led twenty guards, who boarded two fast boats and escorted the fleet on both sides.

"Master, you don't need to go yourself, just let your subordinates go," Zhao Changying said.

"No." Lu Yan shook his head. "The first batch of imperial timber must be handled flawlessly. I have to oversee it personally."

The fleet sailed slowly northward along the canal, at a steady pace.

The design of the catamaran flat-bottomed boat proved effective, with a draft of only three feet, allowing it to navigate smoothly even in shallow waters.

"Master, your boat design is truly ingenious," Zhao Tie exclaimed, standing beside Lu Yan. "Shallow draft, heavy load capacity, and incredibly stable. Much better than those old-fashioned barges."

"This is not my achievement; it's all thanks to you all for building it well," Lu Yan said with a smile.

"The employer is too modest," Zhao Tie said with a simple smile. "Without the employer's blueprints, how could we possibly build it?"

The fleet continued its journey without incident.

But Lu Yan felt a vague unease in his heart.

He looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds gathering on the western horizon.

"Zhao Tie, look at the clouds over there."

Zhao Tie followed his gaze and his expression changed slightly.

"Master, it seems a storm is brewing."

"Pass down the order: speed up. Try to reach the sheltered area ahead before the wind picks up."

"yes!"

Upon receiving the order, the fleet quickened its pace.

But the dark clouds arrived faster than expected.

In less than half an hour, a strong wind suddenly arose, and white waves rose up on the river.

"Oh no!" Zhao Tie shouted, "Master, the wind is too strong, the boat is going to capsize!"

Lu Yan looked closely and saw that the last catamaran in the fleet was rocking violently.

The ship was carrying two of the largest imperial timbers, weighing over 20,000 jin (approximately 10,000 kg). With the rise of wind and waves, the ship lost its balance and began to tilt to one side.

"Quick! Go to the rescue!"

Lu Yan shouted.

But it was too late.

With a loud crash, the catamaran capsized. Two logs rolled into the water, sending spray flying high into the air.

"The royal tree has fallen into the water!"

"Quickly retrieve it! Quickly retrieve it!"

Chaos erupted at the dock.

Lu Yan remained unusually calm.

"Zhao Changying!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Take men to salvage the royal wood. Lasso it with ropes and drag it to the shore."

"yes!"

"Zhao Tie!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Go and fetch the spare barges to move the rest of the imperial timber to a safe location."

"yes!"

"Manager Hu!"

"I'm here!"

"Go and inform the people along the riverbank to help with the salvage. A reward of ten taels of silver will be given for each piece salvaged."

"yes!"

Orders were issued one by one, and everyone performed their duties, working busily but without chaos.

Lu Yan personally jumped onto a small boat and rushed towards the fallen Huang Mu.

"Master, danger!" Zhao Changying shouted.

"Stop talking nonsense! Come with me!"

Amidst the wind and waves, Lu Yan's small boat rocked violently, nearly capsizing several times. But he clung tightly to the gunwale, inching closer to Huang Mu.

"Put on a rope!"

Several laborers who were good swimmers jumped into the water and tied ropes to the royal tree.

"pull!"

With the combined efforts of more than a dozen people, the royal log was slowly dragged toward the shore.

One, two...

After a full day and night of work, the two pieces of royal wood that had fallen into the water were finally salvaged.

Lu Yan was soaked to the bone and exhausted, but his eyes showed relief.

"Master, the royal timber has all been salvaged," Zhao Changying stepped forward. "It's been soaked in water, though; we don't know if it's still usable."

Lu Yan walked up to the royal wood and examined it carefully.

Golden nanmu wood is hard, water-resistant, and rot-resistant. After soaking for a day and a night, although the surface turned slightly black, the inside remained intact.

"It works." He breathed a sigh of relief. "After drying, it'll be just like new."

"That's good, that's good." Zhao Changying also breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Yan turned around and looked at everyone.

"You've all worked hard. Tonight, each of you will be rewarded with one tael of silver. Get some rest. We'll continue our journey tomorrow."

"Thank you, boss!"

The crowd cheered in unison.

……

That night, Lu Yan sat alone in the cabin and, by the light of an oil lamp, wrote a detailed accident report.

"On the eighth day of the second month of the third year of the Tianqi reign (1624), the imperial timber fleet encountered a strong wind while sailing north of Linqing. Due to the excessive wind force, one barge capsized, and two imperial timbers fell into the water."

"Your subject, Lu Yan, handled the situation in a critical moment, directing the salvage operation and utilizing backup barges for transport. After a day and a night, the danger was finally averted."

"This accident was caused by a natural disaster, beyond human control. Fortunately, thanks to His Majesty's great blessings, the imperial timber suffered minimal damage; only the surface was slightly waterlogged, while the interior remained intact."

"Your subject, Lu Yan, is filled with trepidation and respectfully submits this memorial."

He put down his pen, looked at the report, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

This report is written with great skill.

First, shift the blame to "natural disasters," emphasizing that they are "beyond human control." This way, even if someone investigates, they won't be held responsible.

Secondly, highlight your "response to the crisis" and "turning danger into safety," emphasizing your own contributions.

Finally, use "May His Majesty be blessed" to flatter the emperor and make him feel good.

He had written countless such official documents in his previous life within the system, and was already very familiar with them.

"Master."

Zhao Changying pushed open the door and entered.

"The fleet is all settled in, and we can continue our journey first thing tomorrow morning."

"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "You should go and get some rest too. You've worked hard these past few days."

"It wasn't hard on me," Zhao Changying hesitated for a moment before saying, "Master, it was too dangerous for you to personally go into the water to retrieve the imperial timber today. In the future, let me handle these kinds of tasks."

Lu Yan smiled.

"Changying, do you know why I went in person?"

"I am unaware."

"Because this batch of imperial timber is crucial to our future," Lu Yan said. "If anything goes wrong with the timber, Liu Cheng will blame us, and Wei Zhongxian will blame Liu Cheng. Then all our efforts will have been in vain."

"Therefore, I must personally oversee the process to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Zhao Changying was silent for a moment, then solemnly said:

"Rest assured, Master, I understand. From now on, no matter what happens, I will protect you with my life."

"Okay." Lu Yan patted him on the shoulder. "Go and rest."

After Zhao Changying left, Lu Yan sat alone in the cabin, looking at the night sky outside the window.

The wind has stopped, and the stars are twinkling in the sky.

"First hurdle passed."

He muttered to himself.

"Next, we'll see if the delivery can proceed smoothly."