CHAPTER 998: CHAPTER 955: ARISTOCRATIC FAMILIES AND PRESTIGE

"Don’t worry, Xingba said his family will soon relocate from Yizhou to Ye City, and they’ll bring along a good water management family," Lub Su said with a cheerful smile, "Their family’s legacy is centered around water management, proven by their historical accomplishments."

"Yizhou?" Chen Xi furrowed his brows, "Is there still a water management family in Yizhou? Really?"

"You’re confused again. Yizhou indeed had a famous figure in water management, the Lord of Sichuan, Li Bing!" Li Youu looked at Chen Xi with a helpless expression and said, sometimes Chen Xi seemed so dazed that he forgot even basic knowledge.

"Although their family should be originally from Guanzhong, they moved to Sichuan and Shu during the chaos at the end of Qin, four hundred years ago, under the protection of their ancestors, thriving for a millennium!" Jia Xu slowly chimed in.

"If you talk about which family in the world combines flood control, irrigation, and navigation into an integrated water management experience, it’s likely only this family. But who knows how much of their ancestral skills the current generation possesses?" Liu Ye said solemnly, the brilliance of Dujiangyan is known worldwide.

The so-called Land of Abundance was created by Li Bing from the chaotic Ancient Shu, either flooded or drought-stricken, known as the Red Basin and Mireland. He transformed it forcefully into a Heavenly Palace, unmatched in water management throughout history given equal technical conditions.

Chen Xi soon realized he should have known the family Lub Su and others were talking about. Dujiangyan is indeed an artificial structure terrifyingly effective even 2200 years later, surpassing even the Great Wall.

"Is this family still around?" Chen Xi asked incredulously.

"How could they not be around? Only four hundred years have passed; how could they disappear? If the Lord of Sichuan, Li Bing, couldn’t protect his descendants for even four hundred years, how much would his successors have sinned?" Fa Zheng said sarcastically, looking at Chen Xi.

In this era that highly respects the ancients, seeing face saved for the ancestors occurs often, like the means Li Bing used to transform Mireland into a Heavenly Palace, his descendants, if slightly sensible, indeed could enjoy protection for centuries.

"Then I truly want to see them for myself," Chen Xi said with a serious nod. If someone of ancestral caliber appeared in this family now, building a Grand Canal integrating flood control, irrigation, and navigation might not be impossible!

"Don’t get too optimistic. Xingba sent word that the family has few remaining members, and among them, only an elder slightly grasps the ancestral knowledge, merely a tenuous grasp. After all, without practical involvement, no one knows their true ability," Lub Su bluntly shattered Chen Xi’s fantasy.

"There haven’t been such massive water conservancy projects to attempt, so it’s hard to ascertain their skills precisely, whether five-tenths or one-tenth, or surpassing their ancestors, who knows?" Guo Jia said casually; without trials, reliability remains unknown!

"Whether or not they’re competent, let’s welcome them with high standards once, believe they’ll give their best," Chen Xi chuckled and said, regardless of how much ancestral capability they inherited, as long as the family remains, the detailed records of Li Bing constructing Dujiangyan must exist.

That is the true capital for a family to settle and thrive, regardless of fluctuating fortunes. As long as this capital is intact, combined with the ancestors’ fame, the peak era of water infrastructure will surely utilize it.

"They’ll definitely exert themselves fully; Xingba mentioned that our plans to construct large-scale water facilities prompted their self-recommendation," Lub Su said laughingly.

This is the benefit of reputation, their fame is widespread enough that talents from remote areas come to join. Similarly, having the ancestor’s fame for protection means hearing their self-recommendation inspires no doubt about their capabilities, after Lord of Sichuan, Li Bing, this is a resounding name.

"This is truly good news. Send them more clever apprentices at the time," Chen Xi smiled and said.

Huaxia has never lacked geniuses; by searching extensively, unexpected results inevitably arise. Like Chen Xi never expected Li Bing’s descendants would be willing to lend a hand, no matter the intention, hearing the ancestor’s name truly reassures!

Chen Xi also understood why in ancient times, aristocratic families tended to leave some face unless absolutely necessary; this face, in fact, is not given to the other, but to their ancestors, whose glory truly shields families.

Hearing Li Bing’s descendants gives confidence in their water management skills; hearing Confucius’ descendants assures faith in etiquette; hearing Mencius’ descendants promises admiration for character and morality—this is ancestral glory’s protection!

"Zichuan, what are you contemplating?" Seeing Chen Xi suddenly silent, Guo Jia thought he had concerns, so he asked with a smile.

"I’m thinking about what legacy I need to leave my descendants to protect them for a millennium," Chen Xi said, looking up at the group.

"Leave your wisdom behind," Jia Xu said with a laugh, "Unfortunately, the most troubling issue for predecessors is despite leaving all manners and wisdom sufficient to protect a family for a millennium, descendants can’t follow or understand, plus doctrine constantly shifts. Unable to see through thousand-year epochs, who can truly achieve protection for future generations?"

"I was indeed arrogant," Chen Xi said with a faint smile, then recalled a saying, bringing a hint of mocking on his face, "But seeing through thousand-year epochs isn’t completely impossible."

The entire room was tongue-tied, looking at Chen Xi as if they had seen a ghost. Although Chen Xi had moments of arrogance, to blatantly declare such a thing was indeed excessive.

"Hahaha, surprised, right? Remember this: all history is contemporary history; everything we do is merely repetition," Chen Xi laughed, observing the group’s expressions.

Regarding safeguarding offspring for a millennium, Chen Xi had already tossed it aside; an old saying goes: ’Children have their own fortune,’ descendants naturally have their own Vitality Number. If they wallow in luxury, even if Chen Xi leaves everything, it’s meaningless, likewise, if they strive tirelessly, even without leaving anything, they will achieve all they should.

"That saying has quite a point," Li Youu said with a smile, "Seeing through thousand-year epochs, reflecting on history, one can indeed see many things, like Zichuan you mentioned about dynastic cycles, and how we might break free from this Five Element cyclical recurrence."

"I haven’t figured it all out yet; I can only advance bit by bit. As for breaking free from that cycle, it is truly very difficult; at least now, I have only glimpsed a bit, whether I can achieve it remains unknown, Lord Xuande hasn’t reached that level yet!" Chen Xi said with a sigh in his tone. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)