Wubei Zhi (Vol. 60)

Feng and Si Referring to Fengyang and Sizhou, locations of the Ming imperial ancestral tombs. cannot avoid being re-lacquered A likely euphemism for repairing flood damage to the imperial tombs or official structures..

The High Dike original: "Gaoyan" is situated in the southwest corner of Huai'an City, forty li About 13 miles or 20 kilometers. from the prefectural seat. The area inside the dike comprises the northwestern townships of Shanyang County, land often described as "rich and fertile." Outside the dike lie the Hao, Lao, and Hongze lakes. The Huai River waters flow from Feng and Si, merging with the waters of these various lakes. They exit through the Clear Mouth original: "Qingkou", meeting the Yellow River, passing through Andong County, and exiting through the Cloud Ladder Pass original: "Yunti Guan" to reach the sea. This has been the natural course of the waters from the time of Yu the GreatThe legendary monarch credited with establishing flood control in ancient China. until today. Beyond the dike, there remains about a li of dry land; however, when the Huai River swells, the water reaches the very base of the dike. There are no records of the dike prior to the Qin and Zhou dynasties. History records that Chen DengA Han Dynasty general and governor known for his agricultural and hydraulic projects. of the Han Dynasty first built the dike to defend against the Huai River. In our current dynasty, the Earl of Pingjiang, Chen XuanA master engineer (1365–1433) who revolutionized the Grand Canal system., performed extensive repairs. For over a hundred years, the regions of Huai and Yang Huai'an and Yangzhou. relied on this for their peace. However, over the years, the structure has eroded. Furthermore, private traders, seeking speed and wanting to avoid the inspections and delays at the customs passes, often secretly breach the dike. This continued until the Longqing era 1567–1572 CE....