Li Xianyun and Sang Yanlin discussed the details and then came out of the house.
Sang Yanlin personally selected five or six capable and meticulous individuals for Li Xianyun, who also had some knowledge of geology and irrigation.
When Li Xianyun arrived in the Northern Region with his party, he saw the group from the day before digging canals; they were using spades that appeared to be brought from their own homes rather than being uniformly supplied.
A smile curved at the corners of Li Xianyun's mouth; Yelu Yan really did have a way with managing people.
These people hadn't committed any unforgivable errors; imprisoning them was a waste of the food in the jails. It would be better to punish them by having them do something practical, allowing them to redeem themselves by digging canals—thereby saving on the labor needed for digging.