Son of the Most High, you demonstrate your paternal love in your calling on us to protect your children from these disastrous floods in North China. Your desire is for us to find ways to build up levees, dig new channels, and the like. It is absolutely vital for the harmony and the benefit of the people that my colleagues in the academy share in your love for the people. As the Master said in Book III.XXVI, “High office filled by men of narrow views, ritual performed without reverence, the forms of mourning observed without grief---these things I cannot bear to see.” What he meant was that we should not stop short at the literal symbols of Confucianism, but further concern ourselves with the tangible matters to purport the safety and well-being of our people. And so doing will show our love. The flooding of the Yellow River has caused tremendous loss of property and crop has caused starvation, forcing the people into banditry. The master said, “Of a ruler not only conferred wide benefits upon the common people, but also brought about the salvation of the whole state, such man would be regarded as a “divine sage.” To help the plight of the poor would be such a matter. We MUST send out officials trained in engineering out to the Yellow River and have them report back to us solutions. And we must work together to do this. For as Master Confucius said, “He who sets to work upon a different strand destroys the whole fabric.” Many of your Most High’s well-intentional advisors harass you with issues that are irrelevant to the real issues confronting the Ming dynasty. If each of us works on own strand, the garment will go awry. China is TORN. To mend it, it is essential that we work together supporting action for your children’s protection; for nobleness and good intentions, concerning the Li is meaningless if we continue to miss opportunities in effectiveness. Virtuous rule, according to the Master, requires that the rule attends to the problems of the people, that he guarantees their safety and wellbeing. If there is not the money to pay for these engineers, we must reform the tax system so that the wealthy pay their share. Of course, that is not what the wealthy landowners want and it is known that they encourage our advisors to keep their interest. But if we let the wealthy land owners cripple our government, we will hurt all of China. We must help the poor by tax reform for the harmony of all of China. And send engineers to the Yellow River to formulate a plan. As the Master says in Book XVII. I, “If a man keeps his treasure hidden away while chaos engulfs his country, can be called humane? If a man longs for public life but lets the opportunity slip away again and again can he be called wise? Of course not!” The days and months are slipping away and the years are not on our side. We must stay focused, joining you the Son of the Most High in efforts to save the children of China.