▁plain ▁and ▁boost ▁agricult ural ▁product ivity . ▁The ▁plan ▁was ▁actually ▁meant ▁to ▁dist ract ▁the ▁Q in ▁state ▁and ▁keep ▁it ▁busy , ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁prevent ▁it ▁from ▁attack ing ▁the ▁other ▁states . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁construction ▁phase , ▁the ▁Q in ▁state ▁discovered ▁Zh eng ▁Gu o ' s ▁ul terior ▁mot ive ▁in ▁asking ▁them ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁canal , ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁execute ▁him . ▁However , ▁Zh eng ▁Gu o ▁said , ▁" I ▁started ▁as ▁a ▁sp y ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁Han ▁state , ▁but ▁once ▁the ▁canal ▁is ▁built , ▁it ▁is ▁benef icial ▁to ▁the ▁Q in ▁state . ▁Although ▁I ▁can ▁prolong ▁the ▁Han ▁state ' s ▁existence ▁by ▁doing ▁this , ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁I ▁am ▁also ▁helping ▁the ▁Q in ▁state ▁make ▁a ▁great ▁achiev ement ▁worthy ▁of ▁history ." ▁The ▁Q in ▁state ▁agreed ▁and ▁ordered ▁him ▁to ▁finish ▁building ▁the ▁canal . ▁Once ▁completed , ▁the ▁canal ▁and ▁its ▁ir rig ation ▁works ▁largely ▁boost ed ▁agricult ural ▁product ivity ▁in ▁the ▁Q in ▁state . ▁ ▁In ▁m anga ▁Kingdom , ▁he ▁was ▁referred ▁as ▁" The ▁man ▁who ▁solved ▁the ▁Q in ▁problem ▁of ▁flo oding ". ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁ ▁S ima , ▁Q ian ▁( c . ▁ 9 4 ▁B CE ). ▁Records ▁of ▁the ▁Grand ▁Histor ian ▁( Sh i ▁Ji ). ▁ ▁Ban , ▁Gu , ▁Ban , ▁Z ha o , ▁and ▁Ban , ▁B iao