Finally, after an hour of flood discharge, the water in Yuansha City stopped rising and slowly receded, and the water in the prefectural government office finally stopped flooding the inner courtyard.
Xiao Zhixing dried the shoes and arranged the work in an orderly manner. "Lord Li, after the floodwaters recede in Yuansha City, the top priority is to prevent the epidemic and resettle the people. We should also mobilize all the able-bodied men in the city to clean up their homes together with our government."
Li Tongye blinked hard twice, his eyes, which were covered in dark circles from staying up all night, and hurriedly ordered someone to make arrangements.
“Li Jun, Liu Zizai, Cao Mengyuan, Atano, Mu Zixi…”
She selected all the men present at the Gentleman's Courtyard.
"Once the water recedes slightly, each of you should go to one of the other nearby cities to inspect and oversee the flood control and post-flood relief efforts."
She was also there to supervise the officials. Although they did not hold official positions, they had her orders and dared not disobey.
She always kept them by her side, teaching them how to handle and deal with various flood-related situations.
She believed in their learning abilities.
"Yes!" The group dared not delay, chose their destinations, and set off with their guards.
The rain outside subsided slightly, and after about three hours, the water in Yuansha City had receded by about 70%.
However, the situation is still not optimistic. The entire southern part of Huzhou is still under threat of flooding, and heavy rain has continued in some areas.
Reports kept arriving, revealing that in addition to the floods, secondary disasters such as mudslides and landslides were occurring on a large scale.
In ancient times, the forests were depleted due to logging and charcoal burning, resulting in severe soil erosion. In the hilly areas of the south, landslides and mudslides caused more damage than floods.
Villages and towns were buried one after another, a shocking sight.
Even though the government has organized large-scale evacuations of people and called on everyone to be aware of landslides and mudslides, deaths are still inevitable.
Preliminary statistics from the area surrounding Yuansha City alone indicate more than 5,000 people, but data from areas further away has not yet been received.
Xiao Zhixing felt heavy-hearted, knowing that even more people would die in those places.
[Red comment: According to historical records, this flood submerged half of Huzhou, causing frequent secondary disasters. The number of dead and injured is recorded as high as 300,000. Later, a plague swept through the area, and it took three years for Huzhou to recover. Xiao Yuanshan and Xiao Yan jointly issued an edict of self-reproach.]
[Green comment: Ha, we're even worse off. I just checked, because so many people died, Zha Zhaqi didn't dare let anyone record it. Only the common people have records. Half of Huzhou is empty, nine out of ten houses are deserted, countless cities and towns have disappeared, and it took five years for people to return.]
Xiao Zhixing composed himself and immediately began arranging various tasks. Fortunately, Mu Wan and five other girls also arrived and took over a lot of work.
For ten whole days, the entire Yuansha government office was spinning like a top. With Xiao Zhixing standing there and the people from the Junzi Academy supervising, the prefectural government office and all the officials in Huzhou were working with their heads on edge.
There were also those who were truly stubborn and shirked their duties, but Xiao Zhixing dismissed them with a stroke of his pen and immediately appointed capable officials to take office.
Meanwhile, the Da Sheng Daily once again demonstrated its power.
The daily newspaper reporters, also known as ancient journalists, were ordered by Xiao Zhixing to travel to the front lines of the disaster.
Boldly reporting the truth about the good and the bad, with sharp writing, immediately made local officials famous.
This also allowed Xiao Zhixing to gain some understanding of the true situation at the grassroots level.
Of course, capable officials were also featured in newspapers as exemplary cases, gaining widespread fame.
Xiao Zhixing directly praised those who did well in certain aspects of the report by name on the front page, in order to commend their virtues.
This contrasting effect is remarkable, as it serves as a powerful motivator for officials and even ordinary citizens throughout Huzhou, uniting them in the fight against floods and disaster relief.
They also don't want their hometown to be publicly criticized and leave a bad name.
Feng Zhen'er held the Dasheng Daily as if it were a sacred text, "Your Highness, this daily newspaper is truly amazing, a powerful tool for governing the country!"
No one expected that the Dasheng Daily, which was similar to a government gazette and was launched in Beizhou three years ago, would have so many uses and such great power.
Xiao Zhixing laughed and said, "You've been engrossed in the daily newspapers these past few days without eating or drinking. Have you gained anything?"
She was well aware of the power of state media and newspapers.
Therefore, she firmly controlled the authority of the Da Sheng Daily, especially the front page headline.
The regulations stipulate that only national policies and notices may be published, and alterations or misinterpretations are prohibited.
Later editions included articles by renowned scholars, which explained the policy's implications in plain language, making it easier for ordinary people to understand.
The other sections are less serious; now, they've added "Illustrations of Officialdom" and "Martial Arts Stories."
The stories of corrupt officials and virtuous officials are embellished and published to serve as a mirror for supervising officials.
The most popular among the common people was naturally the story of martial arts.
People would buy the entire newspaper to read exciting stories, and naturally they could also read the earlier parts of the story.
This is also why Xiao Zhixing did not publish a separate issue, and why the price has never increased.
She wanted it to become the largest and most authoritative mouthpiece of Dasheng, so as to exert its power to control public opinion.
Feng Zhen'er shook her head and said, "I have learned a lot. I will discuss it with Your Highness after I have figured it out."
Li Wenxiu looked up from the pile of documents. "Hey, it seems there's a bookseller in Zhongzhou who's also started a small daily newspaper, which is full of all sorts of gossip. I heard it's selling pretty well."
Xiao Zhixing had heard about this. The other party didn't dare to compete with the Dasheng Daily for business; they specialized in reporting all sorts of gossip and rumors, making them an ancient version of a tabloid.
Humans have loved gossip since ancient times, and the other side has certainly chosen the right path, but regulations still need to be established.
"I instructed the head of the daily newspaper to contact the other party and issue them a permit, requiring them to report, but not to fabricate stories, and to at least provide evidence."
Previously, there was no permit, and Xiao Zhixing held absolute power. Later, she consulted Zhao Yunqi and created this permit, which serves two purposes: supervision and regulation.
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