Chapter 43 043 "If I find out anything, I'll tell Madam then..."
The Yellow River breaching its banks is a natural disaster that has occurred frequently throughout history, including once after Emperor Yongcheng founded the dynasty, and there were already methods to deal with it.
After calming down, Emperor Yongcheng looked at all the civil and military officials, his gaze falling on three people in turn.
"Chen Wenqi, I hereby appoint you as Imperial Commissioner for the Management of the Four Counties' Rivers, in charge of dredging floodwaters, sealing breaches in river embankments, and rebuilding dikes afterward. All officials, soldiers, and laborers in the four counties are at your disposal. You must ensure that the floods in the four counties are resolved as soon as possible and the people's livelihood is restored."
Chen Wenqi, the Director of Water Conservancy, stepped forward to receive the imperial decree.
"Li Gong, you shall immediately go to the Eastern Camp and mobilize 30,000 troops to wait for Chen Wenqi outside the camp. Assist Chen Wenqi in disaster relief in the four prefectures. During this period, all 30,000 soldiers shall obey Chen Wenqi's orders. If any disobey, they shall be dealt with according to military law."
Li Gong, the Duke of Dingguo and commander of the Eastern Camp, stepped forward to receive the imperial decree.
"Your Highness, I hereby appoint you as Imperial Commissioner for Disaster Relief in the Four Counties, overseeing the distribution of disaster relief grain, the reconstruction of houses, and the prevention and control of epidemics among the people of the four counties, striving to reduce unnecessary casualties among people and livestock."
The Crown Prince, who was already standing at the head of the civil officials, walked solemnly to the center of the hall upon hearing this and said loudly, "Your subject accepts the decree!"
Blocking the breach and providing disaster relief were of utmost importance, so Chen Wenqi and Li Gong hurriedly set off before the court session ended. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, still needed to wait for the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Granary to transfer the first batch of emergency relief funds and provisions, so there was no need to rush.
After the court session, Emperor Yongcheng summoned the Crown Prince to his study and carefully instructed him on matters to be mindful of during the disaster relief efforts in the four prefectures. Finally, he earnestly said, “My two campaigns against Yin ended in defeat, depleting the national treasury, imposing additional taxes, and incurring heavy losses in military campaigns, thus losing much of the people’s support. This Yellow River flood will inevitably be used by some with ulterior motives to criticize me for being an unrighteous ruler and incurring divine retribution. The dikes in the four prefectures have already collapsed; further discussion is pointless. Chen Wenqi will be responsible for repairing the dikes and sealing the breaches, while the disaster relief and comforting of the people rests entirely on your shoulders. If you do well, you will not only silence the critics but also win the hearts of the people.”
The Crown Prince solemnly replied, "Father, rest assured, I will do my utmost to ensure that the people of the four prefectures will not be disappointed in our Great Zhou Dynasty."
Emperor Yongcheng nodded in satisfaction, holding the memorial in his hand, but watched the Crown Prince walk out the door.
He had four sons. His eldest son looked the most like him and was the child whom Emperor Yongcheng personally taught for the longest time. As early as when he was conquering the southern lands, his eldest son had already assumed the important responsibility of overseeing the country. Later, when Emperor Yongcheng launched two campaigns against Yin, his eldest son was the one who oversaw the country and stayed in the rear, working diligently and conscientiously, relieving him of any worries.
The eldest son, who was skilled in both literature and martial arts, had been the crown prince for more than 20 years and had always been Emperor Yongcheng's only choice for crown prince.
Of the remaining three princes, Prince Qi was a reckless fool, best suited for battlefield combat. Prince Shun grew increasingly fat and useless; even when ill, Emperor Yongcheng didn't bother to visit him. Prince Fu, the youngest son, was less capable in both literature and martial arts than the Crown Prince, but far superior to his two older brothers. Emperor Yongcheng especially admired Prince Fu's humility and magnanimity, believing he would be a better fit to assist the Crown Prince than his brothers.
As he pondered, Emperor Yongcheng looked down at his increasingly white short beard.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, he has been emperor for thirty-two years. If he could, he really wanted to switch bodies with his sons so that he would have the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong wish of destroying the Yin dynasty.
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After rain for half a month, the rain in the capital finally stopped, and the sun, which had been hidden for half a month, reappeared, driving away the dampness of the entire capital in a single day.
During this period, the emperor in the palace was concerned about the disaster situation in the four prefectures, and the floods in the four prefectures were also the most frequently discussed topic in the homes of officials of all ranks in the capital.
Xiao Yu, who held a civil service position in the capital, became the man in the Marquis's mansion most likely to hear about the disaster relief progress. Every day after his shift, when he came to Wanhe Hall to pay his respects to his mother, he would see his two sisters-in-law and his wife gathered there. Deng Shi liked to ask her youngest son about the disaster relief, so Luo Fu came over after she found out, saving Xiao Yu from having to tell her a second time. Later, Yang Yanzhen and Li Huaiyun also came, saving Luo Fu from having to tell them again.
Xiao Rong couldn't stand seeing his youngest son being treated like a star by the women in the family. After hearing it once and being scolded by his wife several times, he simply stopped coming.
Xiao Hu and Xiao Lin's return time is uncertain. If they can make it, they can come and listen. If they can't, it's not necessary for them to come.
"The breaches have all been plugged, and now we are focusing our manpower on drainage."
Mrs. Deng sighed, "It's been so long. Houses can be rebuilt, but the flooded grain must have rotted, and the crops in the fields are probably destroyed too."
Xiao Yu: "Yes, so the Emperor has decreed that the people of the four prefectures will be exempt from taxes for this year and next year. After a month of distributing relief grain, silver and rice will continue to be distributed according to the severity of the disaster for each family."
Yang Yanzhen thought to himself, "Fortunately, the Emperor has suspended the Northern Expedition in July. The millions of taels of military pay and provisions saved can be used for disaster relief. Otherwise, if the disaster victims do not receive timely relief from the court, they are most likely to band together and rebel."
Deng continued, "How many casualties have been reported so far?"
Xiao Yu lowered his eyes and said, "About fifty thousand." Most of them were the elderly, women, children, and the injured who were unable to escape when the flood hit. Those who were nearby, even the able-bodied, had a slim chance of survival.
The people in the hall fell silent, and soon dispersed.
Luo Fu couldn't understand why the flood was so severe.
Xiao Yu led her to his study and took out a map of the Yellow River. He had drawn it himself when he was studying at the Imperial Academy, imitating a large map that his professors had shown him.
Luo Fu had never seen such a detailed map before. The first thing she saw was Luo City, which was almost right on the banks of the Yellow River. She asked nervously, "Are we in danger of the river breaching here?"
Xiao Yu pointed to Mangshan Mountain to the north of the capital and said, "This is a natural barrier between the capital and the Yellow River, so Madam need not worry."
Then, pointing to the lower reaches of the Yellow River, he explained that the frequent breaches and floods in this area were due to the flat terrain and the accumulation of silt at the bottom of the river, which caused the water level to rise.
As Luo Fu watched his slender fingers move across the map and listened to his casual remarks about the waterways, she suddenly felt as if she were sitting in a private school listening to a teacher's lecture.
"You also know how to manage rivers?" Luo Fu asked, unable to hide her admiration, after Xiao Yu finished speaking.
Xiao Yu shook his head: "It's all from books, just theoretical talk. In reality, river management is even more difficult than military command."
Luo Fu looked at the four counties affected by the disaster: "According to you, the Minister Chen who was sent there by the Emperor is very skilled in this?"
Xiao Yu's eyes lit up with the same gleam he had when mentioning some of the capable ministers of the dynasty: "In the thirteenth year of Yongcheng, the Huai River flooded and breached its banks. It was Lord Chen who led the people to rebuild the dikes. Nineteen years have passed since then, and there has been no further danger on either side of the Huai River."
Upon hearing this, Luo Fu grasped his hand and looked at his face, which had become thinner recently due to his concern for the disaster, and said, "In that case, with Lord Chen overseeing the four prefectures, he will surely build the new dike as sturdy as the Huai River dike. You don't need to worry about it anymore; starving yourself won't help."
Xiao Yu grasped the lady's hand in return, and afterwards, besides continuing to keep an eye on news from the four prefectures, he focused on doing his own job.
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Four months later, with the completion of the reconstruction of the Yellow River dikes in the four prefectures, the disaster in these four prefectures was gradually no longer mentioned by officials and people in the capital.
At the end of November, taking advantage of a day off, Luo Fu took Xiao Yu by car to Ganquan Town to visit her parents. After winter came and the weather became cold, Luo Fu basically only went to visit them at the end of each month, unlike when her parents first came, when the two sisters visited their parents' home very frequently.
In winter, the wind and sand were even heavier on the official road. The two carriage doors were closed tightly, and a cotton curtain was hung inside to block the wind. The same was true for the windows on both sides.
Holding a warm little heater in her hands, Luo Fu lay on her back with her head on Xiao Yu's lap, dozing off as the car swayed.
Xiao Yu held his wife's shoulder with one hand and protected her head with the other, while the wind howled past the window.
As the carriage approached Ganquan Town, intermittent voices could be heard outside. Luo Fu sat up, and Xiao Yu helped her fix her hair.
"Please, sir and madam inside, have mercy and give me a bowl of rice..."
"Get out of the way, or I'll bump into you!"
Ahead were people begging, and behind them was Qingchuan, the driver, chasing them away. As Xiao Yu's personal attendant, Qingchuan was skilled in both martial arts and driving. The Luo family's place wasn't large, and each time the couple came, they only brought Qingchuan, without even a maid.
"Please, I haven't eaten for three days, and I have three children at home. Please, have mercy and give me a few coins for steamed buns!"
The other party recklessly blocked the middle of the road, forcing Qingchuan to stop his car.
Xiao Yu had already hung up the curtains inside and looked out the window. The beggars who had been stopping the car noticed the commotion. One continued to block the way, while the other ran over as if he had seen a savior. He was a lame man in his forties, dressed in rags with dirty hair. He was so thin that he looked like he was just skin and bones, which made his eyes look frighteningly large and bright.
Luo Fu dared not look a second time and hid behind Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu sized the man up and asked, "I've never seen anyone begging in town before. Where are you from?"
Tears and snot streamed down the man's face as he wiped them with his tattered sleeve. He choked out, "Hua County, I come from Hua County, the place that was hit by floods this year. My house was destroyed by the flood, and my mother and wife were separated from me. Only my four children and I are left. We really can't go on like this. Please, give us some money for a meal!"
As he spoke, he moved closer to the window, his left hand, so dirty that you couldn't tell his flesh color, gripping the window frame tightly, while his right hand held up a broken bowl.
Xiao Yu glanced at the hand, took out two coins of silver from the purse at his waist, put one coin into the man's bowl, and held the other coin in his palm, saying, "Take this to buy some food to fill your stomach first. After you finish eating, go to the old locust tree in the northeast corner of town and wait for me alone. Don't make a sound. I'll give you this coin then."
The man knelt on the ground, moved to tears, and kowtowed three times before leaving with the skinny boy who had been responsible for stopping the car.
Xiao Yu watched the other person's back for a while before lowering the curtain.
Luo Fu hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.
Xiao Yu put on his purse, glanced at his wife's expression, and explained, "Judging from his accent, he is indeed from the Hua County area, and his tears don't seem fake."
Xiao Yu would not give money to a lazy beggar who was perfectly capable of begging because he was too lazy.
Luo Fu didn't care about the two coins, and asked in a low voice, "You want to ask him about the disaster relief in Hua County?"
Xiao Yu nodded.
Luo Fu's heart began to panic again: "Lord Chen is only responsible for repairing the dike. Disaster relief is the Crown Prince's job. If you really find out something, can you continue to investigate?"
Xiao Yu: "If I find out anything, I'll tell Madam."
Luo Fu: "..."
Upon arriving at the Luo family's residence, Xiao Yu apologized to his parents-in-law and went to the agreed-upon location to wait for the person. After asking around, he greeted Luo Fu and then asked Qingchuan to unload the horses from the carriage. He then borrowed a mule from his father-in-law's family, and the two of them rode off at breakneck speed, disappearing without a trace. They said they would return before dusk to pick up their mistress and return to the capital together.
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Author's Note: Oops, I did a lot of research beforehand, sorry to keep you all waiting. Here's a little red envelope for you, see you for the second update tonight~
P.S.: The four counties in the previous chapter have been changed to four prefectures.
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