Chapter 130 White Disaster White disaster, that is, snow disaster. ……
White disaster, that is, snow disaster.
When Dorji heard the word "white disaster", his face changed slightly. He was born and raised on the grassland, and had experienced two white disasters before. The results of those white disasters were not good. Not only did they kill many livestock, but also many herders were injured. The most important thing is that this loss will cause harm for a long time, which is very troublesome.
The little princess who was playing with a small ball in his arms noticed it, raised her head, and looked a little surprised.
Mu Xue took Xiao Gege's hand and said, "Mother and father have some urgent matters to deal with. Can you go to your room and play by yourself first?"
Little Princess nodded and said in a baby voice, "Okay."
Mu Xue told the nanny to take the little princess to the inner room to play, and then walked to Duoerji's side and put her hand on his shoulder in a soothing manner: "Unexpected events are inevitable. We must deal with them well."
Dorji came back to his senses and patted her on the back of her hand: "Well, let's deal with it together."
I was thinking back to how I had dealt with this before, and suddenly I thought, "Did you ask someone to make some plans before?"
"Yes, although it is not very detailed, it should be of some use." Mu Xue turned around and ordered, "Call Yunqi and the others. Oh, and also invite the ministers sent by the Metropolitan Government and the Lifanyuan. The Khalkha White Disaster is a serious matter, and we need to work together to deal with it."
After that, she turned to the eunuch who came to report the news and said, "Call the people from Mobei in to report directly."
The eunuch was a little embarrassed when he heard this, and handed the message to Mu Xue. "Here, Princess, please take a look at this note."
Muxue took a look and found that it was Yunqi's handwriting, as well as the seals of Yunqi and Wang Xiangqing, which could not be forged.
Previously, she ordered Yunqi and others to take care of the greenhouse affairs in Mobei, and they have not returned yet. She probably discovered the clues of the strange weather and sent someone to report it.
"Yunqi didn't come back by himself, right? Was it someone from Dashengkui who sent the message? Call him in." Muxue put away the note and said.
The eunuch's expression became more and more strange: "My lord, there is no messenger."
No messenger?
Mu Xue was stunned for a moment.
It was already dusk. When the princess summoned everyone, the eunuchs put on thick outer robes, carried ox-horn lanterns that reflected the light of the snow and went to various places to pass the message.
Shuo Daiben, the governor of Guihua City, was warming himself by the fire at home, waiting for dinner, when he suddenly heard someone from the princess's mansion coming to invite him, saying that there was a white disaster in Khalkha.
He immediately stood up, hurriedly asked his attendants to help him dress, and sent someone to inform the deputy governor and others.
As he stepped out of the door, a thought flashed through Shuo Dai's mind: how come the news of Bai Zai was sent to the Fourth Princess first? He himself did not receive the news.
However, considering that Tushetu Khan is also in the princess's mansion now, it seems reasonable. Perhaps the messenger from there reported the news directly to the princess's mansion, which is reasonable.
However, the Fourth Princess controlled the post roads, had news about the Tushetu Khanate and the business firms, and was one of the most well-informed people on the grassland.
He hurriedly arrived at the princess's mansion, and someone took Shuodai to Jingyi Hall.
The hall was brightly lit. The princess' throne in the middle and the seat for the prince consort were still empty. Below them, on the left and right, were several elm armchairs with embroidered cushions. Behind the armchairs were palace stools. Several female managers of the princess's mansion were sitting on the stools to discuss matters.
When Shuo Dai came in, several female stewards stood up to greet him, exchanged a few words, and then sat down on the armchairs on the right.
The chief clerk Mushen came in right after him and greeted him: "Please sit for a moment, the princess and her husband will be here soon." A little maid brought a cup of warm milk tea and offered him some.
While waiting for everyone to arrive, Mu Xue was in the backyard, her eyes fixed on a small group of mastiffs, in a daze.
These mastiffs had fluffy hair, and were all domesticated by Dashengkui. Originally, their hair was shiny and bright, but after a long journey, their fur was no longer as beautiful, and the dogs looked smaller.
Especially when Qiuqiu was led out by the dog-watching eunuch, the contrast became even more obvious.
Qiuqiu hadn't seen these little friends for a long time. Seeing that their appearance had changed a little, he gently wagged his tail and made low "woooo" sounds to express his affection.
The mastiffs saw Qiuqiu and wagged their tails happily. The big black mastiff in the lead came forward, wagging its tail and gently licking Qiuqiu's face, showing submission and closeness.
The eunuch led the fluffy black mastiff forward and pointed at the collar for Muxue to see: "The strip is hidden in the collar. The soldiers guarding the city were startled when they saw the dogs running back in a group. When they took a closer look, they found that they were wearing collars engraved with the Dashengkui logo, and knew that they had owners. Dashengkui thought it was strange, so he checked it and found the strip in the collar, and then he hurried to the princess's mansion to report the news."
It turned out that the dogs were sent here as messengers to deliver the message!
Muxue rubbed the black mastiff's head and felt a wonderful feeling of "Paw Patrol has done a great job".
How did Yunqi and Wang Xiangqing come up with this idea? It sounds a bit absurd, but it's really interesting. In the winter in Mobei, you can't even think about sending messages by carrier pigeons, but dogs are really possible. In order to prevent wolves, protect sheep and for vigilance, Dashengkui's caravans always bring many dogs with them every time they travel, and they are familiar with the post roads along the way. Dogs have a strong ability to recognize roads. Even in ice and snow, a group of dogs can find their way home by accompanying each other, and their speed is faster than that of people riding horses in such weather. If you arrive at a post station halfway, it is always a problem to get some food with the identification on the collar.
"Cook more meat for the dogs." Mu Xue raised her head and gave the order, rubbing Qiuqiu's head, then stood up and went to Jingyi Hall, "Go and ask the prince consort to come over."
She came to comfort the Wang Wang team, while Dorji went to have a brief discussion with his subordinates. When they heard the message from the entourage, they went to Jingyi Hall to discuss the matter.
When everyone was present, they saw the princess and her husband coming over and hurriedly stood up to greet them.
"Okay, let's stop talking nonsense." Mu Xue sat down and spoke in a clear voice, "I hurriedly summoned you all because of the Khalkha White Disaster."
She glanced at Dorji and said, "The Khalkha grassland has been hit by a disaster. As a relative of ours, the Qing Dynasty will never sit idly by. The court will surely issue an order to help with disaster relief. I intend to write a memorial to the emperor tonight to inform him of the disaster. But time is running out. Every moment is important. If we do more, perhaps the livestock and herdsmen on the grassland will suffer less losses."
"Some time ago, I had someone compile a disaster relief guide. Although it's not detailed enough, it at least has some rules. Please take a look at it, brainstorm, and speak freely. If you have any good ideas, please share them. We will decide how to deal with the disaster. Once the court responds, we can act quickly."
The servant next to him chose the right time and distributed the disaster prevention guide booklet to everyone.
Shuo Dai got the booklet and remembered that the reason why the people from the Princess's Mansion came to the Governor's Mansion to question some minor officials a while ago was because of this. He was puzzled at the time. It would be fine if the people from the Princess's Mansion maintained a good relationship with his ministers, but why did they go to drink with the minor officials? It turned out that they had prepared in advance.
This idea can be used as a reference. Shuo Dai thought, flipping through the booklet with one hand, and saw that the catalog was neatly listed, with black disasters like sandstorms and white disasters like blizzards, numbered with special numbers, and you can find it by flipping through the booklet.
Turning to the back, I saw some information on how to deal with natural disasters. Although the words were few, they were concise and to the point.
Mu Xue waited for them to look through the documents for a while before saying, "You are all experienced officials. You all have your own ideas on what to do. I believe you can do it well. I will only talk about a few key points. The first thing is that people are always at the core of a snowstorm like this. The second is livestock, which is what the herdsmen on the grassland rely on for their livelihood. It also affects whether the Khalkha banners in Mobei will be clear and stable after the snowstorm."
"Is the Minister of the Lifanyuan here?"
"I am here."
A man quickly stood up and signaled to Muxue.
Mu Xue said, "According to the original rules of the banner, herders should move within the boundaries of their own banner and are not allowed to leave the banner without permission. But now that we have been hit by a white disaster, if we want to protect people and livestock, we have to relocate. Move people and livestock to safe areas with less snow and grass. In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures should be taken. Herders are allowed to relocate with their livestock, and after the snow stops, we can draw a clear line and return to their original places."
The minister in charge of the Lifanyuan frowned when he heard this: "This... this... what the princess said does make sense. However, we still have to wait for the imperial court to issue an order before the herdsmen can be allowed to move their herds across the banner boundaries. This is safer."
"You and I can be safe, but there's no telling how much damage the herdsmen and livestock will suffer while waiting for safety." Mu Xue said calmly, "I'll take the responsibility. If the court wants to blame someone, blame me first. If you're worried, you can say that I'm unreasonable and reckless. Or pretend that you don't know anything about it."
No, how can there be such a master? If it were someone else, they would try every possible means to shift the blame, saying that it had nothing to do with them and would not care about it. The white disaster had nothing to do with you, the princess. You should burn incense and donate food just to show your respect. It would be enough to have the name of a personal temple. Why did you jump out and take the responsibility?
The Minister of the Lifanyuan didn't know what to say for a moment. He looked at Tushetu Khan, who was sitting at the top of the table, with a look of relief and emotion on his face. He would definitely not say anything against him. He looked at the other officials present, and they all consciously avoided his sight, as if he was a chicken with a plague, and if they looked at him for a second longer, they would be infected.
Looking left and right, there is no one who can do anything about it.
The Minister of the Lifanyuan could only shrink his neck: "Even if the princess dares to take the risk to make such a decision, the Zasaks in the various banners may not buy it. For example, if the herdsmen in these areas with severe snowstorms want to take their livestock to the other side, they will eat their pastures. In short, it will be extremely troublesome to implement."
Dorji said sternly: "I have no control over other tribes in Mobei, but in the Tushetu Khanate, I will make these Zasaks agree. Anyone who does not agree is against me."
In the past, the most common way to deal with the white disaster on the grassland was to relocate pastures, but Dorji knew the Qing court's ban, and when he thought of this method, he was worried that it might make the Qing court wary and think that they were disobedient.
However, the princess actually offered to take the responsibility herself.
Since she could do this, he would definitely not let her down.
The Minister of the Lifanyuan had nothing to say. He just sighed slightly, lowered his head and pretended to be a puppet.
"Since it's meaningless, let's talk about the next topic." Mu Xue said, "I believe that the court will dispatch relief supplies as soon as possible after learning the news. But distant water cannot quench a nearby fire, and it takes time to transport them. As Guihua is the closest place to Mobei, we have to prepare first. The things we need are nothing more than three categories: the first is food for people. The second is hay and bean cakes for livestock. The third is tools to reinforce the livestock sheds and warm sheds."
"I think there is extra grain, hay, etc. in the government warehouse that can be distributed. So sort them out first and transport them to Mobei as soon as the order comes. The people in the city are compassionate and will not bear to see their brothers and sisters starve to death or freeze to death. They will donate some grain to accumulate merit for themselves in the future. I will take out 1,000 taels of silver first. These matters depend on the allocation of the Dutong Mansion."
After finishing this, Mu Xue looked at the garrison officers of the Eight Banners and said, "Since ancient times, there have been many illegal activities when disasters occur. People are panicked and prone to riots. This requires some soldiers to maintain order. Of course, I believe that the local Mongolian officers in Kalka will naturally take on this responsibility. But we can't take it lightly and we should patrol everywhere. My security team will also be sent out like the last hunting. Please select some people to follow with us so that we can rescue the people when necessary."
The general realized what the princess meant when she stared at him. It was easy for people to cause trouble during a disaster, and the troublemakers might not only be herdsmen, but also other people. For example, Galdan loved to find such excuses to cause trouble during the war a few years ago. Although the situation has been pacified for a long time now, we still have to be on guard.
He clasped his fists and said, "I understand. I will count the soldiers and send some people out when I return to the barracks. As soon as the imperial decree arrives, I will follow the guards of the Princess's Mansion to patrol the Khalkha grasslands and provide disaster relief."
Mu Xue nodded: "I will write all these things down in a memorial later and send it out 600 miles away urgently. Everyone, please prepare to go."
Everyone agreed and discussed what to do.
At night, Mu Xue was alone in the study. She picked up a pen and wrote a long letter. She put it in a box and gave it to the messenger, asking them to deliver it to the capital at dawn.
I didn't feel anything when I was writing, but I felt my wrists were very weak after I finished. Mu Xue shook her hands, leaned back on the kang, closed her eyes and rested for a while, still thinking about the disaster relief.
With such heavy snow, I wonder how many herders will be killed or injured. I'll tell them later that those who don't need to graze can just gather in one place. The greenhouse has just been built and it has encountered such a snow disaster. Alas, I don't know if the elderly and children in the greenhouse will be affected? But Yunqi and Wang Xiangqing are there. With their intelligence, they should be able to take some measures to save the situation. Oh, Guihua also needs to take some precautions here, in case the snow continues for so long, we must be confident to deal with it.
Tushetu Khan's tribe is trying to help Turkey. Of course, Turkey will cooperate with him. But other tribes may need some persuasion and may not be so obedient. In short, we can save as many as we can and help as many as we can. If we really can't help, there is nothing we can do...
All kinds of thoughts were flying through my mind, and suddenly I smelled a fragrance at the tip of my nose, it was the fragrance of rice.
When he opened his eyes, Dorji came over with a lacquer tray and placed it on the rosewood kang table.
"I've been busy like a top for half a day and haven't eaten anything. Come, I asked the kitchen to cook two kinds of porridge, one sweet and one salty, hurry up and eat some."
When the lids were opened, one bowl contained nougat rice porridge, and the other contained salty meat porridge, served with some pickled vegetables.
The aroma went straight into her nose. Mu Xue picked up the spoon and ate a spoonful of the meat porridge. She asked, "Is Sasa asleep?"
"Well, I just went to coax her to sleep." Dorji sat beside her, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I plan to lead Monk and others back to Kulun tomorrow morning. At this time of year, I, as the Khan, should be here."
Mu Xue nodded: "It's my duty, but it's snowing hard now, so be careful on the road and wear more clothes. Oh, and wear the new cashmere sweater made by the weavers inside to keep you warm."
"I'm already wearing it." Dorji pulled up his collar to show her.
Mu Xue smiled: "Silly."
"Really? That's okay. You like my silly behavior anyway." Dorji teased her deliberately.
They looked at each other and smiled for a while, then Dorji came closer and kissed her on the cheek.
"It's great to have you here." He whispered.
Mu Xue pursed her lips and said, "You are lucky, and so am I. Don't worry, I am keeping an eye on the decree from the court."
It was not yet dawn. Muxue stood on the stone steps of the princess's mansion gate, watching Dorji lead his men away.
The box of memorials from the post was sent out at about the same time, with an expedited note, and the horses were changed but the passengers were not. Ten days later, the emperor Kangxi replied that the relief work should be done quickly and that the Fourth Princess should supervise it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
