Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 860
Wearing walking boots and wearing a coir raincoat, Yu Chenglong looked up at the gloomy weather, and ripples appeared in his heart.

As early as the early years of Shaowu, the provincial examination was tried in Shanxi. After many years, he soon passed the entrance examination and became a county magistrate.

Scholars are officials, and the official term is once every three years, and they can be promoted in about two years, but he stayed for three full years, and finally rated one as excellent.

After that, he was promoted to be the magistrate of Fuguo County in the provincial capital, and then the magistrate of the government, and passed the judge. He was finally promoted to the capital the year before last, and worked in the Ministry of Industry as Yuanwailang.

Although his official position is in the Ministry of Industry, except for a few times at the beginning, he was dispatched most of the time in the Huainan area.

At the end of last year, because of the construction of many polders in Huainan, which attracted the attention of the Ministry of Industry, he was promoted to be a doctor and a fifth grade.

It took him seven years to run from the seventh rank to the current fifth rank.

"Lang Guan, are you still going out today?"

When he got down from the tower, two guards were leading mules, wearing coir raincoats, and carrying knives. Although they looked breezy, their trousers and sleeves were covered with mud, making them look very down and out.

There is no way, the servants of the water department of the Ministry of Industry are hard work.

"Pizhou is fine, let's go back to Gaoyou to have a look."

Yu Chenglong shook his head, a trace of thought appeared on his slightly shriveled face, he resolutely rode on the mule, and led by the guards, he slowly headed south.

Originally, it was safest to take a boat, but at this time of year, the Yellow River was flooded and the canals were congested, so it was better to travel quickly.

In this regard, Yu Chenglong has no complaints about his hard work.

The corners of the two guards' mouths were bitter, and they wanted to say a few words, but now they could only give up.

Hurrying on a rainy day, legs full of yellow mud, this errand, how can it be done by an official?

After running around for a long time, the three of them came to a roadside tea shop.

Three or five wooden tables, wooden sheds made of straw, and a simple stable, the guise fluttered in the wind, even though it was covered with yellow mud, the merchant didn't care.

The mules were placed in the stables, and a few bundles of hay were served, and they did not dislike them.

The two guards asked: "Guan Lang, what do you eat today?"

"Same as usual." Yu Chenglong shook his head and said casually.

The bigger guard sighed, and ordered casually: "Give this official a plate of vegetarian dishes, a plate of scrambled eggs, and a pot of tea."

"The same goes for the two of us."

Although there are three people traveling together, the officials are very different, and the tables for eating must be separated.

"By the way, let's add some fine ingredients to the mule!" Yu Chenglong remembered something, took out a silver dollar from his bosom, and stuffed it into the bosoms of the two:
"You two have worked hard with me today, so I will have another jar of wine!"

“The rice wine in Pizhou is very good.”

The two were moved, and they glanced at Yu Jackie, and couldn't help admiring him even more.

For accommodation like them, only the post station is free, and the rest of the time needs to be paid by oneself.

Seeing the sky's frequent rush, even Yu Chenglong felt tight, not to mention them as servants.

Yu Chenglong carefully ate the egg with chopsticks, holding the steamed bun in his hand, feeling quite emotional in his heart.

Who would have known that hundreds of years ago, when the Yellow River had not changed its course, the Huaibei area was worth rice?Now it has become a grain of wheat.

The young Xiaoer invited guests, his wife wore an apron and cooked vegetables, and the elderly man hugged his grandson, his face wrinkled, staring at the rain in the distance in a daze.

The child blinked and ran to the table to stare at the egg, holding on to the old black table legs and not letting go.

Yu Chenglong smiled knowingly, picked up an egg with his chopsticks, and put it directly near his mouth.

The little guy looked back at his father, and the young boss shook his head.

Yu Chenglong put the egg into his mouth without any explanation, and then said with a smile: "I think this little guy is smart."

The boss laughed and said: "The guest is kind, and it happened that my family met him."

"Eggs are not a rare thing—" Yu Chenglong shook his head slightly: "You have a lot of ducks near Pizhou. There are not many eggs, so there should be a lot of duck eggs!"

At this time, the old man came to hug his grandson, and sat down on the creaking bench:

"Duck eggs are not as fragrant as eggs!"

The diversion of the Yellow River to the south not only changed the banks of the Huaihe River from a land of fish and rice to a world of wheat, but also caused many vertical and horizontal ditches and lakes to disappear.

A large number of saline-alkali lands are prevalent, and reeds are everywhere, making Huai salt a special product, and then ducks have adapted to the reeds, and salted duck eggs have become a special product.

Gaoyou salted duck eggs have a great reputation, but do you dare to ask which county in Huaibei is not delicious?

If you eat too many duck eggs, the eggs become the most delicious thing.

"Old man, how are you doing?"

Yu Chenglong ate the yellow and black steamed buns and felt a sore throat, so he couldn't help but tore them into pieces and put them in a bowl to make a paste, and ate them with the vegetables between his chopsticks.

"Life is just like that, let's make do with it!" The old man glanced at his coir raincoat, not caring about his official background.

He is very old, the government will not arrest him.

"But after all, there will be no more wars, and the world will be peaceful..."

The old man muttered, and a gleam of light appeared on his face.

At this time, the boss who had stopped working also came over and said, "Actually, war is not all bad. My family is what my father earned back then..."

Yu Chenglong was taken aback for a moment, and he looked at the old man.

The old man showed a hint of complacency: "When Jiannu went south, the court organized everyone to retreat, so I took his mother and him to Fengyang, and I was helping the army. After all, I was in charge of food."

"Pulling boats from the canal, working as a tracker to carry grain, I have been busy for two or three months. Jiannu was driven away, and I was exhausted."

"However, maybe I won. The imperial court gave me a tael of silver at the time, so I used the silver to build a shed and sell tea near the official road. Although there are not as many people as the canal, I still have enough food and drink."

Yu Chenglong admires the old man's wisdom and ability. It is considered pretty good to be able to survive the troubled times and lay down a small foundation.

"The price of grain in Pizhou is not high, and it hasn't changed much. A bucket of grain is about [-] yuan..."

"Salt is cheaper, only twenty yuan a catty..."

Finally, when he asked about the river project, the old man remained silent.

He muttered a few words, and finally said: "This Xuzhou mansion was destroyed by the river workers—"

Yu Chenglong was silent.

is not that right?

Almost every year in the spring news of Xiahong, all the prefectures in Huaibei would collect river works and embankment repairs. Occasionally, all the old, women, and children would be involved in dangerous situations, and they would also collect money.

What's more, when the materials are not enough, people's homes will have to be demolished.

Because of the Yellow River, Huaibei and Jiangnan are in the same province, but they are two worlds.

The point is that behind the frequent river work, there may be peace and peace, and there may be a flood, loss of people and wealth, and family ruin.

Who doesn't hate it?

After finishing a meal, the three continued on their way.

At this time, Yu Chenglong was quite depressed.

When I was in Huainan, the people were happy when the ditches were sorted out and the polders were built, but they didn't resist the river construction.

But in Huaibei, everyone fears river workers like tigers.

If they were not born in Huaibei, who would not want to move?

When they arrived in Huai'an Fuzhi, Shanyang County, what shocked them the most was the rushing Yellow River.

Everywhere, it's cloudy yellow.

The narrow channel of the Huaihe River has now become the territory of the Yellow River, galloping unscrupulously, heading east into the sea.

And what about the water of the Huaihe River?They can only go to the downstream estuaries aggrieved, and most of them stand against Hongze Lake.

Hongze Lake has become a hanging lake on the ground.

The height of the embankment has reached an astonishing six feet, which is extremely eye-catching from a distance, and the pressure on the face is daunting.

Gaojiayan, the man-made dam of Hongze Lake, is reinforced and heightened almost every once in a while, becoming the most important place in the whole north.

But you must know that Hongze Lake has been continuously expanding for hundreds of years, and it has become endless and difficult to measure.

The water from the Huaihe River, which has no estuary, is constantly pouring in, causing its area to expand continuously.

Gao Jiayan took the narrow passageway. Once the water volume of Hongze Lake increased sharply and exceeded its burden, it would tilt out and the Yellow River would burst its embankment.

At that time, the Huaihe River and the Yellow River will flood together. This is not the result of 1+1.

Even to a certain limit, many people speculate that the Yellow River and the Yangtze River will even flow into the sea.

"Fortunately, the canal is not responsible for water transportation now. The imperial court can do its best to manage the Yellow River and Huaihe River without any worries."

Yu Chenglong showed a smile.

Officials of the Ministry of Industry, including Yu Chenglong, are now gathered in Shanyang County, Huai'an, waiting for the minister of the Ministry of Industry.

In addition, there are thousands of construction engineers gathered outside the Huai'an mansion at this time, which has attracted the attention of many people.

"Yu Langzhong, how is Pizhou?"

As soon as he entered the Water Transport Yamen, Yu Chenglong received greetings from his colleagues.

With the end of water transportation, coupled with the establishment of Anhui governor and Jiangsu governor, the governor of water transportation could only be withdrawn, and the Yamen became the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry.

"Although the governor of Jiangsu and the chief envoy have all gone, there should be nothing wrong."

Yu Chenglong shook his head and said, "At most, Pizhou City is flooded. Jiangsu Fan treasury has plenty of money, so don't worry."

The nearby doctors and Yuanwai Lang nodded in agreement.

Soon, there were several doctors, Yuanwai Lang, and more than a dozen principals standing in the hall. It was said that low-level subordinates could not enter at all.

"I'll meet Shao Sikong—" As soon as the minister of the Ministry of Industry arrived, everyone immediately stood upright, bowed their hands and bowed in salute.

Sun Jiang, the servant of the Ministry of Industry, is a strong-backed figure, more like a general than a civil servant.

In fact, he has a technical background unique to the Ministry of Industry, and his cultural accomplishment is actually very strong, but with his professional ability, no one dares to speak of him even if he is a servant as a Juren.

As a result, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce naturally did not dare to discuss it.

"I went to the Water Transport Yamen a few days ago. I thought the Yamen was abolished. At least some soldiers could be left to help. Who knew they were all old, weak, sick and disabled, and there were no more than three thousand people together."

Sun Jiang said angrily: "It's ridiculous, you have to know that there were tens of thousands of people in water transportation before."

"Just leave these for us? Who knows that our Ministry of Industry is most short of people—"

No one dared to accept this.

The atmosphere was dull.

Sun Jiang didn't take it seriously, he said loudly: "Among the nine ministries of the imperial court, our Ministry of Industry is the most exhausted. The dignified doctor and Yuanwai Lang are all working in the local area, which sounds absurd."

"But this is the Ministry of Industry. It is responsible for the world and shoulders the emperor's order. It has to do it. Isn't this better than working in the capital?"

Hearing this, Yu Chenglong agreed from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to agree, but when he saw that everyone was silent, he also fell silent.

Seeing this, Sun Jiang sighed inwardly.

They are all a group of old birds. They have been in the county every day for the past few years, and their hearts are harder than rocks. This point is really foolish.

"The imperial court has long set a ten-year strategy to control the Yellow River and Huai River. It allocates millions of yuan to the Ministry of Industry every year, and nearly half of it is used to control the Yellow River. You should feel the same way!"

"Your Majesty will not forget you. At the beginning of this year, under His Majesty's care, the Ministry of Officials will conduct a Beijing inspection on us."

slam-la-

As soon as this sentence fell to the ground, there were a lot of cold breathing sounds.

Good guy, the Beijing inspection every six years is brought to the Ministry of Industry ahead of time, is this something that humans can do?
Everyone, including Yu Jackie, panicked.

People walk in the world, with a hundred secrets and one sparse, no one can guarantee that they are completely correct.

"Don't worry, since it's taking care of you, then Jingcha will naturally treat you mostly positively, and some small things will be ignored."

Sun Jiang said solemnly: "Once the Beijing inspection is over, you may be promoted or transferred. In short, most of them will have a bright future."

In an instant, the atmosphere became heated, and everyone showed joy.

"So, everyone—"

Sun Jiang looked around at the crowd and said in a deep voice: "Like last year's repairing of the Huaihe River and the construction of polders, only the local colleagues, the Ministry of Industry, the cabinet, and even the Holy Majesty are not very happy."

"For Huang and Huai Erhe, this year is going to be real."

Everyone is very preoccupied at this time.

Yu Chenglong left with the big flow, but was stopped by a small official on the way.

He was taken to the backyard and met Sun Jiang and Sun Shilang.

"I've seen Shao Sikong—"

Yu Chenglong was taken aback for a moment, and stabilized his mind.

"Yu Chenglong, are you from Shanxi?"

"Shanxi Taiyuan Mansion, Yongning people."

"Shou Kui is also from Shanxi. It seems that Shanxi produces outstanding talents!"

Sun Jiang sighed in admiration, glanced at Yu Chenglong's thin face, and said with a smile: "Before I left, I heard a lot of praises for your courage and prudence. Although it is a reputation, I want to know whether it is worthy of the name."

"Tell me, what do you think about treating the Yellow River and the Huaihe River?"

Yu Chenglong frowned, feeling a little uncomfortable with the straightness of the servant.

But after all, he was concerned with water control, and he bowed his hands: "Young Sikong, for hundreds of years, the Yellow River has taken Surabaya into the Huaihe River, and it has already taken shape, and it cannot be changed by manpower."

"Treating the Yellow River is nothing more than sewing and mending, and there is nothing new."

"And the most important thing for the imperial court lies in the Huaihe River."

"Oh?" Sun Jiang raised his eyebrows: "You are so courageous, the whole world emphasizes yellow and despises Huai, but you are the other way around."

"Pan Taibao (Pan Jixun) in the former dynasty used water to control sand, which is a good strategy and has been perfected."

Yu Chenglong showed no fear: "The most important thing for the imperial court now is to release the flood water to Hongze Lake, and also to provide an outlet for the Huaihe River."

"Otherwise, as the Gaojiayan dam gets higher and higher, the consequences will become more and more serious, and it will affect the stability of the Yellow River instead."

"At that time, the floods will destroy several provinces, and the day when tens of thousands of people will die in Zeguo will not be far away!"

ps: When writing water control, I really have to look up information and think about how to control the Huanghuai area. It is too difficult for me to have something to say...

(End of this chapter)