Prime Minister Bizen

Chapter 319 The Xiu Family's Disaster Relief Strategy

After sending Tokugawa Ieyasu and his party away, Xiujia didn't care about their affairs.

Although Hideyoshi has already been eyeing him, Hideyoshi knows that Hideyoshi will not do anything to him now, and he can't be in a mess just because of his accusation, otherwise he will leave a handle.

What the Xiu family has to do now is to do a good job in dealing with the disaster situation in Meinong, so as not to change.

Even in the 21st century, the power barrier lake has many difficult choices.The most direct one is to choose between dam-damaged floods and considered floods.

In order to ensure the safety of life and property of the people in Meinong, the Xiu family chose the latter without hesitation, conveyed the time downstream, evacuated the masses, and finally excavated the blocked silt to let the accumulated flood drain away.

Almost at the same time, the Nagatsu Masakaya also made progress in dealing with the barrier lake in the upper reaches of the Nagara River. Suddenly, the three main rivers in Mino released floods at the same time, and thousands of miles of fertile land became a swampy country.

The flood mixed with broken branches and trees and silt directly washed away the summer grain just planted by the people of Kamo County amidst the wailing of the people.

Looking at the fruits of their labor and the destruction of their homes, how can the common people not hate it.

It's just that they didn't know that this was the masterpiece of the Xiu family. In the Xiu family's publicity, they always claimed that the flood was caused by the dam break upstream. The Xiu family sent people to send a letter to remind them and saved their lives.

The people in ancient times were ignorant and uneducated. They would not understand the dangers of barrier lakes and so on when you told them about it. If you explain it to them in a tone of voice, you should not deceive them and make them feel bad for you. grateful.

The so-called gentleman does not stand behind the fence, the Xiu family only descended the mountain after the flood peak passed, mainly because the Xiu family was afraid that the previous propaganda would not be in place, and the people downstream would regard him as the water he released and would swallow him alive.

The flood had been discharged for more than 5 days. When Hideka came down the mountain and arrived near Gifu Castle, the accumulated water downstream had basically been emptied.

Refugees from all over the Nonta County of the United States gathered here, including the people along the Nagara River under the charge of the Nagatsuka Masamune and the people along the Kiso River (Hida River) under the charge of the Hideo.Seeing Xiu's family approaching, the surrounding people rushed up and surrounded Xiu's family.

"Master Shangguan, thank you for your reminder. If it weren't for you, our whole family would have been washed away by the flood."

"My lord, you must be kind. Our homes have been washed away, and the food we just planted has been flooded. This year we really can't stand it."

Xiujia's attendants had no choice but to protect Xiujia in the middle, fearing that an assassin would come close.

The Xiu family found a high platform, stepped on a big stone and gestured towards the bottom, telling the people to calm down, "Everyone, everyone, I understand your feelings very well. The annual tax is already so high, and no one has much surplus food. .

Although God said that God sent down the punishment of God, there were earthquakes and floods, but didn't he send me to rescue you?Informed me in advance of the water accumulation upstream, let me evacuate you in advance"

There is no way, the people of the Warring States Period are too ignorant, and it doesn't make sense to talk about science with them. It's better to talk about ghosts and gods to make them understand the truth.

"I will be here with you and help you resume production as soon as possible." Xiujia assured the crowd and won rounds of applause.

But the topic would not end here, the Xiu family was ready to strike while the iron was hot, and said to them, "Everyone, please think about it, why there is another flood after the earthquake, isn't this a warning from heaven?
Ask yourselves, how many years has it been since the death of Mr. Oda that the water conservancy has not been repaired in Mino country?As the saying goes, if the upstream water conservancy is not repaired, the downstream waterways will be obstructed.Should we take this opportunity to repair the upstream waterway? "

Xiujia originally thought that this wave of striking while the iron was hot would resonate with the masses and make them flock to their views, but whoever would have thought that they would get silence.

The Xiu family stood in the crowd awkwardly, not knowing which link had gone wrong, but heard someone below quietly asking, "Why should I go downstream to repair the waterway in the upper reaches? After a disaster, I haven’t asked the upstream for compensation.”

Unexpectedly, this person's views were unanimously endorsed by the people around him.

The Xiu family was a little helpless, and didn't know how to evaluate this group of Diaomin. Should they be said to be smart or stupid.Nobutada Anayama, the attendant next to the Xiu family, couldn't help but said, "How much surplus food do you have to last until the autumn harvest? How can people survive without food?"

At this time, someone from below said, "If there is no food, the lord will lend some emergency supplies. If it is impossible, we will go to another daimyo's territory to ask for a living. Where can we not farm?"

His point of view is actually very influential in this era. In the troubled times of the Warring States period, the population is the capital. If the population is large, it can open up wasteland and increase knowledge in the territory; it can also engage in handicrafts and increase trade income; the most intuitive thing is that it can be mobilized. troops.

Therefore, whenever there was a disaster, the family of a daimyo samurai would take the initiative to provide disaster relief, and opened a facility to provide porridge and food for the affected people, so that they could hardly starve to death.

Some famous families will lend out the grain in the city, charge 3% to 5% interest in the coming year, and then collect it back from the people.

But they all forgot one thing, that is, the general environment has changed. This is Mino, the hinterland of Toyotomi. They are the leaders of the Toyotomi family, and they are surrounded by the retainers of the Toyotomi family. Where can they escape?Which famous family would dare to take them in?
"I can tell you very responsibly that the relief food prepared by the government this year will be shared by all the people, and you will definitely not be left hungry!" Hearing their arguments, the Xiu family wanted to explain, but the words He was interrupted by their cheers only halfway through.

"O~O~! Long live the Emperor! Long live His Royal Highness Guan Bai!"

The Xiu family wanted to continue talking, but found that the common people could no longer listen to it, and they only saw the grain in their eyes, and shouted loudly for the porridge.

There was no other way, the Xiu family could only say to Zhang Shu Zheng's family behind him, "Let's serve the porridge."

Chang Shuzheng's family nodded to Xiu's family, and ordered several pottery kettles to be brought out from behind, and asked the common people to come forward to pick up the porridge one by one with their own bowls.

When the lid of the cauldron was lifted, Xiujia could smell a strong smell of boiled grass, and Xiujia, who was used to eating polished rice, even felt a little nauseous.

Seeing that there was cloth porridge to drink, the common people rushed forward, wanting to fight for the free food provided by the imperial court, but they were severely educated by the Kurashiki Youbei soldiers on duty with wooden sticks.

"If you want to eat, you have to learn to line up!" The Xiu family said to the people, "I guarantee that everyone will have porridge to drink, and there is no need to fight, but order must be observed and queued. For those who jump in line and persecute order, not only do they have no porridge to drink, I still have to suffer from sticks!"

Where did the common people receive such admonitions, but the situation was stronger than others, so they could only curse and lined up in a dozen queues under the push and push of the soldiers in the reserve team, facing the porridge point in front of them.

Xiujia has a total of 12 porridge shops, of which 2 are white rice porridge cooked from shelled military rations, and the other 2 are rice bran: non-hulled japonica rice = 1:[-] mixed rice bran porridge, the taste is extremely bad.

At the moment, Xiujia has only opened 10 rice bran porridge sheds, and in front of the 2 porridge sheds made of mixed japonica rice and white rice, the porridge is only distributed to the team that she originally hired to build the new embankment.

After distributing for a period of time, the people finally discovered the problem. After checking with each other, they found that the porridge in everyone's bowls was the same rough, while the porridge in other bowls was fragrant white rice porridge, and they became restless instantly.

You must know that although their lives are cheap, they usually eat unhulled japonica rice, or even old rice from many years ago, but at any rate they really have rice to eat, but the ratio of rice bran to rice grains in this pot of porridge from the Xiu family is 3 :1, people are completely eating grass, what is the difference between this and feeding pigs!
Oh, I forgot, people in the Warring States period at this time were not rich enough to raise pigs, and they didn't know what to feed the pigs.

There was a lot of chirping and wah-wah below, Xiujia really couldn't hear what they said, so they nominated 3 representatives to come forward and ask questions.

After a round of elections, the people finally selected three people to come forward with porridge bowls.Judging from their condition, clothing and unbroken porridge containers, they should be regarded as rich peasants, or they may be of the same terrain.

One of them first asked the Xiu family: "My lord, what kind of food is this, why is it so difficult to swallow?"

The Xiu family and the Changshu Zhengjia made an agreement, and the Changshu Zhengjia acted as the villain first and said, "How long has it been since Meinong suffered a disaster, this is the standard for disaster relief food, it has always been like this in the past!"

The man retorted: "My lord needs to frame me. During the civil strife in Meinong back then, although the porridge given to us by the lord was thin, it was still japonica rice porridge. How can there be so much rice bran now?"

Since Oda Nobunaga occupied Mino, Mino country has not experienced disaster or war for more than ten years.During the period when the Saito family ruled Mino, the country of Mino had experienced three generations of rule by the Saito family, and the people were considered happy.

The Mino civil strife he mentioned probably dates back to the Toki clan's war over inheritance rights 50 years ago. It was because of this war that the Mino country fell from the Toki clan to the control of Saito Dozo.

The Xiu family didn't expect that this guy, who didn't look very old, had lived for such a long time, no wonder he was recommended to ask the Xiu family.

Changshu Zhengjia was about to continue to scold, when Xiujia stopped him and said, "This lord seems to have experienced disasters in the past, I would like to ask if the relief food given to you back then is as honest as it is now, can you eat enough?" ? Leaving aside the rice bran, there must be more japonica rice in this bowl than in the past.”

The local warrior looked down at the bowl in his hand, shook his head and said, "At that time, the porridge was as sparse as mine, but now His Highness's porridge is indeed much thicker, but the rice bran is really hard to swallow."

Speaking of this, he pointed to the peasant husband who was eating white rice porridge and said, "Besides, why can I and other disaster victims only eat this kind of rough food, but they, a group of foreigners, can eat white rice. How can Your Highness be like this?" Do you favor one over another?"

When Xiujia heard it, he was still a cultural person, so it was easy to talk.Immediately Hideka said to him, "They are migrant workers I invited from other places to rebuild the water conservancy of the Nagara River and the Kiso River. They are working for His Highness Kanbai, and naturally His Highness Guanbai provides food.

You are the people affected by the disaster. Although you are also the people of His Highness Guan Bai, you are unwilling to contribute to His Highness Guan Bai. His Highness Guan Bai sympathizes with you and provides the food you need for life. Don’t you know how to be grateful? "

The local attendant heard what the Xiu family said, and knew the difference between the two, but as a prestigious existence in the clan, he was recommended by the villagers, so naturally he couldn't go back in such a disheveled manner, so he continued to ask the Xiu family. Said, "Even so, there can't be such a big gap!"

Xiujia took half a step forward, and instead of looking at each other, said, "Aren't you convinced? You can also participate in the construction of water conservancy. I guarantee that you can eat the same food as them."

Another representative heard Xiujia's words, and asked Xiujia, "Are you trying to force people with power?"

Hearing someone put a hat on himself, the Xiu family immediately retorted, "Don't confuse the public. In the past, you always prepared your own dry food. Now, His Highness Guan Bai sees that Mino has suffered a disaster and feels sorry for you. He has already given it to you. More relief food than ever before is already a mighty gift from God.

Nowadays, you are given another choice. Not only do you not need to bring your own food to accept general invitations, but you can also eat white rice. This is simply a pie in the sky.

Just ask this old man, throughout the ages, how can there be such a kind master in the world who has offered such generous conditions.Don't you think about Jun's kindness, and you still want to slander Guan Bai here, isn't it because you want to rebel? "

Meinong has been an obedient citizen for decades, and his heart has long been consumed by peace. Now that the Xiu family is directly talking about rebellion, everyone shrinks their necks in fear.

Of all the people present, only the old man who spoke at the beginning had experienced the disasters of previous years. Now that the Xiu family said that the disaster relief efforts were richer than before, all the victims turned their attention to that person, and finally got the other party's confirmation.

Seeing that the old man confirmed Hideyoshi's words, the other two people who were elected also knew that their words were unreasonable, but they still wanted to fight for it, and said to the Hideo family, "It's fine if we invite everyone in the past, but now I'm waiting for the field." Even if it is devastated and desolate, how can we care about the affairs of the Nagara River!"

(From this sentence, it can be seen that this representative is a representative of the disaster victims near the Nagara River.)
"You are all strong laborers. Don't you have the ability to fight for a bite of food for your family? Regarding the matter of the fields, each village can make overall arrangements, leaving some men to cooperate with the healthy women to level off, and others to participate in general petitions Make money and strive for a better life for your family!
Today, I, Hashiba Hideka, here promise everyone that I guarantee that everyone will have relief food every day, but the quality can only be in accordance with the minimum standard. If you want to eat better, you can only fight for the government.

Of course, I am also willing to add more benefits to the benefits given by His Highness Guan Bai. All the people who participate in the general invitation will not only have white rice porridge to eat, but also receive 20 yuan a day or 1 bucket of white rice a month, and take it back to give Families improve their lives.

As for who you leave to help clean up the fields, and what kind of compensation you will give them, this is out of my control. Let the village discuss it among itself! "

Although the people of the Warring States period were ignorant, they were not stupid. After knowing that the conditions offered by the Xiu family were better than in the past, they had already retreated.

Now the Xiu family gave them another price tag, 20 Wen per person per day, 600 Wen per month, and more than 2 penny in 1 months.This is a rare compensation in normal times, let alone in a disaster year, it can be exchanged for white rice.

With this money and good food, they can support until the autumn harvest after Xiu's family leaves!
A possible civil uprising was resolved by the Xiu family in this way, and the victims gathered in groups of four or four to discuss enthusiastically, and finally agreed to the conditions of the Xiu family, and each village sent people to help the Xiu family build water embankments , waterways and road repairs in exchange for money and food support from the Xiu family.

And they will distribute part of the money and food as compensation to the men and healthy women who stayed to help take care of the fields in the village.And the premise of these is that the Xiu family will provide them with food that can fill them up according to the current standard, no matter how unpalatable the meal is.

(End of this chapter)