prosperous age

Chapter 1137 1228 Responsibility
"What this means is that if the court approves his memorial, it may be a waste of money, or it may only last for a few years?"

Wei Guangde asked with a frown.

It is said that diverting water is a good way to control siltation, but according to Jiang Zhi, the siltation cannot be solved fundamentally, and the risk of dam breach will increase greatly after diverting water.

At this time, Wei Guangde had to think about this matter seriously.

“The harm of good lending is actually far more than this.”

At this moment, Jiang Zhi's words interrupted Wei Guangde's thinking again.

"What other harm is there?"

Wei Guangde asked in confusion.

"After receiving the memorial, the Ministry of Works recruited people to conduct a review and finally came to the conclusion that if Pan Jixun's method of flood control was followed, after the Yellow River embankment was completed and raised today, the silt would continue to stagnate in the future, and the riverbed would move up. The court would have no choice but to continue raising the embankment.

Because flushing the mud and sand with clean water can only take away part of it, it is absolutely impossible to clean it all up.

If this continues for a long time, the Yellow River bed will continue to rise. What will be the result? "

Jiang Zhi said.

After hearing this, Wei Guangde knew the answer after a little thought. Didn’t people in later generations say that the Yellow River is a hanging river on the ground?

The word "hanging river" is actually the final result of this method.

Of course, there are ways to alleviate it, or prevent the Yellow River from becoming a suspended river above ground, but that might get out of control.

As for the solution, it is naturally to let it go.

Whenever the Yellow River is too high above the surrounding areas, it will find its own way into the sea after bursting, choosing to converge in lower and gentler areas and become a river again.

This is why the Yellow River has changed its course many times throughout history.

Silt clogging raises the riverbed, elevating the surrounding terrain, and then changes its course.

After the diversion, it is naturally no longer a hanging river on the ground.

After a long while, Wei Guangde finally said, "Xuanhe."

"Yes, the Ministry of Industry came to this conclusion after careful consideration. The word 'hung river' is a perfect summary."

Jiang Zhi continued, "But the dangers don't stop there. Shandai, do you know the location of the Ming ancestral mausoleum?"

The Ming Ancestral Mausoleum is located in Mingling Village, Huaihe Town, Xuyi County, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province. It is adjacent to Hongze Lake to the east and is about 73 miles away from Xuyi County. The total area of ​​the Ming Ancestral Mausoleum is about hectares. It was built in the th year of Ming Hongwu.

The Ming Zuling Mausoleum is the cenotaph for the great-grandfather Zhu Bailiu, the great-great-grandfather Zhu Sijiu, and the grandfather Zhu Chuyi of Ming Yuanzhang. It is also the actual burial place of his grandfather.

The Ming Mausoleum took 28 years to complete. It has three city walls, 21 pairs of stone carvings on the sacred roads, three Jinshui Bridges, and thousands of halls, pavilions, towers and chambers. Its construction regulations and the 21 pairs of stone carvings on the sacred roads inherited the Tang and Song styles. It was an important carrier for Zhu Yuanzhang to re-establish the orthodox Confucian culture in the Central Plains.

According to maps of later generations, the Yellow River turns eastward at Zhengzhou and flows into the sea from Shandong. However, the course of the Yellow River in this era was not the same. Instead, it continued southeast from Zhengzhou, passed through Xuzhou, and flowed into the sea across Hongze Lake.

In fact, the Yellow River did not originally meet Hongze Lake. However, in order to ensure the transportation of Ji water, people in the mid-Ming Dynasty intended to divert water from the Yellow River to Hongze Lake to replenish water for the canal.

The result is that the Yellow River water first flows into Hongze Lake and then out to the sea, causing Hongze Lake to silt up rapidly, the lake surface to expand, and the water level to become shallower.

The lake embankment became higher and higher, and Hongze Lake finally became a hanging lake. "The embankment looks like a waterfall, and the city looks like the bottom of a pot."

The continuous raising of the Hongze Lake embankment caused the water level of Hongze Lake to rise, and the Sizhou City was eventually submerged, and the Ming ancestral tomb also sank into the Hongze Lake.

Of course, none of this has happened yet, but if Pan Jixun's method is followed, Hongze Lake will become a reservoir for washing away the sand from the Yellow River.

In fact, Hongze Lake was originally just a discontinuous low-lying water storage area. It was called "Hongze Pu" during the Sui Dynasty. After the Yellow River took over the Huai River in the Southern Song Dynasty, the water surface gradually became a lake.

Wei Guangde felt as if his head was as big as a bucket at the moment, and his thoughts were a little confused.

Now the Yellow River water control is entangled with too many factors, not only the Yellow River floods, but also the Huaihai and canal maintenance. Now Jiang Zhi has pointed out the possible harm to the Ming ancestral tombs.

The Ming Dynasty Mausoleum was not just an ordinary matter, but a very serious political event.

What Wei Guangde didn't know was that because he adopted Pan Jixun's water control method, the Yellow River and Hongze Lake really became a "hanging river" and a "hanging lake". Eventually, a hundred years later in the Qing Dynasty, the water level of Hongze Lake rose sharply, causing the Ming ancestral tombs to be submerged.

Of course, the dynasty had changed by then, and the Qing Dynasty didn't care about the Ming ancestral tomb. They only wanted to keep the canal open.

"It's really hard to be an official."

Wei Guangde really didn't know what to do now, and what he was thinking couldn't help but blurt out.

In the online articles I read before, who cares about these things? They just start with reforms and then try to usurp the throne, as if it's as easy as buying cabbages in the market.

However, only after coming here in person and being constrained at every turn did Wei Guangde realize that novels are, after all, novels.

But after Wei Guangde came here and finally stepped into the cabinet, he was worried about these "big things" all day long and had no time to take care of other things.

"To put it simply, does the Ministry of Industry think that Pan Jixun's method is effective in controlling the Yellow River and protecting the Grand Canal?"

Wei Guangde didn't intend to dwell on these and asked the key points directly.

“It has some effect, but.”

Jiang Zhi wanted to say more but was interrupted by Wei Guangde's wave of his hand.

"This law requires the court to continue to spend money to build the dikes of the Yellow and Huai Rivers, and also the dikes of Hongze Lake, right?"

Wei Guangde continued to ask.

"Yes, just."

Without a doubt, Jiang Zhi was interrupted by Wei Guangde again, and then he continued to ask: "Is it just that the rising water level threatens the surroundings, especially the safety of the ancestral tomb?"

"There is also the safety of tens of millions of people around us."

Jiang Zhi added hurriedly.

"If nothing is done, the Yellow River will change its course next time, and we won't know where it will go."

Wei Guangde ignored him and continued to ask.

"Yes."

This time Jiang Zhi only said one word and then shut up and said nothing else.

"Has the Ministry of Works considered the benefits of flushing out the silt?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked.

"Benefits? Of course, clearing the silt can alleviate the flooding of the Yellow River."

Jiang Zhi didn't answer.

"more than."

Wei Guangde shook his head and said, "When the Yellow River silt flows into the sea, it will inevitably accumulate near the estuary. If this continues, the land area near the estuary will continue to expand."

Wei Guangde glanced at Jiang Zhi before continuing, “In other words, the territory of our Ming Dynasty might also expand because of this.

Has the Ministry of Industry ever considered the use of the Yellow River silt?
I see that the previous dredging was to pile up the silt outside the levee. If it could be washed out with water, it would expand the territory of Ming Dynasty, which seems to be possible.

Just
This is ultimately a method of drinking poison to quench thirst, and the potential harm is too great.”

Wei Guangde had to admit the threat posed by the Hanging River and the Hanging Lake.

It would be fine if nothing happens, but if something happens, the whole world will be shocked.

Moreover, the later something happens, the bigger the incident will be. "Go back to the Ministry of Works first and list all the possibilities. Write down everything that might happen. This matter should not be delayed for too long. The court needs to make a choice. What should it do?

Perhaps we can’t find a way to have the best of both worlds, but at least we know how serious the harm is and we should try our best to avoid losses that can be avoided.”

Wei Guangde instructed, "As for the Ministry of Industry, feel free to think about it and write whatever you want. It doesn't matter even if it's alarmist. Just hand it over to me after you finish writing it. Tell everyone to keep it confidential until the cabinet makes a clear decision."

Jiang Zhi understood that Wei Guangde wanted him to make an analysis report based on the current water conditions of the Yellow River.

Although there is no such statement yet, he still understands the prediction.

Fighting a war is all about anticipating the enemy's moves.

What Wei Guangde has to do now is similar to what he has to do when marching to war. He has to list the methods of flood control and the subsequent hazards. Finally, the cabinet will make a judgment and decide what to choose.

Even more, this matter may need to be discussed by the ministry, and all the six ministries and nine ministers may be involved in the discussion to analyze the pros and cons of the methods.

The matter is too big.

"I understand."

Jiang Zhi nodded, agreed, and immediately stood up to say goodbye, "Then Shandai, I will go back to the Ministry of Works to gather officials for discussion, brainstorm, and list the regulations first.

Well, I have to go to Lord Zhu first and ask him to take charge of this matter.

After all, he has been treating jaundice for his entire life, so perhaps he has many more profound views than us.'

"That makes sense. Although Brother Shinan shouldn't be disturbed, this may be a major decision made by the court, so it's best to let him know.

Maybe we should also call Pan Jixun back to the capital."

Wei Guangde agreed immediately.

After Jiang Zhi left, Wei Guangde could no longer sit still. He read Pan Jixun's memorial again to get a general idea of ​​the situation, and then planned to go to Zhang Juzheng to discuss it.

But I just stood up and sat down again, and I don’t know whether Censor Yu has left.

At this time, Wei Guangde was also trying his best to search for future flood prevention strategies in his mind, and the word "flood discharge area" suddenly appeared in his mind.

In fact, in later generations, many ways to deal with floods have been considered. In addition to building dams, the main thing is to plan flood discharge areas, floodway areas, and flood diversion areas.

Flood discharge area: When the flood exceeds the warning water level, the flood is artificially diverted to a certain area for discharge.

Floodway: An area reserved on both sides of the main river channel that can be used as a temporary river channel when the flood peak arrives.

Flood diversion area: An artificial or natural low-lying area that can be opened when floods come to store floodwaters.

The purpose of setting up a flood discharge area is to direct the flood to an area with less damage so as to reduce the losses when faced with an irresistible and inevitable flood. Therefore, the area of ​​the flood discharge area is generally large so as to be able to calm the flood peak.

Allowing floods to spread in the flood discharge area, thereby protecting the safety of other areas, is the most direct function of the flood discharge area.

If embankments are built along the entire river basin, then obviously the further downstream the city is, the greater the flood control pressure will be and the more difficult it will be to defend the embankments.

Therefore, in order to avoid dike breaches in some key areas, the flood will be diverted to the flood discharge area in advance.

The scope of the flood-prone area is relatively small, and its specific size varies depending on the width of the river surface.

Although the name "flood channel" sounds unfamiliar, it may be the most familiar thing to everyone because we come into contact with it every day.

Are riverside parks like these standard features of every city, with pavilions, playgrounds, trails, and observation decks, loved by both adults and children?

However, the park's greatest municipal function is to serve as a floodway, protecting the city from flood damage.

When floods come, the entire park will become a river channel and be temporarily used for flood discharge.

The scope of the flood diversion area is between the floodway area and the flood discharge area. The purpose of setting up a flood diversion area is to use natural lakes or artificially built reservoirs and other areas with water storage capacity to divert and weaken floods.

At this time, the future generations just kept appearing in Wei Guangde's mind.

Although I was just a corporate slave trying to get by at the beginning, I knew a lot because I didn't have much pressure.

However, it has not been used for a long time and has long been forgotten.

But now, those memories are gradually coming back to life.

Just as Wei Guangde picked up the pen and wrote down the three words "flood discharge area", "floodway area" and "flood diversion area" on the note and marked them, his eyes accidentally glanced at Pan Jixun's memorial, and he suddenly realized that these memories of his seemed to be completely useless for the current control of the Yellow River flood.

Because no matter how the Yellow River is managed, it will eventually become a suspended river above the ground.

How to set up this so-called flood zone, which is much higher than the surrounding areas?

I'm afraid all the water from the river is flowing here.
"Snapped."

Wei Guangde threw away the brush in his hand and sat there dejectedly.

“In the end, you still have to make a choice.”

Wei Guangde reacted and realized that never mind water control, transportation security, or the Ming ancestral mausoleum, the court had to prioritize and could not have everything.

Not to mention the current technological conditions, it seems impossible to do it even hundreds of years later.

Even though the Yellow River seems to have calmed down in later generations, that’s because the floods were not as big.

Everywhere needs water, so the floods of the Yellow River gathered in the middle and upper reaches. There was not much water left in the lower reaches, which was completely different from later times.

Although Wei Guangde has arranged for the middle and upper reaches of the river to plant trees near the river, it now seems to have had little effect.

Yes, Wei Guangde had arranged the task a long time ago, but the reward he received was that the survival rate of the trees planted was only about 40%, and many seedlings could not survive.

However, forest protection cannot be achieved overnight and requires long-term efforts.

Wei Guangde picked up another brush from the pen holder, prepared a new piece of paper, and began to write with his head down.

He planned to ask the court to issue another decree, requiring all areas in the upper reaches of the Yellow River to continue planting trees near the river channel, and that the area of ​​planted forests should not only not be reduced but also be spread outward.

Perhaps it may take decades to see results, but he still hopes that it will have some effect in a hundred years, at least there will no longer be such a Loess Plateau.

After finishing the draft memorial, Wei Guangde called Lu Bu in and asked him if there was anyone else in the Prime Minister's duty room.

"Yu Shi has already left. There should be no one there now."

Lu Bu answered immediately.

He must always pay attention to the movements over there and know who he has met. This is an order from Wei Guangde, so he will naturally carry it out resolutely.

"Ah."

Wei Guangde agreed, picked up Pan Jixun's memorial, stood up and walked out.

Lu Bu followed him respectfully. In fact, he knew that it was Lord Wei who asked to see Zhang Juzheng.

When he reached the door, Wei Guangde suddenly stopped again.

I almost forgot that there are not only him and Zhang Juzheng in the cabinet now, but also Zhang Siwei.

For such a major event, it seems better to inform him first, at least on the surface, the cabinet should still be harmonious.

"Go and tell Zhang Ziwei to come to the Prime Minister's duty room and tell him that there is something to discuss."

Wei Guangde gave the order and then went straight to Zhang Juzheng.

These things naturally need to be discussed openly. The matter is too big, so it would be good to listen to their opinions.

Who asked him to take the job in the Ministry of Works?