Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

Chapter 336 Severe Drought

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Yuanzhang, there have always been serious military disasters. There were often rebellions, or some border residents were disobedient and gathered to make trouble.

After being beaten by Zhu Yuanzhang's men, he would stop for a while.

Then, there will be another rebellion.

However, the natural disasters in the Ming Dynasty were much more serious than military disasters.

Basically, floods, droughts, hailstorms, windstorms, earthquakes, locust plagues, plagues... Each of these disasters can kill or injure tens of thousands of people.

In Ming Dynasty, almost all events happened every year, and some even happened together frequently.

As for Beiping Mansion, disasters occurred frequently.

The old people in Beiping Mansion all know this very well.

Nowadays, the village elders in Beiping Prefecture have all experienced successive famines. The people are in dire straits and starvation is everywhere.

It was their experience that made them worried.

Although there was food at home, they did not panic.

However, droughts are often followed by hailstorms and plagues, which can kill people!

孽 孽!
……

Of course, although Zhu Di, Guo An and others spoke very lightly about these disasters, deep down they still took them very seriously.

After all, after a disaster, Beiping Mansion finally prospered, but its vitality was severely damaged.

And their Prince Yan's Mansion will also suffer heavy losses.

Zhu Di said with a gloomy face: "Guo Qing, if there is a severe drought, are there any good solutions?"

A hint of helplessness flashed in Guo An's eyes, "Your Highness, the severe drought is a natural disaster, and our Prince Yan's Mansion cannot carry out artificial rainfall.

In this way, we can only try to reduce some losses! "

Zhu Di asked hurriedly: "How to reduce it?"

Guo An replied: "Your Highness, I can only ask my caravan from Prince Yan's Mansion, as well as Shen Zhuang and others, to buy more grain from the south and come to Beiping Mansion to store it.

If there is a severe drought in Beiping and there is a shortage of food, the price of food in Beiping will not rise...

In addition, our Prince Yan Mansion needs to organize the people of various states and counties to dig ditches again, and try to water the acres of fields in every state and county that passes through our Beiping Mansion, so as not to dry out the grain in those states and counties. "

"However, the amount of watering also needs to be strictly controlled to prevent the water level in the canal from falling seriously, making the canal unavailable for navigation!"

"Your Highness, now the social schools that our Prince Yan Mansion wants to build for the common people must be accelerated. The more disaster strikes, the more necessary it is to give the people of Beiping Mansion a profitable job... In this way, in their hands If you have money, you won’t panic!”

These are common disaster prevention policies.

However, this would be the most unusual thing to do in Beiping Mansion.

"Can!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly, "Just do what Guo Qing said!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhu Fu and Guo An both nodded slightly.

"Guo Qing, I don't know what the artificial rainfall you just mentioned is? But setting up an altar to pray for rain?"

Suddenly, Zhu Di remembered something and asked curiously.

Guo An slightly cupped his hands and explained: "Your Highness is wise, artificial rainfall and praying for rain have roughly the same meaning!
However, praying for rain has been an act of asking God for rain since ancient times when people were helpless in the face of drought.

Artificial rainfall is when people use tools to make it rain! "

“Rain is caused by God. Can humans still use tools to make God rain?”

After hearing Guo An's words, Zhu Di and Zhu Fu suddenly looked surprised.

Guo An smiled softly, looked at Zhu Di, and asked: "Your Highness, do you think there is a god of thunder, lightning, wind, and rain in this world?"

"This……"

Zhu Di was stunned for a moment, "People often say that there are gods in the world, but these things are just nonsense."

"Your Highness is wise!"

Guo An nodded slightly and continued: "According to Wei Chen's observation, there are no gods in the world.

Rainfall is just the result of the movement of heaven and earth.

For example, the clouds in the sky are actually the sun drying the water on the earth into tiny droplets, which gather in the sky to form clouds.

Then, the clouds gathered more and more, and then they gathered to a certain extent. When they were blown by the wind, those small water droplets turned into raindrops and fell from the sky! "

"Are the clouds in the sky made of water on the ground?"

This was the first time Zhu Di heard such remarks that were more like strange rumors, and he couldn't help but be surprised.

"Exactly!"

Guo An nodded slowly, "It's just that the craftsmen in Prince Yan's palace haven't studied these in depth yet, so they can't artificially rain."

Zhu Fu had a look of disbelief, "According to Guo Changshi's intention, in the future, the craftsmen in my Yan Palace can make rain out of thin air?"

"It's natural!"

Guo An replied seriously, "Wind, rain, thunder and lightning are natural phenomena. As long as you study the reason behind them, you will be able to control them!"

"So, can Guo Qing really allow me, Prince Yan's Mansion, to have the ability to control wind, rain, thunder and lightning?"

Zhu Di somewhat believed Guo An's words and was a little eager to give it a try.

"Your Highness, these sciences are not the art of immortals!"

Guo An said seriously.

"Yes, it's science, science!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly, "Guo Qing, I wonder when the craftsmen in the mansion will be able to master this kind of science? Not to mention anything else, as long as the ability to control artificial rainfall and control the wind can save my Peking Mansion, and even the entire Ming Dynasty, from Drought, flood, and wind disaster will do!”

The corner of Guo An's mouth twitched slightly and he said slowly: "Your Highness, please forgive me. I don't know when those craftsmen will be able to study these sciences thoroughly!"

Zhu Fu curled his lips. He felt that Guo An had become a little confused by studying the art of craftsmanship. How could he control the magic of wind, rain, thunder and lightning with his human power?
As for Zhu Di, he had great trust in Guo An and nodded with a serious face.

……

Another half month later.There was still not a drop of rain in the entire Beiping Mansion, and it was getting drier.

Some thin clouds sometimes drift over Beiping Mansion.

However, these clouds just flashed past Beiping Mansion.

Beiping Prefecture has already shown signs of drought.

The land is dry and the rice grain leaves are drooping.

All the people in Beiping Prefecture have also accepted the drought situation this year.

So, without the order of King Yan's Mansion, all the common people started digging ditches spontaneously again.

Water their respective rice fields.

However, there are only a few rivers flowing through Beiping Mansion, and they are not big rivers with sufficient water flow.

In less than a few days.

The hydrology of those rivers has dropped a lot.

The hydrology of the Lower Canal has dropped, and the river bed is barely visible, making it impractical for large ships.

In some villages, large-scale fights broke out over watering.

All of a sudden, all the prefectural and county government offices in Beiping Prefecture were extremely busy.

In the end, Yu Rentian, the prefect of Beiping Prefecture, could only keep a humble face and came to Prince Yan's Mansion to ask for a meeting with Zhu Di and Guo An.

"In the past few days, there have been more than 20 villages in various prefectures and counties in Beiping Prefecture, where fights over water have occurred?"

After hearing Yu Rentian's report, Zhu Di's eyes widened.

"Is it possible to take a life?"

Yu Rentian's eyelids trembled and he quickly replied: "Replying to Your Highness, no one was killed!"

"That's fine!"

Zhu Di breathed a sigh of relief.

Yu Rentian said hurriedly: "Your Highness, under the drought, these people will inevitably fight in order to save the food in their fields.

Wei Chen is worried that if these common people continue to fight, they will get really angry, and maybe they will kill people!
At that point, it will be difficult to dissuade! "

Zhu Di was stunned for a moment, then stared at Yu Rentian and asked, "Why don't you, these parents and officials, stop trying to dissuade them?"

Yu Rentian said with a helpless smile: "Your Highness, I forgive you. It's not that the ministers and other state and county officials didn't stop it. In fact, the food in those fields is the lifeblood of the people. Under this drought, we can only use those grains." Only with water from the river can we barely survive.

Anyone who does not allow the common people to water the fields, even if they water less, will be disturbing the lifeblood of those common people. The already red-eyed common people will not listen to the advice at all! "

“Even if the magistrates from various prefectures and counties came to dissuade them, the people put away their farm tools and went home.

However, on the second day, they got together again and started fighting! "

Zhu Di scowled and asked: "Since there is nothing we can do to persuade you, why don't you go to the Command Department and the Chief Envoy Department to send troops to patrol at all times? Why do you come to look for us instead?"

Yu Rentian quickly smiled flatteringly and said: "Going back to Your Highness King Yan, the minister is here to seek help from Your Highness.

In the eyes of the people of Beiping Mansion, His Highness King Yan has the highest prestige.

Even if Wei Chen and others stayed in those villages all the time, they could not stop the people from fighting over watering.

However, if His Highness King Yan takes action, or if Guo Changshi goes there, those people will not dare to disobey His Highness and Guo Changshi! "

"Do you want Guo Qing to dissuade those people?"

Zhu Di frowned.

"Your Highness is wise!"

Yu Rentian quickly looked at Zhu Di expectantly.

"Your Highness Mingjian, in the entire Beiping Mansion, only Your Highness and Guo Changshi can persuade the red-eyed people!"

"I wonder what Guo Qing means?"

Zhu Di asked Guo An on the side.

He is self-aware. Although the Yu Rentian in front of him sounds nice, he is actually here for Guo An.

However, it is true that in the Beiping Mansion, Guo An did not seem to do many things to be close to the people, but he won the trust and closeness of those people.

Guo An sighed slightly. He really didn't want to run around on this hot day.

However, Beiping Mansion finally developed, so that the gentry and villagers no longer bullied the people.

Now, instead, they have begun to unite to bully other people in neighboring villages and start group fights. This must be stopped.

Otherwise, the entire Beiping Mansion will be in chaos.

"Your Highness, I am willing to go!"

"Very good!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly, "Let's send another team of Yanshan Guards to protect Guo Qing!"

"Thank you His Highness King Yan, thank you Guo Changshi!"

Yu Rentian breathed a sigh of relief, stood up quickly, and saluted Guo An with a happy face.

"Prefect Yu doesn't need to be so polite!"

Guo An returned a slight salute to Yu Rentian, and then said to Zhu Di: "Your Highness, I only need a carriage and two guards, so there is no need to trouble the Yanshan Guards!"

Yu Rentian also said quickly: "Your Highness, don't worry, each state and county will also send government officials to protect Guo Changshi!"

Guo An said quietly: "This time I am just trying to dissuade the people, not suppressing them, and there is no need for any guards!"

Yu Rentian's face was startled, then he smiled sarcastically and stopped talking.

Zhu Di didn't say much, he just squinted his eyes and looked outside the hall, wondering what he was thinking about.

After a long while, Yu Rentian finally noticed something, bowed to Zhu Di respectfully, and slowly left under Zhu Di's big hand waving casually.

……

(End of this chapter)