Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

After the ceremony, Guo An respectfully met.

Zhu Di directly handed the two memorials to Guo An.

At the same time, he said in a deep voice: "Guo Qing, the Yellow River embankment in Kaifeng burst by twenty feet, and destroyed the city wall of Kaifeng by more than two hundred feet. More than 14,000 households suffered from floods, and more than 7,500 hectares of farmland were submerged... "

"so serious?"

Guo An was shocked.

This was not an act, but Guo An was really surprised.

You know, in the entire Kaifeng Prefecture, how many households are there and how many fields are cultivated?

This time, at least 10% was damaged.

Especially the city wall. Could it be that it was completely bald?

"Ok!"

Zhu Di nodded slowly, his face full of anger.

“It’s not even summer yet, and the Yellow River embankment will burst. Can you imagine how weak the Kaifeng Yellow River embankment is?
So how derelict are officials like the Governor of Water Transport, the Censor of Patrolling the River, the Minister of General River, and even those from the Ministry of Works? "

"When we wanted to hold people accountable, the officials in the DPRK and the Central Government quickly changed the subject, urging me to issue an order to provide disaster relief, and worried that I would continue to investigate...

Humph, they are all acting like this, and they must be involved in it. If we are not allowed to investigate, we will investigate, and we will punish them without mercy! "

"Your Majesty, calm down!"

At this moment, Guo An also read the memorial, thought for a moment, and then said: "Your Majesty, those officials were somewhat derelict in their duties.

But this matter was somewhat unexpected to them. "

"Ok?"

Zhu Di frowned and looked at Guo An.

"Guo Qing, do you have a different opinion?"

Guo An nodded slowly, "Your Majesty, please read this memorial. It says that when the levee broke, ice as big as a house appeared in the water.

It probably snowed too much last year, and coupled with the severe cold weather, too much ice accumulated.

The weather has warmed up this year, the ice in the river has thawed, and the water in the river has increased. However, there is still a large amount of ice that has not thawed. It was carried down by the river water and hit the embankment!

Perhaps, one or two impacts would be fine, but there were too many impacts, and the embankment itself was not strong, and no one knew in the middle of the night...

then.

Before dawn, the ice finally broke through the embankment..."

Hearing this, a strange flash appeared in Zhu Di's eyes.

"What Guo Qing means is that the increased river water cooperated with the ice to break the embankment?"

On the side, Zhu Gaochi also had a strange look in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, there must be such a reason, otherwise it cannot be explained that the embankment will burst suddenly without any river officials noticing it in advance!"

Guo An nodded slightly, "However, the embankment itself is not strong, and those river officials are not without guilt!"

"exactly!"

Zhu Di agreed very much.

"Since Guo Qing knows so much, can Guo Qing go to monitor this matter this time?"

I know you, Mr. Zhu, are not well-intentioned!

Guo An complained in his heart and said quickly: "It is the responsibility of a humble minister to share your Majesty's worries.

However, Wei Chen feels that this kind of spring bursting of the Yellow River's banks is rare in the Ming Dynasty.

Let the minister go, why not let His Highness the Crown Prince go! "

"Prince?"

Zhu Di couldn't help but look at Zhu Gaochi who was standing aside.

Zhu Gaochi, on the other hand, was speechless.

"Exactly!"

Guo An nodded slightly and said seriously: "Your Majesty, the Yellow River has been a river that has been difficult for all dynasties to control since ancient times, but it has to be controlled.

This is a rare opportunity to get to know the river officials below and manage the Yellow River!

His Royal Highness the Prince stays in the capital all year round. Regarding these, he only listens to the officials' reports. What he sees and hears are all what the officials said and played. He is not too clear about the management of rivers.

therefore.

Wei Chen feels that if His Highness is asked to take charge, it will be a great opportunity for His Highness the Crown Prince!
Moreover, Kaifeng Mansion is the vassal territory of the King of Zhou. If ordinary officials go there, they will be controlled by the King of Zhou's Mansion to some extent, and it is inconvenient to provide disaster relief and investigate cases. Only His Highness the Crown Prince is suitable.

As long as this disaster relief incident and the reason for this incident are found out, from now on, those river officials will no longer be able to deceive His Highness the Prince in the memorial! "

Hearing this, Zhu Di couldn't help but look silent.

Zhu Gaochi's eyes also lit up.

After careful consideration, it would be a good idea to ask him to go to Kaifeng to investigate the matter.

Not only can you relax, but you can also see what the river has to offer.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi and said, "Prince, what do you think?"

Zhu Gaochi cupped his hands and said, "I will obey my father's will!"

Zhu Di understood in his heart that he couldn't see what his eldest son was thinking.

However, Guo An is obviously lazy.

Of course, it is also possible that he was afraid of offending King Zhou, so he wanted to drag the prince.

"So, let's go!"

"Thank you, Father!"

Zhu Gaochi looked happy.

Zhu Di looked at Guo An again.

"Guo Qing, this is the first time that the Crown Prince has presided over river control and disaster relief. We are very worried that he is going alone. You are also the Crown Prince's Grand Master, so we just go together!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Although I didn't escape the errand to Kaifeng, it was a blessing to turn the chief officer into an auxiliary officer!
"This time, we will send another Minister of the Ministry of Hubu, a Censor of the Ducha, and officials from the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple to accompany them.

While providing disaster relief, if there are those who take advantage of the opportunity to commit crimes, take bribes and bend the law, they will not be leniently spared.

Also, the most important thing for this trip is to find out the corrupt officials behind the breach of the Yellow River embankment..."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Yes, Father!"

Guo An and Zhu Gaochi responded quickly.

Zhu Di nodded slowly and asked again: "I wonder if Guo Qing has anything else to do?"

Guo An slightly arched his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask where those sweet potatoes have gone now?"

"Sweet potato?"

Zhu Di frowned immediately.

"The sweet potatoes are naturally kept intact in the warehouse in our palace."

Guo An asked again: "Your Majesty, now that the weather is getting warmer, do you want to cultivate some sweet potato seedlings in the experimental field outside the city, and then seize the time again to cultivate new sweet potatoes and corn?"

"Can it be done now? Don't have to wait until the weather warms up completely?"

Zhu Di was stunned.

"can!"

Guo An nodded directly.

"Very good!"

Zhu Di's face lit up, "In that case, let's cultivate all those sweet potatoes and corns!"

"His Majesty!"

Guo An suddenly looked shocked, "Absolutely not!"

"Why not?"

Zhu Di asked again.

Guo An replied: "Your Majesty, among those sweet potatoes, there are also sweet potatoes belonging to Wei Chen!"

"yours?"

Zhu Di's face suddenly darkened.

"When did the sweet potatoes from your Shunde Prince's Palace appear in my palace?"

Guo An's eyes widened with disbelief on his face.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, how could you do this? I have tried so hard to get Shen Zhuang and the others to bring those sweet potatoes and corn back from overseas just to satisfy their appetite.

But now, after finally cultivating it, Wei Chen can have a feast, but Your Majesty actually doesn’t let Wei Chen eat..."

Zhu Di snorted coldly, "What Guo Qing said is correct, but instead of making you a county king, we made you a king with a different surname in the Ming Dynasty. We even made viscounts for Shen Zhuang and the Guo family!"

Guo An was stunned on the spot, speechless.

He was sure that this was the real reason why Zhu Di named him king!
On the side, Zhu Gaochi was also dumbfounded!
In the end, Guo An left the palace with a helpless expression. As for the sweet potatoes that he cherishes so much, he can only wait until next season to mature before giving some to the Shunde Palace.

After going home.

Guo An explained it carefully and stayed at home for another day.

Subsequently.

Then he took Xu Yong and others, followed Prince Zhu Gaochi and a group of officials to Kaifeng Mansion.

And it had only been two days since Guo An had left.

Then several carriages, escorted by some healthy servants, entered the capital.

Then, they gathered together in a simple courtyard.

"What, King Shunde actually followed His Highness the Crown Prince to Kaifeng Mansion?"

After listening to the steward's instructions, a gentleman's face suddenly darkened.

"The Prince of Shunde County is lazy, doesn't like to go out, and doesn't want to offend others.

Why is it so unwise to follow the prince to Kaifeng Mansion this time? "

"Could it be that you knew I was coming and wanted to avoid me on purpose?"

"How could he know our whereabouts are so secret?"

"Then what should we do now? The floods in Kaifeng Mansion are so severe, the disaster relief and investigation will definitely not be completed within a month!"

"But I can't go back like this?"

"Just waiting like this?"

"Or, go to Kaifeng Mansion to find King Shunde?"

"I heard that when I went to Kaifeng Mansion this time, the royal guard king really followed the prince.

If we follow him to Kaifeng Mansion again, His Highness the Crown Prince will definitely know.

In this way, that person will also know..."

"What should I do?"

"When things happen in Kaifeng Mansion, Wang Zhen will definitely bring a group of royal guards, as well as officials from the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple, to inspect the provinces again!
And now, we are the only one left in the province where we are..."

"Ugh!"

"Then wait till death!"

"Wait?"

"..."

This was the first time for Guo An to face the scene after a catastrophe, which was even more tragic than the city after the war.

After the battle, the city will be disposed of very quickly, and all the enemy corpses will be thrown into the pit, burned or buried.

The remaining people will be centrally managed.

Moreover, Guo An would not pay too much attention to those enemies and common people.

However, the people in Kaifeng Mansion are all Ming Dynasty people.

At first glance, Kaifeng Mansion seemed to have no city walls, and countless houses in the city were destroyed.

The entire city of Kaifeng is filled with a fishy smell.

Every now and then, a piece of rotten fish would appear beneath my feet.

Even in some remote places, you can see some people and soldiers carrying corpses with numb expressions on their faces.

"After such a long time, why haven't the bones of these people been taken away and buried?"

Wang Zhen, who was following Zhu Gaochi and Guo An, looked at this with a gloomy expression.

Perhaps because he stayed in Jinyiwei for a long time, Wang Zhen's temperament also underwent some changes.

Guo An said: "After a major disaster, the people in the city will only repair their houses!"

Wang Zhen looked at the people in the distance, wandering around the ruins of houses, lying down from time to time, taking out some things, and said: "Perhaps, they are still thinking about the homes of those people who were affected by the disaster. property!”

"..."

At this moment, Zhu Gaochi also reacted and his face became gloomy.

However, nothing more was said.

Not far in front of them, King Zhou Zhu, together with officials from the Third Division of Henan Province and officials from Kaifeng Prefecture, stepped forward to greet them.

Regarding Zhu Ji and the officials of the three departments of Henan Province, Zhu Gaochi was gentle and very humble.

After greeting each other, Zhu Zhu and the officials from Henan Province gathered around Zhu Gaochi and Guo An and entered the city and walked into the city.

Moreover, Zhu Gaochi would answer whatever questions he and the officials from Henan Province asked.

Answers all questions and is very honest.

However, Zhu Gaochi would also ask a few questions when he thought of something he didn't understand.

Apparently he knows nothing about floods and river management.

However, no one dared to take it lightly, let alone Zhu Gaochi.

But they knew that His Highness the Crown Prince, and King Shunde who was always smiling at the side, took a few guards, pretended to be merchants, and went to Suzhou Mansion and Songjiang Mansion to replace all the officials and gentry there. !
Now, such a big mistake has been made in their Kaifeng Mansion. His Majesty did not send His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Prince of Shunde here to comfort them.

then.

At night.

Zhou Wang Zhu Ju and the officials of Henan Province hosted a banquet for Prince Zhu Gaochi and Guo An.

In the gorgeous and luxurious hall, more than twenty sumptuous dishes were placed in front of Guo An and Zhu Gaochi.

"I also ask for your forgiveness, Your Highness the Prince and the Prince of Shunde. We, Kaifeng Mansion, have just been hit by a flood. We have gathered a lot of food to provide relief to the people. We can only prepare these dishes for His Highness the Prince and His Highness the Prince of Shunde. Please also ask Your Highness the Prince and the Prince of Shunde to forgive me." Prince, don’t dislike it!”

"You are so dedicated, how dare you dislike me?"

Zhu Gaochi still had a gentle smile on his face.

All the officials from Henan Province also had apologetic smiles on their faces.

However, for some reason, looking at the smile of His Highness the Crown Prince, they always felt a little uneasy.

However, when they thought about it carefully, they couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Nothing happened all night.

The next day.

After Zhu Gaochi, Guo An and others got up, they looked around the entire Kaifeng Prefecture and asked the Kaifeng Prefecture magistrate and other officials to quickly recruit people, move and bury the bodies.

Then he went to the embankment of the Yellow River.

Along the way, there are fields that are flooded with water.

Wang Zhen couldn't help but said with regret on his face: "It's a pity that so many acres of land have become raw land. The people of Kaifeng Mansion will have a hard time again this year!"

Guo An also lowered his body, grabbed a handful of soil with his hands, looked at it and said, "It should still be possible to cultivate!"

Wang Zhen was shocked, "Your Highness, can we still grow food in these flooded lands?"

"can!"

Guo An nodded slightly, "Some fields may still have a good harvest. As for the fields close to the embankment, the harvest may not be so good."

Wang Zhen said happily: "In this way, it would be great if these people can have a way to live!"

"There will definitely be a way to survive!"

In front, Zhu Gaochi said with certainty.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Wang Zhen responded quickly.

Immediately, a group of people headed towards the embankment again.

Everyone was shocked again when they saw the scene on the embankment.

There was a huge gap in the embankment that stretched for an unknown length of time. Even at this time, river water was still flowing down from the gap from time to time.

Even, from time to time, a huge piece of ice would fall from the gap, making a loud noise.

The soil that had just been filled in the gap was washed down again.

Wang Zhen was immediately startled.

Later, when he saw Zhu Gaochi continuing to go up, he was even more shocked.

"Your Highness, it's too dangerous on the embankment. Your Highness is worth a fortune, so you must not go forward!"

"Those river officials who work hard dare to go up the embankment, why don't I dare?"

Zhu Gaochi glanced at Wang Zhen lightly, then walked forward on his own.

"Your Highness the County Prince?"

Wang Zhen looked at Guo An as if asking for help.

Guo An smiled slightly and said with relief: "Don't be nervous. There are so many laborers and river officials on the levee. They are more afraid of death than us, and they know better whether the levee will be dangerous!"

After saying that, he quickly followed.

...(End of chapter)