I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 946: Bring a Gift When You Come as a Guest

The fleet continued south along the canal.

Shandong Governor Wang Zongzai, Provincial Governor Chen Dake and four other Shandong local officials respectfully escorted Zhu Yijun to the provincial border in the middle of Zhaoyang Lake.

According to the imperial decree, these local officials were not allowed to leave the province without permission.

Wang Zongzai, Chen Dake and four other Shandong officials, along with their entourage, abandoned their boat and went ashore, taking a horse-drawn carriage straight to Teng County.

From there he took the train back to Jinan, where he convened a meeting of officials from the Provincial Government, the Censorate and the Military Preparations Department to study the various instructions given by the Emperor during his inspection tour in Shandong.

At the same time, Shandong began to deploy the strategy of developing agriculture through science and technology.
Strike while the iron is hot, Shandong quickly thought out the entire strategic plan so that it could ask the cabinet and the Shaofujian for projects, money and support.

The emperor has appointed this, how can you not support it?
The Southern Tour Fleet continued to move south along the canal.

After passing Zhaoyang Lake, the canal splits into two at Xia Village, Pei County.

The Huitong River in the east passes through Luoma Lake and flows into the Yellow River in Pizhou.

The canal in the west passes through Weishan Lake and enters the Yellow River at Zhenkou Gate in the north of Xuzhou.

The patrol fleet sailed along the western canal straight into Xuzhou.

Jiangsu Governor Yang Lingde and Jiangsu Provincial Governor Li E, together with Jiangsu Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, the left and right councilors of the Provincial Administration, the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner and other Jiangsu officials, were ordered to welcome the emperor at the Xuzhou wharf.

The Jiangsu Military Commander is now on his way up the river to Wuchang, while the Hubei Military Commander who is to replace him is still on the way.

With the wired telegraph, the execution speed of civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty was greatly improved.

In addition, it was Zhu Yijun's special secret decree and military order, so it was executed very quickly.

Yang Lingde and Li E, together with senior civil and military officials from Jiangsu, welcomed Zhu Yijun and his entourage from the dock to Xuzhou Railway Station.

The special train is waiting here.

Zhu Yijun and his entourage boarded the train and asked Yang Lingde and Li E to board as well.

The other local officials took another train and headed south together.

In the office area of ​​Zhu Yijun's special carriage, he sat opposite Yang Lingde and Li E.

"I am not worried about the southern part of Jiangsu, but the northern part of Jiangsu. The most important thing for governing northern Jiangsu is the Huai River.

If the Huai River is not stable, northern Jiangsu will not be at peace, and northern Anhui will not be at peace either!"

Zhu Yijun doesn't smoke or drink, but he drinks some wine during the Chinese New Year.

I like to drink tea every day, but I’m not sure what kind of tea I drink.

Lu'an Guapian, Taihu Biluochun, Fuding White Tea, Xinyang Maojian, Emei Queshe, Wuyi Dahongpao.
He also accepts all the fully fermented teas that have been developed using the newly invented stacking fermentation technology, Keemun black tea and Yunnan black tea, as well as the semi-fermented tea Tieguanyin from Fujian.

Today, when he met an important official from Jiangsu, he asked Qi Yan to make Taihu Biluochun tea.

The name of this tea was given by him when he was the crown prince.

Zhu Yijun picked up a cup of tea, blew it gently a few times, took a few sips, put the cup down and continued speaking.

"The Yellow River main channel northwards project, which took the court six years to complete, started part of the dry season last winter. Nearly half of the water was diverted to the three northern channels, and it also withstood the ice flood during the winter-spring season change this year.

Master Pan is now stationed in Kaifeng, Henan, and one hundred thousand military and civilian engineering personnel are on high alert, waiting for the upcoming peach blossom flood.

There will be summer floods and autumn floods later.

Especially in the summer flood season, the flood peak is high, the destructive power is strong, and the force is fierce. In previous years, the Yellow River bursts basically occurred in the summer flood season. According to the forecast of the Meteorological Bureau, this year should be a big year for the Yellow River's summer flood season, which is a big test for the northern river channel.

If the northern river channel can withstand the test of this year's summer and autumn floods, during the winter dry season, Master Pan will close all the sluices on the southern river channel from Lanyang (Lankao) to Yifeng.

All the water of the Yellow River flows into three northern rivers from Zhujiazhai in Lanyang, Zhongluan Town in Fengqiu, and Guoqiao Town in Yangwu, and flows northeast.

By then, Kaifeng City, Guide, Shangqiu, Xuzhou and even Huai'an will no longer suffer from the Yellow River, and the Huai River will no longer be taken away by the Yellow River and enter the sea, causing ten disasters every ten years. "

Yang Lingde and Li E said quickly: "This is a far-sighted plan formulated by the emperor to benefit the country and the people. It will surely succeed in one fell swoop, benefit millions of people, and leave a legacy for generations to come."

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "I just took on the biggest responsibility for them. The hard work is still done by Master Pan, Minister Zhu, and thousands of river workers.

They are the great contributors who benefit the people and leave a legacy for generations to come."

Yang Lingde and Li E had different ideas in their minds.

Your Majesty, if you hadn't shouldered the greatest responsibility, no one would dare to undertake this important project.

Having the courage to take responsibility is the greatest duty of a monarch.

Among all the previous emperors, none had shoulders as strong as yours!

The Ming Dynasty is fortunate, the country is fortunate, and the people are fortunate!

Qi Yan, who had already received Zhu Yijun's instructions, took out a map, slowly unfolded it on the table, and pressed down the four corners with paperweights.

Map of the Huaihe River Basin.

Zhu Yijun pointed at the map on the table and continued speaking to Yang Lingde and Li E sitting opposite him.

“After the Yellow River is regulated, the responsibility of regulating the Huai River will fall on your shoulders.

I have read the relevant information. The biggest problem of the Huaihe River is the uneven annual distribution of water. More than 60% of the water is concentrated in the flood season from May to August.

In May, heavy rains mainly occur in the Huainan mountainous area; in June, heavy rains can occur in the entire basin; in July, they occur more frequently in the western Funiu Mountain area and the northeastern Yimeng Mountain area. At the same time, affected by typhoons, typhoons and heavy rains often occur in the eastern coastal areas, and there is even the phenomenon of seawater backflowing into the river estuary.

It didn't gradually subside until August.

When I saw this information, I was deeply moved.

Heaven gave China the Yellow River and the Huai River, which provide abundant water to the coastal areas, but failed to put a bridle on them, causing endless harm.

The Huaihe River Division of Dushui Temple has formulated a preliminary management plan based on field surveys and years of hydrological and meteorological data and repeated research. "

Zhu Yijun rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together.

"The preliminary plan of Dushui Temple emphasizes that the management of the Huaihe River should be considered holistically and the whole basin should be adopted for management, rather than treating the symptoms one way or the other.

The preliminary plan is divided into two parts: "storing mountain water" and "providing a way out".

"Storing mountain water" means planting trees in the mountainous areas in the middle and upper reaches, building ponds and reservoirs, and dredging rivers, so that the water volume of the Huaihe River can be dispersed as much as possible during the rainy season to retain the flood water in the tributaries in the middle and upper reaches.

In this regard, Mr. Rudong has accumulated rich experience in the northwest, and you can refer to it.

"Provide a way out" means further expanding the flood discharge outlets of the Huai, Yi, Shu and Si rivers, dredging the river channels, reserving flood storage areas, and building multiple canals into the sea, so that the floods can be dispersed as much as possible downstream, or discharged into the sea as soon as possible to avoid huge losses.

The lower reaches have been invaded by the Yellow River for hundreds of years, and the river channel is clogged with silt. You need to spend a lot of effort to dredge it. You can also learn from the experience of the Yellow River main channel northward return project and build one or two channels for the Huai River to enter the sea, so as to completely solve the problem of siltation at the Huai River entering the sea and flooding in the middle reaches. "

Zhu Yijun looked at the two of them and said earnestly, "Leave professional matters to professionals.

Controlling the Huai River is a water conservancy project that requires a high level of professionalism.

It concerns millions of people and important events for generations to come, so we cannot be careless in the slightest.

Some of our officials boast of their extraordinary intelligence and have a high opinion of themselves. They are prone to slapping their foreheads and doing whatever they think of.

He came up with ideas behind closed doors, and thought they were good ideas, but in fact they were bad ideas, lousy ideas!
You have very sharp brains, but not necessarily when it comes to taming the Huai River, so don’t learn from those people.”

Yang Lingde and Li E hurriedly said: "We dare not, we will obey your Majesty's will."

"I know that the management of the Huai River is not only your business in Jiangsu, but also the business of Anhui and Henan. I should say these words in front of the local officials of Anhui and Henan.

But let me tell you first, do you know why? "

"I dare not presume to speculate on the emperor's will."

"I just said that the management of the Huai River must be considered from a holistic perspective, and the entire basin must be managed. So we can't have each family do their own thing, because this will not help the management of the Huai River.

The Huaihe River Division of the Dushui Temple would dispatch capable water conservancy experts and engineers to Fengyang to provide guidance on the management of the Huai River. The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue would approve construction projects and financial budgets based on their plans for managing the Huai River.

Zijian also asked me for instructions that the cabinet set up a direct, cross-provincial coordination agency, the Huaihe River Control Committee, to coordinate the entire Huaihe River control project.

I agree and appoint Master Pan as the director, and then appoint you, Yang Lingde, as the executive deputy directors.

The governors of Jiangsu, Anhui and Henan provinces will serve as deputy directors, and the provincial governors will serve as committee members. In addition, the provincial governors will also appoint a right councilor as a member of the executive team to specifically take charge of the coordination and management of the province.

Zhu Yijun's words were within the expectations of Yang Lingde and Li E.

The cabinet had long ago proposed setting up a Huaihe River Management Committee.

Pan Jixun serves as director, but he is just a figurehead and provides control from a professional perspective. He is at most a consultant.

The person who is actually in charge is the Executive Deputy Director.

One of the important reasons why the emperor appointed Yang Lingde as the executive deputy director was that he was a counselor and the highest-ranking official among the governors of Jiangsu, Anhui and Henan provinces.

"I have selected you, Yang Fengming, as the actual person in charge. In addition to the fact that you are a counselor, there are two other reasons.

First, the Huai River in Jiangsu is only a short section, the shortest among the three provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui and Henan. However, you are located in the lower reaches, and if the Huai River is damaged, you will have to bear huge losses. "

Yang Lingde nodded: "Your Majesty is wise. Jiangsu has long been looking forward to the management of the Huai River. If the Huai River is well managed, northern Jiangsu will become a land of plenty for the Ming Dynasty."

"Yes, that's it. There's another thing, which is money.

Jiangsu is rich, Anhui and Henan are poor, and the biggest cost of controlling the Huai River must come from you in Jiangsu.

Moreover, the Huai River control would not be completed in one or two years, but would take ten years, and the cost of money and grain would be countless. Most of this money and grain would be paid by the Ministry of Revenue through fiscal transfer payments, and most of it would be borne by Jiangsu taxes.

These taxes are the hard-earned money of the people of Jiangsu, and we cannot help but express our gratitude.”

Li E said quickly: "Your Majesty, although these taxes are the hard-earned money of the people of Jiangsu, they are used to manage the Huai River, a great event that will benefit the country and the people. It is taken from the people and used for the people. I think the people of Jiangsu are happy to see it."

Zhu Yijun nodded: "That being said, we should remember our roots. We should clearly account for the contributions made by the people of Jiangsu and list them out in the open so that the world and future generations can see them clearly.

We cannot be indifferent to the sacrifices made by the people, nor can we squander the people's taxes at will."

Yang Lingde and Li E heard the mystery in the words.

The emperor had previously hinted at meetings of the Council of State and the Council of Imperial Councils that he wanted to reform the Ming Dynasty's financial system.

We need to change the current model where all local taxes are turned over to the Ministry of Revenue for unified accounting and distribution, and prepare to leave a portion of taxes for each province.

This news made officials from all over the country ecstatic.

They are all senior officials in charge of their respective provinces. The most painful thing about governing before was that they had to ask for projects from the cabinet and money and grain from the Ministry of Revenue like beggars every year.

The land tax paid by local governments is kept in the official warehouse of the General Grain Administration directly under the Ministry of Revenue, and the taxes are kept in the treasury account of the bank.

Every year, each province has to prepare a budget for daily and special expenses of every county and prefecture in the province and submit it to the cabinet for approval.

At the same time, we rack our brains to find needs and establish projects, such as building a road here and a bridge there.

Build a mine here and a factory there.

Not only can the project benefit the villagers, but also they can get extra money through the project budget.

It's hard and life is very tight.

The governors and provincial governors of each province sometimes feel that they are just the leader and deputy leader of the Beggars' Gang in their province.

Now the emperor has shown mercy and is willing to leave a portion of the tax revenue to each province. He will even provide subsidies to the poor provinces in the central and western regions, which will go directly into the provincial treasury.
What a great thing!

As a leader of a region, who doesn’t like to have some money in pocket?
If your wallet is not bulging, your back will not be stiff!

But everyone knows that the emperor's money is not so easy to get, and there must be a trick waiting.

But Zhu Yijun just said something and turned to other issues.

"Okay, let's talk about the Huai River first. You two will follow me to Anhui and accompany me to the ancestral tomb in Fengyang with the governor of Anhui. Then we will go to Nanjing together to pay homage to the Xiaoling Mausoleum."

"The minister obeys the order."

"Well, you can now stand in the position of Jiangsu and talk about your expectations. I know that you are rich in Jiangsu, but the rich also have their own troubles. Talk about your troubles.

I am going to visit you in Jiangsu this time, and I can't leave empty-handed.

I have already given Shandong a great gift, what do you Jiangsu want? Tell me."

I have heard for a long time that the emperor inspected several farms in Shandong and gave Shandong an impromptu gift, formulating a plan to develop agriculture through science and technology.

This agricultural development plan was approved by the cabinet.
The cabinet and the Ministry of the Imperial Household will certainly give their full support to the plan decided by the emperor.

Wang Zongzai and Chen Dake were so happy when they heard about it that they didn't know what to do.

Finally it’s Jiangsu’s turn.

Yang Lingde and Li E looked at each other, and Li E spoke.

"Your Majesty, on behalf of the people of Jiangsu, I hope the court will give Jiangsu."

(End of this chapter)