Huangming

Chapter 339 Hard work pays off for generations to come

In contrast to the somber atmosphere and growing sense of stability within Yanzhou City, a different scene of bustling activity unfolded on the banks of the Yellow River, dozens of miles to the southwest.

The turbid Yellow River rushes eastward; this is the "Caoxian section" of the lower reaches of the Yellow River.

It belongs to the "old course of the Jialu River" which was dredged during Jialu's river management at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

This river branched off from Lanyang in Henan and flowed south, then turned southeast through the northwest of Caoxian County, passing Dangshan and Xuzhou, before finally joining the Huai River.

For hundreds of years, it has been like a restless giant python, with its riverbed rising year by year due to siltation, and has long since become a "suspended river" hanging high above the ground.

When the flood season arrives, the river is prone to overflowing and breaching, causing great suffering to the people of Cao County.

The devastating breach in the dike of the 26th year of the Jiajing reign, which "swept away more than a thousand houses," remains a shadow in the hearts of the local elders to this day.

Although Pan Jixun's method of "constraining water to attack sand" was used to manage the Yellow River, the main stream of the Yellow River gradually shifted southward, and the river channel in the Caoxian section shrank and became a tributary, the hidden dangers were never eradicated.

In the late autumn of last year (the first year of Taichang), after a torrential rain, this section of the river embankment finally could not withstand the flood. The floodwaters burst out like a runaway horse, not only submerging tens of thousands of acres of fertile land along the river, but also the county seat of Cao County. The people were displaced and suffered unspeakable hardships.

It was from that time that the emperor appointed Zuo Guangdou to manage the river and provide disaster relief.

No one expected that this official, known for his incorruptible censorship, would settle down in Cao County as soon as he arrived, and almost a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Zuo Guangdou had none of the dignity one would expect from a high-ranking official.
He was wearing a patched coarse cloth jacket with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing his arms, which were tanned dark by the sun. His trousers were rolled up to his knees and covered in yellowish-black mud.

He was standing on the rammed earth of the riverbank with a group of people, holding a thick wooden pestle in his hand, and working together with the shouts to tamp down the soft soil.

Sweat rolled down his forehead and onto the ground beneath his feet, mingling with the mud.

Compared to the predicament when we first arrived in Cao County, the situation has improved significantly.

At that time, not only were there not enough laborers to repair the dike, but also...

The people were either displaced by floods or had lost trust in the government, so no one wanted to do this thankless and arduous task.

Even more critically, there was a shortage of funds and supplies, the national treasury was empty, and the allocated disaster relief funds were deducted at every level, leaving very little by the time they reached the construction site.

Zuo Guangdou relied on his ruthless spirit of "dismantling government office timbers to make stakes and selling his personal belongings to pay for supplies," and personally went to various villages to persuade the people that "building dikes is protecting their homes," and only then did he gradually get the project going.

Today, the riverbank is packed with people.

The people carried baskets of fresh soil on their shoulders and in their hands, transporting them to the embankment; the pounding songs rose and fell, echoing across the fields, and outside several makeshift shacks, laborers responsible for cooking were putting sweet potatoes into large pots.

Those were disaster relief grains allocated from the capital; though coarse, they were enough to fill one's stomach.

Zuo Guangdou straightened up, wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, looked at the river embankment that was gradually “growing” in front of him, and then looked at the villages where people were returning home one after another in the distance. His tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.

Managing a river is like governing a country; it cannot be rushed, but it also cannot be relaxed.

As long as the Yellow River can be kept calm and the people can return to their homes, the hardships and toil of the past year will have been worthwhile.

"What a lively and bustling scene!"

A sigh came from not far away, carrying a familiar warmth.

Zuo Guangdou was wielding a wooden pestle to tamp the soil when he heard this, so he paused and listened carefully.

That voice was clearly that of an old friend.

He straightened up, wiped his face haphazardly with the towel draped around his neck, and looked up to see a man in a blue official robe walking towards him through the mud on the dirt road along the riverbank, followed by two attendants.

The moment Zuo Guangdou saw the person's face clearly, his eyes suddenly lit up, and his eyes, which had been bloodshot from working for days, even glistened with tears.

He dropped the wooden pestle and strode forward, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Brother Wenru? It's you! Long time no see, what brings you here?"

The visitor was none other than Yang Lian.

He strode forward and grasped Zuo Guangdou's mud-covered hand. The moment their palms touched, they could both feel the force in each other's hands.

Looking at his former colleague, Yang Lian noticed a few more strands of white hair at his temples, his face deeply lined with dirt and sweat, completely devoid of the sharp edge he had displayed in the capital's court, only a quiet resilience remaining. Yang Lian couldn't help but sigh:
“Brother Yizhi, it’s been a year since we last met. You’ve gotten so tanned that you’re darker than the soil on the Yellow River beach.”

Zuo Guangdou laughed and patted the back of his hand: "How can you be worthy of this Yellow River embankment if you're not dark-skinned? As for you, didn't you say you were going to inspect the nine borders, with Liaodong as your first stop? How did you end up on the banks of the Yellow River?"

"It's a long story."

Yang Lian sighed and glanced at the busy people around him.

"I was all set off when the Fragrance-Wen Sect started a rebellion, disrupting the canal transport. His Majesty issued an edict ordering me to change course and head south to stabilize the canal transport route. Now that the rebellion has been quelled and the canal transport is running smoothly, I am about to head north."

He paused, a warmth appearing in his eyes: "The last few times I passed through Yanzhou on my inspection tour, I always thought of making a detour to see you, but I was always held back by trivial matters. This time, on my way north, I have to make this detour no matter what, because if I don't see you again, I'm afraid I'll forget what Brother Yizhi looks like."

Zuo Guangdou felt a surge of warmth in his heart upon hearing this, and pulled him toward the shack by the riverbank: "Quick, come in and sit down, I'll have them boil some water."

The two sat down facing each other in the shack, and their attendants served them rough porcelain bowls. The hot water in the bowls was steaming, making their faces look a little hazy.

"It has been almost a year since we parted in the capital."

Yang Lian held the bowl, watching the steam rise, her tone full of melancholy.

It feels like just yesterday that the emperor ascended the throne last year.

At that time, all these Donglin colleagues were thinking about was assisting the new emperor, purifying the bureaucracy, and cleaning up the entrenched corruption.

They once believed that as long as they could get their fellow Donglin members into the central government, they could save the Ming Dynasty from collapse and save the people from suffering.

In the end, however, he still couldn't win against that young emperor.

Yang Lian's voice was lower: "You've heard about what happened in the capital, haven't you? Quite a few people... didn't make it through."

Zuo Guangdou tightened his grip on the bowl, his knuckles turning white.

Although he was far away, he often heard about the terrible conditions in the imperial prison.

The thought of those colleagues who once spoke eloquently with them in the court dying one by one under torture is chilling.

"We are already incredibly fortunate to be able to be sent out and gain some of His Majesty's trust to do some real work."

Yang Lian's voice carried a hint of self-mockery, but also a touch of relief.

"At least you can repair the dike here, and I can patrol the border. It's better than being tied down in the capital and wasting time."

Zuo Guangdou was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Brother Wenru is right. If we can't win, then we shouldn't fight. If we can do more practical things for the people, then we can be worthy of this official robe. Look at this Yellow River dike. If we reinforce it one more time, the risk of it collapsing next year will be reduced, and the people will have more peace of mind. This is much more practical than arguing in the court."

Looking at the composure in his eyes, Yang Lian felt much of her frustration dissipate and smiled, "Brother Yizhi is truly insightful. In that case, I should envy you, being able to guard this riverbank and do some tangible good deeds."

"If the inspection of the nine border regions can eliminate treacherous officials, improve military preparedness, and ensure peace and security on the frontier, it will be a meritorious achievement worthy of being recorded in history."

Zuo Guangdou looked at Yang Lian, his tone full of sincerity.

"Moreover, Brother Wenru's inspection of the canal this time has stabilized the grain supply route and ensured the military supplies for suppressing the rebellion. This is already a real achievement, so why should we belittle ourselves?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Lian burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the simple shack: "That's right! You and I are both working for the Ming Dynasty and serving His Majesty. As long as we accomplish our tasks, we won't have failed in our official robes." He picked up the rough porcelain bowl, secretly sighing to himself.

When I was an official in the capital, I always thought that with my passion and the wisdom of the classics, I could point out the flaws in the country and correct the ills of the times. Now I realize how pale those theoretical arguments were.

It wasn't until he stepped out of the imperial court, personally experienced the hardships of the Grand Canal transport, and witnessed the suffering of the common people that he truly understood the weight of the four words "the people are the foundation of the state."

The principles in the classics must eventually be applied to the soil in order to take root and sprout.

Zuo Guangdou picked up the kettle, added some hot water for Yang Lian, and personally handed it to him: "This place is simple, and we really can't offer good tea, so we'll use water instead. Please don't take offense, Brother Wenru."

"Where is it."

Yang Lian took the bowl of water, drank it all in one gulp, and felt a warm sensation in her throat.

“When I was inspecting the grain transport, I often ate dry rations on the deck of the grain transport boat and swallowed them with river water. It was far worse than what you are doing.”

He looked at the riverbank outside the shed, where the sound of ramming echoed, and suddenly changed the subject.

What difficulties are you facing? Please tell me.

Yang Lian now holds the positions of Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and Inspector of the Nine Garrisons. In terms of authority and ability to coordinate local affairs, he is far more powerful than before.

Seeing Zuo Guangdou struggling on the banks of the Yellow River, he naturally wanted to lend a helping hand.

Zuo Guangdou smiled upon hearing this, a hint of relief in his eyes: "If it were a few months ago, I would have had a lot of troubles to complain to you about. At that time, there was a shortage of food and wages, and we couldn't gather enough laborers. We even had to dismantle the beams and pillars of the government office to make up the wooden pestles for ramming the earth."

He paused, his tone becoming lighter: "But things are better now. There is no shortage of food. Although the sweet potatoes His Majesty allocated from the imperial estates are a bit coarse, they are filling. As long as the laborers can fill their stomachs, they have inexhaustible strength."

As for manpower, it was indeed tight at first, but fortunately, after Yuan Keli quelled the rebellion, he transferred 20,000 of the people who had been coerced to join him, so now there are more than enough people on the riverbank.

At this point, he couldn't help but sigh, his tone complicated: "The incense-scented sect's rebellion is a great scourge to the country and its people, causing hundreds of thousands of people to be displaced. It's heartbreaking to even think about it."

On the other hand, these people who were incorporated into the government after the rebellion were quelled became a vital force in river management.

With food to eat, they were able to focus on repairing the dike, turning a misfortune into a blessing in disguise.

With the addition of these 20,000 new troops, Zuo Guangdou's original five-year river management project could be compressed into two or three years.

Even so, it is by no means an easy task.

River management is never a simple task that can be accomplished in one fell swoop with a few blows.

The basic infrastructure projects that need to be undertaken right now are already incredibly complex:

In the area of ​​Hanji Town in the northwest of Cao County, a temporary diversion channel was dug to divert a small portion of the water from the main channel to the Dayeze ruins downstream. Although those natural depressions could temporarily hold the floodwaters, dredging, silt removal, and dike construction and slope protection would all require a lot of manpower.

Not to mention the silt in the riverbed from Xuzhou to Huai'an, which has accumulated for decades and is several meters thick. It needs to be dredged out bit by bit to ensure smooth flood discharge during the flood season. This project alone is enough to deter ordinary officials.

This is just the beginning.

Once the pressure on the main river channel eases slightly, the real battle of mid-term remediation will begin.

The construction of the remote and intermediate dikes was of paramount importance.
The remote dike, as the main dike, was to be built two or three miles away from the river channel, three zhang high and twenty zhang wide at the base, like a solid spine to resist a once-in-a-century flood.

The secondary dike, which runs close to the riverbank, is 15 feet high. Although it looks thin, it can restrain the speed of water flow and use water power to scour the riverbed, reducing siltation.

Zuo Guangdou has even surveyed the old site of the Taihang Dike in Cao County and plans to rebuild the remote dike there, combining historical flood control experience with the current on-site survey.

The construction of flood control dams should not be taken lightly either.

He plans to build a stone weir at the border of Caoxian and Shanxian, using massive stones weighing thousands of kilograms each. The top of the dam will be level with the warning water level. Once the flood exceeds the warning level, the floodwater will be automatically diverted to Zhaoyang Lake. The calculation of dimensions, selection and transportation of stones, and scheduling of craftsmen all require careful planning.

The longer-term plan is to ensure that river management and people's livelihood complement each other.

If the vast areas of saline-alkali land on both sides of the strait, formed by floods, could be transformed into fertile farmland, it would be a great achievement for generations to come.

Zuo Guangdou planned to set up a silt-release sluice gate in Qingguji, southeast of Caoxian County, to divert muddy water from the Yellow River into the saline-alkali land during the flood season, allowing the silt to settle, thus improving the soil and fertilizing the fields—a win-win situation. However, the design of the sluice gate, the timing of water release, and the subsequent farming plan were all meticulous tasks that required a lot of effort.

Each and every one of these tasks requires a tremendous amount of time and effort.

Yang Lian listened quietly as Zuo Guangdou recounted the various plans for river management, from the direction of the diversion channels to the selection of stones for the flood-reducing dams, from the timing of saline-alkali land improvement to the planting density of willows on the embankment. Every detail was explained clearly and thoroughly, with an almost obsessive light shining in his eyes.

Yang Lian couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

This colleague, who once debated national affairs with him in the imperial court, has now become completely fascinated by the Yellow River embankment.

The terms "remote dike," "threaded dike," and "silt release gate" that he used sounded dry and boring, but when Zuo Guangdou spoke them, they seemed to carry immense weight, with every word tied to the safety of the people along the river.

but……

Isn't this a good thing?

He looked up at the outside of the shack and saw several laborers carrying earthen baskets passing by. When they saw Zuo Guangdou, they all slowed down and showed genuine respect on their faces. Some even stopped, bowed, and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Master Zuo."

Zuo Guangdou smiled and waved to urge them to get to work quickly; his natural ease and familiarity were not something that could be achieved through deliberate showmanship.

Yang Lian understood: In the past year, Zuo Guangdou must have truly immersed himself among the people, working alongside them to tamp soil, carry sand, and guard the dike. His actions had already been seen and remembered by the people on the Yellow River beach.

The ever-rising embankments, the diverting waterways, and the villages gradually returning home are the most powerful proof.

He suddenly remembered Li Bing, as recorded in historical books.

In the past, Sichuan was frequently plagued by floods. Li Bing devoted himself to building the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, and from then on, "water and drought were controlled by man, and famine was unknown," and Sichuan became the Land of Abundance.

Centuries later, the people of Sichuan still remember Li Bing's achievements, building shrines and statues in his honor, with incense burning continuously.

Looking at Zuo Guangdou before him, and then at the surging Yellow River, Yang Lian suddenly had a thought:
If the Yellow River in this section of Cao County can be thoroughly managed, eliminating the worry of floods along the banks, turning saline-alkali land into fertile fields, and allowing the people to plant and harvest in peace...

Then Zuo Guangdou's name, like Li Bing's, will likely be remembered by the people of Shandong for generations, his name etched in history and remembered for centuries.

"Brother Yizhi."

Yang Lian patted his shoulder, her tone more serious than ever before.

"If you can truly achieve this feat, you will be the Li Bing of our time."

Zuo Guangdou was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed, a smile tinged with embarrassment, but even more so with determination:
"I dare not compare myself to Lord Li. I only ask that the Yellow River be peaceful and stable, so that these people can harvest more crops and suffer fewer disasters. That would be enough."

Looking at the smile on his dark face, Yang Lian's last trace of doubt vanished.

Perhaps, staying away from the factional strife in the capital and doing something practical on the banks of the Yellow River is the path these officials should truly take.

He stood up and said, "Brother Yizhi, please focus on managing the river. If there are any usable resources or manpower on the border, I will definitely keep an eye out for them for you. When I return from my patrol, I hope to see a peaceful Yellow River and a bountiful field."

Zuo Guangdou also stood up and shook hands with him firmly: "It's a deal. I'm here on the banks of the Yellow River, waiting for Brother Wenru's triumphant return."

(End of this chapter)