Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 335 Elbow Strike: Undefeated in the Plains for 500 Years
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

The emperor's words, "I don't want to spend so much silver every year," were like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, stirring up endless waves in the hearts of Bi Ziyan and Zhu Guangzuo.

Both men were veteran officials who had spent half their lives dealing with money, grain, and river works. How could they not know that river management had been a money-devouring beast since ancient times?
Let alone a complete cure, even maintaining peace for three to five years would require a huge expenditure of national funds.

To them, the emperor's words sounded either like a lack of seriousness or like the author's own profound thoughts.

Zhu Youjian was actually filled with mixed feelings.

He knew all too well that the Yellow River, which surged ceaselessly, was by no means a gentle and benevolent mother river.

She had never been defeated in the Central Plains for hundreds of years with her elbow strikes. Her violent temper and overwhelming strength were astonishing!
Throughout history, countless famous ministers and wise rulers have tried to tame her, but all their efforts have been in vain.

The so-called Mother River is nothing more than the river that has repeatedly lashed the world with its thunderous wrath, leaving people powerless and forced to bow their heads and beg for mercy.

This great river will use the fairest means to deliver the most severe blow to every dynasty that mismanages water resources.

The Book of Documents says: "The surging floodwaters are just beginning to recede, sweeping across mountains and hills, boundless and overwhelming." This is no exaggeration.

Sometimes, she would bring along helpers to settle accounts with her disappointing "child".

When the Yellow River floods and changes its course, there are often side effects.

Drought is followed by flood, and flood is followed by drought again. Drought and flood alternate, forming a tangled cycle!
What followed was famine and plague. With food and medicine exhausted, the people had no way to survive and had no choice but to rise up in rebellion.

Drought, flood, famine, plague, and now rebellion—this scene of five evils would be difficult to handle even if Emperor Wu of Han or Emperor Taizong of Tang were to personally intervene!

But do we think that if we do our best to manage it, we will be safe and sound?
Zhu Youjian smiled bitterly to himself, for the historical records of the previous dynasty served as a stark warning.

During the Song Dynasty, the imperial court showed great concern for the Yellow River, repeatedly intervening artificially in an attempt to change its course.

From Emperor Renzong to Emperor Shenzong, generations of emperors and ministers followed one after another in sacrificing themselves.

The result, however, is that every intervention leads to a major breach in the dam.

Ultimately, this resulted in the people of Hebei and Shandong suffering from poverty and the nation's strength being severely damaged.

Therefore, both Bi Ziyan and Zhu Guangzuo were well aware that flood control was never a myth or legend, and how many people throughout history could match the achievements of Yu the Great?

Just as the two were deep in thought, Zhu Youjian made a move.

He called out loudly, "Wang Chengen."

"The servant is here."

"Bring up that map of the Yellow River basin so that my esteemed ministers may have a good look at it."

"According to the order."

Soon, several eunuchs carried a heavy sandalwood box into the hall.

The box lid was opened, and an enormous map was slowly unfurled and laid out on the open space in the hall.

The exquisite detail of this painting far surpasses that of ordinary works.

Mountains, rivers, cities, passes, and even every important water conservancy facility are clearly marked.

The winding Yellow River, in particular, is marked with different colors for its former course and current course, which is quite alarming.

"Come closer, all of you." Zhu You personally walked to the side of the map.

Bi Ziyan and Zhu Guangzuo quickly followed, and Tian Ergeng also quietly moved to a different position. The three of them surrounded the emperor, looking down at the map.

In this way, we can see it much more clearly!

On that map, starting from Henan province, there are more than a dozen breaches along the Yellow River circled in red ink.

The flooded areas, rendered in light blue, almost covered the vast plains of eastern Henan, southwestern Shandong, and northern Southern Zhili, resembling a hideous scar etched deep into the heart of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youjian stretched out his finger and slowly traced the Yellow River on the map, his voice calm: "During these past few months of traveling south, I personally visited the Lanyang and Kaocheng areas to see where the breach was. I also carefully reviewed all the river management policies of the Yuan and Ming dynasties under the lamplight, as well as their successes and failures."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across Bi Ziyan and Zhu Guangzuo's faces, and his tone suddenly became extremely solemn: "I believe that, as the Son of Heaven, my first task is not to plug a specific breach, but to fundamentally change the perception of this disaster among the Ming Dynasty and even its subjects!"

"Redefine 'water management'!" Zhu Youjian paused, his voice resounding, "We must move from blocking to dredging! From prevention to utilization!"

"use?"

Zhu Guangzuo exclaimed in surprise, then realized his mistake and quickly bowed to apologize.

His eyes, which were somewhat cloudy from years of outdoor work, were now filled with shock.

use?
how to use?
For thousands of years, the methods of water management have been nothing more than confining water to attack sand and building high dikes.

If only this capricious and wicked dragon would not breach the dikes or flood the fertile fields, then we would be blessed by Heaven.

As for using it, this... this is simply unheard of!

Zhu Youjian did not blame him for his loss of composure; on the contrary, he was quite satisfied with his shocked expression.

What he wanted was to break down the deep-seated prejudices in the hearts of these old officials.

"Minister Zhu, tell me, what is the core of the river management strategies of past dynasties?"

Zhu Guangzu composed himself and respectfully replied, “Your Majesty, since Pan Jixun became the governor of the Yellow River, our dynasty has mostly followed his method of ‘constraining the water to attack the sand’ in river management. High dikes are used to restrict the water flow, making it turbulent, and the force of the water carries the silt into the sea. Although this method can solve the problem temporarily, it is ultimately competing with the water for land, causing the riverbed to rise day by day, and the danger of the suspended river to increase day by day.”

"Well said." Zhu Youjian nodded, but a sneer of disapproval appeared on his face. "Constricting water to attack sand is a superficial solution that doesn't address the root cause! I believe such strategies are putting the cart before the horse!"

He suddenly waved his hand, pointing directly at the vast flooded area on the map, his voice booming: "In my view, water is a resource, not purely a disaster! The problem with the Yellow River lies in its tendency to silt up and shift its course. The higher the dam is built, the more dangerous it becomes, and once it breaches, the more severe the damage will be! Rather than wasting millions of dollars building those useless high dikes, it would be better to guide the flow and turn the flood into a water resource!"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Zhu Guangzuo's mind!

He stood there, his lips moving slightly, wanting to refute, but found that he couldn't find any words to refute it.

“Take advantage of the situation…turn floods into water resources…” he murmured to himself, his eyes sometimes filled with confusion, and sometimes flashing with thoughtful brilliance.

Seeing that the time was right, Zhu Youjian stopped keeping him in suspense and continued to unveil his grand blueprint.

"To carry out this matter, we must first change its system!" His gaze fell on Zhu Guangzuo again. "The Ministry of Works is stuck in its old ways, with layers of obstacles, and it is no longer suitable. My intention is to establish a 'Water Conservancy Administration' that transcends the limitations of the Six Ministries, and you, Zhu Guangzuo, will be in charge of it!"

"This office is not under the control of the Six Ministries; it reports directly to me! I grant you full authority over planning, finance, and personnel. In times of crisis, you may even use my imperial edict to mobilize troops from the riverside garrisons! In any matter involving river works, if any ministry or government dares to shirk responsibility or obstruct," his tone turned icy, "Tian Ergeng's Andu Prefecture will be your backing!"

Zhu Guangzuo felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and his blood seemed to boil at that moment!

What immense trust! What immense delegation of authority!
He could no longer hold on, his knees buckled, and he knelt heavily, his voice hoarse: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty's kindness in recognizing and appreciating me is something I... I could never repay even with my life! But... but this power is too heavy, and the responsibility is as heavy as a mountain. I... I fear that my talent and learning are insufficient to bear this burden!"

He wasn't being dramatic; he was genuinely terrified! With great power comes immense responsibility. A single misstep could lead to utter ruin!

"If I say you can handle it, then you can handle it!" Zhu You- said without room for argument. "What I want is not a mediocre minister who is obsequious and subservient, but a capable minister who dares to take on responsibilities and is able to do so!"

Zhu Youjian helped Zhu Guangzuo up and led him and Bi Ziyan back to the map, where he revealed the core of his entire plan.

"Once the General Administration is established, its next priority is to establish 'work relief' as a core national policy!"

He looked at the two men and said, word by word, "From this day forward, the purpose of disaster relief in our Great Ming Dynasty will no longer be simply to distribute some food so that the disaster victims will not starve! I want to clearly declare to the world: disaster relief is not to support idle people, but to build up the nation's strength and pave the way for the people!"

"I will order the Ming Dynasty Weekly and local governments to spread my slogans throughout the land, especially in disaster areas!" His voice carried an undeniable magic.

"'Not paying taxes means contributing labor! Repairing fields for oneself or building canals for the country is all an act of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country!'"

"One mu of irrigated land is equivalent to ten mu of rain-fed farmland!"

"Build a ten-foot-long canal, and your family will live!"

"I want all the refugees to understand one thing!" Zhu Youjian's gaze became incredibly profound, as if piercing through time and space. "Refugees are not a burden to the court! They are the empire's largest and cheapest labor resource! If used well, they can build a second Jiangnan for me in this Central Plains! If not used well," he changed his tone, his voice chilling, "they will become millions of bandits and millions of rebels!"

Zhu Guangzuo was shocked once again!
I reckon only the current emperor, who holds immense military power and absolute authority over the land, would dare to think of such a thing!

(End of this chapter)