Prime Minister

Chapter 487
As soon as Han Jiang said that, she regretted it a little, because now the matter of water control is no longer under the control of the third division.

Since the abolition of the Sansi River and Canal Division and the replacement of the Dushui Supervisor to manage river affairs, the promotion of rivers and canals inside and outside Bianjing now belongs to the Dushui Supervisor and the Kaifeng government officials.

Zhang Yue said: "I would like to report to the provincial governor that the floods in Zhihe three years destroyed tens of thousands of officials' private farms. But now the rain is probably even stronger than before!"

A few old officials in the famous hall said yes: "Yes, what Zhang Taichang said is reasonable. This year, it rained so much that the Bianhe River rose several feet."

Another person said: "Yes, I see that a few days ago, most of the wells in the city were muddy, and even the three wells in our third division were overflowing."

After walking around for a while, Han Jiang sighed and said, "These days when the official family ascended the throne, the ministers in the court don't know what they are doing?"

Zhang Yue also wanted to ask in his heart, what are these officials doing?
Zhang Yue said: "Although the Sansi yamen is not a depression, if there is a flood, the city of Bianjing will definitely become a country, and we must plan ahead."

Some officials nodded, some shook their heads.

Han Jiang looked at Zhang Yue again and said, "How do you plan to arrange it?"

Zhang Yue said: "It is necessary to organize manpower. First, all the conscripts in the yamen of our department will stay in the yamen on standby for rescue in case of flooding. The rest of the places must be filled with sandbags. ..."

The official on the side said: "This may not be flooded, isn't it too...to make a big deal out of a molehill."

Wu Chong was silent by the side.

Han Jiang reached out and shook her hand, signaling Zhang Yue to continue.Zhang Yue said: "There must be officials on duty to prepare for unexpected events..."

But Zhang Yue proposed several proposals to Han Jiang, and finally said: "Of course the most important thing is to break open the Bianhe River embankment in the south of Kaifeng City to discharge the flood!"

Wu Chong's expression was astringent when he heard the words, and Han Jiang also expressed emotion: "Zhang Taichang, do you know what you are talking about? There are tens of thousands of acres of land and hundreds of families on the South Causeway."

Zhang Yue said: "Tens of thousands of acres of land can be abandoned, and the people can move to higher places, but if the water invades Bianjing, countless people will be killed or injured!"

Han Jiang shook her head and said: "No, if the water in Kaifeng has not reached that level, but you have opened the South Dike, do you know how much responsibility you will take?"

Zhang Yue said: "I'm an official... I'm an official..."

Zhang Yue wanted to say that he was willing to take this responsibility, but he swallowed the words again.

Han Jiang said: "I can rely on you for other things, but I can't rely on you for the matter of opening the South Dike. Remember not to cause trouble to your upper body."

After speaking, Han Jiang left.

Zhang Yue didn't say anything, Wu Chong said to Zhang Yue: "I see the same thing as the provincial governor, it's not when it's a last resort, you can't open the south embankment."

Seeing the opposition from his father-in-law and Han Jiang, Zhang Yue said nothing, and then went home from the Sansi Yamen.

Along the way, Zhang Yue saw that although the city of Bianjing was hit by heavy rain, it was still bustling above the Bianshui.

There are many river markets on the Bianshui River, and there are performances by musicians, dancers and comedians in the river markets. In the past, when it was lively, they would sing and dance on the Bian River all night long. Although it is raining now, the people living here don't take it seriously.

In many places beside the Bian River, sheds and floating houses were set up against the river, and the people watched the musicians perform under the eaves.

Even at this time, it will not delay the people in Bianjing City to live a happy life, but because of the existence of the river city, the Bianhe River cannot be dredged on schedule, and many of the houses built by the officials beside the Bianhe River divert water into the park, so the occupation up the river.

In the past when Bao Zheng was the magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture, he had strictly punished them, but after Bao Zheng left, no one dared to offend these officials and Lehu.

Bian water silts up every day.

In the past, Zhang Yue also felt that there was no need for so many things. Isn't it not good to see this bustling scene of singing and dancing?

But now that the flood is coming, the Bianshui River is overflowing and cannot be drained smoothly, which makes him very worried.

According to past experience, if the Bian River becomes silted up, it will be a catastrophe.

Wuzhang River, Bian River, Cai River, and Jinshui River, the four Bianjing canals, undertake the drainage function of Bianjing. In addition, there are moats and ponds in the inner city. There are drainage ditches on both sides of the street, which are open channels. culvert.

But Zhang Yue came now, but saw that many ditches were full of water, and the water could not be drained out. When he rode his horse through many streets, he saw that the muddy water on the street almost flooded the horse's legs.

It's better that my family lives in the southwest of the city, but the low-lying areas from Nanxunmen to the southeast of the city are mostly flooded. I heard that people have drowned in some places.

When Zhang Yue returned home, he saw Shi Qi Niang directing the family servants in the rain to repair the cracks in the wall and block the sandbags to the door.

Things like food and clothing were put in a high place.

Zhang Yue's house is some distance away from the Bianhe River, originally it was invisible, but now looking from the top of the wall, you can see that the Bianhe River is almost in front of you.

Half of the houses in the lower-lying houses than my own have been flooded.

Zhang Yue was surprised when he saw this, when he went to the Yamen in the morning, the water hadn't been so high?

Zhang Yue asked Shi Qi Niang, only to find out that the water had risen really fast, and she had already sent her sons to the Wu Mansion to be taken care of by her mother.

If the water rises again, then she will move to Wu Mansion.The more Zhang thought about it, he felt that he couldn't delay any longer, and he had to bring this matter up.

It rained again that night, and Zhang Yue rode into the palace the next morning.

When the morning court arrived, the rain was still falling, and only two-thirds of the officials who were supposed to attend the morning court had arrived. After inquiring, Zhang Yue found out that many officials were unable to attend the morning court due to floods all over the streets.

The officials were arranging their wet clothes in the hall and joking with each other. Zhang Yue had already found the censor Zhongcheng Jia who was in charge, and said: "Zhongcheng, do you know that the city will be covered by floods? Now report to the officials immediately. .”

Jia An took a look at Zhang Yue. These days he was busy fighting wits and courage with the prime ministers of Zhongshu on the matter of Pu Yi, and he didn't pay attention to the matter of Dashui. He heard Zhang Yue say: "This matter you Shouldn't we discuss it with the Kaifeng government?"

Zhang Yuedao: "I know that the official of Shen Fu in Kaifeng Mansion was transferred from Hangzhou, and he has not yet arrived in the capital. I once asked the chief official in charge of the rivers and canals in the mansion. He said that the four canals are now flooded, and he is afraid of flooding. He speaks lightly and reported it to the capital water supervisor, but the secretary ignored it."

Jia An lost his voice and said: "There is such a thing, you will follow me to report to the official in a while."

Soon after, Yushi Zhongcheng Jia An took Zhang Yue to the back hall to ask about his daily life.

Han Qi and Zeng Gongliang did not attend the early court, they had already discussed with the officials in the hall, they watched their enemy Jia An bring Zhang Yue forward and couldn't help wondering what happened?

The official frowned when he saw Zhang Yue, but he didn't forget that the other party contradicted him before.

After Jia An explained the ins and outs of the matter to the officials and the two prime ministers, the officials asked Zhang Yue, "What does Zhang Qing want?"

Zhang Yue said: "For the current plan, the only way is to evacuate the people south of the South Dike first. Once the rain is heavy, the South Dike will be opened to release the flood, so as to protect the safety of the people in Bianjing."

But the magistrate slapped the table after hearing it, and said angrily: "Zhang Yue, what is your intention? Do you know that my aunt's tomb is at the South Causeway?"

(End of this chapter)