Prime Minister

Chapter 489 Feng Zhang Taichang's Order
Outside the palace, rumbling thunder struck.A shocking bolt of lightning exploded in mid-air, making people unable to stand still.

The official Zhao Shu has never seen such a heavy rain, not after he ascended the throne, but since he was born in Bianjing.

The left and right palace people were also in shock, and after seeing the official family, they rushed to salute.

"Zhang Maoze!"

"The minister is here."

As soon as the official was about to call out, he saw that Zhang Mao had already appeared behind him.

The official grabbed Zhang Maoze's hand and said, "What's the situation with the water?"

Zhang Mao said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the water rose from the Bian River. I heard that the flood has flooded the Daxiangguo Temple, and all four corridors have been flooded. The monks in the temple have no way to escape. Now the ditches along the street cannot drain water."

The official said: "The terrain of the Daxiangguo Temple is higher than that of the Bianhe River."

Immediately, the officials hurried to the Chongzheng Hall, only to see a dozen or so ministers here and there.It was already the time of the early court, but there were only so many ministers, and none of them was in charge of the two governments.

The official was taken aback, and the feeling of losing control of the situation came to his mind.

Are there only a few civil and military figures left in the Manchu Dynasty?

Why don't they come to see me?
Could it be that my words and Pu Yi annoyed all the ministers?Could it be Jia An, Sima Guang and the others behind this?They have an excuse not to come to court, intending to establish a new king secretly?
Thinking of this, the officials couldn't help being shocked, they didn't know how to face the ministers without saying a word, and left the Chongzheng Hall in a hurry.

The official walked a few steps, and suddenly stood up on the pillar and asked: "Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, Ouyang Xiu and others? Don't they come to see me? If other ministers don't come, don't they?"

The eunuchs all looked at each other, Zhang Mao said: "Mr. Han, Mr. Zeng, they lost their court due to rain, and they have already sent someone to report."

The official's six spirits asked Zhang Maoze: "What about Mr. Wen, what do you think should be done at this moment?"

Zhang Mao said: "The only thing to do is wait."

An eunuch said: "Nowadays, there is water on all sides of the palace gate. I expected that the civil and military ministers would not be able to trek. Now we have to open the water gate to release the flood."

Another eunuch said: "But the palace city is originally on a high terrain, if the water leaks to the side..."

At this moment, the official was sitting on the imperial chair with a breathless look, like a person who was about to be drowned. After hearing what the eunuch said just now, he said as if grabbing a life-saving straw: "Immediately pass on my will. Open the door! Release the flood!"

Zhang Mao looked at the officials and said, "Your Majesty..."

The official said to Zhang Mao: "Everyone knows, this is the only thing I can do now..."

Zhang Mao heard the words and dared not say any more.

Under the emperor's order, the ministers immediately opened the Xihua Gate to release the flood. Suddenly, the flood came like a torrent. First it collapsed the East Hall, and then rushed to the guards' squad room.

No one greeted the palace attendants who were in the squad room in advance, they were caught off guard by the flood and they were engulfed by the flood, including their houses and their horses in the stables.

The attendants stretched out their hands to call for help, but they could only go up and down with the waves. Some people barely survived by hugging the pillars. As for the others, they were washed away by the flood along with the horses...

The flood from the Xihua Gate not only submerged the guards' squad, but also swept along the banks of the already flooded Bian River. Countless houses were washed away, people and animals were involved in it, and when a wave hit, countless struggling people never surfaced again...

Zhao Shu, the official, sat in the hall in panic, opened the Xihua Gate to release water for a full hour, but Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang and other Zaizhi had not arrived yet.

The official said to the left and right: "I can't sit here, I'm going to Xuande Tower to have a look."

After saying that, the officials insisted on climbing the Xuandemen tower, but when they looked around, they saw that the lower part of the palace city had almost become Zeguo.

At this time, the heavy rain had just stopped, but almost two-thirds of Bianjing City was submerged in water.I don't know how many people climbed on the roofs and trees, crying for help.

The officials were taken aback, and asked left and right: "How did Bianjing become like this?"

Neither dared to answer.

After a while, someone reported: "Several gentlemen are here."

The officials were overjoyed, but Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, Wen Yanbo and other ministers finally arrived.

"Your Majesty, I just heard that Xihua Gate released water? Who did it?" Han Qi asked the official as soon as they met.

The officials were happy to see Han Qi, but now they admit it: "It was my idea."

Han Qi couldn't help but stamp his feet when he heard that.

Han Qi remembered that when he climbed the Xuande Gate, the late emperor was still there.It was the Lantern Festival at that time, and Mount Ao was released here, and the emperor and the people had fun together, and Han Qi, as the prime minister, also sat on the gate tower to watch the scenery.

But looking around now, Bianjing City has become like this.

Have fun with the monarch and the people?

Due to the high terrain of Miyagi and the rain, the officials opened the Xihua Gate to release water, and the king fed his people to fish and shrimp. Now it is a big mistake, and the king and the people are not happy.

Han Qi really wanted to say: "Officials, if the south embankment had been removed earlier, this wouldn't have happened!"

But Han Qi didn't say anything, and Zeng Gongliang and Wen Yanbo tried to persuade him.

But even though Han Qi didn't speak, the officials didn't know what he meant, and his face was uncertain at the moment.

Looking at the lives of the people in the capital below, the officials suddenly cupped their faces and said, "It's all my fault...it's all my fault."

"I shouldn't be the emperor... Whoever wants to be the emperor can do it."

When the officials said this, Han Qi, Wen Yanbo, etc. were all taken aback.

The official family is cured of their illness. If they get sick again because of self-blame, or say something about not being an emperor, then Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, Wen Yanbo, etc. will all be blamed.

The emperor was supported by a few of their ministers. Now that the officials have made any mistakes, doesn't it prove that they chose a foolish emperor?

Han Qi said: "Your Majesty, you don't need to blame yourself. Who can explain this big flood clearly? It's all due to my lack of thoughtfulness in governing."

Wen Yanbo said: "Your Majesty, I have committed the same crime as Han Qi."

Seeing that the prime ministers took the initiative to take responsibility for themselves, the officials stopped blaming themselves a little bit.

"Your Majesty, it looks like a small boat!"

Although it was raining at this time, groups of soldiers were seen driving small boats through the streets of Bianjing city.

When the people saw the boats going in and out of the deep water, and wherever they saw people attached to the houses, they took the people out of the houses one after another, and then sent them to places where there was no water in the boats.

Such a small boat can only accommodate five or six people, but there are a lot of boats, as many as fifty or sixty.

The soldiers rescued the trapped people one by one, and these desperate people wept with joy after being rescued... In an instant, hundreds of people were saved and made safe.

The officials and rulers who saw this scene on the Xuande Gate Tower were both surprised and delighted.

The officials trembled and said to the left and right: "There is such a preparation in a hurry, which official did this?"

Han Qi, Mr. Zeng nodded his head, and immediately hung an eunuch from the top of the wall in a hanging basket to ask.

Not long after, the eunuch returned to the top of the city in a hanging basket and reported to the officials: "Your Majesty, these people are all soldiers of the Third Division and Jiaoyin Prison, and these small boats have already been prepared."

"The soldiers just said that they were all ordered by Taichang Chengzhang Yue to sail a boat to save people!"

(End of this chapter)