Early Ming Dynasty: Turning Clouds and Rains into New Learning Saints

Chapter 198 It's an Old Sin

The magnitude of this hurricane is far beyond imagination.

Waterlogging quickly formed in Guangzhou.Almost the entire city was flooded, and both officials and ordinary people could only climb to higher places to escape the waterlogging caused by the rain.Many of them even had to go to the roof.

The same was true at the inn. Thanks to the governor of Guangdong and others who urgently dispatched ships to transport the officials in the inn, they were able to avoid the embarrassment of squatting on the roof like ordinary people.

One day later, the hurricane passed, the rain stopped, and the waterlogging slowly receded.It's just that there is still water in low-lying areas in the city.

Many houses were either damaged by the wind or soaked in water and became uninhabitable.Large trees with lush branches are often uprooted, fall to the ground, or crush the houses next to them.

Some of the surviving people were shouting and looking for their separated family members, while others were crying looking at their dilapidated homes.

In short, at a glance, there are miserable scenes everywhere in Guangzhou.

These officials who were ordered to go south were shocked by this scene.The wind disaster in the south is really terrible!

Because all the way south, some of the older officials who were already a little tired were also exposed to the rain. After all this hard work, there were signs of illness.

Everyone believed that they would wait until the situation improved before continuing south.

As a result, I heard that Korean Gong Li Shanchang actually mentioned it and said that he would go to Xiangshan County immediately.

After hearing this, Le Shaofeng quickly admonished: "Grand Master, a once-in-a-hundred-year storm has just occurred in Guangdong, and people are mourning everywhere. It's really not a day to travel!"

Fang Keqin, the prefect of Guangzhou Prefecture, who came after hearing the news, also reminded: "Yes, Master, the storm has just passed, and there may be many more days of heavy rain, so it is not suitable for travel."

After he finished speaking, he saw that Li Shanchang didn't seem to listen, so he continued: "The Pearl River is very windy and rough. It is not safe for ships to go to Xiangshan County now. And if you go by land, the disaster has not been reported yet, so there may be some. Roads are washed away, bridges are broken, and there may be mudslides on the hillsides. It will be safe to wait until the situation becomes clear before making any decisions!"

After hearing this, Le Shaofeng also advised again: "Brother Song and the others are also sick. The doctor said they need to rest."

After hearing what they said, Li Shanchang clasped his fists in both hands, bowed in the direction of the capital, and then said righteously: "I am here according to the order, so I should do my best. Your majesty's eagerness is still ringing in my ears. Now it's just How could a mere typhoon miss the important event entrusted by His Majesty? I think back then..."

Anyway, he just said it, taking the dangers he experienced before the founding of the country as an example, saying how dangerous and difficult it was at that time, but he still carried out Zhu Yuanzhang's orders without hesitation, and achieved various results.

Anyway, it just means the same thing. The wind disaster in front of us is nothing. The matters assigned by the emperor must be done immediately.

To others, it really feels like the Duke of Korea is indeed the first contributor to the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and he puts the emperor's will in the most important position!
At the end, Li Shanchang calmed down and said: "Of course, if you are sick, I am not disregarding human feelings. You can stay in Guangzhou City to recuperate, and go to Xiangshan County to meet you when you recover. As for the rest, I will follow you." The official will go south immediately, no delay."

He is the leader of the team, a Korean Duke, with a high title, and he can crush the others. No one can resist what he has decided.

Therefore, Fang Keqin had to coordinate with Lan Yu's side, and sent a general flag, led by about a hundred sergeants to escort them to Xiangshan County.

Officials from Guangzhou City sent Li Shanchang and others on their way.Looking at their backs, the chief envoy said with emotion: "The Grand Master is truly the pillar of the Ming Dynasty and a loyal minister of His Majesty!"

As he spoke, he turned to look at a large group of subordinates and said: "You and I should encourage each other to follow the example of the Grand Master and immediately submit a letter to the imperial court for disaster relief!"

They didn't know that the reason why Li Shanchang insisted on getting on the road so quickly was definitely not what he said on the surface.

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was about starting a business and taking risks to do things. There was no way around it.

Now that the country has been founded, becoming the number one hero in the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and granted the title of Duke of Korea, it is time to enjoy it, why do you have to work hard?
The reason Li Shanchang did this was only for one purpose, and that was to rush to Xiangshan County to see a good show, so as not to go late and be cleaned up by the boy from Liujia Village, and there would be no good things to see.

If that kid has made false reports or exaggerated his political achievements, the best time to expose them is when this once-in-a-century storm is approaching.

It's an opportunity not to be missed, the time will never come again, and this is the time!
As a result, the huge convoy set off from Guangzhou City and passed through Shunde and Panyu to Xiangshan County.

Along the way, there were traces of wind disasters everywhere. Official roads were flooded and washed away, and bridges were broken, making them walk very slowly.

The journey to Xiangshan County that was supposed to take one day ended up taking three days.This is why local officials have to temporarily allocate manpower to serve them first.

The biggest delay was that the official road was washed away by floods, so the team had to be transported back and forth by boat.

During the prime time of disaster relief, they were forced to work for these officials, which made the people along the way have a bad impression of this team.

But there was nothing they could do. These officials were much older than their county officials, and no one could afford to offend them.

"Officials know the suffering of our people. Whatever they want to do, we can only do what we do!"

"No, I heard that each of these officials has a higher position than our county magistrate, and one of them is a kind of father-in-law!"

"That's right, he is the most important figure in the founding of the Ming Dynasty. He seems to be the Duke of South Korea. Who dares to offend him! He comes so far away from us and it's too late to serve him!"

"..."

After hearing these words, some people were not convinced.

"That's not necessarily true. The Prince Consort of Xiangshan County may not pay attention to them."

"Yes, Xiangshan County is better. If you have a consort as the county magistrate, you don't have to be so humble."

"That's right, the Marquis of Yongjia went straight to the yamen to beat the magistrate because our county magistrate offended his father-in-law back then. What can you do? But look at Xiangshan County, what is it that Marquis Yongjia offended the son-in-law? What’s the end?”

"That's right, so the people of Xiangshan County are blessed, and they can suffer less crimes with their son-in-law as their backer!"

"That's right. You see, these officials can show off their power here and treat our county officials like dogs. But are they going to Xiangshan County to try?"

"Isn't this some kind of Korean prince? He's an official bigger than Yongjiahou. I'm afraid the prince-in-law will have to treat him well this time, right?"

"That's not necessarily the case. Let's see. To be honest, I don't have any money. Otherwise, if I go to Xiangshan County to buy a house and become a householder there, I will suffer less!"

"If you can't afford a house, you can go work. If you live there for a year, you can move around."

"That's right. Let's see what happens after this typhoon. If not, we won't need this land. It's better to go to Xiangshan County and become a non-farmer."

"..."

On the official road, Daotong, the magistrate of Panyu County, looked at the group of people entering Xiangshan County. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, shook his sweat, and immediately shouted to the team behind him: "Let's go, let's go, hurry up and provide disaster relief." !”

Originally, he admired the first hero of the founding of the Ming Dynasty very much, but as soon as they met, he was a little disappointed.

He simply ignored the local disaster situation and just hurried on, and his words were very rude.

If it had been before, he might not have felt anything like it.But now, as the Panyu County Magistrate, he had to deal with the Consort County Magistrate many times. After a comparison, he felt that the Consort County Magistrate was the real good official of the Ming Dynasty!
I just don't know if this very demanding grand master will conflict with the son-in-law after he arrives on the son-in-law's territory?
He felt that the prince-in-law was a soft-spoken man and others might be afraid of the Korean father-in-law, but the prince-in-law might not be afraid!
It's best if this Korean male can be completely eaten up by the consort, so it's worth getting drunk!
………………

Li Shanchang naturally knew that his urging to go all the way south to Xiangshan County made many people dissatisfied.Of course, he actually didn't care.

At this time, although it was already the early autumn of the 11th year of Hongwu and the north had begun to cool down, the south, especially in Xiangshan County, was still very hot.

Two days ago, the storm brought rain and the weather cooled down a bit.But as soon as the rain passed, the weather suddenly became hot again. It was called a sultry heat, which was humid and sultry.

Even if you are the Duke of the Ming Dynasty, even if you stay in the carriage and fan yourself vigorously, you will still be covered in sweat, and you will always suffer!

However, all the other officials were stunned. However, after Li Shanchang entered Xiangshan County, he suddenly became energetic. He even ordered the car windows to be opened. Regardless of the sun, he stretched his head out from time to time to look around.He is a bit like a little kid who has just arrived in a place, very curious and looking around.

Here in Xiangshan County, at a glance, you can still see trees blown down by the wind and farmland flooded.

However, as the group headed south from Guangzhou City, they could see at a glance that Xiangshan County's infrastructure was far from comparable to other counties.

All roads are made of cement, and river embankments, waterways, etc. are also made of cement.Although it also suffered from hurricanes and heavy rains, it is obvious that the losses in Xiangshan County were far less than those in other counties.

At this time, Li Shanchang's excitement obviously dropped a lot.

He is indeed a capable person. After a quick glance, no matter how cautious he is, he has to admit that this boy from Liujia Village, based on what he sees, is enough to deduce that Xiangshan County is indeed managed very well.

After walking for a while, dark clouds flew over the sky and blocked the sun. Although they didn't know if it would rain, it also kept them cool.

Perhaps because they were about to reach their destination, a place where they had admired their famous names for a long time, and heard about all kinds of incredible political achievements, many officials got off their carriages and chose to ride on horseback.

As long as there is no direct sunlight, riding a horse is much more comfortable than being stuck in a carriage.

For these officials who have experienced troubled times, horseback riding is almost their basic skill, and everyone can do it.

So, after riding on the horse, those who were close to each other got together to comment on everything they saw.

Needless to say, the road infrastructure and water conservancy facilities in front of them were enough to impress these officials.Not to mention, this was a person who was popular in the eyes of the emperor, and the prince had endorsed the achievements of his consort.

These officials were all talented, and even composed an impromptu poem to compliment each other, which diluted the fatigue of the journey.

Suddenly, an official pointed to the side and said: "Look, it's true as rumored. The rural areas in Xiangshan County are all made of cement houses!"

Hearing the words, these officials turned their heads to look, and as expected, they all suddenly cheered with emotion.

"I've seen a lot of broken walls and thatched houses. This is the first time I've seen it. The whole village is made of cement houses."

"It is said that the Xiangshan County Government subsidized the money to replace the houses of all Xiangshan County residents with this type of cement house. Gee, the Xiangshan County Government is really rich!"

"No, it is said that by the end of this year, the county government will have 200 million yuan! I used to think it was too exaggerated, but looking at this road and this house, I really believe it. Without a little money, this is impossible!"

"..."

Li Shanchang also rode a horse. Hearing their compliments, he felt uncomfortable, and immediately said: "It's all the people's fat and people's anointing. It should be returned to the people. Your Majesty's thoughts are ours as officials. Try not to waste the people's money. Your Majesty may not be really happy if you plunder the people's money and use some of it on the people!"

Zhu Yuanzhang did have such an attitude, at least in the past.Not to mention anything else, just for military rations, he used the garrison farming system, and then proudly announced that he could feed a million troops without spending a grain of grain!
In addition, when he collects taxes, including commercial taxes, etc., he just collects them and looks at them. If he thinks they are enough, he stops them, and then asks all localities to collect taxes according to the tax amount, and cannot increase taxes.

It is because of this kind of thinking that the Ming Dynasty is considered the most bizarre dynasty.Officials do not pursue how much tax they receive, but pursue tax reductions.Some local officials even placed a basket at the yamen gate and asked merchants to pay taxes while they watched over them.

Just in Zhejiang Province, a major tea-producing province, it has been recorded that the annual tea tax is only two taels of silver. Who dares to believe it?That dynasty can do this?

The imperial court has no money, so public projects cannot be built well. As soon as there is a natural or man-made disaster, they start to catch people blind.

Of course, this is the 11th year of Hongwu. Some measures have been announced, while others have not yet been implemented and customized.

At this time, Li Shanchang's words immediately dampened everyone's interest.

He has the highest title and the oldest qualifications, and no one wants to get in trouble with him.

A group of people fell silent after Li Shanchang opened his mouth.However, in their hearts, they don't quite approve of it.

After all, they are not blind, it’s just that no one wants to refute.

After a while, someone finally spoke again, pointing to a place and saying, "Look over there, there are many people repairing the river that was damaged by the wind disaster!"

When Li Shanchang saw the people, he was very interested in going over to have a look and listen to how much they complained about the storm.Anyway, in the previous places, we heard people, and even cried, about the death of relatives, loss of houses, flooded grain fields, destroyed sugar cane, etc.

So, he opened his mouth and ordered: "Let's go, we are all in Xiangshan County. We are ordered to understand the people's sentiments and go and take a look."

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang's intention was for them to inspect the implementation of national education in Xiangshan County, rather than to inspect the public sentiment.

However, Li Shanchang said this and no one objected.Because they are all very curious about Xiangshan County, and after seeing Xiangshan people, of course they want to know more about them.

So, the carriages and the like stopped on the official road, and some soldiers followed them to watch. Others turned onto the road leading to the other side of the river. It was also a cement road, and there was no muddy or muddy road.

Seeing a conspicuous group of them coming, a man wearing the clothes of a county official came out of the crowd repairing the river channel and hurried over to greet them.

"My lords, we are off track. We are not going to the county seat here. If you go straight along the official road, you can see the county seat in about fifteen miles."

Li Shanchang didn't even have to show up in person, someone naturally stepped forward and yelled to make way.

Naturally, the official couldn't stop him, so he followed the group back.

On the river repair side, about two hundred young people were busy repairing a large gap in the river.Judging from the traces, the river bank was washed away by the surge of the river.

When they passed by, these people had no choice but to stop and pay homage.

When Li Shanchang saw it, he sat on his horse and showed sympathy and asked: "I heard that this storm disaster is a once-in-a-hundred-year event. Do you expect the damage to be serious?"

The official heard this and stepped forward quickly, waiting for a reply.

But Li Shanchang pointed his finger at the young men and said, "You answer, if you have any questions, I am the Duke of Korea of ​​the Ming Dynasty, and I will make the decision for you!"

Young people are more impulsive, unable to hide things, and tend to tell the truth easily.

If it were left to the official, it would be impossible to hear what he wanted to hear.

When the young man saw it, he quickly replied: "The storm damage this time was greater than in previous years, but we didn't suffer any losses and everything is fine."

fine?When Li Shanchang heard this, he immediately became angry and shouted: "You have suffered such a severe storm, and you still say it's fine? Do you think I am easy to bully?"

None of the officials behind him spoke.But they didn't believe it either and felt that the young man had lied.

On Li Shanchang's side, he clicked another one and looked more honest and said, "You tell me!"

"Returning to your lord, the Prince Consort has formulated regulations to prevent wind disasters since he came to our Xiangshan County. The Prince Consort said that our county is close to the sea and there are wind disasters every year, so we must pay attention to it. So although this typhoon is worse than before, It’s big, but we really didn’t lose much, so I hope you will learn from it!”

After hearing this, the others boldly nodded in agreement, but did not dare to speak loudly.

After hearing this, Le Shaofeng couldn't help but praise: "It turns out that the prince-in-law has taken precautions, so it's no wonder!"

But Li Shanchang snorted coldly after hearing this.

　Ask for support!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)