high official

Chapter 95 Placement
In addition to the chaos of soldiers and horses, the famine years caused by floods, droughts and locust plagues had the greatest impact on the lives of the people.It is easy to cause social turmoil, and refugees and thieves are everywhere, which hurts the vitality of the country.Therefore, the level of famine administration is an important yardstick for testing the ability of local officials.

The core of the famine policy is the relief of the victims. There are three main points, the first is to get food, the second is to have a place to live, and the third is to get home.Among them, 'return' is a matter of post-disaster relief, and it does not need to be considered by the counties that accept refugees. The counties only need to do the first two, and 'food' and 'housing' are enough.

Therefore, after inspecting the grain depot, the Daotai went to inspect the residences prepared for the victims.

This time Sun Daotai finally found the opportunity to attack... He saw that Fuyang County had not designated a residential area for the victims, nor had they built shelters such as mat sheds.Thinking that he had caught Wei Zhixian's disobedience, he sneered and said, "Fuyang County has a lot of food, but it seems that they don't intend to let outsiders eat it."

"Why did your lord say that?" Wei Zhixian asked puzzled.

"What about the vacant land cleared to accommodate the victims?" Sun Daotai snorted coldly, "I don't even have a shack, are you going to let the victims sleep on the street?"

The other two Taoists didn't say anything, and their expressions were not happy. They complained in their hearts that Wei Zhixian was too unsatisfactory, which made their earlier praise a joke.

"Your Excellency, let me tell you," Wei Zhixian has his own way of saying: "Students think that the method of disaster relief in the past is nothing more than gathering the victims in the city and cooking porridge for them to eat. This is indeed convenient for the government to manage and provide relief, but there are also disadvantages. It’s not small.” After a pause, he said, “If the disaster victims gather too densely, the disease will spread easily, and they will die together. Some people have been waiting for food for several days, and they died on the road without getting porridge. This method is nominally It is to rescue the disaster victims, but in fact it is a perfunctory act of not treating the disaster victims as human beings and ignoring their life and death."

"Hmph..." Even Sun Daotai had to admit that he made sense: "Do you have a better way?"

"The lower officials have already ordered the government houses, Taoist temples, temples, storehouses, etc. in the county to be vacated. And according to households, vacant houses in various townships in the county have been requisitioned to accommodate the victims." Wei Zhi replied: "The former can accommodate the number of victims. Limited, mainly relying on the latter. The county is densely populated, and it is rare to have vacant houses. Therefore, the upper-class households only need three, the middle-class households two, and the lower-class households one. One room. This is more than enough to accommodate [-] disaster victims, and the disaster victims are scattered in different households, so they will neither gather together to cause violence nor worry about epidemic diseases, which is much better than gathering together."

"Your method is novel." Qi Daotai said: "But can the people of Fuyang agree?"

"The county has issued documents to all the districts, saying, 'The refugees are here, and there is no way to deal with them. If they gather in the city, the disease will affect you and others. Therefore, the government will come forward and rent houses to wait for them.'" Wei Zhixian Road : "I, the people of Fuyang, are benevolent and will agree to everything."

"You're talking about renting." Sun Daotai pointed out immediately with sharp ears, "But many of the flood victims have lost all their property and are penniless. How can they have money to pay the rent?"

"Those who can't afford the rent will be paid by the county." Wei Zhixian said indifferently: "Actually, free expropriation is also possible, but if the common people get some benefits, it will naturally be more cooperative, and we can live more harmoniously with the disaster victims in the future."

"Do I have to pay back the advance payment?" Sun Daotai asked: "If you don't pay back, can your county afford it?"

"Of course you have to pay it back, otherwise you won't be able to afford it." Wei Zhixian said: "It doesn't matter if you can't afford the money, you can use work as relief."

"So that's how it is." Qi Daotai asked again: "How do you make porridge where the disaster victims are scattered?"

"Since the place is scattered, we won't cook porridge anymore." Wei Zhixian replied, "It will be changed to rice per person's hair, once every two days."

Several Daotai looked at each other, and it seemed that there was nothing wrong with it. Although Sun Daotai wanted to find fault, there was never a law stipulating how officials should respond to disasters.Whether Wei Zhi County's new method is good or not depends on the effect... If it is messed up and he is not required to participate in the performance, the surname Wei will also be unlucky.

After inspecting in Fuyang for most of the day, the Daotai were basically satisfied with the situation...the main thing was that the Yongfeng warehouse was full of grain, which made them amazed.Time is running out, and the Daoists have to rush to the next stop, Lin'an, overnight.

The magistrate of Wei naturally went to see him off at the wharf. Du Liangdao Qi Daotai had a very good impression of this young county magistrate. In his impression, such honest officials were still common in the Hongwu period, but now they are becoming more and more rare. People in Taiwan are full of praise for him.

When parting, he dismissed the others, walked to a corner of the pier with Wei Zhixian, and talked alone.

"Wen Yuan," Qi Daotai asked softly, "Do you know why you are in such a hurry to make a deposit?"

"According to the regulations of the imperial court, before opening the warehouse to release the grain, the chief secretary and the procuratorate must check the amount of stored grain..." Wei Zhixian replied: "It should be to ask the imperial court to release the grain."

The sub-inspectors, sub-shoudao, and grain supervisors cannot be regarded as independent administrative agencies, but agencies dispatched by the Chief Secretary and the Inspection Division.It is not easy to open a warehouse to release grain in Changping. It must be approved by the imperial court. The Chief Secretary is in charge and supervised by the Procuratorate, so as to strictly prevent anyone from committing corruption in the name of disaster relief.

"That's right." Qi Daotai nodded and said, "Before I set off, Zheng Fantai had rushed to report to the imperial court eight hundred miles away. At the same time, I asked Lord Tang to send naval warships to transport the affected people to the counties. Food." Paused: "The three of us are at the front station. According to the constitution of the Fantai, it has been verified that one county is resettled and one county is resettled. Now your Fuyang County is ready, and the victims will arrive one after another the day after tomorrow at the latest."

After Qi Daotai finished speaking, he looked at the county magistrate Wei, and saw that he didn't respond, so he continued, "Wen Yuan is not worried. Once the county opens a warehouse to release grain, it will cause dissatisfaction among the local people?"

"Well, I'm worried." Wei Zhixian nodded sincerely: "The common people have always regarded the food in the Changping warehouse as their own life-saving food. Now they want to use it to help the population of other counties, and there are still so many people. There must be someone emotional."

"What is even more unacceptable to the common people is that they handed in the grain in Yongfeng warehouse, but they did not have their share when the grain was released." Wei Zhixian emphasized: "Once there is a confrontation at that time, I am afraid it will lead to civil disobedience. Chaos, ruined the feudal commander's plan for disaster relief."

"It seems that you also have resistance." Qi Daotai said with a smile: "I don't ask and I don't talk about it."

"The difficulties in the province are even greater," Wei Zhixian said indifferently: "What the county should do is to share worries rather than add chaos."

"That's right, there are so few officials like Wen Yuan!" Qi Daotai praised: "I will definitely pass on your words to adults in Taiwan." I know that although the emperor has been on the throne for ten years, there are still many people who are not convinced. This Zhejiang storm is really rare, and those people are going to say strange things again. Lord Fantai is under a lot of pressure. Common people, minimize the impact of the disaster, the emperor will definitely blame it."

"Well." Wei Zhixian nodded, and listened to Qi Daotai's continuation: "I know that this matter is very difficult, but there is no way, eight of ten grain depots in Hangzhou City were flooded, and the losses were extremely heavy. We had to let everyone The county helps to feed a group of people. The wind knows the strength of the grass. At this time, grit your teeth and help the feudal family to tide over the difficulties, and there will be rich rewards in the future!"

"The lower officials don't ask for anything in return. Although the victims are not citizens of the county, they belong to the people of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, they should be rescued as a whole." Wei Zhixian said in a deep voice, "I just hope that the province will give a regulation so that the county can appease them. People in Fuyang, resettle the victims and let them live in peace."

"Of course." Qi Daotai said in a deep voice: "Didn't Master Fantai say in the letter that all counties that receive disaster victims will be exempted from money, food, taxes and labor along with the affected counties. And before I come, Lord Fantai has three points The requirements are, first, not to kill people, second, not to riot, and third, not to let the victims leave the country. As long as you can do these three things, you can do it casually, and all the consequences will be borne by the province."

Seeing that there was no response from the magistrate of Wei, Qi Daotai said again: "Official documents from the province will be issued soon, you will know it at a glance."

"Yes." Wei Zhixian bowed deeply and said, "I will definitely live up to the entrustment of the Fantai and Daotai!"

.

At noon two days later, a navy boat sailed from the lower reaches of the Fuchun River. Thousands of victims with their families were on board. Their homes were destroyed by the tsunami and they were penniless. body, shivering in the cold wind and rain.

What is even colder is their mood. Before the seawall was repaired and the sea water receded, they were already homeless and could only be driven away by the government, boarded a ship under the supervision of officers and soldiers, and were transported to various places for resettlement.The rough treatment of the officers and soldiers along the way, and now they are not given food, make them hungry, full of desolation, full of fear and resentment for the imminent refugee life...

"Why don't the people in the city leave, let us country people leave their homes!" There were such angry complaints everywhere on the boat.

"There's not enough food, and I don't want us country bumpkins to fill Hangzhou City," an old man sneered, "Of course we'll be sent to the counties."

"The county is willing to accept it? They are not the ones affected by the disaster." The victims said worriedly.

"We are just annoying burdens." The old man said angrily, "How can there be a government that likes disaster victims?"

"So, we are definitely not welcome." The mood of the victims became more and more depressed.

"It's good to have a mouthful of porridge." The old man said quietly, "I'm afraid that if there are not a few grains of rice, people will starve to death..."

Let him say this, the old man can't help recalling that there was a severe locust plague in the first year of the country, and they also escaped the famine. In the end, only half of them returned to their homes, and the rest died of starvation, and most of them died of the plague. The tragedy is indescribable.

"The worst thing in the world is fleeing famine..." The pessimism grew stronger, and many victims were frightened and hungry, sobbing.

"What are you screaming for?" The officers and soldiers shouted loudly, holding whips: "Fuyang is here, get out of here!"

The victims couldn't help but looked ashore, and saw sixteen large red characters written on the archway of the wharf.There are many literate people in Zhejiang, and many people's eyes lit up, and they read aloud:

'When people are hungry, they are hungry, and when others are cold, they are cold, sharing weal and woe, helping neighbors in disaster relief! '

The so-called "good words and three winters are warm" means just that, even if it is just a show, it makes the victims feel much more comfortable.

The building boat struggled up to the pier, the officers and soldiers disembarked, and after a while a group of local officials came up, the leader was a young man wearing a seventh-rank official uniform, who was undoubtedly the magistrate of the county.

Before Zaoli could sing, the people on the boat fell to their knees and kowtowed to the county magistrate.

"Everyone, please get up quickly." Wei Zhixian supported an old man and said: "The county has been killed."

"I beg you to be merciful," the white-haired old man insisted on kowtowing to him, "give us a way to survive!"

"I beg you to be merciful, sir, please give me a way to survive..." The victims of the disaster echoed in one voice, regardless of gender, old or young, and kowtowed vigorously.

Wei Zhixian’s eyes were moist. He had said a lot of high-sounding words to the victims before, but he was still thinking about his official reputation and political achievements in his heart. Shocked.

Feeling the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, he personally helped several old folks, "Get up quickly, folks, and listen to me." When he reached the highest point of the building, he pointed to the sixteen characters on the shore and said: " Did you see those words?"

The victims nodded.

"Do you know what it means?"

The victims nodded again.

"When people are hungry, when others are cold, we share weal and woe, provide disaster relief and sympathize with neighbors!" Wei Zhixian said loudly: "This is the promise Fuyang County made to you!"

Hearing the promise of the county magistrate, the cold and desolate hearts of the victims suddenly warmed up, and they kept shouting "blue sky" and "Bodhisattva".

Wei Zhixian waved his hand, and the victims quieted down, listening to him continue:
"Please remember that you came to Fuyang not to escape, but to live. The moment you set foot in Fuyang County, your identity is no longer a disaster victim, but like the people of Fuyang, you have housing and food. , People protected by the government!" Wei Zhixian said loudly:
"For this reason, 11 people in this county have vacated [-] houses for you. After going ashore and registering, you can each receive three days of rations, and go back to rest with your landlord!"

The victims thought it would be nice to have a hut and a mouthful of porridge, but they didn't expect to have a house to live in and food to eat, and they were moved to tears...

However, there are also old-fashioned people asking: "What should I do when I run out of rations for those three days?"

"According to the regulations, it is a loan relief," Wei Zhixian said: "But you will have to return to your hometown for a short period of three to two months, and a long period of time, so ordinary relief loans will not work." Relief."

"Relief with work?" The victims looked at each other, and someone asked, "Do we still have to work?"

"Don't you all sweat and eat your own food when you are in the village?" Wei Zhixian said lightly.

There were no rich people among the victims, and those with a little money went to Hangzhou city. Therefore, the whole boat was full of ordinary people sweating and eating, so they were naturally speechless.

"This county does not treat you as victims of disasters. Naturally, you have to be like the people of Fuyang. You have to work for food, clothing, housing and transportation..." Wei Zhixian said in a deep voice: "Before, you had taxes, so you can support your family differently? Now the court You have been exempted from your money, rations and servants, and naturally it is not a problem!"

.

　There is one more.Ask for a ticket...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)