A great man of the Northern Song Dynasty

In Weishi County, the sun is as hot as fire.

In the fields, countless farmers are looking into the distance.

The crops in the field lowered their heads, and their appearance gradually turned yellow.

"coming……"

Large carts came slowly one after another, and the old cows pulling the carts were panting and foaming at the corners of their mouths.

The cart was filled with water containers, various wooden barrels, and jars.

"This belongs to me! Don't steal it!"

As soon as the water tanker arrived, the farmers started fighting for it.

"This is mine! Get out of here!"

The two big men struggled with each other, and finally the jar fell down and water splashed everywhere...

"stop fighting!"

An old man stamped his feet and shouted: "If you have the time, why don't you go fetch water!"

Everyone numbly began to water the water.

He scooped a spoonful of water and poured it down, and the cracked land sucked it greedily. In an instant, the water disappeared, and the land gradually returned to its dry and cracked state.

Another spoonful, still the same.

Even after a bucket of water was irrigated, the field was still dry and cracked...

The old farmer looked up and shouted in despair: "It's gone...it's gone!"

He tapped the bottom of the empty bucket with a water spoon, raised his head and cursed: "God, why doesn't it rain? Why doesn't it rain?"

The farmers looked at the blue sky, despair spreading.

"Wengweng!"

An old farmer fell heavily to the ground. His grandson went over to hug him and shouted: "Weng Weng."

The old farmer gritted his teeth and finally managed to pry open the irrigation water. He woke up leisurely.

"This year...it won't work this year."

The old farmer shouted: "Stop pulling water, it's useless, it's not enough! Go and ask someone to dig a well!"

"We are right by the Huimin River and can dig wells."

The advantage around Bianliang is that the water system is developed, but the disadvantage is that people are not prepared for drought, so that after encountering a drought, they cannot come up with the most effective response method.

The farmers searched for people like flies, but those who could dig wells had been invited away long ago, leaving only despair.

"What to do?"

Everyone was a little panicked, but there was no way to deal with it.

It's time for the village elders and gentry to play their role.

"Look for the government!"

The villagers gave this standard answer that has been used for thousands of years.

"But the government is very busy."

The government was very busy. Before the drought, the officials in Weishi County were not prepared at all, so when the drought broke out, they were helpless.

What about the gentry?

There should be something they can do, right?

There was still singing and dancing in the high-rise courtyards, and the gentry had a good life.

"They hired well diggers a long time ago, and now the crops in the fields don't have to be watered..."

The old farmer lamented: "You have to study! Look, look, a scholar knows how to hire someone to dig a well..."

"Yeah! Reading is great."

"Where are the craftsmen who dug the wells?"

In this case, let's dig a well too.

"They had good food and drink at that house, and they said... they said they wanted to dig a well."

"What the hell!" the old farmer said angrily: "This is blocking our hands, forcing us to borrow money from them."

This is a routine. When there is a famine, it is a good opportunity for these gentry to make a fortune.

"As long as we borrow their money, we will never be able to repay it in our lifetime. In the end, we have to give them the land and the whole family will farm their land...or the whole family will go to the city to find a way to survive."

In business, the accumulation of capital is never clean. But among the people, the accumulation of agricultural capital is more direct and bloody.

The Emperor Shan Gao was always pragmatic, and those gentry showed their ferocious faces during times of famine, exploiting the people through usury, and all of this was absurdly protected by law.

Yes, loan sharking is legal in the Song Dynasty. Those who have a lot of money and no place to invest will find the leader of the loan, and then invest the money and let him operate it.

This kind of people are called Qian people.

The wealthy people in the countryside are the gentry and rich peasants, while the lenders are all big men who are similar to ruffians. They often collude with the government.

Therefore, no one dares to borrow money unless they can no longer survive.

But these are desperate times.

"What should we do?"

"The government needs to give an explanation, right?"

"No explanation, the magistrate is enjoying himself in the county office!"

"I really want to rebel!"

"No, now the rebels will not be recruited or incorporated into the Xiang army..."

"what is it now?"

"have no idea……"

"There seems to be someone in the village who has followed someone to dig a well before. Go ask him."

"That man is the son-in-law, and he has been invited away a long time ago."

A group of farmers looked desperately in the direction of the county town, and could only vaguely see a few horses galloping towards them.

"who is it?"

Someone raised their hands to cover their eyes and squinted, "It's the three cavalry...the leader is an old man...here they are, they are here."

Three horses came galloping, dismounting before and after.

The leader was an old man, followed closely by two big men.

"what happened?"

The old man walked in along the field ridge and asked, "Why didn't a well be dug?"

The old farmer looked at him, hesitated, and said, "I don't understand if I don't have a craftsman."

There have been countless droughts since ancient times, and most of them are helpless.

"Where are the craftsmen? It's not that difficult to build a well, but where are the people?"

The old farmer lowered his head and rubbed his eyes, "They were all invited away."

The old man squinted at these farmers, and the veins on his forehead jumped: "Why don't you go to the government?"

The old farmer looked at him suspiciously, "The government...the government is busy."

"Um?"

The old man became angry, turned around and shouted: "Go to the county seat and bring Chang Mi."

A follower agreed with a loud voice, mounted his horse and left.

The old farmer said in shock: "You are..."

Chang Mi was the magistrate of Weishi County. The casualness with which the old man mentioned him showed that he was not an ordinary person.

"I'm Bao Zheng!"

Bao Zheng stood there, anger surging in his heart.

"It's actually Mr. Bao who's here..."

The old farmer's body was trembling, and he couldn't help crying. He slowly knelt down and said, "Bao Gong, please make the decision for the villain!"

Bao Zheng was startled, and when he was about to help the old farmer, the farmers all knelt down one after another.

"Please ask Mr. Bao to make the decision for the villain."

Bao Zheng said anxiously: "Everyone, get up and tell us what you have to say. I will make the decision for you and others."

The old farmer was helped up by him, wiped away his tears, and said, "Mr. Bao, we are not short of strength, but all the craftsmen who can dig wells have been hired away. There is nothing we can do!"

"Okay, I, the craftsman, will take care of it."

Bao Zheng turned around and told his last entourage, "Go to the county seat and find the craftsmen."

The attendant looked at the farmers worriedly and said, "Xiang Bao, if the villain goes... you are here alone..."

"No problem!" Bao Zheng said calmly: "I act according to my conscience, what are you afraid of? Go quickly!"

He believed that these people would not harm him.

The attendants mounted their horses and rode away.

Bao Zheng turned around and smiled bitterly: "Is there any water?"

He has not stopped since he left the capital. He has been inspecting drought relief in various places. He is so tired that his whole body aches. If it were not for the thought, he would not be able to stand still.

"Quick, bring water to Mr. Bao."

There was still some water to drink, but it looked a little turbid.

"This water... Bao Gong, please wait."

The old farmer looked ashamed, but Bao Gong drank it all in one gulp and handed the bowl over, "One more bowl."

He drank two bowls of water, then took off the baggage from the horse and took out a cooking cake to gnaw.

"Bao Gong, how about I go back to the village and get a bowl of soup cakes?"

The old farmer saw that he was having a hard time eating the cooking cakes. He thought that the prime minister had only brought two people with him, which really made him feel wronged.

"No need."

After Bao Gong ate the cooking cakes and drank a bowl of water, he began to ask about the disaster and how to deal with it.

"The water in the Huimin River is mostly low. The fields by the river are fine, but the canals here are out of water..."

"The government... the government..."

The old farmer's eyes flickered, and Bao Zheng sighed and waved his hand, "You don't have to say anything."

The people did not dare to offend the government, so the answer was that they refused to speak.

"A bunch of beasts!"

Chang Mi, the magistrate of Weishi County, was picked out from the back hall by Bao Zheng's entourage. At that time, he had just returned from an inspection in the countryside. He was so hot that he was ready to rest for a long time.

The officials in Weishi County were almost out in force. When they saw Bao Zheng in the fields and an old farmer, everyone's heart froze.

"coming?"

Chang Mi met Bao Zheng a few years ago. At this time, Bao Zheng looked more kind-hearted, which made Chang Mi happy, "I have met Bao Xiang."

Bao Zheng hummed and asked, "Why are you in the Yamen?"

In the face of a drought, local officials still want to rest in the yamen. This is dereliction of duty.

Chang Mi smiled bitterly and said: "Prime Minister Bao, I went to the outside of the city to check the disaster situation this morning..."

It's so hot!

"Where's the craftsman who dug the well?"

"it's here."

More than a dozen men came over, all craftsmen. UU read www.uukanshu． net

Bao Zheng sneered: "Where were you waiting earlier?"

The craftsmen did not dare to speak, so Chang Mi said: "Prime Minister Bao..."

"Shut up!" Bao Zheng shouted: "Get out of here!"

Chang Mi's cheeks trembled, and then he stepped aside.

The craftsmen looked at each other in confusion, but Bao Zheng's entourage got the news and said, "Prime Minister Bao, they were all found by Changzhi County."

This is horse photography!

Bao Zheng was furious and shouted: "Take Chang Mi!"

Chang Mi panicked, knelt down and said, "Prime Minister Bao, there is nothing wrong with lowering your rank!"

"In my journey, Wei's disaster is not the most serious, but it is the worst. Where were you when the farmers were at a loss in the fields?"

Chang Mi opened his mouth, his eyelids twitching, "Xiaguan has been thinking of a solution."

"What did you think of?"

Bao Zheng's questions were quick and urgent, and Chang Mi couldn't answer them for a while.

"Those people have given you a lot of favors in order to lend money, right?"

Chang Mi trembled all over and said, "I am unjustly accused..."

"Do you want me to send someone to search?"

Bao Zheng said solemnly: "The disaster is urgent. You are not rushing to solve the problems of the people, but you are rushing to collude with those people. Such an official will not be able to forgive his hatred even if he is killed."

Chang Mi collapsed on the ground, but there was still some hope in his heart, "Xiaguan was just confused for a moment..."

At most, it's just a distribution, and I'll find a way to come back in a few years.

Treating scholar-bureaucrats preferentially, of course Bao Zheng knew these things. He stretched out his hand with a cold face: "Do you have a stick?"

The old farmer nodded, "Yes, Mr. Bao, do you want to relieve yourself? It's just that the stick is too hard to scrape your buttocks. I have some straw paper here..."

Bao Zheng's cheeks trembled, "Bring me the stick."

The old farmer muttered and went to find a wooden stick. Bao Zheng took it, turned around and gave it a stick.

Boom!

Chang Mi fell to the ground.