I

  Chapter 587 584 [The Grace of Saving Life]

   Xuzhou.

   It has been more than a year since Zheng Sen was promoted to the prefect of Xuzhou. The 23-year-old magistrate is a very rare existence in the New Dynasty of Datong where the officials are generally young.

   "Xiao Songzi, are you going to inspect the city again today?" Zhao Zhenfang took out a set of official casual clothes and asked the maid to help Zheng Sen change into them.

  Zheng Sen said worryingly while changing his clothes: "Henan has been raining for days, Xuzhou has swelled a lot, and the Zhenkou gate has just been repaired. If I don't personally inspect the river embankments, I really don't feel relieved."

   "School is on holiday, let me go with you." Zhao Zhenfang said.

  Zhao Zhenfang's identity, in addition to Princess Rongfu and Mrs. Zhizhou, is also a member of the Datong Mathematical Society and the Physics Society, and even served as the secretary-general of the Mathematical Society for a time. Now she came to Xuzhou with her husband to take up the post, and she also applied to be a teacher in Xuzhou Middle School, teaching mathematics (geometry), physics and other subjects.

   As for Xiaosongzi, that is Zhao Zhenfang's nickname for her husband, and Zheng Sen has a nickname "Fusong".

  The couple walked out of the backyard of the state government together, and only asked a few servants to follow, and then asked the driver to drive the horse-drawn carriage out of the city. All the good horses are confiscated for military use, and all the people are bad horses. Even the carriages provided by the Xuzhou government are not much bigger than donkeys.

  The embankment in the north of the city has been inspected, and Zheng Sen and Zhao Zhenfang took a car all the way upstream.

  Driving for a while, I saw people gathering by the river.

   Zheng Sen got off the car and went to check, and found that it was Yang Ding, the magistrate of Xiao County, who was also leading people to inspect the river embankment in the territory.

   "Greetings to the princess, and the prefect!" Yang Ding recognized the two and immediately bowed to each other.

  Zheng Sen and Zhao Zhenfang returned the salute at the same time, and began to ask about the situation of the embankment.

  Xuzhou is a large state with four counties under its jurisdiction.

  Yang Ding sighed and said: "Today's water level is half a foot higher than yesterday. If this continues, Henan will have to dig the dikes to release the flood again. The people in Shandong are suffering!"

   "It's really hard, I only hope that the management of the Yellow River will succeed soon." Zheng Sen also felt a little emotional.

  The disasters this year are already obvious, floods in the north and droughts in the south.

  The drought in the south of the Yangtze River has dried up the river, but it has been raining continuously in Henan. According to the usual method, the water level rises to a certain level, that is, in the eastern part of Henan, the Yellow River North Dike is opened to release the flood. In this way, one or two counties in Henan will be flooded, and several counties in Shandong will be flooded.

   As for Xuzhou, which was assigned to Jiangsu, it was the safest place.

Zheng Sen took Yang Ding to inspect the embankment together, and said: "At the end of autumn, the water level is dry and shallow, and the water has not yet frozen, so we have to organize the people to dredge the river. Now that the north has been recovered, the water transportation is becoming more and more busy, and the downstream is too silted. It is extremely unfavorable for ships to sail.”

   "What the prefect said is true," Yang Ding said hastily, "The lower officials are only the magistrates of Xiao County. For the dredging of the river, you have to take the lead in dredging Dangshan, Fengxian, and Peixian counties."

  Zheng Sen nodded and said: "After the flood is over, let the magistrates of these four counties come to the state government to hold a meeting to discuss."

  It was close to noon, and when they reached the ferry, everyone stopped to rest and eat and drink in the wild shop near the ferry.

  The rules of the imperial court are cumbersome. Officials are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol at noon on weekdays, and they can only drink when they are having dinner.

  The wild store didn't have any good things, so they fried a few side dishes, and Zheng Sen clinked glasses with Yang Ding with tea instead of wine.

  Yang Ding was a bit cautious, so it was fine when he met the Zhizhou, who was still the son-in-law, and the princess herself was at the same table.

   "Is the county magistrate from Sichuan?" Zheng Sen asked casually.

Yang Ding replied with a smile: "From the east of Sichuan, before General Huang (Huang Yao) led his troops into Sichuan, the subordinate officials followed the former Mingzhi County, dedicated the city and surrendered General Qin (Qin Liangyu). As an official, he was promoted all the way to the magistrate. This was not possible in the former Ming Dynasty, and the subordinate officials came from a family of officials, and their descendants were not even eligible to take the imperial examination."

   Zheng Sen joked: "Haha, no matter where the hero comes from, my family used to be a pirate."

   "The prefect was joking." Yang Ding didn't dare to say more about it.

   Zheng Sen asked casually, "What is the difficulty in Xiao County?"

Yang Ding said: "Several coal mines have been discovered in the county. Some steam engines have been developed in the south in recent years. I heard that coal is needed to weave cloth. The coal in Xiaoxian County can be mined and shipped to the south of the Yangtze River to sell silver. But this mining involves expropriation of land, and the state has approved it, but the province has refused to approve it. There is coal in Xiao County, so I can't dig it out and sell it!"

Zhao Zhenfang suddenly said: "Why do you want to dig coal and sell it to the south? I know the steam engine. The steam spinning machine has been developed, and the steam loom is still being improved. You can contact local merchants in Xuzhou to order steam engines in the south. The county opened a textile factory, and then bought cotton from Shandong, and used the coal from Xiao County to spin and weave cloth in Xiao County. At that time, Xuzhou’s waterways will extend in all directions, no matter whether it is sold to the south or the north!”

   "Yes!"

Yang Ding slapped his head fiercely: "Shandong has been immigrating for several years, and food and cotton are recovering. The quality of cotton in Shandong is better than that in Jiangnan. We Xuzhou is next to Shandong, and the freight for buying cotton is also cheap. We use coal to spin and weave more fabrics. Good. As expected of Her Royal Highness, your brain is ten thousand times smarter than ours!"

Zheng Sen said with a smile: "In this case, I will visit the province and help get the approval for opening a coal mine. The peasants whose land has been expropriated, you have to resettle there. It is a good thing to open a coal mine first and try it out." Just keep doing it, if it’s not good for people’s livelihood, stop it.”

   "Thank you prefect!" Yang Ding was even happier.

  The two tables next door were all followers brought by Zheng Sen and Yang Ding, and they were peeking at the princess while eating.

  The people in the state government are okay, the guards from Xiao County are very curious about the legendary princess, and have peeked at it countless times all the way.

   "If you look at it again, your eyes will pop out!" Liu Mang cursed in a low voice.

Ying Dagao said with a smile: "Liu Touer, this is a princess. I don't see much today, and it won't be easy to see her in the future. It's also thanks to the county lord. If we didn't accompany the county lord on tour, where would we meet in this life?" Princess."

  Wang Qian said: "I can see it, I can see it. I heard people say that the princess is a teacher in Xuzhou Middle School, and her knowledge is better than many male gentlemen."

  Ying Dagao was surprised and said, "Princess still knows how to learn?"

   Liu Mang said: "This is called the origin of family learning. Your Majesty is a descendant of the Song Dynasty royal family, and has family knowledge for generations. Your Majesty's knowledge is brilliant, how can the princess have no knowledge?"

  Ying Dagao said sourly: "This kid surnamed Zheng has been burning incense for eight lifetimes, yet he can marry a father-in-law..."

  Liu Mang kicked under the table and scolded: "You want to die, don't drag us in too! The son-in-law and the princess are also things we can talk about?"

  Ying Dagao said with a smile: "Keep your voice down, they can't hear you. This magistrate is very young. I heard that he is only in his early twenties, and he probably has the honor of the princess. Otherwise, how can he be a magistrate at such a young age?"

  Wang Qian said: "I heard that Zheng Zhizhou is also a hero from the dragon, and he has been working with His Majesty since he was fifteen or sixteen years old."

   "Really?" Ying Dagao asked.

  Wang Qian said: "I also heard people say that my uncle works in the state."

  Ying Dagao sighed and said: "Oh, if we were southerners, we would have followed His Majesty in the uprising, and maybe we would be high officials now."

Liu Mang said: "You can be content with it. Many people died in Hebei and Shandong. It's good for us to be alive. We all went south early, otherwise we stayed in the north, and we might have caught the plague and died. .”

   "That makes sense." Ying Dagao nodded.

  These three guys are all officials of the Xiaoxian county government.

  Liu Mang went south from Tianjin for several years. At first, he settled in a field outside Xuzhou City, where he worked as a farmer and planted the land for a whole year. Because he was an officer in Tianjin, when he was organized as a peasant and soldier, he quickly became the leader of the peasant and soldier.

  New immigrants arrived, the population of Xiao County was increasing day by day, and the police force in the county was short. Liu Mang was transferred to the city to become a policeman.

  Now Liu Mang's official position is probably the deputy director of the Xiao County Public Security Bureau.

   Ying Dagao suddenly said: "Liu Touer, every year in the county there is a notice to find a Tianjin military officer named Liu Mang or Liu Meng. Your name is Liu Mang, could it be you?"

   "I don't have any relatives, it's definitely not me." Liu Mang laughed.

  To prevent someone from impersonating someone, the notice issued by the government did not say why they were looking for Liu Mang. Even Zhao Han couldn't remember his name clearly, he vaguely remembered it was Liu Mang, but it seemed that he might be called Liu Meng.

Wang Qian took up the conversation: "This notice is posted every year, and there are also posted in the state. I am afraid that some noble person in the court is looking for his lost relatives. Brother Liu is from Tianjin, and he happened to be an officer. It is also worthy of the number, and it is time to go to the notice."

  Liu Mang waved his hand and said: "Even if there is such a great thing in the world, it will not be my surname Liu's turn. I am also old, and I can be contented in this life if I can retire with a history."

  After lunch, Zheng Sen put down his chopsticks and stood up, intending to continue inspecting the embankment. There are still two dangerous sections of the river that need to be visited.

  Yang Ding stood up, and suddenly shouted: "Liu Mang, come here!"

   Liu Mang quickly responded: "Yes!"

  Yang Ding called Liu Mang to give instructions, but Zhao Zhenfang remembered something, and stared at Liu Mang's face repeatedly.

  She was too young at the time to remember. The person in front of him seemed a little like him, but he didn't seem like him at all.

  Finally, Zhao Zhenfang couldn't help but said, "Your Excellency is Liu Mang?"

   Liu Mang was taken aback: "Is the princess talking to me?"

   "Your name is Liu Mang?" Zhao Zhenfang asked again.

   Liu Mang nodded.

  Zhao Zhenfang asked again: "Where are you from?"

  Liu Mang replied: "I used to live in Tianjin, and followed Mr. Wang (Wang Tiaoding) to the south. When Mr. Wang arrived in Xuzhou, he put us here, and he took the former Ming prince to Nanjing."

  Zhao Zhenfang laughed: "Did you ever serve as a soldier in Tianjin?"

Liu Mang said: "I used to be in the Tianjin New Army. When Mr. Li Ge (Li Banghua) rectified the new army, I was promoted by Mr. Li Ge to manage the team. Unfortunately, as soon as Li Ge left, the Tianjin New Army died. Our management team It took more than ten years to do it.”

  Liu Mang had a great relationship with the Datong court. He not only helped the emperor and the princess, but also served as a soldier under the cabinet minister Li Banghua.

  Zhao Zhenfang asked: "In the first year of Chongzhen, there was a severe drought in Tianjin. Have you ever been ordered to guard the bridge?"

   Liu Mang said confusedly: "It seems to have been guarded, but I don't remember clearly."

  Zhao Zhenfang immediately bowed her knees and saluted: "Benefactor, please accept my worship!"

  As soon as this remark came out, everyone was shocked.

   Liu Mang bowed in panic: "I dare not be a princess gift."

  Zhao Zhenfang smiled and said: "It's well deserved. If it wasn't for your help, Brother Huang and I might have starved to death long ago."

  Ying Dagao and Wang Qian looked at each other in disbelief. Their colleagues in the county government are actually the benefactors of the emperor and the princess!

  (end of this chapter)