"Okay! This matter is your contribution." Su Shi knew Gao Qiu was helping him, so he was not unhappy. "Wu Ai Si, please visit this matter more to see if there is really a drought this year. Estimate the size of the drought, report it to me truthfully, and then I will report it to the court."

"Thank you sir!"

Wu Aishi, who was full of charity, naturally breathed a sigh of relief when he received Su Shi's promise.

"Okay, what else do you have to do? Report it together!"

Since he was dealing with official duties, he simply took it all at once. Su Shi is not a person who likes to procrastinate.

"That's right, sir, you know that the water in our Lin'an city is actually brought from the West Lake. It has been nearly three hundred years since the governor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Mi, built six wells. People have enough water to drink enough, so they rely on these six wells."

Wu Ayeshi did not explain the problem directly like the last time, but instead explained some information he had learned before the high ball.

"Okay! I not only know that Lin'an City drinks water from six wells, but also that a large area of ​​land in Hangzhou is irrigated by the West Lake water through the canal. If you have any questions, just say it directly, don't be so hesitant, is it that... the West Lake water is dry?"

Su Shi felt that his mouth was dry and tongue was dry. If it was really like he had guessed, then the severe drought in Hangzhou this year would be inevitable, and this drought will definitely last for a hundred years. No, it is rare to encounter in a thousand years!

"Not this." Wu Aishi also knew that he had done a little too much this time, so he quickly explained, "That's right, since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, after the Five Dynasties to the present, the West Lake and the canal that divert water from the West Lake have to be dredged and managed every year, but since the founding of the Song Dynasty, it has been abandoned to this day. Now the water and grass have grown wildly, and the siltation has formed a land seal, so the lake... is naturally pitiful."

"So? But my Song Dynasty has been established for so many years, hasn't anyone come to solve this problem?"

If the drought is not serious, then this matter is even worse than the drought just now. Su Shi also felt that he was a little overwhelmed, so why did he encounter such a thing as soon as he came here?

"No one has ever thought about the solution. In order to solve the problem, the magistrate thirty years ago deliberately diverted water from the tide of Qiantang River, which solved the situation where the canal was waterless. But you are knowledgeable and can understand that in this way, the lake water will be covered with silt and sand poured into the canal. In this way, the mud and sand will be cleaned at least every three years. Now these six wells have also been greatly affected."

Wu Aishi looked helpless. He shouldn't have come forward for this matter himself, but who knew that he would be pushed out by himself by rushing the duck to the shelves and he was pushed out.

"That's right! There is water in West Lake, so it's not a big deal if it doesn't rain this year. If there is no drought this year, it's also a simple matter to manage West Lake. But now the two things are piled up together, it's a bit tricky."

After being an official for decades, this was the first time Su Shi encountered such a situation where two things were entangled together. One could solve the other.

In fact, it’s not just Su Shi who is in a difficult situation, but who is here is not in a difficult situation? Otherwise, how could the matter not be resolved when Su Shi takes office?

Gao Qiu sat on the table in front of Su Shi, crossing his calves, but he also began to worry.

Is the drought easy to solve? Of course it is not too difficult. Gao Qiu has watched so many TV series, novels, etc., and I have never heard of the Song Dynasty having a regional drought. However, because it is too rich, it leads to excessive population. In the end, the ecological balance is destroyed by surrounding lakes and land. Compared with the so-called "Kanggan Prosperity" praised by later generations, the people with the Song Dynasty can basically be said to be living in a prosperous era.

Besides, the matter of dredging the canal is even more simple. As long as the court allocates some money, it is not too difficult to recruit migrant workers on the spot, let alone dredging the canal, even digging out another canal.

But now the high ball is not. The problem facing Su Shi is that there is a problem with the West Lake. Once a drought occurs, it is impossible to rely on the West Lake to relieve the drought. On the other hand, the drought is not easy to evaluate, but the people have begun to leave their hometowns. If they want to dredge the canal and clear the West Lake and seal the fields, they cannot gather enough people nearby.

After thinking about it, Gao Qiu only thought of one solution, "Sir, since the two things are difficult to deal with, why not deal with them one by one? Sir, you are not here in Hangzhou for only half a year or a few months. Isn't it enough to solve the possible drought? West Lake is there, and it's not too late to wait until the drought is solved!"

"That's all!"

Su Shi couldn't think of a better way while stroking his beard, so Gao Qiu's advice is indeed the best way at present.

First determine the drought situation, and then report to the court. After the drought situation is over, call the people to dredge the West Lake Canal and clear the West Lake to seal the fields! If the handling is done well, then this time the matter will not only not cause trouble, but may be more convenient for Su Shi to handle political affairs.

With a countermeasure in his heart, Su Shi naturally felt much more relaxed. He glanced at the person in the hall and said loudly: "Okay, let this matter be handled first. I won't say much about it today. Whoever has something to do will report it together, but... whoever is the matter, who will tell you it is!"

His eyes stayed on one of the people for a while, and then Su Shi looked around again.

Soon after, a man stood up, bowed his hand, and said, "Master General, do you see if you have a review of the criminal case in Lin'an City in previous years?"

"Oh! It's Lord Chu! I'm not in a hurry for this matter. In previous years, the cases were handled by Wang Tong, and you, the escort officer, wouldn't happen any major. The most important thing at the moment is drought. If you are not too anxious, please push forward these things first!"

Things always matter priorities. Even if there is someone wronged in prison, there is no need to hurry up, so Su Shi ignored the custodian named Chu.

After Su Shi finished speaking, another person stood up, bowed his luggage as usual, and then said, "Master, the salt, iron, household registration for several years, you can see..."

"Didn't I say it! Don't be anxious about these things for the time being. As for household registration, you should cooperate with Wu Ai Shi to deal with the people who left their hometowns. For other things, Lord Feng, don't be so anxious. Can you?"

Although Su Shi had a last question, he had no intention of asking about Lord Feng at all. On the contrary, he was already a little impatient.

"Ahem! That, Master Tutor, too..."

The man sitting at the top of Su Shi's left hand was dressed more gorgeous than others. He thought it was Wang Tongzong who was mentioned by Su Shi. At this time, when Su Shi was about to get angry, he stood up and wanted to excuse everyone.

But before Punishment Wang said something, a yamen runs up outside the door. As soon as he walks into the lobby, he kneels on one knee at the door and reports loudly: "Report~~~! Lord Wang, there is a great monk outside the door of the house, saying that he is here to find someone, look..."

"Look? What do I see? Didn't I tell you? Today, the new magistrate takes office. If you don't report to the magistrate first, what should you tell me? I think you are looking for a fight?"

Wang Tongzong was interrupted by the yamen runners and felt naturally uncomfortable. He took the opportunity to attack at this time, and he also had the intention of doing it for Su Shi to show it.

"Okay! Wang Tongzong, he didn't mean it." After a few casual words, Su Shi stopped paying attention to the judge Wang Tongzong and asked the yamen runner: "Has the monk you mentioned reported his Dharma name?"

"This... back to the magistrate, the monk said to find a 'Late Master Su', and refused to say more about the rest."

The yamen runners are not fools. At this time, they still report to Parliament Wang Tong. They are definitely offending both sides. So they simply lowered their heads and reported to Su Shi.

"Oh? Are you here to find me? Then go and invite him to the Houya!" Su Shi knew that he was here to find 'Justice Su', and immediately guessed that it might be an old friend. He glanced at everyone in the hall and started to speak in an official voice, "Since you all have something important, then I think, why don't you all be here today? What do you think?"

"All of you listen to the orders of the magistrate!"

Everyone looked at each other, but they all avoided the look that Wang Tongzong passed on to them. After saying goodbye to Su Shi, they stepped back and left the lobby, turned around and left after leaving the door.

The remaining judge Wang Tong felt that he could not stand up when he saw this situation, so he simply stood up, bowed to Su Shi, swayed his sleeves and left. Not to mention saying goodbye, he didn't say a word.

After all these people left, Gao Qiu looked at Su Shi and asked, "Sir, is that Zen Master Leyuan here?"

"Oh? You even know him? Haha! The monk who will come to find me in the entire Hangzhou Prefecture is probably the only one who is here to find me?"

Su Shi touched Gaoqiu's little head, and then laughed at himself, as if he had remembered something about Coke.

Gao Qiu thought about this Zen Master Leyuan for a while. No matter how you analyze it, this big monk Leyuan should be the legendary big monk Foyin. Otherwise, where would Su Shi find so many big monks?
Chapter completed!