Zhao Han really wanted to visit Beijing, but gave up the idea.
The canal from Tongzhou to Beijing was silted up in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. Only a few small boats could pass through, and even water transport vessels could not pass through.
The river next to the capital was blocked, and it also involved water transportation. The Ming court was actually helpless. The first dredging of the river lasted from the Hongzhi period to the Jiajing period. After the dredging, it became blocked again for decades, and it has not been dredged until now.
When the grain arrived in Tongzhou, it was sent to Taicang. To transport it to the capital, manpower and livestock were needed.
The imperial team had a large number of people. If the boat could not sail, they would definitely have to recruit civilians to transport things. Zhao Han was too lazy to bother and went directly back to the south. After the population in Beijing was sufficient, he would organize local people to dredge the river.
We drove all the way south to Jining, but we couldn't go any further because we were blocked by floods.
This year there is drought in the south and floods in the north!
The river water along the Huanghuai River surged, and the river embankments could not hold it at all, so they had to take the initiative to break the embankments and release the floods. They did not dare to flood the richer south bank, so they had to dig dikes in the north, Caoxian, Chengwu, Shanxian, Yutai, Jinxiang... several
The county was affected.
At the same time, there were severe floods along the Han River.
Zhang Guowei, the governor of the northern rivers, rushed to Jining to meet the saint. His sorrow was palpable: "Your Majesty, the floods in the Huanghuai and Han Rivers this year are the worst since the eleventh year of Wanli! It's like the sky has been pierced, and the Milky Way is
Water leaks out into the world, and I am really... helpless."
Zhao Han wanted to scold his mother at this moment, not Zhang Guowei, but God...
The drought in the south this year has finally been reduced compared to last year. But the flood in the north is a once-in-sixty-year event. It has been more than sixty years since the eleventh year of Wanli!
Zhao Han asked expressionlessly: "How is the flood situation in various places?"
Zhang Guowei replied: "I only know the situation on the north bank of the Yellow River. Floods have flooded several cities. As for the Han River, I heard that the disaster is serious, but I don't know the specific details."
There was no way around it. During the great flood, it was difficult for ships, carriages and horses to move. With ancient communication technology, it was impossible to quickly control the news.
At this moment, the southernmost point of the flood is affecting Gaoyou and Taizhou.
The Yangtze River Basin, which has been experiencing a spring drought, suddenly experienced heavy rains for days. However, due to the continuous drought in the previous few months, floods have not yet occurred.
Chongzhen suffered from drought every year, and Zhao Han suffered from floods every year.
It seems that God forgot about the rain in the past ten years or so, and has made up for it in the past few years.
If you look at the historical data from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, you will know how outrageous the climate was. Natural disasters never ceased during the Chongzhen and Shunzhi dynasties. Especially the cold winter weather. Seven years later, in several counties in Hebei, historical records recorded "heavy snow for more than forty days.
Wild birds freeze to death and travel is stopped.”
It's okay now, it's just floods and droughts, it's not the coldest year yet.
"You go to control the floods. You don't have to stay in Jining," Zhao Han said. "You can take the 500 people I am accompanying with to leave, either for disaster relief or suppression. You can use them as you see fit."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Five hundred of the emperor's personal guards followed him, and they were more powerful than holding Shang Fang's sword.
Zhao Han looked at the drizzle outside, wondering whether to annex Vietnam in advance. Or, simply destroy the Champa State. There is the Mekong Delta there, and Champa relies entirely on the food-producing areas of the delta to barely resist the invasion of the Nguyen regime.
.
An overseas grain production base must be established. Otherwise, if the climate continues to worsen, how can the national treasury be able to store grain?
As for the excuse for sending troops, it was because he refused to accept Wang Hua.
Champa was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but it became a vassal state of Vietnam behind the Ming Dynasty. Now, the new dynasty of Datong rules China, and naturally has the legal authority left by the Ming Dynasty. The Champa State must surrender to the Celestial Dynasty!
First, diplomatic envoys must be sent to reprimand the Champa monarch.
Zhao Han can fully imagine the joyful mood that the King of Champa felt when he went out to find a treasure when he was scolded by the Chinese envoy. His psychological activity must be: Chinese father, you are finally here, beat me, scold me, beat me.
After that, I will still be your good son. Dad, hurry up and send troops to help. The guy next door named Ruan bullies me!
The Champa Kingdom in the early Ming Dynasty had a relatively large territory. Facing Vietnam's invasion, Zheng He helped when he passed by.
After that, it was no longer possible. The Ming Dynasty no longer controlled overseas, and the territory of Champa was gradually eroded. The king was even killed and the capital was occupied. Now only the Mekong Delta is left.
After the division of Vietnam, the Nguyen family married their daughters and wanted to control the Champa Kingdom.
However, the king of Champa took the opportunity to stand on his own, but was punished by the Nguyen family. Now he is in a state of claiming vassalage and paying tribute. A large amount of the food harvested in Champa every year must be paid tribute to the Nguyen family's regime, and at the same time, Vietnamese are allowed to immigrate to Champa.
Once Zhao Han sends an envoy, the Champa Kingdom will surely surrender and the Ruan family will threaten Champa City with force.
If the Ruan family uses troops to occupy the city, the Zheng family may launch an attack in advance.
If the Vietnam Civil War breaks out early, Zhao Han can send troops in advance!
This plan is good.
After waiting for half a month in Jining, the floods finally receded. Zhao Han took a boat and continued southward. Everywhere he went, he saw devastation.
Nanyang Town, where Fei Ruhe and Duduo confronted each other, which later became Yutai County, was completely destroyed by floods. A large number of houses collapsed in the muddy water. Further south, both sides of the Grand Canal were flooded, and Gaoyou was flooded.
In the city, several city gates were blocked by silt.
"Father," Zhao Kuanghuan asked looking at the tragic scene, "I know the story of Dayu's flood control, can't we dig ditches to divert the floods away?"
Zhao Han touched the crown prince's head: "It's not that easy. Zhang Guowei is being ordered to control the water. It will take fifteen to twenty years to divert the Yellow River from Shandong to the sea. The big reason why the flooding is so severe this year is that Ming
In order to protect water transportation, the North Korean government took a wrong path in controlling floods. This year, floods and droughts have come together, and the harvests along the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers have failed. In this way, the food in the national treasury is always insufficient and cannot be saved."
Zhao Kuanghuan said: "Sir, it took more than ten years for Dayu to control the floods. It also took more than ten years for my father to let Zhang Guowei control the floods. It will definitely be fine in the future."
Zhao Han smiled and said: "Remember, people's livelihood is the most important thing, and water control is not just for a while. It will be done every year from now on."
"Yes, I remember, kid." Zhao Kuanghuan nodded.
Before returning to Nanjing, Zhao Han wrote a letter and ordered a fast ship to be sent to the Ministry of Rites and diplomats to negotiate with the Champa Kingdom.
Liu Xiangke, who had contradicted Li Zicheng in person, was given the mission again and went to Champa to denounce his monarch.
Liu Xiangke took a warship and came to Bintong Long, which was later known as the coast of Binh Thuan Province in Vietnam, more than 200 miles east of Ho Chi Minh City. This was the capital of the Champa State.
As for Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, it was still just a small fishing village at this time.
Logically speaking, the estuaries of the Red River Delta and the Mekong River Delta should be natural harbors, and the soil is fertile and suitable for farming. However, they are all wetlands, with mostly mangroves on both sides. Development is relatively difficult and requires decades or hundreds of continuous transformations.
can be turned into farmland.
The south of the Yangtze River in China was once full of tidal flats and wetlands, and it was not until the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties that they were heavily developed.
Beidacang in the northeast is still part of the Great Northern Wilderness, and is full of swamps that are in urgent need of large-scale transformation.
Bintong Longcheng has prosperous trade and gathers merchants from all over the world, but the Portuguese are not allowed to dock. Because the two sides are mortal enemies, Portugal once destroyed the country of Malacca, and the royal family of Malacca and the royal family of Champa share the same origin.
After the fall of Malacca, a large number of citizens fled to Champa and settled there. Later, Champa was destroyed for a time, and the citizens of Champa also fled to Malacca.
Historically, before the Champa Kingdom was annexed by Vietnam, it actually sent an expedition to Malacca in an attempt to recover the country from the Dutch colonists.
More than a dozen Chinese warships came, but no one took them seriously. It was normal for the fleet to pass by Bintonglong for supplies.
Liu Xiangke was escorted off the ship by the navy, neatly dressed in official uniform.
He walked straight towards the city gate. The Chinese merchants who were supervising the unloading of goods at the dock immediately ran over to meet him and asked what the Chinese officials were doing here.
Liu Xiangke turned a deaf ear and quickly came to the city gate and was stopped by the soldiers guarding the city.
"The envoy from China, get out of the way quickly!" the accompanying translator scolded.
The translators were recruited in Guangzhou, and they had to speak Cham, which belongs to the Indonesian language family of the Austronesian language family.
Several soldiers looked at each other and backed away in fear.
The city wall of Bintonglong is low and made of rammed earth. However, the royal palace inside the city is quite impressive, and the castle is also built with stones.
King Po Lai drank some wine and was taking a pleasant nap when he suddenly heard the minister asking for an audience and saying that the Chinese envoy was coming.
"What are the Chinese envoys doing here?" Po Lai asked in confusion.
The minister's name was He Tu, a Green Cultist of Fire, who was Hezhuo on the other side of Xinjiang. He said: "Your Majesty, I heard that China established a new dynasty, and Champa has always been a vassal of China. We have never paid tribute, maybe because
The Emperor of China has sent someone to question him."
condemn?
Po Lai suddenly became nervous: "What should we do?"
Hetu smiled and said: "Your Majesty, this is a great event. According to ancient records, when Champa was more powerful, it was invaded by Annan. China's Sanbao eunuch led a fleet to pass by Champa and helped Champa stop the enemy.
From then on, the city regards China as its suzerain. Now the Ruan family has been oppressing us and forcing us to pay tribute of grain. Not to mention paying tribute, but also asking us to sell the grain at a low price. We can take the opportunity to respect China and let the Chinese deal with the Ruan family!"
Po Lai worriedly said: "I'm afraid China won't help. And even if it helps, it's just a change of suzerain, and we have to pay tribute for our food."
Hetu explained: "Your Majesty does not know that the Chinese emperor does not lack that little food. China is very rich, and all the emperor wants is face. If we claim vassal status and pay tribute, the Chinese emperor will be happy, and will reward us with more wealth."
"Are all Chinese emperors fools?" said Po Lai.
Hetu asked: "Your Majesty, one day when you left the palace, you saw a beggar in the city. You suddenly felt kindhearted and gave the beggar a handful of money. What is this?"
"Shi..." Po Lai said angrily, "Am I the beggar?"
Hetu said: "To the Chinese emperor, the Champa Kingdom is a beggar. Your Majesty, as long as you obey China, you will no longer be afraid of the Ruan family!"
Po Lai thought about it and felt that the deal was a good deal, so he asked the maid to help him get up: "Be a beggar, come with me to see the Chinese envoy."