"Your Majesty, according to local reports, there is a severe drought in Shaanxi and Henan this year, and the autumn grain harvest in some prefectures and counties may fail by more than 50%."
"Try to help as much as possible."
Last year the country had good weather, but this year God has started to cause trouble again.
In the north, which has been free of major disasters for several years, Shaanxi and Henan provinces have been experiencing drought for half a year this year, and there was not much snow even last winter. At the same time, heavy rains fell again in the Yangtze River, Ganjiang River, and Huaihe River basins after July, and rivers in various places were flooded with rain.
Lake water levels continue to rise.
Fortunately, after several years of immigration and reclamation, the Changping warehouses in various states and counties in Henan are stocked with more or less grain. Moreover, farmers in Henan have only begun to pay land taxes in full this year, and every household actually has grain in storage.
Even if the two provinces of Shaanxi and Henan were short of food, they did not need to transport it all from the south, but directly used the Changping warehouse in Henan. The effect of Zhao Han's rest and recuperation was immediately highlighted.
When the central government ordered grain distribution for disaster relief, integrity inspectors were also dispatched...
Whenever there is a big move involving money and food, the Procuratorate will send out inspectors to supervise the situation overtly or covertly.
Xiaohong is a woman, so it is not convenient to visit in secret. She will be in the open this time.
Along the Grand Canal, the floods have just receded, and people on both sides of the bank are harvesting rice. Most of the rice is soaked in water, and it will rot if it soaks for two more days.
"Look, Huang Xiantai, there are banners of the Peasants' Association and Peasants' Soldiers there!"
The speaker's name is Zhan Wenfeng, a female inspector of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Before Zhan Wenfeng graduated from Jinling University, she was booked by Xiao Hong to enter the Metropolitan Procuratorate immediately after completing her studies. Of course, that was before the imperial examination was resumed, and now she must take the national examination first.
Xiaohong stood on the deck of the official ship and looked up, and sure enough she saw flags flying on the shore.
Xiao Hong sighed: "It seems that the matter is urgent, and the local magistrate has to use the peasant association and peasant soldiers. Nowadays, apart from building bridges and paving roads, these two flags are rarely seen anymore."
The flooded farmland on both sides of the river must be harvested in a hurry and a large number of manpower must be mobilized.
At this time, the government comes forward to mobilize the masses and make overall arrangements without any favoritism. Which paddy fields need to be harvested first, which farmland can be abandoned directly, and how many manpower must be mobilized for which farmland. Only by having a plan for these things can efficiency be improved.
.
Of course, the farmers who receive help must also express their feelings afterwards. For example, each household will send one person to be responsible for repairing and maintaining the roads in villages and towns this year.
Such highly efficient grassroots mobilization capabilities can be maintained for at least several decades. As for decades later, these two generations will die out, and then they will surely gradually weaken, and finally the government will be unable to effectively mobilize the people - this
The process may take thirty to fifty years, or it may take one hundred years.
If it could last for a hundred years, Zhao Han would be happy.
Zhan Wenfeng was lying on the railing, quietly watching the harvest of soaked rice on the shore. She remembered that she used to do farm work at home. During the busy farming season, the village primary school would have a few days off so that the students could go home to help.
There are more than one female students at Jinling University. Zhan Wenfeng was chosen by Xiaohong because she came from a poor background and was relatively taciturn.
"Huang Xiantai, how come there are no female Jinshi in this year's imperial examination?" Zhan Wenfeng asked suddenly.
Xiao Hong smiled helplessly: "After all, it is not convenient for women to be officials. Female students from universities in various provinces get engaged or get married before they graduate. Once they graduate, they immediately go home to raise their husbands and raise their children. Which husband's family is willing to let them go to Beijing to take the exam? There are only a few.
A few ambitious people either took the civil service exam early or went to the Hanlin Academy or Qintian Academy to become postgraduate students. In this year's general examination, let alone a female Jinshi, there are not even women who participated in the imperial examination."
Zhan Wenfeng said: "If I had not entered the Metropolitan Procuratorate, I would definitely take the entrance examination this year."
Xiaohong smiled and said: "Then I really shouldn't have chosen you. Maybe I will become the first female Jinshi in this dynasty."
Nowadays, Xiaohong's official position is Zuo Qiandu Imperial Envoy, the fourth rank, which can be understood as a department-level official. The rank is the same as when she was the prefect, but now she is a real-power Beijing official, which is infinitely close to the deputy ministerial level.
As for Zhan Wenfeng, he is a junior member of the ninth rank of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Because of his gender, he can follow Xiaohong everywhere.
Zhan Wenfeng joked: "Maybe I can actually pass the exam."
Two women were chatting on the deck.
There are also some male inspectors playing mahjong in the cabin. They cannot gamble money. This is the principle. What they are betting at this moment is that if they need to disguise themselves when they arrive, the winner can be the master, and the loser can only be the follower to run errands.
Son.
After traveling by boat and car all the way, we finally arrived at the border of Henan.
Xiaohong took Zhan Wenfeng and two male inspectors and went straight to the provincial capital to supervise the disaster relief in public.
The remaining integrity inspectors immediately dispersed and conducted private visits to various states and counties incognito.
Liu Chuanzong, Luo Fang and Wei Qian were more unlucky. When the three of them drew lots, they were drawn into the four counties of Lingbao, Luxiang, Shaanzhou and Mianchi. These places were all in the corners of Henan, and the other side of the Yellow River was the border of Shanxi.
They wandered around Mianchi for more than half a month and found nothing unusual except for a serious drought.
So he continued to walk west and came to the boundary of Shaanzhou, which was Sanmenxia City hundreds of years later.
"Hey, there's a foreign monk over there." Wei Gan pointed to the front and said.
In the wilderness, Nan Huairen was watching with great interest an old woman visiting the grave of her ancestor.
Worshiping ancestors is normal. Nan Huairen has seen it a lot, but this time it was a bit unique, completely subverting his concept of Chinese ancestor worship.
I saw the old woman burning the paper money and then placing sacrifices in front of the grave. Then, the old woman held a wooden stick and walked around the grave beating: "The money has been burned and the meat has been offered. As an ancestor, we should have
The virtue of being an ancestor. Your great-great-grandson is the only child of our old Li family. You are not allowed to come and pester you again. If you dare to come again, I will beat you to death. I can’t beat you to death. Please ask the monks and Taoists to chant sutras and practice the curse.
You are so distraught that you cannot be reincarnated!"
After threatening her ancestors with beatings, the old woman pointed at the tomb next to her with a stick and scolded: "None of you are allowed to come. My grandson ranks first in the exam every year. The glory of the old Li family depends on him. Who dares to come?
My grandson, no matter where you are, you are a lonely ghost, I will dig up your graves one by one!"
For the next full half hour, the old woman kept cursing in the cemetery. If there were really ghosts here, those ghosts would be scolded and forced to hide.
Nan Huairen was thoughtful and said to himself: "Chinese people worship their ancestors, just like they worship gods, not because of faith, but out of practical interests. Only when they pray to gods and Buddhas will their wishes be fulfilled."
Worshiping ancestors also requires their blessings. If the ancestors do not bless them and instead harm the descendants, then their respect for their ancestors will be gone."
Three integrity inspectors, carrying their bags on their backs, passed by the cemetery and stopped to watch the fun.
The old woman scolded her mouth dry, and finally gave up her magical powers. When she left, she picked up a piece of pork given to her ancestors and carefully put it in the basket. The ancestors had already eaten it, and what they ate was the essence of the pork. What was left was
Of course, the meat is taken home and eaten by living people.
Liu Chuanzong suddenly said: "Old man, the drought here is severe enough. The leaves on the mountains are all withered."
The old woman answered: "Isn't that right? Emperor Zhao took over the world, and in the first two years he was in a state of drought, just like the Ming Dynasty. After that, it got better for four or five years, with wind and rain.
Rain is said to be the result of Emperor Zhao's virtue. But this year it has become very strange, and Emperor Zhao has no use for it. There was not much snow last winter, and there have only been two rains since the beginning of spring. The wells in the village are almost dry and there is no water.
Already."
"Then there must be no famine?" Liu Chuanzong said.
The old woman smiled and said: "It's not bad. There was a good harvest in the past few years, and Emperor Zhao was doing very well. He paid only half of the grain to the government, and every family had surplus grain in their warehouses. Even if we can't harvest grain this year, we won't be able to eat it until next year."
People won’t starve to death. It’s just that it’s inconvenient to get water. Every household has to have someone guard the well. Once a bucket is leached out, it will be taken away immediately.”
After the old woman finished speaking, she carried the basket and went home. There was a village in the nearby ravine.
Liu Chuanzong walked up to Nan Huairen, cupped his hands and said, "Well, brother."
Nan Huairen returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Hello, my name is Nan Huairen. I come from the Netherlands (Brussels, Belgium) in Europe."
Wei Gan laughed and said, "Your Excellency, what you said is actually official."
Nan Huairen said: "I have been to Nanjing and almost met the emperor. In the past few years, I have traveled to Guangdong, Jiangxi, Jinling, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. This time I came from Shaanxi to Henan.
"
"You know how to run away and preach in various provinces?" Luo Fang warned, "His Majesty has decreed that Christianity can only preach in churches. It is illegal to preach outside churches."
Nan Huairen said: "I am not preaching, I am just traveling in China, and I plan to write a book about China."
A few people were chatting while following the old woman, planning to spend the night in the village ahead.
As soon as we arrived at the entrance of the village, we heard a noise.
Liu Chuanzong went over and found out that he was a grain merchant from the county who had come to the countryside to collect grain at a high price.
"Something's wrong." Wei Qian muttered.
Luo Fang sneered: "Of course something is wrong. I have only heard of harvesting grain in good years and selling grain in disaster years. I have never seen a grain merchant go to the village to collect grain at a high price in disaster years."
Liu Chuanzong said: "Go over and have a look."
When the three of them came to the noisy place, they only heard the village chief say: "Are you confused? We won't be able to harvest a few grains of grain this year. Every household is saving food. How can we sell grain to you? Go quickly, don't come here.
To entertain us."
The person who took the lead was a clerk from a grain merchant's family. He had already tried soft methods, but these farmers refused to sell grain. There was no other way, so he just came hard and threatened: "My second master is working as a historian in Huixian. My third master is
, is the chief of the Etiquette Department of this county. My fifth young master is an experienced employee of Datong Bank in this county. If you don’t sell food, you will have a good time next year! Do you know what the Etiquette Department is for? It is in charge of the school! You have offended my family.
, so that your children and grandchildren cannot graduate from elementary school!"
A captain of the peasant soldiers rushed up: "I moved from Jiangxi. In the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, I followed your Majesty in the war. If I hadn't been disabled and retired, I would at least be a regiment leader now! We have defeated the Ming Dynasty, and we still can't.
What kind of etiquette section chief are you afraid of? If you dare to act arrogant again, I will give you a good beating and then report you to the official!"
"Hush!"
The captain of the peasant soldiers blew the bamboo whistle, and the peasants in the village came forward one after another, holding random things in their hands.
Those who came to buy food were so frightened that they immediately ran away, fearing that they would be beaten to death if they stayed.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The villagers laughed.
Liu Chuanzong and three other people stayed in the village that night and wanted to get some information, but they couldn't find out anything.
Continuing to walk forward, I found that in several nearby villages, grain dealers sent people to buy grain. Moreover, the prices were all high. There were farmers who had a lot of grain and were greedy for the high price to sell some grain.
Another evening, Liu Chuanzong convened a meeting: "I'm afraid there is something wrong with the Changping warehouse of Datong Bank in this county. It will be fine in good years, but the secret will be exposed in disaster years, which scares these officials and businessmen to buy grain at high prices to make up for it."
"That's definitely the case!" Wei Qian nodded and said.