In the thirteenth year of Zhenguan, there had been no rain since the last winter until the fifth month. In Jiayin, he avoided the main hall and ordered those above the fifth rank to go to the imperial court to seal affairs, reduce meals and go on strike, distribute relief to envoys, and appeal for grievances.
In the previous life, it was not a special situation if it didn't rain for half a year. It was enough to turn on the water pump to irrigate the fields to fight the drought.
But in ancient times, it was a major event, which would cause crop failure in large areas, and if not done well, it would lead to civil unrest. This is the situation that Datang is facing now.
From last winter to now, there has been no rain for five or six months. Not to mention the dry land that depends entirely on the weather, even the irrigated land near the ditch has suffered heavy losses.
Small rivers have basically dried up, and water levels in large rivers have also seriously dropped, making it difficult to obtain water.
All Li Shimin can do is send people to various places for disaster relief: "Fortunately, in the past two years, a large amount of rice has been purchased from Indochina and stored in charity warehouses in various places, so that we can allocate food to the victims in time."
Changsun Wugou said with emotion: "Thanks to Jing Ke, otherwise I don't know how many people would have died in this severe drought."
Li Shimin was also deeply touched, saying: "In the past, even if we were willing to deal with natural disasters, we were often unable to do so. By the time the imperial court transferred food from various places to the disaster areas, the disaster had already expanded and was difficult to deal with."
"Because of the food from Indochina, the imperial court's demand for food from various places has been greatly reduced in the past two years, and more food has been hoarded in local charity warehouses."
"In Jing Ke's words, it means keeping the local food in the local area... This time the government did not need to transfer food from other places during the disaster. It could survive the disaster by relying on the reserves of the local charity warehouse."
Changsun Wugou also nodded happily, but still reminded: "This disaster has a wide range of implications. We are afraid that corrupt officials will deceive the superiors and deceive the people, enrich their own pockets and harm the people, so we need to send more people to inspect the local areas."
Li Shimin smiled and said: "Don't worry, I have asked the nobles to form an inspection team to monitor the disaster relief situation in various places."
"I promised them that if there are no problems in the places they inspect, I will reward them with an additional 100 households after the enfeoffment."
"If they can find out where the problem is in time, fifty households will be rewarded. If they are found to have colluded with local officials, the future feudal state will be reduced by one level."
Changsun Wugou frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid that the inspection team will deliberately induce officials to break the law in order to get rewards."
Li Shimin said proudly: "I have reported the situation of the inspection team to various places. If there are still people who dare to commit crimes against the wind, they deserve what they deserve."
Changsun Wujia covered his mouth and smiled: "You are so cunning, aren't you forcing them to fight with each other?"
Li Shimin laughed and said: "Haha... I just force them to fight. Only when they fight can I feel at ease and the people can benefit."
The couple smiled proudly for a while, and Changsun Wugou added: "Isn't the imperial court's immigration plan always not going well? Can we use this opportunity to relocate some of the victims?"
Li Shimin nodded and said: "We have already started to do this, and the effect is pretty good... But what I am most worried about now is not the immigration, but someone using this to attack the enfeoffment."
Changsun Wugou said helplessly: "This matter is inevitable. I hope God will send heavy rain soon to alleviate the disaster."
In ancient times, people always liked to associate celestial phenomena with politics. Did a severe drought mean that the emperor was immoral and the court was pursuing bad governance?
Li Shimin issued an order in advance, requiring officials above the fifth rank to report the court's gains and losses, reduce royal meals, hear squeezed cases and grievances, etc.
However, it still didn't rain.
Soon what he was most worried about happened, and rumors began to spread all over the world, saying that the sky was sending a warning that enfeoffment was a bad government.
And things happened very coincidentally. The last rain was before the winter solstice last year. Since the court established the enfeoffment system on the winter solstice, it has never rained again.
As soon as this coincidence came out, more people believed this statement. Could it be that the policy of enfeoffment really aroused God's dissatisfaction and punished him?
The gentry and the anti-feudalists once again raised their heads and spread this rhetoric everywhere, and more and more people joined in.
More and more people began to petition, demanding an end to the enfeoffment.
Li Shimin was also one of the top two leaders. Enfeoffment was his method of uniting nobles and the basis of reform. Attacking this policy would be to hit him seven inches in the face.
But things happened by such a coincidence that no matter how he explained it, it was useless. Even people from the Taishi Bureau did not dare to stand up and say that this matter had nothing to do with the enfeoffment.
Do you want to pray to Buddha?
He immediately gave up the idea. He acquiesced to Zixiaoguan's plan. If he prayed to the Buddha at this time, it would have too much impact on the plan of "Buddha is the Tao".
And now he has more trust in Taoism than Buddhism.
Before, he worshiped Buddha every day, and his wife and children became more and more sick day by day, and his own high blood pressure became increasingly serious.
Everything changed after Sun Simiao and Chen Jingke appeared. If there really are gods, then Taoism is more reliable.
So even if you want to worship, you should worship Taoist gods.
The highest god in Taoism is God Haotian. After all, we still go to the Temple of Heaven to worship heaven... But this has been done before, and it is of no use.
Now he really has no choice. When the crops have failed, he can allocate food for relief at any cost. If someone uses this to attack the government, he can only listen and watch.
Unless it rains in time.
But when will this rain fall? Only God knows.
So, after all is said and done, it still depends on God’s will.
…
On the other side, Chen Jingke is also at a loss. He can think of solutions to other problems, but if it doesn't rain, he really has nothing to do.
To fight against drought? What to fight against? A water pump needs a power machine to drive it. Where can he get a power machine?
The steam engine can barely be built, but with the current steel production, what if we can build a hundred and eighty units? It won't even be a drop in the bucket.
But even so, he still called the students in the Gewu class together and led them to first rub a steam engine and then a water pump.
When the steam engine drove the water pump and pumped out clear water from the well, everyone cheered excitedly.
This is the first time they have built a large-scale mechanical equipment since joining the Gurwu Class, so they are naturally very happy.
Chen Jingke sighed in his heart. It was obvious that they had not yet realized the true use of the water pump.
He clapped his hands to silence everyone, then pointed to the water pump and said, "Have you ever thought that if we had a thousand or ten thousand water pumps like this, would it be able to greatly alleviate the current drought?"
Everyone fell silent and listened to his speech.
"We might as well think more boldly. If every three to five households has a water pump, do we still need to be afraid of drought?"
At this time, someone raised his hand and said: "But real man, both steam engines and water pumps require a lot of steel. Even if all the iron in the world is used to make water pumps, it won't be enough."
Many people nodded, and it was indeed true. Both steam engines and water pumps were made of iron and could not be built at all.
Even if it is built, it is not affordable for ordinary people.
Chen Jingke said: "This is a good question. What should we do if there is not enough iron? My answer is to find ways to increase steel production."
"Someone may ask, how to increase steel production? I have only one answer, find a way from the investigation of things."
"I have always said that the potential of the study of physics is huge, and it can be used to benefit the people and change the world... The water pump is a real example."
"The things we feel we can't accomplish now are just because our understanding of gewu is not deep enough. As long as everyone studies hard and concentrates on research, one day all problems will be solved."
"By then we will be able to produce enough steel and build enough steam engines and water pumps so that people around the world will no longer have to worry about drought."
"Our gramophone can be listened to a hundred times and a thousand times without changing the sound... Our trains can travel all over the country, connecting the whole world..."
"At that time, all of us will leave our names in history and become the objects of worship for future generations... Are you willing to work hard for this day?"
Everyone shouted excitedly: "Yes."
Chen Jingke said: "Okay, if you are ambitious, I will wait for that day to come."
Everyone shouted: "I will never let you down."
Chen Jingke was very satisfied with the effect. In the past, everyone studied the study of objects more out of personal hobbies and did not have any lofty ideals and ambitions.
This is actually wrong. Without ambitious goals, you can't get far just by relying on hobbies. He has long wanted to teach everyone a lesson, and this time he finally found the opportunity.
And it seems to work very well.
To be more arrogant, they are all the founders of future science, and the rules they set today will be followed by future generations.
Setting a relatively noble and ambitious tone for science in advance will help this discipline develop more healthily and rapidly.
Li Tai came over and said: "Your method is good, everyone's energy and spirit have become different from before."
Chen Jingke replied: "That's natural. Noble goals can make everyone more motivated and have a greater sense of accomplishment."
Li Tai nodded and suddenly sighed: "Hey, if only everything you said could be realized now. This drought can be easily overcome, and Aye doesn't have to be so embarrassed."
Chen Jingke also felt a little heavy and said: "It's useless to worry. All we can do now is work hard to study the science of physics. One day in the future, all this will come true."
"At that time, no one can use celestial phenomena to interfere with national policies."
Li Tai said: "Why don't I know this truth? But how can I not be worried when I think about Aye's situation?"
Chen Jingke also sighed. If Li Shimin could not withstand this wave of pressure, let alone the failure of innovation, it would also be a huge blow to his personal prestige.
In the future, the powerful nobles will become even more rampant, and it will become almost impossible to deal with them.
However, he never doubted Li Shimin: "I believe that your Majesty will never admit defeat and will not lose."
Li Tai showed a thoughtful expression, and then said firmly: "It is true that the national treasury had a balance of more than 6 million yuan last year, and the imperial court has enough money."
"In the past two years, various volunteer warehouses have also stocked up a large amount of food. The Indochina Peninsula has not been affected by the drought and is still able to provide food continuously. If you have enough money and food in hand, you will not be afraid of any difficulties."
"Aye's prestige in the military is unparalleled, and the nobles are on our side... This means that the army is always in our hands."
"If some people think this is their opportunity and want to do something they shouldn't do, I'm afraid they will regret it for the rest of their lives."
Chen Jingke smiled and said: "So we don't need to worry unreasonably and just wait for the drought to end."
But will it be as easy as they say? This is impossible.
Although Li Shimin has many trump cards, no one knows how effective these trump cards can be in the face of unpredictable and ever-changing human hearts.
The only way to prevent this from happening is to pray for heavy rain.
Soon it was noon, all the schools started to let out, and the workshops started to close.
Those whose homes were in Zixiaoguan went home to eat one after another. Those who didn’t want to go home to eat went to the canteen to buy food. Those whose homes were not in Zixiaoguan had to go to the canteen to eat.
Meals are not free, you have to pay for them. However, Chen Jingke does not make money from everyone in this aspect, he only charges cost price.
Today at noon, Chen Jingke didn't want to go back to eat, so he went to the cafeteria with everyone.
As I was walking, I saw a group of children, both boys and girls, running all the way to the canteen, shouting: "Come on, rush on, grab something to eat."
Chen Jingke smiled inwardly, feeling quite familiar with this scene. It was similar when he was in school. Every time after school, he would sprint to the cafeteria at a speed of 100 meters to get food.
When the group of children passed by him, he saw a familiar figure and shouted: "Ling'er, why did you come to the cafeteria to eat too? Where is your mother?"
Ling'er is Qingju's daughter. She is now four or five years old and studying in elementary school. The child has almost forgotten the tragic experience of being in Yaxing and is very lively and cheerful.
Because she is beautiful, she is also a minor celebrity in Zixiaoguan, and no one dislikes her.
Ling'er stopped reluctantly, not forgetting to ask her good friend in front to help her line up, and then said to Chen Jingke: "Hello, my mother went to Tiantianju to make pastries."
Chen Jingke nodded and asked, "The food in the cafeteria is not as delicious as your mother's. Are you used to it?"
Ling'er nodded sharply and said, "It's delicious. I like it."
As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe and looked into the cafeteria, as if she was afraid that her good friend wouldn't help her line up.
Chen Jingke laughed dumbly, touched her head and said, "Go on, run slower so you don't fall."
Ling'er said quickly: "Well, goodbye in person."
After saying that, he turned around and ran away.
Entering the canteen, Chen Jingke first went to get a dinner plate, and then went to get rice.
Naturally, the students all knew him, and they all made room for him while waiting in line. He didn't show any pretense, he walked directly to the front and ordered two dishes.
The staff serving food also knew him and dug out two big spoons.
When Chen Jingke was about to say less, he heard the chef who was cooking complain: "What the hell, what's wrong with this salt shaker? There's always a layer of water on it. I was very careful not to sprinkle water on it."
The chef's words were like a bolt of lightning that dispersed the fog in Chen Jingke's mind, reminding him of a proverb from his previous life.
But he wasn't sure yet, so he quickly asked: "Is there a layer of water droplets on the surface of your salt shaker for no apparent reason?"
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
I recommend a book called "The Chief Assistant of the Red Mansion".
It belongs to the fictitious Red Mansion civil official stream and is the work of Sanjiang.
The author is very rigorous and read a lot of materials in order to write the book. If you like traditional historical texts, you should not miss it.
