Red Mansion Royal Cat

Chapter 608: A Nation Rises in Times of Hardship
Natural disasters and man-made disasters are often not as terrible as man-made disasters.

The Yellow River has been plagued by disasters since ancient times, not to mention that today there are tens of millions of people living on both sides of the river.

If the Yellow River embankment in Henan Province were dug up, even a small hole would be opened, thousands of miles of water would be flooded in a very short period of time, turning the vast and flat land of Henan into a swamp.

The personal soldiers holding Jia Cong's secret order did not dare to stop for a moment and went to Shandong in the rain to mobilize troops from Jinxiangwei.

After the personal soldiers set off, Jia Cong was not idle either.

I originally planned to take a break for a few days, but now it seems that the plan is still progressing too slowly.

It's time to meet those who are waiting outside the garden.

The Guide Army was deployed on the Yellow River embankment and distributed to the counties along the river. Commander Feng Yongtang personally led his men to guard the Yellow River embankment in Yucheng County and planted the Guide Army flag in the place where the embankment was most likely to breach.

Standing on the city wall of Yucheng County, you can see the military flag embroidered with a white tiger from afar.

When the people in the city saw that the imperial army had just helped them snatch back food from the hands of God, and was now carrying tools to the Yellow River embankment without stopping, they instantly felt a lot more at ease.

"The soldiers of Daxia are the Great Wall of Steel that protects the safety of the people!"

This sentence was posted all over the city, and the people of Yucheng County were moved.

The young and strong men carried the tools, the women made flatbreads and cooked meat porridge, and they carried the half-grown children up to the levee.

At night, the rain started falling again.

Jia Cong waded through the mud and stood at the highest point of the levee wearing a straw raincoat.

The turbid river water was roaring, hitting the embankment again and again.

There were rows of tents and straw huts on the embankment. The dim torches burned stubbornly in the wind and rain, illuminating areas for the busy soldiers and civilians.

"If it keeps raining like this, I'm afraid there will be real problems!"

Even Feng Yongtang, who knew nothing about river engineering and water conservancy, had already realized that the flood in Henan was almost inevitable.

What’s the point of defending just Yucheng County and Guide Prefecture?

If the dike in Kaifeng Prefecture breaks, will the water only flood Kaifeng Prefecture?

"My Lord, we are almost unable to hold on here. Luoyang and Kaifeng are serious rivers on the ground. You should make plans early!"

What's the plan?
Needless to say, Feng Yongtang was advising Jia Cong to return to Beijing as soon as possible, or to go to a safe place.

After all, floods do not recognize anyone as noble or not. In front of a flood, all living beings are equal!
Jia Cong pointed at the soldiers and civilians who were reinforcing the dike outside in the rain, and the women who were busy cooking ginger soup, porridge and rice for them.

"If I can walk, you can walk too. Even the Guide Army can hide in high places. But can they walk?"

The Guide Army was directly under the jurisdiction of the Grand Military Governor's Office, not a local garrison. Even if a flood came, they could escape to other places without being punished.

But the people of Yucheng County have been living on this land for generations.

When faced with floods or droughts, they would never run away unless they wanted to become refugees.

What's more, if the flood really broke through the Yellow River embankment, the water would submerge more than just one state or county.
Where can you escape to with only your feet?

"I will not leave. Even if I die, I will die on the levee!"

Dai Ting wiped the rain off his face and dragged his tired body into the straw hut.

With a wry smile, he took the ginger soup handed to him by Jia Cong and poured it into his mouth.

After wiping away the remaining soup from the corner of his mouth, he took a breath and said, "It's not that I'm not afraid of death, but I'm the magistrate of Yucheng County and have the responsibility to defend the land. If the dike is destroyed and the city is destroyed, I can only live and die with Yucheng County. There is no other choice. Lord, do you think this Yellow River dike can be defended?"

"I don't know whether we can hold it or not. I only know that if the dam is destroyed, it will be a disaster for the lives of tens of millions of people. Therefore, our most important thing at the moment is to find a way to minimize the losses based on the worst-case scenario."

In the past, even with advanced technology and united efforts, natural disasters could not necessarily be avoided, let alone today.

Jia Cong had already made two plans in his mind, and after exchanging letters with his teacher Xu Jin, he began preparations several days ago.

He asked someone to bring a map and called Feng Yongtang and Dai Ting to come over.

With the dim firelight, he pointed to the red mark on the map.

"Jiazhai?"

"Yes, Jiazhai. There are also several nearby towns. Going south to Xiayi County, the terrain is low-lying. It is the lowest place in Guide Prefecture..."

"No! I will never allow the people of Yucheng County to be sacrificed!"

Before Jia Cong could finish his words, Dai Ting stood up.

He already understood Jia Cong's plan. In order to prevent the levee from being washed away, Jia Cong planned to release flood water to relieve the pressure on the levee and downstream.

This is also a common method used in history to prevent floods and protect dikes. Dai Ting can understand Jia Cong's idea, but he is unwilling to do so.

Why should he sacrifice the people of Yucheng County?
The Yucheng magistrate, who had been submissive in front of Jia Cong a few days ago, now blushed, straightened his chest and said to Jia Cong, "My Lord, let alone Xiayi County, there are tens of thousands of people in my Yicheng County. You can't treat the people of Yucheng County as non-human beings just to save others!"

"I'm telling you, have you been kicked in the head by a donkey? When did I ever say I wanted to sacrifice the people of Yucheng County?"

Jia Cong slapped the table, and the dishes and cups on it jumped a few times, making clanging sounds.

Knowing that this person had misunderstood, but was actually a good official who cherished and loved the people, Jia Cong naturally would not blame him and could only explain his thoughts in detail.

"If the rain continues like this, floods are inevitable. We must find a way to survive for these millions of people and think about the worst outcome. If, I mean if, the Yellow River embankment collapses, it will be useless even if we defend the embankment. It is better to clear the lowest-lying areas that are most suitable for flood discharge first..."

……

"Your Highness, I, Xu Jin and Jia Cong, respectfully wish you the best. Since the end of spring, many prefectures in Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan have experienced heavy rains for days. The water level of the Yellow River has continued to rise, and has already exceeded the highest flood peak in history..."

"Although the levee has been reinforced many times, it still has some loopholes. In addition, the earlier river management silver embezzlement case implicated many people, and we dare not gamble with the lives and property of tens of millions of people... Therefore, I decided to relocate the people of Yucheng, Xiayi, and Feng and Pei counties in Nanzhili, which are the lowest and most suitable for flood discharge, to prepare for flood control."

The urgent report, which was sent to the capital city at an express speed of 800 miles, almost blew off the roof of the Fengtian Palace.

The civil and military officials in the hall were arguing with each other, and few agreed with Xu Jin and Jia Cong's opinions.

Are you kidding me? Henan and Nanzhili are already populous provinces, and the population of the four counties combined is hundreds of thousands.

Migrate? Where to?

Even if they are temporarily relocated to a safe place, it will cost a huge amount of money and may easily cause civil unrest.

You, master Xu Jin and your disciple, just want to relocate the people of four counties and use the four counties as the flood discharge point of the Yellow River. Will the people really listen to the court and move away obediently?
What about the house and fields? Should we take the livestock with us?
By then, their houses and land are gone. How will the people survive when they return?
"According to my estimate, including temporary resettlement, post-disaster reconstruction, and subsidies and appeasement for the people, the Ministry of Revenue must prepare 15 million taels of silver."

As soon as Lin Ruhai finished speaking, someone immediately stood up to oppose him.

"I object. If the levee is not strong enough, then reinforce it. If you abandon the Yellow River levee after a little rain, and sacrifice the property that the people have worked so hard to accumulate, Xu Qingteng is shirking his responsibility."

The Crown Prince also had a headache looking at the old censor with white hair. He dared to believe that the old man was not doing this for any petty personal vendetta, but truly for justice.

But sometimes, these old censors who dared to criticize the emperor really did not understand practical matters.

He gave Lin Ruhai a wink, and Lin Ruhai asked someone to bring the urgent reports from Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong and Nanzhili over the past month.

He opened a book at random and began to read: "On the third day of April in the sixteenth year of Yuanyou, Fengxiang Prefecture urgently reported to Chang'an that it had rained heavily for ten consecutive days and the water level of the Wei River had risen several times to previous years..."

"On the eighth day of the fourth month, Xianyang, Chang'an, Huayin and other places all reported heavy rain. The water levels of the Yellow River tributaries, such as the Jing and Wei rivers, exceeded the highest warning line in a hundred years."

"On April 21, the river overflowed the Yellow River embankment in Luoyang, and the city was flooded."

"On the second day of May, the flood in Kaifeng City reached the knees, and 100,000 people had to move to the highest point outside the city."

"On the fourth day of May, Xiangfu County was flooded..."

"On the fifth day of May, a breach appeared in the Yellow River embankment in Yifeng County. Fortunately, the Yifeng County Magistrate led the officials and the people to block the breach in time."

"On the seventh day of May, Xuzhou reported that a breach had occurred in the Linhe levee. Xuzhou prefect Cao Ruobing led the army and the people to rush to the levee, risking their lives to block the breach and save the levee..."

The urgent letters represent that this flood is definitely a once-in-a-century event.

The joint memorial by Xu Jin and Jia Cong was already preparing for the worst-case scenario.

The water levels of the Yellow River tributaries such as Jing and Wei have exceeded the water levels recorded in history. It can be seen that the Yellow River, which is already a river on land, has revealed its hideous side at this time.

"My dear colleagues, which is more important, destroying four counties or destroying four provinces? I think you should have the answer in your hearts."

Lin Ruhai’s meaning was very clear. Sometimes, if the imperial court did not act ruthlessly, it would lead to greater disasters.

Fortunately, Daxia now has plenty of silver and food.

When Crown Prince Liu Hong personally issued an order to mobilize tens of thousands of troops from the capital camp to carry tools, food, and supplies to rush to the disaster-stricken areas on both sides of the Yellow River, the people of the capital also began to take spontaneous actions.

……

"Ouch, where are my shoes? Who stepped on my shoes and dropped them?"

"I want to donate, I want to donate, I want to donate silver, please give me some space!"

The richest place in the country, apart from those cities along the southeast coast, is the capital, where the people are the wealthiest.

The prince's decree was issued after the morning court session, and people began to arrive outside the imperial city one after another in the afternoon.

The guards of Daxia Gate were all stunned. Seeing the people waving banknotes and silver and clamoring to donate to the disaster victims, they thought they did not sleep well last night and were dreaming.

Originally, the prince did not intend to accept donations from the people, but Lin Ruhai persuaded him to accept it.

When the granaries are full, people will know etiquette. When material wealth reaches a certain level, people will pursue spiritual wealth.

Moreover, this is a benevolent act. The court should promote the spirit of supporting each other when one side is in trouble.

Today, the Yellow River is flooding. People in Qin, Jin, Yu, Lu and other places are suffering. People in our capital have extended a helping hand.

If the people in the capital city suffer from a natural disaster one day, will the people on both sides of the Yellow River stand idly by?
When this spirit of supporting each other in times of trouble is ingrained in the hearts of generations of Chinese people, our country will no longer fear any natural disasters or man-made calamities, or any difficult challenges.

A country prospers in times of adversity because our people have the strong will to unite and fight against disasters together.

The Ministry of Revenue set up its office directly outside the gate of the Imperial City, and everyone who donated money would receive a document with the Ministry of Revenue’s seal.

When Daiyu's phoenix carriage appeared outside the imperial city, at least several thousand people gathered in front of the Daxia Gate.

"Princess Wen'an, the guardian of the country, donated 30,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 bolts of cloth!"

"what?"

The clerks in the Ministry of Revenue were dumbfounded. This was the largest donation so far, even exceeding the amount donated by the president of the Beijing Chamber of Commerce who had just left.

But he never expected that there would be something bigger behind it...

"Princess Deqing donated 30,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 bolts of cloth."

"Princess Changqing donated 30,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 pieces of cloth."

"The Cheng'en Mansion donated 100,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 pieces of cloth."

"The Yongfeng Marquisate donated 100,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 bolts of cloth."

"Ningguo Mansion donated 100,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 pieces of cloth."

"The Rongguo Mansion donated 100,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 bolts of cloth."

"Zhongshun Palace donated 200,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 bolts of cloth."

"The Prince of Ji's palace donated 300,000 silver coins, 10,000 dan of grain, and 10,000 bolts of cloth."

……

A series of donations of one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, and even three hundred thousand silver coins from royal relatives shocked everyone present.

The Crown Prince, who was busy in the East Palace, was very satisfied when he heard this.

At least it didn't bring shame to the Liu family or the royal family. No wonder Princess Cui and Daiyu left the Queen Mother's Palace in a hurry. They must have gone to discuss the donations with the families.

And outside the Daxia Gate, there was a constant stream of people donating money.

After the peak of donations from royal family members and military nobles ended, the hands of the clerks in the Ministry of Revenue were almost broken from exhaustion.

"I...I...I will donate two hundred sheep!"

what?
sheep?
A sturdy man squeezed in front of the table and attracted everyone's attention with his broken Chinese.

Although he is dressed in Han style, one can still tell that he is a man from the grassland.

The man pointed to an open space not far away, where a few people were herding a group of bleating sheep...

"My family runs a mutton shop. This mutton soup with medicinal herbs is the best for replenishing physical strength. If the heroes fighting the flood and disaster relief can drink a few more bowls, they will definitely recover their spirits quickly."

"It would be even better if it could be paired with some wine!"

This guy probably put himself in the situation and actually licked his lips with a chuckle.

"But this sheep..."

The clerk originally wanted to say that the mutton soup was delicious, but it was not easy to transport it far away to the Yellow River.

Unexpectedly, the man thought that the clerk felt that there were not enough sheep to share, so he hurriedly shouted outside: "Why haven't you squeezed in yet? Hurry up!"

After shouting, he patted his chest and said, "Didn't the imperial court say that when one side is in trouble, all sides will come to its aid? The men on our grassland are also good men. I will donate 200 sheep first, and when the ranch outside the pass delivers the next batch of sheep, I will rush to the Yellow River myself."

"And me, and me, I will donate 500 sheep..."

"I have three hundred..."

"I will also donate 300..."

(End of this chapter)