Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 426 The water of the Yellow River comes from the sky

It was daybreak and a light drizzle was falling in Huazhou.

Ma Zhou, the Vice Minister of Works, sat slumped on the slope with a dull look in his eyes.

At the bottom of the slope, a huge yellow dragon coiled and rushed towards the southeast.

Yellow River.

In theory, the river should stay in the river channel, but at this moment it is like a demon escaping from hell, madly flooding the fertile farmland of mankind.

"The river has changed its course?"

Ma Zhou muttered to himself, his consciousness becoming blurry.

This is not the first time that the Yellow River has changed its course. Since the Chinese people have historical records, this silt-filled river has been "sandy, prone to siltation, and unpredictable" and has changed its course many times.

Each time it brought disaster to the creatures along the coast and even to the entire Chinese civilization.

Now, this catastrophe fell on the Ming Dynasty and on the head of Ma Zhou.

"How could it be...what's wrong with the dam?"

His whole body was shaking.

Behind him, thousands of miles of fertile land became a swamp.

Farmland was flooded, houses were submerged, and city-states were destroyed.

The Central Plains, which was once densely populated, now seems like a deserted wilderness.

There was no cry for help, no wailing, only the sound of the flood rushing.

Ma Zhou didn't want to believe this was true.

Just a few hours ago, he was here, supervising the construction of embankment works here together with local officials of Huazhou.

The laborers who came from all over the place were very helpful. With everyone working together, the project progressed very quickly and the quality of the project was very good.

The dam is very stable and shows no signs of collapse.

As the flood peak reached its peak, the rain began to subside.

It seems that the Central Plains region is about to go through the test of this Yellow River flood.

However, in the dark moments before dawn.

Without any warning, the Huazhou dike suddenly collapsed!

The river burst its banks!
Not only did it burst the dam, it also changed its route!
It washed away the dike builders and the laborers.

If it weren’t for the fact that the slope where Ma Zhou and the others were located had a solid rock base that would have withstood the rushing river water.

The political core of Huazhou would also be washed away.

But the people on the south bank were not so lucky.

The water of the Yellow River comes from the sky, and countless families were swept away in their sleep by the overflowing river water.

"Maybe it's better to be taken away. At least it's more comfortable..."

Ma Zhou's face turned pale.

He knew that he was responsible for this catastrophe that killed countless people and was likely to shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

He came from Hebei to supervise the construction of the dike in Henan.

Now that the dam has collapsed, how can I escape responsibility?
During his short and unsuccessful official career, Ma Zhou seemed to have caused a lot of trouble and provoked at least two or three civil uprisings.

The trouble he caused this time was even greater than the sum of all the previous ones, and he couldn't even stir up a civil uprising.

How can there be a civil uprising if the people are gone?
"Provincial Governor, let's leave this place as soon as possible and go to a safe place first!" the servant begged bitterly.

"No!" Ma Zhou flatly refused.

"I can't leave! I have to be at the front, directing the evacuation!"

Yes, although the diverted Yellow River water destroyed the solid embankments, it did not destroy the Ming Dynasty's organization.

Ma Zhou was still directing the surviving grassroots officials to evacuate the surviving victims while at the same time rushing to convey this fatal news to their superiors and neighboring prefectures and counties.

"But it's too dangerous to stay here for long. The governor and the county magistrate have all retreated to the safe mountains. The governor should also go with my mother!" the attendant pleaded again and again.

"I won't leave! If you want to leave, you can leave!" Ma Zhou was very determined.

If he were not the highest-ranking official in Huazhou and had not been burdened with the heavy responsibility of cleaning up the mess, he would have wanted to jump into the river right now.

What a big disaster!

The servants exchanged glances and shouted:
"Taiwan Province, I'm sorry for the offense!"

He rushed towards Ma Zhou, hugged his limbs and lifted him up.

Ma Zhou was shocked:

"I'm here to direct the evacuation, what are you doing?!"

He struggled desperately, but he was no match for the crowd and was carried away from the front line.

…………

Tangzhou, the State Council Office.

Li Ming took the document from Changsun Wuji and read through it silently.

This is Ma Zhou's handwritten letter, and the words are full of despair.

During the entire process of reading the letter, Li Ming did not ask a single question and his expression did not even move, just like a sculpture.

His silence was deafening.

Fang Yize didn't know what was going on, and didn't dare to ask. He quietly leaned towards his eldest grandson uncle and asked with his eyes:

Something serious happened?

But from Changsun Wuji's perspective, he could only see an expressionless young man staring at him expressionlessly.

What does the kid from the old house want to say?
Just as he was trying to discern the other party's intentions, he heard a shocking statement -

"Lord Changsun, during this period of time, you will be the regent."

Ah, what?! ... Zhangsun Wuji was startled and raised his head suddenly.

The Emperor looked calm and spoke in a low voice, but he exuded an aura that brooked no opposition.

Changsun Wuji had an inexplicable illusion that if he dared to say "no", he would never be able to set foot in the State Council again in his life.

"...obey the order."

He accepted the burden with obedience.

Then, Li Ming turned his gaze to Fang Yize.

Xiaofang shuddered all over.

He suddenly realized how terrifying Ming Ge with an expressionless face was...

"As Lord Changsun's deputy, you will assist the country together. If you have any questions, please consult your father immediately.

"The prime minister is supposed to be in charge of the country, but your father is not here."

Li Ming instructed his friends kindly and calmly.

Fang Yize swallowed his saliva and nodded without saying a word.

After making the arrangements, Li Ming slowly announced:
“The Huazhou levee collapsed and the Yellow River changed its course to the south.

"I will go to Huazhou to take a look myself.

"During my absence, the affairs of state will be handed over to you."

With such a big thing happening, he has to step in.

Fang Yize's throat moved, but he was too nervous to speak.

After all, Zhang Sun Wuji was an old hand in the world. He bowed solemnly and replied appropriately:
"The situation in the disaster area is uncertain. Please be careful, Your Majesty."

Li Ming did not respond to his subordinates' concern and said calmly:

"With good ministers like you, I can rest assured that I will temporarily hand over the country to you.

"I believe you will not disappoint me again, right?"

He puts the stress on the word "again".

There was something else behind his words, which made Changsun Wuji break out in a cold sweat.

It seems that a certain Minister of Works who has failed the Emperor and the whole nation is about to be in big trouble...

…………“Continue searching, and evacuate all the people who can be evacuated from the flooded area!

“Don’t let go of livestock either, these are assets that can save lives!
"Don't leave the bodies of people and animals lying around. After a disaster there will be a plague. Gather them, sprinkle them with lime, and bury them in a pit!
"Where is the grain money for disaster relief? Didn't the neighboring prefecture and county agree to provide support? What, they were also flooded by the river?

"Damn it, build the dam stronger to prevent the river from changing course and flooding again!"

Huazhou front.

A middle-aged man with disheveled hair and untidy clothes, like a madman, shouting wherever he went.

However, the surviving humans actually obeyed his orders, launched organized self-rescue, and helped each other.

Finally, they managed to gain a foothold amid the catastrophe of the Yellow River's change of course.

Thanks to mankind's crazy efforts, although the Yellow River did not return to its original course, it at least stabilized in the new temporary course - the course that originally belonged to the "Bian River" - and temporarily stopped running around.

A new steady state is formed.

But that "madman" - Ma Zhou, the Minister of Works - did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

He hadn't slept for several days and nights. His throat was smoking and he was running and shouting hoarsely along the temporary dam, directing the water control work on the front line without stopping.

On this day, the rain gradually stopped and the sky was gloomy.

Ma Zhou had just taken a nap on the embankment when he was suddenly awakened.

On the horizon, the outline of a carriage appeared.

A huge convoy was heading towards the dam where he was.

He felt like he was hallucinating or seeing a mirage, and closed his eyes tightly.

When I opened my eyes again, the convoy had not disappeared, but was quickly approaching.

The carriage's decoration is simple and low-key, but there is undoubtedly a five-clawed golden dragon carved on the body.

There were not many followers in the convoy, but the guards were all elite soldiers.

The Emperor has arrived...

Ma Zhou felt dazed for a moment, then shifted his attention away from the convoy and returned to the tense and exciting disaster relief work.

He didn't have to wait long before the convoy stopped steadily at the section of the dam where he was.

It was directed at him.

The car door opened. Without any welcoming ceremony, without servants to support him, and without any ceremonial drums or trumpets, the emperor himself jumped out of the car, climbed straight to the top of the dam, came to Ma Zhou's side, and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

Ma Zhou pretended that the other party did not exist and continued to observe the water flow situation on the front line while writing disaster relief strategies on paper.

With a quick glance, he saw that there were only two people accompanying the Emperor.

A young man with a wretched figure and a flattering smile, and a shy boy.

Ma Zhou immediately recognized the two young men who looked unremarkable but exuded a chilling aura.

They are two vicious dogs that are enough to make any official tremble with fear.

Di Renjie and Lai Junchen were responsible for enforcing discipline in the officialdom and punishing corruption and dereliction of duty.

From various perspectives, he and his colleagues in Huazhou have committed unforgivable mistakes and should be "purged".

However, what is strange is that Ma Zhou, who originally saw Di and Lai as if they had seen ghosts, is now not afraid at all and continues to calmly command his men.

Li Ming and his group did not disturb him and just watched him for the time being.

When Ma Zhou was a little free, he spoke again. His voice was extremely calm, without any anger in his voice:

"I have brought some helpers and some aid supplies. What is the current situation?"

Ma Zhou was stunned by these words and subconsciously looked towards the royal carriage team under the dam.

The huge convoy has begun loading and unloading goods.

The contents were not for the emperor's enjoyment, but rather grains such as millet, rice, and wheat mixed with vegetable leaves and dried meat, which were steamed, dried, and then compressed into balls for portable military rations.

This thing, which can be called the "compressed biscuit" of ancient times, tastes just enough not to make people vomit, but it is the most practical disaster relief supply at this moment.

The large group of people who came with these life-saving foods were naturally not the beautiful entourage serving His Majesty the Emperor.

They were all capable men, soldiers responsible for maintaining order and officials responsible for organizing relief.

His Majesty Li Ming maintained his usual pragmatic style. This time he came not only for inspection but also to solve problems.

And the root cause of the problem.

It took less than half a month from the time Ma Zhou announced the Yellow River's diversion to the time the Emperor personally arrived with the first batch of personnel and supplies.

Driving all the way from Liaodong to Henan is not something that can be considered enjoyable.

After a long journey, Li Ming did not even take a break. The first thing he said was:

"Do you know where the river ended up after it changed its course this time, following the old course of the Bian River?
"The Huai River, the great river flows into the sea."

Ma Zhou's whole body trembled as if he had been electrocuted.

What kind of nightmare and catastrophe must the people of the five states of Bian, Song, Bo, Chen, and Ying along the Bianhe River have experienced...

But before he could say anything, Li Ming added emotionlessly:
"Report on the current situation."

Ma Zhou's eyes became hot, and his throat seemed to be blocked by a fist. He choked and said:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty..."

"I will find out who is guilty. I don't need you to interfere." Li Ming interrupted directly and asked again in a concise manner:
"Give me a brief report on the current disaster relief situation and how the riverbank collapsed."

The sound was not loud, but Ma Zhou felt a powerful momentum that he could not resist.

Before he could react, his body had already honestly reported everything that had happened to His Majesty the Divine Emperor.

Li Ming listened very attentively, squinted his eyes slightly, thought about the cause and effect for a while, and said:
"Now the top priority is to rescue the victims and alleviate their suffering.

"You and the officials of Huazhou will temporarily stay in your original positions and continue to deal with the aftermath under my personal command.

"As for the investigation and accountability work for this incident, it will also be carried out simultaneously.

"I will not let anyone be wronged, nor will I let any insect escape punishment."

The statement was calm, but it made Ma Zhou, who thought he had no hope in life, shudder.

At this moment, Your Majesty is the embodiment of all power in the world.

He is here to truly patrol the four directions on behalf of God!
"I am a humble servant and will await your majesty's orders." Ma Zhou replied in awe.

"Whether he is guilty or not, we will know after we investigate." Li Ming's tone softened a little. Looking at the middle-aged professional bureaucrat whose mental state was obviously not right, he suddenly said:
"Don't commit suicide, you still have a use for your life."

Huh? !

Ma Zhou was shocked, as if he had woken up from a long nightmare.

His Majesty Li Ming had already walked down the temporary river bank without looking back, leaving him only with his back.

…………

Under the personal supervision of His Majesty the Most Wise and Holy Emperor, the flood prevention and disaster relief work in Huazhou was carried out in an orderly manner.

The "new river channel" of the Yellow River began to consolidate and finally stopped spreading and flooding, and most of the victims were properly resettled and provided relief.

The ruling order in the disaster area is gradually being restored.

At the same time, the cause of the dam collapse is also under intensive investigation.

Whether it is an unavoidable accident caused by natural disasters or an accident caused by officials' dereliction of duty, we must get to the bottom of it!

"Huazhou is a key node in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The river channel is wide, the water flow is slow, and there is a lot of silt sedimentation.

“Plus, the dense population of the Central Plains leads to huge water consumption, which results in slower water flow and more sediment.

"The Yellow River bed rises sharply in the Huazhou section, so if the dam here collapses, the entire lower reaches of the Yellow River will be diverted..."

Li Ming rubbed his eyes as he read the summary information from his subordinates.

Due to Huazhou's special geographical location and the abnormally heavy rains this year.

The dam should have burst here long ago.

It was because the quality of the Huazhou Dam was so strong that it withstood wave after wave of flood peaks, causing the water level to rise higher and higher, and suddenly a big one came -

Change route.

In hell, it was because the Huazhou dike was too strong that the Yellow River changed its course.

If the quality of the dam was any lower, the Yellow River would have overflowed long ago, which would have been a disguised way of "venting the fire". At best, it would have only caused an ordinary flood, harming the people of Huazhou.

Instead of changing the route directly into the Huai River like it is now, and launching a large-scale map artillery attack.

"But the testimony of the people at the scene is contrary to this..."

(End of this chapter)