Fu Shanhe

Chapter 467 Constant Natural Disasters
Kaifeng Mansion.

"Our Great Yu has truly had a tumultuous fate!"

Looking out at the hail and rain outside the window, Kong Siyuan couldn't help but sigh.

The Central Plains had been parched for eight months, and finally, rain fell from the heavens, but unexpectedly, it was accompanied by hail.

Hailstones pelted the rooftops with a crackling sound, and broken tiles occasionally fell.

"My lord, it's not safe here. Let's take shelter in the attic for now!"

Seeing Kong Siyuan walking along the corridor, the butler hurriedly urged him on.

Hailstorms are full of uncertainty.

The small ones are only the size of a grain of rice, while the large ones can be larger than a washbasin.

If you're unlucky enough to be hit by a giant hailstone, it doesn't matter what your social status is.

"There's no need to make a fuss; the hailstorm won't last long."

If even my residence can't keep out these hailstones, then the people outside won't survive.

Kong Siyuan said, feigning composure.

Being the governor of Henan was no easy task, especially for a governor of Henan who had just experienced war; it was a high-risk profession.

After the government troops quelled the rebellion, they left behind a mess, and local order was almost completely overturned.

The gentry and powerful families who returned to their hometowns were all trying to make up for their losses, and chaos frequently broke out among the people.

In order to stabilize the local situation, he did not hesitate to set aside his airs as governor and personally visit the powerful families in the province to seek their support.

The effect was very obvious. Everyone wanted a stable environment, so they were happy to go with the flow and lend money and grain to the people.

It doesn't matter if you can't pay it back; you can use land to settle the debt.

Those without land became long-term laborers for the gentry.

During the feudal dynasties, debt was always an important means for the gentry to control the common people at the bottom of society.

With such high interest rates, many people are so indebted that they could work for ten lifetimes and still not be able to pay it off.

If this generation can't pay it back, then the next generation will have to.

Whether one could sell oneself into slavery depended on whether the landlords were willing to accept one.

In years of famine, there is no shortage of people selling themselves into slavery.

In order to make a living, countless bankrupt farmers have no choice but to leave their homes.

Thanks to the Annam Protectorate's recruitment of immigrants, the displaced people had places to go and did not cause any major trouble.

The situation had finally stabilized, but unfortunately, the weather turned against us.

The hailstorm that fell from the heavens not only shattered the people's livelihoods but also ruined his career.

With the heavy hailstorm, grain production in Kaifeng Prefecture will inevitably decrease, and some areas may even experience a complete crop failure.

Now Kong Siyuan can only hope that the scope of this natural disaster will be smaller so that he can do his best to help.

If grain production declines significantly, it will be difficult to escape the current crisis by relying solely on production efforts in Henan province.

Seeking help from the imperial court would undoubtedly be a negative factor in the performance evaluation of local officials.

Local officials prefer to report good news and conceal bad news, not only because their superiors like to hear it, but also primarily to appease the imperial court's inspections.

As long as there are no problems at the local level, one can generally pass the imperial examinations.

Although natural disasters are not the responsibility of officials, the follow-up work caused by natural disasters is their job.

Once a disaster is reported, the imperial court usually sends people to supervise the distribution of relief supplies.

The factional strife in the Great Yu Dynasty was severe. It was fine if you encountered your own people, but if you encountered the opposing faction, they would find fault with you in no time.

In this context, local government offices either fail to report the disaster, or if they do, the situation becomes a major problem that they cannot handle.

The hailstorm came quickly and went quickly, lasting no more than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

However, the destructive power it can cause is enormous.

Just by looking at the plants in the garden, you can tell that none of them can stand up straight right now.

Before they could take stock of the damage in the mansion, the storm struck again after a brief respite.

The raindrops fell heavily, and an ominous premonition rose in Kong Siyuan's heart.

The project to repair the river embankment is only halfway done.

……

The capital city, the Du residence.

The torrential rains sweeping across the northern lands are launching an indiscriminate attack.

The torrential rain in Shuntian Prefecture was just a little late in arriving; it did not become gentler because of the delay.

"Your situation is difficult to handle!"

Looking at the group of envoys from vassal states, Imperial Censor Du sighed and said.

At the height of his power, he repeatedly led the petitions to impeach high-ranking nobles, earning him countless accolades among scholars.

As a result, his buttocks were often bruised and battered.

In the eyes of the officials, he was the epitome of a tough censor, daring to resist tyranny.

The officials pressured Emperor Yongning to abdicate, but they all sent him away beforehand.

However, being brave back then doesn't mean you'll be brave now.

Leading the impeachment of high-ranking officials from the aristocratic faction may seem extremely dangerous, but in reality, there is a glimmer of hope.

The Jing and Li families wield great power in the court, yet they are unwilling to bear the infamy of suppressing dissent; the court needs dissenting voices.

Whether it's for the emperor's benefit or for the benefit of the people, a performance is necessary.

It was precisely because he saw this that Imperial Censor Du decisively took action, harshly berating the high-ranking officials of the nobility faction.

Because he was not in the capital, Li Mu was scolded the most.

He got addicted to cursing and often cursed the emperor as well, becoming a regular recipient of court beatings.

He was not well received by Emperor Yongning.

With the civil service regaining power, this unyielding censor also reaped a wave of political benefits.

Both his reputation and official rank improved significantly.

It was precisely because of these experiences that a group of vassal state delegations came to pay their respects.

"Thank you for your trouble, sir."

"We do not aspire to overthrow the Marquis of Hanshui; we only ask to enter the court and personally plead guilty to the Emperor!"

They didn't waste their time in the capital.

After becoming familiar with the rules of Dayu, they suddenly realized that because they had not paid tribute for many years, these vassal states had become an illegal regime.

The arrival of those kings in person was a particularly heavy blow.

Without being officially recognized by the Emperor of Dayu, their thrones were politically illegitimate, and they could not enjoy the privileges of a vassal king in Dayu.

The various government offices in the capital refused to accept their complaints, partly because they didn't want to offend Li Mu, but more so because the case was difficult to win.

In the early days of its establishment, the Annam Protectorate was granted the power to subdue those who were disobedient in all directions, and their behavior happened to fall under the category of "disobedience".

From a political perspective, there was nothing wrong with Li Mu sending troops.

The only problem is that this massive act of annihilation has made many people in the capital uneasy.

With the emperor so young and his ministers so powerful, it is certainly not a blessing for the country.

But these are things that everyone can only think about in secret.

So far, all of Li Mu's actions have been in upholding the authority of the Great Yu Empire, without any overstepping of boundaries.

The accusations of rebellion and treason are baseless and should not be arbitrarily applied.

The Great Yu Dynasty cannot withstand any more turmoil; everyone needs Li Mu to be a loyal minister.

"If it's just about pleading guilty before the Emperor, I might be able to work things out."

However, you should think carefully: once things are brought into the open, the imperial court will inevitably punish you.

The Marquis of Hanshui is sending troops to Southeast Asia under the banner of recovering lost territory, and I have no reason to object to it.

"When you're in court, you must know what you should say and what you shouldn't say."

Considering the gift, Imperial Censor Du immediately offered his advice.

The ability to limit the power of the Marquis of Hanshui was welcomed by all factions in the court, but such support was limited. Gaining the support of the court officials ultimately depended on their own efforts.

The goal we should strive for is to restore the kingdom, not to hold the Marquis of Hanshui accountable, so as to avoid escalating the conflict.

Deep down, Du Shaohua felt a vague unease.

His intuition told him that the fact that these delegations were able to enter the capital safely was not simply a matter of luck, but more likely that Li Mu had deliberately let them pass.

Otherwise, even if they manage to enter the capital, the Li family's power there would make it easy for them to kill them.

From the moment the Ministry of Rites refused to recognize these people's identities, they had one foot in the grave.

By simply informing the Five Cities Military Command, they could legally eliminate all these people on charges of impersonating envoys and attempting to deceive the emperor.

Even if the officials knew, they would at most complain a few times; no one would make things difficult for a high-ranking official for the sake of a group of people who were completely unrelated to him.

If it was done intentionally, then it was a test of the court by the Marquis of Hanshui.

At times like these, the imperial court must handle the matter with utmost care.

The relevant government departments, including the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Court of State Ceremonies, tacitly chose to play it safe, clearly having seen through the scheme.

These people were able to find his residence most likely because someone secretly guided them.

In any case, during the Great Yu Dynasty, these kinds of tasks involving direct confrontation with powerful officials in the court were basically all handled by the censors.

As a government office with the "power to report on matters heard from the ground," their biggest difference from other government offices is that those who impeach others do not have to take responsibility.

In the past, the main job of the censors was to criticize the emperor, and only secondarily to investigate the officials.

The new emperor is young and has not yet assumed personal rule, so naturally he cannot criticize him.

As a last resort, one can only criticize the powerful ministers.

Compared to the high-ranking officials in the capital, it was clearly more cost-effective to scold Li Mu, who was thousands of miles away.

If one's status and position are high enough, they can be used to boost their reputation.

The distance is far enough to ensure that the person involved cannot hear it.

By the time the news got out, the matter was already over.

Given Li Mu's status, it wasn't appropriate for him to argue with them.

……

Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Due to the storm, the morning court session was delayed by one hour.

Official sedan chairs could not enter the main hall directly; part of the journey required walking.

With wind and rain raging, umbrellas were completely useless.

Many of the officials were unlucky enough to be soaked to the bone and looked quite disheveled.

"It's raining so hard outside, it's not easy for everyone to get here."

"Speak quickly if you need anything, so we can all go back and change our clothes as soon as possible."

Grand Secretary Jiang Shuhan's words drew back the curtain on the morning court session.

"Grand Secretary, Your Excellencies, an urgent report has arrived from Guanzhong: Shaanxi is experiencing a once-in-a-century rainstorm."

Several rivers within the territory overflowed, and the floodwaters once submerged the city of Xi'an.

The disaster has been extremely severe in all prefectures and counties. The Shaanxi Provincial Governor's Office hopes that the imperial court can reduce or waive this year's taxes and allocate another batch of disaster relief grain.

Lu Lingfeng spoke first.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the nation's money and grain; any matter concerning money was inextricably linked to them.

When Shaanxi was hit by floods, the imperial court was needed to provide grain relief, and the local government immediately contacted the Ministry of Revenue.

"With the floods in Shaanxi, several provinces along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River will inevitably face the pressure of the flood peak."

Especially in Henan province, where the Yellow River dikes are not yet completed, encountering a flood peak at this time will most likely lead to disaster.

Perhaps at this very moment, the Henan governor's memorial requesting aid is already on its way.

If the Yellow River overflows, it will inevitably affect multiple provinces.

The Guanzhong Plain needs relief, but the Central Plains region needs money and grain even more.

It is estimated that some prefectures in Shandong and Southern Zhili will also suffer losses.

The imperial court needs to prepare an emergency fund to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

As soon as Minister of Rites Yuan Tianyu finished speaking, Lü Lingfeng's face turned green.

In the past year or two, the fiscal revenue of Dayu has increased significantly, which has alleviated the financial pressure on the imperial court.

What disaster relief needs is not money, but life-saving supplies like food.

Everyone was watching him, but he couldn't conjure up any food.

"Regarding the disaster relief funds, the Ministry of Revenue can only do its best to raise them."

The exact size of the shortfall will depend on the disaster reports from various regions.

In fact, it wasn't just these places that were affected by the disaster; if the rain outside continued, Shuntian Prefecture would also be in great danger.

The most pressing issue right now isn't the lack of disaster relief funds, but the food shortage in the north.

Lu Lingfeng responded forcefully.

Disaster relief funds can be scraped together from various sources, like robbing Peter to pay Paul, and eventually a sum can be cobbled together.

The food shortage is not something that can be solved by human effort alone.

If we want to transport grain from outside, we have to wait until the rainy season ends, otherwise the grain will sprout on the way.

"The north is short of food, so we should set an example and take the lead in saving food."

In my opinion, starting today, all banquets, large and small, in the capital should be cancelled.

The Censorate is responsible for supervision; any official found to be extravagant or wasteful will be severely punished without exception.

After exchanging glances with several cabinet ministers, Jiang Shuhan immediately made a decision.

Such efficient decision-making has left many officials in disbelief.

As is customary, in the past, when such a situation arose, it would take a while for an argument to reach a conclusion.

He paid no attention to the doubts of his ministers.

The disaster has affected multiple provinces, and if measures are not taken quickly, it will cause serious chaos.

It had only been a few years since the White Lotus Rebellion, and he didn't want a second one.

"Your Excellency, I have received a case today, and I am not sure if I should speak of it."

As soon as Du Shaohua spoke, he drew surprised glances from the assembled officials.

Even the notoriously outspoken Censor Du had moments of hesitation.

"Say!"

Jiang Shuhan said irritably.

If you know you shouldn't say it, then don't say it!
If he refuses to participate in such a charade at the court meeting, it would be seen as stifling free speech.

With this charge attached to him, wouldn't all the scholars in the world curse his ancestors for eighteen generations?

"Your Excellency, on my way to court, I encountered a group of envoys from vassal states."

They came to the capital to plead guilty, but were turned away by the Court of State Ceremonial because their identities were questionable.

After Du Shaohua finished speaking, Wen Siyuan, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, turned ashen with anger.

Saying that his identity information is questionable is clearly an attempt to sow discord between him and others.

They felt that the Marquis of Hanshui was not someone to be trifled with, so they picked on him, the easy target, to bully.

"Lord Du, you can't say that."

There are serious discrepancies between the official documents and the records kept by the Court of State Ceremonies for these so-called foreign envoys.

In particular, some of them arbitrarily proclaimed themselves kings without being officially recognized by the imperial court.

Considering they are from a foreign land and lack proper education, I have not pursued the matter of them impersonating envoys.

Wen Siyuan insisted.

Having said that, the mission's identity must be fake.

No matter who says it, he must stick to his principles.

(End of this chapter)