Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 509 A Funeral Turned into a Joyous Event? Corrupt Official or Unlucky Guy?
Upon receiving the report, Zhu Yunwen's expression changed drastically. In addition to being shocked, a strange sense of heaviness welled up in his heart.

Without hesitation, he immediately summoned the important officials of the court to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a meeting.

“Your Majesty!” Wang Zuo stepped forward first, cupping his hands in greeting, and said, “Although this matter is urgent, there is no need to panic.”

"During the reign of the Supreme Emperor, the Yellow River breached its banks several times, and the court always had countermeasures in place."

He paused, then continued, "During the Hongwu era, that is, in the eleventh, fourteenth, seventeenth, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth years of the Ming Dynasty, there were all instances of the Yellow River breaching its banks."

"At that time, the imperial court implemented timely policies, exempting the disaster-stricken areas from land rent and taxes, and also mobilized relief grain, set up soup kitchens, and resettled the disaster victims, which quickly stabilized the disaster area."

"This precedent can be followed in handling the matter now."

"Moreover, today the treasury of our Great Ming is full, and the granaries are piled with grain. It is not difficult to relieve the disaster in one place."

Wang Zuo spoke with a firm and steady tone, and several experienced and prudent senior officials beside him nodded in agreement.

"Furthermore, the Yellow River breached its banks within the territory of Guide Prefecture, and the Prefect of Guide Prefecture cannot escape blame. An imperial edict should be issued to arrest him immediately and execute him as a public execution for dereliction of duty, so as to appease the disaster victims."

Zhu Yunwen did not respond immediately.

“Unexpectedly, during my grandfather’s reign, the Yellow River breached its banks repeatedly…” he murmured to himself.

Zhu Yunwen was not quite aware of this, as it did not cause a great stir.

Deep in his memory, Zhu Yuntong, a time traveler, clearly remembered that in later generations, the Yellow River had not experienced a breach of its banks for decades.

The reason is not complicated.

Later generations of Chinese built a large number of water conservancy projects in the Yellow River basin.

From the main stream to the tributaries, from the upper reaches to the middle and lower reaches, defenses are set up at every level, with each level linked to the next.

Dozens of reservoirs and water storage systems are interwoven into a network, steadily controlling the Yellow River's waters under human control.

The total water storage capacity of these water conservancy projects is equivalent to the flow of the Yellow River for two whole years!
In other words, even if the entire Yellow River were blocked, it could still be stored for two years.

With such amazing regulatory capabilities, it is naturally not afraid of torrential rains and floods.

The Yellow River is no longer unruly; instead, it is like a gentle dragon.

Tamed within a vast water conservancy system, it supplies irrigation for farmland and water for towns in the north.

In comparison, although later generations also built super water conservancy projects such as the Gezhouba Dam and the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, the total water storage capacity of these projects is only equivalent to one-tenth of the Yangtze River's annual flow because the Yangtze River's water flow is so large.

From this perspective, the control that later states had over the Yellow River was almost twenty times greater than that over the Yangtze River!
It is no exaggeration to say that in that era, the Yellow River, once known as the "River of Natural Disasters," was firmly locked in an iron cage, making it impossible for it to stir up towering waves again.

Therefore, in later generations, only the Yangtze River experienced floods; flooding of the Yellow River was unheard of!

Moreover, in later generations, the Yellow River suffered from water shortages year after year, and water scarcity became the norm, with many tributaries even experiencing seasonal flow interruptions.

Without abundant water, where do the raging waves come from?

Where did this massive flood come from?
Even if a place in the Yellow River basin experiences a once-in-a-century rainstorm, it usually only causes waterlogging due to insufficient drainage in a short period of time, resulting in temporary flooding of some cities.

The Yellow River breaching its banks is a distant memory and will never happen again.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yunwen felt a deep sense of melancholy.

This is a gap in time, and a chasm that the Ming Dynasty must overcome.

He could not allow this land to continue to be ravaged by disasters, nor could he allow the people to suffer year after year, with countless lives lost.

Zhu Yunwen slowly raised his head and scanned the officials in the hall: "The Yellow River breaches its banks frequently, almost every few years, or even every year."

"Not to mention the flooded fields, the number of people who drowned after the dikes collapsed is countless."

"Under my rule, no common people shall be allowed to fall into such a predicament."

"You are all my trusted ministers. Think carefully about how to tame the Yellow River and prevent it from ever breaching its banks again."

Zhu Yunwen was well aware that although the Yangtze River's water volume far exceeded that of the Yellow River, almost dozens of times greater, the Yellow River's damage from a breach was far greater than that of the Yangtze River.

The Huayuankou Dam breach in history is the most tragic example.

Its wide reach and enormous death toll were unprecedented, shocking the entire nation and leaving an indelible mark on future generations.

The key lies not entirely in the amount of water, but in the terrain.

Although the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are called plains, they are actually mostly hilly areas with varying elevations, providing natural high ground for people to take refuge.

Although the floodwaters arrived, people were often able to quickly escape to higher ground and hills to save their lives.

As for truly low-lying areas, such as lake embankments and depressions, those completely flat and unobstructed areas are actually mostly lake wetlands, which are the result of land reclamation around lakes in later generations due to population growth and land scarcity.

During the Ming Dynasty, although there were occasional sporadic reclamation projects in similar lake areas, few people lived there.

The people knew that this place was a land of water and would be flooded during the flood season. Even if they cultivated the land, they could only hope for a harvest in one season, so they dared not build houses and settle down there.

When floods strike, these lake areas are the first to be hit and it is not surprising that they are submerged. However, such losses can hardly be considered a true disaster.

Because it was not officially recognized as farmland by the imperial court, it was not subject to taxation.

The frequent floods in the Yangtze River basin in later generations were due to the large-scale reclamation of lakes into farmland, which led to a large influx of people settling in the polder areas. The original lake areas were transformed into farmland and even urban areas, resulting in the loss of both people and land when floods struck, causing devastating damage.

Today, the Ming Dynasty also has some lakes and embankments in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but the number is limited and most of them are not inhabited on a large scale. Even if they are flooded, the impact is controllable.

The Yellow River is different.

The middle and lower reaches of the river basin are the vast North China Plain, with flat terrain and no place for people to take refuge.

Once the Yellow River breaches its banks, the floodwaters pour down like a ferocious beast, turning everything in their path into a vast swamp.

The land could not be preserved, and the people had nowhere to stand.

People, livestock, and villages are often instantly annihilated by the towering waves, with no escape or avoidance, resulting in extreme tragedy.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yunwen's brows furrowed again, and his heart felt heavy.

Just as he was about to speak again, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the hall. A messenger from the telegraph station rushed into the hall, covered in dust, and shouted:
"Your Majesty! Urgent telegram from Henan! The Yellow River breached its banks, and the people were originally in imminent danger. However, thanks to the telegraph, the counties along the river were able to issue timely warnings and evacuate the people. A large number of people escaped to safety, and the number of casualties was greatly reduced!"

As he knelt down to present his report, he continued, extremely excited:

"This is all thanks to His Majesty's personal advocacy and leadership in inventing the telegraph!"

"The telegraph has saved countless people from suffering; it is truly an unprecedented feat! Your Majesty, I congratulate you, and the Great Ming Dynasty!"

The cable lines currently being laid by the Ming Dynasty are mainly concentrated in the capital, connecting directly to the provincial capitals and major military towns and fortresses, with the aim of ensuring efficient communication between the imperial court and provincial administrative agencies and military command organs.

After Beshbali was incorporated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, the court established it as a newly established province. In addition, Emperor Zhu personally led troops to be stationed there to prepare for the western expedition. Therefore, cable lines were laid and telegraph stations were set up in this place as a priority.

The situation is quite different for ordinary prefectures and counties.

The counties under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture are relatively important because they are located in the capital region and their economies developed first. There are many factories in the area, and the economic output of one county is often equivalent to that of several prefectures in other provinces. Therefore, they have also laid cables and equipped themselves with telegraph machines.

However, in other areas, the vast majority of prefectures and counties have not yet been connected to the telegraph system.

However, there are exceptions. After all, the cable lines from the capital to the provinces inevitably had to pass through a large number of prefectures and counties.

In these areas along the route, since some cables pass through, telegraph stations are often set up as a result.

On the one hand, it was a convenient action that didn't add any extra cost.

On the other hand, it also facilitates signal relay and maintenance.

The Yellow River breached its banks this time with an extremely turbulent flow, carrying a large amount of silt and sand, like a ferocious beast unleashed from its cage, and submerged large areas of fertile land in a short period of time.

The people living near the breach had almost no chance of escape and were instantly swallowed up by the flood.

As for those who are further away, if they rely on manpower to transmit flood information according to past practice, by the time the news reaches them, the flood has already rushed in, and it will be futile to escape.

The North China Plain is low-lying and boundless, making it extremely difficult to escape to higher ground for refuge; one often has to travel more than ten miles.

The reason why the breaches of dikes in the past were so devastating was precisely this.

But this time it's different.

The section of the Yellow River that breached its banks this time happened to be in several prefectures and counties that were along the cable line, and all of them had telegraph stations.

Once the news of the levee breach was confirmed, an urgent report was immediately sent from the local telegraph station to the surrounding prefectures and counties.

Upon receiving the news, surrounding prefectures and counties immediately organized the evacuation of residents, transferring them to relatively safe locations in advance.

Many people who were originally in danger were saved from danger, and countless lives were saved!

When the messenger reported the news, all the civil and military officials in the hall were overjoyed.

Then all the ministers knelt down and loudly congratulated them:

"Your Majesty, I offer my congratulations! Congratulations to the Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty, I offer my congratulations! Congratulations to the Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty, I offer my congratulations! Congratulations to the Great Ming Dynasty!"

……

The hall was filled with thunderous congratulations, and the ministers' excitement was palpable.

The somber atmosphere inside the hall was instantly replaced by a joyful one.

However, Zhu Yunwen's face showed no joy; his eyes were deep and his expression became even more solemn.

He slowly clenched his fist, his palm turning slightly white, as if anger was gathering within him.

After a moment, he finally exhaled slowly and said:

"I... dislike turning funerals into celebrations!"

Although his tone was soft, it was like a chilling wind penetrating to the bone, causing the assembled officials to feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave. Their expressions changed drastically, and they all lowered their heads in silence, their hearts filled with trepidation.

While the telegram saved countless lives, what about those who were unable to escape and were swallowed by the flood?

The disaster is severe, yet they are celebrating here; it seems somewhat inappropriate.

In Zhu Yunwen's view, if he were to say a few inspiring words while comforting the people, or even publish an editorial in the "Daming Daily" praising the court's effective disaster relief, highlighting the court's achievements, and the selflessness of officials, it would be reasonable to win people's hearts and appease public opinion.

But right now, this is the Golden Palace, the imperial court, the highest meeting place for the empire to handle major national policies and formulate countermeasures.

At this critical moment, failing to seriously analyze the disaster situation, and neglecting to investigate its causes and countermeasures, while only focusing on praising and flattering the emperor, is putting the cart before the horse and losing one's sense of proportion.

However, although these people were somewhat out of line, Zhu Yunwen did not reprimand them severely.

Human nature is such that when fear and relief are intertwined, people are prone to becoming emotional.

Taking the opportunity to flatter superiors is a deeply ingrained thought in many officials.

Zhu Yunwen didn't say anything more, directly changing the subject, and said:

"I just asked if there is a way to completely solve the Yellow River flood problem. My dear ministers, please speak frankly and do not hold back."

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

Wang Zuo was the first to step forward, cupping his hands in greeting as he reported:

"Your Majesty, the Yellow River's flooding has been a major threat to the Central Plains since ancient times."

"The methods of river management in various dynasties were generally nothing more than two strategies: dredging the river channel and building dikes."

"Although this method is not perfect, it still has some merits."

"The most urgent task at present is to resettle the disaster victims and provide relief to those in distress."

"Secondly, it is necessary to rectify official conduct, punish corrupt officials, especially those who have neglected their duties in river management and have been incompetent in their positions, in order to appease the public and calm their hearts."

“Those like the Prefect of Guide Prefecture bear significant responsibility for the Yellow River's breach and should be beheaded as a warning to the people.”

"Then we mobilized craftsmen and gathered resources to rebuild the dikes along the Yellow River, raise and reinforce the dikes, and dredge the main river channel."

"Now the Ming Dynasty is stronger than ever before, with manpower, financial resources and technology far surpassing those of the past. Building a long dike across the Yellow River that is ten times stronger than before is not a difficult task."

"I dare not say that I can guarantee a thousand years of peace, but as long as the dikes are repaired, the river channels are dredged, and regulations are established and strict management is implemented, the disaster of the Yellow River breaching its banks will never be repeated."

Zhu Yunwen listened quietly and then said:
"The Prefect of Guide Prefecture may detain him first, and then determine his guilt after a thorough investigation."

"As for the extent of his fault in the Yellow River breach, whether he was guilty of corruption, dereliction of duty, or malfeasance, it needs to be investigated before a decision is made."

"I am unwilling to wrong an honest official, nor will I tolerate a treacherous one."

As soon as he finished speaking, the officials in the hall looked at each other, their expressions becoming somewhat subtle.

They were surprised, hesitant, or thoughtful.

After all, in the imperial court, "using disasters to hold people accountable" is a common practice in officialdom.

In fact, everyone present knew perfectly well that although the Yellow River breached its banks within the territory of Guide Prefecture, it was not necessarily because the Prefect of Guide Prefecture had failed in his river management efforts or because he had embezzled funds intended for river management.

Perhaps, this prefect was a diligent and incorruptible official.

However, he was unlucky; fate chose his jurisdiction, causing the mighty Yellow River to tear through the dikes, devour fertile fields, and bring disaster to the people.

Since that's the case, regardless of whether he's truly guilty or not, let's take his head first to appease public anger!

Killing one person brings peace of mind to the people and dispels their resentment; it can be considered that he sacrificed himself for the country and its people.

After all, the anger of the disaster-stricken people needed an outlet, and he just happened to become the sacrifice on that altar.

……

(End of this chapter)