Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 510 Methods for Controlling the Yellow River! Zhu Yunwen's Northern Inspection Tour!

Not only the prefect of Guide Prefecture, but also the other officials below him, such as the county magistrates of the breached river sections, needless to say, were doomed to die!
Whether these officials were wronged or not is completely irrelevant.

Their heads were merely borrowed by the imperial court.

As for higher-ranking officials, such as the governor of Henan or the imperial inspector, they were already powerful regional officials, holding positions in the central government and wielding considerable influence. Naturally, they would not easily become sacrifices to be "sacrificed."

Everyone knows this perfectly well.

However, when Wang Zuo proposed to execute the prefect of Guide Prefecture and others, no one stood up to defend them or plead their case.

The reason is nothing more than the unspoken rules of officialdom.

When such a shocking event as the Yellow River breaches its banks occurs, someone always has to step forward to "take the blame" in order to quell public anger.

This has always been the practice, and no matter who is in power, it is difficult to escape this custom.

However, Zhu Yunwen did not agree with this approach.

Accountability is certainly necessary, but it should be pursued fairly and reasonably, not with disregard for human life or the law.

If the prefect of Guide Prefecture and his officials were beheaded without distinguishing right from wrong, it would be too rash and might just let the real culprit who should be held responsible go free.

Even if the prefect of Guide Prefecture did indeed engage in corrupt practices, a thorough investigation must be conducted before taking legal action.

For example, is he acting alone and doing evil?
Are there other accomplices?

Did he bribe higher-level officials in exchange for protection?
Did higher-level officials also participate, or was it even caused by the corruption and illegal acts of higher-level officials?

These issues must all be thoroughly investigated.

If he were hastily executed on the spot, these potentially deeper truths would be lost forever, like a stone thrown into the sea, never to be revealed.

Although the courtiers were mostly surprised by the emperor's words, none of them dared to object further.

Some of the more seasoned individuals were already feeling a stirring in their hearts.

If the prefect of Guide Prefecture were to be beheaded, it would save him the trouble and all trouble, leaving him with a clean slate.

If this person is taken to the prison for interrogation, it will be to thoroughly investigate his connections, relationships, and superiors and subordinates.

The relationships in officialdom are complex and intertwined; they may twist and turn and eventually implicate you, which would be a huge problem.

Zhu Yunwen ignored everyone's thoughts and continued, "The method you just mentioned, dredging the river and building dikes, has been tried by every dynasty since ancient times, but with little effect."

“Since I ascended the throne, I have allocated a considerable amount of money and grain for the construction of the Yellow River dike and the dredging of the river channel. Yet today’s collapse still occurs. How can I not be heartbroken?”

"In the Henan and Shandong areas, the Yellow River is often affected by the inverted terrain. The dikes are high and the water floats. Without a good solution, simply raising the dikes will only cause the silt to accumulate higher and higher, and over time, the problem will become too difficult to reverse."

"We need practical and feasible methods to dredge the silt; we can't keep going down the old path or just talking empty words."

Zhu Yunwen understood that raising the Yellow River dike, though difficult, was still achievable.

Even though the Ming Dynasty at that time did not possess the advanced large-scale engineering machinery of later generations, and had no cars or excavators, it was still possible to gradually raise the dike and make it stronger and more solid by relying on human labor.

But when it comes to dredging waterways, that's much more complicated.

Admittedly, during the dry season, the Yellow River recedes and the riverbed is exposed, so it is indeed possible to send people down into the river to dredge sand and mud, and then pile it up on the embankment.

The problem is that the amount of engineering work required to deepen the river channel, ensure smooth water flow, and safely guide floodwaters is enormous, almost astronomical.

Even in later, technologically advanced and financially powerful societies, the high costs prevented them from achieving their goals.

Even with a full treasury and abundant manpower, how can the Ming Dynasty compare to an era that could readily mobilize tens or even hundreds of thousands of engineering machines?
Relying on manpower to dredge the entire Yellow River channel is ultimately a drop in the ocean.

Moreover, the reason why the Yellow River is muddy and carries silt is precisely because of the silt problem that stretches for thousands of miles.

Zhu Yunwen vaguely remembered that a geography book he had read in his previous life recorded that the Yellow River carries up to a billion tons of silt down from its upper reaches every year, a quantity that is unimaginable.

Later generations had extensive forest coverage and did a very good job in soil and water conservation, yet there was still such a large amount of sediment.

In the present Ming Dynasty, vegetation is sparse, mountains and rivers are exposed, and soil erosion is even more severe. The amount of silt washed down by the Yellow River each year is probably no less than that.

Such a huge amount of silt is deposited on the downstream riverbed every year, piling up like mountains, getting higher and higher.

Even if the imperial court mobilizes the entire nation's resources every year, spending countless sums of money and conscripting millions of laborers to dig every day, it will probably still not be able to keep up with the amount of silt carried down by the Yellow River in a year.

In other words, no matter how many people are sent to dig, it will be a waste of effort.

Even with the mighty Ming Dynasty, it would be exhausted by the Yellow River's problems and still find it difficult to completely dredge its waterways!
The Yellow River's riverbed will only rise further, and the dikes will be built higher and higher, until they eventually collapse.

Therefore, simply mobilizing manpower to dredge the river channel will not solve the problem at all and is destined to be a futile effort!

At this moment, Xia Yuanji stepped forward and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, of all the difficulties in governing the Yellow River, sand is the most challenging."

"Since ancient times, all those who are determined to control the Yellow River know that 'to control the Yellow River, one must first control the sand.'"

"To eradicate the problem of siltation in the Yellow River, relying solely on manpower for dredging will likely be a drop in the ocean and unlikely to be effective."

"For thousands of years, dynasties have racked their brains, but still no good solution has been found."

“I once served as an official in a local area and visited various water conservancy projects, where I saw many river conditions.”

"Most riverbanks are sandbars that are exposed year-round and are only submerged during the flood season when the water rises."

"These riverbanks, eroded by floods, are themselves sources of silt. Year after year, they are eroded and silted up day after day. Over time, the riverbed rises continuously, and the floods become more and more severe."

"Although I have not personally visited the Yellow River region, according to the records in books, the Yellow River's course is mostly like this, and its floodplains are far more extensive than those of ordinary rivers."

"To ensure that the water does not overflow when floods come, the only option throughout history has been to continuously widen the riverbanks to allow them to contain the water."

"Fortunately, Your Majesty is exceptionally gifted and invented cement, which is a great blessing for flood control and a great fortune for the world."

"I dare to suggest that we use cement and reinforced concrete to build a new, sturdy, high embankment on the banks of the Yellow River near the riverbed."

"As long as the new dike is built high and strong enough, it will be able to withstand the impact of the flood peak and protect the people."

"There are three benefits to this."

"Firstly, since the original beach land was bound by the dike, it could be reclaimed into farmland and returned to the people. This would inevitably yield millions of acres of fertile land, enriching the national treasury and supporting the military and civilians."

"Secondly, once the high cement embankment is formed, it can firmly lock the river channel, preventing floods from overflowing and preventing silt from flowing into the water from both sides of the river channel and riverbank, thus greatly reducing the sources of silt in the Yellow River."

"Thirdly, with the river channel narrowed, the water flow becomes more rapid during floods, which can be used to flush away the silt and mud from the riverbed. Year after year, this not only prevents the riverbed from rising but also causes it to gradually sink and be dredged."

"If this method is implemented, it will achieve multiple benefits at once, not only promoting agriculture and benefiting the people, but also ensuring the long-term stability of the Yellow River."

After he finished speaking, the court fell silent for a moment, and the ministers had different expressions.

Wang Zuo stepped forward, his voice stern: "Your Majesty, this strategy must not be attempted lightly!"

"The Yellow River has been known as the 'suspended river' since ancient times. During its flood season, its water volume is as vast as the sea, which is incomparable to ordinary rivers."

"If the river channel is forcibly narrowed, the water will become even more turbulent, like a flash flood that rushes down thousands of miles."

"If a single dam breaks, the flood will be unstoppable, submerging thousands of miles of fertile land in an instant, causing countless deaths and injuries, and the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Xia Yuanji glanced at Wang Zuo, then bowed deeply to Zhu Yunwen, his tone steady: "I understand Your Majesty's concerns." "But times have changed. With His Majesty's personally made cement available, and reinforced with steel concrete, as long as the engineering is done properly and the construction is meticulous, the dike's strength will far surpass what the ancients could have imagined. Why worry about it not being able to hold back the flood?"

“If we continue to adhere to the old methods, the dikes will be built higher and higher, the beaches will become wider and wider, and silt will accumulate year after year. Eventually, the flood will engulf the city and cause immense suffering to the people.”

"Instead of waiting to die, we should face the challenge head-on and try to build a new dike to solve this problem."

Wang Zuo retorted, "While reinforced concrete can greatly strengthen the dike, human strength has its limits. When the floodwaters are raging, the speed and force of the current are no small matter."

"Without a wide river to allow the water to pass through, even a dam made of iron and bronze cannot contain such a force!"

The two argued back and forth, each holding their own opinion, and neither was willing to back down.

Zhu Yunwen frowned slightly, his gaze deep, as if lost in thought.

What Xia Yuanji said reminded him of his strategy for controlling the Yellow River in his previous life.

By constructing water conservancy projects such as Xiaolangdi, we can control water flow, store clear water and discharge turbid water, and use water to control and flush away sand.

The Ming Dynasty at present is naturally unable to construct such a massive water conservancy system.

There's no way we can even talk about building a decent regulating reservoir on the Yellow River.

However, this concept of "using water to control desertification" is worth learning from.

Digging sand by hand is doomed to failure.

However, if the force of the water could be used to carry away the silt, it might actually be a solution.

However, Xia Yuanji's proposed strategy seemed a bit too radical.

If the river channel is forcibly narrowed, how alarmingly high will the Yellow River water level rise when the flood peak arrives?
The risks involved are so great that it's unimaginable.

Reinforced concrete certainly greatly improves the riverbank's resistance to impact, but if the flood is too turbulent, even the strongest walls may not be able to withstand it.

This is not the static, controllable water found in a reservoir.

Instead, it is a raging torrent carrying mud and sand, with an impact force strong enough to shake mountains.

Once the river embankment collapses under high pressure, the breach will be quickly torn into a larger gap by the flood. The out-of-control water will carry sand and stones, rushing down and destroying villages and towns along the river, and flooding fertile fields.

The narrow river channel is simply unable to hold water, and the water will quickly spread to a wider area. The disaster that will be caused then will probably be more than ten times greater than it is now.

However, if the river channel is not narrowed, then only one other path remains: "widening the river to retain sediment".

This is a method that is completely opposite to the former approach.

By artificially widening the river channel, more space is provided for floodwaters to flow downstream, slowing the flow rate and thus reducing the impact on the embankments, preventing the calamity of embankment breaches.

This method, though seemingly conservative, is indeed a feasible approach.

As long as the river channel is expanded to a sufficiently wide extent, such as tens or even hundreds of miles wide.

Therefore, even when the flood peak arrives, the water will flow slowly and will not create huge waves or easily destroy the dikes.

However, "widening the river to retain sand" is not a foolproof solution.

Firstly, building such a wide waterway would inevitably require the requisition of a large number of farmlands and villages along the river, resulting in the relocation of people, land redistribution, and huge costs.

Secondly, this method only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause.

Although the sediment was temporarily retained, it was not actually reduced.

The Yellow River carries silt year after year, and its riverbed continues to rise slowly. Over the years, it will inevitably remain a "high-hanging river."

Centuries or millennia later, the riverbed rises several meters above the ground again, and the only solution is to find another way out, to change the course and rebuild. This cycle repeats itself endlessly.

Taming the Yellow River is a difficult task!

Zhu Yunwen frowned, his mind racing.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

If these two approaches to treating jaundice are combined, could we find a new and feasible path?

His mind shifted, and his thoughts became clearer.

On both sides of the main channel of the Yellow River, a secondary dike can be built first to confine the water flow within the main channel, so that it no longer erodes the riverbank, but concentrates the water power to flush the sediment at the bottom of the river, forcing the silt to flow down with the water and no longer accumulate.

At the same time, the original beach area can be expanded outward to build a wider dike, forming a "double dike".

Normally, the Yellow River continues to flow through its main channel.

When the flood peak arrives, the beaches on both sides can be used as a buffer zone.

When the water level rises, the fields inside the dike can store floodwater and slow down the impact of the water.

The outer dike exists precisely to prevent floodwaters from spreading to more distant villages and towns.

The paddy fields inside the dike can hold water for flood discharge during the high-water season.

Grain can be grown even during the dry season.

However, the people's homes had to be moved outside the dike.

In this way, "let the water come and flood," people will be unharmed, and the fields will be safe.

Yes, that's the way!
He suddenly remembered that later generations seemed to have adopted a similar strategy.

Although the project was arduous, it was indeed effective.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yunwen felt a sudden sense of clarity, his previous heaviness and hesitation vanishing, and he spoke loudly:
"Stop arguing, all of you. I already have a solution."

The ministers immediately fell silent and all looked toward the throne.

Zhu Yunwen slowly stood up: "The root cause of the Yellow River's siltation lies in the severe ecological damage to the Loess Plateau in the upper reaches, the lack of vegetation, and the exposure of bare mountains."

"When it rains, soil erosion occurs, and silt rolls into the river, year after year, eventually becoming a major problem."

Therefore, the treatment of the Yellow River must start from its source.

"We will plant trees on a large scale on the Loess Plateau to restore vegetation on the mountains, conserve water and soil, and fundamentally stop sandstorms."

"Secondly, it combines the methods of 'constricting water to attack sand' and 'widening the river to retain sand'."

“Double dikes were built on both banks of the Yellow River.”

"The inner dike collects water and concentrates its force to wash away the silt and sand from the riverbed."

"The outer dike is built with extensive sandy areas to slow down the flow of water, thus both discharging floodwaters and protecting the people."

At this point, he paused for a moment, looked around at the assembled officials, and said:
"This strategy is not just theoretical; I intend to personally go to the Yellow River line to conduct an on-site inspection before making a decision."

"Issue an imperial decree: a northern inspection tour will be scheduled for a chosen date!"

……

(End of this chapter)