A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 379 Disaster Relief
Upon hearing those three words, Chen Yaozuo was still extremely unwilling.

Ever since Chen Yaozuo was scolded unconscious by Song Xuan in the main hall, although he longed to climb the ranks, he also had to be mindful of his reputation.

Chen Yaozuo was somewhat incredulous that he could still climb the ladder of success, fearing that people would talk about him for the rest of his life.

At least for now, the scholar-official class considers themselves half masters of the country and still maintains a certain level of moral standards.

Even if Chen Yaozuo did it to repay his father's kindness, it is still unreasonable from a public perspective.

Especially after Chen Yaozuo learned that the Empress Dowager had transferred Zhong Lijin to the capital, with the next step being to replace him as the Prefect of Kaifeng, he felt that he had little hope.

At this moment, the words "Vice Chancellor" were mentioned again by Lü Yijian, and Chen Yaozuo was not sure:
"Prime Minister Lü, do I really still have a chance?"

"of course."

After giving an affirmative answer, Lü Yijian then said seriously:
"The Empress Dowager has entrusted Yan Shu with this task, probably because she wants to promote him."

“I think Song Xuan’s method of river management is effective, and you should try to take it from Yan Shu, understand?”

Lü Yijian was already feeling the crisis.

Yan Shu could get along with anyone, but he just couldn't open his heart to anyone.

He couldn't bring Yan Shu into his team.

Once Yan Shu becomes the vice prime minister and enters the central government, there will likely be many things beyond his control.

Since the Empress Dowager wanted Chen Yaozuo to relinquish his important position as Prefect of Kaifeng without consulting him beforehand, it must mean that he was to be transferred to a post outside the capital.

Lu Yijian shook the bewildered Chen Yaozuo again:

“I have read Song Xuan’s method of river management. It is an innovation and must have been based on the Dujiangyan Irrigation System in Chengdu.”

"Although he came up with the idea, we did the work."

"When the time comes to reward those who have contributed, we will be able to get at least 60%."

"Xi Yuan, wake up! This is your only chance to be nominated!"

"Otherwise, you could be sent to serve as an official outside the capital. At your age, would you still have a chance to come back?"

Chen Yaozuo was shaken awake by Lü Yijian:
"Yes, this is my only chance."

He knew that Lü Yijian was right; he could no longer sit still in his position as the Prefect of Kaifeng. Now that the Yellow River had breached its banks, he had served as the Prefect of Huazhou and had even plugged the breach.

Even if Yan Shu were gone, he certainly wouldn't be as familiar with the place as I am.

再加上宋煊改进的法子，到时候还真未可知也！
"I understand."

Chen Yaozuo rekindled his fighting spirit for the position of prime minister.

I must take up the mantle of my elder brother’s unfinished work and restore the glory of the Chen family.

"it is good."

Lu Yijian breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Yaozuo had handled this matter well, so he could strongly recommend Chen Yaozuo to enter the Secretariat-Chancellery instead of Yan Shu.

If it weren't for the fact that the two vice prime ministers, Zhang and Zhang, were in poor health, Yan Shu wouldn't have had to take the lead in this matter.

The next day, Song Xuan and his party headed straight for Huazhou.

At this time, the Yellow River was flowing rapidly.

Zhang Junping stood at the bow of the boat. He had made a special trip to visit Cao Liyong yesterday and mentioned this matter in the process.

Cao Liyong instructed Zhang Junping to follow his son-in-law's methods and try them out, which would surely enable him to achieve sufficient merit.

Then he saw Song Xuan holding onto the mast and assumed he was seasick, so he went over to him.

“Scholar Song, I actually have a question.”

Zhang Junping looked at the Yellow River:
"Why did everyone previously think that the Yellow River flooding was caused by excessive rainfall, and no one ever thought it was a problem of silt?"

It wasn't just Zhang Junping, the person in charge of water management, who made this assertion; many civil officials in the Song Dynasty thought the same way.

Because they all watched as the rain poured down and the Yellow River breached its banks.

After all, most of the time, people will believe what they see with their own eyes.

This was also the idea of ​​Wen Yanbo and others. They then diverted the Liuta River, hoping to share the burden of the Yellow River. As a result, the small containers held a thousand cups.

The Liuta River overflowed its banks in an instant.

When Wang Anshi took over the project, he thought the problem was caused by silt. He tried to use manpower to remove the silt from the river, but this was only a temporary solution.

As long as the Yellow River flows, it will continue to accumulate in the future.

Despite using a large amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, it was to no avail, and the dike breached again.

Looking at the surging Yellow River, Song Xuan was actually a little worried. Was the boat sturdy?
Not everyone has the ability to escape from the Yellow River.

After all, outsiders are very daring when they ride sheepskin rafts, and they assume that if locals dare to do this kind of business, it must be safe.

Locals almost never ride it; they just watch from the shore as tourists ride it, making comments as they go…

"Supervisor Zhang, have you ever cleared silt?"

"Never."

“那你觉得这淤泥是怎么来的？”

"Brought by the Yellow River."

Zhang Junping, hands on his hips, replied, "But the Yellow River brings silt and sand, and then takes it away."

"Then why is there still a lot of silt, and why is the riverbed getting higher and higher?"

张君平被宋煊给问懵了，他方才给出的答案确实有失偏颇。

但是一时间又想不明白。

"Has Supervisor Zhang ever played Cuju (ancient Chinese football)?"

In response to Song Xuan's question, Zhang Junping nodded:

"In the army, I would organize people to play Cuju (ancient Chinese football) and gamble for a prize, since there was too little alcohol."

"In the game of Cuju, is it a game where you have energy to kick from beginning to end, or is it a game where you have energy to kick at the beginning but gradually get tired and have no energy left?"

"It is the second type."

Song Xuan snapped his fingers:
“That’s right. Zhang Dujian played football like the Yellow River, but he got tired and had no strength left when he got to the vicinity of our capital city.”

"That's why we need to give the Yellow River a suggestion to help it regain its strength to kick away the silt. This is called 'constricting the water to attack the sand'."

"what?"

"Ah~"

"what!"

After shouting several times, Zhang Junping took a half step back, his eyes filled with astonishment.

He scrutinized Song Xuan closely:

"Scholar Song's words were like the clouds parting to reveal the clear sky; I suddenly understood everything."

"Dredging is good! Dredging is good!"

Zhang Junping was quite excited, increasingly convinced that Song Xuan's theory was feasible.

Moreover, Cao Shizhong was not deceiving him; following Song Zhuangyuan would truly lead to a bright future.

Having accumulated experience in Huazhou, they learned that the Yellow River originates from the Kunlun Mountains (Zhang Qian proposed after his westward journey that the river originates from the Kunlun Mountains, a view that was continued in the Northern Song Dynasty), making it the second largest river in the world.

Traveling through the mountains must have taken a lot of effort, but it wouldn't have been enough to carry away so much mud and sand.

张君平是觉得滑州修好堤坝后，绵延黄河的其余各处也应该如此做，方能更好的治理黄河。

Attracted by Zhang Junping's ecstatic shouts, Yan Shu and the others had no idea what Song Xuan had said to this only military general.

That made him so happy, and he even said that clearing the silt was good?

"I thought Supervisor Zhang was a mature and prudent person."

Chen Yaozu stroked his beard and looked at Yan Shu:

“Vice Privy Councilor Yan, I know Huazhou quite well. If there is anything you don’t understand, I will do my best to cooperate with you.”

Yan Shu nodded, leaning against a pillar; he was feeling a bit seasick.

"Alright, then I'll leave it to Prefect Chen to take care of things."

“分内之事，我定会好好挑起大梁，争取早日堵住缺口。”

Even the usually composed Chen Yaozuo was quite excited to hear this; opportunities are earned.

Once we arrive in Huazhou, I will take control of the entire situation.

The current seat of Huazhou is Baima County.

As Song Xuan listened to Zhang Junping's introduction, he learned that there was a section of the Sui and Tang Grand Canal here, now known as the Yongji River.

As far as the eye could see, everything was submerged by the Yellow River, and there was hardly any green grass to be seen.

"The breach in the river in the third year of Tianxi was so severe that the riverbank was completely destroyed; now it is probably even worse."

Zhang Junping remarked that the main reason for the flood was that it was not limited to the vicinity of the river channel, but rather spread in all directions.

The last breach flooded Baima County, and this time it will likely affect even further areas, undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

Although Song Xuan had witnessed the great floods, at that time, neither the court nor the people of the Northern Song Dynasty were able to do anything about the floods and could only endure them.

Even though the Northern Song Dynasty had its own set of procedures for disaster relief, having procedures alone could not prevent massive losses.

Song Xuan felt that the flood had a wide impact, and the entire Huazhou and surrounding areas were likely to be submerged in water, just like what was happening now.

Song Xuan saw large areas of farmland that had been destroyed and submerged.

As for corpses floating on the water, there are both human and animal corpses.

"If we want to deal with this disaster in a short time, the number of people we discussed earlier is not enough."

Song Xuan stood at the bow of the boat. The Yellow River here was much calmer due to the breach, resembling the vast Liangshan Marsh.

"Yes."

Zhang Junping also had some worry in his eyes:
“Not only will we have to frequently conscript laborers and supplies, but the large number of laborers conscripted will inevitably affect people’s production and family livelihoods, and it may take several years to recover the losses.”

宋煊觉得五十万贯怕是不够用的。

He had already seen many disaster victims carrying their families on boats heading towards Tokyo.

These people have no way to make a living in this area.

When the boats reached Baima County, there was no need to disembark, as the county town was already flooded.

Many people were submerged up to their thighs. Without clean drinking water, there was a risk of an epidemic.

Snakes and rats have come up.

Instead of going to the county government office, the group went up the city wall, where at least they had a place to stand.

Yan Shu stood on the city wall, looking out at the watery expanse.

Even though I was mentally prepared, I was still extremely shocked when I saw the reality.

This breach is far too severe. If the next breach occurs in Kaifeng, the entire capital city of Tokyo might be submerged.

This made Yan Shu believe that controlling the Yellow River was of utmost urgency, and he didn't know whether Song Xuan's design of constricting water to flush away sand would be effective.

While Yan Shu was pondering Song Xuan's methods for river management, Chen Yaozuo had already started working. He summoned the magistrate of Baima County and the prefect of Huazhou to have a talk and inquire about various matters.

Qin Ying stood next to Chen Yaozuo and took out paper and pen. Compared to the others, the two of them had been working together for quite a while.

After listening for a while, Yan Shu realized that these people didn't know much either.

So he gestured with his eyes for Song Xuan to leave and have a chat.

"I've noticed you've had a gloomy face the whole time. Who upset you this time?"

"I lament the hardships of people's lives."

Song Xuan put his hands behind his back and said, "Seeing the disaster-stricken people, I'm not indifferent. I'm still not heartless enough."

"He's still a person, he hasn't been corrupted by officialdom."

Yan Shu also walked slowly:

"Five hundred thousand strings of cash is not enough, and fifty or sixty thousand people are not enough either. We need to at least double the amount."

He looked embarrassed: "It seems that the annual tribute to the Liao Kingdom this year will be delayed for a while."

Looking at the golden-yellow river surface, Song Xuan wondered where this water was going to drain away.

We need to let the water on the ground dry first so we can get to work.

"Money, money, money! The Song Dynasty has been wealthy for so many years, where has all the money gone?"

Song Xuan pointed at Yan Shu:
"The salaries of high-ranking officials like Lord Yan are quite substantial, and even I, a minor official of the seventh rank, do not receive only one salary."

"This amount of money does take up a portion, but the majority is needed to maintain the military."

Yan Shu did not deny it. Cheng Lin, the Minister of the Three Departments, had also come along. Even if he did not want to give money, he had to give it first for disaster relief, which was the national policy.

"Then we'll send a large number of local troops here to do the work."

Song Xuan coughed and said, "Although we can't give them extra money, we can make sure they eat well, which will motivate them."

"Just like how you used prisoners to clear silt in Kaifeng County?"

Yan Shu thought Song Xuan's method was good, but with so many soldiers gathered together, it might not be acceptable to the Empress Dowager.

After all, they were a widow and her child, and this place wasn't far from Chenqiao Post Station.

"correct."

Song Xuan pointed outside and said, "If we conscript people to work, then we will use work relief to rebuild their homes."

"Work relief in lieu of work?"

Yan Shu stood with his hands behind his back: "That's interesting. Tell me about it."

"I will clean up the silt in the Bian River for the people who went to Tokyo to beg for a living, as a way to provide work relief and alleviate their pressure."

"As for the large number of people who remained in the countryside awaiting rescue, they were ordered by Prime Minister Yan to participate in projects such as dredging the river and building dikes."

"By providing food and some low wages, we can motivate the disaster victims. As for how I motivate the prisoners, I'm sure you've heard about it. Just follow the grouping method."

"In this way, we will be carrying out the project on two fronts, with Huazhou as the main line, which will require more manpower, material resources, financial resources, and time."

"Tokyo City continues to clear silt as it accommodates a large number of disaster victims and unemployed people who want to earn money."

"Perhaps the project will be able to proceed much faster, and more people will be able to survive and not starve to death in the winter."

“嗯，倒是合理。”

Yan Shu nodded. Nowadays, the work-for-relief program is not frequently used in the Song Dynasty.

That was only after Fan Zhongyan used his reputation to attract grain merchants and then embarked on large-scale construction projects, which ensured the continuation of the tradition.

"Not a bad idea." Yan Shu chuckled as he looked at Song Xuan.
"Then it would be perfectly reasonable for me, as the Deputy Privy Councilor, to request the transfer of the Xiang Army, wouldn't it?"

"The Empress Dowager doubts no one but you, Prime Minister Yan, that you will lead troops straight to the capital, force her to step down, and allow the Emperor to rule in his own right."

"Don't try to test people by joking around with your true feelings; it's easy to offend them."

Yan Shu rolled his eyes helplessly and sighed. He felt that Song Xuan was too radical.

If Cao Liyong and others were to be stationed here and a large number of local troops were to appear, Liu E would likely be startled awake at night and become suspicious.

As for civil officials, they didn't have that concern.

"That means I'll pretend I didn't hear what joke you were making."

晏殊指了指宋煊道：“我们如今最主要的是赈灾，不要搞有的没得。”

"Even if I were to sit here and mobilize a large number of local troops, the Empress would send someone to supervise. It wouldn't be easy to get them here."

宋煊扶着城墙垛子：

"Actually, I have a trick, which can be considered a crooked method."

"Speak quickly, there are no outsiders here, I want to see just how crooked and evil your methods are."

"Our Great Song Dynasty has suffered such a severe flood, and the Liao Kingdom must know about it. In that case, we can spread the word that the Liao Kingdom will take the opportunity to send troops to demand tribute. Wouldn't that allow us to mobilize more of our local troops to come here?"

Yan Shu remained silent; he said nothing.

Because he could even use matters between two countries to his advantage, Yan Shu didn't know how to evaluate Song Xuan.

To achieve one's goals by any means necessary?

"How should this matter be spread?" Yan Shu pointed to a vast ocean:
"If this news gets out, the first to flee will be the local people who are still alive."

"Let the Imperial City Guard spread the word. They specialize in this. Just pass it on to the Empress Dowager; it won't have any impact on the outside world."

"You, you."

Yan Shu also leaned against the city wall, unsure of what to say for a moment.

He discovered that Song Xuan's proposed plan, though unconventional and unexpected, was surprisingly effective.

He had the same eccentric thinking before he became an official, and he still does now.

Which county magistrate or prefect would have thought of and acted on the idea of ​​raiding the hideout of the bandit leader of Wuyou Cave on a rainy day?
“对了，无忧洞的人抓了你二哥，可是无事？”

"He's perfectly fine."

Song Xuan snorted and laughed:
"No wonder he's been immersed in casinos for so many years, he's developed a big heart. He fooled the people in Wuyou Cave so well."

Song Xuan told Yan Shu about Song Kang's actions, which made Yan Shu chuckle.

When he was in Nanjing, even though Song Xuan was far from his hometown, Yan Shu still inquired about his family's situation, and what he found was truly astonishing.

It's truly a blessing from heaven that Song Xuan didn't turn out badly; it's a great fortune for the Song Dynasty.

"You have a big heart."

Yan Shu felt his gloomy mood improve for a while, and then he spoke:

"Twelfth Brother, we still need to allocate boats, split up, and inform the people about the work-for-relief program."

"While you're at it, go and see where the flood has spread. Make sure you have a clear picture of the situation. Finally, ask the Empress Dowager to allocate funds and troops."

"Well, let's do it."

The two of them quickly circled the city wall, where many people were sitting on the rooftops and walking on the top of the wall.

晏殊说了一下宋煊的思路，然后让大家都各自朝着几个方向去探查。

最好能画出水图，如此一来才能更好的进行规划。

Chen Yaozuo knew that Yan Shu was a smart man, and he was dissatisfied with the ignorant attitude of the prefect of Huazhou and others, so he made this arrangement.

He did not refute it, and Yan Shu's arrangement was reasonable.

So the group, along with their assistants, dispersed in their respective assigned directions and carefully explored the area by boat.

Song Xuan sat at the bow of the boat, with another boat following behind him to prevent any accidents.

In that short time, he discovered that there wasn't a single tall tree around.

This area is now part of the North China Plain. Perhaps Chen Yaozuo cut down many trees to maintain order during the last breach in Huazhou.

It will be difficult for the workers who want to gather enough trees to build the revetment.

宋煊一边让人记录，一边瞧着远处。

The people inside the city were protected by the city walls and were not swept away.

But the people outside the city suffered.

They can't even take care of the living, and no one is collecting the corpses of the dead.

After the heavy rain stops, the sun will be scorching, and it might explode in a few days.

Song Xuan picked up his pen and made some notes. There should be a special team to clean up the corpses, and they should be paid according to the number of corpses. This would motivate them to work. Even if it meant less money, it was still much better than having corpses everywhere and creating more polluted water sources.

The area is a plain with few mountains, and it slopes from west to east with a flat terrain.

Because the Yellow River has flooded many times, there are still quite a few usable flood control dikes remaining.

In addition, there are many rivers in the area. After inquiring, Song Xuan confirmed that the river flows through Hebei, joins the Baigou River, and enters the Bohai Bay.

He wandered around, gauging the scale of the project, and pondered what would happen if a sluice gate were installed to slowly channel the water from the fields into the Sui-Tang Grand Canal.

反正这水最终汇入渤海，宋辽双方以白沟河为界，洪水也会过去，那就慢慢的往那边泄洪呗。

Even if the other side is flooded, it is still Liao territory.

The worst-case scenario was that the south bank was flooded. The Song Dynasty had created many swamps along the border, so they were not afraid of being flooded at all.

宋煊让人划船继续走，他要找个合适的地方修建一条沟渠，控制好水闸，免得黄河水没有按照计划输送到宋辽边境线上去。

"Twelfth Brother, there's so much sand here."

Wang Bao pointed ahead: "We can't row any further in that direction; we're almost at the border between Baima County and Dunqiu."

"Dunqiu?" Song Xuan stood up from the bow of the boat and looked around. "That's where Boss Cao used to be the magistrate. Damn it, we're rowing pretty fast."

"Yes, this is the territory of Chanzhou."

"The floodwaters have reached here!"

Song Xuan tossed the pen to Qi Lecheng, picked up the bamboo pole, and said, "Let's walk a little further and go ashore to live and cook."

The group headed towards the visible shore.

I can't even find some dry firewood.

宋煊手搭凉棚仔细看过去，当真是没见什么山脉，一望无际的平原。

The floodwaters created curved lines that distinguished the colors.

Further afield, at the seat of Chanzhou, lies the border region of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces, a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times. Perhaps one can even see the mountains there.

“My lord, this is where the Deqing Army is stationed. We can go there to make the announcement.”

Hearing Qi Lecheng's words, Song Xuan nodded. This place is a strategic location that all military strategists must occupy, so troops must be stationed there.

"Now it has also become the territory of the local militia."

This was a military outpost, which was abolished in the late reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.

"Alright, as long as there are Xiang Army soldiers, they're lucky their area wasn't flooded."

They left someone to watch the boat and then walked on foot.

Many disaster victims were sitting or lying down on both sides of the road.

They all looked on with delight when they saw people dressed in official robes, but few dared to come forward to stop them.

clack.

The old man and his grandson knelt down before Song Xuan, blocking the middle of the road.

"My lord, could you please give me some food? My grandson is so hungry that he has no strength left."

Song Xuan reached out to Wang Bao to get him a flatbread, then squatted down and handed it to him.
"Thank you so much, sir! Thank you so much, sir!"

The old man quickly took a bite, then handed it to his grandson, telling him to eat it all.

How many days have you been here?

"It's been almost three days, and the soldiers inside the city won't let us in. We can only eat some grass outside to fill our stomachs."

宋煊瞥了一眼周遭人：“快些吃吧，要不然一会该有人上来抢了。”

The old man swallowed hard, but didn't want to eat much.

The best thing is for my grandson to live.

"My lord."

Other people nearby came over to pray.

"The pancakes are gone."

Song Xuan stood up and addressed the restless disaster victims around him:

"I am Song Xuan, the magistrate of Kaifeng County. I am responsible for investigating and reporting the disaster situation caused by the breach in the dikes to the imperial court."

"Bear with it a little longer. I'll go into the city first and get some rice porridge for you. The imperial court will send people here to provide disaster relief soon."

With Song Xuan's comforting words, the disaster victims immediately burst into tears.

Finally, someone from the imperial court arrived.

It was standard procedure for Song Xuan to announce his name so that the disaster victims would know who was coming to rescue them.

When Song Xuan reached the county town gate, soldiers stopped him and asked him questions:

"May I ask where you come from, sir?"

"I am Song Xuan, the magistrate of Kaifeng County, who has come to provide disaster relief on the orders of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

宋煊让王保把自己的官印掏出来：“带我见你们的都虞候。”

"Yes, please, Master Song."

士卒当即叫人打开护栏，恭敬的请宋煊进城。

As for the disaster victims outside, they must absolutely not be allowed to enter the city.

Song Xuan surveyed the military city, noticing that most of the soldiers inside were dressed in tattered clothes, and some even wore very little clothing to keep cool.

They were not used for fighting; they were mostly "odd jobs" for building bridges and roads.

至于待遇宋煊也不用问，他早就在南京城的时候领教过了，这帮人脸上刺字，能领点酱菜钱或者食盐钱，就算是这个都指挥使或者厢都虞候有良心。

This is the policy of strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches.

Moreover, they were either starving people or criminals, and those outside who were too hungry to enter the city were also the next source of soldiers to be recruited.

"Scholar Song has come in person, and I am sorry that I failed to greet you properly. I hope you will not take offense."

Liu Jun, the commander of the garrison, spoke politely as he invited Song Xuan in for a chat.

Many commanders and captains came to pay their respects.

The civil officials thought Cao Liyong was no big deal, but in the Song military, Cao Liyong's name was quite influential.

Now that the son-in-law of the Privy Councilor Cao has arrived, we must treat him well.

Even if you can't offer the best hospitality, you can't afford to make a mistake.

Otherwise, you could get into trouble.

Song Xuan wasn't in a hurry; instead, he took care of his bowel movement first.

While he was using the restroom, Liu Jun subtly inquired about Song Xuan's purpose for coming.

Upon learning that they were there for disaster relief, I immediately felt reassured.

As expected, he was highly regarded, as such an important task was entrusted to Song Zhuangyuan.

You'd better do your best later.

Liu Jun sent someone to cook, as he was obliged to entertain them.

When Song Xuan returned, Liu Jun immediately served him fruit.

It wasn't that he was being obsequious; he simply wanted to improve himself.

How much money can you make as a supervisor in the Xiangjun?
They're all poor bastards!
The amount of silver issued by the imperial court was pitifully small.

"Scholar Song, you must have had a long journey." Liu Jun said with a smile, "These are Dunqiu crabapples and Qiuyue pears, with crisp and sweet flesh."

Song Xuan didn't refuse. He picked up a pear, took a bite, thought it was good, and then shared it with a few of his followers.

"Everyone should have some; I can't eat it all by myself."

Song Xuan handed one to Liu Jun, who thanked him loudly once again.

"Commander Liu, how many days have the disaster victims been here?"

"It's been more than two days. At first, they let some people into the city, but then the number of people just kept increasing."

Liu Jun thought Song Xuan was going to question him, so he quickly explained that he hadn't allowed them into the city to avoid causing a disturbance.

They were especially aware that plagues were common after floods.

黄河在滑州又不是头一次决口了。

大家也都有了经验。

"The imperial court has decided to provide disaster relief."

"That's wonderful!" Liu Jun exclaimed with delight. "I wonder if we should be summoned to repair the Yellow River?"

"We'll probably have to wait."

Song Xuan, biting into a pear, said:
"The flood has inundated a wide area and there are many people in need. How much food do you have here?"

"Scholar Song, what's wrong with me?"

Liu Jun took a bite of the pear, never expecting that Song Xuan would ask about the grain first.

"You know the treatment of the Xiang Army; they really don't have much surplus grain."

"Here's what we'll do: if your Deqing army is transferred to build the dike, I'll go back and ask the Empress Dowager for permission to give each soldier a small daily wage, which can be used as money to buy food."

Song Xuan's directness caught Liu Jun off guard.
"Scholar Song, will this work?"

It wasn't that he didn't trust Song Xuan; the truth was, what kind of military garrison would receive extra money from the imperial court for repairing the Yellow River? Being able to make up for it with food was already a good thing.

“If the imperial court doesn’t give it, I, Song Xuan, will personally pay out of my own pocket to reward the soldiers of the Deqing Army.”

Song Xuan placed the pear core aside:
"Bring me pen and ink, and I'll write you a written agreement to give the brothers below an explanation."

"Is the top scholar Song going to distribute porridge to the disaster victims outside?"

"Yes, the imperial court also needs to conscript people to repair the Yellow River. There are too many people needed, and if it comes to winter, the cost will be too high."

Song Xuan didn't give him a chance to refuse:
“I know that food prices will rise after the disaster, so I will also increase your wages.”

Liu Jun was truly speechless.

Song Xuan has already gone to such lengths, what more do you want?
His father-in-law was the number one military general in the Song Dynasty.

待到刘钧看完字据后，刘钧有些不好意思：
“Scholar Song, this is not good.”

"This is official business. Consider it a personal favor I'm asking Commander Liu for."

When Song Xuan spoke in this way, using official business to incur a personal favor, Liu Jun immediately agreed.

The grain belongs to the public, but the favors are personal.

He immediately stood up:

“Scholar Song, I will immediately take out all the grain and cook porridge and distribute it to the people outside the city.”

"Don't bring it all out. The disaster victims outside the city aren't even considered human anymore."

"First, ensure their basic survival, otherwise your military rations won't last more than a few days."

"It takes time for the imperial court to allocate grain."

“What the top scholar Song said makes sense.”

Song Xuan waved his hand: "Let's set up ten big pots outside first. Don't make the porridge too thick. Make it a little thicker tomorrow. If we don't have any food to eat all the time, our stomachs won't be able to handle it."

"We'll do as Scholar Song says."

Liu Jun readily agreed and hurriedly went to fetch someone.

Song Xuan then arranged for Qi Lecheng to diligently supervise the matter, and while cooking the porridge, he claimed to have put a handful of soil in it to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.

This situation is quite common.

Qi Lecheng said "Oh" and nodded repeatedly to show that he remembered. He went to check on the grain first.

Anyway, the grain supplied to the local troops was generally not good grain.

After having a meal there, Song Xuan led Liu Jun and the others outside the city.

Qi Lecheng arranged for people to maintain order; for each of the ten large pots, people had to be sent to queue up.

The soldiers of the garrison were placed last in line. Each person received a bowl of porridge today, but tomorrow's porridge would be thicker.

Song Xuan watched them line up but didn't say much.

He took a closer look at the rice porridge; it wasn't too sparse, but enough to fill his stomach.

"Liu Duyuhou, please take care of this. I need to rush back to report to Privy Councilor Yan what I have seen. The court will do its best to transport these disaster victims away."

"Good good."

Liu Jun quickly assured him that he would personally oversee the distribution of porridge the next day until the arrival of the imperial envoy.

"Ah."

Song Xuan nodded and didn't say anything more.

If he's truly committed to handling this kind of matter properly, he can do it well.

If they outwardly comply but inwardly defy you, there's nothing Song Xuan can do.

After all, they weren't from the same system and had no connection whatsoever. If anyone was giving orders, it would be Yan Shu.

However, he angered Song Xuan. Song Xuan's words carried little weight, but Yan Shu could make you, the commander of the garrison, change generals on the spot and find a compliant person to take over and cooperate with you.

Xiangjun soldiers could enter the Imperial Guard, but unless you were exceptionally physically fit, you needed connections.

Liu Jun had no intention of controlling a ragtag army that couldn't even fight, leaving him unable to use his skills.

He was eager to prove himself through military achievements and to secure a future for his family.

Otherwise, if you stay in the mud pit your whole life, even if you become a commander in the Xiang Army, where else can you be promoted if you don't take the opportunity to transfer to the Imperial Guard?
Song Xuan was an opportunity he had seized to do someone a favor, so when Liu Jun stood on the shore watching Song Xuan's small wooden boat sail away, he was still unwilling to leave.

"Commander, let's go back."

"No rush, let's wait until Song Zhuangyuan's little wooden boat disappears from sight before we talk about it."

Liu Jun just stood there, completely still.

没办法，他太想要进步了。

Song Xuan didn't feel much about these people being able to drink thin porridge, because there were still people in other places who were starving and on the verge of death.

He has already instructed Liu Jun to send people to spread the news everywhere, and has left many copies of the proclamation to reassure people.

In short, the imperial court will not abandon you. They are already allocating grain and supplies and planning how to get through this flood.

Those people who had drunk the porridge, even though there wasn't much rice in it, became excited when they heard the announcement.

In the past, when people were mobilized to repair the Yellow River, it wasn't that they hadn't been there before.

Apart from the government providing some grain subsidies, most people had to carry their own grain, because there simply wasn't enough to eat.

The work is too tiring.

But this year is different from the past. The government has ordered that meals be provided and that they be paid a small daily wage so that they can save up enough to get through the winter.

Not only ordinary people, but also the local militia were affected.

"Heaven has eyes!"

"Heaven has eyes."

大批人激动的叫嚷着，甚至流出眼泪来。

The imperial court increased its disaster relief efforts once again.

Song Xuan did not return immediately, but continued along the shore to the next county town.

In short, I strolled to the edge of the flood.

By the time they returned, the floodwaters in Baima County had receded considerably, and many disaster victims who had received the notice were still traveling to Baima County despite the danger in order to receive the government's relief grain as soon as possible.

Song Xuan saw that the group of people were living on a simple raft, but he didn't say much.

Given the current situation, burning firewood is no longer sustainable; we still need to burn coal.

这样方能生活做饭，而且比木柴要好用许多。

众人胡子拉碴的聚在一起，就这种情况，饮用水都是问题，更不用说洗漱了。

Even Yan Shu, who was very conscious of his image, gathered everyone together to ask about various details.

This disaster is widespread, affecting several states.

"Magistrate Song, what are your thoughts?"

Song Xuan took out the drawing he had made and said that a ditch should be dug here and a sluice gate should be built so that the floodwaters would flow through here, slowly impacting the Yongji Canal, and then flowing with the Yellow River towards the Bohai Bay.

This can reduce the risk of downstream areas being flooded by large flood peaks.

The losses will be even greater then.

It can even serve as a water storage and distribution point next to this river.

This was a new suggestion put forward by Song Xuan after his on-site investigation, and no one objected to it.

Nowadays, the Yellow River is being repaired according to Song Xuan's methods. No matter how much is said, as long as it can be accomplished, that's acceptable.

“Deputy Privy Councilor Yan, I have observed that the raw materials for the shovel are insufficient. We need to source them from other places to keep up with the demand and significantly improve the scour resistance of the riverbank.”

Chen Yaozuo is now facing a major headache, because this is a huge project, and the initial 500,000 strings of cash are simply not enough.

There is a shortage of both raw materials and disaster relief supplies.

此时的三司使程琳已经在擦汗了。

按照他计算下来，纵然是再加五十万贯，这个工程都无法完成。

晏殊点点头，让程琳记下来，回去同大娘娘汇报。

Although Cheng Lin did not have a close relationship with Lü Yijian, he was also one of Liu E's people.

“就没有其他办法可以代替吗？”

Cheng Lin raised her head:

"My lords, the scope of this disaster is so vast that even an investment of one million strings of cash would not be enough, and the number of personnel also needs to be increased significantly."

Cheng Lin was calculating on the abacus, but in short, she didn't have enough money.

回去还要追加预算，可是一旦追加预算，朝廷的秋赋还没有收上来，就没有那么多余钱可用。

"This money has to be spent." Chen Yaozuo patted Cheng Lin on the shoulder:

"You should still report to the Empress Dowager carefully when you get back. After all, this is a new process and a new technique. It's normal to spend more money to try and make mistakes."

"If Magistrate Song's method works, then perhaps the Yellow River will not breach its banks at Huazhou within ten years, and the money will be saved."

Cheng Lin pursed her lips. "Do you think money will fall from the sky just because I say a few words to the Empress Dowager?"

I only have the ability to safeguard the national treasury; I don't have the ability to make money from money.

Not everyone has Li Shiheng's ability to make money from money.

He didn't hesitate to use the national treasury as capital, and all the profits went into his own pocket.

Cheng Lin secured her position by remaining loyal to Liu E.

Yan Shu looked at Song Xuan beside him: "Twelfth Brother, do you have any good ideas on how to make money?"

(End of this chapter)