Chapter 961
How to Provide Disaster Relief in Jiangnan
Chapter 961 How to Provide Disaster Relief in Jiangnan
The fog was like a sea, but there was the light of dawn, shining on the canal.
Jinling Wharf,
As the night fell, the coolies on the docks could be seen, and the small vendors along the street had begun to hawk their wares. Many people gathered around, hurriedly eating a few bites of food before going back to work.
In the wine shop along the river,
A convoy arrived.
When he looked over, he saw that it was the Jinling prefect Jia Yucun and the co-prefect Hu Wenxuan, who had arrived at the dock early, ready to wait for the adults from the capital. Although it was early summer, the cold wind on the river bank in the morning was still a bit unbearable.
The two had no choice but to change their clothes, take two followers, and go to a tavern on the shore, order a pot of tea, and order a few hot dishes. Then, the two drank tea and ate while waiting.
exactly,
I sat next to the attic window, looking out over the canal, and could clearly see the ships coming from the north.
"Brother Jia, isn't it inappropriate for the two of us to come here alone to welcome the Inspector General today?"
After the two men finished discussing in the government office, they immediately calculated the day when Lord Su would come. It didn't matter, as it seemed to be today. The exact time was not calculated, so the two men discussed that it would be better to go to the dock in advance to wait. As for Lord Jing and Eunuch Yang, it would be better not to disturb them.
Therefore, the two of them came here in disguise.
"Brother Hu, don't worry. It's still unknown whether Lord Su will come today. Eunuch Yang is still checking the account books of the Weaving Bureau. The grain of more than a hundred grain shops in Jinling City is being transported north. I don't know how the disaster relief is going."
Jia Yucun was immediately dissatisfied. They had done the deed, but the prefectural government had to deal with it. The government warehouses were closed. The nine counties in the south and north of the Yangtze River were all large counties, and there was only so much food for disaster relief. If the food ran out and the government didn't find a solution, there would be chaos in the south of the Yangtze River.
"Brother Jia, don't worry. The newly appointed Lord Shen of the Textile Bureau is quite capable. The court used Lord Su's method to change the relief policy and solve the dilemma. Since they have a method, let them do it. You and I are just like accountants. When Lord Su comes, we don't know what to say. Besides, Lord Su's method is still good. It can alleviate the disaster and promote national policies. The dilemma is solved."
Hu Wenxuan could not help but admire him. The fact that he could come up with this idea was enough to show Lord Su's talent. These matters had been discussed with all the officials in the government office, and they all agreed with it, without any objection.
"Ahahaha, Brother Hu, Brother Hu, what can I say to you? You are still thinking about these things. If the Xinbei dike had not burst before, the national policy could still be implemented. It is too late to say anything now. Lord Jing came to Jiangnan and wanted to make some achievements.
But he was too eager to achieve success, and was controlled by Master Zhuang everywhere. Later, Eunuch Yang came to Jiangnan and placed people everywhere, making it look like this. No matter who came to Jiangnan, they would be in a dead end.
Jia Yucun chuckled, took a sip of the hot tea, and swallowed it down. The coldness in his body was immediately driven away and he warmed up. He picked up the chopsticks, picked up a bun and tasted it slowly. As expected, the Jiangnan crab roe soup bun was a must.
"Brother Jia, why do you say that? Lord Su is about to arrive in Jiangnan,"
Hu Wenxuan's expression changed. He had been in Jiangbei for so many days, and he was no mediocre person. He had seen a lot down there. Food was the foundation. No matter how precious other things were, they were nothing but duckweed without water. But the imperial court had issued a strict order, so how could it be changed?
"You, why are you in such a hurry? It sounds simple, but how can we do it? Do you remember what the two county magistrates said when they were discussing matters in the government office that day? How to buy these lands, how much they are worth, and how much tax will be levied in the future, are all still undecided.
In the end, I can say that all the money went into their pockets. At that time, the so-called conversion of farmland to mulberry trees was just empty talk. The weaving bureau had to hand over the money, and the profits were all divided up. How could the court and the Ministry of Internal Affairs swallow this anger?"
This is the key point. Eunuch Yang came to Jiangnan for a purpose, which is money. The emperor is still unclear about this, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already issued a strict order. Where will the raw silk for more than 500,000 pieces come from?
At this point, not only Hu Wenxuan took a deep breath, but even Jia Yucun felt a chill all over his body.
Suddenly, a voice came from the stairs.
"Master, the boat is coming!"
Jinling Chunyang County Government Office,
Xu Changwen has been working here for many days. Although it was flooded, it was still a county town and was not seriously affected. Unfortunately, outside the city, there were refugees everywhere and corpses everywhere. It was a horrible sight.
Such a tragedy happened in the prosperous Jiangnan area.
Sitting in the government office,
Seeing the accounts in the treasury were in disarray and many of the money was missing, he immediately questioned the clerk who was keeping the accounts.
“Where did the money go?”
"Uh, sir, these were used by the previous magistrate. I don't know about them."
The clerk lowered his head with a mean look on his face. Although Xu Changwen would not judge people by their appearance, he did not like such a cunning person.
"I don't know, I don't know that you took it. Please make up for it. When these account books are settled, I will sign them. Also, from now on, the government will hire new clerks."
Since it is not comfortable to use, then don't use it. Xu Changwen doesn't care about some things in the government office. Being an official, benefiting the people, is the way of a saint.
But the clerks in the hall were dumbfounded. They were going to expel people. They had been clerks here for generations, so why would they leave?
"Sir, my family has been working as clerks in the government for generations. I don't care about the monks, but I care about the Buddha. Even if I have no merits, I have worked hard. I have no choice but to do some things."
After saying this, he knelt on the ground. They were all adults, but the gentleman in front of him was stubborn. They heard that he dared to insult his superiors in the Jinling City government office. They had heard all this, so they cried and complained this time, but they didn't dare to anger Lord Xu.
"Hmph, I have no choice. Just settle the treasury accounts and write them up. You don't need to worry about where the deficits are. I have my own way. But after today, if there are any mistakes in the accounts again,
Xu Changwen snorted coldly and knocked on the clerk. He knew the intricacies of the county government, but the victims were suffering and the treasury was empty, so he could only collect the debts.
"This is your Excellency. Since you are not afraid, I will not stop you. This is the account book of Master Zuo when he was in office. The two sums of money you mentioned were both used by Master Zuo, but you did not tell me what they were for, so there is only an account book with no source."
After saying that, he took out three account books from his arms, one for each year, stood up and placed them on the table in front of the master, and then stood there respectfully. Even though he was so quick, Xu Changwen was stunned for a moment. This kind of mind was not like that of an ordinary person.
He took the account book and looked at it. Sure enough, at the end of last year, there were two expenditures from the treasury, but he had not verified where they went. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, wrote a letter, and placed it on the table.
"In that case, I will keep you for now, but you can ask Captain Li to deliver this letter to Lord Yu Zuo, and bring him back the money lost from the treasury."
He blew it gently with his mouth, and then put the envelope inside the envelope, and then threw it on the table, leaving the clerk with a difficult look on his face.
"Sir, a letter will get the money back."
How could the clerk believe it? Lord Zuo was the governor of Jiangnan. Although Lord Zuo had never said anything, he knew everything in the government office.
The treasury account books were all under his jurisdiction, so how could he not know everything? Therefore, the things he sent several times were all sent to the residence of Lord Jinlingzhuang. So, how could he get the silver back with just a letter?
I wanted to remind him, but I swallowed the words back. I don't know who this county magistrate has as a backer.
"Yes, sir, I will go right away."
With his head lowered and the letter in hand, he left the main hall of the government office.
Then, Xu Changwen stood up and walked out of the main hall.
"Someone, go check out the porridge shop in the city."
"Yes, sir,"
outside,
The county magistrate's chief constable, along with several runners from the express squad, hurriedly followed the county magistrate. Although the master had only been in office for a few days, he had organized porridge stalls to be set up in and outside the city as soon as he took office. He also organized people to build simple huts outside the city. Fortunately, early summer was approaching, and no one froze to death. Unfortunately, the crops in many good fields had been drowned.
"Where is the nearest soup kitchen?"
"In reply to the master, the nearest porridge shop is near the west city gate. There are more and more disaster victims. Most of the brothers in the county government are patrolling outside the west city gate to prevent the scoundrels from taking advantage of the situation."
Li Zhen, the head of the police force, accompanied him carefully. His family had lived here for generations, and he had inherited his father's legacy by being a constable in the county government. When natural disasters and man-made disasters happened, everyone would lament in their hearts. Unfortunately, they were paid by the government, so they dared not say many things.
"Good, you did a good job, especially being vigilant against those who spread rumors to confuse the public. Anyone who dares to speak nonsense will be arrested. Be careful of the Taiping Sect or the White Lotus Sect sneaking in."
Perhaps he knew how serious the situation was, so he gave another warning out of concern. Xu Changwen was not ignorant of the ways of the world, and he knew who was right and who was wrong. He had a sense of righteousness in his heart, and he would not give in.
"Yes, sir, I will keep it in mind."
Li Zhen's heart tightened, knowing that his master was talking about the Taiping Sect and the White Lotus Sect. There seemed to be rumors that the White Lotus Sect had already invaded Xihe County. He didn't know whether it was true or not, so he could only ask the brothers to pay more attention and keep a closer eye on them.
As they were talking, they arrived outside the West City Gate.
The so-called porridge distribution site was a shed built by his subordinates outside the city, where officials were distributing porridge. Outside the shed, there was a long line that was winding and seemed to have no end. The victims were naked, and many people's clothes were still wet, obviously soaked in river water, emitting an unpleasant smell.
Many people were crowded together in a simple hut in the corner of the street. There were even women and children crying with their babies in their arms. There were almost no elderly people. Only young and strong laborers were left, waiting for a bowl of hot porridge under the scorching sun.
Although there were many people, the government officials were there to maintain order, so it was relatively peaceful. Occasionally, there would be children crying, but they would be scolded by their parents.
The entire West City,
The atmosphere was extremely depressing. Many of the victims who received the porridge sat there, swallowing it in big mouthfuls. They almost finished it in an instant, but they were still unwilling to give up and licked the bottom of the bowl with their tongues.
Outside, from another thatched cottage, a strange smell wafted out. Many people from the charity cemetery carried corpses from the roadside into the cemetery. This scene,
Imprinted in the eyes,
Xu Changwen's face was so ugly that it looked like water had been squeezed out of it. He brought Li Zhen and others to the porridge shed and looked at the porridge in the big pot. It was more like plain water than porridge, with a light soup and no rice at all.
"Make way, next person,"
The porridge-distributing attendant was still shouting when his hand suddenly stopped and the spoon in his hand was snatched away. He was frightened and wanted to curse, but when he looked up, he saw the master and quickly stopped talking, not knowing what was going on.
Xu Changwen grabbed the spoon and stirred the bottom of the pot. The almost loose rice floated in the water. He pushed it down hard and directly to the bottom of the pot. There was no rice. He threw the spoon down fiercely and cursed;
"Is this called porridge? The soup is so watery that you can see your reflection in it. Add five kilograms of rice to each pot."
"Master, this, this,"
The officer looked embarrassed and tried to speak, but Xu Changwen yelled at him.
"Gami."
"Yes, sir,"
The officer was in a dilemma. Seeing that the master was furious, he had no choice but to go back to the small warehouse, take out a bag of rice, and add it to the pot. However, he added it very sparingly.
Xu Changwen was even more furious. He stretched out his hand and dug it out. Half of the rice immediately fell into the pot. The officer quickly tightened the mouth of the bag and shouted;
"Master, there are too many,"
"What do you mean too much? This is not enough. When the Great Wu Dynasty was first established, porridge was provided. People entered with official chopsticks. If they held up the chopsticks, their heads would fall to the ground. Although this law has been abolished now, it does not mean you can cheat and play tricks."
Xu Changwen simply couldn't believe that in such a rich and prosperous place like Jiangnan, there would actually be such a place to give out porridge. When the officers heard this, they were so scared that they fell to the ground, not knowing what to do.
at this time,
A man came out from the inner room and sighed;
"Master, you are here,"
"Who are you?"
Xu Changwen turned his head and looked over. He was wearing an official uniform, a rather old man, and a pair of cloud-bottomed boots. His eyes were shining.
"My Lord, I am Ma Tao, the head of the county government, responsible for many matters in the county. Today's porridge distribution is also my responsibility."
Without being humble or saying anything, he just stood there with a smile on his face.
"Okay, you'll be responsible. I want to ask you, with so many people dead outside the city, what are you going to do with them?"
Cold questioning, merciless,
Unexpectedly, the person in charge, Ma Tao, was not panicked. He pointed to a large house not far away and said;
"Master, there are too many dead people. I will arrange for someone to store the bodies and dig a large pit to make a cemetery for all the dead."
"Okay, there are still those who are still alive. They have a bowl of warm porridge to drink now. It's still damp and cold at night, but I don't know where they sleep? Is there a place for them to stay?"
Ma Tao looked around blankly, also showing a puzzled expression, as if asking,
"My Lord, I am also worried. With so many people, where is the place for them to sleep?"
I didn't feel anything in my heart. All the hungry refugees had been through this. After the New Year, the imperial court issued an order to send all the refugees from all over the country to the docks and transport them outside the Great Wall. After clearing out a group of people, there were very few refugees in Jiangnan. I never thought that this disaster would happen.
"Humph, so what you mean is to let them freeze to death or die of disease in the muddy fields."
Xu Changwen's voice was cold and he was extremely angry. He stared at the person in charge standing in front of him. This frightened the person in charge so much that he took a step back and waved his hands repeatedly.
"My Lord, I did not say that."
"Haha, you didn't tell me that you set up your porridge stall outside the city instead of in the city. You let so many people stand under the scorching sun, don't you want them to be weak, get cold at night, and suffer from hunger and cold? How many days can they survive?"
Almost every word was brilliant, and it also made the person in charge, Ma Tao, panic.
"Master, what you said is wrong. How are we going to accommodate so many people entering the city? What if they cause trouble?"
The words were convincing, but they pushed the problem back. We couldn't let those peasants come into the city to cause trouble. The gentry and the wealthy were all in the city. If they bumped into these people, even the county magistrate would have a hard time handling it.
"Where do you live? Where does your family live? If you live in the city, you have a place to sleep, but there is no way to accommodate these disaster victims."
Xu Changwen's sharp eyes swept over, and the officers around him lowered their heads in fear. Ma Tao's eyes widened. How could such words come out of the master's mouth?
"Master, why do you speak like that?"
"That's what I said,"
Xu Changwen was so angry that he kicked the table with the tea bowls on it to the ground.
"The court has handed Chunyang County over to us. The people of Chunyang County are our subjects. Where will you let your parents and children live? I have already asked the government for food. If it is not enough, I will ask for more. From now on, if you continue to distribute porridge like this, I will definitely report you to the court."
Ma Tao was almost stunned. All the previous county magistrates had made money by being harmonious. How could he be so stubborn? There were always deaths in disaster years. It was not enough to waste the memorials to report a small matter like himself. He waved his hand helplessly and said;
"Master, what do you think we should do? If you were to take charge, how would you handle this?"
Not only did Chief Ma look helpless, but even the yamen runners around him had expressions of disbelief on their faces.
"Okay, since you asked, I will teach you. The county government office should be vacated now, the county school should be vacated, and the temples, Taoist temples, and those wealthy families should all vacate their space to allow the refugees to live in."
"This, sir, there has never been such a rule."
Ma Tao was stunned, at a loss as to what to do. He had never heard such words before. The yamen runners around him kept silent, but there was a different look in their eyes.
"In Chunyang County, this is the rule. If something goes wrong, I will take the responsibility."
Xu Changwen glanced coldly at the people around him, and frowned as he saw that they were still not moving. The head of the police, Li Zhen, stepped forward first.
"Why don't you do as the master says? Don't just stand here and watch over the porridge stall. First, vacate the county government office, the county school, and the two temples and Taoist temples, and arrange for the elderly, the weak, women and children to live in them first. In addition, set up this porridge stall at the gate of the county school in the city."
"Yes, sir, Captain."
The officials around agreed to leave, and when they left, the victims who were waiting to receive porridge knelt on the ground and shouted loudly;
"Thank you, Lord Qingtian, for saving my life!"
(End of this chapter)