Chapter 58: Power is lost little by little

Fifty-two states and counties in Henan were flooded, causing heavy losses.

1.7 million people were affected by the disaster, more than 19,600 people died, and 721 people were missing. It is estimated that the missing people will not be found, and even if they are alive, they will be small A matter of probability.

People had no time to grieve or even mourn their dead relatives, so they all went up the embankment. If the flood could not be blocked, their homes would be completely destroyed. In this regard, farmers were far stronger than officials.

After the flood, fuel was even more important than food.

A person can survive without eating for two days, but he cannot survive without drinking water. Although there is water everywhere, the government does not allow the people to drink it. It is clear that all the water has been consumed. If it is contaminated, you will get diseases if you drink it, unless you boil the water and drink it.

It was at this time that the power of the train finally became apparent. The train departing from Tongguan covered a distance of 500 miles in four hours and arrived dragging millions of kilograms of supplies. Luoyang.

Of course, the first batch of supplies are basically fuel and medicine.

As for food, there are still some in the grain depots built at high altitudes. In addition, the summer grain has just been harvested. The government notified everyone to take some with them when they were notified to evacuate. For now, it can still be sustained.

Yun Zhao has been staying at Zhongmu Yangqiao, a large breach that is two miles wide. He plans to watch the breach be blocked with his own eyes before leaving.

The first dyke of the Yellow River has been completed and there is no need to restore it. However, the second river channel is relatively intact, and a railway passes by the dyke. After sending people to explore the railway The roadbed was still intact, so Yun Zhao ordered a train loaded with stones and a square cage to wade through the water and drive into the breach.

As for the train, he doesn’t plan to take it.

Seeing the train slowly moving forward in the water along the severely damaged railway, which was simply supported, the people standing on the embankment raised their hearts to their throats, everyone hoped for the best. The train cars in the front can go further.

Unfortunately, after walking a few dozen feet, the train carriage filled with stones at the front plunged into the water. It seemed that the railway somewhere had been washed away.

In the evening, the nearly forty-foot-wide breach had been blocked. Similarly, the opposite river embankment also adopted the same method and was gradually extending the embankment.

At the same time, a simple railway for mining purposes was also built on the embankment. One mine cart and one mine cart of stone were thrown into the water. According to water conservancy officials, the breach would be completed in less than ten days. Block it up.

After leaving all matters here to Zhang Guozhu, Yun Zhao retreated into Luoyang City.

Although the disaster in Henan is serious, it is not all of Ming Dynasty's government affairs, so it cannot take up all of Yun Zhao's energy and time.

With the efforts of troops transferred from various places, a large number of water conservancy officials, and people anxious to rebuild their hometowns,The floods will pass sooner or later.

It was at this moment that Yun Zhao’s many years of hard work finally came into play like a needle that fixed the sea.

Although seven of the 116 granaries in Henan were damaged, after Yun Zhao gave the order, the remaining granaries were able to prepare 800,000 loads of grain in a short period of time. , and now, we are making every effort to deliver them to the disaster area.

At the same time, Zhao Guoxiu of the Medical Department has mobilized more than 2,000 doctors to the disaster areas in Henan. While treating the injured, he has also begun work to prevent the plague.

All of a sudden, Luoyang City turned into a huge warehouse.

The dead people have no way to live again. This is the only painful part. As for the property losses caused by this natural disaster, after they were evenly shared among the vast Ming Dynasty, it did not cause any waves. .

After hearing the subsidy regulations announced by the government, the hearts of the people affected by the disaster calmed down. Under the organization of the government, the old, weak, women and children began to leave the Huangfan District and live in dry places. The strong labor force was left behind to fully participate in the construction of river embankments.

People's faces began to smile. This is very important. Natural disasters are unpredictable events. The court's actions after the disaster gave the people no worries. This can ensure that the disaster-stricken areas can live in peace. to rebuild.

Yunzhao finally approved Yunzhang's plan to use slaves to build the railway to central Sichuan, but he removed Yunzhang from his position as executor and scolded him for doing this, which was not a deviation from his true career. In this way, it is his job to manage Lantian County well.

Yun Zhao stayed in the humid and hot Luoyang until August. At this time, the river embankments had been completely closed, and the floods left ponds one after another in the vast land of Henan... He wanted to start rebuilding , at least until a year later.

The old Henan landscape has been completely destroyed. More than 300,000 houses have collapsed, more than 200 water conservancy projects have been damaged, more than 6,000 miles of canals have been filled up, and three million livestock have been lost. More than 100,000 of them.

In fact, the flood brought more than just harm to the people of Henan. From some perspectives, this devastating flood will have great benefits for the future lives of the people of Henan.

The violent floods washed away the Yellow River channel, causing the river channel to be cut down more than a foot deep by the flood, and the sediment that was originally deposited in the river channel was taken away by the breach and spread over the river. The over-cultivated land in Henan will become more fertile if it is forced to remain fallow for a year.

The once-in-a-thousand-year flood has clearly marked areas unsuitable for residential construction. This has made local officials in Henan become more cautious when planning to rebuild cities, towns, and villages. Easier and more purposeful.

This flood caused irreparable damage to the people of Henan, but in Chang'an and Lantian, more businessmen were celebrating.

Although they all talked about the floods in Henan, they felt like they were mourning for their heirs., after the outsiders left, they immediately spread out the map and started looking for a business suitable for them in the yellow flood area.

It is certain that the country will rebuild the yellow flood zone.

A huge amount of funds will definitely be allocated to rebuild the Yellow River Flood Area.

Whether it is the reconstruction of roads, bridges, cities, towns, or villages, a massive amount of material support is required, and it is a business feast for them.

Before harvesting, these smart merchants first sent their most capable people to the Yellow River area with the cheapest and best materials in a billowing smoke. They did not expect these materials to make money. I just hope that my consideration for the victims can be noticed by local officials, and they can participate in the reconstruction of the Yellow River Flood Area.

"The total price is twenty-seven million silver dollars!"

After all the breaches of the Yellow River were blocked, Zhang Guozhu finally breathed a sigh of relief and lazily fell down on a deck chair Shang said casually to Yun Zhao beside him.

“This amount of money is not enough!”

Yun Zhao shook his head after reading the reconstruction plan.

"All the money that can be taken out of the national treasury is here. If we take it any more, it will affect the overall development of Ming Dynasty this year."

"Can I borrow some money from the bank? ?"

"Okay, if Treasury doesn't ask for interest, I'm going to lend him 100 million first."

"Hou Guoyu may not do it."

Yun Zhao looked at Zhang Guozhu and said: "National affairs Do you need me to use my wife’s personal money? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Since Your Majesty doesn’t agree to borrow money from the bank, how about opening up the Guangzhou Shipping Bureau? I think it’s a maritime business license. , it’s not difficult to get him one million silver dollars, it’s not much, just give me a hundred places.

Then, Your Majesty won’t have to worry about Henan anymore, and you can handle anything that happens. I’m asking.”

“No, it’s not suitable for sea trade to be fully launched now. We need to wait for another two years until Han Xiufen has established a foothold in India before we can do business with each other. , to make a lot of money, lest those evil merchants sell my Ming Dynasty treasures at a low price."

"It makes sense. We will really suffer from opening up sea trade now, otherwise, His Majesty would allow Wei Chen to stay in Macau. How about opening up the permanent employment rights? If the permanent employment rights are not appropriate, what do you think of the thirty-year employment rights?"

Yun Zhao shook his head and said: "No, once the country opens, foreigners will swarm in. When the time comes, it will be easier to invite the gods than to send them away, and it will cause even greater trouble."

Zhang Guozhu pondered for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, I heard that you took away the position of railway manager of the eldest son of the emperor, Yun Zhang. ?"

Yun Zhao nodded and said: "Building the railway to Shu will require a large number of slaves. It is inappropriate for Yun Zhang to participate in this matter."

Zhang Guozhu nodded and said.That's right, the heirs of the dynasty can't lose their reputation. Why don't we do this and set up some manpower companies in Macau and let foreigners manage these companies.

They will handle the source of the people themselves. When these people have no labor value, these companies will be responsible for getting them out of the Ming Dynasty. What does Your Majesty think? "

Yun Zhao saw that Zhang Guozhu, a bastard, had already used words on him, and he was a little dissatisfied and said: "You didn't use words to trick me before. ”

Zhang Guozhu smiled and said: “That’s because you always put the people first when doing things in the past, and there were many things that used the Qian Duoduo treasure house. Why didn’t you say it was your personal property before, but now you do?” Why should it be so clearly separated from the country? ”

“It is not good for the family and the country to be integrated. "

"Since the unity of the family and the country is not good, why do you want to hold all the power in the palm of your hand? "

"I am the emperor, and I am the center of power. "

"I must not remind Your Majesty that the Congress has begun to study the thirty-year employment rights. If you don't let go, I'm afraid you will become a minority at the Congress. "

Yun Zhao looked at Zhang Guozhu and said: "Impossible! ”

Zhang Guozhu nodded and said: “As long as you are here, of course it is impossible. I am afraid that when you are gone, the opinions that have been accumulated for many years will burst out at that time, just like the current flooding of the Yellow River. Although we The officials are very attentive, His Majesty has given many instructions, and the people are also very helpful. However, when the Yellow River floods, no matter how much preparation we make, there is nothing we can do when the embankment breaks. ”