Chapter 50 Mountains of Gold and Silver

Zhu Qizhen said: "Sir, there is a way to remedy it. ”

Yu Qian said: "There is no cure for the root cause, only the way to treat the symptoms, the minister should set up military guards in the three lakes, specializing in dredging, digging out the sediment at the bottom of the lake in the dry season, and transporting it by air." ”

"It's expensive, and it's indispensable every year."

"It's just that the minister really can't think of any way."

Zhu Qizhen thought for a while and said, "No need, just this way." One generation solves the problems of one generation, and I will first control the water in this life, and when the lake is silted up in the future, it is a matter for future generations. ”

The problem of sediment in China's rivers is also a first-class problem in later generations. Compared to the historical legacy left in the future. What Zhu Qizhen has to solve more is the problem of the survival of most people.

If the floods in Hebei are not solved, a series of ecological problems in Hebei will not be solved. Hebei cannot become the granary of the Ming Dynasty. Whether it is for Beijing's strategic security or for the future grain and grass support of the Northern Expedition, it must be resolved.

Such a thing as the dredging of its practical army existed in the Northern Song Dynasty. The Xiang Army, which specializes in the management of the Yellow River, is specifically doing this thing.

It's dredging.

Yu Qian said: "Thank you Your Majesty for your support. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "Mr. thinks how to govern the downstream. ”

Yu Qian said: "The area around Tianjin is full of swamps, and the river is long and narrow and bends. ”

"In the opinion of the ministers, when there should be more streams, the land in Tianjin will be silted up into fertile land, and the river channel will be widened. The expenditure canal is used to divide the water potential, and the river channel is widened to discharge the floodwater. ”

The Tianjin of later generations and the Tianjin of this era are completely different concepts.

Large swampy wetlands spread unchecked.

If you want to develop Tianjin, the first thing to do is how to convert these swampy wetlands into fertile land. What Yu Qian thought of was the method of silting the fields.

River mud is rich in nutrients, so the fields that are silted out by river silt are particularly fertile. can have a high harvest.

It can even be as high as seven or eight stones.

Therefore, in agricultural production, silting is the only way to increase yield.

If the wetlands in the lower reaches of Tianjin can be silted up into fertile land. It will be a great supplement to grain production in the north.

Zhu Qizhen actually knew that every choice had advantages and disadvantages, and since Yu Qian had decided to spend more canals and divert the river water, he had to bear the siltation of the main river.

But it's all a subtle process.

Although Zhu Qizhen knows, at least now, Yu Qian's method is more beneficial than disadvantageous.

Zhu Qizhen got up and paced back and forth, and said to Wang Zhen: "Please come over to Wu Shangshu, Li Shangshu, Ruan An, and Mu Jing from the Ministry of Industry." ”

Even though Zhu Qizhen believes in Yu Qian, there is no such national event that is not decided by the public. It was impossible for Zhu Qizhen to bear it alone, so he naturally called them all over.

Four people are working

Cheng Jianjian is a first-class good hand.

A few of them looked at Taiqian's plan and discussed it for a while. In the end, Wu Zhong said to Zhu Qizhen: "Your Majesty, Lord Yu's plan is naturally feasible. Just ------"

Zhu Qizhen said: "Just what? ”

Wu Zhong said: "The cost is huge. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "How huge? ”

Wu Zhong said: "The minister can't calculate clearly for a while. The minister only calculated that the dikes of the Hutuo River, the Fuyang River, the Juma River, the Yishui River, the Zhanghe River, the Wei River, the Qingshui River, the Ziya River and other major rivers far exceeded thousands of miles, and even as many as 2,000 or 3,000 miles. ”

"And the geology is different in different places, and the wear and tear is also different, and some places must be reinforced. In some places, rammed earth will do. And that's not even counting the dredging of the three lakes. The branch canals and dredging projects in the lower reaches of Tianjin are all costly. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "How much grain? There must be an estimate. ”

Wu Zhong said: "The minister thinks that it is not under the construction of the Great Wall and the construction of Beijing. ”

As soon as Wu Zhong's words came out, many eunuchs in the hall gasped.

Emperor Taizong exhausted the treasury before strengthening the nine borders and building the city of Beijing. However, the nine-sided construction project and the construction of Beijing City continued from the Yongle period to the orthodox period, and even now, it has not been completely completed.

If you look closely at the construction time of the Great Wall, you will find that at least the Great Wall of Liaodong was built during the Orthodox period.

Therefore, they don't need to estimate the entire five rivers and three lakes management plan, just compare the two.

If you really want to measure, it is the national strength of the Ming Dynasty for ten to twenty years.

Of course, if this succeeds, Beijing's food dilemma will be lifted at once. But there is a possibility that anything will fail, and if so much money is spent and it is smashed into the water conservancy, it will fail.

Zhu Qizhen's authority will also be greatly shaken.

For a while, even Zhu Qizhen was frightened.

First of all, he realized one thing, that is, although the Empress Dowager had saved an unknown amount of money for him, more than 20 million taels of silver was still a drop in the bucket for this big project.

Do's and don'ts.

Zhu Qizhen immediately made a decision.

That's what to do, what must be done.

Taking advantage of this catastrophe, all the displaced people were resettled on the construction site, and after the water conservancy was built, they were resettled on the spot.

Today's Hebei is not as densely populated as in later generations, but is vast and sparsely populated. There is even a lot of pasture for horses, enough to cultivate.

Just to relocate the population and enrich Gyeonggi.

Consolidating Beijing's foundation is a natural necessity.

But what to do, is to find a way.

You can't always grab your eyebrows and mustaches, and you will start work together, so naturally you have to have priorities and timetables. What's more, this counts

Tens of millions of river repairs can't be let out of the palace.

Zhu Qizhen turned his head and said, "Mr. Yu, where are you going to start?" ”

Yu Qian said: "It's already May. Before September, it was expected to rain, and the minister was worried that the long drought and heavy rain would be flooded. So during this period of time, it was rushed to repair various key embankments. ”

"The main thing is four rivers. Hutuo River, Daqing River, Ziya River, and Zhangshui. ”

"The Chaobai River and the Lugou River have been repaired."

"This repair is to prevent possible water conditions this fall, so we need to be fast. Just want to support this autumn, and it's not too late to find a way next year. ”

"So the minister estimated that it was about three million taels of silver, mainly consumed on grain."

Zhu Qizhen said: "The formal repair of the river will not start until next year. ”

Yu Qian said: "The minister's plan at the moment is full of mistakes and omissions, please give the minister a year, and the minister will definitely go all over the Hebei River and come up with a detailed water control plan." ”

"Now it's just because it's ugly."

Zhu Qizhen said: "Okay, this silver is out of the treasury." However, such a large-scale river repair plan requires the nod of the first assistant. I will convene the six ministries of the Cabinet tomorrow to discuss this matter, and I will be ready. ”

Zhu Qizhen's sentence is a pun.

It is not only for Yu Qian to prepare a plan for water control, but also for Yu Qian to find a way to persuade Yang Shiqi.

Yu Qian naturally understood.

Yu Qian said: "The minister will go down and prepare." ”

After the meeting ended, Yu Qian closed his eyes slightly and rested for a while to relieve the fatigue of the past half a year, and then got up to meet Yang Shiqi again.

And Yang Shiqi is also waiting for Yu Qian.

The gatekeeper of the Yang Mansion saw Yu Qian coming.

Directly Yu Qian called in.

Still in Yang Shiqi's study, Yu Qian told the plan for water control this time.

Yang Shiqi listened quietly, noncommittal, and said, "What do you think about this matter?" ”

Yu Qian said: "This water control plan is the disciple's opinion. ”

"Nope." Yang Shiqi said: "This is what the emperor means, what I want to ask is what you mean?" Do you think this river should be repaired or not? ”

Yu Qian was silent for a while, and said: "The student knows that His Majesty's ascension to the throne is the time when he is full of spirit and great joy, and the policy of governing the river is a little bigger, but the student has traveled to every place in Hebei and talked with countless fathers and elders. The Yuan court did not cultivate good governance, and the last time the embankment built in the north was in the Jin Dynasty, time has passed. It's long gone. ”

"The student has been a magistrate for a long time, so he naturally knows that this water conservancy must be repaired, and if there is less money, he will repair it less, and if he has more money, he will repair it more. Since His Majesty has the intention to overhaul, the students naturally dare not live up to it. ”

"Where is this overhaul, it's a mountain of gold and silver thrown into the water." Yang Shiqi said suddenly.