From late April to early May, Zhu Cihong inspected Suzhou, Songjiang, and Huzhou Prefectures, inspecting the coastal hazards around the Taihu Lake water system, and inspecting river workers.

Taihu Lake is one of the five major freshwater lakes in China, the river port is vertical and horizontal, there are many estuaries, there are more than 50 main rivers in and out, the Chongzhen drought for seven consecutive years, presents the pattern of drought in the north and flood in the south, and the drought and drought areas expand to the east and south year by year.

Every summer, Huzhou Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture and other places around Taihu Lake have extremely heavy rainfall, entering the sea viewing mode.

Thirteen years after Chongzhen, the rainfall in the north increased, turning into a flood in the north and drought in the south, during which the locust plague was rampant and the plague began to spread......

There are more than 10 million acres of cultivated land in the Taihu Lake area of Nanzhili, which has been greatly affected by natural disasters, and if it were not for Zhang Guowei, the current head of the household department in Nanjing, who had built Suzhou Jiuli Stone Pond and Pingwang Inner and Outer Ponds, Changzhou Zhihe and other ponds to divert water during the period of his administration in Suzhou, I am afraid that the flood would have been even greater.

The Taihu Lake water system has many lakes, the river network is dense, and the water diversion and storage conditions are superior, but the imperial court has no money to repair the embankment and diversion canal, and it cannot be treated in time, resulting in the construction of the sluice gate and the opening and closing of the gate is not effective, and when the drainage is lost, the small tide cannot be introduced, and the large tide is insufficient.

After Zhu Cihong took Zhang Guowei, who was familiar with the Jiangnan River, and several people to inspect it, he decided to allocate 5 million taels of silver from the Ministry of Taxation to control the Jiangnan River, and strive to turn the land south of the Yangtze River into a scene where "there is often no flooding in the low fields and no drought in the high fields."

In order to prevent corruption among local officials in the past, Zhu Cihong appointed Yan Yingyuan, a newly promoted official, as the minister of the Jiangnan River, assisted by Chen Mingyu and Feng Houdun, who was in charge of the embankment and dredging of the Jiangnan embankment.

The three princes of the anti-Qing Dynasty in history joined forces to resist the 240,000 Qing army in Jiangyin for 81 days, and now Zhu Cihong asked them to join forces to fight the flood to see whether the Eight Banners Army was powerful or the flood was powerful.

On 20 May, the Southern Patrol Brigade arrived in Hangzhou.

On the official road paved with loess, the bright yellow ribbon flutters, the drum music is born Xiao He, the salute is earth-shattering, Zhejiang Governor Yang Tinglin and the general soldier Huang Degong two people, personally led the Zhejiang civil and military officials out of the city ten miles to greet.

This Hangzhou city is boiling, everyone gathers on the streets, thousands of empty alleys, who doesn't want to see the pomp and demeanor of the prince's patrol, who doesn't want to see the ruthless prince who killed people with an order?

The paving into the mu has reduced the burden of the people, and the abolition of the guard system has allowed many military households to be free, especially some lazy people in Zhejiang who have been abolished their untouchable status, and they are so excited that they burst into tears.

Zhu Cihong was wearing a red court dress and sitting in the guard of honor, and couldn't help but be moved by this scene.

The officials surrounded Zhu Cihong and came to the yamen of the governor of Hangzhou to accept the congratulations of the hundred officials.

After the performance was over, Yang Tinglin stepped forward respectfully and saluted: "Minister Yang Tinglin, see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Chitose!" ”

Zhu Cihong smiled and said, "Is Yang Qing still used to patrolling Zhejiang?" The palace transferred you from Nanjing to Zhejiang, do you have any complaints in your heart? ”

Yang Tinglin hurriedly said: "The minister is on an errand for His Royal Highness the Prince, and he doesn't dare to complain!" ”

Zhu Cihong nodded and said, "Along the way to the palace, I heard that you have strictly implemented the new policy in Zhejiang, and have won unanimous praise and worship from the local people, and your official reputation is good!" ”

Yang Tinglin hurriedly knelt down and said: "Your Highness Mingjian, the people of Zhejiang are simple, but the ministers will never dare to be worshiped by the people, the new policy is the benevolent government implemented by His Royal Highness, and the ministers dare not invite credit." ”

Zhu Cihong helped him up and said, "What are you doing, you are a good official, the people support you and love you, this is a good thing, please get up quickly!" ”

A group of officials in Zhejiang saw that the prince treated Yang Tinglin so politely, and they were immediately deflated, Yang Tinglin, a cool official, as soon as he came to Zhejiang, he was exempted from four prefects and thirteen county orders, and forced the implementation of the examination law to evaluate the performance of officials.

Zhu Cihong summoned Yang Tinglin to the back office, chatted with him about the situation in Zhejiang, and said: "Yang Qing, you should know the importance of Zhejiang, you have heard about the situation in Zhejiang, just rest assured and boldly implement it, this palace will be your strong backing, if anyone is not convinced, just let Huang Degong send troops to suppress it!" ”

Yang Tinglin saluted and said: "Your Highness trusts, the minister is grateful, and he will definitely live up to His Highness's trust and govern Zhejiang well!" ”

"Sit down."

After Yang Tinglin thanked him and sat down, Zhu Cihong said again: "This palace is entrusted with great trust, this palace is ready to lead the Northern Expedition in three years at the latest, completely destroy Jiannu, and ask you to pay an extra five million stone of grain to Nanjing every year, can you do it?" ”

Yang Tinglin muttered: "Your Highness, the minister thinks that it is absolutely impossible to use troops in Liaodong within three years, such a natural disaster for many years, it is time to reduce taxes and light taxes, and recuperate with the people, His Royal Highness has just gained a foothold in Jiangnan, if the tax is increased and causes restlessness, how can the aftermath be dealt with?" ”

Zhu Cihong glanced at him and said, "Hmph, do you think this palace didn't think of this?" If they don't destroy it as soon as possible, when they use troops to detain the customs in the future, they will definitely be ruined, and the impact is far greater than that of Jiafu! ”

Zhu Cihong said again: "In order to prevent the people of Liaodong from suffering again, this palace will let you govern Zhejiang to take on this important responsibility, as a minister of the imperial court, you can not only manage the rich Jiangnan, but also see the thousands of Li people in Liaodong who are suffering and displaced, this is the demeanor of the minister!" ”

"This palace tells you that loyal ministers, Qing officials, this palace can elect a large number of them, but what this palace needs most is a Ming minister who understands the general situation, takes the overall situation into account, shares worries for the country, and does not care about his own gains and losses, understand?"

Yang Tinglin was frightened into a cold sweat, and hurriedly replied: "Your Highness's lesson is that the minister is short-sighted, does not know the general situation, and sees the short-sighted, and asks His Highness for forgiveness." ”

Zhu Cihong ignored him and continued: "Yang Tinglin, you can't be narrow-minded, famous, and competitive as an official, you always want to keep your reputation, you have to look farther, your same year Yang Shicong is much more clever than you, this palace doesn't let you learn from him, you should be able to understand in your heart." ”

"I understand." Yang Tinglin lowered his head and nodded, he had already understood that the crown prince didn't like to learn from those pretentious Qingliu.

Although Yang Shicong is good at slapping horses, every time the crown prince has an explanation, he will lose his completion regardless of fame and fortune, and the burning of Donglin Academy can be seen in this person's means.

The current Yang Shicong has no party views, as long as it is what the prince wants to do, even if it is notorious, he will resolutely support and implement it.

Yang Tinglin disdains to learn Yang Shicong's style, he has his own standards for being an official - only implement policies, do not form parties for personal gain, and let alone sneak around when he sees people.

After Zhu Cihong stayed and rested, Yang Tinglin convened a meeting with Zhejiang officials who had not yet left the field at the governor's yamen, and once again strictly ordered all prefectures and counties to implement the tuntian irrigation requirements set by the governor's yamen.

Yang Tinglin reproduced the style of a cool official, took off the black gauze hat of the prefect of Ningbo Prefecture on the spot, and said fiercely: "If it is sowing in autumn, which prefecture and county has an acre of land that is barren and no one cultivates it, the official will take him to the end and never use it!" Do you understand? ”

"Xiaguan understands......" The Zhejiang officials nodded in response, feeling that the future would not be easy.