This year's weather was drier than usual, with only one light rain after the beginning of spring, and there was not much snow last winter. When spring begins, farmers can't wait to irrigate their land with water from the surrounding rivers. The Heihe River to the east of Louguantai is the main source of irrigation water nearby, but unfortunately there is not much river water, and after the upstream cuts off the river, there is no water downstream. For this reason, several armed fights have broken out between several villages.

Su Ren took a few students from agriculture to wander around the Louguantai to check the disaster, and by the way, he selected a few places to dig wells. Although in the era when there were no pumping machines, the contribution of well water to agriculture was a drop in the bucket, at least it could solve the problem of drinking water for people and livestock. It stands to reason that there is no shortage of water in Xuwu County, there is the Heihe River in the east, the Qingshui River in the west, the Wei River in the north, and countless small rivers flowing down in the Qinling Mountains in the south. It was only because there was so little rain last winter and this spring that caused this situation.

Pei Songnian's mouth was foaming, whether it was drought or fighting, it made it difficult for him to do so. took the villagers to ask for the gods who could be asked for from all walks of life, and there was not a drop of rain in the sky.

"Mr. Su, they all say that you have a lot of wisdom, what can you do in this situation now?" Pei Songnian was really helpless, and grabbed Su Ren's last straw. He has done everything he can do, and if Su Ren has no choice, he will at least do his best.

Su Ren took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. After a long period of drought, the soil has turned into powder, and the wind blows dusty, which is why there is the momentum of the 800-mile Qinchuan dusty and 30 million old Shaanxi roaring in the Qin cavity in later generations.

"Natural disasters can't do anything, but it's possible to save yourself!"

"Oh! Mr. Su, please say that as long as there is a glimmer of possibility, we will do our best to prevent the victims from flooding to Chang'an. ”

"What about flocking to Chang'an? During the natural disaster, the most important thing to contribute is the imperial court, how many days have passed, the imperial court has not taken the slightest action, as long as the few crop seedlings in the field die, there is only one left to go to Chang'an to beg for food. ”

Pei Songnian bowed again and again: "Okay, my Mr. Su, you can't say this, you still have to talk about any good way to save yourself!" ”

Su Ren smiled: "Since there is no food, then eat meat!" ”

"Ahh Pei Songnian was stunned on the spot, he didn't expect such a result: "Mr. Su, let's not be kidding, there is no meat for food?" ”

"You don't have what I have! Remember all those poultry I bought last year? It almost shorted the entire Sanfu, and even affected the price turmoil. ”

Pei Songnian is the county magistrate, the most people-friendly official, so he naturally knows such a big thing. Although that bit of chicken and duck is a bit small for people in a county, at least it can alleviate the urgent need a little. Hurriedly said: "Mr. Su wants to give these chickens and ducks to the next and distribute them to the people at a critical time?" ”

Su Ren glared at Pei Songnian: "What do you want!" I paid for it! ”

"Hey, hey, hey!" Pei Songnian laughed dryly: "What does Mr. mean?" ”

"To tell you the truth, I have all those chickens and ducks, just in the Zhuangzi outside Chang'an City, after these few months, there are dead and alive, and now there are not 100,000 but 80,000, I am ready to distribute them to the people I want!" Without waiting for Pei Songnian to speak, Su Ren hurriedly said: "But, it's not for them to eat, it's for them to continue to raise, I will send someone to buy eggs, duck eggs, and goose eggs, and the price is naturally a little lower than the market price. ”

"So good, very good!" Pei Songnian was overjoyed.

Su Yiyi waved his hand: "Don't be too happy too early, these people need your county order as a guarantee, if anyone takes it back and eats it, it will be compensated ten times the price I bought at the beginning, and it will be two hundred yuan if it is not more." ”

"As a guarantee?"

Su Ren nodded: "What, unwillingly?" That's it. ”

Pei Songnian gritted his teeth: "It's okay to be a guarantor, but if there is really a drought, there is nothing to eat, and the chickens and ducks have nothing to eat, and one or two die of starvation or illness, should Mr. also ask for two hundred yuan, right?" ”

"Sickness and death don't count!" Su Ren looked at Pei Songnian meaningfully: "As long as I do my best, I promise that I will never starve to death, and I am afraid that those poultry will get tired of eating at that time." ”

"Really?"

Su Ren said angrily: "You still don't believe me!" In that case, let's not talk about cooperation. ”

Pei Songnian hurriedly grabbed Su Ren's arm: "Xinxinxin, I'll go back and write a notice, all those who are willing to adopt will be guaranteed by the re-guarantee, except for the death of illness and old age, if one dies, the husband will be compensated 200 yuan." ”

It was not as enthusiastic as Su Ren imagined. In that era of self-sufficiency, the people were not willing to take risks, but whenever there was a little wind and grass, the family was ruined and the death was light. Although these poultry are all given away for free, if one dies, you have to pay 200 yuan, and a farmer who usually doesn't even have an overnight amount, let alone 200 yuan, is already a big deal.

This is a bad thing for Pei Songnian, since there is hope, then you have to give it a try, what if you are not enthusiastic? Forced! For a while, the people of Xugu County flocked to Su Ren's manor, reluctantly pressed their handprints on the so-called contract, holding two chickens in their arms, feeling that the chickens could lay golden eggs. Although the matter is resolved, Pei Songnian's trouble will come.

The snowflakes of the imperial historians flocked to Liu Che's desk, not only telling Pei Songnian about forcing the people to raise poultry, but also scolding Su Ren with all his words. They believe that this is the order of Xuyu County to Pei Songnian and Su Ren to harm the people together, two hundred yuan for a chicken, and there is no such price in the world. The two of them did evil, and they were both angry when they killed the fish in the township.

Looking at the high mountain, Liu Che's head hurt. The academy has just finished recruiting a group of Bai Ding, and it has made such a place. rubbed his temples and asked Liu Jiqing: "You say, what is this Su Ren going to do?" He can't explain to me in advance, so many imperial histories impeached him, how can I deal with it? ”

Liu Jiqing was silent, expressionless. Liu Che was really angry: "Go, bring Su Ren here, I want to ask him in person!" ”

"Your Majesty, you had an appointment with Mr. Su at the beginning, and you won't call him back for three years!"

"Get out!" A bamboo slip smashed over, Liu Jiqing didn't hide, and hit it firmly: "I am the Son of Heaven, I can do whatever I want!" Don't go yet! ”

Liu Jiqing still didn't move: "Is that in the name of His Majesty or in the name of the imperial court?" Mr. Su is only a commoner now, if you want to meet the monarch, you need to go to Taichang to study for a month, and then the prime minister will send someone to explain the rules of the palace, and finally you can enter the palace, so your majesty will have to wait two months to see Mr. Su. ”

Liu Che was speechless, looked at Liu Jiqing, and sneered: "If he doesn't come, can I go?" Prepare the horses! This time it's the same as last time, and I'll send you to the court!" ”

As soon as he walked out of Chang'an, Liu Che was dumbfounded. March was originally a season of recovery, but the outside of Chang'an City was bare. The young seedlings in the crop field were sparsely pulled by the sun and drooped their heads. Despite the farmers' efforts to save the crops, anyone who looks at the seedlings will think that there is no hope of saving them. The trees on both sides of the official road were no better, and none of the shoots that should have been sent out were gone. When I walked in, I found that someone had taken it away.

"What's going on?" Liu Che was puzzled. He also knew about the drought in Chang'an, but he didn't expect it to be so serious.

The further you go, the more serious the drought is. During the Han Dynasty, the situation of eight rivers around Chang'an has not yet been formed, and the Feng River and the Lihe River in the west of the city, and the Chan River and Bahe River in the east of the city are far away from the city, and the amount of water is not as large as it is now. At best, it's about a small ditch, but it's now dry. Even the water level of the Wei River in the north of the city has dropped by more than a foot, revealing the rocky riverbed.

After entering Zhongnan, it is relatively better here. Close to the Qinling Mountains, the little stream water flowing out of the mountains can also irrigate some fields, which makes Liu Che's mood a little better. The location of the Louguantai is just a mountain col, there is a small river flowing, before the academy was built, Su Ren dug a few more wells, and more than 1,000 people ate and drank Lazar is not a problem.

After running all morning against the big sun, he didn't care about Liu Jiqing's surprised eyes after entering Su Ren's room, and poured Su Ren's teapot into his mouth. The cool and sweet spring water flowed down his throat and into his stomach, which suppressed Liu Che's irritable emotions.

The coldness on the tip of his tongue made Liu Che stunned: "What? You still had ice last winter? ”

Su Ren smiled and shook his head: "I am here in the academy, not the palace, I don't have that mind and place, the ice cubes were made by a few Fangshi students, so I provided a little advice." ”

"Oh? Can ice be made in such a hot weather? ”

"Ice making has nothing to do with the weather, just a handful of saltpeter, if Your Majesty needs to buy their recipe."

"You are really a profiteer, you don't want to give it to me, you always want me to pay for it, this is not the way to be a minister."

After a few words of gossip, Liu Jiqing had already gone to find the recipes for the ice making by the Fang Shi students. Liu Che also removed the heat from his whole body, and said to Su Ren while drinking water: "Seeing that you are free here, you can know that almost all the imperial historians have sued you!" ”

"The imperial historians are idle, and it is the right thing to care about the drought of Sanfu when you have this time."

"Speaking of drought, I have to say two words about you, now that the drought is serious, how can you collude with the Xuao County Order to harm the people?"

Su Ren smiled: "Where do you start?" Those poultry were all given to the people, in order to prevent them from slaughtering and eating meat, they only came up with the matter of 200 yuan, and the good things became collusion in the mouths of those imperial historians, and I don't admit this crime. ”

"All the poultry you bought last time?"

"Exactly!"

"Then tell me what you want to do?"

"Oh......!" Su Ren looked at Liu Che: "Your Majesty has traveled so far just for this matter, right?" Okay, I'll tell you about it. ”

The two of them talked in the room all afternoon without anyone bothering them. When Liu Che came out of Su Ren's room, the dark clouds on his face had long since disappeared, and he was replaced by a smile. Liu Jiqing didn't feel strange, but whenever the emperor had any problems, he would be in a much better mood when he talked to Su Ren, and he was no longer surprised.

Approached Liu Che's side and handed a piece of paper to Liu Che: "Your Majesty, the old slave who made ice has been obtained, and from now on there will be no need to cellar ice in the harem." ”