Shen Kuo was reluctant.

Although he had already heard a little news when he was recruited, he knew that Li Suzhi's performance could not satisfy Empress Taishang and the two mansions, and he was looking for himself to replace the unfit Li Suzhi to command the firefighting.

But what the imperial court gave him was not a temporary dispatch dedicated to extinguishing fires, but directly asked him to replace Li Suzhi as the prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Shen Kuo was reluctant to do this.

The distance between the Hanlin Bachelor and the Quanzhi Kaifeng Mansion and the two mansions is comparable, and the noble place is far more than it. On weekdays, as long as you are responsible to the Son of Heaven and write an edict, there will be nothing to do. Unlike Kaifeng Mansion, the affairs are complicated, there are thousands of things, and you have to be busy all day and night. But everything is done without merit, and there will always be people complaining. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, almost none of the Kaifeng prefects outside the Zhao family have served for three years and then left this position.

But this is the common request of Empress Taishang and Zaifu.

How dare Shen Kuo refuse?

Han Gang didn't help Shen Kuo escape this drudgery, and he also hoped that Shen Kuo could suppress this fire as soon as possible.

If it is possible to extinguish the fire as soon as possible, try to prevent the fire from spreading if it is difficult to do so.

Now, among the important ministers who are still in Beijing, Shen Kuo is the first person who can immediately serve as the prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture and has some military experience. Moreover, with Shen Kuo's relationship with him Han Gang, it is also easy to mobilize the medical resources in the Department of Health and Welfare.

And the two mansions can't move lightly, if Shen Kuo can't do it, among the hundred officials in Beijing, he can still do it Han Gang.

As far as Han Gang's heart is concerned, he doesn't want to be a firefighter in the literal sense of the word. He has no experience in firefighting at all, and when he really commands, he will not be more suitable than Shen Kuo. And if it's really his turn to play, you can imagine how bad the situation will be. Han Gang would never want to see such a scene.

Shen Kuo lowered his head and was silent.

Empress Taishang, the ruler of the two mansions, and Han Gang, who can be regarded as a benefactor, all want him to take over Kaifeng Mansion, even if he is unwilling, he does not dare to refuse directly.

After a while, he raised his head and said to the queen: "Please Your Highness give the minister full power, in order to prevent the spread of the fire, it is necessary to demolish the house to resist the fire when it is necessary, and clear the houses around the fire." However, in the east of Kaifeng City, tens of thousands of military and civilian households will be demolished, and once the houses are demolished, hundreds of thousands of people will be alarmed. His Royal Highness could not agree to this matter, and the ministers did not dare to be arbitrary. ”

"Of course you can." Empress Xiang was very decisive, "Shen Qing can take full authority to dispose of the demolition of the house and the refusal of the fire, and Yichun Garden and Yujin Garden will be demolished with you, as long as the fire cannot be expanded." ”

After a pause, he said to the queen again: "Don't say that Yichun Garden, Yujin Garden, even Jinmingchi and Qionglin Garden can be demolished." It's not a pity to demolish such a place to play. If anyone dares to obstruct it, it will be arson. Among them, the official eunuch can be chased and sued. ”

If you really want to demolish the Yujin Garden outside the Nanxun Gate in the south of the city and the Yichun Garden outside the Jingyao Gate in the west of the city, Kaifeng City will not be able to keep it for a long time. And Jin Mingchi and Qionglin Yuan are also in the west of the city. But it is enough for Queen Xiang to have this heart. There are no royal gardens in the east of the city, but there are still many gardens and restaurants in the government and private houses, all of which have a deep background. And there are many warehouses in the east of the city, and behind them, there are also many dignitaries.

Only when he got the Shang Fang sword given to the queen could Shen Kuo dismantle the properties of these clan relatives and noble families without scruples.

"With the consent of the queen, the minister will have no worries. The fire was urgent, and the minister didn't dare to delay more, so he went to hand over with Li Suzhi. ”

After Shen Kuo saluted, he immediately got up and said goodbye and went out. The decisiveness of stepping through the temple gate was as if a different person.

Han Gang watched Shen Kuo leave, and prayed silently for him in his heart, wishing him all the best.

If things are done well this time, the whole capital will remember him, and all the mistakes made in the past can be redeemed. The road to the two provinces is barrier-free.

However, after the second coal field was ignited, the fire extinguishing work became much more difficult.

If only it were just a matter of demolishing the garden. However, most of the large-scale gardens are located in the direction of the west and south of the city, and the east is mostly warehouses, that is, private houses, and often rent out the yards to store goods.

The reason why the gardens in the capital are mostly in the west and south of the city, and the warehouses are mostly in the east of the city, is because of the relationship between the Bianhe River and the Wuzhang River. The Gangships from the north and west were unloaded in the east and northeast of the city, so that a large area outside the east gate of Kaifeng was mostly warehoused. Compared with the Bianhe River from the south of the Yangtze River and the Wuzhang River in Liangshanbo in Jingdong, there are many fewer water transportation materials from the west, and there are not many warehouses, and this is the result of the opening of Xianghan Cao Transportation in recent years.

Forage yards, granaries, and warehouses of all sorts of merchandise were laid out one after another in the eastern part of the city. Not to mention the huge scale of the coalpin field, half of the energy of the Dongcheng Paigishi Division is focused on these black stones.

Those are all flammable, but the reservoir area is still face to face, back to back. Even though there are the most perfect fire protection measures in this era, they can't stand the fire too fierce, and the night wind is very strong. Coal mountains are not so easy to solve in the future generations.

What Han Gang is most worried about now is that this fire will not burn up the grain reserves in the capital. If that is the case, before the water transport reopens next spring, millions of soldiers and civilians in Beijing will be hungry.

Putting aside his worries about Shen Kuo and the Chengdong reservoir area, Han Gang proposed to the two governments: "Today's incident has given a very important reminder to the government and the opposition. There is nothing but good and no harm. Millions of soldiers and civilians in the capital rely on charcoal for daily diet and heating, and more coal is used in iron and steel making. But charcoal is flammable, and if it doesn't burn in the hearth, it's a disaster. The so-called car in front does not forget, and the car behind is the teacher. In the opinion of the ministers, all states and counties must be prepared for emergencies in the future and conduct drills from time to time. In the event of a flood, drought, or today's fire, what should the government do, all localities should take into account the local situation to write an emergency plan. When an unfortunate situation really arises, it is carried out according to the predetermined plan. So as not to be in a hurry all the time. ”

"Remedying?" Cai Qu said to Han Gang: "Yukun, now is not the time to discuss how to repair the fence. ”

Han Gang asked rhetorically: "The matter of finding sheep has been assigned to Shen Kuo. So how to repair the fence, isn't it the responsibility of the two governments? ”

"There's no need to rush today."

"There is really no need to rush to make an emergency plan today. But discussing the gains and losses, drafting the edict, it can be done today. ”

"Cai Xianggong, Han Xuanhui." Empress Xiang interrupted the dispute between the two, "At this time, it is indeed a top priority, but you can write a note and hand it over." ”

"Obey." Han Gang lowered his head, and Cai Qu also received the order and stopped the pointless argument.

Zaifu in the Suwei Palace today, Han Gang is not among them.

It was agreed on how to deal with the fire, leaving Cai Qu and Su Song, and the rest of the zaizhi left the imperial city one after another.

It was already nightfall, the east was full of red light, and the streets in the capital had begun preparations for a curfew.

When Han Gang returned home. Masks have already been prepared at home to prevent flying ash from the air.

Looking at his wife and concubines who were all wearing masks at home, Han Gang shook his head and smiled, "It's really thoughtful." ”

He went into the house to freshen up and change clothes, and ate and talked with his wife, concubines, and children. When it was almost the third watch, Han Gang came out of the study and stood in the courtyard looking at the fire in the east that did not subside, and he was even more worried.

"Official, let's sleep first."

Wang Yi came over to urge with his clothes on, Han Gang nodded, and was about to go to sleep, when he heard a commotion outside the mansion, and then someone came in to report that someone from the palace wanted to see Han Gang.

An attendant was brought in, it was Song Yongchen.

As soon as Song Yongchen saw Han Gang, he hurriedly bowed, and immediately said, "Han Xuanhui, Empress Taishang has a decree, please enter the palace immediately." ”

Even under the light, Song Yongchen's face was pale.

Knowing that there was a change, he hurriedly came out of the room, letting the left and right stay away, and Han Gang asked the reason.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Song Yongchen shook his head and refused to say, but said: "Please Xuanhui enter the palace quickly." ”

Han Gang glanced at him deeply, didn't ask any more questions, ordered someone to prepare horses, and went to gather his relatives again, and then went into the house to change his clothes, preparing to return to the imperial city.

"Xuanhui, can you hurry up." Han Gang went in and changed into official clothes, and for a while, Song Yongchen was already anxious like an ant on a hot pot, "Empress Taishang is waiting for Xuanhui you." ”

Before the mount could be brought in, he was urged like this, and Han Gang's tone was angry, "What are you panicking about?" You have to walk slowly when you go out. The important ministers of the court rushed into the palace in the capital at night, do you want to make the capital chaotic? ”

"Xuanhui! You can't walk slowly! Don't wait! Empress Taishang is waiting for Xuanhui! Song Yongchen urged urgently, but still refused to explain the reason.

Han Gang glanced at him again, and then raised his head to the sky without saying a word.

Looking at the night sky shrouded in clouds and haze, Han Gang was silent. Even in the daytime, it was completely blurry, and the blue in the sky was completely invisible, and now there was no starlight.

Song Yongchen was so anxious that he stomped his feet, and he didn't know what Han Gang was doing, and he was even more worried about attracting the attention of the surroundings, so he didn't dare to speak loudly, so he could only urge in a small voice, like a tug-of-war, constantly going back and forth.

Before the source of the noise named Song Yongchen, Han Gang finally lowered his head and stared at Song Yongchen: "But there is a change in the Funing Palace!" ”

Han Gang's words were earth-shattering, like a knife cutting through Song Yongchen's most rearmost psychological defense.

Song Yongchen was stunned, the news he hid in his heart was so quickly seen through to Han Gang. My heart was churning up and down, and I couldn't move for a moment when I stood there.

'Is this a night observation of the heavens and the truth?' ’

Song Yongchen was terrified in his heart, and he didn't know how to react.

Han Gang has always disliked entering the Imperial City at night, because he was worried that someone would lay a trap in the Imperial City, and when the situation changed, these things could not be guarded against, which made him feel very insecure. But now Song Yongchen's reaction has explained everything, so that Han Gang doesn't have to make useless guesses.

The mount came, the people were all together, and Han Gang did not delay any longer.

"Let's go!" He jumped on his horse, and the sky was a whip.

It's hard to slow down now!