Si Liangbao smiled: "It's not yet the autumn harvest, and when the autumn is received, the granary will be full." ”

Leng Yi said: "What about when it's full? ”

"Ship it away, hand it over to the imperial court."

"Feelings, our granary, is it just a temporary transfer?"

The granary system of the Song Dynasty was generally very complete, but because it had just been founded, the system in this area had not yet been developed. China's long-term liquidation system, due to the fragmentation of the country after the Tang Dynasty, the lack of unified power, and the war food is not enough to eat, there is no reserve at all, so this system is also abandoned. In the early years of the Song Dynasty, there were constant wars and a shortage of food, so this system was delayed until the third year of the Chunhua of Taizong of the Song Dynasty (992 AD), that is, fifteen years after the era of this book, it began to be set up near the capital, and it took another fifteen years before it was fully implemented throughout the country. Therefore, the implementation of the standing position system in Bavaria was twenty or thirty years later.

In the Song Dynasty, there was also a granary system called Guanghuicang, which was to recruit peasant households to rent tenants for those "household land", that is, ownerless fields, and set up grain storage for the taxes paid on these fields to support the elderly and infirm and orphans who had no one to support them. And this system was only put in place eighty years after the time of this book.

Therefore, at the time of this book, neither of the two important granary systems of the Song Dynasty had yet to be established. The main function of the granary in the yamen is to temporarily store the field tax paid. In addition, when there is a disaster and it is necessary to allocate relief grain, the imperial court allocates relief grain for storage.

However, the taxes and grain paid by the local courts will be returned to the local government according to a certain proportion for emergency use. But this amount is very small.

Leng Yi said to Si Liang: "How long have you been serving as Si Liang in Yamen?" ”

"It's been almost twenty years."

"Has our Bazhou been hit by a catastrophe before?"

"I've suffered, why haven't I suffered, a small disaster in three years, a major disaster in five years. Floods, droughts, pestilences, everything. ”

"According to your previous experience, is this reserve of grain in our yamen enough?"

"It's just enough to stuff your teeth." Si Liang salivated and wanted to say a joke, but when he saw Leng Yi's face, he quickly restrained his smile again.

Leng Yi said: "In the past, how long did it take for disaster relief from our disaster to the relief allocated by the imperial court?" ”

"Fast three months, slow half a year."

"Three months, do you know how many victims will die in three months?"

"This ......," Si Liang smiled with a red face.

"I've built so many granaries, but I don't have enough food to stockpile, what should I do in the event of a catastrophe?"

Si Liang scratched his head and said, "You have to have money to reserve grain, but the yamen doesn't have this expense." ”

This is the truth, Leng Yi sighed, held the umbrella, and left the grain depot. instructed to prepare a sedan chair, and took the sedan chair to the Ba River again.

The Ba River is a large river that runs through the city, and in the winter, the river is relatively small, and in the summer, under normal circumstances, the river is relatively mild, but the continuous rainfall since the beginning of summer this year has caused the river to swell. The low-lying embankments are already in danger of overflowing.

Leng Yi instructed the sedan chair to walk along the river, and then ordered the sedan chair to stop. He stood by the river, looked at the rolling river on both banks, and said to his followers: "These embankments are too low, especially in low-lying areas, if it rains again, the river will overflow the embankment and flood the town!" ”

An old follower smiled and said: "At most, the water in our Bazhou River will rise to the current place, and if it can't rise, it won't flood the city." ”

"Why can't you drown?" Leng Yi glared and said, his hand pointed around, "Look at it, now the water level of the river is higher than the terrain in the city, and the terrain of the entire Bazhou City is flat, once it overflows the river embankment, it will inevitably flood the whole city." What then? ”

"This ......" The old attendant stopped talking, but his expression didn't seem to be too convinced, he just didn't dare to contradict it.

Leng Yi returned to the yamen in a sedan chair, and went straight to the signing room of Liao Zhifu in the rain.

Governor Liao was reviewing the official document, Leng Yi came in, he smiled and nodded to let him sit down, and he continued to read the official document until he read the official document in his hand and reviewed it, then put down the brush and raised his head to look at him: "How is the case investigated?" ”

"Visiting. There are some eyebrows. ”

"Well, the court has high hopes for you to solve the case, so don't let it down."

"Yes, the humble duty must be dedicated,"

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"That's right," Leng Yi moved his buttocks, making himself more upright, and looking more serious with his expression. Said: "Bazhou has been raining heavily for more than a month, just now I went to the Ba River to inspect, and found that the river water rose sharply, there is a danger of overflowing the embankment, and the embankment in some low-lying places is not high enough, the thickness is not enough, and when the water volume is very large, it is easy to burst the embankment!" And the whole city is flat, once the embankment breaks, the whole city will be dangerous! ”

Governor Liao smiled and said, "Lord Leng is too worried, right?" Although he has not served as the governor of Bazhou for a long time, his predecessor has not mentioned that Bazhou was flooded by rivers. This year's rain is heavier, but not enough to be stressed. ”

Leng Yi said: "The prefect will not forget the principle of taking precautions." ”

Governor Liao frowned slightly, and said, "What does Lord Leng ......mean?" ”

"Mobilize migrant workers immediately and strengthen the river embankment, just in case!"

"It's a good idea, if we have money and food, it's even better to do so." Governor Liao looked at Leng Yi meaningfully.

"Didn't the imperial court have the expense to repair the river?"

"The renovation of the river and the reinforcement of the embankment must be reported one year before, and the imperial court will make unified arrangements, and it must also be arranged according to the priority, and it will not be reported and will be allocated for repair. There have been no major floods in Bazhou, and there has been no sediment blocking the river, and it has been navigable for many years, and there are no major problems, so there is no need to trouble the imperial court. If there was no report last year, there will be no arrangement for river improvement this year. ”

Leng Yi muttered: "It's too late to report now, does the yamen have any money valley that is not used for the time being that can be temporarily appropriated and strengthened to strengthen the river embankment?" ”

Governor Liao's face sank and said, "Lord Leng, you have been the magistrate of Yinling County for more than half a year, how can you say such a thing?" Every piece of the Yamen's money has its purpose, and it is a big sin to embezzle it privately! ”

"We're not embezzling it privately, it's fighting floods."

"No matter what the purpose, without the will of the imperial court, if you use it without permission, it is misappropriation! It's all forbidden! After Governor Liao finished speaking, he felt that his words were too harsh, so he slowed down his tone and said, "Lord Leng, it's not that we don't worry, it's just that we don't have money." The predecessor also reported to the imperial court to request appropriation to repair the river and strengthen the embankment, but the imperial court did not move, and the predecessor personally went to Beijing to inquire only that the imperial court was now using troops to the north, and the money was spent like flowing water, all of which were used for this military supply, where is there spare money to strengthen the embankment for us. ”

Leng Yixue knows from history that during the period of Zhao Kuangyin, Gaozu of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Guangyi, Taizong of the Song Dynasty, the economy had not recovered at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the treasury was not solid. So that's true. It seems that it is impossible to get money from the imperial court to repair the river and strengthen the embankment. I'll have to think of something else.

Leng Yi thought for a while, and then said: "Can you raise funds and mobilize large households in the city to contribute?" ”

Liao Zhifu shook his head with a wry smile, and said to Leng Yi: "Leng Zhixian, when you were in Yinling, this government knew that you had mobilized large households to help the poor people. And the effect is also very good. However, Yinling County is a small county far away from Emperor Tiangao, so there will be no big mess in such a toss. But Bazhou is different, it is also a prefecture city, many of the big families here have a close relationship with the court officials, and even intertwined, if you call for it bitterly, they will give you some face, in addition to the meaning of thousands of texts is also possible, and more will never come out. But this amount of money is a drop in the bucket to reinforce the embankment. And if you force the apportionment and make them bleed and move their real character, then they will have to use all kinds of connections to resist. If you don't get it right, you will soon be dismissed and investigated. Therefore, this kind of thankless thing, this government advises you, it is better to do less! ”

Leng Yi nodded and arched his hand: "Thank you Lord Prefect for your advice." -- However, in addition to the danger of flooding in Baju City, the torrential rains are incessant, and mudslides and flash floods are prone to disasters in various places, which wash away farmland and the people do not have enough to eat. I went to the grain depot to check before, and found that there was very little grain in stock, and in the event of a famine, can adults have a preventive strategy? ”

Governor Liao smiled bitterly again: "What else can be prevented, our grain depot is so much food, if there is a famine, we can only report to the imperial court for disaster relief, there is no other way." ”

"However, the imperial court is using troops in the north, and I am afraid that there is not much food that can be drawn out for disaster relief. Moreover, through the approval of the imperial court, it will take at least three months to transfer food for disaster relief, and the people can't wait at that time, we have to have food reserves. ”

Governor Liao spread his hands and said, "It's still the same sentence, what about money?" Where does the money come from? ”

Leng Yi turned his head to look at the pouring rain outside the window, and was silent for a long time before he got up to say goodbye.

Coming out of the Liao Prefect's Office, he called Cheng Luojie to his office, closed the door, and said in a low voice: "I am worried that our Bazhou will suffer from floods, endangering the lives and property of one million people in the whole house, but I have just talked to Liao Prefect, he said that now the imperial court is using troops to the north, and a large amount of money and valley are used in the war. Because there is no money left to come up. I came to you to discuss with you, can you report the danger we are facing in Bazhou to Empress Kaibao through your secret security, and then pass it on to the emperor, and allocate some money and food for us to rescue and relieve the disaster? ”

(To be continued)