Natural disasters and man-made disasters have always been linked.

In terms of the severity of last year's drought, Shanxi and Shaanxi were actually relatively light, but the famine caused by them was the most serious.

Where were the hardest hit by last year's drought?

According to the administrative divisions of later generations, there are southern Jiangsu, southern Anhui, southeastern Hubei, northeastern Jiangxi, eastern Fujian and the whole of Zhejiang!

These places are relatively rich, so in the history books, there was no large-scale famine in the south in the ninth year of Chongzhen.

However, Zhejiang, which suffered a severe drought in the province last year, has continued to suffer from drought this year. Although the drought is milder than last year, the people of Zhejiang can't bear it, because the political secretary is stepping up tax collection.

Yao Yongji, the political envoy of Zhejiang's Zuobu, was also forced to do so. He reported the disaster last year, but the emperor didn't believe it at all, and he actually took the official position and stayed in office, and if he didn't pay the taxes, he would be dismissed!

Ji'an, the General Military Office.

Zhao Han gave instructions at the spring ploughing meeting: "Officials, missionaries, peasant members, and the army should all fight drought and provide disaster relief!" ”

Li Ke said weakly: "Zong Zhen, why don't you personally pray for the sky and rain?" ”

"Pray for rain, if you have that money, you might as well use it for disaster relief!" Zhao Han refused.

Pang Chun said: "It's okay to pray for rain, not to move the heavens and the earth, but to unite people's hearts." ”

"The town did not believe, but the officials and the people did." Li Banghua echoed.

Zhao Han thought for a while and said: "Uniting as one is to unite people's hearts. As for praying for rain, there has been a great drought in the north for many years, why didn't the court and ministers pray for rain? He ordered the chief officials and dignitaries in all localities to immediately remove those who prayed for rain in the future. Give me all my heart and soul to fight the drought! ”

"Yes!"

The officials no longer dissuaded.

……

The magistrate of Nanchang County has gotten out, claiming that he is seriously ill, and without the permission of the imperial court, he went home to care for the elderly.

The new magistrate of the county is called Han Chengxuan, who used to be a county magistrate in Zichuan, and only did two years during his tenure: first, the county restored a whip law, and no more harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes were allowed; Second, build a stone city to defend against thieves.

Dazhi of Zichuan County!

As soon as he entered the boundary of Jiangxi, he heard that the spring drought was serious, and Han Chengxuan immediately frowned. He is a native of Shanxi, and he has tasted enough of the drought three years ago.

This time he went to Jiangxi, Han Chengxuan did not have a master, and only brought two domestic servants.

After leaving Poyang Lake, Han Chengxuan stood at the bow of the boat to observe. He found that on both sides of the Gan River, the seedlings were actually lush and green, which was not at all like the scene he imagined.

Han Chengxuan sighed with emotion: "The land on the right side of the river is really rich, with rivers and lakes moistening, and a bumper harvest can be harvested in a great drought." ”

When I came to Nanchang City, this place was extremely prosperous, and it didn't look like a thief.

Han Chengxuan did not stop, changed boats and went down the river, ten miles away is Nanchang County.

Along the way, on both sides of the small river, I saw people lining up to get water. The water level of this small river has dropped a lot, and the waterwheel cannot lift water into the canal, so the peasant association organizes manual water lifting.

"Dock."

Before arriving at the county seat, Han Chengxuan landed in advance.

He looked at the sludge left behind by the receding water on the riverbank, and then looked around at the lush rice fields, and felt an indescribable strangeness.

Han Chengxuan asked the servants to stay on the shore to guard the luggage, and walked along the ridge with a sword on his back alone. After walking out of several miles in a row, it was already far away from the river, and there were still no yellow seedlings.

It's just spring, and although it doesn't rain, Nanchang County is full of rivers, and it connects the Ganjiang River and the Fuhe River, so the drought control work is actually very good.

It's the mountains that are really hard to do!

Suddenly, Han Chengxuan saw a banner with an indigo blue background embroidered with an ear of rice.

"Folks, work harder, these are the last few fields!" A man dressed in ordinary clothes, holding a tin horn and shouting.

"Good!"

The crowd cheered in unison, and then worked harder.

Han Chengxuan stopped a farmer carrying water, pointed to the flag and asked, "What kind of flag is that?" ”

"The flag of the peasant association." The farmer replied.

One speaks official dialect and the other speaks Jiangxi dialect, and they can barely communicate.

Association?

Han Seungxuan felt a little bad.

He observed for a while, then paced back to the river, and went with his servants to the county seat.

Arrived at the county office, reported the calendar, and the county minister, the main book, and the history came to greet him with two shifts of errands.

Han Chengxuan inquired and learned that the county chief was called Zhang Ruohai, the main book was called Liu Zirong, and the classic history was called Hu Dinggui.

This classic history is quite young, it seems that he is only in his teens.

Those soap class officials were even more strange, each armed with a spear instead of a normal water and fire stick. And the order is forbidden, neatly arranged, and looks more powerful than the officers and soldiers in the north.

Han Chengxuan pressed the doubts in his heart and went to go through the handover procedures, although the treasury was not full, but he also had some money and food left. This situation is excellent, he first came to Zichuan to be the magistrate of the county, and the county government treasury was so poor that he could run a mouse.

Han Chengxuan left the county seat, the main book, and the canonical history, and summoned them to a meeting in the second hall of the county ya.

"This county is new to the county, and we have to rely on three more." Han Chengxuan arched his hand and said.

Zhang Ruohai hurriedly surrendered his hand: "Don't dare, we will definitely do our best to assist the county honor." ”

Han Chengxuan also said: "The spring drought in Jiangxi, I think it is still well managed, and the three gentlemen have worked hard. ”

Liu Zirong suddenly said: "County honor, Nanchang County has flat terrain, fertile land, and vertical and horizontal rivers, so there is no need to worry about the spring drought at all. However, in the surrounding counties, there must be people in the mountains who have been affected, and they are likely to come to beg for food after the summer harvest. The county should prepare as early as possible and try not to starve to death a single victim. ”

"That's nature." Han Chengxuan said with a smile.

Hu Dinggui said: "If there are displaced people, the county lord does not need to panic, I will only take people to deal with it." ”

"I'm tired." Han Chengxuan arched his hand.

After chatting for about a stick of incense, Han Chengxuan could see it.

The affairs of Nanchang County are all in charge of Liu Zirong and Hu Dinggui. And Zhang Ruohai, the county leader, is completely a puppet, only occasionally saying a word or two of nonsense.

In the evening, Han Chengxuan paid his own money and invited Zhang Ruohai to the county government house for a banquet.

After a few greetings, Han Chengxuan asked directly: "Are the county's main books, canonical history, and those two classes of officials all anti-thieves?" ”

Zhang Ruohai trembled with fright, and hurriedly whispered: "Don't make a noise from the county, let's get through it after a few years of being a confused official." ”

It's really a thief!

This Nanchang county, although it is not attached to the Nanchang Mansion City, is also the central area of Jiangxi Province. The dignified county government, except for the county officer, the rest of the officials were all stolen by anti-thieves.

Han Chengxuan's vest broke out in a cold sweat, and he said with a grim expression: "Luling Zhao thief, didn't you recruit an earlier?" ”

Zhang Ruohai said bitterly: "It's true that Zhao'an is recruited, and there is no war, but I'm afraid this Jiangxi will have to be surnamed Zhao." The previous county lord was scared away, and he directly hung a seal saying that he was sick and returned to his hometown. ”

"It's the same in the whole of Jiangxi?" Han Seungxuan asked.

Zhang Ruohai said: "I don't know about other places, but the whole Nanchang Mansion is like this. Fuzhou Mansion in the east and Ruizhou Mansion in the west, I heard that a peasant association is also being formed, and sooner or later it will all fall into the hands of the Zhao thief. ”

"What exactly is a peasant association?" Han Chengxuan remembered the flag on the outskirts.

Zhang Ruohai explained: "There is a mission group under the command of Zhao Thief, and they go around preaching the unity of the world. The mission group will bring some backbone peasant associations, and the villages and towns they pass through will establish peasant associations within two or three months. It was the peasants who colluded together to force the landlords to reduce rents and interest rates, and not to pay harsh taxes to the government. In their spare time, the peasant associations also help each other. ”

"This ...... Is this a rebellion? Han Chengxuan was dumbfounded.

Zhang Ruohai said in an affirmative tone: "This is a rebellion, and the gentry and landlords have suffered for a long time!" ”

Han Chengxuan was completely speechless, if this was considered a rebellion, then he also wanted to rebel.

When Han Chengxuan was the magistrate of Zichuan, he tried his best to restore Zhang Juzheng's whip method. Because of this, he offended the powerful and powerful, although the county was under great rule, he was thrown to Jiangxi to face the thief.

I have to admit that the anti-thieves here in Jiangxi have done better than the government.

But this is wrong, let it develop, the whole Jiangxi will really have to be surnamed Zhao.

Han Chengxuan's heart is extremely entangled, and the education he received is to be loyal to the monarch and serve the country and love the people. Now that the loyal monarch serves the country, it seems that there is a conflict with the benevolent people, which one should be chosen?

That night, Han Chengxuan tossed and turned, unable to figure it out.

After spending a few days like this, Han Seungxuan found that he had nothing to do. Government affairs are handled by Liu Zirong, the chief bookkeeper, and public security is handled by Hu Dinggui, and all affairs in the county are well managed.

So, what do you want him to do as a magistrate?

In desperation, Han Chengxuan simply went to the mountains and rivers and took his servants across the river to the boundary of Ruizhou Mansion.

Asked left and right, it turned out that in Kochi County, it was actually Fu Ruwei, a jinshi in the same year.

Han Chengxuan immediately went to meet him, strictly speaking, this kind of behavior is not allowed, and the magistrate cannot leave his jurisdiction without authorization.

"Brother Kanghou, why are you here?" Fu Ruwei was very surprised.

Han Chengxuan explained: "I was a magistrate in Nanchang, and I really had nothing to do, so I came out to go around. ”

Fu Ruwei couldn't cry or laugh: "It's the same end of the world." ”

"Shanggao County has also been stolen by anti-thieves?" Han Seungxuan asked.

Fu Ruwei sighed and said: "Of the four counties in Ruizhou Prefecture, there are already two counties like this. Only Gao'an County, which is attached to Guofu City, and Yifeng County, which is in the mountains, are still in the hands of the Ming Dynasty for the time being. However, these two counties are also developing peasant associations, and it is only a matter of time before they fall into the hands of the thieves. You were transferred to Jiangxi, did you offend people? ”

"I have indeed offended a lot," Han Chengxuan said, "I reiterated a whip law in Zichuan, prohibiting the collection of exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and also re-cleared the land." ”

Fu Ruwei smiled bitterly: "I'm not as capable as Brother Kanghou, last year's drought in Zhejiang, I just forced the big clan to open a warehouse and release grain." Officials of the Donglin Party, I have offended several people. ”

The imperial court is really interesting, and it throws good officials to Jiangxi in one go.

Han Chengxuan suddenly asked: "Do you want to report the truth here to the imperial court?" ”

"I can't report it," Fu Ruwei shook his head and said, "In several major battles, all the officers and soldiers of Jiangxi were defeated. If it is reported to the imperial court, it will inevitably attract thunder and anger, and the Jiangxi war will start again. When the time comes, where will the officers and soldiers of the imperial court come from to fight with money and food? In the meantime, a day of delay is counted as a day. Alas, that Zhao Yan is also a good thief. ”

Han Chengxuan said: "I know that he is a good thief, but a good thief is also a thief after all." ”

Fu Ruwei said: "Brother Kanghou can go to the mountains to see how great the prestige of the Zhao thief is. The people in the mountains, under the organization of the peasant associations, walked several miles or even more than ten miles of mountain roads, and went down the mountains to the river to carry water back for irrigation. So it's nothing, after they carried the water, they were still digging the reservoir, and it seemed that they had to carry the water to fill the reservoir! I went to see it once, and it was really shocking, and there is no government that can do it. ”

Han Seungxuan had nothing to say.

Fu Ruwei smiled bitterly: "Don't think too much, let's go on a tour of the mountains and rivers together." ”

(Thank you for the reward from the little fat league owner who is not there, and ask for a monthly pass by the way.) ）