On the first day of December in the tenth year of Orthodoxy, there is only one month left before the Lunar New Year.

At this time, under the embankment of the Yellow River in Zhangqiu Town, the haze after the disaster in the past has changed, and there is a scene full of people.

Tens of thousands of victims from all over the country, soldiers from the Shandong Guard, local villagers in Yanzhou, officials of the Political Department, and even Changshi Jianning, who represents the Lu Palace, stood solemnly here, looking at Shen Yichen in a scarlet robe on the river embankment.

Shen Yichen didn't look at the scene under the embankment, there was a long offering table in front of him, on which were placed incense and candle offerings, as well as three animals and six animals.

The major affairs of the country are in the worship and Rong!

In ancient times, before the construction of large-scale civil engineering projects, they had to worship heaven, earth, ghosts and gods, not to mention the great development of water conservancy like the Yellow River.

Shen Yichen is not a superstitious person, and even for him, "asking ghosts and gods without asking the common people" is an extremely ridiculous thing.

But this time he was worshipped with great piety, and the various rituals were thorough, and the ceremony was very grand.

Because Shen Yichen is not respecting the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth, but the fortune of the country, in order to reassure the thousands of river workers and people present.

After reading the sacrificial text and burning the sacrificial paper, Shen Yichen turned around and faced the people and officials under the embankment.

"Since the pre-Song Dynasty, all dynasties have suffered from the flooding of the Yellow River, and it is even worse in my Ming Dynasty."

"Since the founding of Taizu for more than 70 years, the river dams in Shandong have burst dozens of times, and the water and soil on one side have not raised one person, and the people have suffered greatly, and countless families have died!"

When Shen Yichen said this, many of the victims of Yanggu County and the displaced people from all walks of life felt the same and their eyes were red.

Not to mention the previous floods, just this summer's Zhangqiu Town burst its embankment, and how many families were separated and displaced.

What's more, he had to sell his children and daughters, and watched his parents, wives and children die in front of him!

For the people along the river, the water of the Yellow River can really be described as love and hate, it brings the hope of life, but also brings the despair of death.

"This official was ordered by the Son of Heaven to go out of the town of Shandong to control the water, and I promise you here today that I will do my best to tame the water of the Yellow River, so that the people will no longer suffer from the Yellow River!"

In the decades since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court has to send a minister of water control every few years, and the local people have actually been numb to similar rhetoric.

Although Shen Yichen helped the people and made many victims respect him, but if he can tame the Yellow River floods, few still think that he can succeed.

In particular, the expressions on the faces of the officials of the Shandong Provincial Government Department under the embankment are even more intriguing. Not to mention every few years, just a few months ago, the political envoy Hong Ying released a message to go to Zhang Qiuzhen to block the break.

As a result, he spoke a lot of rhetoric and returned to the Yamen of the Political Secretary in a state of disgrace, which was regarded by many people as a laughing stock.

"The yellow-haired child doesn't know the height of the sky, the past dynasties have produced many capable people, and the Yellow River flood is so easy to manage, do you have to wait until today?"

Ma Guohui, who participated in politics on the left, showed disdain, Shen Yichen's words fooled the people, and it was meaningless in front of himself and others.

"It is said that Shen Yichen needs 100,000 people to control the water, and now there are only 30,000 people when he is full, and I am very curious about what kind of expression he will have if he knows that no one has gone to Zhang Qiu Town."

Cao Xi had a gloating expression on his face, Shen Yichen sent so many road transport troops to destroy the checkpoints, just because he wanted the victims to act as a conscript.

Now that the plan has been seen through by Futai, it is estimated that the upper limit of the river workers and civil power is in front of these people, and the year of the monkey can complete the great cause of water control?

"Keep it low-key, be cautious."

Governor Zhang Ji reminded that he had not yet covered the sky with one hand in the Shandong Political Division, and there were other colleagues on both sides.

It's too early to ridicule now, in case Shen Yichen becomes angry, with his identity and background, he can still make a lose-lose situation.

"Futai teaches a lesson."

Ma Huiguo and Cao Xi bowed their heads slightly to admit their mistakes to Zhang Ji, but the expressions on their faces didn't take it seriously at all.

This conversation was listened to by Hong Ying, the political envoy standing on the side, and there was a nameless anger in his heart. It's true that the governor is the third division of the local government, but he is also a member of the second rank, is he being ignored like this?

And as a pro-people official, even if he doesn't deal with Shen Yichen, why do you need to be so cynical when it comes to the right and wrong of water control?

There is a more important point, that is, from the words of Zuo Senator Cao Xi, Hong Ying noticed that this group of subordinates seemed to be plotting behind the scenes with Governor Zhang Ji, but he knew nothing.

Crossing Shangguan so blatantly is no different from being empty, how can you bear it?

Shen Yichen on the river embankment dam doesn't care what the officials of the Shandong Political Department think of him, he only cares about whether he can gather the people's hearts to control the water together!

I saw Shen Yichen wave his big hand, and Canghuo and others carried several large wooden boxes over, judging from the bending degree of the flat shoulder, these wooden boxes were extremely heavy.

In the face of this sudden move, the officials and people below all showed doubts in their eyes, not knowing what Shen Yichen wanted to do.

"Canghuo head, open the wooden box!"

"Yes!"

Several wooden boxes were opened one after another, and the silver with white flowers shimmered dazzlingly in the light.

"If you have a big truth, the official has already said it just now, now I will talk to the villagers and elders about the practical benefits."

"Everyone in the world knows that forced labor is harsh, and this official has to go against the grain. Here, I would like to promise you one more thing, all the people who participate in the work of the river can not only eat white flour and rice at a meal, but also receive half a tael of wages every month. ”

"If the work of the river can exceed expectations, the Japanese officials who have completed it will reward each person with a tael of silver. And all wages are paid truthfully, and there will be no deductions! ”

Shen Yichen knows that no matter how good it sounds, it is better to give the money in place.

Especially the vast majority of the people in the Ming Dynasty, they don't know a few big characters, what do you tell them about the water control in the contemporary era, and the benefits in the future, isn't it a joke?

Without clothes and food, who has the leisure time to think about what will happen after a thousand years?

Only when they have enough to eat and money can they fully mobilize their enthusiasm. Otherwise, relying on Shen Yichen's personal relief, he will have it for a while, and he will not be able to pay it back for a lifetime.

And in order to make the effect even more shocking, Shen Yichen specially exchanged this box of silver with the merchants trading on the canal.

Real money that can be seen and touched is far more effective than empty words, a hundred times more effective!

Sure enough, when the white silver came out, the victims, who were still a little dazed, felt their hearts warm!

"The champion is really the blue sky of the world, not only for disaster relief and relief for us, but also for forced labor, and to be paid, which is unheard of throughout the ages!"

"Xiao heard me right, can you eat white flour rice and meat?"

"During this time, the porridge shed has distributed meat several times, how can what the champion said be false?"

"That's right, in the past, when the wind and rain were good, you had to celebrate the New Year to get a little oily. In the year of the catastrophe, the champion public porridge shed distributed meat, if it was not eaten in the mouth, others would not dare to believe it! ”

Shen Yichen's effect of disaster relief during this period of time has been revealed, and these outrageous words are in the mouths of others, but no one at the scene questioned them.

They all believe that Shen Yichen will do what he says, and participating in the river labor service will not only be able to eat enough, but also have a salary!

Feeling the gradually rising enthusiasm of the victims below, Shen Yichen hit the railway while it was hot: "Fathers and fellow villagers, this official hereby swears to you that the great cause of river engineering will not be completed for a day, and he will not return to the dynasty for a day!" ”

This promise is the words that no minister of water control has dared to say to the people in the past.

Shen Yichen said it today, and tens of thousands of people present believed it!

"The champion governs the water, even if Lao Tzu gives up his life, he has to get things done!"

"And me, this life will be handed over to the champion Gong, and I have to die on the river!"

"The champion has the grace of regeneration to me, and whoever dares to contribute to the work of the river has to ask my fist."

"As long as the old boy still has a breath, he will accompany the champion to tame the evil dragon of the Yellow River!"

The roar of the people like a volcanic eruption made the officials of the political secretary who had laughed at Shen Yichen look at each other.

This kind of support of the people, which only exists in history books and stories, did not expect to be able to see it with his own eyes today, reflecting his ridicule like a clown.

Even at this time, the local officials of Yanggu County knelt on the ground one after another, and bowed to Shen Yichen with excitement on their faces: "I am willing to saddle the horse for the sake of Xian!" ”

In many cases, it is not clear whether it is the environment that affects people, or whether people change the environment.

Most of the local officials in Yanggu County served on errands, even if they couldn't bear it before, they still became the lackeys of the county commander Meng Anwei, and almost "besieged" tens of thousands of fathers and villagers.

Now that Shen Yichen has stepped forward, let them recall that this is their place of birth after all, and everyone has relatives and friends who died in this catastrophe.

Can go to the light, who wants to be in the dark, they are completely impressed at this moment, willing to Shen Yichen, willing to contribute to their hometown!

"Does the name of the champion have such magic?"

There was something incredible in Cao Xi's tone, he often did things that fooled the people, but he had never seen this kind of dead-hearted trust. Perhaps the biggest difference is that he does not have the fame of the champion and the first.

But the question is, does a champion title have such a big effect?

"The people are just ignorant, where did Shen Yichen get the money to make them eat white flour and rice, not to mention any wages and salaries."

Ma Huiguo is still a dead duck with a hard mouth, and Shen Yichen even knocks on the bamboo pole of the Shandong Political Department to help the people with the silver of disaster relief.

The river industry silver of the water control is the urine of the imperial court, and it is very grateful to be able to ensure the needs of the project, and I want to eat good wages, dream!

"Ignorance?"

A sneering voice came from Hong Ying's mouth.

"What is the current situation of the victims in Yanggu County, even if you don't go to the porridge shed to see it with your own eyes, you can see their complexion today."

"Can you see this kind of spiritual appearance in the displaced people in other state capitals?"

Hong Ying can be said to have endured it for a long time, and finally reprimanded him.

When he first came to Yanggu County, like other officials in the Political Division, he was very unpleasant to Shen Yichen's arrogant and domineering behavior.

But in any case, Hong Ying visited Yanggu County at the beginning of the embankment and knew what kind of hell it was like here.

With a sense of responsibility and sympathy as a pro-people official, after Shen Yichen left the county seat and went to Zhangqiu Town, Hong Ying came to the river where the victims gathered alone, wanting to see what the current situation was.

As a result, it simply subverted his cognition and imagination, and tens of thousands of victims in the entire river bay were in good order, without the skinny scene of the victims in other places.

In addition to the simple shelters built on the ground, the victims were covered on their heads and covered with warm clothing.

What shocked Hong Ying the most was the porridge shed food, which was placed in a big pot in the porridge shed in other places, and it was already a conscience to have a bowl of gruel instead of washing rice water.

The rice porridge boiled in any big pot in the porridge shed in Yanggu County can be inserted into the fast seeds without pouring, and the thickness is almost no different from white rice. And every five days, each person can also get a piece of white pork, which is unimaginable for disaster relief food.

Without these foundations for disaster relief and helping the people, it would be impossible for Shen Yichen to gain the trust of all the people today.

Hong Ying's words made Ma Huiguo and Cao Xi hurriedly say yes and say no more.

Although the two of them hardly take this "puppet" boss in their eyes on weekdays. But the fundamentals still have to be given, especially in such inconsequential matters.

However, at this time, Zhang Ji also spoke: "Hong Fantai's words are serious, and we cannot deny Shen Yanxian's contribution to disaster relief and help the people, and the distribution of river workers' salaries and silver is not just talking, if the imperial court does not allocate silver and grain, it will have to be looted in Shandong." ”

"With the silver and grain deposits of the Shandong Yamen today, can it support the grand goal of Shen Yanxian?"

Zhang Ji said something half-thing, half-secretly changing the concept, and the main purpose was to support Cao Xi and Ma Huiguo.

Now most of the high-ranking officials in the Shandong Political Department have only looked forward to Zhang Ji, Hong Ying is honest to be a political envoy of Paper Lake, why bother to do more for Shen Yichen?

Listening to Zhang Ji's words, Hong Ying's irrepressible anger calmed down instantly.

The evaluation of Hong Ying in the history books is that he is dignified and elegant, and he has no outstanding deeds in the official, and he is not a good person and an elder.

To put it simply, the translation is that he has no merit as an official, but he is a good person. In addition to this, he also has a weakness in his bones.

In the third year of Jingtai, Hong Ying was promoted to the imperial history of the right capital and the governor of Zhejiang, and was ordered to inspect the meritocracy of local officials. As a result, he was confused by the magistrate, and he felt that he couldn't judge it, so he begged the emperor for a treat.

The situation encountered by Shandong Hongying now is nothing more than the scenario being staged in advance a few years later.

"What Futai said is very true, and the official has not thought it through."

Seeing Hong Ying retreat, Cao Xi and the others, who were originally a little afraid, were even more disdainful in their hearts.

is such a weak official, what future can he have, and those who are a little ambitious will "abandon the dark and turn to the light".

After the ceremony of sacrificing the river, Shen Yichen ordered Chen Tao, the chief secretary of the county government, to lead tens of thousands of migrant workers converted from the victims to devote themselves to the project of slotting the river.

No matter how you want to control the water, you must first block the breach of the embankment, otherwise Zhang Qiuzhen will be half of Zeguo.

Zhang Ji and others, who were about to return to the county government, looked at the migrant workers who were in full swing, but for some reason they had an ominous premonition in their hearts.

Lies can be deceived for a while, but not for a lifetime. It is impossible to block the news on both sides of the river, and soon the treatment of migrant workers in Zhang Qiuzhen will spread throughout the three provinces and eight prefectures.

It's just that there is a difference between different porridge sheds, and maybe the homeless people don't dare to risk the long journey to Zhangqiu Town. But if you add the temptation of wages, I am afraid that the victims who are begging for food will flock to solve Shen Yichen's manpower shortage.

In this way, his "clever move" that was superior to chess was inexplicably broken by Shen Yichen.

Shen Yichen so far, he still doesn't know what Zhang Ji is doing behind his back, if he knows, it is estimated that he will smile contemptuously.

Zhang Ji's rumors may be an almost unsolvable problem for most Ming officials. Because they can't get rid of the limitations of thinking, and they don't have the courage to pay salaries.

But Shen Yichen is different, he has never thought about the word "white prostitution" from beginning to end, it is a matter of course to work and get money, and forced labor is no exception.

Conspiracy and trickery can be described as vulnerable in the face of real money, not to mention Shen Yichen and the people's aspirations.

What are you fighting me for?