When the moon was about to set, Shen Mingyuan sent someone to call Wei Yangyang. When she arrived at the Kaifeng Mansion, Shen Mingyuan asked someone to find a clean dress for her, so she washed her body with cold water and changed her clothes. After the two of them sat down, Shen Mingyuan pointed to the food on the table: "Now that the disaster is serious, I can only eat a few things." When I get back to Huadu, I'll take you to eat something delicious. ”

Wei Yangyang looked at the four plates of cold dishes, four plates of hot dishes, and two snacks on the table, but there was no wine. She is very satisfied with this: "This is already very good, many people can't eat porridge, as long as they can eat enough." The two of them sat down to eat and talk.

Wei Yangyang expressed concern about the situation of repairing the embankment: "Your Highness, is the breach not repaired?" Shen Mingyuan shook his head helplessly: "There has always been a flood peak, but it has never been able to be repaired." A lot of conscription has been washed away, and we have to wait for the flood peak to pass. ”

Wei Yangyang began to scold angrily: "This god is really, in our Haixi buckle swish, it can't rain five times a year." It is very generous in Kaifeng, day and night. We can't drink water there, but it's flooded every day, hmph, it's not fair. ”

Shen Mingyuan patiently explained to her: "The closer to the south and the closer to the sea, the more frequent the rain will be. Hercy is in the northernmost part and far from the sea, so it doesn't rain much. Wei Yangyang was still puffing: "Yes, it's not good if there is less rain, there is no way to grow food; Too much rain is not good, it will flood the grain, and it will be annoying. Listening to her words full of childishness, Shen Mingyuan couldn't help laughing: "That's why we have to repair canals and embankments, only by doing a good job in water conservancy can we make water obedient and thrifty." ”

Wei Yangyang's previous understanding of the Ministry of Industry was only Yu Jingxian. The old man could make all kinds of firearms, and was known in Haixi as "a pair of hands can reach half the flag". But she didn't understand how to build a river embankment. She was full of curiosity about Shen Mingyuan's words: "Then how can you make it obedient, is it the son of His Highness?" If you want it to go east, go east, and if you want it to go west, go west? ”

Shen Mingyuan didn't have a son, and when he heard this, he laughed: "My son? Where did I come from, son? Besides, even if it's my son, he won't do what I want him to do. He suddenly asked: "Have you heard of Dujiangyan?" Wei Yangyang shook his head: "I have heard of the Hongmen Banquet, what is the Dujiang Banquet?" Shen Mingyuan laughed louder after hearing this: "Luang, I was busy surveying the terrain all day today, and my brain hurts, only now do I feel happy." ”

Wei Yangyang still didn't know what he had gone wrong: "What's so funny about this? I haven't eaten the Dujiang banquet. The next time His Highness takes me to eat, I'll know. Shen Mingyuan put down the chopsticks in his hand and laughed: "No, no, Dujiangyan is not in Huadu, but in Shu County." Wei Yangyang was even more puzzled: "In Shu County? Running that far for a meal? Not worth it, right? Can't you call that cook? Shen Mingyuan's laughter that had just stopped rang out again, and he laughed so loudly that even Ling Quan, who was waiting outside the house, heard it.

Wei Yangyang was inexplicably laughed by him: "If Your Highness laughs again, I won't speak." Shen Mingyuan had to use great concentration to hold back his laughter: "Okay, okay, let me tell you, Dujiangyan is not a table of dishes, but a water conservancy project." Wei Yangyang was very surprised: "It, it's a levee?" ”

When it comes to water conservancy, Shen Mingyuan put away his smile and explained seriously: "It's not a big embankment, you can think of it as an artificially built river, but it can divide the river into two. On ordinary days, the river water flows into the inland river and flows to the place where there are people living in Shudi; In the event of a flood, the excess water flows into the outer river and into uninhabited areas, without affecting the people. Since Li Bing's father and son built Dujiangyan, Shu has changed from a barren land to a country of abundance that can grow food. Therefore, every time we build the embankment, we have to pay homage to Li Bing. As he spoke, he dipped his fingers in the tea and drew a picture on the table so that Wei Yangyang could more easily understand what Dujiangyan looked like.

Wei Yangyang suddenly realized: "Ah, it's the same as when we worshiped Grandpa Yue before the war, isn't it?" Shen Mingyuan nodded. Wei Yangyang asked excitedly: "This Li Bing is so powerful, is he still alive?" Can't you transfer him to repair the embankment? Ah, to worship him, then, then he's dead, isn't he? Shen Mingyuan couldn't help but smile and said, "He has been dead for more than a thousand years. There was some regret in Wei Yangyang's tone: "Huh? More than a thousand years? It's a pity, otherwise you can ask him out of the mountain. She sighed again: "I thought Yu Jing was powerful enough before the old, but I didn't expect Li Bing to be so powerful, but he is really the champion of three hundred and sixty lines." ”

She saw that Shen Mingyuan was in a good mood, so she asked tentatively: "Your Highness, the matter of soup soup and disaster relief is not in your charge, is it?" Shen Mingyuan didn't know why she asked: "That's the matter of the household department, and my third emperor brother is in charge." He is now urging the prefect to collect rice in Xuzhou and Luohe, and he will transport it to Kaifeng as soon as possible, what's wrong? "The third emperor brother he said is Shenming, the king of Huaiyang, because he was born to a concubine, so he is only the king of the county, not the prince.

Wei Yangyang was afraid that he would scold him for interfering in the government, so he hesitated a little in his words: "I think the number of victims is too large, and the porridge is not enough at all." In many homes, men can eat it, but women can't. I also met with a family today where the parents gave porridge to their son and starved their daughter to death. By the time I found out, the girl had been hungry for days and could not be saved. She said a little sadly: "I think, if there is not enough rice and millet, it is not porridge, even if it is a black noodle nest." ”

What she said, Shen Mingyuan also saw a lot on the road: "This is a bit difficult." First, this is a matter for the household; Second, if the imperial court provides disaster relief, if it is black-faced, isn't it damaging to the face of the imperial court? Wei Yangyang was afraid that he would be angry, so he muttered in a low voice: "Then, if people starve to death, isn't it?" Shen Mingyuan knew what she meant in her heart: "Yes, people's livelihood is the foundation of society, and if the people starve to death, it will damage the face of the court." ”

Seeing that he was not angry, Wei Yangyang dared to raise his head: "Then, black noodles should be better raised than rice, right?" Shen Mingyuan is very familiar with the situation nearby: "The vicinity of Kaifeng is a sorghum producing area, and the black noodles are easy to find." But now it's raining heavily, and there's really no way to transport the flour. If the sorghum is transported and ground into flour, it will be even more troublesome. When Wei Yangyang heard him say this, he was so anxious that he couldn't choose to speak: "You don't need to grind it into powder, you can do it raw." When people are dying of hunger, they can eat the bark of trees. "It's funny, but it's true.

She thought too simply, and it was difficult for Shen Mingyuan to explain to her the pull of several factions: "There is sorghum, but what about after it is transported?" Feeding sorghum to a woman? Giving men white rice and millet? The distribution of food rations is not as simple as you think, so unfair, what if it causes a civil uprising? Moreover," he paused: "You also know that if I interfere in the affairs of the household, the king of Huaiyang will definitely not be satisfied." ”

Wei Yangyang had more or less heard about their brothers' quarrels, and she knew that it was no longer something she could inquire about, so she lowered her head and stopped making a sound. The two of them began to eat again, but apparently the room was not as lively as it had just been. Shen Mingyuan saw that she was sullen, so he teased her: "Have you ever thought that this matter is not without room for maneuver. Have we forgotten the most important person? Wei Yangyang hurriedly raised his head and asked, "Who?" Shen Mingyuan looked at her and laughed again: "My third emperor brother." ”

Wei Yangyang's mind obviously couldn't turn: "But didn't His Highness just say that King Huaiyang didn't want to?" Shen Mingyuan was a little aggrieved: "When did I say he wouldn't?" I'm just saying that it's inconvenient for me to meddle. But if I give him a suggestion for repairing the book, it's still okay, right? Sorghum grinding is inconvenient, but you forget, beans can also be cooked directly into porridge. The millet was mixed with beans and boiled together into porridge and distributed to the victims. In this way, the porridge can be cooked more, and the money spent by the court will be reduced. ”

The price of beans is much cheaper than the price of rice, and it is not enough to fill the stomach. The substitution of beans for millet is a common method of corruption used by disaster relief officials at all levels, and it is not uncommon in the household department. In the affected counties outside Kaifeng, officials mostly did just that. But because he was repairing the embankment in Kaifeng, the prefect of Kaifeng did not dare to mess around, but only dared to take white rice and millet out and cook porridge honestly. He wrote to the king of Huaiyang, saying that although he knew, he had no intention of reporting them for corruption.

Hearing him say that he had already repaired the book to the third prince, Wei Yangyang was still a little uneasy: "Then, is the King of Huaiyang willing?" Shen Mingyuan said meaningfully: "Although the beans are not full, they are better than nothing, right?" If the people starve to death, the people's resentment boils, and the father blames him, it is a big crime. Now I don't care about his idle business, he is naturally willing. Wei Yangyang jumped up happily: "That's great!" Of course, he didn't tell Wei Yangyang about this unsightly thing in the officialdom, but just smiled and said, "It's already very good that you can think of sorghum." Wei Yangyang excitedly grabbed his left arm: "Your Highness is better!" ”

Since he came to Huadu, the two have been together for more than a year, and the relationship has become very close. Shen Mingyuan saw that she took the initiative to grab her left arm, and he had mixed emotions in his heart, looking forward to staying with her in Kaifeng Mansion like this. But the purpose of his trip is to repair the embankment, and he must not have a relationship with his children here.

He said goodbye to Wei Yang with some sadness: "I am a little worried about the heavy rain for several days, and I will go to the Yellow River embankment tomorrow to have a look." You can stay here and take care of yourself. Although Wei Yangyang has never seen the Yellow River embankment, her life of fighting and killing for many years has made her keenly grasp the point of the other party's words: this trip is a little dangerous.

She couldn't tell how she sensed this, and she didn't bother to think about it, so she made a straightforward request: "Then I will go with His Highness." Shen Mingyuan flatly rejected her: "It doesn't rain in Haixi all year round, and you have no experience in the rainy season. We may not be able to ride horses, so we will have to walk up the river to the embankment. Wei Yangyang is not clingy on weekdays, but today she is unusual, so she has to follow: "I didn't know how to swim, but Your Highness forgot?" I've fought a naval battle in Qiantang Mansion. I am very good at water, I know kung fu, I can ride horses, and I can read maps, and it is very useful for Your Highness to take me. Besides, Your Highness pays me money every month, so I can't take the money for nothing and not work, right? Your Highness should have paid for a guard, okay? ”

If she were an ordinary woman, it would naturally be a burden to bring her. But she has a superb kung fu and is alert, so she can be said to be a good guard who can't be found with a lantern. Shen Mingyuan thought of this, and began to give her three chapters of the law: "You can go, but you have to listen to me in everything, and you are not allowed to act without permission, otherwise I will punish you," he wanted to say a punishment, but after thinking about it, he was not in the mood to punish her for the time being, "As for what to punish you, let's talk about it after we come back." Seeing that he agreed, Wei Yangyang kept nodding his head to show that he was well-behaved.