Chapter 622: Major Changes to Dujiangyan
Zhao Yulin continued to analyze to his ministers: The Ministry of Water Resources needs to build water conservancy and shipping facilities, and it needs a part of the people. The Ministry of Works needs to build railways and roads, and it also needs a part of the people. We must arrange these brave warriors who dare to sacrifice their lives on the battlefield to the battlefield of building the country.
Everyone's minds were immediately opened up, and they offered suggestions one after another.
Zhao Feiyan asked Yu Jie to arrange the urgent water affairs first, and then everyone should discuss together how to promote the good life of the people of the new Song Dynasty in a good and fast manner.
When he got back, Shunzhidi pouted and said that he didn't even look at the official appointments of the Ministry of Personnel, as if the Ministry of Personnel was not important.
Chen Chen laughed and said that he didn't care about it because he was confident. If he did it carelessly, it would be strange if Brother Yulin was not anxious.
Zhao Feiyan kept yawning and slapping her lips, saying that her brain was not working well, she was a little tired, and she couldn't keep up with Brother Yulin's pace, so she quit.
Chen Chen looked at Zhao Yulin resentfully and said: Are you serious?
I don’t think so. Last night when I walked past the girl’s window, I heard her shouting, “Yes, yes, faster.”
Zhao Feiyan immediately covered her mouth with her hands, her face flushed as she looked around and stared at Zhao Yulin and asked carefully: Did she? No, I remember she always clenched her teeth.
Zhao Yulin almost spit out the food in his mouth after hearing this. He quickly scooped out the food in the bowl with two chopsticks and stood up to leave.
Behind them, several women were already bent over with laughter.
Zhao Feiyan tapped her chopsticks and said: Sister Chen Chen is always telling lies and bullying people. Official business is the real thing. Give us some advice.
Zhao Yulin was still busy in the study, and Chen Chen smiled and pulled him back to the room to discuss with him how to transform the Dujiangyan and expand the Baopingkou water diversion channel.
Zhao Yulin felt something was strange about what he heard. Why did he feel like it was just some jargon?
The woman said seriously that the people of Chengdu live a peaceful life. In the past two years, more and more wasteland has been reclaimed and the demand for irrigation water is strong. Every spring farming season, there are cases of disputes over irrigation water. She is really worried and wants to have a good talk with her brother.
Zhao Yulin was fooled as expected. He followed Chen Chen into the house happily, and the woman turned into a tiger.
The couple tossed around all night, and Chen Chen happily dressed him up and took him out to go to Dujiangyan for a field meeting. They were really going to transform Dujiangyan.
When passing by Taijian Hall, he asked Ding Gong and Cao Gong to go with him.
Chen Chen had a great time last night and was in a very good mood. He jumped off the carriage and went to invite them in person. Soon, Mr. Ding, Mr. Cao and Mr. Meng all came out. The group rode towards Dujiangyan with the clatter of their horses' hooves. They had a rest in Pi County at noon. Yu Jie and Yang Zhishan caught up with them on horseback.
Meng Gong reprimanded the two, saying why were they chasing after them when they had already run so far away?
Yu Jie said with a smile: The Third Young Master and the others have been working hard for the water affairs, he certainly cannot stay out of it. Minister Yang has just taken charge of the Water Department and he cannot be lazy, so everyone come.
Chen Chen apologized with a smile: It was her fault for not thinking it through and reporting it to Minister Yang for detailed planning.
Yang Zhishan quickly waved his hands and said: He will listen to the instructions of all the adults.
Cao Youwen said cheerfully, "Stop being polite. Where is the instruction? We are just looking for an excuse to follow Brother Yulin out for a drink."
Several old men burst into laughter.
Seeing Yang Zhishan's embarrassed look, Zhao Yulin smiled and said, "Gentlemen, don't be so modest. Let's go and take a look first."
The group went directly to the public housing of the Dujiangyan management office.
Unexpectedly, this time he witnessed a big quarrel in which the deputy envoy sued the chief envoy in person.
As soon as Zhao Yulin and his companions stepped into the door of the office, the captain of the guard, Jing Gang, came over and whispered to him: The envoy is not here, and the steward said he had gone out to inspect the water conditions.
He said: Since the envoy is not here, there is a deputy envoy. Call the deputy envoy to talk.
Lao Cao said with a smile that the sun was about to set, so it would be a good idea for us to listen to the report from Dujiangyan first and then go for a drink and discuss the matter.
Just as a group of people were blowing away the bubbles from their tea bowls, Jing Gang came in with the deputy envoy Bai Guanghua.
When everyone saw that the man's official uniform was dirty and covered with mud, they curiously asked the deputy envoy: Why are you so disheveled? Are you repairing water conservancy projects with the craftsmen?
Jing Gang said: That’s right, I found Deputy Envoy Bai in the river.
Mr. Ding was very happy and asked about their envoy. He said he was inspecting the water conditions at the construction site, so where was he?
Deputy Envoy Bai said angrily: I'm afraid he is still patrolling the bed of the young lady in the brothel. Anyway, the sun is about to set, so it's a good time to go back to sleep.
This girl was so determined that she suddenly knelt on one leg and saluted Zhao Yulin and the others, accusing them of misusing public property for personal gain, disobeying orders, and making false reports and embezzling money.
The girl said confidently: By now the envoy must have learned that the gentlemen have arrived and is on his way back, but this person has been lying about expenses under the guise of river patrol for a long time, and it is written in black and white on white paper and cannot be denied.
Everyone was surprised.
How absurd and serious must a superior's evil deeds be for a subordinate to be so desperate to file a complaint on the spot? Just as he was surprised, Zheng Shi stumbled in and knelt down to report: Please forgive me for being late.
Chen Chen was extremely upset, but she didn't know whether what the deputy envoy said was true or not, so she asked indifferently: What's the matter? You are so flustered and disheveled, are you busy with official business at the river repair site? Ignorance is not a crime.
The envoy immediately said with a smile on his face: That's right, I walked a little far away, and ran back as soon as I got the news, and I still delayed your business.
Jing Gang immediately testified: the envoy lied, he did not see anything at the river engineering site, nor did he hear that the envoy was supervising and inspecting inside. However, the guards clearly saw the envoy running from the direction of Linshui Street and falling twice in succession. The stains on his official uniform were dust from the road, not mud in the canal.
He was so stunned that he collapsed to the ground immediately.
Yu Jie immediately had him dragged out for a thorough examination, and asked Deputy Envoy Bai to find him a few experienced water engineers. The gentlemen wanted to hear how the Dujiangyan Irrigation System could benefit the people of Western Shu and irrigate more fertile fields.
Bai Guanghua said that he had heard a lot while living and eating with the water workers these days, but it was too late this year to make major changes to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System . They could build two layers of cages in front of the fish mouth to increase the amount of water sent into the water diversion channel.
Then this guy started talking incessantly: He thought that in order to make good use of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, the river channels downstream had to be built at the same time. The amount of water flowing through the Baopingkou was too large, and the water diversion channel below was not big enough, so the river embankment would be destroyed and flooding would occur.
Zhao Yulin knew immediately that the man was an expert in water management, so he didn't just follow Shangguan's opinion and spoke randomly, following his Shangguan's interest.
Seeing that Mr. Ding and Mr. Cao both nodded with satisfaction, Chen Chen said with a smile, "It's getting late, let's find a place to have a meal."
Jing Gang reported that there were beggar chickens from the Shenwei Army on Linshui Street.
Everyone immediately went out and walked towards the Beggar's Chicken. After a while, they sat down and started to eat and chat.
Mr. Ding held up the wine glass and said with a smile: It seems that we have to control this mouth. Even the officials below can't stand it if you eat and drink without restraint.
Everyone laughed.
Yu Jie immediately reflected that he did not manage his subordinates well enough.
It’s a shame to say that the envoy from Dujiangyan had dined with him last year.
Yang Zhishan quickly said: It was his fault, he did not manage his subordinates well.
Lao Cao told everyone to stop arguing. These days, when you go on tour, you are always accompanied by your subordinates. But we need to sound the alarm. These officials were selected and screened by the Shunfeng Division when they were promoted. It has only been a few years since they turned bad.
Mr. Ding nodded his head, pointing to the brightly lit city outside the window and said: Daojiang County is prosperous and popular because of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The water in the diversion canal is filled with gold and silver. If we don't keep a close eye on it, some people will try to get some money.
After the banquet, Zhao Yulin and Zhu Gong said goodbye and took Chen Chen to visit Yangjin's father Tuwa Pencuo. The old man lived here and never went anywhere, and devoted himself to taking care of the flowers and plants in the yard.
Seeing him coming, Tuwa Pencuo happily invited him to come in and sit down, and asked his wife to serve butter tea.
The old man told him that Dujiangyan was a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. The shops and courtyards along Linshui Street had long been fully occupied. Some families had even sold their houses at prices that doubled compared to when they first bought them.
Damn, this is terrible. These housing prices are really making it difficult for ordinary people.
Zhao Yulin sighed inwardly.
While inviting them to have tea, the old man said cheerfully that when Yangjin passed by here, she gave him five hundred jars of good wine, which he could not finish.
The King of Feiyan also gave him some good Guizhou cigarettes, which smelled delicious.
Zhao Yulin asked the old man to bring it to try, because there were many women and children in his family and he was not allowed to smoke.
The old man immediately went into the house to get cigarettes.
Haha, Zhao Yulin found that there was no difference between it and the cigarettes of later generations, except that it did not have the yellow filter tip.
He took out a cigarette, lit it with a lighter, and blew out smoke rings skillfully. Tuwa Pencuo was surprised. Looking at his expression, he looked like an old smoker who had been smoking for ten years.
He said with a smile: The taste of this cigarette is much purer, and it feels ten times more refreshing than when he first smoked it.
Old Tuva said proudly: This is the tribute cigarette used by the imperial court, don't mention it's my first time smoking it.
Zhao Yulin was still stunned. He looked at Chen Chen in confusion and asked: "Do we have any at home?" This was his first time smoking.
Chen Chen said with a smile that Feiyan did not allow his brother to smoke, so he gave all the cigarettes to the elderly at home.
Haha, old Tuva was happy.
It turned out that the cigarettes in Zhao Yulin's house were sent out by Zhao Feiyan.
He carefully told his father-in-law that Yangjin was determined to go to Lhasa City to work and he couldn't stop her.
Old Tuva said that he knew that Yangjin was the real Tibetan, and she wanted to go to Lhasa City and make all Tibetans submit to the new Song Dynasty wholeheartedly and hold each other tightly like pomegranate fruits. That would be the best.
Zhao Yulin didn't know what Yangjin had told the old man, but it was a good thing that he had such awareness.
He told Old Tuva about the corruption case that happened in the Dujiangyan Management Office in the afternoon, and asked the old man to keep a close eye on it and never allow officials to be corrupt. The country that the Shenwei Army had built with their blood and lives should not be ruined in their hands.
The old man nodded solemnly and told him not to worry, he was warning all the officials coming out of Baoning Prefecture and told them not to harm the common people, and he would definitely help keep a close eye on his son-in-law.
