Chapter 48: Trade-offs

It's just that this hydraulic engineering technology is not ahead of the times.

Zhu Qizhen wanted a plan that could not only protect the people on both sides of the Huai River, but also maintain the smooth operation of the canal, and maybe there were. But whether it can be done or not is not necessarily.

Zhu Qizhen thought with his toes, this is a very difficult thing to think about.

And once it can't be completed, it will be another major ecological disaster caused by the imperial court itself.

Every time he thought of this, Zhu Qizhen would read the article written by Ouyang Xiu about the Liuta River again.

The Northern Song Dynasty's decision to build the Yellow River was to put forward a perfect plan, but it caused a huge ecological disaster.

Although the Ming Dynasty has disasters and famines every year, if it is a man-made disaster caused by improper governance of the imperial court, Zhu Qizhen himself cannot forgive himself.

Therefore, Zhu Qizhen didn't think about the good thing of both.

There must be a trade-off between the canal and the Huai River.

It is not that the canal must be abolished when the Huai River is repaired, but the priority between the two must be clear.

As for choosing the canal or the Huai River, Zhu Qizhen doesn't have to think about it at all.

The reason is very simple, the people along the canal will be poor without the canal, but if the Huai River is not repaired, it will be an endless disaster for the people on both sides of the Huai River.

There is no need to choose this at all, it is naturally to ensure that more people survive.

However, this reason may not convince many ministers, especially those with a stake in the canal.

To be honest, although Confucius is full of moral articles, he always says the word benevolence, but many times, his disciples and grandchildren never put benevolence first.

And so it is today.

The so-called three outlines and five constants, can you see a benevolent character?

Zhu Qizhen had to use more serious reasons to force them to bow their heads.

Of course, Zhu Qizhen can use his authority to act recklessly, but this is a great loss to Zhu Qizhen's political prestige. This kind of stupid thing with no technical content, Zhu Qizhen has never thought of doing it.

Zhu Qizhen said: "My Taizu Emperor Benhuai is in the right cloth, at the time of the world's mourning, he raised his arms, and there is the world for more than ten years. ”

"The safety of the ancestral tomb, the upper part of the heavens, the lower and the descendants, it can not be said that it is not important, and now the ancestors are in a state of danger, how can I sleep in peace?"

"Hongze Lake must not be like this here."

"Ministry of Industry, is there any way to eliminate the trouble of the ancestral tomb?"

Chen Yi said: "Only the river embankment can be strengthened, and a few stone embankments can be added here, which is enough to defend the ancestral tomb." ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "The days are impermanent, you can do this, and the ancestral tomb is completely important?" ”

Chen Yi said: "No. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "So there is no cure for the root cause? ”

Chen Yi had already been led by Zhu Qizhen by the nose at this moment, he could only say

"There is Hongze Lake because the Huaishui River does not go to the east smoothly and exists, and now the Yellow River is diverted, and the Huai River enters the sea through the old road, but the old road of the Huai River has been washed by the Yellow River for many years, and now the riverbed is high, and it has been higher than Hongze Lake. ”

"When Yu Gong was there, he wanted to build a river to divide the Huai River into the sea, but the Huai River was too watery, and it was okay in the dry season, and once it was rainy, the river was not enough at all."

"In order to remove the hidden danger of the ancestral tomb, we must first discharge the water of Hongze Lake, and to discharge the water of Hongze Lake, we must repair the Huai River, dredge the upper reaches of the Huai River, and dig a channel into the sea."

"Finally, don't let the canal use the water of the Huai River again."

It can be said that how to govern the Huai River is an almost eternal proposition in the Institute of Water Conservancy. A proposition that never goes out of style.

So a lot of the conclusions are ready-made.

But many people are afraid to say it, because this is a very big project, even bigger than the Yellow River diversion project.

The reason is simple.

Most of the Yellow River is the old way of other rivers, the lower reaches of the Yellow River is the course of the Daqing River, it can be said that after the Yellow River bursts, only dozens of miles are forced out of the river, and the rest are all kinds of other rivers.

All Yu Qian did was build a river embankment.

Although the amount of earthwork used to build the river channel by controlling water and attacking sand is also a lot, it is a little less than the river channel that was dug out from Hongze Lake to the sea.

Moreover, a considerable section of the canal is made up of Huai River water, and if you want to use Huai River water, you must forcibly change the direction of Huai River water.

The Huai River originally flowed into the sea from the east, and it was forcibly divided into a north-south flow, which also dispersed the drainage capacity of the river.

In fact, if the Huai River alone does not require any advanced water conservancy principles, it is only necessary to open the way along the water potential, but many things are easier said than done.

Zhu Qizhen said: "Your name is Chen Yi, right?" ”

Chen Yi said: "The minister is Chen Yi. ”

Zhu Qizhen still has an impression of the name Chen Yi, without him, the older generation of ministers who control the water have grown old, such as Ruan Jin, Wang Yonghe, etc. Zhu Qizhen also has to know something about the next generation of ministers who control water.

And Chen Yi is famous for this.

Not only that, Chen Yi has never rejected new technologies, and he also has many unique ideas in the use of steam engines. This made Zhu Qizhen appreciate it very much.

Chen Yi's official position is not high, which is also related to Chen Yi's background.

Born in the academy, not from an orthodox Shilin, it is good to have the head of the Ministry of Engineering.

But Zhu Qizhen never gave up the idea of promoting officials from non-imperial examinations, he said: "I entrust this matter to you, can you do it?" ”

Chen Yi was stunned for a while.

People who don't know about water conservancy may not know what kind of project this is, and this project is even bigger than the original Hebei water conservancy management.

It's not just about digging a river.

Although the problem of the Huai River is not smooth into the sea, and once the rainy season will cause downstream backflow is the main problem, it does not mean that there are no problems upstream.

And it sounds like digging a river, it's a simple thing, but it's also important to dig where to get the best results.

Chen Yi is just a six-grade official.

Among the accompanying officials, stand at the rear.

Zhu Qizhen wanted to see this about the common people's society, and handed it to him Chen Yi, who couldn't believe it at all.

"Your Majesty, the minister knows Your Majesty's pain, but this matter is better to consider in the long run." Immediately there was an official admonition.

Qiu Jun, as a scholar and the highest-ranking minister present, did not speak.

Because Qiu Jun knows the emperor too well. Moreover, Qiu Jun is the minister who is the most supportive of abolishing the canal and shipping by sea. Among his writings, it is also a special one, which is elaborated.

He had already seen Zhu Qizhen's intentions.

Naturally, I won't come out to speak.

Anyway, Qiu Jun is from Hainan, and on the canal, he doesn't have a penny to do so.

Zhu Qizhen said: "It is this matter that is so important that I dare not be rash, Chen Yi is Ruan Jin's most proud disciple, and he has the true inheritance of Ruan Jin, who does he need to use when it comes to controlling the water?" ”

"Chen Yi, don't you dare to do it?"

Chen Yi shook a stir and said: "The minister will not give up, as long as the court gives the minister enough supplies, if the minister can't cure the Huai River, His Majesty will throw the minister into Hongze Lake." ”

With Chen Yi's background, it is almost impossible to have too high an official position in his life.

The six directors of the Ministry of Industry are almost at the end, or they can be transferred to the local government to serve several prefects, but that's it, and it is almost impossible to be higher.

But now Zhu Qizhen has given Chen Yi a chance.

As long as he can really manage the Huai River well, is he still worried that he can't soar?

"Okay." Zhu Qizhen said: "It's just a national event, I don't dare to be rash, I now order you to be the Ministry of Industry Langzhong, in charge of the Huai River governance, you don't have to go with the car, go and prepare the Huai River governance plan, wait for your plan to be submitted, if the hundred officials pass, this errand is yours, no one can take it." ”

It seems that Zhu Qizhen is very fair, but many officials are secretly complaining here, and secretly said: "You just said this thing, who else will fight for this matter, is there such a short-sighted person?" ”

This is almost an explicit thing, and no one will do it against the emperor.

Chen Yi said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, Your Majesty will definitely go up and down the Huai River and present a flawless plan for Your Majesty." ”

When Chen Yi was still boiling with enthusiasm, he didn't know that many ministers were looking at him carefully at the moment, not looking at a minister who was controlling water, but looking at an upstart who would control water for many years to come.