Chapter 54

A flood has erupted in Jiangning County.

The imperial palace was the first to receive the news, as the Astronomical Bureau, including special communication channels, had already relayed the information at the earliest moment.

The external communication, however, was only conveyed to the six departments.

One could say that this matter instantly ignited the entire court and government.

After all, the flood in Jiangning County had been under watch for half a month, with grain transportation and wall reinforcement already prepared.

But no one expected that the flood disaster would truly erupt.

At this moment.

Inside the Yangxin Hall.

Emperor Yongsheng looked at the memorial scrolls, his expression extremely solemn.

On the scrolls were the latest reports.

The flood in Jiangning County was a matter of concern for the court.

However, the worst-case scenario still occurred.

Originally, according to the court's plan, grain would be transported first, followed by the dispatch of elite troops and scholars to suppress the water spirits. As long as there was no breach in the levee, the disaster would be nipped in the bud.

But the unexpected happened so quickly, how could this emperor not be deeply worried?

"Your Majesty, Chancellor Zhou, and the five Secretaries are waiting outside. Should they be summoned?"

At this moment, Wei Xian's voice sounded from outside the hall.

"Summon them."

Emperor Yongsheng spoke.

His solemn expression was replaced by calmness.

Soon, six people appeared.

These six were the pinnacle of the civil officials of the Great Xia.

Leading them was Zhou Shan.

The current Chancellor of the Great Xia, a first-rank official.

Followed by Hu Yong, the Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel.

He Yan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue.

Xu Ping, the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice.

Zhao Yiyang, the Secretary of the Ministry of War.

Wang Qixin, the Secretary of the Ministry of Works.

Yang Kai, the Secretary of the Ministry of Rites, was bedridden and could not come.

"Your subjects pay homage to Your Majesty, wishing Your Majesty ten thousand years of prosperity."

The voices of the six officials echoed as they bowed to Emperor Yongsheng.

The emperor waved his hand, and the eunuch Liu Yan handed the memorial scrolls to the officials.

The six officials took the scrolls, glanced over them, and soon their expressions changed.

"The worst has happened."

"Your Majesty, do you have any good strategies?"

He spoke, looking at the six officials, hoping these ministers could provide practical suggestions.

The flood disaster, the real fear is not the destruction of farmland or the loss of lives, but the continuous destruction.

Unlike other natural disasters.

If this flood is not controlled in time, it will become increasingly terrifying, and its impact will grow year by year. This is the truly terrifying aspect.

"Your Majesty."

"I believe that although the levee has breached, it is not the worst outcome."

"The first batch of grain has already been transported, and it should arrive in Jiangning County in a few days."

"Moreover, the Lantern Bureau has already sent scholars to suppress the water spirits. Once the spirits are suppressed, the flood can be effectively controlled."

"I suggest sending two more scholars to suppress the water spirits as soon as possible."

"Then, the Great Xia troops should take over the disaster relief, minimizing the losses. As for the damaged farmland, after the flood ends, the court will allocate funds, and donations from various regions will be used to re-plan the area. This will affect the harvest for the next two years."

"But after enduring this difficult period, the flood disaster will be completely resolved."

At this moment, He Yan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, spoke first.

He analyzed the situation from an economic perspective, prioritizing the suppression of the water spirits before disaster relief. As long as people are alive, the situation can be gradually resolved.

However, upon hearing this, Xu Ping, the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, shook his head.

"No."

"Suppressing the water spirits is crucial, but disaster relief should be the priority."

"Your Majesty, the levee in Jiangning County has been destroyed, and the people are surely suffering. When refugees gather, it will easily affect the surrounding areas."

"At that time, a civil unrest is likely to occur. I believe that disaster relief should be the priority. Open the granaries in various regions to ensure that the people do not gather, and the surrounding counties can share the burden."

"As for the water spirits, there is no need to rush."

Xu Ping spoke.

Suppressing the water spirits is important, but as the Secretary of Justice, he understands how terrifying civil unrest can be.

It's not the number of refugees that is scary, but the concentration of refugees. Imagine millions of refugees gathered together; no county would dare to speak up.

At that time, it would be like locusts passing through, which is the truly terrifying aspect.

In the face of death, human nature is fully exposed.

Even if the court devises various methods, the starving people have no time to listen to your commands.

Upon hearing this, the other Secretaries nodded.

However, Zhao Yiyang, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, shook his head.

"Secretary Xu, you are mistaken."

"Your Majesty, I believe that suppressing the water spirits is the most important. Otherwise, even if the people are evacuated, if the levees continue to breach, it will be a major problem."

Zhao Yiyang expressed his opinion.

Each of them had valid points.

However, Emperor Yongsheng's gaze fell on Zhou Shan.

"Chancellor Zhou, what are your thoughts?"

He asked directly.

Zhou Shan stepped forward and spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty."

"I believe that both suppressing the water spirits and disaster relief are crucial."

"However, suppressing the water spirits is relatively straightforward. Sending more scholars and elite troops will eventually resolve the issue."

"But the core issue is disaster relief. Jiangning County is surrounded by rivers, with hundreds of tributaries."

"The situation is not yet at its worst, but I am concerned that if it worsens, it will result in millions of refugees."

"As Secretary Xu said, if refugees gather, no county will dare to accept them. Even if the court issues an order, local officials will not act rashly."

"That will be the real problem."

"Therefore, I suggest that the capital of Jiangning County be the main focus, and ten counties be selected to transport grain and serve as disaster relief sites. Your Majesty should issue an edict to transport all official grain to these sites."

"Furthermore, immediately inform the people of Jiangning to be prepared. If a flood occurs, they should go directly to the disaster relief sites."

"Protecting the people is the priority."

Zhou Shan spoke, presenting his thoughts and suggestions.

He also acknowledged that disaster relief should be the priority but cleverly alleviated the pressure of disaster relief while solving the grain transportation issue.

Otherwise, transporting all the grain to the capital of Jiangning County would take