Chapter 98

In the midst of the chaos caused by war and natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and locust plagues, the impact on the lives of the people is the greatest. It can easily lead to social unrest, with refugees and bandits rising up everywhere, weakening the vitality of the state. Therefore, the level of disaster relief is an important measure of the ability of local officials.

The core of disaster relief is the assistance to disaster victims, with three key points: first, ensuring they have food; second, providing them with shelter; and third, helping them return home. The last point, 'returning home,' is a matter for the later stages of disaster relief and does not need to be considered by counties that are receiving refugees. Counties only need to focus on the first two points: 'having food' and 'having shelter.'

After inspecting the grain warehouses, the circuit intendants then went to check the accommodations prepared for the disaster victims.

This time, Circuit Intendant Sun finally found an opportunity to criticize... He saw that Fuyang County had not designated a specific area for the disaster victims, nor had they built any shelters. Believing he had caught County Magistrate Wei in a dereliction of duty, he sneered, "Fuyang County has plenty of grain, but it seems you don't intend to share it with outsiders."

"What do you mean, sir?" County Magistrate Wei asked, puzzled.

"Where is the cleared land for the disaster victims?" Circuit Intendant Sun coldly snorted, "Not even a single hut has been built. Do you plan to let the disaster victims sleep on the streets under the sky?"

The other two circuit intendants did not say anything, but their expressions were uneasy. They were disappointed in County Magistrate Wei, feeling that their earlier praise had been a joke.

"Sir, please allow me to explain," County Magistrate Wei said, "In my observation of past disaster relief methods, the usual approach is to gather the disaster victims in the city and provide them with porridge. While this is convenient for the government to manage and provide relief, it also has significant drawbacks." He paused, "When disaster victims are gathered too densely, it can easily lead to the spread of disease and trampling deaths. Some people, after waiting for days, die on the road without receiving any porridge. This method, in name, is to help the disaster victims, but in reality, it is a perfunctory action that disregards their lives."

"Hmph..." Even Circuit Intendant Sun had to admit that what he said made sense, "Do you have a better method?"

"I have already ordered the county government offices, Taoist temples, Buddhist temples, and warehouses to be vacated. Additionally, based on household status, I have requisitioned vacant houses in the county to accommodate the disaster victims," Wei replied. "The former can accommodate a limited number of disaster victims, but the main focus is on the latter. The county has a dense population, so it is rare to find vacant houses. Therefore, the upper-class households need to provide three rooms, the middle-class two rooms, and the lower-class one room. In the towns, where houses are more spacious, each class provides one additional room. This arrangement can easily accommodate 30,000 disaster victims, and by dispersing them, it prevents the spread of disease and reduces the risk of unrest, making it much better than gathering them together."

"Your method is indeed novel," Circuit Intendant Qi said, "But will the people of Fuyang agree?"

"I have already issued a notice to all the villages, stating, 'Refugees are coming, and we have no place to accommodate them. If they gather in the city, disease will spread to you all. Therefore, the government will lease houses to accommodate them,'" County Magistrate Wei said, "The people of Fuyang are kind-hearted and have all agreed."

"You mean to lease the houses," Circuit Intendant Sun, with his sharp ears, immediately pointed out, "But many disaster victims have lost all their possessions to the flood and have no money to pay rent."

"Those who cannot pay rent will be covered by the county," County Magistrate Wei said calmly, "Actually, we could requisition the houses for free, but allowing the people to benefit will naturally make them more cooperative, and it will also foster better relations with the disaster victims in the future."

"Will the costs be reimbursed?" Circuit Intendant Sun asked, "If not, can your county afford it?"

"Of course, they will be reimbursed," County Magistrate Wei said, "Those who can afford it will pay, and those who cannot can work in exchange for relief."

"I see," Circuit Intendant Qi said, "But how will you provide porridge if the disaster victims are dispersed?"

"Since they are dispersed, we won't provide porridge," County Magistrate Wei replied, "Instead, we will distribute rice to each person, every two days."

The circuit intendants looked at each other, seemingly finding no fault with this. Circuit Intendant Sun, though he wanted to nitpick, knew there were no laws stipulating how officials should handle disaster relief. Whether County Magistrate Wei's new method was good or not would depend on the results... If it failed, he wouldn't need to report it; County Magistrate Wei would be in trouble anyway.

After inspecting Fuyang for most of the day, the circuit intendants were generally satisfied... mainly because the full grain warehouses at Yongfeng Granary left them in awe. Time was short, so the circuit intendants planned to head to the next station, Lin'an, that night.

County Magistrate Wei naturally went to the dock to see them off. Circuit Intendant Qi, who had a very good impression of this young county magistrate, thought that such a dedicated official was rare in the current era, unlike the Hongwu period. No wonder the provincial governor had praised him so highly.

Before parting, he dismissed the others and walked to a corner of the dock to speak with County Magistrate Wei alone.

"Wenyan," Circuit Intendant Qi asked softly, "Do you know why the grain inspection is so urgent?"

"According to the court regulations, before opening the granaries to distribute grain, the provincial administration and the provincial inspection commission must verify the grain reserves," County Magistrate Wei replied, "It seems a request to the court to distribute grain is imminent."

The circuit intendants, the provincial administration, and the provincial inspection commission are not independent administrative bodies but rather dispatched institutions. The granaries cannot be opened without the court's approval, which is managed by the provincial administration and supervised by the provincial inspection commission to prevent corruption under the guise of disaster relief.

"Exactly," Circuit Intendant Qi nodded, "Before I left, Governor Zheng had already sent an urgent report to the court. At the same time, he requested that Duke Tang send naval ships to transport the disaster victims to various counties for relief." He paused, "We three are the vanguard. According to the governor's orders, we will verify the preparations of each county and then proceed with the relief. Now, Fuyang County is ready, and the disaster victims will start arriving no later than the day after tomorrow."

Circuit Intendant Qi looked at County Magistrate Wei, seeing no reaction, and continued, "Wenyan, are you not worried that opening the granaries to distribute grain will cause dissatisfaction among the local people?"

"Yes, I am worried," County Magistrate Wei nodded honestly, "The people have always considered the grain in the granaries as their lifeline. Now, it is being used to help people from other counties, and in such large numbers. There will certainly be resentment."

"The people will find it even harder to accept that the grain in the Yongfeng Granary, which they contributed, will not be distributed to them," County Magistrate Wei emphasized, "If this leads to conflict, it could result in civil unrest and undermine the governor's disaster relief efforts."

"It seems you also have concerns," Circuit Intendant Qi smiled, "I wouldn't have asked if you hadn't said anything."

"The provincial government faces even greater difficulties," County Magistrate Wei said calmly, "The county's role is to alleviate the burden, not to add to it."

"Indeed, officials like Wenyan are truly rare!" Circuit Intendant Qi praised, "I will certainly convey your words to the provincial governor." He paused, "You must look at the bigger picture. You know, although the emperor has been on the throne for nine years, there are still many who pay lip service but not heartfelt allegiance. This major disaster in Zhejiang is unprecedented, and those people will surely have something to say. The governor is under a lot of pressure. If he cannot provide timely relief and stabilize the situation, the emperor will certainly blame him."

"Understood," County Magistrate Wei nodded, listening to Circuit Intendant Qi continue, "I know this is a difficult task, but there is no choice. Eight out of ten grain warehouses in Hangzhou were flooded, causing severe losses. We have no choice but to have the counties help support the people. In times of crisis, the strong are revealed. If you can help the governor through this difficult time, there will be ample rewards in the future!"

"I do not seek rewards. Although the disaster victims are not from this county, they are still citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and we should provide them with equal relief," County Magistrate Wei said solemnly, "I only hope the provincial government will provide clear guidelines so that the county can properly accommodate the disaster victims and ensure they live in peace with the local people."

"Of course, we can do that," Circuit Intendant Qi said solemnly, "The governor's letter states that any county receiving disaster victims will be treated the same as the affected counties in terms of tax and labor exemptions. Moreover, before I left, the governor gave three requirements: no deaths, no unrest, and no disaster victims leaving the county. As long as these three points are met, you can act boldly, and the provincial government will bear all the consequences."

Seeing no reaction from County Magistrate Wei, Circuit Intendant Qi added, "The official document will be issued soon, and you will see it when it arrives."

"Understood," County Magistrate Wei bowed deeply, "I will not let the governor and the circuit intendants down!"

Two days later, at noon, a naval ship sailed up the Fuchun River, carrying over a thousand disaster victims. Their homes had been destroyed by a tsunami, leaving them penniless, and many were even half-naked, shivering in the cold wind and rain.

Their hearts were even colder. With the sea wall not yet repaired and the sea not yet receded, they had no home to return to and could only be driven by the authorities, under the watch of soldiers, to be transported to various counties for resettlement. The rough treatment by the soldiers and the lack of food had left them hungry and despondent, filled with fear and resentment about the life of refugees that awaited them...

"Why should only the city people stay, and we from the countryside have to leave our homes!" On the ship, such complaints were heard everywhere.

"There's not enough food, and they don't want us to fill up Hangzhou City," an old man sneered, "So they are sending us to the counties."

"Will the counties be willing to accept us? They are not the ones affected," the disaster victims worried.

"We are just a burden," the old man said angrily, "Who likes disaster victims?"

"So, we won't be welcomed," the disaster victims' spirits sank even further.

"Having a bowl of porridge would be good enough," the old man said gloomily, "But if it's so thin that there are hardly any grains of rice, we'll starve to death..."

His words made the older people recall a year during the early Ming Dynasty when a locust plague was severe. They had fled, and only half of them returned home, with the rest dying from hunger or disease, a tragic situation beyond description.

"The worst thing in the world is to be a refugee..." The pessimistic mood grew heavier, and many disaster victims, both hungry and afraid, began to cry.

"Stop wailing!" The soldiers, holding whips, shouted, "We've arrived in Fuyang, get up quickly!"

The disaster victims looked toward the shore and saw a sign on the dock with sixteen large red characters. Many people in Zhejiang were literate, and several of them read out loud:

'When others are hungry, we are hungry; when others are cold, we are cold. In times of hardship, we stand together, and in disaster, we help our neighbors!'

The saying 'a kind word can warm the coldest winter' applies here. Even if it was just for show, it made the disaster victims feel much more comfortable.

The ship struggled to dock, and the soldiers disembarked. After a while, a group of local officials arrived, led by a young man in a seventh-rank official's uniform, who was undoubtedly the county magistrate.

Without waiting for the bailiffs to announce, the people on the ship knelt down and kowtowed to the magistrate.

"Please rise, everyone," County Magistrate Wei helped an old man to his feet, "You are too kind to me."

"Please have mercy, sir