Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 87 The Yellow River Flood
But it doesn't mean that Yue Ze finished speaking, Zhao Kuangyin finally felt impatient, and interrupted directly, and said to Chu Zhaofu and Luo Gongming, the chief and deputy envoys of the third division who stood like sculptures and never spoke: "Chu Qing and Luo Gongming What do you think, Sir?"

Chu Zhaofu took a step forward, bowed and said, "Your Majesty! I think that Mr. Yu's method of digging sand has never been used before, and we will talk about it after verification."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded, snorted coldly, thinking how to verify this, could it be that millions of laborers were used to dig sand, and the people's dealers didn't care, and then emptied the treasury.Zhao Pu and Yu Yueze also despised Chu Zhaofu in their hearts.

The third division is making Chu Zhaofu the founding minister of the country by chance. He made a great contribution when Zhao Kuangyin added the yellow robe, and he was loyal to Zhao Kuangyin, so he was in charge of the third division. However, Luo Gongming, the deputy envoy of the third division, is well versed in the art of financial management for the people, and it is he who really manages the complicated official affairs of the third division such as grain, rice, taxes and taxes in an orderly manner.This matter is known to everyone in the court.

Zhao Kuangyin was obviously dissatisfied with what Chu Zhaofu said, but he had expected it a long time ago. He didn't say anything, but looked at Luo Gongming.

Luo Gongming saluted Zhao Kuangyin and said, "Report to Your Majesty! Although raising the embankment will cost a lot of money and recruit a lot of labor, it is much less than the method of dredging sand. Therefore, to be on the safe side, I think this year we still need to raise the embankment. As for the sand dredging method, I think we can wait a few years, when the national power of the Song Dynasty is getting stronger and the national treasury is getting more and more abundant, then I will consider this method and see how it works.”

Zhao Kuangyin nodded, although Luo Gongming didn't say anything more useful, but what he said was safe.However, this still did not achieve his goal of saving a lot of money and reducing the number of forced labor as much as possible.

At this moment, Xiao Huangmen came forward and said beside him, "Xiangfu County Uncle Yechen asks to see you."

Zhao Kuangyin smiled slightly when he remembered what Bai Desi had reported to him in the morning at Jiaofang Division last night, thinking that this kid was becoming more and more like a normal young man, which made him feel inexplicably relieved.As for the matter that Yushi Wang Yuefeng's son was insulted and hanged himself at home, he forgot about it except for a little bit of pedantry of literati sometimes.With Wang Yuefeng's status, his son would not be able to win the emperor's heart even after his death.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Kuangyin recalled all the miraculous deeds of Ye Chen in the past, especially the collapse of the city wall after seeing through the pumping of water under Jinyang City, and couldn't help but move in his heart, saying: "Xuan Yechen sees you."

When Ye Chen entered the Chongzheng Hall, he couldn't help being startled when he saw so many people, thinking that it would be inappropriate to mention Yu Qingyan's matter with so many people.While thinking about what to say if the emperor asked what happened later, he kowtowed to Zhao Kuangyin.

What made Ye Chen heave a sigh of relief was that before he could say anything, Zhao Kuangyin took the lead in talking about how to control the Yellow River by dredging sand and diverting it, and asked his opinion.

Ye Chen thought for a while, then shook his head and said: "The method of digging sand is absolutely impossible!"

"Why?" Without waiting for Zhao Kuangyin to speak, Yu Yueze glared at Ye Chen and asked dissatisfied.

The method of dredging sand... Ye Chen has never heard of the government using this method to control the flood of the Yellow River with such a huge mechanical force in the future, so it can be seen that this method is absolutely impossible.

Luo Gongming knew that Ye Chen probably didn't know Yu Yueze, so he said, "This is Mr. Yu Zhihe who raised the golden embankment."

Ye Chen organized his remarks and asked Yu Yueze: "Dare to ask, sir, there is also the Yellow River in Lanzhou in the northwest and the Yinxia area where the Dangxiang ministries are located. Why don't you see these places have to increase the dams every year?"

"Of course it's because the water potential is different and the sediment doesn't sink." Yu Yueze has been managing the river for many years.However, the specific reasons have been carefully studied.It's a pity that he only knows one of them, but not the other.The reason for this is not fully understood.

"And the method of digging sand is the method to cure the root cause, how can it not work." Yu Yueze looked at Ye Chen, and then said.I wonder what you, a child with a weak crown and no hair on his mouth, know.He also heard about the matter of the Jiaofang Secretary last night. In his opinion, Ye Chen is someone who has learned some skills from an outsider, but is exaggerated, has an unstable personality, is addicted to sex, and doesn't know what to do. A lofty young man.

"As we all know, the water of the Yellow River is half a bowl of mud for a bowl of water. In autumn, it is divided into seven parts sand and three parts water. Let's not talk about how much labor is needed to dig sand, how much money the court will spend, can the people bear it? It cannot be supported. Even if the sand is dug away during the dry season, when the waters of the Yellow River widen during the rainy season, the dug-out sand can be deposited again in just a few days. If you don’t believe it, you can dig a small Ditch, bring in the water of the Yellow River, and conduct experiments." Ye Chen saw that the master was dissatisfied with him, and thought that this method of dredging sand should be suggested by him.

Yu Yueze's expression froze, and he was speechless for a long time, only thinking that when he went back, he must follow the method Ye Chen said, dig a small canal and try it out.In addition, the method of dredging sand requires a lot of labor and financial resources. It is not that he has never thought about it. It is just that in the past few years, he has researched and controlled the flood of the Yellow River. Apart from raising and strengthening the embankment, it seems that dredging sand is the only method.As for the diversion method mentioned by Zhao Pu, in his opinion, it is pure nonsense.

Zhao Pu was a little annoyed at Ye Chen, especially after hearing that Wang Yuefeng went to see Zhao Guangyi this morning, Zhao Pu regretted that he had softened his heart this time, and didn't send out the help of Wang Yuefeng last night. The killer simply silenced Wang Yuefeng, while getting more and more angry at Ye Chen.

But he will never show the slightest bit on his face, because he can see very clearly that it is a foregone conclusion for Wang Yuefeng to invest in Zhao Guangyi, and if Zhao Guangyi wants Wang Yuefeng to tell some secrets, he must avenge Wang Yuefeng, which is not good for Ye Chen.The so-called enemy of the enemy is an ally. When Zhao Guangyi and Ye Chen completely fell out, Ye Chen could only become his ally whether he wanted to or not.Why say it is an ally or join forces, because he has already seen that people like Ye Chen will never completely invest in him.

At this time, Ye Chen completely rejected Yu Yueze's proposal. Seeing Yu Yueze's speechless appearance made Zhao Pu, who had been arguing with Yu Yueze for a long time and gradually getting angry, feel very happy.But following Zhao Kuangyin's words, he had a bad premonition in his heart.

"Ye Chen! Zhao Qing proposed to divert the water of the Yellow River into two rivers to flow into the sea, thereby lowering the water level of the Yellow River so that the Yellow River will not break its embankment. So what about this method?" Zhao Kuangyin asked again.

Ye Chen thought for a while and said: "I'm afraid this method won't work either. Just imagine that after the Yellow River diverges, although the water level will drop for a short time, the water potential will definitely slow down accordingly. And once the water potential slows down, the sediment will definitely be heavier than before. More deposits. The more sediment deposits, the height of the river channel will inevitably increase. Day after day, year after year, repeated accumulation, in the end, I am afraid that it will become a boat on the roof. Therefore, the method of diversion may solve the flood in the past. But in the long run, the disadvantages of this method far outweigh the benefits. Even as time goes by, the Yellow River will break its embankments more and more frequently than before diverging.”

When Zhao Pu heard what he said, it was worse than Yu Yueze's sand-digging method. He had never been denied like this in his capacity.He couldn't help but feel a little feverish, especially when he saw the half-smile expression on Yue Ze's face, he was even more upset, and couldn't help but glared at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen pretended not to see it, but he was still thinking about Yu Qingyan's matter in his heart, thinking about how to speak to Zhao Kuangyin later, so as not to be suspected by the latter, and he would not refuse.

"Then Ye Chen, what's your plan?" Zhao Kuangyin didn't want to listen to the disputes of the courtiers, and he felt that what Ye Chen said just now was reasonable.So ask directly.

Ye Chen has also heard a lot about the management of the Yellow River flood in later generations.Those who have gone to junior high school, high school, and studied geography will know something about the effective plan for later generations. There are two main points. One is to plant grasses along the Yellow River, especially on the Loess Plateau in Guanzhong, Kanxi, and Hedong. trees, increase vegetation, and prevent water and soil from being lost into the Yellow River.The second is to build a large number of reservoirs.

After thinking for a while, Ye Chen sorted out his thoughts and thought about how to explain the words 'water and soil erosion', 'flow capacity' and 'man-made flood peak' in contemporary terms.

Under everyone's gaze, Ye Chen said not long after, "First, I will analyze the root cause of the flood in the Yellow River, and then tell you how to control the flood in the Yellow River."

Before everyone could think about it, Ye Chen continued, "Water from the Yellow River, a bowl of water, at least half a bowl of sand, do you know where the sand comes from?"

Everyone pondered, Yu Yueze let out a cold snort, and said: "Naturally, it is a tributary of the Yellow River in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. It scours the sand and soil from the mountains and rivers it flows into the main river of the Yellow River, and then flows down to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. .”

Ye Chen nodded and said: "Master Yu is right, but you know that the rain in the south is ten times that of the north, and the water potential of the Yangtze River is far greater than that of the Yellow River. Why is there no sediment in the Yangtze River, and there are fewer dikes bursting?"

Everyone's eyes flickered, thoughtful, Yu Yueze couldn't figure out the reason for a while, but he simply said, "I don't know about this matter."

Seeing that everyone's thinking has been completely mobilized by him, Ye Chen said: "The reason for this is that there are many trees and dense vegetation in the south. Wherever there is soil in the mountains and plains, there must be a lot of vegetation. Where the Yangtze River Basin passes, the mountains and rivers This is especially true in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The roots of trees and plants firmly absorb and fix the soil, making it difficult for rainwater to wash away and naturally not collect into the Yangtze River. However, there are too many barren mountains in Guanzhong, Guanxi, and Hexi in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The rainwater flows down with the muddy water and flows into the river. Therefore, if you observe carefully, you will find that where the mountains are covered with vegetation, the water in the mountains will be much clearer. Otherwise, the opposite is true."

(End of this chapter)