The blood beads rolled down the long knife into the water, mixed with the muddy flood that rushed in from the Guangli Water Gate, and turned into a thick blood.
Kou Zhun, Wang Zeng, Li Di and others stepped onto the city wall in the muddy water.
The soldiers on the city wall were running down the city in a panic. When they saw Kou Zhun and the others arrived, they stopped walking again and returned to their sentry on the front of the city.
Chen Lin sent a few eunuchs to lie in the muddy muddy water, preparing for Zhao Zhen to step on the bridge built by the eunuchs.
Kou Zhun stopped talking.
Zhao Zhen could only wade through the muddy water without his ankles, and walked to the side of the stairs under the city wall.
Kou Ji followed closely behind.
Other officials, eunuchs, and Gong E followed in their footsteps and boarded the city wall together.
The city wall.
The generals who defended the city had already received notifications, and after Kou Zhun and others boarded the city wall, they took the initiative to greet them.
"The ministers and others have seen the official house, the Taishi..."
Several generals defending the city clasped fists and saluteed.
Kou Zhun did his part to snatch Zhao Zhen's right to speak, frowning and asking: "How is the disaster?"
Guangli Water Gate guard Wang Chengzhi bowed and said: "Back to Taishi, the flood has submerged the moat outside the city, and it has reached a foot on the wall."
Wang Cheng is only the seventh son of the late Langya County Wang Shenqi, who is about the same age as Kou Zhun and is a veteran.
He has experienced the Yellow River bursting several times, so he has a clear judgment on the magnitude of the disaster of the Yellow River bursting.
If the flood flooded the city wall by one foot, it means that the flood outside the city is not yet a threat to the city.
There is a city wall blocking it, and the flood will flow along the city wall to other places.
Kou Zhun nodded slowly, then said in a deep voice, "Are several water gates closed?"
Wang Cheng only nodded and said: "When the flood of the Yellow River rushed to the bottom of the city wall, the lower officials asked the defenders of several water gates to seal the water gates."
Kou Zhun took a deep breath and said, "That's good..."
The reason why Kou Zhun chased Wang Cheng only to ask questions was to confirm whether Bianjing City was in danger of being submerged.
If Bianjing City is in danger of being submerged, then he will definitely let people take Zhao Zhen and others out of Bianjing City first.
Kou Zhun turned around and said to Li Di and others: "Let's go and have a look."
Everyone nodded and followed Kou Zhun to the fortress of the city wall and looked out of the city.
Outside the city.
As far as my eyes can be, there is a torrential flood.
The flood hit the big tree and rolled in the water.
People and animals occasionally show their heads in the flood. Before they can call for help, the tossing flood will submerge them in an instant.
Some people ride on wooden basins and lie on the door panels, rolling up and down as the floods roll.
Every second, someone is submerged in the flood.
The cry of despair resounded across the entire city of Bianjing.
The listener has a numb scalp.
A woman soaked in the water, tightly holding the wooden barrel in her arms, and was washed under the city by the flood.
She slapped the wall that was already wet by the flood, begging for help on the wall.
Without any orders, the soldiers on the city head threw the rope down, and the woman hurriedly tied the wooden barrel to the rope.
When the barrel was tied to the rope, she collapsed weakly in the flood and was swallowed by the flood.
She struggled in the flood for a long time, already exhausted.
She didn't have the strength to climb up to the top of the city with the few ropes left in front of her.
The soldiers quickly pulled the barrel up.
In the wooden barrel, lay a pink, fleshy, small figure.
He slept well.
He had no idea what he had experienced.
He didn't know that his parents, following this flood, had disappeared into the world forever.
however.
When a woman was dying, not many people were lucky enough to be rushed to the head of the city.
More people have become floating corpses in the flood.
Across the distance, you can only see the undulating linen clothes floating on the surface of the water.
When a piece of floating corpses, mixed with dry wood in the flood, gathered under the city.
Li Di was annoyed, "How could the Yellow River embankment, which was rebuilt last year, burst?!"
Kou Zhun, Wang Zeng and others had a sullen face and did not speak.
The other officials also had sullen faces and did not speak.
"Check it!"
After Kou Zhun was silent for a long time, he spit out two words coldly.
Wang Zeng said in a cold tone, "What happens after we find out?"
"kill!"
Zhao Zhen said shivering.
Dead people are not terrible. Zhao Zhen had seen dead people when he was very young.
It was an unruly old eunuch in the palace who tried to feed him something unknown. After being caught by Chen Lin, Zhao Heng beat him alive in front of all the eunuchs and Gong E in the palace.
So Zhao Zhen was not afraid of death a long time ago.
But when a bunch of dead people appeared in front of him, he was a little scared.
Human floating corpses and animal floating corpses, when looming under the dry wood, are like hell.
Anyone who sees this scene will have a numb scalp.
Zhao Zhen is no longer the ignorant and innocent boy at the beginning. During this period of studying governance with the three of Kou Zhun, he has learned a lot about government affairs.
He could probably hear it through the conversation between the three of them just now.
The Yellow River bursts, and it is very likely that human factors are in it.
If this flood is a natural disaster.
Then the government and the opposition can only recognize it.
But if there are human factors in it, then these people should all be killed.
The three Kou Zhun heard the word'kill' shouted by Zhao Zhen, and had no objection.
They acquiesced to what Zhao Zhen said.
Wang Zeng looked at Kou Zhun and Li Di and said coldly: "The old man also serves as the official book of the criminal ministry, and the old man will have full authority to investigate this matter."
Not waiting for Kou Zhun and Li Di to speak.
Wang Zeng went down the city wall with a gloomy face.
After Wang Zeng left, Li Di said: "The old man will assist the Ministry of Households and the Third Division, and do a good job of reassurance after the disaster."
After saying this, Li Di also left.
Kou Zhun carried his hands on his shoulders and watched the torrential flood outside the city, and ordered: "Call Liu Mei, Cao Liuli, Cao Wei, Gao Chugong, and Zhu Neng to come over."
Chen Lin agreed and went down to summon the five Liu Mei.
Chen Lin went down and gave a notice, and then an eunuch rode his horse to find these five people.
Kou Zhun turned around and told Wang Chengzhi: "Pass the order to the soldiers of the Four Sects to rescue the victims who floated down to the city with all their strength."
Wang Cheng only bowed his hand, agreed, and went down to pass the order.
Kou Zhun led Zhao Zhen and Kou Ji, frowning, staring at the torrential flood outside the city.
After a long time.
Zhu Neng got to the top of the city first, and after the salute, he asked: "The Taishi summons the next official, what's the order?"
Kou Zhun said in a deep voice: "You are responsible for leading the soldiers and horses of the Dragon God Guard, guarding the imperial city, and preventing people from taking the opportunity to cause chaos."
"Hey..."
Zhu Neng agreed and left.
After Zhu Neng left, Zhao Zhen asked with a stern face and a heavy voice: "Taishi, shouldn't we send soldiers and horses to rescue the disaster at this time? Why do we want to stick to the imperial city? I am not in the imperial palace."
Kou Zhun glanced at Zhao Zhen, then looked at Kou Ji, and asked, "Do you know why?"
Kou Ji nodded.
Kou Zhun said: "Then you will help the officials solve their doubts."
Kou Ji nodded and said to Zhao Zhen: "Within three days, the flood will not recede. As long as someone encourages, the people will attack the imperial city."
Zhao Zhen said in amazement: "Why?"
Kou Ji sighed and smiled bitterly: "Because they think there is food in the palace."
Zhao Zhen still looked stunned.
Kou Ji explained: "Bianjing City is a big city with millions of people. It consumes countless grains every day. Therefore, countless grains are brought in from various waterways every day.
Now the flood locks the city.
If the grain cannot be shipped in, then the grain storage in Bianjing will be quickly exhausted.
Some profiteers will also take the opportunity to drive up food prices in order to make profits.
Or take the opportunity to stock up on food, causing no signs of food to be sold. "
Zhao Zhen said seriously: "You can buy grain from grain merchants and distribute it to the people."
Kou Zhun and Kou Ji's ancestors and grandsons were all taken aback when they heard this.
Kou Zhun glanced at Zhao Zhen and didn't bother to talk to him.
Kou Ji said bitterly: "The officials are really kind."
Zhao Zhen said in amazement, "Otherwise, what should I do?"
Kou Ji said: "There are not many conscientious businessmen. If they know that the court is going to spend money to buy food in their hands, they will only raise the price even higher.
The money from the imperial court could not satisfy the desires of the merchants. "
"Insufficient heart, hard to fill in desire?"
Zhao Zhen questioned.
Kou Ji nodded and said, "That's right... So when you encounter this kind of thing, you can only order the merchants to hand over the grain, and then compensate them at the market price.
If you don't follow... you can only kill people to get food. "
Zhao Zhen looked at Kou Zhun and asked, "The Taishi thinks so too?"
Kou Zhun said coldly: "Not bad!"
Zhao Zhen curled his lips and said, "Let's do it then."
Immediately, he raised his head again and asked, "If you give the people food, the people won't attack the imperial city, right?"
Kou Ji couldn't laugh or cry: "What if the food in Bianjing is exhausted?"
Zhao Zhen looked at Kou Ji in amazement.
Kou Ji put up three fingers and said, "Someone once calculated that the food stored in Bianjing is only enough for the people to eat for three days. After three days, most of the people's food at home will be eaten except for some wealthy people.
If the people have no food to eat, they will attack the rich and powerful to grab food and the palace to grab food. "
Zhao Zhen opened his mouth in a daze, speechless.
Kou Ji sighed and said: "The flood is terrible, and the people in Bianjing are even more terrible."
Zhao Zhen looked sad when he heard this.
Kou Ji did not speak again.
After a long silence, Zhao Zhen said: "Since I can remember, there have been three floods in Bianjing City. Once, the emperor took me and hid on Genshan in the palace.
Is there no way to do it once and for all, so that the people in Bianjing city can avoid the suffering of flooding
If there were no floods, wouldn't the people stop making trouble? "
Kou Zhun frowned when he heard this question and did not speak.
Kou Ji pondered for a moment, and said, "Yes, there are, but it's not easy to do."
Zhao Zhen asked, "What is the solution?"
"Move the capital!"
Kou Ji said two words lightly.
Zhao Zhen stared in vain, staring blankly.
After a long time, he asked Kou Ji, "Why do you want to move the capital? Isn't it possible to strengthen the Yellow River embankment?"
Kou Ji raised a hand and said, "The bed of the Yellow River is here."
Kou Ji sank another hand and said, "Bianjing City is here."
"Do you think the imperial court can build this natural dam that prevents water from flowing down?"
Zhao Zhen was speechless.
Kou Ji did not speak any more.
In order to solve the trouble that the Yellow River brought to the people in the capital, there is no second way apart from moving the capital.
After all, the riverbed of the Yellow River is much higher than Bianjing City, and almost the same as the Iron Pagoda Temple, the tallest building in Bianjing City.
As long as the Yellow River overflows and floods pour into Bianjing, it is inevitable.
So if you want to solve this problem once and for all, you can only move the capital.
And moving the capital is not a trivial matter.
It can't be done in just a few words.
The interest entanglements involved are numerous.
Unless Zhao Zhen can control all the power of the court, and then move the capital resolutely.
Otherwise, it won't be possible at all.
After Liu Mei arrived, Kou Zhun ordered Liu Mei to lead the Imperial City Division's personnel to cooperate with Li Di in the city's work to comfort the people after the disaster.
Then Cao Lili, Cao Wei and others also arrived.
Kou Zhun ordered them to take the banned soldiers and rescue the victims outside the city as much as possible after the flood subsided.
At the same time, it is necessary to cooperate with the grain merchants who were blocked by the flood to transport the grain into Bianjing city as soon as possible.
Avoid food shortages and unrest among the people.
After Liu Mei, Cao Yili and others received the order, they were not ambiguous, and immediately went to make preparations.
That night.
Kou Zhun took Kou Ji and Zhao Zhen to live in the gate tower above Dailoumen.
The flood did not recede, and he did not intend to let Zhao Zhen return to the palace.
Because once Zhao Zhen returned to the palace, if there was a turmoil in Bianjing, it would be difficult for him to figure it out again.
Kou Ji guessed that the reason why Kou Zhun brought Zhao Zhen by his side was probably not just to prevent unrest among the people.
It may also be preventing Zhao Yuanyan from taking the opportunity to make a mutiny.
After Zhao Yuanyan's wolf ambition was exposed by Kou Ji, Kou Zhun, Li Di, and Wang Zeng have sent people to investigate secretly.
Some clues have been discovered.
Before he showed enough feet, Kou Zhun must guard against this person.
After Kou Ji entered the night, he sent someone back to Kou Mansion and told Xiang Yan that the flood would not spread to Bianjing City for the time being, so that she didn't need to panic, and just kept the Kou Mansion securely.
After sending someone to notify Xiang Yan, Kou Ji had nothing to do.
He stayed with Kou Zhun and Zhao Zhen in the city gate building all night.
Early the next morning.
Kou Jiyouyou woke up in a burst of crying.
Peering out his head from the city gate, he saw Wang Zeng escorting a group of officials up the city wall.
The officials cried miserably, yelling injustices one by one.
Wang Zeng didn't pay attention to them, but walked up to Kou Zhun and Zhao Zhen, and said in a deep voice, "The official, Taishi, the Yellow River embankment collapsed, and it really has something to do with these thieves.
After detailed investigations by the old officials last night, they all embezzled the money for the construction of the embankment of the Yellow River last year.
A total of fifteen thousand and four hundred pens. "
"Officials! There is no corruption in the officials!"
"Officials, ministers, etc. have been wronged!"
"..."