After the Huanghuai floods broke out, due to the inability to provide disaster relief in Henan, hungry people were everywhere after the floods went away. The local government was inefficient and took measures in a panic, which led to famine in the spring of the 21st year of Wanli. There were no livestock left, bandits were everywhere, bark and grass roots were lost in the land that stretched for thousands of miles, and people even started to eat each other. The expressions in the official document are like hell on earth. Therefore, Zhang Yiyuan, the governor of Henan, continued to ask the court to send officials to coordinate disaster relief in several provinces.
The imperial court attached great importance to this. Not only did the cabinet hold two emergency meetings in succession, but Zhu Yijun also directly issued a handbook to inquire about the situation. The handbook said: "Last year, all provinces were hit by disasters, and the areas near the rivers of Shandong, Henan and Xuhuai were... This is especially true. Among the people, there are people who peel off tree bark and cut grass seeds for food, and there are also people who cut up dead bodies and kill people for food.
Although I live in a deep palace, I never miss my sleeping place when I am suffering from pangs. I have repeatedly issued orders to provide relief, but I wonder if anyone has followed it? Do the common people benefit from it? At this time of turmoil in public and private relations, I wonder if there are any cheap first-aid measures in each place other than internal funds and grain. The miners are robbing and thieving in various places, and they don't know if they can prepare for the return to the countryside.
Nowadays, the officials in the four corners of the country are not concerned with the management of poverty and the shepherding of the small people. They only take fighting the wind as a reputation, socializing as a profession, spending money in the court, and chasing people all over the house. If there are thieves, they will either hide from each other, or deliberately abandon them to avoid the blame for the local disaster.
The officials who are supposed to care for and appoint people only know how to ask for relief and help, and ignore the current affairs. They do not know that eliminating a harsh official, reforming a bad law, severely cutting redundant expenses, and focusing on emptiness are the foundation of eternal convenience for the people. Such confusion between the upper and lower levels will lead to great chaos, which I am very worried about. "
The emperor's words were not unimportant, so the cabinet reacted strongly. In response to Henan's local request, the imperial court sent officials to coordinate disaster relief matters. In principle, all cabinet ministers agreed. In the end, Gao Pragmatic was recommended to return to the province in person to preside over disaster relief.
Zhu Yijun followed his advice and immediately summoned Gao Jingshi to see him and asked: "Pragmatically, Henan is your province. No important official in the court knows the situation in Henan better than you. You are also aware of the disaster in Henan now. What are your plans to return to Henan this time?" Disaster relief?”
Gao pragmatically replied: "Back to the emperor, I believe that we should first examine the victims and check them one by one to avoid false claims and resettle the people; then distribute relief money and food and set up factories to provide porridge to curb the disaster; and then the government and wealthy businessmen will fund the project. Urban and rural restoration, farmland cultivation, and work-for-relief are used to gradually restore livelihoods.
At the same time, we should also provide medical treatment to the victims, redeem their children, bury their bones, and soothe the pain of the disaster. Finally, we should suppress the bandits, restore the refugees to work, encourage farmers to teach farming, ban theft and lawsuits, and uphold customs. Such a disaster can be avoided. flat. "
Zhu Yijun said happily: "The pragmatic answer is so clear, so I feel relieved. Although there are many affairs in the court, the well-being of the people always comes first. Your coming to provide disaster relief is a big deal, and the affairs of the court should come first." Let it go. The cabinet can ask Wu Dui and Liang Menglong to express your position on your behalf, and the Ministry of Revenue can ask a few ministers to watch over it for you.
This time I regard you as the manager of the Huanghuai River and give you the right to engage in disaster relief. If you disobey the order and obstruct it, you can be suppressed by the king's flag. I have made personnel adjustments in Henan. As for the Ministry of Revenue's raising of funds for disaster relief, that is your own responsibility. You can handle it yourself. Time is urgent due to the disaster. You will go to Henan to take up your post tomorrow. There is no need to come again to say goodbye. "Gao pragmatically accepted the order and thanked him.
So Gao pragmatically rushed to Henan immediately. Considering that the news he had received so far was that Henan was the worst hit, Gao pragmatically used Henan as his base to carry out disaster relief. Gao Ge Lao was appointed as the manager again, but he returned to his hometown to provide disaster relief. Local officials in Henan were extremely nervous from top to bottom. They were afraid of offending Gao Pangshi, who was deeply sentimental about his hometown. Even Jie Ying did not dare to mess around, to show that everyone was here. Busy with disaster relief, I only waited outside Kaifeng.
Gao Pangshi didn't care about this. As soon as he arrived in Kaifeng, he summoned the governor and the vassal departments and said: "Everyone, when it comes to disaster relief, if wealth gathers, the people will disperse, and if wealth disperses, the people will gather. If they gather, the people will turn into bones, and if they disperse, they will become ravines." Starting from Chuntai.
The top priority is to verify the victims and register them individually, then cook porridge and loose silver, prepare silver and grain, and have dedicated personnel distribute it on time and in quantity, and embezzlement of loose silver is strictly prohibited. Officials in various states and counties need to conduct strict inspections and verifications. Our cabinet department has also brought a large number of financial officers from the Ministry of Household Affairs to be responsible for inspections and verifications. If someone commits a crime against the odds, it should be noted that no one under the royal flag can be executed immediately.
The cabinet department and Fujun will also conduct strict inspections and supervise the assessment by picking up items. Previously, the imperial court had brought all the most evil and corrupt individuals in the province to justice. The lesson from the past is not far away. If there are still officials who take the opportunity to be corrupt or do things ineffectively during disaster relief in the future, once it is verified - the emperor has said that Xu Benge will be killed first and then reported. I hope you don't make the mistake! "
When other ministers talk about beheading, it may be just a threat, and it rarely comes true. But what is Gao Pragmatic's identity, status, and experience? Could it be that the hundreds of thousands of heads under his command are his merits?
And now what he is facing is related to the disaster relief in Henan Province. If he is really caught, not to mention killing one or two, this is not only the elder of the pavilion, but also the Marquis of Nanning who has retired from the country. It is not impossible to kill all the heads of officials hanging in front of the yamen. How dare the officials neglect it? They will do their best even if they are called.
Later, Gao Pragmatic ordered the Chief Secretary to appoint officials from various prefectures, prefectures and counties to personally visit the villages to examine the poor households. The poor were divided into three grades and distributed according to their names. Gao Pragmatic himself also traveled throughout the state and countryside to express condolences to the victims and examine the people's conditions.
Among the third class of disaster-stricken poor, the slightly poorer will not receive relief; the second-lowest poor will first receive loans from rich people in the same town; the extremely poor will be resettled by the government and wait for relief, which can also reduce favoritism and malpractice.
After inspecting the victims again, Gao pragmatically held a meeting and said: "Relief requires speed, and there must be no slack. Since the area benefited by porridge relief is limited, porridge factories should be set up all over. It is better to move officials to work for the people than to work for the people. Officials. The rich are especially insufficient when eating before their husbands eat, while the poor can be resurrected with a spoonful in their mouths. Officials in prefectures and counties need to do their best to provide relief, and provincial and ministerial officials also need to work tirelessly and make constant inspections."
Zhang Yiyuan, the governor of Henan Province, also said to everyone: "I have previously agreed with the Ministry of Cabinet that if the porridge factory is set up in the city, there will be too many people hanging around, which will not be convenient for rescue. If it is set up in the countryside, it will be difficult for the victims in the city to reach it. People who gather together are prone to infection. If the disease is dispersed, the road will be moderate. Therefore, for this disaster relief, it is more appropriate to set up eleven factories in each city and nineteen factories in each township."
Seeing that everyone had no objections, Gao Pragmatic immediately ordered: "The states and counties immediately recorded that each of the old, young, women and children should be given two meals a day. The victims sat on two feet and five inches of ground in each place, and had two meals a day, eight pieces of rice. At the end of the morning, eat two bowls each time.
The porridge must be cooked until it is cooked. It must not be mixed with water, must not be dirty, and must not use bad food. Those who eat porridge are not allowed to take the porridge to others, and those who offer porridge are not allowed to reduce the amount of porridge without authorization. Violators will be reported to our place individually and will be severely punished one by one. "The officials hurriedly recorded it.
After the meeting, Gao Pragmatic discussed with the chief envoy: "Whenever there is a major disaster, some victims will be given loose money because they are unwilling to accept porridge relief. The chief officials of various states and counties should make a guarantee with the village chiefs, and the extremely poor and poor people will be The next-level poor will be given small-denomination banknotes from the Ming Dynasty. Extremely poor households will be given one tael of silver, and moderately poor households will be given five cents of silver. Officials who need to go to the countryside will be given the money. The date should be announced first to prevent disaster victims from rushing around to wait.
After the victims receive the banknotes, they need to be supervised by the government and the people. If there is any evil deeds, embezzlement or robbery, they will be severely punished. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent counterfeit receipt, and each banknote issued needs to be signed by the recipient. These banknotes are distributed on a monthly basis and printed in a register for inspection by officials at any time. What do you think? "
The chief envoy did not dare to have objections, so he accepted the order and then briefly asked whether there would be any obstacles to the use of banknotes.
Gao Pragmatic said coldly: "Jinghua Bank and all other banks and banks under the Ming Dynasty Federal Reserve accept banknotes in full. All industries under the name of Jinghua and the Beiyang Sea Trade Alliance also accept banknotes. The imperial court also accepts banknotes when taxing. , then why do banknotes encounter obstacles? If there are some human factors that interfere with it... just kill people, my subordinates are not afraid of more lives. "
The chief envoy Ji Lingling shivered, and he did not dare to ask any more questions, but continued to accept his orders.
Soon, because there were many royal families in Henan, issues related to clan relatives and poor students were put on the agenda again. Gao pragmatic thought over and over again and discussed with Zhang Yiyuan: "There are always some down-and-out clan members and relatives of the emperor in each province. Although the vassal ban has been lifted, the identities of these people cannot be ignored, and we still need to give special consideration.
In the past, they were no different from poor peasants when they suffered major disasters. There was also a group of students who had no academic reputation and whose family background was poor. These two groups should not be ignored either. Especially the children of the clan who were affected by the disaster. According to a rough calculation by our Ministry, there are about 14,600 in this province. These people have no other talents. Although the children of the clan can now obtain honors, because in the past they did not seek deep understanding in reading, those who have passed the examination now Even though it is small, additional relief is still needed. "
Zhang Yiyuan has no objection to this and strongly agrees: "The tribes are increasing day by day, and it is difficult to maintain the money and food. Obtaining a good name is considered a useful life, and raising the clan in vain is really a burden on the country. However, this matter cannot be accomplished in one day. It may take ten years." Twenty years later, it still needs extra care.”
Gao Pragmatic said: "In fact, the most difficult thing is for the poor students. These students have read poetry and books. In order to maintain their integrity and face, they would rather die than receive relief. However, they are willing to receive the emperor's favor, so they must speak up about the emperor's favor. The vastness makes them feel that they are blessed by nature and favored by the emperor, so they will accept the relief and survive."
Zhang Yiyuan said with a smile: "The cabinet department really understands human nature. Henan is so lucky."
So in accordance with Gao's pragmatic instructions, Governor Zhang Yiyuan ordered that mansions and temples be used as porridge factories in each city. Each porridge factory in the countryside should be equipped with five rooms, one to store rice and four to help the people. Each factory should take in at least two hungry people. Hundred.
Officials of various states and counties personally select people of good character to manage the porridge factories. Local financial officers from the department and the household department check the rice quantity and inspect the dishes every day. Supervise officials for their diligence and reward and punish them accordingly.
Gao Jingshi and the governors and vassals visited various places to inquire about the sufferings and supervise the officials. They traveled hundreds of miles a day. Everywhere they went, they would first visit the porridge factory and inspect it. The officials from various places hurriedly asked: "The cabinet department is working hard day and night. How can I only eat porridge to satisfy my hunger when I’m touring various places?”
Gao Pragmatic didn't take it seriously and replied: "The porridge factory has three benefits. Firstly, the bosses don't have to look for my traces to provide meals and waste public funds. Secondly, it can encourage bosses and porridge donors not to neglect and violate the rules. Thirdly, the government department Not shying away from hard work and sharing food with the people can unite the people's hearts and inspire colleagues to do their best to provide relief."
Such practical disaster relief has indeed achieved good results. For example, Liu Yikun, a poor man in Guojia Village, was affected by the disaster and fell ill. He told his wife: "I don't have many days left to live. You still have some strength. If you miss your husband and wife, don't do it." If you stay here and starve to death, go out early to find a way to survive!" After saying that, Liu Yikun used his remaining strength to drive his wife away.
His wife, Ms. Liu, burst into tears and cried: "You are the god of our family. Now that you are sick, I should take care of you. If you die, you should die together. I can't leave!"
Liu Yikun cursed angrily: "You crazy bitch, hurry up and get out of here!" Mrs. Liu said: "Where can we go in the barren mountains and wild mountains? I just want to be here." No matter how much Liu Yikun scolded Mrs. Liu, she still Reluctant to leave, the couple hugged each other in despair. At this time, the government and the township teamed up to search for the victims who were left alone. The two were finally rescued and the couple was saved.
The Guangwu Temple in Ye County provided relief to 5,000 victims day and night. The old man deeply felt the emperor's kindness, knelt down and shouted: "The kindness you receive from a drop of water should be repaid by a spring. How can we repay our lives by the emperor's kindness? From now on, everyone can live in peace and do nothing wrong." "The generosity is deeply felt by the local victims.
After receiving the emperor's favor, students from all over the country and the emperor's relatives bowed their heads behind each other and burned incense to wish the saint a long life. During the porridge relief, thanks to Gao's pragmatism and Zhang Yiyuan's round-the-clock inspection and supervision, the victims in various places benefited widely and gradually became more alive. Regardless of corruption, sincerity, or fear of crime, the vassal ministers and officials in various prefectures and counties did their best during the disaster relief period. Under the overall arrangements, the disaster situation in Henan Province began to be suppressed.
However, after all, it was a period of great disaster, and grain prices were inevitably high due to scarcity. The Changping warehouses originally established by various states and counties had gradually become useless due to the decline of officialdom many years ago. After Gao Pragmatic took office as Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he ordered the Changping warehouses in various places to be rebuilt. When there was another famine this time, he would first send charity warehouses to balance grain prices. If the charity warehouses were insufficient, he would send them to Changping, so that he would not have to rely entirely on asking the court for relief.
When Gao Pangshi came to Henan, he had allocated 300,000 taels of silver from the national treasury, brought another 500,000 taels of Ming Dynasty Federal Reserve banknotes, and left 100,000 dans of grain for relief. Therefore, various localities were notified to abolish the ban on selling rice at high prices in order to collect commodity rice for government control. But over time, it gradually became insufficient.
The next month, "On the Stopping of Taihe Mountain Weaving" written by Shi Zhonglu Zhongshang criticized Zhu Yijun for ignoring the famine and suggested that Taihe Mountain weaving should be stopped to save money for disaster relief. Zhu Yijun refused and continued to collect taxes on incense from Taihe Mountain and conduct weaving for the emperor's private use and for palace sacrifices and awards.
Gao Pragmatic also disagrees with this argument. In his opinion, the weaving operation can at least provide employment for some people. If it is abolished, it will not be of much benefit to Henan. Therefore, as a disaster relief strategy, he does not agree with Shang Shu.
Surprisingly, after the disaster situation became relatively stable, the phenomenon of favoritism and malpractice occurred again. Some officials took advantage of the victims' ignorance of money and food, exempted them from expenses, deceived and accepted bribes, and deceived superiors and deceived subordinates. Gao Yingshi was furious when he learned that he made public all the details of the taxes that should be paid to the government and the details of money and grain exemptions, and hired people to send them to various places to preach, making it known to the world. On the one hand, we will strictly supervise and curb corruption to prevent it from happening again.
At the same time, he really used the royal flag and executed all the first batch of officials involved in the case regardless of their severity. Twenty-seven people were killed at one time, and their heads were hung directly at the door of the imperial palace. The ferocious heads supported the murderous spirit of Mr. Gaoge, and the officialdom of Henan was as quiet as death for a while.
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