Two days later, Yangliu Village, Lu'an County.
According to the county household registration, there are 162 households in this village. Counting newborns, the total population is more than 700.
But after the Lu'an Dam burst, Yangliu Village bore the brunt. Almost all of the more than 700 people died in the flood overnight, and only a few survived. It can be seen that the harm of this flood has been widespread, and countless houses and fertile fields have been destroyed during this period.
Zhang Jingrui was here at this time. After arriving in Lu'an, he did not go to the county government, but learned about the floods and the people's sentiments immediately.
As the Minister of Industry and an important minister of the imperial court, he originally inspected the traffic conditions in various places. For his safety, Xiao Yuan had previously assigned some elites to him.
Therefore, Zhang Jingrui was not only accompanied by the leader of the Jinyi Guards, but also some guards in civilian clothes.
The leader is one of the deputy commanders of the Beizhen Division. His name is Wan Chuan. Because he is the sixth eldest son in the family, the Jinyi Guards often call him the Sixth Master. He can join the Jinyi Guards and climb to this position. His skill is so high that he does not need much. said.
In the village, although the torrent has long since receded, and the county has also arranged flood discharge work, and there is no longer a vast ocean everywhere, but as far as the eye can see, it is full of ruins, and there is no intact place in the entire Yangliu Village.
There are earthen walls that were washed away by the flood with only a corner left, there are houses with several big holes that could collapse at any time, and there are wooden pillars that are falling apart.
After seeing the situation here, Zhang Jingrui remained silent. His mood became heavier and heavier along the way.
When he arrived at the Lu'an Dam, after careful inspection, he could no longer hold back his anger: "These corrupt officials are so heartless! They will not be punished for their crimes!"
Although the dam has completely collapsed, there are always some missing parts that can be examined. Obviously, Zhang Jingrui has seen problems with his dam construction.
Wan Chuan, who was behind him, came up and said, "What do you mean, sir, is this dam a jerry-rigged project?"
"Nonsense!" Zhang Jingrui said: "This is not only true for the dam, but also for the gate. If its fortifications are perfect and flood control and diversion are in place, even if the water level in the basin rises due to heavy rain, it will not be able to overflow the top, turning the already weak dam into a We are even more vulnerable, how can we not break the dike!"
"In this way, Lu'an Water Conservancy is completely useless. Isn't this harmful to the country and the people!" Wan Chuan said: "If this is really the case, then all the officials responsible for building the dam should be beheaded!"
Zhang Jingrui took a deep breath and said slowly: "You know, just because of their corruption, their cutting corners, and their extravagant pleasures, they caused a man-made disaster, causing floods to rage and inundate thousands of fertile fields. acres, destroyed countless houses, killed over 10,000 people, and caused many people to lose their homes and become homeless.”
After saying these words, the guards behind them also clenched their fists: "These corrupt officials are so hateful!"
"This is simply outrageous! They corrupted themselves for their own sake, but they caused tens of thousands of people to suffer along with them!"
"This is based on one's own selfish desires and harming the people of the whole county!" Zhang Jingrui said coldly.
Wan Chuan, on the other hand, clasped his fists in anger: "Please give me an order, I will arrest the corrupt officials immediately!"
"Don't worry." Zhang Jingrui raised his hand slightly: "There is insufficient evidence now. They are all officials of the imperial court. If you want to convict, you can't do it randomly."
"Yes, I was in a hurry because of my humble position." Wan Chuan lowered himself.
After staying at the Lu'an Dam for a while, Zhang Jingrui returned to the county seat. The results of today's inspection are still there, and they are also recorded.
First, the dam has cut corners and is prone to collapse at the first touch. It has no purpose at all in preventing floods, retaining mud, and storing water and throttling.
Second, the river channel is silted up and there is no stable main flow direction.
Third, the gate is in name only.
Fourth, flood prevention is not enough.
In general, the entire Lu'an County water conservancy project is rubbish.
In fact, based on these alone, all relevant officials can be charged.
In the afternoon, Zhang Jingrui entered the county through the east gate. During this period, he also made a special trip to check on the disaster relief situation in Lu'an.
On the surface, the county seems to be very concerned and sets up porridge shacks to relieve the victims every day, but in fact no specific work has been carried out at all.
In response to natural disasters such as droughts and floods, the state will allocate funds to assist the affected people, which includes emergency rescue, relief for victims, recovery and reconstruction, and solving the problem of people in disaster-stricken areas transitioning from drought to drought.
There is no doubt that the disaster in Lu'an affected half of the county. Huainan has already allocated funds. This is the responsibility of the county governor.
But look at it now, Guo Baode seems to have done a good job in his articles, but in fact there is no real help.
Let's just talk about emergency rescue. The Lu'an Dam burst. He didn't learn about it until the country was flooded and the flood receded. No action was taken, let alone anything else.
Moreover, Zhang Jingrui also discovered another thing: There are large households in Lu'an that are taking advantage of the difficulties to annex land and buy the flooded farmland of ordinary people at extremely low prices.
What they said was blatant: Your fields have been flooded anyway, and there will definitely be no harvest this year. If you don’t sell, you will go hungry. You might as well get some money to save your life.
In this case, although they were extremely reluctant to give up, many people had no choice but to compromise in order to survive.
Lu'an officials did nothing, and Zhang Jingrui became even more angry. After entering the county, he did not go to see Guo Baode, but went directly to Wuwei Mansion to stay here.
Upon learning of his arrival, Yu Dongqing hurriedly went out to greet him. They met at the gate of the mansion. He didn't know Zhang Jingrui, so he bowed his hands and said, "May I ask if it's Zhang Shangshu?"
"It's me. You are Lu'an County Wei Yu Dongqing, right? I have received your letter earlier. Have you completed all the things you have given me?" Zhang Jingrui signaled that he didn't need to be polite.
After confirming his identity, a big stone finally fell in Yu Dongqing's heart: "Don't worry, Lord Shangshu, Wang Shaocheng's case has been kept in the Wuwei Mansion, and the official is also constantly searching for evidence and clues."
He said and stretched out his hand sideways: "Please, sir."
"Yes." Zhang Jingrui nodded and stepped in, saying as he walked: "Yu County Lieutenant did the right thing in this matter. Wuwei Mansion is a place of trust for His Majesty, and it is also an official office for the safety of the people, so we should stick to our principles. Don’t be afraid of any hardships.”
"Your Majesty's false reputation makes your subordinates panic." Yu Dongqing lowered his body.
Seeing how respectful the county captain was now, the busy officers and soldiers in the mansion couldn't help but become curious and exchanged words one after another.
Yu Dongqing led him to the living room, and after serving tea, he also handed over all the files on Wang Shaocheng's case to Zhang Jingrui.
The latter read it carefully and said casually: "Lieutenant Yu County, I am afraid that I will bother you when I come to Lu'an this time. I just don't know if there is a place for guests to stay in Wuwei Mansion."
"What are you saying, Lord Shangshu? I'll let you arrange it for me. It's just that the house is simple, I'm afraid."
"Hey~" Zhang Jingrui interrupted him, waved his hand and said: "I just have a place to live, and everything should be kept simple." (End of Chapter)
