Returning to his homeland, Zuo Menggeng was very pleased with the vigorous development of Gansu.
He made a temporary decision.
Walk along the Jinghe River Valley and see the changes in Shaanxi.
Compared with other places, what concerns him most in Shaanxi is environmental issues.
The Loess Plateau is related to the long-term peace and stability of the entire core region of China, and it is no exaggeration to invest how much effort into transforming it.
The large army crossed the Yellow River and entered Shaanxi. The first stop was Guyuan.
This city, located at the starting point of the Jinghe River Valley, made Zuo Mengeng very happy at first sight.
Although looking at the past, the loess is still the same, but green has a tendency to dominate.
"His Majesty has always emphasized soil and water conservation. We have also discovered through observation that every time it rains, a large amount of soil will be washed down from the mountains, causing the Jing River to become turbid and leading to constant floods. In the past few years, we have adopted a variety of methods The method is to plant various plants on various hillsides, and the effect is very significant. You see, the river water is now much clearer to the naked eye."
Guyuan County Magistrate Wei Zicheng was excited while explaining to Zuo Menggeng.
As a grassroots official, you can imagine what it means to be able to come to the emperor and let the emperor see his political achievements.
He didn't have any worries either.
After all, his political achievements are real, and he has really tried his best and is not afraid of testing.
Zuo Mengeng squatted by the river and scooped up water with a cup.
He had never seen what the Jinghe River looked like before. However, when observed with the naked eye, the sediment in the river is indeed insignificant.
"There is a saying that the Jing and Wei Rivers are clearly separated. It refers to the conditions of the Jing River and the Wei River. If you achieve this level, I believe that the conditions of the rivers downstream will definitely benefit a lot."
Regarding the distinct Jingwei River, it refers to the landscape formed when the Jinghe River and the Weihe River meet, one is clear and the other is turbid. But the clarity and turbidity of the Jinghe and Weihe rivers are not fixed.
Sometimes the Jing River is turbid, and sometimes the Wei River is turbid. No matter which river is turbid, it indicates the destruction of the natural environment.
The current condition of the Weihe River is still good, and the terrain along the coast is flat, making it easier to manage.
Only the Jinghe River shuttles between plateau valleys. The road is rugged and difficult to navigate, making it more susceptible to impact. It has also become the main source of sediment.
The governance here in Guyuan has initially achieved results, which is a good start.
Zuo Menggeng inspected along the Jinghe River and sent people to explore everywhere. The summary of the situation made Zuo Menggeng feel much more at ease.
Today, most of the banks of the Jinghe River Valley are covered with green, and there are even patches of woods in many places. The number of animals in the mountains and forests has also become richer, and even large beasts such as tigers and bears are often seen.
When he walked out of the Jinghe River Valley and arrived at the Guanzhong Plain, Zuo Mengeng felt relaxed and happy with the green smell that hit his face.
But on the vast and flat Guanzhong Plain, there are endless fields and endless fields, and it is no longer as desolate as before.
Various water conservancy facilities are located on both sides of the river, providing all-round support for agricultural cultivation here.
"In the past, even if you wanted to carry out agricultural reclamation, insufficient water supply was a problem. Now, after environmental governance and population migration upstream, the amount of water has increased significantly, and it can fully meet the water needs of the entire Guanzhong Plain."
Mao Yuanyi accompanied Zuo Menggeng to inspect farmland water conservancy construction and was very proud of the gratifying changes in his area.
Like him, Zuo Mengeng stopped on the bank of the Wei River, watching the mighty water rushing down, and finally felt relieved.
It is naturally a good thing that Guanzhong can regain its vitality. After all, this is the node connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions. Only when Guanzhong is strong can the Western Regions be stable.
But what he is most worried about is that Guanzhong will be over-developed again and make the same mistake again.
Now that he sees that the entire Guanzhong Plain is being developed, the river runoff has not been affected, and he is relieved.
"The national strategy has not changed, and we do not expect Guanzhong to create much value. Making Guanzhong green again and the northwest revitalized has always been your top priority. Tell the officials below not to sacrifice the good for the sake of economic and political achievements. , otherwise I will hold them accountable."
Guanzhong is getting better, and Zuo Mengeng is very happy. But the alarm bell must also be sounded to prevent people below from misbehaving.
Sure enough, as soon as his words came out, all the officials present became serious.
Cross the Jinghe River Valley, inspect the Guanzhong Plain, pass through Xi'an, and go through Tongguan.
Even though he was very tired along the way, Zuo Mengeng felt really relaxed when he saw the changes in Guanzhong.
Today's Guanzhong has a more or less familiar look to future generations.
I believe that if the achievements of a hundred years continue, Guanzhong will definitely be able to restore its former glory in the Han and Tang Dynasties.
When Guanzhong prospers, the Western Regions will be as stable as Mount Tai, and the territory of the Chinese nation will no longer be repeated.
Only if we leave such a legacy to future generations will we be able to live through this experience all over again.
Just entering Henan, what Zuo Mengeng didn't expect was that Xue Fengzuo was already waiting here.
"Your Majesty, you are finally back."
Looking at Xue Fengzuo with dusty temples, Zuo Mengeng was really shocked.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Xue Fengzuo has been presiding over the Yellow River diversion project in recent years. This is also the largest project in the empire. Zuo Menggen is really afraid of accidents.
Unexpectedly, Xue Fengzuo grinned and showed ecstasy.
"Your Majesty, the Yellow River diversion project is about to be completed. Up and down are waiting for you to come back, and then the gates can be opened to release water!"
Forget Xue Fengzuo, even Zuo Mengeng couldn't help but feel dazed when he heard this.
Is the Yellow River diversion project finally about to be completed?
But according to the original plan, wouldn’t it take more than twenty years to end?
After careful understanding, Zuo Mengeng realized that the completion of Xue Fengzuo's project was just that the river project was about to be completed.
This is the first stage of the Yellow River diversion project.
As long as the gates are opened and water is released, the Yellow River will change its course from Taohua Valley, flow north through the land of Hebei, and finally flow into the Bohai Sea.
By then, the entire Jianghuai region will no longer be affected by water damage from the Yellow River, and people's livelihood can be restored and the suffering of floods can be avoided.
After the diversion, the supporting facilities in various places in Hebei still need to be further improved.
For example, the construction of reservoirs in Baiyangdian and other places still requires a construction period of five to ten years before they can be put into use.
The original plan was to construct the reservoir and the river channel simultaneously, but after subsequent surveys, the engineering department determined that the construction of the reservoir could lag behind the river channel.
After all, the brand-new river channel can withstand long-term sediment impact, and there is no need to worry about sediment accumulation and raising the river channel within ten years.
Ten years later, various water storage reservoirs were gradually completed, which was enough to spread the sediment problem.
But no matter what, the Yellow River can change its course, which is a major event that shakes the earth.
Zuo Mengeng did not dare to neglect and immediately went to Taohua Valley.
Here, countless people have long been looking forward to the moment when the Yellow River disaster will end.
