The rumbling rain continued to fall.

The rain hit the carriage and covered the oil cloth.

Lin Yanchao slightly lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw that the carriage had entered Yifeng County.

Low houses, narrow county streets.

Under the maintenance of the officers and soldiers, the people in ragged clothes stood under the eaves, staring at the honorary guards of officials entering the city with wooden eyes.

This is the case with Yifeng County, an important town in Zhongzhou.

The ancient county Yifeng, which was famous for "Please see the Master of Yifeng" because of the Analects of Confucius, suddenly had a difference in Lin Yanchao's mind.

Even Kaocheng County, Banggui De, was slightly better than Yifeng County after Lin Yanchao's management last year.

When he arrived at the Yifeng County Government Office, Lin Yanchao got off the carriage. At this time, the rain suddenly became heavier, and the sky in Yifeng was soaked in the darkness.

Chen Jichuan and others of the left and right entourage quickly held an umbrella for Lin Yanchao, but even so, some rain still hit Lin Yanchao's official robe through the umbrella.

The door in front of the Yifeng County Government Office hurriedly came up to greet him, and they were a little surprised.

Most officials always take a sedan chair when traveling. The sedan chair can be carried directly through the yamen gate and parked in the sedan hall, so that the wind and rain will not touch the slightest bit.

The official in front of him was just riding a carriage. The carriage was much faster than a sedan chair, but it was inevitable that the pain of bumps would be caused.

In addition, when it rains, the carriage can only be parked in front of the steps, and officials will inevitably have to brave the wind and rain for a while.

Lin Yanchao waved his hand and walked into the county government.

An official wearing a blue robe stepped forward and said, "The county magistrate of Xiaguan Yifeng County has met the adults. Now the He Governor and all the officials are discussing matters in the hall. Should the adults change their clothes and then go there?"

After seeing this, Lin Yanchao saw that the hem of the official robe was a little wet, his boots were a little muddy, and his robe was still clean, so he said, "No need."

The county magistrate of Yifeng County thought to himself that officials value official etiquette and official style the most, and this person is also a person who is not particular.

The county magistrate of Yifeng County thought that the other party would not even sit in the sedan chair, so he would definitely not be able to go anywhere when he was old, so he was too lazy to get his name and asked his follower Lin Yanchao to lead the way.

Lin Yanchao glanced at him and didn't care too much. He had only the only thing to clear the Jialu River in his heart. He would not keep such a small matter in his heart and walked into the lobby directly.

The county magistrate was about to move, but Chen Jichuan stepped forward and said, "Master, please stay."

The county magistrate turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"

Chen Jichuan said: "Our master's horse has been traveling for a day and is very tired. Please find a quiet horse house, and the horse materials should also be the best."

The county magistrate couldn't help but say unhappily: "Just tell others these things. I am the county magistrate of the county and I still need to receive other officials. Where can I do this miscellaneous matter?"

Chen Jichuan and Lin Yanchao have been with him for many years, but they have never dealt with any kind of officials.

He did not get angry or shook his face at the moment, but smiled and said, "Didn't it be that most officials have arrived and are discussing matters in the hall?"

"Most of them, but not all of them." The county magistrate said impatiently.

"I wonder who Mr. Zan is still waiting for?"

After hearing this praise from the official, the county magistrate looked a little more proud. After holding his hands behind his back, he said in a lesson: "How do you master become an official? Even if you, Lord Lin, of Guide Mansion, have not arrived yet, you don't know. You servants don't know how to mention it."

"Our master is Lord Lin. I am his housekeeper." Chen Jichuan interrupted without hesitation.

The county magistrate looked shocked and said tremblingly: "Is it the one who just entered is Sima Lin?"

Chen Jichuan disdained to answer with his hands and raised his chest, and said to Zhan Ming: "You guys follow this Mr. Zan to put your carriage first and settle your luggage!"

Zhan Ming and other followers nodded.

Then Chen Jichuan said to the county magistrate: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

The county magistrate hurriedly bowed and said, "I dare not take it, don't mention the word "Praise" again. I will do it myself."

Lin Yanchao walked through the corridor, but saw many officials in the corridor courtyard, and his entourages were sitting or standing, obviously they all accompanied their masters to Yifeng.

Yifeng County Government is too small, and when so many people come, it seems crowded.

Kaifeng Prefecture is a major prefecture, with 28 counties under its rule. This time, the river governor presided over the discussion on clearing the Jialu River, so naturally there were more officials coming.

It was pouring heavily, and the rain was hitting the eaves and pouring into the patio along the way.

The sound of rain filled my ears, and occasionally a few thunders were heard.

Rumble, and another muffled thunder sounded.

Lin Yanchao thought that this sudden heavy rain would have affected the Hebei Engineering Corporation this year. Between the two and April, it was the time to build the dike, but it ended up in heavy rain.

Thinking of this, Lin Yanchao had already arrived at the main hall of the discussion.

It was not yet evening, but there was a light on the main hall.

Li Zihua sat in the south, and the officials from Kaifeng Prefecture, who had a large number of people in the east were obviously officials from Kaifeng Prefecture. About twenty people came, while those with a small number of people in the west were originally officials from Guide Prefecture, but only five or six.

Ma and Wu, the two magistrates, were both frowning when they experienced the mansion, while the Kaifeng Prefecture officials were unable to stop quarreling because of the large number of people.

It seems that the two sides have been quarreling for a while.

When the officials of Guide Prefecture saw Lin Yanchao coming, they all looked happy and stood up to greet him.

With the arrival of Lin Yanchao in the hall, the originally noisy place suddenly became silent.

Officials from Kaifeng Prefecture walked towards Lin Yanchao, and kept silent.

Li Zihua, who was drinking tea and resting, looked at Lin Yanchao and thought that this son was famous and had a lot of power. As soon as the people arrived, the officials of Kaifeng Prefecture dared not speak lightly.

Then Li Zihua saw that Lin Yanchao's official robe and boots were muddy, and he obviously rushed over and had not changed his clothes. He couldn't help but think that this guy is a pragmatic person and does not value false reputation. It seems that today's matter is a bit difficult. It would be great if he had just taken his handle on the dike.

Lin Yanchao greeted the courtesy with official etiquette, and officials from Kaifeng Prefecture stood up to greet the courtesy.

Then Lin Yanchao took his seat and looked around and saw more than 20 Kaifeng Prefecture officials sitting in full swing, which was a little less staffed than Guide Prefecture.

Although the discussion is not about fighting, and there are more people on the other side, the voices will always be less loud when there is a fight.

However, there is no prefect for Guide Prefecture, Kaifeng Prefecture.

The governor of Guide Prefecture Fu Zhiyuan was promoted to the right governor, while the governor of Kaifeng Prefecture Gu Ming had been ordered to retire, which was thanks to Lin Yanchao.

Therefore, although Guide Mansion is a small mansion, among the officials in the hall, in addition to Li Zihua, there are two officials, Lin Yanchao and Kaifeng Mansion, with the highest official positions.

Li Zihua nodded and said, "You have discussed it for a while just now. Now that Lin Tongzhi has arrived, he has a real master. It is very good to deal with the matters on the river embankment. I thought that Sima Lin would arrive tomorrow, so we will close the door and discuss matters with Sima Shen. Hasn't the province sent anyone to discuss the matter of clearing the Jialu River?"

The Tongzhi of Kaifeng Prefecture stood up and said, "Gong Fantai, Fu Fantai said that major river engineering affairs have always been presided over by the River Door Office, and the Ministry of Justice dare not exceed the authority."

Li Zihua smiled and said, "Sili's words are so nice. This is why he has put all the burden on me, Mr. Li."

Hearing this, all the officials laughed with Li Zihua.

Chen Tongzhi of Kaifeng Prefecture smiled and said, "In the past three years of the construction of Taihe River, we have been paying our kindness and safeguarding the people. Which official in Henan and Shandong is not praised? The vassal officials naturally admire Taihe River."

Li Zihua nodded, then said with a solemn expression: "Then start discussing matters."

Then the officials returned to their erect sitting.

The main hall door was closed from the left and right from inside, leaving the sound of rain outside the door.

Chen Tongzhi of Kaifeng Prefecture is the most familiar with the inside story. He knows that Kaifeng Prefecture has the support of Li Zihua today, and it is a victory in his hands.

So he said, "All sirs have discussed it just now. Chen was unwilling to repeat a lot of things again, but since Lin Sima had just arrived, Chen would briefly explain why he dredges the new Jialu River this time, but not the old way."

The Jialu River is the second longest river in Henan Province. Due to the impact of the Yellow River's breach, it is silted and open.

In the seventh year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty, the famous minister Liu Daxia, in addition to dredging the former road of the Jialu River.

He also opened the Xinhe River from Zhongmu, guided the water south, passed through Zhuxian Town, Kaifeng Prefecture, Wei County, Fugou from Kaifeng Prefecture, entered Huaisi and Si, and finally arrived in Xuzhou.

This new river, known as the grain transport river, connects Kaifeng and Xuzhou, is the most prosperous and the first most important section of the Jialu River.

But the entire territory of this new river is within Kaifeng Prefecture and has nothing to do with Guide Prefecture.

If, according to the Kaifeng Prefecture officials, only clear the new river and not the old river, then there would be nothing wrong with Guide Prefecture.

When it was in Guide Prefecture, it was the old road of Jialu River. This old road was from Wa Nigang, passed Huanglinggang, and finally arrived at the Xiaofuqiao Bridge in Xuzhou.

Most of this ancient path is in Guide Mansion.

During the Hongzhi period, the Yellow River broke through Huanglinggang and seized the old road of Jialu River. Later, Liu Daxia presided over the construction of the river and blocked the old road of Huanglinggang, and finally the river returned to the right stream.

Chen Tongzhi spoke: "In the tenth year of Wanli, the Yellow River flooded and the north and south embankments of Guide Prefecture were broken."

"The river water flows south and invades the Jialu River. In the 11th year of Wanli, the old road and the new river of the Jialu River were silted, and the boat could not travel more than 200 stones."

"The grain ships in Suzhou and Hangzhou cannot arrive from Xuzhou to Kaifeng, so last year, the grain prices in Henan were hard to find in February and March, and in June and July, it was as cheap as chaff. In October, Lu Wang established a vassal state, and all prefectures and counties were hungry. Even our prefectures were always rich, which was no exception."

"So I think that the most urgent task at the moment is to solve the problem of silt in the new river. As long as the new river can be cleared, the grain ships in Xuzhou can arrive at any time."

"Stamping the price of grain is the most urgent task, so I think it is important to clear the new river."

After Chen Tongzhi finished speaking, the officials from Kaifeng Prefecture nodded and agreed.

"Yes, it's better to calm food prices, and people's food is the most important thing."

"We have nearly two million people in Kaifeng Prefecture and the capital. Guide Prefecture has only 300,000, which one is more important?"

Wu Tongzong from Guide Mansion came forward and said, "My lords, I have discussed with Shen Tongzhi for a long time just now. Yes, the new river is the top priority. If the new river is not cleared, the grain ship cannot reach Kaifeng. But what I don't understand is why the old river cannot be cleared after the new river is cleared. Are these two conflicts?"

Ma Tong also said: "Yes, Kaifeng Prefecture is a major mansion, and our Guide Prefecture is a minor mansion, but we cannot take everything into consideration, and we should not take our Guide hundreds of thousands of people in our Guide into consideration."

The officials from Guide Mansion also spoke out, but the number of people was too small, and the voice was suddenly overwhelmed by the officials from Kaifeng Mansion.

p: Thank you to the book friend of Beijing Hippo for becoming the sixth leader of this book. Thank you and Ling Zun for your love and support for this book.
Chapter completed!