The Ming Dynasty started with caution

It is okay to change the fiefdom, but if Prince Xing wants to change the fiefdom in Jiangnan, Emperor Hongzhi will have to consider it carefully.

Jiangnan is fertile. If it is given to Prince Xing, it will reduce the amount of summer and autumn grain taxes.

Now is the time when the prosperous times are coming.

Without this part of tax revenue, many projects cannot be carried out, and perhaps the millions of refugees in the northwest cannot be resettled.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "I have not seen the flood report in Anlu Prefecture. Yan Qingjia, have you seen the report sent back by the Imperial Censor?"

The Imperial Censor supervises the local areas for the emperor and is more reliable than the local officials. If the Censorate does not have it, it is Princess Xing who lied.

Yan Chengjin thought about it carefully and said: "I have never seen it."

Princess Xing knelt on the ground and said to Queen Mother Zhou: "How dare I lie to you? The court will send people to Huguang to find out."

Queen Mother Zhou frowned slightly, a little unsure.

Emperor Hongzhi said coldly: "The vassal state has a flood, so we need to control the flood. I will give him the fiefdom so that he can live in peace.

If he changes his fiefdom, will the people of Anlu Prefecture also move to Jiangnan?"

The atmosphere was weird, and the singing and dancing stopped.

Emperor Hongzhi's expression eased a little: "Today we only celebrate the birthday, not talk about court affairs, so as not to disturb the Queen Mother's interest."

Xiao Jing hurried to make arrangements, and several actors came on stage, and the atmosphere gradually eased.

The flood in Anlu Prefecture, Huguang, must be controlled after all.

After spending half an hour with him, Emperor Hongzhi got up and returned to Fengtian Hall. A moment later, the cabinet and the six ministers were summoned to the hall.

"My dear ministers, have you received the report on the flood in Anlu Prefecture?"

"Yes, Your Majesty is ill and it is inconvenient, so I approved it on your behalf." Liu Jian said.

Emperor Hongzhi remembered that he had ordered Liu Jian to act as the court affairs a while ago. So, the flood in Anlu Prefecture is real.

Whether it is to give an explanation to the Queen Mother or for the people of Anlu Prefecture, the flood must be cured.

"After Liu Daxia and Zhou Jing retired, there are no more capable officials in the court who can control the flood. Can anyone recommend one?"

Emperor Hongzhi has been in the palace for a long time and rarely deals with officials other than the third rank.

He does not know whether there are any capable officials other than the third rank, so he can only rely on the cabinet and the six ministries to recommend them.

Liu Jian and others fell into deep thought.

Xie Qian said: "I have never heard of any young officials who are proficient in flood control."

Emperor Hongzhi turned his head slightly and looked at Yan Chengjin: "Mr. Yan, I remember that you answered the question in the palace examination well."

In the palace examination, the question about flood control was set by him.

In his mind, the answer written by Yan Chengjin was almost full marks.

Li Dongyang and others tilted their heads.

Xie Qian nodded: "I have also seen that policy question. Yan Chengjin has never been out of the capital, but he can answer the question of "Shushui Guicao, Divide and Rule". He is talented."

As far as they know, Yan Chengjin has never been out of the capital.

But the policy question he handed in was like he had managed thousands of rivers. Every sentence can be used as a theory of water management, and it is very reasonable.

Yan Chengjin did not want to leave the capital, let alone meet King Xing.

Liu Daxia was a capable minister of water management in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, but he made a deal with Liu Dasha and retired early.

There is indeed a lack of successors in the court.

Li Dongyang and Liu Jian are interested to see how this kid will shirk.

Yan Chengjin said: "I have someone I can recommend."

Emperor Hongzhi was interested. Although this kid always shirked his responsibilities, the people he recommended were indeed useful.

"Who?"

"Xie Pi from the Hanlin Academy!"

Xie Qian almost fell to the ground. Even though he was eloquent, all he could do at this moment was to point at Yan Chengjin and stutter: "You... don't talk nonsense!"

Flood control is extremely dangerous.

If you walk on the embankment, you will fall into the turbulent water if you are not careful.

And Xie Pi is not familiar with water. If he really falls, he will die.

The most important thing is that Xie Pi does not know how to control floods. This, this is clearly a frame-up!

He only has Xie Pi as a son, and he would rather not be an official and not control floods.

Yan Chengjin continued: "If Xie Pi goes to control floods, there is at least a 60% chance of pacifying the flood in Anlu Prefecture."

This is a reassurance pill. After Emperor Hongzhi took it, it would be difficult not to send Xie Pi.

Xie Qian panicked and raised his fist to almost beat Yan Chengjin.

Yan Chengjin had expected this to happen and stood far away. Li Dongyang hurriedly hugged him: "Yu Qiao, don't be angry. My son Zhaoxian is still in Malacca. Think about it, think about it carefully."

Thinking of this, Xie Qian's anger subsided by half and he felt much better.

It is better to go to Anlu Prefecture than to be in an uncertain state of life and death overseas.

Liu Jian said bluntly: "Xie Pi grew up in Beijing and has never seen a river. Even officials with achievements in water control dare not guarantee that they can control all rivers. How can you determine it?"

However, water control is closely related to terrain and ecology.

It may not be possible to control it in another place.

In the hundreds of years of history of the Ming Dynasty, there have been thousands of disasters, but floods accounted for 70%.

That is, for him, floods are the most serious.

Now the court needs a young minister who can control water.

Yan Chengjin said: "One of the science subjects Xie Pi studied was geography.

There is a canal in front of Liangxiang. After Xie Pi led people to manage it, there has been no flood so far."

In fact, Xie Pi just carried a hoe and dug the mud.

Isn't this what water management is?

The water flow brings the mud on both sides into the river, so the mud at the bottom of the river is slowly raised, and the water overflows, causing a flood.

So, digging the mud at the bottom of the river is also considered water management.

In the future, the water management work of Daming will be handed over to Xie Pi.

Emperor Hongzhi was at a loss. This boy dared not lie. Maybe Xie Pi really had the ability to control floods.

But...

Xie Pi was the only son of Master Xie.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Xie Qian and said, "I have made up my mind. Xie Pi will go to Anlu Prefecture to control floods. What do you think, Master Xie?"

Xie Qian's mind was blank, but if the court ministers could go to control floods, Xie Pi could naturally go as well.

"Your Majesty will dispatch you."

Emperor Hongzhi ordered someone to draft an edict and send it to the Hanlin Academy.

If Xie Pi could control the floods in Anlu Prefecture, Prince Xing would have no reason to change his fiefdom, and he could give an explanation to the Queen Mother.

After the cabinet and the six ministries left the hall, Yan Chengjin stayed in the hall.

"The court is over, why don't you leave, Mr. Yan?"

"I will wait until Lord Xie is far away before I leave."

Emperor Hongzhi couldn't help laughing and picked up the memorial to review it.

Yan Chengjin slipped out from the back door, but saw Xie Qian blocking the door of the hall.

"Come here, I have something to tell you."

"Put down the cymbals first, sir."

Xie Qian's cymbals were made of ivory, and they hurt when hit on the body. If he hit harder, he could kill people, so we have to be on guard.

Seeing him throw the cymbals aside, Yan Chengjin walked over and kept a safe distance of three meters.

"What's the matter, sir?"

"I want to ask you, does my son really have the ability to control floods?"

Yan Chengjin thought for a while and said, "Please believe Xie Pi, sir!"

Xie Qian finally realized Li Dongyang's heart-wrenching pain: "If... my son can't come back, what will you do!"

Give you a son?

With Xie Qian's IQ, he doesn't seem like someone who would raise a son for others.

Yan Chengjin pondered for a moment and said, "Then I will send eight stone of rice to sir Xie every month."

Xie Qian figured it out.

My son's monthly salary is eight stone of rice, and this son will take care of my son until his death.

Pah~

How could the Xie Mansion be short of eight shi of rice?