Chapter 1 Drought

A bare-haired farmer was walking in a field of scorched yellow crops. A heavy shoulder pole was pressed on his shoulder. The buckets at both ends were covered with turbid mud. Behind the farmer was a little boy of seven or eight years old. The little boy was naked, and the big mud on his body was almost his clothes. He was holding a string of loaches, yellow worms, and some small fish and shrimps in his hand, but he seemed extremely excited. He completely ignored the sun that could roast people with a heat on his head.

The farmer stopped in front and sighed and poured spoonfuls of mud and water from the bucket on the crops. In front of him, only this land of dozens of steps still remained a small piece of green. In the huge dead crops around, from a distance, it was not even the size of a palm.

When the mud water was poured into the ground, it immediately made a squeaking sound. The crops that had rolled up their leaves were stretched again at a speed visible to the naked eye. However, it could only be watered for more than ten steps. The water mixed with a lot of soil in the bucket had been used up. Looking at the yellow mud half an inch thick in the bucket, the farmer sighed dejectedly. Now there is no such mud in the canal. If the ground is not watered, the green spot now will become like other burnt yellow crop fields within a few days, with no vitality, and the sweat that used to flow completely in vain.

This is the summer of the 14th year of Kaihuang. It has been six years since the Sui Dynasty unified the world. In the past six years, the Sui Dynasty has been stable and the country has been blessed, showing a peaceful scene that has not been in the past many years. Due to the peace of the country, the court has devoted all its energy to people's livelihood. In addition, the officials are capable and there are fewer cheating. The agricultural college, which the prince himself is in charge of, is like a magical skill. It often launches more efficient farm tools, so that each laborer can cultivate more and more land, the output is getting higher and higher, and the people are getting richer. Some ordinary farmers can make a pair of silk shoes during the Chinese New Year, pull a piece of silk clothes for the yellow-faced woman at home, blow up a lamp at night, and touch it with their hands. The silk clothes are smoother than the yellow-faced woman's breasts.

Such a good year has passed for several years, and it will not work as soon as it enters the 14th year of Kaihuang. Since March and April this year, the weather has become evil. There are only scattered light rain in Guanzhong. Since June, most of the month has passed, and there has not even been a drop of rain.

In March and April, most farmers could barely plant crops by relying on the good water conservancy facilities built by the court over the years. However, in May, when the crops were halfway up, the water conservancy facilities could no longer play any role. Except for the Wei River, you can see a leucorrhea-like water, other canals began to cut off.

So what if there is a water truck, so what if there is a ditche? God doesn’t rain. No matter how good the water conservancy is, it becomes a decoration. Without water, with the sun’s moxibustion and roasting every day, the crops grow well, and it can only slowly die. Some diligent farmers started to use wooden barrels to carry water. However, in June, the sky still showed no sign of rain. Most farmers were desperate and could only let the crops die. Only Li Erdan in front of him was like a donkey and refused to let go. With the idea of ​​saving a little bit, he insisted on carrying water every day.

But now there is not even the last bit of mud and water in the canal. If you want to carry water, you can only reach the Wei River more than ten miles. Li Erdan put down the spoon in his hand, looked up at the sun hanging in the air, shook his head helplessly, knowing that in a few days, the crops in his field would not be able to be saved.

At the junction of Guangtong Canal and Weishui, there is a team of more than ten knights stationed. Guangtong Canal was built in the fourth year of Kaihuang. It diverted the Weishui River from the northwest of Daxing City, and went east along the old canal path of the Han Dynasty. It reached Tongguan and entered the Yellow River. It was more than 300 miles long. Since the opening of Guangtong Canal, this canal has undertaken more than half of the material transportation task of Daxing City and the outside world. Its importance can be imagined. However, the current water flow in Guangtong Canal is as small as the entrance, and the downstream is even cut off. Not to mention transporting materials, even empty ships cannot drive.

"Your Highness, the entire Guangtong Canal has been cut off for a month." Zhang Qiu Taiyi said worriedly. After Yang Yong returned from Jiangnan in the eighth year of Kaihuang, Zhang Qiu Taiyi finally stayed in the East Palace with peace of mind and became Yang Yong's capable strategist.

Although the entire Guanzhong has a severe drought, since the beginning of Kaihuang, the Sui Dynasty began to build charity warehouses to store grain and rice. Now the total grain storage nationwide is no less than tens of millions of stones. Even if there is no harvest this year, these grains can be surplus for the court to eat. However, if there is grain, it must be transported in. The people in Guanzhong suffered more than 2 million due to drought, and the monthly grain consumed is nearly one million stones.

The Guanzhong Plain is called the land of Tianfu. The grain has always been self-sufficient, but this year should be the harvest season. The crops have long been scorched, and the people have survived by the previous grain storage. All the grain in the capital must be transported out. However, due to the drought, the most important transportation channel in the capital was wide open and open. The food required is all transported by land. Although the official road is now occupied by horse-drawn carriages, the food transported in cannot keep up with consumption. The price of grain in the capital is expensive every day.

Yang Yong is twenty-eight years old this year, nearly thirty years old, and has a beard on the corner of his mouth, which seems much more mature and steady than before. After listening to Zhang Qiu Taiyi's words, he couldn't help but interrogate: "Yes, once the food in the capital is exhausted, even if there is too much food outside, what's the use of it that cannot be transported in?"

"Mr. Zhang Qiu, you are proficient in astronomical numerology. Can you calculate whether it has been raining recently?" Lu Mulin asked.

Zhang Qiu Taiyi shook his head straight: "It's hard! It's hard! I don't dare to say it too much. At least it can be concluded that there will be no drop of rain within half a month."

Of course, everyone was convinced by Zhang Qiu Taiyi's words. Starting from March this year, Zhang Qiu Taiyi concluded that the entire Guanzhong would have a severe drought this year. Everyone didn't believe it at first, but in April, everyone was half-believing and half-doubting. After May, no one doubted the severe drought in Guanzhong. It would be fine if it was only half a month without rain. However, Zhang Qiu Taiyi had said this at least dozens of times, and it was half a month without rain. Sometimes, it would be light rain. After half a month, it would be half a month and half a month later. I don't know when it will end.

On the Wei River, a fishing boat floated down. An old man and a strong man stood at both ends of the fishing boat. Seeing more than ten knights on the shore, the old man's eyes lit up and he shouted loudly: "Celebrity, do you want fish? Fresh big live fish."

The Wei River is shallow, and the Guangtong Canal is cut off, so there are fewer boats for cargo transport in the Wei River, but it is a good season for fishers to fish. Every day before dawn in the capital, many fishermen rushed to transport fish into the city early, as small as one or two fishes as thick as one or two fingers, as large as seven or eight kilograms of big carp, which has allowed the powerful and nobles in the capital to enjoy a lot of benefits.

Everyone on the shore was indifferent. It was more than 20 miles away from the city. In addition, the weather was hot. Unless they went back immediately, as long as they were delayed, even the live fish would smell bad when they arrived in the city. Naturally, no one wanted to buy fish.

Seeing that everyone was not moved, the old man thought everyone was not convinced, so he hurriedly raised a big carp from the cabin and shouted: "Customer, look at this fish, you can make it and eat it right away."

The big carp, a foot-long carp, was waving its tail desperately in the old man's hands, but the old man held the gills tightly. No matter how the big carp struggled, it was useless. It was indeed a live fish. I heard that it could be cooked and eaten immediately, and everyone couldn't help but feel moved. The prince loved to eat fish. When he conquered Jiangnan, even the koi used to watch in the mansion of Chen Keqing, the powerful minister of Chen State, asked the prince to pick up the koi to cook and eat it all. He is still talked about by those guards who tasted the koi. Naturally, he has developed the habit of eating fish around him.

Lu Mulin asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, should you take a break and eat something?"

Everyone came out of the morning and rushed for dozens of miles to get here. They were so hungry. Although they were carrying dry food on their backs, there were fresh fish to eat. Of course, Yang Yong was unwilling to eat dry food and nodded.

Mai Tiezhang was overjoyed and shouted in a gong-like voice: "Old man, take the boat over, we want to eat fish." Mai Tiezhang is a southerner. He has lived by the water since he was a child. When it comes to eating fish, of course he is most eager to eat.

"Oh." The old man responded happily, put the fish back into the cabin, and called the strong man on the other side, and rowed the boat towards the steps where the two canals meet. If the Wei River is normal, the fishing boat can only dock with a line of willow trees on the shore. However, at this time, the Wei River water level dropped sharply, and the boat can only be stopped at the steps.

Yang Yong and his group hurriedly rushed forward, and when they reached the steps, they threw the horse off the saddle. When they came to the side of the father and son's boat along the steps made of large stones, the strong man had skillfully cut the stomach and scales of several big fish, and the fire on the boat also rose.

Just now, the father and son only saw that the people on the shore were riding on high horses. They thought it was a wealthy rich man who would try their best to greet him. They had to get close. Seeing the dress of the group clearly, the father and son couldn't help but mutter in their hearts. This group of people was really strange.
Chapter completed!