Ye Xiaotian slept very late today, and with a warm and fragrant body, he slept very comfortably, just as Fatty Zhang said. At five in the morning, the rain suddenly turned violent, and by daybreak, it was already raining cats and dogs. The rain poured down as if it was free, covering the sky and the earth.
Generally speaking, if the rain was too heavy, it would at most last half an hour before it would weaken. But this time, the rain continued for more than two hours, and the rain did not weaken at all. Ye Xiaotian awoke to the sound of the heavy rain, and opened his eyes to look, the sky seemed to be just beginning to brighten.
Ye Xiaotian stretched out his hand to the side, but there was no sign of Duo Ni. Ye Xiaotian put on his clothes and got out of bed, and walked to the outer room, just in time to see Duo Ni carrying a food basket walking in from the corridor. As soon as she saw Ye Xiaotian, she pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "You're awake, I saw that you were sleeping soundly, so I couldn't bear to wake you up, so I went to get breakfast for you."
Ye Xiaotian said, "What time is it, why are you up already?"
Duo Ni said, "It's already six in the morning, do you think it's still early? It's just that today's heavy rain, I can't see the dawn, that's all."
Ye Xiaotian was startled, and said, "It's already six in the morning? Oh no, I've just arrived, I'll be late going to the yamen."
Duo Ni comforted him, "You don't have to worry, today's rain is very heavy, our manor is built against the mountain, low at the front and high at the back, the water in the courtyard is still very deep, you can imagine that it's flat in the city, Little Tian ge won't be the only one who will be late going to the yamen today."
Ye Xiaotian went to the porch and looked outside. It was raining cats and dogs. The rainwater flowing down from the eaves was no longer like a string of beads, but a small waterfall. The water in the courtyard was really deep. Before it could be drained, the shallowest part of the water was almost up to his ankles. Ye Xiaotian heaved a sigh of relief.
Ye Xiaotian returned to the living room and sat down. Duo Ni had already placed the breakfast on the table for him. Ye Xiaotian picked up the chopsticks and said to Duo Ni, "Come, you don't have to ask Yaoyao to come over today. It's just you and me. I happen to have something to say to you."
The two sat down and ate breakfast. Ye Xiaotian told Duo Ni about the plan he told Yale yesterday. When Duo Ni heard this, she was overjoyed. Her pretty cheeks immediately turned red like peach blossoms. "Brother Tian, really? You want my father's tribe to move to Tixi? "
Ye Xiaotian said, "Yes, ask them to move out from the deep mountains. I'm afraid they won't be used to living on the plains. Besides, there are so many people in the tribe. If they change their habits all of a sudden, they won't be able to make a living. So it's better to ask them to live in the mountains. But it's better to be closer. "
Duo Ni ate the rice. Her eyes had already turned into crescent moons. She said happily, "I was just thinking that now that we're in Tongren, it's too far from the stockade village. It's inconvenient to visit my parents. If they can move to Tixi, it'll be very close, right?"
Ye Xiaotian smiled and said, "Yes, if they move to Tixi, it's not far from here. But I'm not asking them to move so that you can see your parents. The main purpose is to have enough people to protect me."
Duo Ni immediately became nervous. She asked, "Why? Is there someone who wants to harm Brother Tian?"
Ye Xiaotian waved his hand and said, "Not yet. But … it's better to be safe than sorry. Previously, when I mediated the chaos in Shuiyishan, I didn't have a good relationship with the local tribes. The leaders of the local tribes have complicated relationships with the officials of Tongren Province.
This time, the Zhang family and the Dai family are in a murder case. I'm afraid they won't be satisfied with my decision. If something really happens, it's very difficult to protect our family with only a dozen guards. It's safer to transfer some people to settle them nearby. "
Hearing that it was related to Ye Xiaotian's safety, Duo Ni immediately nodded seriously. Ye Xiaotian was not only her man, but also the servant of the Gu God whom she believed in. Whether it was for her or for the Gu God Sect, she couldn't allow anything to happen to the Venerable.
Ye Xiaotian coughed lightly and said, "Tixi is a certain distance from here, so I'm thinking of transferring more people to Tongren City."
Duo Ni nodded repeatedly and said, "That's good! That's good! It's safer to have more people around you. "
Ye Xiaotian said, "But it's not good to arrange too many people in Tongren City. Besides, I'm not in any danger at the moment. It's just a precaution. If there are always some unknown people around, it will cause suspicion. Our sect's elders all have relatives in the secular world, right? "
Duo Ni said, "Of course, they all have brothers and sisters. Even if they've been elders for many years, they still have many relatives in the tribe. Sometimes, they will even adopt a son from their relative's family to carry on the family line. "
Ye Xiaotian's eyes showed a trace of a smile and said, "Very good! Then let the eight elders choose a family from each of their relatives and move to the foot of the Eastern Mountain. They will live around my mansion. I'll help them find some local jobs, so no one will think it's strange for them to live here for a long time. They are the relatives of the elders, so there shouldn't be a problem in terms of loyalty. "
Duo Ni said disapprovingly, "Little Brother Tian, you're thinking too much. As long as it's to protect the Venerable, all the people in the nine villages and eighteen caves are willing to sacrifice their lives for the Venerable. They are all loyal people."
Ye Xiaotian smiled and said, "But the eight elders have worked hard and made great contributions. This glory should be given to their families first, so that others won't say anything. Otherwise, it will be like the last time when I repaired the mansion. I only asked for a few hundred people, but suddenly eight thousand people came, making it difficult for me to settle down."
Duo Ni thought for a while and smiled, "Little Brother Tian is right, you've thought it through."
…
Because of the heavy rain, with a reason, Ye Xiaotian was not in a hurry to go out. He ate breakfast and endured for a while. When the rain stopped, he left the mansion and went to the magistrate's office accompanied by the bodyguards.
Along the way, they turned left and right, specially choosing the higher ground to walk. Still, they stopped every now and then. It was very slow. Many of the roads were already covered in water. Some of the houses had sandbags stacked in front of their courtyard. In the courtyard, there were people using pots to scoop water out. There were also some naughty children sitting on large wooden pots, leisurely swimming around, treating the street as a small river.
From time to time, an old mud wall would be soaked in the rain and collapse with a rumble. Seeing this, Hua Yunfei couldn't help but frown and said, "With this heavy rain, I'm afraid many of the poor people's houses will collapse and become homeless."
Looking at the water that has already reached the horse's belly, Ye Xiaotian lightly nodded his head.
The magistrate's office was originally the Tushi Mansion and the foundation is higher. Moreover, the Tushi Mansion is also located in a higher position in the city. Therefore, when Ye Xiaotian walked on the street in front of the magistrate's office, the water is not deep and the horses are moving much more briskly.
Ye Xiaotian rushed to the Torture Chamber, took off his water boots and poured out the water. Mao Wenzhi walked over barefooted and handed over the boots on his shoulder. Ye Xiaotian put on his socks and was about to put on the boots when he saw the Governor of the Torture Chamber, Zhang Bin, rushing in.
As soon as Zhang Bin saw Ye Xiaotian, he beamed with joy and said: "The Prefectural Magistrate has arrived. The Prefectural Magistrate has issued an order to summon the Third Squad, Sixth Branch, and all the officials from the various departments for an audience."
Ye Xiaotian stepped on one of the boots and asked, "Did the magistrate say what's the matter?"
Zhang Bin shook his head, "I have not heard of it."
Ye Xiaotian put on the boots and walked alone to the magistrate's main hall. When he arrived at the main hall, Dai Tongzhi, Li Jieyu and the others have already arrived. Most of these people live in the city center or somewhere close to the magistrate's office, which is more convenient than Ye Xiaotian living at the foot of the Eastern Mountain.
What surprised Ye Xiaotian the most is that the female County Supervisor, Yu Junting, is also present. This female Chieftain who is said to never go to the magistrate's office to manage government affairs seems to have become more diligent recently. Ye Xiaotian sat down beside Li Jieyu and asked in a low voice, "What urgent matter did the magistrate summon me for?"
Li Jieyu lazily said, "I heard that the magistrate's relatives have complained to the magistrate that when there is heavy rain, there will be a vast expanse of water, making it inconvenient to enter and exit. I believe that the magistrate summon is for this matter."
Ye Xiaotian listened and nodded. The dredging of the river is related to the Department of Household and the Department of Engineering, no matter what, it will not have anything to do with him, a Prefect of the Criminal Court. Today, he only needs to bring a pair of ears. After a while, a person who looks like a counselor walked out from behind the screen and stood beside the desk. He coughed and said, "The magistrate is here."
One by one, all the officials stood up. They saw Big Fatty Zhang slowly walk out. Before he even climbed the steps, he already stretched out his hand to support the desk, moving his fat body up the steps. Then he turned around and stood behind the desk. Everyone bowed deeply and said, "Greetings, Lord Fu Zun!"
Fatty Zhang nodded and looked at everyone with his hands on the desk. He sighed and slowly recited, "Why does the sky rain? The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea shed tears. The old dragon cried and returned to the palace. Only I, Zhang Duo, suffered!"
"Ugh …" Li Jicheng, who was standing beside Ye Xiaotian, tightly shut his mouth. He forcefully held back the laughter that was about to escape his mouth, and it became a muffled groan.
This is the first time that Ye Xiaotian has participated in an event like this hosted by Old Master Zhang. He doesn't understand Magistrate Zhang's style, so he listened in a daze, "What's going on? A poem as soon as he appears. Could it be that Magistrate Zhang is going to tell a story?"
After Magistrate Zhang finished reciting this poem, which is not inferior to the poem "A thousand-year iron tree does not bloom", he slowly sat down and sighed, "The underground river in this city was dug during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty. It has been more than five hundred years since it was dredged. Now that there is a heavy rain, it has become a disaster. I think it is time to dredge it. What does everyone think?"
Ye Xiaotian thought in his heart, "An underground canal that was built during the Song Dynasty has been used for more than five hundred years. It is already very impressive that it can still be used now. This kind of river should have been dredged long ago. Let's say that an inch of silt has accumulated every year. After five hundred years, to what extent would this river be blocked?"
All the officials were silent. Although the system of officials here was the same as in the Central Plains, these officials were all the leaders of the various tribes, and were responsible for their own finances. Wanting to repair the river? That would be a good thing, but who would be responsible for the money? So no one was willing to be the one to stand out.
Fatty Zhang coughed and said, "The cost of dredging the river will naturally be borne by this prefecture. Nong Xiao Miao! "
The official of the Department of Revenue, Nong Xiao Miao, immediately took a step forward and stood with her head lowered. Fatty Zhang said, "Do a rough calculation. How much silver will it take to dredge the entire city's river, and how much labor will it take."
That person muttered and calculated for a long time, then cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to Magistrate Zhang, two hundred taels of tax will be enough to cover the cost of dredging the river. In addition, the repair of the river cannot be carried out in the entire city at the same time, otherwise the roads will be difficult to traverse, and it will inevitably cause all sorts of inconveniences. If we clear the silt section by section, each section will require three hundred people. This way, there will be no need to go to war and damage the manpower of the people. "
When Fatty Zhang heard this, he felt that the figure of two hundred taels was still within the range he could accept. He said generously, "Since that's the case, the official from the Department of Engineering …"
The official did not wait for Magistrate Zhang to call out his name and stepped forward to say, "Magistrate Zhang, many parts of the western city walls have collapsed, and our people are currently doing their best to repair them. In addition, the granary in the northern part of the city is also in the midst of construction, and the irrigation works in Banpo Town outside the northern part of the city are also in progress. We really do not have the manpower to take charge of the dredging. "
When Fatty Zhang heard this, he knew that this granary was built for the Zhang family, and it could not be delayed. Sixty percent of the land in Banpo Town belonged to the Zhang family, and the irrigation works there could not be affected. The officials from the Department of Engineering definitely could not be transferred.
Fatty Zhang looked at the crowd hesitantly, and everyone immediately lowered their heads to avoid him. Zhang Duo could not help but reveal an angry expression. Yu Junting sat at the head of the table, his handsome eyes darting to the side. He saw that Ye Xiaotian, who had only tucked in his ears, was daydreaming. He couldn't help but smile and say, "Magistrate Zhang, why don't we leave this matter to Imperial Judge Ye!"
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