Chapter 240

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 woke up to the sound of the heavy rain, and when he opened his eyes, it seemed that the sky was only just beginning to brighten.

Ye Xiaotian stretched out his hand to the side, but Duo Ni's figure was already gone. 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 o 'clock, do you think it's still early? It's just that the rain today made it difficult to see the dawn."

Ye Xiaotian was shocked, and said, "It's already six o 'clock? 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 the 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. The rain was pouring heavily, and the rainwater flowing down from the eaves no longer looked like a string of beads. Instead, it was pouring down like a small waterfall. The water in the courtyard was indeed deep, and there was no time to drain it. The shallowest part of the water was almost up to his ankles. Ye Xiaotian heaved a sigh of relief.

Ye Xiaotian returned to the hall and sat down, Duo Ni had already placed breakfast on the table for him, Ye Xiaotian picked up the chopsticks, and said to Duo Ni, "Come, today there's no need to call Yaoyao over, it's just you and me eating, I just happen to have something to say to you."

The two sat down and ate breakfast, Ye Xiaotian then told Duo Ni about the plan he had told Ye Yao yesterday. Hearing this, Duo Ni was overjoyed. Her pretty cheeks immediately turned red like peach blossoms. "Little Brother Tian, is that true? You want my father's tribe to move to Tixi? "

Ye Xiaotian said, "That's right. Ask them to move out of the mountains. I'm afraid they won't be used to living on the plains. Besides, there are so many people in the clan. If they change their habits all of a sudden, we won't be able to guarantee their livelihood. That's why it's better to have them live on the mountain. But it's always better to be closer. "

Do Ni chewed on the rice, her eyes smiling like 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 not convenient for me to visit my parents. If they could move to Tixi, it would 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 father and mother. The main purpose is to have enough people to protect me."

Duo Ni immediately became nervous, and 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 take precautions than to let it happen. When I stopped the Shuiyin Mountain, I didn't have a good relationship with the local tribes, and the leaders of the local tribes have a complicated relationship with the officials of Tongren Province.

This time, the Zhang family and the Dai family are involved in a murder case, and I'm afraid they won't be satisfied with my decision. If something really happens, it will be very difficult to protect our entire family with just the dozen or so bodyguards by my side. It will be safer to transfer some people here to settle them down. "

Hearing that it was related to Ye Xiaotian's life, Duo Ni nodded seriously. Ye Xiaotian was not only her man, but also the servant of the Gu God, whom she believed in. She and the Gu God Sect couldn't let anything happen to the Venerable.

Ye Xiaotian coughed lightly, and said, "Tixi is a certain distance from here, so I'm considering sending more people to Tongren City."

Duo Ni nodded repeatedly, and said, "That's good, that's good! It's better to have more people around you for safety. "

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, and it's just a precaution. If there are always some unknown people around, it will cause suspicion. Our sect's elders all have secular relatives, 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'll even adopt a son from their relative's family to carry on the family line. "

Ye Xiaotian's eyes revealed a trace of a smile, and said, "Very good! Then let the eight elders choose a family from each of their relatives, and let them move to the foot of Eastern Mountain, and live in the front and back of 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're the relatives of the elders, so there shouldn't be a problem in terms of loyalty. "

Duo Ni disapprovingly said, "Little Brother Tian, you're worrying too much. As long as it's to protect the Venerable, there's not a single family in the nine villages and eighteen caves who wouldn't be willing to sacrifice their lives for the Venerable. They're 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, and no one will say anything. Otherwise, it'll be like the last time when I repaired the mansion. I only asked for a few hundred people, but suddenly eight thousand people came, and I couldn't settle them down."

Duo Ni thought for a while, and smiled, and said, "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. After eating breakfast, he endured for a while, and only left the mansion when the heavy rain stopped. Accompanied by the bodyguards, he went to the magistrate's office.

Along the way, they turned left and right, and purposely chose to walk on higher ground. Still, they stopped every now and then, and it was very slow. Many of the roads were already a stretch of water, and some houses had sandbags stacked in front of their courtyard. In the courtyard, there were people scooping water out with pots, and 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, there would be an old mud wall soaked in the rain, and with a rumble, it would collapse. Seeing this, Hua Yunfei couldn't help but frown, and said, "With this heavy rain, I'm afraid that many poor people's houses will collapse, and they'll be homeless."

Looking at the water that has already reached the horse's abdomen, Ye Xiaotian lightly nodded his head.

The magistrate's office was originally the Tusi Mansion, and the foundation is higher. Moreover, the Tusi Mansion is also located in a higher position in the city, so when Ye Xiaotian walked on the main street in front of the magistrate's office, the water is not deep, and the horse's movement is much lighter.

Ye Xiaotian rushed to the Torture Chamber, took off his water boots, and poured out the water on both his boots. Mao Wenzhi walked over barefooted, and handed over the boots that were placed 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, hurriedly walking in.

Seeing Ye Xiaotian, Zhang Bin beamed with joy, and said, "Master Prefect has arrived, the magistrate has sent an order to summon the three squads, six branches, 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 then put on his boots, and walked alone to the magistrate's main hall. When he reached the main hall, Dai Tongzhi, Li Jiesheng, and the others have already arrived. Most of these people live in the center of the city, or in a place closer 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 Tusi, who is said to have never gone to the magistrate's office to manage government affairs, seems to have become more diligent recently. Ye Xiaotian sat down next to Li Jiesheng, and asked in a low voice, "What urgent matter did the magistrate summon me for?"

Li Jiesheng lazily said, "I heard that the magistrate's relatives have complained to the magistrate, saying that when there is a heavy rain, there will be a vast expanse of water, and it is inconvenient to go in and out. I believe that the magistrate summoned me 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, and that is enough. A moment later, a person who looks like a counselor walked out from behind the screen, stood beside the desk, and coughed, "The magistrate is here."

All the officials stood up one after another, and saw Fatty Zhang slowly walk out. Before going up the steps, he first stretched out his hand to support the desk, and moved his plump body up the steps. He turned around and stood behind the desk. Everyone bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Prefect!"

Fatty Zhang nodded, and with both hands on the desk, looked at everyone, and sighed. He slowly recited, "What is the reason for the heavy rain, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea shed tears, the old dragon cried and returned to the palace, but I, Zhang Duo, suffered!"

"Ugh … …" Li Jicheng, who was standing beside Ye Xiaotian, tightly shut his mouth. The laughter that was about to come out of his mouth was forcibly suppressed by him, and became a muffled groan.

This is the first time that Ye Xiaotian has participated in an event like this hosted by Old Master Zhang, and he did not understand the style of this magistrate Zhang, so he listened in a daze, "What is going on? The first thing that comes out is a poem, could it be that Magistrate Zhang is going to tell a story?"

But after Magistrate Zhang finished reciting this poem, which is not inferior to the poem "A thousand year old iron tree does not bloom", he slowly sat down, and sighed, "Our city's underground river was dug during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, and it has been more than five hundred years now. It has not been dredged for a long time, and now with a heavy rain, it has become a disaster. I think it is time to dredge it, what do you all think?"

Ye Xiaotian thought to himself, "An underground canal that was built during the Song Dynasty, and 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 a long time ago. Let's say that an inch of silt has accumulated every year, after more than five hundred years, to what extent has this river been 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 was a good thing, but who would be responsible for the money? So no one was willing to be the bird that stood 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 to himself for a long time, and then cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to Magistrate Zhang, it will take two hundred taels of silver as tax, and that will be 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 sum of two hundred taels was still within the range that he could accept, and 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 personnel 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 can't spare any more 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 naturally 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 and avoided him. Zhang Duo couldn't help but reveal an angry expression. Yu Junting sat at the seat of honour, and his handsome eyes flickered slightly. He saw that Ye Xiaotian, who had only tucked in his ears, was daydreaming, and couldn't help but smile slightly, saying, "Magistrate Zhang, why don't we leave this matter to Imperial Judge Ye!"