By that time, the Yellow River had burst, causing disaster to six prefectures in the Central Plains. It had been happening for more than half a month.

The imperial decree came very quickly. The local officials of the six prefectures took the initiative to save themselves, provide disaster relief, rescue the people, stabilize people's livelihood, and wait for the arrival of food, grass and manpower from the imperial court.

This is also consistent procedure.

Even the grain and grass stored in Luoyang City were allocated and shipped to Kaifeng Mansion and Guide Mansion.

However, local manpower and material resources are ultimately limited, and investment is mostly directed towards prefectures, counties and cities with large population concentrations.

Chenliu County, Lanyang County (formerly known as Lankao County, revised county name, Lanyang County in the Ming Dynasty), and Qixian County formed a tripartite situation, occupying the entire northeastern position of Kaifeng Prefecture.

This time, Chenliu County was unfortunately dragged down by Lanyang County’s stupidity.

The floodwaters of the Yellow River sloping down from the breach, after overflowing Lanyang County, pushed all the way into Chenliu County with the momentum and power that swept away thousands of armies, and submerged the entire county without giving Chenliu a chance to react.

The rolled up debris directly blocked one side of the county wall to the top of the wall.

Outside the city wall facing Lanyang County, there are countless officers and people carrying away debris washed away by the flood under the city wall.

Officials wearing Qipin Qingpao uniforms had their clothes rolled up and pressed under their belts, and their sleeves were rolled up high together.

The boots with green soles and green surfaces were already covered with mud at this time, and the trousers that should have been white were clinging tightly to the legs because they were covered in mud.

This person was Pei Benzhi, the then magistrate of Chenliu County, Kaifeng Prefecture.

Pei Benzhi, who went out of the city yesterday to inspect the disaster situation in the county and stayed away all night, did not rush back to the county seat until this time today. He continued to inspect the dredging work outside the city without even entering the city.

"County Honor."

"Your Majesty, you are back."

"The road here is slippery, County Lord, please walk slowly."

"We are all at work, county sir, you don't have to worry."

Pei Benzhi, who did not have three squads of officers to clear the way to protect him, led a servant and a clerk from the county government and walked among the busy people outside the city.

And around him, all the people who saw Pei Benzhi put down their work, saluted and said hello to this county magistrate, and spoke out reminders.

Pei Benzhi always has a smile on his face and greets fellow villagers, even though he has been awake all night and is exhausted.

[In view of the general environment,

Serving the country as an official and serving the people as an official.

This is the truth that Pei Benzhi has been taught by his elders since he was a child when he was studying and literacy. It is also the principle of life that he adheres to today.

Those who are officials should wear official uniforms all year round, have no worries in summer and winter, have a salary to support their families, and be supported by the people of the place. They should devote themselves to the survival of the people under their rule.

Pei Benzhi was thinking about the court's relief and how many days it would take to reach Chenliu County. He stepped in the mud under the city wall and did not feel that there was anything wrong with his official status.

After walking dozens of steps, Pei Benzhi raised his eyebrows, and the smile on his face finally subsided, and he couldn't help but reveal a hint of anger.

The chief clerk beside him immediately followed the line of sight of the county magistrate.

I saw a few gray-haired old men carrying baskets under the city wall, transporting the sand and debris accumulated under the city wall to low-lying areas outside the city.

….

Pei Benzhi immediately stepped forward quickly, his body swaying because of the mud under his feet.

In the blink of an eye, Pei Benzhi was already here.

He snorted lowly, looked around, and saw no officials sent by the county government. He immediately said loudly: "Who asked these old men to carry the burden! I said that day that old people over fifty do not need to carry the burden."

Let the young and strong do the heavy work, while the elderly just pick and choose the groceries!"

Several elderly people carrying heavy baskets full of sundries immediately put down their burdens when they saw the county official getting angry, and stood there with their heads down and hands tied.

The surrounding people also stopped what they were doing because of the county magistrate's anger and turned to look here.

In the crowd, there was a sound of hurried footsteps

It came from afar.

After a while, I saw a clay figurine whose original appearance could no longer be knocked out, running and crawling from behind the crowd to the front of the county magistrate.

"County... County Lord, this matter is not... not..."

The county official responsible for the dredging work of the city wall was already stammering when he spoke.

The few gray-haired old people over there finally couldn't stand it anymore, and they walked over, supporting each other.

"Your Majesty, this matter is not their fault."

Pei Benzhi's face was gloomy and his brows were furrowed. He moved his eyes away from the government officials and looked at the elderly people with a smile on his face: "Old men, I told you early on that you don't need to carry burdens if you are over fifty.

Don't be afraid, if they do things in a stupid way, I will punish them."

Several elderly people couldn't help but sigh and looked at Pei Benzhi with gratitude in their eyes.

"The county magistrate sympathizes with us useless old people."

"The county magistrate has been in our Chenliu County these years. Who dares to say that the county magistrate is not good? The people in the yamen have followed the county magistrate and are busy all day long for our Chenliu County."

"This time, it's us people. Seeing everyone busy, their shoulders are scratched. They are all their own children. The old men can't bear it."

Pei Benzhi frowned and glanced at the crowd around him.

He did not suspect that it was the government officials who were squeezing these people, but things always had to be confirmed.

Pei Benzhi coughed lightly and looked at the official who was covered in mud and water: "Get up now. Go home and have a hot meal. Come back after you have rested."

The official didn't want to get up, and still knelt on the ground with his head lowered: "Your Majesty, I'm not going home. Your Majesty, you haven't been home since you got sick, and you have worked so hard for us to stay in the county. I'm sorry."

I can’t do big things like the county magistrate, but I am willing to stay here and contribute to Chenliu County’s early escape from the floods.”

Pei Benzhi's brows furrowed even more tightly.

He stepped forward and lifted the clothes off the officials' shoulders.

The shoulders of the officials who stay in the yamen all year round and are not engaged in production have long been scratched, and the blood oozing out is mixed with sweat and mud, and has become pitch black.

Pei Benzhi couldn't help but let out a long sigh, straightened up and looked at the crowd around him.

He raised his hands high and bowed to the people around him.

"This county has not done a good job, so everyone has missed this year's spring plowing. Now we can only do work-for-relief work in and outside the city."

….

"Everyone, don't worry. Once this county becomes the magistrate of Chenliu County, it will be with you all the same day. The imperial court will never abandon Chenliu County. Yesterday, the imperial court received a letter. The grandson has already brought food to our Kaifeng mansion.

, the imperial court also sent the emperor’s personal army to help us.”

"Everyone, if you continue to persevere, we can weather this flood together."

Pei County Zun’s words are an iron rule in Chenliu County, a promise that will never be compromised.

With Pei Benzhi's encouragement, all the people under the messy city wall cheered.

Pei Benzhi smiled and waved, then turned around and walked towards the city with Chang Sui and the document.

Entering the city, the porridge shops on both sides of the street have never stopped since the flood.

Pei Benzhi didn't step forward to do anything that would make him fail in the tachyon test.

Because in Chenliu County, such things will not happen.

However, there was no smile on his face anymore.

Pei Benzhi turned his head slightly and looked at the county government office clerk next to him: "How much food is left in the warehouse?"

The clerk carefully looked around and saw people working, cleaning houses and roads.

The clerk quietly approached Pei Benzhi.

Then he whispered: "Your Majesty, if the relief food from the imperial court does not come, our Chenliu County can only survive for five days at most."

Pei Benzhi couldn't help but feel his heart sink. Although he knew that the county government had been tightening the supply of food these days, so many people in Chenliu County had to eat. No matter how tight they were, there would always be a day when they ran out of food.<

/p>

He just didn't expect that Chenliu County only had five days of food rations left.

Pei Benzhi's brows almost collided: "Can't we tighten it any more? What does Kaifeng Mansion say? Where is the food in the warehouse? Where is the food stored in the homes of the wealthy gentry in the county?"

The clerk's face became a little ugly and he shook his head: "Your Majesty, it can't be tightened any more. If it is tightened any longer, the people will not have the energy to work.

The government office responded with an official document, saying that it would first provide relief to Lankao County, which suffered the most severe damage due to the direct breach. We also need to support the officers and soldiers of the garrison, and this part cannot be lacking. Therefore, in addition to the first one, our Chenliu County

If you batch food, there will be no more food later.

The big gentry families in our county have donated money in the past few days. The county magistrate personally went door-to-door with people to ask for it, and so far he has probably obtained more than two thousand loads of grain."

Pei Benzhi immediately snorted coldly.

Then, all the depression in my heart turned into a sigh.

Pei Benzhi shook his head: "The Ming government has its own difficulties. Chenliu County is grateful to the Ming government for sending the first batch of grain. But should we continue to send messages to ask for it? As for... the two thousand tons of grain in this county?"<

/p>

Pei Benzhi sneered.
To be continued...