The Prosperous Era of Longwan

In a grand mansion in Wucheng County, Huzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province, Pan Jixun, who is nearly sixty years old, is sitting in an elegant study reading a book.

Since he was impeached by Luo Zun, the river survey official, in the fifth year of Longqing, and was dismissed from office and idle at home, he has been staying at home, reading books to kill time.

However, after more than ten years of river management, he still can't let go of river engineering.

Yes, since the first contact with water management in the late Jiajing period, he followed Zhu Heng to the Xuzhou section of the Yellow River and saw the suffering of the people on both sides of the river.

As an ambitious official, he naturally wanted to do something practical for the people in the work.

Pan Jixun was born on April 23, the 16th year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty, in the famous family "Huiju Pan" in Wucheng, which passed down poetry and etiquette.

His father Pan Kui was quite talented, and his mother Min was the granddaughter of Min Gui, the Minister of Punishment during the reign of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty.

Pan Jixun has four brothers in his family, and he is the fourth in order.

At the age of seven, Pan Jixun was able to study the Spring and Autumn Annals and write articles, and was "appointed as a doctoral student".

In the 12th year of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, he was a "talented student" and was admitted as a student on government stipend. In the 28th year of Jiajing, he passed the provincial examination and won the first place in the provincial examination.

In the 29th year of Jiajing, Pan Jixun was listed as a third-class Jinshi in the Gengwu year, and was appointed as the Jiujiang magistrate at the end of the same year.

After taking office, he was welcomed by the local people because he could clearly investigate unjust cases, reform the post system, and abolish heavy labor service.

In the 33rd year of Jiajing, he was promoted to the Supervisory Censor of Jiangxi Province because of his official reputation.

Not long after, because his father Pan Kui passed away, he returned to his hometown to observe the mourning period. In the first month of the 36th year of Jiajing, he was reinstated as the Supervisory Censor of Henan Province.

He also missed the opportunity to meet Wei Guangde in Jiangxi. It is said that Wei Guangde had to bow down and listen to his teachings in front of him.

In the same year, the three main halls of the capital suffered a fire. Pan Jixun was ordered to go to Nanjing to search for large wood to repair the palace. He completed his mission without demolishing the houses and made the people feel safe.

In the 38th year of Jiajing, Pan Jixun inspected Guangdong and implemented the equalization of the Lijia system, rebuked the powerful, punished corrupt officials, and defeated pirates, which made him deeply loved by the people.

When he left office, the local people blocked the road to retain him and made a statue for him in the county school.

In the 40th year of Jiajing, he was transferred to the censor of Henan Province, the supervisor of the North Zhili School, and the inspector of Shuntian Prefecture.

After taking office, he presided over the selection of candidates, handled affairs impartially, and did not show favoritism. He selected many talents. At the end of the 42nd year of Jiajing, he was promoted to the right temple secretary of the Dali Temple.

In the 44th year of Jiajing, Pan Jixun was successively promoted to the right Shaoqing and left Shaoqing of the Dali Temple. At the end of the year, he was promoted to the right assistant censor of the Censorate, assisting the Minister of Works Zhu Heng in the management of the Yellow River, and began his career in river management.

At that time, the Yellow River was flooding, and Zhu Heng strongly advocated the opening of a new river, which was at odds with Pan Jixun's opinion.

At the beginning of the 45th year of Jiajing, the court sent He Qiming, a member of the Engineering Department, to survey the river.

Pan Jixun still requested to restore the old course of the Yellow River and the Grand Canal, but his request was not accepted. Only after his repeated requests did he agree to restore the old canal course of more than 50 miles below Liucheng.

The canal above Liucheng was diverted to the east bank of Zhaoyang Lake, and a new river of more than 140 miles from Nanyang to Liucheng was opened.

After the new river was basically completed, Pan Jixun again requested to survey the upper reaches of the Yellow River, but Zhu Heng disagreed and gave up. He then resigned because of his mother's mourning.

While in mourning at home, Pan Jixun taught his son to study. In the same year, the new river was completed, and Pan Jixun was promoted to the right deputy censor of the Censorate.

It was not until the fourth year of Longqing that Pan Jixun resumed his post and supervised the river construction again. In the end, he was impeached and dismissed because of the sinking of the grain boat.

Although he suffered repeated setbacks in river management, his life could have ups and downs, but the millions of people along the river could not.

In recent years, although he was unemployed at home, he had been thinking about the method of water management of the Yellow River.

After two river management, he was very clear about the reason why the Yellow River flooded and could not be managed, but he was helpless because of it.

Then, he could only read various ancient books to understand the ancient water management methods for reference, and at the same time pay attention to the water situation at all times.

He knew very well that the problem of the Yellow River was that the river water carried a lot of silt, and the sedimentation of these silts caused the river channel to silt up, which in turn caused great trouble.

Through his thinking over the past few years, the idea of ​​tightening the river channel to speed up the flow of water to carry away the silt has actually been initially conceived, which is the method of "restraining water to attack sand" passed down by later generations.

In Pan Jixun's view, the method of climbing mud and scooping sand can only be implemented in small rivers with gates. The predecessors tried many times in the process of managing the Yellow River without any results, which can only be a waste of labor and materials.

This was actually a huge change in his thinking. Before this, he also believed in the ancient method of water control, which was dredging.

The dispute with Zhu Heng was about preserving the old river channel and controlling the water by building embankments and dredging.

"Dad, the imperial court has issued an order."

Just as Pan Jixun was flipping through the book and thinking about river engineering in his mind, his son Pan Dafu's voice came from outside the door.

Pan Jixun had four sons and one daughter. The one calling him outside was his eldest son Pan Dafu, who had passed the examination and was preparing to participate in the Zhejiang Provincial Examination.

In the Ming Dynasty, as long as a family had a Jinshi, they would often double the training of the family's children, because those who had been officials naturally knew the beauty of being an official, and they also had the experience of being an official to pass on, so many officials were actually from official families.

When he heard that there was an order, Pan Jixun guessed why it came, but he had just received the news and was still a little surprised that the court reacted so quickly this time.

Yes, Zhejiang merchants are actually very powerful, and information is well connected. As an official in charge of the river crossing, Pan Jixun is also a person that merchants need to flatter and look up to.

So, he had heard about the canal blockage two days ago.

Put down the book, get up and go out, asking his son to prepare the items for receiving the order.

Not long after, the Pan Mansion had already prepared incense tables, incense burners and other items to receive the order. After all, it was a house of officials, so it was natural that it had been prepared.

After preparations were made in the mansion, the eunuch came out and began to announce the decree to the kneeling Pan family.

"Feng, God has carried the emperor, and the imperial edict said that our emperor, Gao, is on the verge of death. He must pay attention to the rivers and canals. Pan Jixun has been reinstated as the right deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the right minister of the Ministry of Industry. He is also the admiral of military affairs."

"I accept the decree, long live long live long live."

Pan Jixun and his family shouted to receive the order, and then led the eunuch who brought the order into the house to rest.

Although the order was urgent this time, it was not urgent, so the young eunuch happily agreed.

Going south this way is not an easy job.

The decree was announced, and he also wanted to see what benefits Pan Qingtian would give him.

Yes, it was a common rule that everyone should give a big red envelope to the eunuch who came to announce the good news. After all, he had an official position again.

This kind of red envelope is inevitable even for Hai Rui, who has always been known for his uprightness. It just depends on the situation in the bag, so the amount is uncertain.

Of course, Pan Jixun didn't need to think about the red envelope. His family had to prepare it. His eldest son Pan Dafu directly ordered someone to bring out a tube of Tongbao wrapped in red paper as a red envelope.

Twenty pieces of ocean, yes, it's a roll of ocean.

A red envelope of twenty taels of silver is actually not too small, and there are actually rules for how much you give, depending on the grade of the eunuch who delivers the order.

This person, at first glance, was a subordinate of a certain eunuch in the palace.

Generally speaking, edicts in the capital were conveyed by the eunuchs accompanying the emperor.

Those who go out of the capital are considered good jobs, and ordinary eunuchs cannot accept them. It is these eunuchs with status who arrange for people to go out on errands.

Pan Jixun politely led people to the main hall to have tea and rest, also wanting to find out the reason for this resurgence.

After all, he was hopeless because of this.

Wei Guangde actually treated the villain like a gentleman, and Pan Jixun did not seek revenge because he had not thought of a way to control the river at this time. This decree was somewhat like trying to catch a duck.

"Eunuch Li, I have arranged for my family to prepare a banquet for me. They are all simple meals. Please don't mind me. It's been a hard journey."

After sitting down, the two of them chatted for a while.

Soon, Pan Jixun also learned about the background of Eunuch Li, the god-grandson of Feng Bao.

Eunuch Li probably knew that Pan Jixun might not know who his godfather was, so he moved his godfather out directly.

No one who is an official knows Feng Bao's name.

"I also took the job from my godfather. Haha, no one else can get such a good job."

The little eunuch did not forget to put gold on his face, and often mentioned Feng Bao's name to promote himself.

The clothes of the internal prison guards in the Ming Dynasty, like the official uniforms, had obvious class differences.

The person in front of him didn't even have any rank, so Pan Jixun didn't pay much attention to him at first.

This is true even if you know his so-called background.

After all, it is tradition for civil servants to look down on internal prison guards.

However, he still needs to have the respect he deserves, not to mention that he still needs help from others.

Looking at the eldest son Pan Dafu who was standing first, he immediately nodded knowingly.

He understood what his father meant, and of course he wanted to add more money.

"Eunuch Li, I am still wondering why the court suddenly thought of me and asked me to retaliate?"

After chatting for a while, Pan Jixun got straight to the point. He wanted to find out what happened, so as not to unknowingly fall into a hole dug by others without realizing it.

You know, he knew that he had a bad relationship with Zhu Heng.

"This is the matter"

The little eunuch was very good at telling people off. When he said this, he seemed to reveal something to Pan Jixun. He knew it, but he just didn't say it outright.

"I would also like to ask Eunuch Li to inform you that I am deeply grateful."

Pan Jixun said to Eunuch Li with a smile.

"Oh, Master Pan is misunderstood. I didn't mean that."

Pan Jixun could call himself his official in front of him, but he could not call himself his father-in-law because he was not yet a serious eunuch.

This difference was explained carefully when they entered the palace, for fear that something would go wrong and cause trouble to the person who led them.

Pan Jixun knew what this meant and glanced at Pan Dafu.

Pan Dafu received the wink and immediately went down to get the red envelope.

Seeing Pan Dafu go out, the little eunuch naturally knew what was going on, so he said slowly, "I can't tell you the specifics, but I heard from Grandpa Qian."

The young eunuch seems to be used to it. He talks about Feng Bao no matter what, which is still a bit bluffing for foreign officials.

But after he talked about it, Pan Jixun knew what was going on.

It was decided after Zhang Juzheng, the first assistant of the dynasty, recommended him, and Wei Guangde, the second assistant, discussed with the Ministry of Industry.

He also learned from the young eunuch that the blockage of the canal seemed to be a bit serious this time, so the memorial was sent to the Supervisor of Ceremonies, and Feng Bao also received instructions to handle special matters.

Here he sent a message to Engineering Science, and over there he arranged for him to leave the capital immediately and hurry up to Zhejiang.

The mouth of the canal from the Yellow River to Shandong was blocked again due to sediment. Pan Jixun knew the reason for the blockage of the canal, but he didn't understand why the chief minister thought of him.

After all, there were many opposition officials in the Ming Dynasty, and there were many unemployed officials like him.

Also, how did Cifu discuss with Zhu Heng, and how did Zhu Heng agree to let him come back.

You know, it seems that Gao Gong was the one who ordered him to come back for the second time.

The two people in the court should not show any favor to those who have received favors from Gao Gong.

But he couldn't care less. Since the court allowed him to return to his post, he would continue to control the floods. It was a good opportunity to try out the new method he had thought of.

After that, the two chatted for a while.

Eunuch Li also talked about some things in the court during this period, including which officials might retire, which people would be promoted, the war in the southwest, and the half of Luzon occupied by the southeast.

Pan Jixun knew some things, but not in detail. After all, he had lost his official position and had limited information channels.

He didn't plan to come back, so he naturally wouldn't contact his friends in the capital.

Moreover, he was thinking about the Yellow River all day long, so he didn't have time to think about other things.

He didn't know until now that Yunnan had already started fighting, and the battle was still very large. The southwest had mobilized 100,000 troops to fight against hundreds of thousands of Burmese.

After that, he was entertained with wine and arranged accommodation, and he began to pack his bags to prepare for his next appointment.

At night, he did not forget to call several children to the study room to teach them, asking them to study hard at home, especially the eldest son, to prepare for the next provincial examination.

This is the root of his old Pan family.

Only if there are Jinshi from generation to generation can the status of the Pan family in Wucheng be guaranteed.

Here, Pan Jixun was preparing to set off for Jining to take over the river government office again, while in Myanmar, under the city of Toungoo, the Ming army had almost completed the preparations for the siege.

"General, the scouts searched the surrounding area for hundreds of miles and found no reinforcements from the Burmese army. I am afraid that we have already captured all the reinforcements summoned in the city."

Wang Shike entered the central army tent and reported to Yu Dayou in the hall.

"Have you found reinforcements from the Burmese king in the north?"

The main force of the Burmese army led by the Burmese king Mang Yinglong in the north was actually the problem he had been worried about.

If Mang Yinglong knew that Toungoo City was in danger, if he withdrew his troops from Yunnan and fought back, he could only rely on the shipping of the Pegu River to fight the Burmese army, and he would not be afraid of the risk of being surrounded.

"Now the south gate of Toungoo City is in ruins. As long as the commander-in-chief gives the order, I am confident that I can conquer Toungoo City in one day."

Hearing that Yu Dayou was worried that the main force of the Burmese army would return during the siege, Wang Shike immediately took on the responsibility.

If the city is broken in one day, are you still afraid that the Burmese army will come back to help?

Of course not.

Seeing Wang Shike's solemn promise, Yu Dayou naturally knew that it was true.

Thinking about the fact that no Burmese army was found in the dozens of miles to the north, it must take two or three days.

Now it's almost time to fight for reinforcements. After defeating many Burmese reinforcements, I think no one will come again.

"Inform everyone that the three armies will start attacking the city tomorrow morning after the battle meal. All troops will go out."

Since they are going to attack a city, and it is the capital of Myanmar, Yu Dayou will naturally not stop, but will make a final effort to capture Toungoo City in one go, leaving the city no chance at all.

With thousands of troops going out, he will personally command them.

"I will take your orders."

Finally receiving the order to attack the city, Wang Shike excitedly accepted the order. (End of this chapter)