Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen: The Unspeakable Disaster

Eight years ago, the Yellow River diverted its course. According to the probability of only 8 times in 5,000 years in China, it can be said that it is a catastrophe that occurs once in a thousand years.Faced with the monstrous floods, millions of displaced victims, and huge losses, the Song Dynasty's measures were quite serious. As mentioned earlier, the two former prime ministers Jia Changchao and Ding Du both put forward their own opinions.For example, Jia's restoration of the old way, Shanghu broke the embankment, and it was restored at Shanghu; Ding's long-term plan was to dredge the river first, and then start relief relief after seeing the direction of flow.How to make a decision, be careful and cautious, and the degree of seriousness has reached a level of continuous thinking for 4 years.

Four years later, in July 1051, the Yellow River broke its embankment again at Guogukou, Guantao County, Daming Prefecture. This breach was like having cancer followed by a small cold.As deadly as cancer is, a cold is more present than not to treat it first. Five months later, Guo Gukou closed, but only closed.The silt accumulation in the water channel is getting thicker and thicker, and the water surface is raised, and there is a danger of overflowing the dam at any time and collapsing again. Speaking of this, it is strange.The Song Dynasty was the richest dynasty in all Chinese dynasties. The Jiachang Dynasty’s method of restoring the old ways was claimed to be the most wasteful and labor-intensive, but it was only 10 million yuan and 100,000 people.Referring to the expenses of previous wars, you should know that this is just a drop in the bucket of the Song Dynasty.So what is the reason for procrastination?

The mystery will have to wait a while to be revealed.In the Zhihe period, Wen Yanbo and Fu Bi became prime ministers. No matter how big the gap between their real faces and legends is, these two people still have a good heart for the country and the people.They widely solicited opinions and sorted out a new approach.According to expert judgment, once it is implemented, the most perfect water control effect can be achieved with the smallest workload. ——The plan of Liutahe came out. Liuta River, located in Liuta Town, Qingfeng County, Hebei Province, connects with the Yellow River, but does not flow into the sea.The specific method is to widen and deepen the river channel of the Liuta River to accommodate the flood of the Yellow River, so that the Shanghu section in the upper reaches will be relieved.After the flow slowed down, the breaking point of the Shanghu could be plugged fairly easily, while restraining the river from flowing on its usual course and into the sea.

It was Li Zhongchang, the director of the River Drainage Department in the Song Dynasty, who proposed this plan.In terms of identity, this is a full-time flood control professional, and what he says should be reliable.From a purely technical analysis, it also makes sense.Dividing the water from the Liuta River can alleviate the disaster at the break of the embankment at Shanghukou, which is easy to be blocked.Especially once it succeeds, the later effect of Liuta River will be even greater. It can become a permanent waterway for the Yellow River, and no matter when it is, it can ensure that the collapse coefficient of the Yellow River remains at the lowest level in previous dynasties.What a good way, immediately fascinated Wen Yanbo and Fu Bi.They jointly reported it to the emperor, please approve it, and implement it immediately.

Wait a minute, Ouyang Xiu has something to say. The newly appointed Hanlin Bachelor looked filled with righteous indignation, and there were so many words in his mind that he was about to explode.He wrote a memorial of thousands of characters in one breath, and thoroughly criticized the three river control schemes proposed above. First, regarding the restoration of Jia Changchao's old ways, Ouyang Xiu pointed out that he didn't even think about why the river has been suffering continuously in recent decades?The reason is that the sediment in the old road has accumulated so much that it is hard to return, and it is impossible to recover.You must act against the sky, is it really fun to fight against the sky?

Second, regarding Ding Du's long-term plan, it is that officials in the Song Dynasty version did not commit crimes.In the long run, is 8 years long enough?If you have any plans, please show the results as soon as possible. Is the importance of the national economy and the people's livelihood all in your short-circuited mind from time to time? Third, the Six Towers River Project.This was the most unbearable thing for Ouyang Xiu. He really wondered what was wrong with this world. Could it be that all the ministers of the country have become idiots and waste?The Liuta River is just a 40-step-wide state-level river. How much water can it hold? If you want it to reduce water for the largest river in northern China... Are your brains flooded? !Perhaps if each brain is injected with 100 tons of water, the Yellow River will be quiet!

In summary, none of the options are valid.In addition to being angry, Ouyang Xiu also proposed his own method.He suggested sending a truly knowledgeable minister of water conservancy to the lower reaches of the Yellow River, instead of just focusing on the dangerous places in the upper reaches of Shanghu and Guogukou.All problems will be solved by repairing the road from the Yellow River to the sea. The water flows eastward, and it is natural.This is the fundamental way! Another plan came into being. After Ouyang Xiu shocked the entire court, he gave them hope again.In all fairness, what he said was reasonable, especially the analysis about Liutahe.In any case, the 40-step wide river determines the inherent shortcomings of the plan.

That is to reduce the water of the largest river in the Central Plains! Theoretically speaking, as long as the volume of the Liuta River is not enough, the water of the Yellow River will inevitably flow back to the old course, and the pressure on the upper reaches will increase sharply.Ouyang Xiu asserted that the upper reaches will collapse at that time. After the memorial was handed in, he and the whole world began to wait.Let me emphasize that this is the power of Ouyang Xiu. His articles became popular all over the country when he was young. After more than 20 years, he was already recognized as a literary master in the Song Dynasty.No. 1 person in the world, anyone who writes anything casually attracts the attention of all. Who would dare to ignore this kind of influence?

But it was really ignored.Ouyang Xiu couldn't figure it out, whether it was his views on river governance, his writing skills, or his friendship with Fu Bi, he was destined to turn the tide of the river governance incident, but he was thrown into the waste paper Here, no one is watching. Li Zhongchang's Liuta River project was put on the agenda and became the main theme of river control. Ouyang Xiu failed again, he was abandoned by the mainstream officialdom as usual.From some perspectives, this kind of encounter is very funny and ridiculous. Why does he always make a fool of himself, and there is nothing he can do to get angry.But looking at it from another angle, you will have a different feeling.There are at least two truths hidden in this matter.

First, Ouyang Xiu is the only person who has not changed after going through all kinds of hardships in the officialdom.As far as the "Gentlemen's Party" of the Qingli New Deal is still alive, Fu Bi has changed, Han Qi has changed, and those youth pavilion staff who have worked hard are nowhere to be seen.Only Ouyang Xiu was what he was before, and he is still what he is now.This made him continue to make a fool of himself in officialdom, always being an outlier. But "Where the Tao is, even if there are tens of thousands of people, I will go there." He sticks to the belief that he has held since he was a teenager. Never just be himself.Isn't this extremely commendable?

Second, the reason for his failure this time is also very simple.Harnessing rivers, at least in ancient times, was never a livelihood project, but a government project.Ouyang Xiu and Qingli's old people are drifting away, they are not in the same class, and they belong to non-partisan people, so naturally no one will pay attention to his opinions. There are three opinions, each of which has supporters behind the scenes.Behind Jia Changchao is Chen Zhizhong, and behind Li Zhongchang are Wen Yanbo and Fu Bi.Ding Du's is slightly better, because he actually didn't propose a specific method at all. Such a big project, under whose rule it succeeds, will become his huge political capital.For example, Jia Changchao's method of restoring the old ways, he and Chen Zhizhong are both in the field, if it is adopted, where will the current Wen and Fu be put?Once the river is successfully controlled, whose credit is it? Jia and Chen immediately had the stature of a comeback. Surrounding the issue of final benefit attribution, the huge flood hazard has become secondary.Both sides have exhausted their means to suppress and oppose each other's plans, and the enemy's intentions cannot be allowed to succeed no matter what.The first person to attack was Jia Changchao. Jia Changchao's qualifications are very high. During the Qingli period, he was promoted from the right admonishing doctor to Yushi Zhongcheng, and then he was promoted to be a political adviser, and then to a privy envoy.It was not until the start of the New Deal that Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu were kicked out of the court, and it was then that he became enemies with Fu Bi.At this time, his luck was very good. Originally, the ministers had no other choice but to write memorials and engage in debates on major national decisions.But the opportunity came suddenly, allowing him to make outside moves. It happened during the Spring Festival of that year.Zhihe three years of the Song Dynasty (that is, the first year of Jiayou, AD 1056).The first day of the first lunar month is a big day of the year. On this day, all officials gather in the main hall, lined up in costumes, and celebrate the grand court meeting on the first day.No one expected that at this moment, something big happened. The servants on both sides rolled up the curtains on the hall, revealing the emperor behind the curtains. Everyone was about to pay homage, when they suddenly saw the emperor's head tilted to one side, and then the whole person fell down. The emperor passed out! The curtain on the imperial steps was pulled up again immediately, and the figures inside were shaking, and there was a panic.The officials below panicked and commotion, not knowing what had happened to the emperor.After a while, the curtain was opened again, and everyone saw the familiar Emperor Renzong again, and he was able to sit up straight again, facing everyone from a distance. On that day, the ministers barely suppressed the fear in their hearts, saluted His Majesty one by one, and retreated slowly.On the way back, everyone was thinking, what happened to the emperor, will he be able to serve as a council member tomorrow as usual? Not tomorrow, the annual holiday of the Song Dynasty is until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.Going to work on the fifth day of the lunar new year, everyone continues to congratulate, and there is a new program.Song and Liao are states of brothers. Every Spring Festival, the Liao Kingdom would come to pay New Year greetings to their elder brother. Therefore, according to the usual practice, on the fifth day of the lunar new year, a banquet would be held in Zichen Hall to entertain the Liao Kingdom's envoys. All the courtiers were in fear, if His Majesty fainted again while playing in public, the reputation would spread across the country.Really want to become "Dizzy King"?They worry too much, the emperor can faint, but only once in 20 years.On the fifth day of junior high school, Renzong has new tricks. The short section said that all the scenes have been repeated for nearly 100 years, and they have become habitual actions. There is nothing wrong with it until the prime minister and the emperor face to face.When the climax comes, the prime minister has to climb up the steps with a glass of wine in his hand to celebrate the emperor's birthday at close range, and invite the emperor to deliver a New Year's speech. Seeing that there is a new look in the new year, His Majesty is sitting firmly, and the officials below are standing quietly. The emperor suddenly said, "Aren't you happy?" (Not happy?) Wen Yanbo was stunned all of a sudden. What do you mean?Is it because His Majesty doesn't like me, or does he have new intentions for the diplomatic relations between Song and Liao, and wants to make the Liao people unhappy on the court day? The answer flickered in my mind like lightning, but I felt unreliable.Reason told him that the closest answer was that the emperor was still dizzy, and what he said was sick.As the prime minister, don't get dizzy.So shut up, serve immediately, and eat! At the banquet that day, Renzong sat upright all the time, didn't speak any more, and didn't even show any expression.until the end of the ceremony.The ministers were sweating coldly, and finally heaved a sigh of relief.But when I went home again, there was a question mark in my heart. Is the emperor cured of his illness, or is it getting worse? It's really hard to talk about this matter, fainting instantly and incoherent speech, either of them will kill you. The second day really kills.The Shang Kingdom of China, a country of etiquette, welcomes the Liao envoys on the fifth day of the lunar new year, and sees them off on the sixth day.Still in Zichen Palace, the original crew continued to drink.The envoys of the Liao Kingdom were going to the hall, and when they reached the center of the court, the emperor suddenly shouted: "Quickly call the envoys to the hall, I hardly see each other!" All the ministers in the hall trembled. Did you lose your memory today, or did you sleepwalk yesterday and forget everything about the whole day?Seeing that the dignity of the Song Dynasty in front of foreigners for nearly 100 years was about to collapse, the officials present immediately began to cooperate, and the troops were divided into two groups. The reason is that the emperor is happy, he got drunk last night, today the ministers will hold a banquet in the post house, let's change the channel to drink. At this moment, there was a great commotion on the stage, and the servants and eunuchs couldn't help but stand up and leave the emperor.That posture is really similar to what the prime minister said... That night, none of the prime ministers went home, so they called the eunuchs Shi Zhicong and Deng Baoji in the palace, and made a request for the first time since the founding of the Song Dynasty.Wen Yanbo asked the servants to report the emperor's condition at any time, without concealment or delay. There are good reasons, a country cannot be without a king for a day, and the ministers must be aware of the emperor's illness. It looks very loyal, but I didn't expect to be dismissed by the eunuchs. It's not your turn to talk about the affairs of the palace, so what should you do, don't make trouble for yourself! To be honest, the eunuchs were right.A threshold inside and outside the palace is two completely different worlds.The reason for the complete separation is not only because of the emperor's masculine psychology, refusing any possibility of cuckolding himself, but more importantly, it is out of safety considerations. There is personal security, but also political security. Throughout the ages, only Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao and other rebellious officials and thieves who wanted to usurp the throne were the ones who could bring people and horses into and out of the imperial palace at will.The rest of the people who wanted to keep abreast of the inside news of the palace were not kind either.Just like at this time, Wen Yanbo seemed to be loyal, but if this precedent was set, whenever the emperor had a minor illness or disaster, he would control the palace at any time. Is the surname Zhao or Wen in this world? Everyone understands the truth, but some people hesitate, such as Fu Bi.Wen Yanbo yelled loudly, acting as a hair dryer, and yelled a lot of truth in Shi Zhicong's ear.This is very common. The most indispensable thing in the Song Dynasty is "reason", which is simply unconvincing.What really worked was his last sentence - come here, take him to the provincial government office to sign, and establish a military order.The ministers of the two governments didn't know about the affairs in the palace, so they chopped him off. Shi Zhicong immediately accepted it, and not only promised to report his illness every day, but even when the gates of the palace were about to be closed that night, he would go to Wen Yanbo to talk to the gatekeepers. It is up to you to close the gates! Wen Yanbo knew very well that this was not obedience, but obedience, and it seemed that there would be future troubles.But he can't handle so much anymore.That day he stood in front of the palace gate in the dark night, looking at the palace from a distance, with His Majesty in his heart.Your Majesty, it would be great if I could see you tomorrow! As he wished, he really saw the emperor the next day.On the seventh day of the lunar new year, the emperor suddenly rushed out of the palace with disheveled hair early in the morning, shouting: "The empress and Zhang Mao are planning a big treason!" Wen Yanbo's and Fu Bi's hair immediately lifted their official hats, a big rebellion... That was not only a rebellion, but also an assassination of the king!The emperor rushed out to apply for political asylum. What are the courtiers waiting for, why don't you rush to save people? But seeing yesterday's scene repeated, the emperor's trembling hands stretched forward, the servants rushed forward, held him firmly, turned around collectively, and returned to the palace.A large area of ​​ministers outside was left in a daze. Comrades, look at the posture, it seems like the emperor shouted for help just now... Just as I was thinking about it, the eunuchs turned around and said something, which made them feel cold from the top of their heads to the soles of their feet. "Masters, it's better to grant amnesty for the officials to eliminate disasters." Amnesty refers to the amnesty of the world. Except for a few heinous crimes, all prisoners can go home and become good citizens again.Generally speaking, this trick will not be used until the last step.This means that all the imperial physicians are hopeless, the emperor's disease cannot be cured, and it can only be effective with the grace of God! Clouds covered the top, and the ministers of the two governments felt that the sky had collapsed, and the situation before them was unprecedentedly bad since the establishment of the Song Dynasty.The emperor is crazy, he doesn't even have a prince, who will manage the huge country?It was only during the headache that it became clear who was different, and Wen Yanbo immediately passed the trouble on to the eunuchs. He made a second request.Amnesty, wait for a while, before the tenth day, don't disturb the world, who knows what kind of turnaround will happen in a few days.First set up a sacrificial offering in the Daqing Hall in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace, and pray to heaven.From today onwards, the ministers of the two governments will stay in Da Nei for the night, be on duty day and night, and be responsible to the emperor at any time. The eunuchs were dumbfounded, not to mention the Song Dynasty, even the Tang Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty or the Han Dynasty, there were no ministers who ganged up to spend the night in the palace, especially when the emperor was critically ill and the dragons had no leader, not to mention the political consequences. Are the reputations of all the concubines in the palace red? ! The great eunuch Shi Zhicong couldn't bear it anymore and said something. "Masters, there is no precedent for this matter, just let it be inappropriate?" Wen Yanbo replied coldly. "Is there any precedent for the current situation?" The eunuchs shut up collectively, everyone knew that if they continued talking, it would be another military order to speak.Even if you are ruthless, Shi Zhicong turned around and left. Speaking of him, he was really ashamed. The prestige of the eunuchs in the Song Dynasty was completely lost. Think about it when Wang Jien, the great eunuch of Shiquan, dared to be so rampant?But he is very clear-headed, his anger is his anger, he knows that the most important part of the eunuch's power is now zero, and he can't compete with foreign ministers no matter what. Eunuchs must have the backing of the emperor to be powerful. Shi Zhicong endured it, and the ministers stayed in the inner courtyard of the palace.Maybe it was the prayer that helped. On the eighth day of the second day, Renzong's sanity recovered a little, and he was able to walk out of the Chongzheng Hall to meet the ministers.After a while, it disappeared immediately, and the ministers stared at the door of the bedroom and began to exchange glances. Colleagues, we have reached this point, why are we still keeping this door? A day later, the ministers walked step by step to the emperor's last cover - the gate of the palace.At this time Shi Zhicong rushed up again, anyway, you can't go to the emperor's bedroom, right?Unexpectedly, just as he was about to speak, Fu Bi yelled back, "Prime Minister An Ke will not see the Son of Heaven for a day!" Shi Zhicong finally declined again and again, until the end, he lost even the right to speak, and was driven away by the roar, and hid deeper in the palace.From this day on, not only the ministers of the two governments can enter and leave the palace at will, and greet the emperor's bedside, but even the officials of the two governments can go to the inner east gate to greet each other every day. Officials, regardless of their titles, can also enter once every five days. The palace was completely opened and became a high-end vegetable market in the Song Dynasty. In this way, the advantages are obvious, and the disadvantages are also immediate.The emperor's condition became public, not to mention the official case, the gossip in the officialdom was like the wind, and it spread throughout the Song Dynasty in an instant.Boss Jia slapped himself hard, this is a very lively thing, how could he be missing? No matter from which aspect, this is a good opportunity made by nature and customized for him, absolutely not to be missed! A few days later, the ministers of the two governments were gathering in the palace to talk about something, when two people broke in suddenly.Ordinarily at this time, the sky is big and the earth is big, and the ruler has the greatest power, but no one dares to underestimate these two people, because they represent the sky. The Sitian official in the Song Dynasty, who was in charge of investigating all kinds of unreasonable things between the government and the people, was the representative of the gods in the world.For example, if a meteor flashes across the sky by chance, they all have the right to warn the emperor. This is because the heavens dislike you. Immediate self-criticism. What bad things have you done? Then they broke in and said a word. "The country should not cross the river in the north, so as to cause unrest in the holy body." The river refers to the Liuta River, which is north of Kaifeng.Si Tianguan has done precise calculations, and based on the official Feng Shui sensing position, it was you who dug indiscriminately to make the emperor sick! When mentioning Liutahe, a network of relationships flashed in Wen Yanbo's mind instantly.Liuta River—Yellow River—Water Control Plan—Jia Chang Dynasty, Jia Chang Dynasty—Palace attendants—Many eunuchs—The emperor is sick! The level of political struggle must be based on an understanding of the officialdom system.Wen Yanbo accurately singled out the hostile elements from thousands of clues. Jia Changchao was ruthless and wanted to use the eunuchs he met when he was a servant in the palace to make trouble, and take advantage of the opportunity of the emperor's illness to bring down the Liutahe plan. . After analyzing the reason, Wen Yanbo chose to remain silent.The real danger is not yet imminent, these two Sitian officials suddenly came and yelled, like a threat but not a threat, like an accusation but not an accusation, what is the real purpose? The mystery has not been solved yet... A few days later, the mystery was revealed.These two people broke in again, this time not only reiterated that the excavation of the Liuta River must be suspended, but also submitted a solution - please ask the queen to listen to the government, this is the only correct solution to the current situation! Then the great eunuch Shi Zhicong appeared, and the eunuch, who had been disheartened since the Spring Festival, became radiant. He brought a written document from the harem, ordering all the chief ministers to leave, get out of the inner courtyard of the palace, and restore the state system . Practically speaking, both opinions are correct.In China's feudal era, the queen and the emperor were enemies, and they were equal.Although patriarchy is supreme and the emperor can divorce his wife, compared to the chief minister, the queen is still extremely sacred. All the ministers are nothing but her retainers! It can be deduced from this that Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi and others broke into the palace without the queen's permission, refused to leave, and acted like a domineering and scolded the servants. This is a heinous crime.Telling them to get out in writing now is quite gentle, even cowardly. So what was the reaction of the prime ministers?Fu Bi didn't know why, Wen Yanbo was still very calm, he quietly listened to Si Tianguan's speech, and sent them back to listen to the letter first.After taking the document handed over by Shi Zhicong, he looked at it carefully, and then a joyful expression appeared on his face, and he nodded slowly, as if encouraging, but also as if he was relieved, with unprecedented kindness, please Eunuch Shi Temporarily avoided. All the signs indicated that Wen Yanbo had succumbed, and Jia Changchao's series of schemes had succeeded, using the queen to subdue the Zaizhi, destroying the Liutahe project in one fell swoop, and even foreshadowing the possible liquidation later.For such a big rebellion, dismissal is considered light, right? ! The crisis is imminent, how to resolve it?Ordinary people can see where the crisis is, and then figure out a way to protect themselves, which is quite remarkable.But Wen Yanbo is not like this.One of this person's skills is the Dafa of "driving the enemy into slavery".Can make his enemies work for him. At the beginning, he made a small move, which was Shi Zhicong's mistake.After all, Eunuch Shi is not a talent who grew up in a brutal environment of struggle like Wang Jien, the great eunuch of Shiquan. He was intoxicated by the optimistic prospect, and he did not notice that Wen Yanbo was expressing his appreciation, but at the same time, he was steadily... putting the documents in. arms. Such an important decision was not announced on the spot with other ministers!How about negotiation and execution? After the two groups of people left in batches, Wen Yanbo's counterattack immediately started. He hurriedly summoned the two Sitian officials to come back for an audience. After the meeting, he slammed his face and asked, "Do you have something to say today?" "Yes." The two were still so stubborn. Wen Yanbo was furious: "Astronomical changes, this is your responsibility, you can talk about it. But do you have the right to intervene in national affairs? You should be executed for crimes!" The two Sitian officials broke out in cold sweat at that time, so they didn't know what they were doing.They have the right to speak, but not to give orders. At this time, the prime minister is angry. If he really wants to cut them off, no matter whether it is Jia Changchao or Shi Zhicong, unless it is the queen, no one can save them.But the queen pleaded for them... This dream is unrealistic! While speaking, Wen Yanbo took out the document and handed it to other ministers for circulation. He saw that the document was like a virus, whoever saw it trembled, and everyone's face turned blue.All of a sudden, the group roared: "Slave dare to speak out, why not kill him!" These are old bureaucrats who have experienced in the officialdom for decades, and the crisis index can be read in an instant.It's time for you to die, and you must not be soft. But Wen Yanbo objected, he said a word, and all the colleagues were quieted down. "If you kill these two people, I will feel uneasy for the middle officials." Be careful, Her Majesty the Queen went crazy. Everyone immediately understood that they entered the palace to ignore the Queen's authority, and now they killed the person who was in charge of Queen Tiyi, was it really to force the Queen to be at odds with them? But the problem is that the situation is no longer at odds, and the reason why it is still calm is only because Empress Cao is so virtuous, and she has never lost her temper once in her life.What should we do now? What should we do to keep the situation from deteriorating and keep Empress Cao calm? The ministers were thinking hard, Wen Yanbo had turned his face away, and suddenly showed a charming smile to the two Sitian officials, what should we do, do you two know? The two little clerks suddenly had a chill, regretting so much that they wanted to cry.They don't know anything else, they are clear that their heads are about to move.I really hope that time can be turned back, what kind of political speculation is playing, it is better to live honestly than anything else! If you don’t want to die, you have to be obedient. Wen Yanbo pointed out a way for them, and they still use their strengths to go to the Liutahe excavation site. They must “carefully” calculate whether this project has anything to do with the emperor’s illness. ...Any fool knows the results of the investigation.The two Sitian officials went out of Beijing overnight to rush to the scene. After careful investigation and precise calculations, they discovered a fundamental mistake. The previous deduction was wrong, because the direction of the Liuta River is northeast, not true north, and it has nothing to do with the emperor's illness! Immediately after good luck came, on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, the emperor felt as if he had fainted suddenly, and suddenly became conscious and able to go to work and see people.In this way, the situation was completely reversed, and the queen had no reason to step up to the stage. Jia Changchao and Shi Zhicong's plans were completely aborted.This is not over yet, what is especially wonderful is that Renzong has undergone a small change.From that day on, he remained expressionless, silent, and never said a word to anyone. Even when they are at work, they just nod or shake their heads.In this situation, think about how depressed the courtiers who wrote the memorial to impeach Zai Zhi into the palace, the emperor didn't even care about it! Time passed day by day, the expression on the emperor's face recovered little by little, the government was working normally day by day, and the project on the side of the Liuta River was being implemented in full swing, and finally the day of completion came.The completion of the Liuta River means that Shanghu, which broke its embankment 8 years ago in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, can finally close. On the first day of April in the third year of Zhihe (1056 A.D.), Shang Hu was successfully completed, and the raging Yellow River finally became docile. original plan.The Millennium Flood Disaster is thus solved, and the water control personnel such as Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi, and Li Zhongchang have finally succeeded! Stop it, only succeeded for a few hours.A few hours later, the river suddenly surged and became unstoppable, and the Shanghu collapsed again shortly after the closure of the dragon, before even the migrant workers and soldiers were withdrawn from the embankment.Nearly 8 years of national discussion, half a year of construction, millions of money, and thousands of lives were instantly swallowed by the flood. Let Ouyang Xiu hit the mark, and Shanghu broke his mouth again, and the reason was the Liuta River downstream, which was responsible for water reduction.It is really too small, and it was okay at the beginning, but once the water flow suddenly increased, it couldn't support it almost immediately. The torrential flood rolled back upstream, causing the tragedy of Shanghu breaking the embankment again. There was an accident and there was no way to save it.The Song Dynasty authorities could only let it go and let the flood flow as they wanted. This time they gave up completely.Since then, the Yellow River has burst its embankment more than once, and it has returned to its state in ancient times when there were no people. Following the geography and landforms, it has completed the work of finding its way into the sea again. It was four years later that the embankment broke again near Daming Mansion, and the Yellow River branched off to the east. It connected to the Jieshou River and entered the sea between Hebei and Shandong.In this way, the Yellow River changed during the Northern Song Dynasty. She became a two-strand river. After the middle and lower reaches, it formed two streams, the North Road and the East Road.It's like a joke God made with the Chinese. Whatever you want, he will give you everything.The Liuta River cannot reduce water, and this eastward flow will reduce it, but there is still a price.This eastward flow actually follows an old road when the Yellow River changed its course in the Western Han Dynasty. Dynasties changed, and it was abandoned long ago. It is more harmful than the original old road. This is a later story, and I will talk about it later. Back in Kaifeng City, even if such a major incident happened, even if Jia Changchao and his political opponents did not pursue it, the officials of Yushitai and Zhijianyuan would not let it go.They even wrote a letter demanding severe punishment for those who neglected their duties in water control. Who is it?Wen Yanbo and Fu Bi were both depressed, and they spent a lot of effort to offend the Ouchi and the Queen, but what happened?Actually got this field.But it's nothing. In front of a mature politician, there is no problem that cannot be solved.It was Wen Yanbo who came forward again, and he resorted to two political tricks that have been used in both China and foreign countries throughout the ages. Once these two tricks are used, they never fail. The first trick, never admit your mistake. Please pay attention, you can read the history of all countries in the world at will, and every famous person has never said that he has missed something.People can die, ideas can be defeated, but faith is always invincible!This is reflected in Wen Yanbo, that is, no one has made mistakes, even Huang He himself is innocent.What?Do you really want to pursue it?Well, let me show you the official documents. The Liutahe project was personally approved by the emperor. We are all responsible. Do you want to hold the emperor accountable? Check the information, and you will see the punishment decision of the incumbent directly involved in the accident.Take Li Zhongchang and his servant Zhang Huai'en as examples. Li Zhongchang was originally the prime minister of the Dianzhong, but was "relegated" to be the prime minister of Dali Temple;Almost like no penalty. Even if this page is opened.What is really powerful is the second trick. The first trick makes people feel angry and afraid to speak out, while the second trick can make people shake their spirits, forget their anger with great interest, and reconnect with the ministers and ministers.That is the legendary invincible trick - diverting sight.