The whole family travels through time and space, and the three of them struggle together

Chapter 202 Arabian Nights

When the young eunuch went to the Ministry of Works to announce the imperial edict, Zhou Dajiang was studying the files of disasters in previous years.

When he heard that the emperor wanted to see him, he hurriedly packed up the files and followed the eunuch to the court.

"Your Highness, I, Zhou Dajiang, pay my respects to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Emperor Jiayou: "My dear minister, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Jiayou looked at Zhou Dajiang and said slowly, "I have called you here today to discuss the flood in Xinde Prefecture. Before you came, four of you had given me advice.

Cui Aiqing suggested stabilizing the victims first, mobilizing supplies from the surrounding areas and transporting them to the disaster area, recruiting craftsmen to go there and build temporary shelters;

Xu Aiqing suggested that in order to prevent the epidemic after the disaster, the collection of medicinal materials should be carried out simultaneously, and medical staff should also keep up;

Zheng Aiqing suggested that someone be assigned to preside over the meeting;

Minister Zhuang suggested that the Ministry of Works send someone to inspect the water conservancy project. Do you have any suggestions?

Zhou Dajiang thought for a moment, then replied, "The suggestions of the four gentlemen are all very good. I believe they are all insightful. I am not very talented, so I will just add some details.

I believe that in flood control and rescue efforts, the priority should be "people first, followed by finances."

Therefore, I believe that, first, we should mobilize all nearby troops to participate in the rescue. We should also deploy all the lifeboats and rafts used during the warship conversions to participate in the rescue efforts. We should first rescue all the trapped civilians.

After being rescued, people can be concentrated in large public facilities for medical treatment and isolation. Villagers diagnosed as healthy by medical staff can be sent to participate in the rescue mission.

After the rescue, local officials were gathered, a temporary construction area was designated, and the military and civilians worked together to build temporary shelters.

Second, relief supplies can be delivered in batches to prevent the disaster area from being cut off from water and food.

Third, there are usually two types of epidemics after floods. The first and most common one is drinking raw water. After a flood, all drinking water is contaminated, including well water. It becomes turbid and there are even parasites in the water. If people drink it, they may suffer from gastrointestinal discomfort at the mildest, and parasites may enter the intestines and cause dysentery and abdominal pain at the worst.

The second type of epidemic is spread by mosquitoes. This type of epidemic is more dangerous than the first one. Malaria, filariasis, and yellow fever are all caused by mosquito bites. These diseases can cause fever and rash in mild cases and can be fatal in severe cases.

If we want to prevent and control the above two epidemics, we must start from the root.

I remember that when I first went to Japan, I equipped each ship with a water filtration device. By making more water filtration devices according to this method and shipping them to the disaster area first, we can solve the water problem for the people in the disaster area and avoid the first epidemic.

For the second type of epidemic, use herbal incense or make insect-proof mosquito nets. At the same time, spray more insect repellent in residential areas. People who have been bitten and have a fever should be isolated until the epidemic danger is lifted.

Fourth, medical staff should also pay attention to their own safety while treating patients. While wearing masks and gloves to protect themselves, they should also disinfect the surrounding environment as appropriate and ensure that the surrounding environment is kept clean to prevent mosquito breeding.

Fifth, regarding sending a special person to the disaster relief department, I agree that this matter does require a capable, responsible, and preferably prestigious person to take charge of the overall situation.

Sixth, check the water conservancy projects. This is indeed necessary. In fact, if heavy rain continues or the flood has not receded, flood control should be the top priority.

As for post-disaster reconstruction, local officials can formulate and support production projects based on local conditions. The imperial court will support these projects and reduce taxes in the disaster-stricken areas for three years to allow them to recuperate and recover.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jiayou nodded slightly, his face showing approval. "Your Excellency, I am very pleased with your thoughtful consideration. However, do you have any ideas about who should be in charge?"

Zhou Dajiang pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, as a minister, it is my duty to share your worries. I dare not make any rash comments about a man of high moral character and prestige in our dynasty. However, if you send someone to go, I am willing to go with you and lend a hand."

Asking him to recommend someone would be offensive, wouldn't that be offensive? If they weren't willing to go, they'd bear a grudge against him. It would be better to say he was willing to go himself, and let the emperor make the rest.

The Minister of Revenue saw Zhou Dajiang talking freely and hoped that he would talk more so that he could learn something from him.

Then he stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, Xinde Prefecture is our dynasty's second-largest granary. This flood has reduced this year's grain harvest by half. While the Ministry of Revenue can temporarily alleviate the difficulties, winter is just a few months away, and resupplying food to the affected areas will be a problem. I would like to hear what Lord Zhou has to say."

"Lord Zhou, you've heard what Lord Qi said. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

This time, Zhou Dajiang thought for a long time before answering, "A few years ago, I accidentally got a vegetable. It's called a vegetable, but it's more like a grain. It's called 'potatoes'. At that time, there were only six of them, and they were small.

Thanks to the care of my old servant, this year's harvest has finally begun. This spring, we've planted a total of thirty acres, with an average yield of over a thousand kilograms per acre. I had originally planned to report to Your Majesty after the second planting of potatoes matures after Mid-Autumn. Now that we've come to this, I, Zhou, am willing to contribute it in advance.

Since Zhou Dajiang came, everyone in the hall has pricked up their ears to listen to his explanation. When they heard him say that the potato yield per mu was as high as more than 1,000 kilograms, they were all excited and discussed how likely what Zhou Dajiang said was.

The Minister of Rites came out directly and said that Zhou Dajiang was lying.

Zhou Dajiang had a bad impression of the Minister of Rites. When he was making glass, his family's Deputy Minister, Xiao Zhuang, had caused him a lot of trouble. Seeing what Zhuang said, he did not indulge him. "As for whether it can produce a thousand gold coins per mu, this thing will mature in about a month. When the time comes, you can send someone to take a look and we will know.

Upon hearing about such a high-yield crop, Emperor Jiayou was so excited that he stood up from his throne and asked, "Are you serious?"

Zhou Dajiang bowed, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely true! In April, my servants harvested potatoes, and there were indeed a thousand kilograms." More than a thousand kilograms, even two thousand kilograms. However, there's no need to report this. What if we report it too early and the result isn't achieved? It's better to keep a low profile and say less.

After hearing what he said, Lord Zhuang still insisted, "Since Lord Zhou has obtained such a miraculous crop, why didn't he present it to the court earlier?"

Zhou Dajiang, I finally see that this old guy, like his son, is also a tough guy who deserves to be beaten.

Zhou Dajiang bowed and explained, "The reason I didn't contribute is because I'm not sure what the yield per mu will be."

Everyone listened to his explanation and agreed that it was quite right. "When we got it, there were only six potatoes. How could we talk about a high yield per mu? Isn't that just a fantasy?"