Chapter 89: Yellow River Floods

The Yellow River, hailed as the mother river of the Chinese nation, nourished the vast Yellow River basin with its abundant waters and nurtured the splendid Chinese civilization.

Since ancient times, the ancestors have lived and multiplied here, creating the brilliant agrarian culture, bronze civilization, and ritual and music system.

However, the Yellow River is also a river full of contradictions and challenges.

Its silt content is extremely high, the river course shifts frequently, and throughout history it has repeatedly burst its banks and flooded, bringing grave disaster to the riverside people.

When the flood rages, homes are destroyed, farmland submerged, and countless lives and property are reduced to nothing.

Nevertheless, the Chinese nation has always coexisted with the Yellow River with stubborn perseverance, continually building dikes and dredging the channel, striving to tame this unruly great river.

The Yellow River's nourishment and trials together forged the Chinese civilization's spirit of unyielding resilience and ceaseless self-improvement.

But it is laughable that, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the most prosperous period in history, when faced with the Yellow River's first change of course, such a tragic man-made disaster actually occurred.

Liu Ju's thoughts surged, his gaze like a torch, sweeping over the faces of all the officials in the hall; that look seemed able to scorch a person.

He slowly rose, his formerly gentle and refined countenance now covered with frost, his whole body exuding an undeniable authority.

"You, each holding high office and eating the Han's stipends, now speak such words that chill the hearts of all under heaven!"

Inside the hall, silence fell instantly; everyone was stunned by this sudden angry shout.

"The Yellow River has burst its banks, the people are displaced, yet you here speak of heavenly mandate? Of wasting labor and wealth? I see you have been lying flat too long, forgetting your duties!"

Liu Ju stood up, his gaze like a blade, sweeping over each official's face and said:

"I tell you, the Yellow River's breach is not heavenly mandate but human calamity! It is my negligence and also your dereliction of duty!"

He walked to the official in splendid robes who had first stood up to oppose managing the Yellow River; Liu Ju stopped abruptly, stared straight into his eyes, and questioned:

"Tian Zhi, you say the Yellow River's breach is heavenly punishment, impossible for humans to block. Humph! This is merely the excuse your great-grandfather Tian Fen made for his own cowardice and selfishness."

"Could it be that our Han ancestors, when facing foreign invasion and heavenly disasters, also simply waited for death and left things to fate? If so, how could today's Han prosperity have arisen?"

"Our forebears, with wisdom and courage, cleared thorns and brambles to open this splendid land. Yet you, at this critical moment, choose to retreat, to flee—what face have you to meet our ancestors?"

Tian Zhi felt a flicker of guilt under Liu Ju's gaze, lowered his head, and dared not meet Liu Ju's eyes.

Liu Ju gave a cold snort, then turned to look at those officials who echoed that the treasury was insufficient and that there was no need to exhaust the people for the southern regions.

"And you! You say the treasury is insufficient, affecting other important affairs. I ask you, what affair could be more important than the people's life and death? The people are the foundation of the Han; if the foundation is unsteady, the building will collapse!"

"Now that the people have suffered this great calamity, if we do not extend a helping hand, how can we let them live in peace and contentment, and how can we secure the Han's realm?"

"As for claiming the southern regions are remote and contribute little, do you not know that this is the Central Plains, the ancestral land of the Huaxia nation? We once considered those people also as our Han's subjects, who likewise contributed hard sweat to the Han's prosperity."

"In the face of disaster, they neither complained nor gave up, remaining loyal to the Han. Yet we, as their parents and officials, would abandon them—how is this any different from beasts?"

Liu Ju's voice rose higher and higher, his emotions growing ever more agitated.

His chest heaved violently, the fire in his eyes seeming ready to set the whole hall ablaze.

"Tian Fen back then, for his own fief, disregarded the people's lives and death, already bringing shame upon the Han. Though he is now dead, his corrupt influence seems to have been inherited by you; you have all become selfish wretches concerned only with personal gain—this is the Han's sorrow, the sorrow of all under heaven."

Liu Ju paused, drew a deep breath, and struggled to calm his emotions.

He lifted his head, his gaze firm as he looked toward the sky outside the hall, and spoke slowly:

"No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, we must manage the Yellow River well and give the people a peaceful life. And you, if you still wish to remain officials in this court, set aside your selfish thoughts, work for the people's welfare, and contribute your strength to the Han's realm and ancestral altars. Otherwise, please take off these official robes, leave this court, and never return."

The hall fell silent; everyone was stunned by Liu Ju's words and could not speak.

They lowered their heads, daring not to look at Liu Ju again, their hearts filled with shame and fear.

After a long while, Tian Zhi spoke with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger; we know we were wrong. We are willing to follow Your Majesty's arrangements and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to managing the Yellow River."

He gave a cold laugh and said: "The Tian clan, these past years, relying on family influence, have formed factions for personal gain in the court, engaged in corruption and bribery, and done all kinds of evil."

"I have always remembered your past contributions to the Han, turning a blind eye to your faults. I never expected you not only to refuse to repent but to become even more arrogant and domineering. Today I will settle old and new scores together!"

As soon as Liu Ju's words fell, he ordered the arrest of the several officials who opposed managing the Yellow River, led by the Tian clan.

These officials turned pale with fright, fell to their knees begging for mercy, but Liu Ju's resolve was firm and he was unmoved.

Thereafter, Liu Ju personally took charge of the court and began deploying the various matters of managing the Yellow River.

Wei Qing stepped forward first and said: "Controlling the Yellow River's floods is a great undertaking for the ages; as an old minister I naturally raise both hands in approval. However, the Yellow River's flood problems have existed since ancient times, and the difficulties involved far exceed imagination."

"The Yellow River's waters surge tumultuously; its course winds and twists, the surrounding terrain complex and changeable— a slight mistake can trigger disaster, not only hindering flood-control works but also endangering the lives of countless people. In the plains, however, the terrain is flat."

As Wei Qing's words fell, Jin Ridi stepped forward, his posture erect, his gaze steady, and spoke respectfully:

"Your Majesty, General Wei is absolutely right. The Yellow River's flood situation is also closely tied to weather conditions; the climate of the Yellow River basin is changeable, bringing great difficulty to flood-control work."

Immediately after, Tian Qianqiu walked forward with steady steps, bowed slightly, his face worried, and said:

"Your Majesty, besides natural obstacles and weather conditions, transportation is also a major difficulty. The Yellow River basin is vast, the disaster-stricken areas numerous; controlling the floods requires huge amounts of manpower, material, and financial resources. To transport large quantities of supplies and equipment to the worksite consumes much time and energy."

Zhang Qian also stepped forward, his weather-beaten face full of worry, and said:

"Your Majesty, besides that, there is another crucial issue: public sentiment. For years the Yellow River's floods have raged, the people have suffered greatly, their lives are unbearable. Many have lost their homes, become displaced, and public morale is low."

"If we do not first pacify the people's hearts and give them hope, the flood-control project will struggle to gain public support and cooperation, and the goal of controlling the floods will be hard to achieve."

Liu Ju listened silently to everyone's analysis, his face growing ever more solemn.

He fixed his gaze on the officials in the hall and said:

"All that you, my beloved officials, have said, I understand. Controlling the Yellow River's floods is indeed fraught with difficulties, but precisely because of that we cannot retreat."

"The people are the foundation of the Han; now they are deep in misery, how can we, as Han officials, sit by and do nothing?"

Since Liu Ju's ascension, this is the first time he has felt that the messy legacy left by Emperor Wu of Han is so enormous.

The task is heavy and the road long.