Northern Song Dynasty Text Copyist

Chapter 13 Drought Relief and Seedling Protection

When the unusual sight of wheat seedlings turning green again in Qilihe Village reached the ears of Magistrate Luo Shi, the news had already spread throughout the surrounding villages.

Villagers from all around came in groups to watch, and the fields and roads were bustling with people coming and going in waves.

If it weren't for the fact that the villagers have always respected government officials and their entourage, and would give way to them when they saw them passing by, Luo Shi and his party wouldn't have been scattered.

Even so, the crowds were so large that the carriages and horses moved very slowly. What should have been a 15-minute journey took half an hour to complete.

Stepping out of the city gate of Chenliu County, before even entering Qilihe Village, one sees only desolation everywhere.

Springtime is not entirely devoid of rain; occasional drizzles fall. However, years of drought have left the ground cracked and the soil hardened. Raindrops are absorbed almost instantly upon landing, serving only to moisten the soil without actually nourishing the seedlings.

But as soon as the group stepped into the territory of Qilihe Village, the scene before them suddenly changed, as if they were in two different worlds.

Outside the village, the wilderness remained withered and yellow, but in the fields along Qili River, the wheat seedlings turned green all at once, a vibrant green with upright and glossy stems and leaves, full of vitality. The sight was refreshing and showed no signs of drought or desolation.

The villagers from all around who came to watch were stunned by what they saw. Some of them had tears welling up in their eyes and were unable to stop them from rolling down their cheeks.

After months of worry, a glimmer of life finally appeared on the old farmer's face, and he kept muttering the same sentence.

"There's hope! There's hope! There really is hope!"

The three methods of parallel tipping, improving the high-cylinder waterwheel, and digging wells to draw water require the collective efforts of the people, the preparation of materials, and the overall coordination of the village head and elders. It cannot be accomplished hastily by the efforts of a single village.

The method of loosening the soil and irrigating the holes is simple and easy to implement. It can be done by one person per household, without the need for equipment or manpower.

The villagers of Qilihe have personally benefited from this experience and have no intention of keeping anything to themselves. They have shared their knowledge frankly with the people from the surrounding villages who have come to them seeking advice.

The eight skilled farmers who had been personally taught by Shen Zhong'an that day went back and forth between the fields, demonstrating and explaining again and again, answering questions repeatedly, until their voices became hoarse and their lips were dry, but they never slacked off in the slightest.

The method was simple and easy to use, and the effectiveness of it had been witnessed firsthand in Qilihe Village. After hearing the key points, everyone hurriedly returned to their respective villages, and upon returning home, they immediately gathered their families, carrying hoes and buckets, and rushed to their own wheat fields.

In an instant, the fields of the four townships of Chenliu County were bustling with people. Every household went to the fields together, loosening the soil with shallow hoes, digging holes to irrigate, and covering the soil to retain moisture. The sounds of labor were continuous.

The bustling activity across the fields has slightly dispelled the oppressive gloom that had shrouded the long drought, and the countryside, which had been dull for many days, has finally regained some of the vitality that spring should have.

Luo Shi stood on the edge of the field, looking at the green seedlings and the hardworking people all around him, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He had already secretly estimated that even if they could barely survive this severe drought, a 50% reduction in the county's harvest would be the best-case scenario. If the drought continued, he feared that even 30% of the usual harvest would be difficult to preserve.

During these days, he pondered every day about post-disaster relief, grain allocation, and ways to appease displaced people, and he could not sleep or eat at night.

To my utter surprise, this acting registrar under my command, who had been in office for less than a month, actually devised a complete set of drought relief and seedling protection policies based on his own thinking, consulting ancient books and combining them with the people's sentiments, and the policies were effective as soon as they were implemented.

If these four measures are implemented smoothly throughout the county, stabilizing farmland and protecting wheat seedlings, this year's summer harvest can be largely secured.

A local official's most commendable achievement is to have no major famines, no starving people, no wandering peasants, and a stable annual harvest. Such an achievement will undoubtedly rank him among the top performers at the end of the year.

What's even more remarkable is that this benevolent policy can be documented and reported to the prefectural government and the imperial court under the guise of "the county magistrate coordinating the famine relief efforts within his jurisdiction and the registrar offering suggestions and implementing them." This will not only demonstrate his effective governance and compassion for the people's suffering, but also build his reputation among his colleagues in Kaifeng Prefecture. In the future, the implementation of all county policies will be much more efficient.

At that time, Shen Zhong'an was slowly inspecting the fields along the ridges of Qilihe Village, checking the growth of the wheat seedlings and the progress of irrigation in each field.

Having spent days in the fields, toiling and working in the mud, the hem of his official robes was already stained with yellow mud, the edges wrinkled and messy, completely unlike the neat and dignified appearance of an ordinary civil servant.

Suddenly, a villager rushed in to report that Magistrate Luo Shi had personally come to the village entrance to inspect the effectiveness of the drought relief efforts.

Due to the suddenness of the event and the many things to do in the fields, Shen Zhong'an had no time to return to the village to change his clothes. He could only hurry to the village entrance to greet them in his muddy clothes.

"This humble servant, Shen Zhong'an, greets Your Excellency." Shen Zhong'an bowed respectfully.

Luo Shi's gaze fell on Shen Zhong'an. Looking at this young scholar and newly appointed registrar, covered in mud and stained with dirt, and then looking at the surrounding wheat fields that were turning green again, Luo Shi felt extremely happy and immediately burst into laughter.

"Excellent! Well done, Shen Zhong'an!"

Luo Shi stepped forward, completely disregarding official etiquette and hierarchy, and slapped Shen Zhong'an heavily on the shoulder with his right hand.

"At such a young age, he is not engrossed in books or seeking comfort. He personally encourages farmers, devises effective drought-fighting strategies tailored to local conditions, saves wheat seedlings, and stabilizes the livelihood of the village. He is truly a capable official in Chenliu!"

Once this severe drought has completely subsided, I will immediately write to the Kaifeng Prefecture and then submit a memorial to the Ministry of Personnel, pleading that, based on your outstanding achievements in drought relief and farmland protection, you will be exempted from the civil service examination, removed from your acting capacity, and directly appointed to the position of Registrar of Chenliu County.

As soon as he finished speaking, all around fell silent.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhong'an immediately bowed deeply to express his gratitude, and the surrounding people applauded and congratulated him, creating a lively scene.

Some are happy, some are sad.

Wang Dianli, who was standing next to Luo Shi, turned pale upon hearing this. He clenched his teeth tightly, his heart filled with jealousy, hatred and regret, and he almost broke his back teeth.

The reason why Wang Dianli dared to make things difficult for Shen Zhong'an was simply because he was certain that Shen Zhong'an was a young scholar who had passed the imperial examinations but was not good at agriculture or water conservancy. He was new to officialdom and did not understand the long-standing problems of the county government or local affairs. Sooner or later, he would have to rely on veteran officials like himself.

Moreover, the other party is only acting as the registrar, with a short term, and will not become a long-term superior. There is no need to be genuinely respectful. As long as the young registrar is forced to submit, he can be manipulated by the clerk's office from then on.

Unexpectedly, before his scheme could even take shape and before he could implement any of his plans, Shen Zhong'an managed to stabilize the wheat seedlings in the entire county with his own strategy, thus making a great contribution to the people. He rightfully secured his position as the registrar, becoming a long-serving and secure superior.

According to the official transfer rules of the Song Dynasty, Shen Zhong'an would have to go through at least two terms and four examinations. Even if he had made meritorious contributions to drought relief and seedling protection, he would still have to serve for at least four years before he could be transferred or promoted.

Four years—how long it is!

Although he had already seen the effectiveness of the four measures to alleviate drought and protect seedlings, Luo Shi, being cautious by nature, insisted on accompanying Shen Zhong'an to walk through nearly 600 acres of fields in the entire village. Only after confirming that everything was in order did he solemnly give instructions to Shen Zhong'an.

"Zhong'an, quickly compile the methods of drought relief and seedling protection in Qilihe Village into a book, bind it properly, and soon issue a document to promote it throughout the county."

The drought waits for no one. Every day we promote this measure sooner will increase our chances of a good harvest in Chenliu County this summer, and lessen the suffering of the people.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhong'an immediately bowed and accepted the order, reporting back loudly.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, the methods for drought relief and seedling protection have already been compiled into a book. Furthermore, based on the results of the application in Qilihe Village over the past few days, some details have been optimized to make them more suitable for the fields and terrain of various places in Chenliu County."

Luo Shi was taken aback upon hearing this, and secretly calculated the time in his mind.

Shen Zhong'an had only been implementing his four strategies for a few days, and the wheat seedlings were just beginning to turn green. This booklet must have been compiled before the methods had even shown any results, demonstrating his absolute confidence in his own strategies!

"Excellent! Now that the booklet is finished, take me to get it. I want to take a look at it today."

Shen Zhong'an agreed and led Luo Shi and the accompanying yamen runners, including Wang Dianli, toward the side room of the ancestral hall at the end of the village.

This side room of the ancestral hall was originally an empty space in the village. It was low and narrow, with mottled earthen walls. Inside, there were only a few old wooden tables and stools. The corners of the walls were covered with dust. It was rarely visited by anyone. Only when villagers were desperate and homeless would the village chief lend it to them for temporary accommodation.

Shen Zhong'an and his entourage were all officials from the yamen, and even if the village chief of Qilihe Village was unwilling, he would never be so rude.

However, Qilihe Village is not large, and the villagers have a lot of people in their families. If they want to settle Shen Zhong'an and his group of more than ten people properly, they need to be separated into seven or eight households.

Shen Zhong'an was concerned that the scattered living arrangements would make it inconvenient for discussions and coordination, and he did not want to bother the villagers too much, so he took the initiative to suggest that they temporarily stay in a side room of the ancestral hall for a while.

Although the accommodations were extremely simple and make do, Shen Zhong'an never skimped on the food for his fellow soldiers.

He used his own money to buy chickens, ducks, geese, pork, and mutton from farmers in the village. Every day, he instructed the servants to cook them over a fire, ensuring that everyone could have meat at every meal and drink warm bone broth to replenish their energy for work.

This arrangement, ironically, made the officials and servants who lived in the side rooms have no complaints.

No matter how nice the accommodation is, it makes no difference if you close your eyes. But the meat and hot soup you eat are real comforts, far more satisfying than fancy accommodations.

Luo Shi stepped into the side room, his gaze sweeping over the simple furnishings, and his eyebrows twitched slightly.

Although she knew that Shen Zhong'an was pragmatic, she never expected that he would endure such hardship and be willing to live in such a simple place.

But Luo Shi didn't say much, only nodded to signal Shen Zhong'an to bring the booklet.

The booklet was already neatly bound. Shen Zhong'an walked quickly to the wooden table against the wall, picked it up casually, and handed it to Luo Shi.

Luo Shi took the booklet, opened it and looked at it carefully. At first, he thought that the booklet only contained the four drought relief and seedling protection strategies that he had heard about before.

However, upon turning to the second half, he discovered a great deal of detailed information. His expression immediately turned serious. He quickly glanced at Shen Zhong'an, then lowered his head again to carefully peruse the text.

The second half of the book records the follow-up precautions after the drought relief efforts are over, with the most important being the establishment of water regulations.

During drought, the people are united; when the drought subsides, selfish thoughts arise.

Once the wheat seedlings recover, powerful local magistrates, village heads, and wealthy households will inevitably vie for water, seize control of irrigation canals, and illegally block ditches. The county government must step in to solidify the system of rotating irrigation by acre and equal water distribution into written form, draft the "Regulations for Equal Water Distribution in Township Canals," and have it engraved on wooden plaques and erected at the mouths of various canals and riverbanks to inform the people.

Archers and local militia were then assigned to patrol sections of the canal, strictly prohibiting water interception, canal destruction, and the unauthorized installation of bamboo tube underground channels; violators would be dealt with according to the law.

Secondly, inventory the protected fields and determine the harvest grade.

The number of dead wheat fields, preserved wheat fields, and partially harvested wheat fields were counted village by village. The number of parallel waterwheels, high-cylinder waterwheels, and shallow wells, as well as the application area of ​​loose soil hole irrigation, were recorded in detail. The "Chenliu County Drought Relief Atlas" was compiled and archived for future reference.

This action serves as proof of governance achievements and is also an important basis for subsequent applications for tax reductions, relief, and exemption from military service.

Third, to gather migrant workers and appease those under labor service.

The villagers' food rations, firewood, rice, and labor subsidies should be settled in a timely manner, without any deductions or delays, to appease the people and prevent labor disputes from arising.

The next three points focus on agricultural management.

Fourth, mid-to-late stage management of wheat fields.

The drought has just eased and the wheat seedlings have just started to head. The most dangerous conditions are sudden drought turning into flood, insect infestation, hot and dry winds, and lodging. All villages must be strictly prohibited from flooding. Shallow watering and hole watering methods should still be used.

Farmers are urged to regularly remove pests, weed, and clear ridges, while reinforcing field ridges and irrigation ditches to prepare for sudden rainstorms in late spring and early summer.

Fifth, conserve soil fertility and prepare for famine and drought.

After a severe drought, the soil is weak and people need to be advised to reserve wheat, millet, and bean seeds to avoid a shortage of seeds next year.

Promote the crop rotation of soybeans and soybeans to nourish the soil, allow it to recover its fertility;

Designate barren fields and high hills, and prepare short-growing famine relief crops such as buckwheat in advance to prepare for a possible drought in summer and autumn.

Sixth, maintain and care for agricultural implements for long-term benefit.

The waterwheels, bucket wheels, and sweepers made during this drought relief effort will be registered and stored in each village as "village-level agricultural equipment for disaster relief." They will be repaired in the autumn and winter so that they can be used at any time in the event of drought or flood the following year.

Establish water regulations to stop disputes; protect seedlings and prevent insects and wind; review disaster records and reduce taxes; repair equipment and strengthen water conservancy; suppress grain prices and settle displaced people; eliminate official corruption and stabilize the countryside.

The booklet compiled by Shen Zhong'an takes into account all aspects of drought relief and subsequent matters in a comprehensive and meticulous manner, leaving nothing out.

Even if Luo Shi had written it himself, he might not have been able to do it in such detail, especially in the combination of agricultural management and water conservancy regulations, which was not as far-reaching as Shen Zhong'an's consideration.

"Shen, the registrar, is so knowledgeable about agriculture and water conservancy. I suppose you often worked in the fields when you were in the countryside?" Luo Shi asked casually as he read the booklet.

Although the original owner came from a family of farmers and scholars, he was exceptionally talented from a young age. He began learning to read and write with his father at the age of three. He had never personally engaged in farming, but had learned about the rules of spring planting and autumn harvesting through observation and experience. Naturally, Shen Zhong'an could not tell him the truth.

"When I am tired from studying, I like to walk in the fields and chat with the old farmers in the village. I listen to them talk about farming and water conservancy. Over the years, I have accumulated some basic knowledge, but I can't say that I am an expert."

"This method of relieving fatigue is quite rare..."

Luo Shi laughed loudly, not delving into the matter further, but instead asking...

"This booklet was entirely written by you alone, and all the brilliant strategies within are your own thoughts and ideas?"

"That's not the case..."

The moment Luo Shi finished speaking, Shen Zhong'an shook his head in denial, his gaze shifting to Liu Laocao, who stood at the very back of the crowd, looking rather reserved.

"The four measures for drought relief and seedling protection mentioned above were indeed devised by one of my subordinates."

However, the methods for wheat field management and subsequent prevention in the latter half of the book were only compiled and perfected with the reminders and assistance of Old Liu.

"Oh? Old Liu?"

Luo Shi followed Shen Zhong'an's gaze and waved to Liu Laocao.

"Come forward and tell me, is this true?"