bayedsolid Chapter 529 Discussing emergency rescue strategies
Chapter 529 Discussing emergency rescue strategies
The emperor's face was as gloomy as water. He slammed the newspaper on the table and said angrily:
"An earthquake occurred in Yuzhou, a large number of houses collapsed, and countless people were killed and injured. However, local officials delayed reporting it for three days. This is simply unforgivable!"
Upon hearing this, Baili Ye frowned, his eyes filled with worry and indignation:
“Father, in the face of such a serious disaster, local officials neglected their duties. This is unforgivable.
The most urgent task is to quickly dispatch officials to provide disaster relief and appease the people."
The Emperor was still furious, and he said to Chief Steward Gao:
"Quickly summon all the ministers above the third rank in the court and have them come to the imperial study to discuss matters in half an hour. There must be no mistakes!"
Manager Gao agreed hastily and left in a hurry.
Half an hour later, the ministers arrived at the imperial study one after another, and the atmosphere in the room was solemn.
The Emperor said:
"I have just received a quick report from Yuzhou. An earthquake has occurred in Yuzhou. A large number of houses have collapsed and countless people have been killed or injured. I am calling you here to discuss countermeasures.
Do you have any ideas, my dear ministers? "
The Minister of Revenue was the first to step out and said worriedly:
"Your Majesty, although the national treasury has reserves, Yuzhou has been severely affected by the disaster and the demand for supplies is huge. If we want to provide disaster relief for a long time, I am afraid that the reserves will be insufficient."
The emperor frowned and looked at his ministers: "Do you have any good ideas?"
The Minister of Rites stepped forward and said respectfully:
"I think we can call on other prefectures to donate supplies according to their ability and jointly support Yuzhou."
The Minister of War raised an objection:
“It is the busy farming season now, and the various state governments are overwhelmed and may not be able to transfer too much supplies.
The most urgent task is to ensure smooth transportation channels, otherwise no matter how much supplies there are, they will not be able to be transported in."
The Minister of Industry continued:
“I will do my best to organize manpower to repair roads and bridges to ensure smooth transportation of materials.
However, disaster relief requires a lot of manpower and cooperation from other departments."
The emperor looked at Qinghe and Bailiye and asked:
"Prince Chen, Princess Chen, what do you think?"
Qing He bowed slightly and said in a dignified manner:
“Father, it is truly pitiful that the people have suffered such a great disaster.
There are three most important things at this moment.
The first is to rescue the trapped people.
Time is life. Every moment of delay may cause more people to lose their lives.
The nearby garrisons and strong civilians should be dispatched immediately to form a rescue team to search for the trapped people as soon as possible. "
The emperor nodded slightly, with approval in his eyes:
"Qing He is absolutely right. Rescuing the trapped people is the top priority."
Qinghe continued:
“The second is to resettle the people affected by the disaster.
A large number of houses collapsed, leaving people homeless and in urgent need of temporary shelter.
Tents, felt and other supplies from all over the country can be mobilized to build temporary resettlement sites in safe areas to provide shelter from the wind and rain for the people.
At the same time, basic living facilities should be guaranteed at the resettlement sites, such as setting up temporary kitchens to supply hot food and hot water; and assigning special personnel to be responsible for sanitation and cleaning to prevent the breeding of diseases. "
The Minister of Revenue showed his embarrassment and said:
"Princess Chen, building a temporary residence and supplying daily necessities will require a huge amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources. The national treasury reserves are currently limited, so..."
Qing He thought for a moment and responded:
"Don't worry, my Lord Shangshu. If one side is in trouble, all sides will come to its aid.
In addition to calling on various provincial governments to donate supplies, private merchants can also be encouraged to donate money and materials. The court can give them certain rewards, such as honorary titles, tax exemptions, etc., to stimulate their enthusiasm.
In this way, the material problem may be alleviated.”
After hearing this, the emperor's expression eased a little and he approved of Qing He's suggestion:
"This plan is feasible, let's do as Qinghe said. What about the third thing?"
Qing He looked solemn and said slowly:
“The third is to prevent secondary disasters.
After an earthquake, the mountain becomes loose, which can easily cause secondary disasters such as mudslides and landslides.
It is necessary to dispatch professional surveyors to survey the surrounding mountains, mark dangerous areas, set up warning signs, and evacuate nearby residents in advance.
At the same time, we will pay close attention to weather changes and take timely response measures if there are warnings of extreme weather such as heavy rains."
The Minister of War nodded in agreement: "Princess Chen has considered everything. Ensuring smooth transportation channels is as important as preventing secondary disasters. Our Ministry of War will fully cooperate and send soldiers to assist in rescue and evacuation work."
Qing He nodded slightly in thanks and continued:
"In addition, during the rescue process, it is imperative to distribute supplies fairly and justly to avoid looting and corruption.
A special supervision team can be set up, composed of court officials and local respected gentry, to supervise the distribution of supplies and rescue work to ensure that every bit of effort is actually used to help the people. "
After hearing this, the emperor slammed the table heavily and said in a deep voice:
"Good! Qinghe's words are clear and to the point.
My dear ministers, please follow Qinghe's advice, each of you should perform your duties and do your best to provide disaster relief.
If there are those who neglect their duties and enrich themselves, I will not tolerate them! "
All the ministers obeyed the order in unison. Although the atmosphere in the imperial study was still solemn, it also had a bit more determination and unity.
Baili Ye thought for a moment, then bowed and said:
"Father, I suggest that we first requisition food and clothing from the counties near Yuzhou. These places are close and the supplies can arrive the fastest.
At the same time, we organized local gentry and wealthy families to donate money and materials to expand the reserve of disaster relief supplies. "
The emperor nodded slightly and approved, "This plan is feasible. When the ministers are all present, we can discuss the specific implementation details together."
At this time, Baili Ye stood up and said:
“I am willing to lead the palace guards to assist in transporting supplies and ensure safety along the way.
At the same time, some soldiers can be deployed to participate in rescue and reconstruction work.”
Qing He also added:
"I will ask the doctors in the clinic to prepare a large amount of medicine for injuries and epidemic prevention and send it to Yuzhou. I can also organize some people who are knowledgeable in medicine to go there to help treat the wounded and prevent epidemics."
The emperor listened to everyone's speeches, his expression gradually eased, he glanced around, and said in a deep voice:
"This earthquake in Yuzhou is a tragedy for our dynasty. You must all work together to overcome the difficulties.
I order the Crown Prince to coordinate disaster relief matters, and the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Works, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Personnel must fully cooperate. Anyone who shirks responsibility or slacks off will be severely punished!"
All the ministers accepted the order in unison.
Afterwards, the emperor asked Chief Steward Gao to fetch a map of Yuzhou so that everyone could study the topography and determine the specific details of the disaster relief.
They also had in-depth discussions on details such as material allocation, personnel arrangements, and fund raising. It was not until dark that a preliminary disaster relief plan was drawn up.
Finally, Baili Ye said:
"Father, disaster relief is like putting out a fire. I am willing to fly the princess' plane to the disaster area first, carrying supplies and rescue officers and soldiers."
The emperor looked at Baili Ye and Qing He with great relief, and asked worriedly:
"Prince Chen, although the princess' plane is fast, can you fly it? Father is worried that your driving skills are not safe."
Baili Ye was about to reply when Qing He said:
"Father, the situation in Yuzhou is complicated now. I'm afraid the prince's level is not up to par. I will go with you. The most urgent task now is to gather the soldiers to go with you."