Request for the ancient Yellow River floods

During the 18 years of Hongzhi, there were 54 floods in the Yellow River, accounting for 7.69% of all floods in the Yellow River (702 times) in the Ming Dynasty, including 7 overflows, 34 breaches and 13 floods. Among the 34 breaches, 2 were repaired, 1 was relocated, and the repairs were unknown 31 times.

(According to statistics from the "Yellow River Chronology" by Shen Yi, Zhao Shixian, and Zheng Daolong. Military Committee Resources Committee Reference No. 15, November 24, the Republic of China.) The annual average of the Yellow River in the Ming Dynasty The number of floods was 1.35 times in Hongwu, 2.45 times in Yongle, 2.9 times in Xuande, 5.64 times in Zhengtong, 2.71 times in Jingtai, 2.12 times in Tianshun, 0.65 times in Chenghua, 3 times in Hongzhi, 1.88 times in Zhengde, 1.2 times in Jiajing, 8.5 times in Longqing, and 8.5 times in Wanli 3.46 times, 3 times in Tianqi, and 4.06 times in Chongzhen. It can be seen that the basic trend of Yellow River floods in the Ming Dynasty is to gradually increase. The Hongzhi Dynasty was a period with more Yellow River floods in the early Ming Dynasty, and its number was also higher than the annual average of 2.53 times in the entire Ming Dynasty. (The above statistics are based on the "Yellow River Chronology" by Shen Yi, Zhao Shixian, and Zheng Daolong. There are no statistics for the Jianwen, Hongxi, and Taichang dynasties.) The following is a brief description of several major Yellow River floods during the Hongzhi Dynasty.

1. In May of the second year of Hongzhi, the Yellow River broke through at six places from the Sucun Field in Huangshagang, Kaifeng to Luolidi, Lianchi, Gaomenggang, Wangmatou, and Hongchuan Bay, and at five places at the head of the river. , rushed into the Qin River, and many counties and counties it passed were hit by floods, especially in Kaifeng. "Records of Ming Xiaozong" Volume 26. ) According to a report by Bai Ang, the left minister of Hubu who went to regulate the river, at that time, three out of ten people from the Shangyuan Judgment entered the south bank, and seven out of ten people entered the north bank. The southern decisive force started from Yangqiao and other places in Zhongmu County to the boundary of Xiangfu County, and was divided into two branches. Once it passed through Weishi and other counties, it joined Yingshui Tushan Mountain and entered the Huaihe River; once it passed through Xu and other counties, it entered the Wohe River and went down to Jingshan Mountain. It enters the Huaihe River; another branch returns to Bo County, Tongfengyang, Dezhou, and also joins the Wohe River and enters the Huaihe River. The Northern Defenders started from the counties of Yangwu, Xiangfu, Fengqiu, Lanyang, Yifeng, and Kaocheng in Yuanwu. One branch entered Jinlong and other places, and then reached Caozhou, Shandong and other places, and broke into the Zhangqiu Canal. In the second year of Hongzhi's reign, The winter water dissipates the accumulated sand and silts up the breach, so it merges into one large branch, from Zhaijiakou of Xiangfu to the Qinhe River, out of Dingjiadaokou (30 miles northeast of Shangqiu County, Henan, and connected to the border of Yucheng County) and other places, and down to the Xuzhou. (Bai Ang's "Lunzhi Heshu", "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian", Volume 80; "Ming Xiaozong's Records", Volume 34, Xinsi, the first month of the third year of Hongzhi.) The Yellow River channel formed a situation where many branches flowed together, making it even more chaotic. Due to the severe disasters, the Ming government ordered several times to exempt Henan from taxes. In September of the second year of Hongzhi, the collection of stallions owed by Kaifeng and other prefectures in Henan was suspended and spare horses were used. ("Records of Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 30.) December In order to avoid floods and droughts, Kaifeng and other six prefectures in Henan and Ruzhou had 213,340 shi of wheat and more than 119,960 taels of silk. Xuanwu, Zhangde and other eight guards had 20,900 wheat. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 33.) In February of the third year of Hongzhi, six prefectures including Kaifeng in Henan and Ruzhou were saved due to floods. In the second year of Hongzhi's second year, the autumn grain was divided into 375,008 shi and more than 482,270 bundles of grass, as well as grain from Huaiqing and other eight villages. 6,030 stone. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 35.) Because the flood was so serious, some people even suggested moving the city to avoid river damage.

In May of the second year of Hongzhi, Ming Xiaozong ordered the governor to recruit 50,000 people to repair the breach. In September, he ordered Bai Ang, the left minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, to be the left minister of the household department to repair the river. By November of the third year, Completed.

2. In October of the fourth year of Hongzhi, the Yellow River overflowed, and the Secretary was ordered to provide relief to the two houses of Kaifeng and Huaiqing and the three houses of Guide, Xuanwu and Suiyang. (Volume 56 of "Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty".)

3. In August of the fifth year of Hongzhi, due to the irregular migration of the Yellow River, it has been in trouble for a long time, and the recent ones are quite serious. Gaiji entered the Huaihe River from the southeast of Kaifeng, and today The old road was shallow and shallow, gradually moved north, merged with Qinshui River, and became more and more unrestrained. Lanyang and Kaocheng in Henan Province, Caoxian County, and Yuncheng in Shandong Province were all submerged, forcing Zhang Qiuyun Road. Once the floodwaters rose, it was difficult to protect them. " He ordered Chen Zheng, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry, and the right censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to go to control the river and take charge of the dredging and construction. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 66.) According to Chen Zhengshu's report, the original route of the Yellow River was at Sunjia Ferry in Yingze County and Yinmachi in Guizhou, where it entered the Huaihe River. Due to the siltation of these two mouths, the upper reaches were overflowing. The water of the Yellow River flows northward. From Sunjiakou, Yangjiakou, Chechuukou in Xiangfu County, to Lanyang County, there are several copper-tiled carriages, all rushing into the canal. As a result, the situation in Zhangqiu area is very critical. There are many embankments from Tangyi to Jining. The water sluice of Daijiamiao was destroyed, and the narrow channel of the Daijiamiao sluice gate could not release water, and there were also cases of erosion. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 72.) This breach completely destroyed the river project originally built by Bai Ang. Soon Chen Zheng passed away, and in the first month of the following year he ordered Liu Daxia, the political envoy from the left side of Zhejiang Province, to supervise Zhang Qiujue River as the censor of Youqian capital.

Due to the Yellow River floods, in September of the fifth year of Hongzhi, official officials in Kaifeng, Weihui, Zhangde, and Huaiqing prefectures and counties are exempted from going to Hajj next year, and military services in Henan, north and south Zhili prefectures and counties are suspended. The officers and soldiers of Shandong Qiuban were also exempted from conducting duties at this place for the time being. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 67.)

4. In the sixth year of Hongzhi, there was a heavy rain in the summer. The river swelled and reached the east bank of the Zhangqiu Canal, seizing Wenshui and entering the sea. The upper and lower parts of Zhangqiu were dim. In Jitian, the rivers in Dongchang and Linqing areas almost stopped flowing, and the north-south transport routes were interrupted, making it impossible for boats to go northward. (Wang Hao's "The Monument of the Completed Flood Control in Anping Town", Volume 120 of "The Classics of the Ming Dynasty"; Liu Jian's "The Monument of the Completed Works of Seizing the River in Huanglinggang", Volume 53 of the "The Classics of the Ming Dynasty"; Li Dongyang's "Anping "Record of the Stone Dam to Reduce Water", Volume 54 of "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian".

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In June of the sixth year of Hongzhi, floods from the Yellow River were avoided in the three counties of Lanyang, Yifeng and Kaocheng in Henan. The summer tax on wheat was more than 4670 shi, more than 2640 taels of silk, the autumn grain was more than 11640 shi, and more than 15700 bundles of grass. . (Volume 77 of "Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty".)

It took the eighth year of Hongzhi's reign for the Yellow River flood to block the breach. After completing various construction projects, the Yellow River resumed its old southward flow.

5. In October of the ninth year of Hongzhi, the Yellow River burst out of the four counties of Zhongmou, Lanyang, Yifeng, and Kaocheng in Henan, and people's fields were submerged. The Ming court ordered that all summer and autumn grains be collected, and that each piece of wheat should be folded for one stone. Two buckets, one stone of rice, and three coins of silver for natural cloth. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 118.)

6. In July of the eleventh year of Hongzhi, the upper reaches of the Yellow River broke through Xiaobazi and other places in Dezhou, and joined other branches of the Yellow River, passing through Suzhou, Suining, etc. Chutong flows into the Cao River from the mouth of the Suqian River. The water gradually thins out from the mouth of the river to Xuzhou, causing shallow obstruction in the river. The imperial court ordered the construction and dredging of the Guidechongjue area to prevent the water from the Yellow River from flowing into Xuzhou to facilitate canal transportation. It also ordered the officials in charge of river management in Henan to frequently dredge the Qinshui River and build embankments to prevent it from flowing into Xuzhou to relieve the Xuzhou and Luliang floods. It will not lead the Yellow River to separate streams, so that water conservancy will be deep and wide, and water transportation will be smooth. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 139.) According to Zhang Nai, the deputy envoy in charge of the river in the Henan Province in November of the 11th year of Hongzhi, the river has been overflowing since June, the embankments have been destroyed, and the Tankou of Xiangfu Houjia has been destroyed. It is deep and several times wider than the old one. The work cost is huge and it is difficult to succeed. He dug a canal in Muluandian, Wuzhi County, Shangyuan, and connected it to the old Jialu River in Jinglongkou. If the Yellow River moved southward, the Qinshui River would be diverted into the canal to relieve Xuzhou and Luliang floods, so that grain transportation would not be difficult. block. ("Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 143, "Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 147.)

7. In March of the 13th year of Hongzhi, Gong Hong, the prefect of Yanzhou, reported that the Yellow River traveled eastward from Wangpaikou and other places. Instead of heading south from Dingjiakou, it passes through Huanglinggang and enters the counties of Cao, Dan and Yucheng. According to Zheng Ling, the censor of the governor of Henan Province, there were twelve places where the upper and lower rivers broke their banks at the entrance of Dingjia Road. The width of the river was more than 300 feet, and the river channel was blocked for more than 30 miles. If the upper source was unrestrained, Cao and Dan suffered, while Anping Town ( That is, Zhangqiu Town) can be in danger; if the downstream overflows, Xiaoxian and Dangshan will be affected, and the canal flow will be blocked. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 160.) In October, Cao Yu, the censor of the Zhili Supervisory Committee, reported that due to the conflict between Jialu River and Dingjia Road, the scattered east notes could not be returned to the old road, so Xuzhou merged with Xiao County, Pei County, Shan County, Many counties in Feng County are flooded by rivers. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 167.)

8. In September of the fifteenth year of Hongzhi, due to floods in the Yellow River, there was a difference in grain grains in summer in Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan and Guidewei in Zhili. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 191.)

9. In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi's reign, Shangqiu County, Henan Province "died down by the river". (Its "old rule was in the south" and moved to Jinzhi in September of the 16th year of Hongzhi. "History of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 42, "Geography III".)

10. In May of the 17th year of Hongzhi, due to the Yellow River in Cao County The river burst and the upper reaches were silted up, causing the river to dry up in the Xuzhou Xiaobuqiao area, hindering grain transportation. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 212.)

11. In the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, the Yellow River suddenly moved three hundred miles north to the mouth of Suqian Xiaohe River and entered the Cao River. ("History of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 83, "River Channel One".)

2. Bai Ang and Liu Daxia's management of the Yellow River during the Hongzhi period

1. Bai Ang's management of the river

< p>In May of the second year of Hongzhi, the Yellow River burst at Jinlongkou in Kaifeng, and one of its branches rushed into the Zhangqiu Canal through Caozhou, Shandong. "If it is not sorted out in advance, the floods will burst next summer and autumn, hindering water transportation. Not light.” In September, the imperial court ordered Bai Ang, the left minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, to repair the river channel for the left minister of the Ministry of Hubu. He was asked to "join the governors of Shandong, Henan, and Beizhili, the censors of the three divisions, such as the inspectors, governors, and prefects, to start from the source." As for the breach and the places where the canal passes, we need to step in and see clearly one by one, and plan the construction and dredging from a long-term perspective. If the plans should be changed, follow the other plans accordingly. Each place should be considered according to the location, and the military and civilians should take advantage of the time to start the work. It is necessary to follow the benefits, and each will be durable. The story should not be taken falsely." (Volume 30 of "Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty.")

In the first month of the third year of Hongzhi, Bai Ang investigated the "general trend of the north and south branches of the river" in Henan and Shandong and proposed his river management plan. "I think that when the Yingshui River and the Wo River merge into the Huaihe River, there are moraine in each of them, and the water veins are quite weak. It is suitable to dredge to reduce the river flow. When the Qinshui River merges into the Xu River, the river channel will be shallow and cannot be accommodated. If it is accepted, there is a risk of drifting away. Although the Jinlong and other mouths in the upper reaches are fortunately temporarily silted up, they will be restored soon. It is suitable to build embankments in the seven counties near Beiliu to protect Zhang Qiu. "At the same time, because of the imperial edict given to him. It only included rivers in Shandong, Henan and North Zhili. He believed that "the important places where the rivers pass through in Xu and Huai in South Zhili have not been discussed and their affairs have not yet been unified." With the approval of the imperial court, "therefore, they were included "Yi Ming'ang" is also included in Bai'ang's river management scope. (Bai Ang's "On the Governance of Rivers", Volume 80 of "The Classics of the Ming Dynasty"; Volume 34 of "Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty"; Volume 83 of "History of the Ming Dynasty", "River Channel One".)

Bai Ang also It was recommended that Lou Xing, a doctor in the Nanjing Ministry of War, assist in river management, and 250,000 men were recruited to build the following projects:

(1) Because Jinlongkou was silted up at that time, the Yangwu Long Embankment was built to prevent yellow rivers. Hebei Chongzhangqiu Canal;

(2) Dredge the south panways to divert the yellow water to the south.

The first is to divert the Zhongmoujue River out of Yangqiao to reach the Huaihe River; the second is to dredge the ancient Bianhe River in Suzhou to divert the Yellow River water into Sishui, and then dredge the Suihe River to return to Deyinmachi and pass through Fuli Bridge (in the north of Suzhou) to Suqian Yihui Caohe River;

(3) Build embankments along the river for 700 miles, and build and reduce dams; Four, about 10,000 feet, are used to divide and kill the river;

(5) Thirty-six breaches of the barrier;

(6) The Yellow River flows southward into the Huaihe River, which is not The right approach is to fear that the Huaihe River cannot accommodate the flow of the Yellow River, so ancient embankments were built at Yutai, Dezhou, and Wuqiao to protect the water flow. (See the above in "History of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 83, "River Canal One".)

Bai Ang's original plan was to dig twelve small rivers from Dongping north to Xingji (southeast of today's Qing County) and enter the Daqing River. When the ancient Yellow River entered the sea, stone weirs were built at each river mouth to open and close the river at certain times, but this was not implemented. The editor of "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian" in the late Ming Dynasty believes: "If we discuss it from now on, Huaihe will not suffer alone, and the benefits will be ten times that of Xiaohe Yuehe." (Li Dongyang's "Suzhou Fuliqiao Yuehe Ji" in the article For annotation, see Volume 54 of "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian")

After the river control project was completed, "the river flowed into Bian, Bian into Sui, Sui into Si, Si into Huai, to reach the sea. Floods are less severe." ("History of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 83, "River Canal One"; Li Dongyang's "Suzhou Fuli Bridge Yuehe Ji", "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian" Volume 54.) In November of the third year of Hongzhi, Bai Ang made another comment on the responsibilities of river management officials. Some regulations were made, and the Yangzhou Prefecture's river management officials who lived in Guazhou were not allowed to return to the government camp to do other things; the river management officials in Zhili and Shandong Fuzhou counties ordered them to live along the river and manage the river, and were not allowed to do anything else. The envoy committee; Yanzhou Prefecture's General Secretary Ling lived in the Nanwang water diversion area and was responsible for fishing shallow water and improving and adjusting the sluices; the Chief Secretary of Shandong encouraged farmers to participate in politics and was also in charge of river channels and repairing and dredging. ("Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 45.) These regulations are conducive to regular river repair and management.

"History of the Ming Dynasty·Hequzhiyi" summarizes Bai Ang's thoughts on river management as "divided control in the north and south, while dredging is the main focus in the southeast." According to Li Dongyang, "Baigong not only discussed the matter from the fortress, but also built up the Bian embankment and sparse its downstream" (Li Dongyang's "Suzhou Fuli Bridge Yuehe Ji", "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian" Volume 54.) Actual The above is to implement the policy of "blocking the north and dividing the south". Bai Ang started the river management policy of "focusing on preventing the north" in the early Ming Dynasty.

Only two years after Bai Ang regulated the river, the Yellow River again reached Jinlongkou, broke through Huanglinggang, and broke into Zhang Qiuyun Road again in several branches. In August of the fifth year of Hongzhi's reign, Chen Zheng, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry, and the censor of Ducayuan, the right minister of Qiandu, were appointed to the rivers and other places. The imperial court said in the imperial edict given to Chen Zheng: The Yellow River "was shallow in its original course, gradually moved north, merged with the Qinshui River, and became more and more powerful. Lanyang and Kaocheng in Henan, Caoxian and Yuncheng in Shandong were all submerged, and the force was overwhelming. Zhang Qiuyun said, "When the river floods, there is no guarantee that there will be no danger. The courtiers have repeatedly asked for repairs and dredging, and the affairs are connected to the four provinces, and they are not unified. The ministers and prime ministers must be able to help." Therefore, he specially ordered Chen Zheng to lead the workers. Tao Song, the foreign minister, and Zhang Mo, the official of the department, went to regulate the river. Together with officials from various places, they "went from the upper reaches of Henan, Shandong, and Zhili to the canal, and personally surveyed it," and dredged and built it. " ("Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 66.) After taking office, Chen Zheng visited Shandong and Henan, inspected rivers and flood situations with local officials, and proposed his river management plan: "Now we want to dredge the old river to kill the upper reaches. "We must block the river to prevent downstream dangers, build embankments, and widen the sluice seats." He also recruited 80,000 Dingfu from Henan, 50,000 Dingfu from Shandong, and 20,000 Dingfu from Fengyang and Daming prefectures, and started construction work wherever they were. , divided into officials and supervisors. But Chen Zheng died shortly after his plan was announced. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 72.)

In February of the sixth year of Hongzhi, Liu Daxia, who was promoted to Zhejiang Chief Secretary and Zuo Chief Envoy, served as the right deputy Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to repair the river. The imperial court said in the imperial edict given to Liu Daxia: "In recent years, the old southeast road of Biancheng has become shallow, and the river has moved northward, joining the Qinshui River, and its momentum has become more and more unrestrained. Lanyang and Kaocheng in Henan, Caoxian, and Yuncheng in Shandong have all been submerged. ", approaching Zhang Qiu will hinder the luck of the road." Therefore, Liu Daxia was specially ordered to go to control the river. This edict also put forward the guiding ideology of Yellow River management: "In ancient times, the purpose of regulating the river was to eliminate harm to the people. Today, regulating the river is to prevent it from hindering the destiny and causing harm to the national economy. It is not about the details." It clearly stipulates the management of the Yellow River. It was to ensure the smooth flow of water transportation. This became the guiding principle for Yellow River management in the Ming and Qing dynasties, which greatly restricted and restricted the thoughts and practices of Yellow River management for more than 400 years. Starting from this guideline, on the one hand, Liu Daxia was required to work with officials from various places to survey the upper reaches of Henan, Shandong, and Liangzhili rivers after taking office, "plan from a long-term perspective," and manage them individually. "Where should be dredged to kill its potential, and where Everywhere should be built to prevent it from being destroyed." "We must assess the terrain and ask people for advice, so as to ensure that everything is done to avoid future troubles." On the other hand, he also said, "However, things have priorities, and when implementing them, the immediate needs must be prioritized. The ship transport is coming at the end of spring this year, and as soon as the order arrives, I will send a message to the Governor of Water Transport, Patrolling the River, Guanhe River and other officials to make an appointment to go to the Xunhuitong River area in Jining and then to Linqing. We will see that the river is loose and whether there is any water in the canal. If there are any obstacles to the shipping this year, we will try our best to ensure that the grain transportation can pass without expiration. Once the grain transportation is cleared, we can trace the flow to find the source, and discuss the work according to the terrain. It is a long-term solution to dredge the rivers." That is to say, Liu Daxia was required to let the grain transport ships pass through before the river could be repaired. ("Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 72.

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In December of the sixth year of Hongzhi, Tu Sheng, the censor who inspected Henan Province, also submitted his opinions on river management to the court. He pointed out that the dangers of the Yellow River "may be resolved in Henan Province. If the capital is in Guanzhong or Daliang in the Han and Song dynasties, it will only harm several counties near the river. Now the capital is in the north, and it only needs to connect a river and a canal to supply grain to the southeast. In order to meet the needs of the military and the state, if the river flows northward, the Cao River will suffer unspeakable harm." This actually emphasized the policy of river management with the priority of protecting the Cao River. He also put forward four strategies for river control, one is dredging. He believed that "the river flows from west to east for thousands of miles. It is not necessary to kill its power but to benefit it. There are conflicts that cannot be controlled." "Northern Jue" proposed dredging the old southeast course of the upper stream. "Wherever the water force can be destroyed, dredging will be done. Then the main stream will return to the road, and the remaining waves will go into valleys. The lower stream will not be in danger of collapse, and the north bank will not be in danger of overflow." . The second one is about blocking, "I not only kill the water in the southeast, but also build embankments in the northwest." The old embankments in Huanglinggang and other places "repair what can be repaired, build what can be built, remove obstacles to all rivers, and return them to the southeast. From the Huai River to the sea, there will be no danger in Zhangqiu and other places, and the Cao River can be saved." His two suggestions are actually to "block the north and divide it from the south". Build embankments to block the water in the north, dredge the river in the south to divert the water, block the north and divide it in the south, and let the whole Huaihe River flow into the sea. The focus is still on "the Cao River can be protected". The third one is about appointing people. He recommends Zhang Nai, the chief minister of Henan Province. "Please pay attention to the task of regulating the river." The fourth one is about long-term appointment. Please give Liu Daxia, the censor of the capital, "a long-term appointment with full trust, so that he can be spread throughout the country and use his talents to the best of his ability." "You, my concubine can accomplish this in a long time." Tu Sheng's four suggestions were all approved by the imperial court ("Records of Ming Xiaozong" Volume 83.) His "dredging" and "blocking" river management plans were basically adopted by Liu Daxia.

After Liu Daxia was appointed, after inspecting the terrain and water potential of more than a thousand miles up and down the Yellow River, he put forward his views on the situation of the Yellow River. He believed: "Henan, Shandong, and Zhili areas have Gaofu in the southwest and Gaofu in the northeast. It is low, the general trend of the Yellow River is gradually flowing eastward, and its downstream will hinder the destiny of the road." However, "Although it should be divided and killed at the source, it is still powerful, dozens of times more than the canal. Even if there are embankments, how can it be tolerated?" , and "If the situation in Sunjiakou, Yangjiakou and other places in Henan is good, there is no reason to build blockades. If you want to repair the downstream, it is especially difficult to do because of the overwhelming water force." Therefore, he put forward his river management plan: " At the junction of Shandong, Henan and Damingfu in Zhili, 78 out of 10 ancient embankments in the north and south of Huanglinggang remain, and the old Jialu River has not yet been drained. It is necessary to repair the former embankments, build a dam in the east of the river mouth, and divert the river to the south. He ordered Xu Pei to divert the water from the Huai River to the sea, and the embankments to prevent dangers were ordered to be organized everywhere. The Cao River can be protected from danger, and the people are well prepared for disasters." His plan was basically a replica of Tu Sheng's plan. , build the ancient Huanglinggang embankment in the north, guide the river southward, and drain the entire Huaihe River into the sea. It is still "blocking the north and dividing it from the south", based on ensuring water transportation. Liu Daxia also suggested building a rolling stone dam in the north and south of Chaoshenming, both thirty to forty feet long, with a stone block in the middle, fourteen to five miles long. "In case the river bursts eastward, the dam can release the river's rise, and the embankment can contain it." When the water rises in summer and autumn, and the stone dam in the south approaches the mouth of the upper river, and it is inconvenient for ships to travel, it is particularly convenient to go north to Zhangqiu at the mouth of the Jialu River or Shuanghe River to avoid the Zha River in Jining." (Liu Daxia's "Discussions on Dredging the Yellow River and Building a Breakthrough", Volume 79 of "Ming Jing Shiwen")

However, Liu Daxia had just started construction and repairs. In the summer of the sixth year of Hongzhi, the Yellow River broke through Huanglinggang again, and Zhang Qiu's east embankment was restored. After a battle of more than ninety feet, the flood took over the Wenshui River and entered the sea. The sky was as wide as the sky above and below Zhang Qiu, and the rivers in Dongchang and Linqing areas almost stopped flowing. At that time, many people did not have confidence in water control, and "their rumors were boiling, saying that the river could not be controlled and that it would be appropriate to restore sea transportation, or that there would be no danger even if the land was diverted". And "It's half summer, the canals are gathered in Zhang Qiu, the sails and guns are coming, the wealth mountain committee is running fiercely, be careful not to dare to cross. If Jia Yong takes the lead, the battle will be lost, and the men and ships will be lost." (Wang Hao "The Monument of the Completion of Flood Control in Anping Town", Volume 120 of "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian") The flood caused the waterway to be unable to go north, which made the court even more anxious, so in May of the seventh year of Hongzhi, the eunuchs Li Xing and Ping Jiang were appointed. Bo Chen Rui went to Liu Daxia, the imperial censor of Tongdu, to administer the Zhangqiu River Judgment. In the edict given to Li Xing and Chen Rui, he still emphasized that the impediment of water ships was "nothing urgent" and asked them to ensure the passage of grain ships: "Although there are urgent matters, , and when implementing it, urgency must be the first priority. Now that the river is in the middle, the transportation canal is shallow, and the Beijing storage cannot be continued, there is no need to rush. You must find various ways to make the grain transportation pass, so as not to lose money over time. , Si'er's ability." (Volume 88 of "Records of Xiaozong.")

In order to raise funds for river construction, in addition to the 20,000 taels of silver originally transported by the Ministry of Industry to Liu Daxia, the censor of the capital, for river construction, In May of the seventh year of Hongzhi, more than 31,800 taels of silver were distributed to the officials of Shandong, Henan and Zhili Yangzhou to help Zhang Qiu pay for the river crossing. The monthly rations of four dou and five liters for the servants were distributed to nearby prefectures and counties. Prepare grain supplies for the warehouse. In addition, due to the request of eunuch Li Xing and Pingjiang Bo Chen Rui, all money and grain left by officials in Henan and Shandong, in addition to transportation, will be listened to and used; if there is still insufficient, Zhejiang and Wuhu will be divided. Half of the factory tax will be used as a subsidy. The craftsmen from the Beijing team in Shandong and Henan were also recruited to repair the stone dams and embankments of the gates. The bricks and stones used were transported to the city by grain ships and civilian ships and were reserved for later use. (Volume 88 of "Records of Xiaozong".)

For the political and economic needs of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Daxia adhered to the imperial court's will and believed that "the way to manage rivers is to open canals" (Liu Jian's "Huangling") "Stele of Completed Works on the Gangsai River", Volume 53 of "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian") He also believed that "the lower stream cannot be controlled, but the upper stream should be controlled" ("History of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 83, "River Canal One").

) So a channel of the Yue River was opened on the west bank of the upstream breach, about three miles long, connecting the upstream and downstream of the canal breach, allowing the blocked canal boats to pass. "So the boats and boats joined each other and started sailing down the river, with joyful voices." (Wang Hao's "Stele of Completed Flood Control in Anping Town", Volume 120 of "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian".)

After the canal boats passed, Liu Daxia and others began to control the Yellow River breach. Chen Rui and others believed that "if you don't control the upper stream, you will never be able to stop it." (Wang Hao's "Stele of Complete Flood Control in Anping Town", Volume 120 of "Ming Jing Shi Wen Bian") "Huanglinggang is above Zhang Qiu, and Jingjing is above Zhang Qiu." Long Dengkou is also at the source of Huanglinggang's collapse. It is urgent to build a fortification. However, the method of water control must first kill its potential." (Liu Jian's "Stele of Completion of the Huanglinggang River Seal", "Ming Jing Shiwen") Volume 53.) So we dredged the Sunjia Ferry in Xingze and dug another 70 miles of the Xinhe River southward from Zhongmou and Yingchuan to the Huaihe River; It is divided into two parts, one is from Suqian Xiaohekou, the other is from Bowo River, both of which meet at Huaihe River; the Jialu Old River is dredged for more than 40 miles, and it exits from Caoxianliang entrance to Xuzhou Canal.

After these dredging projects, the downstream river was actually divided into four branches. "The branches are divided, and the water flow is gradually reduced." (Liu Jian's "Stele of the Completion of the Huanglinggang River Seal", "Ming Jing" Shiwenbian Volume 53) Liu Daxia took advantage of the situation to organize forces to block the breach of the Zhangqiu Canal. Because the breach took a long time and the breach was wide, the breaching and remediation projects were very arduous and tense. According to records, at that time, "platforms were built east and west on both sides of the Zhangqiu River, and cables were erected to connect them to the giant ships. , when they reached the breach, they suffocated the ship and sunk it, and pressed it with a large keel. They combined and re-defeated, and built as they did. The officials warned and ordered, and the baskets were like clouds. They continued day and night without stopping. The water came from the north of the Yue River." After the breach was completed and the fortification was built, "it was covered with stone embankments, as faint as a rainbow; supplemented by wooden pillars, it was as dark as stars." (Wang Hao's "Stele of Completed Flood Control in Anping Town", "Ming Jingshi Wen Bian" Volume 120.) In December of the seventh year of Hongzhi, the Zhangqiu breach project was completed. Emperor Hongzhi sent a group of travelers to express their condolences with sheep wine. At the request of eunuch Li Xing and others, Zhangqiu was renamed Anping Town, and temples were built to worship the gods Zhenwu, Dragon King, and Tianfei, and were given the title "Xianhui" on their foreheads. Although the Zhangqiu breach has been blocked, there is still a possibility of future troubles due to melting permafrost or overflowing rainwater in the coming spring. However, it is difficult to temporarily block the Huanglinggang breach. Emperor Hongzhi approved the suggestion of the Ministry of Industry and ordered Li Xing, Chen Rui and Liu Daxia to We will try to dredge and dredge the rivers in Anping Town and other places and the Nanwang Lake water conservancy, and build the Zhangqiu breach and the old and new river banks to make them strong and thick. The rivers in Dongchang, Linqing, and Dezhou will be managed one by one, and the Jialu River, Sunjiadulkou, and Si River will be managed. Additional dredging and construction work was carried out in the Fuying and Ma Xiongjiakou areas to clear the transportation routes as a long-term solution. (Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 95.) So Liu Daxia and others further improved the Caohe River in Yanzhou and Dongchang, and dredged Nanwang Lake and other springs.

After the completion of the above-mentioned projects, the water transport road has been basically renovated. Liu Daxia believes that "it is necessary to build the mouth of Huanglinggang River to guide the river upstream and southward to Xuhuai, so as to ensure the long-term stability of the water transport road." ("Records of Xiaozong") "Volume 97.") began to build fortifications at Huanglinggang, Jinglongkou and other seven gates. Huanglinggang is located in the upper reaches of Anping Town, and the breach is more than 90 feet wide. Jinglong and other mouths are located in the upper reaches of Huanglinggang, and the breach is more than 430 feet wide. The fortification project at Zhukou started on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the eighth year of Hongzhi and was completed in 15 days. For the land above Huanglinggang belonging to Henan, fortifications were built by soldiers and craftsmen from Henan, and local officials from Henan were responsible for it. Zhang Nai, the deputy envoy for inspection, and Liu Sheng, the general commander of the capital, were responsible for Jinglongkou. Wang Gao was in charge of Huanglinggang, and Li Xing, Chen Rui, and Liu Daxia came and went on inspection tours. They "collected opinions from the crowd, planned day and night, and almost forgot to sleep and eat. Therefore, the officials, servants, and craftsmen all followed their orders to build the platform and scrolls, and worked together. "We succeeded." Among them, Huanglinggang was the most difficult to block. Three layers of dikes seven feet high and three feet and five feet thick were built to strictly protect it. (Liu Jian's "The Monument of the Completion of the Huanglinggang River Seal", "Ming Jingshi Wen Bian" Volume 53.) Huanglinggang, Jinglongkou and other places are the "throat points" of the Yellow River, and blockades were built at each mouth. Later, the upper reaches of the Yellow River returned to Lanyang and Kaocheng, and then diverted through Xuzhou, Guide, and Suqian to the south and entered the canal. It met the Huai River in the east and poured into the sea, restoring the old southward course of the Yellow River. (Volume 97 of "Records of Xiaozong"; Volume 83 of "History of Ming Dynasty", "River Canal One".)

In order to prevent the Yellow River from flowing northward again in the future, "the river will continue to its original course southward, and the downstream Zhang Qiu will not flow." "The risk of collapse", (Liu Jian's "The Monument of the Completion of the Huanglinggang River Seal", Volume 53 of "Ming Jing Shiwen"). Liu Daxia and others also built two long dikes on the north bank of the Yellow River. The Damingfu Long Dike started in Henan Xucheng passes through Hua County, Changheng, Dongming and other places, and passes through Cao County, Caozhou, Shandong, and reaches the border of Yucheng County, Henan. It is 360 miles long; the new embankment at Jinglong and other entrances starts from Jiadian, Tongwaxiang, Chen The bridge reaches Xiaosongji (today's east of Lankao County) and is 160 miles long. Its stone dams are specially built to be strong and thick. This embankment on the north bank of the Yellow River was later called the Taihang Embankment, which became a barrier on the north bank of the Yellow River, "and the danger of collapse was over." ("Records of Xiaozong" Volume 97; "History of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 83, "River Canal One".) Henan, Shandong The Yellow River disasters within the territory have thus been greatly reduced.

Huanglinggang and other execution sites and the long embankment project on the north bank were completed in February of the eighth year of Hongzhi. In March, Emperor Hongzhi also requested the eunuch Li Xing to build a Yellow River shrine to suppress it, and he was given the title of "Emperor" "Zhaoying" ordered Yousi Chunqiu to offer sacrifices. (Volume 98 of "Records of Xiaozong".

)

After the completion of the Taihang Dike, Liu Daxia and others believed that the two embankments stretched far apart. If the Yellow River failed, it would still hit Zhang Qiu and threaten the canal. They also built a water reduction dam south of the old breach. "The dams are made of solid bricks and stones, with a balance beam on top, a thick board on top, and huge stones on top, bent with iron to hold them together, and liquid wax to hold them in place." The dams are all fifteen feet wide, "and the stone on top is a sinus. , paint it with five beams, the beams can lead cables, and the canals can pass water. If the water overflows, some people will be killed, and if the water dries up, the Cao River will be saved. The common people will not spend too much on the work, but their achievements can be guaranteed." The water reduction dam project started in February of the eighth year of Hongzhi and was completed in April. It required 16,000 people, 10,000 huge rocks, 10 times the size of the thick ones, 3,000 huge trees, 15 times the size of the small ones, and 11,000 kilograms of iron. , led by Shandong Left Political Consultant Zhang Jin, Inspector General Liao Zhong, Dudu Commander Qian Shi Ding Quan and others were in charge. (Li Dongyang's "Record of Water Reduction Stone Dam in Anping Town", Volume 54 of "Ming Jingshi Wen")

In July of the eighth year of Hongzhi, the eunuch Li Xing, Pingjiang Bo Chen Rui, and Du Yushi Liu Daxia returned to Beijing. At this point, the Yellow River flood repair project was finally completed, and relevant officials were rewarded with promotions.

In October, Li Xing, Chen Rui, and Liu Daxia put forward six more suggestions on river defense and water transportation. First, the Caohe River Water Conservancy used the Taishan springs to support grain transportation by boat. It was required that the powerful military and civilians be prohibited from breaking the banks of Nanwang and other lakes to plant crops or block the springs for irrigation in accordance with previous regulations. Second, because the North-South Canal relied on To divert relief from Wen River, each sluice must be opened and closed on time due to the accumulation of water before shipping can be carried out. It is required to declare the imperial edict and strictly prohibit officials from opening the water at will, which will cause grain transportation to be blocked and ensure the smooth passage of grain transport ships; the third opinion is that The responsibilities of officials in Guanhe were too light and there were too many constraints. They requested that Zhang Nai, deputy envoy of Guanhe in Henan, and Li Zan, the deputy envoy of Guanhe in Henan, be ordered to take charge of dikes and participate in politics according to the examples of officials in Guanhe and Guantun. Obstruction; Fourth, it is recommended that the embankments in Anping Town, Huanglinggang, Jinglongkou and the newly built Yujiadian should be guarded by people. When the water dries up, soil will be accumulated for backup, and when the water rises, protective construction will be carried out. If there is a major project, nearby people should be temporarily mobilized. The husband cooperated with the repairs; fifthly, he pointed out that the long embankment built by Daming Mansion must be repaired year by year to ensure long-term safety, and requested that Li Zan, who participated in the political affairs, be ordered to organize the households in the north of the embankment into shifts, and dispatch a certain number of additional repairs every year during the farm break. , the military camps and residential households in the north of the dike were also lightly organized and dispatched in turns to avoid the disadvantages of disturbing the husbands and families; sixthly, it was pointed out that Jining's winding north and south, Wangkaihe River and Daijiamiao area were more important than other places, and Anping The soil in the town is sparse, and newly built breaches must be inspected by officials from time to time. For example, the distance of more than 1,800 miles from Jining to Tongzhou is only managed by one person, which may cause delays. Therefore, it is required to divide the canal into three sections, with construction sites in the north and south. One member of the Ministry of Finance, and one member of General Administration for promotion and management. These six suggestions were reviewed by the Ministry of Industry and approved by Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty. (Volume 105 of "Records of Xiaozong".)

Liu Daxia's management of the Yellow River from the sixth to the eighth year of Hongzhi further promoted Bai'ang's river management thought of "focusing on preventing the north" and established the principle of "blocking the north and dividing it from the south". "In accordance with the river control strategy, embankments on the north bank began to form and branched out to the south to release floods. Liu Daxia's river control basically eliminated the threat of the Yellow River breaching northward from Henan and Shandong, and the safety of the canal in the Zhangqiu area was guaranteed.

During the Hongzhi period, Liu Daxia built Huanglinggang. Qing Dynasty scholar Hu Wei called it the fifth major change in the history of the Yellow River in his "Yu Gong Zizhi·Examples" and believed that it formed a The Huaihe River is full of yellow water. (The first great change was decided in Suxukou in the fifth year of King Zhou Ding's reign (602 BC); the second was in the third year of the founding of Wang Mang's new dynasty (AD 11) when the Yellow River crossed eastward and flowed into the sea from Qiancheng; The third time was in 1048, the eighth year of Qingli reign of Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty. The Yellow River was divided into two branches, north and east. Divided into two branches: northern and southern). This view was mostly inherited by later scholars. However, according to the research of modern scholars, this statement by Hu Wei is incorrect (see pages 15-23 and 474-478 of Cen Zhongmian's "History of the Changes of the Yellow River") because it is not the first time that the Huaihe River receives all the water of the Yellow River. Liu Daxia regulated the river. As early as the second year of Jianyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (the sixth year of Jin Tianhui, 1128), in order to prevent the Jin soldiers from advancing southward, Duchong, who stayed in Tokyo, decided to open the Yellow River. The Yellow River entered the Huaihe River from Sishui. This is the history of the Yellow River. The beginning of the long-term southward flow to the Huaihe River. Even before Hongzhi, although the Yellow River swung north and south many times, in the early Ming Dynasty the Yellow River still diverted the Huaihe River and flowed into the sea most of the time. Today's Yellow River history and water conservancy history books basically no longer use Hu Wei's statement.