○ One day, Kangxi met a ragged beggar by the Yellow River and gave him a baked cake. Unexpectedly, the beggar not only did not want to burn the cake, but also said wildly: "In half an hour, the dishes on your table are all mine, who is still missing this baked cake." Who knows, the beggar changed the rest of his life because of this.
During one of the years of Kangxi's reign, the Yellow River basin again experienced severe flooding, flooding that broke its embankments, flooded many villages, and displaced people. The flood this year was particularly serious, making the Kangxi Emperor extremely anxious.
He sent officials to disaster relief several times, but to little effect. Seeing that the people were suffering, the Kangxi Emperor decided to personally go to check on the disaster.
In order to personally understand the specific situation of the disaster area, Kangxi temporarily set up his mind, disguised himself as an ordinary people, and brought a few henchmen and entourage to the disaster area in the Yellow River Valley.
The group visited villages and towns, and Kangxi asked in detail about the local people's experiences and the impact of the disaster on their lives. Seeing muddy villages, dilapidated houses, homeless people, the Kangxi Emperor was full of compassion in his heart.
At the end of the day's trip, Kangxi and his party came to a small restaurant on the side of the road to rest. The shop was already full of people passing by. Kangxi found a place to sit down, and the entourage brought some simple meals.
At this moment, Kangxi noticed a ragged beggar walking into the door. The beggar looked young, but his face was dusty and his clothes were shabby. Kangxi felt pity and picked up a piece of baked cake to give to him.
At this moment, the beggar leaned lazily against the door frame and said to Kangxi, "In just one hour, everything on your table will be mine." Then you will scatter, and I will be able to feast. Kangxi laughed when he heard this, thinking that this beggar was talking crazy. The beggar also did not care about Kangxi's reaction, and said to himself: "You can not believe it, but I am the reincarnation of the river god, and I know that the river will soon come." ”
Kangxi found this beggar very interesting, so he walked over and chatted with him. The beggar still looked relaxed, clearly convinced of his prophecy. Kangxi's entourage all thought he was talking big, but Kangxi was full of interest in him.
An hour passed quickly, the river was still calm as usual, and one of the attendants laughed at the beggar for saying something wrong. At this moment, there was a faint sound of water in the distance, mixed with the exclamations of the people. Kangxi and they looked towards the river, and saw that the raging river had flooded the village not far away, and was coming towards this side at an alarming speed.
"Run, the flood is coming!" The entourage immediately escorted Kangxi to a high place. The beggar was still leisurely, walked slowly to Kangxi's table just now, and began to eat the food on the table. After Kangxi escaped, he specially ordered his entourage to find the beggar again.
It turned out that this seemingly random beggar was Chen Xuan, a well-known river engineering expert in the Yellow River Valley. He has been anonymized, traveling extensively and studying river changes in the field. Chen Xuan's accurate prophecy of the coming flood impressed Kangxi with him. Kangxi decided to keep Chen Xuan and asked him to formulate a plan for controlling the river.
After returning to Beijing, Chen Xuan and his officials worked out a systematic plan for river control, and he combined years of research experience on floods to propose methods such as channeling rivers and damming and diverting water. Under his guidance, the flooding in the area was gradually brought under control, the people were able to return to their homes, and Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief that he had finally found a reliable water expert.
This chance encounter made Kangxi realize Chen Xuan's talent. Chen Xuan ruled the river all his life and contributed what he learned all his life to the country. With his help, Kangxi managed the Yellow River, which had plagued him for many years. Chen Xuan also became famous, so that his methods of river management were passed down to future generations, benefiting hundreds of people.
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