The Heroes of the Great River

This film (drama)Also known as大河英雄传，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2023Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating0.0(For reference only)。

In November of the 12th year of Kangxi, Wu Sangui joined forces with Geng Jizhong and Shang Zhi Xin to launch the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories. They occupied most of Jiangnan, and the 20-year-old Emperor Kangxi dispatched troops from three directions to confront them, leading to a rather tense situation. At this moment, the Yellow River was flooding. Anhui Governor Jin Fu was tasked with raising disaster relief funds. During the fundraising process, the magistrate of She County, Tang Min, in order to curry favor with his superiors, extorted money from the populace without regard for their lives, collecting the most funds. Jin Fu was unaware of this and publicly praised him. Tang Min then became more arrogant due to Jin Fu's appreciation. On the other hand, the magistrate with the least tax collected, Yu Chenglong, did not comply; he not only spoke against Jin Fu but also insinuated that Jin Fu was incompetent. Jin Fu recognized that Yu Chenglong was an honest official and did not hold it against him; he also did not abandon his principles. He sent Xu Governor of Huizhou to She County to investigate. Unexpectedly, Tang Min, cruel and ruthless, poisoned Xu Governor. Jin Fu dispatched Yu Chenglong to investigate again, but unbeknownst to him, a famine broke out in the flooded disaster area of Anhui. The remnants of the Ming dynasty, supposedly led by the Crown Prince Zhu, sent Yang’s father and daughter to the disaster zone to incite rebellion among the starving people to support Wu Sangui's rebellion. The starving people rushed into the county town to seize the granaries. Tang Min sent troops to suppress them, and chaos was imminent. Yu Chenglong arrived and discovered that there was a conspiracy; he opened the granaries to distribute grain while capturing two of Zhu’s subordinates. A confidant of Suo’e Tu, who came to oversee the grain distribution, immediately detained Yu Chenglong and rushed to report to Suo’e Tu. Tampering with military supplies was a capital offense, and Suo’e Tu reported it to Kangxi. The anxious Kangxi was extremely furious, ordering Yu Chenglong to be escorted to the capital to make an example of him. Kangxi, considering Yu Chenglong's concern for the people, ultimately pardoned him. At this time, the Yellow River burst its banks, and the former Grand Canal Supervisor committed suicide in fear of punishment. Kangxi appointed Jin Fu as the Grand Supervisor of the Canal, tasked with managing the Yellow River. Tang Min, having ingratiated himself with Suo’e Tu, was promoted to a position in the capital. Jin Fu wanted to start assessing the disaster situation from Henan. On the way, he encountered the commoner Chen Huang at the Lüzu Temple in Handan. During their conversation, Jin Fu noticed Chen Huang was well-versed in the history of the Yellow River floods and had many insights on managing the Yellow and Huai Rivers. He invited Chen Huang to become his advisor. All the way, Jin Fu saw the suffering of the disaster-stricken people and was eager to resolve the Yellow River's issues, submitting eight petitions to Kangxi. Jin Fu began the river management project. Whenever Tang Min had the chance, he presented difficulties to Jin Fu. Zhu San Taizi even personally visited Qinghe to disrupt things and created numerous troubles for Jin Fu. Fortunately, with the help of Chen Huang and the support of the starving people who had once benefited from him, Jin Fu finally managed to seal the breach, restoring the river flow. Kangxi inspected the Yellow River and summoned Jin Fu at the Qingjiang Canal. Kangxi indicated that the situation of the Three Feudatories War had improved and urged the rapid management of the Yellow River. Kangxi's urgency moved Jin Fu, and he promised to ensure the Yellow River would be cleared within three years. Suo’e Tu immediately seized this promise to make a significant issue of it, issuing a proclamation to all provinces. Afterwards, Chen Huang told Jin Fu that three years were too short for the Yellow River to be cleared. Jin Fu had to forge ahead, leading the team to manage the river, ultimately collapsing from exhaustion on the dike. The following year, the Yellow River faced flooding again, with several breaches. Suo’e Tu's confidants began writing memorials to impeach Jin Fu. However, Mingzhu staunchly defended Jin Fu. Fortunately, Emperor Kangxi thought that one breach could not determine success or failure, so he sent Cao Yin from Jiangnan to allocate funds to support the river work and disaster relief. Jin Fu was very touched. Subsequently, Yu Chenglong became the Inspector of Anhui, advocating for dredging the Yellow and Huai rivers at the estuary following Da Yu’s methods. He criticized Jin Fu’s river management methods—such as using water to flush sand and building reduction dams—as outdated. Kangxi asked Jin Fu to respond, and he, along with Chen Huang, wrote to explain that the current Yellow River was not the ancient Yellow River and cannot be rigidly bound by Da Yu’s established methods. Using water to flush sand was the best way to address the headwaters. At the estuary, where the ground was wet and flat, building dikes was better than digging channels. Kangxi couldn't make a decision and sent people to investigate; the first group sent was Mingzhu's faction, who came back supporting Jin Fu, while the second group sent was Suo’e Tu's faction, who came back supporting Yu Chenglong. Kangxi couldn't express an opinion. Just as the autumn floods arrived, Jin Fu, in order to protect the newly constructed dikes, intended to use reduction dams to lower flood pressure. Yu Chenglong, for the benefit of his local populace, personally risked his life to lead workers in raising the reduction dams. As a result, he saved the people in Anhui from flooding but breached the dike downstream. Yellow floodwater poured into the Grand Canal, disrupting grain transport and hindering Kangxi’s preparations for liberating Taiwan. Kangxi was furious. Seizing the opportunity, Suo’e Tu attacked Jin Fu and had him arrested. Later, after Jin Fu revealed the hidden circumstances, Kangxi relieved him of the post of governor, allowing him to redeem himself by serving. Tang Min embezzled a large amount of allocated funds for the canal, which Jin Fu discovered. However, he was in a position of guilt and was suppressed by Suo’e Tu’s confidants. Jin Fu informed Mingzhu, who dispatched people to investigate Tang Min. However, Tang Min resorted to old tricks and dragged the investigators into trouble. At this time, Yu Chenglong intervened in the case and uncovered Tang Min’s previous case of murder. Tang Min was dismissed and confessed to embezzling canal funds. Jin Fu was very pleased and thanked Yu Chenglong, but Yu Chenglong believed that Jin Fu, who dealt with a constantly flowing stream of silver, could not have kept the Yellow River clear in three years, hence, he must be corrupt as well. He maintained a non-cooperative attitude. With the help of Chen Huang and others, Jin Fu finally repaired long dikes along both banks of the Yellow River, built silt dikes, and reduction dams. The sand was washed away, the river became clear, and grain transport was smooth. Kangxi traveled incognito to inspect the river and was very pleased. He saw the emaciated Jin Fu on the dike and praised him. Jin Fu recommended Chen Huang to Kangxi, stating that he had not done so before because the risks of river management were too great, and the political landscape was treacherous; he feared that any mishaps could implicate Chen Huang. Kangxi, feeling emotional, appointed Chen Huang as a third-grade official. Chen Huang then suggested to Kangxi to open the Central River. Because in the grain transport, a segment operated in the main flow of the Yellow River, encountering wind and waves or flood seasons, transport boats could only dock at the port and wait. Yu Chenglong immediately opposed this, arguing it would be too taxing on national resources, increasing the burden on the people. Jin Fu and Chen Huang argued that during river management, many lands would be vacated which could be sold to farmers, and the proceeds could be used to open the Central River. Yu Chenglong countered that the vacated lands should revert to the original owners. Both sides stood firm. For the sake of smooth north-south arteries, Kangxi supported Jin Fu and Chen Huang's proposal to open the Central River. Mingzhu's corrupt practices became more evident, prompting Yu Chenglong and the officials in the capital to expose him. Mingzhu fell, and Jin Fu and Chen Huang were viewed as his faction, resulting in their removal from office. Chen Huang was imprisoned in Tianlao, suffering torment due to his lack of money and power, while Jin Fu became exhausted and fell ill. Yu Chenglong replaced Jin Fu, using his own set of ancient principles to manage the river. As a result, after a significant flood, there were over twenty breaches of the Yellow River. Yu Chenglong locked himself up and went to the capital to plead for punishment, admitting that the river needs to be cleared and that only Jin Fu and Chen Huang could do it. By the time Kangxi understood this, Chen Huang had already died in prison. The edict reached Jin Fu's home; he set off with his son, ill, but died on the way to take up the post. Kangxi learned of this and felt immense regret. Upon arriving in the capital, Yu Chenglong knelt outside the Yangxin Hall asking for death. Kangxi did not kill him and handed over Chen Huang's remaining works to him, allowing him to continue as Grand Supervisor of the Canal and entrusting him with the important task of river management. Yu Chenglong vigorously implemented Chen Huang's methods to govern the Yellow River, dedicating himself tirelessly. After several river supervisors, multiple generations of river soldiers, and the arduous struggles of millions of laborers, by the year Kangxi turned fifty, he finally joyfully declared to the world: The nation is peaceful, the people are prosperous, and the hearts of the people are united; river management is complete! The great governance of the Yellow River laid an unprecedented achievement for the prosperity of the Kangxi era. The river management measures and theories of Jin Fu, Chen Huang, and others represent a valuable asset in the history of river management in the Chinese nation, with some still holding practical value today and continuously being referenced and utilized.