"No rush, let's not rush. Here's what we'll do: Eagle Two, send our men out to help the people evacuate from the high ground. Then, on my orders, mobilize the local defense troops and have them cooperate with the village chief's men to build a second line of defense. Tell them that natural disasters are war, and anyone who makes a mistake in the battle will have their head offered as a sacrifice to the heavens!"

"Yes!" After receiving the seal, Ying Er turned and rushed into the heavy rain.

"Black Tiger, spread the word throughout the city, calling on all able-bodied men to build a defensive line and protect our homeland."

Black Tiger transformed into Xue Yue and leaped onto the roof. He took a deep breath and said, "Elders and fathers of Datanli, I am a subordinate of King Yuansheng. I am hereby ordered to spread the word that, except for the elderly, women and children, who should evacuate to higher ground, all able-bodied men in your families should quickly go and join the soldiers to build a second line of defense against the flood. In this time of crisis for our homeland, we will surely unite as one and overcome the flood."

The voice, carrying the power of a third-level Heavenly Realm expert, resounded in all directions. Black Tiger ran around and repeated it several times, making sure everyone heard it.

Xiao Zhixing continued to issue orders quickly, "Bai Mei, go to the Beizhou Trading Company branch and order them to open the warehouse. All supplies can be taken by the people, and the stored cement, wood, and stone can be used by the government."

"Chief Mao, have the yamen runners beat drums and gongs and tell these things to the people from house to house."

Orders were issued in an orderly manner, and everyone seemed to have found their leader.

Huo Baijun and Xiong Chumo led their men out to help.

The others were also busy, collecting and summarizing information from various places, and then conveying Xiao Zhixing's processing orders.

The heavy rain was still pouring down.

"The water has risen another half an inch!"

"A small breach has been found!"

"The internal defense troops have all arrived!"

"The city's able-bodied men have been deployed to the second line of defense."

"Oh no, the lake upstream is overflowing its banks—" Flying Eagle delivered this bad news.

Xiao Zhixing calmly gave the order, "Have everyone speed up the construction of the defense line, and use everything that can be dismantled and used nearby."

If there were someone to command her, she would want to go to the front lines.

Unfortunately, as soon as she had this idea, everyone united against it and forbade her to go.

"Your Highness, you cannot afford to fail. A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. You are the backbone of the family and cannot take any risks."

“Yes, Your Highness, we only feel at ease when you are in command. If you go to the front lines, they will worry about you,” Li Wenxiu said.

Xiao Zhixing felt helpless. She could protect herself from the mere flood, but what they said was also true: she was on the front lines and couldn't give timely orders.

Fortunately, the rain gradually subsided in the middle of the night, and everyone sped up their actions.

Huo Baijun stood at the front line carrying a military drum, beating it and shouting, "Soldiers, fellow villagers, behind us are our homes, and also our Prince Yuansheng. She and all the officials are personally commanding us and have not retreated. We cannot back down either. Kill the flood, and we will surely win!"

"Win! Win! Win!!"

With torches lit and shirtless in the rain, the men roared as they carried sacks of sand forward, pouring out bags of cement and mixing them with water to plaster the surface.

Worried that the cement wouldn't dry, some people specially put up wooden planks and oil-paper umbrellas to protect the defense line from the rain.

The logistics team cooked meals over fires on the front lines, drinking directly from the bowls of soup and broth, and then continued working after finishing.

Young women braved the rain to help pack the food into bags, preparing it for consumption.

However, the rainstorm returned in the evening.

Xiong Chumo wiped the rain off his face, quickly surveyed the area, and immediately ran back to report, "The floodwaters are about to overflow the second line of defense, but fortunately the rainfall upstream has decreased, which has bought us some time... What's wrong?"

Seeing Xiao Zhixing's slightly somber expression, he was puzzled.

Feng Zhen'er sighed, "Just now, there was a massive rainstorm in southern Huzhou, causing countless rivers and lakes to overflow their banks."

Thanks to Li Jun, the dikes did not collapse, but because the rain was too heavy, they overflowed.

Xiao Zhixing's face was grave. "The areas along the Jianan River and the Hongshui River are in grave danger."

Such an unprecedented torrential rain, with half a year's worth of rainfall falling in just one day, was impossible to prevent; all that could be done was to protect one area at a time.

At this time, news also arrived from the prefectural governor's office.

"Your Highness, Lord Li has sent word that the rain line has moved upstream. If Yuansha City cannot withstand the flood, in order to prevent the city from falling, he will request that the dikes be breached to release the floodwaters!"

Li Tongye could give direct orders on this matter, but since Xiao Zhixing was present, he naturally had to consult him, which also meant sharing the responsibility and risks.

Xiao Zhixing took out the map, and his expression grew worse the more he looked at it.

Yuansha City is located on the banks of the Hongshui River, a tributary of the Jianan River. That is the calmest section of the river, but when it floods, large areas of it are submerged.

The area surrounding it is a densely populated urban area, and whether the floodwaters are released from above or below, countless villages and towns will be turned into a vast expanse of water.

There are no flood control dams here, no power to regulate floods, and even a lack of rescue forces.

Floods are merciless, inevitably leaving behind widespread devastation and devastating losses.

Post-disaster epidemics are another killer; such widespread flooding makes it impossible to prevent epidemics.

The others also looked somber.

This feeling of helplessness and fear in the face of natural disasters is so unbearable that it's hard to breathe.

Li Jun covered her forehead, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face full of dejection.

Was his three years of hard work in vain?

Xiao Zhixing had no time to be depressed. He quickly calculated the best flood discharge point in his mind and drew lines on the map with a charcoal pencil.

Seeing this, they cheered up and joined in the calculations.

“Here, the terrain is the highest. If a breach is made, the floodwaters will flow south into this tributary. The fewest cities and villages will be destroyed along the way. And this area is a canyon, which can prevent flooding.”

The others helped calculate other routes, but in the end, they decided to use her method, choosing the best option among the worst.

As dawn broke, the rain, which hadn't stopped all night, continued to fall. The crowd, their eyes bloodshot from exhaustion, felt their hearts sink as they listened to the intensifying rain.

Xiao Zhixing put down his charcoal pencil and made a decision. "Report back to Lord Li that I agree to breach the dike and release the floodwaters. Also, order the people in all towns and villages along the flood release point to prioritize their lives and urge them to evacuate their homes and move to higher ground as soon as possible. The court will bear all the compensation for the damage to their houses and fields. Tell them that this is what I, Xiao Zhixing, said, and I will not fail them!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!