Chapter 191 The Commander of an Army Must Not Be Seized! (Please Vote!)

"Your Excellency, most of the surrounding villages have been evacuated, but some villagers, upon hearing that you are here, rushed over here without a care. Other villagers who were left behind during the migration also came here upon hearing the news."

"No matter how we tried to persuade them, they wouldn't leave, so we had to connect the sluice gate. It was too dangerous for them to stay on the riverbank below..."

Ouyang Rong's expression froze.

The officials in charge of evacuating the villagers, heads bowed, stepped forward and said bitterly:

"Sir, the rain keeps falling. There have been many landslides along the middle section of Butterfly Creek. The debris and trees have blocked the river. There are also too many people gathered here, so they can't be transported out."

"Two of the ships you brought have already capsized, and the rest of the ships sent downstream to transport supplies have also lost contact. I don't know if they can bring any new supplies."

Ouyang Rong fell silent, the flame that had risen in his heart was extinguished, and he swallowed back the words of reproach.

He turned his head and silently looked at the crowded people on the sluice gate dam.

Under a sky filled with dark clouds.

The sluice gate dam that lies across Yue Nu Gorge resembles a slender and stubborn straight line, connecting Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain on both sides of Yue Nu Gorge.

Ahead lies the unpredictable and capricious Yunmeng Marsh, and behind lies the Butterfly Creek, prone to frequent mudslides that have blocked their way back.

On this narrow sluice gate, hundreds of villagers, along with their miscellaneous bags and luggage, were crammed together.

All around were howling winds and pelting raindrops.

It was damp and cold.

Ouyang Rong raised his hand and wiped his wet face, which was stiff and covered in muscles, from beneath his bamboo hat.

Looking out, he saw a dense crowd of villagers on the narrow dam, their dark eyes, some clear and some murky, frequently glancing at him.

A group of dejected officials stood around.

There was a group of young and strong militiamen who worked diligently, carrying sandbags on their backs.

There were also men like Liu Ashan who stayed by his side in silence.

The chaotic information in the environment, the various expressions on everyone's faces... all of this feedback from the surroundings turned into a tidal wave that crashed down on Ouyang Rong's bloodshot eyes.

At that moment, he suddenly felt so tired, not just from the weariness of his beating heart, but also... a sense of powerlessness in his heart.

Although he stood at the very front without thinking, in reality... he was just an ordinary person?

An ordinary person who just wants to accumulate merit to go home.

Just a college student who had just graduated in his previous life and was eagerly preparing for his second attempt at the postgraduate entrance exam?

Ouyang Rong remained unmoved.

Once he sets his sights on something, he never wavers.

Whether it was deciding to take the postgraduate entrance exam, climbing out of the underground palace for a quick look, or deciding to go home.

He suddenly doubted whether he could manage to protect the only sluice gate in front of him.

He was just... a little tired.

"Excuse me... are you from the Ouyang family?"

An elderly man with a white beard, dressed as a village chief or respected elder, stepped out from the silent crowd of villagers and asked cautiously.

This interrupted Ouyang Rong's dazed state.

"It is I...it is this official."

Ouyang Rong nodded in reply. The official robes he wore when he arrived were long gone, and he was now wearing a straw raincoat.

Ouyang Rong took off his straw hat and forced a smile at the trembling, somewhat timid old man with a white beard.

The old man with the white beard's face lit up with surprise, and he turned around to the swaying crowd behind him, saying happily:

"Magistrate! It's the magistrate! The magistrate is right here! Everyone, get up and look! Don't worry, we're definitely going to be saved!"

"The magistrate? It really is the magistrate! I saw the magistrate at the disaster relief camp..."

"I told you the sluice gate would be fine. The magistrate is here, and it was built by him, so it can definitely be defended. We don't need to run away..."

The once silent crowd of villagers was suddenly energized by the name of a young county magistrate, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

A series of warm shouts echoed across the originally solemn dam, even drowning out the noisy rain.

Ouyang Rong was taken aback.

Among the crowd of women, children, and the elderly before him, faces bloomed with joy like flowers, and waves of enthusiasm seemed to come from the bottom of their hearts, leaving Ouyang Rong somewhat bewildered for a moment.

An elderly man with a white beard, leaning on a cane, stepped forward and led the villagers behind him in bowing.

Ouyang Rong quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"Don't be so polite, sir."

"Your Excellency."

Helped to his feet, the old man with the white beard looked hopeful and asked:

"This rain is quite heavy. I hope Di Gongzha is alright."

“We heard from the officials who came to the village that Your Excellency said there is no need to be afraid of the rising water, as the Di Gong sluice gate will not collapse with you here. We all believe it. We just wanted to bring you some food, since we heard you are at the sluice gate.”

Ouyang Rong silently watched as the villagers handed him local specialties such as pickled radishes, eggs, and steamed buns.

He opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back down.

They faced the earnest, hopeful gazes cast from all directions.

Ouyang Rong put his straw hat back on, pressing it down hard on his head with his palm. He reached out with his other hand, grabbed a steamed bun offered by a little girl with her hair in a topknot, and took a big bite.

The steamed buns were cold and hard.

Ouyang Rong puffed out his cheeks and chewed with relish.

He lifted the brim of his straw hat with his index finger, revealing a pair of bright, piercing dark eyes to the entire audience, his voice hoarse yet resonant:

"Di Gongzha will be fine! With us here, there's nothing to worry about, folks, don't be afraid!"

The villagers on the dam cheered.

Liu Ashan and the other men, along with the surrounding officials, couldn't help but look at the young county magistrate in the center of the crowd, who was soaked to the bone.

Standing like a pine or cypress, enduring wind and rain for a long time, it has regained its spirit.

The old man with the white beard looked around and, noticing the troubled expressions on the faces of the surrounding officials, sighed apologetically:

"Sigh, Magistrate Ming, everyone's gathered here. Are we just causing you trouble?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head and smiled:

"What trouble? The villagers have come at just the right time. Everyone needs you!"

The elderly man with the white beard and the villagers all looked stunned and exchanged glances.

Ouyang Rong did not delay any longer and quickly made arrangements.

Of course, it was not appropriate for the women, children, and elderly among these hundreds of villagers to continue staying on the sluice gate dam.

Under Ouyang Rong's patient guidance, all the women, children, and the elderly were transferred to the nearby Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain.

Meanwhile, sick and rest camps were set up on these two mountains.

Several senior officials were left behind to work with women, children, and the elderly to care for the injured or sick people who had retired from the gate, and to cook and boil water.

The local specialties, bedding, pots and pans, and other items brought by these villagers and their families proved to be very useful.

As for the middle-aged and young people among the villagers, Ouyang Rong allowed them to join the rescue team of Di Gongzha if the conditions were right and they volunteered.

Although the number of people is small, in the current situation where upstream and downstream connections are blocked, every additional person adds to the strength.

Therefore, the villagers are not a burden, but a force that can be united.

Under Ouyang Rong's calm command, officials and civilians were temporarily united.

Everyone was busy with their own tasks, and even the priests from the deserted temples who had been sent for labor reform were working diligently.

Perhaps it was the image of a young county magistrate, constantly moving around directing traffic and never stopping in the public eye, that served as an unyielding banner, standing atop the city wall and always inspiring morale.

Perhaps it was because the group at the gate had worked together for two days to adjust and adapt, and the entire system was gradually becoming more coordinated.

Suddenly, the dam area was bursting with a unique vitality.

Confidence naturally accumulates silently in the hearts of some people.

Ouyang Rong, who was personally directing operations everywhere, naturally noticed these subtle changes.

His expression was calm, and he would occasionally turn his head to look at the misty, boundless Yunmeng Marsh in the rain.

The tension in his heart never eased, but the weariness in his eyes had lessened slightly.

In this way, he also spent a rare half-day of peace after the chaos of arriving at Di Gongzha.

At Digongzha, officials and commoners alike diligently performed their duties, and no mishaps occurred.

Judging that it was noon, he finished eating two pieces of steamed bun, then huddled in the haystack in the inner gatehouse and rested for about half an hour.

The dull sound of rain suddenly became clearer and louder, and Ouyang Rong was jolted awake from his daze.

"Master, we..."

As soon as Liu Ashan hurriedly pushed open the gatehouse door, he saw the young county magistrate dozing off with his head down. He quickly shut his mouth, tiptoed back, and prepared to close the door.

But it was too late. In the darkness, a pair of eyes, their bloodshot veins slightly reduced, had already opened.

"What is it? Speak."

Ouyang Rong got up, patted the straw off his backside, stepped over Liu Ashan, pushed open the sluice gate, put on his straw hat, and walked into the rain.

"Sir, why don't you rest a little longer? You didn't close your eyes all night."

"It's okay, I'm feeling better now. You're talking to me."

Ouyang Rong shook his head.

Liu Ashan caught up with the one who was leading the way.

"Sir, we've used up all the burlap sacks we brought. We've filled them all with sandbags and piled them up over at the dam..."

"The brothers who were quarrying and digging sand at Caifeng Mountain have all returned. I've sent them to Longbei Mountain to help transport bamboo and timber..."

"In addition, as you instructed, I found two fishermen among the villagers who have some experience in weaving nets. They are teaching the women and children to weave fishing nets by rolling up coarse cloth and hemp... These preparations are almost complete."

As Ouyang Rong listened, he walked through the dam, and the piles of sandbags beside him brought him a sense of peace.

As the water level continues to rise, in the event of a critical situation at Digong Sluice Gate, these seemingly insignificant supplies prepared now will be lifesavers.

"Let's go take a look at Longbei Mountain."

Ouyang Rong led Liu Ashan and the others to Longbei Mountain, to a slightly higher location.

He paused briefly, silently turned around, and looked down at the sluice gate below and the surrounding tide-blocking dam.

Di Gong Gate does not mean that a single sluice gate occupies the entire Yue Nu Gorge.

Although Yue Nu Gorge is located between Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain on both sides, it is relatively narrow.

But where in the world could there be such a large sluice gate that spans both sides of this gorge?

Digong Sluice Gate consists of a sluice gate and a tide-blocking dam.

Its main body is a tidal barrier, built of stone blocks and wooden piles, spanning the entire Yue Nu Gorge. As the name suggests, it is used for flood control.

The sluice gate is located in the center of the tide-blocking embankment.

Although it is not large in scale, occupying less than one-tenth of the area of ​​the tide-blocking dike, it is ingeniously designed and can block water in both directions, making it extremely useful.

It can be used for moisture control, flood discharge, and drainage.

Simply put, when the tide rises in Yunmengze, the sluice gates are closed to block the water; when the tide recedes, the sluice gates are opened to release the water.

Currently, Yunmengze is experiencing continuous heavy rain, and the water level is rising rapidly.

The sluice gates could only be kept tightly closed, and together with the surrounding tide-blocking dikes, they stood across the Yue Nu Gorge to block the floodwaters of Yunmengze, buy time for flood discharge, and protect Longcheng County downstream.

It is worth mentioning that the terrain of Yue Nu Gorge is extremely interesting.

Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain on both sides of the river extend from the riverbank to the riverbed, with protruding rocks.

The riverbed is made of stone, forming a passageway that stretches for tens of feet.

Therefore, Yue Nu Gorge is located at a very high altitude.

It serves as the northern gateway and drainage outlet for the vast Yunmeng Marshland, which stretches for nine hundred miles.

The relationship between Yunmengze and it is like that between a teapot filled with water and its upturned spout.

The water inside the teapot is deep, but the water at the spout is not.

Even if Ouyang Rong were to jump directly from the Digong Gate towards Yunmengze right now, he could easily dive to the bottom of the water.

Therefore, the Di Gong Sluice Gate, which lies across the Yue Nu Gorge, naturally has an excellent water-blocking effect.

However, even the best flood control structures have their limits and cannot withstand the unlimited rise in water levels...

Rumble—!

The sky in the direction of Yunmengze was already filled with silvery lightning, and a muffled rumble of thunder came belatedly.

The rain suddenly intensified.

Ouyang Rong immediately came to his senses, spread his hands to catch the rain, and as if anticipating the intensity of the rain, his brows gradually furrowed.

"Let's go to the camp to get the fishing nets; we'll need them."

Ouyang Rong suddenly turned around and swiftly uttered a single sentence.

After a stick of incense had burned, the group, covered in mud, hurriedly arrived at the temporary campsite set up on Longbei Mountain.

Liu Ashan and the other men went to collect the fishing nets, while Ouyang Rong lingered at the entrance of the camp.

He glanced occasionally at the raging storm at Yunmengze in the distance, a hint of unease in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he turned around and prepared to walk to the edge of the cliff to observe.

But then, a girl's delighted shout suddenly came from a tent in the rear camp, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Tanlang, are you...are you alright?!"

"Wei Lai?!"

Ouyang Rong turned around and immediately spotted that familiar little figure not far away.

Ye Weilai was no longer wearing the elegant and fitted maid's dress; instead, she was dressed in coarse cloth clothes suitable for working and traveling, just like an ordinary commoner.

The girl seemed to have just stepped out of the tent, holding a steaming bowl of ginger soup in both hands, her big, gray-blue eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

This scene felt somewhat familiar, giving Ouyang Rong a sense of déjà vu, as if he were returning home.

But this is not the Sika Deer Park.

The pouring rain around him pulled him back to reality. He shook his head vigorously; he wasn't hallucinating.

Ouyang Rong's expression froze for a moment, then his voice unconsciously rose:

"What are you doing here? Who brought you here?!"

"Don't worry, my lord, I'm fine... Drink some hot ginger soup first to warm yourself up. You're all soaked in sweat. You have a history of illness, be careful not to catch a cold again... The ginger soup is freshly made and is about to be taken down to you by me and Xiu..."

Ye Weilai's face was full of concern as she hurriedly said the last part of the name, her voice becoming softer.

She subtly shifted her small frame, concealing the tent behind her where a woman was hiding.

But Ouyang Rong had no time to pay attention to these things.

"This is utterly ridiculous!"

His handsome brows furrowed deeply as he strode forward, ready to seize the mischievous girl and interrogate her.

Ouyang Rong's reaction made Ye Weilai, who was familiar with his temper, shrink back. The girl held up the ginger soup bowl with both hands and presented it to him. She stood there, her silver hair buried in her chest, looking pitiful.

As Ouyang Rong approached, he didn't know whether to be angry or amused.

Just then, a thin-faced clerk suddenly ran up from the direction of the foot of the mountain, tripped and fell at the entrance of the camp, panting and looking around.

Upon spotting Ouyang Rong, the thin-faced clerk hurriedly jumped up and down, waving his hands and shouting in a panic:

"It's terrible, Your Excellency! Something terribly wrong! Just now, a strong wind blew up a huge wave that carried trees and other hard objects, which crashed into the sluice gate. The inspecting craftsmen said that it may have created a crack, and there are underwater currents and seepage. If it's not repaired, it could collapse at any moment!"

Ouyang Rong turned his head, and his expression changed instantly.

"Undercurrent seepage? Oh no!"

My anxiety, which I had not long ago, has indeed come true.

Having no time to deal with the little girl's affairs, Ouyang Rong immediately abandoned Ye Weilai and turned to lead Liu Ashan and his group down the mountain.

Ahem, please vote for me... (whispering)

(End of this chapter)