Chapter 98 Once and For All

The weather in summer changes suddenly.

The sky was clear just a moment ago, but now it suddenly started to rain heavily.

Qin Zhaoqiong's face was as gloomy as water. He strode to the door and pulled open the curtain.

I stretched out my palm and raindrops as big as beans fell down, which actually hurt a little.

A curtain of rain poured down from the sky, and a layer of white mist immediately rose from the river. The calamus on the bank was knocked down by the rain arrows.

Meng Jian, who was guarding the door, also had a bad look on his face. He did not use his true energy to block it, but in just a few breaths he was soaked inside and out.

Although we know that the flood season has not yet passed, we all hope that the good weather can last for a few more days.

I didn’t expect that it would rain heavily again after just one day of sunshine.

Qin Zhaoqiong pursed her lips, immediately ordered someone to light the oil lamp, and returned to sit at the table.

"Go on, pick out the key points."

The old county magistrate was also worried, but seeing that the prince was so calm, he quickly collected his thoughts and continued to explain.

But with the sound of rain hitting the tent, I couldn't help but raise my voice.

He talked for a stick of incense, and was so thirsty that he finally managed to explain the key points of the waterway situation in Longmen County.

The downstream river channel of Yuchuan is very wide, especially in order to expand the canal transportation, the Jiuqu Huilongtan was demolished.

Wang Zongzhi of the Tiangong Division explained that when this strategy was formulated, extensive surveys were conducted.

Huilongtan is indeed a natural flood discharge area, but it has not been hit by floods for more than ten years, so the waterway has been wasted.

Moreover, the ability to withstand disasters will be improved after the widening, so we decided on the strategy of widening after much consideration.

On the contrary, some areas of the upper reaches of the river are narrow and winding, but there are more ditches and tributaries to alleviate the problem, and then the river flows into the lower reaches.

Qin Zhaoqiong had a rough idea in his mind, but after an incense stick of time, the rain showed no sign of abating.

"Come, get some straw raincoats for the adults."

"yes!"

"The water situation is urgent. We ask Magistrate Lu to accompany the army and continue working for another day or two."

Longmen County is the last key point in Hanei Prefecture. Once the water situation here is straightened out, we can rest assured. Only Bailu Prefecture is left, so Qin Zhaoqiong is very nervous.

How could Lu Zhaochuan have any objection? He could see that Her Royal Highness the Princess was really concerned about Longmen County, so he immediately accepted it.

Soon, the entire army set out and went upstream along the main channel of Yuchuan River.

The fish-scale dike upstream is one of the narrow waterways that Qin Zhaoqiong had observed before.

The river meanders like a gooseneck, so dams were built to straighten the bend. The tributary is now wider than the main channel and more convenient for navigation.

But now there is a huge rock across the tributary, and the gaps underneath are filled with sandbags, which has completely cut off the flow.

The water level difference between the upstream and downstream of the Fish Scale Dike has reached ten feet, and it looks precarious.

Now that heavy rain is pouring down and the water level continues to rise, it won’t be long before the river is in danger of capsizing.

In a thatched cottage a hundred feet away from here, a man in white stood looking into the distance, unable to get close to him due to the wind and rain.

There was a middle-aged man beside him, wearing a coarse linen shirt and rolled up his trouser legs. At a glance, his attire was the most common attire for people living on the river bank.

But his skin was whiter and tenderer, his palms were callous-free, and his straight back didn't make him look like a laborer who did rough labor all day.

"Master Yan is truly a divine fortune teller, predicting a rainstorm in the afternoon."

Yan Wujiu put his hands behind his back and did not speak.

The middle-aged man came from the mansion of a noble lady in Fengjing. Although he had no official position, he was actually a trusted aide, representing the noble lady in public.

The excessive use of bran in disaster relief grain sparked public outrage, the blocking of water levels upstream, and the unpredictable methods used to calculate the weather...

Facing the person next to him, he didn't dare to put on airs as a big shot in the capital.

"Master Yan made a subtle move and took advantage of the right timing to break the situation. This is much more clever than us acting in secret.

When this matter is accomplished, I will report your contribution to you truthfully, and I believe the reward will be generous."

Since it involved his master, Yan Wujiu could no longer remain silent and said lightly, "Thank you very much."

"It's as it should be."

According to Yan Wujiu, the heavy rain will not stop for a while.

When the water level rises further, it will rush out of this narrow channel, inevitably forming a wave and causing harm to the downstream.

The village was flooded, many people were affected, and there were already complaints about the bran issue. They didn't even need to do anything. They just needed to report the truth to the emperor, and the princess would get most of the credit for the disaster relief.

In this way, the idea of ​​proposing the throne after returning to the capital would not be possible, and at least it would have to be postponed.

It was really a one-shot deal. In the first half of the flood control, no action was taken, which made them relax their vigilance. Now, the situation can be broken with ease.

At this moment, two people hurried over in the pouring rain.

The leader was a strong man, Liu Bo, the leader of the Longmen County branch of the Cao Gang.

The man he was supporting had white hair and beard, a hunched back, and looked to be in his sixties.

The two of them entered the thatched cottage and immediately felt a sense of warmth, and the rain was blocked outside.

Liu Bo's eyes darkened slightly, and he immediately bowed to hide his gloom.

The old man didn't notice anything unusual and knelt down, breathing heavily.

Yan Wujiu lowered his eyes, "Is this the person?"

"Yes," Liu Bo replied, "Uncle Hu has made a living on the water all his life. He used to be the chief priest of the river sacrifice and is very prestigious among the older generation of the Cao Gang."

Uncle Hu knelt on the ground, his body shaking uncontrollably.

His son and daughter-in-law died in the water two years ago, leaving behind only a young grandson.

But misfortunes never come singly. His body could no longer bear it, so he asked someone to go to Wan'antang to ask the owner for a consultation, but all he did was prescribe some medicine to keep him alive.

Seeing that his energy was declining day by day, he didn't know who to entrust his child to, but Liu Bo took the initiative to come to him.

Hu Bo knew that it was a capital crime, but Liu Bo promised to send his young grandson to a school in another county for enlightenment.

The household registration was changed and recorded under the name of the gentry to avoid any involvement.

In the future, all expenses from studying to learning to read and write, to taking the imperial examinations and getting married will be borne by you, and the only price you will pay is this broken life.

When he received a letter and looked at the crooked big words on it, Hu Bo no longer had any worries in his heart.

"Do what you promised, and I will fulfill my promise."

"Thank you so much, sir. I bow to you for your great kindness!"

Uncle Hu kowtowed twice before standing up with the help of Liu Bo.

"Go ahead, don't miss the time."

"yes."

The two of them came and left in a hurry, but the staff beside them frowned.

"What is Master Yan's arrangement? How come I don't know?"

Yan Wujiu turned around and stared at him, a smile on his face.

"Your Highness's methods are still too gentle. The Empress is determined to make the Princess the Crown Prince. What good will it do even if she delays for a while?"

"you!"

If you were in Fengjing and were to make irresponsible remarks about the Lord's methods, your staff would definitely reprimand you severely.

However, the current layout of Longmen County was all done by Yan Wujiu, and he had no means to control it.

The uneasy feeling in my heart became stronger and stronger, and I refused to retreat despite the other person's gaze. "What are you going to do?"

Yan Wujiu ignored the threat and the arc of his mouth widened another three points.

"I am worried about His Highness. When will things get better as you wish?

Why not take this opportunity to put an end to it once and for all, don't you think?"