Jiang Yimian and her group finally entered Yuncheng Prefecture before dark.
When the soldiers guarding the city learned that they were people from the capital delivering supplies, they immediately welcomed them into the city with joy and said to everyone with a smile, "You gentlemen have come very quickly. The prefect is currently working in the yamen."
Things have been quite busy lately, so I would appreciate it if you gentlemen could accompany me to the yamen.
The soldier didn't look very old, but his face was obsequious, as if he was very familiar with the situation.
Zhang Duyun responded but didn't say much. He just looked around and saw that there were still many people eating and drinking in the surrounding restaurants and teahouses, seemingly unaffected by the flood.
Moreover, there were no disaster victims or shelters on the streets of the city.
He asked in bewilderment, "Wasn't it said that the Qingnan area was severely affected by the disaster? How come I haven't seen any disaster victims or shelters along the way?"
He had expected to see disaster relief tents set up outside Yuncheng Prefecture, but he didn't see any even after entering the city.
Yuncheng Prefecture was almost identical to other unaffected areas, except for some standing water on the streets; otherwise, there were no signs of damage.
The soldier just looked at the group and laughed, saying, "That's not true. Qingnan floods every year. The prefect is very good at dealing with floods and takes precautions, so there won't be any serious consequences."
Those who say that Qingnan was severely affected by the disaster are spreading rumors; please, gentlemen, do not believe them.
Jiang Yimian frowned upon hearing this. The scene she had just witnessed outside Yuncheng Prefecture did not seem like a place where precautions had been taken.
Not only was the river narrow, but the rapid and turbulent current was also about to spill onto the official road, which looked very serious.
But the city seemed completely unaffected, with not a single disaster victim in sight.
She remembered Lu Cijian saying that the eldest princess had already set off from Jincheng Prefecture for Qingnan. Jincheng Prefecture was about a seven or eight-day journey from there, which was closer than the capital.
Even if their pace is slow, they should have arrived in Yuncheng Prefecture by now.
Thinking it over, she simply asked, "I heard that the Princess has arrived in Qingnan. Where is she now?"
The soldier paused, scratching his head in confusion. "Princess? I've never heard of her. I've been guarding the city gate every day. You are the first group of people to come from the capital."
Jiang Yimian felt a chill in her heart.
Something must have gone wrong with Xie Yu's side, otherwise, he wouldn't be even later than them, and he hasn't even arrived in Qingnan yet.
Zhang Duyun then asked the soldiers about the situation inside and outside the city, but to his surprise, the soldiers knew nothing about it and didn't even know how many villages were outside the city.
Jiang Yimian's suspicions deepened.
Just then, the gloomy sky began to rain again, so everyone had to quicken their pace toward the prefectural government office.
By the time the group arrived at the prefectural government office, it was already completely dark.
A man in his thirties with a beard stood at the entrance of the government office. As soon as he saw the crowd, he immediately opened his umbrella and came over to greet them.
"My lords, I am Chen, the assistant magistrate of the yamen."
Chen Tongzhi stared at Zhang Duyun and his group, a smile plastered on his face.
Zhang Duyun responded and handed over his official documents and Lin Yan'an's official documents.
The magistrate, Chen, stared at the two official documents for a while before finally managing to smile again, but his smile was no longer as obsequious as before; instead, it was somewhat cold.
His gaze fell on Jiang Yimian and Liu'er, assuming they were their maids, and he said with a smile, "So it's Supervisor Zhang and Lord Lin. It's getting late, and you gentlemen must be tired from your journey."
The yamen has arranged lodgings and meals for you gentlemen; please go and have your meal first.
After saying that, he gestured for the group to proceed.
Zhang Duyun didn't say much, he just nodded.
It was indeed late today, and it was pitch black everywhere. It was also raining heavily, so there was nothing they could do. Even if they wanted to do something, they would have to wait until dawn.
Lin Yan'an had the same thought, but Jiang Yimian suddenly pulled him back from behind.
He suddenly remembered something, cleared his throat, and waved his folding fan, saying, "Where is the Prefect now? I have something I would like to discuss with the Prefect."
They were people from the capital, after all. Even if they were minor officials, the prefect should have come out to meet them and at least explained the extent of the disaster in the Qingnan area.
If the flood is indeed not serious, they should still send a message to the Censorate and the Ministry of Works.
It would be really unreasonable to avoid seeing them.
Chen Tongzhi paused, then scoffed inwardly. He was just a minor transport supervisor and a nominal imperial merchant; how dare he dream of meeting his master?
The fact that he even came out to greet these people was already a great honor for them.
However, he still politely said, "My lords are busy with affairs today and are now resting. If you gentlemen have anything to discuss, we can talk about it tomorrow."
"Ah Mai, why aren't you taking the gentlemen to rest? If you don't serve them well, I will hold you responsible."
Having said that, he ignored the others and ordered his men to unload the things from the carriage.
I originally thought this first batch of supplies wouldn't be much, but it looks like there's quite a lot now, much more than before.
The news of the severe flooding in Qingnan was indeed well-deserved.
Jiang Yimian, however, spoke up to stop him, saying, "It's already so late today, sir. Why don't you take inventory of the supplies tomorrow? We can discuss everything after we meet with the prefect."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang San and the others immediately blocked the carriage, stopping those who wanted to unload the goods.
Chen Tongzhi frowned, his tone turning cold. "What do you mean? Since these supplies were transported from the capital to the disaster victims, we should be the ones to handle them. You are only responsible for delivering the supplies, not for what happens afterward."
A mere ninth-rank official and a nominal imperial merchant dared to obstruct his people.
These people must be crazy.
They really are a bunch of arrogant fools.
Jiang Yimian simply said, "Didn't Magistrate Chen say it was too late today? I just didn't want the yamen staff to count the supplies overnight, fearing it would be too much trouble for you, sir."
"Wang San, keep a close eye on the supplies. Don't let any fools steal them. If supplies are missing, Magistrate Chen will hold us responsible."
These words, though spoken lightly, carried a strong sense of sarcasm, which infuriated Chen Tongzhi to the point that his face turned pale.
"What does Lord Zhang mean by this? Do you not believe my master?"
Now that these supplies have arrived in Qingnan, my family will naturally take stock of them and distribute them to the disaster victims.
What is the meaning of this behavior, adults? Who will be held responsible for delaying the treatment of disaster victims?
He glared at Jiang Yimian, his eyes filled with anger.
What does this bastard mean by daring to doubt them? She's courting death.
Jiang Yimian raised an eyebrow and said, "I heard that the disaster in this city is not serious. If that's the case, it should be fine if the supplies are delayed by a day or two, right?"
The adults showed not a trace of concern for the disaster victims.
If just now it was just sarcastic remarks, the meaning behind this conversation is very clear: it's questioning the person's intentions.
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