"Making a racket so early in the morning, where have you all gone with your manners?" An Honghan stepped out.
Situ Feiyu and Liu Fuqing lowered their heads in shame, not daring to utter a sound.
An Honghan ignored the two and instructed Lin En to call the waiter to prepare breakfast.
After finishing breakfast, the group continued their journey.
This time, they did not stop to rest, and the carriage headed straight for Fengzhou.
Xi Xizhi stayed in the carriage, and having nothing to do, she began to examine her spiritual power.
After forming her inner core, Xi Xizhi felt that the spiritual energy was completely different from before.
Previously, once her spiritual energy was depleted, Xi Xizhi was helpless. But now, with her inner core, she can directly mobilize the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, no longer needing to store it in her body.
For several days in a row, Xi Xizhi was very pleased with her progress in cultivation.
...
After another six days of travel, An Honghan and his group finally arrived at the edge of Fengzhou.
The residents here are all native inhabitants of Fengzhou.
The wealthier residents simply made tents out of cloth to keep warm at night, while those who couldn't afford them gathered in small groups in the open air to help each other.
As early as half a month ago, An Honghan ordered the mobilization of an army of 5,000 men to Fengzhou to manage the floods.
One division was responsible for repairing the dikes to slow the floodwaters from breaching them, so that people could take refuge in safe places.
One group was responsible for escorting the people away, trying to keep them as far away from the flooded areas as possible.
The terrain here is mostly mountainous, so even if a flood really comes, it won't reach the mountainside.
Even though the people were all gathered together, the supplies that could be provided were far from enough. Meals could be barely provided, but tents could not accommodate everyone.
As soon as An Honghan and his companions arrived at this place, they saw refugees scattered everywhere.
They huddled together in groups of three or five, and those who were slightly better off would hug their dirty quilts for warmth.
Some troops patrolled from time to time, and their presence deterred many people from making any rash moves if they wanted to rob something.
However, under such harsh conditions, many people with weak immune systems contracted minor illnesses.
Xi Xizhi even heard many people coughing.
It's not that these people don't want to leave Fengzhou, but that even if they leave Fengzhou, they can only lead a life of wandering and displacement.
If he were a lone individual, he would likely leave more decisively, but it wouldn't be so easy for him to wander with his family.
Besides, everyone has some kind of unspoken attachment to their hometown; they are reluctant to leave.
Moreover, with the imperial army here, they are still full of hope for the future. As long as they can get through this hurdle, the imperial court will definitely provide them with food, clothing, and shelter. This is the real reason why they are staying.
During the first flood, the floodwaters had already taken everything from them and destroyed their homes. They had even survived the most difficult period. At this point, how could they bear to leave their homes?
Xi Xizhi suddenly understood why humanity is so insignificant in the face of natural disasters.
Just as An Honghan and his companions disembarked from the carriage, they were looking around at the refugees, leaving only three coachmen to guard the carriage in case anyone tried to steal it.
Hu Qu's martial arts skills were also outstanding, so dealing with these refugees who had no martial arts skills was naturally a piece of cake.
Lynn, who had lived in the deep palace for a long time, had never seen such a scene before. Seeing those people who were poorly clothed and starving, his eyes immediately filled with tears.
"Sigh... Do you think God is blind? There have been one flood after another. Look at how these people have been tormented." Lynn complained as he walked, tears streaming down his face. He raised his sleeve to wipe his eyes.
Xi Xizhi lay in An Honghan's arms, feeling a deep sympathy for these people.
At least these people are innocent; a flood has reduced them to such a state.
Situ Feiyu had visited Fengzhou before, and the people there were in a much worse situation than they are now.
"At least they still have the protection of the army, food, and blankets." Moreover, the imperial court sends disaster relief supplies every now and then, which include food and clothing. Those with a little more willpower can survive without losing their lives.
When he first arrived in Fengzhou last time, the local officials did little, and the people were displaced and suffering terribly. At that time, he saw many lifeless corpses by the roadside.
But Liu Fuqing was displeased by these words. "How dare you, Lord Situ, bring this up? If the dikes you built hadn't been so weak, how could the floods have come again? You've caused the people to suffer another ordeal, and you still dare to make sarcastic remarks?"
Situ Feiyu explained more than a hundred times that he had indeed completed the construction of the dam according to specifications, but Liu Fuqing kept arguing with him.
They started arguing again after a single disagreement.
Xi Xizhi raised her little paws and covered her ears.
That's what you call a pair of sworn enemies... They're jealous of each other the moment they meet, and they start arguing the moment they see each other.
An Honghan and his group found the military commander who was stationed there, and showed their tokens to identify themselves.
The military commander looked at them excitedly, and bent his knees, wanting to kneel down and pay his respects.
But before he could kneel down, he was interrupted by An Honghan's voice, "No need for formalities. I don't want others to know our identities."
Commander Tan Hai immediately stood up straight. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"How is the situation now?" An Honghan asked him a few important questions.
Tan Hai was a proper man, especially since this was his first time facing His Majesty. Not wanting to leave a rude impression on An Honghan, he stood up straight, looking trembling with fear. "Your Majesty, most of the people of Fengzhou have been evacuated here and are no longer in danger. However... the dikes will not hold for more than a few days."
They left only a small contingent of troops here; the rest were on the other side of the dike, constantly repairing the breaches caused by the flood.
"To be more precise, what is the exact number of days?" An Honghan frowned and asked.
Tan Hai lowered his head and replied, "Five days is the limit."
For some reason, this flood is more severe than the last one. And even after so many days, the floodwaters have not receded; instead, they are getting bigger and bigger.
However, he didn't dare tell anyone about these unusual occurrences.
First, I'm afraid people will think I'm being paranoid if I tell them.
Secondly, they were afraid of causing panic among the people.
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