Chapter 95 Too Late to Regret
That night, almost no one in Bianjing City slept soundly.
The torrential rain, carrying fallen leaves, pounded on the rooftops with a loud "thump-thump" sound.
The water level in the courtyard rose higher and higher, and it even began to pour into the houses, causing water to enter the homes of many nobles.
The Left Prime Minister's Residence.
The Left Chancellor's wife could neither sit still nor stand still.
Her yard was on lower ground, and the water that came into the house was already above her ankles.
Helpless, he could only sit in the chair and urgently instruct the servants to scoop water out with a basin.
"Madam, the water in the courtyard is rising higher and higher, and we can't bail it out at all."
The woman in charge, wearing a raincoat, was almost soaked through by the rain and looked utterly disheveled.
The Left Chancellor's wife slumped in her chair, looking utterly annoyed.
"This is a natural disaster. The yard is flooded, and who knows how badly the whole village is flooded. This year's harvest is definitely ruined."
"If I had known that the Song family sent someone to warn us about the changing weather, I should have started harvesting the crops, and I should have taken some waterproofing measures at home."
The Left Chancellor's wife was filled with regret.
Upon hearing this, the Left Chancellor rushed out from the inner room.
"Who warned me about the changing weather? How come I didn't know?"
The Left Prime Minister's wife avoided eye contact.
"The other day, Song, the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Anping's manor, sent someone to tell our manor manager that she was worried about the weather. She was rushing to harvest grain on her estate.
Seeing that you were busy with official duties, I didn't mention it to you.
The Left Prime Minister's expression changed drastically, and he angrily rebuked him.
"Ignorant woman! You're so foolish! How could you not tell me about something so important! Do you...do you know how much trouble this will cause?"
The Left Prime Minister's wife felt both wronged and regretful at this moment.
"The Imperial Astronomical Bureau said the weather would improve, but who knew it would suddenly pour down? And who knew that the Song family would guess right..."
"idiot!"
That was the servant's shout coming from outside.
"His Majesty summons the master to the palace."
The Left Prime Minister glared at his wife angrily, "I'll settle accounts with you when we get back."
They put on raincoats and boots and hurriedly left in the rain.
The Changping Marquis's Residence.
Marquis Changping also received a notice to urgently enter the palace.
Lady Changping, while helping her husband put on his raincoat, was filled with remorse.
"I was careless. Why didn't I believe what that Song woman said? The courtyard was flooded, and the crops on the estate were also flooded. How much money will we lose?"
Marquis Changping frowned, staring at the increasingly deep water in the courtyard, his face grim and silent.
However, he was also very annoyed.
The Ministry of Rites' Office.
After seeing off the Minister who had rushed into the palace, the Minister's wife took off her soaked shoes and socks, curled up on the soft couch, and stared blankly outside.
In the courtyard, many servants were digging pits in the rain, trying to drain the water.
However, the rain was too heavy, making it difficult to dig up the mud, and the results were minimal.
The Minister's wife murmured absentmindedly, "I used to laugh at Song for being possessed by a ghost, but this is no ghost, it's clearly a deity!"
"I'm so confused, why didn't I receive a letter?"
Compared to some people who were kicking themselves and regretting it to the core, the atmosphere in other people's homes was much more relaxed.
The Duke of Xin's Mansion.
In the room of the old lady of the Duke of Xin, a small stove was set up, and the salt grains in the pot were popping and crackling.
The Duchess personally packed the roasted salt into a bag, replacing the salt packet that had gone cold on her mother-in-law's lap.
He smiled and said, "Fortunately, I listened to the reminder from Madam Song, and before the rain yesterday, all the fruits and vegetables that could be harvested on the estate were stored in the warehouse."
The daughter-in-law looked at it and said it was enough for our family to eat for a year. This year, the natural disaster came suddenly, and we don't know how high the price of grain will rise.
As my mother-in-law instructed, we dug drainage ditches in advance, so there's almost no standing water in the yard. She can sleep peacefully tonight.
The old lady of the Duke of Xin stroked the salt bag on her knee, thought for a moment, and said, "We must accept this favor from the wife of the Heir Apparent of Song."
"Once the rainstorm has passed, personally select some gifts and take people to their door to express your gratitude."
"My daughter-in-law thinks the same way."
The Right Chancellor, Wang Jia.
Madam Wang said, "The men in the family have all gone to the palace, so don't worry, Mother-in-law. We have prepared three or four sets of clean clothes for each of them in the carriage so they can change easily."
The steward just reported that a thorough search has been conducted and there is no flooded area. The estate is in good condition, and the tenants' houses were repaired in advance without any damage.
Mrs. Wang was relieved and looked relieved.
"We were able to handle things so well thanks to the reminder from Lady Song, and we must repay this favor."
“What Mother-in-law says is true. In her opinion, how should we repay this favor?”
After thinking for a moment, Madam Wang said, "The Censorate is under the eldest son's jurisdiction. I heard that Prince Song is still imprisoned in the Censorate."
"Have the eldest son plead with the Emperor on behalf of Prince Song, and see if we can get him released early."
“Oh dear, the master mentioned it before he went to the palace. You two are really on the same wavelength.”
In Song Yi's shop.
Manager Liao's hands trembled as he held the ledger.
Just a day ago, he was heartbroken when he saw the ledger, but now his eyes are shining.
Heavy rain! Grain prices will skyrocket first thing tomorrow morning.
No, no, he has to go check on the harvested grain now.
Those are valuable treasures.
Just as excited as him, Manager Qin was also unable to sleep.
He simply moved into the granary, and looking at the warehouse piled high with grain, he couldn't help but laugh out loud three times.
While she was overjoyed, she belatedly realized that the Marquis had said that if the heir's wife could make money from harvesting grain, he would put on a three-day opera!
But that's not important!
The important thing is that we can make money, and with so much grain, we'll make a fortune!
Who dares to say that someone surnamed Qin can't manage a shop?
He's going to use the money he earns to bury those people alive!
Even more excited than the two shopkeepers was someone who had just stepped into the palace gates and was walking along the palace corridors.
"Lord Wei."
Someone put their arm around Wei Yan's shoulder from behind, their face full of smiles.
"On my way here, I saw that drainage ditches had been dug in advance on the streets, and the roofs of many people's houses had been reinforced in advance."
Along the way, I have hardly seen any people suffering from disasters. Your Bianjing government has achieved remarkable results this time.
"Lord Wei, tell me honestly, did you receive some advance notice? Otherwise, why would you suddenly start digging drainage ditches?"
The other person asked with a curious expression.
Wei Yan's eyes flickered slightly. He instinctively reached for a segment of orange to eat, but then remembered that he was in the palace and held back.
He chuckled and uttered two words.
"secret."
The other person reluctantly removed the arm from his shoulder.
"Oh dear, why are you two still here? The meeting has already begun inside the hall."
A palace attendant approached, looking hurried.
Wei Yan's expression hardened, and he quickly quickened his pace.
Before dawn, the atmosphere inside the Daqing Hall was extremely solemn.
The emperor was discussing disaster relief matters with the left and right prime ministers, as well as officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works.
Right Chancellor: "I have just received news that the entire Changyuan County is currently flooded, houses have been washed away, and many people are trapped in the water."
Rescue efforts are urgently needed. The dikes in other counties are currently secure, and additional patrols have been deployed.
The Emperor said, "The Duke of Xinguo shall lead 10,000 infantry and garrison troops to the rescue immediately. The Ministry of Revenue shall provide full financial support, and the Ministry of Works shall be responsible for resettling the disaster victims."
"Focus on rescue first, and discuss follow-up arrangements after the rainstorm subsides..."
Wei Yan entered the room and quietly found his place to stand.
As soon as he stood still, he heard the emperor suddenly grab a memorial and slam it down, his voice cold and angry.
"Left Prime Minister, please explain this memorial properly. Why did someone submit a memorial saying that the dikes in the country are about to burst as soon as it started raining?"
Where is Zhao Hong? Could he possibly be omniscient? I heard that he and his father-in-law were out in the rain persuading the people of the country to evacuate.
What are they trying to do? Disrupt public morale?
In an instant, all eyes were focused on the Left Prime Minister.
The Left Prime Minister's face was extremely grim.
Meanwhile, the Song family.
Song Hui stayed at her parents' home tonight, keeping her mother, Zhang Shi, company.
Although she claimed to be resting, she was actually too excited to be sleepy at all, eagerly awaiting news of the breach of the dikes in China.
Suddenly, with a loud bang, the courtyard gate was pushed open.
Song Hui jumped off the bed excitedly.
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