[I'm experiencing writer's block, so I'll be taking tomorrow off!]
Two days have passed.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Zhang Ke, after obtaining his wicked husband's approval, immediately dispatched dozens of valiant soldiers to Qi County to investigate the situation.
After waiting for almost a day, the scouts finally returned, bringing with them a major piece of news.
"Reporting to the commander, Qi County no longer exists. It has been completely swallowed by the flood. The water inside is still turbulent, and the surrounding mountains have collapsed and the ground has caved in, making it impossible to continue exploring deeper."
"Judging from that scene, it's unlikely that... anyone will survive!"
"......"
After hearing the soldier's description, everyone burst into laughter, and no one mentioned those who had died tragically.
Wang Ben said, "In that case, the complete annihilation of the three clans and the Zhao army has saved us a lot of trouble."
"Yes, it's a pity we can't witness that terrifying power of heaven and earth firsthand!" Zhang Ke said with some disappointment.
His words resonated with those present; how many times can one encounter such a cataclysmic scene?
"Alright, I advise you not to go too far!" The wicked man spoke up at this moment. After looking around, he stood up and continued, "General Wang Ben, I'll leave this place to you for now."
"Yes!" Wang Ben immediately stood up, cupped his hands in acceptance, and then asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"
The wicked man took a deep breath and slowly said, "Back in Xianyang, the disaster situation here is already like this, what about Longxi..."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances, a heavy feeling rising in their hearts.
“Longxi is the source of the Wei River, and it receives the heaviest rainfall there…” He continued, “If the disaster there cannot be controlled, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone becoming serious: "I must return to Xianyang as soon as possible to assist the King in disaster relief and aid."
After saying that, he turned around and left with Zhang Erhe and a dozen or so guards.
......
Braving the raging wind and rain, the wicked man finally returned to Xianyang City and went straight to the palace without even taking off his armor.
Inside the palace at this moment, the lights were bright and dazzling, as if it were daytime.
The wicked man strode towards Zhangtai Palace. Along the way, he saw countless officials and clerks, all with anxious expressions, hurrying back and forth, adding a touch of life to the once cold and solemn palace.
Each of them held a large number of bamboo slips tightly in their arms, as if these bamboo slips carried an extremely important mission and responsibility.
As soon as they reached the palace gate, they heard a series of "spitting" sounds coming from inside, like ducks quacking. The wicked man was filled with doubt.
Just as the imperial guards and eunuchs waiting at the palace gate were about to bow and report the news, the wicked man raised his hand to stop them, wanting to see what exactly was going on inside the palace.
The wicked man tiptoed open the palace door and cautiously stepped inside. The palace was as bright as day, and the ministers were busy moving around like spinning tops, occasionally taking a bite of sugarcane. They were so focused that no one noticed anyone entering the palace.
"Good heavens?"
The air inside Zhangtai Palace was somewhat murky, as if shrouded in a thick fog. It had lost its usual cleanliness and solemnity, with bamboo slips and sugarcane scraps scattered all over the ground, like a field ravaged by a gale, making the wicked husband's eyes almost pop out of their sockets.
"Meng Can, have you calculated the grain yield of Longxi County in previous years?" Ying Zheng, sitting in the superior position, rolled up his sleeves high and stared intently at the bamboo slips spread out on the table like a hawk, shouting without raising his head.
"Ugh, ptooey... Your Majesty, the calculations have been completed, and I will present them to you for your perusal!" Meng Can hurriedly put down the sugarcane in his hand, spat the sugarcane bits from his mouth onto the ground like bullets, and then quickly got up and walked towards the high platform.
"You damned bastards, you bastards!" The wicked man roared, silencing the noisy hall.
Everyone looked up and saw a wicked man standing at the entrance of the palace, dressed in black armor and dripping with water.
"Grand Commandant...it's the Grand Commandant who's back?!"
After a brief silence, the hall erupted in enthusiastic shouts.
"We pay our respects to the Grand Commandant!"
Everyone bowed in unison.
The wicked man glanced at them coldly, strode into the hall, stood in the center, raised his hand to greet Ying Zheng.
"Hahaha, my Grand Commandant has finally returned!" Ying Zheng's eyes were bloodshot, but his tired face showed an excited smile. He got up and quickly walked down from the high platform to stand in front of his wicked husband.
"How is the situation in Qi County?" Ying Zheng asked with some anticipation.
The wicked husband sneered, "Turn into a vast ocean!"
hiss...
A collective gasp filled the hall.
Ying Zheng's lips curled up slightly as the painful experiences of his youth flooded his mind, making him feel incredibly happy and relieved at that moment.
Ignoring the dazed Ying Zheng, the wicked husband turned and surveyed the crowd. "How is the situation in Longxi?"
Meng Can said, "It's alright, it's alright. Fortunately, we stockpiled and delivered a large amount of grain and other supplies in advance. Because the middle reaches of the Wei River are flowing smoothly, the water level is receding quickly."
The wicked man then asked, "How many people were killed or injured?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions suddenly darkened.
Upon seeing this, the wicked man's heart skipped a beat, thinking that there had been a huge casualty incident.
"Uh... this is all thanks to the Grand Commandant's foresight!"
Meng Can took a deep breath, his tired face showing admiration. "Because we made preparations in advance, the number of dead and injured was only a few hundred. Most of them were minor officials who were caught up in the flood while running around to provide disaster relief and rescue."
"The most serious damage is to the houses and fields that were destroyed; the losses are incalculable."
Hearing this, the wicked man felt slightly comforted, but at the same time, he felt heavy-hearted. Although the casualties were not large, the task of post-disaster reconstruction remained arduous, and the lives of the people would face enormous challenges.
This undoubtedly hampered the development of the Qin state, leaving the national treasury, which had only recently become prosperous, empty again.
However, the wicked husband seemed extremely carefree, and softly comforted her, "It's alright... as long as you're alive, everything will be alright!"
Meng Can nodded and replied, "His Majesty has ordered that special funds be allocated from the national treasury for disaster reconstruction and relief. Once the floodwaters recede, the court will send envoys to the affected areas to assist local officials in the reconstruction efforts."
The wicked man nodded, his gaze falling on the small mountain of sugarcane piled up in the corner. "You all seem to be enjoying yourselves quite well, you have quite the appetites!"
"You're willing to eat anything? Aren't you afraid of being poisoned?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present gave a wry smile, and Meng Can quickly lowered his head.
"Grand Commandant, this stuff is really addictive!"
Han Fei rose and bowed, then awkwardly explained, "His Majesty cares deeply for the people. In order to handle the disaster relief work as efficiently as possible, he summoned us to Zhangtai Palace, where we will eat and stay."
"It was okay at first, but after four or five days of continuous work, my body really couldn't take it anymore."
"This stuff just happens to be refreshing and invigorating... so we... so we... and once we started eating it, we couldn't stop."
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