Chapter 85: Undercurrents surge in Li County, and disaster is approaching.
Xie Yuan looked at Gui Zhier with a smile.
After not seeing him for several months, he was still as graceful as ever, his beauty not diminished in the slightest by the heavy rain.
"In this weather, the waterway is too dangerous." He didn't exchange pleasantries and went straight to the point. "Passenger ships cannot pass through Lixian County. We must change to fast horses and go around Wujin Road."
He shook the token in his hand, and the captain immediately knew what King Yue meant.
Luan Shuangbai held up a large, dark oilcloth umbrella and moved it above Guizhier's head.
The raindrops on the edge of the umbrella fell like beads from a broken string, splashing towards the opposite side. Xie Yuan was caught off guard and got drenched.
"Why bother you to come and deliver the message?" General Luan spoke in a gentle tone, as if it was just an unintentional act.
"I am familiar with the topography of Chu and Huai, and I can take you north along the path." Xie Yuan didn't mind, but his eyes only glanced at Gui Zhier, with affectionate eyes.
As the Director of the Music Bureau, he collected folk songs and traveled frequently, so he knew the appearance of the nearby mountains, rivers and streams by heart.
Guizhier turned a blind eye to the undercurrent between the two.
She keenly sensed the problem: "Even if we were taking a land route, there's no need to go so far. Why avoid Lixian?"
It’s just a small county, how could it have the imperial army?
"It's not to hide my tracks." Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment, sighed, and answered with difficulty.
"Li County, a great disaster is approaching."
A flash of lightning suddenly appeared, and the river water continued to rise at an alarming speed in the heavy rain, and the muddy waves hit the river bank.
The situation was critical, and Young Master Xie explained the reason in a few words.
The neighboring Qingye Prefecture suffered a spring flood disaster, and the emperor adopted the advice of the censors and built a river embankment.
The money allocated for disaster relief was embezzled and exploited at every level of corruption. Not only was there not enough money to pay for food for the workers working on the river repairs, but there was even not enough money to pay for collecting soil and stone materials.
The Water Conservancy Supervisor slapped his head.
"If we can't afford to repair it, we can just dig and divert the river to another state."
"What a clever guy!" Guizhier frowned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Logically speaking, building a river embankment would require less manpower and resources than rerouting the river. However, the Water Conservancy Bureau clearly did not intend to re-plan the water system, regardless of the terrain.
Matching diversion weirs and regulating gates? Nothing at all!
Just dig a trench and bury some soil.
Just don't let the flood cause trouble in Qingye Prefecture and anger the emperor.
As for the life and death of the water systems nearby, who cares?
"The Lixian Reservoir has been forced to bear not only the meltwater from the spring flood that passed through Qingye Prefecture, but also the continuous heavy rains, and is on the verge of collapse."
Xie Yuan's thin lips trembled slightly, and his expression became more solemn.
"Hiss." Everyone gasped.
Reservoirs are often located in low-lying areas of plain terrain, with embankments dozens of miles long and vast water areas.
The top is more than thirty zhang high, and the bottom of the pond is more than twenty zhang deep. The storage capacity can reach tens of millions of stones.
If it collapses, the consequences will be unimaginable.
"Do the people here know that a disaster is about to happen?" A voice suddenly interrupted.
Guizhi'er and others looked back and saw the scholars standing in a row, their plain long gowns fluttering in the strong wind.
Although the heavy rain made their faces hurt, they still stood straight.
Wang Pu, the leader, was leaning on a cane, standing proudly like a green pine or cypress.
The rain slid down his hair and cheeks, and his soaked clothes stuck to his body. He wanted to say something but stopped, his Adam's apple rolling up and down.
"We study to help the world and benefit the people. How can we be indifferent to life and death?"
He didn't want to use morality to coerce others, but—
I will not feel happy if I don't say this.
"Then, shall we go and notify them?" Guizhier asked for everyone's opinions. She looked leisurely, as if asking what to eat for dinner tonight.
"Sir..." Wang Pu was stunned.
The accumulated water fell from the edge of the oilcloth umbrella onto the deck, gathering into streams and splashing crystal water flowers.
Guizhier stood calmly under the umbrella.
The more worlds you experience, the more emotionally numb you become.
But as long as she could earn some food progress somewhere, she couldn't just stand by and watch someone die.
She is a human being, not a task machine that has been completely stripped of emotions by the system.
Luan Shuangbai and Xie Yuan looked at each other, their eyes met, and there seemed to be a flash of lightning, and they reached a brief tacit understanding in silence.
The young general flashed and stretched out his right hand as quickly as a ghost, blocking the captain's words of rebuttal with a quick and decisive move.
At the same time, Xie Yuan also took a step forward and gently placed his left hand on the boatman's shoulder to comfort him.
"Let's first listen to what Miss Gui has to say."
"Listen to Miss Gui first."
Veins popped out on the captain's forehead as he was covered with his mouth:
My master only ordered me to protect Miss Gui's safety, why are you two joining in the fun?
Guizhier's plan is clear and straightforward.
A team, led by Young Master Xie, was sent to sound out the local county magistrate and chief official, and if necessary, to forge an imperial decree to order the people in the dangerous area to evacuate.
The second team, led by General Luan, relied on the garrison to ensure the safety of the operation.
The third team was led by Gui Zhier, who rescued food and property.
"Time is short and the task is heavy." Gui Zhier glanced at the surging river, and her expression did not show any panic as the boat rose and fell.
"I just want to remind you that everyone has their own destiny." There was unquestionable decisiveness in her tone.
“Don’t force yourself to believe in someone you don’t believe in.”
The scholars clenched their fists tightly, their cheeks slightly red from the exertion.
They have not yet fully understood the deep meaning of Guizhi'er's words. They have been well-read since childhood and have always cared about the people of the world, and finally they can put it into action.
In this situation, there is only excitement and the tension of snatching someone from the hands of the King of Hell.
Everything is ready, and the troops are divided into three groups.
"How audacious!" The captain muttered helplessly, and the wrinkles on his face became deeper, as if they were carved by a knife or an axe.
He found a gentle slope on the river bank and prepared the winch and rope.
With a creaking sound, the slowly tightened rope pulled the boat towards the shore.
The sailors quickly placed wooden boards between the side of the ship and the shore, and everyone got off the ship one after another.
It was not until they set foot in Li County that the scholars' enthusiasm cooled a little, and they found that things were far from as simple as they had imagined.
The Lixian County Government Office is located in the center of the city, with a plaque inscribed with the words "A Bright Mirror Hanging High" hanging high above the main gate.
When the county magistrate heard that the inspector sent from Hangzhou and Beijing was coming to inspect his work, he was so frightened that he quickly got up from his room and put on a slightly worn official uniform.
Two sparse mustaches, like dead grass hit by frost, hung wilted at the corners of his mouth.
"I, your humble servant, will fully cooperate with the Governor. I hope you can give me more guidance!" His face was as pale as paper, and he raised his hand to wipe the beads of sweat on his forehead.
His eyes were small and glittered with timidity, like a frightened mouse.
"However, the water and reservoir are not under the jurisdiction of Li County. This matter must be submitted to the prefect for approval. Furthermore, there are so many people that it is difficult to manage them all. If we want to relocate them, we are simply unable to do so..."
The magistrate of Li County curled up his neck and rubbed his hands unconsciously in front of his body.
It seems that this can wipe away the trouble.
After all, the central idea is just one sentence -
Or, shall we wait a little longer?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
