Firstly, they were just ordinary soldiers, while the people in the vehicle were all officials from Shengjing. They didn't dare let them get off the vehicle, get wet in the rain and mud, and soil their clothes.
Secondly, their mindset is that if there are difficulties, they should solve them. It is their responsibility to get the people in the car to their destination. They have not thought about sharing understanding and working together to overcome difficulties.
Zheng Quchi's words stunned the soldiers who heard them. After a long while, they finally said, "Yes."
Zheng Quchi had already experienced how difficult the roads were in ancient times. Even riding in a decent carriage was like riding a rocking horse, shaking his entire body apart. But in order to reach Cangling County as planned, the people in the carriage were quite tough, and not one of them complained about the hardship or fatigue... or perhaps they were already used to it.
Upon reaching the vicinity of Cangling County, the soldiers said that the deepest part ahead was flooded with water nearly half a person high, and the road was submerged and impassable.
So Zheng Quchi ordered the carriage to stop. She climbed to a high slope and looked out over Cangling City. She saw that the city had been destroyed by the flash flood. The traces of the flood damage to the ditches and foundation trenches of the city walls were very obvious. Large areas of farmland had been destroyed by the raging floodwaters. It was truly a devastating destruction.
How many lives must have been lost in this disaster...?
"Is it that serious?" Her face turned pale.
"The water level in the city has receded, but the lake area and farmland have been flooded and collapsed." Jiang Yuan also looked grave.
Seeing that the city was deserted, Liang Tian asked in confusion, "Where are the government officials? Why haven't I seen them searching for and rescuing the disaster victims?"
"The floodwaters haven't receded yet, and there's a risk of injury, so they might not be able to deploy for the time being," others speculated.
"It's starting to drizzle again, let's go find shelter first."
At this moment, Captain Wu led his soldiers over at a trot. He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Lord Zheng, we have found the magistrate of Cangling County not far away. They have temporarily set up a refuge on the high ground. We can see them as soon as we get there."
"good."
The rain intensified, but fortunately, they didn't have to walk for long on the drizzling, muddy mountain road before they found a temporary shelter on a flat area. The county magistrate, having received the news, had been waiting with an umbrella for some time. He was taken aback when he saw that everyone was soaked to the bone.
"You didn't bring umbrellas?"
umbrella?
"Oh, I forgot it on the carriage."
The carriages were difficult to navigate along the narrow paths, so they were all tied up at the foot of the mountain. They were in such a hurry that they forgot to bring rain gear.
Seeing this, the magistrate said nothing, but turned around and quickly told his subordinates to fetch a raincoat. The rain was too heavy, and while an umbrella might look elegant, it wouldn't provide as much protection as a raincoat.
"Is that Lord Zheng?"
He shouted in the rain.
"I am."
Zheng Quchi came out.
The magistrate saw that her hair was wet and stuck to her face, making it difficult to see her clearly. He only knew that she was a thin, fair-skinned young girl who looked quite young.
"Sir, please take an umbrella to shield yourself from the rain."
When Zheng Quchi saw him handing raincoats to others but telling her to hold an umbrella, she immediately declared that everyone should be treated equally: "You hold yours, Magistrate, I'll wear a raincoat too."
The magistrate was taken aback. He had assumed she was a high-ranking official with connections since she was so young, but he was surprised to find that she was not pretentious or affected at all.
Indeed, in everyone's eyes, the position of Grand Master Craftsman is a high-salary, lazy, and unproductive job. Those who have held this position throughout history have never had any real talent or skills. It is all the people below who work hard while they sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor. They have made no contribution to the position at all.
Later, they simply created a nominal position, which was occasionally used to reward officials, allowing them to collect salaries for nothing.
Therefore, when a Grand Master of Craftsmen arrived this time, the county magistrate simply treated her like a Buddha statue. As for whether she could actually do anything or whether she could benefit the flood relief efforts, he didn't expect much from her.
"Sir, please come into the shed to dry your wet clothes." The magistrate's tone became more sincere.
After putting on a straw raincoat, Zheng Quchi asked, "Could you give me a private spot to roast myself?"
He had just praised her for being easy to get along with and genuine, and she immediately revealed her true colors? The magistrate frowned slightly: "Lord Zheng, there's no need to worry. I will arrange for someone to accompany you..."
Realizing he had misunderstood, Liang Tian quickly whispered, "Lord Zheng is a woman."
The magistrate was completely stunned: "...A woman?"
When the official document was issued, it didn't mention that this Lord Zheng was a woman. When did their Ye Kingdom ever have female officials? How come he didn't know?!
Could it be that His Highness has killed too many officials and can't fill this hole in time, so he's so desperate that he's even hiring women?
Although the magistrate was shocked and surprised by this, he was already exhausted at his age and facing numerous disasters and a turbulent world. Although the appointment of female officials was a rare and novel thing in both the court and the public, it did not cause much of a stir in his heart. He just felt strange... There is always a reason for the existence of things that are not normal. This is a truth he has come to understand after a long life.
After regaining his composure, he said calmly, "This humble official will make arrangements for Lord Zheng immediately."
——
After drying herself off, Zheng Quchi came out. The rain had lessened, but it was still terribly dark. The county soldiers coming and going seemed to be busy with something. Seeing that no one else had come out yet, she decided to take a stroll around the camp.
She walked a little further away from the makeshift sheds and wooden buildings. It was a large, cleared open space with nothing to block the view. She saw a number of resettled disaster victims lining up to scoop something from an iron pot into their bowls.
Each person had their own bowl, and with soldiers supervising, the order was well maintained.
A light rain was still falling, and the wind was howling. The fire burning below had long since gone out, and the food would probably get cold if left out any longer. But there were still so many people in line, so they might only get some cold soup.
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