"Run!"
Seeing that she couldn't stop them, Wanwan had no choice but to turn around and run back to loudly remind everyone.
Xiao Qi was the first to rush out. Seeing the floodwaters rushing down from upstream, he immediately grabbed Wanwan's wrist and pulled her into his arms, holding her close to his chest like he was holding a cat.
Wanwan immediately felt the warmth of Xiao Qi's chest through the fabric and heard his strong, powerful heartbeat.
In just a brief moment, Xiao Qi grabbed Wanwan and plunged her into the water.
The sound of wood breaking above exploded, the boat was completely destroyed by the current, and then the rest of the fleet fell into the water. The flood, carrying mud and sand, instantly turned the water into a murky mess. Even Wanwan and Xiao Qi, who were good swimmers, had to swim to the surface in a hurry.
The two were soaked to the bone, and the other surviving team members also climbed ashore exhausted. Many of them had bloody holes in their bodies, and some were even floating face down on the water.
"Don't let your guard down, everyone! They came prepared!" Xiao Qi shouted, reminding the now-calm crowd. He was still holding onto Wanwan tightly with one hand, and the sight of their intimate gesture made Chu Ying, who was watching from a distance, tremble with anger.
Before the words were finished, a tidal wave of shouts suddenly erupted from behind the surrounding mounds. Looking up, one could see mobs wielding machetes rushing out from behind the surrounding yellow earthen mounds.
They were all contorted in rage, covered in filth, and so numerous they were like ants swarming from their nest. Their loud shouts created a violent impact that almost made people's ears ring.
"Charge! Kill that corrupt official!"
Shouting, they charged at the crowd. The people, who had just escaped death, were unarmed and exhausted, and had no strength to resist these mobs. They were instantly overwhelmed and routed.
With swift strokes, most people were beheaded in the blink of an eye, their blood splattering and still steaming on the yellow earth.
Xiao Qi clenched Wanwan's hand, and the two of them were surrounded.
"Wanwan, don't be afraid, I will definitely protect you." Xiao Qi's hand was broad and strong, and his palm was hot.
Looking at the blood-stained, ferocious mob in front of her, Wanwan suddenly recalled the scene of fighting against bandits with Xiao Qi back then. She didn't hold back then, and she wouldn't do it today either.
She squeezed Xiao Qi's hand tightly, "Brother Xiao, Wanwan isn't afraid."
Their eyes met, filled with trust and affection.
"Charge!" The mob charged forward with machetes in hand. Wanwan and Xiao Qi worked in perfect coordination, each grabbing a knife in the blink of an eye, and fought fiercely among the ant-like mob.
Chu Ying intended to use a hidden weapon on Wanwan while she was fighting back, but she was unable to protect herself. Before the hidden weapon could even be thrown, she fell to the blades of the mob.
Wanwan and Xiao Qi fought back to back from afternoon until night, finally carving a bloody path through the mob and fleeing all the way to the relatively safe county town.
The two rested for the night at an inn in the city. Wanwan was too scared to sleep. Mermaids didn't have the formalities of humans, so Wanwan simply hugged Xiao Qi and the two sat on the edge of the bed all night.
The next day, just as dawn broke, the county magistrate arrived at the inn with his men to fetch Xiao Qi.
Jiangnan is a humid and warm place. The fog dissipates late, and when the magistrate arrived, his hair was wet at the roots. Upon seeing Xiao Qi, he bowed repeatedly.
Jiangnan was going through a difficult time, but the county magistrate was fat and so fat that he could hardly fit into his official robes. He smiled and his face was radiant, not at all like a local official who was going through a lot of hardship.
"Upon hearing that Lord Shen has come to manage the floods, I have specially prepared the finest wine and dishes to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey." The magistrate laughed so hard that his back bent into a comical bow.
Xiao Qi glanced at him and said, "With the floods in Jiangnan, the people can't even get a clean drink of water. How are you going to prepare a feast for them?"
The magistrate didn't understand Xiao Qi's meaning and continued to bow while saying, "The people have no water to drink, and the local officials are helpless. Lord Shen, let's go to the mansion to talk."
"This is outrageous!" Wanwan gritted her teeth in anger behind Xiao Qi's back, about to teach the magistrate a lesson, but Xiao Qi reached out and pulled her back.
"It's alright, let's go take a look." Xiao Qi whispered in Wanwan's ear. The two exchanged a glance, and Wanwan nodded silently.
The magistrate bowed and gestured "please," saying, "Lord Shen, Madam Shen, please get into the carriage."
Wanwan instinctively tried to correct him, but Xiao Qi pinched her hand. She was confused and before she could ask, she was pulled into the carriage.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two arrived at the magistrate's residence.
As a mere county magistrate, especially during a flood season, his residence was far more luxurious than even that of the Prefect of the Capital.
Xiao Qi frowned slightly, but the magistrate didn't notice and continued to invite the two inside.
The three of them sat down, and the magistrate mysteriously brought out a wooden tray covered with a red cloth. Xiao Qi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood the gist of it.
The next moment, the magistrate ripped off the red cloth, and a golden hue almost blinded the two of them.
Under the red cloth was a plate full of gold.
"Lord Shen, please accept this small token of my appreciation," the magistrate said with a smile. "It's not that we haven't tried to control the floods in Jiangnan, but those who manage them also need to eat. The little bit of gold and silver allocated by the imperial court isn't even enough to feed them. If those managing the floods can't even eat, how can they care about the common people? Lord Shen, please accept the silver..."
"This is outrageous!"
This time, Xiao Qi could no longer tolerate it. He raised his hand and overturned the gold and silver, which stood up with a "whoosh". The magistrate and others were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
"The people are suffering terribly, yet you dare to embezzle public funds and even attempt to bribe me! From now on, you will not be allowed to interfere in the floods in Jiangnan. I will immediately order someone to report your despicable acts to the Emperor."
"No! Your Honor, have mercy! I know I was wrong! I deserve to die!" The magistrate and his men trembled like leaves, kowtowing repeatedly, their faces covered in dust.
Xiao Qi naturally ignored them and with a wave of his hand, the magistrate and others were dragged away.
The corrupt official imprisoned himself in the jail he built, and when the people of Jiangnan heard that Xiao Qi had governed the county, they flocked to his door to ask him to help them control the floods.
Xiao Qi was deeply loved by the people. He worked through the night to make a plan to control the floods and personally led people to build dikes in dangerous areas. Wanwan also followed him and secretly controlled the water flow to prevent the flood from washing away the people.
The work proceeded very smoothly, and in less than half a month, most of the dam project was completed.
On the day of completion, when Wanwan was looking for Xiao Qi, she unexpectedly discovered that several people disguised as civilians were sabotaging the dike. She subdued them with a gentle touch of her magic and then dealt with the matter without leaving a trace.
When she met with Xiao Qi that day, the two discussed the matter for half the night and both speculated that it was someone secretly planted by the Marquis of Xining.
Now that Chen Yuheng is punishing corrupt officials and controlling floods, and Chu Ying has died in the riots, Marquis Xining is probably unable to restrain himself any longer.
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