Chapter 206 Has Zhao Yunjing gone mad?!
The third son is still alive?!
Everyone paused for a moment, then quickly resumed their work. Every shovel swung into the mud was like a race against death!
Zhao Yunjing quickly cleared the mud from Xiao Sanzi's mouth and nose, and then used the first aid method that Zhou Mujiao had taught him last week, artificial respiration and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, working together. Finally, after half a cup of tea, Xiao Sanzi let out a weak cough!
"He's breathing again! Someone, take Xiao Sanzi to the tent. Doctor Xu, Xiao Sanzi is in your care! Everyone else, hurry up! Xiao Sanzi is alive, the faster we act, the more survivors we can rescue!"
At this time, the villagers who had been rescued by Xie Jiang and his team came down the mountain and joined the search and rescue team.
Soon, the second survivor was rescued, then the third, the fourth, the fifth...
With each survivor they rescued, their morale soared. They lost all sense of time until darkness fell and Zhao Yunjing collapsed. Only then did they realize that they had been digging in Madou Village for four or five hours, yet they had only managed to rescue a few dozen survivors!
"That won't work."
Panting, Zhao Yunjing said to Prefect Liang, "We must return to the city to gather able-bodied men for the search and rescue! We also need to ask the nearest military camp for help!"
Prefect Liang looked troubled: "Lord Zhao, it's not practical to go back to the city to conscript able-bodied men. The city is flooded now, and the people are too busy to take care of themselves. Even if they have recovered, I'm afraid I can't mobilize everyone. The rain might come again at any time. If the rain comes again and the mountain collapses again, it will only cost the lives of the rescue workers as well."
The closest camp to Nanjiang City is Jiangbei Camp, about two hundred li away, with approximately five thousand soldiers. However, I have always been at odds with their commander-in-chief, and every time we meet, we argue to the point of fighting. Even if I were to send someone to ask for help, or even go myself, Commander Jiang might not even listen to me!
Zhao Yunjing waved his hand to wipe the sweat and mud off his face and said in a steady voice, "I will write a letter and you will go in person. If General Jiang is unwilling to send someone, you will come back immediately, and the rest will be handled by my people."
The top scholar in front of him had a refined and gentle appearance, and spoke in a mild and gentle manner, but Lord Liang felt a cold sweat break out all over his body from listening to him.
Could this top scholar be planning something to do to the Jiangbei Camp?
"Lord Zhao, what do you want to do?"
"Don't worry, I won't actually blow up Jiangbei Camp."
Even if it doesn't actually explode, it still has to explode!
Is this top scholar arrogant because he's favored, or ignorant and fearless? Bombing the Jiangbei camp is a capital offense!
"Lord Zhao, please reconsider!"
Zhao Yunjing waved his hand decisively and said, "There's one more thing."
He took out a map that was carefully protected by an oilcloth from his pocket and pointed to Xiaoniang Mountain, the confluence of three rivers: "I want to blast two holes from here to drain the water of the Donglan River into the Chunlan and Qiulan Rivers. Your Excellency, you must immediately send people to mobilize the nearby people to move out within a day. By this time tomorrow, no matter if there are still people, I will definitely blast the mountain."
Bombing the camp, bombing the mountain—has Zhao Yun Jing gone mad? Does he really think he can do whatever he wants just because the Emperor favors him? Does he even know what he's doing? Is there anything he wouldn't dare to do?!
The answer is no.
In the face of disaster, everything must give way to the lives of the people!
Zhao Yunjing's attitude was firm: "The fourth thing is that you must find at least fifteen resettlement sites for disaster victims in the city within one day, and you must open the granaries to provide relief to the people. If my estimate is correct, the imperial court's disaster relief supplies will arrive in five days at most. Within these five days, I do not want to see any people die because they cannot be resettled!"
They returned to the city to conscript able-bodied men, sought help from Jiangbei Camp, evacuated the people near Xiaoniang Mountain, found fifteen resettlement sites in the city to house the disaster victims, and were also responsible for providing them with five days' worth of food!
These four things are all extremely difficult, each one more than level ten, and they will all fall on my shoulders!
Lord Liang's head is about to explode!
"Lord Zhao, Lord Zhao, this official, this official—"
"You can't go back to the city to conscript able-bodied men, you dare not ask the Jiangbei Camp for help, you say it's not allowed to evacuate the people near Xiaoniang Mountain, and now you can't even do something as simple as finding a resettlement site!" Zhao Yunjing was furious. "Your Excellency, Your Excellency, you only remember that you are an official and that you should wield your power! You don't remember that you should treat the people as your own children, do you? It's a disgrace to the Great Liang to have an official like you!"
Lord Liang thought to himself that he was at least a sixth-rank official, while Zhao Yun Jing had just entered officialdom and his rank was no higher than his. How could he reprimand him? Wasn't this insubordination?!
"Zhao, Zhao Yun—"
Before Lord Liang could finish his reprimand, a voice interrupted him: "Lord Zhao! I have mobilized all the manpower in Jiangnan to rush to Nanjiang City. Three hundred people have already arrived and joined the rescue efforts. In addition, the first batch of disaster relief supplies has also been delivered!"
It's Ma Dalang! He's arrived with Zhou Yun Logistics' people and supplies!
Tents were brought in immediately, and a dozen bonfires were lit up, illuminating Madou Village. Water was also boiled, and each survivor received a set of post-apocalyptic survival supplies. They drank the hot water sip by sip, feeling a sense of relief at having survived a catastrophe.
In addition, the doctors they had trained and planted along the way, along with any medicine they could bring, also came. They were all young men and women. They didn't even have time to catch their breath before they went straight to the scene and moved the bodies of the victims to a sheltered spot and sprinkled lime on them.
It's the middle of summer now, these corpses can only be kept for one day at most. After that, they must be burned, otherwise they will breed disease!
Disposing of the bodies of the victims is only the first step. The livestock that died in the flood also need to be dealt with. This disinfection work is very long and arduous. The number one problem is how to persuade the families to cremate the bodies of the victims!
With the rescue force doubled, Madou Village immediately became orderly. Xie Jiang and Song Chengyu led a group of villagers down the mountain, while Ma Dalang immediately led his men up the mountain.
After working continuously for five or six hours, even an iron man would be exhausted. Zhao Yunjing's lips turned white, and he drank two cups of hot water before he recovered. He didn't have time to eat anything and led Xie Jiang and the others out of the village, stumbling along. With Ma Dalang here, he didn't have to worry about him anymore. He had to do the most important thing.
Zhao Yunjing could see the city gate of Nanjiang City in the distance. He quickened his pace. Suddenly, a torch lit up in front of him. Then more and more torches lit up. The torches came out of Nanjiang City one after another, forming a long fire dragon!
"grown ups!"
The scout ran back, and no one could see the joy on his face in the darkness, but everyone could hear his excitement: "My lord! Liang An has led all the able-bodied men of the city out to help with the disaster relief!"
A series of questions immediately popped into Prefect Liang's mind.
Who is Liang An? Why could he get all the able-bodied men in the city to leave and help with the disaster? Was he a disaster relief official of the imperial court? Was he a high-ranking official? Or was he the nephew of some concubine in the harem? What methods did he use to get the indifferent people of Nanjiang City to leave their homes and help others in this kind of weather?
As if he could hear his thoughts, Xie Jiang turned around and smiled at him: "Liang An is a subordinate of Zhou Mujiao, the wife of Lord Zhao. He has no official position, but he has done what Prefect Liang should do and accomplished what Prefect Liang could not. It is a pity that such a talented person is not an official and does not speak up for the people. When I return, I will definitely recommend him to the Emperor personally!"
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