Chapter 188 Those who advocate abandoning the city shall be executed!
"This is bad! Quickly inform the magistrate! Upstream of Butterfly Creek, from Penglang Ferry to Yue Nu Gorge, all eleven water level markers have exceeded the highest water level since they were erected..."
"Something terrible has happened! Quickly find the magistrate to allocate manpower. The water level is too high. The thick wall blocking the second phase of the Zheyi Canal is in imminent danger of collapsing. River water is already leaking into and overflowing the Zheyi Canal..."
"It's all over! Near Yue Nu Gorge by Yunmeng Marsh, two villages have already been destroyed by mudslides. When I came down, I saw that all the people upstream were fleeing to the county town downstream..."
"Your Excellency, Your Excellency! The water level at Di Gong Sluice Gate is too high. The people left behind asked us to inquire whether you should stay or evacuate... Some of the people on duty at the sluice gate have already started to flee..."
From Digongzha in the south to Penglangdu in the north, urgent messages from upstream and downstream of Butterfly Creek are rapidly converging on the ancient county government office on Luming Street in Longcheng County.
Like shockwaves, they were challenging the taut nerves of the county officials, and some had already broken down.
Ouyang Rong rushed alone into the chaotic county government hall.
County Magistrate Diao, Yan Liulang, the six chief clerks, yamen runners and messengers... the county yamen officials gathered here were in a panic.
They swarmed around Ouyang Rong like ants on a hot pan.
Ouyang Rong reached out to support the clerk who was running past in a panic and was about to fall. He turned around and saw the crowd surrounding him chattering away.
Ouyang Rong felt as if the entire world around him was being engulfed by an overwhelming wave of sound, leaving him no chance to catch his breath.
"Minister! What do we do? The rain has stopped downstream, but the heavy rain in Yunmengze upstream is still pouring down for four days and four nights! What should we do?!"
"Your Excellency, some wealthy families and gentry in the county have heard rumors and have already begun to flee. Penglang Ferry is packed with boats prepared by the wealthy, with families all boarding... Other people are also panicking, and the county town is starting to descend into chaos..."
"My lord, the last flood was just like this! If the rain from Yunmengze upstream continues to fall like this and the water level continues to rise, once the Digong Sluice Gate collapses, the downstream area all the way to our county town, along both sides of the Butterfly Creek, hundreds of miles of fertile fields and houses will be flooded again!"
"Our hard work is ruined, completely ruined..."
It was as if the memory of the last flood was still fresh, and the shadow once again loomed over everyone's hearts.
The county government hall, which was orderly just this afternoon, is now like a boiling pot of water, scalding hot.
Only when a real disaster strikes can one truly understand that, compared to unknown natural disasters, the panic before a disaster is the most terrifying wave that can destroy all order.
As if infected by the emotions in the hall, Ouyang Rong's vision blurred, and once again the scene of the flooded Dragon City that he saw when he climbed out of the Pure Land Palace that morning and looked down from Dagushan Mountain to the south flashed before his eyes.
That was... a scene of utter desolation and bloodshed.
Just then, Yan Liulang approached, his face filled with worry, and whispered a reminder:
"My lord, why don't we let Miss Wei Lai and the others from Mei Lu Yuan take a boat first? There are still dozens of large boats you borrowed from Jiangzhou at Penglang Ferry, let's take one..."
The young magistrate paused for a moment as the blue-clad constable whispered something in his ear.
"What do you mean, let the Deer Park go first?"
Ouyang Rong, who had been silent, suddenly questioned loudly.
The sound resounded throughout the venue, silencing the surrounding noises.
"Say it again! I didn't hear you clearly. What do you mean by letting my family members from Meilu Garden leave by boat first?!"
Ouyang Rong questioned him again in front of everyone.
The lobby fell completely silent, and some people felt that the ear-splitting sounds of rain and thunder outside the lobby seemed to have subsided considerably.
The county officials glanced at him sideways.
Yan Liulang stood there, staring blankly at Ouyang Rong, who was looking straight ahead and not turning to look at him, but his words seemed to be a reprimand directed at him alone.
It was only because he had accidentally touched a raw nerve that the blue-clad constable blushed under countless gazes, and he tried to explain himself.
However, Ouyang Rong immediately interrupted him with his resolute words:
"My family members in Meiluyuan will not travel by boat!"
"The dozens of official boats at Penglangdu Wharf will not move either! I said this before, but you seem not to have heard me. However, I will repeat it again."
He kept his eyes straight ahead.
"These official ships borrowed from Jiangzhou are for disaster relief and flood control, not for me or anyone else to escape!"
Yan Liulang was stunned, vaguely realizing that the young magistrate's words seemed to be spoken not only to him.
All eyes in the hall silently converged on them, and the officials who had been scurrying about in a panic, trying to sneak home, quietly stopped in their tracks.
Ouyang Rong took a deep breath, surveyed the entire arena, and raised his right palm, slashing diagonally through the air:
"Anyone, including myself, who abuses public office for private gain and advocates abandoning the city, shall be executed!"
The atmosphere in the room froze.
Ouyang Rong's expression suddenly changed, a disdainful sneer appearing on his face, and he abruptly waved his sleeve:
"And why run? There's no need to run!"
"With me here, with the officials of the county government here, with all the officials and people of Longcheng County here, with the Zheyi Canal here, and with all the efforts we have made over the years here."
"The Di Gong Gate will not collapse, and the flood will not inundate Longcheng again!"
"To flee in panic and ignorance, disregarding one's colleagues who are currently at the forefront of the Digong Dam, to surrender one's back to the flood and bury one's head in the mud, is truly laughable, a ridiculous farce! It is the coward who will be recorded in the annals of Longcheng County a hundred years from now, to be ridiculed by generations of villagers!"
Ouyang Rong grabbed the Longcheng County Annals, which had long been a decoration on the official desk, raised it at everyone, waved it, and then slammed it to the ground.
He pushed aside the stunned or bowed-headed crowd in front of him and strode ahead, walking out of the county government hall:
"Let's go to Di Gong Gate! Those who are not cowards and disgraceful local scoundrels, follow me!"
The young county magistrate led the way, rushing into the pitch-black rain.
Inside the lobby behind them, there was a moment of silence. Some rushed forward with enthusiasm, some followed in a daze, and some hesitated and wavered for a moment before dragging their feet to catch up with the main group outside...
The entire Longcheng County government office was quickly gathered around the figure of a decisive and efficient young county magistrate.
Thunder rumbled across the sky.
Like the roar of a wild beast, or the wrath of a god.
Half an hour later.
Penglangdu.
Shadows were everywhere.
In the drizzle, countless torches illuminated the dock.
It was even more lively than usual during the day.
Not long ago, under the swift command of a young county magistrate, the county constables took immediate control of the dock.
Dozens of official boats borrowed from Jiangzhou, along with some civilian boats temporarily requisitioned, were gathered together and, under the command of Liu Ashan and other able-bodied men from the original disaster relief camp who were skilled in water affairs, were ready to set sail.
Everyone boarded the boats in an orderly fashion, received their tasks, and took advantage of the relatively calm waters before the water level became too high to affect normal navigation. They quickly left the ferry and were transferred by the young magistrate to various parts of Longcheng County. Among them, the boats heading to the Digong Sluice Gate of Yue Nu Gorge were the most numerous.
At this moment, the boarding gate of a large ship preparing to sail to Digong Gate was brightly lit by several torches.
"Your Excellency, I will assist you."
Yan Liulang took the umbrella, took a few steps forward, helped Ouyang Rong, and boarded the boat.
Ouyang Rong glanced at him, then boarded the ship without a word.
Immediately afterwards, Yan Liulang also nimbly boarded the ship, but was immediately stopped by a large hand.
Liu Ashan pulled Yan Liulang to a secluded spot at the stern of the boat.
Like everyone else busy on the ship, Ouyang Rong was also dressed in a straw raincoat.
He stood alone at the stern of the boat, hands behind his back, waiting under the drizzle.
Against the backdrop of the sky, silvery lightning bolts crawled across a corner of the night.
"Prefect?"
"You stay here."
Ouyang Rong didn't turn his head.
"How could I not go!"
“You and Magistrate Diao can stay in the county. As for the Di Gong Sluice, Ashan and I can go there. If the sluice collapses, we won’t miss you…” He said in a low voice, “Besides, you have other important things to do.”
"The sluice gate collapsed? Didn't the magistrate say..." Yan Liulang paused, stunned, "Wh...what important thing?"
"While I'm away, maintain order in the county for the next two days and be wary of the Liu family..."
"Furthermore, regardless of those wealthy families who have run away, the remaining women, children, the elderly, and the families of every colleague in the county government, as well as all the people in the county town... you and your constable squad go and gather them all together and take them to Dagushan."
"Dagushan?"
"That's right. I have already sent County Magistrate Diao to make arrangements to move the disaster relief camp that has not been disbanded in the suburbs to the mountains. The terrain there is high and suitable for the people of the whole county to take refuge during floods."
"I've already spoken to Donglin Temple. You can just take the people up there. If there's not enough room, they can stay at the temple. Six thousand households of Longcheng can be accommodated on Dagushan Mountain. Try not to leave anyone out."
"As soon as our boat leaves, you should immediately go and mobilize everyone. The water is rising too fast. If it continues at this rate, it might be too late if we delay for another day."
"Make sure all the people in the county are brought to Dagushan and settled there properly. Say that it is the county government's arrangement, my order, and the imperial court's command!"
"If you can't take the pots, pans, gold, silver, and jewelry from down the mountain, don't force yourself to take them. If you lose the land but the people are gone, you lose both the people and the land; if you lose the land but the people are gone, you still have both the people and the land."
"Do you remember what I told you that day? We can always start over. Even if the floodwaters inundate Dragon City, the tide will eventually recede, and you can rebuild it later..."
The young magistrate gave detailed instructions on everything, big or small.
Liu Ashan silently turned his head and looked at the shadow of the straw raincoat at the bow of the boat, which was occasionally illuminated for a moment by the white lightning bolts in the sky.
When Yan Liulang, who was about to receive orders, heard the strange word "you," his eyelids twitched. The more he listened, the more it sounded like some kind of instruction.
Yan Liulang wanted to interrupt, but Ouyang Rong didn't give him the chance, nagging on and on.
Just as the ship was about to depart, Liu Ashan coughed lightly to remind him, and he stopped, waving his hand behind him without turning his head:
"Let's disembark. I'll leave things here to Rokuro."
Yan Liulang couldn't help but say:
"Sir, didn't you just say at the county office that the Di Gong Gate wouldn't collapse and that we could hold it? Why are you now ordering your men to gather everyone up the mountain to take refuge..."
Yan Liulang paused in his speech.
Actually, the rain in Longcheng County, which is downstream, was not heavy tonight. It was just a light drizzle, and the waves on Butterfly Creek were not big, so it was quite calm.
However, everyone on the field knew that the real culprit was the continuous heavy rain in the vicinity of Yunmengze upstream for several days. With the rising water, a major flood was brewing in this calm, and it was only a matter of whether the newly built Digong Sluice Gate could withstand it.
At this moment, the stern of the boat, shrouded in a light drizzle, fell into an eerie silence.
Ouyang Rong, who was wearing a raincoat to shield himself from the rain, turned around.
Beneath the straw hat, on a dark face, lay a pair of calm, clear eyes that made Yan Liulang stop talking.
I understand now.
"Here you go."
The constable in blue bowed his head and slowly clasped his hands in a fist salute.
The atmosphere seemed somewhat heavy when Ouyang Rong suddenly smiled:
"What nonsense are you thinking? With me here, the sluice gate won't collapse. This arrangement is just in case. You just need to do your job. When I return, we'll go have tea at Yunshui Pavilion on a sunny day."
Yan Liulang clicked his tongue, thinking, "Didn't you order the Yunshui Pavilion's health tea business to be rectified, Your Excellency? Are you going to order it to be changed back?"
However, he ultimately didn't say it.
"Take care, Your Excellency."
Yan Liulang muttered something under his breath, then turned and left without looking back.
After seeing everyone off, Ouyang Rong let out a long sigh of relief, took one last look back at the familiar Longcheng County in the night, turned to face the upper reaches of Butterfly Creek, and waved his hand to give the order.
A short while later, at Penglang Ferry, one official boat after another set sail.
On Butterfly Creek, the wind and waves grew higher and higher.
Ouyang Rong and his group rushed upstream overnight.
Along the way, they could see villagers abandoning their houses and fleeing towards Longcheng County on both sides of Butterfly Creek.
Once a major flood comes, the closer to the upstream Yue Nu Gorge, the more dangerous it will be. The current signs of rising water have naturally worried the villagers in Longcheng County, which is close to Yue Nu Gorge, and they have all left their homes.
On the way to Digongzha, Ouyang Rong was not idle either. He dispatched county officials to both sides of Butterfly Creek to organize the refugees to go to Longcheng County in an orderly manner.
As per his instructions, Yan Liulang and his men should currently be working hard to organize the people of Longcheng County to go to the refuge camp set up on Dagushan Mountain.
A cold wind blew in his face, but when he thought of the arrangements in Longcheng County behind him, his junior sister who was far away, and the familiar maids such as Ye Weilai who should have been transferred to the mountain by Liu Lang in time, Ouyang Rong felt a little relieved and his gaze became firm.
However, as the ships got closer and closer to the Digong Lock.
Not only did the rain increase as they expected, but the wind and waves also grew stronger.
Ouyang Rong and others also discovered that the river water had become turbid.
Wild animals fled into the mountains and fields on both sides of the river.
From time to time, a loud sound, quite different from thunder, could be heard from upstream, as if it were a mudslide that had swept for miles.
Ouyang Rong's eyes showed a moment of dazedness again.
He vividly recalled the day he first arrived at the Pure Land Palace, when he tried to climb up to the cave entrance and heard a thunderous sound outside the palace.
It must have been the sound of the old gate of Di Gong being breached overnight.
So, is it coming again?
Fortunately, this time it seemed that the Liu family was not causing trouble by blowing up the gate. Ouyang Rong and the others were terrified for half the night, but the earth-shattering sound of the gate collapsing never came.
Finally, just before midnight, a huge sluice gate with dark clouds overhead slowly appeared in the view of everyone on the ship.
Before they could even catch their breath, looking into the distance, behind the Digong Gate, above the vast Yunmeng Marsh, which stretched for nine hundred miles, were thick, inky black clouds.
It pressed down on Di Gong's gate.
In comparison, the Di Gong Gate is like a narrow, thin wooden plank stuck in the only outlet of a pond.
Water leaks through all four gaps.
It was on the verge of breaking.
As expected of me, Xiao Rong, who didn't even ask for leave on May 20th and 21st!
(End of this chapter)
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