"Your Majesty, please have some water!" Liang Jiugong said, presenting the water bag hanging on the horse's neck to Emperor Kangxi.
"Alright. Where are we?" Kangxi sat in the carriage, which was still a very simple carriage covered with oil and cloth.
"Your Majesty, we have arrived at Huolu County, Zhengding Prefecture," Liang Jiugong reported.
"We'll be there soon. It's still two days' journey," Kangxi said.
"Yes, Your Majesty must be tired from your journey. We'll arrive in two more days." Liang Jiugong quickly took the water bag that Kangxi had handed him after he finished drinking the water.
"North China is suffering from a severe drought. All the water sources along the way have dried up. I wonder what the situation is like in the capital!" Kangxi said with a hint of worry in his eyes.
“Your Majesty, Prince Heshuo said that things are still normal in the capital!” Liang Jiugong said.
"He only reports good news, never bad. That's always been my eldest son's character. Until now, he hasn't come up with any decent ideas," Kangxi said. Throughout the journey, Kangxi's secret guards maintained contact with the capital. Even when Kangxi wasn't in the palace, he knew a thing or two about what was happening there.
“Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has been inspecting water sources in various places along the way. Has he come up with a plan?” Liang Jiugong asked.
Kangxi said, "He is assessing the disaster situation. Judging from the journey here, this year's drought is likely to be severe. Grain production in various regions will decrease."
Liang Jiugong sighed and said, "Heaven is really cruel. With such a severe drought, the farmers' hard work for more than half a year will all be in vain."
Emperor Kangxi said, "The court has just finished its flogging campaign, and now with such a severe drought, the amount of disaster relief funds that can be distributed is questionable. Fortunately, we did not launch a large-scale southern tour this time, which saved a lot of money."
“That’s right. If it weren’t for the Fourth Prince’s opposition to the Emperor’s southern tour, it would have been a huge waste,” Liang Jiugong reminded Kangxi.
“Old man, sometimes I really suspect that he has given you some benefits, otherwise why do you always talk to him!” Kangxi stared at Liang Jiugong.
"Fourth Prince did give this servant some benefits!" Liang Jiugong said defiantly.
"What? You actually received some benefits?" Kangxi raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, the Fourth Prince’s reward to his servants is to serve the Emperor well!” Liang Jiugong said.
"Old man, you say these things without even blushing," Kangxi spat.
"This servant is already quite old, and has long forgotten what it feels like to blush," Liang Jiugong said. Only he could joke with Kangxi like this now, and Kangxi wouldn't get angry with him.
"The fourth prince is a man of action," Kangxi finally said. Liang Jiugong said nothing more.
"Father, there's a shed up ahead. Let's sit down and have a bite to eat!" It was the Tenth Prince's voice from outside.
"Okay, let's stop and take a break."
Once the carriages had come to a stop, the group dismounted. The Tenth Prince and Liang Jiugong helped Kangxi down from the carriage. Dust filled the air; due to several months without rain, the soil was extremely dry, and even the slightest vibration sent clouds of dust billowing up, making it difficult to open one's eyes.
As soon as Kangxi came out, he quickly squinted his eyes, shut his mouth, and let Liang Jiugong help him walk towards the pavilion.
"Old man, bring me a few bowls of cold tea!" Fourteenth Master rushed ahead. He had been riding his horse all the way under the blazing sun, and his mouth was already parched.
"Alright, please come inside and have a seat, everyone!" The owner of the pavilion was an old man.
After Kangxi and his entourage entered the pavilion and found a place to sit, the old man came up with a kettle and towels. He first wiped the table quickly with a large cloth, and then began to pour tea for the Fourth Prince and the others.
"Old man, has it not rained here for several months?" Kangxi asked, looking up.
"Yes, it's been several months, and there's a drought everywhere. It's really killing us. I'm afraid this shed won't be open for much longer." The old man's face was also covered in dust.
"Can the people here still maintain their daily water supply?" Kangxi asked.
"Many people started looking for water." The old man poured water for each of them.
"Where did you get this water from?" Fourth Master asked.
The old man was about to leave when he heard what Fourth Master said. He paused for a moment and said, "I've been running this shed for almost twenty years." After saying that, he left without directly replying to Fourth Master.
Everyone picked up their teacups and drank tea, but after a while, they couldn't drink anymore because dust was rising from the official road outside the pavilion.
"Father, this drought is terrible," said the Fourteenth Prince.
"What do you think we should do? Have you seen any disaster victims along the way?" Kangxi asked, wiping his mouth with a cloth he carried with him.
"Send someone to find water immediately, or even dig a well!" Tenth Master said immediately.
"How do we transport water? The entire North China region is experiencing a severe drought. How long will it take to travel back and forth, and how much water can be transported? These are all problems," Fourth Master replied immediately.
"Then what about digging a well?" Fourteen asked.
“During a severe drought, groundwater levels would have already dropped. If drilling wells could solve the problem, there wouldn’t be this drought issue at all,” Fourth Master said.
"This won't work, that won't work, then what do you suggest?" Fourteen raised an eyebrow.
The Fourth Prince ignored him and said to Kangxi, "Father, we must send officials to comfort these disaster victims. Then, all prefectures and counties should send people to set up shelters and distribute basic water supplies to the affected areas to try to prevent or minimize deaths. Finally, it all boils down to one word: wait, wait for the rain!"
After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
"When will it stop raining?" Fourteen couldn't help but ask.
“Heaven isn’t that cruel; it will rain eventually. The court can only use its resources to transport water and build shelters so that people have at least some water to drink. It also needs to do its best to appease the people in various places, letting them stay in their homes and wait for the rain,” Fourth Master said. “This is much easier than searching for water everywhere.”
Kangxi pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Fourth Prince, what you said is exactly what I was thinking. It's a pity that Prince Heshuo couldn't think of these things. He even sent me some nonsense about 'a celestial demon star causing the drought'!"
"A demon star has descended from the sky?" Fourteen asked in surprise.
"When did you start believing in this stuff, Brother? A demon star falling from the sky? How could you even come up with that?" Tenth Master said.
"Hmph, alright, hurry up and finish your tea, let's get going. If I don't go back soon, I don't know what the capital will be like," Kangxi said.
After they finished their tea, when Fourth Master was settling the bill with the old man, he secretly asked him, "Where does the water in your tea stall come from?"
Then, Fourth Master slipped ten taels of silver to the old man.
Looking at the silver in his hand, the old man finally said, "I've discovered a spring, that's why there's water. Don't tell anyone else, or they'll all scramble for it."
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