Chapter 59 The Canal Waters Are Secretly Weeping (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The fleet set sail.
The emperor's royal warship, escorted by dozens of Xuanjia Army warships at the front and rear, resembled a giant water dragon, slowly sailing south along the wide canal.
Along the banks of the canal, willows sway gently, and the scenery is beautiful.
If it weren't for the shadow of the Jiangnan floods looming over everyone's hearts, this should have been a pleasant trip.
But at this moment, the atmosphere of the fleet was solemn... yet also had a strange sense of humor.
The source of the humor is, of course, Mu Yu, the "Tiger Knight" on the main deck.
She refused to stay in the comfortable and warm cabin, saying that "the chief designer wanted to personally inspect the waterway."
Thus, a strange sight appeared on the spacious deck.
A huge, majestic one-eyed tiger king was lazily basking in the sun in the middle of the deck.
The softest blanket was spread on the tiger king's broad back.
A little baby wearing pink armor and blindfolded sits upright, patting the tiger's head with his little hand in a serious manner.
"Big Cat, hard to port! We need to overtake that small boat ahead!"
"Big cat, speed up! Look, even the little dogs on the shore are running faster than us!"
The tiger king let out a "roar," lazily rolled over, and turned its rear end towards her, its huge tail swishing back and forth as a response.
Xiao Beichen and Yan Ziche, who were standing by, were responsible for suppressing their laughter and translating, respectively.
"Little Fisherman, the boat is steered by the helmsman, not the big cat," Xiao Beichen explained, suppressing a laugh.
Yan Ziche, holding a copy of "Illustrated Gazetteer of Rivers" that he had somehow found, said to Mu Yu with an air of seriousness:
"Princess Advisor, according to my observation, the waterway is currently clear and the current is stable. We expect to arrive at the 'Three-Forked River Estuary' in about an hour."
Mu Yu nodded solemnly.
"Okay, I understand. You did a great job. When we get there, I'll reward you with a piece of malt candy."
Yan Ziche immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Princess, for your advice!"
The two of them sang in unison, having a great time.
Not far away at the bow of the ship, Mu Fang and Chu Chongjin stood side by side.
On the table in front of them were even more detailed military defense maps and water conservancy maps of Jiangnan.
"Judging from the map, the first to be affected by the breach of the Jinghu Lake dike are Yunmeng, Zezhou, and Shishou counties. But this is just the beginning."
Chu Chongjin pointed his finger at a location on the map.
"If the flood cannot be diverted in time, it will surely submerge the downstream 'land of fish and rice'—Jiayu County—within half a month. That is where nearly 30% of the granaries of the Great Chu Kingdom are located."
Mu Fang's expression was solemn.
“Jiayu County is the center of the fiefdom of the Marquis of Suiyuan.”
"That's right."
A cold glint flashed in Chu Chongjin's eyes.
"I suspect that this breach was not entirely a natural disaster."
"You mean..." Mu Fang lowered his voice, "...human intervention?"
"Very likely."
Chu Chongjin said, "The Jinghu Dam was repaired three years ago under the supervision of the Suiyuan Marquis's Mansion and was said to be able to withstand a once-in-a-century flood. Now, after only ten days of torrential rain, it has suddenly collapsed. It's too strange."
"If it really was Sikong Ming who did this... what's in it for him? What benefit would he gain from flooding his own fiefdom?"
Mu Fang was completely baffled.
"What he's after is 'destruction before construction'."
Chu Chongjin gave a cold laugh.
"First, he destroys everything with a natural disaster, then appears as a 'savior,' buying up the land of the displaced people at low prices, controlling the lifeline of food, and turning the entire Jiangnan region into his private kingdom. At that time, with money and grain in his hands, he will collude with the southern barbarians and attack from both the north and south... Father's dragon throne will truly be unstable."
These words sent a chill down Mu Fang's spine.
He never imagined that such a vicious conspiracy was hidden behind this.
As the two were discussing, a clear, childlike voice interrupted.
"Father, Ninth Brother, what are you talking about?"
Mu Yu had climbed down from the tiger's back at some point and groped her way to their side.
Chu Chongjin immediately rolled up the map and put on a gentle expression.
"We're talking about what good food there is in Jiangnan."
Mu Yu's little nose immediately wrinkled. Although she couldn't see, she could "smell" the lie.
"No, that's not true! Your taste is bitter and astringent, like uncooked tea leaves."
She bluntly exposed their lies.
"You're talking about that wicked second prince, aren't you?"
Mu Fang and Chu Chongjin exchanged a helpless glance.
It seems that no secret can be kept from this little girl.
"Father, Ninth Brother, don't be afraid of him."
Mu Yu stretched out her two little hands, one on each side, and took their hands.
"As the Turtle Prime Minister said, good will never prevail over evil!"
"The more bad things he does, the heavier the dark aura around him becomes, and the more the nation's destiny will dislike him. We are here to do good deeds; we will shine, and the nation's destiny will like us and help us!"
Her innocent words were like a ray of sunshine, dispelling the gloom in their hearts.
Yes, with the most auspicious omen of the Great Chu Kingdom by their side, what demons and monsters are they afraid of?
The fleet continued on its way.
Mu Yu gradually lost interest in the scenery on the deck and began to focus her attention on the canal beneath her feet.
She took off her shoes and socks, revealing her bare, delicate little feet, and stepped onto the deck, which was warm from the sun.
She closed her eyes and felt the scent of the flowing water.
"The water here is singing, it's so joyful."
"Oh, that stretch of water up there looks really old, like it's dozing off."
"Huh? This big blue fish is thinking about its wife..."
She muttered to herself, while Yan Ziche was writing furiously in a small notebook beside her, the title of which was "Princess Anguo's Hydrological Observation Notes".
Xiao Beichen stayed close by, afraid that she might accidentally fall into the river.
As evening approached, the fleet entered a relatively narrow section of the river.
The banks are lined with towering cliffs, and the water flow becomes somewhat rapid.
Most people returned to their cabins to eat, leaving only a few Xuanjia soldiers on night watch on the deck.
Mu Yu was tired after playing all day and was lying on the big cat's soft belly, dozing off.
As night deepened, a thin layer of mist rose from the river.
All was silent except for the sound of the ship cutting through the water and the current crashing against the cliffs.
Sudden.
Mu Yu, who was almost asleep, sat up straight without warning.
She sniffed the air hard with her little nose, and her unfocused amber eyes suddenly "looked" at a dark riverbank cliff to her left.
Her brows furrowed tightly into a knot.
"Father!"
She suddenly raised her voice and shouted towards the cabin.
Upon hearing the noise, Mu Fang, who was discussing nighttime defenses with Chu Chongjin inside the cabin, immediately rushed out.
"Little Yu'er, what's wrong?"
He rushed to his daughter's side and anxiously checked on her condition.
Mu Yu stretched out her chubby finger and pointed to the darkness.
Her voice carried a hint of unease and confusion.
“Father, the water over there… is crying secretly.”
She tilted her head, listened intently for a moment, and then added a sentence.
"It said...its belly is going to burst!"
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