Chapter 323: Keeping it a secret
Many laborers were mobilized from the villages along the coast, and they ran to the embankment with sacks filled with soil.
In the heavy rain, everyone was soaked and no one cared.
While we are blocking the pipe burst here, the water level in the riverbed over there keeps rising, exceeding the normal water level.
"Quick, mobilize all the manpower and raise the dam!" Su Bucheng was shocked.
This rain is coming with such force! If it overflows the levees, the entire state of Washington will be flooded.
Not only did the common people have no harvest, but even the official land had no output. All the officials' food subsidies were gone. Where could the court mobilize so much food?
"Why are there only so few people?" Su Bucheng looked at the people running back and forth on the embankment. There were no more than two or three hundred of them.
"That's all!" Cui Du shouted, "Call all the laborers who can contribute!"
There are simply not enough people to stop the pipe leak, raise the embankment, and dig the earth.
Su Bucheng looked around and saw heavy rain and fog. The sky was dark and the water level was only three or four feet away from the dam. It could only hold out for two or three hours at most before it would burst.
"Lord Cui, mobilize the Huazhou garrison to support the dike!" Su Bucheng gritted his teeth and said.
"Ah!" Cui Du was stunned. "Mobilize the garrison?"
"Hurry, use all the labor that can be mobilized! Otherwise, this dam will not be able to prevent the rising river water!" Su Bucheng said anxiously.
In the Tang Dynasty, the provincial governor had great power and military authority and could mobilize the garrison.
"Oh, okay!" Cui Du couldn't care less! Once the dam collapsed, his work would be over!
"Master Wei! Please help me!"
"Master Su, please speak!" Wei Shutong wiped the rain off his face and said.
"This place is closest to Xiagui. Please personally ride a fast horse to Xiagui City and request support from the garrison and government officials! Also, please provide all necessary flood control supplies!"
The only manpower Su Bucheng could think of was the defenders of Xiagui City, which was forty or fifty miles away from here. There were obviously not enough sacks and hoes on the embankment, and they all needed support.
Su Bucheng was busy and couldn't get away, so the only ones who had a chance to get support from Xiagui City were Cui Du and Wei Shutong.
Cui Du is the governor and must stay on the dike at the moment and cannot leave.
The most ideal and suitable person was Wei Shutong, who was a special envoy, a royal attendant, and a close minister to the emperor. Although his position was idle, ordinary people did not dare to offend him easily.
"Okay!" Wei Shutong led a horse over, jumped on it, and ran towards Xiagui City in the heavy rain.
Su Bucheng continued to inspect the riverbank. On the other side of the river was Tongzhou, where people were also busy raising the pipes and blocking leaks.
After the letter was delivered last night, Li Hongshi did not dare to take it lightly. He immediately made arrangements and was now personally supervising the battle on the other side of the river.
Be it the people or the government, no one wanted the dam to burst at this moment, so they tried their best to reinforce it.
"Quick! Raise the riverbank!" The garrison of Huazhou arrived, with five hundred people.
Seeing that the dam was about to be flooded by the river, it was quickly raised to prevent the flood from breaking through the dam.
The government built a tent with waterproof tarpaulin in the rain to cook porridge, and the people working on flood prevention took turns to eat.
In less than two hours, Wei Shutong came back running in the heavy rain, followed by several fast horses.
"Lord Su!" Wei Shutong panted. "The Xiagui City garrison has arrived. They're behind us and will be here in about half an hour. What's the situation here?"
"Thank you! Lord Wei, you've worked hard!" Su Bucheng's tense heart relaxed a little, "We can still hold on for a while, let's get closer to the dam!"
A yamen runner brought two bowls of porridge, and Su Bucheng finally had an appetite. He picked up the porridge and drank it in one gulp.
Wei Shutong was not in much better condition. He was tired, thirsty, hungry, and drenched in the rain. He felt cold all over. Only after he drank the bowl of hot porridge did he feel warm.
"There are a total of five hundred people including the defenders of Xiagui City, yamen runners, and laborers in the city!" Wei Shutong said after he had recovered his breath.
"Why?" Su Bucheng was stunned. This was almost half the number of people he had estimated.
"Mr. Li, the prefect, also sent people to request support, so the Xiagui County Magistrate had no choice but to split the people in half." Wei Shutong explained.
After hearing this, Su Bucheng couldn't help laughing. They were thinking the same thing!
Half an hour later, reinforcements arrived with various flood control supplies, which sped up the progress and raised the height by another two feet.
At 6:15 PM, the rain slowed down, but the sky was gray and dark, as if it was about to get dark.
The river water stopped rising temporarily and seemed to stabilize.
Su Bucheng looked at the sky with a puzzled expression.
"Master Su, when will the rain stop?" Cui Du asked cautiously. Please don't rain anymore!
If you don’t want to rain, then don’t rain. Now all the rain that has accumulated for several months will come down in one go!
"It's hard to say. If the weather stops and clears up tomorrow, there won't be heavy rain in the short term. But if it keeps drizzling, I'm afraid the rain will continue for another five or six days!" Su Bucheng wasn't sure.
Several stoves were set up on the embankment to cook, and medicinal herbs were bought to boil ginger water, which was given to everyone on the embankment to drink to drive away the cold.
"Master Wei, go back and change your clothes!" Su Bucheng saw that Wei Shutong was still wearing the wet clothes.
"It's okay, let's warm ourselves by the fire, it's almost done!" Wei Shutong said with a smile.
It takes more than an hour to get back to the provincial capital, what a hassle!
That night, several people did not dare to leave the Wei River and dozed off in the carriage.
"My two dear ministers! Let's eradicate the locusts..." Tian Khan looked at the heavy rain outside, feeling a little hesitant and doubtful.
We just finished killing the locusts and now there is a heavy rain. Is it a blessing or a curse?
After such a long drought, of course we hope for rain.
Just two hours ago, I received an urgent report from Su Bucheng that there might be heavy rain in many places in Guanzhong tonight.
There is a possibility of flash floods, and we have urged all states and counties to prepare for flood prevention and reminded the court that subsequent floods may occur.
Tian Khan was very pleased to see that the locust control work was going smoothly and was quite effective.
But when I saw the predictions of heavy rain and the possibility of flash floods, Tian Khan thought it was incredible! Could it be that accurate?
A few days ago, the Minister of Works Duan Lun prayed for rain but it didn’t come. Can Su Bucheng bring rain by killing locusts?
But unexpectedly, lightning and thunder appeared soon, and a violent storm really came!
"Your Majesty, a long drought will inevitably lead to floods. This rain has come at the perfect time. If it hadn't come earlier, the crops wouldn't have survived even if the locusts were wiped out! It rained right after we finished wiping out the locusts. God is showing his appreciation!"
If it was God's punishment, it should have rained a few days ago so the locusts could reproduce!" Du Ruhui rarely spoke first.
"That's right!" Fang Xuanling glanced at his partner.
“Although this rain poses a risk of flash floods, if flood prevention measures are taken properly, the harm will not be great. It has finally alleviated the drought in Guanzhong!
Su Shaoyin reminded us in time that all prefectures and counties should be able to overcome the difficulties with adequate precautions! I think Su Shaoyin is guarding the banks of the Wei River to prevent flooding at this moment!
"My two dear ministers are right! It has been refusing to rain before because it is waiting to kill the locusts!" Tian Khan felt relieved and his frown disappeared.
Listening to the sound of rain outside the temple is particularly pleasant.
"Your Majesty! Here are two very interesting memorials!" Fang Xuanling presented them with a smile.
"My dear minister, if you are so happy, it must be great news!" Tian Khan took over. "Lingnan Road again? Any news? Is the rice harvest coming?"
"Your Majesty will know after seeing it!" Prime Minister Fang kept the secret.
"Xuanling, it's you!" Tian Khan pointed at Fang Xiang and smiled, then opened the memorial and took a closer look.
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