Chapter 184: 191. Filling the Sea

191. Filling the Sea

What is an undercurrent pipe gushing?

First of all, the flood control dam itself is piled up with earth and stone, and it is not as solid as the world imagines.

Not to mention the solidity of the earth and stone buildings in this era, even the solidity of the concrete dams in Ouyang Rong's previous life could not be completely sealed.

Once the water level rises sharply, or the flood peak arrives, the huge water pressure will seep into the dam through some tiny cracks that are not usually discovered.

Then it forms undercurrents, which is called "pipe gushing".

Once the undercurrent pipe gushing continues and gathers, the dam can collapse.

So there is an idiom called a thousand-mile dike, collapsing in an ant's nest.

This is also what Ouyang Rong guards against.

When Ouyang Rong led people to rush down Longbei Mountain and arrived at Digong Sluice.

The clerks and craftsmen left behind near the water sluice were already in a state of chaos.

"How is the situation!"

Ouyang Rong quickly passed through the road separated by the crowd and rushed forward.

"Magistrate!" A clerk said with a face full of anxiety:

"The nearby mountains should have had mudslides, and maybe villages were washed away. Just now the wind was sudden, and a large wave rolled up a large piece of trees, bricks, and tiles, all hitting the sluice dam!

"The most fatal thing is that a part of it hit the water sluice."

Another clerk with a calmer expression took the words and said to Ouyang Rong, who was locking his eyebrows:

"An old craftsman surnamed Chen said that on the whole sluice dam, he found two places that seemed to be having pipe gushing. There are undercurrent whirlpools in the water, and there must be cracks.

"One is near the main sluice gate, and the other is in the left half, close to Longbei Mountain..."

Ouyang Rong muttered: "Pipe gushing... two places..." He raised his head suddenly, "Clerk Chen, go call the craftsman."

Hua Xuanji, several senior craftsmen were brought over.

"Take me to see the location of the pipe gushing."

Ouyang Rong's expression remained unchanged, and he ordered without any hesitation.

Led by the craftsman surnamed Chen and others, Ouyang Rong quickly located two locations where undercurrent pipe gushing might be occurring.

Ouyang Rong made a decisive decision and said to the crowd:

"First block the pipe gushing near the main sluice gate! Concentrate all efforts to protect the water sluice!"

"Magistrate, looking at the overturning flowers appearing on the water surface, the gap in the other place seems to be more serious..."

"The water sluice is the core of Digong Sluice, located in the middle section, with more wooden structures, and is the most fragile part of the whole sluice. Once the sluice gate collapses, it can drive the entire dam to breach, and the consequences are unimaginable."

Ouyang Rong analyzed calmly, and turned his head to instruct:

"However, there are many of us. Go, gather manpower, and do both at the same time. Throw sandbags and fill stones in both places to eliminate the water potential! Suppress the pipe gushing!"

Ouyang Rong turned his head, wiped a handful of rainwater on his face, and said decisively:

"Ashan, take the main force of the civil brave team to follow me! We will go to the main sluice gate first to block the opening!

"Clerk He, Craftsman Chen... you stay in this place, throw sand and fill stones into the water to eliminate the water potential! Suppress the pipe gushing!

"Women, children, villagers, and irrelevant people who send food and clothes should evacuate the dam first, don't crowd on the sluice, causing congestion and hindering the transport of sandbags..."

The situation is urgent.

Under the continuous rising water and surging water potential of Yunmeng Marsh, pipe gushing may expand at any time, causing a larger-scale breach, and the consequences are unimaginable.

However, a series of precise orders were issued by a certain young magistrate, and everyone seemed to have found the backbone, their spirits were shaken, and they took their orders.

Act separately, racing against time.

Ouyang Rong and his party were the first to arrive near the main sluice gate in the middle of the dam, first assessing the situation, and locating the pipe gushing position.

"Look, it's here!" A civil brave shouted.

I saw below the dam, the wind was urgent and the waves were high, hitting the dam wall.

In a certain place on the water surface, only a place of overturning flowers and overturning sand emerged, all indicating that the cracks in the dam below were being permeated and washed by the rapid water flow.

Ouyang Rong and others who stayed on the sluice picked up bamboo poles and worked together to push away the debris and broken wood on the water surface for the warriors who were about to enter the water.

Hua Xuanji, ten strong men from the civil brave team who were best at water, stripped their clothes and bare chests, regardless of the rapid water waves below, each carrying bamboo wood and fishing nets, jumped into the water one after another.

The water potential was rapid, and Liu Ashan and other strong men who were good at water barely stabilized their figures, and landed one after another at the position designated by Ouyang Rong on the shore.

Some dived to insert poles.

Some spread nets in all directions.

On the water sluice, people also started to throw down the sandbags and broken stones that had been prepared long ago to eliminate the water potential.

Fortunately, Ouyang Rong's advance preparations a few days ago, and the civil brave team also had corresponding deduction arrangements.

At the moment when the crisis was imminent, they made a move for the first time, barely orderly, and didn't lose their footing...

After the efforts of the ten men who jumped into the water led by Liu Ashan, and the concerted cooperation of everyone on the shore.

About half an hour later.

Bamboo poles were inserted in the riverbed in a very orderly manner with short intervals.

Large fishing nets were spread out between the wooden poles,

Together, they temporarily surrounded a semicircular underwater space.

This "semicircle" covered the sluice dam, surrounding the main sluice gate where the undercurrent pipe gushing was occurring.

If it were just inserting poles and surrounding nets, it would not be stable.

But on the sluice dam, Ouyang Rong led the remaining young and strong men to throw the sandbags and broken stones that had been hoarded long ago into the semicircular space below.

It is said that everything is difficult at the beginning,

But because of the "semicircle" cover formed by wooden piles and fishing nets, the surging water waves and undercurrents did not wash away the sandbags and heavy objects that sank to the bottom of the water at the beginning.

They were blocked in this designated underwater space and gradually filled it.

Hua Xuanji, the originally high wind and waves on the water surface slowly reduced with the filling of heavy objects such as sandbags that sank.

After the layout was completed, Liu Ashan and the ten civil brave men climbed ashore agilely like loaches with the support of bamboo poles extended on the dam.

They didn't rest for a moment, cooperated with Ouyang Rong and others, and continued to throw sandbags and broken stones into the semicircular water surface below.

Half an incense stick later, finally, the phenomenon of overturning flowers and overturning sand on the water surface disappeared, restoring the original calm.

On the sluice dam, Ouyang Rong and others put down the sandbags they were holding, wiped their sweat, and looked at each other.

Liu Ashan didn't say a word, dropped his horse coat, jumped into the water like a flying fish, dived into the bottom of the river, and after a while, let out a

The sandbags and earth-stones, which had filled more than half of the space underwater, firmly suppressed the piping caused by the gaps.

The dangerous piping situation at the main gate of this sluice was contained!

Ouyang Rong and the civilian volunteer teams relaxed their shoulders and let out sighs of relief with joy.

However, after bringing Liu Ashan up onto the sluice, Ouyang Rong's expression turned stern, and he turned his head to say:

"There is one more place. Let's go, in one go!" Ouyang Rong led Liu Ashan and the civilian volunteer team, immediately packed up their things, and rushed toward another area where a crowd had gathered at the sluice dam to provide rapid support.

"How is it on your side?"

The person in charge here was a clerk surnamed He. Because he had repeatedly shown relative calmness among his colleagues, Ouyang Rong had let him and the old craftsman Chen be responsible for the water-slaying and flow-suppression here to temporarily contain the piping.

They would wait until they had handled the higher-priority main sluice gate before pulling main forces to support.

"My lord, something is not right."

Clerk He turned his head, and his first sentence made the hearts of the arriving crowd sink.

"What is not right?"

Clerk He, along with his colleagues beside him, worked together to throw a bag of sand and stone into the water. He pointed to the rapid wind and waves slapping the dam wall below and said:

"My lord, we have already thrown down over a hundred sandbags, but the water force here below shows no visible signs of being suppressed."

Ouyang Rong frowned and turned to look at Liu Ashan.

The latter stepped forward with tacit understanding, took two civilian volunteer men, and jumped into the water together, braving the wind and waves to dive to the bottom.

But soon, the three of them returned to the shore one after another, bringing bad news to the already anxious crowd.

"Master, it's not good. Directly below this piping, there is a very deep water trench. All the sandbags and earth-stones we threw down have all filled into the deep trench."

The hearts of the crowd sank.

Ouyang Rong furrowed his brows and asked about the depth of this trench. Liu Ashan looked thoughtful, and after a moment, he said a few words in a voice only Ouyang Rong could hear, seemingly making a rough analogy.

The crowd only saw the young magistrate's brows furrow even deeper.

It did not seem to be good news.

The atmosphere among the crowd became increasingly solemn.

Ouyang Rong turned his head and said to Clerk He and the others: "How many sandbags and crushed stones do we have left?"

Clerk He and the others gathered together, made a rough count, and reported: "Reporting to my lord, we have already thrown down one hundred and one bags. There are one hundred and twenty-seven sandbags left. As for the crushed stones, sixty percent have already been used..."

After hearing this, Ouyang Rong took a deep breath, looked up, and made a prompt decision:

"Continue filling! This piping must be contained. We have no way out, let alone giving up halfway? However, the water trench is a bottomless pit; it's impossible to fill the entire trench. We must change our method to save materials."

After saying this, he turned his face and instructed the few people in the civilian volunteer team with good swimming skills, his face solemn:

"Ashan, this time I have to rely on you. Find the underwater dam. On the wall cracks where water is leaking, wrap stakes and nets around it. Make the circle smaller. If we pile sandbags inside, we can also save as much sand and stone as possible..."

At this piping location, even on the water surface, the wind was fierce and the waves were high, let alone the risk of undercurrents and whirlpools below the water surface?

However, Liu Ashan said nothing. He picked two men with the best swimming skills from the civilian volunteers, took bamboo poles and fishing nets, and entered the water without looking back.

On the dam, Ouyang Rong and the others saw this, holding their breath and concentrating; there was only the sound of rain all around.

They did not know how much time had passed.

Just when Ouyang Rong felt something was wrong and his face changed slightly.

Finally, Liu Ashan and the others surfaced and waved to Ouyang Rong and the others!

Success, they had found the crack in the underwater sluice dam.

Perhaps it was luck.

Or perhaps the crack on the underwater sluice dam had already spread very deep and become very obvious.

But regardless, the crowd acted quickly.

More civilian volunteer men went into the water, narrowed the scope, and at the crack of the sluice dam, just like they had just done at the first main sluice gate, they followed the steps and used wooden stakes and fishing nets to enclose a semi-circular water area.

On the sluice dam, Ouyang Rong, Clerk He, and everyone else did not stop for a moment and immediately picked up the sandbags piled up at their feet, throwing them down one by one as if they were worthless. The same went for the stored crushed stones.

Until... all were thrown away.

"What should we do, my lord? Our sandbags are all gone! The stones are also used up, and we still can't fill it!"

Even Clerk He's lips began to tremble as he looked at the water flower piping that was still churning unabated on the water surface below, asking with a trembling voice.

What to do?

Facing the panicked crowd looking over from the sluice, Ouyang Rong lowered his head to look at the water surface, his bloodless lips pressed tightly into a line, and only one word was spat out from the line:

"Fill!"

Under the gaze of everyone, Ouyang Rong stood out first, loosened his clothes, and casually threw relatively heavy items such as his jade belt and head crown into the water surface below.

He went to dig out a wet, water-green official uniform, shoveled sand and mud, wrapped and knotted it with the silk official uniform, and made a "small sandbag."

Without even raising his eyelids, he threw it behind his head, and it fell into the water below the sluice dam to serve as filler.

On the dam, in the wind and rain, Liu Ashan, Clerk He, Craftsman Chen... the civilian volunteers, clerks, and craftsmen present all showed stunned expressions.

Hua Xuanji, as if a switch had been flipped by Ouyang Rong's silent actions, they reacted, acted everywhere, and followed suit one after another.

Some threw pots, shovels, stools, bamboo poles, and other sundries into the water.

Some worked tirelessly running between Caifeng Mountain and the Di Gong Sluice, running wildly in the rain, carrying crushed stones to fill the river water.

Others collected the clothes everyone had taken off, wrapped them with mud and sand, made simple sandbags and earth packs, and threw them into the river.

The villagers settled on Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain, not knowing where they learned of the movement on the sluice dam, under the call of the white-bearded old man, rushed down the mountain one after another, ignoring the danger, and ran to the Di Gong Sluice, throwing the clanging pots, pans, jewelry, hairpins, children's toys, and other heavy objects they brought into the water...

One by one, strange yet familiar things were thrown into the churning water surface of the piping below and sank to the bottom of the water.

The villagers' swarming enthusiasm stunned Ouyang Rong, who was shirtless and had only a personal skirt knife left that he couldn't throw away, as well as the civilian volunteer team, clerks, and craftsmen.

In fact, there were many things the villagers didn't need to throw down; throwing them down would just float on the water surface and couldn't sink to the bottom, so they weren't very useful.

But Ouyang Rong never said these words out loud; he just stood silently in place, opened his mouth, and closed it again.

The sounds around him were messy. The white-bearded old man and the villagers seemed to have said thousands of words to Ouyang Rong, but he didn't know how to respond, so he had to nod as a response.

The young magistrate also had thousands of words.

Ye Weilai drilled out from somewhere, stood on the edge of the sluice dam, casually pulled out a hairpin she liked to tie her silver hair with, and threw it into the river below, along with other accessories, one by one.

After throwing away these worldly possessions, Ye Weilai, in plain clothes and with a plain face, felt relaxed. Her waist-length silver-white hair danced in the air. She walked to Ouyang Rong's side without looking back and quietly pulled the fingers he was using to support the hilt of his knife.

At this moment, the only heavy object on this white-haired maid was probably the black lacquer porcelain bowl she had held all the way from the mountain.

Ye Weilai held the bowl with both hands, the soup in the bowl swaying slightly, her big blue eyes full of caution;

"Tanlang, drink a sip of ginger soup. The mistress said you have a root of illness and are prone to colds..."

Ouyang Rong came back to his senses, turned his head to look at her, and this time did not refuse. He took the soup bowl and drank it in one gulp.

Hua Xuanji, an empty bowl was thrown out and sank into the water with a "plop."

He didn't know what the ginger soup tasted like; his mouth was a bit numb, and he had eaten a lot of mud and water, losing some of his taste buds.

Ouyang Rong didn't want to know either. At this moment, he, like his colleagues and the surrounding villagers, had all his attention on the water surface below the sluice dam, which was like a bottomless pit.

The crowd had nothing left to throw. The crowd quieted down, and eyes were cast downward.

They saw that the churning waves on the water surface at the piping had become much smaller, as if the numerous fillers had sunk and stabilized the piping at the crack.

The atmosphere among the crowd on the sluice quieted down, and then a burst of cheers rang out: "It's blocked!"

The weary-faced Ouyang Rong also let out a long sigh of relief.

(End of this chapter)