Chapter 332

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Song Miao

Actually, there was no need for him to shout; on the high platform, more than half the people had already been startled awake.

Beneath their feet, beneath their buttocks, the shaking would not stop — it was the armchairs moving, and more than that, the high platform moving. At this moment the sun had just risen, the dawn light was faint; everyone looked up and saw the distant scene where water and sky merged into one color, and they were so frightened their limbs went soft. Because they did not know what had happened, they could only ask in confusion.

"Is this... a water breach??"

"What's going on??"

"Has the Liu Ta He overflowed???"

"Was no one on watch duty last night??"

Someone reacted faster, immediately stood up, and shouted: "We'll talk when we get back! If we stay here, I'm afraid no one will know, and no one will come to manage it!"

At this time the high platform kept shaking and making strange noises; the rest of the people were each uneasy. Without needing a reminder, they also knew they should leave early. For a moment everyone agreed, and just as they were about to go down from the platform, after only a few steps they saw that at some unknown time, a person had already silently gone down the platform.

He ran the fastest, and there were only a few steps left to reach the bottom, but just then they heard a "crack," followed immediately by a scream and a "plop" sound of water.

Everyone was startled and looked toward the sound, only to see that several horizontal wooden steps at the lower part had actually broken from the middle, forming a slightly flat "V" shape.

— It turned out the steps were covered with thick red cloth and blankets; the lower end had contacted the river water that had seeped out, and had wicked water all the way up. They had long since become much heavier, and because they had been soaked and scoured by water for a long time, the planks had become extremely loose. At this moment, stepped on heavily by that person, they finally collapsed, but because the red cloth and blankets were supporting them, they did not break all the way through.

However, at this very moment, it would have been better if they had broken all the way through.

With the cloth padding, the person could not fall to the area below the high platform; if there had been a wooden platform to block him, he could have borrowed some leverage. But now he could not reach it; his foot stepped into empty air, his whole body tumbled forward and down, and he plunged headfirst into the water.

He desperately stretched out his hands to grab wildly, opened his mouth and shouted "Save me," but he had only shouted twice before he sank underwater. By the time he struggled to reveal his head and hands again, he was already a full zhang and more away from the high platform.

— The current was actually this swift!

On the high platform, the crowd that had all been running downward each halted their steps, frightened into immobility.

After a long while, someone finally reacted and loudly called out the name of the person down below.

Not only was there no answer, even the head of the person who had fallen in could no longer be seen.

"No... nothing will happen, right??"

"Does Mao San know how to swim?"

"Don't know! If something happens, the Mao family people won't blame us, will they??"

"What relationship does it have with us? He ran the fastest himself! When he was running, he didn't call out to any of us either!"

"Exactly! That side is the storeroom; most likely there are people there. Maybe they can save him. Don't worry — worry about yourselves instead!"

The crowd was still speaking when they felt the area below the platform shaking incessantly, followed by consecutive sounds of wood snapping. Before they could react, "crack," "crack" — several loud bangs in succession. Everyone's feet slipped, then went empty, and almost simultaneously they all pitched forward — because the high platform had actually broken from the middle, and the right side, a small half, slid directly into the water.

A high platform of more than three zhang — if one carelessly fell from the top, ten pairs of legs would not be enough to break the fall, ten heads would not be enough to smash.

A whole group of people scrambled to grab everywhere, but there was simply no place to gain purchase. In the end they all clung to the railings on the sides. Before long, the railings slid loose, and another two fell into the water.

No one could estimate the water depth; they could only watch helplessly as the people who fell into the water were almost instantly swept far away.

Seeing such a scene, someone immediately screamed and wailed; there were also cries of alarm and angry curses.

One person shouted loudly: "Stop crying! Let's all shout for help — there must be people on watch duty along the river. As long as we make noise and they hear the commotion, they'll row boats to rescue us, and we can survive!"

This person indeed took the lead in shouting "Save me."

The cries for help were sparse at first, but quickly merged into a single roar, with considerable volume.

The people here were shouting themselves hoarse; on the opposite riverbank, there were likewise people crying out in panic.

The Liu Ta He overflowing — naturally it could not be without any movement.

The first to discover something was wrong were the craftsmen repairing the fascine works.

Because materials were insufficient, the positions of the fascine platform, the top armor, and the rope cables all had to be substituted with other things, or left temporarily empty. Thinking that a superior official was coming to inspect today, several craftsmen were ultimately uneasy in their hearts, fearing some flaw might appear. Before the sky was even bright, they came to inspect.

As a result, the group carried lanterns and walked a long way along the river, but for half a day they could not find the original fascine works.

After all it was dark; the several people still thought they might have accidentally walked past it. Just as they were about to turn back, one of them went "Aiyo," stumbled, and nearly slipped — because he had stepped in water.

The group held up their lanterns to look, only to see the ground bubbling with flowing water; in almost an instant it had already risen over the tops of their feet.

At this moment it was precisely the eve of dawn; the sky was dim. The crowd was shocked and uncertain, still wanting to carefully verify, when one person cried "Ah," was knocked by something unknown, and fell straight into the water.

He reached back and grabbed, brought it close to the lantern to look, and his voice changed: "This is the top armor — the top armor has come off!"

The top armor was originally tightly covering the fascine works, able to block the water flow, with great effect. Hearing that the top armor had come off, the whole group also changed color.

"Won't the fascine works be ruined! Then what will we use to cut off the water in a moment?"

"We all said the rope cables needed three-chi timber, but what was delivered didn't even have one chi. The grass wasn't given in sufficient quantity either. The fascine works are definitely not solid! This totally can't be blamed on us, right??"

"If not you, then who? Blame the superior official? Just wait. Getting scolded is secondary. This time the fascine works are ruined. If the sluice gates alone can't hold back the water, and that scholar who came in the daytime sees it, the higher-ups lose face — who knows how they'll punish us!"

"What's it got to do with me! Materials aren't given, people aren't given — they recruited some bamboo-strip weavers, basket makers, and said to let us supervise them doing fascine carpentry — fine, but the time limit is still dead tight. We can't even twist the grass fast enough!"

The several people spoke as they walked forward. At first they still thought it was water carelessly overflowing somewhere, but the further they walked, the deeper the water became. Before long, it had already reached their calves.

They were all people who had dealt with embankments and dams year-round. The crowd increasingly felt something was wrong. One after another they crouched down to examine the water color, and each reached out to scoop water and probe its mud and sand content. Just as they finished probing, the scene fell silent in an instant, and no one spoke again.

No one spoke, no one moved; thus there was only the sound of rushing water — compared to daytime, compared to ordinary days, it was more than a notch more turbulent and unceasing.

Almost simultaneously, everyone raised the lanterns in their hands and walked quickly toward the river channel.

The lantern light was weak, only able to illuminate a few steps ahead.

They walked a few steps, then a few more steps — only yellow water spreading everywhere, the river channel completely impossible to find.

At this moment, no one dared to walk forward recklessly anymore — unable to see the road clearly, if one carelessly stepped into the river, the flood would sweep them away directly; even an immortal would find it hard to save them.

Within the water sounds, the sound of teeth chattering was soon mixed in.

It seemed like a long time had passed, it seemed like only an instant. Finally someone spoke while trembling, voice low: "Is it... is it the Liu Ta He water that has breached?"

"Where did the people on night watch duty go!"

"Could it be he's asleep? That shouldn't be the case!"

"Quick! Quick, go report the news!"

A group of people ran back, stumbling with deep and shallow steps.

The shift-duty clerks heard the report and ran out before they could even put on their outer robes, hurriedly shuffling in their shoes, and asked: "Who is on night watch! How is the water situation? How deep is the water?? Can it be held back——Quick, go report to the Supervising Commissioner!"

The news passed up level by level, reported up level by level; by the time they finally gathered all the officials with posts and dispatches on the river course, the sky was already turning pale with dawn, yet even so, the group could only stare at each other with wide eyes.

"Has someone gone to report to Lu Guanren??"

"Already went, but Chan Prefecture City is far after all, a round trip takes time, where would we find the time——Better for the officials to decide first!"

Originally, Lv Zhongchang habitually resided in Chan Prefecture City; moreover, today the Imperial Envoy and Participating Chancellor Li Zhai arrived together, and as the manager in charge of the Liu Ta River, he naturally had to go welcome them first.

Therefore, yesterday when the river was opened, this man observed for half a day, saw no abnormality, and hurriedly returned to the city, only instructing before he left to have the fascine works ready and the sluice gates lowered early, waiting for the superiors to arrive in the afternoon before re-demonstrating the river opening.

If the Liu Ta River had no issues, the crowd fundamentally need not deliberate; just have people follow Lv Zhongchang's orders and lower the gates directly.

But with the current water situation and conditions, not only is Lv Zhongchang absent, even those with some status have followed him back to the city to prepare to welcome the superiors; among the remaining people, all are low-ranking minor officials, not a single one dares to make a decision.

"How about... wait a bit more?"

"Right, right! Send a few more people into Chan Prefecture City, prepare enough horses! One man four horses, surely the message can be delivered faster!"

"Someone! Someone! Quick, enter the city to report!"

"Where are last night's duty shift people?? How could the water overflow and not a single one come to report?? Hurry up and find them!"

"Who discovered it!"

"Quickly dispatch people to measure the water depth!"

"Where has the water flooded to?"

A group of minor officials chattered away here, putting on a busy non-stop appearance, fearing that if their mouths were idle, they would be urged to make a decision.

Soon, several waves of messengers went out the gate, indeed one man three horses or even four horses, galloping toward Chan Prefecture City.

In Chan Prefecture City, Lv Zhongchang had finished packing before the hour of Mao, and led his subordinates out of the city.

After leaving the city, he rode a dozen li or so, and saw dust billowing ahead; a fast horse approached and sure enough it was the Prefect of Chan Prefecture, the Vice-Prefect, and others leading a crowd of prefectural officials together with prefectural school teachers, students, and city elders.

If one said that when Lv Zhongchang first came to the Liu Ta River, he still got along decently with the Chan Prefecture officials, with quite a bit of a "well water does not offend river water" meaning, after staying a little over a year, the two sides already rather disliked each other.

Sometimes, you-good-me-good cannot get things done.

Seeing the Chan Prefecture officials gathered waiting in a chosen spot, and rarely catching several of the prefectural officials he needed all present, Lv Zhongchang honestly and unceremoniously spurred his horse to chase after them; after dismounting, he merely gave a cursory greeting, then began urging for supplies.

Grain, timber, sand and stone, bamboo, cloth and silk for use on the river course——Lv Zhongchang asked about each item one by one.

A prefectural official listened displeased, and retorted: "The prefecture hasn't touched river course supplies; however much the Capital sent over, we sent over that much, not a single hair or fraction embezzled; if Lu Guanren feels it's not enough, why not go urge the Chao Zhong——even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice!"

Lv Zhongchang was so angry his teeth itched, his mouth equally impolite, saying: "The Chao Zhong ordered the Chan Prefecture Office to fully support the Liu Ta River; it's been nearly a year, aside from helping send some materials and conscripting corvee laborers a few times, what else has the office done? Later when the matter is complete, won't Chan Prefecture claim credit based on this?"

"When it's time to work, this won't do, that won't do; when it's time to claim merit, you all pop out——Liu Guanren, last year during merit evaluation, you also wrote a guarantee for Liu Ta River supplies, didn't you?"

"Chan Prefecture also has an Imperial Granary, and must coordinate grain transport, transship all kinds of supplies——let Lu Guanren know, my side has matters piled like mountains too, every time your Liu Ta River things come, they are the first arranged for transport; if not for the prefectural office supporting from behind, in less than two days the Liu Ta River would run out of grain, you think..."

This man went on and on here, words not yet finished, when he was already interrupted by the people beside Lv Zhongchang.

"Enough! What's called full support?? This kind of borrowing flowers to offer Buddha, spending others' generosity, you have the face to bring it up! Because we are repairing the river here, the Chao Zhong allocated extra silver and grain to Chan Prefecture, yet we don't see you accounting clearly and sending it to us! Every time we ask for people you're stingy and slow, whatever requirements raised, all dragged out..."

Seeing both sides quarreling, Lv Zhongchang and the Prefect of Chan Prefecture, Vice-Prefect, and others, all said not a word, only listening to their subordinates each speaking their own mind.

Just as they were clamoring, suddenly a man rode over from afar, saw many people waiting here, hurriedly dismounted, sought out the Prefect of Chan Prefecture and others to report, saying: "Various officials, Participating Chancellor Li and Du Zhi Feng Deju have already arrived at Pingxin Pavilion!"

Pingxin Pavilion is only a little over an hour from here; both sides immediately stopped, each straightening their caps and robes, preparing to welcome them.

Sure enough, before long, the ceremonial procession arrived outside.

Lv Zhongchang, as head of the Liu Ta River, and the Prefect and Vice-Prefect of Chan Prefecture each leading a batch of people, went up to welcome them.

Whether it was Li Zhai or Du Zhi Feng Deju, both looked travel-worn and dusty.

After the facing courtesies were completed, Li Zhai was about to speak, but seeing many prefectural school teachers, students, and elders had come along, he instantly swallowed his words back, offered some encouragement, and without delay hurried back to the city.

Upon entering the Chan Prefecture Office, not even sitting down, Li Zhai immediately turned his head, seeing no idle people on either side, opened his mouth and called: "Lu Hook Dang."

Then said: "This year's summer flood, unseen in decades, has lasted extremely long; entering autumn, the river water level remains high——your Liu Ta River, the Chao Zhong has already decided to temporarily not open the river, wait until after winter to speak further!"

Lv Zhongchang was long prepared; hearing this, he was unhurried and calm, saying: "Participating Chancellor! This year rain is abundant, summer flood is large, but the Liu Ta River was born of transport needs and seasonal timing; I exhausted all methods, deepened the river, widened the channel, additionally set up eight sluice gates and fascine works, repeatedly calculated and tested, truly zero chance of failure!"

Li Zhai hesitated slightly, still shook his head saying: "Along the Liu Ta River there are very many farmlands and houses..."

He was just speaking, when Lv Zhongchang already loudly said: "Participating Chancellor, yesterday I did not know the Chao Zhong's current intention; because previously the Chancellors urged day and night, rushing fast and slow, finally the river course was ready in every aspect, and learning the Participating Chancellor and Imperial Envoy were coming, I already gave the order, calling for people to first open the river for a rehearsal——yesterday the Liu Ta River was opened, water flowed smoothly with calm winds, safe and sound!"

"With the Liu Ta River diverting water, the Yellow River main channel's force has eased considerably; even if there is heavy rain later, downstream commoners need no longer worry about river water flooding and overflowing; truly a good thing, just as the Participating Chancellor said, this year's flood season is longer than previous years, rain more abundant; if we shelve it unused, wouldn't that be a waste? Participating Chancellor need not believe, you can come see with your own eyes!"

Lv Zhongchang spoke so confidently and resolutely, Li Zhai standing to the side felt his heart already swayed, subconsciously looked to the side, and asked: "Wonder what Du Zhi Feng thinks?"

Feng Deju standing at the side hurriedly said: "What I bear the Imperial mandate for is precisely to see with my own eyes, to personally investigate!"

Then said: "We all came to handle official business; in my view, better not delay, let's go now to the Liu Ta River and take a look!"

Seeing people arrived and were about to leave, although knowing this time the two came precisely for the river opening matter, the Prefect of Chan Prefecture still felt somewhat displeased, but truly had no choice; just as he was about to turn and see them off, he saw in the corner, a good five or six people with faces full of anxious panic, all looking at Lv Zhongchang.

His heart stirred, he lifted his chin, and asked below: "Where are those few from?"

Soon, someone returned the answer: "From the Liu Ta River, saying they have urgent matter to report to Lu Guanren."

"Ask what matter."

"Already asked, didn't say..."

What urgent matter, requiring this many people to come report?

That Prefect instantly halted his steps, and signaled the comer with a look.

That man immediately stepped forward a few paces, and said to Lv Zhongchang: "Lu Hook Dang, many people came from the Liu Ta River, saying they have urgent matter to report, have already waited half a while, each anxious as if on fire——over there!"

Lv Zhongchang looked along the direction, and sure enough five or six people stood as if treading on fire, all looking apprehensively toward him.

He only felt it strange, frowned and asked: "What matter?"

?? Many thanks to Yellow Scorpion Palace for personally gifting Zhu Jie'er and Xiao Qi big crabs:)

? Thanks to book friend for personally gifting sachet, book friends kelp and iampetty three for gifting peace talismans=3=

Thank you to Book City Fireworks and Freedom for gifting me two Inspirations, a Small Gift ^_^

Thank you all for your monthly votes and various votes~