Chapter 333

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Lv Zhongchang and the Prefect of Canzhou led the way in front; the group halted their steps, and behind them Li Zhai and Feng Du Zhi also came to a stop one after another, looking over.

The messengers in the corner were already extremely hesitant; seeing everyone in the hall looking at them — among whom were even figures like the Vice Chancellor and the Imperial Envoy — they could only shuffle forward step by halting step, yet stammered and not one dared to speak.

Lv Zhongchang was no fool either; sensing something was wrong, he was just about to fob them off with words when, right at that moment, two fast horses came rushing up from outside.

The arrivals reached the yamen gate; it was actually one man with two horses, and he nearly tumbled off the horse's back.

He had not yet entered the door; seeing that official standing at the very outside, tears already streaming down, he shouted in a loud voice: "Prefect! Sirs! The Liu Ta River has burst its banks, the embankments and dams are utterly destroyed, villages along the way suffer flood disaster, countless in number; village heads from all over have come to report, already more than a hundred people have been swept away by the water, those unable to report are unknown how many! Everywhere begs the prefectural yamen to urgently dispatch manpower, quickly go control the water and save the disaster victims; if it is too late, I fear the people cannot be saved!!"

The moment these words came out, both outside the door and inside the door fell utterly silent.

The Prefect of Canzhou at first still wanted to watch Lv Zhongchang's joke; who would have thought he would first receive news like this; his face instantly turned deathly pale; he could not help but grab the doorframe to steady himself, forcibly calmed his mind, and asked: "Where exactly is the water heading? Which villages and towns along the way??"

The Liu Ta River was originally low-lying terrain, which was why it was good for diverting water; with the water bursting and the embankment breaching there, the Prefect already had a route in mind without the messenger needing to say more; he only felt his throat and the roots of his teeth were all bitter taste.

The man opposite replied one by one.

Actually it was only estimation; the Prefect's heart remained dead; he turned his head toward Lv Zhongchang and asked in a stern voice: "Lv Hook Dang, the Liu Ta River has met with disaster; do you have anything to say?"

Lv Zhongchang's complexion was extremely ugly; he forced out: "I also came out from the Liu Ta River; after the river was opened, everything was as usual, not a trace of flooding was seen; moreover the decree has already been issued, the river course would have closed the sluices to block the water this morning……"

Having seen it with his own eyes last night, he was ultimately confident; the more he spoke the more he felt it impossible, and displeased said: "Could it be that some section of the river course overflowed, the source wasn't found, yet they come to falsely blame my Liu Ta River!"

Hearing Lv Zhongchang answer like this, the several messengers from the Liu Ta River opposite no longer dared to stay silent.

The leader hardened his scalp and called out in a low voice: "Hook Dang…… the Jia River, the Jia River overflowed last night, and afterward the Main Channel also overflowed; the sirs wanted to close the sluices, seeing the water was great, they dared not act on their own authority, specially came to request Hook Dang to give instructions……"

Lv Zhongchang's brain went buzz with a bang; he only thought he had misheard, and cried out: "What act on their own authority? Wasn't the order given to close the sluices?"

While they were still speaking here, outside came another burst of horse hoof sounds.

Hope rose in everyone's hearts; they all looked toward the door without prior agreement — there, two men on horses galloped fast, reached the spot, tumbled and rolled off their horses.

That Prefect of Canzhou stood at the door; seeing the cloth tags sewn on the several horses' bridles with the words "Liu Ta River", he asked urgently: "You lot are from the Liu Ta River? What is the situation on the river course right now?"

The two messengers hurriedly acknowledged, yet dared not answer, only searching for people all over the hall.

Before Lv Zhongchang could speak, the Prefect already pointed behind and said: "The Vice Chancellor and the Imperial Envoy are both here; why don't you quickly speak!"

He wore a scarlet robe; behind him Li Zhai wore a purple robe; the two messengers saw this, knew they were both high ministers, where would they still dare to delay; they immediately rushed to speak one after another.

"The Liu Ta River course failed to close the sluices; several sluice gates and fascine works were all washed away!"

"The river course came to request the superiors' instructions! Also beg the prefecture to find a way to save people!"

Lv Zhongchang strode out and spoke urgently: "Who was on duty last night?? The water level changed, how could they not send a report?!"

"Hook Dang! Hook Dang!" The speaker called twice in succession, anxious with sweat covering his head, "Last night eight men were on duty, thirty guards, plus several shed huts by the Jia River course, all washed away by the flood — right now all personnel are still without trace, fully a hundred people……"

"Also the Taixue students and a group of youths borrowed and transferred here, in the middle of the night they left their huts to climb the platform and revel; now the wooden platform collapsed, seven missing, several seriously injured!"

As he spoke he wiped sweat forcefully, and shouted: "The rest, though rescued, are also badly frightened, currently clamoring for the yamen to dispatch manpower, quickly quickly save people!"

Hearing the Liu Ta River sluice gates and fascine works washed away, Lv Zhongchang's face was already black; hearing again that the duty men, guards, etc., fully a hundred people missing, his two ears seemed to be hammered hard by a heavy fist, he could almost hear no sound.

He barely managed to press hard on his ears, recovered a few degrees of hearing, then heard again the wooden platform collapsed, a crowd of powerful and noble scions seriously injured, missing.

Having come to the Liu Ta River for nearly a year, it could be said day and night hard labor; and before construction started, to push this matter forward, the effort he expended was even more beyond measure; time was not just a few years — now not only did the river opening meet with disaster, but so many people missing, saying missing, eight or nine out of ten won't survive……

How will the Court pursue responsibility……

Those powerful and noble families, how will they bear grudges……

Lv Zhongchang's ears buzzed again, his legs went soft, countless golden stars seemed to burst out atop his head, his vision went black……

His last conscious thought was hearing someone shout by his ear: "Lu Guanren! Quickly call the Eldest Sister! Lu Guanren has fainted!"

Lv Zhongchang's faint was quite refreshing; ice water splashed on his face, acupuncture and moxibustion had not the slightest effect; but the rotten mess he left behind still needed someone to clean up.

Fortune within misfortune, Li Zhai had already arrived; though without a Court appointment, he did not stand by and watch; he immediately took charge of the Liu Ta River Project in his capacity as Vice Chancellor, coordinated all manpower and material resources, and in an extremely short time, relying on limited resources, exerted the maximum effect.

His first move was to go to the Liu Ta River.

One who can enter the Hall and enter the Cabinet, obtain the Cool Umbrella, is naturally not someone who eats dry rice for nothing; one look at the river course situation and he knew there was no turning back; he immediately sent people along the way to either evacuate or rescue the commoners; as for houses, property, farmland, at this time there was no leisure to care about that much.

With him and Feng Du Zhi two stepping forward, the Imperial Army stationed nearest did not dare delay in the slightest, responded immediately; officials of Canzhou upper and lower were busy as a swarm.

Separated by a few walls, Xu Da and the group of students were all listless; some moving, some checking, some organizing one by one the many archives placed on the desk.

None of them had the mood to even complain; it was very quiet; after a long while, one person said: "These few large storerooms' things, when will they ever be sorted out clearly?"

The person beside said: "Accumulated over years and months; heard that since the Liu Ta River started construction, all archives were thrown here, no one ever managed them; earlier when those with background were here, they did it for several months, didn't produce much either; switched to us coming over, only arrived yesterday, today they urge progress — truly different fates for different people!"

"All say kings, marquises, generals, ministers! Hah! Today the superiors have come, still don't know how they will show their faces!"

"Which of them doesn't know powerful and noble high officials? Even if they don't show face this time, still afraid there won't be chances in the future??" The speaker grew angrier, "All day not doing work, yet want to snatch our credit, also want to snatch our opportunities! How can they be so shameless!"

Once the head was started, others also followed and complained one after another.

By the end, there was one person who sighed: "Right now those transferred over are all people who haven't done it before; you say the data for the Jia River, Jian River, Main Channel, yesterday, today who went to measure ah?"

"Today the river is already opened, what measure? You really weep reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms! Meddling in idle matters! Better think about yourself!"

"Even if they won't measure, that Cai Lvfen also knows how to measure, could it be he won't teach? Worrying this kind of heart!"

"I'm not worrying that heart either…… measuring is really extremely troublesome; even we who are already old hands, one moment of inattention, still nearly fell in the water; which of the big guys hasn't fallen in?"

"Fall once so what? We can fall, they can't fall?"

"I precisely want them to fall in the water a few more times! Best if they choke uncomfortably, only then vents my hate — pity there are no fierce shrimp and crabs in the water, otherwise using pincers to pinch them a few times would also be good!"

Everyone also knew this was but idle fantasy; they all burst into sneering laughter; only laughing and laughing, thinking of their own pitifulness, a crowd of powerful and noble scions usurping the nest, inevitably sadness welled up from within.

Just as each was sighing, outside came a burst of footsteps; not long after, one person pushed the door and entered, face full of shock.

"I just went to the prefectural yamen to deliver official documents; saw the front gate wide open; that Li Vice Chancellor and the Imperial Envoy have both come!"

"Not strange either, wasn't it said early on today?"

"Most likely we'll have to go to the Liu Ta He soon, and we still don't know how they'll perform..."

The newcomer swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said: "If you're talking about those... I'm afraid they won't be able to perform at all!"

The crowd raised a few heads here and there.

The newcomer said: "I... I just heard that people came up from the Liu Ta He, and the Chan Prefecture Office also sent people, all coming to report news, saying, saying... saying that the Liu Ta He water overflowed and the embankment breached — quite a few Shiyi disciples were washed away by the flood!"

As these words came out, everyone in the room raised their heads, staring wide-eyed in shock; looking across, it was truly a room full of big eyeballs.

"No!! No, how could the embankment breach! Yesterday wasn't it still fine?"

"Heard that yesterday afternoon, not long after we left, Lu Hook Dang opened the river; at the time nothing was seen, but by evening the river water suddenly overflowed the river channel, and then the embankment was also washed away! Some of them..."

This person mimicked the behavior of those many Shiyi disciples, and finally said: "They say it was some kind of stage gathering for pleasure... don't know if they enjoyed it, but it seems seven or eight went missing — with such a huge flood, it's truly possible they can't be saved!"

The people in the room didn't speak, but all looked toward the one who had just said he hoped fierce fish and shrimp would pinch people with pincers.

And that person was already quite stunned; seeing others look at him, he was even more at a loss, saying: "I... I didn't really mean for them to be fed to fish!"

But soon someone continued speaking.

"How could this happen!"

"The Liu Ta He draws from the main river! If the embankment and dam are destroyed, what will the downstream people do?"

"People can still hide, but what about houses? And farmland! Autumn harvest is right upon us; if it's flooded... Mother, I don't even dare think about it!"

"So is it disaster relief time now?"

"Can we contribute some labor?"

"Contribute what labor?"

"We know the roads! We measure all day; which places along the way have villages, which have small paths — don't we know better than ordinary people? Don't say it, I'm really a bit panicked; that Liu Lin Village is by the river and not on the main road; if not for the time my water bag was lost and I saw cooking smoke and specially went to borrow water, I'm afraid even following the map it would be hard to find — nothing will happen to that village, right!"

"These past few days water depth and speed have been rising, and no rain; I'm afraid somewhere upstream discharged floodwater — who would have thought!"

"I was just thinking the same; the water level rises higher each day, how are they not afraid? But then I thought, Lu Hook Dang is there, he understands water matters best, and it's not my place to speak!"

A group of students realized belatedly here, and hurriedly selected people to go; first they tried to find Cai Xiu, couldn't find him, so simply found the other superiors instead, saying they wished to participate in guiding and disaster relief; they were indeed assigned to teams, not to mention further.

And Li Zhai sat guarding in Chan Zhou Cheng, watching one decree after another go out, and hearing one report after another come back; though his face showed no change, his heart was already anxious beyond measure.

He quickly arranged for people to draft an urgent memorial upward, urgently requesting manpower and materials; the most crucial materials were coarse cloth and grain.

The rest can wait a bit, but if not enough people are given, naturally there's no way to save people; some villages are entirely submerged, only roofs left; people fled to high ground, but the yamen must rush to distribute grain, otherwise how can they survive?

Soon, the memorial was sent out.

Watching the urgent memorial courier leave toward the Capital, Li Zhai still had not the slightest relaxation.

Still that saying worn rotten.

A clever housewife cannot cook without rice.

Everything else is manageable; only disaster relief and rescue materials must be allocated and transported from various places, mostly coming from the South, but the Cao He transport capacity is limited, and it must also supply the Capital; who knows how the Capital will respond.

He thought a bit, then arranged for people to write several letters, which were immediately sent to the Capital along with the fast courier.

And in the Capital, inside Zhuque Gate Suanzao Alley, unlike everyone's anxiety and the Huaizhou Prefecture Office's busyness top to bottom, Song Miao was unhurriedly making steamed buns.

Yesterday Cao Fuzi sent a message, a rambling lot that was just one thing: his behavior of coming over for meals had been exposed by the other old men, he suffered a round of reproach, truly had no choice, so he came to ask if tomorrow noon would be convenient to help make a few side dishes to send over.

Everyone's external assignments were already seven or eight parts done; the next day they could return to the Taixue, but still couldn't go out to eat outside food; asking Song Miao, if convenient, to make food and bring it, they would arrange people to go out and fetch it.

Also said if there were Salt-Baked Baby Crabs that would be best; if not, anything at all, meat or vegetables, all without being picky.

Besides the message, also presented a string of copper coins, originally Cao Fuzi paying from his own pocket to request.

Took the money, got the news, Song Miao set to work seriously.

Baby crabs are chanced upon but not sought; today indeed there were none, but seeing Cao Fuzi so fixated, most likely he misses both the salt-baking and the crab, especially the crab roe inside.

Unable to find suitable crab, Song Miao substituted shrimp — a kind of large-headed hard-shelled shrimp; usually hard to flavor when cooking, but for salt-baking, just perfectly suitable.

Besides shrimp, also a few side dishes; the staple was decided yesterday as steamed buns; besides several flavors the old men usually love, she also added flaky pastry buns.

Coincidentally this morning early that Han Li again sent a large bucket of cow's milk and ice back, and also the many salted duck eggs Chen Fuzi sent last time; today he specially added a line along with Cao Fuzi's message, telling Song Miao not to stay long, remember to eat.

With ice, and salted duck eggs, that's perfectly suited to make one style of bun; though not comparable to crab roe, it has a similar texture.