Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 70 It’s good to enjoy the shade under the big tree

As soon as the drum sounded, the houses on all sides heard it.

He Qing was still pacing inside the house, not yet going to bed. When he opened the door, he saw people leaving the yamen one after another, and he stepped out of the door as well.

Just then, a yamen runner came running with a message: "There's a flood! The magistrate has ordered everyone in the yamen to go and take a look. Magistrate, hurry and follow!"

He Qing had not expected such a major event. He instinctively stepped out the door and saw that the street outside was bustling with people, brightly lit, and filled with the sounds of gongs and drums.

He summoned his servants to fetch raincoats and bamboo hats, donned them, and marched through the streets. He saw the river surging, and the water level, which had been relatively stable before dark, had risen considerably. The banks and the area below the banks were teeming with people.

Magistrate Fang had already rolled up his trousers and personally led the charge. In the direction he was heading, there was a group of people, visible by the torchlight, men and women, all gesturing anxiously.

"Go back to the government office and take charge! Lead the men to build the dikes in advance!"

He Qing was at a loss when the imperial envoy ran over and gave him an order.

Realizing that he was not needed here, and that the county government office was only a street away from the riverbank, it would inevitably be affected if the flood overflowed the dike. All the county's important archives and government treasury were located in the government office, and the government would be responsible for the aftermath. Therefore, it was impossible for the government office to be lost. After receiving the order, He Qing hurriedly returned to the government office and began to take charge of flood prevention.

After arranging the personnel according to the regulations, he was finally able to sit down and catch his breath.

He sat down and then stood up again, calling the constables outside to come in: "I think the person who led the way at the dock earlier was Liu Xiyu from the Hongtai Ship?"

"And the eldest daughter of the Xie family!" The constable wiped the sweat from his face. "She's the daughter of Zhang Qiuniang, the one who sued Master Zhang and sent him to jail!"

"It really is her?!"

He Qing had initially thought it was Xie Jia from a distance, but it really was! "So, the entire Xie family has been mobilized?"

"They own several shops, and they've only just started out when this happened, so naturally they're the first to be affected!"

He Qing seemed to be deep in thought, and after a while, he sent the yamen runner away.

After pacing around the room twice, he noticed that the rain outside had gradually stopped, so he called over two servants: "Go and take a look at the docks..."

……

Lu Jia and Liu Xiyu worked through the night and finally managed to gather everyone together. After the county magistrate arrived and the government dispatched additional personnel, the two of them couldn't get involved in the remaining affairs.

But at this moment, a complete retreat is also impossible.

Lu Jia had Xie Yi reopen the shop and took Liu Xiyu inside to avoid the flood. At the same time, he summoned Xie Yi and sent him to find He Qu and immediately go to Luokou to check the dams on the Lianshui River and Juanshui River.

Liu Xiyu said, "You also think there's a problem upstream?"

“There’s definitely something wrong! There are never any floods at this time of year, and even if there were, they wouldn’t be this fierce,” Lu Jia asserted. “Even if some reservoirs were destroyed, the amount of water wouldn’t be nearly enough to raise the Xiangjiang River’s water level. It can only be due to a surge in the water level of the Juanshui and Lianshui rivers upstream. But how could both water systems suddenly release water?”

Liu Xiyu nodded: "We agree."

The rain has stopped, and there are still two or three hours until dawn, but the flood peak is gradually approaching.

Shawan prepares for flood prevention every year, and the facilities and strategies for building dikes are readily available.

Most things can be predicted, and taking precautions in advance can minimize losses. But this time it was sudden, and even though the county government, merchants, and people reacted quickly, it was ultimately impossible to be completely foolproof.

Guo Yi stood on the embankment, watching as the river waters spread towards the low-lying areas. Fortunately, the soldiers and civilians on both banks worked together to fight the flood. County Magistrate Fang Wei even sent his fourteen-year-old son to help. So far, the river has not overflowed and the embankment has not been breached.

Even so, the docks are still going to suffer.

He gritted his teeth, stepped back off the embankment, and found the guard Shen Qingzhou had sent to deliver the message:

"Has the young master suspected something? Has he already discovered something amiss in the capital?"

The guard said, "We haven't found any concrete evidence, but the young master said that the Yan family's sudden move to dredge the waterways at the time of the Grand Commandant's triumphant return might not be entirely for profit." "Not entirely?"

Guo Yi frowned slightly, then a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "I understand. They've already made enough profit; it's time for them to back down."

He gritted his teeth and looked at the guard: "You've come at the right time. There's only one county magistrate in charge of defense in the yamen right now. You sneak over there secretly and guard the courtyard where my son and I are staying. Make sure nothing goes wrong."

After he finished speaking, he called over the guards who were close to him: "Send someone to tell Magistrate Fang that I said that no matter who comes to ask about the disaster, the more serious it is, the better!"

"Anyone who wants to inquire about the disaster situation nearby must be strictly prohibited from approaching on the grounds of personal safety!"
"Including the prefect of Tanzhou!"

After the guards received their orders, he selected a few more people: "You will immediately go upstream to inspect the waterways and carefully search for any traces of human activity."

"I'm heading to Tanzhou Prefecture now. Report any news directly to me in secret!"

After giving his instructions, he mounted his horse and headed towards Tanzhou.

The news from Shawan naturally reached the Tanzhou government office, and the prefect immediately summoned his men to deal with the situation.

Prior to this, the water situation in Shawan was reported to the Zhou residence every half hour.

"The river channel in the middle section of Yangmeizhou is relatively narrow, and the water has already overflowed the embankment. Nearby shops have been submerged, not to mention the rice paddies on the opposite bank."

"Magistrate Fang is currently organizing the evacuation of the people. The next section of the river where the county government office is located will be flooded within half an hour..."

After rushing back to his residence from the yamen, Zhou Sheng immediately brought the messenger into his study.

After listening, he paced back and forth in the center of the room, hands behind his back: "Where are our people? Have they been evacuated?"

The servant who delivered the message turned his head to leave: "They haven't returned yet; they're probably on their way."

Zhou Sheng breathed a sigh of relief: "I hope nothing goes wrong?"

"master!"

Before he could even finish exhaling, a servant rushed in from outside: "Master, Lord Guo, Lord Guo is here!"

Zhou Sheng was suddenly stunned: "Which Lord Guo?"

"That's right, Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy!"

Zhou Sheng paused for a moment, then looked in the direction the servant pointed to, and saw that a group of people had already walked straight in. The lanterns on both sides were shining brightly, and the person walking at the front was none other than Guo Yi.
His heart skipped a beat for no reason, and he immediately went to greet him: "Sir, your arrival so late at night, why don't you..."

"Lord Zhou, Shawan County has been hit by a sudden flood. Are you not aware of this?"

Guo Yi spoke before he could finish speaking.

Zhou Sheng composed himself: "I have already heard about it. The sudden disaster has truly brought suffering to the people. Oh, I just returned from the yamen. The government is working together to find a solution."

"It's good that you've already come up with a solution," Guo Yi said in a deep breath. "Water transport cannot afford any mistakes. Do you know why I didn't go to the prefect, but came directly to you?"

Zhou Sheng paused for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Please come inside, sir."

Guo Yi entered the room, and Zhou Sheng closed the door and came over: "Sir, you seem to have other worries. Could something strange have happened in Shawan?"

“It’s not so much strange as it is,” Guo Yi turned around, “it’s just that I was about to leave Tanzhou when this flood suddenly came. I don’t know how many people will suffer next, and I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

"As Brother Zhou knows, I also have elderly parents and young children to support, and I don't want this mission to go wrong. So many people in the world hope that the Yan family's tree will flourish and provide them with shade, and I am no exception."

(End of this chapter)