My Three Kingdoms is not right

When Liu Xun and his party approached the city gate, the water had already reached above their calves.

The rows of houses in the low-lying area were the first to suffer. The cries of men, the wails of children, and the curses of women mingled together, echoing in the damp air.

The city gates were flooding the city, and the drainage culverts at the base of the city walls were also overflowing. The soldiers guarding the city were shouting and running around in a panic, but they had no real purpose.

Liu Xun rolled up his trousers and waded through the water to climb the steps of the city wall.

With Yao Tian present, the soldiers on the city wall did not stop them.

Liu Xun stood by the crenellations on the inner side of the city wall and looked down.

The moat had long since overflowed. The once flat land outside the city had become a vast expanse of water, with branches, grass clippings, and other debris that had been washed ashore.

In the distance, towards the Sishui and Yishui rivers, the vast expanse of white water stretches as far as the eye can see, as if the entire world has been submerged in water.

The moment has finally arrived.

……

An hour later, the water had reached above their knees.

The city streets had become murky rivers. Most of the houses in the low-lying areas were submerged, and on the rooftops sat numb-faced residents, clutching their last remaining possessions. A few chickens flapped their wings and jumped onto the walls, while dogs trembled on the doors.

Soon, problems began to arise with the wells in the city.

The wells closest to the city wall were the first to suffer. The well water bubbled and churned as if it were boiling, and the water drawn up was murky and yellowish, with a pungent, earthy smell, making it completely undrinkable.

Then, the same thing happened to the wells in the city center.

The people gathered around the well, watching the churning, murky water, their faces filled with despair.

"How can we drink this water?"

"Let's wait and see, maybe it will be better tomorrow."

"God, this is cutting off our path to survival!"

……

Liu Xun listened to the conversation, his heart heavy.

The drinking water problem will emerge sooner than the food problem. A person can survive for several days without food, but not without water.

Dirty water can make people sick.

Liu Xun stood at the entrance of the pharmacy, directing his soldiers and shop assistants to hurriedly move the medicinal herbs out.

This was the largest pharmacy in town, with a considerable stock. The owner, a thin, middle-aged woman, was pacing anxiously, muttering, "Careful, hurry... these can't be soaked in water!"

Liu Xun rolled up his sleeves, picked up a sack of Poria cocos in one hand, and startled the pharmacy owner.

"How could I dare to let the princess come in person..."

"Enough talk, you get to work!" Liu Xun didn't even turn his head as he went to take another bag of medicinal herbs.

He knew perfectly well that after the floodwaters inundated the city, the most terrifying thing was not drowning, but disease.

Grain soaked in sewage will mold and rot, drinking unclean water will cause dysentery, and the people in the city are crowded on high places, with humans and livestock living together. If not handled properly, a major epidemic could turn Xiapi into a dead city.

Although he has a system to rely on, it's not a cheat code that makes him immune to death. If a major epidemic spreads, he will still get sick and die.

Yao Tian silently followed behind him, also helping to move things. Seeing that their officer had started, the other soldiers also joined in.

Just then, a cacophony of footsteps and hoofbeats came from the street.

Liu Xun peeked out of the pharmacy and saw a group of people walking from the south gate. The person in the lead was extremely tall, and the hem of his crimson brocade robe was soaked with water and clung to his legs.

Lü Bu.

Behind her followed generals Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Hou Cheng, and others, all with ashen faces, soaked to the bone, their armor still covered in water plants and mud. They had clearly just come down from the city wall.

Liu Xun put down the herbs in his hand and quickly walked out of the pharmacy.

Lu Bu must have been in a terrible mood at that moment. He didn't want to invite trouble, so he quickly grabbed Wei Xu, who was walking behind him.

Wei Xu was a round-faced girl with a kind and easygoing personality. At this moment, she also looked gloomy, wading through the water with her head down, muttering something under her breath.

"General Wei!" Liu Xun called out to her.

Wei Xu looked up and saw Liu Xun, forcing a smile: "Your Highness."

"How is it?" Liu Xun asked bluntly.

Wei Xu sighed, "It's over. Cao Cao's army has breached the dikes of the Si and Yi rivers, and the outside is completely surrounded by water. Xiapi is in a low-lying area, so the water can't drain out and we're stuck here."

She pointed towards the city gate, "The gate sluice and the drainage culverts at the base of the city wall are all flooding in. Our lord had people try to block it with sandbags, but it's impossible."

"How long can it last?" Liu Xun asked.

Wei Xu shook his head: "At this rate of rise, if the water outside the city doesn't recede, within three to five days at most, half of the city will be uninhabitable."

She paused, glancing at Lü Bu's departing figure, and said, "Our lord was furious on the city wall just now. Chen Gongtai's face turned pale."

Liu Xun was silent for a moment, then asked, "How much military rations can be preserved?"

Wei Xu smiled wryly: "The rations for the two military camps below the city have already been soaked in water. There are still half left in the granary near the north gate, which is on higher ground and hasn't been flooded yet."

Liu Xun nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Wei Xu hurriedly took his leave and went after the group.

Liu Xun stood in knee-deep water, gazing at the devastated streets, the shivering people on the rooftops, and the bewildered soldiers on the distant city walls.

He sighed inwardly.

Hopefully Cao Cao can break through the city soon.

At least fewer people will die in Xiapi.

-----------------

When Liu Xun returned to his residence, it was already dark.

The northern part of the city is on higher ground, so the impact of the flood was minimal. The streets outside the courtyard remained dry, though the air carried a slightly damp chill.

In the distance, one can see people who have moved from the low-lying areas, in groups of three or five, with their families in tow, occasionally looking up towards the direction of their homes in the south of the city.

Liu Xun stood at the gate for a while, then turned and went into the courtyard.

He summoned all the soldiers in the courtyard to the main hall.

Including Yao Tian and her men, there were a total of fifty-three people. They were all crammed into the hall, looking exhausted, some still covered in mud from helping the people carry their belongings.

Liu Xun stood in front of the main seat and looked around.

"I've spent time with everyone these past few days, and I know that you're here to protect me, but also to keep an eye on me."

Hearing him point it out so directly, the female soldiers from Xudu all lowered their heads in shame.

Liu Xun continued, "But what I'm about to say, please don't spread a single word out."

The soldiers looked at each other, their expressions tense.

Yao Tian frowned, but did not speak to stop him.

"As everyone can see, Cao Cao's army has dug the river to flood the city, and Xiapi has become a swamp. Next, food, drinking water, firewood, and even disease will be life-threatening."

The soldiers listened intently, their faces filled with unease.

"These days, under the pretext of preparing for a banquet, I have been withdrawing funds from the treasury and also asked people to purchase and secretly stockpile some grain, charcoal, and some medicinal herbs."

Liu Xun paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "These things are the foundation for survival. My power is limited; I can't save all the people in the city, but at least I want to protect those around me, to protect you all."