Eat in Song Dynasty

Chapter 512: The younger one was beaten, and the older one came
When he saw the devastation in the western part of the city, and then saw the clerks and gentry "actively" participating in the rescue, a look of astonishment flashed across his eyes, which then turned into a complex expression.

Her gaze swept across the entire room, finally landing precisely on Wen Shu on the rooftop.

The two looked at each other from afar.

Magistrate Chen's eyes were full of questions.

Wen Shu knew that Magistrate Chen was waiting for her answer.

She took a deep breath, jumped from the roof into the water, and then went to greet Magistrate Chen.

Magistrate Chen waved for his team to continue the rescue efforts, while he himself, along with two trusted confidants, met up with Wen Shu in a corner of a street where the water was shallower.

"Young lady, what... what exactly is going on?"

Magistrate Chen's voice was hoarse as he glanced at the clerk and gentry who were huddled like quails not far away, and at the obviously disgraced young master Li. "I received an urgent report that the dike in the west of the city has breached. I rushed here as fast as I could... Young master Li, he..."

"Lord Chen," Wen Shu interrupted him, speaking succinctly, "how is the condition of the dike? Is the assistance from the neighboring county going smoothly?"

Magistrate Chen sighed: "The breach in the dike has been temporarily plugged, but a lot of manpower and resources are still needed to reinforce it. The neighboring county is too busy to help itself and has only managed to spare these laborers and some supplies."

He paused, then looked directly at Wen Shu earnestly and said, "Young lady, please speak frankly about this matter."

Wen Shu didn't hide anything and selectively recounted how the advisor and others initially only rescued wealthy households and ignored the common people who were dying, as well as how she "persuaded" them to participate in the rescue.

The article highlights their dereliction of duty and their own helpless actions.

"The situation is critical. I acted rashly in a moment of desperation and used excessive methods. Please forgive me, sir. If I had not resorted to this desperate measure, I fear the west side of the city would already be littered with corpses."

Magistrate Chen remained silent for a moment, then rubbed his temples, his face showing even greater fatigue.

How could she not know the intricacies of the matter?
Wen Shu's actions amounted to doing the most offensive but unavoidable thing for him.

“You… sigh, never mind.” Magistrate Chen waved his hand. “In times of emergency, expediency is the priority; saving lives is paramount. I will do my best to handle the matter of Young Master Li.”

Before he could finish speaking, a yamen runner came running up to report: "Sir! Something terrible has happened! The prefect has sent a messenger on horseback, who has arrived at the county office. He says... he has heard about the disaster in the city and wants to come and inspect the situation in person. He will arrive this afternoon!"

The atmosphere solidified instantly.

Magistrate Chen's already tired face was now even more worried.

The prefect's personal visit was not merely to inspect the disaster situation.
Could it be that the advisor said something to him?
Thinking of this, a hint of hatred appeared in Magistrate Chen's eyes.

Wen Shu didn't notice the hatred hidden in the other person's eyes. Seeing her lower her head, she said, "Is my lord worried about how to completely solve the problem of resettling the people? If so, I may be able to help in some way."

Magistrate Chen looked at her suddenly, both surprised and delighted: "What brilliant plan do you have, young lady?"

Wen Shu leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and said, word by word, "What if some of the disaster victims... 'unfortunately disappeared' in the flood?"

Magistrate Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

Wen Shu continued, "I have a secluded manor that can temporarily shelter hundreds of homeless people, providing them with food and lodging, and allowing them to cultivate the land and fend for themselves."

"The authorities only need to record these people as 'missing' on the disaster victim roster to reduce the pressure of resettlement and stabilize the situation."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Chen remained silent for a moment.

This is undoubtedly a good idea, but how to choose from these hundreds of people, who to choose, and whether they are willing to go are all questions.

Just as Magistrate Chen was deep in thought, the surrounding water flow suddenly underwent a subtle change.

Sometime later, the raging floodwaters calmed down.

The rising water level seems to have slowed down, and even the whirlpools in some areas have calmed down considerably.

Magistrate Chen, being a perceptive woman, immediately noticed the change. "What's going on?" she asked, looking at the water with a mixture of surprise and hope. "Has the dam worked?"

Although she said that, she knew that the newly added sand and gravel wouldn't have such a significant effect.

Wen Shu naturally sensed it as well, and was even more surprised. She immediately activated the remote scan and quickly swept it across the murky water.

Soon, her gaze settled on a section of roof beam drifting with the current in the distance—the little turtle that had followed her from the Mountain and Sea Realm was leisurely lying on it, its small, beady eyes taking in the surrounding scene of crying and chaos with great interest.

That look... didn't seem like fear, but rather like watching a farce.

What alarmed her even more was that a faint, almost imperceptible blue halo would occasionally flow across the little turtle's ordinary shell, and whenever the halo flashed, the water in a small area around it would become unusually calm.

It can affect floods?!
Moreover, judging from its expression, it was clearly at ease, even a little... bored?
Wen Shu was deeply shaken.

Considering that it originated from the realm of mountains and seas and came from the Kunlun Mountains, an incredible thought arose: this creature is definitely not an ordinary turtle.

But now is not the time to delve into it.

She quickly put on a reassuring expression and said to Magistrate Chen, "Your Honor, it seems that Heaven cannot bear to see the people suffer. The floodwaters have inexplicably weakened, which is the perfect opportunity for us to do our best to rescue people and stabilize public morale!"

She then laid out her plan, making her reasoning even more compelling: "With the water flow slowing down and the water level stagnating, the floodwaters will likely recede faster than expected, making it more reasonable for some of the victims to be scattered or to flee on their own."

"As for the prefect, he saw that the disaster was quickly brought under control under your effective command, so even if he wanted to cause trouble, he had no reason to do so, at least not in terms of political matters."

Seeing that the floodwaters were indeed calming down, and after hearing Wen Shu's words, Magistrate Chen felt reassured and nodded emphatically: "Very well! As the young lady wishes! I will make the arrangements immediately!"

She turned and hurriedly left, preparing to deal with the prefect.

After sending Magistrate Chen away, Wen Shu immediately headed towards Xiao Hui, but became wary.

She held her breath and stopped in the water a few steps away from the roof beam. She gave a slight bow and said tentatively, "Senior has quite the refined taste, enjoying the view from here."

Little Grey slowly turned its head, its black bean eyes glancing at Wen Shu with a hint of world-weary indifference and a subtle, almost imperceptible, playfulness.

It did not respond, but it also did not show any hostility.

Wen Shu continued, "This flood may be a mere spectacle for you, senior, but it is a catastrophe for these countless people. Since you have the ability to quell the floodwaters, would you... be so kind as to lend them a helping hand?"

She dared not give direct commands, but could only invite it verbally while observing its reaction.

Little Gray blinked, seemingly finding it somewhat interesting.

He has lived too long; helping Yu the Great control the floods was an ancient achievement, and he has long been weary of it.

Its shrunken body and hidden divine power allow it to observe the world from a completely new and transcendent perspective.

He helped Wen Shu, or rather, secretly followed Wen Shu out, because he thought this person was interesting and wanted to see what the commotion was like.

At this moment, Wen Shu no longer treated it as a pet, but addressed it as a "senior," directly pointing out the truth and making a request, which actually pleased him somewhat.

He didn't directly state his position, but the gentle, soothing power emanating from his body seemed to... have expanded slightly.

But it was only a tiny bit.

Wen Shu was incredibly intelligent and immediately understood. "Thank you, senior."

We'll help as much as we can, but we can't ask for more.

Meanwhile, inside the storage basket, the dozens of women and children, soothed by the ethereal and authoritative voice, had begun eating and discussing whether to stay.

In the distance, the sound of horses' hooves and the gongs of officials clearing the way grew closer.
From afar, the prefect's carriage could already be seen.