Miao Chu

Chapter 331 Witnessing it firsthand
In fact, even without his shouting, most of the people on the platform had already been awakened.

The ground beneath their feet and buttocks was shaking incessantly; it was the chairs that were moving, but the platform itself was also moving. At this moment, the sun was just rising, and the morning light was faint. When everyone looked up, they saw the scene of water and sky in the distance, and they were so frightened that their hands and feet went weak. Because they did not know what was happening, they could only ask questions randomly.

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

"What's going on??"

Is it the Liuta River overflowing???

Was no one on duty last night?

Some people reacted quickly, immediately standing up and shouting, "Let's go back and talk about it! If we stay here, I'm afraid no one will know or care!"

At this moment, the platform began to shake and make strange noises. The others were uneasy and knew they should leave as soon as possible without being reminded. They all agreed and were about to go down from the platform when they saw that someone had silently left the platform.

He was running the fastest, and there were only a few steps left before he reached the bottom. Just then, he heard a "splash," followed by a scream and a splash.

Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the sound. They saw that the lower wooden steps had been broken in the middle, forming a slightly flat "V" shape.

—The steps were originally covered with thick red cloth and blankets. The lower end was in contact with the overflowing river water and had been absorbing water all the way up, making it much heavier. Furthermore, due to being soaked and washed by the water for a long time, the planks were very loose. When that person stepped on it heavily, it finally collapsed, but because of the red cloth and blankets, it did not break completely to the bottom.

However, at this moment, it would be better to just cut it off completely.

With a cloth cushion, he couldn't fall off the platform. If there had been a wooden platform to block him, he could have used it for leverage. But now he couldn't fall, and when his foot slipped, he tumbled forward and plunged headfirst into the water.

He frantically reached out and grabbed, shouting "Help!" but after only two shouts, he sank underwater. When he struggled to surface again, his head and hands were already more than ten feet away from the platform.

—The water flow is incredibly fast!
On the high platform, everyone who was running down suddenly stopped in their tracks, too frightened to move.

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

Not only did no one answer, but the head of the person who had fallen into the water could no longer be seen.

"No... I hope nothing bad will happen?"

"Can Mao San swim?"

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

"What does it have to do with us? He's the fastest runner! And when he was running, he didn't call out to any of us!"

"Exactly! That's a warehouse over there, there's probably someone there. We might be able to rescue him. Don't worry—worry about ourselves!"

As everyone was still talking, they felt the platform shaking incessantly, followed by a series of cracking sounds. Before they could react, several loud "crack" sounds rang out, and everyone slipped and fell forward almost simultaneously—the platform had broken in the middle, with a small section on the right sliding directly into the water.

The platform is over three zhang high. If you accidentally fall from it, even ten legs wouldn't be enough to break you, and ten heads wouldn't be enough to break you.

The group grabbed at things haphazardly, but found nothing to hold onto. In the end, they all clung to the railing. Not long after, the railing slipped, and two more people fell into the water.

No one could estimate the depth of the water, and those who fell in were swept away almost instantly.

Upon seeing this scene, some people immediately screamed and wailed, while others exclaimed in shock and cursed.

One of them shouted, “Stop crying! We’re all calling for help! There must be someone on duty across the river. If we can get someone to hear us, they can come by boat and save us!”

This person indeed took the lead in shouting "Help!"

The cries for help were initially scattered, but soon they coalesced into a loud chorus.

While everyone was shouting themselves hoarse, someone else on the opposite bank of the river was also screaming in panic.

The overflow of the Liuta River could not possibly remain completely silent.

The first to notice something was wrong was the broom-maker.

Due to a shortage of materials, the positions of the broom, top armor, and bone rope had to be replaced with other things or left empty for the time being. The craftsmen were uneasy about the upcoming inspection by their superiors, fearing that something might go wrong. So, before dawn, they came to check the site.

As a result, the group carried lanterns and walked a long way along the river, but they couldn't find the original sweeper even after half a day.

It was dark, and the group thought they had accidentally walked past it. Just as they were about to turn back, one of them cried out "Ouch!" and stumbled, stepping into a puddle and nearly slipping.

When everyone held up their lanterns to look, they saw water gushing from the ground, almost instantly submerging their ankles.

It was just before dawn, and the sky was still dark. Everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and they were about to check carefully when someone cried out "Ah!" and was knocked into the water by something.

He reached back and grabbed the lantern, then looked closer, his voice changing: "This is the top armor—the top armor has been removed!"

The top armor, which was tightly covering the shovel and could block the water flow, served a great purpose. Upon hearing that the top armor had come off, everyone's expression changed.

"Could the sweeper have broken down? What are we going to do to cut off the water later?"

"We said the bone cord needed to be made of three feet of wood, but they didn't even give us one foot, and there wasn't enough straw either. The broomwork must have been sloppy! You can't blame us for this, can you?"

"If it's not your fault, who else is it? Your superior? Just wait and see. Getting scolded is secondary. This time the sluice gate is broken. If the gate alone can't stop the water, and that official who came during the day sees it, the higher-ups will lose face, and who knows how they'll be punished!"

"What does this have to do with me! They didn't provide the materials, nor the manpower—they hired some people to make bamboo strips and baskets, and then told us to take them along to do broomwork and carpentry—that's fine, but they also set such a tight time limit that we can't even finish turning straw!"

As they talked, they walked forward, initially thinking that the water had accidentally overflowed somewhere, but the further they walked, the deeper the water became, and soon it had reached their calves.

Those who worked with the dikes year-round realized something was wrong. They all bent down to look at the water, and then reached out to scoop up water to test for mud and sand. As soon as they finished, the room fell silent, and no one spoke.

No one spoke, no one moved, so there was only the sound of rushing water, which was much more rapid than during the day or on any other day.

Almost simultaneously, everyone raised their lanterns and hurried toward the river.

The lantern's light was weak, only illuminating a few steps away nearby.

After walking a few steps, and then a few more, all I could see was yellow water everywhere; I couldn't find the riverbed at all.

At this moment, no one dared to walk forward recklessly—the road was unclear, and if someone accidentally stepped into the river, they would be swept away by the flood, and even a god could not save them.

The sound of water was soon mixed with the sound of teeth chattering.

It seemed like an eternity had passed, yet it also felt like only a moment, when finally someone, trembling, asked in a low voice, "Is...is the Liuta River breached?"

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

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

"Quickly! Go and report this!"

A group of people ran back, stumbling and sinking in the mud.

Upon hearing the news, the official on duty rushed out without even putting on his outer robe, slipping on his shoes, and asked, "Who's on night duty! How's the water? How deep is it? Can we stop it? Go report to the supervisor!" The information was relayed up the chain of command, and by the time everyone with official duties along the river had finally gathered, the sky was already turning light. Even so, the group could only stare at each other in bewilderment.

"Have you gone to report to Lord Lü?"

"We've already gone, but Chanzhou City is quite far away, and it's too late for a round trip—why don't you gentlemen make a decision first!"

It turned out that Lü Zhongchang usually lived in Chanzhou City. Moreover, today the imperial envoy and the Vice Chancellor Li Zhai arrived together. As the person in charge of the Liuta River, he was the first to go and greet them.

Therefore, after the river was opened yesterday, this person observed it for half a day and, seeing that there was nothing unusual, hurriedly returned to the city. Before leaving, he only instructed that the sweepers be set up and the sluice gates be lowered in the morning, and that the river opening be demonstrated again when the superior arrived in the afternoon.

If there is no problem with the Liuta River, there is no need for discussion. Just let people close the sluice gate as Lü Zhongchang instructed.

However, given the current state of the water, not only was Lü Zhongchang absent, but those with some status had also returned to the city to prepare to welcome their superiors. Among the remaining people, all were of low rank and position, and no one dared to make a decision.

"How about... we wait a little longer?"

"Yes, yes! Send a few more men to Chanzhou City, and prepare enough horses! Four horses per man will surely get the message out faster!"

"Someone! Someone! Quickly, go into the city and report this!"

"Where are the people on duty last night? How come the place is flooded and not a single one has reported it? Find them immediately!"

"Who discovered this?!"

"Quickly send someone to measure the water depth!"

"How far has the water gone?"

A group of minor officials chattered amongst themselves, pretending to be constantly busy, as if afraid that if they kept their mouths shut, they would be urged to make a decision.

Soon, several groups of messengers set out, each with three or even four horses, galloping towards Chanzhou City.

In Chanzhou City, Lü Zhongchang finished packing before dawn and led his men out of the city.

After leaving the city, he rode for about ten miles and saw billowing dust ahead. He rode his horse quickly closer and saw that it was indeed the prefect and vice-prefect of Chanzhou, along with a group of officials from the prefectural government, teachers and students from the prefectural school, and elderly people from the prefecture.

If when Lü Zhongchang first arrived at Liutahe, he had a good relationship with the officials of Chanzhou, and they kept to themselves, after a year, the two sides had grown quite hostile towards each other.

Sometimes, you can't get things done just by being nice to each other.

Seeing that the officials from the Chanzhou government had chosen a place to wait, and that it was rare to find all the officials he was looking for, Lü Zhongchang honestly and without ceremony rode after them. After dismounting, he gave them a brief greeting and began urging them to hurry up with their business.

Lu Zhongchang inquired about the grain, timber, sand, bamboo, and cloth used on the river.

An official, displeased, retorted, "The prefecture hasn't touched anything on the river. We sent exactly what the capital sent over, without skimping on a single penny. If you think it's not enough, Lord Lü, you should urge the court—even a clever cook can't make a meal without rice!"

Lu Zhongchang was so angry that his teeth itched, and he spoke without any politeness, saying, "The imperial court ordered the Chanzhou government to fully support the Liuta River project. It's been almost a year, and apart from helping to send some materials and conscripting laborers a few times, what else has the government done? After the matter is over, will Chanzhou not take credit for this?"

"When it comes to work, this isn't good enough, that isn't good enough, but when it comes to claiming credit, all of these things come out—Master Liu, last year when the performance evaluation was conducted, you also wrote about ensuring the supply of materials for the Liuta River, didn't you?"

"Chanzhou also has granaries, and we need to coordinate the canal transport to transfer various supplies—so that Lord Lü knows that my affairs here are just as piling up. Every time your goods from Liutahe arrive, they are the first to be arranged for transport. If it weren't for the support from the prefectural government, Liutahe would run out of food in less than two days. Do you think..."

This man was talking non-stop, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the person next to Lü Zhongchang.

"Come on! What do you mean by 'full support'? You have the nerve to bring up this kind of 'borrowing flowers to present to Buddha' and 'being generous with other people's money'! Because we're repairing the river here, the imperial court allocated more silver and grain to Chanzhou than we should have, but you haven't even bothered to calculate and send it to us! Every time we ask for help, you're so stingy, and you drag your feet on any request we make..."

Seeing the commotion on both sides, Lü Zhongchang, along with the prefect and vice-prefect of Chanzhou, remained silent, listening to each of them speaking their minds.

Just then, a man rode up from afar. Seeing that many people were waiting there, he quickly dismounted and went to report to the prefect of Chanzhou and the others, saying, "Gentlemen, Councilor Li and Prefect Feng have arrived at Pingxin Pavilion!"

Pingxin Pavilion had only been here for a little over half an hour when both sides stopped abruptly, straightening their hats and robes in preparation for welcoming him.

Sure enough, not long after, the ceremonial procession arrived.

As the head of Liutahe, Lü Zhongchang, along with the prefect and vice-prefect of Chanzhou, each led a group of people to meet them.

Whether it was Li Zhai or Feng Deju, they both looked travel-worn.

After exchanging greetings with the other side, Li Zhai was about to speak, but seeing that many teachers, students, and elderly people from the state school had come with him, he swallowed his words and, after offering some encouragement, hurriedly returned to the city without delay.

Upon entering the Chanzhou government office, before even sitting down, Li Zhai immediately turned around, saw that there were no idle people around, and called out, "Lu Goudang."

He added, "This year's summer floods are a once-in-decades event, and they've lasted an exceptionally long time. With autumn approaching, the river levels are still high—the court has decided to temporarily suspend the flow of water through your Liuta River until after winter!"

Lu Zhongchang was prepared, and upon hearing this, he remained calm and said, "Councilor! Although there has been a lot of rain this year and the summer floods are severe, the Liuta River is a timely and appropriate occurrence. I have exhausted all means to deepen the river, widen the channel, and set up eight additional sluice gates and shovels. After repeated calculations and trials, it is absolutely foolproof!"

Li Zhai hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "There are quite a few farmlands and houses along the Liuta River..."

As he was speaking, Lü Zhongchang loudly proclaimed, "Counselor, I was unaware of the court's current intentions yesterday. Because the ministers had been urging us day and night, we had been working tirelessly to ensure that everything on the river was in order. I also learned that the Councilor and the imperial envoy were coming, and I had already given orders to have people conduct a preliminary river-clearing rehearsal. Yesterday, the Liuta River was cleared, the water flowed smoothly, and the wind was calm, and everything was safe and sound!"

"With the diversion of water from the Liuta River, the main channel of the Yellow River has been significantly calmed. Even if there is heavy rain later, the people downstream will no longer have to worry about the river overflowing. This is a good thing. Just as the councilor said, this year's flood season is longer and there is more rain than in previous years. If we don't use it, wouldn't that be a waste? If the councilor doesn't believe it, he can come and see for himself!"

Lu Zhongchang spoke with such conviction and certainty that Li Zhai, standing to the side, began to waver. He subconsciously looked to the side and asked, "What does Chief Feng think?"

Standing to the side, Feng Deju hurriedly said, "The imperial order I received is precisely to see with my own eyes and investigate personally!"

He added, "We've all come here on official business. In my opinion, we shouldn't delay any longer. Let's go and take a look at Liuta River right now!"

Seeing that the two men had come and were about to leave, the prefect of Chanzhou was still somewhat uneasy, even though he knew that they had come for the purpose of facilitating the passage of the river. However, he had no choice but to turn around and see them off. Just then, he saw five or six people in a corner, all looking at Lü Zhongchang with anxious and panicked expressions.

A thought struck him, and he raised his chin, asking, "Where did those few come from?"

Soon, someone came back and said, "It's from Liuta River. They say they have something urgent to report to Master Lü."

"Ask what's wrong."

"I already asked, but they didn't answer..."

What urgent matter requires so many people to deliver this message?
The prefect immediately stopped and gave the newcomer a wink.

The man immediately stepped forward and said to Lü Zhongchang, "Lord Lü, a lot of people have come to Liutahe, saying they have urgent news to report. They've been waiting for quite a while, and they're all very anxious—over there!"

Lu Zhongchang looked in that direction and sure enough, five or six people stood there as if their feet were on fire, all looking at him with fear.

He found it strange and frowned, asking, "What is it?"

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　　(End of this chapter)