Top Scholar

Chapter 627 Ice Flood
After verifying the identity of the imperial guard, the Imperial Guard led him up the embankment and rushed to Su Lu.

The imperial guard knelt on one knee and reported nervously, "Your Excellency! The ice on the upper reaches of the Wuding River has melted, and ice floes are falling. When it reached the bend at Chenjiayu, forty miles away, it was blocked by the unmelted ice downstream, which has piled up into an ice wall more than ten feet high, making it impossible for water to pass!"

The surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly, even the distant laughter and chatter of the laborers finishing their work became muffled. Liu Daxia, growing increasingly impatient with age, pressed on sharply, demanding, "How tightly is the ice wall blocked? What's the water level upstream?!"

The scout hurriedly replied, "Sir, the ice wall completely covers the river surface, without a single gap! The thawing ice water upstream is accumulating more and more, and the water level is rising rapidly. When I set out, it had already overflowed the low-lying areas along the bank..."

"Map!" Su Lu shouted in a low voice.

Zhu Zihe immediately unfolded the newly drawn "Map of the Wuding River Basin" by the Water Conservancy Project Department. This map was by no means ordinary. Not only did it use the method of "drawing squares according to distance" to mark the scale... each square represented one li (a traditional Chinese unit of distance), but it also used layered coloring and varying line density to present the elevation differences. With just a simple study of the rules, one could have a clear understanding of the topography of the entire Wuding River basin.

With the help of torches, everyone's eyes were fixed on the location of Chenjiayu on the map. The guard took the chisel and marked a series of small triangles at the bend of the Wuding River to represent the ice wall, saying, "This is it!"

Lin Wenpei asked, puzzled, "How could ice be stuck here?"

Liu Daxia analyzed in a deep voice: "This place is right outside the mountains, and the river suddenly turns sharply, making it easy for ice to get stuck. In addition, the high mountains on both sides block the sunlight, so the ice will definitely melt later. The ice floes rushing down from upstream collide with the unmelted ice downstream and are thus blocked, forming this ice wall, right?"

He sighed heavily, full of regret, and said, "Alas, it was my oversight. I should have sent someone to break the ice and clear the obstruction earlier!"

“It’s normal that we can’t take care of such a long river,” Lin Wenpei said softly, trying to excuse the old man. “Besides, the Wuding River hasn’t had an ice jam for many years…”

"The Wuding River already has a lot of silt, and with years of severe drought, the water flow has slowed down, the riverbed has become silted up, and the river channel has narrowed. It wouldn't be easy to block the river with ice blocks to form a dam, would it? If it were to burst, it would be even more dangerous!" Liu Daxia said with a dark face, "Sigh, I'm just talking the talk after the walk!"

"Alright, let's figure out a way to resolve this crisis first, and we can discuss preventative measures later!" Su Lu said in a deep voice.

“The top scholar is right.” Liu Daxia nodded emphatically, his voice tense. “The terrain at the bend where Chenjiayu turns out of the mountain is steep. Once the dam is too high, and the ice wall breaks, the flood will inundate the entire Mentougou in less than an hour!”

Su Lu's heart sank, and he immediately and decisively ordered, "Xiao Yi, take two thousand brothers to Mentougou immediately and evacuate the people from village to village. Make sure everyone is evacuated to higher ground, and not a single one is lost!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Song Xiaoyi dared not delay for a moment, and immediately led several followers down the embankment to assemble the garrison and set off at full speed.

Lin Wenpei also said anxiously, "Sir, sir, we must immediately organize the laborers to break the ice! Every quarter of an hour each night, the water level rises by one centimeter!"

Liu Daxia took a deep breath, suppressing his impatience, and slowly said, "The ice wall is already built. It's too dangerous to chisel it out, and I'm afraid it will be of little use."

“But if we don’t break through this ice wall, we won’t be able to collect the peach blossom water that has been accumulating all winter. Wouldn’t it be a waste to have repaired this water tank?” Lin Wenpei was really anxious and dared to contradict even the senior he respected.

“You’re the top scholar, so you should make the decision.” Liu Daxia looked at Su Lu. He knew that this young man was meticulous, resourceful, and had a rare concern for the common people. He was sure he could make the right choice.

Su Lu looked up into the distance; the moon had quietly risen into the sky. Under the silvery moonlight, the Wuding River resembled a giant dragon about to awaken. The increasingly frequent cracking sounds were unsettling, clearly foreshadowing an impending disaster…

After a moment's thought, he had made up his mind. He turned to look at Liu Daxia and said calmly, "What you say is absolutely right. The ice surface is fragile during the spring floods, and it is not advisable to chisel it out directly. Let's try another method—melt the ice wall by baking it!"

“Ice is made of water and melts when heated, that’s true.” Liu Daxia frowned and said, “But how big of a fire would it take to melt such a large wall of ice?”

"It's alright, we have plenty of people. Many hands make light work! We'll light as big a fire as needed!" Su Lu laughed loudly. "If that's not enough, we'll add fuel to the fire! We seized so much incense oil and lamp oil from the raids on the monasteries before. Now it can come in handy."

After a pause, he decisively added, "If all else fails, I'll bring in the artillery from the Divine Machine Battalion. A hundred cannons will fire simultaneously, blasting the hell out of this ice wall! I refuse to believe we can't break through it!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Daxia finally perked up. "You mean, use oil to ignite the ice, making it brittle, and then use cannons to blast the ice wall? This method is feasible! Spring flood ice is inherently brittle and easily broken, and it is most susceptible to melting and vibration. This method can avoid casualties and break the ice quickly!"

“That’s exactly right!” Su Lu turned to Zhu Zihe and said, “Make a note of this, and I will make the following arrangements!”

Zhu Zihe quickly pulled out his notebook, and then heard Su Lu give a resounding order: "The first route, which is also the most crucial, is to order all 60,000 laborers at the water tank construction site to immediately dismantle their respective work sheds, each carrying a bundle of wood and firewood, and rush to Chenjiayu!" "The second route is to order the more than 10,000 laborers at the Wanping construction site to go to the Imperial Capital Commission's Dingzi warehouse overnight, each receiving a can of oil, and rush to Chenjiayu!"

"Third Route: You will personally take my imperial gold token and go to the Shenji Battalion to mobilize one hundred cannons, prepare sufficient ammunition, and march to Chenjiayu!"

"For the fourth route, of all the officers and soldiers stationed at the water tanks, 1,000 will remain to guard the dike, and the rest will immediately prepare to head to Chenjiayu! I will arrive first to ensure that the personnel are in place and to receive the next steps of the plan!"

"Yes!" Zhu Zihe finished recording, repeated the order, confirmed it was correct, and accepted the gold medal from Su Luru, who said it was as if the emperor himself was present.

Su Lu then wrote an authorization document on the spot and handed it to him, so that Zhu Zihe could mobilize the artillery units of the Shenji Battalion.

Liu Daxia was completely stunned. The Emperor's personal guard, led by Scholar Su, could be mobilized so easily? And not just any artillery, but such a powerful weapon! This was outrageous! He was practically a vice-emperor…

Then Su Lu explained calmly, "The three major camps are under the control of the Grand General's Mansion. I am the Registrar of the Grand General's Mansion. In an emergency, I can act expediently and mobilize a small number of troops."

One hundred cannons is still considered a small force? The definition of "small force" has been redefined...

The situation was urgent, and Zhu Zihe dared not delay. He immediately went down the embankment to deliver the order.

Su Lu then said to Liu Daxia and the others, "Let's go to Chenjiayu first to conduct an on-site investigation and finalize the plan based on the actual situation!"

"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.

~~
As Su Lu and his entourage rode away from the construction site, the 60,000 laborers who were eating in the camp also received his orders.

After more than a month of construction, the workers' discipline has improved to a new level.

Hearing it was an order from Scholar Su, no one asked why, and no one complained. Some wolfed down their dinner, others stuffed their cornbread into their clothes, then rolled up their sleeves, dismantled their makeshift shelters, tied bundles of planks and straw together with hemp rope, and either pushed or pulled wheelbarrows or simply carried them on their shoulders. Led by their respective group leaders, they set off in large groups along the river, organized by their respective work communes…

The soldiers sprang into action, their horses' hooves echoing along the banks of the Wuding River. They held torches to guide the large contingent of laborers.

An hour later, in the direction of Wanping County, the remaining 13,000 men of the 13th Battalion, who were digging irrigation canals overnight, received orders to prepare for the transport of kerosene. Without hesitation, they put down their shovels and spades, picked up their carrying poles, and lined up to head to the Imperial Treasury's Dingzi Warehouse, ten miles away.

This Dingziku was originally the Chui'en Temple of the Yellow Sect. After it was confiscated, because of its high walls and deep moat, it was quite defensive and was used by the imperial court to be converted into a warehouse specifically for storing oil.

The manager of Dingzi Warehouse had also received the order and immediately led the warehouse officials to divide the oil stored in the warehouse into various large and small earthenware jars... This oil was originally transported in these earthenware jars, and since it was still a short time ago, the jars were still well preserved.

The warehouse clerk filled a jar of oil, sealed it with cork, and neatly placed it in the courtyard. The laborers arrived, tied the jars with hemp rope, and carried them away. They walked very carefully carrying the two jars, afraid of breaking them and spilling the precious oil. Moreover, because they were going into the mountains, they didn't even dare use wheelbarrows, carrying the oil on their shoulders to Chenjiayu.

Equally awe-inspiring was the spectacular sight of those one hundred cannons rushing to the 'battlefield'. Each cannon was pulled by a strong, sturdy horse, with several artillerymen following alongside. They pulled and tugged, supporting the cannon barrels and stabilizing the carriages, not daring to be careless in order to prevent it from veering off course during the journey.

A long convoy followed the artillery, with cannonballs and gunpowder loaded on separate horse-drawn carriages.

Although the western suburban military camp was only twenty li (about 10 kilometers) from Chenjiayu, it was a formidable challenge for the artillerymen carrying heavy loads. They trudged along, raising clouds of dust in their wake; the neighing of livestock, the creaking of artillery vehicles, and the heavy breathing of the artillerymen mingled together, making them appear like a long snake slowly moving towards Chenjiayu…

If one could transform into a night hawk and look down from high above, one would see several fiery dragons winding through the mountains—some stretching for miles, others a mere mile. Rising from all directions, they bravely advance in the same direction! Forward! Forward!

All soldiers and civilians, all forces, obeyed Su Lu's orders, thought in one direction and exerted their strength in one direction, and marched to Chenjiayu in a mighty force, determined to use their mortal bodies to confront the great power of nature!
Admittedly, in the face of the greatness of nature, a single human being is as insignificant as a speck of dust. However, when millions of people unite closely and organize themselves in a tight manner, they will form an invincible and powerful force, which may well enable them to win the battle and reverse the course of nature!
If Heaven doesn't favor Su Lang, then we'll build our own water conservancy project!
Spring tides rise from the earth, creating ice walls? Then let's chisel them open ourselves!

Because we are the descendants of Yu the Great! We are the sons and daughters of China who dare to contend with Heaven and fight against Earth!

(End of this chapter)