Startled Meng

"grown ups……"

"The vast expanse of jade fields, the converging population, and the green embankment covered by shade... are all fake?" Juniper blinked, wondering if he had gone the wrong way, but the two big characters on the tower told him that it was true. , this place where the muddy puddles outside the city and the yellow water flow inside the city is Jiangling.

Looking at the closed street with few pedestrians, Du Yan felt 1 unwilling, so he pulled Yan Cijing to leave.

Yan Cijing was helpless: "Jiangling is so depressed because of floods. Let's go to the government office first."

The buildings in Jiangling are different from those in Ye City, with white brick slanted eaves and low houses. Walking along the way, you can clearly see the traces of water stains soaked in the bottom of the corners, the yellow water that cannot be drained on the street, and the winding roads in the city. The water surface of the river is undulating, almost level with the shore, and it will overflow at any time.

Three people with six legs, one horse and four hooves, walked all the way, leaving mud trails all the way, and the yellow mud on the soles of the shoes could be seen from outside the city. From time to time, old men and women came out of the roadside shops to look in amazement.

"Is anyone still entering the city at this time?"

"Hey, I was lucky to enter the city today. The flood didn't overwhelm the city gate. The water flowed a few days ago, and the soldiers guarding the gate couldn't stand up. They had to move a box to cushion it."

When Yan Cijing first entered the city, he didn't know the general situation. He thought about going to the government office first, but he didn't know the way, so Yan Cijing took the guide to ask.

The tables and chairs of the roadside restaurant are all piled up. The owner of the shop is an aunt with her trouser legs. Just as she hugged the child squatting on the cabinet, she turned her head and saw a stranger asking for directions. I heard that he was going to the government office, aunt I looked at it, pointed the way, and complained.

"Are you looking for someone? Let me tell you, it's useless to look for anyone. If the government does things, the city can still be flooded like this?"

Yan Cijing reached into his sleeve, touched the letter of appointment, and said, "Actually, I am..."

The aunt is impatient: "Oh, it doesn't matter who you are, I advise you to leave quickly, many people in the city have already left, and we are the only ones left to open shops, everything is expensive now, and many people have no food to eat. The porridge shed won't last long."

Got to the point of porridge?

Yan Cijing tucked the letter of appointment back into his sleeve, and called the Juniper brothers to go on their way.

It started to rain again outside, Yan Cijing went out of the store, wiped his face, and saw an old man hurriedly running in front of him, waving at him as he ran.

"You are Mr. Yan from Ye City, right?" The old man ran all the way in his blue cloth gown with the wet hem tucked into his belt, panting and said that his name was Luo Sheng, and he was the general judge of Jiangling.

"My lord, the soldiers guarding the gate came to report. They should have greeted them earlier, but the waterlogging has been severe recently, and many officials' houses have been flooded. There are not many people left in the mansion, so I dare not run out regardless of everything... ..."

Yan Cijing said: "Let's not talk about this first, I just heard someone say that a porridge shed has been set up in the city to serve porridge. How is the situation?"

"Yes, yes," Luo Sheng wiped his sweat, "it's for porridge. The farmers whose fields and houses were flooded have nowhere to go. They all gather in the east of the city, and the porridge sheds are also in the east of the city."

Yan Cijing frowned: "Where's the envoy? Floods, food shortages, how about food prices? And floods, is it because of the heavy rain that the accumulated water in the city cannot be drained, or is the water from Linghu Lake outside the city overflowing? "

"It's all there!" Luo Sheng took the initiative to help Yan Cijing lead the horse into the mansion, "My lord, come in first, and explain slowly if you have something to say."

Seeing that his whole body was drenched, Yan Cijing couldn't continue talking, and followed him into the government office.

Luo Sheng crossed his face: "Your Majesty Yan doesn't know something. The Linghu in front of Jiangling City is connected to the big river in the north. In summer, it is cloudy and rainy. The river floods into Linghu, causing the lake to surge. When the flood rushes, the embankment on the south side of Linghu will collapse. The farmlands outside the lake were the first to suffer, and the lake flooded the farmlands, followed by Jiangling City, Jiangling was flooded, and the lake outside the city flooded in again, it is really difficult inside and out!"

Yan Cijing asked: "The embankment is easy to collapse, why not strengthen it before summer?"

Luo Sheng shook his head: "The previous magistrate ordered people to reinforce it before he left, and it was washed away by the heavy rain a few days ago. Fortunately, the rain has receded a lot after two days of rest."

Yan Cijing raised his foot and stepped on it twice, splashing water in the hall: "It was already raining when I came here, and now the rain is getting heavier, I'm afraid Linghu Lake will flood again." Hearing two hums, Yan Yan Ci Jing turned around and saw Luo Sheng wiping tears quietly.

"Lord Luo?"

Luo Sheng said bitterly: "It's been broken for several days, and no one is going to mend it."

Yan Cijing said anxiously: "Where's the Jiangzhou camp? If the garrison doesn't go, do we have to rely on the people in the city to make up for it?"

Luo Sheng shook his head: "They said it would collapse if it was repaired, so don't do things that are wasted effort."

Yan Cijing took the straw hat from Juniper: "Take me there."

"grown ups……"

"Now."

The rain in Jiangling fell as soon as it was said to fall, the tick tock fell endlessly, and the water vapor was cold. Walking on the street, it was actually a bit colder than Yecheng in summer.

Yan Cijing's drenched boots have not been replaced yet, and now they are dripping in the water again. The splashed water wets the hem of his clothes and trousers, and sticks to his skin heavily and stickyly. Advice, just say something serious:

"Jiangzhou Battalion, the leader, He Qian, has gone to the northern border to support him. He has military merits and has a lot of prestige in the camp. Lord Yan..."

Luo Sheng was afraid that Yan Cijing's words would offend He Qian, so he explained in advance, but he didn't care at all:

"With military merits, he must be brave and good at fighting. He can save the people on the frontier from fire and water. Why did he neglect his duties and slack off when he arrived in Jiangling? Could it be that the people of Jiangling owed him?"

Luo Sheng couldn't answer, and silently followed Yan Cijing with his head down.

The general guarding the gate didn't recognize Yan Cijing, but when he saw Master Luo holding an umbrella for someone, he expected that it was not an ordinary person, so it was difficult to stop him, but the general had to obey his orders, and asked with a long sword at his waist: "What's the matter, Master Luo?" ?”

"Blind your dog eyes!" Luo Sheng spat, "This is the newly-appointed magistrate Mr. Yan, hurry up and report to your general!"

"oh oh!"

"I'll go in with you, can't the magistrate enter the gate of the military mansion? Or do you think the water in Linghu Lake is not rising fast enough?" Yan Cijing strode across the threshold, passed the dumbfounded officers and soldiers, and went straight to the front hall.

The newly appointed magistrate didn't know what his background was, and no one dared to stop him. As soon as Yan Cijing walked unimpeded, he entered the lobby and looked coldly at the man lying on the couch with his eyes closed.

With a broad face, thick eyebrows and a big mouth, thick arms, and thick feet, it is not a joke to have experienced decades in the army, but is the appearance of sleeping peacefully with one's chest folded, the appearance that a battalion leader should have?

"General He."

"General! This is our prefect, Lord Yan."

He Qian didn't fall asleep at all, knowing that there was a shallow stranger standing in front of him and heard the voice, but he waited for his subordinates to report before slowly opening his eyes.

He said leisurely: "Lord Yan? Just let me know if you have anything to do. Why don't you come and visit me personally?"

Yan Cijing said: "General, the torrential rain has not stopped, and the Linghu landslide urgently needs to be filled, and you still need to gather people to go."

He Qian was puzzled: "It has been collapsed for two days, Lord Yan? Why are you asking now?"

Luo Sheng smiled apologetically, "Your Majesty Yan also just arrived today, before you put down your salutes, and before you had time to change your clothes when they were wet, you see, General... see who is free, go to the lake to help, and wait for the rain to fall. It’s not good when you grow up.”

He Qian rubbed his nose and yawned: "No, no, the brother who went to block the water a while ago got eczema, and it hasn't healed yet. Anyway, it will collapse if it is blocked. When the rain subsides, the waterlogging will naturally stop. , go back and wait."

Luo Sheng shook Yan Cijing's sleeves desperately beside him, Yan Cijing was unmoved, and said coldly: "It turns out that the Jiangzhou camp guarding Jiangling is not for stability, but for pleasure. That's right. There is a shortage of food, food and housing for the common people is a problem, but it will not affect General He, who leads the army's salary, so General He can continue to sleep peacefully."

Luo Sheng took a breath, glanced at He Qian, and then chased after Yan Cijing who had already walked out the door with his clothes on.

"Master Yan! Wait—"

He Qian was neither annoyed nor continued to lie down, looked at the new magistrate who ran out, and smiled disdainfully, the lieutenant waited beside him, worried: "General, the disaster is critical..."

He Qian was displeased: "Critical? When was it not critical? He just left a magistrate who was over fifty years old, and he couldn't help it. A young adult came here. He didn't have enough qualifications and a temper. any solution?"

Lieutenant General: "Yes..."

He Qian squinted at him: "If you are worried, bring a few people to follow and see what he wants to do?"

"My lord! What exactly do you want to do? General He doesn't care, you can't do anything by yourself?" Luo Sheng followed behind Yan Cijing with his umbrella in his hand.

Yan Cijing turned towards the gate of Jiangling City: "I have a coir hat, and I don't need an umbrella. Go to the house and call for as many people as you can."

"where to?"

"Lake Lake, repair the embankment."

Jiangling is rich not only in commerce, but also in high-yield fertile land. Before Yan Cijing came, he had imagined the spectacular scene of thousands of acres of green seedlings fluttering in the wind, but he did not expect the miserable state of being soaked in yellow muddy water.

Backed by Linghu Lake, once the dam collapses, the farmland will bear the brunt and the yellow water will rage, so you can still see the green shadow of the rice?

The raindrops fell like small stones, hitting his face with pain, Yan Cijing couldn't open his eyes, and ran forward desperately, the sound of the lake roaring in his ears became louder and louder, and the flood had already reached the height of Knees, every foot stepped on the yellow mud.

In the distance ahead, with their backs to Yan Cijing, stood a row of people whose faces could not be seen clearly.

Someone was waving at him and shouting: "Hey! If you want help, hurry up! Someone can't hold on anymore, come and help!"

Yan Cijing wiped off the rainwater from his face, and moved towards the embankment step by step...

On the south side of Linghu Lake, a person stood at a distance from the collapsed gap, passing sandbags one after another. Yu Fangzhi stood at the deepest part of the lake, catching the sandbags with one hand and supporting Xiaoqing with the other.

"If you can't hold on, go down and sit down. Isn't there another person? Let him replace you."

Xiao Qing nodded, shivered, and met the person who was slowly moving over: "You—"

Yu Fangzhi heard the sound, but without turning his head, he wiped the rainwater off his face: "Hurry up, the sandbag can't stop."

As soon as the words fell, a sandbag was passed steadily with his left hand. Yu Fang Zhi Wuyan took it, turned around and piled it in the water, and then turned around again. The sandbags were handed over one by one, which was much more agile than Xiaoqing. Take a second look.

Those hands are very white, the arms are also white, wearing a straw hat, only a small part of the chin is exposed, with so many details, Yu Fangzhi will be a ghost if he can't recognize them.

He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand indiscriminately, grabbed the back brim of the straw hat and pulled it. The man lost his balance and fell backwards with his face up.

Yu Fangzhi had prepared long ago, caught him firmly by the waist, and happily looked at the longing face under the straw hat.

"Master Yan, you are finally here!"

The author says:

Good night!