Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 488 Threat
Liu Fengshui didn't know how long he had been lying on the tree. He was so hungry that he almost pulled out all the leaves on the tree.

He couldn't help but look at the various things that floated past him. Even if he closed his eyes, he could still hear the sounds of various things floating past him.

Many times, those people were stuck on the branches in front of him... He spent a long, long time with them like this.

It was not until the water receded that Zhao Fengshui grabbed a piece of driftwood and fished out his family from the water...

"Dead, all dead..."

When Liu Fengshui saw Zhao Guangyuan, he couldn't stop crying.

Thinking of his three-year-old son, his swollen belly… I felt a pain in my heart. He had told his father that the crops in the fields had a good harvest this year, and he must make sure that the children at home had enough to eat and had full bellies.

When Liu Fengshui saw his youngest son's bloated belly, he thought it would be better for him to starve.

"Why build canals or dams? It's better to keep it the same as before..." Liu Fengshui cried until his face was covered with snot, and tears were running down his pale face.

Everyone couldn't help but cry. Zhao Guangyuan turned his back, unable to bear to watch.

"Tell someone to take care of him." He gave the order and walked away. Liu Fengshui's suppressed crying was still ringing in his ears.

Zhao Guangyuan walked outside the county government office and looked up at the gray sky. The thick dark clouds came from nowhere and covered the sky densely, making people feel more depressed and uncomfortable.

"If we had captured Xu Hu earlier, wouldn't these things have happened?"

Wei Zuo and Zhang Zhi followed behind one step to the left and one to the right. After hearing this, he felt uncomfortable, "Your Majesty, please don't think so. It's Xu Hu who doesn't care about human life!"

The prince felt guilty and blamed himself for several days, and Zhang Zhi wanted to tear him apart alive!
The two men consoled him with words, but Zhao Guangyuan still couldn't be happy. He thought that it was a blessing that less than 100 people were killed or wounded in Zhutou County, but he didn't expect that in Wanhua County and Zhashui Village, only Liu Fengshui survived.

"Let someone with experience check to see if it's going to rain."

"Yes."

Wei Zuo and Zhang Zhi looked up at the sky with a worried look on their faces. The water had not yet receded. If it rained, how would the people along the river live?

"My Lord, where are you going?"

Seeing that the prince did not answer and only pointed to a dozen people, the two of them did not ask any more questions and hurriedly followed.

At the dam in Zhutou County, the county magistrate was organizing the county's village heads, village heads, and young men from all villages to fill sandbags and roll up reed mats to block the gate. The young men were soaking in the water, working non-stop, shouting and driving wooden stakes along the shore.

"Your Majesty."

"Don't bother me." Zhao Guangyuan waved his hand, dismissed the county magistrate, and went closer to the dam to take a look. Looking at the dug-up embankment and the pulled-out gate hole, hatred surged in his heart.

"Is that the nobleman from Beijing?"

"I heard he is a prince?"

"Yes, I think his name is King Yue..."

The people who were busy filling sandbags and doing all kinds of work were talking about the nobleman who was inspecting the dam with his servants. Zhao Guangyuan listened but pretended not to hear. He didn't know how to face these people now.

"Your Majesty, please make the decision!"

An old man dragged his grandchildren over and knelt down in front of Zhao Guangyuan. "Everyone in my family is dead. I am the only one left, a burden, and my grandchildren. I can't survive. Please give me a chance to live, Your Majesty."

Pushing a pair of young grandchildren in front of him, "Become slaves and servants, just give them a full meal."

The two children, aged seven or eight, were dressed in rags just like the old man, without even a pair of straw sandals on their feet. They frantically pried at their only relative, fearing that he would abandon them again.

The village head and the village chief came over and tried to pull him up forcefully, fearing that he had offended the nobleman. However, they didn't know where they got the strength from, and the old man struggled to get up, refusing to get up.

He patted the slightly muddy ground in front of him and cried, "You can't just ignore us. We are all dead. All dead. The food in the fields has also been flooded. We have to beg for food, but we can't even walk to beg. My grandchildren have pity..."

The crying made everyone present feel sad. They stopped what they were doing and watched from far and near.

Zhao Guangyuan put his hands behind his back and clenched them into fists, feeling more and more upset.

"I won't ignore you. I won't let you beg for food." Wei Zuo stepped forward to comfort him. The prince was kind, and except for the young and strong people who went to work, all the villagers nearby could come to the dam to eat two meals.

There are also porridge shops in the county.

The old man refused to listen. "How could the newly built dam and newly dug canal collapse? How could it not hold the water? Didn't the government impose three months of corvée labor on us? It was said that the imperial court paid so much silver, how could it become a deadly canal..."

"Shut up!" The head of the village and the village chief hurriedly pulled him to shut up.

But the old man didn't listen, and kept talking, slapping his thigh, crying for his son, crying for his family. The three generations of grandparents and grandchildren hugged each other and cried more miserably, which was unbearable to watch.

Zhao Guangyuan jumped onto a high platform and said loudly: "There has been a mistake, which no one wants to see. The court is dedicated to serving the people, and now that something has happened, they will take responsibility to the end..."

"Court!"

A young man threw down the hoe in his hand and said angrily: "Didn't the court build this canal and this dam? The dam is not strong and can't hold the water. They are just fooling us people! If the court was responsible, this wouldn't happen!"

These words inspired the people who were working to drop their tools and move closer to Zhao Guangyuan, asking for an explanation.

"Quiet, quiet!" Zhang Zhi and others hurriedly stood in front of Zhao Guangyuan, drawing their swords to try to stop the crowd from rushing over.

"Put away your swords!" Zhao Guangyuan shouted. Seeing Zhang Zhi and the others put away their swords, Zhao Guangyuan glanced at them fiercely, "The court is not responsible, I will be responsible!"

The people present suddenly became quiet.

Zhao Guangyuan added: "I, on behalf of the imperial court, promise you that when this hole is blocked and the water recedes, each household can go to Zhutou County to receive five taels of silver for compensation. If there is a death in the family, each person can receive ten taels. From now on, each person can receive two catties of grain a day until the land is planted and the grain is harvested. This year, land tax and grain tax will be exempted, and if the house is damaged, an additional five taels of silver will be given to help rebuild it."

The whole audience was silent for a moment, and then suddenly burst into thunderous cheers, "Thank you, King Yue, thank you for saving my life!"

The constant stream of thanks made Zhao Guangyuan's eyes sore and dry.

After saying a few words, he didn't want to stay any longer.

When he turned around to leave, he saw the old man dragging his two grandchildren to help, helping to pull the sacks and fill them with sand, so he told Wei Zuo, "Ask someone to look after them."

"clear."

With concerted efforts, the hole in Zhutou County was blocked the next day. The levee that was washed away by the water is currently being repaired.

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works also arrived in a hurry. Immediately following them were Wei Quan, the prefect of Linzhao, and Xu Hu, the magistrate of Zhutou County. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. The prefect summoned me to the government office to discuss matters. When I learned about the situation in the county, I planned to rush back overnight, but was stopped by the water. Please forgive me for being late."

Everyone was very angry when they saw him shirking responsibility and turning the world upside down.

"Xu County Magistrate, the prefect has summoned you to discuss matters. Has he also summoned your family?"

"Ah? How could that be? My father is seriously ill in my hometown, and I can't leave, so I asked my wife to take the children to visit him. I don't know how my father is doing now, and I can't serve him in person. I am unworthy of being a son."

Xu Hu pinched his sleeves and pressed the corners of his eyes, as if he felt guilty for not being able to take care of his sick father as a filial son.

Zhao Guangyuan looked at him coldly as he put on airs.

Did Xu Hu think that since he ordered people to remove the gate, destroy the dike and hide the people, and he didn't do it himself, he couldn't do anything to him?
He glanced coldly at Wei Quan and Xu Hu, not wanting to arrest them at this moment, and just asked them to handle government affairs, and did not want to say anything more. He also ordered two guards to follow them.

No matter how dissatisfied Wei Quan and Xu Hu were, they dared not resist when seeing his murderous eyes, and went to do their work obediently.

Now the dam of Zhutou County in Linzhao Prefecture has been destroyed, and the water has rushed to Wanhua County in Luocheng. The two states and counties are all responsible. As the prefect of Linzhao and the magistrate of Zhutou County, there are still many things to do. How to appease the people under his rule and how to deal with the aftermath are complicated, and Zhao Guangyuan does not want to let these two laborers get away with it.

Let's just let them relax for a few days.

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works did not expect to see the King of Yue here. When they heard that the King of Yue had sent a message asking them to come to Zhutou County as soon as possible, they thought the news was wrong.

Didn’t the King of Yue make a mistake and be banished to the imperial mausoleum to reflect on his past?

How did we get to Zhutou County?
He was skeptical all the way until he met the person and saw the secret decree in the King of Yue's hand. Only then did he realize that the Emperor had another arrangement.

Several officials followed the King of Yue with trepidation to look through the records of the past few days, and then went to see the situation on the dam.

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue were checking accounts, and officials from the Ministry of Works were walking back and forth on the dam, asking, "Why can't the new dam built this year hold the water?"

"Why is this embankment so thin? How can these straw bags that fill it be strong?" the official from the Ministry of Works cursed.

I went to measure the slope, the water volume, and the gate, and asked, "Can't this gate hold back the water? Is its water-holding capacity so poor?"

I summoned the young and strong to ask what kind of work they did when they were conscripted for labor service this spring, what materials they used, and who they asked to inspect the embankment...

I heard that they didn't hire any experienced water conservancy workers and that everything was arranged by the yamen runners. I also heard that less bricks and stones were used and more straw and wood were used, so I started cursing even more.

The Ministry of Industry, which is next to the Ministry of Agriculture, has received many benefits from Zhao Guangyuan this year, so it is more inclined towards Zhao Guangyuan. The officials of the Ministry of Industry cursed while listening to Zhao Guangyuan's arrangements and recording various data everywhere.

It's much better than the Ministry of Revenue officials who have to check the accounts in the yamen and are trembling with fear.

The Ministry of Revenue wanted to rely on the Crown Prince, but only because the Crown Prince was here. The officials of the Ministry of Works could still cling to the King of Yue. With the King of Yue covering everything, they naturally let go of the investigation.

Moreover, he was dragged along the way by officials from the Ministry of Revenue, and was treated well by the county governments wherever he went. He was well fed and well drinkable, and enjoyed sightseeing along the way. At this time, he felt somewhat guilty, as he was busy working on the dike outside and had not returned to the county, eating and sleeping with the people.

Zhao Guangyuan felt somewhat comforted when he saw this.

Zhutou County was upstream, and after the gate was blocked, Zhao Guangyuan no longer had to watch over the repair of the levee. When the water receded, he led people from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Households to Wanhua County.

When he returned to Niaoshui Village, Liu Fengshui still hadn't come to his senses. He stood at the entrance of the messy village, crying so hard that he could hardly stand.

Zhao Guangyuan looked at the ruined Narrow Water Village, thinking about how he had stayed here a few days ago. At the entrance of the village, he saw old people and children chatting under a big tree to enjoy the cool, and the children in the village even competed to let their horses graze...

Now, Liu Fengshui is the only one left.

Everyone was in a heavy mood.

The Wanhua County Magistrate came up with a group of officials to pay his respects, not daring to raise his head. He knew that he could not escape the blame this time, as he helped his superiors conceal the truth and his evidence was not solid, but he never thought of ruling the lives of the people.

It’s the lives of all the villagers in Niaoshui Village.

He couldn't close his eyes these days and could only lead people to Narrow Water Village day and night to help clear the waterways and block the water, hoping that his guilt could be reduced, or at least his family would be absolved of guilt.

"Your Majesty."

Zhao Guangyuan looked at him coldly, "Your sins will be dealt with later. Now settle the people in your area and help them resume their lives and production. If there are more casualties, and the people cannot survive and flee to other places, I will kill all your clans!"

Wanhua County Magistrate's legs were so weak that he could not stand. "I obey your orders."

Following the King of Yue, he spoke with difficulty, "All the silver in the government office has been posted. Now, now..."

Zhao Guangyuan looked at him coldly, "Don't worry about it. I have already sent someone to bring the silver over."

"Yes, yes, I will rule over the people, thank you King Yue for your consideration." The court did not receive the news so quickly, and the prince was in charge of this matter, so I am afraid there will be more disputes. This silver can only come from the private money of King Yue.

Wanhua County Magistrate looked at the back of King Yue, and felt very uncomfortable when he saw him standing on the high platform to comfort the people.

He was a good official, why did he choose sides so early? Now he wanted to switch to the King of Yue, but I'm afraid there would be no chance. He felt melancholy again.

Meanwhile, in the East Palace far away in the capital, Crown Prince Zhao Guanghuan had received the secret report.

Xu Hu immediately ordered his men to open the Kong Gate and dig the embankment. Then he sent the people to the capital to seek refuge with the prince, and told the prince everything.

The prince then realized that the seventh brother was not in the imperial mausoleum, but had run to Zhutou County.

He also obtained the account books of various states and counties.

The prince was so shocked that he didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

All the staff felt that this was not a good thing. "Prince, we must make a decision early. If the King of Yue submits the account book to the Emperor, I'm afraid..." I'm afraid that the prince will not end up well.

Back then, the late crown prince failed to provide disaster relief, resulting in a large number of casualties among the victims. This is very similar to the present situation.

"Yes, Prince, you must make a decision soon."

Zhao Guanghuan suddenly felt confused. He didn't expect that his father asked him to take charge of this matter, but at the same time arranged for the seventh son to investigate after the work was completed. Was this a sign of distrust in him?
Moreover, the Seventh Brother was not in the Imperial Mausoleum! However, the report from the Imperial Mausoleum clearly showed that the Seventh Brother was there.

The one in the imperial mausoleum is Lao Qi's stand-in? It's a stand-in!
Was the seventh brother in the imperial mausoleum during those ten years? Or was he using a substitute? Did the emperor know about this? Or was it all arranged by the emperor?
Zhao Guanghuan became more and more confused.

"Prince! Prince, you must not lose your composure at this moment." The staff members offered suggestions one after another, "Fortunately, the King of Yue is not in the capital now, so we still have time to do whatever we want!"

Regardless of whether it was the King of Yue's idea or the Emperor's idea to use a substitute, the King of Yue is the biggest threat to the Crown Prince!

The prince must eliminate this threat!