Linxia

Chapter 229, Dam Burst

Blah blah blah!

The rain slid down the rows of green tiles, gathered into a bead curtain, and hit the bluestone slabs below, splashing translucent water. The mist covered the tender green moss next to it.

Qiuqiu and her two siblings ran around in the corridor, sometimes stretching their hands out from the eaves to catch water, and sometimes running over to listen to stories, as if they had no idea what sorrow was.

Seeing that they were too noisy, Fang Lin hurried in to write.

Because of the continuous rain, Fang's father and mother did not go to the dock or factory these days, and talked about this matter.

"It's been raining for half a month. I don't know when it will stop."

"Isn't it? It keeps raining. Maybe the county below will be hit by a disaster this year."

Mr. and Mrs. Fang only thought of the county town below and did not mention the provincial capital. After all, the provincial capital had not suffered from floods for many years, and it was indeed easy to overlook it due to inertia of thinking.

"Yes, if it continues like this, the counties below might be flooded, and even the capital might be affected... But no matter what, our family will be fine." Fang Lin shook his head.

The new home here is located on a higher ground and has a high foundation. Even if the city is flooded, it will not be flooded. There are also stockpiles of supplies, so there is no need to worry.

It can be said that even if the city was hit by a disaster and only one out of a hundred people survived, the Fang family would be among the "one" that could survive.

"Compared to us, some people are really anxious." Fang Lin hinted at something.

He did not pay attention to the hasty development of the area along the river outside the city at first, but later he realized that the matter was done and there was nothing he could do.

"If the dam breaks this time, at this time when the old court is changing from the old to the new, it will be a disaster for the prefect Yan. Not to mention the Gu family, it will also be seriously injured..." he thought to himself.

"Yes, if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up, and there is also the prefect!" Fang's mother had a very good impression of Prefect Yan, who governed Huai'an in a prosperous manner.

Mr. Fang was at the dock, thinking about the restaurants and fish ponds that had been developed outside the city in recent years, and he was also thoughtful.

Fang Lin didn't say anything else, causing his father and mother to worry in vain. After chatting for a while, he went to the study, still thinking about the matter in his mind.

"If the dam really breaks this year, the area along the river outside the city will not be able to adequately buffer the flood. The restaurants and fish ponds in that area may be destroyed. If the river water spreads, the nearby fields will also suffer. It is possible that the city will also be affected."

On Fang Lin's side, the factories and dormitories built by himself are all located at higher altitudes, while some of the four factories acquired and merged before are relatively low, and there is a high probability of losses.

"It doesn't matter if the factory is damaged, as long as the workers are safe. I have already ordered that the factory be temporarily shut down and the workers stay in the dormitory."

'Similarly, there are two sides to this matter. If the city is inevitably hit by a disaster and the disaster is too severe, it will also be a good opportunity to transport disaster victims to overseas bases.'

Normally, ordinary people are unwilling to go overseas. Even with Fang Lin's reputation as a guarantee, they are still reluctant to go. Or, the cost is too high for them to go. But when faced with a disaster, they are lucky not to starve to death. How can they be picky?

"And, when that time comes, the government will no longer be an obstacle. Instead, they will beg me to do this and take away these hidden dangers... Wait!"

Fang Lin suddenly felt as if he had overlooked something. After careful thinking, he suddenly remembered the conversation with Emperor Hongtai of the capital when he was dying. Then he thought about the recent changes in the situation in the capital: "If Huai'an is hit by a disaster, it may involve a higher level of game in the court..."

His eyes were deep, realizing that there was a great opportunity to take advantage of the situation, but he immediately shook his head: "If it can be avoided, I still hope it won't."

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The water that capsizes the boat is the tears of the people. Time and time again, it will greatly shake the foundation of Daxia's rule."

At this time, Steward Deng came over to report that Prefect Yan had sent someone to invite him.

"I think it's for flood prevention, and we need to contribute manpower." Fang Lin thought, and said, "I'll go later," and went to change clothes.

……

Gu family.

Tongren Gu stood under the eaves, looking at the gray sky and the dripping rain, his brows furrowed.

Of course, he was aware of the hidden dangers in the area along the river outside the city, but he was just hoping for the best. Now that it has been raining for days, he still feels a sense of distress in his heart.

"Dad!" Gu Shiyu comforted him, "It has been raining for days, but the rain is not heavy. Isn't it all over in the past few years?"

"Yes, Dad. As long as there is no problem with the dike, our restaurant and fish pond downstream will be fine... and the dike upstream is under our supervision and that of Prefect Yan. They are made of genuine materials and nothing will happen." Gu Shimin also said.

"I hope so!"

Gu Tongren paused for a moment and continued, "That being said, we can't just sit there and wait and leave everything to fate. Prefect Yan is in the same boat with us, and he may even be more anxious than us. If the dam breaks, we will suffer huge losses and be seriously injured, but for Prefect Yan, the court is in turmoil and he may even lose his job... So, let's go and discuss with Prefect Yan to see if there are any measures we can take, such as reinforcing the dam."

As soon as these words fell, Butler Chang came over and said that Prefect Yan wanted to see him. It seemed that he had the same idea as the Gu family.

……

Fan family.

Recently, the Fan family has been having a hard time, and their worries are not in the local area, but in the court.

——When Wei Zhongxian was in charge of the East Factory, he seemed to have discovered some activities of the main branch of the Fan family, and even their branches were targeted. It was also because of the lucrative perfume business.

As for whether the dike would burst due to the continuous rain, the Fan family really didn't care. As mentioned before, even if a disaster struck again, a powerful family like the Fan family would be fine.

"Dad, Prefect Yan sent someone to ask you to discuss flood prevention."

"Everyone has his own worries. Our family is being targeted by a group of eunuchs, and this Prefect Yan is also worried about the floods in Huai'an... Just say wait a moment, I'll be there soon." Fan Qingzeng said as he turned around and prepared to change his clothes.

Fan Qiguang thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Dad, although we have some fields outside the city, they are not too many. If the dam bursts this time, there will certainly be some losses, but the losses are limited. On the other hand, Mr. Fang, who has a large factory outside the city, will probably suffer a lot of losses... Of course, the biggest loss will still be the Gu family. If the restaurants and fish ponds outside the city are destroyed, the Gu family will have to look for new sources of income, and most likely they will think of their old business, factories, and fleets, and then they will fight with Mr. Fang..."

This means hurting the enemy by one thousand and losing fifty of your own money.

"Are you talking about tampering with the embankment?" Fan Qingzeng looked over.

"This……"

Fan Qiguang hesitated, not because he couldn't bear it. He had been taught since childhood that 'if you are not ruthless, you can't stand firm' and 'if you are not ruthless, you can't be a hero'. He was thinking about the risks and benefits. After thinking it over, he said, "I can't take the initiative to do this. It's too offensive. If it is exposed, I will be the target of public criticism and the fight will not end until I die... I'd better wait and see what happens."

"Yes, as long as it has been done, there will definitely be traces. The best thing to do is to take advantage of the situation. However, if you can't take the initiative, you can still do things passively..."

...Fang Lin, the Gu family, and the Fan family each have their own stance and thoughts. The Ma, Shao, and Duan families have also received invitations from Prefect Yan. What are their attitudes?
Like the Fan family, they have fields outside the city, but not many. Unlike the Fan family, the three families have no conflicts with Fang Lin. Instead, they are now in close contact and cooperation. Therefore, their mentality is "if we can prevent floods, that's better, but if we can't, we can accept it." Their attitude is also relatively positive, and there is no need to elaborate.

……

Government office.

"What's the water level outside the city?"

"It's okay for now, but it's still rising. If it continues like this... it'll be fine in three to five days, but any longer..."

"Just what?" Yan Shideng asked with a gloomy face.

Master Qi gritted his teeth and said, "It might... burst the dam."

"The dam burst?! Didn't you tell me that nothing would happen in the next six or seven years? If we're lucky, we could last for more than ten years?"

"Yes, sir, that's what we said at the beginning, but no one could have imagined that the climate has been like this in recent years, with major and minor floods every year..."

When Master Qi saw Yan Shideng's vicious gaze, he could no longer speak and could only promise, "Sir, I will do my best."

"it is good!"

Yan Shideng looked into Master Qi's eyes, took a deep breath, and his expression suddenly calmed down: "Master Qi, no matter what, Huai'an must not burst the dike this year. Even if it costs lives, you have to make it through this year!"

He also didn't expect that in the last year of his term, there would be continuous rain and rising water levels, which looked extremely dangerous... The feeling of things being out of control was extremely annoying.

In fact, even so, with Yan Shideng's skills in cultivating his Qi, he shouldn't have lost his composure like this. What's more important is: this moment is too special.

Under normal circumstances, with his background, even if the Huai'an dam burst, he could suppress it and transfer him to another place, or at most be demoted... But times are different now!

Emperor Hongtai's tomb collapsed and the new emperor ascended the throne. The eunuch group headed by Wei Zhongxian gained power, and the civil service group fell into a disadvantage. Yan Shideng's elder, a cabinet minister, is now unable to take care of himself. At this critical moment, if something happens in Huai'an, it would be like handing a knife to someone else's hand... Not to mention the black hat on his head, even his head might be in danger.

The eunuch group and the civil servant group are at war to the death, but there is no tradition of not killing civil servants. This is also one of the important reasons why the civil servant group hates each other.

Yan Shideng made a decision: "Please ask Lord Fang, as well as the Fan, Gu, Ma, Shao, and Duan families to come over. They either have factories, industries, or fields outside the city. Their interests are the same. They can all help. Please ask them to contribute money and manpower."

"The government will mainly use the staff, and the six parties and civilians will be used as supplementary personnel. We will monitor the water level outside the city 24 hours a day. If there is a leak in any dam, we will immediately reinforce and repair it... The cost will be huge, and I'm afraid that the money they pay will not be enough. In this way, we will use part of this year's tax silver as a backup for emergency..."

It can be seen that this is a desperate effort. The tax bank has put out part of the emergency funds. With his background, as long as the dam does not burst, after passing this hurdle, the follow-up accounting or replenishment of the tax bank will not be a big problem; if the dam bursts, there is no need to consider the future.

……

Outside the city, on the dam.

Pattering!

The rain was continuous. The government staff, as well as the staff recruited by Fanglin Factory, Fan, Gu, Ma, Shao, and Duan families, and the common people hired for corvée, stood in the rain, wearing straw raincoats, listening to Yan Shideng's lecture.

Beside him, Master Qi held an umbrella for Yan Shideng, but the latter pushed it away. Yan Shideng was exposed to the rain, and soon the rain ran down his beard, soaking his clothes. "Everyone knows the current situation. It has been raining for days, and the water level in the river has risen sharply to an extremely dangerous level! If the dam breaks... I will not say anything hypocritical. If the dam breaks, I will lose my official hat, but the people will suffer the most."

"Everyone, look back. Behind you is Huai'an City, your wives, children and mothers... Of course, we won't let you risk your lives in vain. During the flood prevention period, you will have enough food, a subsidy of five cents per person per day, and additional rewards for meritorious service..."

"I won't say much else. Finally, I'll tell you all that from now on, until the water level drops, I will be here, eating and living with you!"

Yan Shideng said this, took a deep breath, and swore: "The dam is there so the city is there, but if the dam is destroyed, everyone will die!"

Perhaps he had heard Fang Lin's speech to the workers in his own factory and learned his excellent experience. At this time, he did not say anything flowery, but just plain and simple language, which had an inspiring power in it.

Sure enough, when these people listened, their eyes turned red. The prefect was here with them, so what did they have to be afraid of?

Not to mention, their families are right behind them, and there are huge benefits in the form of subsidies. All these factors make them raise their right hands and shout: "The city will be there if the dam is destroyed, but the people will die if the dam is destroyed!"

People like Fang Lin and the heads of the five families, Fan, Gu, Ma, Shao and Duan, are also here. Naturally, they will not be fooled or carried away by Yan Shideng so easily. But looking at these people who are encouraged and excited, they have to admit that Yan Shideng does have some skills.

"With everyone so united, maybe we can really make it this time," Fang Lin thought to himself.

……

On the dam side, there are sufficient people taking turns to watch it day and night, and the prefect Yan Shideng is personally in charge here to reassure the panicked people in the city.

It rained for several days again, and the water level in the river continued to rise. Under the tremendous pressure, the embankment was in danger several times. Fortunately, the inspectors discovered it at the first time, transferred personnel over and made timely repairs.

Perhaps it was because God helps those who are self-reliant. After seven or eight days, the rain finally stopped and the water level gradually dropped. This made Yan Shideng and the people in the city breathe a sigh of relief.

Up to this point, Yan Shideng had not relaxed and dismissed his men, but still sent people to keep an eye on them. Under the persuasion of Master Qi, he returned to the city to rest for a while.

……

Ye Ping was recruited by Fang Lin Factory and came to the outside of the city to guard the dam.

He felt it was not bad, as the food here was provided for every meal. Although it was not as good as in the factory, it was free and there was a generous daily subsidy.

"After this work is done, I will be able to collect enough money to buy a dormitory for the factory." Ye Ping thought to himself and walked forward to inspect.

At this moment, he suddenly heard someone not far away shouting in panic, "Oh no, the water is rising." He quickly climbed to a high place and looked, only to see waves coming in the distance, one after another, and the river water rising rapidly.

"Something happened upstream!" This thought occurred to him.

Beep! Beep!
A quick whistle sounded, and Ye Ping instinctively looked for the team to repair the nearest leak.

However, the water level rose too quickly, and the speed of emergency repairs could not keep up with the speed at which the leaks appeared. Soon, the dam collapsed entirely, and the flood rushed down from it. The turbulent water swept people away, blocked the fish ponds downstream, and destroyed the restaurants that had been built. The vast ocean spread to the fields on the shore.

The flood had nowhere to go and even rushed onto the docks and poured into the city. Many low-lying residences in Huai'an City were directly flooded... It was a horrific tragedy.

……

(End of this chapter)