“Yes, yes, Fengzhou! It’s Fengzhou! People from Fengzhou have come to save us!” Da Niu shouted, his face so overcome with emotion that he looked as though he were both laughing and crying. The expression was remarkably strange.
Before Qi Da could ask anything else, two mounted soldiers slowly approached from nearby.
The soldiers’ attire was somewhat peculiar. Their faces were covered by something that concealed them halfway, making their features difficult to see.
Several men who had been guarding the village entrance with Da Niu followed behind them, all wearing smiles with tear-streaked faces.
Qi Da’s heart tightened. Recalling what Da Niu had just said, he formed a vague guess. Suppressing his excitement and apprehension, he asked, “You—you are?”
The soldiers dismounted. “We are soldiers of the Jinyang Army from Fengzhou. By order of my liege, Princess Jinyang, we have come to aid the flood victims of Sizhou.”
“You can go to the open ground in front of Xiao County. We are distributing porridge there and providing free medical treatment for the sick.”
Qi Da had guessed that someone might come to provide disaster relief, but hearing it confirmed so plainly still left him unable to react for a moment.
The other villagers were even more stunned, staring blankly at the Jinyang Army soldiers.
The soldier continued, “If no one in your entire village currently has symptoms such as a fever, tell our soldiers when you reach Xiao County. They will arrange a separate area for you, so that you do not come into contact with anyone carrying the disease.”
Qi Da finally came to his senses and hurriedly asked, “Is what you’re saying true? Has the princess really come to save us?”
He did not quite understand. The First Prince had been governing Sizhou for the past several years, and he had recently heard that the First Prince had even declared himself emperor.
Now, instead of the First Prince coming to save them, it was a princess who had come—from Fengzhou, a thousand miles away.
The soldier nodded. “Indeed. After hearing of the floods in Sizhou, my liege was deeply concerned. She specifically sent us here with grain and medicinal supplies to provide aid.”
“Hurry there. We still have to search for disaster victims in other places.”
After saying this, the soldier mounted his horse. Before leaving, he added, “If you know of any disaster victims nearby, inform them as well.”
Qi Da still wanted to ask more, but the soldiers had already ridden away at a rapid pace.
“Has the princess of Fengzhou really come to save us?” an old woman asked, her face full of hope as she watched the two riders disappear into the distance.
Although their news was sorely out of date, they had still heard that the Jinyang Army had reclaimed Fengzhou.
Da Niu looked toward Qi Da. “Village head?”
Qi Da clenched his teeth. “Let’s go. Everyone, gather your belongings and set out.”
Xiao County.
Wen Zixin watched as several tents were rapidly erected on the open ground. Disaster victims lined up in orderly queues while Jinyang Army soldiers registered them and prepared food. He was completely dumbfounded.
This time, the operation was even faster. Clearly, the Jinyang Army had gained more experience and was carrying everything out with greater ease.
He gritted his teeth and entered the county town. He truly could not stand the smell outside.
Inside the tent, Xie Nanxiao was studying a map.
Qi Pingwei asked curiously, “You’ve been staring at that map for nearly a quarter of an hour. What, are you trying to stare a flower into existence?”
“Not that.” Xie Nanxiao looked up. “I heard the people here mention that there is a Zhang family in Xiao County. Are they a major clan?”
Qi Pingwei shook his head. “They count as a mid-tier aristocratic clan. They wield considerable influence in Xiao County and Bilan. They probably have seven or eight thousand private troops. Their fortified manor is quite large, but Patriarch Zhang isn’t there at the moment.”
Xie Nanxiao frowned. “Why not?”
Qi Pingwei explained, “Not long after the heavy rains stopped, Patriarch Zhang went to Jiu’an.”
As he spoke, he smiled with a hint of mockery. “He was probably worried that once an epidemic broke out in Tao Commandery, he wouldn’t be able to leave either.”
Xie Nanxiao asked curiously, “Did he take all his private troops with him?”
Qi Pingwei shook his head. “No. He probably left more than a thousand men at the fortified manor. Xiao County and Bilan must have quite a few men stationed there as well.”
About half the shops in Xiao County and Bilan belonged to the Zhang family. At a critical time like this, the Zhang family would certainly have sent people to keep watch over them.
Xie Nanxiao frowned. “If they left during such a chaotic situation, Patriarch Zhang must have transported all the grain and valuables away, right?”
“How could that be?” Qi Pingwei shook his head. “When they left, the rains had only just stopped, and the roads were difficult to travel. Even if they took supplies with them, they couldn’t have transported very much.”
Xie Nanxiao raised his brows slightly. “Have you been to the Zhang family’s fortified manor? Do all the aristocratic clans in Sizhou have fortified manors of their own?”
Fengzhou had fortified manors as well, but not many. Especially after Qu Zhao occupied the region, most of them had been destroyed.
Qi Pingwei nodded and pointed repeatedly at more than a dozen spots on the map. “There are fortified manors in all these places.”
He shook his head. “A fortified manor is really only useful for holding off bandits, rioters, and small-scale attacks by the barbarians. To truly withstand an enemy, you still need city walls.”
Xie Nanxiao nodded. “That’s true.”
Qi Pingwei looked him up and down. “Why are you asking about this?”
Xie Nanxiao shrugged. “No particular reason. I’m just gathering information, so we don’t end up clashing with any of these aristocratic clans.”
While disaster relief was underway here, Jiang Jin was riding along the official road in Punan Commandery. She had come out today to inspect the terrain of Punan Commandery.
The official road was currently under construction. In the distance, people were working on farms and in villages, creating a scene of bustling activity.
Shuangjiang sighed regretfully. “Fengzhou has the Liu River, but Chongzhou doesn’t have a single major river. In years of drought, it truly is difficult to grow crops on a large scale.”
Dongzhi agreed. “Indeed. There are only a few streams, none of them particularly large. Shangjing Commandery does have a lake that can store water.”
Qiu Liao rode alongside them. “That’s simply how Chongzhou is. Its people are completely at the mercy of the weather.”
Jiang Jin thought for a moment before saying, “Chongzhou could plant crops that are more resistant to drought, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and wheat.”
She sighed. “But regardless of the crop, nothing can grow without water. Chongzhou still needs to develop its water-conservation infrastructure.”
Qiu Liao was helpless. “Unfortunately, Chongzhou has no major rivers.”
Jiang Jin looked at him. “Which major rivers are closest to Chongzhou?”
Qiu Liao thought for a moment before answering, “One is the Shishan River in Qiuning Commandery of Juanzhou. The other is the Fuqing River in Lidan beyond the border.”
Jiang Jin frowned. “I don’t know how large the Fuqing River is, but I do know the Shishan River. Given its flow, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be enough for all of Chongzhou.”
Qiu Liao nodded. “Indeed. The Fuqing River is larger than the Shishan River, but not by much.”
“What about the Shen River?” Jiang Jin asked suddenly.
Qiu Liao was somewhat bewildered by the sudden change of subject, but he answered honestly.
“That would be more than sufficient. The Shen River is a great waterway large enough for the biggest military ships to sail with ease.”
He glanced at Jiang Jin, his heart giving a sudden jolt. “My lord, don’t tell me you’re thinking of diverting water from the south to the north?”
Jiang Jin smiled. “It’s not impossible. As far as I know, even in years without drought, Chongzhou receives little rainfall and suffers from drought year-round. If we want to solve the problem once and for all, diverting water from the south to the north would be a good option.”
Qiu Liao shook his head. “The Shen River is separated from Chongzhou by the entirety of Juanzhou—more than a thousand li. The project would be far too enormous.”
Jiang Jin smiled. “We can use a gravity-fed design. That would greatly reduce the amount of work required.”
Qiu Liao was puzzled. “What is a gravity-fed design?”
Jiang Jin merely said, “Raise the water level and use the natural difference in elevation and the force of gravity to make the water flow on its own through proper planning. Whether it can actually be implemented will depend on the results of a terrain survey.”
At present, most of Junzhou and Chongzhou were still beyond her control, so she could only consider the matter in broad terms. There were many things she would have to wait to do until she had conquered the entire Yan Kingdom and strengthened the nation.
