The continuous clanking of metal rang out at the foot of Suiyu Mountain, accompanied by flying sparks.
Nearby, a crowd of commoners gathered to watch, pointing and murmuring endlessly at the yamen runners and laborers who were chipping away at the mountain with hammers and chisels.
"With a mountain this thick, how long will it take to dig through?"
The meager piles of stone rubble were almost negligible compared to the massive rocky mountain that stood nearly a thousand feet tall before them.
Seeing no progress over the past two days, the people all felt the government was on a fool's errand.
A two-hundred-mile canal had already been dug. If the mountain could not be moved, this massive project would all be for nothing.
Not far away, Song Jinzhao sat atop her horse, looking up at the sky.
Dark clouds were gathering in the south and drifting closer; it would not be long before it rained.
The rainy season was long, and the weather would not be very good for the next half month.
"Tell the Eldest Young Master to halt the work once it rains and send everyone back."
Qingshuang gave a meaningful nod.
Before long, the wind began to howl. Accompanied by fine raindrops, sand and gravel swept across the ground, stinging people's eyes so badly they could barely open them.
Song Qiming summoned Liu Hucheng and said, "Take the men back. We will resume work when the rain stops."
It was a day's walk from Suiyu Mountain to Suining City. By the time they arrived home, it was already midnight. Everyone's clothes were soaked through; water poured out with a single wring.
In the middle of the following night, the rain poured down even harder. Blinding lightning flashed across the sky, and peals of thunder boomed as if trying to blast a hole in the heavens.
The sound of galloping hooves, masked by the heavy rain, suddenly came to a halt. Only four people made this trip: Song Jinzhao, her brother, Qingshuang, and Lanxi.
After dozens of trips carrying the supplies, they placed the prepared explosives into a circular groove halfway up the cliff face. A fuse, hundreds of meters long and wrapped in waterproof oiled paper, was dragged all the way down to the foot of the mountain.
Once everything was ready, Lanxi used a fire starter to light the end of the fuse, and the four quickly mounted their horses and galloped away.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the first explosion erupted.
Shattered rocks flew in all directions, and even the ground trembled.
The startled horses bolted like mad. Song Qiming and the other two had to pull hard on their reins to avoid being thrown off.
Boom, boom, boom! A continuous barrage of explosions echoed between heaven and earth.
"Run! It is an earthquake!" The villagers living on the hillside stumbled and crawled out of their houses in a panic.
They crouched on the ground, faces full of terror, their lips pale and completely drained of color.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the peak of the mountain. Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, a massive boulder fell from halfway up the mountain, followed by a surging torrent of river water.
The next second, everything went pitch black. Thunder roared, and the heavy crash of falling objects made everyone shudder in fear.
Song Qiming lowered his telescope, turning his head to look at Song Jinzhao with a face full of excitement.
"Sister, it worked!"
Song Jinzhao gave a slight nod. Rainwater dripped from her bamboo hat onto the back of her hand. After the rush of adrenaline faded, the chill began to set in.
"Let us go back immediately. Shi Simian will definitely come looking for you tomorrow."
"Right." Song Qiming obediently turned his horse around, galloping through the night toward Suining City.
The misty rain shrouded the landscape; every breath drew in damp, heavy moisture.
Seeing the rain lighten, villagers living near Laogan Ditch, worried about their flooded fields, rushed out in their straw raincoats to check.
Someone suddenly let out a loud shout. Pointing at the turbulent river, he yelled to the figures behind him, "There is water in the river! So much water!"
Hearing this, the villagers who were clearing the ditches straightened their backs and looked toward the shouting man.
Seeing him jumping up and down with exaggerated expressions, they walked over with their axes over their shoulders, full of doubt.
"With rain this heavy, it is normal for the river to have..." His words trailed off. The villager stared at the churning waves and fell silent.
When he finally reacted, he stumbled back two steps, his eyes wide open, filled with disbelief.
"Where did all this water come from?"
He was answered only by silence.
Having already arrived at the government office to work, Shi Simian could not help but feel suspicious when Song Qiming failed to show up.
"Why hasn't the Prefect arrived yet? It is already late in the morning."
Song Qiming was always the first to arrive; how could he be so late today?
A yamen runner guarding the labor camp outside the city rushed in in a hurry, his eyes bright and his face full of joy.
"Lord Shi, Laogan Ditch is flowing! The river is full of water, so deep that a bamboo pole cannot even touch the bottom!"
Shi Simian, who had been sitting in his chair, stood up abruptly. "How is that possible? It has only been raining for two days."
The runner shook his head. "It is not rainwater, it is flowing water, like it came down from upstream."
"Last night, there was a faint earthquake in the direction of Suiyu Mountain. It is possible the mountain collapsed."
Shi Simian was so shocked he spaced out, muttering to himself repeatedly, "The mountain collapsed... the mountain collapsed."
His mind was buzzing. Seeing that his complexion was off, a clerk hurried over and helped him sit back down in his chair.
"My Lord, this is a good thing. You must take care of your health."
Shi Simian blinked, and his unfocused eyes sharpened once again.
He stood up abruptly and ordered the runner, "Take your men upstream immediately to investigate and see exactly what happened."
As he spoke, he bypassed his desk and walked out, passing through the second hall and stopping at the entrance to the inner residence.
"Why hasn't the Prefect come to work today? I have urgent matters to report."
