Chapter 44: Using Human Bodies to Plug the Levee

Chu Jiubian quickly finished reading the rest of the letter, his heart growing heavier with each word.

Upon arriving at the Hexi Prefecture Prefect’s residence, Qin Xiao discovered that Prefect Lv Yuan had poisoned himself in his own bedroom, leaving behind a suicide note.

In the note, Lv Yuan confessed that, as the Prefect, he had failed to protect the people. Moreover, after the dam burst, he had ordered the framing and execution of innocent civilians and craftsmen to evade responsibility.

Now that he knew Prince Ning had personally come to provide disaster relief, he grew restless, believing he deserved death for his crimes. Thus, he took his own life as an act of atonement, pleading with Qin Xiao to spare his innocent family.

After reading the suicide note, Qin Xiao immediately summoned the local Commandant.

The local administrative system of Great Ning had some variations. In regions under the court’s direct jurisdiction, the highest administrative level was the prefecture, equivalent to a province in later times. The highest administrative official was the Prefect, while the highest military official was the Commandant, each managing their respective domains.

Below the prefecture level were the sub-prefectures, headed by a Prefectural Chief, followed by counties and townships.

In regions under the jurisdiction of a vassal prince, the vassal prince and his "mini-court" served as the highest authority, directly overseeing sub-prefectures, counties, and townships below.

For instance, during the previous drought, the inaction in Guizhou and Guangxi—formerly the fiefdoms of a vassal prince during Emperor Cheng’s reign but later reclaimed—had been overlooked by Emperor Yingzong. As a result, the highest administrative officials there were the Prefectural Chiefs.

Currently, the Prefectural Chiefs of those two regions had been escorted back to the capital by Qin Zhaoyang. Temporary officials from the Southern Metropolitan Region were managing the disaster relief efforts until Qin Xiao could appoint dedicated personnel to take over.

Returning to the matter at hand, after reading Lv Yuan’s suicide note this morning, Qin Xiao summoned the Commandant of Hexi Prefecture and ordered him to arrest Lv Yuan’s family and surround the Prefect’s residence.

Qin Xiao then left two capital officials who had accompanied him to investigate the truth behind Lv Yuan’s "suicide."

He himself continued on with Jian Hongzhuo and other officials from the Ministry of Works, guided by Hexi Prefecture’s Registrar Cui Jin, to Huai and Pu counties.

These two counties were adjacent, which saved them from unnecessary travel.

Moreover, it was said that Prefecture Deputy Zhou Boshan had gone to the disaster area two days earlier to take charge, though it was unclear whether the situation had been brought under control.

At the end of the letter, Chu Jiubian read: "The situation here is fraught with hidden complexities. This prince is overwhelmed and struggling alone and hopes for your swift assistance."

For a regent prince of such stature, he certainly knew how to play the weak card.

But Chu Jiubian was in no mood to laugh at him.

He burned the letter, quickly put on his outer robe, and went out, instructing the post station manager to rouse everyone and prepare to depart.

Sitting inside the carriage, Chu Jiubian listened to the bustling sounds outside, his eyes dark and unreadable.

If they traveled through the night, they would likely reach Hexi Prefecture by noon the next day.

The letter had been sent by Qin Xiao before noon that day, and Chu Jiubian had received it that very night. Given Qin Xiao’s efficiency, by the time the relief team arrived at the prefectural city the next day, Qin Xiao might have already returned from Huai and Pu counties.

If Qin Xiao had not returned in time, Chu Jiubian would take the relief silver and grain directly to the two counties without lingering in the prefectural city.

However, traveling at night, especially in such heavy rain, would undoubtedly be more challenging than during the day.

If a carriage or horse got stuck, it would cause further delays.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiubian lifted the carriage curtain and gestured lightly with one hand.

Within moments, the curtain was pulled aside, and a heavily cloaked secret guard appeared inside the carriage, kneeling on one knee with his head bowed, avoiding eye contact with Chu Jiubian.

These secret guards had been assigned by Qin Xiao to protect him, and now they proved obedient and convenient for running errands.

Chu Jiubian purchased three remote-controlled, waterproof high-lumen flashlights from the system store and handed them to the secret guard. He instructed him to fix one flashlight each on the roofs of the first and last carriages, with another on the middle carriage where he was seated.

Once all three lights were lit, the entire procession would be able to see the road clearly.

The secret guard accepted the order and withdrew without asking any unnecessary questions.

Though the secret guard moved stealthily, his presence on the carriage roof was still noticed by some soldiers.

However, knowing he was Chu Jiubian’s secret guard, they assumed he was merely checking the silver and grain supplies and paid it no mind.

What truly concerned them was the inconvenience and hardship of traveling so late at night.

"Yesterday, we at least had a chance to rest at the post station and catch some sleep. Now, we’re being forced to travel overnight. Who knows what Senior Tutor Chu is thinking?"

"Exactly. Even if we set off later tomorrow, we could still reach Hexi Prefecture by nightfall. Why the rush now?"

"I can understand his urgency, but the rain is so heavy, and the roads are nothing but mud. It’s hard enough during the day, but at night we can’t even see the road. We’ll likely get stuck every few steps."

"Why don’t we go talk to him? We could just set off earlier tomorrow and avoid traveling at night."

The civil officials shared similar thoughts, but they had all witnessed Chao Shun’s reaction earlier.

As the Director of the Ministry of Revenue, Chao Shun held the highest rank among them. He had always been respectful toward Chu Jiubian, but after his illness, he seemed even more reverent.

When Chu Jiubian announced the night journey, Chao Shun was the first to comply, busily directing others with excessive eagerness, showing no signs of having just recovered from a high fever.

Some speculated that Chu Jiubian’s medicine was so effective that Chao Shun recovered quickly and felt grateful to him.

Others, however, mentioned Chu Jiubian’s other identity—that of an immortal.

They believed Chu Jiubian had given Chao Shun divine medicine, and the latter, having experienced its power, now held him in even greater awe.

Still, such beliefs were not widespread. Most of these lower-ranking officials had little contact with Chu Jiubian, and the "miracles" rumored in the capital were hearsay to them, half-truths at best.

Some who considered themselves clever, observing Chu Jiubian eating and living among them with no exceptional traits beyond his hair, concluded that the rumors were exaggerated and that Senior Tutor Chu was merely an ordinary man.

Thus, their reluctance to oppose Chu Jiubian stemmed not from fear of his divine status but simply because he was their superior. With taller figures to bear the brunt of any fallout, these minor officials had no desire to stick their necks out.

In the end, the civil officials proved more adept at assessing situations and considering consequences than their military counterparts.

Eventually, an acting captain from among the soldiers took the initiative to approach Chu Jiubian.

"Sir," the captain said, standing outside the carriage and saluting respectfully. "I have something to report."

Chu Jiubian lifted the carriage window curtain and looked out.

The clouds had completely obscured the moonlight, leaving the outside world pitch black. Only when the curtain was raised did the lamplight from inside the carriage spill out, illuminating the captain’s expression.

The captain did not raise his eyes, sensing that his superior had granted him an audience.

At the same time, hundreds of faint, curious glances were cast in their direction.

Even amid the pouring rain, though unable to hear the conversation, everyone slowed their tasks and focused their attention on the exchange.

"What is it?" Chu Jiubian’s voice was cold and detached.

The captain continued, "Sir, the night road is treacherous, and there’s a risk of carriages getting stuck. Perhaps we should set off earlier tomorrow instead."

The official road was straight, so there was no fear of taking a wrong turn.

However, the road surface was not paved with gravel but was merely dirt, worn down over the years with bumps and hollows. After the rain, the soil had softened, making it easy for carriages to sink if not carefully navigated.

The rain showed no signs of letting up, occasionally accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder from the clouds.

Chu Jiubian ran his fingers over the remote control in his hand.

The flashlights had already been mounted on the carriage roofs earlier. As they were system-issued, their performance was exceptional—the remote could operate them even from a thousand meters away.

So, with just a press of the switch, the three high-powered flashlights would instantly light up.

His gaze swept over the distracted soldiers outside. Seeing that everyone was paying attention, Chu Jiubian pressed the switch.

Instantly, the three carriages were illuminated as if by daylight. The powerful flashlights clearly lit up the road hundreds of meters ahead and behind.

Cries of shock rang out from the crowd, mingling with the slight restlessness of the horses. The entire procession stirred restlessly.

"What’s happening? Did it become day?"

"It’s not daylight—only our area is lit up; everywhere else is still dark!"

"This is... it’s Lord Chu..."

Everyone looked toward Chu Jiubian’s carriage, their eyes dazzled by the stark white light from the roof. They felt a mix of fear, tension, and an unexplainable thrill and trembling.

This was a miracle—they had actually witnessed a miracle!

The captain closest to Chu Jiubian was the most shocked. He felt as though he had just finished saying, "It’s too dark to travel," and suddenly, the sky had brightened.

Almost instinctively, he looked toward the figure inside the carriage. His expression shifted from confusion to shock in an instant.

With the outside now bright, the light inside the carriage seemed dimmer.

The captain could only see Chu Jiubian’s delicate face illuminated by the warm yellow glow of the oil lamp. His dark, tousled hair partially obscured his brows and eyes, while the silver-white hair cascading over his shoulders seemed to shimmer with a supernatural halo.

He looked like an immortal descended to earth.

The captain felt his heart pounding wildly, his legs growing weak.

"Can we set off now?" Chu Jiubian asked calmly.

Coincidentally, as soon as he finished speaking, a clap of thunder roared. The captain’s legs almost buckled, and he nearly knelt.

Meeting Chu Jiubian’s impassive gaze, the captain’s teeth clattered as he stammered, "Y-yes, we can."

Fortunately, Chu Jiubian let the curtain fall after receiving the response, or else the captain would have been unable to stand.

After the initial panic, the restless procession became even busier.

Everyone hurriedly secured their gear, no longer daring to voice any objections or doubts. Their minds were filled with only two words—miracle!

To turn night into day in an instant—what else could this be but a miracle?

Some, driven by curiosity, tried to peek at the light source on the carriage roof but were immediately blinded by the intense light. They dared not look again, their hearts filled with even greater awe.

Was that—the sun?

To travel at night, Lord Chu had actually commanded the sunlight itself!

Was this the power of gods and spirits?

Lord Chu was undoubtedly a divine being!

Inside the carriage, Chu Jiubian saw his Faith Points increase by over thirty points.

The carriage convoy lurched forward. Thanks to the light, the journey was relatively steady.

As dawn gradually broke, Chu Jiubian turned off the lights and ordered his shadow guards to retrieve the flashlights.

After the shadow guard respectfully handed the items to him and prepared to leave, Chu Jiubian stopped him and handed over the pre-prepared medicine to ward off chills. "Take another one."

When he had distributed medicine to the convoy earlier, he had also prepared some for the shadow guards. Traveling swiftly at night posed the greatest risk of catching a cold.

The first time, the shadow guard had been somewhat surprised and slightly flustered. This time, however, he took the pills smoothly, silently bowed deeply, and left.

They traveled like this all morning. By approaching noon, the convoy had indeed entered the territory of Hexi Prefecture.

With only half an hour’s journey left to the prefectural city, Chu Jiubian decided not to rest and pushed straight through to the city.

By now, everyone followed his orders unquestioningly, obeying his every word.

The convoy moved forward slowly, but even as they reached the city gates, they hadn't seen a single refugee.

Had the refugees from Huai and Pu already been settled?

Or were the two counties too far from the prefectural city, with the refugees staying in towns or other prefectural cities along the way?

Chu Jiubian frowned slightly, feeling something was off.

With such a major disaster affecting tens of thousands of people across two counties, and countless flooded fields and villages, it was impossible for all the refugees to remain obediently in their original locations. Surely, many would have fled to larger prefectural cities or even the prefectural capital.

Unless these people had been forcibly kept in their places of origin and were unable to leave.

Recalling that Qin Xiao’s letter mentioned Prefecture Deputy Zhou Boshan of Hexi Prefecture had gone to the disaster area two days earlier, Chu Jiubian immediately suspected.

If Zhou Boshan had indeed gathered all the refugees in one place, did he have enough food?

Could he ensure the people wouldn’t starve or die of illness?

If some did die of illness or starvation, how was he handling it?

Were the bodies burned, or left to rot in the rain and mud?

If it was the latter, the decomposition of so many bodies, combined with the rain and filthy floodwaters, would create a perfect breeding ground for plague!

Or perhaps someone had taken even more drastic and ruthless measures...

He hoped reality wasn’t as he feared.

"Lord, we have arrived at the Prefect’s residence," someone reported from outside the carriage.

Chu Jiubian alighted from the carriage and was greeted by the officials Qin Xiao had left at the residence to handle related matters.

The leader was a Vice Director of the Ministry of War named Kou Zimo. Chu Jiubian knew of him—he was one of the few officials in the court who openly sided with Qin Xiao.

Originally from the Qin Family Army, he had been promoted to Vice Director of the Ministry of War. However, his rank was low, and he had little influence in court. Unable to match wits with the civil officials in debates, he had been of limited help to Qin Xiao.

Kou Zimo naturally knew of the relationship between Chu Jiubian and his lord. Seeing Chu Jiubian, he felt kinship and hurried forward to bow and offer greetings.

But Chu Jiubian interrupted him, asking, "Has Qin Xiao not returned yet?"

Who in the court didn’t know that he and Qin Xiao stood together?

Moreover, the rumors about their "romantic entanglement" have grown increasingly convincing, leading those unaware of the truth to actually think the two of them are involved.

Qin Xiao made no deliberate effort to suppress or refute the rumors, and Chu Jiubian was even less likely to.

Thus, Chu Jiubian did not mind acting differently around Qin Xiao in front of others—such as calling him by name.

Kou Zimo was a little surprised upon hearing him say "Qin Xiao," but quickly understood.

After all, they were like family; calling each other by name was nothing unusual.

He promptly got his thoughts together and replied, "Sir, Prince Ning has not yet returned. We got word this morning that a method to block the breach at Pu County’s embankment has been found. Director Liu Junqi of the Ministry of Works is overseeing the effort, and it should be completely plugged by the end of the day."

"At the moment, Prince Ning is likely in Huai County with Minister Jian. The damage to the embankment there is more severe, making the repair work a lot harder."

Chu Jiubian nodded and asked, "Did the grain and officials from the neighboring counties get here?"

Upon receiving news of the embankment damage, they had immediately dispatched messengers to the surrounding counties, instructing them to send all available grain to Hexi County, along with additional officials, craftsmen, and soldiers, to help alleviate the crisis.

By the time Chu Jiubian and his team arrived with money and supplies, the situation would not be as chaotic.

Kou Zimo carefully observed Chu Jiubian’s expression and said carefully, "Anyang County and Liucheng County have both sent grain, along with several officials and craftsmen. However, the total grain only adds up to a few cartloads."

At this point, that grain has almost gone.

Had Chu Jiubian not arrived tonight, the victims would likely have run out of food by evening.

For those displaced and homeless, life felt pretty meaningless. Many were in poor mental states, and a single night without food—which might ordinarily mean just going hungry—could, in this tense and fragile situation, become the last straw.

There was a real fear that the victims might riot, and things could get really bad.

"Food shortage?" Chu Jiubian frowned. "What about Hexi County’s own grain reserves?"

Such a large county couldn’t possibly lack the grain to support the people of two counties.

"The night before Prince Ning and I arrived, over a dozen granaries in the county were found to have leaked rainwater, soaking all the grain inside. Moreover, we checked the grain and found it to be old and spoiled, with much of it already moldy. Even if it hadn’t been soaked, it would have been inedible."

Moldy grain, unrepaired granary roofs—the Prefect of Hexi County had truly been gambling with people’s lives. No wonder he had killed himself out of guilt.

Kou Zimo said, "Your Excellency, please come inside and rest first. I have already arranged for lunch and hot water to be prepared."

"No need," Chu Jiubian replied. "Bring all the grain merchants in the county here."

If they were facing a food shortage, they would simply have to buy more. Otherwise, the few carts of grain they had brought wouldn’t even last two days.

"Prince Ning has already asked them," Kou Zimo sighed. "But the merchants claimed that since grain prices were high in the southern regions, they had shipped all their stock there. Whatever little they had left was already given to His Excellency this morning."

Chu Jiubian: "..."

How convenient.

One coincidence might be a coincidence, but two? That was pretty suspicious.

With Hexi County’s own granaries moldy and leaking, and the local grain merchants said they didn’t have any left, if the imperial court failed to find another solution, wouldn’t the people of Huai and Pu Counties inevitably riot?

If such a situation were to occur, who would bear the blame? Prince Jiannan? Or the Emperor?

The person behind this had left no room for contingency, clearly intent on making everything fall apart.

Yet there was one weird thing: if the mastermind wanted to create such an outcome and had indeed cut off all available grain supplies, how had the victims managed to last until the imperial court’s aid group arrived?

"Find someone to guide us. We leave for Pu County immediately," Chu Jiubian ordered.

The grain they had brought from the capital would last the people of the two counties for two days. That would be enough time for Qin Xiao to figure something out. Even if he failed to secure more grain, Chu Jiubian had his system.

The only problem was that his current Faith Points were insufficient. If it came to that, he would need to get more.

However, he did not want to rely on Faith Points from the southern border. What he wanted was the faith of the people of Hexi County.

He could not always be the one saving them; they needed to save themselves.

Using the Faith Points they contributed to buy grain and save their own lives—Chu Jiubian would gain more Faith Points and reputation in return. It was a win-win.

Guided by a local County Official, the relief team arrived smoothly in Pu County.

==

Director Liu Junqi of the Ministry of Works, wearing a straw raincoat, was running around in the rain, directing efforts to repair the embankment. His voice was hoarse from yelling.

Only when someone informed him that the relief team had arrived did he turn around. Spotting the convoy, he hurried over.

Chu Jiubian lifted the carriage curtain and observed the scene.

This Director Liu was a student of Minister Wang Zhiyuan, but from the looks of it, he was a hands-on guy.

He must be one of those diligent officials Qin Xiao had mentioned—those who were deeply tied up with influential families yet committed to their duties.

However, the Wang family?

Chu Jiubian felt it necessary to inquire with Wang Qichen. If this Director Liu was a decent person and not some villain, he might be worth promoting.

After all, a Director of the Ministry of Works could only be promoted to one position: Vice Minister of Works.

Chu Jiubian lowered his gaze to hide his scheming look. When he looked up again, his expression had returned to its usual distant expression.

"Greetings, Grand Tutor Sir," Liu Junqi said with a bow.

Chu Jiubian stepped out of the carriage, and a soldier promptly approached to hold an umbrella over him, displaying total respect.

Liu Junqi noticed this, and not just from that soldier—everyone in the relief team, whether civil officials or soldiers, regarded Chu Jiubian with a mix of awe and reverence.

Yet, these individuals came from complicated backgrounds, many likely spies or informants for various factions. Nevertheless, without exception, they had all become respectful.

In just a few days, had Chu Jiubian managed to win over all of them?

Liu Junqi suppressed his astonishment.

Chu Jiubian returned the gesture and said, "I will leave you with two days' worth of grain and one hundred thousand taels of silver. The Ministry of Revenue officials will assist you. In two days, I will send more grain."

"Yes," Liu Junqi replied promptly.

He had been worried about the food shortage looming the next morning, but the imperial court’s relief grain had arrived just in time to ease his urgent concerns.

He was well aware of the difficulties in securing more grain quickly, but this was Chu Jiubian. With him, any situation could take an unexpected turn.

So, he would simply wait for good news.

"By the way," Chu Jiubian added casually, "on the way here, I noticed there weren’t many victims in Pu County. Why is that?"

It was true—the victims here had food to eat, temporary shelters to live in, and blankets to keep warm. Logically, they should have been in decent spirits, yet they all seemed tired and lifeless.

Liu Junqi’s face fell instantly, and he said, "Your Excellency may not be aware, but over half of the twenty thousand residents of Pu County have already died. The survivors are only alive thanks to Prince Ning showing up when he did."

It’s almost laughable—if it weren’t for that, the grain they had would never have lasted until Chu Jiubian's arrival.

Chu Jiubian's heart skipped a beat as he asked, "Was it Zhou Boshan? Did he do something?"

Liu Junqi was taken aback for a moment, surprised that he had guessed the truth so quickly.

"It does indeed have to do with that Prefecture Deputy Zhou," he replied. "To prevent the refugees from flooding into other counties and causing further chain reactions, and to plug the breached embankment, he..."

He took a slow breath before continuing in a trembling voice, "He actually ordered the people to jump into the raging river and use their bodies to block the breach!"