Chapter 60 Steamships
On the Wei River, torrential rain poured down.
A strange-looking giant ship, spewing white smoke from its rear, with huge paddle wheels spinning wildly on both sides.
That speed.
It's just like a monster running wildly on the water!
In just one day.
The steamship, built overnight, docked at the Yanzhou Wharf.
At this moment, the sky over Yanzhou was so gloomy that it seemed about to collapse.
The city was deathly silent, with only the roar of the floodwaters crashing against the riverbanks.
Prefect Wan Cheng, along with a group of officials of all ranks, had been waiting at the dock in the rain.
They saw the giant object belching black smoke stop.
Everyone was stunned.
What kind of monster is this?
Lin Qingyan, dressed in a straw raincoat, was the first to disembark, followed closely by Luan Xue.
Behind them followed thousands of craftsmen carrying tools, a grand procession.
Wan Cheng hurriedly went to greet him, wiping the rain off his face.
"Your humble servant, Wan Cheng, Prefect of Yanzhou, pays respects to Prime Minister Lin! Pays respects to the Second Princess!"
Lin Qingyan didn't waste any words and spoke directly.
"How is the situation?"
Wan Cheng gave a bitter smile, his face filled with despair.
"Your Excellency, the water level is still rising, and the levee may not last more than a few days."
These words were spoken.
The atmosphere around them suddenly became tense.
In the crowd, a magistrate in a green robe hunched his shoulders and muttered something sarcastic.
"There are only a few days left, what's the use of the court sending so few craftsmen?"
"And they even brought a princess along to cause trouble."
"If the dam breaks, we'll all be turtle food!"
"If you ask me, the imperial court has completely abandoned us!"
The words were spoken softly, but sounded particularly jarring against the backdrop of the rain.
Wan Cheng's expression changed, and he quickly reprimanded him.
"Shut up! Prefect Liu, Prime Minister Lin and the princess have personally risked their lives, what else do you want to do!"
Judge Liu was really going all out.
He spat, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace.
"You're about to die, why are you still putting on airs!"
"Whether you're a prime minister or a princess, if you can't handle it, get out!"
"Don't waste my time getting away!"
"That dike is impossible to hold. I'm taking my family and leaving. Anyone who tries to stop me will have to fight me!"
These words immediately resonated with many officials.
Even the onlookers in the distance began to stir.
A sense of despair spread rapidly.
"Yes, all the officials have fled!"
"Let's run!"
"Waaaaah, Heaven is going to destroy my Yanzhou!"
The situation was about to spiral out of control.
Lin Qingyan's gentle and refined face was covered with frost.
"presumptuous!"
Lin Qingyan stepped forward, her aura exploding.
"Now that I am here, the sky over Yanzhou will not fall down!"
"Liu Tongpan is disrupting morale and intends to desert his post!"
"Guards! Seize him and throw him in jail!"
"If the dike is successfully defended, then he can be punished; if it cannot be defended, I will first execute him as a sacrifice to the river god!"
Two imperial guards who were accompanying him pounced on him like wolves and tigers, and pressed Liu Tongpan down into the mud.
This swift and decisive action immediately stunned everyone present.
Lin Qingyan's eyes were sharp as he scanned the entire room.
"I promise that I will resolve this crisis as quickly as possible!"
"Reinforce the dikes! Drain the floodwaters!"
"The imperial court has not abandoned you, His Majesty has not abandoned you!"
Even so.
Those officials still had a lot of doubt in their eyes.
Even the ordinary people on the outskirts, getting soaked in the rain, were all numbly shaking their heads.
"Sir, don't lie to us."
"Three years ago, the imperial court also allocated funds to reinforce the dikes."
"But when the flood came, the dikes were as flimsy as paper."
"We finally managed to come back and rebuild our homes, and then..."
"I can't live like this anymore!"
The cries of the people, mingled with the sound of the rain, were heartbreaking to hear.
The court's credibility in their hearts had long been ruined by those corrupt officials in the past.
Just then.
A clear, cool, and firm female voice rang out.
"I can vouch for you!"
Luan Xue pushed aside the guards beside her and walked step by step to the higher ground.
The rain soaked her exquisite dress, but it couldn't conceal her radiant beauty.
She took off the gold hairpin from her head and held it high.
"I am Luan Xue, the second princess of the Great Yu!"
"As a princess of the royal family, I assure the 300,000 people of Yanzhou!"
"This time, it will be completely different!"
"We will use the methods bestowed by the gods to save the dike!"
"If we can't ensure everyone's safety..."
Luan Xue took a deep breath, her voice firm and powerful.
"I, Luan Xue, the Second Princess of Dayu, will commit suicide right here in Yanzhou!"
"If the dike breaches, I will perish with this Yanzhou; I will never live alone!"
These words left Wan Cheng and the officials speechless with astonishment.
Is the princess serious?
Gambling with your life?
This is a precious woman!
The people were stunned, staring blankly at the woman who looked somewhat frail in the wind and rain, yet whose back was ramrod straight.
"Princess, are you really not leaving?"
"She's going to stay with us?"
Luan Xue looked at everyone with a cold gaze.
"Go and evacuate the people as soon as possible, and tell them that the princess is here, and the prime minister is here too!"
"Leave the rest to us!"
With this anchor in place.
Wan Cheng gritted his teeth and roared.
"What are you all standing there for! Didn't you hear what the princess said?!"
"Get to work! Anyone who doesn't want to die, get moving!"
…
The next three days.
Yanzhou Wharf became the busiest place.
Just as the Empress Dowager had arranged.
On the Wei River, the imperial court's fast boats sailed one after another, day and night without stopping.
Precision cylinders, massive steel connecting rods, core valves...
They were continuously brought ashore.
Under Lin Qingyan's command, thousands of craftsmen worked day and night with bloodshot eyes.
The heavy rain is still falling.
But the stoves on the dock were burning bright red.
The clanging and banging sounds became the most frequently heard sound in the city.
One after another, steel behemoths never seen before were assembled in the mud.
The enormous steam pumps roared deafeningly.
Thick pipes were inserted into the floodwaters, billowing out thick black smoke.
The water was visibly draining away, as if it were being sucked up by a giant dragon!
The pile driver is even more frightening.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
In just a few moments, those wooden stakes that required dozens of people shouting in unison to barely drive in were driven deep into the riverbank!
The efficiency was so high that Wan Cheng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
miracle!
This is truly a miracle!
…
The fifth day arrived in the blink of an eye.
The most violent flood peak is approaching.
The residents of Wancheng have been mostly evacuated under pressure from officials.
With bags and bundles, they dragged their families to higher ground.
But some elderly people just refuse to leave, no matter what.
Several old men hugged the pillars in front of their houses, crying their eyes out.
"I'm not leaving! These are my roots!"
"I'd rather die on this land!"
"My old wife is buried in the back hill. She'll be scared if I leave!"
No matter how hard the constables tried to pull it, they couldn't budge it.
at the same time.
The government office was also in complete chaos.
As darkness fell, the roar of the river grew louder and louder.
The officials, who were already terrified, completely broke down at this point.
I ran about half of it before, but I don't dare to run the rest now.
Because Prime Minister Lin and the princess are still guarding the dike!
If they run away, they'll be dead anyway.
then.
The officials all rushed to the levee.
They knelt in the mud and water, clinging to Lin Qingyan's legs, crying their hearts out.
"My lord! Let's go!"
"Please, let's go!"
"The water is too strong; we can't stop it at all!"
"You are the Prime Minister, she is the Princess, you are both of noble birth. If you die here, you will be sinners of the Great Yu!"
"Forget about those peasants, let's get out of here!"
Lin Qingyan was very determined, because all the organizational work had been completed and only the final step remained!
We absolutely cannot fail!