Half a day passed and the torrential rain showed no sign of stopping.
Yu Tao took off his raincoat outside the door and rushed in to report, "Chief, Miss, the river water is rising very fast, and the two levels that had retreated have risen again."
It's only been half a day... Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi looked at each other, "Is there any response from Wuxing?"
"It was raining so hard that he went to the mountains and said he would make the stuff as soon as possible."
"Even if we really make it, it's probably too late. That thing can't get wet, but the last thing we lack right now is water." Hua Zhi looked at the dry rivers on the sand table and shook her head slightly. She thought too simply. How could everything in the world go as planned
Gu Yanxi smiled, "It's not too late, Azhi, it's never too late to make this thing."
Hua Zhi's head buzzed and she was deaf for a moment. Yes, yes, she had underestimated Yan Xi. She only thought of using this thing to dig rivers and canals, but Yan Xi had already thought of something further, such as... war.
In this age without firearms, she couldn't imagine what kind of changes the appearance of this thing would bring. Perhaps, she would become a sinner.
Gu Yanxi was startled, walked closer and called softly, "Azhi?"
Hua Zhi looked up. She wanted to ask Yan Xi what he planned to do with this, whether he would start a war, but in the end she just shook her head at him and lowered her eyes to look at the mountains and rivers on the sand table. How could she forget that this was the Gu family's kingdom, and her partner was currently holding power far higher than that of the prince.
Gu Yanxi waved his hand to dismiss the others, and pulled Ah Zhi to lean against his chest. "No one likes war, but only war can stop war. Daqing Dynasty is now facing internal and external troubles. The prince has ambitions but does not have the ability to support his ambitions. The relatives want more power. The emperor is increasingly suspicious, but his courage is waning. After years of recuperation, the countries surrounding Daqing Dynasty have the intention of expansion. Daqing Dynasty has the most fertile land and the most prosperous cities. All of this will surely become their goal. Ah Zhi, Daqing Dynasty is not stable under the appearance of peace. If this black gunpowder is really as powerful as you said, I need it to protect my Daqing Dynasty and its people."
Gu Yanxi lowered her head and kissed Hua Zhi's head lightly without leaving any trace. "I know you don't like war, Ah Zhi, I'm sorry."
What else could Hua Zhi say? Between invading and being invaded, she naturally preferred to be the invading party. Although she had to bear the sin, it was better than being a citizen of a fallen country. It was better to bully others than to be bullied. This was the reward she deserved for enjoying the wealth and prosperity of the Daqing Dynasty for many years.
Hua Zhi sighed softly after returning the favor to the man. Who says it's good to be in a high position? Her grandfather was exiled, her partner was worried about the country and the people, and even those princes who only had the dragon throne in their eyes did not have a single day of peace, fearing that the other party would ascend to a high position and kill them. In a word, their lives were not much better than those of ordinary people living at the bottom of society.
"I alone cannot change the course of history. Everything appears because it is supposed to appear." If she hadn't needed it to open the canal, she wouldn't have thought of this thing. She only knew what materials were needed for gunpowder, but didn't know its specific proportions. Even if she really had to grind out the formula bit by bit, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to do it since she knew nothing about it.
She came to this world for no reason, maybe because she was needed here? Hua Zhi smiled bitterly and tried to comfort herself, but she couldn't make herself feel more relaxed.
In the sound of rain, the two of them snuggled together. Gu Yanxi felt guilty and couldn't help but want to talk more with Ah Zhi. "The Chaoli tribe is a brave people. Because of their bravery, they have always disdained to use those tricks. But this trip to Yuzhou found that they had started planning many years ago. If Haoyue hadn't created the Seven Stars Sect to lead me to find that Yuan Shifang was a member of the Chaoli tribe, the consequences would be unimaginable."
As he wished, Hua Zhi stopped thinking about the black powder and took over the conversation, "Since Haoyue knows that Yuan Shifang is from the Chaoli tribe, I think he is not the only one who knows."
"Before coming here, I asked Chen Qing to return to Yuzhou to contact Haoyue and try to get as much information out of him as possible. I am worried about Haoyue." This is an intuition. Haoyue is definitely not a harmless person. If he is willing to meet the conditions that can be met, he is afraid that what she wants is something that he cannot afford from the Daqing Dynasty.
"I won't put all my hopes on her. The Qisu Division has existed for many years and is not so useless. They will be able to find out something." Gu Yanxi led the person to sit down and poured water to Ah Zhi's hand. "We have always been wary of the Chaoli tribe, but the appearance of Yuan Shifang made all the precautions come true. The governor of a state turned out to be a person from the enemy country, and he did not hesitate to give Daqing Chaolai a wake-up call."
Hua Zhi was drinking tea, still thinking about Haoyue. For some reason, she cared about this person a lot. She always felt that... this person might have set his eyes on her boyfriend.
Gu Yanxi looked at the rain outside. He just wanted to sit and talk with Ah Zhi and drink tea, but he could only give himself half a day to do so.
After pouring her another cup of water, Gu Yanxi said, "I'll take care of the things outside. You should take a good rest. You can't lose weight anymore. You've lost weight so soon after coming out. You have to go north again after returning. Old Master Hua will be very sad to see you."
"I don't bother to care anymore since you're in charge."
Gu Yanxi stroked her cheek gently. This man was so good that he always wanted more.
***
If Hua Zhi is the backbone of this industry, Gu Yanxi is their stabilizer. His arrival immediately makes the stalemate situation one-sided.
Officials of the Daqing Dynasty revered the Seven Stars, but their contempt for women was deep in their bones. Xiangyang County Magistrate Chen Hong also showed respect to Shaoyao on the surface, but secretly made things difficult for her because she had taken away his right to speak. Shaoyao was so angry that she gnashed her teeth but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't just punish everyone and leave Xu Yangjun to run errands.
These problems were not a problem for Gu Yanxi. He took over the government office directly and placed the people he brought with him in various positions. He issued orders from top to bottom without any compromise. In just half a day, all the people living in low-lying areas along the river were relocated to higher places, and all flood prevention measures in Xiangyang were activated. His cold and hard style silenced the people who had been complaining, and they all accepted his orders and were obedient.
After the rain eased the next day, he insisted that all the laborers continue to dredge the river, but he also opened the granary and had people cook dry rice for the laborers, and each person could also get a piece of meat. Although it was not large, such treatment was definitely unprecedented in the history of several dynasties. The complaints turned into strength, and the speed was obviously much faster.
"It's still too late. Post a notice. Anyone willing to participate in dredging the river will be fed and given a piece of meat. As for the money to buy meat..." Gu Yanxi sneered, "County Magistrate Chen is very rich, so I will requisition him first."
PS: I will try to resume the double update tomorrow. I, who am tanned black, send my greetings to everyone.