Most of the people were poor, and even at home they mostly ate porridge, rarely solid rice, let alone meat, which was only a treat during the New Year. Now that such a good thing had happened, everyone who heard the news was excited.
In addition, it is not yet the busy farming season, so the number of people responding to the call is far more than expected. Even if they have to work in the rain, they are not afraid of summer rain.
Almost all the people in Xiangyang County were mobilized, and the atmosphere was very enthusiastic.
The rain stopped and came, but there was no sign of the river water receding. The people Gu Yanxi sent out to investigate the situation upstream and downstream came back. After learning that the situation upstream was no better than that in Xiangyang, but no water warning had been issued, he did not act recklessly like Shaoyao, but submitted the matter to Song Qi, the acting governor of Jingzhou, and asked him to handle it.
Also presented were the charges against the Xiangyang County Magistrate, and Xu Yangjun was recommended for the post of County Magistrate.
After arranging these things, Gu Yanxi did not plan to continue to stay in Xiangyang. "The flood season in Jingzhou will last until September at its longest. We have done what we should do. There is no need to stay here any longer. I plan to go to Lingzhou to see what the situation is over there."
After a pause, Gu Yanxi continued: "Wu Xing has prepared black gunpowder, which is very powerful."
Hua Zhi's heart sank, but her face remained calm. "It's perfect for digging mountains and rivers."
"… Well, will you go with me?"
"Even if I go, I can't help much. I'm not good at this. The Ministry of Industry should have people who specialize in this area."
Gu Yanxi shook her head. "We just went to check out the situation in Lingzhou and relocate the people there in advance. We can't believe everything Haoyue said, but we can't disbelieve it either. She used that incident to prove her ability and she won't shoot herself in the foot. Since we know that Xiangyang may burst its dam, we have to make some preparations in advance."
Hua Zhi understood that the river could not be dug out for the time being, but it was not impossible to resolve the crisis in Xiangyang if Lingzhou could be used well.
Thinking of Haoyue, Hua Zhi couldn't help but think more, "Haoyue told you this because he hoped you could find a way to resolve the crisis in Xiangyang?"
"She is not a person of high moral character. She probably thought that even if she told me the problem, it would not be solved. She only said August, but did not say the specific day. Xiangyang is so big, and she did not say where the dam broke. How could I force hundreds of thousands of people to leave their hometown?"
An idea suddenly occurred to Hua Zhi, "She's waiting for you to beg her?"
"If you don't have a way, I might have to go and beg her." The coldness in Gu Yanxi's eyes disappeared, and her tone became gentle. "Would you like to accompany me to Lingzhou?"
Hua Zhi is a person who responds to soft words and not to hard ones. How could she refuse when Gu Yanxi said this with such a soft personality? It would be fine if she went north later. It wouldn't delay anything.
It was impossible to go by water anymore, so Hua Zhi asked Xu Ying to settle the ship's fare, pack up and get ready to set off the next morning. Jiang Huanran wanted to follow, but Gu Yanxi tied him up and threw him into a carriage, asking his subordinates to send him back to the capital, without even giving him a chance to say goodbye to Hua Zhi.
Hua Zhi didn't care. Since they were in the same capital, they would meet again in the future. Besides, the Jiang family and the Hua family were not political enemies, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to pull the Jiang family into her big ship.
It stopped raining last night and it was a nice day again today. Shaoyao rode with Baoxia, Xu Ying with You Tao, and Hua Zhi naturally rode with Gu Yanxi. Everything was ready. When they came out of the gate, they saw someone waiting outside the house.
It’s Xu Yangjun.
Hua Zhi thought he was here to see Yan Xi, so after walking down the stairs she stood there waiting.
Unexpectedly, Xu Yangjun walked towards her, stood three steps away from her, and bowed, "Hello, Miss Hua."
Hua Zhi was slightly stunned. What was he doing...
Xu Yangjun handed over a bulging package with both hands, "It's just a small token of my appreciation, please don't despise it, young lady."
What else did Hua Zhi not understand? This was the second time she truly felt the glory brought by the Hua family name. The first time was when her grandmother passed away. She would never forget that scene for the rest of her life.
Not all of them had received favors from the Hua family, but they all consciously abided by the things passed down by word of mouth, regarded the Hua family as the benchmark for scholars, and respected them from the bottom of their hearts. Even though she was a woman, she was still presented with a Cheng ceremony by Xu Yangjun, and she enjoyed the blessing of the Hua family.
With many thoughts in mind, Hua Zhi took the things personally and said, "Thank you, Master Xu."
This is acknowledging one's identity. Xu Yangjun's heart beat faster. These days, whenever he had a little free time, he thought about his identity as a young lady. It's not that they haven't been worried. They have learned from the experience of the Xu family. They are worried that the Hua family will end up like the Xu family. Even if the Hua family rises again, everything represented by the Hua family name will no longer exist.
Perhaps some people would secretly like to replace them, but for these scholars, the Hua family is irreplaceable. They have grown up listening to stories about the Hua family since the day they learned to read and write, and they hold themselves to the Hua family's rules. When they climb up step by step, the Hua family is still there, like a rock.
To put it more seriously, the Hua family is the faith of these scholars.
So when a girl appeared in the Hua family who was as capable as men, she kept the Hua family standing. Even after a year since the incident, there was no sign of the Hua family falling apart. They were so happy that they couldn't tell how happy they were. Whenever they talked about it in letters with their friends, they were filled with emotion.
But he had never thought that he would have the chance to meet her before. It was only after he met her that he understood why she could support such a big Hua family. As a girl from the Hua family, it should be like this.
Xu Yangjun bowed deeply and said, "I hope you take care, young lady."
Hua Zhi returned the gift solemnly, "I appreciate your kindness."
Xu Yangjun quickly shook his hands to avoid her, his gentle face flushed red, "I can't bear it, I can't bear it..."
Hua Zhi's gift is not only for him, but also for the thousands of scholars. They uphold the Hua family's character and will surely be a help to the brothers in the future. Even if the family members come back one day in the future, they will still need their support to get out of the trough.
Gu Yanxi climbed onto the horse, rode over and stretched out his hand towards Hua Zhi.
Hua Zhi stretched out her hand, and Gu Yanxi pulled her towards him.
Hua Zhi pulled up her hood and lowered her head, "Take care, Master Xu."
Xu Yangjun quickly glanced at the two close friends, bowed and said goodbye, "Take care, young lady."
Lin Ying took the lead and ran out of the city, followed closely by a group of people. The Sixth Prince walked at the end. He felt very complicated when he looked at Xu Yangjun, who looked slightly excited.
The Hua family was confiscated and exiled by the emperor, but among the people and scholars, the status of the Hua family has not changed at all. They still respect and honor them, and because Sister Hua is a daughter of the Hua family, they no longer even have the slightest contempt for women. This is the public opinion.
Father, do you know this
Or... Is it because of knowing this that the Hua family encountered this difficulty
The Sixth Prince didn't dare to think about it any further and rode his horse to chase after him.