After confirming that Wang Yan would secretly report the matter to the court, Sun Shaozong followed his instructions and announced the truth of Xu Mingtang's suicide in the back hall.
At that time, the atmosphere in the back hall really eased. As for how many people pretended to be, and how many people really believed that Xu Mingtang committed suicide for the trivial matters at home, it is not something that Sun Shaozong can speculate.
Wang Yan took this opportunity to set up the 'defense' along both sides of the river in one go, and urged everyone to order troops and horses to take office immediately.
It was about reciprocating, and Sun Shaozong's 'package section' was arranged near the Lugou Bridge, next to the official road. Usually, it is very convenient to transport materials. If something goes wrong, it is much more convenient than others to escape.
Therefore, Zhou Da, Zhao Wuwei, and several officials from the Ministry of Industry and Hedao under his command were quite happy.
Only Sun Shaozong was on the north bank and his heart was on the south bank. He thought that in a short time, tens of thousands of people might be affected by the flood, but he could only look at the ocean and feel helpless, and he was depressed and unhappy every day.
Although he never thought he was a good person, he really couldn't treat human life like a mustard like Jia Yucun did, and even sacrificed thousands of lives to keep his position.
-Dividing line-
July seventeen.
The rainy weather that lasted for more than half a month finally came to an end this morning.
That round of rising sun broke through the clouds, and all of them showed the power of the autumn tiger. Everyone on the sun-baked dam 'lost their helmets and unarmed', and there were countless 'flags' floating at the head of the Lugou Bridge.
Standing at the head of the bridge and looking up, all eyes are full of clothes, hats, shoes and socks to dry, not to mention the stone lion, even the stone railings can't be seen.
With the sun shining brightly, they were all naked and carefree, and there were constant laughter and laughter up and down the dam, and even the overseer who carried the whip all day seemed to be a lot more cordial.
Driven by this cheerful atmosphere, Sun Shaozong couldn't help but feel a little bit of luck. He secretly said that the river water has only been rising slowly in the past few days. Disaster
If this is the case, his suicide may really become a big laughing stock in the officialdom.
"grown ups!"
Sun Shaozong was standing on the river bank, thinking about it, suddenly he heard someone call from behind him, and looked back, but Zhao Wuwei hurried over with a goose ling knife in his hand.
Sun Shaozong's heart was tense, and he hurriedly asked: "What? Is there any danger?!"
"The adults are joking."
However, Zhao Wuwei grinned and said, "Where did this danger come from for no reason? The government office sent a lot of rewards, you see—it's down the slope now!"
Sun Shaozong followed his directions and saw that there were eight carriages parked under the embankment, full of wine and vegetables, dried fruits, bacon and other items, among them the heads of many pigs, sheep, and dogs—this was not a reward. Human, but used to worship the river god.
Ruan Rong and the cheap brother have been sending things here almost every day since they were stationed on the river bank. Therefore, Sun Shaozong had no interest in these so-called rewards. He just rolled up his sleeves and said impatiently, "Let the sacrifices of the three animals live well. Put it back together, how to divide the rest, you can discuss with Zhou Da, you don't need to ask me what I mean."
Although Sun Shaozong didn't care about it, for Zhao Wuwei, these things were all good things that could win people's hearts, so he hurriedly responded, and he was ready to call someone to unload the goods.
At this moment, I heard someone shouting in the distance: "Look, there is someone in the river!"
"It seems to be floating over on something!"
Someone floated over in the river riding something
Sun Shaozong was busy looking towards the river, and saw a white flower in the distance. Justice was drifting downstream at an extremely fast speed, but in the blink of an eye, the outline became much clearer. It was a naked man tied to a sheepskin sack. !
The people who were summoned temporarily were still talking at length, but Sun Shaozong’s face turned discolored. He couldn’t help but grabbed Zhao Wuwei’s saber, stepped forward, and cut off the reins on the horse-tethering stake. He got on his horse and ran wildly in the direction of Lugou Bridge.
The black horse rose up with four hooves, and the people who were stirring all the way turned on their backs. At least four or five strong people couldn't dodge, and they were knocked over to the ground by it, but Sun Shaozong ignored it, and when he saw the bridge, he desperately shouted: "Quick, quick stop that 'Sheep Reports the Brave Soldier'!"
But it turned out that the man who was tied with a sheepskin and floated down the river, called 'the sheep to report the brave soldier', was an important means of conveying the water situation in ancient times - and because of its great danger, the soldiers who were responsible for the communication task can be said to be a life-threatening situation. , so it will only be used in emergencies.
However, when Sun Shaozong shouted, several naked river patrolmen on the bridge panicked, and they waited until Sun Shaozong arrived on horseback, but failed to put the rod into the water.
Seeing that the sheep reported the brave pawn, he had already got into the bridge hole along the turbulent current. Sun Shaozong hurriedly jumped off his horse and grabbed a thick and long set of poles. He ran to the other side in three steps and five steps. Hanging to the surface of the water, when the man riding the sheep rushed out of the bridge hole, he violently restrained him by the waist, and shouted: "Hurry up!"
Before the roar fell, he screamed violently with both hands, and picked the man up from the water together with the sheepskin!
Carefully placing it on the bridge, Sun Shaozong immediately threw away the shaft and threw himself on it, nervously helping the man up and asking, "How are you? Can you hold on?!"
"Not yet... not dead yet."
The man's face was swollen, his body was cold, and his mouth was full of yellow teeth, but he still insisted: "Hurry up... hurry up to find the prison... Master Jian He, I have a hundred thousand fires... I am in a hurry..."
While untying the rope around his waist, Sun Shaozong said, "This official is the river inspector here. If you have any urgent reports, even if you say it!"
Only then did the man discover that the person who rescued him was actually a blue-robed official.
So he was busy struggling to take out the bamboo stick covered with flame lacquer from the interlayer of the sheepskin, and handed it to Sun Shaozong tremblingly: "Sir, the upper reaches... the mountain collapsed, I don't know... I don't know when a dammed lake was formed, and it was only the day before yesterday. It was discovered by the inspector that the lake embankment may collapse again at any time, and please notify the Governor as soon as possible... Be prepared!"
damn it!
No wonder the water is rising so slowly, and there is a 'natural reservoir' in the upper reaches of the relationship!
If this dammed lake can withstand the floods, it will be fine, but if it collapses in the middle...
Sun Shaozong shuddered, hurriedly fetched the lacquered bamboo stick, and entrusted the man to the care of the patrolman on duty on the bridge, then got on his horse again and galloped towards the 'flood control center' where Wang Yan was.