Everything needs a leader, and only with a leader will the followers behave themselves.
"This is the worst plan. I would rather not use it." Shen Xihe looked at the golden lotus in the pond swaying in the wind under the bright sunshine outside the window. A trace of melancholy flashed across his eyes. He only hoped that the heavy rain in Dengzhou would stop soon.
Xiao Huayong also nodded in agreement. For a moment, the atmosphere between the couple was a little heavy, as they were both worried about the situation in Dengzhou.
However, it seemed that God was determined to torture Dengzhou. The heavy rain lasted for seven days. The water soldiers who were observing the water level never returned. The people sent by the court to contact Dengzhou and deliver messages gradually lost contact. The reports submitted were becoming less and less timely, which meant that the severity of the situation had reached a point where it could not be delayed.
"Little Twelve is missing." Xiao Huayong frowned slightly.
Compared to the imperial court which relied on people to deliver messages, Xiao Huayong had eagles and Saker Falcons. Dengzhou still had people staying there who were sent by Xiao Huayong to set a trap for Xiao Changqing. His news was delivered to their hands regardless of weather conditions. Even the people of Dengzhou who were in dire straits at the moment might not know the situation in Dengzhou better than he did.
The drought had lasted too long and the land was severely dry, so even though it rained for ten consecutive days, it had not yet reached the point where a flood would wreak havoc. In addition, the Minister of Works and Tao Zhuanxian had both arrived safely in Dengzhou and were personally in charge, leading local officials and laborers to dredge and prevent disasters, so the situation had not yet reached the point where it was out of control.
The reason why the news from the court was cut off was that many mountains had dried up severely and the surface had cracked. Suddenly, there was continuous rainfall, which caused the soil to become soft and slippery. Several routes for sending letters encountered such accidents, which led to the inability to send letters.
"In danger?" Shen Xihe also asked with concern.
To a certain extent, Xiao Changgeng can be considered as Xiao Huayong's man, although it was a forced choice. Shen Xihe's evaluation of Xiao Changgeng is that he is a man who knows how to advance and retreat, and is capable of bending and stretching.
Such a person can neither be said to be good nor bad. As long as there is someone who can completely suppress him, he will be an invincible sword. But if there is someone who is not strong enough to suppress him, even if he is forced to surrender before he is fully grown, he will be retaliated against in the future.
Xiao Huayong was confident that she could suppress Xiao Changgeng, so she also included Xiao Changgeng in their sphere of influence.
"Something is fishy." Xiao Huayong frowned, his eyes fixed on one spot, as if he was deep in thought. "I just received a letter from him last night, saying that he had already evacuated from the dangerous place and was in the county government office. He disappeared this morning.
The news came from the person I left behind, saying that he encountered a landslide on the way back and is now missing."
"Could it be that something urgent happened late at night and he left the county government office again?" Shen Xihe felt that this was unlikely.
The situation in Dengzhou is so bad now that Xiao Changgeng has evacuated, it is impossible for him to put himself in danger. Local officials dare not let him put himself in danger. When the princes travel, they are protected by many people, not to mention the manpower occupied. If there is any mistake, he will be held accountable.
For example, now Xiao Changgeng's whereabouts are unknown. The county magistrate, prefect, and governor of the area where he disappeared will all be alarmed. The incessant heavy rain is enough to make these local officials too busy to deal with anything. How can they allow such a thing to happen