In the past, if anyone had dared to order him around like this, Xiao Jingcheng would probably have wrung that person's neck. But the one standing in front of him was not just anyone; it was Li Zhongshu, Jiang Mian's father. Without hesitation, Xiao Jingcheng fetched a lantern.
By the light of the lantern in his hand, Xiao Jingcheng carefully examined the junctions between the walls and the beams of Huichun Hall. He then reached out and felt the walls. Frowning slightly, he turned around and walked back to Li Zhao.
"Any findings?" Li Zhao inquired.
Xiao Jingcheng pondered for a moment before answering, "This rain started at around 1 pm yesterday and has been pouring for a full day and three hours. Now the walls of the houses are completely soaked, and the drainage ditches in the yard can hardly drain the accumulated water. If this continues, not only will the houses leak, but the rising water may even flood them."
The houses in Huichun Hall were relatively sturdy, yet they were already showing signs of strain after being exposed to the rain for a whole day and night. What about the homes of other commoners in Dongli Town?
Hearing the commotion outside, Mo Zhizhang and Qi Wen also came out of their rooms. Qi Wen stuffed his hands into his sleeves and, like Li Zhao, looked up at the sky. "I've grown up in Dongli Town since I was a child, and I've never seen such a heavy downpour that lasted for so long," he remarked.
"This kind of rain only comes once every decade or so," Mo Zhizhang added meaningfully.
Suddenly, Li Zhao said, "The three of you, put on your raincoats and take lanterns. Go to the nearest river to Huichun Hall and check it out carefully. Make sure to stay safe."
Without a word, the three of them each found a raincoat and put it on. Then they picked up a lantern, opened their umbrellas, and waded through the water in the yard, exiting through the back.
Once they left Huichun Hall, the surroundings became even quieter. The only sound they could hear was the relentless patter of the rain.
The three of them walked one after another on the road. When they reached a fork, Xiao Jingcheng turned around and said, "I'll go to the east, Dr. Mo to the west, and Qi Wen to the south. When you reach the river, only observe from a distance. Don't go into the water. Once you've confirmed the situation, come back immediately and meet here."
Qi Wen immediately responded, while it took Mo Zhizhang a moment before he replied casually, "Sure."
After they parted ways, Xiao Jingcheng followed his memory and soon arrived at the riverside.
Before he even got close, a pungent smell of mud assailed his nostrils, and he could hear the rushing sound of the water and the howling wind.
The wind whistled, sounding like a wild beast roaring on the river.
Xiao Jingcheng walked forward until his feet touched the water. Then he stepped back, crouched down, and shone the lantern ahead.
Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the scene in front of him. Xiao Jingcheng's face paled.
He clearly remembered that there used to be a flight of steps here. One had to go down the steps and walk a hundred or so steps forward to reach the riverside. But now the water level of the river had risen three times higher than usual, completely submerging the steps!
Xiao Jingcheng stood up and walked a few steps up the bank. His expression grew more and more solemn.
When he had possessed the dog Dahuang, there had also been a continuous rain for three days in Dongli Town. But that rain was nowhere near as heavy as this one. Even so, the house in Qingyu Alley had leaked a little.
After the rain stopped, the water levels of the rivers in Dongli Town had all risen.
And now, this rain was not only fierce but also persistent. It had been pouring for a whole day and night without showing any sign of abating. If this continued...
Xiao Jingcheng looked up at the turbulent river in the night, his brows knitted tightly.
The rain was falling hard and fast, and the Sang River had already started to rise. And a rising river meant that the Sang River was now at risk of flooding.
Dongli Town was built on the banks of the Sang River, which was located downstream of the Xijiang River. Upstream were Tianyuan County and other cities.
If this rain was only falling in Dongli Town, the Sang River would not have risen so much.
But judging from the current situation, it was likely that it was raining across the entire Cangzhou region.
If the rain was as heavy upstream, then Dongli Town was in grave danger.
Natural disasters were more terrifying than man - made disasters. The power of nature was enough to destroy the homes that the commoners relied on. Not only would there be property losses, but there would also be a large number of displaced people.
And often, a major disaster would be followed by a major epidemic, which would be even more of a blow to the people who were already in dire straits!
After confirming the situation, Xiao Jingcheng immediately got up and walked back. He waited at the intersection for a while, and soon Mo Zhizhang also returned and met him.
Mo Zhizhang, who had looked somewhat relaxed before, now had a solemn expression.
"How's the situation?" Xiao Jingcheng asked.
Qi Wen said anxiously, "Brother Jing, I found that the river has risen so much that it has reached the doorsteps of the houses!"
Mo Zhizhang said calmly, "It's the same on my side."
The situation was indeed not optimistic.
The three of them returned to Huichun Hall. After taking off their raincoats, they found Li Zhao in the front hall.
Li Zhao was wearing a coat and sitting in the front hall. On the table in front of him, broken reed stalks were arranged in a strange shape.
Hearing the noise, Li Zhao looked up at them and said, "You're back. Come and take a look."
The three of them stepped forward and sat down at the table. Qi Wen sat close to Xiao Jingcheng, while Mo Zhizhang sat opposite him.
Li Zhao pointed at the table and said, "This is the general course of the Sang River. Huichun Hall is at this location. Identify which branch you went to just now."
So he had used the reed stalks to piece together the general shape of the Sang River.
Xiao Jingcheng examined it for a while and pointed to the lower - right corner. "I went here. The water has reached the stone steps by the road. Fortunately, there aren't many houses nearby, so it's still relatively safe."
Mo Zhizhang gently pointed to a location not far from Xiao Jingcheng. "I went here. There are houses along the bank, and the water has risen by an inch."
Qi Wen immediately pointed and said, "I went here. The water has reached my ankles!"
Li Zhao frowned deeply and coughed twice before saying, "The current situation is not looking good."
He pointed upwards at the upstream location and continued, "The Sang River is a tributary of the Xijiang River and is located downstream. The Xijiang River has a well - developed water system and abundant water flow. Since ancient times, there has always been a hidden danger of flooding."
"Although there are drainage ditches here that can block some of the water, they were built in the seventeenth year of Tianyuan in the Chu State, more than sixty years ago. If the officials in Cangzhou had maintained them carefully, they might still be of some use. But if they've been neglected and fallen into disrepair, they probably won't last long."
Xiao Jingcheng's face changed slightly. "Eighteen years ago, when Jiang Mian was born, there was a major flood in Cangzhou."
Li Zhao had already thought of this, which was why he couldn't shake off the sense of unease.
Man could not compete with nature.
But just because one couldn't win didn't mean they should give up without a fight.