The carpenters in Dongli Town had gathered in a relatively dry house, cutting timber and assembling carriages on the spot in great haste. On the other side, a group of villagers, bare - chested and sweating profusely, were making waterproof tarpaulins so that the carriages could shelter people from wind and rain.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Zhao Hu ran towards Xiao Jingcheng excitedly. "The carriages are ready! We've made five in total. We've tested them, and they're very sturdy. They can be used!"
Hearing this, Xiao Wuchen couldn't help clenching his fists and exclaimed, "Great!"
Xiao Jingcheng remained extremely calm and gave the order, "Since the carriages are ready, immediately count the villagers. According to the previous rule, first send the elderly, pregnant women, children, and the sick away."
Zhao Hu had never felt like this before. Although he was being directed and as busy as a spinning top, he didn't feel tired at all. Instead, he felt excited.
Yes, it was excitement. His body was already drenched, but there seemed to be a flame burning inside him.
"Okay, I'll do it right away!" Zhao Hu responded and waved to his subordinates. Then he turned around and rushed away cheerfully.
Xiao Wuchen couldn't help saying, "The helper the Crown Prince found is really useful."
Xiao Jingcheng said, "Compared to us outsiders, they are more familiar with Dongli Town and the villagers here. Their words are also easier to be taken in."
"You stay here to take charge of the overall situation and get them to make more carriages as soon as possible. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to find a way to solve them. I'll go outside and have a look."
Leaving Xiao Wuchen there, Xiao Jingcheng opened his umbrella and walked back into the rain.
At the west entrance of the town, the villagers were taking shelter from the rain under the city gate and the city wall. On that side, under Zhao Hu's arrangement, the five newly - made carriages had just carried another group of villagers away, and the crowd had obviously decreased by about half.
Xiao Jingcheng rode his horse closer. When the villagers saw him, they all perked up and swarmed towards him.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is here!"
"Your Highness, when will the remaining carriages be ready?"
"Can we leave before dawn?"
Xiao Jingcheng reined in his horse and said to the villagers below, "Don't worry. The first batch of carriages will be back soon. Another batch of carriages is being built. In less than two hours, we will surely be able to transport everyone out."
With Xiao Jingcheng's words, everyone felt relieved.
Xiao Jingcheng looked around and said, "Everyone, take a look around you. Are your neighbors, relatives, and friends all here? Is there anyone who refuses to leave and is still hiding at home? If so, don't hide it. Be sure to tell me."
Everyone looked at each other. A middle - aged man said, "My neighbor hasn't left yet. I tried to persuade him when I left, but he refused to go no matter what. He said the rain would stop tomorrow and that all this was just a fuss."
Another person said, "My uncle and aunt also refused to leave. The house they built last month hasn't even been lived in for a full month!"
Xiao Jingcheng listened quietly, his brows slightly knitted.
It seemed that there were still quite a few people who preferred to stay in their homes rather than leave.
Of course, he could abandon these stubborn people who refused to leave. But if the flood peak from upstream really reached Dongli Town, this place would surely be submerged, and these villagers might lose their lives.
He was taking a chance on that one - in - a - million possibility.
Xiao Jingcheng didn't say much. At this moment, several carriages and ox - carts were coming from afar. The villagers didn't care about him anymore and cheered in unison, "The first batch of carriages and ox - carts are back! Another group of people can leave! Great!"
The villagers swarmed towards the returning carriages. Soon, another group of villagers were sent away on the carriages and ox - carts.
In less than a quarter of an hour, three newly - assembled carriages were led over by Zhao Hu's subordinates, and more people were sent away...
The number of people on the scene was gradually decreasing, but there was still a long way to go before dawn.
Several newly - made ox - carts specially used for transporting goods were led in front of Xiao Jingcheng.
This was what Xiao Jingcheng had specifically instructed to be done. He selected a few soldiers and took a few thugs from the gambling house, then turned back towards the inside of Dongli Town.
Jiang Mian didn't sleep soundly that night. She was awakened by the muffled thunder outside.
She sat up in bed and looked at the closed window.
It had been two days. Why was the rain still so heavy?
Moreover...
She touched her chest. She always felt a sense of unease, as if something big was about to happen.
The door made a soft sound. Jiang Mian looked in the direction of the sound. Li Zhao pushed the door open and entered. Father and daughter locked eyes.
Li Zhao looked serious and said to Jiang Mian, "The water level in Dongli Town is rising continuously. The flood is coming soon, Mujin. Hurry up and pack your things. We need to leave immediately."
The water was rising?!
Jiang Mian was shocked and quickly jumped out of bed. "How is the situation outside? Is it serious?"
Li Zhao said, "In some places, the water has reached the villagers' houses, ankle - deep."
Jiang Mian frowned and said in a low voice, "The Caisang River is in the lower reaches of the Xijiang River. If the water level here is rising, it means that it's also raining heavily upstream. Otherwise, the water wouldn't have risen so much in such a short time."
"And Dongli Town has a flat terrain. If the flood arrives, I'm afraid all the houses will be lost!"
No wonder she always felt uneasy. She didn't expect such a big thing to happen.
She could figure this out quickly, which made Li Zhao feel gratified. He nodded. "You're right. Time is of the essence. Hurry up and pack. Just take valuable items like gold, silver, and jewelry. We'll have to abandon other things that are not easy to move."
Jiang Mian turned to look at Jiang Zhiqing, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, and frowned worriedly. "Mother has just calmed down. If we leave in a hurry at this time, I'm afraid she'll be frightened and get sick again."
Li Zhao sat down beside the bed. Perhaps sensing a familiar presence beside her, Jiang Zhiqing turned over and grabbed Li Zhao's sleeve, looking very dependent.
He looked down at the sleeping woman and said to Jiang Mian, "For now, we can only let her keep sleeping."
Father and daughter were very in sync. Hearing Li Zhao's words, Jiang Mian had an idea.
She quickly walked out of the room, went to the front hall to get some pills that could soothe the nerves and help people sleep more soundly. She asked Li Zhao to feed them to Jiang Zhiqing, and then she began to pack the things in the house.
They only needed to take some valuable items, so Jiang Mian quickly finished packing.
Li Zhao carried Jiang Zhiqing, who was sleeping even more soundly than before, on his back and walked out of the house with Jiang Mian.
Mo Zhizhang and Qi Wen also had their own burdens on their backs, indicating that they had been prepared for a long time. Everyone walked outside together. When they came to the front hall, Jiang Mian suddenly remembered something and said, "Right, the medicinal herbs! There are often epidemics after a flood. We need to pack the medicinal herbs and take them with us!"
Qi Wen quickly said, "Don't worry, Lady Jiang. His Highness the Crown Prince has already given the order. I've packed all the medicinal herbs in the medicine cabinet. The medicinal herbs are covered with waterproof tarpaulins, and someone will take them away later."
Jiang Mian was stunned.
This was arranged by Xiao Jingcheng?
She looked around and asked, "Where is he?"
Mo Zhizhang said leisurely behind her, "The Crown Prince is concerned about the villagers. At this moment, he is probably arranging for the villagers in the town to be transferred to a safe place."
Just as he was speaking, a tall figure strode in through the door, wrapped in water vapor.