Chapter 556 – Drought, Refugees (Part 2)
It turned out that Wei Ci’s method was indeed effective; it not only prevented panic among the common people but even united them further.
However, this was ultimately a temporary fix. As long as the heavens refused to send rain, the drought would only worsen.
Still, compared to the desolate fields beyond, the situation in Fengyi County was already much better.
Jiang Pengji’s mental acuity had returned to its peak state, making investigating underground water flows a piece of cake. Even without that, based on her past experience, she could easily locate spots suitable for digging wells. With such a sturdy golden thigh (referring to Wei Ci), water scarcity was not severe.
Jiang Pengji popped a honey popsicle into her mouth, mumbling, “So hot—”
The boiled water mixed with generous amounts of honey, swirled in specially made trough molds, and finally placed into the “refrigerator” resulted in a delightful treat. The pure, natural honey tasted sweet and refreshing, dispelling the heat within her.
And the “refrigerator”?
This was, of course, not the kind of refrigerator that the audience was familiar with, nor was it one Jiang Pengji purchased from that shoddy marketplace … that lousy place didn’t even sell a bathtub, let alone upscale furniture like refrigerators. Even if it did, where would she find a generator?
The “refrigerator” Jiang Pengji mentioned was actually an ice-making box she and Zhang Ping had crafted themselves, abbreviated as “refrigerator.”
In ancient times, ice was primarily made by turning winter snow into ice bricks and storing them in ice cellars for consumption the following summer.
Jiang Pengji knew how to make ice, but she didn’t have the knowledge of what the ice-making materials were called in this era. After toiling with Zhang Ping for half a day, she finally figured out that the material they needed was called nitrate, a wonderful ancient ice-making component.
Upholding her principle that good things should be enjoyed by her subordinates, Jiang Pengji savored her honey popsicle and had the “refrigerator” she created delivered to the other three counties, rewarding her diligent subordinates who worked so hard in the blazing summer, letting them cool down with some popsicles.
“My lord, three wells have produced water as of yesterday… As long as we endure this month, the weather should start to cool down,” said Zhang Ping.
Zhang Ping was the tech geek of the group, and he had the utmost respect for his lord. Her skill in locating well sites surpassed that of any seasoned farmer. Wherever she said to dig, water would surely be found. Otherwise, how could the common people live so comfortably?
“That seems hopeful. I hope the heavens show us some mercy and deliver plenty of rain before the autumn harvest. Otherwise, we’ll be facing a complete loss this year.”
Last year, Xiangyang County had cultivated many barren lands, renting them out to the local populace. Even during this summer’s severe drought, the common people conserved their water for farming, pouring in countless efforts over the months to care for their crops with utmost diligence.
If anything went wrong during this time and their efforts went to waste, it was hard to imagine what kind of tears the farmers would shed.
The two of them lounged in the corridor, leisurely munching on popsicles, with two halves of a watermelon nearby, enjoying the refreshing fruit after finishing off the popsicles.
When Feng Jin arrived, dripping with sweat, he was met with the sight of his lord clad in gray garb, her legs haphazardly crossed, pant legs rolled up to her thighs, sleeves pushed up to her shoulders, and her raven-long hair styled in a high ponytail, two side bangs framing her face. She hugged half a large watermelon with her right hand gripping a spoon, carefreely gorging herself. Zhang Ping’s appearance wasn’t much better!
Feng Jin’s expression darkened instantly. Seeing his face, the audience automatically provided context.
Damn!
These two animals!
Jiang Pengji found it amusing; Feng Jin, coming from a prestigious family, had excellent upbringing and would never resort to cursing casually.
Feng Jin stepped forward, carefully avoiding the scattered watermelon rind, “My lord—”
“Is something the matter, Huaiyu?” Jiang Pengji looked up, crumbs of watermelon seeds strewn across her mouth, appearing entirely innocent, while Zhang Ping, aware of decorum, discreetly wiped his mouth with his sleeve, straightened his posture, though his full belly made it somewhat uncomfortable.
Feng Jin took a deep breath, reminding himself to hold back and not to lose his temper at such an unreliable lord.
He said, “I just received news of a major incident in the south. The Second Prince’s consort, An Yina, died suddenly, and the cause is unknown.”
Jiang Pengji’s mind flickered, recalling who An Yina was.
A chill ran through her, and with a serious expression, she asked, “An Yina is dead?”
Who was An Yina?
Some intermittently watching viewers were unaware, but the more crisis-aware veteran viewers had their memories jogged.
[Rain Outside]: An Yina? Isn’t she the princess of the Northern Border Royal Court, who later married the Second Prince of Dongqing?
[Roof Leaking]: She’s dead? Why’s Feng Jin so tense? If she’s dead, she’s dead, right?
[Shen Jia]: Come on, can we have a bit of political awareness? Even though An Yina is just a princess from the Northern Border, she’s also the vital link between the Northern Border and Dongqing. The Northern Border has long harbored ambitions, and An Yina was sent there as a spy to stir up trouble. With her dead now, the Northern Border’s three clans have sufficient reasons to mobilize troops against Dongqing. Just look at how Dongqing is faring right now; can they withstand the Northern Border’s cavalry?
Though none of them had ever witnessed the might of the Northern Border cavalry, historically in ancient battlefields, cavalry formations were incredibly strong, possessing both impact and lethality. Unless they encountered completely countering infantry units, cavalry would dominate the battlefield.
Cavalry were highly mobile and could hit you and run—would ordinary infantry be able to keep up?
Moreover, ancient battlefields massively relied on military formations. A cavalry charge could disrupt enemy lines, splitting the opposing forces and preventing them from exerting maximal combat effectiveness, turning them into easy pickings.
From what they understood, the terrain in Dongqing was mostly flat, making it very suitable for cavalry operations.
Once the Northern Border mobilized troops and broke through the border defenses, the heartland of Dongqing would be left wide open, allowing them to rampage unimpeded!
What made it worse was that the northern part of Dongqing was in utter chaos, with continuous droughts and disasters, while the south was engulfed in fierce battles. At a time like this, if the Northern Border used a legitimate guise to launch a surprise attack, Dongqing would be left speechless, forced to swallow their grievances.
The audience leaders provided newbie education.
Whether An Yina was dead or alive didn’t matter; what mattered was that her death gave the Northern Border a legitimate excuse to mobilize troops.
Jiang Pengji’s expression turned grave; if the Northern Border sent troops, Fengyi County would not be able to stand idly by.
Feng Jin asked, “My lord, what should we do now?”
With internal troubles and external threats, it was quite the headache.
Jiang Pengji replied, “I originally wanted to proceed slowly, gradually consolidating power while allowing the common people some time to recover. However, it seems time is not on our side. If we don’t speed up our actions, it will be difficult to fend off the Northern Border’s cavalry when they come—”
She had intended to wait until Fengyi County regained its strength before moving to retake all of Wanzhou after next year’s spring plowing, but it appeared that was no longer feasible.
They needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario: the Northern Border launching an assault against Dongqing next year!
