Book 6: Chapter 13: Closed Main Gate
Book 6: Chapter 13: Closed Main Gate
That night, the ones who were roused awake weren’t only East Port Town’s people.
Many of Swallow Descent Town’s residents heard the sounds of iron hooves in their dreams, and then they were roused awake by even more real and concentrated iron hooves. When they heard the great wind and rain outside, they were all a bit absent-minded, not knowing what was going on.
In front of Swallow Descent Town Supervisor He Zijing’s residence, He Zijing looked at Lin Xi who was standing among five or six imposing soldiers, saying with a sneer, “Sir Lin, shouting me awake this late at night, it was just because you suspect my Swallow Descent Town’s river dam might have some issues? Aren’t you getting involved in just too many things?”
Lin Xi and his horse were already completely drenched, water still dripping from his hair from time to time. This made it so that he had to reach out his hand and brush his face every so often before he could open his eyes.
While looking at the poor attitude of He Zijing, Lin Xi’s brows furrowed slightly, calmly explaining, “It isn’t suspecting that there is an issue, but rather that a problem might happen at any time. Before coming here, I already passed by the dam, the situation is about the same. Moreover, this isn’t the conclusion I’ve reached, but rather that of a river conservatory worker who participated in the building of the dam. Even if the dam was newly built, the water levels are already high enough to pose a threat to the dam.”
“Is that so?”
He Zijing gave Lin Xi an indifferent look and said, “I got it.”
Lin Xi’s brows furrowed even more tightly. He pretended to not see He Zijing’s expression of ridicule, asking, “The matter is important. Since sir is aware, I wonder what sir plans to do now?”
“What do I plan to do?”
He Zijing’s face sank slightly. He raised his head, and with a cold smile, said, “The things you have said, I am aware of. However, there are some matters I fear Sir Lin is not aware of.”
Lin Xi took a deep breath. After wiping away the water that trickled down from his eyes again, he said slowly, “What matters?”
“This place is Swallow Descent Town, not East Port Town… If East Port Town Supervisor wants to do something, he has to report to you, but if I want to do something, I don’t need to tell you.” The sneer on He Ziling’s face became even stronger. “You are interfering with my Swallow Descent Town’s affairs, moreover interfering with our way of governing, unable to separate emotions from the law. I fear that if this goes out, people might say that Young Sir Lin desires authority too much, wishing to seize too much.”
Lin Xi silently looked at this slim and tall Town Supervisor, saying, “I only came to tell you about this matter. Once the dam is reinforced, you can completely say that you all were the ones who discovered it, that it is unrelated to me.”
“You still don’t understand.”
He Zijing turned his head slightly, looking into the darkness behind Lin Xi, saying, “Today, you come to tell me about this matter, I listened, but if you come to tell me something else tomorrow, am I supposed to continue listening? Moreover, according to your reasoning, you want me to transfer large amounts of manpower and goods, to head to that dam?”
Lin Xi instead looked at him, at this Town Supervisor’s cold and detached face. “There is indeed this need.”
A trace of icy coldness rose from He Zijing’s cheeks. “Lin Xi, there is no harm in me telling you three things. First, just the other day, I was accused of misconduct by Jiang Rui, having my salary forfeited for a year. Second, the river dam has never produced any dangers, our Trade Sector has absolutely no intentions of fortifying the dam, and there is definitely no way of transferring enough silver and goods during the short term. Even if they can be transferred over, this rain would have likely long stopped. Third, I don’t need you to tell me how to act. As for that dam, I will naturally investigate it tomorrow. As for what I will do, if I am willing to use large amounts of manpower and resources, whether or not I will repair it, I naturally will make my own decision.”
Lin Xi shook his head, asking, “Are personal feelings more important than lives?”
He Zijing’s eyes shifted to Lin Xi’s body, saying in ridicule. “Has that dam been clearly breached yet?”
Lin Xi shook his head.
He Zijing also shook his head. “Sometimes, the damage caused by the waste of manpower and resources resulting from the assumptions made by one or two individuals, is even greater than one or two vicious individuals.”
When he saw that He Zijing no longer paid attention to him, instead turning around, minding his own business as he returned to his residence, Lin Xi said with a sunken voice, “At the very least, you can give the order to assist in the evacuation of the villagers behind the dam.”
He Zijing didn’t say anything else, not giving Lin Xi another look. His hand moved through the door behind him, preparing to shut the gate.
“Sir He!”
Lin Xi took a step forward. With a shua sound, the five or six soldiers who surrounded him were immediately nervous, all of them stepping to the side.
“I already told you that tomorrow morning, I will naturally investigate it. In this type of darkness, if I evacuate the villagers and there are some casualties, it will be Swallow Descent Town’s responsibility.” When he heard Lin Xi’s shout, He Zijing turned slightly, saying coldly, “Interfering with Swallow Descent’s matters is already unreasonable. What, could it be that you want to use force to seize an official, accomplish your aim in this way? As long as you dare, you can break through this courtyard door. I reckon with Sir Lin’s martial skill, I am not your match either. However, if you don’t dare, then please leave, or else I will place a charge of disturbing an official on you.”
After saying this, a light peng sounded. The two black painted gates closed in front of Lin Xi’s face.
“Sir Lin!”
The soldiers around Lin Xi were all extremely nervous. They all long heard of Lin Xi’s combat prowess. If Lin Xi truly wished to clash head-on, these individuals unable to stop him either, then a price of blood might have to be paid.
Lin Xi could see the fear and firmness in these soldiers eyes. He nodded towards these soldiers, indicating that he wouldn’t act rashly, then turned around and got on his horse.
There were already eaves blocking the rain outside the manor’s entrance, the ground originally dry. However, when Lin Xi got on the horse, when a soldier in the front saw that the place where Lin Xi stood already had a puddle left behind, water continuously dripping from his entire body, the horse below him also already extremely tired, white smoke released from its nostrils, his mind immediately trembled. When his blade entered the scabbard, he walked forward while clenching his teeth, saying quitely, “Sir Lin, are you still going to Swallow Descent Town’s dam?”
Lin Xi looked at this low rank soldier whose body was trembling a bit, nodding and saying, “Even if I can seize him, there is no way I can seize all of Swallow Descent Town’s officials, so it’s completely useless… I can only do my best to evacuate the villagers behind the dam on my own.”
“Sir Lin, I don’t have the authority to give orders… but I have some off-duty brothers who should be willing to help out.” This low rank soldier clenched his teeth, saying this quietly.
“Thank you.”
Lin Xi gave the still raining night sky a worried look, expressing his thanks towards this low rank soldier.
…
Great wind and rain swept about above East Port Town’s dam. Everyone suddenly stopped.
Zou Yishi rubbed his eyes. He turned around, seeing a row of fiery light suddenly appear on the pitch-black fields.
Immediately afterwards, there were orders released over the dam. The hundreds of farmers who were already weary all released a sky shaking cry of surprise and cheer, the sound momentarily overwhelming the sound of wind, rain, and waves beating against shore.
Warhorses with waterproof lamps appeared before their line of sight.
There was a giant log behind every five or six warhorse, charging with an imposing might these farmers had never seen before.
There were layers upon layers of people behind these warhorses. It was momentarily hard to say just how many people hurried over from East Port Town.
“Sir Lin!”
The bystanders might not know what exactly took place during this process, but Chen Haozhi knew extremely clearly. When he saw the large numbers of soldiers riding warhorses arrive with so many logs that could serve as stakes, as well as the endless stream of people behind them, this slow-speeched farmer immediately knelt down, releasing a loud cry.
…
On another dam tossed about by wind and rain, there were several hundred able-bodied workers who were bustling about as well.
The originally withered bodied Elder Chen who had already been paralyzed for several years, like a waning candle, seemed to have entered a type of crazy state. He was raised by two people, half laying on a mat, striking his chair with his walking stick, continuously shouting with a strange voice, ordering people around. No one expected this type of elder, under the pouring rain, to actually still have this type of strength.
“Stop!”
Suddenly, a clear voice penetrated through layer after layer of rain, echoing along this river bank.
Lin Xi rushed from the fields up the dam, appearing before everyone’s line of sight.
Chen Yangzhi’s shocking gaze immediately became a bit dimmer.
“Swallow Descent Town Supervisor won’t transfer manpower or goods over. For the sake of everyone’s safety, I can only first evacuate everyone to higher ground.” Lin Xi arrived in front of him, getting off his horse and saying.
The elder’s gaze became a bit dimmer. He nodded, and then with a hoarse voice, said, “This is the only thing we can do.”
“Everyone, you all are Swallow Descent Town’s people, you understand the terrain here better than I do. We don’t have enough manpower, unable to protect the dam, so I must ask everyone to help me evacuate the people to higher ground!”
Lin Xi turned around, facing the people who gathered here, braving the wind and rain, releasing a loud shout.
He wasn’t a member of Swallow Descent Town, but the people of Swallow Descent Town already knew the name Young Sir Lin. It was precisely because he wasn’t a member of Swallow Descent Town, yet still doing this so late into the night that everyone felt even greater respect for him.
Dang… Dang… Dang…
Warning gong sounds rang through the skies again and again.
“Everyone, follow me, we are heading to the mound in the back!”
“Don’t become disorderly! Don’t panic! Everyone, stay within the queue, take care of the people at your side!”
“This way please… do not worry about the livestock for now.”
“Check every house to see if there are any people left… do not take any water paths, only go through land roads!”
Not long after the various villages behind the river became noisy, dozens of soldiers also arrived.
These garrison soldiers were all off-duty. They didn’t dare move military horses, all of them running on foot.
…
“Let me!”
On East Port Town’s dam, Jiang Xiaoyi seized a sledgehammer from a robust man’s hand, Then, his entire figure leapt out, using all of his strength to brandish the iron hammer in his hands, smashing fiercely down towards a wooden stake.
Dong!
The wooden stake sunk inside deep, moving a whole meter.
Jiang Xiaoyi’s entire body was shaken, a bit sluggish in the air from the tremendous recoil force, his completely soaked clothes also released a large amount of water, the sky immediately seeming like there was a transparent rain flower blossoming.
When the surrounding dozen or so individuals who were hammering stakes and transporting straw sacks of sand and stones saw this, they were all stunned. Then, they released a hot-blooded cheer.
Dong!
Under the sounds of cheers, Jiang Xiaoyi leapt high up again, using all of his strength to fiercely brandish the sledgehammer.
“Do you all see this? That is Young Sir Lin’s friend!”
“Even Young Sir Lin’s friend is like this, us Breath River men can’t lose face!”
Two loud shouts sounded in succession, spurring on the roars of countless strong men.
The violent rain couldn’t wash away the fishy smell and black oil from these men’s bodies. Xu Sheng and Fourth Grandpa Zhu who shouted out also raised straw sacks filled with sand and stones, roaring as they ran towards the river dam.