Chapter 186: Scholar’s bones, never perish.

Song Li almost died in the Yellow River. It took half a day to cross a river less than two hundred meters wide.

During the journey, the boat capsized three times. If it weren’t for being close to the shore and the boatmen being skilled swimmers, saving them at the risk of their lives, Song Li could have sacrificed himself for the country.

Song Li and Yang Yong braved the wind and rain to reach Yunlong Mountain. Upon entering the meditation room, a sense of unease enveloped them.

A nauseating smell of blood filled the air. There were blood-stained cloth strips on the ground. Looking up, they saw Gao Wei, Xue Xia, and others standing by the bed, while Zhang Xianzong lay on the bed.

“Lord Zhang…”

Song Li’s face changed, and he hurried forward.

Gao Wei informed Song Li about the situation. Anxiously, Song Li looked at the unconscious Zhang Xianzong and said, “Heaven won’t give us more time. I consulted with merchants from other regions. During this period, not only has the Yellow River surged, but the Wo River, Sui River, and Ying River have also reached their highest water levels.”

“Once the Yellow River breaches its banks and the disaster of the Yellow River diverting into the Huai River occurs again, the consequences will be far worse than in the 24th year of Hongwu! Even the downstream basin of the Huai River will suffer calamity! We must act quickly; time waits for no one!”

Gao Wei coldly looked at Song Li and said, “Now that Lord Zhang is still in a coma, how can we make decisions? You are just a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue. Do you dare to exercise the authority of the chief official?”

Song Li glared angrily at Gao Wei and shouted, “That’s right, I am a sixth-rank official, but I am clear-headed. If we don’t act now, even if we relocate the people in places like Xuzhou, it won’t be enough! When the nest collapses, how can there be unbroken eggs? Can’t you the judge understand such reasoning?”

“Enough arguing; there’s no result. We can only wait for Lord Zhang to wake up before making a decision,” quickly intervened Pan Xing to defuse the tension.

Song Li looked at Xu Prefecture’s prefect, Dai Wan, and solemnly said, “Lord Prefect, please dispatch the constables to dig open the Zhenkou sluice gate to the dam around Jingshan. Redirect the water of the Yellow River northward to Shandong!”

Dai Wan was stunned upon hearing this, and anger quickly appeared on his face. He sternly rebuked, “Secretary Song, you are a government official appointed by the court! How can you propose such a foolish idea?”

Gao Wei shook his head and sneered, “It seems that Secretary Song is also confused. Although the water of the Yellow River is currently surging, the dikes have not yet been breached. If the skies clearing after and turning danger into safety, yet you dig the dam, flooding Shandong, hehe, Secretary Song, one man’s head won’t be enough to apologize to the whole world, will it?”

Dai Wan looked at Song Li with disdain in his eyes.

Taking the initiative to dig the dam and divert water north?

If such an action were done covertly and gradually, one could attribute it to the breach of the Yellow River. However, with so many eyes watching the dikes now, and with figures from the security bureau in the room, uttering such words is simply acting foolishly in one’s official capacity.

“It seems the only solution now is flood diversion!”

Song Li reluctantly shouted at Dai Wan.

“Heh, I advise you to give up on that idea.”

Dai Wan refused, then turned his gaze to the unconscious Zhang Xianzong, his eyes filled with melancholy.

He collapsed at the worst possible time!

If only he could wake up, even if he couldn’t speak, just opening his eyes would be enough.

As long as he was conscious, whether it was a breach or diversion next, it wouldn’t matter how many people died; it had nothing to do with him. When the Emperor came looking for someone to blame, Zhang Xianzong would be there to take it.

But this guy won’t wake up, leaving him to carry the blame.

“Prefect, something bad happened. There are rumors outside that Huaiyuan has breached its dikes, and the city is gone!”

A clerk rushed into the room, his face filled with panic.

“What?”

Dai Wan’s face changed drastically. The situation was even more serious than he had imagined!

Song Li looked at everyone with a sorrowful expression and said, “Wo River cannot withstand it, and Huaiyuan is gone! How long can the Yellow River dikes withstand? Instead of passively waiting for the Yellow River to breach, it’s better to take the initiative to dig the dikes and divert the water!”

Gao Wei sternly said, “What’s the difference between breaching the dikes and digging it?”

Song Li, undeterred, stepped forward and said, “At least we can choose where to dig the embankment, minimizing the impact of the flood!”

“Yes, the location is crucial.”

A weak voice entered everyone’s ears.

They turned to see Zhang Xianzong opening his eyes and trying to sit up.

Xue Xia quickly stepped forward, concerned, “Lord, your injuries are severe. Don’t get up.”

Zhang Xianzong shook his head slightly, sighed, and said, “Compared to the common people, this pain is nothing. Gentlemen, with Huaiyuan submerged, it means that Wo River is on the brink. The Sui River, and Ying River, to the east and west of the Wo River, are also likely to be on the brink, like eggs piled on top of each other in danger. Once the Yellow River breaches its banks and its water flows southward, entering the Wo River, Sui River, and Ying River, these three rivers spanning a thousand miles will inevitably become a scene of widespread human suffering.”

“Therefore, the Yellow River seizing the three rivers and entering the Huai must not be allowed to happen again. We have no other choice now but to divert the water northward to protect regions such as Henan, Anhui, and Southern Zhili region. I know that this will harm the people of Shandong, but for these countless sins, I alone will bear the responsibility.”

Zhang Xianzong stood up, his legs trembling slightly. On his somewhat aged face, a resolute determination appeared.

Preserving the small, preserving the large, which is right and which is wrong?

Zhang Xianzong is not clear, but he is clear that the Emperor sent him here to let more people survive.

Song Li’s eyes stung, and he quickly said, “My Lord, the situation may not be so serious. Diverting water northward may harm the people of Shandong, but it may not lead to a major disaster.”

“Speak.”

Zhang Xianzong endured the pain, took two steps, and his forehead was already sweating.

Song Li quickly instructed Yang Yong to take out the waterway map and show it to Zhang Xianzong. He said earnestly, “My lord, please take a look. If we choose to dig a diversion channel from Zhenkou Sluice gate to Jingshan and drain northwards, the Yellow River water will flow along the Qin Gou tributary, entering Zhangzhuang Lake, Chishan Lake, and Zhaoyang Lake. This area can accommodate a large amount of water.”

“From these lakes eastward, there are also Beisha River and Nansha Waterway for diversion. To the north, there are the Si River and Baima River, which can connect to the Yi River. From Dushan Lake through the Huitong River, Yellow River water will enter the territory of Jining, continuing north, there is Mata Lake at the location of Anping Town, where it can flow into the Daqing River.”

“The Daqing River is long, extending to the northeast, directly into the sea. I have also inquired with traders, and most of Shandong does not experience heavy rain, so its waterways may be able to handle the diversion of Yellow River.”

Zhang Xianzong looked at the river map, thought carefully, then shook his head slightly and said, “Song Li, why are you in the Ministry of Revenue? In my opinion, you should take charge of the Ministry of Works, specializing in water conservancy would be most suitable.”

Without waiting for Song Li to speak, Zhang Xianzong turned to Dai Wan and said, “You have eight hours. Mobilize all constables and the people of the Xuzhou Guard. Evacuate the residents from Zhenkou Sluice gate to Jingshan to a safe area, inspect the flood diversion line thoroughly, and make sure to move all the people. If there’s any oversight on your part leading to injury or death, you will bear the consequences!”

Dai Wan felt frustrated and almost wanted to spit blood. In the end, he had to bear the blame himself, but there was nothing he could do. The orders came from above, and he couldn’t compare.

Watching Dai Wan hastily leave, Zhang Xianzong sat down, took up a brush, quickly wrote a letter, sealed it, and said to Xue Xia, “Please deliver this letter to the Emperor.”

Xue Xia took the letter, gazing at Zhang Xianzong, and said in a deep voice, “Forcing yourself will only ruin your body. Moreover, in your current condition, if the wound gets wet again, even God might not be able to save you.”

Zhang Xianzong laughed heartily and said, “Ruling the country and pacifying the world, offering one’s life in gratitude to the ruler is the spirit of scholars like us. What does a martial man like you understand?”

“My lord!”

Song Li tried to stop Zhang Xianzong but was pushed away by him.

The door opened, and the wind and rain blew in.

“Come, let me accompany the people!”

Zhang Xianzong stepped into the wind and rain, his fearless and upright figure standing proudly between heaven and earth.

Tears welled up in the eyes of Song Li and others as they followed Zhang Xianzong, descending from Yunlong Mountain. The wind subsided a bit, and everyone boarded boats on the northern river embankment.

Xue Xia watched Zhang Xianzong’s figure, feeling intense suppression in his heart.

Zhang Xianzong stood on the embankment, letting the wind and rain hit him, gazing into the distance that couldn’t be seen.

Time passed slowly. Over a hundred laborers, entrusted with post-mortem matters, tied thin ropes around their waists, holding iron shovels in their hands, tirelessly digging the embankment.

On both sides stood more than five hundred people, every five individuals holding a rope, ready to act at the last moment.

Eight hours, as long as a knife, no one shouted for hunger, and no one shouted for tiredness. Everyone was waiting.

Song Li looked at the water level of the Yellow River and anxiously shouted, “My lord, we can’t wait any longer; if we wait, the embankment will breach!”

Zhang Xianzong glanced at Song Li and said in a deep voice, “Wait a little longer!”

Song Li looked at Yang Yong, who shook his head and said, “We can’t wait any longer. Once the embankment breaches, the likelihood of a burst is even greater.”

“My lord…”

Song Li pleaded again.

Zhang Xianzong ignored him, his gaze fixed on the distance.

The storm raged, blurring people’s vision.

With each gust of wind, the Yellow River water overflowed onto the embankment.

“My lord, we can’t wait any longer!”

Song Li was extremely anxious.

The agreed-upon eight hours had now become ten!

Zhang Xianzong gazed silently, his face darkening to the extreme.

“Report! My lord, the prefect has already relocated the nearby residents to Jingshan,”

An official shouted loudly.

“Open the embankment!”

Zhang Xianzong shouted sternly, his voice echoing on the Yellow River embankment, countless waves splashing and breaking on the shore.

The laborers dug open the final section of the river embankment. The flood immediately found an outlet, rushing through the breach. Over twenty laborers, unable to retreat to the sides in time, were swept away by the flood!

“Pull!”

Frantic shouts echoed, ropes buzzed as they pulled tight, a group of people leaned forward, hands instantly covered in blood, but the ropes couldn’t be pulled no matter what.

Thump, thump!

A group of people fell backward, the rope was flung, whipping through the wind and rain, and finally, helplessly dropped. At one end of the rope, there was no longer any trace of a person.

The Yellow River roared, and people wept.

Zhang Xianzong watched the rushing river water, tears streaming down his face. Biting his pale lips, he softly said, “I, Zhang Xianzong, have let you down.”

The breach in the embankment, eroded by the rushing water, gradually expanded to a width of four zhang (about 12 meters) and then stabilized.

Flooding was indeed an effective method.

However, Song Li and others were also aware that while other rivers might handle flooding easily, the Yellow River was different. Carrying a large amount of silt, it would reshape the riverbed wherever it passed, posing a massive problem for subsequent dredging.

“My lord, the water level is decreasing! As long as we endure for two more days, the flood peak will pass.”

Song Li observed for an hour, seeing a decrease in the water level in the river channel. He couldn’t help but shout with joy.

Then, there was no response.

Anxiously, Song Li walked towards Zhang Xianzong and whispered, “My lord…”

Xue Xia shook his head, saying, “No need to call.”

Song Li looked at Xue Xia in confusion.

Xue Xia walked up to Zhang Xianzong, gazing at this minister who had devoted himself to the country and the people. In the shocked eyes of Song Li and others, Xue Xia lifted his robes, knelt down, and bowed his head, saying, “Xue Xia of the Security Bureau, respectfully sends off Lord Zhang!”

Song Li was astonished, watching Zhang Xianzong standing motionless. His gaze was fixed on the rushing river, unmoving, his face covered with raindrops.

He had departed.

Song Li knelt on the ground, tears flowing, in his hazy gaze, only the figure of someone unyielding and towering remained.

“Respectfully sending off Lord Zhang!”

Pan Xing, Gao Wei, and others knelt and shouted.

Xue Xia, who considered himself a tough man, now cried like a child.

Inspecting the waterways all the way, Zhang Xianzong took hands-on action, devising effective strategies.

A mere civil servant, tirelessly enduring hardships, riding day and night, legs chafed and rotten, enduring severe pain, inspecting the waterways, contemplating methods for water control.

His wisdom and decisiveness, courage and determination, broad-mindedness and vision, saved countless people, but such achievements couldn’t save himself.

At this moment, the dark clouds didn’t part, the sun didn’t emerge, the rain continued to fall, and the water continued to flow…