Chapter 1: The autumn waters and the setting sun, the sound of the zither is faint
Dong Yuan let out a cold snort: "In recent years, the pirates in the East Sea have become a scourge, and it is inextricably linked to the Xu family—if it weren't for the pirates aiding the tyrants over these years, General Li would have long since pacified Eastern Fujian. Why must we endure such a wretched situation?"
Ding Zhiru's gaze wandered elsewhere; as a minor county magistrate, he dared not rashly comment on state affairs. Dong Yuan was known for his foul temper, and he would even dare to argue fiercely with Li Zhuo, the Minister of War in Jiangning, and the Governor of East Fujian. Perhaps Li Zhuo recognized his talents, and even if he personally disliked him, he merely transferred him away from under his watchful eye.
Dong Yuan shook his head and said: "With disaster victims scattered everywhere, what kind of propriety is it for us to drink wine and listen to music in a grand hall?"
"She is not in Jiangning, what is she doing here?" Dong Yuan had also heard of Su Mei's renowned beauty and knew that she was a famous singer in Jiangning, both stunning and talented. She was quite sought after by scholars, poets, and high-ranking officials in Jiangning. He found it strange that she would leave Jiangning at this time and appear in the territory of Weiyang.
The constable in a soapy robe was a short, stout man with broad brows and squinting eyes. He had received his orders and was walking down the mountain towards the riverbank.
The constable in black robes had just jumped onto the bow of the black boat when a young servant in blue suddenly emerged from the cabin, nearly colliding with him. The constable was startled and scolded, "What are you doing, suddenly popping out like that... Your useless young master has come back from the dead, scaring the mortuary woman you invited into a state of paralysis in bed. Damn it, do you want to scare me to death as well?"
Du Rong returned to his hometown to celebrate his father's sixtieth birthday, inviting Su Mei to accompany him back to Weiyang to add to the festivities... Ding Zhiru reported.
The disaster relief camp is set up on the mound of graves within the river embankment outside the city. The mound is a dirt hill, over ten zhang high, shaped like a giant grave without a tombstone, and is elegantly named Womei Mountain. It is mostly barren, lacking trees and grass, and the locals are accustomed to referring to it as the Mound of Graves.
The domestic waterways have been neglected for many years, and with the torrential rain, we have been receiving reports of dam breaches continuously. Although the rain has subsided in recent days, the floodwaters have not receded, and the casualties are likely to exceed ten thousand. What is particularly concerning is that the water levels of the Baishui River and the Yangtze River outside may not drop in the short term, and the levees are not as solid as they should be—this is what we fear the most
The original ferry had long been submerged by the river, and a makeshift dock was constructed using posts driven into the riverbank and laid-out pine wood, which was now partially submerged. The hull of the painted boat was tall; after the water level of the White Water River rose, the gunwales were significantly higher than the pine dock, making it impossible for the black-clad constable to see over the dock while standing on it. The ladder at the bow of the boat had been retracted, and the constable, unable to see the situation at the bow and unwilling to clamber up awkwardly, pointed to a nearby black canopy boat, instructing the boatman to bring it over. The black canopy boat was slightly taller than the dock but shorter than the painted boat, making it easier to step onto the painted boat from the black canopy boat than to climb up using all fours.
The renowned courtesan Su Mei has been moored here for several days now, reported Ding Zhiru
The cold rain poured down fiercely onto the earth during the day, only easing its intensity at dusk, with a few raindrops still drifting down.
"Scholar, when will the second batch of grain allocated from Jiangning arrive?" Dong Yuan inquired, noting that not only Baisha County in Weiyang Prefecture had been affected by the disaster, but that the funds and grain needed for disaster relief and assistance must be allocated from Jiangning, which remains in the capital.
Although raindrops still drift down from the sky, the horizon is a brilliant clear. Standing in the pavilion atop the mountain, one gazes into the distance where the clear autumn sunset is as red as if it were soaked in blood, hanging in the azure sky. The surface of the Baishui River outside the embankment is vast, with clear waves tinted a deep red as if dyed.
"I fear that after the Shé family submits, they will only grow more arrogant and self-important." Gao Zongting sighed again, "Before I came to Weiyang, I stayed in Jiangning for a few days, and the scholars from the Xixi Academy openly supported the Shé family's surrender. It seems that the sentiment in the court towards General Li's pacification has already solidified."
As you command
Ding Zhiru noticed that Dong Yuan's expression was not resolute and said, "I do have other intentions, and I hope the lord will not take offense; I genuinely wish to request that the lord commend Su Mei for her charitable efforts in disaster relief..." Seeing that Dong Yuan remained silent, he turned and followed Gao Zongting down the mountain, thinking that his subtle suggestion had been accepted, and smiled inwardly: Who does not like a beautiful woman? He saw a constable in black standing not far away, waved for him to come over, and while following Dong Yuan into the city, instructed the constable to invite Su Mei to the banquet to entertain with drinks.
The founding emperor of this dynasty established his base in Jiangning, and after raising the banner of rebellion, he made Jiangning the capital. During the reign of the second emperor, in order to resist the Eastern Hu and other foreign tribes from the north, the capital was moved to Yanjing, while Jiangning remained as the secondary capital. Jiangning continued to maintain the organizational structure of central bureaucratic institutions such as the Six Ministries, the Imperial Academy, and the Hanlin Academy, which were nominally on par with the Six Ministries and Three Academies in Yanjing, yet wielded far less actual power. Since the tomb of the founding emperor, Zhao Ling, is located in Jiangning, the idle officials appointed by Jiangning have come to be known as the "tomb guardians." Despite this, Jiangning has remained the political, military, and economic center of the southern part of the empire for over two hundred years.
Dong Yuan, Ding Zhiru, and Gao Zongting discussed disaster relief matters while walking towards the mountaintop, where there is a pavilion that offers a distant view of the Baishui River
After several days of clear weather, there are still some raindrops drifting in the sky at dusk. Dong Yuan walks briskly, not minding the light drizzle falling on his face. Ding Zhiru, the county magistrate of Baisha County, follows closely behind Dong Yuan along with his colleague Gao Zongting from Eastern Min.
At this moment, a faint, ethereal sound of a guqin drifted in from the direction of the ferry terminal, and the surrounding clamor seemed to suddenly quiet down in response to this unexpected melody
Upon hearing the name Du Rong, Dong Yuan slightly furrowed his brows, his nostrils flaring slightly as he gasped for breath, displaying a considerable disdain for this individual in his expression
A tall young official, wearing a black cap and dressed in a blue official robe with a round collar, disregarding the muddy path beneath his feet, walked towards the grave hill where the disaster relief camp was located
Ding Zhiru noticed Dong Yuan's gaze directed at him, and not wanting to engage in the topic he had with Gao Zongting, he smiled and spoke of other matters: "Su Mei passed through Baisha County and saw the severe flooding and the plight of the disaster victims. Upon returning from Weiyang, she docked her boat outside the riverbank to perform. Wealthy individuals in the county can board the boat to listen to the qin and enjoy songs and plays, and all the money and goods collected are donated for the relief of the disaster victims; Du Rong also took an interest and promised that if Su Mei performed in Baisha for ten days, he would donate a thousand taels of silver—this is already the eighth day..." Seeing Dong Yuan gazing towards the qin-playing boat, he flatteringly said, "If the lord has an interest in listening to the qin, I can send someone to invite Miss Su Mei ashore to enhance the drinking atmosphere."
Bookworm? Ding Zhiru glanced sideways at the embankment outside, realizing that the Xixi Academy was not merely a group of bookworms skilled in rhetoric. He thought about the She family’s submission, the granting of titles and land, while still retaining nearly ten thousand elite troops, and joining the external forces of the Eastern Sea pirates, which would make them a local lord, posing a persistent threat to the southeastern direction of the court. However, the court was heavily engaged in the northern front against the Eastern Hu, and there was an urgent need to draw elite troops from the southeast to strengthen the northern defenses, making the acceptance of the She family's surrender a matter of course. Of course, he also considered the possibility of Li Zhuo nurturing troops for his own strength. The most important reason was that over the past decade, in order to quell the She family's rebellion in Eastern Fujian, military resources and expenditures had consumed tens of millions of silver, making the court's financial situation increasingly strained.
Dong Yuan fell silent for a moment and said with resentment: "Thieves, after years of peace in Chenghe, do not know to be vigilant in times of security. The counties of Baisha are suffering from floods, while Hailing, Chongzhou, and other areas are facing tidal surges. Moreover, pirates are taking advantage of the chaos to land and join in the disturbance. Now, even the county school in Chongzhou has been robbed..." After expressing these worries, Dong Yuan could not help but sigh in front of his subordinates and old friends. He angrily flicked his sleeve and instructed Ding Zhiru about the dam repairs, saying, "At this time, it is too late to repair the dam; we can only wait until after winter. We need to assign more personnel to monitor the dangerous sections of the dam, and those who can evacuate from below should do so first. The disaster victims who cannot be accommodated here should be dispersed to Weiyang City. You need to carefully consider the post-disaster relief efforts in the county and bring me the regulations..."
Emperor Gaozong stated: "The She family intends to submit, and besides Yanjing, there are many people on this side of the capital who are working for the She family and creating momentum, among whom Du Rong is one. Someone reported Du Rong for colluding with pirates, and General Li also turned a blind eye to it..."
Throughout the autumn of the eighth year of Chongguan, the Baisha County of Weiyang Prefecture in Jiangdong could not escape such heavy rains
How is the situation regarding casualties?
Dong Yuan followed the sound of the qin and looked down towards the foot of the mountain. Several light boats were moored outside the embankment, among which a particularly eye-catching painted pleasure boat stood out. The sound of the qin seemed to emanate from the pleasure boat, ethereal like the music of the heavens. Many ragged disaster victims sat mesmerized on the stone embankment, looking down as small as ants; there were also a few fishing boats gathered around a makeshift ferry, seemingly drawn there by the sound of the qin.
The young official is Dong Yuan, the governor of Weiyang Prefecture, who is well-known and respected by the people as "Fujun." During the rebellion of the She family in Jin'an Prefecture that swept through Eastern Fujian, Dong Yuan served as the chief clerk of Xianxia County in northern Eastern Fujian. When the rebel forces attacked, the county magistrate of Xianxia was a coward, only thinking of surrendering the city to the enemy to save his own life. Dong Yuan gathered the yamen runners and local citizens to confine the magistrate, fortifying the city and blocking the rebels from advancing north into the territory of Western Zhejiang. After besieging the city for over a month without success, the She family rebels eventually withdrew. Later, Dong Yuan served as the Minister of War in Jiangning and under the command of Li Zhuo, the governor of Eastern Fujian, where he achieved numerous military successes. The She family rebellion in Eastern Fujian had been ongoing for many years and was difficult to completely quell. The court and Li Zhuo, who was responsible for suppressing the rebellion in the southeast, began to consider appeasing the She family. Dong Yuan disagreed with this sentiment and thus left the military camp to return to a civil position, being appointed as the governor of Weiyang Prefecture in the spring of this year.
Ding Zhiru said: "I have just received a message via fast horse that the disaster relief grain began loading onto ships in Jiangning last night. It is expected to set sail at noon today and should arrive here by tomorrow morning"
Countless houses have collapsed under the torrential rain, and the water on the streets of the county town is deep enough for boats to navigate. In early September, even a section of the southern city wall of the county town was washed away by the heavy rain, leaving a large, unsightly gap. In the past couple of days, as if the heavens have torn open a wound, the rain has slightly abated, allowing Baisha County a moment to breathe. However, flooding persists in various regions, and the water cannot drain away quickly. The Baishui River outside the county town has become a suspended river, with floodwaters nearly breaching the riverbanks. If it weren't for the breach that occurred in Qinghe Town to the north several days ago, it is likely that the floodwaters from the Baishui River would have already inundated the county town.
The governor's visit to Baisha for disaster relief immediately caused a stir, as many ragged disaster victims gathered around: "Lord Dong has come, there is hope now." "The official won't let us starve to death." "Who is Lord Dong? So it is him."
Dong Yuan paused for a moment to listen, then furrowed his brow and asked, "Who is playing the piano?"
These bookworms, who pride themselves on being charming and cultured, only know how to talk nonsense! Dong Yuan spoke very rudely, yet his tone also carried a hint of helplessness. He was merely the governor of Weiyang, unable to influence the political situation in the court. Moreover, it was precisely because he disagreed with others regarding the surrender of the She family that he was kicked to Weiyang.