Meng Anci reached into Xiong Wanli's sleeve and pulled out the letter. After reading it, he suddenly looked up at Xiong Wanli. His eyes flashed with murderous intent, which made Xiong Wanli feel afraid, but he quickly suppressed the fear.
"Guards, take Lord Meng away for tea."
The constables had barely taken half a step when a roar startled them to their feet. Xiaoli, who had been standing beside Meng Anci, slowly stepped in front of him.
His amber pupils were slits, their cold light sending chills down one's spine.
All the constables and yamen runners gripped their sword hilts, their eyes fixed warily on the Xiaoli.
Upon seeing this, Xiong Wanli said, " Lord Meng... if we don't open the sluice gates, it won't just be you and me who die, but the entire population of Jianghe County."
" Lord Xiong, if you open the sluice gates, the people of the two prefectures and four counties downstream will die."
Xiong Wanli softened his tone, " Lord Meng... Since you came to Jianghe County, have I ever mistreated you? Have I ever failed to cooperate with your investigation? I am an honest and incorruptible official who has never been corrupt. I only want to be a good magistrate."
Why do you have to get involved? What does this have to do with you...?
Chancellor Cai said that as long as he could bring Zhao Zhiyuan to Yuhe County, he could be promoted one rank. Heaven knows how many years he has been the county magistrate, but this Lord Meng has lost his mind and refuses to open the floodgates.
Besides, whether the floodgates are opened or not, Zhao Zhiyuan and Yuan Shanjian will be the ones to take the blame, so why should Meng Anci try to stop it? After all, he is young and has little experience in officialdom.
At this moment, a river worker reported, "Sir... the dam has started to overflow; if the floodgates aren't opened soon, Jianghe County will be lost."
"Open the gate..."
"You dare..." Meng Anci suddenly drew a dagger from his waist and rushed in front of Xiong Wanli in the blink of an eye, the tip of the sword pointing straight at his neck.
The order was given, "Blow up the dike at Zhao Household Gully."
Xiong Wanli, "You're insane... Holding the county magistrate hostage and illegally blowing up the dam are capital offenses..."
"Either you order the dam to be blown up, or I'll kill you and then order it to be blown up. You decide..." Meng Anci's voice was so cold it could freeze someone to death. He pressed the dagger down hard, and the flesh beneath the blade instantly exploded.
A deep gash was slashed across Xiong Wanli's neck, blood gushing out. Startled, he cried out, " Lord Meng... don't panic! Men... quick, men, blow up the dike at Zhao Household Gully!"
Seeing that the county magistrate had been taken hostage, no one dared to say another word. Besides, they were just his underlings, and even if they were beheaded, it wouldn't affect them.
So the yamen runners, along with the river workers, blew up the dam of Zhao Household Gully without saying a word. The river water, like a vicious dragon swallowing people, roared into Zhao Household Gully and flooded the fields in the blink of an eye.
Looking at the receding river level, Xiong Wanli felt as if the sky had fallen...
Dingchuan Prefecture, Yujiang County.
Zhao Zhiyuan and Yuan Shanjian stood by the dike, torches in hand, confronting the people of Yujiang County. As dawn approached, their last hope was shattered.
Yuan Shanjian at the river and smiled bitterly, "I've had the worst luck in my life. I passed the imperial examination and was immediately sent down to a local area. I finally climbed from county magistrate to prefect, and the first thing I got was this desolate place that nobody comes to."
You wouldn't believe it, the magistrates of Pingcheng Prefecture are full of cunning schemes. You might think they don't do their jobs, but they don't embezzle or bully the common people. But then again, they've been repairing this river for you!"
Zhao Zhiyuan, "He is diligent but indecisive, making one mistake after another. Lord Yuan... after the flood, we're afraid our lives will be in danger."
"Hey, so what if I die... I see you and Lord Meng get along quite well, could you ask him to help me raise my son?"
Zhao Zhiyuan chuckled. He stared at the river without speaking, thinking of his parents, Anzhi, and Meng Anci, wondering how he was doing now.
No, he had been so focused on persuading the people to evacuate that he hadn't noticed the water level hadn't risen at all... A bad feeling welled up in Zhao Zhiyuan's heart. He grabbed Yuan Shanjian and ran towards the hitching post.
Yuan Shanjian he was pulled, "Where are you going?"
"Back in Jianghe County, the water level hadn't risen yet, so Jianghe County must not have opened the sluice gates."
Yuan Shanjian his horse, his mind still reeling. "No way, Xiong Wanli isn't the kind of person who would sacrifice himself for righteousness..."
"He wouldn't, Meng Anci would... He must have blown up the dike in Zhao Household Gully without permission," Zhao Zhiyuan said, not having time to explain, and rode off towards Jianghe County.
Yuan Shanjian even more bewildered. "Impossible. With Xiong Wanli around, Lord Meng can't possibly breach the dike. Besides, who would drive themselves to their death?"
"You don't understand him..." Zhao Zhiyuan lashed out with his whip, causing the horse to neigh. He wished he could turn back time and just crash his head into the Golden Palace to die, so as not to implicate Meng Anci.
Now things are really messed up. If anything happens to Meng Anci, he will be filled with guilt for the rest of his life, let alone be able to see Meng Anzhi again.
When the two hurried back to Jianghe County, Zhao Household Gully was already a vast expanse of water.
Xiong Wanli was sulking in his chair when Yuan Shanjian came in. He stood up abruptly. "My lord... you must do me justice!" he said, pointing at Meng Anci and then at his own neck.
"I told him not to blow up the dam, but he came at me with a knife. I was so close, so very close, to having my throat slit... The blood stained my official robes red. You'll see..."
Following the direction, Yuan Shanjian a large bloodstain on Xiong Wanli's front... He then looked at Meng Anci, who seemed unaffected, writing something.
Zhao Zhiyuan strode forward, "You blew up Zhao Household Gully?"
"Um..."
"You... you've taken Lord Xiong hostage with a knife?"
"Um..."
Zhao Zhiyuan's mind went blank, as if he had lost all ability to think, and he said in a trembling voice, "This is a matter of life and death?"
Meng Anci smiled and said, "I know... that's why I've already started writing a memorial to the emperor to apologize..."
"I threatened the county magistrate; my unauthorized breach of the dam has nothing to do with you... Oh, by the way..." Meng Anci put down his pen and looked at Yuan Shanjian, "Don't let the people of Zhao Household Gully go back yet. It's not too late to let them go back after the flood season is completely over."
Yuan Shanjian in surprise, "You mean all the people of Zhao Household Gully have been evacuated?"
Upon hearing this, Xiong Wanli clutched his neck and turned to look at him. "When did you move it? How come I didn't know?" He then looked at Yuan Shanjian, "My lord... this was Lord Meng's decision made on his own, it has nothing to do with me."
Yuan Shanjian interrupted him, "I know, Lord Xiong, there's no need to worry."
He looked at Meng Anci, "How did you convince them to relocate?"
Meng Anci and said, "It's inconvenient to say..."
Yuan Shanjian choked, unsure whether to laugh or cry. He tossed his robes aside, sat down beside Meng Anci, and began writing a memorial, "Regarding the Harmful River, it was my wrong decision. I cannot let you bear this blame alone."
Zhao Zhiyuan also picked up his pen, " Anci... don't worry, even if it costs me my life, I will protect you..."
Xiong Wanli looked at this and that... and said weakly, "My neck hurts a little, I'll go downstairs to apply some medicine first..." With that, he hurriedly left the room.
In Dingchuan Prefecture, Yuhe County, Cui Xiang hadn't slept all night. Seeing that the water level hadn't risen, he breathed a sigh of relief. His initial reluctance vanished, and he could only lament that when the King of Hell fights, the little devils suffer.