He shouted several times before a head appeared from the city gate.
“There’s a bandit uprising in the city; the gates are closed!”
Hearing this excuse, Chen Laoda felt it was ironic and shouted back up, “I come on the orders of Xu Zhizhou! Open the gates quickly!”
The head at the gate withdrew, and after a moment, three more heads appeared.
“What proof do you have?” the men inside asked Chen Laoda.
Chen Laoda recited a phrase: “A swift ascent to the ninth heaven.”
The code was correct, and the people inside immediately arranged to open the gates, letting Chen Laoda in.
Once inside, Chen Laoda was taken directly to the county office. He had little time; before dawn, if he couldn’t successfully persuade these people to leave, Zhang Fang would destroy the dam and flood the city.
Yang Zhu Bu recognized Chen Laoda, after all, over the years, all the county magistrates who came to Meixian had died at his hands. Chen Laoda rarely returned to Meixian unless something significant occurred. Upon seeing him, Yang Zhu Bu’s expression grew serious, and he asked, “What happened?”
Chen Laoda’s expression was grave as he spoke, “There’s been a flood outside. Xu Zhizhou, worried, sent me to check the situation here. The water keeps rising on my way here; it’s already flooding the entrance to Meixian!”
Hearing this, Yang Zhu Bu frowned and turned to Liu Captain, asking, “Is that true?”
Liu Captain explained, “A lot of people gathered outside the city since yesterday, but all of them left just half an hour ago! I was quite surprised, not expecting the water to rise!”
“How high is the water?” Yang Zhu Bu’s face turned grim. Not only did they have their treasury here, but also many privately made weapons. If the water got in, they wouldn’t have time to evacuate!
Liu Captain didn’t know for sure! They had been indoors the whole time, and it was dark outside, so they couldn’t see the situation. However, he felt that the water must have reached the city gate for the people to leave en masse; otherwise, there wasn’t any other explanation. So Liu Captain simply said, “It’s at the city gate.”
Chen Laoda had been sweating behind him, relieved that his soaked clothes concealed it. Although he appeared calm, inside he was anxious. Hearing Liu Captain’s statement made the tight knot in his stomach loosen a bit. He fixed his sharp gaze on Yang Zhu Bu, waiting for him to make a decision.
Yang Zhu Bu clenched his fist, clearly in a foul mood. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, “Notify everyone to assemble.”
Chen Laoda realized Yang Zhu Bu intended to evacuate, so he asked, “You are aware of the situation, so I won’t linger here. Can you lend me a boat to return?”
This drew Yang Zhu Bu’s attention, and he immediately asked, “You don’t have a boat? How did you get here?”
Chen Laoda slapped his thigh, looking helpless. “I came in a small boat, but before reaching Meixian, the dam on the Mei River broke. I was stuck on the mountains with my brothers for a night; in a hurry to send news, we cut down trees overnight to make a raft and paddled here!”
Yang Zhu Bu had no doubt, and hearing this made him even more anxious; since the Mei River had broken its dam, it was no wonder a heavy rain brought a flood. They had to evacuate people and possessions immediately! They couldn’t stay here! Otherwise, all their hard work would be ruined by this flood!
“Since you came by raft, you can go back on the raft!” Yang Zhu Bu replied distractedly to Chen Laoda. They needed to leave before sunrise so as not to be noticed by the citizens going back. So they had to set off at night!
Chen Laoda was stunned, staring wide-eyed at Yang Zhu Bu. That kid Zhang Fang demanded he find a boat to go back; if he couldn’t bring one, would he go mad and destroy the dam again to flood the city? Chen Laoda wouldn’t gamble with the lives of a city’s people.
“Yang Zhu Bu, that raft can’t support so many people. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come alone. My brothers are still stuck on the mountain, and I don’t know how high the water is right now. I need to return quickly to save them!” Chen Laoda pretended to plead with Yang Zhu Bu.
Yang Zhu Bu, feeling flustered, dismissed him. “I’m dealing with the flood; I can’t spare the time for you. Think of a way to get a boat yourself!”
With that, he ignored Chen Laoda and rushed out, his hurried steps revealing his anxious state.
Only Chen Laoda remained in the room, and he raised a hand to touch his face. His face was cold, and his palms were covered in sweat.
He didn’t know if Yang Zhu Bu trusted him too much or if Zhang Fang had calculated everything, but for now, he had successfully deceived them. Chen Laoda had to find a boat to get out of the city! He feared if he delayed, that kid Zhang Fang would destroy the dam.
Zhang Fang lurked in the shadows, watching as the city gates opened again. Then Chen Laoda emerged, holding someone hostage, followed by several people pulling a boat out. He stepped out from the shadows and approached Chen Laoda.
Chen Laoda suddenly bumped into someone and turned sharply to find it was Zhang Fang. He was ready to curse but held it back.
“We got the boat; they can’t focus on us right now,” Chen Laoda informed Zhang Fang.
Zhang Fang was pleased and told Chen Laoda, “You stay here and guard; I’ll take them to rescue the trapped people.”
“Good sirs, the boat is ready. Could you please let me go?” the merchant in Chen Laoda’s grasp stammered.
Chen Laoda was fuming and shouted at this person, “Less nonsense, or I’ll kill you!”
The merchant immediately fell silent, trembling even more.
Zhang Fang pointed at those dragging the boats and said, “Please follow me and heed my orders.”
The workers looked confusedly at Zhang Fang and then at their boss. Steward Jia quickly urged, “Listen to this young man!”
Reluctantly, the workers complied with Zhang Fang’s commands, doing whatever he asked.
Inside the city, Yang Zhu Bu was busy evacuating people and valuables. Outside, Zhang Fang lit the lantern and set out on the boat to rescue others. Chen Laoda anxiously held Steward Jia at the city gate, hiding. He couldn’t understand how things had developed to this point.
A well-made ship was far superior to those makeshift rafts; Zhang Fang quickly found Mu Qing and the others. After they met, he gave clear instructions. Liu divided the rescue into six teams, with Mu Qing and a few others as team leaders. The other two boats were led personally by Zhang Fang.
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