Yu Tao went alone, but returned with five people.
"Miss, all remaining members of the Seven Constellation Bureau in Xiangyang besides those delivering messages are here, awaiting your command."
The men had already received instructions from Yu Tao beforehand, so they now bowed in unison, "Subordinates pay respects to Miss."
Hua Zhi wanted to say she had no authority to command Seven Constellation Bureau personnel, nor dared let them refer to themselves as subordinates. But considering the current situation, she felt genuinely uncertain, so she steeled herself and nodded to them before turning to Shaoyao.
Shaoyao smiled, "Hua Hua, why stand on ceremony? This is all behind closed doors - who would dare question it? You there, state your names."
From left to right, the five men stepped forward one by one: "Bo Fan, Liu Yun, Xie Xu, Zheng Qiao, Xie Ru."
Each member of the Seven Constellation Bureau had their own serial number, which they typically used during external operations. At other times, they used their original names.
Shaoyao nodded, "Perfect timing to ask you - how is the current county magistrate of Xiangyang?"
Bo Fan bowed and replied, "County Magistrate Chen Hongyi has been in office for two years - no notable achievements, but no major faults either."
"Seems he's taking the middle road." Shaoyao's smile was mocking, but after her sarcasm she found it rather pointless. Weren't such officials the majority among the court's civil and military officials? They neither obstructed anyone's interests nor prevented their own steady advancement. As for whether they actually accomplished anything - hah, that wasn't important. Sometimes she felt the entire court's officials combined handled fewer affairs than a single Seven Constellation Bureau.
Waving her hand to dismiss the men, Shaoyao moved close to Hua Hua to look at the map with her. "Found anything yet?"
Without looking at her, Hua Zhi comfortingly patted her head. "Not that fast. If you're bored, go help me with something."
"What?"
"Make a large sand table - the bigger the better."
Shaoyao's eyes lit up. "Right! Since we can't leave anyway, perfect timing to play with that."
"It's not for playing." Hua Zhi traced her finger across the topographic map. "You can see from this map that the Jingzhou area has well-developed water transport. I remember reading in some miscellaneous book that people here consider boats their primary mode of travel, which shows how common it is. I want to use the sand table for measurement and analysis."
Sand tables could be used like this? Shaoyao's eyes widened. "I'll take people to make it right away - you'll see it today."
Hua Zhi didn't stop her as she dashed off like riding a wind-fire wheel. She was genuinely anxious, hoping the rainfall wouldn't cover too large an area - otherwise things would truly turn bad.
Taking a deep breath, Hua Zhi pushed the county records toward Sixth Prince. "Areas near water must have experienced disasters before - look for records."
"Yes."
Turning back to the topographic map, her mind remained too unsettled. She simply set it aside and walked to the window, watching the pouring rain outside. Though it was nearly noon - supposed to be the brightest time of day - the sky remained dark and heavy as if approaching nightfall.In this group, excluding the few who had just arrived today and Wu Xiaoshuang whom she had rescued, Bao Xia and Xu Ying were from the Hua family and trusted her unconditionally—they would likely jump into the Weishui River without question if she asked. Shaoyao followed her every word and wouldn’t have come along if not to protect her. Yu Tao and Wang Cheng were similarly assigned to escort her. Little Six, the Sixth Prince, was placed under her watch by Yan Xi, who trusted her enough to let her take him this far. As for Jiang Huanran, who had been running a fever for days, he had only come because of her…
Upon careful consideration, the lives of all these people rested entirely in her hands.
No matter what, she had to ensure the safety of those she had brought along and return them intact. If things became truly untenable, she would have to retreat with them, whether by detours or alternative routes. The only downside was that, in doing so, she might fail to set a good example as a teacher.
Once this thought took root, it grew increasingly restless, making her itch to leave immediately.
Turning back, she glanced at the child who was lowering his head with intense focus, and Hua Zhi’s heart softened. She genuinely liked this child, often forgetting his status as a prince.
Whether he would become an emperor or the head of the Seven Constellation Bureau in the future, for now, he was still soft and tender. Though she couldn’t offer much help in other areas, she could at least add some color to this stage of his life, so that his memories wouldn’t be entirely bleak.
“Sister Hua, there’s a record here.” The Sixth Prince looked up, meeting Hua Zhi’s gentle gaze, and was momentarily dazed.
Hua Zhi walked over to him as she asked, “What does it say?”
Collecting himself, the prince lowered his head to read and carefully phrased his response, “Just as you suspected, Sister Hua. Xiangyang is situated by the water and suffers from floods every year—sometimes minor, sometimes severe. Last year was the best, with only some livestock lost and no casualties. The year before was also relatively mild. The worst in the past two decades was fourteen years ago: the disaster was widespread, over six hundred people died, and an epidemic broke out afterward, claiming nearly a thousand more lives.”
“Anything else?”
The prince flipped back a few pages. “One thing: households near the river later built their homes with stone. Though not aesthetically pleasing, these structures are sturdy and far less prone to collapse.”
That was a good method. For commoners, safety outweighed beauty—what mattered was withstanding the floods. Once the waters receded, they could tidy up and continue living there. Even if they lost some belongings, having a shelter intact would keep their hearts from panicking.
“Look for any other useful information.”
“Yes.” The prince lowered his head to continue reading but didn’t turn the page for a while. Hua Zhi couldn’t help but glance at him again.
Sure enough, the child soon couldn’t hold back and looked up to ask, “Sister Hua, why do those people still choose to live by the river when they know it’s dangerous? Take Xiangyang, for example—aren’t there other places for them to settle?”
How should she answer this? Hua Zhi pondered for a moment, carefully weighing her words. “It’s probably similar to how you live in the imperial palace because your ancestors resided there, and the Hua family lives in Hualin Alley because our forebears settled there. That’s what we call roots.”Hua Zhi sighed softly, "On the other hand, the riverside has fertile land and essential water sources for survival. It can irrigate farmland, provide fish to improve livelihoods, and even earn some extra money to support families. That's where their ancestors have lived for generations. Unless truly pushed to the brink of survival, who would willingly leave their homeland to become rootless driftwood?"
"I understand." The Sixth Prince also looked at the topographic map, his gaze falling upon the Wei River that traversed north and south. There was no shortage of wise men among the common people—how could they fail to see these advantages? But for ordinary folks, leaving their homes was likely no different from having their lives taken away.
Moreover, how could the good places ever be available to them? They could only endure hardships wherever they were. Since suffering was inevitable regardless of location, why bother changing?
The Sixth Prince sighed inwardly. If he hadn't ventured out, how could he have learned these truths?
PS: The government isn't reporting the disaster, so my hometown isn't receiving aid and must rely on self-rescue. Unaffected citizens are spontaneously raising funds. Though I'm not physically present, my heart remains there—constantly helping connect resources to purchase affordable disinfectants, masks, various medicines, food supplies, and arranging transportation to the disaster area. For the first time, I've profoundly experienced the power of collective determination. Deeply moved, I hope this will inspire my upcoming plot. One update today.
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