After the large sand table was nearly completed, they faced another problem: the inn room wasn't large enough to accommodate it.
Shaoyao wanted to directly requisition the Seven Constellation Bureau's premises, but Hua Zhi stopped her and first asked, "Is that place usually well-concealed?"
"Naturally. No one knows it's the Seven Constellation Bureau's office."
"Then we won't go there. Bo Fan and the others are familiar with this area—let them help rent a house. Price isn't an issue."
Shaoyao thought this was far too troublesome. "We won't be staying here long anyway. Why would we need to rent a house?"
Hua Zhi shook her head. It wasn't that she was planning for the long term—money wasn't a difficulty for her, so she spent it freely. When traveling, if conditions allowed, she preferred not to endure hardship. Moreover, the sand table genuinely had no place to be stored.
Before dark, Hua Zhi moved into the rented house as she wished. Located in the southern part of the city, the neighborhood was mostly inhabited by wealthy families, making it quite tranquil.
Shaoyao immediately began assembling the sand table without delay. Her hands-on skills were strong, and she worked briskly without needing anyone's help. Hua Zhi asked Yu Tao to find a way to get some sand. In this weather, only wet sand was available, but she didn't mind—wet sand was actually more suitable for modeling.
The spacious main hall was brightly lit. Hua Zhi first simulated the Weishui River in the sand table based on the topographic map, followed by its tributaries, and then roughly shaped the terrain near all the rivers.
Her every movement was deliberate, often pausing to think before proceeding. She worked with such focus that everyone else watched intently. Even Bao Xia, who wanted to urge her mistress to rest, found herself unable to speak up.
What finally unfolded before everyone was a vivid Map of Mountains and Rivers. Though merely piled from sand—lacking the poetic charm of ink paintings or the vibrancy of colored ones—it fully showcased Hua Zhi's years of training in painting.
Hua Zhi herself was quite satisfied, though her lower back and neck ached slightly.
Bao Xia stepped forward to support her mistress as she sat to the side, applying some pressure to massage her shoulders. This was a recurring issue for Hua Zhi, and after working for so long, it was no surprise she was in pain.
The Sixth Prince obediently brought over a cup of water. He had filled it too full, and as he walked, it spilled onto his hands and the hem of his robe.
Hua Zhi drank every last drop, accepting his thoughtful gesture wholeheartedly.
"Hua Hua, you're amazing! If this were an enemy territory map, I'd dare lead troops to charge through three times without even scouting the path first."
What kind of analogy was that? Hua Zhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Can't you think of something else?"
"Hehe." Shaoyao clung to the edge of the sand table, utterly enchanted. Though she replied, she didn't once turn her head to look.
"Little Six, see if you can discern anything from it."
"Yes."
The Sixth Prince stood by the sand table for a long while, then circled it once. No one rushed him; the room remained quiet.
Hua Zhi rubbed her temples. It was long past her usual bedtime. Though exhausted, she felt wide awake—an uncomfortable sensation.
The Sixth Prince returned and sat beside Hua Zhi, gathering his thoughts before speaking. "Jingzhou is a plain with many river channels. If a flood occurs, the disaster area would be extensive, and the people would have nowhere to flee. However, the Wei River has a large capacity. As long as drainage is timely, it shouldn't cause severe damage—just as we saw in the county records we reviewed earlier. Fourteen years ago, it was a catastrophic disaster that did cause severe damage."Hua Zhi nodded. "Do you think this will be a minor disaster or a major one?"
Outside, the rain continued to pour relentlessly. Another day had passed, with the rain only easing slightly in the afternoon before intensifying again at night. Earlier, Yu Tao had reported that the Wei River had risen significantly. If the rain continued like this for another day, I'm afraid...
The Sixth Prince bit his lip childishly and whispered, "I'm afraid it will become a major disaster."
"Do you want to stay or leave? If you wish to leave, we can depart even in this rain." Hua Zhi deliberately omitted the subject. If Little Six truly decided to go, she would have Chen Zhen and his brother escort him back to the capital immediately. As for herself... she actually wanted to leave too.
Sighing inwardly, Hua Zhi looked at Little Six, unsurprised when he shook his head.
"I want to see what happens." Then, remembering something, the Sixth Prince quickly added, "But I'll follow Sister Hua's decision. If you say we leave, we leave. If you say we stay, we stay."
Hua Zhi said nothing more and walked over to the sand table, taking the Commanding Baton from Shaoyao. She pointed to several areas upstream of Xiangyang. "If places like Zhiyang, Xiaoshui, Longhua, and other upstream regions have been experiencing rain these past few days, this flood won't be minor."
She then indicated several tributaries downstream. "If this area has also been raining, and the water from upstream and midstream can't drain quickly enough, then it will become a major disaster."
The Sixth Prince looked at her with burning eyes. "Sister Hua, have you thought of a solution?"
Hua Zhi smiled bitterly to herself. When had she given them the impression that she could do everything? Yu the Great's flood control was genuine skill. In her previous life, she hadn't worked in water conservancy—how could she know so much?
But no one would believe these words, and she couldn't bring herself to say them under Little Six's utterly trusting and admiring gaze.
Her eyes fixed on the sand table, Hua Zhi struggled to dig up relevant memories from her mind.
This era was unlike later times, where the state would invest heavily in building reservoirs that could both store water for droughts and have maximum capacity for flood control. Here, reservoirs were few and had limited capacity, offering little practical use. That's why floods occurred year after year, varying only in scale.
To reduce losses during flood disasters, there were two approaches: block and divert.
But how to block? And how to divert?
The little knowledge she had was merely hindsight for the current situation. The only viable option was to sacrifice some areas to protect major cities—the so-called strategy of abandoning small towns to save large ones. This approach had been used throughout history. As for how devastating it would be for the small towns, their inhabitants would have to bear the burden.
Was this wrong? Not really. If she were in that position of power, she might make the same choice. Major cities were too valuable to lose, while small towns could gradually recover even after significant losses. The resilience of the people often manifested in such circumstances.
Her gaze shifted between several locations before Hua Zhi looked up at Yu Tao. "Has the Hydrological Station made any moves?"
Yu Tao stepped out briefly and returned to report. "Bo Fan says the Hydrological Station has visited the county magistrate's office four times this afternoon."
"Has the office issued any warnings?"
"No."
Hua Zhi frowned. "Little Six, do the local records mention when warnings should be issued to the public?"
The Sixth Prince remembered clearly and immediately replied, "Warnings are only issued when the water level reaches five marks."
With ten marks total, warning at five wasn't particularly late. After thinking for a moment, Hua Zhi looked at Yu Tao. "Have we received any Water Reports from upstream?"
"I already asked earlier. We haven't received any."Is it truly that there has been no rain, or was the Water Report not delivered in time? Hua Zhi had some doubts in her heart, hoping it was the former. If it hasn't rained upstream, that would truly be excellent.
PS: I've left my child at a relative's house and returned home to provide support within my capacity. If I've spread too much negativity earlier, I apologize. In reality, grassroots cadres have performed exceptionally well—many haven't returned home for several consecutive days, their white shirts turned yellow. Even local ruffians who usually idle around are now rolling up their sleeves to work hard. Everyone is striving to resolve issues, and I thank you all for your understanding.
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