After handing an iron cable to the person receiving it, Haidongqing landed beside Xiao Huayong's feet. The rain had drenched its feathers, giving them a dark sheen. The soft down on its head was plastered wetly, making it look less imposing than usual and somewhat foolish.
Xiao Huayong, holding an umbrella, took half a step back to make space. He extended his arm, pressing his palm against Haidongqing's forehead. "Though you may amuse the beauty, you have no right to slack off. Stay here and finish your task properly."
Patting Haidongqing's wing, Xiao Huayong tilted his chin toward Shen Xihe, signaling for her to leave with him.
Haidongqing tilted its round head as if trying to understand Xiao Huayong's meaning. Its blinking eyes made Shen Xihe overlook its sodden appearance, and she reached out to stroke its damp feathers.
Watching Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe walk away side by side, Haidongqing slowly realized it had been abandoned again. Unhappy, it suddenly flapped its wings and vigorously shook its head, splattering rainwater everywhere—some landing on Xiao Huayong's robe.
Before Xiao Huayong could dodge, he saw the large wet stain on his robe. As he turned, not yet angry, Haidongqing let out a strange cry and took flight. The moment it lifted off, its claws kicked up mud from the ground, nearly splattering Xiao Huayong again.
"Pfft!"
Even Shen Xihe, who usually laughed without showing teeth or making a sound, couldn't hold back a chuckle.
Seeing Xiao Huayong's tense face and grim expression, Shen Xihe tugged at his sleeve. "Hurry into the carriage and change your clothes to avoid catching a chill."
Facing Shen Xihe, Xiao Huayong's expression softened slightly. He complied with her suggestion, stepping into the carriage where spare clothes were stored. Only his outer robe was wet. Shen Xihe took it from Tianyuan and helped him into a fresh one.
Spreading his arms, Xiao Huayong watched Shen Xihe kneel beside him, bending to adjust his belt and smooth out the wrinkles. The confined space of the carriage brought them close, and the faint, delicate fragrance of her cloud-like hair permeated the damp, cold air. Xiao Huayong's mood instantly brightened.
Shen Xihe didn't understand why his demeanor had suddenly shifted from cloudy to clear, but she was long accustomed to his unpredictability.
On the return journey, the two discussed matters related to Dengzhou. After taking a detour, they met up with Mo Yuan, who was guarding the route. Without stopping the carriage, Mo Yuan reined his horse to follow, protecting them from outside. His voice carried through the carriage curtain: "Three parties are pursuing us."
Xiao Huayong didn't want to reveal their method of transporting grain into Wendeng County yet, but covering their tracks was difficult. Thus, he had Mo Yuan intercept early.
"Three parties?" Shen Xihe raised her eyebrows slightly, looking at Xiao Huayong.
Besides Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changyan, there was another person monitoring their every move.
"The Prefect of Dengzhou is Pingyao Marquis's younger brother," Xiao Huayong explained.
Pingyao Marquis was Your Majesty's trusted aide, yet he was about to form a marriage alliance with Zhao Wang.
"Prince Zhao is quite scheming," Shen Xihe remarked, immediately understanding who was behind it.
If it were Your Majesty's appointment, the Prefect of Dengzhou wouldn't have been involved. Your Majesty could easily learn such details by simply asking—Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong wouldn't dare conceal anything from him.
"It's a pity his abilities don't match his ambitions," Xiao Huayong said calmly.There was not a trace of disdain or contempt, but rather a palpable sense of disregard that required no careful observation to perceive.
Xiao Huayong seemed to have never taken Xiao Changmin seriously.
So far, although Xiao Changmin had been closely monitoring every matter, he had remained relatively restrained and had not once bared his fangs. Shen Xihe was never one to stir up trouble, and Xiao Changmin posed no threat to her. Naturally, Shen Xihe was not so combative as to deliberately confront him, and they managed to coexist peacefully.
Shen Xihe made no comment about Xiao Changmin. The couple did not return to their temporary residence but instead took a detour to the coastal outskirts, where Tao Zhuanxian and his men were stationed.
Shen Xihe had been deeply concerned about her grandfather and could not rest easy without seeing him in person.
Most of the local residents had already been evacuated, and the troops were lodging in the villagers' homes. The coastal villages, though humble, had not been destroyed since they were not situated near mountains. However, most houses were severely flooded, with water seeping in through leaky roofs and rising from the ground.
When Shen Xihe and the others arrived, Tao Zhuanxian happened to be away inspecting the coastline. Meals had been prepared in the camp, and since they had not yet eaten, Zhong Pingzhi, the Minister of Works who had remained behind, accompanied them.
Zhong Pingzhi instructed the officials to serve them bowls of porridge. The porridge was exceptionally thin, accompanied only by some dried vegetables—nothing more.
"Lord Zhong, is this what you usually eat to sustain yourselves?" Shen Xihe frowned.
They had come from the county town, where although food supplies were indeed scarce, the situation was far from this dire.
Zhong Pingzhi, though over sixty, remained spirited and vigorous. "Your Highness, please do not misunderstand. This was decided after discussions between Tao Gong and myself. The current situation in Dengzhou is precarious. Though we are stationed here, we have yet to contribute meaningfully. Having enough to fill our stomachs is sufficient."
Who knew when the heavy rain would stop? Who could predict when the floods would strike? They were uncertain about Dengzhou's grain reserves, but having served as local officials, they could roughly estimate. Saving even a single mouthful might mean saving several lives.
Shen Xihe opened her mouth to speak but had not yet uttered a word when Xiao Huayong coughed lightly and said softly, "Lord Zhong and Tao Gong are the pillars of the state, with the people's welfare at heart. This is a blessing for our dynasty."
"Your Highness flatters me. I am unworthy of such praise," Zhong Pingzhi replied with sincere humility.
With grain supplies yet to arrive—though the issue of entering Wendeng County had been resolved, it remained uncertain whether they could be transported to the locations Xiao Huayong had planned—food indeed needed to be rationed carefully. Shen Xihe swallowed her words of persuasion.
Not long after, Tao Zhuanxian returned, and they shared the evening meal together. Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong decided to stay overnight to gain a deeper understanding of the current flood situation from Tao Zhuanxian and Zhong Pingzhi.
After the meal, they accompanied them to the seaside for a walk. Tao Zhuanxian pointed to a faint dark shadow in the distance. "Before the rainfall, the fishermen's boats were anchored there."
Shen Xihe observed carefully. The seawater had completely submerged the moored fishing boats and had expanded the shoreline by approximately thirty to forty paces.
Xiao Huayong also gazed into the distance. "Tao Gong, do you believe the seawater could breach its boundaries?"
Tao Zhuanxian and Zhong Pingzhi exchanged a glance. "Your Highness, Zhong Gong and I have discussed this. We both believe it is unlikely that the seawater will easily burst forth and flood, endangering the people or spreading to the towns."
"The most urgent matter at present is not the threat of seawater invasion, but the drainage of accumulated water in the city. Otherwise, even if the seawater does not surge in violently, the city may already be submerged."
Shen Xihe, recalling the situation in the city, nodded in agreement."Tao Gong, please speak freely," Xiao Huayong said to Tao Zhuanxian, who seemed hesitant to voice his thoughts.
After a moment of hesitation, and seeing that only the four of them were present, Tao Zhuanxian spoke bluntly: "The accumulated water in the city has no outlet. The only solution is to dig canals and channels to divert the flow into the sea!"
Shen Xihe was taken aback. The common people were not actually concerned about the ankle-deep stagnant water; what they feared was the sea. If an order were issued to dig canals and channels, diverting this water—which they paid little mind to—into the very sea that filled them with dread, it would likely cause widespread panic among the populace.
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