C166. Hope.
As a mentor, Ouyang Ting's ability to seek help from his disciple Yuan Li is a clear indication that the situation in Xuzhou has reached a critical level.
The letter depicts that Xuzhou has been experiencing continuous rain since July, causing floods during the summer flood season. Many cities have been submerged, resulting in countless deaths and displacements of the populace.
Despite sending out distress signals to the court and neighboring provinces, Ouyang Ting received no response. It was only in dire circumstances that he turned to his disciple for help.
Upon reading the letter, Yuan Li made a firm decision to personally visit Xuzhou.
Ouyang Ting, as his mentor, seeking help meant that Yuan Li had to do everything in his power to assist, hence his decision to go personally. Furthermore, the strategic location of Xuzhou, situated north of Yangzhou, meant that any mishap in the area could have severe consequences. Yuan Li's presence would allow for better adaptability, perhaps even a chance to seize control of Xuzhou as his territory.
He informed his subordinates of his decision, with Liu Ji Xin and others not opposing but instead inquiring about who would accompany him to Xuzhou.
After pondering for a moment, Yuan Li remarked, "I intend to travel by water route. Is anyone prone to seasickness?"
The group exchanged glances.
In the end, only advisors Guo Mao and Zhou Gongdan volunteered.
Zhou Gongdan's hometown was in Jingzhou, where water routes were common, and he had experience traveling by boat. Guo Mao had traveled extensively and was familiar with boat travel.
As for the military personnel, Yuan Li initially planned to bring Jia Qing, Wu Kai, and Wang Er along. However, Wang Er had a traumatic experience on a boat before, causing severe seasickness almost leading to death.
Hence, Yuan Li assigned him to guard Jizhou, taking only Jia Qing and Wu Kai.
With Xuzhou in dire straits, Yuan Li wasted no time and planned to depart for the Bohai Sea with his naval forces and warships without delay.
He didn't even ask whether Chu Hechao intended to accompany them, instructing his servants to pack their belongings.
Upon Chu Hechao's return in the evening, Yuan Li directly stated, "Check if there's anything missing from your belongings. We'll depart early tomorrow. We'll first visit the Bohai Sea to inspect the training of Gu Yue and Kong Ran's naval forces and the progress of our ships' construction before sailing from the Bohai Sea to Xuzhou."
Raising an eyebrow at the luggage, Chu Hechao asked, "When did I agree to go with you?"
Surprised, Yuan Li turned to him, "Aren't you coming with me?"
"...Yes," He Chao Chao replied.
The next morning, they set off for the Bohai Sea with their personal guards.
Anticipating a possible epidemic after the disaster, Yuan Li took along medical professionals to prevent any outbreaks in Xuzhou.
Ahead of their arrival, caravans carrying food and medicinal supplies had already been transported to the Bohai Sea, highlighting the advantage of a vast territory. Yuan Li only needed to requisition provisions from nearby counties, saving significant labor in transporting supplies.
Upon reaching the military base near Bohai Sea, they witnessed the naval forces loading the provisions onto the ships.
The vast and cloudless sea with rolling waves and the saline breeze hitting their faces left the land-bound individuals in awe as they gazed into the distance.
Seagulls soared and called out, while the imposing ships lined up along the coast, exuding a grandeur that was truly awe-inspiring.
Upon learning of their arrival, Gu Yue and Kong Ran hurried over to greet them respectfully.
After a long time apart, they had changed significantly from before, darker and stronger, exuding much more confidence when they spoke. Their bright eyes indicated that they had been doing well in recent years.
After the meeting, Gu Yue spoke up, "My lord, would you and the general like to visit the naval camp?"
Seeing their tense, clasped hands and hopeful expressions, Yuan Li and Chu Hechao exchanged a glance and nodded, "Let's take a look."
Gu Yue and Kong Ran led them on a tour along the Bohai Sea. They visited the shipyards, the naval training grounds, the granaries, and the areas where fine salt was refined. Yuan Li carefully assessed the abilities and conditions of the soldiers and nodded in satisfaction.
The two of them had done an excellent job. From every aspect, the naval forces were looking quite impressive.
After the tour, Yuan Li praised the two of them wholeheartedly, causing their faces to flush with embarrassment before finally stopping, asking, "When can the ships set sail?"
Kong Ran replied sheepishly, "My lord, due to the large quantity of food and medicinal supplies being loaded, it will take a bit longer. We should be ready to set sail in five days."
Yuan Li nodded slightly, "And when can we reach Xuzhou?"
"Rest assured, my lord. The winds are favorable at the moment, and our ships are swift. We should reach the eastern shore of Xuzhou within a month."
Yuan Li knew this was the fastest possible speed at the moment, letting out a sigh inwardly.
But he trusted Ouyang Ting. He believed that when Ouyang Ting wrote to him, he would have factored in the time it would take for him to receive the letter and deliver relief grains to Xuzhou. A month would be faster than what Ouyang Ting had anticipated.
With time still on their side, Gu Yue glanced at the weather and wind direction, then pondered for a moment before suggesting, "My lord, would you like to take a boat ride and have a look around the sea?"
Yuan Li scanned the surroundings, his subordinates eagerly looking at him, their faces expressing their desire to go. Chu Hechao also signaled his interest to Yuan Li.
With a wave of his hand, Yuan Li exclaimed, "Let's go! Let's see who will get seasick."
The boat they were on was a slightly smaller sailboat, and the sailors on board moved effortlessly. Yuan Li had never experienced seasickness before and was confident he wouldn't succumb to it on this voyage either.
His confidence held true when he felt perfectly fine once onboard.
However, he was concerned for Chu Hechao and others who were not accustomed to sailing. As the boat started moving, Chu Hechao swayed momentarily but quickly steadied himself by grabbing onto a nearby pillar.
Observing his pale and changing face, Yuan Li inquired, "Feeling nauseous?"
Chu Hechao, holding onto the pillar firmly, sharp-phrase instructed, "Don't move. Hold onto the rope next to you."
Yuan Li, disregarding his advice, approached and assisted Yuan Congyun, who was on the verge of falling, before patting Chu Hechao's back. Despite Chu Hechao's firm instruction to hold onto the pillar, Yuan Li confidently stated, "It's fine. I can manage with just one hand."
Away from Chu Hechao, others were seated by the boat's edge, tightly gripping onto the boat. Yuan Li noticed that the rocking was less pronounced when sitting compared to standing.
As the boat ventured further into the sea, the waves grew in intensity. Even Yuan Li began to feel slightly dizzy from standing for an extended period.
Looking back, Yuan Li observed everyone except Chu Hechao sitting by the boat's edge. Chu Hechao's face, pale but stable, seemed to have adapted to the sea's sway.
Just as Yuan Li was about to inquire about his well-being, Gu Yue warned of approaching big waves, "A big wave is coming, everyone hold on tight!"
Caught off guard by the sudden turbulence, Yuan Li reached for a pillar while Chu Hechao held onto him tightly, preventing him from falling. After sailing for about half an hour, Chu Hechao and the others appeared to have adjusted well, except for Wu Kai, who looked pale and seasick, struggling to walk once they reached shore.
Recognizing Wu Kai's condition, Yuan Li realized he couldn't take him by sea. Wu Kai, sensing the same, tried to reassure, "My lord, I can endure it. I'll try my best to overcome seasickness, and if needed, I can rest in bed until Xuzhou."
Yuan Li scolded Wu Kai, expressing concern for his well-being, "How can you do this? You are so seasick that if you vomit on the boat for a month, you will be half dead. Listen to me, don't go on this waterway."
"Yes." Wu Kai, looking disheartened, agreed.
Feeling guilty, Yuan Li lightened the mood by suggesting Wu Kai, "But you can take by land route."
Wu Kai, taken aback by the unexpected suggestion, looked at Yuanli in disbelief.
Yuan Li smiled and said, "I had originally planned to send troops to station in Xuzhou after the disaster settled... Now that you are seasick, it may actually be a good thing. We will take the water route to deliver supplies to Xuzhou, while you lead twenty thousand troops from Youzhou by land. You will arrive two to three months later than us, by which time Xuzhou should be stable, saving us the time needed to send troops from the north."
Wu Kai's eyes brightened as he immediately bowed and replied, "I will comply, my lord."
Yuan Li nodded in approval, "Go then."
Without showing any signs of recent discomfort, Wu Kai excitedly left the room.
Five days later, with the provisions loaded onto ten ships, Yuan Li set sail with a fleet of ten thousand naval troops and twenty relief ships bound for Xuzhou.
*
In Xuzhou, at the office of the Governor of Xiapi...
Ouyang Ting had gained a significant number of white hairs in recent days due to the flood disaster, looking ten years older than his actual age. Throughout the day, he tirelessly worked to aid the flood victims, and at night, he struggled to find rest, often leaving early in the morning to attend to administrative affairs in various counties.
It wasn't until breakfast time that he hurried out of his study.
The breakfast at the mansion was simple, with everyone having a bowl of porridge in front of them and a pile of pickled vegetables in the middle of the table. Only Ouyang Ting's grandchildren had half a boiled egg in their bowls.
The two young children, who had been eating porridge for over a month, seemed weary. His granddaughter finished her egg and asked eagerly, "Grandmother, can you sprinkle some of the sugar Uncle Le Jun sent on Yue'er porridge?"
Kindly smiling, Madam Lu replied, "Of course, I can sprinkle some for Yue'er."
The grandson, eyes lit up, added, "Sheng'er wants some too!"
Madam Lu had the servant bring a sugar jar and sprinkled some into the children's bowls, offering a taste directly to their mouths. The children happily closed their eyes and eagerly drank the porridge.
Their modest meal contrasted starkly with what was expected at the Governor's mansion. Ouyang Ting, feeling bitter, whispered to Madam Lu, "I have burdened you all."
Most of the family's grain had been used to help the people, leaving them with little in reserve.
Madam Lu smiled warmly, poking sugar into his mouth, "Have something sweet, don't dwell on the hardships. You have already sent a letter to Le Jun, and he will surely support Xuzhou."
The sweetness alleviated some bitterness as Ouyang Ting sighed, "Youzhou and Bingzhou are remote and barren, and Jizhou has just come under Le Jun's rule. Although he mentioned the northern three provinces have changed significantly, I fear he may not be giving the full picture. With half of Xuzhou's counties submerged, thousands of flood victims, and a need for thousands of stones of grain, I worry that my letter will only increase Le Jun's burden. What if he has no more provisions?"
But now, Ouyang Ting was at his wit's end, with no one else to turn to for help except his disciple Yuan Li.
Madam Lu tried to console him, but Ouyang Ting's expression remained troubled. After breakfast, he took the soldiers from the Governor's office to go out and visit the flood victims.
The streets were filled with muddy water, injured people wrapped in rough cloth either sitting or lying on the sidewalks, their eyes dull and despondent. The sounds of sorrow and pain echoed continuously.
Children cried out in hunger and cold, while women held their children close, tears streaming down their faces.
Strong men had broken legs from the floods, and women who had recently given birth had no milk to feed their babies, only tears. The broken walls and ruins seemed devoid of any signs of life.
The more Ouyang Ting looked, the more pained and heavy-hearted he felt.
He approached the soup distribution area and watched as refugees lined up, crying and pleading for an extra bowl of thin porridge, causing his heart to ache even more. Turning to ask, "How long can our food supplies last?"
The soldier distributing the soup replied hoarsely, "My lord, if we distribute soup once a day, it can last for about a month."
Ouyang Ting closed his eyes deeply.
If Xiapi, where he was currently located, was already in such dire straits, how much more difficult were things elsewhere?
Ouyang Ting was filled with sorrow.
As soon as the flood crisis emerged, he had taken steps to address it, sending letters to the governors of neighboring provinces, but received no responses, as they too were struggling with their own food shortages. He had also written to the court and Prince Chen, but they were unwilling to provide him, a long-time opponent, with provisions, choosing to ignore his pleas.
He had even sought help from the wealthy and powerful families within Xuzhou, but in times of great difficulty, everyone could only focus on themselves, and the aristocrats were not willing to help the small refugees.
They refused to provide food, citing that "everyone has their fate."
Everyone has their fate, everyone has their fate...
How had the world come to this?
Xuzhou had suddenly become a nearly submerged island, leaving Ouyang Ting isolated and helpless, pinning all his hopes on Yuan Li.
The soldier distributing soup whispered, "My lord, should we continue distributing the porridge?"
"Yes," Ouyang Ting opened his eyes, suppressing his own doubts with a resolute tone, "Continue! In a month, relief supplies will arrive."
He was speaking to the soldier, but also reaffirming it to himself.
Relief would come, his disciple would surely come to his aid.