flstandardbreds Chapter 391 The water level has dropped; we need to travel by land.
Chapter 391 The water level has dropped; we need to travel by land.
With everything arranged in Beijing, Xia Yu and her family set off back to Zhangjia Village. They were accompanied by five large ships following behind.
At first, the Zhang family didn't know those ships were traveling with them; they simply assumed they were going the same way. However, after another day of travel, Old Master Zhang found Zhang Youtie.
"Third brother, I think those ships behind us are following us! They stop when we stop, and they leave when we leave." Old Master Zhang was worried, thinking that his family had been targeted because they had spent money on a house and gifts in the capital.
"Father, that ship was the one I sent out to buy grain, and now it's coming back with us."
"Buying grain? Did they manage to buy it all?" Old Master Zhang asked excitedly upon hearing that the ship was going out to buy grain.
"I bought some. But they're all corn; I don't know how many pounds are left after threshing," Zhang Youtie said.
"Oh, it's good that we can buy some. But it rained twice when we first arrived in Beijing, so even though the corn harvest is down this year, we should still be able to get some." Old Zhang Yezi felt less anxious when he thought of the two rains that had fallen recently.
"..." Zhang Youtie looked at his father with a strange expression, thinking that although it had rained in the capital recently, it didn't mean it had rained in Ming'an County. Remembering the news from his hometown that several families wanted to buy more grain, totaling 20,000 jin, he figured it probably hadn't rained in Ming'an County.
After some thought, he ultimately decided not to reveal the cruel truth. He figured he'd find out when he got home anyway, so he'd let the old man have a couple more days of peace. However, the truth didn't remain hidden for long. Two more days passed by boat, and the boatman came to report.
"My lord, we can't go any further. We have to go back to the previous dock and take the land route."
"What's going on?" Zhang Youtie was shocked to hear the boatman's words.
"The water is too shallow; the boat can't pass," the boatman replied.
Zhang Youtie followed the boatman to the deck, and in the distance, he could see that a ship seemed to be aground.
"I inquired before and was told that it was possible to reach Minghua City, but I didn't expect the river level to drop so much in just a few days," the boatman explained, standing behind Zhang Youtie.
Seeing the scene before him, Zhang Youtie sighed helplessly and gave instructions to the boatman.
"Pass the word, return."
"Yes"
After the man left, Zhang Youtie glanced at the five cargo ships following behind, his brows furrowed with worry.
"The boat can't cross?" Xia Yu was equally shocked when she heard the news.
"Yes, I just checked. The water level has indeed dropped quite a bit, and I can vaguely see some boats stranded ahead." Zhang Youtie recounted what he had seen.
"Father, what should we do? The grain on the ships behind is too conspicuous."
“I’m also worried about the food supply. I was just thinking that we should land in Dongming County and hire a team of bodyguards to escort us back,” Zhang Youtie told his daughter.
"Father, the escort agency won't do. This is over a million catties of grain. They can't protect it," Xia Yu muttered.
"Find the military camp, yes, find the army. Dad, there should be an army stationed here, let's go to the military camp to find someone." Xia Yu racked her brains for a solution. At first, she thought of the government office, but then she realized that wouldn't work. Finally, she thought of the military camp.
"We don't know any of the officers in the barracks. Can they help us?" Zhang Youtie was somewhat tempted, but the practical difficulties were indeed hard to ignore.
"Let's go find the magistrate of Dongming County first and see if he can introduce us to the military commander stationed here," Xia Yu said after thinking for a while.
“Okay, let’s give it a try. I’ll go and settle your grandparents in first. You should also tell your mother not to get off the boat and to wait for us on the boat.”
"it is good"
Then the father and daughter went their separate ways to find people to arrange things.
After the boat docked at the pier in Dongming County, Zhang Youtie and Xia Yu didn't bring anyone else with them. The two of them took a carriage and headed towards the Dongming County government office. Da Niu and Shi Jiu were left on the boat by Xia Yu to protect everyone's safety. As for the boatmen and helmsmen on the other five boats, they were all sent by Ding Chengxin and were skilled in martial arts, so Xia Yu didn't need to worry about them for the time being.
The father and daughter arrived at the Dongming County government office in a carriage. They showed their identification plaques, and the guards at the government office quickly went inside to report.
Before long, the county magistrate was seen running out of the government office, one hand holding his hat and the other lifting the hem of his official robe. He saw the two men dressed in the robes of a baron and a village lord waiting at the gate and quickly bowed.
"I was unaware of your arrival, Your Excellency and the County Lord. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."
“Lord Zheng, you are too kind. My daughter and I have encountered some difficult problems here, which is why we came here unexpectedly. We apologize for disturbing your peace and quiet.” Zhang Youtie politely returned the magistrate’s greeting.
"Oh, I wonder what troubles Your Excellency have encountered? Please come in, let's talk it out." Magistrate Zheng understood the implication; he knew that the newly appointed baron by the emperor had come to ask him for a favor.
Once inside, Zhang Youtie recounted his experience of procuring grain and explained the difficulties he faced.
“I understand what you mean, sir, but we don’t have many constables in our prefecture, only about twenty. If we’re talking about escorting so much grain to Ming’an County, I’m afraid…” Upon hearing Zhang Youtie’s words, Magistrate Zheng’s hands clenched tightly under his official robes. He felt that even if he wanted to help, he was truly powerless to do so.
Upon hearing Magistrate Zheng's words, both father and daughter showed disappointment.
"Father, why don't we hire a security escort agency? The people there usually know some martial arts and should be able to protect us. Otherwise, we can't find any other people who know martial arts right now, can we? Magistrate Zheng is right, we have too few constables and too much food. What if something goes wrong on the road and we can't help them?" Xia Yu suggested, seeing the anxious look on his father's face.
"Lord Zheng, I wonder which escort agencies in Ming'an County have good reputations and skilled martial artists? It would be best to find several, as I'm afraid one agency's escorts won't be enough," Zhang Youtie hurriedly asked Magistrate Zheng after hearing his daughter's words.
"I suddenly thought of someone who might be able to help the Duke." When Magistrate Zheng heard Xia Yu mention 'kung fu' and 'manpower,' he suddenly thought of someone. Looking at the Duke in front of him, who was still warmly alive, wasn't he a baron whom the emperor had bestowed upon him because he donated money to the soldiers? That person should be willing to help for that reason.
"Who? Lord Zheng, speak quickly!" Zhang Youtie was sweating profusely with anxiety, and hearing Magistrate Zheng's words was like a drowning man grabbing onto a piece of duckweed.
“General Murong is the commander of the local garrison. If he is willing to send a troop of soldiers to help, the Lord’s grain should be able to reach Ming’an County smoothly.”
"General Murong? Is it Murong Fu?" Xia Yu thought of Lord Murong Fu, who had gone to the border with him, when he heard the name mentioned by Magistrate Zheng.
"It's not Murong Fu. This Commander Murong is named Murong Zhe, and he is the brother of Lord Murong Fu in the capital," Magistrate Zheng explained to Xia Yu, then asked...
“Since you know Lord Murong Fu, this matter will be much easier to handle.”
"But does General Murong live in the army camp or does he have a residence in the city?" Zhang Youtie asked again.
"He has a mansion in the city. Why don't I take you there and make the introductions? What do you think, Lord and Lady?"
Zhang Youtie was overjoyed upon hearing Magistrate Zheng's words.
"Very well, I thank you, Lord Zheng." With that, Zhang bowed deeply to Magistrate Zheng.
"I dare not accept such a compliment, Your Excellency, you are too kind." Magistrate Zheng hurriedly stepped aside to avoid Zhang Youtie's deep bow.
In terms of rank, the Baron of Zhongzhou was a fifth-rank official, while the county magistrate was a seventh-rank official. Therefore, although Zhang Youtie held only the title and had no real power, according to the rules, his status was still higher than that of a county magistrate who had real power. So, faced with the lavish gift from Baron Zhang Youtie, he dared not and could not accept it.