Chapter 38 Come in Person

Su Muge glanced over her shoulder now and then when she was driving the carriage.

She had already noticed it from last night that the person hiding in the woods had been keeping an eye on their movements, so she had hardly slept.

The one in the woods didn’t show up until the old woman and her grandson appeared, which meant that his target was those two.

The old woman and her grandson looked as if they were just ordinary people. There was no doubt that she had to pay more attention to the suspicious person who appeared in Zhou county at this time.

If she had not taken the two with her, they could have been killed by the man last night.

The three of them finally arrived at Zhou county before it was dark.

Just as the old lady said, the shops were closed and there were few people in the street.

And those who were in the street were carrying their luggage with a hurry to leave Zhou county.

Su Muge took the old woman and her grandson to the yamen of Zhou county.

There was not even a gatekeeper outside it. Su Muge went in directly with the old woman and her grandson.

It was empty with no one in it. Not until they entered the back yard of the county yamen, did they saw a middle-aged man in a grey robe, standing there.

Su Muge reached out her hand and touched the beard on her face. She had thought of changing herself into the appearance of Su Lun long before she had come. Though she didn’t look exactly the same as Su Lun, people who were not familiar with him would not tell the difference.

Perhaps hearing their footsteps, the middle-aged man looked back.

“I’ve already told you the food helping you with the flood from the imperial court has not arrived yet. I can do nothing even if you come here every day like this. My family is almost short of food as well.”

Su Muge frowned upon hearing the words.

“Sir, you are the administrative officer of Zhou county?”

The middle-aged man looked at Su Muge doubtfully. “You’re not here to ask for the food support? Who are you and what are you here for?”

“Do you know the Chief of Shunyang prefecture?”

The middle-aged man stared at Su Muge with his eyes wide open in surprise. With a clap on his thigh, he said immediately, “You are Lord Su?! Good gracious, Lord Su, you’ve finally come.”

“Lord, Lord Su? You are Lord Su of Shunyang prefecture?” The old woman also looked at Su Muge in astonishment.

Su Muge raised her eyebrows and did not answer. “You are…”

The middle-aged man continued, “I’m the private adviser of Zhou county. Since the county magistrate was washed away by the flood, I have been taking care of the stuff in Zhou county.”

“Where are the other people of the county yamen? Where have they gone?”

The face of Advisor Li was suddenly hardened with gloom. All the people in the county yamen who could leave had left long ago. With Su Lun’s disappearing, no one would be willing to stay to clear up the awful mess.

“Lord Su, it’s so good to have you here. Now things in the county are in a mess. You came here just in time.”

Adviser Li led them to the study, and Su Muge asked him to settle the old woman and her grandson somewhere.

Adviser Li took out a thick booklet, which roughly recorded the villages and rice fields that had been flooded in Zhou county these days.

Su Muge put aside the booklet and did not look at it.

“Where are all the victims of the flood now?”

“Most of the people who could escape were settled in a shabby temple in the town.”

Su Muge nodded her head with affirmation. Now that Zhou county was seriously affected by the flood, the top priority was to settle the escaped people.

Su Muge and Adviser Li had been staying in the study room until it was getting dark. By then, they had finally sorted out the clues for dealing with the mess.

“Lord Su, what are we going to do next?”

“Save people.”

“Save, save people?” Adviser Li looked at Su Muge in surprise. At this time of crisis, he was in the mood of saving people? There was no way out once the flood came, not even with the help of a fairy. Wasn’t it more important to think of a way to hide the factor from the higher authorities? Otherwise, if the accusation was on them, they would probably lose their lives, let alone lose their jobs!

Su Muge raised her eyes and looked at Adviser Li with calmness. “That’s right! You are going to send people to prepare for boats tomorrow. Bring some who are familiar with water with you, and take safety measures. After that, go to each village and search for the people that need to be rescued.”

“Yes.”

Su Muge arranged things in a quite orderly manner. It was already dark when she had finished all the assignments.

Su Muge was settled by Adviser Li in the backyard of the county yamen.

Besides Private Adviser Li, the only person left in the county yamen was an old man who was in charge of cleaning. As for the old woman Su Muge had saved, she started cooking for them voluntarily.

Su Muge had no appetite. After eating some food and washing herself simply, she began to read the topographic map of the county.

Shunyang prefecture was located in the south, and Zhou county was more southward. That was to say, the annual rainfall was a lot, and the dam and drainage function should be good.

This could also be proved by reading the data of previous years in Zhou county. It was said that nothing happened to the dam in Zhou county when the rain had lasted for nearly one month three years ago. But this time, the dam was washed away by the heavy rain less than half a month.

Every year, a strict inspection and repair would be carried out in Zhou county. This year’s inspection and repair was only a month before the dam collapsed. How came a dam broke only after an inspection over a month ago? This could be quite suspicious.

…

Inside the Wang mansion of Yanxia pass.

Donglin, who was sweating heavily, half-knelt himself on the floor. A moment ago, they had received the information from a scout that the spy of the southern barbarian had stolen the defensive layout map and escaped to Zhou county!

If the defensive layout map fell into the hands of the southern barbarians, the consequences could be unimaginable!

“Lord, I volunteer to go and catch those spies in Zhou county!”

Xia Houmo was seated in his chair, with his eyes half-closed. No one knew what was in his mind.

“It seemed that it was my fault to be a bit slack and to let the southern barbarians exploit the advantage twice!”

“Lord, it was my fault of the poor supervision.”

“You stay and clear those obstacles here, and I’ll go to Zhou county in person.”

Hearing this, Donglin raised his head in surprise. Those spies were indeed troublesome and annoying, but it was not that necessary to catch them by the King of Jin himself.

“Lord, do you have any other orders?”

A secret letter was thrown onto the table by Xia Houmo.

Donglin picked it up and read it with shock in his eyes. “I knew that Zhou county had been flooded. But since the emperor knew you are fighting against the southern barbarians, why is he asking you to go to Zhou county to deal with the flood?”

It was known to everybody that the King of Jin had been leading troops all these years and almost had nothing to do with the political matters inside the imperial court. The flood should not be the responsibility of the Lord. It seemed a bit abrupt and ridiculous to ask the Lord to deal with the flood!

The light in the eyes of Xia Houmo flickered. “What? You want to act against the emperor’s order?”

Donglin wanted to laugh and weep all at once. “I’m going to prepare for it now.”

“Halt the troops and wait for these days.”

“Yes.”

…

On the second day Su Muge arrived at Zhou county, it started pouring again.

Su Muge put on her straw rain cape and prepared to go to the place where the victims of the flood were settled.

With the weather being hot and damp, it was easy to get infected by infectious virus.

Adviser Li ran over with the straw rain cape on his shoulder. “The carriage is ready.”

Su Muge nodded and walked out with the medical box she brought on her back.

The victims were settled in a shabby temple in the county which was still able to accommodate people.

Holding the medical box in her hand, Su Muge walked into the shabby temple. The victims, who were sitting on the ground, saw Su Muge coming and all looked at her.

Adviser Li walked up and told everybody, “Everyone, this the Lord Su of Shunyang prefecture.”

“Lord Su, Lord Su, please help us! Our village was flooded and nothing was left…”

“Yes, Lord Su, please, please save us…”

The victims were making kowtows to Su Muge one after another with excitement in their eyes.

“Lord Su, please help my grandson, he is dying!” An old lady with grey hair suddenly rushed out, grabbed Su Muge’s dress and cried in a hoarse voice.

“Please get up, everyone. The imperial court won’t leave you behind.”

Su Muge looked behind the old lady and saw a boy at the age of two or three lying on the ground.

“Old lady, don’t worry. I’ll have a look.”

She went to the child with the medical box on her back and squatted down. She reached out her hand and touched the child’s forehead, and found it was frightening hot.

She then checked the mouth and eyes of the child. “The child is having a fever and he needs to be treated immediately.”

A high fever could be very dangerous to a child. No matter what was the cause, the first step of the treatment was to cool the body of the patient.

“Adviser Li, go and find a clear room and take the child there.”

Many people had left Zhou county. Though almost nothing was left, there were plenty of available rooms. Adviser Li ordered his people to prepare for it immediately.

“Lord Su, how, how’s my grandson?”

“Don’t worry. My initial check indicates that the child is suffering from cold and fever. His illness needs to be further examined to be determined.”

The old lady just nodded her head with confusion, and her eyes on Su Muge could not move.

Soon, Adviser Li prepared the room ready.

Su Muge ordered them to carry the little boy carefully into the clean room prepared.

Then she asked all the people who were not feeling well to come out and arranged them to stay in different rooms in an organized way.

“Adviser Li, how many medicinal materials can be used in the county?”

“Medical, medical materials?” Adviser Li was a bit confused. My Lord, shouldn’t you be worried about how much food we have now!

“I, I don’t, don’t know…”

“Go and find out. Buy any medical material that can possibly be used.”

Su Muge turned and walked into the room without explaining more to Adviser Li.

Zhou county was not big itself. There were even fewer doctors in it. They had almost all run away because of the flood, let alone those who could treat a patient.

There were almost three rooms which were full of patients and Su Muge’s heart ached towards it.

She hadn’t expected that just after she turned around and entered the patient’s room, Adviser Li came back in a hurry!

Su Muge was the last to be interrupted when she was giving a treatment. She took a deep breath and looked at Adviser Li.

“You’d better have something really important to tell me!”

Adviser Li shuddered at Su Muge, whose face was cold as frost. “Lord, it is indeed important!”

“Yes?”

“The imperial court has sent people here to help us with the flood!”

Su Muge was a bit stunned. “What?”

“Yes, Lord. Now the Lord from the imperial court has arrived in the yamen. Please go back with me now!”

Su Muge did not move. “Which lord from the imperial court?”

“Lord Xia!”