Chapter 983: Chapter 819: An Urgent Summons at Night

"Deal with the eunuch guarding Chengqian Palace tonight. That insolent fool."

The Emperor was seething with anger and naturally wouldn’t spare the life of that insolent servant.

De’an’s face tightened, and he felt even more apprehensive. Knowing that Xiao Yangzi wouldn’t survive the night, De’an didn’t dare plead for him.

With the recent water disaster in Changtian Prefecture, the Emperor was already furious. If De’an pleaded now, he’d only bring trouble upon himself.

After all, Xiao Yangzi foolishly provoked Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu is the Emperor’s favored aide, and everyone in the court knows how much the Emperor values him now.

Besides, submitting a memorial at this time definitely indicates a major event.

Xiao Yangzi, being so blind, is better dealt with sooner rather than later, to avoid implicating others in the future.

De’an sighed. The boy seemed quite clever initially, but he became arrogant just a few days after joining him.

Leaving Chengqian Palace, De’an discreetly glanced at Xiao Quanzi standing guard at the door and then walked away without looking back.

The Six Ministers and others, including Hu Maoshen, entered in single file. The officials were curious about what was happening, being summoned to the palace so late.

Especially because it was in the Emperor’s Chengqian Palace, his sleeping quarters. Normally, political discussions happen in the Imperial Study Room, making this situation unusual.

Some ministers, on their way, speculated wildly. Could it be that the Emperor had fallen ill and secretly summoned them?

The ministers exchanged looks and remained silent as they entered the palace.

Who would have thought they’d find the Emperor seated calmly?

Seeing the Emperor was well, Xia Qing’s eyes flickered. Then, casting a sidelong glance, he saw Gu Chengyu present, with the Crown Prince beside him.

"We ministers respectfully greet Your Majesty!"

"We ministers pay respects to the Crown Prince!"

"Rise, my beloved ministers! Summoning you so late is due to a water disaster in Changtian Prefecture in Jiangnan, downstream of the Tianya River. The river embankment has collapsed, flooding downstream villages. It is known that several hundred civilians have unfortunately perished, and the numbers may be higher pending investigation!"

The Emperor briefly explained the situation, marking it a time for brainstorming.

Gu Chengyu hurriedly saluted the officials and stepped aside.

"What? Your Majesty! The Tianya River’s embankment has burst? But we just received a water report?"

Minister of War Dai Yuanji was stunned to learn of the disaster, exclaiming in surprise.

"Hmph! A water report? I just received a report from Yingnan Mansion in Lijiang, yet the stricken Changtian Prefecture remained silent. The Magistrate there is Qian Hui Chun, how dare he hide such news?"

The Emperor was furious. Even Gu Chengyu knew of this, yet the court was kept in the dark.

Thinking he could get away with it just because of distance from the Capital?

If not for the report from Yingnan Mansion, he wouldn’t have believed Qian Hui Chun had such audacity.

With many senior officials present, Gu Chengyu refrained from speaking up boldly.

In truth, he thought Qian Hui Chun wouldn’t dare hide it deliberately; he might still be deliberating how to report.

There might be much to maneuver; if handled well, Qian Hui Chun might still save himself.

However, Gu Chengyu couldn’t possibly contradict the Emperor now. From the Emperor’s expression, he wouldn’t forgive Qian Hui Chun.

"Your Majesty, we currently only have the message delivered by carrier pigeon from Yingnan Mansion, and we’re unaware of the details. Without this information, it is hard to formulate a plan!"

Initially, a carrier pigeon was used to quickly deliver the news to the Capital. To get a detailed water report, it would take three to five days.

Given the distance from Changtian Prefecture to the Capital, even on horseback, it would take at least five to six days of continuous travel.

"Follow me to look at the map of the country!"

The Emperor considered that these officials were Capital officials and might not know Changtian Prefecture’s geography and river flows.

The national map was vast and might not have every river branch marked, but it was better than speaking without reference.

"Your Majesty! I combined the Crown Prince’s map with detailed notes from my steward about Changtian Prefecture. I’ve drawn another map, which I humbly present for your reference and for the ministers to consult."

When Gu Chengyu spoke, he drew everyone’s attention in the hall.

Among the senior officials of the third rank and above, a secondary fifth-rank official stood out conspicuously.

Gu Chengyu offering a map made him even more prominent.

"Oh? Excellent! De’an, quickly bring forth Gu Aiqing’s map!"

The Emperor inspected Gu Chengyu’s map closely, noting that its routes matched those on the national map.

While the national map lacked small details, Gu Chengyu’s version was indeed more comprehensive.

"I see that Gu Aiqing also has expertise in hydrology. Please share your insights with the ministers."

The Emperor gestured for Gu Chengyu to step forward, and Gu Chengyu did so without hesitation.

He pointed to several flood-prone regions in Jiangnan, saying, "Ministers, please look here. Changtian Prefecture lies downstream of the Tianya River, where the river branches are fewer, and the channel narrows. Many upstream tributaries feed into the river, creating a funnel shape, wide at the top narrow at the bottom."

Watching Gu Chengyu speak confidently, Xia Qing, though scornful, recognized the critical situation.

Any objections now would be dismissed by the Emperor. Thus, he stayed quiet, refraining from questions.

"If you pour grain into a funnel, the bottom can’t withstand the pressure—it either overflows or breaks the funnel. This is what’s happening with the Tianya River now. Downstream embankments couldn’t bear the weight and collapsed. Once breached, the area becomes like an open floodgate, with water rushing out."

While explaining, Gu Chengyu pointed out particularly risky areas to everyone.

"Once this area is flooded, downstream embankments will be affected, potentially repeating the catastrophe. The urgent matter is to evacuate riverside civilians to secure lives first. Though flooded, efforts must be made to contain the water within this area by rebuilding the embankments to prevent water diversion."

"Your Majesty! We’re uncertain of the disaster’s full scope, so precautions must be taken. But post-disaster civilian resettlement is a thorny issue." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Xia Qing didn’t want Gu Chengyu to dominate, so he quickly chimed in with his thoughts.

Gu Chengyu felt disdain. When the problem isn’t yet resolved, Xia Qing already talks of post-disaster matters—it’s essential to address the current crisis first!