Chapter 992: Chapter 828: Imperial Gold Medal, Imperial Sword

Gu Chengyu put aside the distractions in his mind. Whatever the case, the promotion was definitely a great advantage for him, so he quickly expressed his gratitude!

"I follow the imperial edict! I will do my utmost to handle this matter properly." Gu Chengyu felt somewhat troubled, but he did not feel any dread.

"Zhong Aiqing, go to the Ministry of Personnel now to handle this matter. Have Mr. Zhang from the Hanlin Academy personally draft the promotion document."

The Emperor wished Gu Chengyu could depart for Jiangnan immediately, but he also knew he had to allow some time for preparations.

He hesitated for a moment and pulled a token from his waist, "Gu Aiqing! This is the gold medal I bestow upon you. Seeing the gold medal is akin to seeing me! If you encounter local officials who refuse to cooperate, I command you to administer severe punishment. If necessary, act first and report later!"

Seeing this, Dean was so shocked that his hands trembled. This was the Emperor’s personal gold medal!

Gu Chengyu’s heart was filled with joy. With this gold medal, his task would be much easier. This gold medal was different from the one he had when he went to Hejian Prefecture; its authority was greater.

Subsequently, the Emperor ordered Dean to present the Imperial Sword to Gu Chengyu as well. Even someone as calm as Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but feel excited at this moment.

However, shortly after his excitement, he thought of something.

"Your Majesty, earlier Mr. Hu went to Jiangnan as an imperial envoy with officials. Now I am also going as an imperial envoy..."

Everyone present understood the unspoken meaning of Gu Chengyu. Actually, there was no need to ask. With the emperor’s bestowed gold medal and the Imperial Sword, when he arrived in Jiangnan, the officials would not need telling whom to listen to.

However, Hu Maoshen left before Gu Chengyu; he might have already arrived in Jiangnan.

People tend to adhere to first impressions, so when Gu Chengyu goes as an imperial envoy, those officials might hesitate, unsure whom they should obey. After all, they can’t afford to offend either of the envoys!

Moreover, Gu Chengyu’s rank is ultimately lower than that of Hu Maoshen. When they meet, it would be inappropriate for Gu Chengyu to act too haughtily as a fellow envoy.

"I will write a letter personally, which you will deliver to Hu Aiqing! For this disaster in Jiangnan, you will oversee the whole situation, and Hu Aiqing’s role is to assist you. Just proceed with your tasks freely!"

With the Emperor’s promise and such assurances, Gu Chengyu gained much confidence for his expedition to Jiangnan.

Usually, when the court sends an imperial envoy to inspect local areas, they often accompany a military general. If an accident happens, wouldn’t it be a loss for the court? Besides, sending another envoy incurs trouble and delays important matters.

But the Emperor either forgot or purposely omitted this time. Gu Chengyu naturally wouldn’t bring it up since he knew martial arts, so he didn’t need a military general to accompany him.

Having outsiders involved would inevitably make his work restrictive.

Gu Chengyu selectively forgot, and surprisingly no minister in the Taihe Palace mentioned it.

Earlier, they had been arguing about whether Gu Chengyu should be promoted, but at this moment, they had ambiguous feelings towards him, naturally refraining from stirring more trouble.

To describe the sentiment accurately, it was jealousy. But would those officials admit it? Certainly not!

...

"How is it, dear? Are those villages really all flooded?"

Inside a farmhouse, a woman holding a child with one hand tugged at a man’s sleeve with the other, anxiously asking.

"Dead! All dead! Those drowned villages are submerged up to the rooftops. When I went to check, there was no sign of any village, only water everywhere. Many were crying on the riverbank, but none emerged from the water; they must all be dead!"

The man’s expression was excited yet fearful. When he went to see, those shouting on the bank were deeply saddened.

These people had relatives swallowed by the river; on the vast water surface, only various pots and pans floated.

"What? What about my older sister’s house? Where are they? Did you see?" The woman panicked upon hearing this.

The man shook his head, his expression sorrowful, then wrapped his arm around the woman’s shoulder.

"Ah! Sister! Bao Gen!" The woman was overwhelmed with grief, tugging at the man’s sleeve, crying to the point of nearly fainting.

"Stop crying, quickly pack up, we need to leave here first."

The man couldn’t afford to mourn for his drowned relatives at the moment; in the face of life and death, preserving his and his family’s lives was more important.

The woman looked up, shocked, "What? Are we leaving here?"

"Yes! Did you see how the river embankment collapsed suddenly? Who knows if our village might be next? It’s better to pack up early and leave."

"But we only have five silver taels. How far can we go?"

The household had only so much grain; even if made into flatbread, it wouldn’t last long.

Once there’s no grain, they need to buy with silver, but what can five silver taels buy?

"We can figure that out later, just leave here first. The village chief said we all head north, to Hangtian Prefecture for shelter. If there’s no grain, we’ll seek help from the government. Would the government ignore us?"

Saying this, in fact, the man wasn’t very sure. The village chief said everyone should head north. When the number of refugees grows, even if the government wants to ignore, it can’t.

The man urged his wife to pack up valuables, then took a sorrowful glance around the house.

Min Feng hurriedly knocked on Hu Maoshen’s door. They were currently staying at an inn in Yingnan Mansion.

Hu Maoshen had just opened the door when he found Min Feng’s anxious face outside. Of course, he knew why Min Feng had come!

"Mr. Hu! I heard the riverside in Changtian Prefecture broke again, the situation is severe. Is this true?" Min Feng followed Hu Maoshen into the room and immediately asked urgently.

Hu Maoshen frowned. He had already dispatched people to gather information, just as Min Feng described it.

"I dispatched people just now to inquire, the information they obtained matches what you said, the situation does not look optimistic!"

This matter had already spread in the entire Yingnan Mansion, discussed everywhere.

Yingnan Mansion wasn’t far from Changtian Prefecture, so the people of Yingnan Mansion could easily get the news.

Plus, Yingnan Mansion also bordered the Tianya River. When people learned about the disaster in Changtian Prefecture, they became extremely fearful.

They feared that the embankment at Yingnan Mansion might collapse as well, leading to a disaster for all residents.

Recently, people spontaneously organized themselves, selecting strong laborers to wait outside the government office for assignments from the county magistrate or Lord Prefect.

This wasn’t the time to haggle over wages; it concerned the lives of all city residents. No one wanted to be devoured by the river like those in Changtian Prefecture.

"Mr. Hu! What should we do now? Should we still go to Changtian Prefecture?" Min Feng wondered how they could proceed when even the government office was flooded.

Hu Maoshen felt the matter was extremely tricky; his mind was muddled with no good solutions.