Day by day, the heavy rain never ceased. The waters of the Cang River grew increasingly terrifying. At this rate, Quelan County and dozens of surrounding counties would be submerged by its almost overflowing waters.
Two little girls, only seven or eight years old, naturally knew nothing. They just played inside the house, while the woman watched them tenderly.
"Mommy, I don’t want pancakes! I hate pancakes!" one girl frowned, clearly unhappy. "I like white steamed buns! I want white steamed buns!"
The woman in white smiled and patted her head. "Mommy will make them for you tomorrow... Be good now. Go to sleep."
In the midst of a bitter wind and driving rain, a procession could be seen moving slowly up the city’s main road towards the manor. The two stone lions at the gates stood in the downpour, appearing desolate and lonely.
Then came a bout of intense arguing, accompanied by the sound of something smashing.
After coaxing the two girls to sleep, the woman moved stealthily, treading lightly to a position behind the screen in the council hall, eavesdropping.
She had never seen the man with such an expression. His eyes blazed with rage as he furiously slammed a teacup from the low table onto the ground, glaring at the envoy.
CRACK— The sound, sharp amidst the roar of thunder, was particularly ear-splitting.
"Breach the dike?!" the man roared. "Has the new Emperor gone mad?! Ah? Are the people of Quelan County not human?! On what authority does she order the dikes breached? Why not the dikes of the dozens of surrounding counties? Does she not know how many people will die if this is done?!"
The envoy, pale-faced, bit his lip but stood resolute. "The New Emperor has decreed it. This is an order that must be obeyed, on pain of death! It must be done."
A natural calamity, a man-made disaster.
The man’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He visibly sagged, sinking into his chair as he stared at the Cang River, its waters surging monstrously.
He understood the reasoning behind it all. When the Cang River flooded, the most effective way to control the water was to breach the dikes in sparsely populated areas, preventing the inundation of more fertile land and more people. It was a choice made for the greater good, sacrificing a few to save many. Yet, why was the new Emperor’s heart so ruthless? The people in the areas where the dikes were breached were innocent. They would suffer immeasurably, with casualties numbering in the tens of thousands... And yet, he could only obey.
The relentless downpour continued. Over a thousand armored cavalrymen braved the storm on the official road. Rain streamed down their armor, but they remained impassive, silent and grim, their swords and halberds glinting menacingly. Apart from the relentless drumming of the rain, only the clash of armor and the thud of hooves broke the silence.
At their head was the same man. His eyes were vacant as he gazed at the nearly thousand commoners kneeling before him on the ground.
An old man, his long beard hanging to his chest, leaned on a cane. He shuffled closer, step by painstaking step, and knelt before the County Governor. "Your Excellency," he rasped, his voice hoarse, "I beg you, spare us a way to live. I am truly just an old bag of bones; I cannot bear to leave my home... This humble servant kowtows to you."
Blood mingled with the rainwater, staining the grass red.
The man looked at the elder, who was older even than his own father. His heart bled, but the order was absolute. What could he do in the face of it all?
Tears mixed with the torrential rain. He turned his back, his voice incomparably cold, allowing no refusal. "Advance! Breach the dike!" The rıghtful source is 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
The winding cavalry column advanced slowly through the curtain of rain. Behind them, a chorus of countless shouts and curses arose as families, young and old, resignedly abandoned their homes.
"Oh, heavens above..."
「The floodwaters destroyed fertile fields and homes, leaving only ruins behind.」
The white-haired woman gently wiped the tears from the corners of the man’s eyes. She had set up tents and, having spent their entire family fortune, was now distributing congee to the displaced refugees.
"Here’s your congee. Come back for more if it’s not enough..."
"Drink slowly, don’t burn yourself."
The waters of the Cang River gradually receded, but Quelan County was a shadow of its former self. The two little girls huddled by their mother’s side, handing bowls to the sallow-faced, emaciated people.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH— The sound of arrows flying through the air.
The commoners scattered in panic. An army, seemingly endless, advanced on Quelan County. These were the rebel forces that had already swept through half the province.
The new Emperor had only recently taken power, and rebellions had erupted in various provinces, compounded by numerous natural disasters. The land was plunged into deep suffering and widespread turmoil.
A large, scarred man at the head of the rebels raised his fist and bellowed, "Fellow people! This dog official, he actually breached the dike! Those willing to join us, let’s kill this dog official together... to avenge your dead children, your parents!!"
As the scarred man roared, a flicker of light ignited in the dull eyes of more and more commoners. It was not the light of hope, however, but the burning glint of hatred!
"Kill the dog official!"
"Kill the dog official!!!"
A black tide surged forward. How could this ruined city possibly withstand it?
A soldier, breathless, ran frantically to the middle-aged man. "Sir, you must leave now!" he gasped. "We can’t hold them back any longer..."
The man sat despondently in his chair, staring blankly at the land he knew so well—a land now ravaged first by flood, then by the flames of war.
A bitter smile touched his lips as he muttered to himself, I am a sinner... A sinner.
But had he done wrong? Had the new Emperor done wrong? Had the commoners done wrong? No, none of them were truly at fault. Then who, ultimately, was to blame?