PCA Chapter 128

The mountain path was indeed treacherous, with steep cliffs right beside the narrow trail. The widest part was barely ten feet, and the narrowest allowed only one person and a horse to pass, pressed against the wall. The path was slippery, and one misstep could lead to a stumble. Halfway through, the horses refused to go further. Su Cen tore a piece of clothing into strips and wrapped them around the horses’ hooves, allowing them to continue.

 

At one point, a cliff had collapsed, leaving a gap several zhang wide. Going back would take too much time, so Su Cen gritted his teeth, spurred his horse, and leaped across, landing just inches from the edge, breaking out in a cold sweat.

 

Qu Ling’er and one official made it safely, but the other official had an accident. He had almost reached the other side when the cliff edge gave way, and he slid down. Fortunately, Qu Ling’er reacted quickly, pulling him up, but the horse fell into the abyss, meeting its end instantly.

 

The official, once pulled up, was soaked through, sitting on the ground for a while to recover.

 

Su Cen felt guilty but was also in a hurry. He suggested leaving the two officials there to rest and meet up in Xuzhou later, promising not to make things difficult for them when it came to rewards.

 

The official who had fallen shook his head, deciding to continue. They had come this far; there was no turning back. Traveling together would provide mutual support.

 

So, Su Cen and Qu Ling’er shared a horse, giving the other to the official, and they continued their journey without stopping.

 

Further along, the path widened, and signs of human habitation appeared. Su Cen, looking at the flooded fields and houses reduced to rooftops at the foot of the mountain, frowned and asked the officials, “What place is that?”

 

One official rode forward. “That’s Cao Village, where the initial breach occurred. The northern flow was cut off, causing the river to shift south, destroying countless fields. The village is essentially ruined. Even if the flood recedes, the houses, having been submerged for so long, are uninhabitable.”

 

Su Cen asked further, “This village looks like it had over a hundred people. Where have the villagers gone?”

 

The official scratched his head. “I’m not sure about that.”

 

Su Cen nodded. “Make sure to report this accurately when we return. The relief funds must be distributed to the villagers without any shortfall.”

 

The official nodded in agreement, feeling a newfound respect for this young imperial envoy. In recent years, the court had been rife with factional struggles, with officials fighting over money and power. Those truly willing to work for the people were rare. As minor officials, they didn’t benefit much, but they had seen their superiors engage in petty corruption. Seeing someone like Su Cen, who was like a clear spring in a murky pond, made even the moldy rations they had been eating seem less unpalatable.

 

As he was lost in thought, suddenly there was a thunderous sound. Before he could realize what was happening, he heard Su Cen shout, “Move back!”

 

Looking up, he froze in shock!

 

Above them, rocks and sand came tumbling down in a torrent. Clearly, the mountainside had been saturated by rain for too long, loosening the rocks and causing a landslide!

 

The horses, startled, neighed loudly and scattered in all directions. Mud and water mixed with rocks, bearing down with overwhelming force, instantly engulfing everyone.

 

In the chaos, Qu Ling’er felt someone push him, causing him to fall from his horse. His head slammed hard against the rock face, but this also allowed him to avoid the initial wave of the landslide.

 

The next moment, he saw his brother Su, man and horse together, swept down into the bottomless ravine!

 

Sixty li away, in Xuzhou City

 

Boats shuttled back and forth, searching for possible survivors. Though buildings had collapsed and devastation was everywhere, there was no scene of widespread misery and desolation.

 

Li Shi arrived in Xuzhou on the second day of the seventh month. After one glance at the water levels outside the city walls, he immediately ordered the evacuation of the city’s residents to temporary shelter on Mount Qifeng outside the city.

 

Thanks to Prince Ning’s foresight, when the Yellow River breached its banks on the night of the fourth, casualties were minimal. Most people had been moved to Mount Qifeng, with only a small number of stubborn elders refusing to leave.

 

When the river broke through, Li Shi was in the city trying to persuade those remaining few.

 

Su Cen had not been wrong – Prince Ning would not leave until the last person was safe.

 

At the critical moment, Li Shi led all the remaining citizens in the city to the high ground of Xima Terrace. Almost the instant they reached the top of the city wall, floodwaters entered the city, instantly submerging all of Xuzhou.

 

It wasn’t until the afternoon of the next day that the Xuzhou prefect Liang Fang sent boats. By then, the report of the flood breach and Prince Ning’s unknown whereabouts had already been dispatched.

 

A thousand li apart, Li Shi could do nothing now. He wasn’t worried about the court; even if there was temporary chaos, things would settle once they learned he was safe.

 

What he worried about was that person.

 

He had already angered him by leaving the capital without notice, and now with this incident, he truly couldn’t predict how Su Cen would react.

 

Su Cen had never disappointed him, but it was precisely because of this that he repeatedly put himself in danger, disregarding his own life and getting hurt.

 

If he had known, that night before leaving, he should have disciplined him properly. Whether by threats or enticements, he should have made him swear not to leave Chang’an. If nothing else worked, it would have been better to leave him unable to get out of bed for ten days or half a month.

 

Li Shi sighed almost imperceptibly. Noticing someone enter, he collected his thoughts and looked at the newcomer.

 

This was a temporary palace on Mount Qifeng, built during the reign of the previous dynasty’s Daye Emperor. Because of this, although no emperor had ever visited, it was built with extreme luxury, even considered one of Xuzhou’s scenic spots. It was thanks to the Daye Emperor’s extravagant ways that the people of Xuzhou were not left exposed to the elements.

 

Wealth taken from the people now returned to the people – it could be considered a full utilization of resources.

 

The newcomer was Qi Lin, who had just finished taking inventory of the palace’s personnel and supplies. He came to report: “The palace has 20,000 shi of grain in storage. Adding the 100,000 shi brought from Xuzhou, it’s enough to feed the people here for a month.”

 

“It’s not enough,” Li Shi said. “We need to plan for the long term. If the floods don’t recede in a month, these hundred thousand people can’t just starve. Order grain to be requisitioned from Huaibei, Suzhou, Jiangnan, and other areas. Also prepare cotton clothes and quilts for when the weather turns cold. There should be no one left in Xuzhou city now, expand the search and rescue area. Any citizens affected by the flood in surrounding areas should be brought here. If there’s not enough space, we’ll find a solution, but we can’t abandon any innocent civilians.” He nodded slightly, touching the ring on his hand. “Go now.”

 

Qi Lin accepted the orders but hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “We just received a letter from Chen Ling saying that Lord Su and Ling’er have already left the capital, ordered by the young emperor to come investigate the Xuzhou embankment situation in detail.”

 

Li Shi’s hand stopped moving, his heart inexplicably tightening. Looking out at the vast expanse of water where Xuzhou city used to be, he finally said after a long while, “I understand.”

 

The rain was still falling. Su Cen first woke up from the pain – his entire body ached, as if he had been torn apart. His mouth was full of grit. After coughing twice, he dared not move again. Looking around, he found himself on a pine tree growing horizontally out of the cliff face. Every movement made the branches shake violently, and there was no guarantee when it might snap.

 

The abbot of Caotang Temple had not been wrong – his luck truly was poor. To encounter a landslide right above his head was a rare occurrence. With the heavens working against him, where could he go to argue his case?

 

He carefully tried moving his arms and legs. They still had feeling, so they must all still be there, just in extreme pain. For the moment, he couldn’t tell which part hurt the most.

 

After some thought, he decided against moving further. Suspended halfway up the mountain, he couldn’t climb like a monkey. Even with all his limbs intact, what good would it do? In the end, starving to death would be worse than falling to a quick death at the start.

 

Su Cen half-closed his eyes, letting the rain wash over him. His only regret was not being able to see that person one last time before dying.

 

But he was too exhausted. Perhaps the continuous journey had drained all his strength, or maybe he had already lost his soul when he learned of Li Shi’s uncertain fate. He had been running on his last reserves to get this far. From the moment he entered Chang’an, he had been chasing after that person. Now, finally, he could chase no more.

 

Dying in a place where you are – that’s enough for me to die without regrets.

 

Su Cen rarely had such a beautiful dream. In the dream, on a warm spring night behind bed curtains, he leaned against that person’s chest, recounting his journey. When he spoke of being swept down the cliff, that person’s handsome brow furrowed slightly. He lifted Su Cen’s chin, gazing at him with deep, profound eyes.

 

Those eyes saw through him so completely that he dared not meet their gaze. Smiling, he hid in that person’s embrace. “I’m tired. I want to sleep.”

 

That person sighed, “If you sleep, how will I sleep in the future?”

 

As the scent of sandalwood on that person grew stronger, Su Cen first clenched his jaw, tasting bitterness. Then, with that person’s seemingly nonexistent caresses, he finally broke down and began to sob.

 

But what could he do? He didn’t want to die either. He wanted to keep making calming incense for that person, to sleep in his arms day after day. But what could he do? What could he possibly do?

 

“Don’t be afraid, Zixu, don’t be afraid,” that person pressed a cool kiss to his forehead. “I’ll send someone to rescue you.”

 

In the haze of his consciousness, Su Cen vaguely heard a sound. After struggling for a long time, he managed to open his waterlogged eyes, only to see two small heads peering at him. One of them exclaimed with joy, “Brother Huzi, this one’s still alive!”

 

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