Mid-August, the dry and wet rice crops ripened, marking the season of harvest.
Beside Taishou Lake, thousands of mu of fertile land carried the hopes of the eight prefectures of Yanzhou and the four prefectures of Xuzhou, and also embodied Cao Cao's aspirations for welcoming the Son of Heaven!
The sky was as scorching hot as ever, as if this drought would never end.
A dry climate, a drought season.
Suddenly, a northerly wind blew, and a dark cloud surged rapidly from the northern sky, accompanied by streaks of lightning and bursts of thunder.
In an instant, a fierce wind raged, dark clouds filled the sky, and then raindrops as large as beans began to fall, dripping onto the eaves and into the pavilions. Countless windows rattled loudly in the wind and rain.
All the common people, all the farmers, all the armored soldiers tilted their heads towards the sky...
Everyone stood stock-still in the rain, letting the water beat upon their bodies.
They shouted excitedly, crying out in high spirits, "The rain is here, the rain is here... the rain is finally here!"
This damned drought was finally over.
"Rumble!"
Another clap of thunder, deafening, and in an instant... the rain turned into a downpour, and with a "whoosh," the heavy rain poured down from the sky as if the heavens had collapsed.
The wind whipped the rain, like countless whips, lashing down fiercely. It was like a giant python leaping between the clouds, and a mighty thunderclap erupted. Da Feng Novel Network
"The rain is too heavy... hurry home!"
"Yes, if it rains all night like this, what then?"
"Who has straw hats?"
In the fields, the farmers who had been catching locusts scattered rapidly like birds and beasts... the rain was too intense.
...
The rain poured down!
The sky continued to roar, and the raindrops fell as if hundreds of thousands of arrows were descending from the heavens.
Gradually, the common people realized something was wrong... this wasn't just rain!
This was clearly like pouring hundreds of rivers down at once!
The wind howled, the thunder roared, and the sky seemed to shake violently. The dark clouds grew thicker, as if burning, spewing terrifying blue flames...
The rain grew heavier, and then with a "rumble," a bolt of lightning split an old tree.
The sky trembled, and the earth trembled with fear!
At this moment...
Many farmers near Chenliu Prefecture realized a problem: with such heavy rain, the Taishou River would surely overflow its banks, flood nearby ponds, and even breach the embankment, causing floods...
And would the thousands of mu of rice planted around these ponds be washed away?
This... this was the hope of all the people in Yanzhou and Xuzhou!
"Damn it..."
"If it keeps raining like this, all the rice will be washed away."
"Ai ya... ai ya!"
Groans came from every house, but their voices could not overcome the sound of the rain and thunder outside the windows!
This was the first heavy rain in the Central Plains since the scorching summer began this year!
It seemed to be a little later than usual, and much more violent than any time before.
...
Beside the Taishou River...
Xiahou Dun frowned tightly, and beside him, Dian Wei also knitted his brows.
More than ten days ago, Dian Wei had led the soldiers of the Dragon Soaring Camp here and informed Xiahou Dun of a message: Young Master Lu had predicted that the Taishou River would flood... asking him to prepare for flood control, reinforce the river embankment, and prepare sufficient sandbags to block any breaches in the Taishou River at any time.
It was fortunate that Dian Wei had delivered the message personally...
Xiahou Dun knew that Dian Wei was now the personal guard of his sworn brother. Since his sworn brother had sent Dian Wei personally, then... with the downpour, the prediction of the Taishou River flooding must be highly accurate!
But reinforcing river embankments was not as simple as talking about it.
Since his elder brother Cao Cao had taken control of Yanzhou, the Taishou River embankment had never been repaired. Xiahou Dun had a vague sense of foreboding!
All he could do was mobilize all his soldiers to rush to harvest the rice and prepare sufficient sandbags for emergencies.
In ancient times, there were no weather forecasts.
The judgment of the weather was mostly based on observing the sky from a tower, only able to see the weather changes within sight, and this... at most, could predict the weather within two hours.
Because of this, from the moment the signs of rain appeared, Xiahou Dun led his more than ten thousand armored soldiers to guard the river embankment, closely monitoring the changes in the water level of the Taishou River.
Many villagers near the Taishou River also came here. Their feelings were no different from Xiahou Dun's. They knew better what General Xiahou and these armored soldiers were protecting.
The rain grew heavier...
*Puff...*
The sound of heavy breathing was incessant!
Xiahou Dun stood on this side, and these villagers and farmers seemed to feel a bit more at ease. They stood tightly behind him, all wanting to lend a hand... to contribute!
Nearly twenty thousand people, including villagers and armored soldiers, were scattered on the great river embankment, all wearing straw raincoats.
The rain grew heavier, pouring down like a torrent. The rumbling thunder spread into bursts of lightning, making people instinctively feel startled. The lightning continued to crackle, shooting arrow-like flashes of lightning from the dense dark clouds towards the earth, towards every corner of the embankment.
"Damn it, I can't hear anything," Dian Wei roared forcefully, but in such a downpour, it was impossible to hear each other.
If there were any danger, only by beating gongs and drums could others realize it and rush to the scene of the breach at the first moment!
Looking at the tens of thousands of people on the embankment in good order...
Dian Wei couldn't help but sigh. Fortunately, the young master had predicted it in advance, and General Xiahou was also prepared. Otherwise... wouldn't this place be in chaos now?
Rainwater slid down Xiahou Dun's face. Although the embankment seemed to be holding up for now, he remained grim-faced. The rising water level made his heart clench.
At this moment, if he could, he really wanted to curse the heavens!
After finally surviving the drought and waiting for the dry and wet rice to mature, damn it, to have such heavy rain! If all this grain was washed away, for the next year... the people, farmers, and armored soldiers of Yanzhou would all go hungry!
Where else would there be so many locusts in the fields for people to catch?
Not to mention that his sworn brother was now planning great matters, and his elder brother intended to expand their territory. All of this was based in the rice fields behind Xiahou Dun!
The rain threads, "drip drip drip," pattered on his face and raincoat. It hurt... besides the pain, it was also cold. This rainwater seemed to be soaked with ten thousand years of ice.
"Damn it, my elder brother always said that heaven is not benevolent, all beings are dogs, saints are not benevolent, and the people are dogs. What use are these grand principles? Damn it, if I can protect these rice fields, then the heavens are dogs!"
Cao Cao used to like to teach these younger cousins some words of the sages...
However, how much they, like Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Cao Hong, could listen to was another story.
"Not good..."
Suddenly, the sound of gongs and drums echoed in his ears. Xiahou Dun and Dian Wei's faces both stiffened. "Has the embankment breached?" they asked in unison without thinking.
The next moment, both of them almost simultaneously moved their icy legs and rushed towards the sound of the gongs.
As expected... the heavy rain had indeed caused the Taishou River to flood. A section of the embankment could not withstand the impact of the flood and was instantly breached, creating an opening.
The surging Taishou River water rushed towards the embankment... where the terraced fields of dry rice were located.
Actually...
Xiahou Dun had prepared sufficiently. His armored soldiers immediately pushed the straw bags filled with soil into the breach, but the water flow was too rapid, and the straw bags were instantly washed away. The situation was not optimistic. If this opening could not be blocked, it would only become larger, and even flood into the adjacent rice fields...
*Puff...*
Xiahou Dun puffed out his cheeks, his brows furrowed. He exhaled heavily, cursing incessantly.
"I'll curse your ancestors!"
The rain cascading from the sky became increasingly cold. Xiahou Dun felt cold all over, his teeth chattering, but... compared to this cold, his heart was even colder.
The flood must not be allowed to inundate the rice fields. This was the hope that his sworn brother had finally brought to the Cao camp and Yanzhou!
Looking around, the eyes of the armored soldiers and farmers all showed infinite worry. In fact... this worry was growing stronger, about to converge into another emotion – despair!
After the great drought, even... even the last hope, the rice fields, even this grain, was about to be washed away? Was everything a dream?
*Thump...*
Xiahou Dun took a step forward. At this moment, he seemed to have made a decision.
He stepped forward, intending to jump into the river first.
Unexpectedly, Dian Wei had already taken a step ahead of him... with a "plop," he jumped into the river. This time... everyone, including Xiahou Dun, was stunned.
The next moment... Dian Wei stood up from the river. He was tall and stout, and he stubbornly stood his ground in the turbulent water with his body.
"What are you all standing there for? Dragon Soaring Camp, all of you, jump in!"
Although Dian Wei's roar was unclear...
But the next moment, one by one, the armored soldiers of the Dragon Soaring Camp also jumped into the water, not a single one hesitating.
"Quick, link your arms together!"
Even in the water, Dian Wei was still shouting, at this moment, he was like a god of war leading his brothers against the flood!
The Dragon Soaring Camp was well-trained. At Dian Wei's command, hundreds of people joined hands and formed a wall.
At this point, Xiahou Dun and the soldiers on the embankment finally understood. Dian Wei was leading the brothers of the Dragon Soaring Camp to form a human wall, using their strong arms to block the turbulent water flow.
Xiahou Dun also wanted to jump...
But his cousin Xiahou Lian grabbed him. "Elder brother... you can't jump! What if... what if..."
Xiahou Lian's eyes kept glancing at the breach. Who knew... how long the precarious river embankment nearby could last. Water and fire were merciless!
"Don't you see the Dragon Soaring Camp?" Xiahou Dun roared sternly. "What's wrong? Are my soldiers of Xiahou Dun inferior to the Dragon Soaring Camp?"
"Elder brother... you stay up here, I'll jump down!" Xiahou Lian still held Xiahou Dun's arm tightly.
Xiahou Dun glanced at Dian Wei. "If I don't jump? My soldiers? Who would dare to jump?"
Saying this, he shook off Xiahou Lian's shoulder and jumped into the river himself...
At this, the armored soldiers under Xiahou Dun also jumped in one by one. The water flow was turbulent... they struggled to stand firm, and then went to support those already somewhat unsteady Dragon Soaring Camp warriors.
The water grew more turbulent, the soil collapsed, and stones were mixed in the water...
Every impact was a gamble for life. Every time Dian Wei and the Dragon Soaring Camp warriors felt they were about to be swept away by the flood, there would always be a pair of strong hands behind them pushing them up, with immense strength!
This scene touched everyone on the embankment...
Not only the armored soldiers... but some strong farmers also jumped in, blocking the breach.
A person's strength might be limited, but with tens of thousands of people holding hands, heart to heart, this strength, even the merciless water and fire, could not shake it.
"You on the embankment, don't just stand there... throw the soil bags towards me!"
Xiahou Dun kept shouting. In this situation, he was not afraid at all, and even... commanded with composure!
After all... the prediction had been made more than ten days ago, and Xiahou Dun and his soldiers had made sufficient preparations, even... simulating many responses to breaches!
In an instant, countless straw bags filled with soil were thrown towards Xiahou Dun. Xiahou Dun and the soldiers in the river built these soil bags above the human wall, at the breach!
After more than two hours of intense fighting...
The breach in the embankment was finally sealed, and the turbulent river finally lowered its head, returning to its original course... flowing eastward.
Fortunately, the water level never overflowed the river embankment... this was already the greatest fortune in misfortune.
The rain subsided and the sky cleared. Throughout the night...
Including Xiahou Dun and Dian Wei, all the soldiers and farmers had tired faces, covered in mud and water, some with scars on their faces. They sat on the ground, exhausted, leaning on each other!
*Puff...*
Seeing that the rain was gradually weakening, Xiahou Dun did not forget to order.
"Everyone get up, victory is not yet ours. Come, let's reinforce the river embankment!"
Everyone propped themselves up with their hands and stood up with effort. Although exhausted, they looked back... and saw the rice fields that had not been destroyed by the flood, and their faces all broke into sunny smiles.
"Haha..."
Dian Wei also managed to force a smile.
"I'm so tired..."
"Haha..."
Relieved smiles emerged. After all, thanks to the young master's prediction, the Taishou River embankment had been fully prepared in advance. This August's rice would likely bring a great harvest, hahaha!
Dian Wei was busy laughing with his head down...
Xiahou Dun walked to his side, clenched his fist, and with his nearly exhausted and limp fist, gently punched Dian Wei's chest.
"Commander Dian, worthy of being the foremost tiger general under our sworn brother. You've got what it takes!"
Saying this, Xiahou Dun gave a thumbs-up to Dian Wei and every soldier of the Dragon Soaring Camp!
...
...
Yanzhou, Chenliu Prefecture, yamen.
Many people were gathered in the yamen at this moment...
Xun Yu, Xun You, Xi Zhicai, Mao Jie, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong. It could be said that except for Lu Yu, almost all the officials in Chenliu Prefecture were gathered here.
As for the reason, it was nothing else; the sudden downpour... cast a huge shadow over everyone's hearts.
"Lord Cao, the Taishou River embankment has not been reinforced for a long time. This heavy rain will definitely cause flooding, and the embankment being breached is almost a certainty! Lord Cao... you must make thorough preparations in advance!"
The speaker was Mao Jie. He was responsible for water conservancy and embankments within Yanzhou. No one knew better than him the chain reactions that heavy rain could cause.
"Can the rice fields by the Taishou River be saved?"
Cao Cao first asked his most pressing question...
"Difficult! Difficult!" With two "difficult" words in succession, Mao Jie's eyebrows were almost knitted into an inverted V. "The immediate priority is either to pray that the Taishou River embankment can withstand the impact of the flood, or... to rush to harvest the rice in advance."
The rice truly matured in late August, and it was only early August, still a bit early... perhaps the fullness of the grains would be greatly different, but... choosing the lesser of two evils, small grains were better than none!
"Is there a possibility that if the Taishou River breaches, General Yuanrang can block the embankment immediately?" Cao Cao asked again...
Every question he asked was crucial...
If it wasn't the last resort, he truly dared not order the rush harvest of the rice fields... who knew if rice harvested ten days early could be eaten?
He shook his head...
Mao Jie shook his head again: "Unless General Xiahou had made thorough preparations at the Taishou River in advance... otherwise, let alone the impact of the massive river at the time of the breach, that is a force that can destroy everything... even the soil bags, it would be impossible to prepare so many at once."
Speaking of this...
Xun Yu seemed to have thought of something. "Lord Cao... Mister Mao, it seems... that Commander Lu ordered someone to remind General Xiahou half a month ago to pay attention to flood control in August, could it be..."
Alas...
Before Xun Yu could finish speaking, Mao Jie waved his hands repeatedly. "Impossible! Even if Commander Lu reminded him, General Xiahou would definitely not believe it!"
"How could this be believed? It was clearly drizzling in July, so how could there be a torrential downpour and flooding in August? General Xiahou would not take it to heart... Lord Cao, the urgent matter is still... still to rush harvest the rice fields and recover losses!"
Saying this, Mao Jie's eyes darted uncontrollably outside the window...
The rain seemed to have lessened a bit, but it showed no signs of stopping.
"If Lord Cao does not give the order soon, then... then the breach will only get bigger, and once it floods into the rice fields, then... it will be too late!"
"Someone..." Cao Cao no longer dared to hesitate. "Pass the order, immediately command General Xiahou to rush harvest the rice fields, regardless of whether they are ripe, collect as much as possible! Also... Miaocai, Zilian, you two quickly lead your troops to Taishou Lake to reinforce!"
"Yes..."
Xiahou Yuan and Cao Hong answered in unison. This matter was of great importance, and no one dared to hesitate...
*Tap tap tap...*
Footsteps sounded, and a group of generals quickly left the place to mobilize troops for reinforcement!
A group of civil officials stood at the door, gazing up at the sky. Oh heavens, what a huge joke you are playing! Drought followed by great flood, who can withstand this!
Waiting...
For the time it takes an incense stick to burn, for two incense sticks, Cao Cao's eyes remained fixed, and his entire mood was in his throat!
Finally, after three incense sticks.
"Report... Urgent report from Taishou River!" A messenger hurried over. He was from Taishou River. He did not bring a bamboo slip.
To be precise, with such a torrential downpour, even if he brought a bamboo slip, it would surely be soaked, and the writing on it would be smudged.
Upon hearing the word "urgent report," Cao Cao and everyone else instinctively walked towards him.
The messenger knelt on the ground with a "thud."
"Lord Cao, the Taishou River embankment has breached..."
As soon as this sentence began, a huge stone hung in Cao Cao's and everyone's hearts...
At the same time, everyone's face turned exceptionally grim!
...
...