Heavy rains poured down in Henan. After the breach at Shibao, over ten more levees gave way.
The raging river waters surged eastward, first destroying Zhongmu City, then engulfing over 100 villages and towns along its path. By the time Situ Yan arrived, the number of affected villages and towns had doubled. The government was too overwhelmed to provide relief, and refugees, desperate to survive, banded together, turning into bandits and forming a widespread menace.
Situ Yan encountered a band of these refugees the moment he arrived.
He had slain tens of thousands of bandits, but this time, he found himself unable to strike.
Those displaced bandits were too pitiful.
Barely clothed, starving, their faces sallow and thin, now drenched by the torrential rain—the word "wretched" was insufficient to describe them. Among them were hunched elders and infants in swaddling clothes. The moment these people saw the regular army of the court, they knelt and kowtowed. The weapons held by the able-bodied men clattered to the ground.
They were mere kitchen knives and long sticks.
The elders, women, and children began to approach, kowtowing and begging for food.
Their pleas were heartbreaking.
Situ Yan sighed, "Changdong, distribute some grain to them."
When he set out, the court had not yet allocated disaster relief funds. The grain was procured by Lu Nianfu for him, supplemented by donations from the Tiger Might Escort Agency, amassing a considerable quantity. However, the continuous heavy rain made transportation difficult, forcing them to proceed ahead of schedule, bringing only the elite troops and personnel from the Ministry of Works for disaster relief.
What he meant by distributing grain was only a portion of the dry rations they had brought themselves.
Meng Changdong's face showed his reluctance, but he still shook his head, "Your Highness, we cannot. They outnumber us. Our grain is not enough to distribute, and it will incite a frenzy of grabbing."
"It matters not. As they are, I can take on ten of them."
"But can you bring yourself to strike them?"
Situ Yan fell silent. After a long pause, he asked, "When will these refugees be resettled?" They were already starting to band together and rob; if left unchecked, they might soon resort to cannibalism.
The disaster had struck too quickly, and the number of refugees far exceeded estimates. All city gates were shut tight, and local officials dared not allow them entry.
This was because no place was equipped to receive them. When survival itself becomes a struggle, propriety and shame are cast aside. The city dwellers would inevitably suffer. Theft would be the least of it; he feared that with hunger driving them mad, they might launch raids, making the situation even more uncontrollable.
Meng Changdong avoided the eager pleas of the refugees. "Your Highness, rest assured. Once the grain arrives, the local prefects will make proper arrangements. With military enforcement within the city, a vacant area can be forcibly cleared to house the disaster victims, separating them from the regular populace. This will protect the refugees and prevent the city dwellers from being disturbed."
Situ Yan pondered for a moment, then loudly declared, "I am the imperial envoy for disaster relief of the court, Rui Wang Situ Yan. The court's disaster relief grain has arrived. You may queue outside the city. As long as you do not cause trouble, the local officials will allow you to enter the city."
"The grain has arrived?"
"Really?"
"We don't have to die?"
"A disaster relief envoy! The court finally cares about us."
"Oh, Heavens! This old woman has finally seen your eyes open."
...
Before Situ Yan left, he repeatedly guaranteed them, offering a glimmer of hope. The grain had arrived; they only needed to hold on for a few more days to survive. As for what came after survival, they couldn't consider it.
Living was already difficult enough; what lay ahead was an even greater luxury, and they could only take it one step at a time.
Moreover, hadn't the court intervened? Even if they couldn't be properly resettled, they would at least be given a way to live, wouldn't they?
Situ Yan's mood was extremely complex, but he had no time to dwell on it. He needed the precious personnel from the Ministry of Works to work as quickly as possible. Only by plugging the breaches in the Yellow River could the disaster be contained.
He discussed with Meng Changdong and others throughout the journey. Relief efforts and disaster relief had to proceed simultaneously. He only lamented that the heavy rains had made transporting grain more difficult; otherwise, porridge kitchens would have already been set up.
Lu Nianfu's diplomatic efforts had encountered some bumps but had managed to open up avenues. It was just a pity for her two young children at home. Their father was away, and their mother couldn't attend to them, so they had been with the wet nurse for days. Little Er was still too young to feel much, but Yao'er was not. His small, pouting lips could have held an oil pot.
On this day at noon, he sat by the doorway, propping his chin on his hand, gazing expectantly. No matter how much the wet nurse and maids pleaded, he refused to move, determined to wait there for his mother's return.
A small figure sat on the stone steps, looking utterly forlorn.
When Lu Nianfu returned home, it was past Weizheng (2 PM). The little one was still hungry, which broke her heart.
The next day, she canceled a banquet and stayed home to accompany him.
However, even at home, she had endless account books to pore over. Fortunately, Yao'er was well-behaved. While she handled her affairs, he sat quietly by her side. Nanny Xu, fearing he would be bored, suggested taking him to see his younger brother. He agreed, but he would frequently run back to check if Lu Nianfu was still there.
Ah, what a clingy child.
Lu Nianfu felt a pang of self-reproach. How long had it been since she had truly paid attention to these two little ones?