Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C273. Not Too Late.

Chapter 273: Not Too Late

Half a day passed, and the torrential rain showed no sign of stopping.

Yu Tao rushed in without his raincoat on and reported, "Leader, Miss, the river water is rising very fast. The two lines that retreated earlier have risen again."

Just half a day... Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi exchanged a glance. "Any news from Wuxing?"

"The rain is too heavy, he went to the mountains. He said he will try to finish the work as soon as possible."

"Even if it's done, it might be too late. That thing can't get wet, but right now, the one thing we have in abundance is water." Hua Zhi shook her head slightly as she looked at the dry river channels on the sand relief map. She realized she had been too simplistic in her thinking. Things in the world never go as smoothly as planned.

However, Gu Yanxi smiled, "It's not late, Ah Zhi. Whenever this thing is completed, it's not too late."

Hua Zhi's mind buzzed for a moment, realizing that she had underestimated Gu Yanxi. While she only thought of using this thing to open up the river, Gu Yanxi had already thought further ahead, like...war.

In this era without modern weaponry, she couldn't imagine the impact this thing's emergence would have. She might become a criminal.

Gu Yanxi was startled and approached, softly calling out, "Ah Zhi?"

Hua Zhi looked up, wanting to ask Gu Yanxi what he intended to do with this, but she hesitated to instigate war. Ultimately, she just shook her head and looked down at the mountains and rivers on the sand relief map.

How could she have forgotten; this was the Gu family's territory, and her boyfriend currently held power far surpassing that of the prince.

Gu Yanxi gestured to dismiss everyone else, pulling Hua Zhi gently closer to her chest. "No one likes war, but only through war can we stop it. The Daqing Dynasty is currently facing internal and external threats. The prince is ambitious but lacks the ability to support his ambitions. The external relatives want more power, the emperor's suspicions grow each day, and his courage weakens. The surrounding countries have shown signs of expansion after years of recovery, with the Daqing Dynasty having the most fertile land and prosperous cities. All of this will inevitably attract their attention. Ah Zhi, beneath the appearance of peace, the Daqing Dynasty is not stable. If this black powder truly has the power you say it does, I need it to protect the territory and people of my Daqing Dynasty."

Gu Yanxi gently kissed Hua Zhi's forehead without leaving a trace. "I know you dislike war, Ah Zhi. I'm sorry."

What else could Hua Zhi say?

Between being the aggressor and the one being aggressed upon, she naturally preferred to be the aggressor. While she would bear the guilt, it was better than becoming a citizen of a fallen country. Being the oppressor is still better than being oppressed – she could view it as the repayment for enjoying the wealth and prosperity of the Daqing Dynasty for so many years.

Thinking of repaying a favor with a man, Hua Zhi sighed softly. Who said being in a high position was better?

Her grandfather was exiled, her boyfriend worried for the country and the people, and even those few princes whose eyes only held the throne were not at peace for even a day, fearing that the other might ascend and have them killed. Living in the lower echelons as an ordinary citizen didn't seem worse in comparison.

"I alone cannot change the course of history. Everything appears when it is meant to appear." If it weren't for needing to open the river, she wouldn't have remembered this thing.

She only knew the materials needed for black powder, not the specific ratios. Even if she were tasked to grind the ingredients bit by bit, being completely clueless, she probably wouldn't be able to do it.

She inexplicably came to this world, perhaps because this world needed her?

Hua Zhi reassured herself with a wry smile in her heart, but she couldn't seem to make herself feel any lighter.

In the sound of the rain, the two of them huddled together. Gu Yanxi felt guilty and couldn't help but want to tell Ah zhi more, "The Chaoli tribe is a brave people. It is precisely because of their bravery that they have always disdained playing tricks, but this trip to Yuzhou revealed that they had been plotting for years. If Haoyue didn't create the Seven Star Cult to lure me and discover that Yuan Shifang is a Chaoli tribe member, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

As he wished, Hua Zhi stopped thinking about black powder and continued the conversation, "Since Haoyue knew that Yuan Shifang is a member of the Chaoli tribe, she probably also knows about more than just him."

"Before coming here, I had Chen Qing return to Yuzhou to make contact with Haoyue and extract as much information as possible. I don't trust her." It was an intuition; Haoyue was definitely not harmless. If he could meet the conditions, he would, but he feared that she wanted something that the Daqing Dynasty couldn't provide.

"I won't put all my hopes on her, and the Seven Star Cult has existed for many years, so surely they can dig up some information." Sitting down and holding her hand, Gu Yanxi poured water for Ah Zhi and continued, "We have always been cautious of the Chaoli tribe, but Yuan Shifang's appearance has brought all the caution to reality. The governor of a province turning out to be an enemy of the state is a severe warning to the Daqing Dynasty."

As Hua Zhi drank her tea, her mind was still on Haoyue. For some reason, this person intrigued her. She always felt... she might have set her sights on her boyfriend.

Gu Yanxi looked at the rain outside and wanted to chat with Ah Zhi and drink tea, but he knew he only had a brief moment like this to himself.

Pouring her more water, Gu Yanxi said, "I'll handle the affairs outside. You rest well. You can't afford to lose more weight. You've slimmed down even more in such a short time after coming out again. Going back and then up north, Master Hua will be so upset to see you."

"I'm lazy to take care of myself when you're around."

Gu Yanxi caressed her cheek. This person always made him want more.

*

If Hua Zhi was the backbone of their operation, Gu Yanxi was their anchor. His arrival immediately tipped the balance of the stalemate.

The officials of the Daqing Dynasty feared the Seven Star Bureau, but their disdain for women ran deep. County Magistrate Chen Hong, for example, outwardly respected Shao Yao but secretly caused trouble for her because she took away his power of speech. Shao Yao was irritated but couldn't do anything. She couldn't reprimand everyone, so she left Xu Yangjun to handle errands.

These issues were no problem for Gu Yanxi. He took direct control of the government office, placing his people in various positions. With orders issued from the top down without any compromise, in just half a day, he had relocated all the people in the low-lying areas along the river to higher ground and activated all flood prevention measures in Xiangyang. His firm and decisive actions silenced the disgruntled murmurs of the people, making them all obedient regardless of their previous complaints.

The following day, after the rain subsided, he forcefully ordered all the laborers to continue dredging the river. However, he also opened the granary to provide them with dry meals and a piece of meat each.

While the meat was small, such treatment was unprecedented in countless dynasties. The grumbling turned into strength, and their work pace quickened significantly.

"It’s still too slow," Gu Yanxi sneered. "Post a notice: anyone who is willing to participate in dredging the river will be fed and given a piece of meat. As for the money to buy the meat…" He sneered, "County Magistrate Chen is quite wealthy, it seems. I’ll just requisition it for now."

———TN:
Almost there, I'll post it when it's ready.