"No... Still no! ”

Zhu Youzhen paced back and forth in the earthquake shed, and from time to time he came up with such a half-sentence without a beginning or an end. Rui'er and the others knew that he was thinking about the problem, and no one dared to come forward to disturb him.

In the end, Qiu Lina couldn't hold it back, and stepped forward and asked softly, "Lord Wang, what are you talking about?" ”

Only then did Zhu Youzhen stop, and said with a long sigh: "Time is tight, the task is heavy, and there are not enough people!" The water level of the dammed lake is rising all the time, and the danger is increasing, and the flood must be discharged immediately. However, it takes a lot of manpower to dig up the collapsed mountain. And what is most lacking right now is people! ”

"Isn't there 800 workers in the Jingyang Merchant Gang?" Qiulina said suspiciously.

Zhu Youzhen smiled bitterly and said: "The main body of the dam is all mountain stones, and some stones are as long as several zhang and weigh up to 10,000 catties. If it's 8,000 workers, it's about the same! Moreover, we are not just digging up the dammed lake, for the flood has been accumulated for a long time, and once it pours down, the river will not be able to contain it. How to control the water potential, this is even more important! ”

Qiulina was silent for a moment, then suddenly muttered, "The dam of this dammed lake is like a strong fortress. In the place where I was born, there was only one way to deal with the fortress, and that was to bombard it with cannons! ”

"That's right!" Zhu Youzhen's eyes suddenly lit up, and he hugged Qiu Lina excitedly and laughed, "How did I forget this!" Although there are no cannons at the moment, but with gunpowder to collapse the mountain, the reason is the same! You've done me a great favor! ”

"Lord Wang, you hurt me!" Qiulina struggled to break free, but she was panting slightly and her face was flushed.

Zhu Youzhen also smiled embarrassedly: "What, I got carried away for a while, I'm embarrassed!" Send someone to invite Master Sun here! ”

Not long after, Sun Chuanting arrived in a hurry. Zhu Youzhen asked straight to the point: "How much gunpowder is stored in Jingyang County?" ”

Sun Chuanting was stunned when he heard this: "There is a firearms and ammunition depot in the county, but there are only a few Franco cannons and dozens of bird guns in the depot, and there is no gunpowder. ”

"Whatever!" Zhu Youzhen was taken aback and said, "No gunpowder? Without gunpowder, those guns are still a fart? ”

"There were several boxes of gunpowder." President Sun Chuanting sighed and said, "However, due to negligence in management on weekdays, those boxes were soaked by the rain and could not be used at all." ”

"It's really a chain drop at a critical moment!" Zhu Youzhen was so angry that he beat his chest.

Sun Chuanting said in surprise: "Your Highness, what are you looking for gunpowder to do at this moment?" ”

"We're not understaffed right now!" Zhu Youzhen said bitterly, "Originally, I had thought about letting the workers use the huge cracks caused by the earthquake and directly transform them into canals. Then at the end of the canal, dig more big pits like the one next to the Qinwangzhuang brick factory.

"When the canal is almost dug and the water level of the dammed lake is close to the limit. At this time, we first opened a diversion channel on the dam, and then used gunpowder to blow the top of the dam a little, so that the lake water slowly flowed down the diversion channel into the Jinghe River, and then injected into the channels along the channel, and finally reached the big pits, which became an artificial lake. In this way, the water potential can be greatly relieved. When the water level of the dammed lake dropped, we not only survived this difficulty, but also completed the originally planned irrigation canal at the same time, which is not a good thing to kill two birds with one stone! It's a pity that it's stuck on the gunpowder! ”

Sun Chuanting listened carefully, and said excitedly: "Your Highness, your method is absolutely feasible!" Although there are no explosives in Jingyang County, there must be plenty of ammunition in Xi'an City. We can ask the prefect of Xi'an and the governor of Shaanxi, and if they don't give it, we can go directly to the governor of the three sides! ”

"Good! I will immediately revise the book to explain the benefits and disadvantages, and you send people to these officials separately, so you must get the gunpowder as soon as possible! "Zhu Youzhen is like a life-saving straw.

As soon as Sun Chuanting left, Zhu Youzhen immediately gathered all the manpower of the Jingyang Merchant Gang, and temporarily hired more than 2,000 people from the people, and the total number of people had reached 3,000, which was basically the limit of the manpower he could use.

Before the gunpowder arrived, he arranged for the 3,000 men to dig the canal. Because of the huge changes in the surface caused by the earthquake, there are large cracks and collapsed craters everywhere, and the task is very simple, just connect these openings and craters and widen them a little.

Zhu Youzhen has slightly changed the route of the original canal, and basically still takes care of every village. At this time, he couldn't wait for Sun Chuanting to confirm, Zhu Youzhen immediately made a decision and started construction immediately!

Since he didn't know how long the dammed lake could last, Zhu Youzhen really risked his life this time. After he arranged the workers to each section, he led all the members of the Qin Wangfu to devote themselves to the excavation of the earthwork. Even Princess Rui'er, Qiu Lina and others also went into battle with shovels, and only Bao Yulian, as the only doctor, was busy in the medical hall.

The work progressed rapidly, and by dusk dozens of canals were beginning to take shape. Even if the dammed lake is bubbling up now, these canals can already serve as a flood discharge. In the following days, as long as the flood peak did not come, the workers continued to widen and deepen the canal.

As for the original idea of laying bluestone in the canal to prevent seepage, the conditions are not allowed now, so it can only be done temporarily. Fortunately, it was easy to intercept the flow of water from the canal, and the work was left for the future.

Zhu Youzhen was working bare-chested, and Sun Chuanting came in a hurry, and gave him a basin of cold water in the first sentence: "Xi'an refuses to provide gunpowder!" ”

"Why? Don't they take the lives of the common people seriously? Zhu Youzhen was so angry that the green tendons on his head burst out, "I want to hear what they say!" ”

"The prefect pushes the governor, and the governor pushes the governor." Sun Chuanting also said angrily, "When I got to Yang He, the governor of the three sides, he said that since the river has been dammed into a lake, it is better to strengthen the lake dam first, and Xu Tu has a long-term plan." Gunpowder is a weapon of the country and should not be used lightly. If the thieves take advantage of the disaster to attack, there are no cannons in Xi'an City, and he can't afford to pay this responsibility. Even if you want to use it, you have to play it in the imperial court, and you can only call it when the military department arrives. ”

"I'm going to him!" Zhu Youzhen finally said angrily, "Still waiting for thieves!" As soon as the dammed lake burst, Xi'an City was washed away, and he kept the gunpowder and a dog egg to use! also played the imperial court, and when the will of the imperial court came back, the daylily was cold! ”

"Your Highness...", Sun Chuanting wanted to speak and stopped.

"Lord Sun, but it doesn't hurt to say it!" Zhu Youzhen threw away the shovel with a snort, and sat on the ground with his ass.

Sun Chuanting finally mustered up the courage and said: "The lower officials are also negligent in a hurry. If it weren't for you repairing the book and asking for gunpowder, it might have been better! ”

"What do you mean?" Zhu Youzhen said in surprise, "I'm a prince anyway, don't I have a bigger face?" Could it be that this Yang He has a grudge against this king, or is it also Wei Zhongxian's person? ”

"Definitely!" Sun Chuanting smiled bitterly, "This Yang He Yang Xiuling is not a member of the eunuch party. He is a native of Wuling, Hunan, known as Qingwang, and was admitted to the Jinshi in the thirty-second year of Wanli. Initially awarded Luonan Zhi County, after just more than ten years, that is, successively served as the imperial history, the two Huai salt law, Guizhou patrol and other positions, and has now progressed to the right of the military department, which can be described as a prosperous official luck. Because of his great fame, even Wei Zhongxian was afraid of him. However, this person has always been pedantic, and this time he refused to provide gunpowder, I am afraid that it is to prevent His Highness from using gunpowder to plot misdeeds..."

Zhu Youzhen suddenly realized, and said with a smile: "I'm about to feed Wang Ba, do you still have the heart to rebel?" Besides, just that bit of broken gunpowder, if you really want to rebel, you can use it again! ”

Sun Chuanting also shook his head and sighed: "Xiaguan has also repeatedly told Governor Yang about the severity of the disaster and the harm of the dammed lake. However, when Governor Yang saw His Royal Highness's handwritten letter, he was a little preconceived, and no matter what the lower officials said, he refused to believe it. ”

"Alas! It's bad for me! Zhu Youzhen was very remorseful and slapped his forehead vigorously.

Sun Chuanting hurriedly said, "Your Highness doesn't have to be too discouraged. There is another way to pass the court, but I am not very sure, and I don't know whether to talk about it or not. ”

"Lord Sun, but it doesn't hurt to talk about it!" Zhu Youzhen said urgently, "We only have one percent chance now, and we must do our best 100 percent!" ”

"Although gunpowder in Xi'an is not available, we can also try other nearby cities." Sun Chuanting muttered, "Like the Tongguan guarding He Renlong, there must be a large amount of gunpowder in his hands. The lower officials heard that He Renlong was greedy and cruel, and often engaged in acts such as eating empty salaries and reselling military rations and ordnance. It's better for us to go off the rails and try our luck with him. ”

"Do you want He Renlong to sell gunpowder to us?" Zhu Youzhen was stunned for a moment by this unbelievable idea, but then raised his big finger appreciatively and said, "High! It's really high! Since Lord Sun became the magistrate of Jingyang, the level of this official is very good! Although this trick is a bit rogue, in the current situation, it is also the fastest way to achieve results! ”

Sun Chuanting smiled embarrassedly: "The officialdom is so dark, His Royal Highness's sentence 'To deal with hooligans, you must use hooligan methods', Chuanting has always kept in mind!" ”

"In that case, then it will be hard for Lord Sun to hurry up and go to Tongguan!" Zhu Youzhen said, "My lord has had a relationship with He Renlong, and he may be able to speak." ”

Sun Chuanting excused himself and said: "This kind of thing cannot be put on the table, and if Chuanting comes forward, it will not be able to be done." It is necessary to be a person who is not an official in the court and has no one in Tongguan to act well. ”

"If you are not an official, no one knows..."Zhu Youzhen frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped his head and said, "It seems that only this king himself has come out!" Although I have lived in Tongguan for a while, I have been living in the house, and I am sure that no one knows me except He Renlong. ”

"It's... How does this work? Sun Chuanting hurriedly stopped, "Once this matter is revealed, the eunuchs will definitely make a big fuss and accuse His Highness of storing gunpowder privately and plotting against him." When the time comes, I'm afraid Your Highness will be speechless! ”

"There is not much time left, I don't worry about others doing it!" Zhu Youzhen said categorically, "There are priorities, in the face of the life and death of hundreds of thousands of people, what is my personal safety!" ”