Chapter 386
Someone stepped up to do the dirty work, and the Emperor was content with being a bystander . He originally wanted to reward only in title, but eventually, the reward was an official position in Xiangyang . Xiangyang was wealthy, but the land was vast . It was remote, and few people inhabited it .
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In order to save himself from embarrassment, the Emperor specially rendered aid by dispatching 1,000 imperial guards and 500 deniers of rations . He ordered his close subordinate, Secretary Huang, to read the edict .
Huang Tan was Huang Song’s god-grandfather .
Huang Tan sat down . He massaged his cold feet and remarked, “I have to admit that I am old . The youngsters nowadays are so radical . ”
After the earthquake, Shangjing was mostly a heap of ruins . The Emperor, in his anger, ordered the beheading of many highly ranked individuals .
No one in the court dared to take on such a difficult task . Jiang Pengji courageously recommended herself . Although it seemed like failure was imminent, it was truly a golden opportunity .
Huang Tang thought of his own grandson and reminded him, “Be careful young one . Don’t go around finding trouble . ”
It was rare for Huang Song to catch a break . Unfortunately, he was told off by his god-grandfather . He wore a bitter face .
He was good at sweet-talking, and he did not fear Huang Tan . He immediately thought of how to divert Huang Tan’s attention .
Huang Song rose up to massage Huang Tan’s shoulders, and he smiled cheekily . “Based on my observations, grandfather isn’t old . Those young punks are impulsive and have no manners . How can they compare to grandfather? Grandfather’s contributions are incomparable to the country’s state of affairs . ”
Despite the fact they were bootlicking, it was true that Huang Tan had protected many loyal officials over the years .
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That did not mean he had a conscience; he did it for the better good and to please both sides .
Jiang Pengji’s luck was rather good . She came across Huang Tan, who was on the way to read the edict . If it were any other eunuch, things would have been more complicated because there were diverse routes within the palace .
The eunuch reading the edict could have seen Jiang Pengji as an eyesore or a greedy natured person and created an obstacle for her . He might choose the elderly, or the black-hearted ones would go even further and select the sickly and temperamental men . Those who were rebellious wanted to join the thousand imperial guards the Emperor generously provided .
Huang Tan loved to befriend young men from aristocratic families––as long as they had potential and would not create trouble for him .
“Your only strength lies in your glib tongue . You have not established your family or your career . It is of the least concern to you . When you marry Master Ji’s beloved daughter, it will be different . ” Master Ji was Huang Song’s teacher . He was also an esteemed Confucius scholar in Dongqing .
“I understand . I will not disappoint you . ”
After a while, Huang Tan straightened his clothing and prepared to read the edict .
It was evening .
As time passed, his night vision became increasingly blurry . He was unable to see anything .
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The faint glint of twilight disappeared, and darkness clouded the city .
Lights were once commonly found throughout Shangjing City . Since the earthquake, however, it was pitch black, and everything was silent . The warm air carried with it the lingering, scorching heat, which passed through the walls and alleys . The rustling wind sounded like agonizing cries in the dark night .
After a day of search and rescue, the number of survivors reached 512, and the search team had expanded to 123 people . There were at least 3,000 corpses found in the ruins . They were piled high, and it was nerve-wracking .
The numbers were of no importance to the once bustling city of Shangjing; they were but a drop in the ocean .
The majority of the survivors were injured . Some had minor injuries, such as a scrape on their arms or legs . Others had more serious injuries, such as a fever that wouldn’t subside . They were delirious and lived on the edge between life and death . The maids from the mansions and both females and children stepped forward to volunteer to care for the wounded .
“Xiaoyu, since it’s nighttime, go with some men to collect the rations . Be discreet about it . ” Jiang Pengji handed a map to Xu Ke . The matter should have been handled by her; however, she was the only person who could see well at night . She needed to conduct the search and rescue . The others were significantly less efficient . It was wise to send some troops to retrieve the rations and temporarily relieve the food shortage so the peoples’ anxiety would calm .
Feng Jin saw that Xu Ke was exhausted . His face was pale, and the dark circles under his eyes stood out . Feng Jin volunteered, “Please let me handle this matter . ”
“No, stay here and hold down the fort, Huaiyu . I can manage . ” Xu Ke braced himself . He knew that Feng Jin hadn’t been resting well . His wife’s delivery had taken a toll on him, then the earthquake happened . Thus, he hadn’t been sleeping well .
Xu Ke was presently alone . His wife, Xunmei, was far off in Hejian, while Feng Jin was in Shangjing because of his family . He could not leave his wife and child .
It is obvious Xu Ke was the most suitable candidate for the task .
The earthquake happened several hours ago . Jiang Pengji didn’t know how many survivors there were in Shangjing, nor how many were slowly awaiting their impending death . All she could do was search for the survivors amid the ruins and send them for treatment .
Jiang Pengji raised her makeshift torch . She wasn’t afraid of the dark roads, but the people behind her were .
“Is there anyone alive? If you are, please respond!” they shouted .
“Are there any survivors here—?”
“We are here to rescue you . Is there anyone alive?”
The servants behind her placed their hands on either side of their mouths . After shouting for a day, their voices were hoarse . Their eyes and throats hurt badly .
In order to hide her anomaly, Jiang Pengji did not stop them from shouting . She focused her attention on seeking traces of life .
Suddenly, she rolled on the ground and spoke with a hoarse voice, “Wait––keep quiet!” She raised her hands to signal for them to stop shouting .
As the day passed, the people saw her as a god . They worshipped her every action . Even when the governor’s office took no action, she stepped up and did not give up on any lives . Her actions moved even the strongest men to tears .
Jiang Pengji listened intently . She realized the source of the sound came from beneath a pile of ruins .
“A baby is crying…”
The people turned to listen . The intermittent cries were definitely from a baby .
Jiang Pengji stepped on broken stones . Her brain registered the pain she felt from stepping on the jagged rocks .
It was an arduous journey to walk through the ruins . Jiang Pengji’s shoes were damaged . If not for the audience in the live streaming room, she wouldn’t have realized the soles on her wooden clogs had completely worn out . Her bare feet were in contact with the sharp stone particles, and the friction formed a wound .
When they returned, she would get someone to fetch a rough cloth, fold it into layers, and wrap it around her leg so that it was easier for her to move about .
Unfortunately, if the injury on the sole of her foot was not treated promptly, the layer of skin would tear off and bleed profusely .
“Go and search . Move the rocks away…” Jiang Pengji formed different teams and assigned one person to hold the torch and the other to search the ruins . As the day passed, sweat flowed freely, and they lost count of how much water they drank .
The groups went their separate ways, and Jiang Pengji used her strength to move the fallen beam .
Her palms hurt . Her flesh and blood intermingled with the debris .
When Jiang Pengji removed the remainder of the beam, she grabbed a torch . Everyone looked on as a lady laid there on her back . The beam crushed her femur, and she faced the ground . In front of her bosom, her arms clutched something . Blood flowed freely from her body and stained her surroundings dark red . The distinctive smell of blood dissipated along with the evening wind .
That weak cries of a baby came from beneath the woman’s body .