The Empress’ Livestream Chapter 556 - Drought, Refugees (II)

Chapter 556: Drought, Refugees (II)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Facts had proven that Wei Ci’s approach was indeed very useful. Not only did the people not panic, but they became even more united instead.
However, it was still a temporary solution. As long as there was no rain, the severity of the drought would worsen. But compared to the arid farmlands outside, the situation in Fengyi County was far better.
Jiang Pengji’s mental brain domain had returned to its finest state. Searching for groundwater was not a problem. Even if there was no groundwater, she could easily find out where a well could be dug according to her previous experience. With such a valuable water source, the water shortage problem was not serious.
Dangling a honey popsicle in her mouth, Jiang Pengji mumbled vaguely, “It’s really hot…”
After boiled water was mixed with thick honey, it was poured into a special mold with grooves. Finally, it was put into the ‘refrigerator’ and popsicles which were now edible were produced. The pure, natural honey tasted quite sweet. It made one feel comfortable from head to toe, dispelling the heat in the body.
As for the ‘refrigerator’?
Of course, this was not a refrigerator which the viewers in the streaming room were familiar with. Jiang Pengji did not buy it from the mall either… The run-down and trashy mall did not even sell a bathtub let alone a relatively high-end furniture such as a refrigerator. Even if there was a refrigerator, where could one find a generator?
The so-called ‘refrigerator’ which Jiang Pengji mentioned was actually an ice box that she and Zhang Ping created. It was referred to as a ‘refrigerator’.
Most of the ice in the ancient times was mostly bricks made of ice and snow during winter. Then, they were stored in an icehouse and they would be used during summer in the following year.
Jiang Pengji knew how to make ice, but she did not know what the materials which were used to make ice in this era were called. After thinking about it for a long time with Zhang Ping, she finally figured out what could be used to make ice. The audience in the streaming room said that it was called saltpeter which was useful in making ice in the ancient times.
Adhering to the principle that good things should be shared with her subordinates, Jiang Pengji ordered someone to transport the ‘refrigerator’ which was created to the other three districts when she had had enough of the honey popsicles to reward her hardworking subordinates. They worked overtime non-stop in the summer, so they could eat some popsicles to expel the heat from their bodies.
“Lord, water has emerged in three wells yesterday… As long as we get through this month, the weather should be turning cold slowly…”
Zhang Ping was a technical nerd. The person whom he admired the most in his life was his lord. She was better at finding wells than any experienced farmer. Wherever she said that a well could be dug, there would definitely be water. If not, how could the people live such comfortable lives?
“I guess so. I hope that God will show some mercy and let it rain more before the autumn harvest. If this is the case, it won’t be considered as a year of scarcity.”
Many wastelands had been opened up the previous year in Xiangyang District. The wastelands were rented to the people in the district for farming. Even if there was a serious shortage of water that summer, people would save the water and use it for their farmlands. They had spent a lot of effort over those few months, meticulously taking care of their crops in the fields.
If something went wrong during this period and their year-long efforts ended up in vain, the farmers would cry a river.
The two of them sat in the corridor and ate their popsicles leisurely. There were two halves of watermelon next to them. After finishing their popsicles, they ate the watermelon by scooping it with a spoon.
Feng Jin, who was drenched with sweat, saw the scene when he came rushing over… Crossing her legs indecently, his lord, who was wearing gray clothes, rolled her pants and sleeves up to her thighs and shoulders respectively. Her greenish black, long hair was tied into a ponytail, with her bangs hanging on the sides of her cheeks. She was holding half of a large watermelon in her arms while eating gluttonously with a spoon in her right hand. Zhang Ping did not look much more decent either!
Feng Jin looked glum in an instant. The viewers took the initiative to make up some monologues upon seeing his facial expression.
F***!
These two bastards!
Jiang Pengji was funny. Having been born in an aristocratic family, Feng Jin had an excellent upbringing, so he would not easily swear.
Feng Jin stepped forward while carefully avoiding the watermelon rind which had been thrown everywhere on the ground. “Lord…”
“What is it, Huaiyu?” Jiang Pengji looked up while dangling a piece of watermelon in her mouth. She looked very innocent. On the other hand, Zhang Ping knew how to be cautious about his image. Covering his mouth with his large sleeve, he quietly wiped his mouth and sat in an upright posture. However, he was somewhat full so his stomach looked quite bloated.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Jin told himself to be tolerant and not to get angry at such an unreliable master.
He said, “I just received the news that a huge incident has happened in the south. The wife of the second prince, An Yina, has suddenly died and the cause of her death is unknown.”
Jiang Pengji pondered and remembered who An Yina was.
Quivering from head to toe, she asked in a serious manner, “An Yina is dead?”
Who was An Yina?
Some of the viewers who did not watch the streaming regularly were unsure about who she was, but the experienced viewers with a strong sense of crisis had remembered who she was.
Waitou Leizhenyu: “An Yina? Isn’t she the princess of the royal family of the North borderline, who later married the second prince of Dongqing?”
Fangding Zailouyu: “Why is Feng Jin so nervous that she’s dead? Who cares if she’s dead?”
Shenjia: “Please. Have some political awareness, okay? Although An Yina is just the princess of the North borderline, she’s also the link between the North borderline and Dongqing. The North borderline has long had wolfish ambitions. An Yina is the spy sent by the North borderline to specially stir up trouble. Now that she’s dead, the three tribes of the North borderline have enough reasons to dispatch their troops to Dongqing. Look at the state that Dongqing is in now. Can they ward off the cavalry of the North borderline?”
Although they had never witnessed the power of the cavalry of the North borderline, the cavalry’s ability in striking and lethality had always been very strong on the ancient battlefields. If the cavalry did not encounter a branch of the armed forces who could completely restrain them, they were said to be invincible on battlefields.
The cavalry was highly flexible. They would leave after overcoming one enemy. How could the two-legged ordinary infantry catch up with them?
Besides, on the ancient battlefields, wars were heavily dependent upon the cooperation among the military arrays. The cavalry vanguard could ram the formation and split the enemy’s array into several sections. Being unable to take care of the front and rear lines, the enemy’s combat power could not be maximized. They could only be chewed up.
According to their understanding, Dongqin’s terrain was mostly flat, which was very suitable for cavalry combat. Once the North borderline dispatched their troops and broke through the line of defense at the border, they could simply rampage through the hinterland of Dongqing!
What was even more terrible was that the north of Dongqing was in chaos. The drought and military disasters had not ended. There was also a full-swing war in the south. If the North borderline launched a sneak attack on a perfectly justifiable basis, it would be really difficult for Dongqing to speak in self-defense and they could only swallow the insult.
The experts in the streaming room explained the situation to the newbies.
It did not matter as to whether An Yina was dead or not. What mattered was that she was dead. The North borderline would have a perfectly justifiable excuse to dispatch their troops. Jiang Pengji looked grave. If the North borderline dispatched their troops, Fengyi County which was under her governance would not be able to stay out of it.
Feng Jin asked, “Lord, what should we do now?”
The internal and external troubles really stressed her out.
Jiang Pengji replied, “I originally intended to slow down and relax while constructing the district so that the people will have the time to rehabilitate. It seems that time isn’t waiting for me. If we don’t hurry up, it’ll be difficult to resist the cavalry of the North borderline…”
She had wanted to dispatch her troops after Fengyi County was rehabilitated and strive to recapture the entire Wanzhou after the spring ploughing of the following year. It seemed that this was no longer possible.
They had to prepare for the worst in case the North borderline dispatched their troops the following year!