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Chapter 251: New Drainage Tools Save Crops

"Okay!" I jumped on my horse without hesitation. "General Zhen, take a team over there and make sure to dig a drainage ditch as quickly as possible! Farmer Tian, ​​come with me. Let's see if there are any other solutions!"

The rain intensified, and the world seemed to be covered in a vast expanse of white. Old Farmer Tian and I braved the drenching rain, trudging along the ridge of the field. Looking out, the once lush green wheat fields had been scoured to ruins by the rain. The muddy water had accumulated in small puddles, and the water level was still rising.

"We can't go on like this. If the water submerges the roots, all the crops will be ruined!" Old Farmer Tian stamped his feet anxiously.

"I know, we have to find a way to drain the water!" I forced myself to calm down and looked around for something useful.

"I got it!" Mr. Tian's eyes suddenly lit up, pointing to the bundles of straw piled on the edge of the field. "We can use the straw to raise the ridge of the field, so that we can temporarily prevent the rain from flooding!"

"What a great idea!" I immediately called out to the nearby villagers, "Everyone come and help, pile these straws on the ridges!"

The villagers had already been frightened by the sudden rainstorm, but when they heard my command, they seemed to have found their backbone, and ran over in the rain, busy carrying the straw.

On the other side, Zhen Youcai and his soldiers were also busy digging a drainage ditch. Mud and water splashed, and sweat and rain mixed together, blurring their faces, but no one stopped working.

"My lady, please take a rest. Leave this to us!" Farmer C looked at me with concern while carrying the straw.

"Yes, your Majesty, you are a daughter of gold, how can you do such rough work?" Other villagers also persuaded.

I shook my head and said firmly, "Now is not the time to talk about this. Only by working together can we overcome this difficult time! As the Empress, I should share the joys and sorrows with the people!"

The rain continued to fall, and our efforts seemed to be a drop in the bucket. Looking at the rising water before my eyes, my heart gradually sank...

At this moment, a familiar voice came from a distance: "Your Majesty, I am late!"

I turned around and saw the agronomist and a few assistants rushing towards us in the rain. Could it be...he had developed a new drainage tool?

Seeing the doctor of agronomy, I felt like I saw hope, and I hurried forward to greet him. "My dear, you've come at the perfect time! Quickly think of a solution! The rain keeps falling, and the water in the fields can't be drained. The crops are going to drown!"

The doctor of agronomy wiped the rain from his face and pointed to the wheelbarrows pushed by several assistants behind him. He said excitedly, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. After months of painstaking research, I have finally developed a new type of drainage tool that can greatly improve drainage efficiency!"

I looked closely and saw that each wheelbarrow was equipped with a large wooden waterwheel, with several wooden barrels connected to the bottom of the waterwheel. The structure was exquisite and the design was unique. Although I didn't understand the principle, seeing this novel device, I felt a glimmer of hope in my heart.

"Great!" I excitedly grabbed Mr. Tian's hand. "Mr. Tian, ​​you are very experienced. Come and help the doctor to guide everyone in installing and using this drainage tool!"

Mr. Tian was so excited that his face flushed. He rubbed his hands and said, "Okay! Okay! I'll go right away!"

The doctor of agronomy directed his assistants to install a waterwheel on the edge of the field. As the waterwheel turned, the accumulated water in the field was continuously pumped out and discharged into a nearby ditch. Seeing this scene, everyone present cheered, and their originally heavy hearts were relieved.

"Your Majesty is wise! The doctor is talented!" The villagers knelt down spontaneously, their faces filled with joy of surviving the disaster.

My heart was also filled with gratitude. Watching the busy crowds, I knew that this flood relief effort had only just begun. The prolonged rainfall had already affected many areas, and I had to quickly deploy supplies to support the affected people.

"Come here, pass the order down and immediately notify the Ministry of Revenue to allocate food, tents, clothing and other supplies to the disaster-stricken areas!"

"Your Majesty, I have a report to make!" Zhen Youcai came running over, covered in mud. "While digging a drainage ditch in the west, I received news that due to days of heavy rain, the road leading to Nanshan Village has been washed away by mountain torrents, hindering the transportation of supplies!"

When I heard the news, my heart immediately jumped. Nanshan Village is low-lying. If a flood occurs, the consequences will be unimaginable!

"We must open the road as soon as possible!" I ordered decisively, "General Zhen, take your men to repair the road immediately! Also, send a message to..." I paused, a figure emerging in my mind, "Send a message to Rich Merchant A, asking him to..."

"...Send a message to Rich Businessman A, asking him to do everything in his power to organize manpower and repair the road overnight! The road to Nanshan Village must be opened in the shortest possible time!" I shouted this sentence with almost all my strength, and my tone was full of unquestionable determination.

"I obey your command!" Zhen Youcai took the order and left. Watching him retreat, my worry didn't diminish in the slightest. The situation in Nanshan Village was unclear, and the road repairs were full of unknowns. Every minute and every second was torture for me.

"Your Majesty, don't worry too much," County Magistrate B, who had been silent all the time, suddenly spoke up, "I will go back and mobilize the manpower and material resources of the entire county to fully support the disaster-stricken areas and ensure the safety of people's lives and property!" After saying that, he bowed deeply, turned around and hurried away.

I watched Magistrate B depart, feeling a surge of emotion. He had once been a life of pleasure, indifferent to the suffering of the people, but now he stood up and shared their concerns. This disaster had clearly changed him.

Time passed by minute by minute, and my heart became more and more anxious as time went by. Finally, at dawn, Rich Merchant A sent someone to deliver the news that after a night of emergency repairs, the road to Nanshan Village had been opened and the first batch of supplies had been delivered!

I breathed a sigh of relief, my heart finally at ease. Merchant A, as worthy of his wealth, not only donated a large amount of supplies but also organized hundreds of workers to repair the road overnight. I will always remember this friendship.

"Your Majesty," said Mr. Tian, ​​the old farmer, as he came up to me and pointed at the gradually fading rain in the distance. "The rain is easing. It looks like this storm is about to pass."

I looked up at the sky and saw the dark clouds gradually dissipating, revealing the long-lost sunshine, as if foreshadowing that the disaster was about to end.

"Yes, the sky will always clear up after the rain." I murmured to myself. The fatigue of the past few days made me feel dizzy and my body shook.

"Your Majesty!" The doctor of agronomy beside me saw this and hurried forward to support me. "Please take care of yourself!"

I forced a smile and wanted to say something, but suddenly I felt dizzy and my vision went black...

"...Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

In a daze, I heard someone shouting anxiously, the voice intermittently, as if coming from far away. I tried hard to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

"Has the water... been drained?" I used all my strength to squeeze these words out of my throat, my voice was very hoarse.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The water in the fields has been drained and the crops are saved! You can rest assured!" The doctor of agronomy's voice was filled with joy, but it was difficult to hide his fatigue.

After hearing this, I finally felt relieved, and my consciousness gradually fell into chaos...

I don't know how long it took before I finally woke up. I opened my eyes and found myself in an unfamiliar room. The air was filled with a faint medicinal aroma. I struggled to sit up, but felt dizzy.

"Your Majesty, you're awake!" Peasant Woman C walked in with a bowl of steaming medicine. Seeing me wake up, her face was full of surprise.

"What's wrong with me?" I took the bowl of medicine and took a sip. The bitter taste made me frown.

"Your Majesty has been working hard for days to save the country from disaster, and you got caught in the rain and caught a cold, so you fell ill. You have been in a coma for two days and two nights, and we old slaves are very worried!" Peasant Woman C said, her eyes red.

"Yes, Your Majesty, you are the pillar of our support!" Tian Lao Nong also echoed, "If you fall, what will we do?"

Seeing their worried expressions, a warm feeling welled up in my heart. I forced a smile and comforted them, "I'm fine. I'm sorry to have worried you all. How's the disaster situation now?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured! Thanks to your and everyone's combined efforts, the affected farmland has returned to normal, and this year's harvest will not be affected," the doctor of agronomy said with a smile. "The people all say that it was you, Your Majesty, who saved their lives!"

Hearing these words, I felt extremely relieved. For this moment, all the efforts were worth it.

"By the way, where is General Zhen?" I looked around but didn't see any familiar figure.

The room suddenly fell silent. The agronomy doctor and Mr. Tian looked at each other, seeming to want to say something but stopping themselves...