Chapter 635: Savior to the Masses
Henan Province.
No one could contain the breach at Mengjin County, and the Yellow River still raged wildly.
Within mere days, the Yellow River had changed its course multiple times, like a colossal yellow dragon, carving its path across the plains at will.
The plains surrounding Luoyang had been completely submerged by the floodwaters.
The imperial court provided no relief efforts; or rather, given its current capabilities, it was no longer able to organize large-scale disaster relief.
Mengjin County.
The Yellow River had shifted its course, flowing elsewhere, and the floodwaters around Mengjin County town had finally receded...
The vast expanse of land was a sickening yellowish-brown, covered entirely in thick, viscous mud.
The common folk who had survived by sheltering within Mengjin County town, protected by its walls, were now armed with hoes, shovels, and similar tools, digging outwards from within the city gate tunnels.
But after clearing only that small stretch, their strength gave out.
The city had run out of food!
Mengjin County town, now an isolated island of land, had been cut off from the outside world for several days. Naturally, no merchant caravans had passed through, and the city's meager food reserves were quickly depleted. The common folk rationed their food, cautiously consuming their dwindling stores.
They had finally endured until the floodwaters receded.
The Mengjin magistrate quickly organized the common folk for self-rescue, using various crude tools to dig through the mud, hoping to clear the official road and open a land route to Luoyang City. This way, they might secure desperately needed supplies.
But how could the starving, famished common folk find the strength?
Everyone had barely dug for a moment before collapsing, sitting on the ground, panting heavily. Gazing at the short stretch of official road they’d managed to clear, then at the boundless, ocean-like expanse of yellow mud ahead, a profound sense of helplessness washed over them all.
Just then, an old soldier on lookout atop the city walls suddenly shouted loudly, “Everyone, look quickly! To the west, look to the west...”
The common folk quickly turned their gaze westward.
There, amidst the ocean of mud to the west, a large cluster of "boats" appeared, approaching Mengjin County town.
“Boats?”
Impossible! Outside, it was nothing but mud, no water at all. How could boats possibly travel here?
The sentry strained his eyes for another look, and finally understood. What was approaching were not boats, but rather small, boat-like tools. They could carry only one or two people and were capable of gliding across the mud.
“They’re mud sleds!”
Some well-traveled elders recognized the objects and couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, “Someone has made mud sleds and is paddling them here!”
“No, they are coming from the west, not from Luoyang in the south. The west is the direction of Xiaolangdi. Could they be... pirates?”
This realization startled everyone present.
The Mengjin magistrate immediately roared, “They could be pirates! Everyone retreat into the city and close the gates!”
The common folk scrambled back into the city, the gates clanging shut. They climbed onto the city walls, watching the approaching mud sleds with wary eyes.
The mud sleds could achieve speeds of forty *li* per hour across the mud, quite swift.
Before long, the mud sleds reached the outskirts of Mengjin City.
On the foremost mud sled, two figures were visible. A strong, muscular man was doing the paddling. The other was a passenger, not paddling, but simply putting on a show. He was a middle-aged man in flowing white robes, standing at the front of the sled with his hands clasped behind his back, looking incredibly dashing.
In this vast, yellow ocean of mud, for such a person to emerge was utterly preposterous.
The mud sled wobbled slightly, and the man in white swayed, almost losing his footing. But his balance was excellent; with a twist and a turn, he managed to straighten up again. He even let out a hearty laugh: “Among a gentleman’s six arts, I am quite skilled in the 'charioteering' aspect. There’s no way I would fall off while charioteering this mud sled!”
The strong man behind him, his family retainer, retorted with a wry, exasperated smile, “My lord, *I* am the one charioteering the mud sled; you are merely riding it.”
The man in white cleared his throat, pretending not to hear, not to hear at all.
The people on the city walls were baffled by this scene. These didn't seem like pirates. Pirates wouldn't be in the mood for jokes while plundering.
The man in white looked up and cupped his fist in greeting to the people on the city wall, saying, “Greetings, everyone. My name is Bai Yuan, and I am from Shaanxi. For the past few years, I have been trading on the Yellow River, managing my fleet. Passing through Luoyang, I saw the distress in this region and came specifically to assist.”
The Mengjin magistrate was overjoyed. “You are not pirates?”
Bai Yuan replied, “Do I look like a pirate? Even in such trying circumstances, I have not forgotten my manners. Among a gentleman’s six arts, I am very particular about the 'rites' aspect, you see! I am a gentleman! A gentleman! How could a gentleman ever be a thief?”
The Mengjin magistrate was instantly speechless, briefly losing his power of speech. For at least thirty seconds, he had no idea how to properly address Bai Yuan.
The common folk of Mengjin City were even more exasperated and amused: What exactly was this fellow here for? To annoy them?
Soon enough, however, they would realize Bai Yuan was a good man.
Bai Yuan subtly half-turned, making a gesture as if sweeping his arm backward, and declared, “Mengjin has suffered disaster, and you have all been trapped within the county town for some time. Supplies must be quite tight, I imagine? Do not fret. I have hired laborers to construct five hundred mud sleds, and we have brought five hundred sacks of grain. Let these serve as an emergency relief for now.”
Behind him, in that yellow ocean of mud to the west, a great number of mud sleds glided closer. As far as the eye could see, long, distinct trails were carved through the endless yellow mire.
On each mud sled, a sturdy man was responsible for paddling, while the passenger seat held a large, bulging canvas sack.
Bai Yuan called out, “Throw down a rope!”
The Mengjin magistrate quickly ordered men to throw down a rope. A man on one of the mud sleds tied a canvas sack to the rope. The people on the city wall pulled and pulled, hauling the sack upwards. Upon opening the mouth of the sack, they found it was indeed full of grain.
Each sack contained approximately one *shi*.
Five hundred mud sleds had transported five hundred *shi* of grain.
All told, that amounted to sixty or seventy thousand *jin* of grain.
The entire county town could now enjoy several full meals.
After several more sacks of grain were hoisted onto the city walls, and seeing that Bai Yuan and his company carried no weapons, the people within the city cast aside all their doubts.
The Mengjin magistrate was ecstatic. “These newcomers are friends, not foes! Open the city gates, open them wide and welcome them in!”
The city gates opened once more.
The mud sleds glided to the city gate. Bai Yuan and his five hundred men entered the city. The common folk of Mengjin immediately erupted in cheers, surging forward and shouting, “Good Samaritan Bai! Good Samaritan Bai!”
Bai Yuan absolutely relished this scene. He loved nothing more than being the center of attention. He raised both hands, waving to the common folk, “Fear not, everyone! I have arrived, and you are saved! All of you will be saved!”
The Mengjin magistrate parted the crowd and approached Bai Yuan, bowing deeply. “Sir Bai, this donation of five hundred *shi* of grain is truly a grand gesture. To call you a 'Savior to the Masses' would be no exaggeration.”
Bai Yuan waved it off. “No need for such formality, esteemed magistrate. Please quickly arrange for porridge to be distributed to the starving folk. Once everyone has eaten their fill, we can discuss further matters.”
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