Chapter 26: Worried Family Members

Kaifeng was a famous ancient capital. Yet, while it shone brightly in history, it had also suffered from numerous floods—some of the earliest dating back to the Warring States period when the Qin army flooded Daliang City. As for more recent floods, there was no need to mention them; the grand Daxiangguo Temple was repaired twice during the Hongwu and Yongle reigns precisely due to floods.

Although this flood was not yet at its most severe, most of the houses in the northeast and southwest corners of the city were flooded, with water reaching up to a person’s height in some places. It was unknown how many people had rushed to leave their homes in haste.

At the breach in the Yellow River, countless laborers were desperately using sandbags to seal it under the supervision of military officers. Inside the government tents set up along the riverbank, the loud arguments among the officials of Kaifeng Prefecture could be heard like a storm.

Powerful figures like King Zhou simply boarded official boats to flee Kaifeng for safety. Since the floodwaters came from upstream, more than a dozen boats rushed to other rivers in the vicinity, and several large ships gathered on the Sha River. Aside from King Zhou’s luxurious flagship, the rest were six-masted sailing ships, all belonging to the most prominent families in Kaifeng.

One of these ships naturally belonged to the Zhang family of Xiangfu. In a spacious cabin on the ship, Zhang Zhuo and his wife Sun stood or sat in silence, neither speaking. Eventually, Sun could hold back no longer.

“Sir, can’t we send more people to find out anything about Yue? Of the old lady’s four grandchildren, three are safe, but Yue is still at the old house. What if something happens to him…?”

Seeing Sun clutching her handkerchief tightly with red eyes, on the verge of crying, Zhang Zhuo placed his hands on her trembling shoulders to calm her. Only after she calmed down slightly did he sigh and say, “Yue is our only son. I’ve already sent three groups of people; I believe we’ll hear news soon. Although the old house is low-lying, the water depth will be only a few feet at most—enough to flood the ground, but not the house. Yue is clever; he can climb onto the roof and be fine.”

“Second sister-in-law is too heartless. It’s not as if Kaifeng is actually flooded—there’s no need to leave the children unattended! Not only is there no news of Yue, but Qing and Yi are also still inside!”

“At that time, the old lady fainted, my sister-in-law was unhelpful, you had an asthma attack, and I just happened to be away… If not for all these things happening at once, my second sister-in-law wouldn’t have been so overwhelmed.” Seeing Sun Shi suddenly look up at him angrily, Zhang Zhuo quickly cleared his throat and changed his words. “In any case, only a few areas in Kaifeng City were flooded. It should be…” Before he could finish, the cabin door was suddenly flung open with great force and a loud bang, startling him greatly. Realizing it was Ling Xi, who used to be the most calm and capable person, he was puzzled.

“Third Master, Third Mistress… The people sent to gather information said that the Third Young Master and the eldest and second young ladies are not in the main house.” Facing Zhang Zhuo and Sun Shi’s suddenly grim expressions, Ling Xi’s heart pounded fiercely, but she had to say what needed to be said. “It seems that not long after we left, the Third Young Master and the young ladies arrived at the main house. Apparently, the people left behind panicked and failed to explain properly, allowing the Third Young Master to get a carriage and leave…”

Not only did Sun Shi’s face turn pale, but Zhang Zhuo also couldn’t help but slam the table and roar in anger, “With so many people in the household, could they all be dead? Just letting that child take people out? Everything in Kaifeng Prefecture is in chaos now. It would be safer for him to stay at home. What if he meets some villains out there?”

At this moment, Ling Xi also felt regret. If she had known this would happen, she should have argued more when the Second Mistress, Dong Fang Shi, hurriedly ordered them to leave the house. Otherwise, such a serious mistake wouldn’t have occurred.

“Third Master, the old lady has already sent messages to Kaifeng Prefecture and Xiangfu County. News should arrive soon…”

“What news? Right now, Kaifeng Prefecture and Xiangfu County are too busy trying to seal the breaches to spare the time to search for people.”

Sun Shi gave a bitter smile before collapsing weakly, burying her face in her hands. At that moment, she hated herself for having an attack at such a critical time. If not for that, she would never have left her son to stay on this safe ship. After crying for a long time, she finally raised her head, her eyes devoid of any life.

Seeing the masters and mistresses of the third branch in such a state, Ling Xi wanted to say something to comfort them, but after struggling for a while, she couldn’t utter a word. A sense of blame began to arise in her heart.

Third Master had long said they should move to a higher place, but the old lady refused, and the others were divided. That’s why such a big problem arose today. If not for Third Master’s careful planning and preparation of this ship, who knows if Second Mistress, who was like an ant in a hot pan, might have caused even bigger mistakes.

After remaining silent for a long time, she finally tiptoed out of the cabin, closing the door behind her. Walking along the ship’s side to the front deck and gazing at the desolate sky, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. It took a while before she heard the noise behind her.

“Sister Lingxi!”

Turning around, she saw Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi. Only then did Lingxi realize the two brothers were gripping her sleeves tightly, one on each side. Her brows raised instantly—these two brothers had remained silent and biting their lips in front of the Gu family. Why were they bothering her now?

Zhang Chao spoke first. His usually indifferent face was now serious. “Sister Lingxi, my elder brother and I want to go off the ship to look for them. Could you please talk to the old lady for us?”

Before Lingxi could respond, Zhang Qi nodded firmly. “My elder brother and I are very worried about them. We’re safe on this ship, while they’re suffering somewhere unknown. How can that be acceptable? My elder brother and I still owe a favor to Third Young Master!”

“It’s good that the first and second young masters care. As for searching for them, the old lady has already sent many people and sent messages to Kaifeng Prefecture and Xiangfu County. We should hear news soon.” Seeing that the two brothers still didn’t let go and stared at her suspiciously, Lingxi felt a headache and knelt down to persuade them again. “For now, the first and second young masters should stay on the ship and not worry the old lady and the other wives any further.”

Zhang Qi tilted his head, ready to argue further, but Zhang Chao pulled him away. Only after seeing Lingxi walk away did he say sternly to Zhang Qi, “Younger brother, stop worrying. Mother made a mistake this time, and no one trusts us anymore. We’ll quietly go off the ship to look for them later. Hmph, we’re not Xiao Si—that kid is heartless; he doesn’t even worry about his own sister!”

Not long after the two brothers left, Zhang Jiu appeared behind a wooden barrel. Still dressed like a golden boy, his handsome face was now shadowed, and his little fists were clenched tightly.

It was his favorite elder sister—how could he not worry?