The teahouse in the capital exuded an antique charm, resembling a delicate ink - wash painting. Neatly arranged wooden tables and chairs, along with several landscape ink paintings hanging on the walls, added a touch of archaic elegance to the place. Sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the square tables. A few regular customers sat around, and wisps of steam rose from their tea cups. The gentle fragrance of tea filled the entire space.
An elderly man with white whiskers, dressed in a slightly faded long gown, carried an air of refinement in every gesture. Although the years had etched deep and shallow wrinkles on his face, they couldn't hide the wisdom and vicissitudes in his eyes. He took a sip of fragrant tea, put down the cup, and slowly began, "Folks, do you still remember the poisoning incident at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet? Now the truth has come to light. It was Cui'er, the little palace maid beside the Empress Dowager. The girl came from a poor family, and her whole family barely managed to survive on the meager income from her rough work in the palace. Somehow, that mysterious person found out about this, imprisoned her family, and threatened to wipe them out if she didn't poison the envoy from the Western Regions at the banquet. She was just a weak woman, and in desperation, she had no choice but to take this fateful step."
A young man, dressed in a cyan short - sleeved outfit, looked shocked, his eyes wide open. He couldn't wait to ask, "That mysterious person is incredibly audacious! Committing such a crime at an imperial banquet is a capital offense that could implicate nine generations of one's family! What on earth is their motive?" The old man shook his head and sighed helplessly, "Who can say for sure? But Miss Lin Yue used her wisdom and medical skills to expose Cui'er, saved the envoy, and was rewarded by the Empress Dowager. However, there's probably a much bigger conspiracy behind this. It might just be the tip of the iceberg." Everyone nodded, and a sense of unease and speculation filled the teahouse.
Just as people were talking animatedly, a once - in - a - century drought quietly descended. The sun hung high in the sky like a huge, blazing furnace. Every ray of light carried scorching heat, mercilessly baking the earth. In the fields, the crops that had been growing vigorously were now withered and yellow, lying listlessly on the parched land. Cracks ran across the ground, like the dry lips of the earth, wordlessly saying pain and despair. The rivers dried up completely, leaving behind exposed riverbeds. The cracked soil curled up, a horrifying sight. The fish that once swam joyfully in the water were long gone, leaving only pale fishbones on the riverbed, glinting coldly in the sun, as if mourning the lost vitality.
The common people looked at the desolate scene, their faces filled with despair and sorrow. In the village, the elderly sat at their doorsteps, staring vacantly into the distance, their cloudy eyes full of helplessness. The children, emaciated from hunger, cried weakly around their parents. The poor harvest meant that in the days to come, they would struggle in the abyss of hunger and hardship. The family's food reserves were dwindling. To save food, they often only had one thin bowl of porridge a day, so thin that one could see their own reflection in it. Even so, they didn't know how long it could last.
Upon learning of the disaster, Li Yi and Lin Yue were extremely anxious and restless. As a member of the royal family, Li Yi had been taught since childhood to care for the common people. He knew that he now bore the heavy responsibility of saving the people from suffering. After urgent discussions with Lin Yue, they resolutely decided to start from the palace, leading by example and cutting unnecessary expenses. All non - essential banquets in the palace were cancelled, and the luxurious decorations were removed one by one. The tables that were once filled with sumptuous delicacies now only had simple food and tea. Li Yi said to Lin Yue with a solemn expression, "The people are suffering. Every grain of rice we save could be their hope of survival,
a glimmer of light."
At the same time, they quickly organized the people to carry out drought - relief efforts by digging wells. Li Yi personally led the young and strong men in the village, searching for suitable locations for well - digging in the fields. Under the scorching sun, the ground was so hot that it stung bare feet. They worked up a sweat, digging the hard soil with hoes. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, which was quickly dried by the sun, leaving streaks of white salt stains, like medals of their hard work. Each stroke of the hoe raised a cloud of dust, filling the air and making them cough. Lin Yue was busy preparing cool and refreshing tea for everyone and carefully taking care of the people who were injured from overwork. Her eyes were full of concern and tenderness. Li Yi shouted, "Folks, put in more effort! Once we strike water, our crops will survive, and there will be hope for our lives!" His voice was firm and powerful, echoing like a bell in the fields, bringing a precious glimmer of hope and rekindling the fighting spirit of the tired people.
However, after several wells were dug, the water output was far from enough to meet the huge demand. Lin Yue fell into deep thought, and her mind involuntarily drifted back to the modern methods of dealing with drought. In modern times, there were advanced drip irrigation techniques that could accurately deliver water to the roots of plants, greatly reducing water waste, and satellite remote - sensing technology that could quickly and accurately monitor the distribution of water resources to find potential water sources. Although there were no such high - tech devices here, Lin Yue was determined to find alternative methods based on the principles. She had an idea and decided to make simple drip irrigation devices using bamboo tubes. She quickly had people gather a large number of bamboo tubes and sharp knives, and carefully drilled holes in the bamboo tubes. As she drilled, she checked carefully to ensure that each hole was of uniform size and that the water flow would be stable. Then, she carefully buried the bamboo tubes near the roots of the crops, calculating the position and depth precisely to ensure that the crops could absorb the water to the maximum extent. Next, by using water jars placed at a higher position and relying on the force of gravity, she made the water slowly flow into the bamboo tubes, successfully achieving precise irrigation of the crops.
When the common people saw this novel device, they were filled with doubts and whispered among themselves. An old farmer with a weather - beaten face, his hands behind his back, frowned and asked worriedly, "Miss Lin Yue, will this thing really work? Our ancestors have never used anything like this. If it doesn't work, all our crops will be ruined." Lin Yue smiled and patiently explained, "Uncle, don't worry. This method can make the most of the water, much more efficiently than the old - fashioned flood irrigation. And this is a new attempt. Maybe it can help us get through this difficult time. Look, I'll try it on this small patch of land first. If it works well, we can promote it. What do you think?" Although they were skeptical, persuaded by Lin Yue, the people installed the drip irrigation devices as she instructed.
During the arduous search for new water sources, Lin Yue recalled the modern methods of geological exploration for groundwater. Although there were no professional exploration tools, relying on her knowledge and experience, she knew that different terrain and soil characteristics often reflected the situation of groundwater resources. So, she led a few people familiar with the local terrain, climbing mountains and traversing ridges to conduct surveys. They walked along the dried - up riverbeds, carefully observing the color and texture of the riverbank soil. They climbed to the mountaintops, overlooking the surrounding terrain to find low - lying and moist areas. At each place, Lin Yue would crouch down, touch the soil with her hands to feel its moisture, and also observe the growth of the surrounding vegetation. Finally, in a valley, Lin Yue's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Everyone, look! The soil here is relatively moist, and the vegetation around is also relatively lush. There's likely groundwater here!" Everyone perked up and eagerly started digging. They used hoes, shovels, and even dug with their bare hands. Sweat streamed down their faces and fell onto the soil. As they dug deeper, more and more moist soil appeared. Suddenly, a gush of clear spring water burst out. "There's water! There's water!" The common people cheered with joy, their faces beaming with long - lost excitement, as if they had seen the hope of life. Some people jumped up in excitement, some had tears in their eyes, and they hugged each other tightly, celebrating this hard - won water source.
But the drought - relief work was not as smooth as expected. Some common people were skeptical of the new drought - relief methods and stubbornly insisted on using traditional irrigation methods, resulting in a great waste of water resources. They believed that the methods passed down from their ancestors were the most reliable and were distrustful of the new methods. There were also unscrupulous merchants driven by greed, who tried to take advantage of the chaos to drive up prices and hoard grain. They hid the grain in secret warehouses, waiting to sell it at the highest price, regardless of the lives and deaths of the common people. For a time, the price of grain on the market skyrocketed. A dou of rice that originally cost just a few wen now cost dozens of wen. Ordinary people simply couldn't afford it, and many had to go hungry, falling into a difficult situation. On the streets and alleys, it was common to see people quarreling and crying over a little food, and the whole city was filled with a sense of despair.
When Li Yi learned about the soaring prices, he flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the table so hard that the teacup on it jumped. He immediately summoned the government officials. The atmosphere in the meeting hall was solemn, and everyone kept their heads down, dare not meet Li Yi's angry gaze. With a serious expression and a firm tone, Li Yi said, "These people are taking advantage of the people's suffering to seek personal gain. They're extremely despicable! We must take immediate action to stabilize prices and ensure that the people don't suffer any more!" He decisively ordered strict control over the grain market, sending soldiers to patrol day and night. Anyone caught driving up prices would be severely punished. At the same time, the government opened affordable grain stores, mobilizing grain from various places and selling it to the people at a reasonable price to ensure their basic livelihoods. The soldiers patrolling the market deterred the unscrupulous merchants. In front of the affordable grain stores, long queues formed. Although the queues were long, there was hope on people's faces, for they could finally buy affordable grain.
Lin Yue didn't give up on the people who didn't trust the new drought - relief methods. She went to the fields herself and carefully compared two plots of farmland, one using traditional irrigation and the other using the drip irrigation device. She recorded the growth of the crops in the two fields every day, including the height of the plants, the color of the leaves, and the plumpness of the fruits. A few days later, she invited the people to the fields. They saw with their own eyes that the crops irrigated with the drip irrigation method grew more robustly, with greener leaves, and used much less water. She also patiently explained the principles and benefits of the new method to the people, demonstrating the operation process over and over again. Holding a bamboo tube, she showed them how the water slowly and evenly dripped onto the roots of the crops through the small holes and explained why this method allowed the crops to absorb water better. Through her unremitting efforts and patient persuasion, more and more people began to accept the new method, and smiles of trust and gratitude gradually appeared on their faces. They began to actively ask Lin Yue questions and learn how to use the drip irrigation device better. The fields were filled with a positive atmosphere of drought resistance.
As time passed, with the joint efforts of Li Yi and Lin Yue, the crisis of the drought gradually eased. Nourished by the new irrigation methods and sufficient water sources, the crops slowly regained their vitality, and the fields once again turned green with hope. Tender green shoots emerged from the withered straws, swaying gently in the breeze, as if telling the tenacity of life. The lives of the common people gradually got back on track, and they were filled with gratitude and respect for Li Yi and Lin Yue. In the village, people often gathered together to talk about the good deeds of Li Yi and Lin Yue. The children ran joyfully in the fields, and their laughter echoed throughout the village. But this drought also made them deeply aware that they might face more challenges in the future. They must always be prepared, unite as one, and face them together. And would the mysterious forces lurking in the dark strike again? How would Li Yi and Lin Yue protect this land and its people? Everything remained unknown, waiting for them to uncover the truth.