kingnovel Chapter 889: Start of Work
Chapter 889: Start of Work
The first day of June.
The sky was hazy and cold, and the bell at the entrance of Yintai Street rang on time.
At the Shen Residence, Hua Duo knocked on Shen Zheng's door.
"Sir, it's Mao time."
Inside the house, Shen Zheng woke up with difficulty and stared at the beams in a daze.
Just squinting...
Outside the door, Hua Duo did not hear any movement from inside the house, so he had to knock on the door again: "Sir, the Huihe Dam will be built today. Please bear with it for a while and go to sleep in the car later."
Shen Zheng stood up upon hearing this and said to her, "I'll be there in half a minute!"
If Huaduo can do it, so can she!
The morning light pierced through the mist. When Shen Zheng's carriage arrived at the Huihe Dam, the outside of the dam was already filled with people who had come to watch the excitement. She was the first official to arrive.
On the dam, the copper bells tied with red ribbons rang, waking up the daylight and also waking up Shen Zheng, who was still a little confused.
The surface of the river was filled with mist, carrying the fragrance of soil, and the sound of people talking was endless. It was not until Shen Zheng got off the car that the atmosphere outside the dam was pushed to its peak.
"Sir Shen! The one wearing the green official robe, that is Sir Shen from Tongan!"
"I heard that the method of exchanging work for crops was proposed by Lord Shen. If it weren't for Lord Shen, when would ordinary people like us be able to grow Tong'an rice?"
"Master Shen! Master Shen! Look over here! Look at this, cough cough cough—"
The cry was so heartbreaking that Shen Zheng couldn't help but turn around.
Among the crowd near the dam, there were a few people wearing bright red clothes with bright red ribbons tied around their foreheads, which particularly attracted attention.
The most eye-catching thing was the banner they held up in their hands - 'Lord Shen, your determination is as strong as iron! She has been building the embankment for a long time with her skillful hands. Even the river god surrendered to her when he saw her. The harvest is abundant and the granary is full every year!'
On the dam, Shen Zheng rubbed his eyes twice in disbelief before he was sure that he was not seeing things.
The people holding the banners were still grinning at her.
She stumbled and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Where is this?
Cheering banner?
It even rhymes!
Is this right? !
"Hurry up and take it away!" Shen Zheng shouted, racking her brains to come up with an excuse: "It's a big day for sacrifice, how can we offend the river god!"
Several people with red faces craned their necks to listen.
"what?"
"Master Shen, what did you say?"
"......" Shen Zheng closed her eyes and said to Hua Duo, "Go quickly and ask them to put away the banners."
Hua Duo was looking at the banner, struggling to read the words.
She knew the three words "Lord Shen".
Then there is "she", and she also recognizes the character "丰" (good harvest).
Seeing that those little red guys looked excited, they shouldn’t be bad guys, but why are the adults so resistant?
Hua Duo was puzzled and walked forward with a knife on his back.
Seeing this, several little red people were so excited that they didn't know what to do. They kept shouting, "Girl, girl, did Lord Shen speak to us?"
Hua Duo looked at the banner suspiciously again, "My Lord asked you to put it away immediately, saying that it offended the river god."
"Ah?" Several people tilted their necks to look at the top of their heads, and then suddenly glared, "Forget about this! It's okay, girl. Lord Shen doesn't like this one, we have other ones!"
After saying that, several people took down the poles, took out a few rolls of red cloth from their backpacks, and pretended to change them.
"......" Hua Duo stopped them with his hands, and asked with a strange look on his face: "What do you write on this painting?"
Several people laughed, spread their legs, put their hands on their hips, cleared their throats and shouted: "Master Shen! Your determination is as strong as iron! Your skillful hands have built the embankment for a long time! Even the river god surrendered when he saw her! Every year, the harvest is abundant and the granary is full!"
The shouting in unison made quite a noise, attracting the attention of the people nearby.
They suddenly realized: "So this is what was written on the red cloth! Very catchy, not bad!"
"These people...Is it possible that they want to become Master Shen's disciples?"
"I think so too. How can ordinary people like us be willing to part with these cloths?"
Hua Duo finally understood why his master reacted that way.
"Just accept it." She glanced at Shen Zheng on the dam, "The lady has received your kindness... There's no need to argue."
"Ah..." Several people were disappointed, "We want to change other strips to show the adults."
Hua Duo's face froze, "No need, it's good for you to accept it."
As he was speaking, the people near the dam suddenly fell silent for a moment, and then several horse-drawn carriages drove in from outside the dam.
"The seniors from the Ministry of Industry are here!"
"The sacrifice is about to begin!"
When Hua Duo returned to Shen Zheng, Shen Zheng was talking with Yue Zhenchuan and others.
People from the Ministry of Works are preparing the sacrificial table.
Yue Zhenchuan said to Shen Zheng: "Today is the main sacrifice. After the sacrifice, we will allocate manpower and tools. You know the process, but I still want to say a few words to you..."
He glanced at the people around him, and they looked at each other and suddenly became busy.
"Ah...Is this table a little tilted? Let me help check its position!"
"Oh, look at my brain, the atlas fell on the carriage!"
"My shoes... no, my socks also fell on the carriage. Let's go together!"
After the few people walked away, Yue Zhenchuan took a half step towards Shen Zheng and whispered, "There are many people in the court who are watching you and Huihe Dam. You should be careful. If there is anything strange, send someone to find me if you are unsure. Don't be careless."
Seeing his concerned look, Shen Zheng nodded seriously, "I will keep it in mind."
She and Yue Zhenchuan both knew that Prime Minister Cui and his group were strongly opposed to her being appointed as assistant to the six ministries, and the prerequisite for her to be appointed was the successful completion of the Huihe Dam.
If the other party wants to take action, they will definitely choose Huiheba.
And the means they will use...
"The Ministry of Works is watching us every day. They don't dare to touch the dam materials." Yue Zhenchuan said, "You can guard against visible things, but be careful of invisible things. What you need to guard against is 'supernatural powers', which is a common method they use."
The Great Zhou Dynasty attached great importance to sacrifices, and those irrational and absurd theories about ghosts and gods would turn into sharp blades after being passed on from mouth to mouth.
"Supernatural powers" are about the belief in ghosts and gods, but what is confusing is the human heart.
Shen Zheng knew in her heart that if the construction of Huihe Dam was obstructed, it would be equivalent to her career being obstructed.
The two talked for a while until dawn, and many officials arrived one after another, including Yu Shizhang, Ji Benchang and others.
The sacrifices held by the imperial court were much more dignified than those held in Tongan County.
Thirty-six black banners inlaid with gold fluttered in the wind, the white jade steps were covered with red felt carpets, and on the main altar, nine gilded incense burners were lined up in order, and whole pigs and sheep were covered in red and decorated with colorful decorations.
Beside the altar, officials from the Ministry of Rites, dressed in sacrificial robes, shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived. Please, the chief priest, come to the stage."
Yue Zhenchuan straightened his clothes and stepped onto the stage.
The musicians played the chimes, the officials from the Ministry of Rites read the sacrificial words loudly, everyone prostrated themselves on the ground, and a wall of fire was lit around the altar.
The sudden wall of fire frightened Shen Zheng so much that she shivered.
The firelight reflected red on everyone's faces and also on the surging river.
What a real show, Shen Zheng thought.