Accidentally dressed as an empress

Chapter 191 Dredging Waterways

After the granary was repaired, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, with smiles of satisfaction on their faces.

Before Zhang Xiaomiao had time to rest properly, he soon received the next task from the prefectural government - cleaning the waterway.

"Xiao Miao, this waterway is severely blocked. It depends on you! This is related to the irrigation and drainage of the city." Su Da patted Zhang Xiaomiao's shoulder, his eyes full of trust.

"Master Su, don't worry, I will definitely get it done." Zhang Xiaomiao nodded firmly.

The morning sun shone on every corner of Yunyin City. Zhang Xiaomiao came to the waterway with his tools.

The waterway had a foul smell and was surrounded by weeds, some of which had even spread into the waterway itself.

The waterway was filled with silt, dead branches and leaves, as well as some garbage. The water flow became slow and turbid, and it could not flow with a "gurgling" sound.

"This smell is really terrible!" Zhang Xiaomiao grumbled, frowning, but she didn't hesitate at all. She picked up the hoe and began to clear the messy weeds along the waterway.

"Hey yo, hey yo," the hoe swung, the grass roots were pulled up with the roots, splashing a small piece of soil, making a "puff puff" sound. Every time she cleared a place, she piled the weeds aside.

"Wow, Xiaomiao, you are so skillful!" Aunt Liu who was passing by praised with a smile.

"Auntie Liu, we have to hurry up on this job, otherwise the waterway will get even more blocked and it will be troublesome," Zhang Xiaomiao responded.

As the weeds gradually cleared, the outline of the waterway slowly emerged. Then, she put the hoe aside, picked up the shovel, and stepped carefully into the waterway.

The mud was above her ankles, and every step required some effort. The "smacking" sound was particularly clear in the silence.

"The mud is so thick!" Zhang Xiaomiao said to Xiao Li who came to help pass the tools.

"Sister Xiaomiao, be careful and don't get stuck." Xiao Li reminded with concern.

Zhang Xiaomiao bent down and scooped up shovelfuls of silt, swishing them toward the waterway. Black sludge splashed onto her clothes and face, but she paid no attention. She stared intently at the waterway, intent on restoring its smooth flow.

When cleaning up dead branches and leaves, Zhang Xiaomiao needs to use his hands to pick them up.

The leaves, which had been soaked in water for so long, had become soft and sticky. When she touched them, she felt sick. When she scooped them up, the leaves made a sizzling sound.

"This job is so dirty." Zhang Xiaomiao couldn't help but complain, but his hands didn't stop moving.

"Sister Xiaomiao, why don't you take a break and I'll take over?" Xiao Li couldn't stand it anymore.

"No need, just pass me the tools. I can still hold on." Zhang Xiaomiao shook his head.

She piled the dead branches and leaves she had picked up into a pile, ready to deal with them together later.

The sun gradually rose higher, and the weather grew hotter. Zhang Xiaomiao's forehead was covered with sweat, and the sweat slid down her cheeks, dripping into the waterway. But she didn't stop, still diligently cleaning the garbage from the waterway.

This waterway is vital for the irrigation and drainage of Yunyin City. Only by cleaning it up can the farmland and life of Yunyin City be unaffected.

After several hours of hard work, the silt, weeds, dead branches and leaves, and garbage in the waterway were almost completely cleared. Zhang Xiaomiao stood up, wiped the sweat from his face, and looked at the waterway, which had become wider and the water was gradually becoming clearer, with a satisfied smile on his face.

"It's finally done. There's no problem with the sewer." Zhang Xiaomiao said happily to Xiao Li.

"Yes, thanks to Sister Xiaomiao." Xiao Li gave a thumbs up.

Zhang Xiaomiao stood by the waterway, a pleased smile on her tired face. She knew that all her hard work had been worth it.

This waterway is the main waterway of Yunyin City. Now, thanks to the efforts of himself and his partners, it can once again play a role for Yunyin City.

Suddenly, a young figure hurried over to report to Zhang Xiaomiao. Her face was filled with fear, and her voice was trembling. "Sister Xiaomiao! This is bad! Many bodies were found upstream in the waterway!"

Zhang Xiaomiao's smile froze on her face instantly, and a trace of fear and disbelief flashed in her eyes.

Her heart sank suddenly, as if it was grabbed by an invisible hand, and the joy that had just been brought to her by the successful repair of the waterway disappeared.

Her lips trembled slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she immediately ran upstream, shouting, "Quick! Come with me to take a look!"

Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, mixed with dust and leaving streaks on her cheeks. At this moment, she was full of worry.

When everyone rushed to the upper reaches of the waterway, they saw densely packed corpses floating on the water. There were men and women, old and young, and they were wearing different clothes.

Their faces were pale, their bodies were swollen, the river water became turbid, and the air was filled with a strong stench that was disgusting.

Zhang Xiaomiao's face turned pale, her stomach churning, and she almost vomited. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with fear and anger.

She bit her lip, suppressing the discomfort. She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. Her heart was filled with sorrow for the loss of these lives, and at the same time, she was filled with resentment towards the person who had caused this tragedy.

Zhang Xiaomiao tried to calm himself down, his eyes scanning back and forth between the corpses and the surrounding environment, trying to find clues.

She found that the grass on both sides of the river bank was trampled into a mess. Many people must have come here to dump corpses. This was intentional poisoning!

First, he directed everyone to set up a cordon around the scene to prevent it from being destroyed.

After arranging the security, Zhang Xiaomiao looked solemnly at a clever little girl beside him and said hurriedly, "Go back immediately and report the situation here to Lord Su of the Guard. Be sure to report it in detail without leaving anything out. Tell him that the situation is urgent and ask Lord Su to come quickly."

After receiving the order, the little girl turned around and ran away, raising a cloud of dust.

The little girl ran wildly all the way, not daring to stop for a moment, and rushed straight towards the guards.

After seeing Lord Su, she gasped and said, "Lord Su, Sister Xiao Miao asked me to report that there is an extremely terrifying situation upstream of the waterway.

There were a large number of corpses there, floating densely on the water and on both sides of the river bank.

There are all kinds of bodies, men, women, young and old, many with injuries, and the river water has been dyed red. The scene is horrific! Sister Xiao Miao is already organizing people to protect the scene, please hurry over."

When Su Da heard this, his face instantly became extremely solemn, and his heart was churning like a raging storm.

How could this happen? This level of tragedy hadn't occurred in Kumogakure Castle in ages. What conspiracy lay behind these corpses? Was it an enemy attack? Or was it the work of some sinister force hidden within the city?

Her brows were furrowed, her mind was in a mess, and every possibility made her shudder.

She didn't dare to delay even a moment, and immediately raised her voice and ordered, "You, you, quickly return and report to the governor. A large number of bodies have been found upstream of the waterway."

Su Da shouted loudly, "Teams one and two, assemble and follow me upstream of the waterway immediately!"

After rushing to the scene with the escort team, they were greeted by a horrific scene: numerous bodies floating in the water like discarded dolls, bobbing with the current.

Some of the corpses were in tattered clothes, some had incomplete limbs and wounds turned outward. The dark red blood spread in the water, forming terrifying shadows.

On both sides of the river, corpses were piled in the mud, and the surrounding grass and trees were soaked in blood, appearing a strange dark red.

Zhang Xiaomiao and other staff were busy using bamboo poles to salvage the bodies, their faces full of solemnity.

Lady Su suppressed her inner shock and anger. She scanned the corpses one by one, trying to find some clues.

She saw that many of the corpses had thick calluses on their hands, as if they had been working for a long time, but some of them had delicate skin and were dressed unusually, making their identities seem very suspicious.

"Check if there are any special marks or objects that can reveal their identities." Su Da stood up and loudly instructed the guards.

Su Da asked, "Zhang Xiaomiao, is there anyone you know here?"

Zhang Xiaomiao approached the corpses placed on the shore, squatted down, gently pushed aside the hair covering the faces of the deceased, and carefully looked at the faces of the deceased.

"I don't know him." Zhang Xiaomiao shook his head.