Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The second lunar month of every year was when the northern provinces worked on agriculture and water circulation, and this year was of no exception. It was said that this habit continued in the Great Han Empire for more than a hundred years. Before, the famous Grand Chancellor Guo Chun wrote in the ‘Empire Agriculture Ten Incidents’ that ‘The Provincial Governor and Transportation Offices should tell the soldiers and citizens that working on agriculture provides huge benefits and removes harm. So in the northern provinces, at the start of spring, people would mostly be working on plowing the land and building waterways as well as setting up dams. It was something that the bureaucracy should often do and be tested on…’
In the decades that Guo Chun was the Grand Chancellor, the local bureaucracy working on building waterways every second lunar month of the year was settled.
When Yan Liqiang came to the capital, the nearby counties had already started their large scale waterway construction projects. Usually, the construction would last a month to prepare for spring planting. However, this year was somewhat of an exception. Because the Spirit Peace River was long due for repair, last year’s rain build-up caused the river to overflow, flooding many places. The citizens endured great hardship. Due to this, the relevant departments focused on the Spirit Peace River for repair. They hired nearly 20,000 nearby farmers and workers and started the big repair project.
On the 6th day of the 3rd lunar month of the Yuanping reign in the Great Han Empire, the sun was bright and the spring wind was warm. The Spirit Peace River repair project was still on fire. At daybreak, large numbers of workers who just ate some buns started to gather next to the river. Under the rush of the head worker, they dug the earth, drained water, and built dams.
From afar, the workers looked like ants gathered at work. It was an astonishing sight.
Other than these hired workers, some nearby townsfolk also gathered at the riverside, carrying baskets of water while bustling about.
Before repairing the dam, they had to drain the water in blocks before they could start working. When they drained the water, all the fish and worms came out. Usually, it would take some effort to catch them but it was much easier now so the nearby townsfolks were happy to catch some fish. Some could catch big ones that were 80 centimeters long, and they were all very fresh. They could either eat the fish themselves or sell it to the restaurants of the capital city and earn some taels of silver.
When it was almost midday, there was a cry of shock amongst the workers digging.
“Ah, there’s a stone turtle here!”
“Stone turtle! We dug out a stone turtle!”
“There’s something in the river…”
Everyone was curious, and soon, the news of the stone turtle spread. Quite some workers and townsfolk all ran over to see the wonder.
The stone turtle was nearly one meter long and half a meter tall. It was huge and covered in mud. It had been laying here for who knows how long but it still looked very much like a turtle. This shocked the onlookers.
The workers soon found some rope, and with nearly a hundred people pulling at the same time, they brought the stone turtle onto the banks.
Everyone gathered up and looked at the stone turtle.
One silver-haired worksmith came over and felt the stone turtle’s head before scraping the mud off with his nails. He sighed, “The material isn’t ordinary, it’s Golden Leaf stone, which doesn’t erode for ten thousand years. This is strange. Why would there be a stone turtle at the Spirit Peace River…” The old smith kept scratching his head until suddenly, he dazedly said, “Huh, there seem to be words on turtle’s back. Get some water and wash it, see what it says…”
Hearing this, the curious crowd couldn’t resist pouring the water they carried from the wooden baskets they used to carry fish onto the stone turtle.
Splash…splash…splash…
After being showered with buckets of water, the stone turtle showed its original look. Clear and deep inscriptions appeared on its back.
“Words are showing, there are so many words…”
Countless heads and eyes went over.
“What words, what words, read it out loud…” people murmured.
Someone who could read started reading out loud the words.
“The Great Han Empire, fifth lunar month in the 16th year of the Yuanping reign, the Heavenly Dog devours the sun in Liu Province…”
“The Great Han Empire, eighth lunar month in the 16th year of the Yuanping reign, the great drought in Zhu province…”
“The Great Han Empire, first lunar month in the 17th year of the Yuanping reign, the great earthquake in Gong Province…”
“The Great Han Empire, fourth lunar month in the 17th year of the Yuanping reign, landslide on Mount Luchuan…”
“The Great Han Empire, ninth lunar month in the 17th year of the Yuanping reign, the Heavenly Tribulation occurs. All stars fall. The capital regions become the land of death, a desert that spans a thousand li where thousands of lives perish and return to ashes…”
“The stone turtle doesn’t open its mouth. If you see this item, you gain the opportunity. Save the citizens, escape a thousand li away, and you shall survive!”
“Great Han Yuan Tianfeng…”
After reading just two lines, the surroundings were dead silent. When the person finished reading, the place was eerily silent. Even the sound of the wind blowing the leaves could be heard.
Yuan Tianfeng was the legendary saint of great wisdom two hundred years ago. He knew the heavens and the earth. He knew things from 500 years before and 500 years after. This person was frequently in the tales told at those restaurants. Almost everyone knew him.
“I didn’t hear properly just then, can you… can you read it again…” In the silence, a farmer standing on the outskirts spoke shakily.
The reader gulped down some saliva and read it again, but compared to the first time, his tone was shaky.
This time, everyone heard clearly.
“What are you doing? What are you doing?! What are all of you doing here not doing work?” The manager of this area squeezed and forced through, reaching the front before seeing the stone turtle, “Hm, what is this?!”
“My lord… we…we just dug this up from the river…” a craftsman said quietly. Quite a few people who heard those words already started retreating.
“Oh, there’s writing on the back, let me see…”
The manager went around and started reading the words. Moments later, his face went pale white…
……
In less than four hours, news of the stone turtle and the engravings on its back spread through the entire capital city…
