C99. Snowstorm.

C99. Snowstorm.

The snowfall this year arrived much later than last year.

Later into the year, Yuan Li thought that there would be no snow disaster this year, but before the end of the year, the snow still came down.

Falling fast and heavily, in a short moment, it covered the sky and earth in a thin layer of white.

Yuan Li stood by the window, watching the heavy snow outside.

Outside, servants would occasionally cheerfully shout, "The heavy snow is here!"

"Snow signals a bountiful year ahead!"

"The snow has finally arrived, we thought it wouldn't come before the new year, the farmers in the village were all anxious..."

Everyone was delighted by the heavy snowfall and regarded it as an auspicious sign. However, Yuan Li was somewhat worried.

Chu Hechao walked over from behind and they both looked at the heavy snow outside, "Is it this year?"

The weather forecast would only be updated later tonight to see the weather for the next seven days, Yuan Li shook his head, "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to know."

A chill breeze blew in through the window, carrying snowflakes that landed on both of them. Chu Hechao closed the window, shaking off the snow on himself and Yuan Li, "Don't worry too much, even if it's this year, we are prepared."

Yuan Li let out a sigh, "Yes."

Yuan Li hoped the snow would stop soon, but it continued to fall for a whole day, not ceasing even before bedtime.

When Yuan Li woke up the next morning, he felt a chilling cold, and upon checking, he saw that the charcoal fire in the room had gone out, with every breath turning into white mist.

He shivered, and Chu Hechao woke up as well. He wiped his face to wake himself up, covered Yuan Li with the blanket, and got out of bed to put on clothes.

His movements were swift; he quickly put on an inner robe and pondered, "Why is it so cold all of a sudden?"

"It's getting colder," Yuan Li curled up in bed, "Is it still snowing outside?"

Given how cold it was last night, Yuan Li hadn't asked the servants to wait on them.

This time, Chu Hechao didn't have to climb out of the window. He opened the door, glanced outside, and nodded, "It's still snowing."

Yuan Li immediately checked the weather forecast, feeling a sinking feeling in his heart.

The weather forecast had been updated, and the outlook was not optimistic. It predicted heavy snow for the next seven days. Coupled with the sudden drop in temperature today, a snow disaster was highly likely this year.

Even though he didn't want to face a disaster, Yuan Li had to start preparing for it. Thankfully, he had made many preparations in advance. He thought about the food, coal, and supplies in the warehouse, feeling a sense of reassurance.

Chu Hechao went out to fetch some fresh charcoal, changed the contents of the charcoal basin, rubbed his hands together, saying, "The water outside has frozen, the kitchen is boiling water right now, you should get up and get dressed. I put your clothes under the blanket at the end of the bed last night; they should still be warm, did you find them?"

Yuan Li pulled out his clothes from the blanket, nodding, "I found them, and they are still warm."

Chu Hechao placed Yuan Li's fur coat by the brazier to warm it up, fiddled with the brazier, and watched as sparks flew out, making the fire burn brightly.

Yuan Li dressed in five layers of winter clothing, feeling tired from all the layers. When he turned around, he saw Chu Hechao sitting on the edge of the bed, heating his boots over the brazier and inspecting them closely.

Chu Hechao was carefully checking if there were any gaps in Yuan Li's boots. When he noticed Yuan Li looking at him, he said, "The snow outside is thick, your boots are too thin, they will get wet if you go out."

Yuan Li tightened his belt and leaned over, asking, "Are your boots wet?"

He reached out and indeed felt that Chu Hechao's boots were already damp. Chu Hechao shrugged, "It's okay."

Yuan Li furrowed his brows, rummaged through the box at the foot of the bed, retrieving two pairs of cotton shoes and coats made in October. Lin Tian had stored them in the box.

Soon, Yuan Li pulled out the cotton shoes and coats and asked Chu Hechao to try them on. When Chu Hechao put on the cotton shoes and took a few steps, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and said to Yuan Li, "They are warm."

Just like burrowing into a warm blanket.

Yuan Li had Chu Hechao try on the cotton coat next, and as soon as it was on, Chu Hechao nodded in amazement, a spark of wonder gleaming in his eyes, "These two things are so good, is this the power of cotton?"

Yuan Li chuckled and nodded.

"It's a great thing," after wearing the cotton coat for a while, Chu Hechao was sweating from the heat, he touched his clothes, "If all soldiers had a set of these..."

Even in the coldest winter, no one would freeze to death.

Yuan Li boldly stated, "There isn't enough cotton now to make a set for each person, but when we have enough cotton in the coming years, I'll make sure each of your soldiers has a set of cotton clothes."

Chu Hechao smiled, "The Governor is generous."

A few light-hearted remarks and they quickly finished their breakfast and got ready for the day. After breakfast, Yuan Li called for Wang Er and Wu Kai, who were still resting in the mansion.

Despite the approaching year-end, Yuan Li had to cancel their holiday and ordered them to lead teams to inspect the houses in the north and south of the city to see if any had collapsed due to heavy snow.

Wang Er and Wu Kai did not complain and promptly set off to carry out their orders.

The servants in the mansion were also instructed to energetically clear the accumulated snow. Outside the mansion, Yuan Li had people clearing the snow from the roads.

However, the snow was too heavy, and the streets that were just cleared quickly accumulated a thin layer of snow again. In modern times, Yuan Li could have used industrial salt to melt the snow, but in ancient times, they did not have access to such a large quantity of salt, so Yuan Li could only clear the snow promptly to prevent any house collapses.

Yuan Li was also concerned about the prisoners clearing the snow; he made sure they took turns in shifts and provided them with enough charcoal in the prisoner camp.

In the afternoon, Wang Er and Wu Kai returned with good news - there were no reports of collapsed houses due to heavy snow in Jixian.

Yuan Li breathed a sigh of relief, "You will have to work a few more days, as this snow is a cause for concern."

Could the Governor mean that the snow will continue to fall?

Wang Er and Wu Kai were puzzled but simply bowed and acknowledged the order.

Back at home, Liu Jixin and others learned about the tasks assigned to Wang Er and Wu Kai.

Guo Mao hurried through the snow to Liu Mansion to meet Liu Jixin and Zheng Rong. They sat in the corridor, sipping tea and watching the continuous snowfall, each one lost in their own thoughts.

"Tell me..." Zheng Rong hesitated, speaking cautiously, "Has the Governor already anticipated this heavy snow and perhaps even predicted that it might lead to a snow disaster?"

Liu Jixin was taken aback, "If that's the case, the Governor's actions of hoarding food and building shelters could be explained."

But... is it really possible?

This time, it's not just heavy rain, but a potentially larger and more disastrous snow disaster. Could the Governor predict not only the duration of the heavy snow but also the resulting calamity?

If it were true, what kind of extraordinary foresight...

Unknowingly, Liu Jixin broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a mix of excitement and worry.

Would such a miracle really occur again?

The snow had only been falling for two days, could it truly turn into a calamity?

Liu Jixin wanted to believe, but there was a lingering doubt in his heart, not about Yuan Li's trustworthiness but rather about the incomprehensible nature of the situation.

Guo Mao had never witnessed Yuan Li's miraculous weather forecasting. In response to Zheng Rong and Liu Jixin's remarks, he chuckled, saying, "You're exaggerating. How could we mere mortals predict when God decides to send rain or snow? Let alone unforeseeable disasters like snowstorms and floods. You are not from Youzhou and probably don't know. Even though winters in Youzhou are cold, it has been more than a decade since we've had any snow-related disasters."

Zheng Rong interjected, "But you don't know that our Lord actually..."

Liu Jixin stopped him, "Do you think this snow could lead to a disaster?"

As a gust of chilling wind swept by, Guo Mao quickly shielded himself and responded, "A snow disaster wouldn't just occur after two days of snow."

"In that case, what do you make of our Lord hoarding food and building shelters?" Liu Jixin pressed on.

"It's to prepare for times of chaos, wars, and unrest, to accommodate refugees," Guo Mao answered, then chuckled and continued, "Liu, I've been meaning to discuss this with you. Our Lord has come of age, a mature and high-ranking official. He's not the youth you once knew anymore."

"He is more knowledgeable, dignified, and his actions are increasingly resolute," Guo Mao observed Liu Jixin's contemplative expression and whispered, "You mustn't see him as you once did."

Liu Jixin fell into silence.

Sipping on warm tea to ward off the chill, Guo Mao went on, "Having served two lords, you must appreciate our Lord's rare virtues. He personally arranges the meals at the Political Affairs Hall, ensuring we have three meals a day. How many fine wines and meats has he generously given us as rewards? Whenever there's something new, be it potatoes or cotton clothes, windmills or mandarin hot pots, we each receive a share. It's all out of his care for us. He values talents and follows the rules."

Liu Jixin forced a smile, "Your words carry weight."

"I know you mean well for our Lord, fearing he might become autocratic and disregard our opinions," Guo Mao counselled candidly, "But Old Liu, regarding our Lord using his own silver to stockpile food, even if some of it spoils, how does it concern us? And on the matter of hoarding food, do you think it's right or wrong? As his subordinates, if it doesn't impact the bigger picture, why dwell on it?"

Liu Jixin remained silent for a long time, then sighed, "I must have been delusional. You were right."

Yuan Li was indeed no longer the same person he used to be, always worrying about every little thing before he came of age and became a reliable and admirable Lord.

Liu Jixin said no more, simply raised his hand to toast Guo Mao in gratitude.

For the next few days, the heavy snow did not let up. By the third day, some houses in Jixian had collapsed under the weight of the snow.

As the end of the year approached, Yuan Li's subordinates became busy, meeting in his study daily to discuss how to handle the snow situation.

Fortunately, because Yuan Li had previously instructed people to build sturdy houses and promptly clear the snow, the damages were not as severe as they could have been.

Seven days later, before dawn, Liu Jixin was fast asleep.

Suddenly, urgent footsteps and the sound of horse hooves echoed outside. Someone pounded on Liu Jixin's door, calling out, "Sir Liu, wake up, Governor Yuanli requests your presence!"

Startled awake, Liu Jixin donned his clothes and cracked the door open, asking, "What's happening?"

It was Yuan Li's personal guard, his face grave and his speech hurried, saying, "Disasters have struck Guangyang, Changping, Jundu, and Anci counties! An avalanche in the mountains to the north of Jixian buried three villages! The situation is urgent. Please hurry and change, and go to the Prince Chu's Mansion!"

With that, the guard quickly left to inform others. Inside the room, Liu Jixin shuddered at the realization of the snow disaster.

He took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he hurriedly changed clothes and rushed to the Governor's Mansion.

The sky was still dark, the horses skidding on the slippery ground, and the snowdrifts on the roadside towering over a person's height.

The more he saw, the more fearful Liu Jixin became. When he arrived at Yuan Li's study, he found Guo Mao in a similar state of panic.

Guo Mao, disheveled and muttering to himself, expressed disbelief at the snow disaster, wondering if their Lord had truly foreseen it. "The snowstorm... it truly arrived! How can this be? Did the lord truly foresee the coming blizzard?"

The Emperor himself couldn't do such things.

Reflecting on the time Yuan Li started hoarding food and building shelters back in August, four months in advance, Guo Mao felt a chill run down his spine and goosebumps rise on his arms.

August! Four whole months ahead!

Who would believe such a thing?

Who could predict seven consecutive days of unending heavy snow four months later?

But their Lord had done just that.

It must be fate… this was the chosen one of heaven…

Guo Mao gasped, looked up at Liu Jixin with a gaze full of dread and complexity.

Both advisors wore expressions of fear and complexity.

The turbulent times had arrived, and the Northern Zhou Dynasty was on the brink of collapse.

Could their Lord be the one chosen by the heavens, a true dragon?