Chu Xuan asked, "Then, in Madam's opinion, what should we do now?"

"Yes, Madam, the Lord has now fallen ill; you must make a decision."

Liu Huan gritted her teeth and ordered Ermo, "Go and take Anzhi and Anran to the city gate. I'll be there right away."

Ermo disagreed, "Sister, the child is so young, what if he gets sick if he goes out..."

"Make sure they wear the masks and take them directly to the city wall. This is the only way to stabilize public morale now."

Seeing her so resolute, Ermo sighed and ran off to fetch people.

The other officials also knew what Liu Huan meant, so they pretended to be stupid, lowered their heads, and dared not move.

Liu Huan looked at everyone and said, "Trust me, everyone. As long as we wear masks and avoid contact with others until the imperial physician arrives, we will be saved."

After saying that, without having time to say anything else, she changed into women's clothing, put on a mask, washed her hands, and went to the city gate.

When they arrived, Anzhi and Anran were already there, along with Su's father and mother, and several maids from the Liu family.

Anran hadn't seen her mother for several days and wanted to rush over, but Liu Huan called out to her loudly, "Don't come over, stay with your brother."

Anzhi obediently grabbed Anran and quietly looked at her mother.

The area below the city gate was filled with people, raising their hands in protest and demanding to leave; some were almost ready to fight with the soldiers.

Chu Xuan struck the gong once, "Everyone, be quiet."

The piercing sound echoed throughout the street, and the people instantly fell silent.

Who is that?

"It seems to be Lord Chu."

"Where are the people next to them?"

"have no idea"

Chu Xuan knocked twice more before everyone finally quieted down. "Everyone, our county magistrate's wife has something to say to you all."

Suddenly, someone in the previously quiet crowd spoke up, "Don't listen to their nonsense! Those officials left a long time ago. They just want us to stay here and wait to die. We want to get out!"

"Yes, we need to get out!"

They completely ignored the sound of the gong and everyone's clamor to go outside. Even when Chu Xuan shouted himself hoarse, they pretended not to hear him.

Liu Huan took the gong and struck it repeatedly in rapid succession. The piercing sound finally drew the attention of the people below.

She handed the gong to the person next to her, removed her mask, and said, "I am Su Yi's wife!"

Those below, unaware of the situation, asked, "Who is Su Yi?"

"You didn't know that? Su Yi is the current county magistrate."

"Don't fall for what she's trying to say; these officials these days really have a whole set of tricks up their sleeves."

Everyone quieted down, wanting to hear what she had to say. Liu Huan stood on the city wall and pointed to An Ran, who was crying her eyes out, and said, "This is my daughter with the adults, and the one next to her is her brother. They are twins."

He then pointed to Su's mother beside him and said, "These are the magistrate's father and mother, and these are the servants in the house."

"Pah, who knows if you hired someone to act this out? We don't believe it."

"Yes, if you say so, then it is."

“That’s the child I carried for ten months and gave birth to. Doctor Ma in the city knows it, the midwife in the west of the city knows it, and the villagers of Heshui Village and the students of the academy all know it.”

The people below began to get impatient. "Just say what you want to say, don't waste our time."

Liu Huan shouted again, "Everyone, please trust the magistrate and trust the imperial court. The emperor has already sent imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy, who are on their way and will arrive soon."

"What's the use of believing? It's not you who's going to die."

"That's right, it's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering."

"Can everyone please let me finish what I have to say?"

Liu Huan's loud roar silenced the people below.

She tried her best to organize her thoughts and persuade everyone.

"May I ask where you're headed?"

The people below looked at each other with blank stares. They didn't know where to go, but anywhere was better than waiting to die here.

"What business is it of yours where we go?"

"that is"

"I don't care where you go, I'm just concerned about whether you'll actually be able to get into the city."

The people below began to get wary. "What do you mean?"

Liu Huan raised his hands high and explained one by one: "The news of the plague in Nanchang County has already spread. Do you think other counties or Hongdu Prefecture will let you in? If you can't go in, you can only wander, leave your homes and have nothing."

"Furthermore, this plague has a long incubation period, and it's possible that everyone is already carrying the virus. What if it breaks out halfway through the journey? If the imperial physicians arrive but can't find you, you won't receive timely treatment, and it will delay your lives."

Some people below burst into tears upon hearing this, crying out, "Waaah, what are we going to do?"

Some rational people said, "Don't listen to her. She just wants us to fend for ourselves. This disease is smallpox, and people will die."

Although no one had experienced it, they had all heard of it. Some of the slightly wavering people immediately came to their senses: "That's right, if you get smallpox, you're going to die. We can't just wait to die."

"It's not smallpox!"

"What?"

Liu Huan reiterated, "It's not smallpox. Although it's transmitted from person to person, it's not as terrible as smallpox. As long as everyone follows my instructions, we will definitely be able to get through this difficult time."

Why should we believe you?

In response to the doubts, Liu Huan asked, "How many people have you seen die?"

Looking back, it seems that most people had coughs and fevers, but the number of deaths was indeed small.

"I don't have much of it around you, right? That's because it's not smallpox. If it were smallpox, none of you would be here talking to me now."

"This is a slightly more serious illness than a cold, but it's not incurable. As long as everyone perseveres until the imperial physician arrives, everything will be resolved."

Liu Huan spoke earnestly for a long time, finally saying, "If it were really a very serious illness, I would have sent the children away long ago. Parents should love their own children; I wouldn't risk them."

Everyone thought it made a lot of sense, since no one would risk their own child.

Several well-dressed men below asked, "Then how can you guarantee our safety?"

"I can't say for sure that everyone is safe, but I can guarantee that you are definitely not as safe as you are in the city after you leave, not to mention whether the soldiers will drive you away."

"Even if we go to rely on relatives, who can guarantee that they won't look down on us? It's better to stay in the city and work together to fight the plague. Once the imperial physician arrives and prescribes medicine, we'll all be safe."

While everyone was still undecided, a group of people followed behind them. The leader was the county magistrate's wife, along with Madam Chu, Madam Jiang, the academy's teacher, and Dean Wu.

You might not know anyone else, but everyone knows the academy's teachers and headmaster.

"None of the people from the academy have left?"

"Yeah, why are they all here?"

Dean Wu walked alone to the city wall, first bowed to Liu Huan in a gentlemanly manner, and then said, "I believe that the Emperor will not abandon us, and I also believe that Lord Su will protect us, so I will not leave."

Old Madam Chu and the others went up as well. After introducing themselves, they said firmly, "Nanchang County is my home. I will never leave, even if I die."

When the people below saw that none of the officers' and soldiers' families or prominent figures from Nanchang County had fled, they felt a slight sense of relief.

Chu Xuan delivered the final blow, "Have you all forgotten the earthquake that struck the surrounding area back then? Our county wasn't severely affected, but Lord Su still distributed relief grain to every household, helped rebuild houses where they collapsed, and replenished grain supplies where they were destroyed. Has he disappointed you all?"

"I trust Lord Su more than I would be driven away and locked up elsewhere."

Some of the more emotional people below began to cry, saying, "What are we going to do? We can't go out and our food is almost gone."

Upon seeing this, Liu Huan shouted, "Don't worry, everyone. The grain shops in the city won't raise prices. The adults have already gone around buying grain, which will be sold to everyone at a low price. We will definitely not let anyone go hungry."

With Liu Huan's assurance, those who didn't have much money to begin with quietly returned, not because they didn't want to go out, but because they compromised.

Just like Liu Huan said, they came from a plague-stricken area and would be driven away wherever they went.

As long as the promise of food that can cure diseases is fulfilled, they won't run away.

As soon as someone left, everyone prepared to leave as well, but Liu Huan called them back.

"Wait a moment, everyone, I have a few more words to say." Everyone stopped and listened quietly to her.

"The government is making masks, like the one I'm wearing. They'll be distributing them door-to-door in a bit. Everyone must wear them. This disease spreads through close proximity and conversation, so please keep a little distance from each other."

"Don't gather together to talk. If you find anyone coughing or having a fever, tell the officers and soldiers immediately. We will treat you in time and not leave you to fend for yourself."

"So, if you're feeling unwell, please don't hide it."

“Every day, the government office will brew herbal medicine for everyone to drink. When you go out, make sure you wear a mask. Food is also purchased at fixed times, so don’t go out before the designated time.”

"Don't worry, everyone, we will get through this difficult time."

As they walked back, everyone digested what Liu Huan had said. They wanted to whisper among themselves, but then they remembered that the disease was contagious through talking, so they all instinctively covered their mouths and noses as they went back.

Seeing that everyone had gone home, Liu Huan breathed a sigh of relief.

If these people were to go out and infect people in other places, in ancient times with underdeveloped medical technology, it would be a waste of resources and manpower, and countless people would die.

Besides, she believed there would always be a way.

Because Liu Huan's words had spread, the people on the city wall didn't exchange pleasantries; they simply nodded from afar and left.

Wearing a mask, Liu Huan walked a little further away and shouted, "Mom and Dad, go back. Shi Tou and I are doing fine."

Su's mother covered her face and wept, "Huanhuan, Shitou is sick, if... you must tell us."

"I know, Mother. Don't worry, I will keep an eye on him."

Su's mother tried to pull Anran away, but Anran struggled and refused to leave, saying, "I don't want to, I want my mother."

Liu Huan took a deep breath and said, "Anzhi, take good care of your sister and wait for Mother to come back."

Anzhi's eyes were also red, and she nodded understandingly: "Okay, we'll wait for you to come back."

An Ran cried all the way back, and Liu Huan, unable to compose herself, led the people back to the yamen.

The masks were distributed according to the registered population, and the shopkeepers of grain stores in the city were met with people from all walks of life. In the end, it was discovered that it was all related to the Jiang family.

"Have you heard anything from Changyun or the person he sent to make the purchase?"

"Madam, we're already halfway there."

Immediately after this incident, Liu Huan sent people to the nearest county or prefecture to purchase medicinal herbs and grain, using his own silver notes, of course.

She knew that in the event of natural disasters or man-made calamities, food prices would inevitably rise first, and people's anxiety was also due to food.

The government's relief supplies were not expected to arrive for a long time, so they had to be self-sufficient.

"Once it arrives, just take it to the government office, where they will set a fixed price and sell it to everyone."

"yes"

She then went to the study and wrote down what she had just said on a piece of paper and handed it to the county magistrate. “Do as I have written. Every day, boil the medicine prescribed by the doctor into a big pot and distribute it to everyone. Don’t worry about the medicinal materials; they are already on their way.”

The county magistrate looked at the detailed solution on the paper, which even specified the issue of drinking water, and he was once again impressed and respected the woman.

"Yes, Your Excellency will take care of it right away."

After arranging everything, Liu Huan appeared in front of Su Yi's door. She first washed up and put on a mask before going inside.

The hollow cough inside was extremely unpleasant to hear.

He quickly walked to the bedside, helped the weak person up, and patted his back.

After Su Yi calmed down, he pushed her and said, "You should leave now."

Liu Huan was a little angry, so she shouted, "We've known each other for so long, how am I supposed to leave?"

Su Yi turned around and looked at her anxiously, like a child who had done something wrong. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Liu Huan held his hand, gently rested her head on his shoulder, and whispered, "You're here all the time, where do you want me to go?"

“It’s okay, Stone, you’ll get better. I just saw your parents and children. They miss you a lot. I told them you went to do other things.”

Changbai brought over some white porridge, and Liu Huan patiently fed him, coaxing him to finish it little by little, just like she would with Anran and the others.

Seeing his unshaven, chapped lips, she looked away.

Su Yi knew he looked terrible, so he lowered his head and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

"There's nothing to be tired about. You can rest assured and relax. I've arranged everything outside without any problems."

Su Yi smiled and said, "Okay~"

The people who had returned to the city were watching and waiting. Not long after, the soldiers who delivered the masks arrived and placed them on a stool that they had specially brought out, far away from the city.

They were also told when to buy rice, that they could buy it every three days, and that the amount should be based on the number of people in their household.

Everyone should go back and check their own rice bins. Actually, there's no problem if they have enough grain for another half month. Given the situation, they shouldn't even be hoping for vegetables.

In the afternoon, the officers and soldiers pushed horse-drawn carts and began to shout along the road to serve soup. Each family would come out with a basin, and the number of people would determine the number of bowls served.

Only when everyone saw that the officers and soldiers were actually carrying out what Liu Huan had said did they feel relieved.

Anyone with a fever in the household must be reported immediately, and the officers and soldiers will take them to a designated place where they will be given specially prepared traditional Chinese medicine by the doctor.

The same was true for the villages outside. After the officers and soldiers read Liu Huan's words and the solution, they posted notices, and even if everyone wanted to leave, they dared not.

More and more people are coughing, and the death toll is also rising.

This is inevitable, after all, pneumonia has a long incubation period, and some people were infected long ago but just didn't have symptoms before. When the time comes, there will definitely be a peak.

Once all symptomatic individuals were grouped together and a peak was reached, the number of new cases gradually decreased.

Liu Huan's prediction came true once again, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.