"What did you say?"

Upon hearing the news brought by He Jun, Li Changlong was so shocked that he dropped his teacup, spilling tea all over the floor.

"You heard me right. Our boss received a message from above, saying that you doctors are to go and treat patients in the surrounding villages."

Li Changlong's eyes widened, and he quickly stepped forward, saying, "Didn't we hand in the prescription? Does Heshun Prefecture not have any doctors?"

"Second Brother," Lu Qiqi reminded him.

Li Changlong was also in a hurry, otherwise he wouldn't have spoken so recklessly to the officers and soldiers. He would have been in deep trouble if he had offended them.

For a moment, Li Changlong was like a chicken with its neck being choked, and dared not utter another sound.

“My second brother is outspoken, please don’t mind him,” Lu Qiqi said.

He Jun waved his hand and said directly, "It's nothing, but there's another piece of news I need to tell you."

After saying that, He Jun glanced at Li Changlong and Zhou Yi.

Lu Qiqi wasn't sure what He Jun was talking about, but the less she knew, the better than knowing too much and getting herself into trouble.

So she said, "Second brother, on Monday, you two go and keep watch for me. Tell anyone who comes that I'm not here."

At the same time, Tian Gaofei followed Li Changlong and Zhou Yi out of the main room.

Only He Jun and Lu Qiqi remained in the room.

"Now you can tell me, right?" Lu Qiqi asked.

He Jun got straight to the point, "The prescription you gave me, all the medicine has been prepared, but one ingredient is missing."

Lu Qiqi frowned. She knew what was missing without He Jun saying it, after all, this wasn't the first time the magistrate of Heshun Prefecture had done this.

She scoffed and said, "How can an army win a battle if it's not provided with supplies?"

“The amount of ginseng used is so astonishing that even the higher-ups don’t believe it, thinking it’s just a way for you to make money.”

"Miss Lu, could you tell me where you found so many ginseng roots?"

Lu Qiqi couldn't give a direct answer to what He Jun said.

If it weren't for the villagers of Tianxin Village falling seriously ill, and the panic and trouble caused by Doctor Gao, which led to the government issuing a final order, she wouldn't have been in such a hurry to dig out ginseng from her spatial dimension.

She said, "I am grateful for the help of a benefactor, and it is not convenient to disclose that."

He Jun nodded. Since Lu Qiqi was able to obtain so many ginsengs in such a short time, it couldn't have been done by her alone.

Unconsciously, his gaze fell upon her again.

Lu Qiqi wanted to know as much information as possible, otherwise if they were taken to another village and had to start all over again, when would they be able to return to Luzhou Prefecture?

She said, "Tell me about the surrounding villages, what do you think?"

According to He Jun, the plague in the surrounding villages was spread by Tianshui Village, the village that was burned down.

Tianxin Village is closest to Tianshui Village, and it was the first to be infected with the plague and was also the most severely affected.

Secondly, there are Tianlong Village and Tianmiao Village, as well as Tianping Village.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qiqi couldn't help but curse the corrupt official in her heart for actually sending them from Luzhou Prefecture to treat the village with the most severe illness.

It's like using them as human shields; once they're healed, everyone's happy.

If they are not cured and all die in Tianxin Village, then send a letter to Luzhou Prefecture; that would be a contribution to the villagers.

This is a brilliant plan.

However, now is not the time to be angry, because she did not know that He Jun had informed her without the knowledge of those above.

They were still gathering information from above, trying to find out if the missing medicinal ingredient could cure the villagers.

Lu Qiqi said, "Now that we've run out of ginseng, and we're missing this medicinal herb, I can't think of any good solutions. If there are any capable people in Heshun Prefecture, please seek their expertise."

"If you insist on sending our doctors from Luzhou Prefecture to treat the other villages, it will be in vain."

He Jun observed Lu Qiqi's expression and knew that his purpose had been exposed. He said, "Take care."

After saying that, He Jun pushed open the door and left with Tian Gaofei.

As soon as Li Changlong and Zhou Yi entered the house, Lu Qiqi heard Li Changlong cursing.

“They’re all scoundrels. We’ve put in so much effort and resources, and Young Master Song has already spent so much of his money. Now they want us to treat the surrounding villages.”

"They shut up as soon as we mentioned ginseng. Are they trying to skin us alive before they'll let us go?"

From Li Changlong's curses, Lu Qiqi also learned about Tian Gaofei and started talking about it outside the door.

If that's the case, then her initial letter to He Jun informing him that some villagers had fled was for mutual benefit.

He Jun was punished for sending the villagers back, but he also saved his own and his brothers' lives. After all, the villagers' escape from the village was the fault of the garrison officers and soldiers.

She also gave He Jun and the others medicine for their injuries.

That settles things once and for all; neither of us owes the other anything.

Zhou Yi also understood the seriousness of the situation and asked, "What do we do now?"

Lu Qiqi said, "Let's just leave it at that. From today onwards, we'll just eat and sleep, and sleep and eat. Without medicinal herbs, unless a great immortal descends to earth, no one can help us."

She deliberately spoke loudly so that the person eavesdropping outside the courtyard could hear her completely.

Outside the courtyard, the two eavesdroppers immediately stood up. Lu Qiqi had deliberately spoken so loudly so that they could hear her.

Since that's the case, there's no need to stay any longer; the most important thing is to hurry back and report.

Lu Qiqi said she wanted to completely abandon her home, but instead she didn't do it. Instead, she asked the villagers of Tianxin Village to clean their homes inside and out.

After an epidemic, the biggest fear is reinfection by pathogens.

The villagers now wish they could sculpt a statue of Lu Qiqi and worship it daily, praying for Lu Qiqi's eternal life.

The villagers did exactly what she said, and soon a thorough cleaning began in the village.

Unfortunately, the villagers are still trapped in the village and have no way to find lime water, so they can only use mugwort to fumigate every corner of the house.

Mugwort has antibacterial properties and a pleasant smell; some people even find it comforting to smell.

For a time, the air above Tianxin Village was filled with the fragrance of mugwort.

County Magistrate's Office.

Zhu Datou was under the eaves, teasing the parrot in the cage with a bamboo stick.

Upon hearing the report from the constable, he casually asked, "Did she really say that?"

"yes!"

Zhu Datou continued to poke the parrot with the bamboo stick. The parrot, in pain, fluttered around in the cage, making the cage shake.

Finally, Zhu Datou lost his patience and threw the bamboo branch on the ground. "This parrot is just as boring as the advisor. It timidly darts around at the slightest touch."

Having said that, he looked directly at the constables below the steps and said, "Send them to the plague-stricken village. I want to see if they are as tough as they say!"

With just a few words, he disregarded the lives of more than a dozen doctors, completely ignoring the fact that these doctors were borrowed from Luzhou Prefecture.

With Master Zhao absent, the yamen runners dared not utter a word, and after receiving their orders, they quickly left.