Chapter 84 The Epidemic: Heading to the Epidemic Area

Gyeongju.

The outbreak was sudden and spread rapidly, from one county town to neighboring townships, and then to the prefectural city.

By the time the officials in the prefectures and counties noticed, the infection had already spread extensively.

When Zhao Jiashu, the governor of Qingzhou, received the news, he was so angry that he smashed several cups.

But after the fall, he immediately called a meeting with his subordinates and then issued orders one by one:

First, he ordered officials in the areas where the outbreak occurred to obey his orders.

Second, the epidemic zone was divided, and the people in the surrounding uninfected areas were relocated. Troops were stationed around the epidemic zone to prevent the people in the epidemic zone from leaving.

Third, highly skilled doctors were mobilized from across the state to the epidemic area, and medicines and provisions were sent from the state capital.

In a sense, this is tantamount to abandoning all the people in the epidemic area.

They could only leave it to fate.

But Zhao Jiashu had no choice. If he didn't quickly separate the sick from the healthy, and if he let the patients run around, the number of infected people would only increase.

Zhao Jiashu's order was relayed from the prefecture to the epidemic area, and officials in various counties and prefectures understood the governor's meaning.

Some officials immediately packed their belongings and fled the area with their families.

Some officials, however, decided to stay behind and immediately arranged for their subordinates to prepare for the treatment of the sick. They also designated an area and forcibly sent all the sick there for doctors to treat them in one place.

The people in the epidemic area are suffering greatly.

Whether it's themselves or a family member who is sick, no one wants to be sent to the medical area designated by the prefect.

Although the prefect said there were doctors inside who would provide treatment, people didn't really trust the government. In their eyes, those who were sent inside were essentially abandoned by the government and most likely wouldn't come back.

Unfortunately, the government took a hard line and sent soldiers to forcibly take the people away.

So the patients were taken away from their homes one by one, and their families chased after them crying, only to be stopped by the soldiers' cold blades.

In the medical ward, the patients were in great pain, and groans, wails, and cries filled every room.

The doctors flipped through medical books with headaches, discussing treatment methods with their colleagues as they went.

The young apprentices, their foreheads covered in sweat, stared intently at the stove as the medicine was being decocted.

The men and women caring for the patient anxiously watched the patient's increasingly pale face.

Everyone is feeling very upset.

But despite being forced to drink bowl after bowl of herbal medicine, few people recovered. As the patients' conditions worsened, everyone in the medical ward felt despair, and the doctors visibly aged rapidly.

Meanwhile, a medical team dispatched by Anneung County is about to arrive in Gyeongju.

Unlike massacres and floods, He Qinglan was able to directly bring the people who were destined to die back to Anling.

This is an epidemic! If He Qinglan takes people infected with the virus to Anling or Sifang before they are cured, she's out of her mind.

Therefore, she specifically ordered the Anneung County Administrative Office to form a medical team to go to the epidemic area to save lives.

The heads of the medical team, Xu Nanxing and Fu Tiandong, had unusually serious expressions.

Bearing the lives of many people on their shoulders, they were both very nervous as they left Anling for the first time to take on such a major responsibility.

Xu Nanxing: "Let's go to the state capital first to see Governor Zhao..." Zhao what was it again?

Fu Tiandong: "Zhao Jiashu."

Xu Nanxing: "Yes, we should first go to see Zhao Jiashu to get his support, and then move on to the epidemic area."

They are not like goddesses who have to pay homage when they arrive in someone's territory.

Xu Nanxing: "Zhao Jiashu shouldn't have any objections, right?"

Fu Tiandong calmly replied, "We're here to help him save lives. If he solves the epidemic, it's his achievement; if he fails, we're the ones who die. It has nothing to do with him. What could he possibly have to say?"

Indeed. Xu Nanxing glanced out of the car. People were coming and going on the official road, some walking, some carrying goods. There was no indication that Qingzhou was currently experiencing an epidemic.

He said worriedly, "I don't know what the patients' conditions are, how serious their illnesses are, or how easy they are to treat."

Fu Tiandong suggested, "Why don't you help make some masks?" to save her from overthinking, which made her involuntarily nervous.

Xu Nanxing: "..." He looked at Fu Tiandong with disbelief: You actually dared to use needle and thread in the carriage?

Fu Tiandong really dared to do that.

Along the carriage journey from Anling to Qingzhou, she held cloth in her left hand, needle and thread in her right, and scissors at her feet, managing to sew over a hundred masks.

When they set off, they brought several truckloads of medical supplies and medicines.

But who would complain about having too many face masks, a necessity like this?

Xu Nanxing dared not use his needle and thread on the moving carriage, for fear of pricking himself.

So he went back to his carriage and took out a medical book to read.

Upon seeing this, he immediately calmed down.

Gyeongju Fortress.

When Zhao Jiashu heard that Xu Nanxing, Fu Tiandong, and others had come all the way from Anling County to help with the treatment, he indeed met with them.

Xu Nanxing handed over He Qinglan's "handwritten letter" (written by Cheng Hui), stating that their Anling medical team had achieved some success in medical research, and upon hearing of the epidemic in Qingzhou, they were willing to come and contribute their expertise, requesting Governor Zhao's support.

The other party made a tactful request: first, that Governor Zhao personally write a letter instructing officials in the epidemic area to cooperate with the medical team in providing treatment and not to make things difficult for them.

Secondly, according to the drawings she provided, the Qingzhou coal was made into honeycomb briquettes and sent to the epidemic area, since the weather is quite cold now and the patients should not be exposed to too much cold.

Zhao Jiashu was surprised that the current leader of Anling was a woman, but this matter was irrelevant to him; the epidemic in Qingzhou was more important to him.

Ordering county and prefectural officials to cooperate with the medical team is not a problem, but...

He held the blueprint and looked at the round object full of holes on it, very curious: Why make coal like this?

Zhao Jiashu asked Xu Nanxing, "What's the use of making beehives out of coal?"

Xu Nanxing replied, "It burns for a longer time, which saves coal. You can have someone make a few to test it out first."

Zhao Jiashu nodded, "Okay, I'll find someone to try right away."

If it works well, quickly build a workshop and send the honeycomb briquettes produced to the epidemic area.

He said to Xu Nanxing and Fu Tiandong, "I'm leaving the epidemic area in your hands. If you can save the people of Qingzhou, I, Zhao Jiashu, will definitely repay you handsomely!"

“I will write a few letters, asking the officials in the epidemic area to cooperate with you and send a few more people to go with you.”

Xu Nanxing: "Alright, thank you, Governor Zhao."

Fu Tiandong: "With your help, we can start treatment as soon as possible."

Xingzhou.

The Prime Minister's Residence.

Lu Wei and Xue Rang were discussing matters in the study, specifically Sun Yannan's plan to attack Jinzhou.

Xue Rang said, "It is said that Sun Yannan has his eye on a treasure in Jinzhou and is willing to give up Chaozhou to Lu Hong in order to conquer Jinzhou and get that treasure."

Upon hearing this, Lu Wei understood the meaning behind Xue Rang's words. The middle-aged man's narrowed eyes sharpened. "Oh? What kind of treasure is it?"

Xue Rang shook his head, "I don't know."

"You need to confirm whether this is true or not," Lu Wei said to Xue Rang. "If Sun Yannan really wants to send troops to attack Jinzhou for this treasure, then that's my chance."

Even if they can't conquer both states, they can still greatly weaken Sun Yannan's strength.

Xue Rang cupped his hands in greeting, "Yes."

Lu Wei said, "If possible, find out what that treasure is."

Xue Rang said, "I'm also very curious, what kind of treasure could make Sun Yannan willingly give up Chaozhou, which he had fought for several months?"

He had originally cooperated with Lu Hong to conquer Chaozhou, but now he voluntarily relinquished it to prevent Lu Hong from "being the one who stalks the cicada from behind" and launching a sneak attack. He wanted to go and attack Jinzhou alone, simply because he was afraid that Lu Hong would compete with him for that treasure.

What kind of treasure is it?

Lu Wei suddenly realized something, "Could it be that Sun Yannan deliberately spread such rumors to lure me into sending troops, so that I can be lured into a trap?"

Xue Rang smiled calmly, "That's also possible. The idea that Sun Yannan would be willing to give up Chaozhou for a treasure does sound absurd." Jinzhou is no match for Chaozhou.

Lu Wei sneered, "Indeed, Sun Yannan and Lu Hong may have deliberately spread rumors to lure me into sending troops so that we could launch a joint attack."

Xue Rang said, "But their alliance is not so solid. With just a little provocation, they will turn on each other."

After the meeting, Lu Wei had someone deliver a gift box to Xue Rang so he could take it home and use it.

Xue Rang was surprised. He opened the gift box and saw ten crystal-clear glass cups inside!

Lu Wei said, "This was just sent by the governor of Shengzhou." He hadn't given it to his brat son even though he wanted it.

Xue Rang picked up a cup and exclaimed, "The workmanship is so perfect, there are no impurities at all."

Lu Wei nodded, "I don't know where they got it from, but this kind of glass seems to be the same as the vase Fang'er gave me before."

Xue Rang also thought of something, "One of these glass items appears in Xingzhou every month, and it is said that they come from overseas."

overseas?

Yangliu County.

After Xu Nanxing and Fu Tiandong arrived with their medical team, with the assistance of people sent by Zhao Jiashu, they quickly gained the support of the county magistrate and took over the county's medical work.

"The remains of those who have died of illness, along with their personal belongings, are all taken to one place for cremation."

"The medical area should be well-ventilated, cleaned regularly every day, and disinfected with a mixture of alcohol and water."

"Doctors and nurses in the medical area must wear masks and gloves."

"Patients should wash their hands and face frequently, drink less unboiled water, and drink more hot water."

As soon as Fu Tiandong started working, he became a completely different person.

She calmly assigned the tasks.

Everyone who questioned her was rendered speechless by her scathing critique, and dared not oppose her any further.

Xu Nanxing wiped her forehead. Fu Tiandong was usually not very talkative, but she would become decisive and efficient when it came to medical matters.

No one dared to criticize her when she was working hard, including her father, Dr. Xu.

Fu Tiandong was very satisfied. Wearing a mask and gloves, she entered the medical area and first distributed masks and gloves to the doctors there, instructing them to wear them properly.

“When a patient sneezes, the saliva they expel contains the virus. If we don’t wear masks to isolate ourselves, we may inhale the virus.”

Fu Tiandong said this.

Doctors: "!!!"

She then discussed the patient's condition with the doctors.

He said, "We need to pay attention to our living environment. Rats, mosquitoes and other dirty things can spread diseases. It's best to organize people to clean and unclog the ditches. Also, the tap water we usually drink contains germs. Boiling the water can effectively kill the germs."

Fu Tiandong's expression darkened slightly. "Although it cannot cure the disease, it can prevent the condition from worsening and also prevent the rapid spread of the epidemic."

The doctors were all trained in medicine, and although they hadn't mastered the knowledge Fu Tiandong was talking about, they understood it immediately after his explanation.

They immediately made the arrangements that Fu Tiandong had mentioned.

He also invited Fu Tiandong to visit the patient together.

Fu Tiandong nodded, "Let's take a look at where the patients are staying."

Xu Nanxing and others were unloading supplies they had brought from Anling.

After leaving some people in Yangliu County, he told Fu Tiandong and headed towards Lechi County, which was also designated as an epidemic area.