Chapter 21 Good News

Shang Yuji tried to imagine Jiang Xi wielding a large sword with imposing power, then silently closed her eyes.

Why is her mind filled with images of Lin Daiyu uprooting the willow tree?

Jiang Xi tugged at her sleeve again, her fox-like eyes looking at her hesitantly. She slowly approached her ear, covered the lower half of her face with one hand, and whispered, "I only want to talk to Aji."

Yang Bai understood the sullen smile on Shang Yuji's face first, and took the initiative to get up and leave: "I've said everything. You two can discuss it further. I have something to do later, so I'll take my leave first."

After Yang Bai left, Shang Yuji tilted her head slightly, rested her chin on her hand, and asked, "Now you can tell me, why did you want to learn the broadsword?"

He said earnestly, "Aji likes Miss Yang's broadsword. If I learn to use the broadsword, Aji will like my broadsword too."

Shang Yuji was puzzled and asked in return, "When did I start liking Miss Yang's broadsword?"

Jiang Xi helped her recall: "When Miss Yang refused to share the food with us, after we persuaded her, Aji kept staring at her knife. There were many more times afterward when Aji would look at the knife. Wasn't Aji because she liked Miss Yang's big knife?"

Seeing his obedient appearance as he carefully explained, Shang Yuji felt a surge of malice. She stretched out her hands, rubbed his cheeks, and laughed, "If I like knives, I can just buy knives. Do you think you have to learn how to wield a broadsword just because I think it looks cool?"

Ah Ji didn't pinch him hard at all; she couldn't bear to hurt him.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xi smiled childishly: "Hmm! If Aji likes it, then I'll learn it."

Shang Yuji was exasperated and poked his forehead with her index finger: "You, you need to have some of your own ideas, don't you understand?"

Jiang Xi smiled even more brightly, letting him do as he pleased: "I have my own ideas. I miss Aji, I think about her all the time!"

"Isn't that right beside you? Do you even need to think about it?"

"Yes! When I look at Aji, I wish I could look at her forever; when I eat with Aji, I want to eat many meals with her; when I tell stories to Aji, I want to tell her many stories..."

Seeing him open his palms, preparing to give examples one by one, Shang Yuji's heart softened: "You just keep saying these things."

"It's not just talk, I can do it," Jiang Xi said firmly, looking up at him.

Shang Yuji hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Alright, let's talk about martial arts training when we get back to Yangzhou. Let's go see Senior Yi Sha first."

Upon receiving the news that his future disciple had agreed to have a proper talk with her, Master Yi was in high spirits and waited early in the guest room designated by Yang Bai.

The meeting place was the same guest room that had been booked for Jiang Xi, but it was given to the guards to make room for her.

After deciding on the location for the meeting, Yang Bai and his men quickly tidied up the place, making it look relatively neat.

Old Master Yi had excellent hearing. Even with similar footsteps, she could tell that there were two people. Thinking of the information she had gathered, the other person was her good disciple's wife.

I heard that my good apprentice is a henpecked husband who only listens to his wife. So her main task this time is to persuade his wife!

Her years of experience in the world told her that her actions were no different from those of a wicked mother-in-law who would break up a loving couple.

However, with her extensive experience, she had prepared a response well in advance.

Upon entering the room, Shang Yuji sat down first, and Jiang Xi sat on the wooden stool next to her. The two of them sat facing Old Master Yi.

Yang Bai led three people to stand guard in front of the house. If necessary, they would break down the door and rescue the girl and her husband from the enraged senior.

Unexpectedly, Shang Yuji went in with a jumble of thoughts and came out feeling confused and disoriented.

It went too smoothly, so smoothly that she felt that if she dared to ask for the stars and moon in the sky, Old Master Yi would try to pluck them down.

Knowing that Jiang Xiqu had no martial arts experience, they were willing to customize a martial arts training plan for him. After hearing that they planned to settle in Yangzhou, they were also worried that Jiang Xiqu's martial arts training would reduce the family's income, so they would subsidize his martial arts training.

Shang Yuji: "..."

It's so strange, it's like they've been dug a pit just for them, waiting for them to jump in.

Could it really be a scam?

After all, free things are the most expensive.

In the end, Master Yi did not expect that her preparations to reduce her apprentice's opposition would be in vain, and would instead raise Shang Yuji's guard even higher.

Old Master Yi was still gloating, thinking that she was about to have a good disciple who could crush Old Master Huo's second disciple. Who would have thought that she had not taken many disciples over the years, but would take in a genius with her first disciple?

Her original plan was to visit her old friends in the martial arts world in Yangzhou and then leave, but now, in order to teach her good apprentice, she has made a decisive decision to settle in Yangzhou!

.

Late on the third night of the torrential rain, a heavy rumbling sound came from the distant embankment.

The following day, the patrolmen who had braved the rain to investigate brought back news that the dam had failed to hold back the floodwaters and had eventually broken under the weight. The water flowed out, overflowed the ground, and gradually rose, leaving no place to stand in the low-lying areas.

As expected, the powerful families who entered the mountain temple to escape the flood were picky about the simplicity of the refuge. They tried to complain to Li Wanjing several times, but the clerk who had been assigned the task deflected their complaints with ease.

With days of heavy rain causing dikes to collapse, flooding Jingzhou, and shortages of supplies and medicines piling up, Li Wanjing had no time to listen to their complaints.

He was extremely busy and overwhelmed. Upon hearing that Jingzhou had almost become a water city and that the reinforced dikes were doomed, he dared not even imagine what the scene would be like if the dikes had not been reinforced.

Knowing that no one could survive a great disaster alone, the people helped each other and struggled to get by day after day.

The people of Jingzhou who had taken refuge in various places counted the days off each day. When they woke up to find it was still raining, they didn't even have the energy to complain. But what came even faster than numbness was the worry and fear of the increasing number of sick people in the shelters.

Even though they knew that taking the patients away was to prevent infection of those who were not infected, they couldn't help but feel fearful as they watched people they knew and didn't know being taken away, wondering if they would be the next one.

Occasionally, a few soft sobs could be heard from a corner of the refugee house, mostly from the relatives of the patients who had been taken away. Everyone in the house felt the same way and were saddened.

A major disaster is followed by a major epidemic.

To reduce the risk of a major epidemic, Li Wanjing spared no expense in using medicines, and asked any doctor who could cure the disease to use them.

Fortunately, a highly skilled old doctor appeared at the Jingshan Temple at some point and reminded Li Wanjing to pay attention to the sick people, thus nipping the epidemic in the bud.

Li Wanjing made a special trip to see the old doctor again. The old doctor was dressed in a very conservative manner, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and wrapping his head with a headscarf, revealing only a pair of old but clear black eyes.

The old doctor came over and led him to the room where the medicinal herbs were stored. He took off his handkerchief, turned to him and said, "I still have to admire Lord Li's foresight in stockpiling so many medicinal herbs."

In addition, Governor Li's act of foreseeing the impending disaster and informing the people of the entire city to flee it also demonstrated his profound sense of righteousness.

How many people can know that disaster is coming and not flee alone, but take others with them?

The old doctor was deeply impressed by his act of using his stockpiled medicinal herbs for the benefit of the people.

The old doctor arrived in Jingzhou on the last day of the government's relocation plan. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered Jingzhou, he was mistaken by the minor officials as one of the people who had been left behind.

After much persuasion from the minor officials, the old doctor followed them up the mountain. As the officials had predicted, Jingzhou was hit by a torrential downpour, the worst in decades.

Li Wanjing declined, but did not want to explain why. He only said, "I did not see it first. I only learned about the impending heavy rain from an official. At the official's request, I stockpiled a lot of medicinal herbs and grain."

The old doctor nodded and got to the point: "I called you here today because there is a certain medicine that is hard to find during this epidemic."

Li Wanjing thought for a moment: "What kind of medicinal herb is it? I'll go ask the people and see if they have any on hand?"

The old doctor shook his head and sighed, "The medicinal herb isn't rare, but Jingzhou isn't its place of origin, so there's not much stock left."

"I can use other medicinal herbs instead, but I need more time to test their effects. However, many people are currently fearful of the epidemic. People who are constantly fearful become weak and susceptible to illness. I urge you to reassure them in time."

Li Wanjing agreed: "Leave it to us. Doctor, you can focus on treating the illness. If you need anything, just let us know."

After speaking, the old doctor did not linger, put on his handkerchief and continued studying the prescription, while Li Wanjing left with a new task.

The rain lasted for fifteen days before it gradually subsided. The old doctor had successfully prepared the prescription three days ago, but before he could even celebrate, the increasing number of patients meant that the medicinal materials were becoming increasingly scarce. Even though Li Wanjing organized people to collect herbs in the rain, it was only a drop in the ocean.

Li Wanjing almost collapsed when he saw the information reported by the officials. The stock of medicinal herbs was insufficient, and some powerful families had embezzled the medicine that was intended to treat hundreds of sick people in the isolation ward.

That medicine was a life-saving drug for hundreds of people!

Li Wanjing was furious and didn't know what to do. He leaned against the wooden chair, exhausted, and rubbed his throbbing temples.

He knew that even in the face of great disasters, there would always be people who were short-sighted and made mistakes, but those who harmed the lives of others for their own selfish interests must be severely punished!

Leaving that matter aside, the most urgent task is to find the medicine that the powerful families have ingested, as their conditions are so critical that no mishap is permissible.

Despite the efforts of all parties, most of the medicinal materials were finally recovered from the powerful clans, but the problem of dwindling medicinal material reserves remains unresolved.

At such times, Li Wanjing could only feel fortunate that he had followed the hygiene and safety guidelines in the Princess's letter, which kept the number of sick people to around a hundred.

Without the princess's advance warning, it would have been difficult to say whether even a hundred people could survive this disaster.

As Li Wanjing pondered his next move, the registrar stumbled into the room, his clothes disheveled from running. His voice was excited as he shouted, "My lord! My lord! There's good news!"

"What news?"

Having been trapped for half a month, Li Wanjing couldn't sit still and asked out of curiosity when he heard some good news.

The registrar, panting, chuckled twice before saying, "People have arrived! People from Yangzhou have arrived! They brought a lot of things, including grain, cloth, and many, many medicinal herbs! The people's illnesses can be cured!"

Upon hearing this, Li Wanjing burst out laughing. As he laughed, turbid tears uncontrollably streamed down his face, finally releasing the emotions he had suppressed for a month and a half.

There's hope! Jingzhou is saved!

A note from the author:

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