Chapter 205 Jinjiang Exclusive Release

The old doctor touched the patient's forehead with a trembling hand, his eyes shining as he said, "It's really not hot anymore, sir. The fever has subsided! This medicine is surprisingly effective! It's a miracle drug!"

The old doctor carefully held the small bottle with many pills left in his hand, his eyes eager as if he was holding some rare treasure.

For many seriously ill and injured patients, there is indeed nothing wrong with saying this.

Lu Xuan said nonchalantly, "We should give the medicine to other patients now, right?" If we delay any further, several people might really die.

Liu Wenchi and the old doctor woke up as if from a dream, "Yes, hurry up, give the other patients medicine."

Liu Wenchi knew that there were many patients with fever in the clinic, not just in the courtyard where they were now, but also in other courtyards, there were hundreds of people in total.

In order to speed up the process, the officers were also mobilized. "Go to other courtyards and give medicine to the patients who are suitable for the disease!"

The officers shouted excitedly, "Yes, sir!"

As the amount of antipyretic drugs Lu Xuan took out rapidly decreased, more and more patients with fever began to breathe more steadily and their temperatures returned to normal. Several patients who were almost going crazy from the fever miraculously recovered.

With hundreds of examples before them, Liu Wenchi and the old doctor no longer had any doubts about Lu Xuan's medicine. After asking about the usage of other medicines, they immediately took action.

Patients with festering and pus-filled wounds are first given antibiotics and sprayed with anesthetics, then the rotten flesh on the wound is removed and the wound is sprayed with trauma spray.

For more serious cases, Lu Xuan directly took out the treatment device to treat them.

Liu Wenchi watched with his own eyes as Lu Xuan shone the strange object in his hand on the patient's wound. The wound, which would have taken three or four days to heal, began to visibly form scars. He was so shocked that he secretly took a breath.

"What is this? It's even more effective than medicine."

Lu Xuan said, "It's a magical weapon bestowed by the gods. It can speed up the healing process for various injuries and illnesses."

Liu Wenchi: “???” What kind of magic weapon? He just thought the other party was the real deal, why did he suddenly start to cheat and deceive people?

But... Liu Wenchi looked at the treatment device,

Forget it, no matter whether it is a magic weapon or other treasure, it is enough to know that it is useful.

Lu Xuan lent several extra treatment devices to the old doctor and asked him to use them to treat other people.

Cheers kept erupting from the 'ward' filled with the smell of blood and desperate wails. There were also comatose patients who woke up just in time to see their relatives coming to visit them. After discovering that their injuries had mostly healed, they burst into tears of excitement.

The dull and lifeless clinic became lively for the first time. At this moment, a ray of sunlight shone into the room through the open window. Both the patients and Liu Wenchi felt excited and happy as if the clouds had finally cleared and the moon was shining.

Because there were so many patients, a group of people worked for an hour to accommodate most of the patients on the street.

Some injuries that were too severe could not be cured in a short period of time by the treatment device, and could only save lives. However, this was what the patients had originally expected, and no one felt dissatisfied.

When Lu Xuan finished his work and walked out of the clinic, the patients' relatives were already kneeling on the ground outside.

A group of men, women, young and old were so moved that they burst into tears and kowtowed to him with tears and laughter: "Thank you so much for saving my father!"

"If you hadn't appeared in time, my master would have died today. I can't repay your kindness. I kowtow to you!"

"Thank you, sir, for your miraculous medicine that saved me from the death of my young son. Thank you so much! You are a living Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering!"

Lu Xuan: ...I understand your kindness, but I refuse to be a male Bodhisattva.

Liu Wenchi, who came out after Lu Xuan, was also quite moved when he saw this scene, and saw that Lu Xuan's expression had really eased.

·

It was already dusk when we left the clinic.

Liu Wenchi brought Lu Xuan to the government office and was about to ask someone to prepare dinner for Lu Xuan when the latter said, "I'll treat you this time."

Liu Wenchi was surprised, "This is inappropriate."

Regardless of whether Lu Xuan’s origins were true or not, he saved the lives of hundreds of people in the city.

The other party also left the follow-up medicine to the clinic, and it will surely save more people in the future. It is only right for him to host a banquet to entertain him.

Lu Xuan said, "The population of the prefecture is quite large, and since the disaster began, there has been no external food imports. Your Excellency probably doesn't have a lot of supplies. I'm used to enjoying myself, and I don't want to let my stomach suffer."

Liu Wenchi: “…”

Liu Wenchi paused before saying, "Mr. Lu will provide the ingredients, and I will have the kitchen prepare them?"

Lu Xuan waved his hand and said, "No need to bother. I have ready-made food. Sir, please lead the way and we can go directly to the dining room."

Liu Wenchi was suspicious, but still took Lu Xuan to the side hall in the backyard of the government office.

On the way, Liu Wenchi asked Lu Xuan to make sure that he didn't mind having dinner with others, and then asked the officers to call over all his colleagues who were still busy in the yamen.

Soon, a group of officials in official uniforms arrived one after another.

Most of them were middle-aged or elderly, with only one young man who looked to be about 27 or 28 years old and was not wearing official uniform.

The first thing these people noticed when they came in was Lu Xuan's unfamiliar face, which was too young.

They had already received news in advance that there were strangers in the city, and they looked at Lu Xuan with scrutiny and inquiry, as well as curiosity and kindness.

Liu Wenchi gave a brief introduction to both parties.

The officials were ranked from top to bottom in order of rank, including Tongzhi, Tongpan, and Jinli. The two who were not wearing official uniforms were the legal advisors, and the younger one had the same surname as Liu Wenchi.

The audience in the live broadcast room were all guessing that this Master Liu was most likely Liu Wenchi’s nephew.

Audience: Wow, it turns out that people with connections are everywhere.

Lu Xuan's face did not show the respect and fear that ordinary people would have when seeing officials. He just maintained basic politeness and nodded to them.

Liu Wenchi didn't care about these formalities. Zhang Tongzhi, the oldest among them, was also very friendly. However, Zhao Tongpan, who was about the same age as Liu Wenchi, frowned slightly and seemed a little dissatisfied.

However, the prefect didn't say anything, nor did he question it out loud or express it openly.

After introducing Liu Wenchi, he gestured for everyone to take a seat.

He didn't rush to say that Lu Xuan wanted to treat them, thinking that if the latter was just joking, he would make the situation awkward if he said it.

The food is always ready in the kitchen. As long as Lu Xuan speaks, he can have people start serving the food.

Unexpectedly, just as everyone sat down, Lu Xuan waved his hand again, and plate after plate of steaming dishes were taken out from the space, and soon the table was full.

"Bang!" Zhao Tongpan and Li Jingli, who had just fallen, were so frightened that they suddenly stood up and took a step back with a changed face. The large movement not only tripped the chair, but also made them almost fall to the ground.

The others' reactions were not as dramatic as theirs, but their expressions also changed slightly, their eyes filled with surprise and confusion.

"What's this!?"

"Monster, witchcraft! Someone come quickly!" Zhao Tongpan shouted subconsciously.

The officers outside who heard the noise rushed in immediately.

Liu Wenchi had seen Lu Xuan's ability to take things out of thin air before, so he remained calm. He waved to the officers and said, "It's okay here. Everyone, go down."

Lu Xuan glanced at the judge who was shouting about witchcraft and said coldly, "Don't just call it witchcraft when you encounter something unknown. Is it possible that I am using immortal magic? Haven't you all heard of the immortal's hidden world?"

Everyone present: “!!!”

Li Jingli subconsciously said, "What kind of magic? Are you still going to say that you are an immortal?"

Lu Xuan glanced at him and said indifferently, "Haven't you heard the saying 'If an immortal touches my head, I will be granted immortality'? I'm not an immortal, so why shouldn't an immortal grant me immortality? Otherwise, how can I explain the fact that I possess a treasure that can quickly reduce fever and heal injuries?"

Everyone: “…”

Lu Xuan didn't insist that they accept his magical skills. He raised his chin slightly and said, "We can talk about these irrelevant things later. I'm hungry. Aren't you hungry?"

At this time, the officials who had just been frightened finally realized that they could smell the rich aroma of food wafting from the hall. When they took a closer look at the dishes on the table, their eyes widened in an instant.

Wow! So many delicious dishes!

Honey chicken, braised pork, beef with scallions, steamed spareribs, kelp salad, stir-fried vegetables, stir-fried meat with mushrooms, spicy squid, lobster with garlic sauce, fish head and tofu soup...

There are ten dishes and one soup in total, most of which are fish and meat. The dishes are so colorful, fragrant and delicious that people can't help but swallow their saliva.

“Gulululu——”

The officials present soon started to feel anxious.

Zhao Tongpan and Li Jingli, who were quite wary of Lu Xuan a moment ago, now had their eyes completely glued to the dishes on the table.

As officials, they naturally ate much better than other people in the city.

However, due to the limited resources in the city, the food was not much better. On weekdays, when people ate together in the government office, there were only four dishes and one soup. There was only one meat dish, and the portion was not much. Each person only had to pick up a few chopsticks and it was gone.

It’s nothing like the table in front of me. The various meats used must weigh at least three to five kilograms!

Luxurious, so luxurious!

Everyone noticed the huge lobster and was secretly amazed.

I’m afraid such big shrimps cannot grow in rivers. Could they be sea shrimps?

Liu Wenchi thought, no wonder Lu Xuan said just now that he didn't want to upset his stomach. The food that their government office could provide was indeed incomparable to what others offered.

Liu Wenchi smiled and said, "Today is the day that I can enjoy a sumptuous dinner thanks to Master Lu."

Lu Xuan nodded and casually took out a large bucket of rice. "There's enough food. If it's not enough, you can always add more."

Liu Wenchi noticed that the rice grains in the barrel were very large and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Where does this rice come from? How can it grow so well?"

Lu Xuan: "We grew it ourselves. If Lord Liu is interested, the people of the prefecture city may also have the opportunity to grow it."

Liu Wenchi and other officials present all heard the hidden meaning of Lu Xuan's words. They exchanged glances with each other and raised their assessment of Lu Xuan.

This Mr. Lu seems to have a lot of good things in his hands.

I don’t know if he is from some hidden big family.

After that, there was no more talking in the hall.

The officials who were given their share of rice were busy picking up dishes, and most of them tacitly picked up the meat dishes with their chopsticks first.

There were only Liu Wenchi and another Master Liu, one reaching for the stir-fried seasonal vegetables and the other reaching for the large lobster in garlic sauce.

Halfway through the meal, Lu Xuan took out another pot of assorted juice.

I didn't take the wine. Who knows if these officials can drink well? We still have things to talk about later, so I'll just have some juice.

But apparently others didn't think it was okay.

The officials were all shocked to be able to drink such fresh juice, and they drank it with great relish.

Everyone at the table ate diligently for about a quarter of an hour, and only stopped with regretful looks on their faces when the food was almost up to their throats.

Zhang Tongzhi loosened his belt, which was tightening uncomfortably, and said with a sigh, "It's been almost six months since I've had such a sumptuous meal. I'm so sorry that Master Lu spent so much money today."

Others also started to speak up, "The mushrooms in the stir-fried pork and mushrooms taste just like meat! I've never eaten mushrooms like this before. They're so delicious!"

"The beef doesn't taste tough at all. It's completely different from any beef I've eaten before. Could it be bison?"

"Does honey chicken really taste sweet because of honey? That's too extravagant."

"This shrimp tastes delicious, and has a unique marine flavor. Is it really a shrimp from the sea?"

"Could it be that Mr. Lu is from the coastal area?"

Lu Xuan said, "I just went to the sea and brought back some seafood. I'm from the inland."

Zhao Tongpan took the opportunity to inquire: "Oh? I wonder where Mr. Lu is from? I heard that you flew down from the sky?"

They had heard the news about unidentified people falling from the sky today long before the prefect returned, but the content was too bizarre, and it was hard for people who had not seen it with their own eyes not to suspect that some kind of sleight of hand was used.

"I'm from Yunlu Village."

Lu Xuan simply said one sentence and then took the initiative: "I have already told Prefect Liu about my background. If you are curious, you can ask the prefect later. Why don't you tell me about the current situation in the city first?"

"This..." Everyone looked at each other and remained silent for a while.

There is nothing to hide about the situation in the city.

But Lu Xuan was not an imperial envoy sent by the higher authorities, and he didn't even have an official position. They were all officials, so how could they say these things to a commoner?

It was Liu Wenchi who nodded to his nephew and said, "Then let Zimo tell Master Lu about it."

Master Liu Zimo politely asked Lu Xuan, "What would you like to know, Master Lu?"

Lu Xuan was not polite. "Let's start from the time after the earthquake last year, when the summer temperature began to rise. Then, how did the city survive the subsequent rainy season, extreme cold, and polar nights and days? What is the current distribution of supplies in the city? Tell us all."

Others murmured in their hearts, you are really not polite at all.

Liu Zimo nodded calmly and began to explain slowly.

"When the earthquake struck, many houses collapsed, and people were trapped under the rubble, with countless casualties..."

Luochuan City, as the capital of Yunjiang Prefecture, had a population of over 200,000. After a major earthquake, more than 30,000 people died, and more than 10,000 people were seriously injured and died. The population dropped by a quarter.

And this was just the beginning of the disaster.

Afterwards, because cracks appeared in many places outside the city and the surrounding villages and towns were completely or half-destroyed, the surviving victims began to gather in the provincial capital.

The lost population was replenished and even grew to a larger number than before the earthquake.

However, Liu Wenchi sent pigeon messages to other prefectures and learned that there were earthquakes in various places, but he could not get in touch with the higher-ups.

There are more mouths to feed in the city, but there is no harvest in the fields, and it is impossible to buy food from other areas. In order to avoid large-scale starvation, Liu Wenchi can only find a way to solve the problem himself.

The first time was naturally to open warehouses to provide disaster relief.

Liu Wenchi was an honest official. Although it cannot be said that all the people under his jurisdiction were the same as him, at least no major problems would occur under his jurisdiction, so the granaries in the provincial capital were full.

The outside disaster victims helped to clean up the ruins in the city, repair the damaged city walls, and receive food in exchange for work. The chaotic order was soon restored.

But as the temperature gets higher and higher, life in the city becomes more difficult.

From the names Yunjiang and Luochuan, you can tell that Yunjiang Prefecture is not short of water.

The huge Yunjiang River stretches across almost the entire prefecture. Even though the temperature continues to rise due to extreme heat, the water level of the Yunjiang River has dropped a lot, and the remaining water is still enough for everyone to drink.

But the weather is too hot, and the number of people suffering from heatstroke is increasing. First, the frail elderly and children have health problems, and then women and some middle-aged people also begin to fall ill. The population is decreasing every day.

During the journey, some grain merchants raised prices to make money from the disaster, which made Liu Wenchi so angry that he arrested the people and confiscated all the grain in the hands of the grain merchants.

As the number of disaster victims from outside continued to pour in and disputes increased, Liu Wenchi took the opportunity to issue new regulations.

After the people in the city have eaten up their own stored food, they can come to the provincial capital on time every day to receive relief food. The amount is not much, just enough to ensure that people will not starve to death.

Some arrogant ruffians rob others when they can't eat enough. Once they are discovered or reported, they will be immediately driven out of the city after verification and will not be tolerated!

Such iron-blooded measures reduced disputes in the city and ensured to the greatest extent possible that the people could eat the food they were allocated.

If people really couldn't get enough to eat, they would let them go out of the city to pick wild vegetables, dig mushrooms, or hunt.

If you can't get anything and the food distributed by the government is not enough, and you unfortunately starve to death, then you can only say that it is fate.

Later, in order to increase income, Liu Wenchi stipulated that disaster victims from outside who wanted to enter the city needed to hand over some food, and the subsequent accommodation expenses also needed to be paid with food, which added a source of income to the city.

When Lu Xuan heard this, he felt that this model was very similar to some small safe bases in the end times.

Liu Zimo's voice was somewhat heavy. "Although order has generally returned to normal, human power is ultimately no match for the force of natural disasters. Every day, there are between a hundred and eighty people dying from heatstroke and starvation, and hundreds as many as hundreds. On the hottest days, thousands of people die every day."

At this point, the other officials' faces turned a little ugly.

The population that increased with the influx of foreign refugees quickly decreased in the extremely hot climate. By the end of the hottest season, the population of the capital was less than 180,000.

When the rainy season came, the temperature dropped sharply. The temperature difference before and after was too great, and many people fell ill. At that time, there were not many medicinal materials left in the city, so naturally, many people died.

The hailstorms that occurred in the middle of the day also caused a number of casualties in the city.

In short, people kept dying, dying, and dying, until all the officials in the government office and the people in the city became numb.

If there is anything to be thankful for, it is probably that the terrain of the city is relatively high and the drainage facilities are relatively complete. There is not much water accumulation in the city after continuous heavy rains. When the flood comes, only a small number of areas on the periphery are submerged. In other places, except for the serious leaking roofs, there are no major problems.

The flood even brought a lot of fish into the city, providing a source of food for the people who were short of food.

The extreme cold season was as cold as the extreme heat, and many victims froze to death, especially those from surrounding villages and towns who did not have much supplies. Even though the provincial capital provided shelters, many people still could not survive.

The population was reduced again to 160,000.

The impact of the polar night itself is actually not that big. The people in the city have stocks of oil lamps and candles, so there will be no shortage in the short term.

The problem of emotional anxiety that arises after living well for too long, as in Yunlu Village, does not exist in Luochuan either.

The biggest trouble still comes from the attacks of large groups of beasts that appear out of nowhere.

Liu Zimo said in a deep voice, "As long as we guard the gaps in the city wall that collapsed in the earthquake and close the gates on other sides, wolves, tigers and leopards won't be able to get in, but the trouble will be with birds, snakes, insects, rats and ants."

During the polar night, the city is dimly lit, and if one is not careful, someone may be bitten by a suddenly appearing bird of prey. There are even cases where young children are directly carried away/caught.

An adult’s weight wouldn’t be enough to be caught, but if they were caught in mid-air and then dropped, they would either die or be injured.

Not to mention snakes, insects, rats and ants.

The city walls were no match for them. People were bitten by poisonous snakes, mauled to death by rats, or covered in wounds from ant swarms. These seemingly insignificant things caused even more damage to the people than wild beasts.

Master Liu sighed, "If it weren't for General Chu and his garrison, the damage in the city would have been even greater."

Lu Xuan paused. Garrison?