When the Marquis of Yongning came out of the palace, he saw his eldest son standing in front of the carriage waiting. When he saw him, he quickly came over and helped Xu Rao, who was already supporting him, one on each side.

Prime Minister Feng came over and said with a smile, "Lord Xu, please wait. I have two things to say to you."

Marquis Yongning glanced at his heir and Xu Rao, and the two of them went to the side to wait. When Feng Xiang saw them, he smiled and nodded, saying, "Lord Xu, today's grand court assembly did not come up with a solution. I think we must send someone from Yun'an County. Do you have any good candidates?"

Marquis Yongning shook his head and said, "This is a matter of great importance. How can a leisurely marquis like me interfere in such a significant matter? Prime Minister Feng, to be honest, there are still several members of my family there right now. I don't care whether the court goes or not, but right now I desperately want to go there and see my beloved grandson."

Marquis Yongning said with a bitter face, "Prime Minister Feng naturally knows that Xu Zhi and Zheng Boyuan are in Miaozhou. Not only is Wu Muyue with Xu Bai and several children from the Chen family in Miaozhou, but Chen Zhaoci also set off for Miaozhou a few days ago. The plague in Yun'an County was discovered by Chen Zhaoci from his insistence on making rounds in the villages near Miaozhou. If it weren't for Chen Zhaoci's discovery, no one knows what the consequences would have been if the invisible and intangible plague had been allowed to run rampant."

Prime Minister Feng sighed and said, "The Great Yan is eyeing us covetously. Although we have some control over the Northern Di and the Jin, I fear that the Great Yan might secretly collude with these people and take advantage of this disaster in Miaozhou to take action against the Great Liang. Lord Xu, your Third Madam is very righteous. This time, the plague in Yun'an County was entirely due to your Third Madam's treatment. When your Third Madam returns safely, we will definitely go to the city gate ten miles away to welcome her." After Prime Minister Feng finished speaking, he cupped his hands in greeting to Marquis Yongning.

Marquis Yongning returned the greeting, and seeing that it was getting late, he said to Prime Minister Feng, "I shall take my leave now. If there is anything else, please send someone to my home to deliver a message. I will be extremely grateful."

On the return journey, Marquis Yongning, his heir, and Xu Rao shared a carriage. Although it was a bit cramped, it made it easy for them to talk.

Xu Rao has had a grim expression ever since he received the letter last night. Not only did he have a sullen face during the court assembly, but he still has a dark expression now.

Xu Rao had experienced the plague firsthand, but in that technologically advanced society, the protective measures were vastly different from what we have now. Chen Zhaoci was even leading people to treat patients in an isolated village. With the current protective measures, can we guarantee that people won't get infected?

Xu Rao knew very well that Chen Zhaoci would go to save people no matter what, but he also felt a little resentful towards Chen Zhaoci. Why did she put herself in danger? What about all the people in her family, young and old? What would happen to them if something happened to her?

Looking at Xu Rao's dark face, Marquis Yongning said, "You heard it at the grand court assembly just now. His Majesty is actually using this matter as a litmus test."

Xu Rao's eyes reddened, and she gritted her teeth as she said, "We can't just ignore the lives of so many people."

Marquis Yongning sighed and said, “You only know one side of the story. The message that came from Yun’an County by carrier pigeon the night before last was that the county clerk and the magistrate had bribed assassins to burn down the village and kill people in order to prevent the plague from spreading. But at that time, Zhao Ci had already led his men into the village and arranged for guards and a group of county constables to surround the village. It was only because your uncle and Bo Yuan were worried after receiving the message that Bo Yuan led his men over and prevented them from succeeding.”

Xu Rao looked at Marquis Yongning in surprise. Marquis Yongning sighed and said, "His Majesty is a benevolent ruler. How could he not value the lives of the people? We sent people over yesterday morning, and His Majesty also ordered supplies to be transferred from nearby areas. Otherwise, with all the wrangling in court, how long would it have taken to reach a conclusion?"

Xu Rao clenched his fists, his eyes red, and said, "Father, I want to go to Yun'an County."

Marquis Yongning shook his head and said, "You are a third-rank official and the head of the Ministry of Revenue. How can you leave the capital so easily? I'm afraid you can't go."

Xu Rao said sadly, "But my wife, daughter, son, and my son-in-law are all there. There are three of us in my family of five. I know it's a very dangerous place, but I want to go and be with them."

The Marquis of Yongning remained silent for a long time. The heir, who was sitting on the side as a background figure, couldn't help but feel a deep respect for Xu Rao. He put himself in Xu Rao's shoes and wondered if he would dare to go to Yun'an County.

The Marquis looked at Xu Rao and felt sad, but now, not only could Xu Rao not go, but the Xu family members could not easily go to Yun'an County either.

Seeing the Marquis's expression, the heir apparent hesitated and asked, "Father, can't we really go?"

The Marquis sighed inwardly. His eldest son was fortunate to have been treated kindly. He was sure that the family business would be well managed and that his younger siblings would be well taken care of. As for matters of the court, it was best not to let him get involved. He simply couldn't see the situation clearly and had no talent whatsoever.

Xu Rao's complexion improved slightly. Leaning against the carriage wall, he let out a long sigh and said to the Marquis, "Father, please help me analyze what I can do now. I'm preoccupied with my family and my mind is elsewhere, so there are bound to be things I can't consider."

The Marquis nodded and said, "I don't have any good ideas right now either. Let's go home first and discuss it slowly when we get home. Third brother, you must stay calm right now and not do anything against the rules. Many people are watching your position. If you do something inappropriate, you will become a target for others to attack you."

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