223. Xie Wenling's Dead End

[Task triggered]

A plague has broken out again in Qiuhe City in the south.

Fifteen years ago, this plague was suppressed by a decision made by the court officials, using the lockdown of the city as a means, at the cost of the lives of its inhabitants.

Fifteen years later, the plague has broken out again, and this time it is several times more severe than it was fifteen years ago.

[Xie Wenling, now the Prime Minister, chose to personally go to the front lines to confront the plague.]

Your earnest attempts to persuade them failed, so you can only wait for news.

But he never returned, and there was no news of him whatsoever.

A month later, the devastating news came from Qiuhe City that he had died from COVID-19.

You are heartbroken.

You have lost a powerful arm, a reliable ally.

Just as you lost Chaoyun, you have lost another dear friend.

You're not the only one affected.

[Already seriously ill, Wei Xiuming, who was presiding over state affairs despite his ailing condition, vomited blood in the court upon hearing this, and subsequently fell into a coma.]

[The Crown Prince Wei Jiayou, who had been neglected by Wei Xiuming, has returned to the public eye and begun to take charge of the overall situation.]

[And now that her backer has regained power, Tao Wanbi is once again showing off in front of you.]

But you have no time for her.

You entrusted Lin Fuman with researching an antidote, but she gave you a result with uncertain effects.

You have decided to personally travel to Qiuhe City to quell the plague and find Xie Wenling.

You don't believe he just died like that.

This man, who was a master strategist and invincible figure in the political arena, died so hastily in a small town far from his homeland.

Even if he is truly dead, you must find his body and bury him properly, just as you buried Wei Chaoyun.

[I want to see him alive or dead.]

This time, it was Qu Zijin's turn to plead with you to no avail.

Lin Fuman has found you.

She smiled and said she was willing to risk her life for him.

And so, the two of you embarked on your journey.

[Mission: Solve the plague and find Xie Wenling]

[Beep]

This task is extremely difficult; the reward has been upgraded.

[Award: A complete set of modern chemistry laboratory equipment.]

Please note!

This is a physical reward. It will be stored in the system space until redeemed, after which it will no longer be stored.

Devices requiring electricity or other future energy sources will be converted into energy cells, initially at 100%, and will cease operation once they reach 0%.

[The reward includes large equipment. Please double-check the placement location before redeeming to avoid causing panic among others.]

The system auntie said a lot, but the little dumpling couldn't listen.

The word "plague" struck Xiao Tuanzi's heart like a heavy blow.

In a time when there are not enough medical resources, even a three-year-old child like her is well aware of the horror of the plague.

She abruptly covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turning red.

Seeing that something was wrong with her, her second brother quickly asked, "Little sister, what's wrong?"

"Second brother," the little dumpling's voice trembled with tears as she tugged at his hand and whispered, "Thank you, brother... thank you, brother is going south to help with the plague. There are so many sick people there, it's very dangerous..."

The second brother was also stunned. The two looked at each other and saw deep unease in each other's eyes.

The hearing and vision enhancement potion was still working; the little dumpling heard a sound coming from over there—

"Do you really have to go? I know you're not afraid of taking risks, but is it really necessary to take such a life-or-death risk?"

"My mind is made up."

"No! Brother Xie can't go!" The little dumpling rushed out, her small body bumping into Xie Wenling, causing him to stumble. She clung tightly to his leg, burying her face in his clothes, tears instantly soaking the area.

Xie Wenling and Qu Zijin froze at the same time, exchanging a glance filled with astonishment.

They had deliberately kept their voices down, yet the child overheard them?

The little girl looked up at Xie Wenling with teary eyes and said, "If Brother Xie insists on going, then take Yue'er with you!"

These words shocked everyone even more.

“Princess! You…” Qu Zijin hurriedly stepped forward to pull her back, his tone both urgent and gentle, tinged with helplessness, “Listen to me, let go quickly. That’s not a place to play around, the plague will eat people.”

Xie Wenling also squatted down, his tone unusually gentle, and reached out to pry her hand open: "Be good, let go. Brother Xie will be right back, bringing you some snacks from the South."

"No!" The little dumpling hugged even tighter, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You all lied to Yue'er! It was so dangerous, yet you kept it from Yue'er! Yue'er can protect Brother Xie, Yue'er wants to go with Brother Xie!"

The second brother, who had rushed over, panicked upon hearing this: "No, little sister, you absolutely cannot go! If something happens to you, Father, Mother, me, and my eldest brother will all die!"

"Princess, you can't go!" Qu Zijin said sternly. "What is the plague? It's a deadly creature that can kill you if you come into contact with it!"

Xie Wenling also said firmly, "I absolutely cannot agree to this. I can handle this matter. You stay in the capital and wait for me to return."

Hearing Xie Wenling's resolute tone, the little dumpling became even more flustered.

Exactly the same as what the system auntie said!

No matter what she said, Brother Xie insisted on going!

And then...and then Brother Xie died!

The little dumpling shook its head and cried, its tiny body trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind.

But no one gave in to this.

She looked at them, feeling anxious and aggrieved, yet unable to articulate the information she had received from the system auntie.

"Princess, let me take you back." Qu Zijin came over and tried to carry her away.

The little girl knew that if she was taken away this time, she would never have the chance to see Brother Xie again.

So she shoved Qu Zijin's arm away and turned to run into the depths of the palace alley.

"Princess!" Xie Wenling reached out to grab it, but only touched a corner of her clothes.

Qu Zijin panicked as well: "Quick, after him! How could this child just run away like that!"

But the little dumpling only chose to squeeze into those narrow alleys, those secret paths that she had discovered while playing with her second brother, the little princess, and the little prince.

Adults couldn't squeeze in at all and had to take a detour to block them from the front.

Upon seeing this, the second elder brother immediately shouted, "Grand Tutor, I'll go after them!"

As he spoke, he darted into a side path like a nimble little monkey.

The little dumpling kept running and running for about fifteen minutes until it finally couldn't run anymore. It squatted down in a corner covered with vines, hugged its knees, and started to sob.

The evening breeze swirled up fallen leaves, which landed on the top of her hair, making her look even more lonely.

"Little sister..." The second brother caught up, panting heavily. Now, in this corner, there were only the two of them.

Her second brother squatted down beside her, awkwardly patting her back: "Don't cry. Brother Xie is so capable, he will definitely come back safely. Don't worry."

"I'll die..." the little dumpling sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Yue'er wants to save Brother Xie, but Yue'er doesn't know what to do..."

The second brother frowned, scratching his head and muttering to himself, "If only we could cure the plague, then Brother Xie wouldn't have to risk his life. But even the imperial physicians can't do anything, what can we do..."

"The prescription!" The little dumpling suddenly raised her head, tears still on her face, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. "Grandpa Physician Li's prescription! The physician said those prescriptions are very useful, maybe there's a solution in them!"

She immediately stood up, grabbed her second brother's hand, and ran outside: "Let's go find the prescription!"

The second brother perked up and nodded quickly: "Yes! It might really work!"

But the two children didn't know the way to the hospital. They were used to following the adults to the main road, and now they were running on the side roads, so they had long lost their way.

The two ran for quite a while, but all they saw were unfamiliar red walls and green tiles.

"Where is this?" The second brother stopped, scratching his head in confusion. "I've never seen this road before."

"Second brother, listen!" The little dumpling suddenly grabbed her second brother's arm and pricked up her little ears.

"Huh?" The second brother didn't hear anything.

But the little dumpling heard it thanks to the effects of the medicine.

Two familiar voices came from the palace wall not far away.

The little girl quietly went around to the back of the wall and peeked out. She discovered that it was Qin Fengsong, the guard commander who had escorted her to find medicine, and Shenyang Nongchen, the imperial physician who had treated her older brother and was now asking for a prescription.