Chapter 71 "Itch".

"To burn all the corpses?" Overwhelmed with shock, Liu Jixue couldn't control her suddenly rising voice. After regaining her composure, she covered her lips slightly and frowned as she asked, "Is it really necessary? I'm afraid... the people will find it hard to accept."

People at the time believed in "treating the dead as if they were alive," thinking that only by burying the body intact could the deceased retain their dignity in the afterlife. If the body was incomplete, the soul would easily wander and become a lonely ghost. Therefore, if the body of the deceased was damaged, such as if the person had been beheaded, a mortician would be specially invited to carefully sew the body back together.

If only fragments of the body of a soldier who died on the battlefield could be recovered, they would try to carve and piece together the missing parts using various materials, all in order to have a "complete body" for burial.

If the idea of ​​burning all the bodies of those who died from the epidemic were proposed, their families would likely protest angrily.

"It must be burned." Feng Mian said decisively, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Have you noticed that among the people returning from the direction of Xishan, are there far more sick people than elsewhere?"

Liu Jixue paused, thought about it carefully, and her expression gradually became serious. "It seems that is indeed the case."

“We purify the air by fumigating the house with herbs, and we always wash our hands and change our clothes before coming into contact with the sick, because we know that this disease can be transmitted through contact. What about corpses? Although the person is dead, the disease lingers.”

"...If a corpse decomposes, it will pollute the soil and air, and may be more likely to spread disease than a living patient," Liu Jixue muttered to herself.

Because of their deeply ingrained belief in the importance of respecting the dead, they never considered this point.

Fortunately, there were few people at the foot of Xishan Mountain, and the bodies were all placed in coffins, so the situation was not irreversible.

Thinking of this, Liu Jixue was filled with gratitude for surviving the ordeal.

All of this was because of Feng Mian here. It was she who decisively isolated and guarded the infected Yu family village; it was she who raised a steady stream of food, water and medicine for all the isolated people; and it was she who, thinking of the pain of the deceased's relatives and friends, ordered people to build coffins to collect and place the bodies, so as to comfort their relatives and friends who were separated from them forever and could not send them off for burial.

If this disaster had struck another place, followed by an epidemic, food and medicine would likely have been scarce long ago, and countless people would have died while waiting for the imperial court to provide relief and treatment. And these corpses would have been left unattended, mostly simply wrapped in straw mats and thrown into mass graves.

She simply couldn't imagine how far the plague would have spread, or what kind of devastation would have occurred, without the sedation...

But a small favor is appreciated, while a large one breeds resentment. She was even more worried that if Feng Mian ordered the corpses to be burned, the resentful people would turn around and slander and curse him. She couldn't bear to see anyone say anything bad about Feng Mian.

Liu Jixue couldn't think of a good idea that would allow the bodies to be burned smoothly without inciting public resentment, and she was somewhat frustrated. "How can I persuade the people to accept this?"

"When it comes to life and death, there's always room for maneuver. I've roughly made up my mind." Feng Mian was quite open-minded; doing shocking things always invites criticism. But just because someone isn't understood doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you know is right.

“But before that, I’d like to try a dose of the prescription.” Feng Mian looked at Liu Jixue with a hint of nervousness. She couldn’t explain where the prescription came from, or how she knew it would be effective, so she could only ask anxiously, “Are you willing to trust me?”

To say that Feng Mian, after falling into a coma, could then instruct doctors on medicine upon waking would be utterly absurd. Yet, when Liu Jixue met her gaze, she inexplicably trusted her.

Seeing Liu Jixue nod, Feng Mian's eyes crinkled into a smile, and he immediately focused his mind to recall the prescription from his dream: "Honeysuckle, forsythia, scutellaria, isatis root, rhubarb..."

The more Liu Jixue listened, the clearer her eyes became.

These medicinal herbs are all common and are used to some extent in their current prescriptions, but they have never been combined in this way before. Now, upon hearing about it, they realize that this is indeed an excellent remedy for clearing dampness and detoxifying, and that the combination and dosage of herbs can be adjusted according to the severity of the condition.

Finally, Feng Mian added, "The water you drink must be boiled before you drink it. You can add some salt and sugar, and everyone should have at least one bowl a day. Also, send more quicklime; it's much better than fumigating herbs."

“Okay.” Liu Jixue carefully wrote these down one by one. When she stopped writing, she looked at Feng Mian’s pale and sickly face and suddenly had some strange thoughts. Did she know these things because she was infected with the plague?

Before leaving, she couldn't help but ask softly, "You deliberately contracted the disease... just for this?"

Feng Mian's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly opened his eyes wide to look at her, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and whose fur had stood on end.

Before she could answer, Liu Jixue's clear eyes above her face mask curved slightly, and she turned and left. Sigh, did the princess think her fiddling around was being discreet? If she didn't believe she wasn't mischievous, she would have firmly pinned her down long ago.

Not long after Liu Jixue left, Baili Xunzhou pushed open the tightly closed door again. He seemed to have taken the opportunity to wash and dress himself, changing into a clean and refreshing dark-colored casual outfit, which made his figure appear even more upright. The leather belt around his waist neatly cinched his narrow waistline, and with a long stride, he sat down beside the sleeping couch, carrying the crisp scent of soapberry.

Feng Mian looked on with envy and muttered under her breath, "I want to take a bath and change too."

"No." Baili Xunzhou's refusal was gentle but uncompromising. "The patient has no choice."

He added maliciously, "This is your punishment for not taking good care of yourself."

Seeing Feng Mian's eyebrows and head drooping listlessly, Baili Xunzhou felt a surge of tenderness. He reached out his index finger, gently hooked her chin, and coaxed, "Shall I take you to sit in the courtyard?"

The skin his knuckles touched was still hot, which made him frown.

That would be wonderful! People who are sick and cooped up indoors need to go out into the yard to sit, look at the sky, and feel the breeze.

However, Feng Mian was so ill that his limbs were weak and powerless, and he could only be cared for by Baili Xunzhou.

Baili Xunzhou skillfully wiped the sweat from her forehead with a dry handkerchief. The handkerchief brushed past her damp temples, across her warm and soft earlobes, and finally touched her slender, snow-white neck.

The skin on the side of her neck was exceptionally delicate and sensitive. The slightly cool touch made Feng Mian instinctively flinch, but instead gently clamped down on Baili Xunzhou's hand holding the handkerchief. Her delicate collarbone then protruded, and her smooth skin pressed against the edge of his palm.

Both of them froze.

Bai Lixunzhou's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He opened his mouth several times before finding his voice, "I must wipe my sweat off before going out, otherwise I'll catch a cold."

Feng Mian slowly relaxed her shoulders, her long eyelashes trembled, and she only muttered, "It itches."

"Then should I be gentler?"

It's not like applying medicine to a wound; the gentler the touch, the more it itches. She felt restless and urged softly, "Hurry up."

"good."

Baili Xunzhou hurriedly agreed, then turned around and changed to a clean handkerchief. When he placed it on her neck, he saw a blush creep up her bare skin outside her nightgown, like the sunset staining white jade, and quickly spread to her ears.

It resembled a pink peony slowly blooming, causing Baili Xunzhou's breath to catch in his throat and his movements to falter for a moment.

Feng Mian stole a glance at Baili Xunzhou and saw that even his earlobes were so red that they looked like they were about to bleed, making him even more embarrassed than herself.

When she saw that others were not as good as herself, her own shyness became insignificant, and she even had the urge to tease them, so she deliberately asked, "What's wrong? Is something the problem?"

"No." Baili Xunzhou seemed to wake from a dream, and in his embarrassment, he could only give a dry reply of two words.

Seeing him like this, Feng Mian felt even more relieved. His previously tense body relaxed, and he even lowered his head to expose his delicate, snow-white nape to Baili Xunzhou's eyes.

Bai Lixun's fingers tightened slightly as he gently slipped a handkerchief along the edge of his nightgown. His fingertips suddenly touched something warm and smooth, and he felt a surge of conflicting emotions. He wished it could last longer, yet his heart pounded like a drum, and he felt he couldn't bear it any longer, wanting it to end quickly. His thoughts were torn and conflicted.

"Your fingers are so hot, are they on fire too?" Feng Mian teased, adding fuel to the fire, and then turned around to touch his forehead.

Bai Lixun was both embarrassed and annoyed. He lightly tapped her smooth forehead, his teeth itching, and then grabbed her slender shoulders to straighten her body. "Sit still and don't move around."

He couldn't do anything else for her under her clothes, so he simply wiped her hands clean. After all that, Baili Xunzhou's forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and her cheeks were flushed, as if she had a high fever.

He then turned around and fetched a cloak, wrapping Feng Mian up tightly.

Feng Mian was shocked: "It's the height of summer now!"

"If you catch a cold under my nose, I might as well kill myself."

He deliberately spoke more harshly, and Feng Mian indeed stopped resisting and obediently let him do as he pleased.

Feng Mian slipped on her soft satin embroidered shoes and reached out to ask him to help her up. Then, a figure blocked her way, and two arms steadily supported her waist and the back of her knees. With a slight effort, Baili Xunzhou lifted her up in his arms.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around Baili Xunzhou's neck, her cheek accidentally brushing against the warm skin on his neck, causing both of them to pause in their breathing.

He carried her out the door like that.

Outside the door, the night was as still as water, and in the courtyard, a pool of moonlight shone like a shallow still pond. The bitter smell of medicine carried on the night breeze was mixed with the natural scents of grass and earth.

It has a vibrant, lively flavor.

Feng Mian felt a sense of relief, as if she had survived a calamity. She thought she must have been favored by fate.

Baili Xunzhou gently placed her on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, then carefully tucked her slightly loosened cloak back in, leaving no gaps for the wind to get in.

When he hugged her just now, he felt as if he were holding a feather, light and weightless, as if a gust of wind would blow her away. He felt a pang of tenderness and couldn't help but whisper, "You need to take better care of yourself."

Feng Mian felt a pang of guilt, "I value my life very much."

If she weren't so afraid of losing her life, she wouldn't have married into the northern frontier, knowing she would face a tragic end a few years later.

She glanced back at Baili Xunzhou. The cold moonlight blurred the sharpness between his brows, leaving only a touch of gentleness. The young man's features were clean and beautiful, and he was looking at her intently, making her heart tighten.

Now, she is also unwilling to think that he will die in the prime of his life.

She countered, "And what about you? If you recklessly stay here, what will happen to the Swift Feather Camp? What will happen to the Dingbei Army? What will happen to the people?"

“Isn’t my father still alive? I don’t know if you are safe and sound, how can I be at ease? At that time… I didn’t have time to think about so many things.”

Hearing her series of questions, Baili Xunzhou suddenly felt uneasy. "Don't you like me doing this?"

She looked up and saw her small figure reflected in his clear pupils, her eyes sparkling as if all the stars in the sky had fallen into his gaze.

Feng Mian seemed to be burned by his gaze, turned her face away and muttered, "Don't talk as if I don't appreciate kindness. You risked your life to take care of me, so of course I'm very grateful."

"It's just gratitude." Baili Xunzhou sighed softly in his heart, but he felt that saying anything more at this moment would seem like taking advantage of someone's kindness. So he simply raised the corners of his lips slightly and said softly, "It's good that you know how to be grateful. When you recover, don't forget to repay me."

Pretending not to hear, Feng Mian looked up at the night sky and exclaimed, "The stars are so bright tonight."

"Yes, very beautiful," he replied, but his eyes lingered on her face.

"What's that?" she suddenly asked, looking into the distance.

A warm yellow Kongming lantern slowly rose into the sky, its flickering light illuminating the night like a shooting star. Then came a second, a third…

More and more lights appeared, gradually forming a dazzling river of lights that drifted gently in the wind.

"There seem to be words on it, what does it say?"

The nearest lamp, carried by the wind, was slowly passing overhead.

"May the princess be safe and well." He looked up and read it aloud, then looked at the other lamp, "May the princess be well."

"All evils will be driven away."

Get well soon.

He read the inscriptions one by one, each lamp bearing large auspicious words. The handwriting, the craftsmanship, and the style of the lamps were all visibly different, clearly indicating that they were made by countless people.

Countless prayers drifted from the direction of Yunzhong County; the people were praying for her.

Everyone is thinking of her.

Feng Mian felt a warmth in her heart, and her nose tingled slightly. However, the next moment, she suddenly thought of something and turned her sorrowful gaze to Baili Xunzhou: "Do Mother and Father know too?"

The people are releasing sky lanterns in a great deal of fanfare to pray for blessings; the news must have been leaked.

Feng Mian and Baili Xunzhou, these two "disobedient" and "risky" people, looked at each other and couldn't help but sigh.

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Author's note: Still sick, let's save the kisses for now! Almost there, almost there! [pats head]