Chapter 50 Plague (Part 2) "What did you say? Say it again?!...

Amidst the clatter of carriages and horses, Xiao Wangshu, accompanied by the limited supplies allocated by the court, a team of capable guards, and several volunteers from the Imperial Medical Bureau, traveled day and night to Hezhou. The atmosphere within the group was solemn, as everyone was fully aware of the dangers of this journey.

Mr. Chihua walked a step slower and was about to meet him in Hezhou.

When they reached an official road about a hundred miles from Hezhou, they encountered an old friend—Tao Meixiu, who had been ordered to wait there—and a small group of men and women led by her. The group included both men and women, dressed in various styles, but all had sharp demeanors and were well-disciplined. Tao Meixiu, standing at the front of the group, was clearly their leader.

As for Tao Meixiu, she was still dressed in a neat short-sleeved shirt. Although she looked dusty, she could not hide her heroic spirit. Her skin was a healthy wheat color due to years of being outdoors. Her eyes were bright and sharp like an eagle, and her long black braid danced in the wind.

Seeing Xiao Wangshu's carriage, she immediately stepped forward, clasped her fists and saluted, her voice clear and powerful:

"Master Xiao! I, Tao Meixiu, have been ordered to come and await your orders!"

Pulling back the carriage curtain, Xiao Wangshu saw her and nodded slightly. Ever since the incident in Zhu County, he had recommended these two to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

His brother, Tao He'an, was a true general and had been trained under the old general. As a woman, Tao Meixiu's official position was uncertain. The Crown Prince had sent her here for surveillance and protection, perhaps with a deeper purpose: to use this dangerous adventure to earn her a real reputation and a good career.

"Miss Tao, there's no need to be so polite. Time is running out. Leave immediately."

The teams merged and continued on their way.

But the closer we got to Hezhou, the stronger the odor in the air became. It started as a faint stench of decay, but gradually became an undeniable, nauseating stench.

Suddenly, the vanguard guard reined in his horse and reported back, his voice filled with surprise and doubt:

"Sir! Something's wrong with the river ahead!"

Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Wangshu immediately ordered the car to stop, and hurried forward with Tao Meixiu and several medical officers to check.

But the scene before them shocked everyone - the river that should have been flowing clear was now extremely turbid, with swollen, white, and even rotten and perforated livestock corpses floating densely on the sticky water. What was even more frightening was that there were several uncollected human corpses mixed in, floating up and down with the waves, looking horrible.

Flies gathered there in large masses, their buzzing sounds merging into a piercing noise that made one's scalp tingle, forming a moving "black fog". The stench that filled the sky originated from this place.

“Asshole!

"An old medical officer was so angry that he was shaking all over, his beard trembling.

"With the water source so polluted, how can the plague not spread?! This is a sin! It's going to kill everyone in the city!"

Xiao Wangshu's face was as gloomy as water, his eyes icy cold. He immediately gave the order in a cold voice:

"Record the situation here in detail! Miss Tao, immediately send capable personnel upstream to investigate the source of the pollution! Announce to the entire team: strictly prohibiting the use of this river water. All drinking water is to be brought with you. If anyone accidentally comes into contact with the river water, immediately wash your hands repeatedly with strong liquor or medicinal decoction. No mistakes!"

"Yes!" Tao Meixiu accepted the order without hesitation, clasping her fists. She turned and quickly assigned personnel, her instructions clear and her actions decisive. The people she had brought with her were clearly well-trained, disciplined, and highly efficient.

Once we entered Hezhou, the situation became even more tragic.

The city gate was half collapsed, and there was wailing everywhere. Corpses and patients were lying on the streets, covered only with straw mats. The survivors were all pale and thin, with empty and desperate eyes.

As for the local government office, it had already been paralyzed, officials were either dead or sick, and the rest could not hide.

After arriving at Houhezhou City, Xiao Wangshu did not rush to settle the officials' responsibilities. Instead, he took over the government office as soon as possible and launched disaster relief efforts in a swift and resolute manner.

He forcibly requisitioned several spacious houses and open camps, strictly divided them into "severe cases", "mild cases", "observation" and "clean" areas, and ordered the yamen runners to cooperate with Tao Meixiu's men to forcibly transfer and isolate patients according to their condition.

The most critical thing is water source.

After revealing his identity, he personally organized uninfected civilians, and under the guidance of medical officers, risked their lives to clean up the rotting corpses in the river, burn them in a centralized manner, and disinfect them with lime, trying their best to block the source of pollution and prevent the plague from spreading again.

At the same time, they did not forget to search for uncontaminated deep wells in the city, sent soldiers to guard them closely, distributed clean water uniformly, and strictly prohibited the drinking of raw water.

The accompanying medical officers worked day and night to discuss prescriptions and set up porridge and medicine sheds. Xiao Wangshu even ignored dissuasion and personally visited the quarantine area several times. Although his face was concealed by a cloth, his calm yet resolute eyes and gentle yet dignified words greatly soothed the anxious people.

After days of hard work, the epidemic finally eased a little, and Taoist Chihua arrived quietly.

Xiao Wangshu had no time to spare for this matter, so he just properly arranged it for him and then returned to his heavy official duties.

Until late at night, Chihua came uninvited and appeared silently in Xiao Wangshu's temporary study, avoiding all the guards.

Xiao Wangshu was secretly surprised by the other party's skills, but he didn't show it on his face. He put down his pen and asked directly:

"Mr. Chihua, why are you visiting so late at night?"

With a light sweep of the whisk, Chihua's expression was unpredictable:

"Don't be nervous, sir. I'm here for the same reason I mentioned before. You can rest assured, as I said in Zhong County, I have no intention of harming the 'man of destiny'."

His words were full of mystery and his eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.

After staring at him for a moment, Xiao Wangshu suddenly said:

"Sir, does what you said include the matter of 'Same Fate Gu'?"

His tone was calm, but with a subtle hint of inquiry. He was really uneasy about handing this matter over to others. Only the Taoist Chihua, who was quite powerful, stopped His Highness on his behalf, and His Highness would not go with him.

A faint smile flashed in his eyes, but Chi Hua avoided answering and only said:

"The laws of nature are mysterious and have their own logic. Take care, my lord."

After saying this, his figure flashed and he disappeared quietly like a ghost.

He hurried out of the door, but there was no sign of the other party. Xiao Wangshu was hesitant. The more people knew about this matter, the greater the risk of being exposed. Now he probably had no choice but to trust Mr. Chihua.

But he didn't have time to worry because something happened in Hezhou again.

Tao Meixiu hurriedly found Xiao Wangshu, who was inspecting the porridge stall. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing her arms stained with medicine and a few stains. Her forehead was covered in sweat from her busy schedule, and her expression was solemn.

"Sir, please come and take a look! Several wounds that were originally recovering have suddenly worsened and festering. Something is not right! Also, we just discovered that there seems to be something wrong with a carefully guarded water well in the east of the city!"

Tao Meixiu's voice was rapid and clear, carrying an undeniable anxiety. Xiao Wangshu heard it and said without hesitation:

"lead the way."

He hurried with her to the quarantine area.

The smell here was a mixture of medicine, decay, and despair, yet order prevailed. Tao Meixiu flitted between the beds like a nimble butterfly, her movements swift yet unhurried. As she led the way, she effortlessly and naturally replaced the warm, damp cloth on the forehead of an elderly man groaning from a high fever. Her movements were gentle and practiced.

When she passed by a woman who was struggling to sit up, she quickly leaned over, tucked in the messy corners of the quilt, and whispered something to comfort her.

All this was done smoothly, as if she belonged here by nature, oblivious to the filth and pungent smells around her.

Her sharp gaze swept across the ward, finally resting on a middle-aged man. The wound on his calf, once a model for treatment, now flared outward, oozing foul, yellow-green pus. Without hesitation, Tao Meixiu leaned over, almost bringing her face close to the wound, her brow furrowed as she scrutinized the color and form of the pus, even carefully dabbing a small amount with a clean cloth and sniffing it. Her demeanor was focused and professional, without a trace of the usual woman's fear or disgust.

Standing quietly to the side, Xiao Wangshu took in all her actions. Suddenly, he spoke in a calm voice:

"Miss Tao, as a woman, dealing with such filthy injuries all day long, don't you feel uncomfortable?"

Tao Meixiu was concentrating on her wound and was startled when she heard this. She raised her head and looked at Xiao Wangshu, then a broad-minded and cheerful smile appeared on her face.

She continued cleaning the wound, her tone as frank as if she were discussing the weather:

"You're joking, sir. What's the point of being dirty? My brother and I have been wandering around since we were little, eating and wearing clothes from many families to survive.

When you are so hungry that you see stars, the food with soil dug out from the mud will be so delicious that it will make your mouth water.

"Those lying here are no different from the folks who gave us brothers and sisters a mouthful of leftovers and a tattered coat back then. If I can lend a hand when they're in trouble, it would be a token of my gratitude. I wouldn't even be able to express my gratitude, so how could I possibly despise them?"

Her tone was sincere and without any embellishment. After a moment of silence, a hint of very faint but real admiration flashed across Xiao Wangshu's deep eyes.

However, this was no time for sentimentality. The wounded's wounds had inexplicably worsened, and even the heavily guarded well had begun to behave strangely—this could not be explained by chance or accident. The warmth in Xiao Wangshu's eyes instantly faded, replaced by a layer of icy, sharp frost. The vague suspicion in his mind suddenly became clear—there must be a traitor among the entourage!

It must be found out as soon as possible, otherwise all efforts will be in vain.

The next day, a shocking piece of news was strictly controlled within the government office's upper echelons, but it seemed to have wings and quietly leaked out through some deliberately left gaps:

Lord Xiao Wangshu, due to his hard work and frequent trips to the epidemic area, unfortunately contracted the plague. His condition deteriorated rapidly and he is now on his deathbed!

However, there is always a loophole. Perhaps it was deliberately done by a traitor, or perhaps it was through other channels. Xiao Wangshu did not expect that the news of his critical illness would be transmitted back to the Jingdong Palace in Bianjing at the fastest speed.

"What did you say? Say it again?!"

Xie Xuanhui suddenly stood up from his seat, his face turned pale as paper in an instant, his fingers trembled violently, and he almost crushed the secret report in his hand. He couldn't believe what he heard, and the emotions surging in his heart almost swallowed him up.

Eunuch Wei knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face as he spoke, his voice becoming increasingly quiet, his body trembling.

"Your Highness! News has come from Hezhou that Lord Xiao has... has contracted the plague and is... is dying!"

"Shut up!"

Xie Xuanhui called for a halt urgently, but it was too late.

He kicked over the table in front of him and paced back and forth. It took him a long time to find his voice.

"Prepare the horses! Prepare the fastest horses immediately! I want to go to Hezhou!"

His voice was hoarse, his eyes were already red, he was unaware that his nails were digging into his flesh, blood was dripping from his nails onto the floor, and his tone was full of paranoia and anger.

"Your Highness, you can't do that!" Eunuch Wei rushed forward and hugged His Highness's legs. "The epidemic area is extremely dangerous! How can you, a precious body, venture into such a dangerous place? The court has laws; you cannot leave the capital without permission!"

"Get out of here! If he dies, this capital, this Eastern Palace, and this position of Crown Prince will mean nothing to me! Whoever dares to stop me, I will kill him right now!"

He drew out the long sword he was carrying and gave a hard kick to the eunuch Wei who was holding his legs. There was a look of madness in Xie Xuanhui's eyes that looked like he was going to destroy the world.

He rushed out of the temple without hesitation, muttering,

"Xiao Wangshu, you dare! You dare!"

But he didn't dare to say that word from beginning to end.

At the same time, the Sixth Prince Xie Jingrong, who had received the news, was in the study of his own mansion, tapping lightly on the secret report that also came from Hezhou with his fingertips, with a cold and complacent smile on his lips.

Naturally, he managed to "accelerate" and "precisely" get the news to the Eastern Palace through secret personnel planted in the transmission channels.

Facts have proven that there is indeed something fishy going on between the two.

"Long Yang's love, disregarding human ethics, leaving the throne without permission, and secretly entering the dangerous epidemic area..."

The Sixth Prince muttered to himself, each word like a poisoned ice needle.

"My dear brother, this time, let's see how you and your beloved sycophant will explain to our father and the entire court!"

He could already see the censors' impassioned memorials, his father's furious expression, and the realization that after the crown prince was deposed, he would be one step closer to the throne. He even hoped that the crown prince would actually contract the disease in the epidemic area, which would put an end to the trouble once and for all.

"Go, go, go quickly..."

The Sixth Prince looked out the window towards the East Palace, his eyes filled with cold calculation and satisfaction.

"The crazier you are, the more you destroy yourself, the happier I am."