Chapter 56 I Want to Get Rich? No, It's My Conscience That's Awakened!

Looking at the endless stream of patients seeking treatment every day, listening to the clinking of copper coins and silver coins falling into the money box, and glancing at the slowly but steadily increasing points in his mind, Yun Zhan felt that his life had finally reached its peak!

"System! Did you see that? What does it mean to be a business prodigy? What does it mean to be the chosen one?" Yun Zhan, taking advantage of the time he was slacking off in the backyard under the guise of researching medicinal formulas, proudly boasted to the system, "I knew it! Gold always shines! Before, I was just a dragon swimming in shallow water in the palace, but now this true dragon has returned to its rightful place!"

He counted on his fingers: "Look, a regular consultation costs fifty coins, and prescriptions and medicine are extra. For seriously ill patients, the consultation fee starts at one tael of silver! Although our 'epidemic prevention soup' is free, it has made a name for itself! Yesterday, the old lady of the Wang family in the next street was unwell and sent someone to invite 'Doctor Yun' to her residence. The consultation fee was this much!" He held up five fingers and shook them.

[Host, the Wang family's problem is rheumatism, a chronic condition unrelated to this round of plague. Besides, you didn't go there yourself; it was Eunuch Gao who went on your behalf.] Xiao Qi ruthlessly burst his bubble.

"Oh, the details don't matter!" Yun Zhan waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, the money's in our pockets! Besides, what's there to be afraid of with a plague? In history, Yan Linye was the favored son of Heaven! He's blessed with good fortune! This little plague won't be long before he solves it! We can take this opportunity to make some... ah, I mean, to help the world and accumulate merit!"

He was absolutely convinced of this. After all, that tattered book clearly stated that Yan Linye was the destined ruler who would create a golden age, so how could he be defeated by a plague? He, Yun Zhan, was merely taking advantage of the situation, hitching a ride, and incidentally realizing his personal value and financial freedom.

So he continued to happily count his money and check his points every day. Occasionally, when he was disturbed by the groans and coughs of the patients in the front room, he would just frown, instruct Eunuch Gao to brew more "anti-epidemic soup," and not take it too seriously.

However, this good fortune did not last long.

As time went on, the weather became increasingly hot and humid. Instead of being brought under control as Yun Zhan had predicted, the epidemic spread like wildfire in the capital, especially in the southern part of the city, at an alarming rate.

The queue outside Yun'an Hall grew longer and longer, filled with cries, groans, and pleas. Symptoms that were once sporadic, such as vomiting, high fever, and rashes, had become almost standard. Deaths began to occur more frequently. At first, news of someone dying in an alley would come every few days, then it became almost daily, and later... there were several cases of people being carried to the entrance of Yun'an Hall and dying instantly.

Medicinal herbs began to become scarce, and prices skyrocketed. Old Master Gao, worn out from days of toil, had dark circles under his eyes and could barely walk. Yun Zhan himself could no longer laugh; he could no longer slack off in the backyard and was frequently called upon to help maintain order or move medicinal herbs. The air was thick with the smell of medicine and… a faint, almost imperceptible, aura of death.

That day, a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and a persistent cough came to see a doctor. While waiting to get his medicine, he sighed and complained to the person next to him:

"Alas, life is unbearable! I heard that the one in the palace... absorbed the world's fortune to strengthen himself, which angered the heavens and the people, causing this plague god to punish us common folk!"

These words were like a needle, piercing Yun Zhan's ears!

He was helping to pack the herbs when he heard this, he paused, and suddenly looked up at the man who had spoken.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Yun Zhan's voice rose unconsciously, carrying an anger he himself was unaware of.

The man was startled. Seeing that it was someone from the clinic, he shrank back, but still muttered, "That's what everyone...that's what they say...how else can we explain it? Even in the worst of the previous Great Yin Dynasty, we've never seen such a severe plague. The late emperors of the previous dynasty were incredibly cruel to us common people...as soon as he ascended the throne..."

"Bullshit!" Yun Zhan angrily threw down the herbs in his hand, rushed to the man, his eyes wide open, "What do you know! The plague is a natural disaster! What does it have to do with the emperor? He stays in the palace every day, how could he possibly absorb your luck from afar? Do you think he's a vacuum cleaner?!"

The man was a bit stunned and indignant after Yun Zhan's barrage of words: "Everyone says so... even the fortune teller on the street, Wang Banxian, said it's because the imperial star is dimming, a warning from Heaven..."

"Wang the Fortune Teller? He even said your stove's orientation is the reason you're poor! Did you change it? You're still poor!" Yun Zhan was so angry that he blurted out, "Get out! Take your medicine and get out of here! If you keep spreading rumors here, 'Yun'an Hall' won't serve you anymore!"

He kicked the person out, his chest heaving violently with rage.

Eunuch Gao quickly came over to comfort him: "Young master, calm down, calm down... They are all ignorant commoners who just parrot what others say. Don't get upset."

Yun Zhan was panting heavily as he looked at the long line of people outside the door, their faces filled with fear and despair. He couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.

He knew Yan Linye had usurped the throne. He knew that he, as the "former emperor," should logically be gloating. But... when he heard with his own ears someone pinning such a vicious charge on Yan Linye, he found himself completely unable to accept it!

That man... the man who once talked with him about the world in Hejian Prefecture, his eyes bright as he said he wanted to make the people live a good life, the man who, even though he was "deceived" and "assassinated" by him, ultimately chose to keep him by his side instead of killing him... how could he possibly do something as evil as "absorbing luck"?

That's absolutely impossible!

But... why is the pandemic so severe? Why is there absolutely no sign of improvement? Historically, shouldn't Yan Linye have overcome various crises smoothly?

A thought he didn't want to dwell on quietly surfaced in his mind.

He silently walked back to the backyard, closed the door, shutting out the noise from the front hall. The anger on his face dissipated, replaced by a sense of bewilderment and... a vague unease.

"Xiao Qi," he called out to the system, his voice slightly hoarse.

[Host.] Xiao Qi's ball of light appeared, and the electronic voice seemed to have deepened.

“Tell me the truth.” Yun Zhan stared into the void, as if he could see through the obstruction to the direction of the imperial palace. “How is Yan Linye doing? Is this plague… much more serious than recorded in history?”

Xiao Qi paused for a moment. It received a silent warning from the direction of the Imperial Study, but seeing the host's unusually serious and worried expression, the core code struggled for a moment before choosing to reveal part of the truth, only concealing the most crucial part.

[Based on historical data comparison, the scale and severity of this plague outbreak have indeed exceeded the original trajectory.] Xiao Qi carefully chose her words. [The reason... is related to the 'dimensional rule correction force' that this system previously mentioned to you.]

"Dimensional rules?" Yun Zhan frowned. "What do you mean? Speak plainly!"

Xiao Qi: [Simply put, as the successor to Chu Yin, the 'defeated king,' you should bear the corresponding historical consequences, including... this highly likely plague. This is a cleanup mechanism in this plane to maintain the correct general direction of history and eliminate 'erroneous' nodes.]

Yun Zhan's heart sank: "You mean... this plague was originally meant for me to suffer?"

[This can be understood as follows. According to the original history, the ruler at this time was 'Chu Yin.' The plague outbreak and the resulting public resentment accelerated the collapse of his rule, providing a rationale for Yan Linye's 'following the will of Heaven.'] Xiao Qi explained, [However, because Yan Linye overthrew your rule prematurely, changing the timeline, the main cause and effect that should have been borne by you... shifted.]

"To whom was it transferred?" Yun Zhan's voice was a little tense; he already knew the answer in his heart.

Xiao Qi's light flickered faintly, offering no direct answer, but the silence itself was the answer.

boom--!

Yun Zhan felt as if something had exploded in his mind!

So that's how it is!

It turns out that this damned plague, this disaster that made Yan Linye the target of everyone's condemnation, was originally aimed at him, Yun Zhan!

It was because Yan Linye removed him from the throne prematurely, changing history, that this huge black pot, this deadly disaster, was pinned on Yan Linye's head!

The curses of the people, the rumors of "unworthy of his position" and "divine punishment"... were all originally meant for this "tyrant"!

An indescribable sense of bitterness and heaviness instantly gripped Yun Zhan's heart, making him feel even worse than when he was imprisoned by Yan Linye. It was a feeling mixed with guilt, heartache, and some inexplicable, agonizing pain.

He was previously gloating, thinking he was lucky to have hitched a ride on someone else's coattails to make money and earn points. Little did he know that his so-called "good fortune" was built on the fact that Yan Linye had taken on the misfortune that was originally his!

That guy... how difficult it must be for him right now, in the palace, facing the raging epidemic and vicious rumors?

Was he also overwhelmed with worries? Was he also suffering from insomnia? Had his aura as the "chosen one" dimmed because he had to bear the consequences for others?

Yun Zhan could no longer sit still; he paced restlessly in the cramped backyard.

"Xiao Qi! Is there any way? Is there any effective medicine or vaccine? You can deduct points as you like! I'll pay you back!" he asked anxiously.

[Host, even in your original era, developing vaccines and effective treatments for such highly contagious diseases would have required time. While this system's shop offers related items, the required points are exorbitant, and current production capacity cannot replicate them. The most effective approach at present remains isolation, disinfection, and symptomatic treatment to slow the spread of the epidemic and buy time.]

"How much is it?" Yun Zhan persisted.

Xiao Qi announced a number that made him dizzy.

Yun Zhan slumped into his chair, utterly dejected. He didn't even have a fraction of the points he had now; he was probably the poorest transmigrator in history.

For the first time, he realized so clearly how insignificant an individual's power was in the face of such a devastating catastrophe. And for the first time, he felt such genuine concern for the person far away in the palace.

All his previous carefree attitude was shattered by the harsh reality at this moment.

Looking at his small clinic, which he had opened to "make money," and at the people struggling on the brink of death outside, and thinking of Yan Linye, who was bearing everything alone in the eye of the storm, he felt a mix of emotions.

Earning money? Earning points?

Screw making money! Screw points!

All he wanted to know was, "Is that bastard... alright?"