Chapter 121 The Plague
Ten miles north of the capital, there is a remote farmhouse.
In the fenced courtyard, several livestock, who should have been asleep, paced restlessly, seemingly worried about the situation of their owners inside the house.
Inside the mud-walled, thatched-roof shack, a dim oil lamp shone.
On the simple wooden bed lay a haggard middle-aged man, his face sallow and large beads of sweat the size of soybeans constantly seeping from his forehead.
A seventeen or eight-year-old boy carrying a bowl of water pushed open the door, and upon seeing this scene, his face grew even more fearful and uneasy.
"Father, how are you? You've taken Doctor Chen's herbal medicine, but you're still not getting better?"
The man weakly lifted his eyelids slightly, staring at the top of the grass, his gaze unfocused.
"That's enough, that's my fate. Don't cry. Go pack your things and go to the city to seek refuge with your uncle and aunt. At least they can give you some food..."
"No, no, Dad! How can I leave you alone? It's okay, I can skip school, I can do so many things for you, Dad, please don't die, waaaaah..."
The little boy clung to the man's arm, and as he spoke, he burst into tears.
"Even your father can't boss you around anymore, is he?!"
The man feigned authority, but his voice was like a cat's, clearly indicating that he was barely breathing.
"Dad, what's wrong with you? Did you eat something bad or what? You were perfectly fine this morning, waaaah..."
"I, I..."
The man mustered his last remaining strength to think, but had no idea what poisonous thing he had eaten.
In just one day, he became emaciated and unable to move, as if his life force had been rapidly drained away, leaving him completely lifeless.
Could it be one of the disaster victims we rescued this morning?
No, although they were pale and thin, they seemed to be in good spirits and didn't look like they had any disease...
Oh well, it's all fate. He's lived to this age and left a legacy for his family; he can rest in peace now.
He was panting as he explained his final wishes. The little boy, his face streaked with tears, nodded in agreement, sobbing uncontrollably.
The boy promised to come home the next day to take care of his father, then packed his small bundle and set off for the capital overnight.
It's a ten-mile walk from here to the capital, and he might not even make it by dawn tomorrow, so he needs to hurry.
He carried a small bag on his back and a twig he had picked up in his hand, walking along and stirring up trouble as he went.
Suddenly, a drop of water fell onto his front.
In the darkness, he couldn't see what the warm substance on his brown robe was.
But he subconsciously reached up and touched his nose, and finally saw clearly that it was his own nosebleed.
Half an hour later —
"Good heavens! How come there's a child lying here!"
A kind-hearted coachman passing by quickly stopped the carriage, got out, and checked the child's breathing.
"He's still alive! Quick! Get him onto the carriage!"
His companion hesitated for a moment and stopped him slightly:
"But the cart is carrying grain that's going to the rice, flour, and oil shops. Don't let this dirty little boy get it dirty, or the shopkeeper will scold us."
"Human life is at stake. It's just a cartload of grain. It's late at night and the dew is heavy. If we let this child lie here all night, he'll get sick even if he's not already!"
The coachman bypassed him and carried the child directly onto the carriage, placing him on top of the bulging grain sacks.
The Lin residence.
"Master, something terrible has happened!"
The gatekeeper rushed to the door of Lin Kuangzheng's study and shouted.
"What is it that warrants such a commotion?"
Lin Kuangzheng was focused on organizing the students' homework and assessments at the Imperial Academy when he was called out to, which made him quite displeased at being disturbed.
"Come in and answer!"
The servant composed himself, calmed his breathing, and then presented the item in his hand:
"Sir, just now someone shot an arrow into our gate! There's still a hole in it! And there's something attached to the end of the arrow. Please take a look!"
It was a short arrow used by the army of this dynasty, made of fine iron, but the year mark at the end had been worn away, making it impossible to tell which year it was cast, which shows the archer's caution.
Above the arrow fletching, a small bamboo tube was firmly tied to it, and it seemed to contain something.
Lin Kuangzheng's heart suddenly skipped a few beats.
Sending a message with an arrow in the dead of night, and in such a provocative way, it just doesn't seem like good news...
Although he did not hold a high official position in the court, as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, he was the teacher of all the students. He could hardly imagine who would be so audacious as to threaten a high-ranking official.
"Bring it forward."
Lin Kuangzheng carefully picked up the arrow, removed the bamboo tube, and sure enough, there was a thin piece of paper inside.
He glanced at the servant before opening it.
"Rest assured, sir! I absolutely have not read any of its contents!"
"I'll take my leave now!"
The servant tactfully walked out, and only then did Lin Kuangzheng slowly unfold the note.
He stared at those few words for a long time.
When his eyes started to sting and his nose felt dry, he suddenly clenched the note and crumpled it into a ball.
Somber!
He trusted his brother-in-law so much, but he had an affair with someone else long ago and betrayed his sister!
How earnest and sincere his proposal to Hui'er was back then, how ironic and laughable it is now.
Not to mention that the mistress actually moved into the house and replaced Yu Xuan's fourteen years of luxurious life, calling him "uncle" for fourteen years!
Xiao Su was truly a master strategist. By clinging to the Lin family, he climbed to the position of a second-rank official in more than twice the time of others. In the end, however, he plotted to undermine them and betray them after they had served their purpose!
Whether he believed it or not, he could climb up with the help of the Lin family, or he could have his many disciples drag him down.
As for his nephews and Yu Xuan, they have all grown up. Even without the Xiao family as their father, the Lin family can still raise them well!
He had mastered the art of keeping his emotions hidden for years, and now he used it to the extreme. He stared silently at the crumpled paper in his hand, refusing to move for a long time.
"Prepare the car! To the Xiao residence!"
"Master? What are you doing so late at night?"
At that moment, Wang pushed open the door and entered, her expression not very pleasant.
"Master, don't you even look at what time it is? Can't we go to the Xiao family tomorrow?"
Wang was carrying a freshly cooked ginseng chicken soup in her hand, and gave him a somewhat resentful look.
"What's wrong with your sister again that requires your attention? If you ask me, as her older brother, you've taken care of her for so many years, and now that she's over forty, there's no need for her to come to you for everything, is there?"
Wang Shi liked to complain. No matter how close she was to this person or that person in public, she would still gossip about others at home. Lin Kuangzheng was annoyed by this about her and never responded, letting her say whatever she wanted.
But things are different today.
He was seething with anger, and if he waited until tomorrow morning to go, he wouldn't be able to sleep a wink tonight!
"We didn't ask you to go, so just stay home quietly. No one will think you're mute if you don't say anything!"
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