Chapter 134 Li Kun
This courtyard was rented by Xiao Yuxuan specifically for coroners to conduct autopsies.
Not far away was the isolation area for patients, which was jointly maintained by the Princess's residence and the Prefect of the Capital. Thatched huts had been erected overnight, and people who had contracted the epidemic were being placed in special places one after another, where they were treated by recruited doctors.
In addition, every twenty steps along the street there was a pile of burning Atractylodes lancea and Artemisia argyi.
All of these are the methods the Seventh Prince mentioned yesterday for controlling the spread of the epidemic.
But simply controlling it is not enough; to truly resolve the problem, we still need to see if the coroner can find the source of the epidemic.
Looking at the street with very few pedestrians, Xiao Yuxuan fell into a daze, which was rare for her.
She had barely slept these past few days, and the worse the princess's condition became, the more anxious she became.
When I left the Princess's residence this morning, I heard that the Princess was bedridden...
The prescriptions for the epidemic have not yet been completed.
And the Crown Prince, I wonder if he is safe and sound, living in the Eastern Palace.
Yesterday, after the Seventh Prince finished talking about the epidemic, he heard that she had encountered the Crown Prince on her way here, and he seemed hesitant to speak.
When pressed further, the other party stammered and couldn't give a clear answer, only saying that perhaps the early onset of the epidemic was a good thing.
Is this a good thing?
Xiao Yuxuan was puzzled, but the Seventh Prince had already hurriedly sent her away, saying that it would take a lot of effort to do these things, and if she wanted to save more people, she should hurry up and start preparing.
This morning she also received a letter from her uncle, saying that he would come to visit her after the epidemic was over, and asked if she wanted to go to Longxi, which is Lancheng where her maternal grandmother lives.
Lancheng, she had never been there before.
My uncle must have received the letter that he had entrusted the Tianji Tower to intercept, which is why he rushed to the Xiao residence on the night the Princess took her away.
Unfortunately, Wang's rebellion prevented the uncle from entering to confront Xiao Su, and the epidemic occurred as a result.
At this time, unless absolutely necessary, every household stays indoors, and the Emperor has even temporarily suspended court assemblies, only requiring the submission of memorials daily.
"Young lady, young lady! Please, please save my father..."
Before the guards could react, a dirty little boy emerged from the thatched hut and ran straight toward Xiao Yuxuan.
It's a miracle that he's survived this long since he contracted the virus; even now, when he shouts at the top of his lungs, all he makes is a sound like a cat's meow.
He was stopped by the guards with their spears in despair, his two small hands, whose original color was no longer recognizable, waving helplessly in the air.
"You're already doing very well to get treatment now, be content! If your father were in the city, it would be fine, but the people in the capital are too busy to care for those in the suburbs!"
The guards also knew about the child's situation.
He and his father lived together in the suburbs of Beijing. Seven days ago, his father fell seriously ill, and the boy was sent to Beijing to seek refuge with relatives. He probably fainted from hunger on the way and was rescued by a kind grain shop driver who brought him into the capital.
In the past few days, an epidemic has broken out, and this child and his relatives have unfortunately been infected. Several people have died one after another, and now he is the only one left.
It's pitiful; he's still talking about saving his dad right now!
But he didn't consider that the city was heavily guarded, and people outside couldn't get in. Only corpses could get out of the city. How could he possibly rescue his father?
It was easy for two tall and strong guards to capture a child. No matter how much he struggled, they quickly subdued him and headed towards the thatched hut.
Xiao Yuxuan didn't hear the sound, but was instead distracted by the movements over there.
"What's going on over there? Is someone trying to escape from the thatched hut?"
Logically speaking, it shouldn't be like this. People infected with the plague should be overjoyed to receive free treatment, feeling that they still have hope of survival. Who would be so foolish as to escape and harm others?
The guard outside the courtyard glanced over, understood, and said:
“Miss Xiao, it’s not that he’s trying to run away. It’s probably that the child saw you and wants to ask you to save his father.”
"His father?"
“You don’t know, his father is outside the city, ten miles to the north. They’re the only family there. We’re short-handed right now. It’s not worth going there just to save one person.”
The guards were in a dilemma. Almost all the soldiers, guards, doctors, and able-bodied men in the capital had been mobilized and were being distributed by the Prefect of the Capital. However, almost one-fifth of the city's residents had fallen, and they were powerless to leave, even if they wanted to.
"Did his father also contract the plague?"
"He said he didn't know, but that's how he described it."
When did this happen?
Xiao Yuxuan's heart suddenly started pounding, as if there was some clue right in front of her that she could grasp immediately.
The epidemic is still spreading in Beijing, and it has only been affecting nearby cities in the last two days.
"It seems to have been... about seven days ago."
Seven days ago?
That was before the epidemic appeared in the capital.
The child's father was very likely the first person to contract the plague.
"Bring him here; I have something to ask him."
As soon as Xiao Yuxuan finished speaking, Pei Xing'er objected:
“Young lady, they have been infected with the disease for a long time, so it would be best if you kept your distance from them.”
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Before long, the little boy who had been clamoring to come over was brought over.
As he got closer, he became speechless, clutching the hem of his clothes, standing awkwardly at a distance, cautiously observing Xiao Yuxuan and Pei Xing'er standing in front of him.
Although they were all covered in lacquered cloth, and it was impossible to see any jewelry or luxurious clothing, the temperament of each person was different. In particular, the taller one looked exactly like the noble ladies with cloud-like hair and beautiful faces that he had seen by chance on the street before.
Would someone so high and mighty really be willing to save his father?
“You don’t need to be afraid. Our girls are the kindest and gentlest. Look, these thatched huts and the places for burning mugwort were all set up by our girls because they couldn’t bear to see the people suffer.”
Seeing his expression, Pei Xing'er knew what he was thinking, so she softened her voice and offered a few words of explanation.
The little boy's tightly pursed lips relaxed slightly, but his expression still carried a sorrow that was inappropriate for his age.
He knelt down abruptly, his voice weak as he said:
"Honorable sir, please have mercy and save my father—"
"I've already heard from the guards. What's your name? When did your father contract the disease, and what were his symptoms?"
The little boy, named Li Kun, stammered as he recounted what had happened seven days prior.
Upon hearing that his father had taken in several disaster victims the night before, sent them away in the morning, and then fell seriously ill that same day, Xiao Yuxuan and Pei Xing'er exchanged a glance, both seeing a heavy look in each other's eyes.
It seems that this epidemic was indeed not a natural disaster, but a man-made one.
I just don't know if this time, like in the last life, it's the work of the Jiaozhi people.
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