Along the way, the princess discovered that the plague in the city had reached a very serious level.
The sick refugees huddled in the corner, their faces pale and groaning.
Now when I come to the yamen, I find that the officers just cover their mouths and noses and walk hurriedly, for fear of being contaminated by the disease.
Inside the prefectural government office, the princess came into the hall with a group of people.
The prefect said respectfully, "Your humble servant greets Her Royal Highness, and you have had a hard journey."
The princess's face was serious, and she asked in a cold voice, "Liu Yuming, do you admit your guilt?"
Liu Yuming was still making a "please" gesture at this time, but he paused when he heard her words.
He raised his head and said innocently, "I don't know. Please tell me clearly, Your Highness."
The princess's eyes were sharp. "What did you say in your report? The water level has receded, and the people have resettled? And why did you conceal the outbreak of plague after the flood?"
Liu Yuming's face panicked for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Your Highness, please calm down. The water level has indeed receded significantly compared to before. As for the plague, it was truly due to the suddenness of the incident and the inconvenience of transportation. I haven't had time to send out my report yet."
He bent down, smiling ingratiatingly, "Since Her Royal Highness has come in person, I will certainly cooperate actively. You are tired from the journey, why don't you go down and rest first?"
The princess looked at Liu Yuming with scrutiny, and her unclear expression made Liu Yuming break out in a cold sweat on his back.
After a long moment, the princess finally withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and said in a deep voice, "There's a plague in the city right now. Have you thought of any way to deal with it?"
"This... the incident happened suddenly, and I haven't come up with a proper solution yet. My mind was focused on solving the flood problem." Prefect Liu defended himself.
Wen Luoxin spoke at the right time, her tone firm: "The plague is raging in the city now. The patients must be isolated immediately, otherwise the entire city will suffer."
The prefect's eyes turned cold, but because the princess was present, he couldn't get angry, so he just said coldly: "Ridiculous! Now refugees are everywhere, and I can't even sort out the household registration. How can I tell who is infected with the disease?"
"I think what Miss Wen said makes some sense."
Wen Luoxin glanced sideways slightly, meeting the princess's scrutinizing gaze, neither avoiding nor giving way.
Liu Yuming hesitated and said, "But if we forcibly detain people, I'm afraid it will cause a civil uprising!"
The princess raised her lips slightly: "Why, do you have a better idea?"
"This..." Liu Yuming hesitated and didn't say what decision he had made.
The princess turned her gaze to Wen Luoxin: "What about you? Do you have any good ideas?"
"Yes." Wen Luoxin looked at her directly. "We can announce to the public that the imperial physician has arrived from the capital, offering free diagnosis and treatment for 'cold and fever'. Nine out of ten people who volunteer are likely to be patients. We can then detain confirmed patients under the pretext of observing their condition."
The prefect immediately interrupted: "But, but this requires a huge space to accommodate..."
"If I remember correctly, there is an old granary in Huai'an City. It is spacious and far away from residential areas, which is just right." The princess' tone was natural, but it didn't sound like she was discussing something, but rather issuing a notice.
When Liu Yuming heard her mention the old granary, he was shocked and said quickly, "But that granary has been empty for many years. It's overgrown with weeds and is completely desolate. It's impossible to...
The princess's eyes turned cold as she interrupted him: "Would you rather watch the people die and the plague spread throughout the city than open the warehouses to save them?"
Liu Yuming's face turned pale and he waved his hands repeatedly: "I dare not! I will arrange it right away!"
Seeing Liu Yuming retreat in a hurry, only the princess and Wen Luoxin were left in the hall.
"You're quite clever," the princess said with a half-smile. "By using the imperial physician's name, we can avoid panic and focus on treatment."
Wen Luoxin said calmly, "Your Highness, you are too kind. I have been practicing medicine for many years and know what the people fear most and what they believe in the most."
"Oh?" The princess took a step closer. "Then do you know what I disbelieve the most?"
"Your Highness doesn't believe in coincidences." Wen Luoxin raised her eyes. "For example, this plague came too suddenly and spread too quickly."
A cold light flashed in the princess' eyes: "Go on."
"Although the symptoms resembled a fever, some of the deaths were strange—bleeding from the mouth and nose, convulsions in the limbs, unlike those caused by ordinary plague."
Wen Luoxin pulled out a blood-stained handkerchief from her sleeve. "I just took this from someone who died suddenly. If Your Highness trusts it, you can ask your confidant to examine it."
The princess's eyes fell on the dark brown bloodstained cloth and she asked in a cold tone, "Do you suspect poisoning?"
"It's not suspicion, it's certainty." Wen Luoxin said calmly, "Someone is using the plague as an excuse to wreak havoc."
——
That night, the granary in the south of the city was brightly lit.
Wen Luoxin changed her usual selfish and indifferent appearance, directing the servants to arrange the patients, taking each person's pulse with skillful movements, and saying soothing words.
An old woman pulled her sleeve and cried, "Girl, my little grandson..."
Wen Luoxin bent down slightly and gently held the boy's wrist with her fingers, which felt hot.
"Don't be afraid, he'll be fine." She withdrew her hand, took out a pill from the cloth bag she was carrying, and handed it to the old woman. "Feed this to him first. When the medicine is ready, drink the medicine and go to sleep. Just observe for a few days."
Hong Yi, the princess's personal attendant, looked at her in surprise and whispered to her, "Your Highness, she's like this... has she changed her personality?"
The princess gazed at the busy figure, thoughtfully saying, "After all... she's a doctor herself."
Suddenly, a loud roar came from outside the granary: "The government wants to kill us! Don't believe them - let them go!"
Several yamen runners rushed in in a panic: "Oh no! There are rioters over there saying we are going to bury the patient alive, and they are rushing over here."
As soon as the words fell.
A mob armed with sticks rushed past the guards, and the burly man in the lead was filled with anger: "What kind of imperial physician are you? They're clearly trying to lock someone up and burn him alive!"
"The government has no good intentions! Everyone..." Before he could finish his words, a long sword was already at his throat.
Hong Yi drew his sword and held it across the crowd. The blade reflected the firelight and emitted a dangerous aura: "One more step and you will die!"
The rioting mob stopped in shock.
Wen Luoxin took the opportunity to shout, "Everyone, look at these patients! Is anyone being abused?" She helped an old man who was drinking medicine to his feet. "If the government really wanted to kill people, why waste the medicine? We are truly saving lives!"
A strong man trembled and said, "Can someone tell us..."
"Who told you?" The princess's attendant pointed his sword at the burly man and said fiercely, "Tell me, and I'll spare your life."
whoosh!
A hidden arrow pierced the air, striking the sturdy man's throat! The henchman spun around and swung his sword, snapping the arrow in two. In the darkness, a dark shadow fled in panic.
The princess shouted, "Chase! Don't let him escape!"
A close friend of hers looked at the remaining patients meaningfully and speculated, "It seems someone is very afraid that the plague will be brought under control."
The princess looked in the direction where the shadow disappeared and said quietly, "Perhaps, he's afraid of the truth being discovered."
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