Chapter 2294 Rumors
The personal soldier knelt on the ground and answered. He himself felt a little confused, because he was one of the people who went around to inquire about the method of vaccination. At that time, let alone the method of vaccination, he didn't even find a method to treat smallpox.
In the Central Plains, although there was basically no cure for smallpox, at least doctors could still come up with one or two prescriptions.
But in the Western Regions, if someone got an epidemic like smallpox, they would basically be killed and burned to prevent the disease from spreading. They couldn't even find a prescription for medicine, let alone a prescription for epidemic prevention.
But now...
The guard said, "He was a merchant who came to Xizhou to sell wolf skins and sheep. He came from Tingzhou and heard that someone was asking about a cure for smallpox. He thought there was a reward for it, so he came to claim it."
General Guo sat down on the chair and asked, "Isn't this a fabrication?"
The guards dared not draw any conclusions.
General Guo paused and said, "Call the people here and I will ask them myself."
The personal guards took the order and left.
"...Legend has it that there's a Buddhist country in the far west. The people there have profound supernatural powers, and everyone knows medicine. Many difficult and complicated diseases can be cured, and smallpox is even easier."
General Guo lost interest instantly and leaned back in his chair, thinking, "Buddhist country? This sounds like nonsense."
The businessman continued, "I heard there's a way to do this over there. They inoculate smallpox into cows, wait for the cows to break out, and then inoculate humans with that smallpox. People there are vaccinated at birth, so they never get smallpox..."
General Guo couldn't help but sit up straight again, squinting his eyes and thinking, "Is there really such a country?"
The merchant said confidently, "Of course, sir. Such legends are only known by some elders. I know about it because I'm well-connected. I heard that an elder here was asking about this, so I came all the way here..."
General Guo understood what he meant and looked at his personal guards beside him.
The personal guard brought him a roll of silk cloth.
The businessman hugged it tightly, he didn't expect that this news could actually be exchanged for money.
General Guo asked, "Where is that country?"
"In the far west."
General Guo: ...
After trying his luck, he asked, "Do many people know about this?"
"Not many. They're all elderly people. Because they've lived long enough, they've seen a lot of people. They only heard about it from some passing merchants. Many people don't know about it."
General Guo waved his hand, no longer interested in listening. He pointed to his personal guards and said, "Take him to the embassy and hand him over to them."
The merchant was startled and trembled as he hugged the silk cloth. "General, I don't want this reward."
General Guo: "...Take it. Am I such a stingy person? Have him take you to another place to claim the reward, and then repeat what you said to me."
So the merchant followed his personal guards to Mr. Zhuang's yard.
Bai Erlang and his men were much more generous than General Guo. They asked more detailed questions and then gave the merchant a whole piece of silk cloth.
After sending the merchant away, Mr. Zhuang looked at Bai Erlang and asked, "Did you make up this story?"
Bai Jilang subconsciously denied, "No!"
They are clearly talking about a country with singing birds and blooming flowers, and abundant national strength, not a Buddhist country or a divine country.
Mr. Zhuang was a little skeptical, because the story sounded very familiar.
He kept scanning Bai Erlang with a suspicious look, but in the end he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he said, "Since we have the news, let's send someone out to find out more details."
He paused and said, "Bai Shan and the others are also in the direction of Tingzhou. They might know more detailed information."
Although Mr. Zhuang came here with the intention of studying, he also sincerely wanted to find a way to prevent and treat smallpox. But now it seems that the so-called prescription for preventing and treating smallpox seemed to have been made by a few disciples.
Mr. Zhuang frowned, but when he saw General Nie and Wei Xingren rushing over, he smiled and temporarily suppressed his thoughts.
Lieutenant General Nie was very excited. "Master Zhuang, I heard there's news about the vaccination?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's right. Thanks to General Guo. He has been sending people outside to inquire about this matter, and now we have some vague information."
Cut off the beginning and end of the merchant's story and only tell them the key part.
Nie Canjun's eyes lit up, "If there really is such a method, then can't we get the prescription if we find this small country in the Western Regions?
Wei Xingren and his companions, however, lacked such confidence. They said, "There are so many small countries in the Western Regions. This place is so vague. It only says it's the far west, without even mentioning the country's name. Where can we find it?"
"And the further west you go, the more unstable and cold it becomes. If you continue on, you might not be able to return for years."
Although they were prepared to spend two years on the road to the Western Regions, it did not mean that they were willing to stay in the Western Regions for a long time. Even if they had a lot of money, they still missed the comfort of the capital.
Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and then said, "Mr. Zhou can't possibly leave the capital for long. Besides, there's Bai Er. He'll have to come back eventually. The chief officer is away now, so let's discuss this matter after she returns."
Mr. Zhuang paused and said, "Maybe they have some good news."
Wei Xingren and the others suddenly felt as if they had taken a reassurance pill. Yes, Bai Cheng was there.
He is the son-in-law of Princess Mingda. Others can stay outside for a few years without returning to Beijing, but he can't. Princess Mingda can get married next year after she finishes her mourning period, so he can't not return to Beijing.
So General Nie, Wei Xingren and others were happy and left with peace of mind. They decided to wait for Lord Zhou to come back to discuss the matter, but they could also ask around nearby.
Not many people knew this news, but General Nie and his men were willing to find out and were able to find out some information.
Although the stories I heard were different, the key point remained the same. In the far west, there was indeed a country where people knew how to vaccinate against cowpox. I heard that people from that country were never afraid of smallpox when they went out.
It sounds very enviable.
Not only did General Nie and his men envy him, but people in the Western Regions and the grasslands were even more envious.
The herdsmen in the Western Regions and the grasslands have fine horses and are brave and strong, but why can't they always conquer the Central Plains?
Of course, they did not think that their fighting power was limited or their wisdom was insufficient. They believed that it was epidemics such as smallpox that restricted them.
It was very dangerous for them to enter the pass, as they were very likely to contract epidemic diseases such as smallpox, so they could not enter the Central Plains.
Yes, that's the reason.
Lieutenant General Nie, upon hearing these tidbits while seeking information, was quite discontented. Returning, he told Mr. Zhuang and the others, "Your Majesty has been so generous to them, yet they have no gratitude and are even thinking of entering the Central Plains. Their hearts are simply damnable."
See you tomorrow
Come on, put a tight ring on your head, I swear, I will update tomorrow
(End of this chapter)
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