When Fan Zeng's memorial was delivered to the court, the entire court was in an uproar.
Li Zhuo sat on the dragon throne with a rosy face, looking at the ministers below, and the smug look on his face could not be concealed.
The memorial said that because of the emperor's wisdom and bravery, the anti-epidemic situation in the four cities was very good.
Now that effective drugs have been discovered, I believe the epidemic will subside soon.
This is all thanks to your Majesty's great grace. The people of the four cities all knelt down, kowtowed and shouted "Long live your Majesty". Some people even secretly offered a tablet for your Majesty's immortality.
This memorial was naturally polished by Lu Chen. It was unlikely that Fan Zeng could write such straightforward flattery.
As a master, you always have to worry about your apprentice. Arranging a good future for your apprentice will make the relationship between master and apprentice worthwhile.
Looking at the noisy crowd of civil and military officials below, Li Zhuo said with a smug look on his face, "My dear ministers, what do you think of Fan Zeng's memorial?"
"Your Majesty's grace is boundless, and he has selected talented and capable people for office. This is why we were able to suppress this epidemic. I congratulate Your Majesty and the great Qi." Jiang Tao performed steadily as always, causing many people around him to curl their lips.
Jiang Tao's flattery clearly hit a chord with Li Zhuo. He laughed heartily and said, "This is mainly due to the contributions of the Imperial Master and Fan Zeng. However, the people of Great Qi are kindhearted after all. They care about the court and me in their hearts."
"My dear ministers, you have always said that I appointed treacherous officials, but what about now? The people of the world are obviously sensible people and know who is good to them."
This is already a very close comment. Considering Li Zhuo's personality, it is rare for him to say such words.
A group of officials stood below, feeling as disgusted as if they had eaten a fly.
What Li Zhuo said was right. Before, they didn't think much of either Lu Chen or Fan Zeng.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Lu Chen has all kinds of magical methods, but in the eyes of these scholars, they are just strange tricks, not the great way.
As for Fan Zeng, he was just a lucky guy. What abilities could a scholar who hadn't even taken the imperial examination have?
But it was these two people who actually got the job done and made the emperor so proud. Many people found that since Lu Chen appeared in Da Qi, the direction of the court seemed to be increasingly difficult to control.
Of course, these are all dirty little thoughts and cannot be spoken out in the court. After all, the emperor is in a good mood now. If you say something unpleasant, you will be either seeking death or being a humiliator.
What's more, everyone is counting on Lu Chen's elixir to prolong their lives. Even if you look down on those tricks in your heart, you still have to enjoy them.
Seeing that the officials who used to be good at talking were now quiet, the smug expression on Li Zhuo's face became even more unscrupulous.
Wei Yong, standing aside, could no longer bear to watch. He stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, now is not the time to discuss this. The current anti-epidemic situation is very good. I hope Your Majesty can issue an order to allow Fan Zeng to seize the opportunity and wipe out the epidemic in one fell swoop!"
"Yes, yes, Lord Wei, what you said makes sense. I will issue an order immediately to mobilize supplies and send more personnel."
"Your Majesty, the treasury is empty!" Liang Licang stood up and cried poorly.
Li Zhuo's good mood disappeared in an instant. He sighed and said, "My treasury happens to have a surplus, so I'll use it to supplement the national treasury first."
"Your Majesty is wise!" Liang Licang praised sincerely.
When Li Zhuo thought about the silver he had just bought and hadn't even had time to warm up, which was gone again, he suddenly felt that everything was dull.
He waved his hand and said, "I'll leave these matters to you. Please agree on a set of rules and implement them as soon as possible."
After saying this, he stood up and left. Seeing that the court was dismissed, the officials' expressions gradually became more lively.
Fan Zeng has made such great contributions, and he should be rewarded according to his merits in the hall today.
But now that His Majesty hasn't said anything, it means that he intends to wait until this matter is over before giving out rewards.
A group of officials keenly realized that there was merit to be gained from this, and everyone became interested.
By the time the officials returned to their residences, the news that the epidemic in the four cities had been brought under control had spread throughout the capital.
The people in the capital were jubilant. It turned out that God was protecting Da Qi, and Da Qi would once again overcome the difficulties.
Various versions of storytelling have appeared in some wine shops and teahouses.
For example, "Lord Fan's Record of Clearing Wrongs", "Lord Fan's Nighttime Judgment of Wrongful Cases", "The Story That the Imperial Master and the Widow Ghost Must Tell", etc.
"The Imperial Master made hand gestures and chanted an incantation, then pointed his finger at the sky. A bolt of lightning suddenly fell from the sky, striking the Plague Ghost directly on the head. The Plague Ghost was instantly shattered to pieces, unable to continue its evil deeds."
"As for the people already infected with the disease, the Imperial Master didn't give up. He first went to the Netherworld and discussed with the King of Hell, asking the Black and White Impermanence to temporarily refrain from collecting souls. He then went to the Dushu Palace in the Thirty-Second Heaven and asked the Jade Emperor for a panacea that could cure the disease."
"What kind of miracle cure is that? Actually, everyone should have seen it. It's Artemisia annua. It's said to be able to treat malaria. All the major herbal medicine merchants have already started stockpiling it like crazy. This time, they're sure to make a killing."
This is the version that is circulated among the people. Ordinary people prefer to listen to this kind of supernatural story rather than the real situation of the matter.
"Humph, what a bunch of fools, all that talk about heaven and earth, this is simply an insult to the intelligence of scholars like me."
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