"Ha, they are nothing but lowly people. Compared to the nobility of my master, they are not worth dying for."
The female official, Feng, scoffed disdainfully and said, "That's enough for today, but you must prepare everything as soon as possible. I want to see this village destroyed by tomorrow, otherwise..."
"You old hag, you're so vile! You even wanted to burn me alive! Come on in!"
Just then, a wooden plank suddenly came into view. The postmaster jumped out and forcefully pulled Lady Feng over.
It turned out that the men were so engrossed in their conversation that the officials, who dared not listen to their masters, kept their heads down and no one noticed the three of them carrying the wooden planks.
"Bang..."
Caught off guard, Lady Feng was crushed against the fence.
"ah…"
The sharp bamboo pole pierced her body, causing her to scream in pain and momentarily losing the ability to resist.
The three of them seized the opportunity to pull Lady Feng into the mess.
"Hehe, this is something that smallpox patients used!"
Immediately afterwards, the postmaster rummaged around in his clothes and pulled out a dark, black cloth, which he then vigorously rubbed on Lady Feng's face.
"Waaaaah...no...help...don't touch me...ugh..."
The female official was so frightened that tears streamed down her face, and she was so overwhelmed by the strong smell that she gagged. She lay on the ground waving her hands frantically for help.
"Huh~"
Witnessing this scene, Ji Minxiu and Yun Zhourong both felt disgusted and moved to the side.
"Stop yelling, you're a contact now too, you can't get out."
After Lady Feng collapsed to the ground in despair, the postmaster threw off his clothes and knelt down before the magistrate, crying, "Waaah... Brother-in-law, it's me! It's Pingkang!"
"What? Liu Pingkang, you... what are you doing here? Stop! Stop it all!"
The county magistrate, who had originally planned to run away, was taken aback when he saw the familiar face of the postmaster. Then he immediately shouted anxiously at the officials.
"Brother-in-law, you really have a bad memory. It's because there were bandits at the previous post station that my sister begged you to transfer me here." Liu Pingkang said with a resentful look.
"Oh dear, I knew you were transferred, but how was I supposed to know you were transferred here!"
The magistrate was at a loss for words. Finally, he pointed at him, both angry and helpless, and said, "What kind of luck do you have? You encountered bandits at the last post station, and now you've encountered smallpox. Can't you just shut up for a bit!"
Liu Pingkang was the only younger brother of his second wife. He wasn't very capable, but his wife's family didn't want him to be idle all day, so they came to him for help.
There happened to be a vacancy for the postmaster here, and it didn't require any special skills, so he arranged for him to take the position.
Even now, thinking back on it, the county magistrate still feels a lingering fear.
If that fire had succeeded, I would have burned my brother-in-law to death with my own hands, and I'm afraid my second wife and the child I finally had in my old age would have been gone!
"Brother-in-law, then I'll just stay here at the inn. Smallpox came knocking on my door, what can I do?"
Liu Pingkang was also aggrieved, but he still quickly asked, "Then brother-in-law, are you still going to burn in this village?"
"Burn your big head, my foot! You're just asking a question you already know the answer to!"
The magistrate glared at Liu Pingkang, then looked at Lady Feng and said, "Lady Feng, now that you're in this village, tell me for yourself, are you still going to burn it or not?"
Although the female official seemed very loyal to her master, the magistrate believed that no one wanted to die.
Sure enough, Lady Feng immediately shouted, "Don't burn it! Don't burn it! You can't burn it!"
The magistrate breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully this female official Feng was not a die-hard loyalist.
But he still feigned a troubled expression, "But will your master agree? What if he sends someone else? Whom should I listen to?"
"I am the master's wet nurse, the master will never abandon me. I will write to the master immediately. Magistrate, you must not burn this!" Lady Feng was now truly afraid.
Her loyalty was based on the promise of wealth and honor, but if she lost her life, then it would mean nothing!
"Alright, then I'll be waiting."
The county magistrate nodded, then looked at Liu Pingkang and asked, "What's the situation inside you now?"
"This...you explain this to the female healer, Yun." Upon seeing this, Liu Pingkang quickly pushed Yun Zhourong forward.
Seeing this, Ji Minxiu squeezed her wrist and nodded encouragingly.
Yun Zhourong then took a deep breath, walked out, and curtsied to the magistrate, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency Magistrate."
"You are the female healer, and you are so young?" The magistrate looked doubtful.
“Brother-in-law, don’t scare people. She’s not exactly a female doctor. She’s the daughter of the former Earl of Loyalty and Valor who was exiled. Because her maternal grandfather was once a royal physician, she knows a little about medicine.”
Liu Pingkang explained in time, "Yesterday the village was sealed off, and several of my brothers at the post station fell seriously ill. We couldn't find a doctor at the last minute, so it was the female doctor Yun who selflessly stepped forward to take care of them."
"I see. You, the female healer, are truly righteous. You are indeed worthy of the title." After hearing this, the magistrate's eyes showed admiration.
He never expected that a young woman in exile could possess such a kind and compassionate heart, which was truly rare.
“Your Excellency, you flatter me. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. This is my own good fortune. Also, Your Excellency, I have actually found a way to prevent smallpox.”
Yun Zhourong glanced at Ji Minxiu subconsciously, and seeing him nod, she continued, "Those who have already developed the disease can only receive conservative treatment, but healthy people, as long as they are vaccinated against smallpox, can be guaranteed to be free from smallpox infection for two or three years."
"Is...is this real?"
The magistrate's eyes widened with excitement, then he questioned, "If this method is truly effective, it would be a miracle of saving the world. Where did you learn of this, and why has no one known about it until now?"
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