Step forward
Just as the outbreak in the western quarantine zone was brought under control, even worse news arrived—a large-scale outbreak had occurred in the southern slums. The area was densely populated and had extremely poor sanitation, causing the epidemic to spread like wildfire.
"The situation in the south of the city is out of control," said Imperial Physician Zhou in a somber voice at an emergency meeting of the Imperial Medical Bureau. "More than two hundred new cases have been added in just one day; our medical staff are simply overwhelmed."
The imperial physicians exchanged bewildered glances, none daring to speak. Everyone knew that the southern part of the city was the most chaotic area in the capital, a melting pot of all sorts of people, making it extremely difficult to manage.
"I'll go." Su Qingyue stood up. "Please ask the academy judge to allocate some manpower and medicinal herbs for me."
"Third Miss, the south of the city is not like the west..." Physician Zhang hurriedly advised, "It's a dangerous place, full of all sorts of people."
"It is precisely because of the danger that professional medical personnel are needed even more," Su Qingyue said firmly. "Please grant permission, sir."
Judge Zhou pondered for a moment: "Alright, but you must bring enough guards. I'll go request troops from the Prefect of the Capital."
However, the reply from the Prefect of Jingzhao was disheartening: "We lack sufficient troops; we can only allocate ten men."
Ten people? Faced with the chaos in the south of the city, this is simply a drop in the ocean.
"Miss, shall we wait a little longer?" Qingdai said worriedly, "until the imperial court sends more people..."
"We can't wait." Su Qingyue had already started packing her medicine kit. "Every moment we delay means dozens more people will get sick."
She made a bold decision: "Post notices to recruit volunteers. Those with medical knowledge will be given priority, but those without can also come to do some auxiliary work."
The notice received a surprisingly large response. Participants included not only doctors from pharmacies but also recovered patients who had been treated in the quarantine area.
"Dr. Su saved my life; now it's my turn to do my part."
"Although I don't know anything about medicine, I am strong and can help move supplies."
Looking at the people who volunteered to help, Su Qingyue felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She divided the volunteers into groups: those with medical knowledge were responsible for providing medical treatment, while the others were responsible for logistics and maintaining order.
The scene in the south of the city was even more desolate than in the west. Narrow alleyways were crammed with patients, many of whom didn't even have a place to lie down. Sewage flowed freely, garbage was everywhere, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench.
"First, we need to establish order," Su Qingyue instructed the volunteers. "Clear the main streets and set up clinics and dispensing stations."
The work encountered resistance as soon as it began. Local thugs took the opportunity to cause trouble and rob relief supplies.
"Give the medicinal herbs back!" A volunteer tried to stop them but was pushed to the ground.
Just as Su Qingyue was about to step forward, a familiar voice rang out:
"stop!"
Xiao Jue arrived just in time with a squad of his personal guards. His cold gaze swept over the thugs: "Robbing relief supplies is a crime punishable under military law—immediate execution!"
The thugs scattered in terror. Xiao Jue dismounted and walked up to Su Qingyue: "I am in charge of the defense of the south of the city. Please let me know if you need anything."
"More manpower is needed to maintain order, and temporary isolation sheds also need to be set up."
"They'll all be there by tomorrow." Xiao Jue surveyed the chaotic streets. "The situation here is worse than we imagined."
With the assistance of the military, the rescue work was finally able to proceed smoothly. Su Qingyue divided the southern part of the city into several areas, setting up a medical point in each area. Under the protection of the military, volunteers went door-to-door to check for patients.
"Dr. Su, we've found a seriously ill old man over here!" a volunteer shouted.
Su Qingyue rushed over and saw an old man lying on a dilapidated bed, already delirious. His little granddaughter was weeping by the bedside.
"Grandpa...Grandpa, don't die..."
Su Qingyue's heart sank after the examination. The elderly man had developed multiple complications, and his condition was critical.
"I need to take the medicine immediately, but..." She checked the medicine box and found that there were very few medicines left to treat the complications.
"I'll go to the Imperial Medical Bureau to get the medicine," a volunteer volunteered.
"It's too late." Su Qingyue looked at the old man's bluish-purple face. "Use acupuncture to stabilize his condition first."
She took out a silver needle and precisely inserted it into the acupoint. Then she prescribed an alternative remedy: "Use this one for now."
After emergency treatment, the elderly man was finally out of danger. The little girl knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, miracle doctor! Thank you, miracle doctor!"
"Get up quickly." Su Qingyue helped her up. "Take good care of Grandpa and make sure he takes his medicine on time."
Such scenes were playing out repeatedly in the south of the city. Su Qingyue and her volunteers worked from morning till night, without even time to eat.
"Miss, please rest for a while." Qingdai handed over a water pouch. "It's been five days already, and you've only been sleeping for two hours a day..."
"Let's talk about it once the epidemic is under control," Su Qingyue said, rubbing her throbbing temples. "Every second counts right now."
Late that night, Su Qingyue was organizing medical records when she suddenly heard fighting outside. She went out of her tent and saw several masked men fighting with the guards.
"Protect Doctor Su!" the guard shouted.
The masked men, with their clear objective, charged straight at Su Qingyue. At the critical moment, a figure in black flashed past, sword light as fast as lightning, instantly subduing all the assassins.
"Your Highness?" Su Qingyue looked at Xiao Jue, who had suddenly appeared, in surprise.
Xiao Jue examined the assassin's body, his expression grave: "He was a suicide soldier. Someone wanted you dead."
Su Qingyue's heart skipped a beat. She had expected that someone would be dissatisfied with her, but she didn't expect them to actually try to kill her.
"Is it because I've jeopardized someone's interests?"
"That's not all." Xiao Jue handed her a token he had taken from the assassin. "Take a look at this."
The token was engraved with the crown prince's emblem.
Su Qingyue gasped, "The Crown Prince wants to kill me?"
"It may not be the Crown Prince's intention," Xiao Jue said meaningfully, "but it's at least someone close to him."
At this moment, Pei Jin also rushed over after hearing the news. Seeing the scene, he immediately understood what had happened.
"Third Miss can no longer stay in the south of the city," Pei Jin said solemnly. "It's too dangerous."
"No," Su Qingyue shook her head firmly. "The epidemic is at a critical stage. If I leave, all our previous efforts will be in vain."
"But your safety..."
"With Your Highness's guards here, I'm very safe." Su Qingyue looked at Xiao Jue, "Right, Your Highness?"
Xiao Jue snorted coldly: "My guards are naturally reliable. But you should still be wary."
He dispatched an additional squad of personal guards specifically to protect Su Qingyue. Pei Jin, on the other hand, transferred more medical workers and medicinal herbs from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
In the days that followed, Su Qingyue became even busier. She not only had to treat patients but also guard against assassins lurking in the shadows. But what worried her most was not her own safety, but the shortage of medicinal herbs.
"We're almost out of medicine for treating complications," she reported to Dr. Zhou. "We must replenish it as soon as possible."
However, Physician Zhou looked troubled: "These medicinal herbs are very precious, and the Imperial Medical Academy's inventory is running low."
Worse still, the price of medicinal herbs began to skyrocket. Some pharmaceutical merchants took the opportunity to hoard and speculate, making a fortune during the national crisis.
"This is profiteering!" Qingdai said angrily. "A common honeysuckle is now being charged ten times its usual price!"
After a moment's thought, Su Qingyue made a decision: "We'll gather the herbs ourselves."
"Gather it yourself?"
"Yes." She spread out a map of the capital. "There should be plenty of wild medicinal herbs around Yuquan Mountain. I'll take some people to collect them."
This proposal was met with opposition from everyone.
"Too dangerous! There might be wild animals on the mountain..."
"And these are extraordinary times..."
"It's precisely because these are extraordinary times that we have to take risks," Su Qingyue said firmly. "I can't just stand by and watch patients die because of a lack of medicine."
Finally, under Xiao Jue's protection, Su Qingyue led a team of volunteers up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs. Yuquan Mountain is rich in medicinal herbs, but harvesting them is not easy. Many herbs grow in treacherous places, requiring the climbing of cliffs.
"Miss, be careful!" Qingdai's heart was in her throat as she watched Su Qingyue climb up with her bare hands.
"It's alright." Su Qingyue deftly picked a precious medicinal herb. "Look, this is a highly effective medicine for treating pneumonia."
The day's hard work yielded fruitful results. The volunteers collected a large quantity of urgently needed medicinal herbs, enough to sustain them for a period of time.
However, an accident occurred while they were descending the mountain. A sudden flash flood destroyed the road, trapping them on the mountain.
"What do we do?" The volunteers panicked. "It's getting dark, and it's very cold up in the mountains..."
Su Qingyue calmly observed the terrain: "I remember there's a cave nearby. Let's go there and take shelter for a while."
The cave was dark and damp, but at least it provided shelter from the wind and rain. Su Qingyue had everyone start a fire to keep warm and then checked on everyone to see if they were injured.
"The prince will definitely come to save us," she reassured the anxious crowd.
Sure enough, after nightfall, a long line of torches appeared at the foot of the mountain. Xiao Jue personally led his troops up the mountain to search for and rescue them.
"You always manage to surprise me." When he found Su Qingyue, Xiao Jue's tone carried a rare hint of teasing. "Even gathering herbs can lead to a flash flood."
"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."
When Su Qingyue returned to the south of the city, Pei Jin was already waiting. He visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her return safely.
"Third Miss, please don't do such dangerous things again."
"But the problem of medicinal herbs must be solved," Su Qingyue said. "I have an idea..."
She suggested that the imperial court intervene to stabilize the price of medicinal herbs and crack down on hoarding. At the same time, she proposed organizing professional herb-gathering teams to ensure the supply of medicinal materials.
Pei Jin and Xiao Jue both supported the suggestion. With their encouragement, the imperial court quickly issued relevant decrees. Medicinal herb prices gradually stabilized, and procurement and supply became much smoother.
With sufficient medicinal herbs, the epidemic in the south of the city was finally brought under control. The number of new cases continued to decline, and the number of recovered patients increased.
That day, Su Qingyue was treating patients when she suddenly heard cheers outside. She stepped out of her tent and saw people spontaneously gathered together, holding various gifts in their hands.
"Dr. Su, this is just a small token of our appreciation..."
"Thank you so much, doctor, for saving my life!"
Looking at these simple, honest people, Su Qingyue's eyes welled up with tears. At this moment, all the hardship and danger were worthwhile.
"It's what I should do." She bowed deeply to the crowd. "Thank you all for your trust."
As the sun set, Su Qingyue stood on a high point in the south of the city, gazing at the streets and alleys below that were gradually coming back to life. The pandemic was not completely over, but the most difficult time had passed.
"Miss, please go back to the manor and rest," Qingdai said softly. "You're too tired."
Su Qingyue nodded, taking one last look at the land where she had fought for so many days.
Here, she not only treated patients but also won the hearts of the people. This strength will be her strongest support on her future path.
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