Chapter 45 The Plague Subsides
With the Regent Shen Jin's recovery, the epidemic in the south of the city seemed to have been subdued by that "divine dragon energy," receding faster than the tide.
Seven days later, the Imperial Hospital officially announced that there were no new cases in the south of the city, and most of the critically ill patients had recovered.
The south gate of the city, which had been sealed off for half a month, finally opened slowly on this morning.
Sunlight poured down, illuminating the alleyways that were once shrouded in gloom.
"It's open! The door's open!"
"We survived!"
People rushed out of their homes, embracing and weeping in the streets. The joy of surviving the disaster spread like wildfire, instantly igniting the entire capital city.
But the dilapidated temple in the south of the city—once a living hell—has now become a sacred place in the hearts of the people.
Jiang Mianmian, dressed in plain clothes, stood at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, preparing to pack her things and discreetly return home to catch up on sleep. But as soon as she stepped outside, she was stunned by the scene before her.
Outside the dilapidated temple, a dense crowd of people were kneeling.
Not only were there residents from the south of the city, but also many people who had come from other parts of the city. They held flowers, fruit, and even freshly steamed buns in their hands, their eyes fixed on her with fervor.
At the very front of the crowd stood a brand-new longevity tablet, with several large, gilded characters inscribed on it:
[The Goddess, the Savior from Suffering]
Incense smoke curled in front of the memorial tablet, and offerings were piled up like a small mountain.
Jiang Mianmian: [...]
[Holy crap? What's going on?]
[Am I...becoming a Buddha directly? They're setting up a memorial tablet for me before I'm even dead? This is bad luck, folks!]
"The goddess has appeared! The goddess has appeared!"
Someone shouted something, and the crowd instantly erupted in cheers.
"Greetings, Goddess! Thank you for saving my life!"
Thousands of people kowtowed in unison, their shouts deafening. The scene was even more spectacular than an emperor's coronation.
Jiang Mianmian was so frightened that she took a step back and almost stepped on Chen Jin's foot.
"This...this is too exaggerated, isn't it?"
She muttered to herself, "I just wanted to do a good deed and save the hot pot restaurant, I didn't mean to become a charlatan! This is too creepy! Do I have to wear sunglasses from now on?"
Shen Jin stood behind her, dressed in casual clothes and not wearing a mask. He looked at the grand scene of thousands of people worshipping before him, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Mianmian alone.
Are you proud?
certainly.
This was his queen, the woman he had fallen for at first sight. She saved the city and him in a way that was unconventional yet extremely effective.
Seeing her revered by everyone, shining like a bright pearl, a sense of indescribable pride welled up in Chen Jin's heart.
But what followed was an even stronger, more bittersweet emotion.
That's... jealousy.
He saw young scholars looking at her with admiration; he saw strong men blushing and trying to stuff her with the fruits they had grown; he even saw several middle-aged women whispering among themselves, saying that the goddess was truly kind-hearted and beautiful, the dream lover of every man in the entire country.
Dream lover?
His calm and collected gaze instantly turned cold.
She belongs to me.
It can only belong to me.
Why do these people look at her like that? Why do they covet his treasures?
"Your Highness..."
Jiang Mianmian was surrounded by enthusiastic people and could hardly move. Her hands were stuffed with eggs and sweet potatoes. She looked at Shen Jin for help, "Help... This is too much... I'm about to be buried in eggs!"
[Take me away! I don't want to be a mascot! I want to go home and lie down!]
Upon hearing this, Shen Jin did not hesitate at all.
He strode forward, stretched out his long arm, and pulled the woman who was about to be submerged in the "offerings" out of her arms, holding her tightly in his embrace.
Then, he took off his black cloak and covered it over his head, wrapping Jiang Mianmian up completely, not even a single hair showing.
"Ugh! Shen Jin, what are you doing? I'm suffocating!" Jiang Mianmian protested inside her cloak.
"Shut up."
Shen Jin gently patted her waist through his cloak, his voice deep and domineering, "Hold me tight."
Then, he raised his head, his icy phoenix eyes coldly sweeping across the entire room.
The crowd, which had been cheering, fell silent the moment they met the Regent's possessive and warning gaze, like chickens being choked.
How terrifying...
The regent's eyes seemed to say: Look at you again and I'll gouge your eyes out.
"The goddess is tired."
Shen Jin coldly uttered these words, "Everyone, disperse."
After saying that, he ignored everyone's reaction, picked up the black "silkworm pupa", and strode towards the carriage that had been prepared.
...
On the carriage.
Jiang Mianmian finally poked her head out from under the cloak, taking deep breaths of fresh air.
"Phew... I'm alive again."
She tidied her messy hair and glared at Chen Jin with displeasure. "What are you doing? You're wrapped up so tightly. Are you trying to smother me so you can inherit my longevity tablet?"
[What's wrong with that bastard? His eyes were like he wanted to eat me alive just now.]
Shen Jin leaned against the car wall, gazing at her with a deep, unsettling look.
"You belong to me."
He suddenly spoke, a sentence that seemed to have no beginning or end.
"Huh?" Jiang Mianmian was taken aback.
“Those people…” Shen Jin frowned, his tone filled with undisguised sourness, “I don’t like the way you look at me.”
"Especially the one who delivers the eggs."
"And there's the one who wanted to send you flowers."
Jiang Mianmian blinked, and it took her a long time to finally understand.
[Pfft—!]
So, after all this time, this guy's jealous? Jealous of the whole city?
[Shen Jin, how old are you? That's the people's gratitude to their savior, okay? How can you be so sour about that? How petty are you? Are you made of needle eye?]
Although she was internally complaining, Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but let her lips curl into a wide smile.
To be possessed so domineeringly, to be cared for so pettily...
It seems pretty good?
She snuggled closer, rubbing against him like a kitten, and said with a grin:
"Ugh, this is so sour! Did someone spill vinegar in this car?"
"Don't worry, Your Highness."
She reached out and poked Shen Jin's tense, handsome face with her finger. "The goddess belongs to everyone, but Jiang Mianmian... belongs only to you."
"Besides, those eggs don't taste as good as you... oh wait, I mean, they don't look as good as you?"
Shen Jin grabbed her mischievous fingers, put them to his lips, and bit them.
"You said it yourself."
"If I were to discover you smiling so brightly at someone else..."
He narrowed his eyes dangerously, "I will tear down that dilapidated temple."
Jiang Mianmian: 【…A tyrant! An absolute tyrant!】
"Okay, okay, I won't laugh anymore. I'll wear a mask and paint my face all over when I go out from now on, alright?"
The carriage rumbled as it headed toward the Regent's Palace.
Outside the window, the air was filled with the joyful laughter of survivors. Inside the car, there was a bittersweet atmosphere, just the two of them.
This plague not only won Jiang Mianmian the hearts of the people, but also made her completely reside in the heart of this man named "Chen Jin," from which she could never escape.
However, none of them knew.
This kind of grand occasion, where "merit surpasses the emperor's and popular support is seen by some as a death knell."
Deep within the palace, the Empress Dowager looked at the memorial concerning the "goddess," a glint of resentment flashing in her eyes.
"A goddess? The Regent's wife?"
"Very well... Since the people believe in her so much, then I'd like to see if they'll still kneel and worship her if this 'goddess' turns out to be a demon!"
"Issue the order to have the censors prepare to... impeach the Regent for harboring military power, buying off the people's hearts, and plotting... a rebellion!"
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