Chapter 138 The Mastermind
"Boom—"
Muffled thunder sounded from afar, and Du Qingju paused while flipping through the medical book.
Sleepiness came like a tide, and her eyelids felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds. Liang Chuxia took a sip of strong tea and let the bitterness spread in her mouth.
The pain made her shudder and she immediately became much more awake. She rubbed her sore eyes and continued to stay up late with her master to study the prescription.
Recalling the noise just now, Liang Chuxia looked at the closed door and asked uncertainly, "Master, is there thunder outside?"
Du Qingju frowned and said nothing. She stood up and opened the window. A strong wind rushed in instantly, blowing out the candles, blowing the prescriptions on the table to the ground, and making the medical books rustle.
"Master!" Liang Chuxia exclaimed.
Du Qingju quickly closed the window, raised her hand to wipe the rain off her face, fumbled for the tinder, and relit the candle.
The candlelight dispelled the darkness and also illuminated Du Qingju's solemn expression.
Liang Chuxia picked up the scattered prescriptions. Seeing this, her heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. "Master, is it raining outside?"
Du Qingju frowned and said nothing, just nodded.
Liang Chuxia's heart sank to the bottom of the valley, her face pale, and her tone could not hide her anxiety: "What should we do? The rain will not only affect the government inspections, but will also accelerate the spread of the plague. Thousands of people have already been infected with the plague. If there are more..."
The violent storm hit the windows, and the "clang" sound was like an alarm bell ringing in my heart.
In an instant, the six words "Heaven wants to destroy Shaoqing Prefecture" appeared in Du Qingju's mind.
No!
That's not the case!
Shaoqing Prefecture has not yet reached its end, and there is still a glimmer of hope in the cracks.
As long as we can find a cure for the plague, all problems will be solved.
Xianyu defended Shaoqing Prefecture and did not have to be held accountable by the court.
Plague patients recovered and did not have to die in pain.
Du Qingju pinched her fingertips hard. The stinging made her calm and clear-headed. Her clear eyes shone brightly. "Don't panic, Chuxia. Natural disasters are inevitable, but I believe that as long as we work together, we will be able to turn the tide, defeat the natural disaster, and save Shaoqing Prefecture from danger."
The master's calm words re-infused Liang Chuxia with confidence and courage. She took a deep breath, picked up the strong tea and drank it all in one gulp. Her sleepiness was swept away, and her tone was excited: "That's right! It's just a plague. Master, you can even defeat smallpox, there's no reason why you can't defeat a plague!"
Du Qingju smiled, sat down again, turned the medical book back to its original position, picked up the pen and dipped it in ink: "Shall we continue?"
"Yes!" Liang Chuxia nodded vigorously, sat down opposite her master, and buried her head in studying medical books.
No matter how fierce the wind and rain were outside, the master and disciple were immersed in their own world, flipping through medical books, trying to make medicines, and the candlelight reflected in their eyes, emitting a dazzling brilliance.
......
Time passes by little by little.
That night, countless people tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep because of the heavy rain.
"It's over, Shaoqing Prefecture is really finished this time!"
"The bandits couldn't kill me, the refugees couldn't kill me, the corrupt officials couldn't kill me. I'm so lucky, am I going to die from a minor plague in the end?"
"Heaven wants to kill me! Heaven wants to kill me!"
"You wicked God, why do you play such a trick on us? I've suffered for decades, and only now have a few days of good life. Why are you so cruel to me? You wicked God, you have no heart!"
The helpless cries of the people pierced the night sky and echoed over the city, with resentment rising to the sky and lasting for a long time.
......
At noon, a hint of dawn appeared in the east.
The dark night faded away, but the rain was still falling.
Du Qingtang ate a bun casually, then dressed neatly and went to the lobby.
The yamen runners and patrol soldiers were still on patrol, and only minor clerks and a few yamen runners were left in the huge government office.
Du Qingtang had just sat down when someone from the garment factory came.
"Sir, these are the 80,000 protective suits and masks you requested. We worked overnight to make them and have delivered them to you."
Du Qingtang walked quickly to the door and saw a long line of ox carts parked outside the government office. The carts were covered with thatch, and he guessed that there were protective suits and masks underneath.
"Sir, are 80,000 pieces enough? If not, just let us know. We can make tens of thousands more!"
"No need." Du Qingtang said, and bowed solemnly to the women. "I thank you on behalf of the people of the prefecture."
The women were startled and quickly dodged to the side.
"Your Excellency, you are too kind. We did this voluntarily, and the government has given us double the wages."
"At this critical juncture, we should all unite and overcome the difficulties together."
"My Lord, you have worked so hard for us, please take care of your health."
"Okay, I will." Du Qingtang noticed that their faces were slightly pale from the cold. Even though they were wearing straw raincoats, their hair and clothes were still wet. He ordered someone to prepare tea and towels. "It's still raining outside. Let's take a break before leaving."
"Thank you very much, sir."
Du Qingtang asked the clerk to lead them to Binxing Hall and called a few more clerks over: "Distribute the protective suits and masks on the oxcart outside to the people, one set per household. Anyone who goes out must wear protective suits and masks. Anyone who violates the rules will be sentenced to half a month in prison."
In fact, there are far more than 80,000 households in the city. It’s just that many people living along the Changxing River had their entire families wiped out and were locked up in isolation houses. Now 80,000 are enough.
Every profession has its own expertise. The doctor has not yet developed a cure for the plague, so no matter how anxious Du Qingtang is, it will be useless.
The only solution now is to do everything we can to control the spread of the plague to the greatest extent possible.
As long as people stay at home and take strict precautions when they go out, the chance of infection can be reduced to a certain extent.
The clerk put on his straw raincoat and left the government office. Du Qingtang rubbed his brows, went to the pharmacy of Du Qingju in the third hall, found some painkiller pills, uncorked the bottle and took two.
She has hardly slept these days. Perhaps because of excessive anxiety, she has been suffering from unbearable headaches and can only rely on painkillers to survive.
Du Qingtang secretly gathered his strength and the pain seemed to ease a little, so he put the porcelain bottle containing the painkillers into the secret pocket of his wide sleeves and walked slowly towards the lobby.
At 9:00 PM, Captain Zhang returned to the government office from the refugee camp.
"Sir, since yesterday at 9:00 PM, another 1,200 people are suspected of being infected and have been admitted to quarantine housing."
"In addition, 36 people died of the disease."
Half an hour later, news came from the four counties under his jurisdiction.
There have been no new cases so far, and another 92 people have died from the plague.
Du Qingtang personally took up the pen and recorded the number of confirmed cases and deaths one by one.
......
In the refugee camp, Du Qingju and Liang Chuxia did not sleep all night.
After daybreak, the two of them still did not get up. They were looking up medical books and writing something down on paper.
The doctors woke up, yawned and walked into the pharmacy, and saw that both of them had strange expressions on their faces.
"They won't stay up all night, will they?"
"It's crazy! It's really crazy!"
"So what if they haven't slept for one night? They're so young, they don't have much medical experience, and they've never come into contact with plague patients. Even if they stay awake for ten days, it's useless and they're just asking for trouble."
"She really thinks she's the mayor of Deyang. She thinks that since we both have the surname Du, and if the mayor of Deyang can develop the Tianju Drink, then she can also develop a plague cure."
"Arabian Nights, a fool's dream!"
"Doctor Liang, are you just going to let Chu Xia mess around with that female doctor?"
Doctor Liang twirled his beard with a cold face and said in a hard tone, "I am old and don't want to die of anger."
The other doctors shook their heads when they heard this, put on protective clothing and masks, or prepared and boiled medicine, or went to the isolation room to check on the patients.
Although the plague could not be cured, they had been giving patients medicines to clear away heat and detoxify, trying to alleviate their condition as much as possible.
Although the effect is minimal, at least it provides some psychological comfort.
Du Qingju looked at her little disciple. She was sitting in the corner without even raising her head, as if she had not heard Doctor Liang's cold words. She just tightened her hand holding the pages of the book slightly.
Du Qingju shook her head, too lazy to pay attention to the group of disrespectful doctors, and continued to read medical books.
She had some vague ideas in her mind, but she still needed to confirm them.
After all, patients are not cats or dogs, nor are they meat on the chopping board, so we must be extremely careful.
At 9 o'clock, Du Qingju stood up suddenly, ignoring the gazes of Liang Chuxia and the doctors, grabbed the scale and medicine dustpan and ran to the medicine cabinet.
He picked up the medicine, decocted it, poured the dark brown bitter medicine into a bowl, put the medicine bowl into the food box, and went straight to the intensive care isolation room.
The patients admitted to the intensive care isolation house are all terminally ill and in critical condition.
These people had difficulty breathing, vomited blood, had bloody stools, and were even unconscious.
Du Qingju made sure to wear protective clothing and a mask, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open with the lunch box.
There was nothing in the isolation room except a long kang and a square table. It was obviously very spacious, but I felt suffocated after stepping in.
Not on a physical level, but on a psychological level.
A patient was lying on a long kang, vomiting blood.
The blood fell into the small wooden bucket in front of the kang, which was shocking and stinging to the eyes.
After vomiting blood, the patient fumbled on the kang for a while, grabbed a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, turned over with difficulty, and lay on the kang, dying.
Although she was in extreme pain, the woman's face was remarkably calm.
She seemed not to be afraid of the plague, nor of life or death.
Du Qingju stood by the table, feeling as if there was a ball of cotton stuck in her throat. All her emotions could not be vented, and they all piled up in her chest, almost bursting it.
"Doctor, am I going to die?" The woman asked with her eyes closed, her voice hoarse and weak.
Du Qingju moved her lips but couldn't utter a word.
She was torn between telling a white lie and telling the truth, and her heart was in a knot.
The woman smiled, and this smile seemed to have exhausted all her strength.
"I know even without you telling me that I'm dying."
"The day before yesterday, two people were carried out of the isolation room I was in."
"Yesterday, three were carried out."
"Two were carried out this morning."
"A few people were carried out, and new people moved in."
"They are all dead, and I am the only old man left."
"Maybe this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow, who knows."
"But I'm not afraid, and I have nothing to regret."
"I have lived for thirty-eight years. I got married and had children at the age of sixteen. My husband and I have a son and a daughter."
"When I was eighteen, my husband died in a fight among refugees. I ate tree bark and grass roots to raise two children."
"My son got married and had a child two years ago. One of them works as a delivery driver, and the other works in a dried fruit factory."
"My daughter got married last year. She works in a garment factory. At the beginning of the year, she was promoted to team leader and her salary increased."
"They have each started their own families, have children, and have no worries about food and drink. I have nothing to worry about, and I can die with peace of mind."
"It's a pity that I didn't have the chance to thank the prefect. If it weren't for her, my family would still be struggling to make ends meet."
Du Qingju's nose felt sour and her eyes reddened. She whispered, "When you get better, you can go to the government office to thank the prefect."
The woman smiled and shook her head: "I'm almost dying..."
Du Qingju interrupted her: "Aunt, I have a bowl of medicine here. It may cure the plague, or it may alleviate your symptoms, or it may have no effect at all."
The woman opened her eyes.
"But I can assure you that it's harmless and won't aggravate your condition." Du Qingju stepped forward. "Do you want to try it?"
The woman raised a pair of children alone and was a decisive person.
She only thought for a few breaths, then supported herself with her arms and struggled to get up: "I...I want to try."
Du Qingju felt relieved: "Lie down, I'll feed you."
The woman did not refuse. She was very tired, with a headache, a sore throat, and pain all over her body. She really could not hold on any longer.
After feeding the woman the medicine, Du Qingju did not leave, but stayed in the intensive care isolation room to observe the woman's condition throughout.
In the pharmacy on the other side, Liang Chuxia saw that her master had not returned for a long time. Thinking about her master's behavior not long ago, she had some vague guesses in her mind.
She was a little happy and a little excited.
If this succeeds, all patients will be saved!
Liang Chuxia turned the pages of the medical book, swung her legs with joy, and smiled under the mask.
"Early summer."
Liang Chuxia's smile paused, and when she looked up, she saw her grandfather who was also wearing protective clothing and a mask.
Doctor Liang sat down without being asked, his cloudy eyes filled with disappointment and helplessness. "If you came here to get angry with me, to force me to agree to let you study medicine, then you succeeded."
"As long as you leave here and go home now, and make a clear break with that Doctor Du, I will let you study medicine with the eldest and third brothers."
Doctor Liang admitted that he favored boys over girls. In his mind, only boys could inherit the family business. Girls would eventually belong to someone else's family. If they studied medicine, it would only benefit others, so it would be better not to study.
But Liang Chuxia is his blood relative after all. He has watched his granddaughter grow up, and Dr. Liang cannot bear to see her take risks here.
For this reason, he decided to make concessions.
Since Liang Chuxia became interested in medicine, this was the first time she was allowed to study medicine with her brothers.
She thought she would be ecstatic, but she wasn't.
Maybe it's because she has grown up and no longer craves the approval of her grandfather and father.
Another reason is that she met a master who treated her as his own sister and taught her everything he knew without reservation.
What she failed to get from her grandfather and father, her master had already given her tenfold and a hundredfold.
Liang Chuxia's heart was as calm as water. She only asked, "After I study medicine, can I go to the clinic at home to see patients?"
Doctor Liang said firmly without hesitation, "That won't work. Chuxia, you're a girl and you're going to get married. The clinic is always busy with both men and women. If this continues, it will definitely ruin our reputation. Who would dare to marry you in the future?"
Liang Chuxia suddenly felt like laughing, and in fact she actually laughed out loud.
Seeing her like this, Doctor Liang frowned, looking puzzled: "What are you laughing at? Is this funny?"
Liang Chuxia slowly put away her smile, and said calmly, "Grandpa, I've actually been seeing patients at Xinglin Hall since last year."
Doctor Liang's expression changed slightly: "What did you say?"
Liang Chuxia tilted her head: "Do you find it incredible? Do you think I'm only seventeen years old and have no qualifications to see patients?"
Doctor Liang didn't say anything, but his disapproving look gave the answer.
Liang Chuxia pursed her lips, lowered her eyes and said, "You are always like this, thinking that I am inferior to my elder brother and younger brother in every way, and that I am not qualified to study medicine because I am a girl."
"You may not know this, but I've been peeking at your medical books since I was ten years old."
"You may not even have read some medical books, but I have read them countless times. From stumbling in the beginning to being able to recite them by heart later."
Doctor Liang was deeply surprised. He immediately lowered his voice and asked coldly, "Who allowed you to touch my medical books?"
Liang Chuxia didn't answer but asked, "You always say that I'm dumb and not suitable for studying medicine, but am I really as you say, without any talent for medicine?"
"My master praised me for my exceptional talent in medicine, praised me for being smart and able to learn quickly, praised me for my rapid learning of acupuncture and suturing, and praised the beautiful wounds I sutured on patients..." Liang Chuxia paused here, "Even the patients who see me at Xinglintang praise my superb medical skills and politely call me Doctor Liang."
Liang Chuxia looked at Doctor Liang quietly. There was no grievance or blame in her bright eyes. She was just calmly explaining the facts, but it made Doctor Liang want to run away.
"Grandpa, you've never praised me in my life."
"Not once."
"You will only fly into a rage and hit my hand with a bamboo stick if you find out I've read your medical book."
"I was only eight years old that year, and you hit me a full thirty times. The flesh on my palms was rotten, bleeding profusely, and many bamboo thorns were embedded in them."
Shocked glances came from all directions, as if they didn't expect Dr. Liang to be so cruel to an eight-year-old girl.
Doctor Liang's face, hidden behind his mask, gradually turned pale. Even so, he still didn't think he had done anything wrong. He stiffened his neck and argued, "You were so young at the time, and you didn't use enough force. What if you tore up my medical book?"
——It was he who was too harsh in hitting Liang Chuxia. He shouldn't have hit her with thirty bamboo sticks. At most, he should have hit her with three or five strokes, which was just a small punishment and a warning.
"That Doctor Du said you have a talent for medicine. How do you know she wasn't just kidding? And those patients, they just look at your good looks and say nice things to cheer you up."
Liang Chuxia shook her head: "Grandpa, I have grown up a long time ago and can tell right from wrong, true from false."
"That night, my mother held me in her arms and sat under the oil lamp, picking out the bamboo thorns for two full hours before she finally cleared them all."
"But Grandpa, the bamboo thorn in my hand is gone, but the thorn in my heart remains."
"When you hit me with the bamboo stick, they pierced my flesh and made me bleed profusely." The grievances accumulated over the years surged back like a tide. Liang Chuxia's eyes instantly turned red and her voice choked with sobs, "Grandpa, I'm also a human being. I feel pain too."
Doctor Liang's breath was choked.
"Actually, I've never understood why you're so kind to my elder brother and younger brother, but so mean to me, since we're both children of the Liang family?"
"You can't treat me differently from my brothers just because I'm a girl."
"It's really unfair."
"Now that I have finally found a master and devoted myself to studying medicine, you want me to draw a clear line between me and my master, leave Xinglin Hall, and go back with you."
"Grandpa, ask yourself, if I agree to your conditions, will you really teach me without reservation?"
Doctor Liang opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by a cork. He wanted to say yes, but for some reason he couldn't.
——In his subconscious, he still treats his grandsons and granddaughters differently.
Liang Chuxia smiled slowly.
She had long given up hope in him.
She would no longer feel wronged and sad because of the belittlement from her grandfather, father, older brothers and younger brothers as she did before.
Her master's unconditional love and teachings gave her the courage to remove the thorns that had been plaguing her heart for years, and also allowed new flesh and blood to grow from the dense wounds.
"Grandpa, I'm fine now. I've grown up a long time ago. Please don't interfere with my decision."
At this moment, Doctor Liang's face was so pale that it could no longer be described.
Besides being frightened, I felt even more ashamed and annoyed.
Family disgrace should not be made public. How dare Liang Chuxia tell everything in front of so many people?
Where would she let him put his old face?
Doctor Liang was so angry that his fingers were shaking, and he pointed at Liang Chuxia tremblingly: "So you just don't want to listen to me, right?"
Liang Chuxia nodded: "Yes, I want to stay here, I won't go back."
Doctor Liang slammed the table and stood up: "Okay, okay, I see you've really grown cocky. So from today on, the Liang family will no longer have a granddaughter like you!"
"I want to see where you can go without the Liang family. You have high aspirations and you don't know what you are talking about!"
Liang Chuxia's heart suddenly contracted, her breathing became disordered for a moment, and she bit her lips tightly to prevent tears from falling.
She sat stiffly for a moment, saying nothing, then stood up, knelt, and kowtowed three times to Doctor Liang.
"You! You bastard! You're going to piss me off to death!"
Doctor Liang was so angry that he fell backwards, his chest heaving rapidly. He glared at Liang Chuxia fiercely and left in anger.
Liang Chuxia sat back in her original position, picked up the wolf-hair brush, and made some corrections on the prescription.
She lowered her head, and with a "plop", tears fell on the prescription, soaking the paper, blurring the handwriting, and blurring her vision.
......
Du Qingju stayed in the intensive care isolation room for a full four hours.
In the first three hours, the woman named Xia Suxin had no reaction after taking the medicine, her symptoms did not change at all, and she even vomited blood once.
This made Du Qingju feel desperate.
The twelfth prescription failed again.
Du Qingju, with a glimmer of hope, planned to wait and see for another hour.
If it still doesn't work, overturn this prescription and start over.
However, it was in this last hour that things took a turn for the better.
Xia Suxin's high fever, which had lasted for three days, subsided a little, and her headache and body aches also eased.
This made Du Qingju ecstatic, and she rushed out of the intensive care isolation room like a gust of wind.
She wanted to tell her little apprentice the good news.
As she approached the pharmacy, Du Qingju keenly noticed the subtle atmosphere. She glanced at the old doctor on her left who was waving a palm-leaf fan and decocting medicine, and walked straight towards Liang Chuxia.
Liang Chuxia was studying the prescription by herself. When she heard familiar footsteps, she looked up and asked impatiently, "How is it, Master? Is it working?"
Du Qingju's eyes fell on the little disciple's red and swollen eyes, and her smile faded: "What's wrong? Did they bully you again?"
Liang Chuxia shook her head and whispered to her master what happened in the morning. She sniffed and said, "Master, after the plague is over, I may have to stay in the clinic for a while."
Du Qingju frowned and gave her a disapproving look: "The clinic doesn't even have a proper room. Where are you going to sleep if you stay here?"
Liang Chuxia said weakly: "I can sleep on the wooden bed in the cubicle."
Du Qingju sighed softly and patted her apprentice's head: "You should go live with Sister Wang and the others, so that you can take care of each other."
Liang Chuxia knew Wang Nianci. Last year, she went to the academy with her master to teach a science class to the girls' class. She became quite familiar with Wang Nianci. She looked up at Du Qingju eagerly and asked, "Master, have I caused you any trouble?"
Du Qingju laughed: "What kind of trouble is this? Compared to this, I am more worried that you will be wronged."
Liang Chuxia pouted, wanting to cry again. She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes, saying in a muffled voice, "I don't understand why they treat me so badly. I haven't done anything wrong."
Du Qingju rubbed her hair and whispered softly: "Chuxia, it's not your fault."
To be honest, the fault lies in the fact that they are all women, and the fault lies in the fact that this world values boys over girls.
Liang Chuxia continued to wipe her eyes: "In fact, I don't miss anyone in that family, but my mother. She is the only one who treats me well in that family."
Du Qingju said softly: "Your mother hopes that you will leave that home and live happily."
"Maybe." Liang Chuxia took a deep breath and got back to the point. "Master, is the new prescription effective?"
Du Qingju blinked lightly and whispered, "The aunt's fever has subsided a little, and the pain in her body has also eased."
Liang Chuxia was overjoyed: "Then let's quickly tell the prefect this good news!"
Du Qingju shook her head: "I want to observe for two days and see the results."
Liang Chuxia immediately changed the subject: "Yes, this is a matter of life and death, we must make sure that the prescription is indeed effective."
Seeing her frustration gone and her spirits rising again, Du Qingju smiled and said, "I plan to try it on a few more critically ill patients. Chuxia, I need you."
In fact, there was another doctor in Xinglin Hall, but that doctor was sick and couldn't come.
Du Qingju didn't want to delve into whether he was really sick or not. There were too many patients to take care of, and the other doctors had their own selfish motives. She only trusted Liang Chuxia.
Liang Chuxia smiled and said, "Master needs me, so I will do my best to help him."
-
What Du Qingtang worried about finally happened.
Because of the heavy rain, the number of people infected with the plague increased sharply.
In just two days, more than 6,000 people showed symptoms suspected to be those of the plague.
By the sixth day of the outbreak, more than 15,000 people had been confirmed to be infected with the plague and were placed in isolation houses.
In the previous five days, hundreds of people had died from the plague.
The dead were cremated by the government and placed in porcelain jars and sent to their families.
When the people received their loved ones' ashes, they beat their chests and stamped their feet, crying so hard that they fainted.
The seventh day of the plague.
After the surge in cases after the rain, with the strict control of the government and the active cooperation of the people, only 263 people showed symptoms suspected of plague.
This made everyone in the government office breathe a sigh of relief.
"As long as the spread of the plague is controlled and no new cases are reported, I believe the plague can be eradicated soon."
"The prefect has been very busy these days. She's been at the government office almost all day, and she also has to visit patients in the isolation ward every day. It's really not easy."
"I hope those doctors can work harder and develop a cure for the plague soon."
"Plagues have existed for hundreds and thousands of years. Historically, someone did develop a cure for the plague, but it was unfortunately lost in war. The doctor also died in the conflict, and his descendants were useless, unable to pass down the cure."
"It's a pity, but fortunately the plague has finally been brought under control."
However, before they could completely relax, trouble broke out again in the city.
"Don't the government send people to patrol every day? Why are there still people infected with the plague? I doubt those yamen runners and patrolmen are doing any patrols at all!"
"Someone died today, and their ashes were delivered to their home. The crying could be heard throughout the street."
"Why doesn't the government care? Where's the prefect? Is she dead?"
"The prefect is also a human being. She is afraid of contracting the plague, so she is probably hiding. She may have even left Shaoqing Prefecture."
"What? I thought she was a good official!"
At the beginning, the above voices were only a minority.
But word of mouth spread, and within just two days, it became a hot topic.
The people were furious and appeared at the gate of the government office wearing protective clothing and masks, throwing stones at the government office.
"Dog officer!"
“Go to hell!”
The gatekeeper was not paying attention for a moment and was hit on the head by them, causing a bloody scene.
Upon hearing the news, Du Qingtang ordered people to close the gate of the government office.
The petty officials were so angry that they banged their hands on the table.
"How abhorrent! The prefect worked so hard and shared the hardships with Shaoqing Prefecture. I don't know which black-hearted person actually spread rumors that the prefect had left Shaoqing Prefecture!"
"Sir, they say people's words are scary. Why don't you arrest a few people and lock them up to serve as a warning to others and put an end to those rumors out there as soon as possible?"
Du Qingtang rested his chin on his hand, looking thoughtful.
After a long while, just as he was about to speak, General Huang Qian hurried over, his face full of joy that he couldn't hide: "Sir, the female doctor in Xinglin Hall has developed a prescription for the plague..."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was in an uproar.
"Are you serious?"
"Great! Shaoqing Prefecture is saved!"
"...But it can only relieve symptoms, not completely cure it."
Everyone: “…”
Can you speak without breathing heavily?
Do you know that giving hope and then getting it dashed will drive people crazy?
The petty officials glared at General Huang Qian, wishing they could eat him alive.
Du Qingtang was silent for a moment: "It's better than no medicine at all."
"That's true."
"Sir, why not make the prescription public? This will not only prove your innocence, but also appease the people."
The others echoed and reached a unanimous agreement.
Du Qingtang shook his head: "Not only can we not announce it to the public, we also have to keep the prescription a secret."
Everyone was puzzled: "Why?"
Du Qingtang's eyes were calm. "The rumors are spreading like wildfire, clearly aimed at me and the government. If the person behind the scenes knew there was a possibility of a cure for the plague, they would most likely spread the plague virus again. Otherwise, they would disappear without a trace, making it difficult to find them."
The lobby suddenly became quiet.
Everyone understood the interests involved, and in addition to hatred, they also felt admiration.
"But sir, if you don't clarify, more and more people will misunderstand you."
Du Qingtang disagreed: "Compared to my reputation, the most urgent task right now is to catch the culprit who caused the plague as soon as possible."
"But......"
"No buts." Du Qingtang's face was expressionless, and his tone brooked no room for argument. "A bad reputation can be cleared, but if the culprit runs away, you can never find him again."
"I'm going to say this one last time. You are not allowed to reveal any information about the prescription to anyone, not even to your relatives or colleagues."
"If I hear any news from outside, everyone present will be severely punished!"
Everyone held their breath, their scalps tightened, and they hurriedly made promises under the prefect's cold gaze that contained a warning.
"Don't worry, sir. We will never leak a single word to the outside world."
Du Qingtang's expression softened slightly. "Go ahead and guard the isolation room. Search everyone entering and leaving. No one outside is allowed to enter."
"Yes, I will obey your orders!"
General Huang took the order and left. That afternoon, security was strengthened at all major isolation centers.
At the same time, the doctors began to decoct medicine and give it to the patients.
Two hours later, the patient's condition improved significantly.
......
Although she had developed a prescription that could alleviate the symptoms, Du Qingju did not stop there.
She wanted to heal the plague victims and restore them to health.
Liang Chuxia helped out and listened to the doctors discussing who had developed the prescription. She felt inexplicably happy and whispered, "Master, I guarantee that if they knew that this prescription was developed by you, they would be shocked."
Du Qingju smiled. She didn't want to cause any trouble before she found the real plague cure, so she secretly went to find General Huang Qian.
The doctors in the refugee camp had no idea that the "miracle doctor" they were talking about was actually Du Qingju, whom they despised.
Du Qingju's thoughts flowed, her expression calm and demure: "Ignore them, Chuxia, follow this formula to prepare the medicine, and then try it out later to see how it works."
"Okay!"
Liang Chuxia's eyes sparkled. She held the prescription in one hand and the medicine dustpan in the other as she went to the medicine cabinet to get the medicine.
Doctor Liang saw this and snorted coldly: "Idiot!"
The other doctors also shook their heads.
"Du is obviously treating Chuxia like a maid, but Chuxia didn't even notice."
"Chu Xia is also pitiful. Her family treated her like that, and her master is not a good person either."
"Hey, have you guys found out who developed the recipe?"
"Anyway, it's not from here. I asked around and everyone said it's not from here."
"That's probably from another quarantine center."
"It can't be that female doctor named Du. She really thinks she is the head of Deyang Township."
"This person is really amazing. I'd like to have a fight with her."
"I wonder if this miraculous doctor will accept any disciples."
"But I've been in Shaoqing Prefecture for decades, and I haven't heard of any miraculous doctors..."
Du Qingju was studying a medical book at her desk, and the smile on her lips disappeared in an instant.
......
The twelfth day of the plague.
Rumors spread throughout the city that the prefect had already left Shaoqing Prefecture. Many people believed them and came to the government to vent their dissatisfaction.
They threw stones at the government gate and poured night incense at the door.
No matter how the people cursed and swore, the government never responded.
Feeling depressed, the clerk secretly prayed to the prefect to catch the culprit behind the incident as soon as possible and cut him into pieces.
Fortunately, good news came from major quarantine centers one after another.
Although the patients have not recovered, they have all shown significant improvement.
"I hope Miss Ju can work harder and make the patient fully recovered."
"Miss Ju can even cure smallpox. It's just a minor plague. She will definitely be able to subdue it!"
Du Qingju did not disappoint and developed a prescription to cure the plague on the sixteenth day of the outbreak.
When the news reached the government office, the clerks were so happy that they danced with joy, hugged each other without caring about their image, and cried with joy on the spot.
"Great, the plague is finally going to be gone..."
"Miss Ju is truly a miracle doctor of our time... woooooo..."
"Sir, you can restore your innocence..."
Du Qingtang felt as if more than ten trains were whirring and running over her head. The veins on her forehead jumped. "Just do what you need to do."
"yes!"
"I obey your command!"
The clerks wiped away their tears and left with brisk steps, leaving General Huang confused.
"Sir, who is Miss Ju?"
Who exactly is this Miss Ju, and why are those petty officials speaking to her with such respect?
Du Qingtang said slowly, "The Lord of Deyang Township, my sister."
General Huang Qian: “???”
General Huang Qian: “!!!”
Last year, the government organized a smallpox vaccination. Huang Qianzong knew that the village chief of Deyang had developed the Tianju Drink, but he never expected that the village chief of Deyang would conceal his identity and follow the prefect to Shaoqing Prefecture and become a doctor at Xinglin Hall.
Thinking about the days he was ordered to guard the refugee camp, and vaguely hearing the doctors' belittling and contempt for the Lord of Deyang, General Huang fell silent.
If the identity of the Deyang Township Chief is revealed one day, I wonder if those people will feel embarrassed.
"As before, no information regarding the prescription must be leaked. Arrange for the patients in each isolation center to take the medicine as soon as possible."
"yes!"
General Huang calmed himself down and left after receiving the order.
Du Qingtang looked at the heavy door curtain of the duty room, tapped the table with his fingers, and said with a dark look in his eyes: "Please don't let me down."
......
Soon, the soldiers and doctors in each isolation center received the notice, the former strengthened the guard, and the latter gave the patients new prescriptions.
"Why do we need to strengthen the guards again?"
"I just went in to get some water and heard a doctor mention that the doctor before me had developed a new prescription that was said to be able to completely cure the plague."
"Completely cured?!"
"That's great! We no longer have to wear protective clothing and stay here day and night!"
"Whether it's hard or not is secondary. The main thing is that the quarantine center is full of people infected with the plague. If we're not careful, we'll get infected too."
The guard standing in the far corner twitched his ears and agreed with a smile, "Who says it's not? Once infected, it's a sure death. But, Old Zhang, are you sure that the new prescription can completely cure the plague?"
"Anyway, I heard that from the doctor, but I don't know the details."
The triangular-eyed soldier who asked the question had a flickering look in his eyes, and he remained silent, holding his spear.
At the same time, the doctors in the isolation center were busy preparing and decocting medicines, and then sending them to the isolation room for the patients to take.
Hundreds of medicine jars were bubbling non-stop, steam was rising, and the pharmacy was foggy. You bumped into me, I stepped on you, and there were exclamations and complaints everywhere, it was very lively.
The doctors worked from noon until midnight and finally managed to get all the patients to take their medicine.
"Phew—I'm so tired."
"Everyone has worked hard today. Leave one person in each isolation room to monitor the patient's condition. The rest of you can go back to your rooms and rest."
The doctors dragged their tired bodies back to their rooms. The doctor on duty yawned, stretched his muscles, and walked into the isolation room he was responsible for.
The noisy isolation center gradually became quiet. The doctors fell asleep immediately. After the patients took the medicine, their symptoms were visibly relieved. They were finally able to get a good night's sleep and fell asleep contentedly on the kang.
At midnight, the triangular-eyed soldier opened his eyes and poked the person next to him: "I'm going to the toilet."
The guard next to him was dozing off with his spear in his arms. Upon hearing this, he waved his hand dazedly: "Go ahead, go ahead. No need to report to me."
The triangular-eyed soldier went to a nearby public toilet, but instead of solving his physiological problem, he fumbled around and pulled out a small cloth bag from the corner.
The triangular-eyed soldier, carrying a small cloth bag, bypassed the night watchmen and patrolling yamen runners, climbed over the wall into the quarantine center, and went straight to the pharmacy after landing.
The door of the pharmacy was not locked and opened with a slight push.
The triangular-eyed soldier ran straight to the medicine jar. Just as he opened the small cloth bag in his hand, he suddenly felt a gust of wind coming from behind him.
Before he could turn his head to look, he felt a pain in the back of his neck and instantly lost consciousness.
......
Similar scenes occurred in the pharmacies of various isolation centers.
At the same time, two black shadows were fighting on the banks of the Changxing River and the Changfu River.
After several rounds, one side was defeated, knocked unconscious by the other side, and carried away on the shoulders.
In the narrow alley, a black shadow fell from the sky, knocked down the patrolmen in a few rounds, and carried them away on his shoulders.
Half an hour later, everyone gathered in a house in the east of the city.
The bright moonlight shone on Du Yi's face, revealing a cold and gloomy look. "We must make them give in before daybreak."
"yes!"
......
The next day, the Golden Crow rose in the east and the Jade Rabbit set in the west.
Du Yi dismounted at the gate of the government office, walked straight into the third hall, and stopped in front of Du Qingtang's bedroom.
"Master, they confessed!"
In just a cup of tea, Du Qingtang, wearing a crimson official robe, walked out of the bedroom.
It was another sleepless night, but Du Qingtang was still energetic and showed no sign of fatigue.
Du Qingtang and Du talked as they walked. After arriving at the lobby, they called twenty yamen runners and headed straight for the military camp outside the city.
The city was under martial law, and so were the military camps.
Du Qingtang was stopped outside the military camp by the guards, but he decisively used the prefect's seal and had an unimpeded journey to meet the garrison commander Wan successfully.
When Guard Wan saw the prefect, he thought he was hallucinating. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, his face changing slightly. "Why are you here, sir?"
Du Qingtang's eyes were so cold that people dared not look directly at him. His tone was chilling: "Send Ma Boren and Sun Chaoxing over."
Garrison Commander Wan was puzzled, but he sensed the prefect was in a bad mood and immediately sent for Captain Ma Qian and Captain Sun. He then rubbed his hands together and asked cautiously, "Sir, why did you summon them?"
Du Qingtang stood outside the main tent with his hands behind his back and said concisely, "The plague in the capital city is related to these two people."
Shoubei Wan's pupils suddenly shrank, and he cursed the two men in his heart. He stood there quietly as a chicken, not daring to make a sound.
The personal guards of the garrison commander Wan quickly called over Captain Ma Qian and Captain Sun.
At that time, Captain Ma Qian was waiting for news in the tent. When he learned that Captain Wan had summoned him, he suppressed his impatience and went to the main tent with his personal soldiers.
There was still some distance from the main tent. With a casual glance, General Ma Qian suddenly felt that the tall and thin figure outside the main tent looked familiar.
In a flash, a frosty face appeared in his mind. General Ma Qian paused, an ominous premonition came to his mind, and he turned around and ran back the way he came.
"Catch him for me!"
Du Yi and the yamen runners quickly caught up with Ma Qianzong. Ma Qianzong was no match for four people with his two fists, not to mention that there was a humanoid killing weapon Du Yi among them. After a few rounds, he was kicked in the chest by Du Yi. He flew backwards and fell heavily to the ground, splashing a cloud of yellow soil.
The bailiffs rushed forward, cut off Ma Qianzong's arms, and took him before the prefect.
Captain Sun had already knelt at Du Qingtang's feet, his head on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "Please spare my life, sir! Please spare my life, sir! I know nothing. It was all Ma who forced me to do it!"
"I am innocent. I know nothing. I only followed Ma Boren's instructions and had the body thrown into the Changxing River. I know nothing else!"
General Ma Qian was stunned for a moment, and was kicked in the knee by Du Yi. His body shook twice and he knelt down in front of Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang looked down at him condescendingly, his tone icy: "You really make it hard for me to find you."
Ma Qianzong lowered his head, making it difficult to see the expression on his face: "I don't know what you are talking about."
Du Qingtang called out more than ten names in one breath. Guard Wan was shocked to find that there were names of palace soldiers among them. His heart was in his throat: "They all confessed."
Ma Qianzong suddenly raised his head, his eyes vicious, as if he wanted to eat Du Qingtang alive: "So you have suspected me for a long time?"
Actually, not.
On the first day of the plague outbreak, Du Qingtang was able to roughly judge from the patrol soldiers that the person behind the scenes had some identity, otherwise he would not let the patrol soldiers do things for him.
Du Qingtang suspects everyone equally, especially after the public opinion about her broke out, everyone seems to be the culprit behind the scenes.
Since the person behind the scenes wanted her to lose the support of the people, Du Qingtang took advantage of the situation and allowed the rumors to spread, taking the opportunity to let the other party relax their vigilance.
It happened that Du Qingju developed a prescription for the plague. Du Qingtang expected that the person behind the scenes would be restless after getting the news and would strike again, so he used the excuse of using public opinion to catch the murderer and divert the other party's attention, and at the same time sent people to secretly guard the pharmacy in the quarantine center.
As expected, Du Qingtang arranged for the doctor to give the patient medicine, and someone took action that night.
Du Qingtang's men captured those people on the spot and interrogated them for most of the night. They concluded that the mastermind behind the scenes was Captain Ma, and Captain Sun was at most an accomplice.
"Now, who is your master?"
Now that things have come to this, General Ma Qian has nothing to hide.
He laughed out loud and spat at Du Qingtang.
"Daxia is truly rotten. The old emperor is also a tyrant. He actually allowed a woman to be an official."
"It's fine if you're running a school, but you're also setting up a women's class. Are you afraid that others won't know you're a woman?"
"Wan Guiyu is a bandit, yet you appointed him as a captain, and even appointed his daughter as a captain."
Mr. Ma Qian was laughing so hard that he fell backwards. Du Yi kicked him on the back and he fell forward with his face touching the dirt.
"Don't you want to know who asked me to spread the plague? Okay, then I'll tell you—"
"It's Da Qi!"
"It's Da Qi!"
"It's Da Qi!"
General Ma Qian shouted three times and laughed loudly towards the sky.
"In the original plan, Da Qi wanted to use the plague to eliminate more than half of the people in Shaoqing Prefecture, and then send troops to capture Shaoqing Prefecture and Loushan Pass in one fell swoop..."
"What? Send troops to attack Shaoqing Prefecture?"
"Are you crazy? You're colluding with the Qi bandits! You're collaborating with the enemy and committing treason. Your entire clan will be punished!"
The noise of the fight between Captain Ma, Du Yi and the yamen runners attracted many palace soldiers. They listened to the whole process and were so angry that they wanted to rush up and kill Captain Ma.
"What treason? I'll fight for whoever makes me a general!"
General Ma Qian laughed heartily, as if he had thrown away all hope, and said maliciously: "The Qi army will arrive in five days, and then you will all..."
Before he could finish his words, Ma Qianzong felt dizzy and vaguely saw a headless corpse fall to the ground.
Captain Sun watched helplessly as the prefect cut off Captain Ma's head with a sword. He was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly, and a pool of liquid oozed out from under his body.
"Sir, please spare me! Sir, please spare me!"
There was another dizzying moment, and a headless corpse fell to the ground with a thud.
The huge military camp was completely silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Du Qingtang held a blood-stained sword in his right hand, his eyes were like the cold moon, and his fair jade face was splashed with blood beads, like a bouquet of crimson flowers blooming on the white snow.
It is gorgeous, but contains a hidden poison.
"You all heard what Ma Boren said just now."
"The Qi bandits are still determined to attack Xia. This time, they colluded with Ma Boren to spread the plague in Shaoqing Prefecture, killing countless people. Their methods are despicable and cannot be tolerated by Heaven."
"If it is true as Ma Boren said, the Qi bandits will attack in five days. Shaoqing Prefecture is in chaos and will be unable to resist them."
"Today we were defeated. The Qi bandits have taken Shaoqing Prefecture. Tomorrow it will be Jingdong Prefecture's turn, and the day after tomorrow it will be Changtai Prefecture's turn."
"Day after day, one day the Qi thieves will attack Xiajing and the imperial palace."
"By then, the entire Great Xia will fall into the hands of the Qi bandits, and I and your families will surely become their captives."
"They will be slaves and servants, sleeping with cattle and sheep, suffering all kinds of humiliation, and eventually being dragged to death by war horses!"
The prefect's clear voice resounded over the military camp, shaking people's hearts like a sound that pierced through the clouds and split the rocks.
All the soldiers couldn't help but think of the scene described by the prefect. Just by imagining it, a huge rage rose in their hearts. They clenched their fists, flared their nostrils, breathed heavily, and the anger in their eyes almost wanted to burn the hateful Qi bandit to death.
"Just cutting off Ma Boren's head is too easy for him. He should be torn into five pieces!"
"No, I can't let my parents and sisters become captives and be bullied!"
"If I remember correctly, the Qi bandits attacked Loushan Pass two years ago, were defeated, and signed a peace agreement with our Great Xia. It hasn't been long since then, and they've come back again, heading for our Shaoqing Prefecture. Why don't they just die?"
"Isn't it just a war? I've killed bandits, chopped down foreigners, and even fought naked beasts. Why should I be afraid of the Qi bandits? Let them come at me, I'll kill one if they come, and kill a pair if they come two!"
"That's right. We were able to repel the Qi bandits at Loushan Pass two years ago. So can we! Beat them till they're pissing and crying for their parents!"
Du Qingtang held up his sword, his gaze firm, with a burning flame burning deep in his eyes.
"Soldiers, please prepare for battle with me, defend our country, and repel the Qi bandits!"
As soon as the words fell, all the soldiers in the palace raised their arms and cheered.
The cheers shook the earth and resounded through the sky.
"war!"
"war!"
"war!"
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