Chapter 83 Smallpox Outbreak
The man fainted before he could finish his words. Du Yi looked at his son with a questioning look.
Du Qingtang said without hesitation: "Du Yi, take the person back. I will go get a doctor."
Du Er pointed at the men who were wailing and clutching their legs, "Sir, what should we do with them?"
"Imprison him for the time being and interrogate him later." Du Qingtang paused, "Du Er, stay here for the time being. I'll go get someone."
Du Er had no suspicion and watched Du Qingtang and Du Yi leave with the man.
Passing by the city gate, Du Qingtang called out a few soldiers guarding the city and asked them to go and support Du Er, and then went to the nearest clinic to ask for a doctor.
Du Yi placed the man in the guest room of the Tongzhifu. The doctor rushed over and gasped when he saw the man's injuries.
The doctor looked at Du Qingtang with a look of doubt and uncertainty in his eyes. "Sir, this man has knife wounds all over his body, several of which are so deep that the bone is visible. I wonder who he is?"
How could an ordinary person be injured so seriously? He had a preconceived notion that the man was a vicious and evil person.
Du Qingtang said calmly, "I just left the city for a while and happened to see this man being chased, so I saved him."
"Before he fainted, he said there was an outbreak of smallpox in Lin'an County. This is a serious matter, so I have ordered him to be brought back to investigate."
The doctor was horrified, his voice rising two degrees: "What? Smallpox?!"
Du Qingtang stroked his wide sleeves and said, "You treat him first. I will send someone to verify whether Lin'an County is indeed suffering from smallpox."
The doctor felt that he had offended the man and quickly bowed to apologize. He turned around, opened the medicine box, and treated the man's injuries.
Du Qingtang rode to the government office on horseback, called a few yamen runners, and asked them to go to Lin'an Prefecture to investigate.
"Change back into your normal clothes, don't make a big fuss, and come back immediately after you've investigated. Don't alert the enemy."
The Lin'an County Magistrate did not report such a major event as the smallpox outbreak to the government office. It was obvious that there must be something fishy going on.
Once the other party is alarmed, it will give them the opportunity to destroy evidence and cover up the truth.
"yes!"
The bailiff took the order and left, and Du Qingtang went to the government prison.
The people who were chasing the man were locked up in a cell, rolling on the ground in pain and screaming.
One of them noticed Du Qingtang outside the cell and the respectful jailer behind Du Qingtang, and stopped rolling.
The jailer banged hard on the cell door and shouted, "Shut up! The magistrate has something to ask!"
Lord Tongzhi?
Several people were dumbfounded and groaned in their hearts.
They didn't check the almanac before going out today, and they ran into the Tongzhi.
It’s over!
Not only are they finished, but the county magistrate is also finished!
Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back, watching their eyes darting around with a cold gaze. He looked guilty and asked bluntly, "There's an outbreak of smallpox in Lin'an County, isn't that right?"
No one responded.
Du Qingtang didn't get angry and continued to ask, "The Lin'an County Magistrate knew about this but didn't report it, right?"
Still no response.
Du Qingtang slowly curled his lips, and his leisurely look made him look like a demon that ate human hearts and livers in the eyes of several people.
"Come here, send them to the interrogation room. I want to interrogate them personally."
The jailer was the one who brought food to Du Qingtang when she was framed and imprisoned last time.
The man was quite clever and immediately understood the magistrate's intention. He said with a straight face, "What torture instruments do you need? I will prepare them for you."
Du Qingtang said: "All of them."
Several people in the cell: "!!!"
"Okay, I'll prepare it right away!" The jailer bowed and made a gesture to leave.
"I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"
......
When Du Qingtang returned to the Tongzhifu, the doctor had already left and the man had woken up.
The man had already learned where he was from Du Yikou. Seeing that Du Qingtang was dressed in noble clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor, he guessed that this was the Tongzhi who saved his life.
"Sir, help me!"
The man struggled to get up, as if he wanted to get out of bed and kneel down to beg.
The wound burst open during the struggle, and the bright red blood soaked the bandage.
Du Qingtang stepped forward and pushed him back, his tone calm and unyielding: "You are injured, no need to be polite, just lie down and talk."
It is said that men do not shed tears easily. When the man looked at the gentle expression of the Tongzhi and the soothing words in his words, the tears that had been pent up for several days burst out like a mountain torrent in an instant.
The man's dark face was covered with tears, and he spoke slowly with sobs.
The man's name is Zhao Changyu, and he is from Zhaojia Village in Lin'an County. Half a month ago, a child in the village contracted smallpox for unknown reasons.
At that time, the child's family thought it was a rash, so they applied some medicine and left it alone.
Children aged three or five are at the age when they are very naughty. The child played around wildly and inadvertently infected the villagers.
Within a few days, adults and children began to develop dark red spots on their faces and bodies, as well as symptoms such as high fever and headaches.
By the time everyone realized it was smallpox, dozens of people in the village had already been infected.
This is not the scariest thing.
The villagers infected with smallpox were not limited to Zhaojia Village, so many villagers in several surrounding villages also contracted smallpox.
There were also people who went to the town or county to do business. It goes without saying that some people must have been infected with smallpox through contact.
Realizing the seriousness of the matter, the village chief of Zhaojia Village did not dare to delay and hurriedly reported the matter to the county government, hoping that the county magistrate would come forward to control the people infected with smallpox as soon as possible to prevent the situation from further deteriorating and causing more people to be infected with smallpox.
Unexpectedly, when the county magistrate learned of this, instead of conducting a county-wide investigation to look for smallpox patients, he sent out county soldiers to arrest all the villagers in four villages, including Zhaojia Village.
Then, on the pretext of cutting off the possibility of smallpox spreading, all the villagers infected with smallpox were burned alive.
In the following days, county soldiers guarded the villagers who had not yet been infected with smallpox day and night. If anyone showed symptoms suspected of smallpox, they would be immediately taken away and burned to death.
Zhao Changyu's parents and wife were all burned to death.
Zhao Changyu had resisted before, but was beaten by the county soldiers every time and could only watch his relatives being forcibly dragged away.
The night before yesterday, Zhao Changyu used the excuse of going to the toilet and escaped under the cover of the villagers.
He hid in the back mountain for a day, and secretly went down the mountain after dark, preparing to go to the provincial capital to expose the county magistrate's evil deeds.
Unexpectedly, before he escaped far, the county soldiers discovered his tracks and chased him on horseback.
In this way, Zhao Changyu fled all the way and the county soldiers chased him all the way.
After escaping death several times, Zhao Changyu was covered with wounds and there was not a single piece of healthy flesh on his body, but he managed to hold on and escape to the provincial capital on his own two legs.
"My mother and daughter-in-law just had a fever, and we weren't sure if they had smallpox, but they took them away and burned them alive."
"I was locked in the room and could hear my parents and wife screaming from a distance..."
When Zhao Changyu said this, he burst into tears.
"If this continues, everyone will be burned to death. I don't want to die, and neither do the others. So they secretly planned it out without the knowledge of the county soldiers, and I escaped."
Zhao Changyu looked at Du Qingtang, his eyes burning with flames of hatred and hope. He wiped away his tears and pleaded in a low voice.
"Sir, I beg you to save them."
"Some people in the village had contracted smallpox before, and some died, but some survived."
"They...could have survived."
After Zhao Changyu finished speaking, the guest room fell into a suffocating silence.
Even though he was used to the darkness of officialdom and had seen many corrupt and cruel officials, Du Qingtang was still shocked by the cruelty of the Lin'an County magistrate at this moment.
As the local official, when he learned that the people were infected with smallpox, he should have concentrated the smallpox patients for treatment and controlled the spread of smallpox, rather than burning all the smallpox patients to death without any explanation.
Du Qingtang could more or less guess the Lin'an County Magistrate's thoughts.
He didn't want to be held accountable by his superiors, nor did he want to cause panic among the people. He thought it was better to have less trouble than more, so he simply handled the matter quietly.
Du Qingtang raised his hand and rubbed his brow, his expression solemn: "I have sent people to Lin'an County to verify. If the situation is true, the Lin'an County Magistrate will be brought to justice to comfort the soul of the deceased."
The prefect of Runing Prefecture has not yet taken office. She is currently the highest-ranking official in the prefecture and also serves as the acting prefect. She should assume the corresponding responsibilities.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"
Zhao Changyu was just thanking him profusely when Du San quickly stepped inside and said, "Sir, the bailiff is back."
Du Qingtang hummed, "Just focus on recovering from your injuries. I'll be leaving first."
Zhao Changyu stretched his neck to look outside, but unfortunately he saw nothing and lay back down in disappointment.
When we entered the courtyard, the yamen runners were already waiting there.
As soon as Du Qingtang appeared, the yamen runners came forward, their expressions unable to conceal their anger: "Sir, Zhaojia Village is indeed guarded by county soldiers. I observed from a distance and saw obvious signs of burning at the entrance of the village. There is also a large pit at the foot of the mountain. Inside..."
"Okay, no need to say more, I already know."
Du Qingtang couldn't stand it any longer, so he interrupted him and turned to go to the second courtyard. His steps were as fast as the wind, and the arc of his robe was as sharp as a knife.
She changed back into her dark green official robe and rode back to the government office.
Judge Xie happened to be back from his work. Seeing Du Qingtang's dark eyes and a look of impending trouble, he subconsciously shrank his neck.
Who provoked this evil star again?
Judge Xie moved forward along the wall, listening to Du Qingtang's deep voice giving orders.
"Go and ask Liu Shoubei to come over, select 500 soldiers, and accompany me to Lin'an County to arrest the county magistrate and others."
"We are also inviting fifty doctors from the city. Those who have had smallpox will be given priority. They will be escorted by yamen runners to Lin'an County to treat smallpox patients."
Judge Xie shuddered and opened his eyes wide in horror.
Smallpox?!
"Thank you, sir."
Judge Xie stood up straight reflexively and shouted back, "I'm here!"
Du Qingtang glanced at him and said expressionlessly, "A large number of smallpox patients have appeared in Lin'an County. The county magistrate knew about it but did not report it. He also cruelly burned the sick people."
"I will go to Lin'an County to handle this matter. I also ask Mr. Xie to stay at the government office and calm the people's hearts."
"Just in case, please ask Lord Xie to pass on the order to the soldiers guarding the city to strengthen inspections. Unless absolutely necessary, no one is allowed to enter or leave the city at will in the next few days."
"We will also post notices reminding people that if they feel unwell, they should report to the government office immediately and receive centralized treatment."
"Also, please ask Lord Xie to recruit personnel to make masks and isolation suits according to the blueprints. After making them, leave a small amount at the government office. When in contact with smallpox patients, they must wear masks and isolation suits to avoid infection. The rest will be sent to Lin'an County."
When Pan Xie saw that Du Qingtang didn't ask him to go with him, he breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he inexplicably felt a sense of shame.
If he were to serve as the acting prefect, he would never be able to be as decisive and arrange all matters in an orderly manner as Du Qingtang.
Xie Tongpan took the blueprint and said, "I will obey your orders, sir."
Liu Shoubei quickly arrived with 500 government soldiers. Xie Tongpan stood at the gate of the government office and watched Du Qingtang mount his horse and lead a group of people to gallop away.
Judge Xie glanced at the people who had stopped to watch, suppressed his worries, and returned to the government office. He asked the clerk to draft a notice and sent a yamen runner to pass the message to the soldiers guarding the city.
Following Du Qingtang's instructions, Judge Xie finished issuing a series of orders and suddenly slapped his head: "I wonder if Lord Du has ever had smallpox. If not, wouldn't going to Lin'an County be like seeking death?"
After saying that, he quickly shook his head and muttered in a low voice: "Look at my broken mouth, Lord Du will definitely return safely."
Du Qingtang saved his life after all. Although he was a bit unscrupulous, he was a genuinely good official. He hoped that Du Qingtang would be fine.
At the request of Magistrate Xie, the clerk wrote down two things on a notice and posted it, saying that there had been a smallpox outbreak in Lin'an County and anyone feeling unwell should report it immediately. He also asked women in the city who were skilled in needlework to be hired at a high price to come to the government office to make masks and isolation suits.
When the news spread, there was an uproar in the city.
Every citizen was in danger, and many people stayed indoors for fear of contracting smallpox and escaping death.
The women learned that the government office urgently needed manpower to make masks and isolation suits, and that these items were proposed by the Tongzhi and could prevent smallpox infection to a certain extent. Despite their families' dissuasion, they went to the government office.
"Master Du has done real work for us in fighting corrupt officials, so we should give something back."
"Forty coppers a day is four days' wages!"
......
In the Qiong Ying Society, the women were also talking about this.
"I'm good at embroidery, so sewing masks and isolation suits is definitely no problem for me."
Du Qingzhu crossed his arms and said, "Don't those scholars always look down on us and think that literary societies shouldn't exist? We should do something to show them how powerful we are!"
Another person said mischievously, "We can help the Tongzhi, but they can't. They must be hiding at home shivering in fear of contracting smallpox!"
The women covered their mouths and giggled, then boarded the carriage one after another, rushing to the government office with fearlessness and passion in their hearts.
When Judge Xie learned that a group of women who were labeled as heretics because of their membership in the Qiongying English Society came to the government office and volunteered to sew masks and isolation suits without asking for a penny, he was stunned for a moment.
When the Qiong Ying Literature Society was first established, he strongly criticized it, spoke of it with the utmost contempt, and strictly prohibited his daughters, both legitimate and illegitimate, from joining it.
Judge Xie recalled the panicked men who had rushed home after the notice was posted. He was silent for a long time, then shook his head and laughed, "I'm too narrow-minded."
They are clearly braver than some men.
......
Jishengtang.
Doctor Yang studied under a family of imperial physicians from the previous dynasty, so his medical skills were naturally excellent. He felt obligated to go to Lin'an County to treat smallpox patients.
Doctor Yang put the commonly used silver needles and medical books into his bag and was about to go out when Du Qingju suddenly stood up and walked up to him.
"Uncle Master, I want to go too."
Doctor Yang was stunned for a moment and refused sternly: "No, you can't go."
If it was just an ordinary medical consultation, it would be fine, but this was smallpox, which had a very high mortality rate, and he didn't want to kill his senior brother's beloved disciple.
Du Qingju stood in front of Doctor Yang, refusing to give in. "Master, Qingju is determined to save the world and save people. I must take charge. Please let me go."
Meeting his nephew's resolute gaze, Doctor Yang was speechless, but finally relented: "Well, you can come with me, but you can't come into contact with the patients."
Du Qingju nodded and agreed straightforwardly, but no one knew what she was thinking in her heart.
The uncle and nephew carried their bags and medicine boxes and went out, escorted by yamen runners, to Lin'an County together with fifty doctors in the city.
Someone noticed Du Qingju and was shocked. They thought Dr. Yang was crazy: "Why bring a woman when you can bring anyone else?"
"What can a woman do? In the later stages of smallpox, the whole body is covered with ulcers. Don't be scared to tears."
"A smallpox patient can't wear clothes. If a girl sees this, who would dare to marry her in the future?"
There were bursts of laughter from the crowd, which were extremely contemptuous and vulgar.
Doctor Yang was annoyed and looked at his nephew worriedly.
Du Qingju responded with a calm smile, without a trace of annoyance on her face.
Many years ago, Du Qingju bought a medical book from a peddler and absorbed the knowledge in the book eagerly, determined to become a female doctor. She had already anticipated that this road was destined to be full of ups and downs.
But she refused to accept her fate.
The more pessimistic people are, the more she will stick to this path and prove to the world that—
Men can practice medicine, and women can too!
-
Lin'an County, County Government Office.
The magistrate of Lin'an County paced back and forth in the second hall with his hands behind his back, his anxiety evident in his expression.
The county magistrate was dazzled by him. He turned away, took a sip of tea, and said in a gentle voice, "Don't worry, sir. He is just a lowly person. The county soldiers are riding horses, and he only has two legs. He can't run far."
The county magistrate knew he couldn't get far, so he glared at the county magistrate angrily and said, "The imperial envoy has only been gone for a few days. If he comes back, we'll be finished!"
At that time, he was afraid that the smallpox incident would affect his performance at the end of the year, so he detained the village chief of Zhaojia Village without any explanation and sent county soldiers to silence him.
After calming down, I felt a little regretful.
If his superiors find out, he will be in great trouble.
But once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back, so he could only go on. However, he didn't expect that someone would escape despite the heavy guard of the county soldiers.
If there is one, there will be two. There is no guarantee that there won’t be someone who slips through the net and exposes what he did.
The county magistrate was unconcerned: "Sir, just relax. The imperial envoy has been ordered to conduct an inspection, and his inspections are not limited to Runing Prefecture. He doesn't have the time to make a surprise attack."
"And even if the government finds out, you don't have to worry. As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. You and I were able to sit on the positions of county magistrate and county chancellor because we had enough money back then, didn't we?"
"We were able to bribe Feng Shu back then, so we can continue to bribe him now. If one thousand taels is not enough, we can give him two thousand taels. If two thousand taels is not enough, we can give him five thousand taels. We can eventually shut them up."
After the county magistrate comforted him, his anxiety subsided and he turned to go back to the hall.
Ever since the man named Zhao Changyu escaped, he had no time to deal with official business these past two days. A lot of documents had piled up and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.
Just after taking two steps, I heard a loud "bang".
The wooden door leading from the second hall to the first hall collapsed with a loud bang, raising a cloud of dust.
The county magistrate was choking and coughing. He retreated repeatedly and shouted angrily, "How dare you! Who dares to trespass into the county government office? Are you really that bold?"
"I should be asking you this question."
"You knew the truth but didn't report it, and you set fire to the people. Pang Meng, are you really that bold?"
My officer?
The county magistrate and the county magistrate were both shocked and felt an ominous premonition.
With a little hope in their hearts, the two of them looked outside the door through the flying dust.
The man was wearing a dark green official robe, and his superior facial features seemed to be outlined in thick ink. There was a coldness in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows, which was biting and chilling.
They had seen this person before.
In the twelfth month of last year, she was ordered to come to Lin'an County to collect taxes.
At that time, she was still a sixth-rank judge.
In a few months, she had become a fifth-rank official.
“Dududududu…Du Qingtang!”
The county magistrate was frightened by her sudden appearance and pointed at her and stammered.
Why is Du Qingtang here?
How did she know that he knew about it but kept silent about it and set fire to the people?
unless--
The county magistrate and the county magistrate looked at each other, reached a tacit understanding in an instant, and turned around and ran towards the third hall.
There is a back door in the third hall. As long as you run there, you can escape and avoid imprisonment!
Du Qingtang turned around and stepped aside, waving his hand at the same time, and the palace soldiers rushed in one after another.
Looking out from the second hall, the first hall was packed with people.
There were government soldiers and also subdued county yamen runners.
The government soldiers were well-trained, and in a moment they caught up with the county magistrate and the county magistrate, tied a pig knot on the spot, and dragged it in front of Du Qingtang.
"Sir, the man has been caught."
Du Qingtang looked down at the two men, their faces thick with flesh and trembling like quails, and said coldly, "Imprison them for the time being. I will report the Lin'an County incident to His Majesty and the Governor-General, and they will decide their life or death."
Report to His Majesty?
Then would they still be alive?
The county magistrate panicked and blurted out, "Who do you think you are, Du Qingtang? It's true that when there's no tiger in the mountain, the monkey becomes king. The prefect is away, and you, a deputy prefect, are trying to meddle in other people's business by trying to catch a rat?"
Du Qingtang was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. He drew the sword from the waist of the nearest soldier and struck the county magistrate with his backhand.
The county magistrate felt a pain in his mouth, and a white arc passed before his eyes, and flew out with a whoosh.
Looking closely, it turned out to be his front teeth.
County Magistrate: “!!!”
County Magistrate: “!!!”
"If you dare to talk nonsense again, I won't mind taking out all your teeth." Du Qingtang returned the sword and turned to walk out. "Captain Liu."
Liu Shoubei stepped forward and said, "Sir."
"I order you to lead your troops to Zhaojia Village immediately, rescue the civilians, and apprehend the county soldiers who assisted the evildoers."
“After rescuing the people, anyone with suspected smallpox symptoms will be quarantined.”
"Remember not to have direct contact with the patient. It is best to cover your mouth and nose with a cloth."
"yes!"
Liu Shoubei took the order and left with two hundred palace soldiers.
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment, then summoned the county clerk and gave another order: "Immediately post a notice, directing all citizens showing smallpox symptoms to come to the county clerk's office for centralized treatment. Those who have had close contact with these individuals will be registered and isolated."
"In addition, send people to strictly guard all major arterial roads in the county. No one from Lin'an County is allowed to leave for other places."
"By the way, go get all the doctors in the city and have a consultation with the doctors in the prefecture to discuss treatment strategies."
After seeing the miserable state of the county magistrate with blood all over his mouth, the petty official dared not disobey and did as he was told.
Du Qingtang ordered someone to bring pen and ink to write an urgent memorial.
She wrote in the urgent memorial that there had been a large-scale smallpox outbreak in Lin'an County, and that Lin'an County officials had known about the outbreak but failed to report it, thus harming the people.
Afterwards, he copied another copy. The former was handed over to the courier and sent to Xiajing at an express speed of 800 miles, while the latter was sent to the provincial capital and handed over to the Governor of Henan Province.
In Daxia, only local officials of the fourth rank and above were qualified to submit memorials, but in an emergency, they had to make decisions based on their circumstances. Smallpox had an extremely high mortality rate, so it had to be reported to the emperor.
Of course, Du Qingtang also had some selfish motives.
This is her opportunity to return to Beijing, and she must seize it.
......
Not long after, the doctors from the provincial capital arrived in Lin'an County one after another, and the doctors from Lin'an County also came.
Du Qingtang summoned them personally.
When Du Qingtang saw the young girl in the crowd with a cloth covering her mouth and nose, with curved eyebrows and a smile in her eyes, he was speechless for a moment.
"You are all doctors, knowledgeable and experienced. I don't need to explain how to prevent and treat the disease."
"But I still hope that you can quickly develop a drug that can alleviate or even cure smallpox, and save as many people as possible."
"Today, the doctor who has had smallpox will be allowed to contact the patients. Tomorrow, the city will send masks and isolation suits, and the others will go to Zhaojia Village."
Among the nearly one hundred doctors present, only a dozen had had smallpox.
They did not hide their medical history, took the initiative to come forward and asked to go to Zhaojia Village.
Du Qingtang asked the yamen runners to escort them there. As for the other doctors, they were to stay in the county inn for the time being and make arrangements tomorrow.
On the way to the post station, the doctors had a heated discussion.
"Cure smallpox? Is Lady Du kidding us?"
"Even Sangjuyin, Shengma Gegen Tang, and Shashen Maidong Tang can only alleviate the symptoms. Whether you can survive depends on your fate. If your fate is not good, you can only wait for death."
"Alas, the Lin'an County Magistrate is a piece of shit. Smallpox could have been brought under control in the shortest possible time, but he chose to kill people to silence them. Now, there are countless people in the county who have contracted smallpox. Treating them one by one would be exhausting."
The doctor from Lin'an County listened to the complaints from the doctor from the prefectural city, lowered his head and dared not breathe.
Who made such a wicked guy their county magistrate?
In the crowd, Du Qingju walked forward carrying a medicine box and whispered, "Uncle Master, do you have any ideas?"
Doctor Yang twirled his beard and said, "Since ancient times, smallpox has been difficult to cure. If a cure could be easily developed, there wouldn't be so many people dying from smallpox every year."
Du Qingju looked around, taking in all the comments from her colleagues. She curled her eyes and whispered, "The more this happens, the more challenging it becomes, isn't it?"
If we can develop a prescription to cure smallpox, it will surely make Daxia famous and be remembered for eternity.
Du Qingju's ears were filled with all kinds of derogatory and frivolous remarks. The seed of ambition took root in her heart and grew silently.
......
Less than half an hour after the notice was posted, more than ten people came to the county government office in a panic.
These people truthfully told their itinerary for the past half month, and the clerk recorded it in a book for easy investigation later. Du Qingtang asked someone to send them to the post station.
The posthouse was large enough to accommodate hundreds of people and was also convenient for doctors to treat them.
About half an hour later, Liu Shoubei came back.
"I have successfully completed my mission and rescued the people of four villages. I have also captured a number of county soldiers and have now imprisoned them."
Thinking of the large area of charred marks at the entrance of Zhaojia Village and the ashes in the big pit in the back mountain that could not be distinguished from each other, Liu Shoubei clenched his fists so hard that they made a crackling sound, and he wished he could punch the dog county magistrate to death.
Du Qingtang nodded slightly. "I've already sent people to strictly guard all the main arteries, but I'm still worried. Commander Liu, you should arrange for some more soldiers to garrison there. If any civilians break in, just take them down and put them in jail. This way, you can make an example of them."
Liu Shoubei had lived for forty or fifty years, so he naturally knew how serious smallpox was. He also understood the good intentions of the Tongzhi and immediately went down to make arrangements.
The government soldiers, yamen runners and clerks all had their own tasks. Du Qingtang sat in the hall with a plaque above his head that read "A Bright Mirror Hangs High".
She picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote on the rice paper in a frenzy of movement.
"Du Yi."
Du Yi stepped forward in response.
"You and Du Erjiu go find a cow with an ulcer in the breast area. Use a needle to prick the ulcer and extract the fluid."
"Send a message to Magistrate Xie, and have him extract prisoners from the prison, both those on death row and those already sentenced, and vaccinate them according to the method on paper."
"Have the doctor closely observe the severity of their symptoms and any changes in their physical appearance throughout the twelve hours of the day, and keep detailed records."
Du Yi took the rice paper with both hands and left.
Du Qingtang watched him go away, looked at the people coming and going in the county government office, and tapped the table with his fingers.
Cowpox is a good thing. It will become her bargaining chip to restore her female identity and continue to stay in the court.
one.
......
The next day, a batch of masks and isolation suits produced overnight were delivered from the provincial capital.
Du Qingtang kept two sets for himself and Liu Shoubei, and sent the rest to the post station.
Du Qingtang rode his horse to Zhaojia Village, put on a mask and isolation suit outside the village, and went straight to the isolation point.
Villagers who have not yet shown symptoms are quarantined at the entrance of the village, while smallpox patients are quarantined at the end of the village.
There are hundreds of people in four villages, and they can barely fit in if they squeeze together.
More than a dozen doctors who had had smallpox lived next door to the patients so that they could observe their conditions at any time.
The doctors were decocting medicine. Dozens of medicine jars were placed in the kitchen, and the smoke was so thick that people couldn't open their eyes.
As soon as Du Qingtang walked in, a doctor stepped forward and blocked her way: "Who are you? Who allowed you in? If you knock over the medicine jar, not only will the patient not be able to drink it, but you will also get burned!"
It’s no wonder he didn’t recognize him. Du Qingtang was fully armed at this time, with only his eyes exposed. I’m afraid only people close to him could recognize him.
"It's me." Du Qingtang spoke, and the other party was shocked and pretended to kneel down to greet him. "No need to be polite, I just came to take a look."
Someone noticed Du Qingtang's attire and asked curiously, "Sir, what are you wearing?"
Du Qingtang explained, "These are masks and isolation suits to prevent infection from patients. I ordered them to be made overnight. A doctor will be coming soon. You can all go get the masks and isolation suits."
The doctors were moved and thanked him in unison.
Although people who have had smallpox will not get it again, wearing an extra layer of clothing provides some protection.
Du Qingtang asked about the patients' condition, and the oldest doctor replied, "Except for those who were..., there are currently 160 people infected with smallpox. 28 have severe symptoms, and the rest have milder symptoms."
"We prepared Sangju Drink, Shengma Kudzu Root Soup and Adenophora and Radix Ophiopogonis Soup for them to relieve their symptoms as much as possible."
Du Qingtang asked: "Is it incurable?"
The old doctor shook his head: "There is currently no cure for smallpox."
Du Qingtang frowned and went next door to check on the patient.
The patient was lying on a long kang, with dense red rashes all over his body, and he was groaning in pain.
Some patients with severe illness have blisters or even pustules all over their bodies. They are already unconscious and have difficulty speaking.
Du Qingtang saw it and felt heavy in his heart.
Cowpox can only prevent smallpox, but cannot cure it.
She couldn't save them.
Du Qingtang just watched quietly outside for a while without disturbing the people in the house. He left quietly and went to see the villagers who had no symptoms.
When the villagers learned of Du Qingtang's identity, they all knelt on the ground and thanked her.
"Thank you for saving my life, sir!"
"If it weren't for you, sir, we would have been burned to death by that bastard official."
Thinking of their loved ones who died in the fire, the villagers were overwhelmed with grief and burst into tears.
Du Qingtang comforted him with a few words, and seeing that it was almost time, he prepared to return to the county town.
When we reached the village entrance, the doctor who had stayed at the post house last night also arrived at Zhaojia Village.
Because there were too many people infected with smallpox in Zhaojia Village, and there were only a dozen or so doctors in the county town, seven or eight out of ten came here.
When they saw Du Qingtang, the doctors hurriedly saluted her.
Du Qingtang reminded: "Before treating the patient, you must take precautions to prevent infection."
Everyone responded respectfully.
Du Qingtang searched the crowd and fixed his gaze on Du Qingju in the back.
The two sisters looked at each other from a distance, Du Qingju curved her eyes and smiled silently.
It was already evening when we returned to the county town.
Du Qingtang noticed that many people wearing masks and isolation suits appeared on the street, and they were obviously women from their figures.
They often travel in pairs, followed by a doctor, knocking on doors from house to house.
If they open the door, they usually say with a smile, "Auntie, is anyone in your family suffering from a headache, high fever, rash, or herpes? If so, please go to the county government office. The doctors there will treat you and your family free of charge."
If not, they would smile and say sorry for disturbing them and move on to the next house.
Some people have a bad temper and not only do they not open the door, they also curse.
The women were not angry. They apologized politely and went on to the next house.
Du Qingtang saw everything they said and did, and when he returned to the county government office, he found Du Wu there.
"Sir, we have found enough serum as you requested and will begin the inoculation tonight."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly, but acted quickly.
She poured a cup of tea, raised her head and drank it all: "I'll go back and take a look."
Du Wu thought that with the young master around, the chances of success would be higher, so he did not stop them. The master and servant rode their horses and rushed back to the city overnight.
When leaving, Du Qingtang found that the women were still knocking on doors from house to house.
She couldn't help but tighten the reins and slow down.
Du Wu followed his young master's gaze and suddenly slapped his head: "Look at my memory. I was so busy talking to you about the vaccination that I forgot something else."
"Yesterday afternoon, the women from the Qiong English Society came to the government office in groups to volunteer to make masks and isolation suits. They only returned this morning."
"After only one morning's rest, he brought a doctor to Lin'an County. Look, sir—"
Du Wu pointed to a woman not far away who was patiently repeating her words to the elderly grandfather. "My subordinates arrived in Lin'an County two hours ago, and they have been active in the county town since then. They haven't rested until now."
In the brilliant sunset glow, Du Qingtang saw someone waving at her.
Wearing a mask and isolation suit, his big eyes sparkled and every strand of his hair exuded joy and vitality.
It’s Du Qingzhu.
Looking at this scene, the heaviness in Du Qingtang's heart completely disappeared.
He shook the reins and spurred the horse into a gallop.
As a woman, everyone is working hard, and she cannot fall behind others.
Tens of thousands of people in Lin'an County are still waiting for her.
......
On the other side, Du Qingju came to Zhaojia Village, took protective measures, and followed Doctor Yang to check the condition of smallpox patients.
There is no need to elaborate on the patient's miserable condition. Even Doctor Yang, who had witnessed many separations and deaths, could not bear to watch it. After coming out, he looked solemn and silently read the medical book.
Du Qingju also felt very uncomfortable. The festering pustules and painful groans replayed in front of her eyes and in her ears.
She sat next to Doctor Yang, biting her lower lip tightly. It took her a long time to find her voice: "Uncle Master, I want to save them."
Doctor Yang flipped through a medical book and said without looking up, "We are doing our best to save them."
"No." Du Qingju shook her head. "I mean, I want to try and see if I can develop a cure for smallpox."
Doctor Yang paused and turned his head to look at her: "Even if you fail countless times?"
Du Qingju said firmly, "Even if I fail countless times, at least I have proven to future generations that these methods are not feasible."
Doctor Yang smiled and said nothing, just patted Du Qingju on the shoulder.
The uncle and nephew didn't even have dinner. They sat in the main room reading the medical books brought by the doctors.
I watched this all night long.
The next day, a streak of golden light appeared on the horizon.
Du Qingju rushed out of the main room with dark circles under her eyes and ran towards the pharmacy, her beautiful face full of excitement.
It's dawn.
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