Chapter 339: Nong Zhigao Spreads the Epidemic in the Palace
Wu Junnian replied, "Your Majesty, that handkerchief does carry the plague poison. Its toxicity is extremely strong."
"I first tested this on several litters of mice: if they came even a step closer to the handkerchief, they would quickly wilt and twitch, dying quickly. If they accidentally touched the handkerchief directly, they would die instantly, and the virus carried by their corpses would quickly spread to the other mice in the same cage, leaving no one unharmed."
"To confirm its harmful effects on humans, I have boldly requested the coordination of the Left Deputy Commander to bring in ten condemned prisoners to be executed in the autumn for further testing."
"The result... any condemned prisoner who came into contact with the handkerchief developed a severe high fever, vomited, and convulsed within an hour. Then, their skin began to ulcerate."
"Its infectiousness is even more alarming. Although I immediately separated and strictly isolated the other nine prisoners after the first death row inmate showed symptoms... within half a day, all the death row inmates... still couldn't escape infection. Three of them... have already died from the poison."
Speaking of this, cold sweat broke out on Wu Junnian's forehead.
"Fortunately, when Nong Zhigao sneaked into the Bixi Palace to commit the crime today, the young masters wanted to play hide-and-seek, so all the palace servants retreated to the corridor outside the palace. After discovering the assassin, the palace servants were restrained and no one approached. The handkerchief has not been discovered and touched."
Wen Li'er felt a chill sweeping through her body in an instant, her back was soaked in cold sweat, and her fingertips were terribly cold.
So vicious!
This Nong Zhigao really took this inhumane method to the extreme.
If a palace maid cleaning the courtyard discovered and touched the handkerchief, or if it was blown away by the wind...
This Bixi Palace, this imperial palace, and even the entire capital city, will probably become the second Zhennan Pass as he wishes.
Wen Li'er's chest heaved violently due to the huge fear and anger.
Wen Li'er forced herself to remain calm and looked at Wu Junnian with sharp eyes.
"Doctor Wu! I'm asking you, is there any medicine that can temporarily keep Nong Zhigao alive while completely depriving him of the ability to move and commit evil?"
We must prevent him from causing trouble again while in captivity.
Wu Junnian pondered for a moment and said thoughtfully, "Your Majesty, Nong Zhigao is full of poison, and his blood is also highly toxic. Ordinary drugs and poisons will have little effect on him, and may even be neutralized by the strange poison in his body."
"However, in my early years, I developed a recipe called 'Thousand-Day Drunk'. Strictly speaking, this isn't a poison, but rather a blend of several powerful tranquilizers and meridian-numbing herbs, with an extremely long-lasting effect."
"Precisely because it's not a poison, it doesn't conflict with the mutually reinforcing and counteracting poisons in his body. If he were given 'Thousand Day Drunk', it would completely obliterate his mind, shutting down his senses. He would be as drunk as a dead person every day, unable to speak or move. Even if he had a myriad of other methods, they wouldn't be able to be used."
"Alright! Let's use this 'Thousand Days of Drunk'!"
Wen Li'er ordered without hesitation, "Prepare it immediately and feed it to him. Make sure the dosage is perfect."
After giving the order, she immediately thought of the source of the plague and asked urgently, "Where's the handkerchief? Has it been disposed of properly?!"
Wu Junnian nodded. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I would never dare to leave such a disaster behind. I personally took the handkerchief to an open area, doused it with hot oil, and set it on fire. I then dug a deep pit, poured a large amount of lime, and rammed it to ensure that there would be no hidden dangers."
"As for that artificial mountain, I have piled dry firewood around it and poured hot oil on it. It is currently burning. Once it has completely crumbled into rubble and powder, I will bury it deep within the ground."
Wen Li'er's tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and she was very satisfied with Wu Junnian's handling of the matter.
"Doctor Wu has been thoughtful and has handled the situation appropriately. Thank you for your hard work. However, I am still uneasy. I ask Doctor Wu to continue to lead the team to thoroughly investigate the route Nong Zhigao may have taken today when he entered the palace—from the palace gate to Bixi Palace, any corners he may have stopped at, and inside and outside my bedroom."
"I obey the order."
Wu Junnian solemnly agreed, and then added cautiously:
"Your Majesty, just in case, I suggest that you have the Imperial Kitchen immediately prepare several large pots of anti-epidemic medicine and distribute it to all the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards on duty today. Consuming it for three consecutive days will at least have some preventative effect and reassure people."
Wen Li'er agreed and nodded.
"What Imperial Physician Wu said is absolutely correct. I will immediately send down the order, instructing the Imperial Kitchen to immediately prepare the medicine, and everyone in the palace must take it."
She stood up and paced anxiously in the hall. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.
"No! It's not just the Imperial Palace! Nong Zhigao has been sneaking into the capital for days, sneaking all the way from Zhennan Pass, passing through countless prefectures and cities. Who can guarantee that he hasn't planted similar sinister seeds of disaster elsewhere along the way?!"
Wen Li'er suddenly stopped and gave the order, "The entire capital, as well as all the cities along the route from Zhennan Pass to the capital, must immediately begin brewing anti-epidemic medicine and inform the people to share it."
Don't be afraid of ten thousand things, just be prepared for one.
If this evil disease is allowed to spread freely in the cities and prefectures of various provinces... it will be a disaster that will destroy the country!
Thinking of that horrible scene, Wen Li'er couldn't help but tremble all over.
Before this, she had never realized so clearly that the damage that could be caused by the malice of one person, a heartless demon, was enough to shake the foundation of the country.
"Quick, someone come."
Wen Li'er's voice suddenly rose. "Hurry and send someone to invite Princess Lin, Princess Liang, Princess Qian, and several senior officials from the National Defense Fund Raising Office to the palace immediately! Tell them that there's an extremely urgent matter concerning the fate of the country and the people's livelihood. No delay is allowed."
To mobilize the whole country to prevent the epidemic, there is no better place to go than the "National Protection and Fund Raising Office" which is spread all over the country and is extremely efficient.
With the help of carrier pigeons and an express delivery of 800 miles, the news will surely reach all directions at the fastest speed.
It was already late at night, and Ye Caiwei, Ge Jinhe, Xu Xianyue and several core managers of the National Defense Fund Raising Office were all called out from their nests.
At first, I couldn't help feeling helpless, thinking that the Imperial Concubine was working too hard.
But when the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict whispered that "the Ghost King of Nanzhao has most likely spread the deadly plague on his way to the capital, or even inside the capital...", everyone lost all sleepiness in an instant and was scared out of their wits.
They no longer cared about their appearance, wrapped themselves in outer clothes, boarded the carriage as quickly as possible, and rushed towards the palace.
Several senior officials of the National Defense Fund Raising Office were also extremely shocked and rushed into the palace.
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