An unprecedented plague suddenly broke out in the peaceful Jin Kingdom!
In less than a day, hundreds of towns along the border between the Great Xia and the Jin Kingdom were swept away by the plague.
Regardless of gender, age, or even animal, the cattle and sheep in the pen died for no apparent reason!
This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for the already impoverished Jin Dynasty.
...
The report was sent by express courier to Pingcheng, the capital of the Jin Dynasty!
Upon receiving the news, King Kim Jae-shin immediately convened a meeting of his ministers!
At this moment, in the magnificent hall, a fat man dressed in black royal robes paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. This was the King of Jin, Kim Jaeshin!
"I have already dispatched the best medical team to the epidemic area, but so far no one has been able to diagnose what the disease is! Do any of you ministers have any good ideas?" Kim Jae-shin asked anxiously.
The Jin Kingdom already had a small population, and it was most afraid of such a major disaster. If too many people died, it would be a pipe dream for the country to become strong.
At this moment, an old minister approached, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, this plague is probably even more severe than the one that swept the globe in 2202! This disease is enough to wipe out a race, and it is beyond the capacity of our Jin Kingdom to withstand. I suggest that we seek help from the Great Xia and have them send a medical team to see if they can control the situation!"
"No way!" Kim Jae-shin immediately rejected the idea.
"Do you think Great Xia is safe? The covert war is raging, Great Xia is beset by internal and external troubles, and we can't even figure out the situation at the top! I've said before that we must be cautious about our current relationship with Great Xia!"
"Furthermore, if hostile forces learn of our predicament, they will surely take advantage of our misfortune, which would be a heavy blow to our Jin Kingdom!"
"Therefore, I have closed the country's borders, and this matter must not be leaked to anyone!"
Kim Jae-shin is a very cautious person.
Some of his concerns are genuine.
But most importantly, he cared a lot about his rule and didn't want outsiders to interfere in the country's internal affairs!
The Kim family has maintained this policy for three generations, essentially keeping the country in a state of isolation!
Moreover, with a powerful neighbor like the Great Xia who doesn't like to meddle in other people's business, this policy can continue indefinitely to maintain their dynasty and rule!
"But Your Majesty, this is not a simple plague, but a fever that is spreading extremely rapidly. The infected people die almost within 24 hours, and their deaths are extremely gruesome, with their bodies almost completely ulcerated and without any healthy parts!" The minister knelt down tremblingly, weeping bitterly.
He was also a senior official, a veteran of three reigns! Some intelligence was also sent to him, and he knew more about it than Kim Jae-shin.
Kim Jaeshin waved his hand, his eyes flickered, and said, "No need to say anything more. If there's a problem, solve it. If you can't solve the problem, then deal with the person!"
"Golden Guards, heed my command!"
"exist!"
A group of armored men stepped forward. These were Kim Jaeshin's trump cards, the royal guards, just like the Imperial Guards of the Great Xia Dynasty, who only obeyed the royal authority!
Kim Jaeshin said coldly, "From now on, close Pingcheng and all other cities not affected by the plague, and prohibit all refugees from entering these cities!"
"Anyone who dares to disobey orders will be killed without mercy!"
This command can solve the problem at its root.
If people stop moving around, the epidemic will naturally not spread.
However, the old minister panicked upon hearing this and immediately knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, you can't do this! Isn't this just letting the people wait to die? Please go out and see! The land outside is barren and the fields are littered with corpses of the starved! They have no hope. Those areas already have poor medical care. If you don't let them into the city, isn't that just sending them to their deaths?"
"You are the emperor, you should love your people like your own children, how can you treat them like straw dogs! My Majesty!" The old minister pleaded earnestly, tears streaming down his face.
Jin Zaishen glared at him. "Every time something happens, it's you old babbling on and on. Let me tell you, I've put up with you for far too long! I'm not the late emperor, I won't tolerate you! If you keep nagging, believe me, I'll chop you up!"
The old minister's face was resolute. "Since ancient times, no one has ever escaped death. I will leave my loyal heart to shine in history. I will not allow Your Majesty to become a callous and incompetent ruler. Even if you kill me, I will still remonstrate with you!"
"Admonish your mother my ass! You asked for this yourself. Men, drag this old bastard out and behead him!" Jin Zaishen ordered angrily.
Immediately, two Imperial Guards stepped forward and pulled the old minister outside.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!"
"Please save the people! My Emperor, I don't care about my own death, the people are the foundation of the nation. You are destroying the Great Wall of your own country!"
The old man was stubborn as a mule; he was about to die, but he kept shouting.
Kim Jae-shin grew increasingly agitated. "Drag him out immediately and cut him into a thousand pieces!"
"Report—"
"The General has arrived!"
Just then, a voice came.
Everyone looked over and saw a burly man in battle armor striding towards them with great speed and power!
This is Kim Hee-soon, the Grand Marshal of the Jin Dynasty and also Kim Jae-shin's uncle!
"Uncle, what brings you here?" Kim Jae-shin asked in shock.
Kim Hee-soon's status in the Jin Kingdom was almost equal to that of the king, and he held the military power of the entire Jin Kingdom! However, Kim Hee-soon was exceptionally loyal and set a rule that he could not enter the capital without being summoned.
However, this hasty return was completely out of character! Everyone knew that something serious must have happened!
Wow!
Jin Xishun lifted his battle armor, knelt on one knee, and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty, I have ascertained that this plague was caused by a drought demon that intruded into the border of Great Xia. This demon possesses boundless magical power, and I have done everything in my power to intercept it. However, the situation is dire! I sent a division of troops to ambush it, but we were almost completely wiped out! Now, it is heading towards the capital! Pingcheng is no longer safe. I beg Your Majesty to quickly move to Jiangxia for temporary refuge!"
boom!
This caused an uproar in the main hall!
"My God, a drought demon! Isn't that the legendary terrifying zombie?"
"When the drought demon appears, not a blade of grass will grow! It is a being capable of destroying a nation!"
"Did Heaven send the drought demon into my small Jin Kingdom to destroy us?"
Those present almost represented the upper class of the Jin Dynasty, and they all felt desperate after such an incident!
Kim Jaeshin's face was extremely ugly. "My Kim family has never moved the capital in three generations. If I leave now, wouldn't that be a disgrace to our ancestors?"
Jin Xishun shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, this plague is too severe. Wherever the drought demon goes, no one can survive. They don't even need to come into contact with the people; they will be infected with fever and die from festering sores!"
"That terrifying?" Jin Zaishen's eyes widened. "Then, let's go! Quickly pack your things and head to Jiangxia!"
Kim Jae-shin was about to go back to pack his things when a maid rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Her Highness the Princess has left the palace without permission and has already gone to the epidemic area for disaster relief!"
"What?" Kim Jae-shin's expression changed instantly.
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