"Your Highness, I have two more conditions before I agree to this!"
Even Prince Duan, who was being held hostage by Lü Tu, was displeased: "You dare to make demands? Just how much guts do you have?"
Zhao Qingyao was also enraged by Lü Tu's words, her high breasts heaving, which was quite a sight to behold.
The palace maid quickly brought her some ginseng tea, which calmed her down a bit. She said, "Tell me. If you go too far, I'll fight tooth and nail for Prince Duan's head, and I'll kill you too!"
Prince Duan's face fell: "Sister, I'm your own brother!"
Zhao Qingyao rolled her eyes: "I don't care. Who told you to be such a useless piece of trash to be captured by Lü Tu?"
"explain!"
Lu Tu said solemnly, "A month is too short. If you insist that I cure all the smallpox patients within this period, it's not impossible, but I need money, food, and manpower!"
Upon hearing these three conditions, everyone present turned grim. How strange! If there were so much money, food, and manpower, the plague would have been under control long ago. The key is that there aren't such good conditions right now. Otherwise, why would they have sent Lu Tu to do this almost impossible task?
"No!" Yun Tian immediately rejected Lü Tu.
Before Lü Tu could speak, Prince Duan panicked: "Yes, yes, I can get some money and grain from Longcheng for you, but I don't have any people, so you'll have to rely on yourself."
At this moment, everyone was staring intently at Lü Tu's hand, fearing that he might accidentally stab Prince Duan to death.
The most nervous among them were Nie Yun, Liu Hong, and others. Nie Yun was filled with remorse. If he hadn't acted so impulsively, perhaps this whole mess wouldn't have happened. He was even more grateful to Lü Tu, because a brother who truly stood up for him was someone worth following to the death.
The next second, Lü Tu released the knife from Duan Wang's hand: "Alright then, I trust the Second Princess's character."
Even Prince Duan was surprised that Lü Tu would release him so readily. But he himself forgot that Lü Tu had already released him once before, and it was only because he had taken the initiative to approach him.
The Imperial Guard stepped forward and examined Prince Duan's neck. Finding nothing amiss, he quickly knelt down: "This humble servant failed to protect you properly. Please punish me, Your Highness!"
Lu Tu's face immediately darkened. These bastards from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, weren't they trying to put him in a difficult position by doing this?
Sure enough, Prince Duan, Liu Xiao, looked over with hostility. Lü Tu gripped his knife tightly; if Liu Xiao broke his promise, he would have no choice but to fight again.
But the next second, Liu Xiao snorted coldly: "You do have some ability, you are brave and resourceful, you are a good talent, from now on you will work for me!"
Lu Tu continued to refuse: "That won't do, I still have to go kill the Wuhuan dogs."
Liu Xiao knew that now was not the time to target Lü Tu, so he ordered the people around him, "Go and bring the things. I'll give you seven days. If you can't bring them, you can expect to lose your head!"
Zhao Qingyao sat in the chair and ordered all the Imperial Guards to leave. Nie Yun and the others beside Lü Tu naturally followed suit, which was tantamount to exempting them from the crime of offense.
Then he slowly looked at Lü Tu and said, "Now that there are no outsiders here, tell me what you plan to do."
Lu Tu looked at Yun Tian warily and said, "I won't say anything if he's here, but Yun Tian hates me to the bone and will definitely try to stop me."
Zhao Xiao glanced at Yun Tian sideways: "This is a task given to me by my elder brother. You understand what that means, Yun Tian?"
Yun Tian trembled and quickly bowed, saying, "Understood, Your Highness. During this period, I will certainly do my duty faithfully and cooperate well with Lü Tu in treating the plague, so that Your Majesty and Your Highness can rest assured."
Now that the two members of the Zhao family have stepped forward to protect Lü Tu, Yun Tian couldn't show it no matter how much he hated Lü Tu. He quickly changed the subject and said, "Lü Tu, we're both men. I did hate you before, but His Highness and the Princess have spoken. I'm willing to make peace with you. What do you think?"
Lu Tu sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he smiled and said with an expression that suggested it was better to resolve conflicts than to create them, "That's very good!"
Under the watchful eyes of Zhao Qingyao and Zhao Xiao, the two shook hands and made peace. However, both knew that this was only temporary. The real battle would begin after Lü Tu cured the plague, Zhao Qingyao went to Wuhuan for a marriage alliance, and Prince Duan returned to Longcheng to take charge.
Zhao Qingyao nodded and said, "We are all subjects of Dayu. It is perfectly normal to have conflicts in our work. Alright, now tell me your solution."
Lu Tu shrugged indifferently: "Actually, there's no profound method. I can cure it."
Upon hearing this, all three people present looked at Lü Tu with strange expressions.
Prince Duan said unhappily, "Since you had the medicine, why didn't you use it to treat the people before?"
Yun Tian explained from the side, "He was definitely on guard against me before, Your Highness, please don't blame Lü Tu."
Zhao Qingyao frowned and asked, "Are you sure your medicine will work? Have you had someone test it?"
Lu Tu explained, "You've misunderstood. I meant I know how to treat it, but I don't have a suitable prescription."
He wasn't stupid. If he rashly told Prince Duan and others about his formula for smallpox and penicillin, they would surely make him hand it over to the court. How could he then use this stuff to gain power?
Moreover, "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." This prescription is priceless, and Lu Tu would never reveal it. He could only claim that he had a folk remedy.
Zhao Qingyao continued, "So, you've already cured smallpox patients?"
“That’s right, Miss Wang Miaoling of the Wang family recently contracted smallpox, but I have cured her.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Tian stood up in surprise: "I know that Wang Miaoling had smallpox, but she's really still alive?"
Lu Tu laughed heartily: "She is not only alive, but thriving, and she has already married me."
As he said this, Lü Tu glanced at Zhao Qingyao, trying to see a change in her expression. Unfortunately, Zhao Qingyao had lost all interest in the matter since she made that not-so-small joke earlier.
Is this really true?
"Yes, that's why I have that confidence."
Prince Duan waved his hand impatiently. He had previously thought that Lü Tu had a prescription, and if he did, he could take it as his own achievement and present it to the emperor.
"In that case, Lu Tu, you should go back and prepare. My men will send money and provisions to your village within seven days."
Lu Tu stood up and said, "Alright, this humble general will take his leave first!"
Just before leaving, Lü Tu heard someone calling him. He turned around and saw that it was a palace maid from Zhao Qingyao's side. Her face was flushed from running, which showed that she didn't exercise much.
He secretly handed Lü Tu a jade pendant and whispered, "Her Highness the Princess instructed me to keep this jade pendant safe. It might save your life when we go to Wuhuan!"
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