"Get out of my way!"
Seeing this, Liu Huo also rushed in and helped Gu Zhixing disperse the plague victims.
Gu Zhixing glanced at the plague victims kneeling or crawling on the ground. Their faces were ulcerated, covered with bluish-purple sores, their dark blue lips trembled incessantly, and their sunken eye sockets were filled with a deathly gray-black.
What was even more nauseating was the stench of decay, a mixture of pus, blood, and the smell of death, which permeated the air.
Even though he didn't understand medicine, he knew that without enough effective medicine, these people wouldn't have many days left to live.
"Your Highness, let's go quickly," Liu Huo said, turning to Gu Zhixing.
Anyone with eyes could see that Gu Zhixing was either rich or noble, and if he had the ability to take Shen Jintang out, then he certainly had the ability to take them out as well.
Although the hope is slim, having hope is better than staying here and waiting to die.
Almost everyone thought the same way: seeing a glimmer of hope for survival would only lead to more and more people gathering to fight the epidemic.
They didn't have enough people with them; most of them stayed in the government office to guard the officials, and they brought fewer than ten people with them.
If things escalate now and the number of infected people increases, it won't be so easy for them to leave.
It's early morning, and there are still few people around. The most important thing is to get our master out of here.
"Um."
Gu Zhixing withdrew his gaze, pulled Shen Jintang closer to his chest, and was about to leave.
"Honeysuckle... is cold in nature and sweet in taste. It can... clear heat and detoxify, and dispel wind-heat..." Shen Jintang murmured to herself, right next to Gu Zhixing's ear.
Gu Zhixing didn't hear clearly, so he turned his head slightly to look at Shen Jintang and asked softly, "What did you say?"
Forsythia... is bitter and slightly cold in nature, and can... clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and dissipate nodules... treat febrile diseases...
"Artemisia leaves are warm in nature... bitter and pungent in taste... have the effects of... warming the meridians and stopping bleeding, dispelling cold and relieving pain... and can... purify the air."
"Guanzhong...Cangshu..."
"Save...save people..."
Shen Jintang still didn't open her eyes, and she just muttered these words to herself.
Even with such a high fever, she was still thinking about these medicines, which shows how much she valued them.
Gu Zhixing's steps faltered, and he could no longer move.
He didn't understand medicine, but he still knew the names of these medicines.
He heard the last two words, "save people," especially clearly.
"Help me..."
"Help me..."
More and more plague victims gathered around, and it was clear that Liu Huo and his guards could no longer stop them.
"Your Highness, quickly take your master away!"
As Liu Huo drove away the plague victims, he spoke to Gu Zhixing.
He really didn't understand what they were lingering here for.
Don't you know that the longer you wait, the less likely you are to leave?
Gu Zhixing lowered his eyebrows slightly and looked at Shen Jintang.
Shen Jintang was still memorizing the names of medicinal herbs, but unconsciously.
He looked around at the plague victims, all of them pale and emaciated, filthy and disgusting, but they were all the same, all wanting to live.
These people are all his subjects.
He was supported by these people.
Now that the people are suffering from floods and hardship, how can he leave?
How could he leave?
"Liu Huo, you can all leave!" Gu Zhixing suddenly said.
"Wh...what?" Liu Huo thought she had misheard and turned to look at him.
Gu Zhixing repeated, "I'm not leaving. I'm staying here."
"You all should get out of here right now."
With that, Gu Zhixing turned around and went back.
...
Gu Zhixing stayed among the plague victims in the west of the city, and this matter quickly reached the government offices.
The officials of Yanzhou and Sizhou were all terrified, a hundred times more so than when Gu Zhixing had threatened to skin them alive.
He had to go more than ten times a day just to ask Gu Zhixing to come out.
What kind of place is this in the west of the city?
He could die at any moment!
If Gu Zhixing were to die here, Princess Chang would not only want their lives, but the lives of their entire clan!
But Gu Zhixing seemed determined not to come out. He even had people move all of Shen Jintang's previous belongings to him, as if he intended to live there.
"Master, what kind of nonsense is the young master up to?" Shi Shu scratched her head, completely puzzled, and said, "Is he out of his mind?"
Aside from this possibility, Shi Shu really couldn't think of any other possibility.
If someone wasn't out of their mind, who would live among the epidemic victims?
Could it be that he's really tired of living?
“He’s not out of his mind, he’s clear-headed and knows what he should do.” Shen Huaixu gazed in the west of the city, his eyes deep, lost in thought.
"Huh? Master, I don't understand!" Shi Shu frowned, the more she thought about it, the less she understood.
Shen Huaixu studied the diagrams of the mechanisms Shen Jintang had given him earlier and said calmly, "Haven't you noticed that the officials have become more diligent lately?"
Previously, the officials in Yanzhou all had a laissez-faire attitude, as if it were none of their business. If you asked them to do something, you had to ask them three or five times before they would do it.
But what about now?
Which one of them isn't very diligent?
They were terrified that Gu Zhixing would die here.
So they all started desperately trying to find a way, using all their connections to find medicine, people, and money to cure this epidemic.
The officials were so diligent that even he felt ashamed of himself. In fact, he hadn't been able to get any work related to the epidemic victims for so many days and could only manage the river.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
