36. Fortune Teller
Disaster relief is urgent. After taking the oath, Yun Zhihe has won the hearts of some people, and some people abide by his orders.
After the city gates were opened, the medical officer and other personnel were welcomed in. Xuanyuan He was supposed to be outside the city to receive supplies, but after Yun Zhihe talked with him, he asked to enter the city.
Yun Zhihe frowned and shook his head in rejection.
"Your safety is paramount. What should you do if you accidentally contract a disease?"
Xuanyuan He paused, and the thin boy looked up at her.
"Sister Zhihe, you've cut your hair and sworn an oath for the people. As the crown prince of a nation, if you're just afraid of death and cower outside the city walls, why would you worry about the people?"
Yun Zhihe said nothing, but pursed his lips, clearly showing his disapproval.
He leaned closer, raised his head, and put his face close to hers. His breath was as fragrant as orchid, and his brows were slightly furrowed. I felt pity for her.
"Although I am a man, I am not weak."
Xuanyuan He's appearance is extremely deceptive. Judging from the relationship between Xuanyuan Ying and Xian Fenghou, Xuanyuan Ying and Xuanyuan He should be cousins, even though there is a big age difference between them.
Also, through the relationship between the throne and blood, Xuanyuan should become his stepfather.
Therefore, Xuanyuan He and Xuanyuan Yingsheng are somewhat similar.
But Xuanyuan Henian was still young, his eyes were not yet fully grown, his almond-shaped eyes were particularly beautiful, and his body was slender.
At this moment, he looked up pitifully and asked in a hoarse voice, which made Yun Zhihe dazed for a few seconds.
It can't be said that he was seduced, but rather that he was similar to His Majesty.
If this expression appeared on His Majesty's face...
Yun Zhihe was stunned for a moment and suppressed the rebellious thoughts in his mind.
Xuanyuan He's expression darkened, and for a moment he looked a little cold. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, concealing the darkness.
"There are always insects and snakes outside the city, and there have always been bandits around Longcheng. I don't have many guards on this trip. If the bandits attack, I will be in danger of losing my life."
Yun Zhihe came back to his senses and started to consider it after listening to his analysis. After some thought, he agreed to let Xuanyuan He enter the city.
However, you must stay in a safe and disease-free place and cannot leave at will.
It does have a bit of the meaning of hiding a beautiful woman in a golden house.
Xuanyuan He felt a little relieved and followed the carriage into the city.
His clothes were all fumigated with realgar, and his face was covered with a cloth fumigated with medicine. Even though he was fully armed, he was still shocked when he just got off the carriage and arrived at the county government office.
He had not opened the curtain in the carriage just now, so it was terrifying to see it now.
The smell of cooked meat and the stench of the burning corpse were mixed together, and the rotting corpse could be vaguely seen in the fire. Xuanyuan He paused, as if he thought of something bad, and his face turned pale.
Xuanyuan He helped Yun Zhihe get off the carriage.
His face was expressionless, even a little gloomy. He followed her for a few steps, but his fingertips trembled as he grabbed Yun Zhihe's sleeve.
He didn't want to continue looking, but the glance just now was firmly imprinted in his mind.
He had seen rotting rats when he was young.
At that time, the emperor who adopted him had already fallen out of favor and was somewhat insane. There was no one to take care of him. It was called a palace, but it was not much different from a cold palace. Rats and cockroaches were common.
Xuanyuan He had seen cockroaches covering the corpses of mice, emitting a foul odor.
Then the later king.
She hated him so much that she cried and laughed at the same time. She picked up the piece of rotten meat and tried to stuff it into his mouth, shouting with love in her eyes.
"My dear prince, let your father feed you something delicious... Your father will feed you... Open your mouth! Open your mouth!"
The man started screaming like crazy again, crying and shouting for him to open his mouth.
"Why don't you open your mouth! Open it!"
He was young at that time, his face was pinched, and his eyes were full of tears.
Xuanyuan He's eyes trembled, and he seemed not to want to think about it any further. He pursed his lips and his breathing became heavier.
Yun Zhihe noticed his abnormality and knew that the scene was bloody and disgusting. The young man would inevitably have a nightmare after seeing it, so she stopped and wanted to say a few words of comfort. Unexpectedly, as soon as she stopped, Xuanyuan He was distracted and did not stop, and fell into her arms.
"too--"
The young man's body was hot and thin. He suddenly hugged Yun Zhihe, his fingertips tightly grasping her clothes, and he was trembling violently.
Xuanyuan He's voice was hoarse, as if it was being squeezed out of his mouth.
"Let me... hold you..."
Yun Zhihe lowered his eyes and gently stroked his back with his fingers to comfort him.
There was pain surging in Xuanyuan He's eyes. He took a few deep breaths and suppressed the emotions surging in his eyes.
His body was still shaking, and the trembling was even more severe.
Yun Zhihe pursed her lips. The young man in her arms was slender and fragile. The body temperature he transmitted was particularly hot. His breathing was heavy, and he seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
Not wanting to think about it anymore, Xuanyuan He forced himself to calm down.
He bit his lower lip until it turned white.
Yun Zhihe didn't know how to comfort her. The city was full of corpses, and there was a cremation site in front of the county government office.
She thought about it, let him hold her for a while, and then put her arms around his waist.
“Hmm—”
She suddenly picked him up and the boy was in her arms.
Yun Zhihe exhaled, placed his hand on the back of his head, pulled his head to his chest, and spoke in a clear voice.
"...Your Highness, close your eyes."
Xuanyuan He paused, widened his eyes, and was a little stunned.
He let himself bury himself in her arms, closed his eyes, and his lips turned pale.
But the woman's embrace was very warm.
Warm and soft...the coldness in the bones was suddenly dispelled.
He still remembered how he cried in her arms when he was young in order to gain sympathy and benefits, and it was just as warm as it was now.
Xuanyuan He was in a trance for a moment.
He lay motionless in her chest, his fingertips tightly grasping her clothes.
Then tears fell.
…
The corpses scattered in the city have been collected and burned. In the past few days, Longcheng was filled with thick smoke from the burning of corpses. At first, some people opposed it, saying that the dead are the most important and burying them in peace is the most important thing.
In the previous dynasty, there were two ways to deal with corpses during epidemics: collective burning and burial. However, all the food and grass in Longcheng had rotted and died. I don’t know if it was related to the epidemic. It would be better to burn them individually.
Moreover, corpses decompose very quickly and their deaths are extremely cruel. There is no guarantee that the people being buried will be infected with diseases during the transportation and burial process.
Some people were very dissatisfied. After the body was burned, they beat drums and shouted in front of the county government office, crying bitterly.
"The body can't be burned! My father has done good deeds all his life, how could he end up with his bones crushed and ashes scattered?!"
"Give me back my father's body!"
Her gongs and drums were beating loudly. Yun Zhihe, who was originally busy and dizzy and wanted to take a break, walked out and wanted to explain.
Perhaps her trust had not yet been fully established, and the moment the woman saw her come out, she wanted to rush over and fight her to the death.
"You bastard official, you destroyed my father's body! Those who burn the body cannot enter the reincarnation cycle. Ugh, you made my father a wandering ghost!"
She looked a bit mad with pain, and the guards beside her quickly held her down.
"My father! My father!"
The woman curled up on the ground and cried loudly. Her crying was so sad that it attracted many people to watch. However, they were evacuated by the guards who were afraid of the gathering and infection.
Yun Zhihe paused, wanting to comfort her, but suddenly realized something was wrong.
She had read a lot in recent years, including biographies, miscellaneous books, and strange stories, but she had never found any local customs or practices that said that cremating a corpse would prevent reincarnation.
But she still sighed softly, whispered to comfort the sad and crying woman, and explained to her.
"Burning a corpse can lead to reincarnation. Your father was afflicted by the plague. Doing this is only to ensure the safety of others. Collect your father's ashes and bury them."
"He will definitely be reborn into a good family."
When the woman heard this, she suddenly began to struggle, cursing loudly with red eyes.
"You're a jerk from the imperial court! The witch said that cremating a corpse won't lead to reincarnation. Woohoo, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, you must be trying to extort money!"
"What a sinister intention, wu ...
...Witch?
Yun Zhihe frowned, and a local servant from Longcheng came up to her and whispered to her.
"There's a Taoist witch in Longcheng. She was a distinguished guest invited by the previous county magistrate. She lives in a safe place..."
"Also, they said that if we want to end the plague, we need to sacrifice young boys and girls to the Mother Goddess..."
The servant hesitated, but still spoke, "The boy and girl are still with the witch, waiting to be sacrificed at the middle of the month... Yes, that was ordered by the previous county magistrate."
"absurd!"
She couldn't help but scream.
Yun Zhihe didn't believe in ghosts or gods in the first place, so when he heard what the witch said, he suddenly felt a bit absurdly angry.
Before the plague, they were still talking about gods and ghosts, disregarding human ethics, sacrificing human lives, and causing chaos among the people.
Yun Zhihe no longer paid attention to the woman who was pinned to the ground, but spoke with a somewhat unhappy expression.
"Take me to the place where the witch lives and rescue the boy and girl."
The servant was a little confused.
"Sir, if a sacrifice is performed in the middle of the month, Longcheng can be saved. Why... why do we need to..."
She suddenly shut up again under Yun Zhihe's cold gaze.
The witch had great prestige and was highly respected. When the plague broke out, people who had no farmland burned incense to her every day. They could hear the wind as wind and the rain as rain, and they could capture all the young boys and girls.
The witch was already treated as a guest of honor by the previous county magistrate, and the people of Longcheng also respected her very much. She traveled around the country, practicing witchcraft, and was respected by everyone wherever she went.
Originally, she had hoped that the new magistrate of Longcheng County would come to visit her in person, but she didn't expect that Madam Xiaoyun was such an untactful person. She hadn't brought any gifts to see her for several days.
The witch was inevitably a little annoyed. When she heard that Madam Xiaoyun was coming, she wanted to embarrass her. She took a sip of tea and snorted coldly.
"……not see!"
She thought that the newly appointed county magistrate must have been disappointed and came back with the best gifts to please her. She happily took another sip of tea and smacked her lips.
"Bang——"
In an instant, there was the sound of a door being kicked open and the noise of servants trying to stop it.
The witch shuddered with fear, and the tea in her hand spilled all over the floor. She roared angrily.
"Who is so bold!"
A clear voice came over.
"Longcheng County Magistrate, Yun Zhihe!"
Then a beautiful figure appeared at the door against the halo. Yun Zhihe walked into the house with flowing hair and upright steps. She was so beautiful that she didn't look like an ordinary woman.
Yun Zhihe looked her up and down and smiled gently.
"Are you the Jining witch?"
The Jining witch was furious, knowing that this woman was here to cause trouble. "Little girl! What are you doing trespassing into my Jining witch's house?!"
Yun Zhihe slowly glanced at Azhi beside him. Azhi understood what he meant and went to look for the boy and girl who were locked up by the witch.
She walked to her seat under the watchful eye of the Jining witch. Qingzhu, who followed her, picked up the teapot, poured her a cup of tea, and stood obediently behind her.
Yun Zhihe smiled softly, her beautiful eyes and eyebrows were gentle.
"I have admired you for a long time, so I naturally came to visit you to see if you are as powerful as the rumors say."
"I would like to know where this Longcheng plague originated from?"
The Jining witch had been glaring at her for a long time, but because of the guards around her, she did not act rashly and raised her neck arrogantly.
"Humph, isn't it because someone in Longcheng disrespected the Mother Goddess and angered the Underground Mother Goddess? If you know what's good for you, apologize to this old woman and I will plead with the Mother Goddess to forgive your sins."
His cloudy eyes looked at Qingzhu who was serving beside him, and he felt that he was particularly handsome, just like the young man in the painting.
"No, no, no, you kicked the door open and had a bad attitude. If you offer this young man..." She had a greedy smile on her face, "I will plead for you."
She spoke with confidence. Yun Zhihe held the teacup and couldn't help laughing out loud, as cheerful as a silver bell.
His eyes flashed.
From these few sentences, we can tell that this Jining witch Li Jia is nothing but a charlatan who cheats people with her fortune.
She had laughed enough, and suddenly put the teacup in her hand on the table with a "bang" sound, her voice solemn.
"A charlatan, a fraud! In the time of plague, he spread lies to deceive the people and mislead their minds. He even wanted to sacrifice young boys and girls to kill people!"
The Jining witch was stunned. She had been swindling people for many years, relying on the knowledge gained from years of travel to make up stories. She pretended so well that people almost believed her. But this Madam Xiaoyun didn't believe her. She was panicked and angry.
"You are still young, and you don't know the ghosts and gods here! What makes you say I am a charlatan?"
Yun Zhihe didn't want to listen to her nonsense. She waved her hand and asked the guards to drive her away. Her expression was a little cold, and she ignored the Jining witch's shouting and scolding.
"Give her twenty lashes and throw her out! This witch's house will be confiscated and used as a place to treat the infected."
The Jining witch was stunned and struggled.
"Let me go! Let me go! You are disrespectful to the gods! There will be divine punishment! There will be divine punishment!"
The Jining witch screamed and was pulled away by the guards again.
Yun Zhihe glanced at him indifferently and took another sip of tea.
They also sent people to issue a notice that the Jining fortune teller was a swindler.
The capable medical officers from the capital have begun to develop decoctions to cure the plague, but the disease is strange. The medical officers have been busy for several days but have made no progress. They can only burn the bodies and isolate them as much as possible, and let the people sprinkle more wine and burn more mugwort.
There was a shortage of food and clothing in Longcheng. Even if all the grain stored in the county government was taken out, it would not be enough to feed the entire city.
She has reported the situation in Longcheng. Firstly, she needs to wait for the imperial court to transport grain, and secondly... the wealthy merchants in the city have too much grain stored, so she should be able to get them to agree to provide disaster relief.
She had only been there for a few days, and the city was still in ruins, with the people lying like zombies, but the corpses had almost been burned to ashes.
Yun Zhihe was thinking about this matter. After he dealt with the Jining witch, he was sitting in the carriage and heading back. There were very few people infected with the disease here. Suddenly, he saw a crowd gathered in front of him.
Although it is safe here, it is better to gather as little as possible.
She frowned and was about to stop the gathering, but then she looked closely and saw a porridge stall in front of her.
After a pause, he understood, got off the carriage and walked over.
Although I understand, I still want to remind you a few words.
The rich young man scooped porridge for the victims. His black hair was tied up. He had a handsome face with the gentleness of a beautiful girl from a small family. His face was as white as jade, which was very pleasing to the eye.
When he saw Yun Zhihe slowly approaching, he was suddenly startled and spilled the porridge in his hand. He hurriedly put it back in place, and his ears turned red.
Liu Yu had heard about the new county magistrate a long time ago.
Serving the country and the people, with a clear mind and a bright heart, he was so honest and upright that he even cut his hair and swore an oath. She was the lady Yun Zhihe in the capital, whose talent and beauty were known throughout the world.
He suddenly felt a little shy.
A pair of beautiful eyes were shy and timid, and she greeted softly, "Yun, County Magistrate Yun..."
Yun Zhihe nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke again, "The epidemic is spreading throughout the city, and we have to ensure our own safety while distributing porridge."
She had a piece of cloth fumigated with medicine on her mouth and nose, and then she took out another piece from her sleeve and handed it to him.
"May I ask your name, sir? This cloth can be used to prevent epidemics. Please do not put yourself in danger."
Liu Yu's face flushed red as she looked at her beautiful, cold, and bright eyes. She took the cloth and stammered again.
"My name is Liu Yu, the youngest son of the Liu family."
He lowered his head, too embarrassed to speak.
The attendant next to him thought Yun Zhihe was going to blame him, so he hurried over to explain.
"Yun, County Magistrate Yun, my son is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see people suffering. Since the outbreak of the plague, he has donated clothes and sold jewelry. He also braved his wife's anger and sneaked out to distribute porridge every day."
“This is where most people who are not infected with the disease gather.”
The plague broke out for many days, and the people who were not infected with the disease spontaneously divided themselves into places of shelter, and this place was one of them.
"The food for this porridge was bought with your monthly salary..."
Yun Zhihe couldn't help being a little surprised. She nodded and gave instructions.
"Young Master, you are gentle yet strong, and your heart to help others should be praised by everyone. However, while distributing porridge, you must also ensure your own safety and avoid contracting any disease."
Liu Yuze's face was still flushed with shame. She lowered her head and nodded gently, then looked up at her a few times.
"I understand..."
Qingzhu, who was following beside him, paused. As a man, he was naturally sensitive to the details of love between men and women. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and there was a hint of darkness in his eyes.
He looked at Young Master Liu Yu for a while, and seeing his handsome face and tall figure, he secretly had some thoughts in his mind.
But Qingzhu had no ill intentions, and she looked at him with a slightly higher regard in her dark eyes.
Liu Yu said goodbye to Yun Zhihe in a daze. After distributing the porridge, she curled up in a corner of the carriage with a red face, and was laughed at by the servants next to her.
"Did you lose your heart, sir?"
"Nonsense, pure nonsense!"
He explained hurriedly, and then thought of Yun Zhihe's beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and his handsome face flushed.
Yun Zhihe, on the other hand, was secretly thinking in the county government office that the Liu family was the richest family in the city, and perhaps they could take over and solve the food shortage problem in the city and relieve the urgent problem.
Having made up her mind, she began to prepare.
The sky was getting dark, and Longcheng was gradually engulfed in the night. The black smoke from the cremation was still burning, covering the sky above Longcheng and swallowing up the darkness.
The Jining witch was still beating her with twenty boards, and she was crying and cursing.
"Yun Zhihe! You will die a miserable death!"
"You, uh! Ignorant little girl! You shall die a miserable death!"
The cursing and crying continued for a long time.
The author has something to say:
Liu Yu is not one of the male lead candidates, don't like him too much
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