Chapter 114 Chapter 114 The three members of the Dong family fell without a fight...
As soon as the three Dong family members left, the hall immediately became much quieter.
Yan Yu hadn't thought that he could use this opportunity to solve a major problem that was bothering him. He looked at the "hero" beside him and said in a good mood:
"You've really made a lot of progress recently. Today's incident is all thanks to you."
Cui Cen didn't dare to be arrogant and just said, "The Dong family is reaping what they sowed."
Yan Yu nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of the affairs of Yanzhou, I haven't rewarded you properly yet."
Not long ago, when Cui Cen escorted prisoners from Yanzhou back to the capital, Yan Yu suddenly learned that his nephew had joined the army and had made such great achievements in Yanzhou! Thinking of this, Yan Yu couldn't help but smile. True, a tiger father will have a dog son. If he doesn't make a sound, he'll be a sensation!
Cui Cen: "I'm not here to ask for a reward, I have something important to ask my uncle."
Yan Yu spread out a memorial and gestured for him to continue while correcting it.
"Has an epidemic broken out in Yanzhou?" Cui Cen asked straight to the point.
Yan Yu paused for a moment while correcting the paper. He raised his head and sighed slightly.
"Indeed."
Originally, disaster relief in Yanzhou had been temporarily settled, and the imperial court was considering sending a minister to Yanzhou to take over the subsequent affairs from Yan Zhuo. Therefore, Cui Cen escorted the prisoners back to the capital, while Yan Zhuo continued to oversee the situation in Yanzhou, awaiting the arrival of the imperial dispatch. However, over half a month had passed since he returned to the capital, and the others had yet to return, leaving him feeling uneasy. It wasn't until today that he heard from the young master that an epidemic had suddenly broken out in Yanzhou.
Cui Cen was anxious. "How could an epidemic suddenly break out? What's the situation in Yanzhou now? I took half of the troops with me when I escorted those criminals back to the capital. They might not have enough manpower. Has my uncle sent anyone to reinforce them?"
Yan Yu stared at the worried young man before him. His face, which bore a striking resemblance to his elder sister, left him slightly dazed. It had been ages since he'd seen Cui Cen. The last time he'd been in the court, things had been so rushed that he hadn't had time to get a good look. While the young man's delicate features resembled his mother's, they held no trace of femininity. Instead, his brows had shed some of the childishness from his experiences in Yanzhou, revealing a youthful spirit and a touch of the demeanor of the Marquis Zhenguo in his youth.
Yan Yu felt a little relieved in his heart. Unknowingly, the young man had grown up a lot and began to worry about the country and the people. If his elder sister and General Cui were still alive, they would definitely be proud of him.
But seeing the memorial in his hand, he couldn't help but sigh. The young man could still think about these things, but those old foxes in the court were making excuses and resisting.
Yan Yu pushed the letter in his hand over and motioned Cui Cen to take a look:
"I do want to send reinforcements, but look at these old foxes, each one of them is playing tricks on me. Yesterday he was in good spirits, but when he heard that I was going to send him to Yanzhou where there was an epidemic, he called in sick today and even wrote in a memorial saying that he was not feeling well and was afraid he could not take on such an important task."
A man who was still drinking three cups of wine in Zuihuayin yesterday, suddenly took sick leave today. The letter he handed in was so full of descriptions of his physical pain that he almost said he would die tomorrow.
“This is the second time this has happened.”
Other people in the court also avoided the issue. When the matter of Yanzhou was mentioned, it was as if their mouths were sealed with paste, and no one dared to speak.
Thinking of this, Yan Yu rubbed his temples with a headache.
He didn't trust any faction in the court, and the one he could trust was so unreliable.
At this moment, a young eunuch ran in in a panic, shouting as he ran: "Something terrible has happened, Your Majesty!"
Yan Yu frowned and asked, "Why are you so flustered?"
"The news of the epidemic in Yanzhou has spread like wildfire in the capital! There are also rumors that His Royal Highness Prince Heng has also been infected with the epidemic and is almost..." It's no use.
When the young eunuch looked up and saw the emperor's gloomy face, he was so scared that he couldn't say the rest of his sentence.
The young man beside him lost his temper when he heard this and grabbed the young eunuch, "Where did you hear such absurd words? How dare you pollute His Majesty's ears!"
"Forget it, let him talk. I also want to hear what people in the capital think about this."
Yan Yu waved his hand wearily, signaling the young eunuch to continue.
The young eunuch trembled and said, "They hope to seal off Yanzhou and burn those who are infected with the plague to death!"
The young man, who had never seen the cruelty of the world, was stunned. "If we seal off Yanzhou, what will happen to the people of Yanzhou? And those people who have contracted the epidemic, it's not impossible to cure them. How can we just burn them to death without giving it a try?"
Yan Yu wasn't surprised by this. He had long anticipated the consequences of publicizing the situation in Yanzhou. Human nature tends to seek benefits and avoid harm, and the public's fear of the epidemic meant Yanzhou was destined to become a target of public criticism.
Cui Cen stepped forward and said without hesitation, "Why not send me to Yanzhou with some men to provide support?"
Yan Yu looked up at him.
In terms of candidates, there is indeed no one more suitable than Cui Cen. He has been to Yanzhou, is familiar with the terrain of Yanzhou, and has a better understanding of the situation there. He is a reassuring candidate.
only......
Yan Yu withdrew his gaze and shook his head.
"The situation in Yanzhou is dire right now. Although I don't know whether Yan Zhuo's story is true or not, I don't want to see you suffer the same fate."
The Cui family is a family of loyal and brave men. By Cui Cen's generation, he was the only direct descendant left. Even for the sake of the loyal and brave men of the Cui family, he could not send Cui Cen to Yanzhou at this time. If something happened, he would not be able to explain to his sister.
Cui Cen wanted to say something more, but Yan Yu waved his hand and said, "There's no need to mention this matter anymore."
His attitude was very firm.
Cui Cen clenched his fists, looking unwilling. He couldn't just sit there and wait like this!
The young man lifted his robe and knelt down.
"I hope my uncle will help me."
Yan Yu didn't say anything, and the hall fell into silence for a moment.
Just as the two were arguing, another young eunuch rushed in.
"What's the matter again?" Yan Yu pursed his lips into a straight line.
"Slave, slave, here is an urgent report just sent from Yanzhou."
The urgent news sent from Yanzhou at this time made both of them nervous.
After delivering the urgent report, the young eunuch hurriedly retreated. No one wanted to bear the anger at this time.
Yan Zhuo frowned and opened the urgent letter.
Cui Cen was also worried about it, praying in his heart that it was not bad news.
Just as I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard the emperor laugh loudly and say:
"Okay, you don't have to think about going to Yanzhou anymore." Yan Yu raised his head, his frown relaxing. "It's good news."
"The letter said that a treatment for the epidemic in Yanzhou has been found. With the right medicine, I believe those infected will recover soon."
Cui Cen was stunned.
"There have been records of epidemics in books before, but each time an epidemic changes, the previous prescriptions are no longer applicable, and we have to start research from scratch. Why is it so fast this time?"
"Yan Zhuo said in the letter that the reason they found a cure so quickly this time was thanks to a woman. She led the doctors in working tirelessly for several days and finally came up with a cure."
After saying this, Yan Yu couldn't help but burst out laughing. The description in the letter was filled with a lot of flattery, as if the woman embodied all the beautiful qualities in the world. If it weren't for Yan Zhuo's vigorous and powerful handwriting, he would have almost thought that this urgent message had been switched along the way. He had never seen Yan Zhuo praise someone like this, let alone a woman.
Yan Yu was very curious about how extraordinary it was that a woman like him, a man of few words, could praise her so openly.
"This is the first time I've seen Yan Zhuo praise a woman like this. I must meet her if I get a chance."
Cui Cen only heard the emperor say that the epidemic in Yanzhou had been cured. He had just calmed down, but when he heard the second half of the story, he found it funny and even had the leisure to joke:
"The woman who can make my uncle praise her so much must be his sweetheart."
Yan Yu also felt so. At this moment, his curiosity was as strong as a cat's scratches, but it was useless to be curious now. He had to wait until Yan Zhuo came back to know everything.
He fixed his gaze on the young man in front of him.
"Speaking of which, what about you? Do you have a sweetheart?" Yan Yu rambled on, "Don't be like your uncle, who's in his twenties and still hasn't gotten married."
The topic suddenly turned to Cui Cen.
Sweetheart?
The young man suddenly thought of a pair of smiling eyes, and his face turned red.
The emperor understood and looked at him meaningfully.
Apparently, there is.
"Which family's daughter are you from? Tell me and I'll arrange a marriage for you."
Yan Yu picked up the teacup and took a sip, hiding the smile on his lips.
Cui Cen opened his mouth, a name was about to come out, but he swallowed it back at the critical moment.
She is not the daughter of any wealthy family. Although she was raised in the Ningyuan Marquis family, she is not the daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family after all. She is just an ordinary civilian now. Cui Cen is not sure whether his uncle will mind her identity.
The boy shook his head.
“Not yet.”
The young man was clearly trying to conceal something, but Yan Yu had no desire to delve into it. Rumors of the epidemic spreading across Yanzhou and Yan Zhuo's imminent danger had already spread widely throughout the capital. There must be someone with ill intentions, intent on exploiting these events. The most important thing right now was to quickly calm the people, dispel their fears, and not allow them the slightest opportunity to exploit them.
It would also be best if we could follow the clues and find out who is behind this!
Yan Yu restrained the expression in his eyes and hooked his finger at the young man, motioning him to come closer.
"I have a task for you."
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Yanzhou.
Perhaps it was autumn, the weather was getting cooler, and there had even been a few rainy days. Raindrops pattered outside the window. In the study, Yan Zhuo lowered his head to review documents. He discerned Jing Liu's footsteps from the patter of raindrops and asked without looking up:
"Has the dispatch been sent out?"
"Your Highness, I've already sent someone to deliver it urgently. It should have arrived in the capital by now." Jing Liu walked into the house with a grin on his face. He carefully put the package down and brushed the moisture off his shoulders. "I've also brought what you asked for."
"Well, let's put it there for now." Yan Zhuo finished writing the last stroke, put the brush aside, and waited quietly for the words to dry. "How is the construction of the canal in the east going?"
"It was completed yesterday." Jing Liu replied.
The severity of the drought in Yanzhou this time was due, in addition to the weather, to the lack of well-developed water conservancy. Local residents largely depended on the weather for their livelihoods. In years of abundant rainfall, crops flourished, but in years of drought, a once-in-a-century disaster, crops were completely destroyed.
It's not that they want to do so, but most of the local farmland is far away from the main river, and some of the nearby river branches are small. Once the drought comes, it won't take long for the water to dry up. Only a few deep wells are left, which can barely provide drinking water, let alone water for irrigation. They can only watch the crops wither and die.
Yan Zhuo saw all of this, but building canals is a science, and the location of their construction requires careful consideration. If the terrain is too low, flooding will easily occur during the rainy season. If the terrain is too high, drought will also lead to water shortages.
He went to investigate and found that the terrain in the east was more suitable. He then ordered the construction of a canal in the east so that farmers could irrigate their crops.
Some soldiers cared for those infected with the disease at the academy, while others kept busy, digging trenches, filling soil, and building the canal—all physically demanding tasks. They toiled from dawn to dusk, never once complaining of fatigue. The local people, watching, were deeply moved. Those who had recovered better and were younger, spontaneously joined the canal construction effort. With united efforts, the canal was quickly completed.
After hearing Jingliu's answer, Yan Zhuo nodded with a smile on his face, and his eyes swept towards the package that Jingliu had brought before.
Jing Liu handed over the package diligently. Inside the package was a cloak that Prince Heng had asked him to find. He searched for it for a long time before finally finding it from the bottom of the box. As Jing Liu handed the package out, he said, "The weather has been getting a bit cold recently. Your Highness should wear more clothes."
Yan Zhuo took the package, looked at him calmly, and said, "It's not for me to wear."
If it's not for the prince himself, then who is it for?
Jing Liu's mind raced, and he immediately reacted with a start.
"Oh, the prince has been busy with the canal construction recently. Now that the canal is repaired, would you like to take some time to go to the academy to check on the patient's condition?"
"Um."
The man responded indifferently, then stood up from the desk, stretched his muscles a little, and walked towards the door, not forgetting to hold on to the package in his hand as he walked.
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