Gu Yuzhi originally planned to summon Governor He and others the next morning after completing all the arrangements to discuss the establishment of a martyrs' cemetery.
But the sudden return of Guard Qi disrupted Gu Yuzhi's plans.
He didn't come back alone; a gaunt, dazed-looking middle-aged man followed behind him.
The man had a sallow complexion, pale lips, and a numb gaze. He stood stiffly behind Qi Chenglang, like a puppet following Qi Chenglang's every move.
His official robes, which should have fit him perfectly, looked like a huge sack, hanging loosely over his body, with the cuffs and waist area appearing empty.
Gu Yuzhi recognized his identity from his official robes.
Prefect of Quanzhou, Ke Liangyi!
Gu Yuzhi stared intently at Ke Liangyi, his large eyes filled with a mixture of emotions: curiosity, worry, sympathy...
He felt that Prefect Ke looked even more pitiful than the refugees he had seen before.
Ke Liangyi's mental state was clearly not good, and he was even somewhat dazed. It wasn't until Qi Chenglang reminded him for the third time that he realized he had entered a mansion.
He looked at Gu Yuzhi with somewhat listless eyes, only then realizing that the rumored Prince Wen was really quite young.
She was small in stature, with a youthful face, and looked up at him with eyes full of curiosity.
But strangely enough, the young prince showed no sign of fear.
He knew exactly what he looked like now; he was so thin he looked like a ghost, and he could scare children to tears if he went out...
Ke Liangyi's mind was a bit muddled; he completely forgot that he should bow and greet the prince upon meeting him.
Qi Chenglang was about to remind him again, but Gu Yuzhi waved his hand and said, "Let's go to the council hall."
He turned to Mingli and instructed, "Go to Judge Qin and get some medicinal tea, and also prepare some snacks. And also, tell Granny Xu that Guard Qi has returned."
"Oh, right, then Chief Secretary Xie, bring Liu Dianyi over first."
Just as Mingli was about to leave, he remembered something and exclaimed, "Oh, right, yesterday I said I would summon Governor He and the others. If they come, I will lead them to the council hall."
Mingli bowed, responded softly, and quickly left.
After Mingli left, he shook his head, put his hands behind his back, and walked towards the council hall: "Guard Qi, Guard Qi, just two days ago Xie Changshi and I were talking about how you were expected to be back in a while. How come you're here today?"
Wow, that's fast!
Gu Yuzhi's curiosity was instantly piqued, and just as he was about to ask more questions, he spotted Judge Qin standing at the entrance of the council hall.
He blinked, incredulously asking, "Judge Qin, what are you doing here?"
Mingli just left.
Qin Yuanpan stepped down from the platform, glanced at Ke Liangyi discreetly, and quickly looked away: "I heard that Guard Qi has returned, and I guessed that Your Highness would come to the council hall, so I waited for you here in advance."
He said in a low voice, "It's time to take the patient's pulse today."
Ever since that day when he inexplicably started coughing and vomiting, Judge Qin was worried and would take his pulse every day.
For the first two days, Gu Yuzhi was a little worried, fearing that the diagnosis by the hospital director, Qin, might be wrong.
But he got used to the fact that nothing ever happened to him.
Qin Yuanpan's ability to diagnose pulses not only makes him happy, but also puts Xie Changshi and the others at ease.
It wasn't until he entered the council chamber that Ke Liangyi truly realized where he was and who was sitting in front of him.
He belatedly knelt down, his voice so dry and hoarse he could barely speak: "Your subject, Ke Liangyi, the Prefect of Quanzhou, pays respects to Your Highness Prince Wen. May Your Highness live a thousand years!"
Gu Yuzhi turned to look at him, grinned at him, then sat down obediently, staring at Judge Qin with his big eyes without blinking.
A moment later, Imperial Physician Qin stood up, a faint smile on his face: "Your Highness is well."
Gu Yuzhi then chuckled, leaned back, and swung his legs as he looked at Ke Liangyi: "Judge Qin, Judge Qin, please take a look at Prefect Ke."
Ke Liangyi stared straight at Gu Yuzhi, completely forgetting how disrespectful his behavior was and that he should get up to express his gratitude.
Qi Chenglang was already used to him doing this, so he forcibly pulled him up and made him sit down on a chair, watching Qin Yuanpan take his pulse.
Just then, Xie Changshi and the others finally arrived. Seeing this scene, they didn't say anything, but stood respectfully to the side, quietly waiting for Qin Yuanpan to finish his pulse diagnosis.
Judge Qin frowned, looking at Ke Liangyi with disbelief in his eyes. After a while, he withdrew his hand, pondered the prescription, and left.
Only then did Qi Chenglang speak: "Your Highness, when I left Quanzhou, the city had already been unsealed."
Looking at Ke Liangyi, who was still somewhat dazed, Gu Yuzhi felt a pang of sadness: "When you found Prefect Ke, was he like this? What happened to Quanzhou? How are the people? What about the Northern Army?"
He scratched his head, feeling quite puzzled.
The entire prefecture is under lockdown. What are the Northern Desert Army doing? Haven't they rebelled?
Gu Yuzhi felt that the word "rebellion" was really inappropriate, and quietly stuck out his tongue.
Qi Chenglang said, "When I arrived in Quanzhou, the city's garrison had been replaced by the Mobei Army, and the prefectural government office had also been occupied by the Mobei Army. The current Mobei Army general, Bai Jiwu, is stationed inside the prefectural government office."
He glanced at Ke Liangyi and continued, "Prefect Ke and his yamen runners were imprisoned. Perhaps out of fear of causing greater consequences, Bai Jiwu did not torture Prefect Ke."
Gu Yuzhi jumped to his feet, and after a moment he exclaimed in shock, "He actually imprisoned a prefect? Who gave him that right! And what about the people? The city gates of the entire prefecture haven't been opened for months, how are the people doing?"
Qi Chenglang scratched his head: "I'm not entirely clear on the specific situation of the common people either."
Time was of the essence. The moment he saw Ke Liangyi, he felt that this Prefect Ke might die at any moment. He dared not delay in Quanzhou and brought him back without stopping.
"However, there should be quite a lot of grain stored in the whole prefecture. When I left, the Northern Army had already announced the lifting of the city's lockdown. The people who rushed out seemed to be in better condition than Prefect Ke."
We'll definitely have to ask Ke Liangyi for the specifics.
But seeing his dazed expression, with his head either drooping or staring blankly at the young prince, everyone wondered if he could still explain the situation in Quanzhou clearly.
Qi Chenglang scratched his head and continued, "I don't know about other things, but I heard from the Northern Desert Army that they lost something very important, so they sealed off the city and are searching for it."
Who would dare to steal from the military? That's like an old man hanging himself, tired of living!
However, Qi Chenglang's words confirmed Xie Changshi and others that Bai Jiwu wanted to achieve some purpose by sealing off the city!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
