Chapter 437: A Desperate Run
"That's right, Grandmother. Zhiqing overheard father and mother talking about this matter accidentally. Thinking that this matter concerns the safety of my brother, I came here to tell them so that the elders and sister-in-law can have some ideas."
Xue Zhiqing nodded and frowned, looking worried.
Mrs. Du also looked nervous.
Casualties were common during wars. Mrs. Du had seen battlefields before, so that kind of worry was still within her foreseeable range.
But she had only heard of the dangers of epidemics. It was a disaster that was difficult to control by humans. When the danger could not be predicted, it might have already become imminent. She was more afraid of the epidemic than of war.
"Mother, if there really is an epidemic, Han Zhang is in great danger in Hongzhou. They were not prepared to deal with the epidemic when they went there, and the doctors in the army should have no experience in this." Mrs. Du analyzed as calmly as possible.
Madam Qin was experienced and relatively calm. She signaled Madam Du not to worry: "Since this matter has not been made public, we should just pretend we don't know about it. We must not rashly disrupt His Majesty's plan."
He turned to Xue Zhiqing and said, "Thank you Miss Zhiqing for the message. We have learned about it. I believe that Your Majesty can handle this matter properly."
Xue Zhiqing's eyes flickered slightly: "Grandma, are you just going to leave it like this? I'm afraid the epidemic is so serious that my brother is already in danger!"
"Han Zhang is a general in the army. He is not like an ordinary citizen. He must obey orders in everything. And since His Royal Highness Prince Xiang is also there, Han Zhang is not as noble as the prince. How can he be so presumptuous and only care about himself?"
Madam Qin said with a smile.
"Grandmother is right. Although the epidemic is dangerous, His Royal Highness Prince Xiang is not afraid of it. How can the Marquis, a veteran general, retreat? Miss Zhiqing does have good intentions, and we appreciate it."
Su Qianqian also said with a smile.
[Fortunately, I asked Qin Shisan to bring a lot of medicine before leaving. At least it is enough for prevention. If we want to resolve the local epidemic, I am afraid it will take some effort. 】Su Qianqian said in her heart.
Mrs. Du breathed a sigh of relief quietly, and Madam Qin's smile became even more sincere.
"To be honest with my grandmother and stepmother, Zhiqing came to your house this time not only to visit the elders and deliver this news, but also to ask a favor of my step-sister-in-law." Xue Zhiqing gritted her teeth and could only tell the truth.
"Do you need my help? Why are you so polite, Second Miss? Just tell me what you want." Su Qianqian said hurriedly and attentively.
"Sister-in-law, some things are indeed hard to say, but I can't care less now!"
Xue Zhiqing pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and spoke: "Zhiqing is in love with His Royal Highness Prince Xiang, but unfortunately we met too late. This time His Royal Highness Prince Xiang is in danger in Hongzhou, and Zhiqing is extremely worried."
Glancing at Su Qianqian, Xue Zhiqing continued, "It's just that I have never learned medical skills. Although I am willing, I am not able to do it. My sister-in-law is quite proficient in this field, so I ask my sister-in-law to give me a good prescription. I am willing to go to Hongzhou to help King Xiang and my brother out of danger."
[Oh, this is about the beauty saving the hero. I would like to help her, but I can't do it! When I think about how you turned against me and harmed the Qin family, I can't treat you as a normal person. 】
Su Qianqian rolled her eyes in her heart, but looked embarrassed: "My mother did leave a prescription for treating the epidemic..."
When Xue Zhiqing heard this, her eyes lit up.
"But the prescription must be used for the right disease. If there is any mistake, a life-saving medicine may turn into a life-threatening one, or a good medicine may turn into a poison. How dare I give it to the Second Miss?" Su Qianqian frowned worriedly.
The light in Xue Zhiqing's eyes gradually dimmed.
"In that case...would you be willing to go with me to Jiangnan? If we can save the common people, it would be a great achievement."
Xue Zhiqing pondered for a moment and made up her mind.
"Go to Jiangnan? Without His Majesty's order, we will be punished if we rush to Hongzhou." Su Qianqian opened her eyes wide.
[I knew you were playing tricks on me. Don’t you know that my sister’s heart is made of a sieve? 】Su Qianqian sneered in her heart.
"Don't worry, Zhiqing doesn't dare to implicate you. Tomorrow, His Majesty will order Zhiqing to go to Hongzhou. You can go with Zhiqing."
Xue Zhiqing confessed her true feelings and dared not hide anything any longer. She originally wanted to cheat the prescription and make a contribution herself, but she didn't expect that this approach would not work.
"Oh... I still need to discuss this with my grandmother and mother. After all, traveling to Jiangnan is a big deal..." Su Qianqian frowned and looked cautious.
"Sister-in-law, don't hesitate any longer. This is extremely urgent. Even if we rush to Hongzhou, it will take us half a month. I don't know what the situation is over there!"
Xue Zhiqing was so anxious that she wished she could fly over there.
[Being in love is not a good idea. As expected, she lost her mind after just a few words. Isn't it because I ordered her around? 】Su Qianqian complained in her heart.
"That's fine, but Miss, we can't go alone. Your Majesty, please allow us to bring some elite soldiers with us.
You know, there will be refugees along the way. They will definitely ignore the law when they are hungry. It would be ok if they rob us of our food, but if they harm our lives..."
Su Qianqian acted frightened.
"Sister-in-law is right. I will ask my father to send the Prime Minister's guards..."
"Second Miss, the Prime Minister's guards are brave, but two fists cannot defeat four hands. There must be many refugees along the way. Can the Prime Minister's Mansion send thousands of guards?"
Su Qianqian interrupted Xue Zhiqing's words.
"Thousands? Why do you need so many guards?" Xue Zhiqing opened her eyes wide in surprise.
"The Second Miss has also seen the world on the battlefield in the northern border. How big a battle can thousands of soldiers cause? The Second Miss is still young. I don't know what the refugees will do when they are starving."
Su Qianqian sighed meaningfully.
"Qianqian's words are true. I know that during the famine, the people were starving and had to exchange their own children for food. It was common to kill someone for a bite of food. Who would care that you were the daughter of the prime minister or the wife of a marquis?"
Madam Qin added fuel to the fire. Although she had no idea what Su Qianqian was planning, she just helped her scare Xue Zhiqing.
"In that case, where can we find those thousands of soldiers?" Xue Zhiqing was at a loss.
"We do have soldiers. The Qin family army is the elite force of our Great Qi. However, no one dares to mobilize troops rashly without the order of His Majesty." Su Qianqian sighed and shook her head.
Xue Zhiqing's eyes lit up. How could she not have thought of this? She had seen the bravery of the Qin family army before.
"Zhiqing will go and ask father to persuade His Majesty to order the mobilization of troops so that we can rush to Hongzhou as soon as possible!" Xue Zhiqing could not sit still for a moment, so she quickly stood up, said goodbye, and went back to make arrangements.
"Qianqian, why do you want to bring soldiers with you? In fact, you don't need so many guards to conceal your tracks." Du asked after seeing Xue Zhiqing off.
"Mother, I feel that the situation in Jiangnan is not that simple. It is not just the epidemic, there should be more troublesome things. Duke Xu and Duke Xuan have not yet received good news in suppressing the bandits. If Jiangnan is in chaos again because of the epidemic, what will happen?"
Su Qianqian said softly.
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