Chapter 77 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
He Fei was silent for a moment, but finally disagreed: "No, if you dare to go, I will definitely tie you up."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded helplessly: "Okay, then I won't go." After that, he gave He Fei an injection and watched He Fei fall into coma.
Ah Da stared at the princess in amazement, and the Wudesi Envoy who came in was also surprised.
Zhang Xiaojia looked at the Wude Envoy: "Why are you here?"
Wu Desi recalled the news he had received about the Fourth Princess and went to report it to the Emperor. Before he could say anything, the Emperor said that as long as Jingwen and Jiaer didn't tell the truth, he didn't want to know anything, and then he was driven away by the Emperor.
He had no choice but to say, "The Emperor is refusing to listen to your news, saying he wants to trust you again, but the news about the Fourth Concubine has made me uneasy. Since the Fourth Concubine is not dead, shouldn't she be hiding in secret? Why did she suddenly appear before you?"
Zhang Xiaojia laughed loudly and said, "We'll find out tonight."
---
The night was deep, but the streets of Xiangyang City were still brightly lit. Zhang Xiaojia led the Martial Virtue Envoy towards the courtyard where the Fourth Imperial Concubine was staying, his steps light and his expression calm.
At the courtyard gate, a black-clad guard blocked Zhang Xiaojia's way and asked, "Who are you?"
Zhang Xiaojia smiled slightly, and said calmly: "Tell the fourth sister-in-law that Zhang Xiaojia is here to visit."
The guard's expression changed slightly when he heard this, and he quickly turned around to report. Not long after, he came out and said in a cold tone, "The Fourth Princess invites you in."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded and walked into the courtyard. The courtyard was completely silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind. She walked to the main hall door and gently pushed it open. She saw the Fourth Imperial Concubine sitting in the hall, a cup of tea in her hand, her eyes coldly looking at her.
"Fourth sister-in-law, long time no see." Zhang Xiaojia smiled slightly.
The Fourth Princess sneered, her eyes filled with hatred. She clenched the teacup tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force.
The image of that rainy night flashed through her mind, the child's cry gradually becoming weaker and finally disappearing into the endless darkness. Her heart felt as if it was torn apart, the pain so severe that she couldn't breathe.
"Zhang Xiaojia, how dare you come to see me? Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"
Zhang Xiaojia's expression remained unchanged as he spoke gently, "Fourth sister-in-law, I know you hate me. I was the one who let you down back then. If I were to choose again, I would still do the same thing. Fourth brother is not capable of sitting on the throne."
The Fourth Princess stood up suddenly and threw the teacup in her hand to the ground, sending fragments flying everywhere.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Zhang Xiaojia, I don't care whether the Fourth Prince lives or dies, but you killed my child and destroyed my family! Why should you let me let go of my hatred?!"
Zhang Xiaojia looked at her, a trace of pain flashed in her eyes. She recalled the original decision, the night when she had to kill the innocent child for the sake of the overall situation.
"Fourth sister-in-law, it's all done. What do you want to do? The original plan was to save the emperor's life and to stop the late emperor's conspiracy. I admit that I lied to you, and it was my idea to kill your child."
The Fourth Imperial Concubine sneered repeatedly, her eyes full of mockery: "Zhang Xiaojia, do you think that a few words can make me kill you? You are too naive! The only purpose of my life is to make you and He Fei pay for your blood debt with blood! Let the emperor also taste the taste of his most beloved brother and sister's death"
Zhang Xiaojia was silent for a moment, then finally sighed: "Fourth sister-in-law, if you insist on revenge, then I have nothing to say. But I hope you can understand that you are too weak. Killing you is as easy as pie."
The Fourth Princess looked at her coldly, her tone filled with endless hatred: "Zhang Xiaojia, the entire Xiangyang City is now under the threat of smallpox. I want to see if you still have the chance to survive!"
Zhang Xiaojia stood there, his expression still calm.
She sighed softly and whispered, "Fourth sister-in-law, is this your revenge?"
The Fourth Imperial Concubine sneered, "Zhang Xiaojia, I'm waiting for the Emperor to personally order the blockade of Xiangyang City. I'll let the Emperor watch as you're infected with the smallpox virus and slowly die in agony. I'll let the Emperor taste the bitter fruit of personally taking the lives of his brothers and sisters."
Zhang Xiaojia smiled proudly in her heart. She was a miracle doctor and she could cure smallpox.
Zhang Xiaojia: "I will not let the emperor order the blockade of Xiangyang City, because I will order the blockade of Xiangyang City myself."
"Envoy Wude, tell He Fei to seal off the entire Xiangyang City."
With a wave of his hand, the Wudeshi Envoy arrested the four imperial concubines.
He Fei stood at the door with a dark face. He said in a gloomy tone, "Princess, I have ordered the blockade of the entire Xiangyang City. I wonder if you are satisfied?"
Zhang Xiaojia quickly ran to He Fei's arms, crying and pretending to be weak: "He Fei, I was so scared just now! But fortunately, I knew about the Fourth Princess's conspiracy in advance."
The veins on He Fei's forehead bulged. Once the problem in Xiangyang City was solved this time, he would definitely get an iron chain and tie Jia Jia and himself together, so that she could not leave him within one meter.
He Fei's order spread quickly throughout Xiangyang City like a thunderclap. He divided Xiangyang City into twenty areas, each of which was strictly guarded by soldiers to ensure order.
Civilians who were not infected with smallpox were summoned from their homes and directed to the temporary shelters beneath the city walls. These shelters were guarded by the military and provided with ample supplies of food, water, and medicine.
Although the people were frightened, they gradually calmed down when they saw the strict order of the army and the orderly situation in the shantytowns.
Those people infected with smallpox were gathered in the city square.
The square was surrounded by soldiers to prevent the further spread of the epidemic.
He Fei stood on the high platform in the square, scanning the crowd below with a cold gaze.
His voice was loud and firm, piercing through the noise of the crowd: "My fellow villagers, I know you are afraid, but please believe that the emperor will never give up on you! I am the emperor's younger brother. The emperor sent me here because we have found a cure for smallpox. As long as everyone cooperates, we will definitely overcome this difficult time!"
His words were like a shot in the arm, gradually calming the originally panicked crowd. The people looked up at the young prince, hope rekindled in their eyes.
In the shantytowns of Xiangyang City, the people sat around the fire, holding hot porridge and rice in their hands. But the initial panic on their faces was gone.
"I heard that Prince Jing and the Princess personally ordered the granaries to be opened and released with grain, and also sent doctors to treat us." An elderly man whispered, his eyes full of gratitude.
"Yes, if it weren't for them, we would have..." A middle-aged woman sighed and didn't continue.
"The princess is truly a miracle doctor! I heard that she has found a way to cure smallpox. We'll be able to go home soon!" a young man said excitedly.
The people nodded one after another, hope rekindled in their eyes.
He Fei rushed to the prefectural government office without stopping. Xiangyang City Prefect Qiu had already been waiting at the gate. Upon seeing He Fei, he immediately bowed, his face filled with fear and respect. "Prince Jing, you're finally here! Such a big thing has happened in the city. I'm completely at a loss!"
He Fei waved his hand and said calmly, "Prefect Qiu, there's no need to be so polite. The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation and control the epidemic. You just need to act according to my arrangements."
Prefect Qiu nodded repeatedly, feeling a little relieved. He had initially felt devastated when he heard the Fourth Imperial Concubine had released the smallpox virus into the city, but then he learned that Prince Jing was also in the city, and he suddenly felt that there was still hope. After all, Prince Jing was the Emperor's younger brother, and the Emperor would definitely not ignore it.
He Fei was most concerned about the food problem. He asked directly, "Prefect Qiu, how long will the food in the granary last for the people in the city?"
Prefect Qiu quickly replied, "Don't worry, Prince Jing. The granary has ample food. I personally checked at the end of the year, and the food supply is enough to last at least six months."
He Fei nodded, feeling slightly relieved. He immediately gave the order: "Immediately hire people to cook and open the granaries to distribute food! All citizens will gather in the square according to their regions and food will be distributed uniformly. Those infected will be treated in centralized facilities and released back home after recovery."
Magistrate Qiu quickly responded, "Yes, I'll do it right away!"
He Fei added, "Remember, there must be enough people to cook, and the food must be clean and hygienic. Also, arrange for medical officers to set up a temporary clinic in the square to provide diagnosis and treatment for the infected at any time."
Magistrate Qiu wrote down all the instructions one by one, and he was deeply impressed by He Fei's decisiveness. He did not dare to delay for a moment and immediately summoned his men to act according to He Fei's instructions.
---
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
