At the western outpost of the treatment area, the Imperial Guards placed the old man's body at the entrance.
Wrapped in straw mats and covered with white cloth, all patients leaving through this opening received the same treatment.
Before long, the two men came over, pulling a cart.
"Old man Yan, why did you take so long?"
The old man in front quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Sir, my nephew is severely dehydrated, and we had to find someone to fill in for him, which caused the delay."
As he spoke, he stepped aside for the young man behind him, who then bowed in a gesture of respect.
The Imperial Guards had no suspicions.
They were unfamiliar with the county town. This old man was the manager of the Mingyan County Mortuary, and he was in charge of the family members claiming and disposing of the bodies.
This is an unlucky job, so it's no surprise that no one wants to do it, and finding replacements is indeed difficult.
The imperial guard thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "There may be a solution to the water problem. We'll know in a day or two."
"real?!"
The old man was so excited he almost jumped up. Heaven have mercy! He did this for the government office just for a bag of water a day, but that wasn't enough for his family.
"Don't make a fuss about it; keep it to yourself."
"Yes, yes, yes... Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!"
"Tonight will probably be a bit busy. Go and inform the county clerk to help out. He should stand guard at this gate."
"this……"
Old Man Yan naturally understood what this meant, and he dared not object, immediately bowing in agreement.
They loaded the old man's body onto a cart and left immediately, but after leaving the area illuminated by the firelight, the young man turned back and looked at it deeply.
Busy... It seems there will be changes tonight. More people will make it easier to sneak in.
——————
Inside the intensive care unit, Dr. Jiang and his young medical assistants were busy again.
He knew that the Sixth Princess's method was effective, but he wasn't absolutely certain.
Two injections, one fatal and one surviving. The stronger the body and the earlier the treatment, the better the outcome may be, but there is still no definitive conclusion.
If it really drags on until the very end, there's nothing wrong with that, but their bodies might not be able to withstand it.
After much deliberation, Jiang Qingpu decided to explain to the patients who were still conscious that the specifics of the situation would be up to them.
As for those who had fallen into a coma, the medical apprentice and the Imperial Guards worked together to move them into another room.
Qin Zhaoyue agreed with Jiang Qingpu's plan and understood that the injections would be administered intensively over a period of time. She was busy preparing the injection solution.
Just then, the two men walked in.
She looked up and glanced around, her gaze landing on one of them. She immediately frowned. "What are you doing staying here?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xueqiao paused in her tracks and unconsciously looked to her left.
No, the two of them stayed, so why should only he be questioned?
"Why are you looking at others? I'm asking you a question."
Pei Xueqiao felt a little stifled. Who was he staying for?
We've known each other for a while now, isn't this a bit too cold-hearted?
“I will keep a record of this case so that I can testify for Your Highness in the future.”
Qin Zhaoyue tilted her head. "So kind?"
"I'm doing this for the disaster victims! I don't want... I don't want to see anyone wronged."
"Fine, whether it's true or not, I already considered the worst-case scenario when I made the move," Qin Zhaoyue shrugged indifferently.
During a break from their busy work, the Imperial Guards delivered dinner.
Meat patties, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a cup of tea—this was considered a very good meal in Mingyan County at that time.
To make the journey faster, the grain escort team only ate one meal a day when setting up camp, and the rest of the time they ate dry rations. Qin Zhaoyue was quite hungry at this moment.
Having not found a vacant room, I washed my hands and sat down in the pavilion in the courtyard.
Just as they were about to begin, they saw that Sui Mo was still leading six members of the Mo Group guarding the area. They waved their hands.
"No need. There are Imperial Guards guarding the area. Just bring your food; we'll be busy tonight."
Sui Mo did not refuse, and soon everyone sat down in the pavilion.
However, they were given the same rations as ordinary imperial guards: dry flatbread, but they did receive a bag of water.
“Drink the water we brought ourselves, and after you finish drinking it, you must boil it and let it cool. I don’t want to give you injections.”
"Yes, Your Highness."
During this time, they also learned that the Sixth Princess had a habit of not drinking unboiled water.
"Forget about the meat pie..."
As she spoke, Qin Zhaoyue roughly divided the vegetables on the plate into eight portions, taking a bite of meat pie and then picking up a piece of vegetable to go with it.
When you're really hungry, everything tastes delicious, and you can wolf down your food without finishing it in no time.
"Ha..." Qin Zhaoyue finished the warm green tea in one gulp, stood up and left.
In her previous life, when she first entered the workforce, she hated having meals at the same table as her boss.
You have to be mindful of others' expressions, answer questions from superiors from time to time, and force yourself to laugh awkwardly at old jokes. Even the finest delicacies lose their flavor.
Having been caught in the rain myself, I also want to tear someone else's umbrella apart.
Yes, Qin Zhaoyue would definitely do that normally, making people so embarrassed they couldn't eat, but she wasn't in the mood tonight.
"elder sister……"
Without saying a word, Suimo stepped forward, picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, stuffed it into his mouth, and immediately went to chase after the princess.
She didn't try to win people over with a plate of vegetables. After spending some time together, she could tell that the princess had no ulterior motives.
She acted on her impulse, just as she had when she ruthlessly won their monthly allowance.
After Suimo left, everyone looked at Moyi.
Mo Yi stepped forward, picked up the chopsticks, and stuffed them down in one bite, just like Mo Yi did. "Hurry up, don't delay our business."
And so, one after another.
After resting for a while, the critically ill and comatose patients had all been moved.
There was one main house and three side rooms, totaling sixty-four people.
Qin Zhaoyue held up the syringe, Jiang Qingpu prepared the silver needles and ginseng slices, Meng Jian protected his heart pulse, and Pei Xueqiao took notes.
"Let's begin."
Starting at 7 PM, the four people began administering the injections together.
Most of them passed away, but some survived and their condition improved.
Qin Zhaoyue seemed to have transformed into an emotionless machine, regardless of the outcome, she would inject one needle, disinfect, extract, and continue with the next.
The atmosphere grew increasingly silent, until finally there wasn't a single word exchanged.
"Continue..." Seeing that everyone remained motionless for a long time, Qin Zhaoyue frowned. "What are you all standing there for?"
“Your Highness,” Sui Mo stepped forward and pressed her hand, “it’s over.”
Qin Zhaoyue looked up, bewildered, and asked, "Is it over?"
"Yes, it's over."
Sui Mo nodded firmly and took the syringe from her hand.
As dawn broke, a wisp of dust shone through the crack in the window, and I belatedly realized that a whole night had passed.
A dull ache throbbed in her temple, and Qin Zhaoyue couldn't help but raise her hand to press it. "How... did it turn out?"
Pei Xueqiao, who had also stayed up all night, let out a deep breath and stared at the record book in his hand, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Thirteen people survived."
Thirteen people, how many were there in total? I think it was sixty-four.
My numb mind took a while to figure out the numbers: 20%, worse than expected.
But... fifty-one lives, plus the old man from the beginning, fifty-two...
"Suimo, I want to sleep for a while."
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