Cang Ying said gently, "Your Highness can rest assured that the Crown Prince is with Miss Qingwan."
Zhao Cong gave a faint "hmm".
Before Feng'er came along, he always acted recklessly, and would only struggle a little when he thought of his deceased grandfather and uncle in times of crisis. It wasn't until Feng'er came along and he was called "Dad" that he felt he had something to care about and started to leave himself some leeway in his actions.
But things still needed to be resolved eventually, and he had reached the point of no return with Prince Jing and the Ning family.
The appearance of the Hun assassin brought things to a head; he had long wanted to settle things once and for all.
All she had to do was help Lin Qingwan get rid of the engagement with Prince Jing and then bring the Prime Minister's mansion to ruin, and then she would be free and able to take good care of Feng'er.
He can then have no worries.
But yesterday, Physician Zhu reminded him, "If anything happens to you, Lin Qingwan won't live more than two months."
"Even if she becomes plump and healthy, the blood produced in her body will always be toxic, and the poison may take effect at any time. Medicinal baths can only suppress the symptoms, not solve the root cause."
"But if the Crown Prince is willing to donate blood to her when she is poisoned, she might be able to live a long and safe life."
"At least you need to log off first before she dies."
Zhao Cong hesitated.
"What...what did they do?" Zhao Cong asked subconsciously, feeling a sense of relief amidst the oppressive atmosphere.
Cang Ying reported to him in detail, adding that the young prince had told Lin Qingwan almost everything he had learned during this period.
Zhao Cong was greatly shocked.
I'm not afraid of fighting myself, but I'm afraid of letting that kid study and write.
"How...did she convince the little guy?" Zhao Cong was quite curious.
Cang Ying said, "Miss Qingwan said she has never been to school and doesn't know many characters. Please ask Your Highness to teach her."
Zhao Cong raised an eyebrow. The handwriting in the letter she wrote to him last time was quite neat, and it was impossible to tell that she didn't know many characters.
"I hope Feng'er can cherish it for a few more days," he sighed.
Just as Cang Ying was about to offer some words of comfort, Shen Xu said from outside, "Your Highness, someone in the Imperial Guards has had an attack."
Zhao Cong's ink-black eyes suddenly narrowed, "Imperial Physician Zhu!"
Although only two people were affected, it doesn't mean the others are unaffected; the incubation period is at least two to three days.
Physician Zhu wouldn't let Zhao Cong in.
“This kind of thing would have required quarantine in our time, and the facilities here are very poor.”
Physician Zhu's voice came from inside, "I need to draw some of their blood for testing. The immunity they brought over earlier wasn't working, so we need to think of another way."
"Let's follow the other imperial physicians' methods for preventing the epidemic first."
Zhao Cong felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.
"Zhu An, we must find a way to solve the plague."
Physician Zhu said, "I'll try my best. To be honest, this also depends on fate."
"Why don't you suggest that His Majesty offer sacrifices to Heaven and pray? Or try fasting and chanting Buddhist scriptures?"
Zhao Cong sneered, "With the outbreak of the epidemic, people are filled with fear. A king is no match for a physician. If you cannot cure it, I will behead you and display your head to the public."
Physician Zhu: ......
The situation was more serious than Zhao Cong had anticipated the next day.
The dozens of Imperial Guards who followed him in digging the ditch all developed rashes, followed by fever. Someone had to be there to watch over them at all times, otherwise they would die of dehydration if they weren't careful.
Of the more than two hundred residents of Chaoning Street, more than seventy have been quarantined, and the imperial physicians are extremely busy.
The officials from the Ministry of Works were filled with anxiety. "Your Highness, can this...can this still be repaired?"
Zhao Cong remained steadfast: "Repair it!"
"If you don't want to work, go to the front and help the imperial physicians prepare medicine and take care of the patients. I have plenty of people."
"Your Highness, please have mercy, we will repair it."
Even if you die on the way to carry bricks and build walls, you must not come into contact with those patients, otherwise you won't even be able to leave behind a complete corpse.
Although the crown prince was personally overseeing the project and the emperor sent his trusted confidants to assist, the construction of the ditches was still very slow. Every day, people were taken to the quarantine area, and just looking at it was frightening.
Fortunately, no one has died from the disease so far.
It rained again on the fifth day. The humid heat after a day and a night was a breeding ground for disease.
"Your Highness, we've found more than a dozen more, all of whom had their attacks last night!"
"Several of them are already burned unconscious."
Zhao Cong rubbed his temples. "Has Physician Zhu produced any results?"
Cang Ying shook her head, "Not yet."
Zhao Cong let out a long sigh of relief, his hands behind his back, utterly exhausted.
Just then, he suddenly coughed twice.
Cang Ying tensed up completely. "Your Highness!"
"It's alright." Zhao Cong suppressed the discomfort in his throat. "Hold the umbrella."
"I'll go take a look around the streets."
Cang Ying dared not take the risk and immediately advised, "Shen's guards have sent people to patrol day and night, and your men are also watching the ditch. At this time, you must take better care of yourself."
Zhao Cong couldn't help but cough again, "I've just been drinking less tea these past two days."
"Just ask Physician Zhu for some throat lozenges later."
Cang Ying couldn't stop him, and could only reluctantly persuade him to put on a cloak before going out.
Zhao Cong hadn't walked far when he felt unbearably hot and humid, so he took off his cloak and threw it back to Cang Ying, then inspected the progress of the ditch while wearing only a single shirt.
Because the road below led to a temple outside the city, Shen Xu sent people to communicate with the monks in the temple and arrange for their evacuation, which took another afternoon.
Once everything was settled, a light drizzle began to fall, and the wind picked up.
Zhao Cong was sweating profusely inside, but the breeze made him feel refreshed.
"My lord, please put on your cloak." Cang Ying couldn't reach his shoulder even on tiptoe, and after chasing him all the way, she still hadn't been able to put it on him, and she was panting heavily from exhaustion.
He was worried all night, but thankfully Zhao Cong didn't cough again during the night.
Cangying had been exhausted these past few days, and once she relaxed, she fell asleep without realizing it.
He usually wakes up at the slightest noise, but today it took Shen Xu a long time to wake him up.
Shen Xu looked nervous. "Eunuch Cang, please don't mess with me at this critical moment."
Cang Ying straightened her hat, still a little sleepy-eyed, "Please excuse me, Guard Shen, I don't know how I fell into such a deep sleep."
Shen Xu patted him on the shoulder, "Everyone has been tired these past few days, and the Crown Prince has been relying on you to take care of him. You've worked hard."
"The Crown Prince hasn't gotten up yet?"
Cang Ying shuddered. The Crown Prince only gets a few hours of sleep a day. Could it be that he's just as tired as he is?
"Please wait a moment, this servant will go in and take a look."
Cangying had been with Zhao Cong since childhood. Since the Empress's death, the Crown Prince had not had a good night's sleep! He used to have nightmares, and later he was injured in a battle on the border. It took him several years to recover after returning to the capital.
Even Physician Zhu couldn't get him to sleep for an extra two hours each day, but he still hasn't woken up today.
"The Crown Prince?"
Cang Ying tiptoed in and saw Zhao Cong lying face down, the blankets kicked off, his loose hair hanging down the edge of the bed and almost dragging on the floor.
Zhao Cong responded in a daze.
Cang Ying breathed a sigh of relief, knelt down to tidy his hair, and pulled the blanket up. When she touched Zhao Cong's hand, it was burning hot!
He was terrified and reached out to touch Zhao Cong's forehead, nearly falling to the ground.
Zhao Cong was exhausted, his eyes were drooping, and he wondered why he was suddenly so sleepy. But he forced his eyes open anyway, asking, "What time is it?"
Cang Ying said in a trembling voice, "You...you're feverish!"
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