Then, Ye Zhen asked himself a question.
When smallpox was first discovered, did she go to Xie Tingzhou because she really wanted him to help treat her, or to tell him to evacuate in time?
My feverish, hazy mind suddenly seemed to clear.
Ye Zhen was certain that she would prefer Xie Tingzhou to leave.
Therefore, she pushed him with all her might and urged, "Go out quickly, wash your hands, and drink your medicine."
Xie Tingzhou's narrow phoenix eyes curved into crescents, and Ye Zhen was worried about him.
He didn't move, but leaned down and whispered in Ye Zhen's ear.
"Don't worry, I've had smallpox before, so the chance of me getting infected again is very low. Therefore, I'm the only one in the whole mansion who can take care of you."
Ye Zhen's eyes widened.
She had previously guessed that Xie Tingzhou was of noble birth and must be from the capital, but she had never heard of a smallpox outbreak in the capital in recent years.
Xie Tingzhou knew what she was thinking and replied, "Someone tried to kill me. They brought smallpox from another country and infected my wet nurse with it. She then transmitted it to me. Fortunately, it was discovered in time and did not spread."
But the wet nurse died.
This was the second time he had told Ye Zhen about his experiences, and Ye Zhen realized that his identity was even more distinguished than she had imagined.
Otherwise, why would anyone go to such lengths to take a child's life? And how could an ordinary person obtain a virus from an enemy country?
Ye Zhen felt a strange sensation in her heart, as if she felt sorry for Xie Tingzhou.
But she was reborn to seek revenge and to live a good life; she shouldn't get involved in other troubles.
Xie Tingzhou's past life must have been quite difficult, to the point that he can only rely on the identity of the Marquis's heir now, and his future path may not be smooth either.
If she were rational, she should keep her distance.
But Ye Zhen looked at his slightly disheveled hair and chapped lips and couldn't bring herself to refuse.
This person rushed back for her.
Ye Zhen was very confident.
Xie Tingzhou used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "You don't need to be afraid. I brought medicine. If you don't get vaccinated this time, this medicine can save your life."
He didn't stop Ye Zhen from doing what she wanted, but he didn't dare to take any risks, so he went to another place and got the medicine, which delayed his return.
However, there is only one pill; if it saves Ye Zhen, it cannot save anyone else.
Moreover, by taking this medicine, he exposed his whereabouts, but there was no need to tell Ye Zhen about this for the time being; everything would wait until she recovered.
There was a noise outside the door; it was Wanxing bringing hot water, a bucket and a kettle.
The water in the kettle was clearly meant for drinking.
Xie Tingzhou got up and carried the water into the house.
He poured Ye Zhen a glass, fed her the drink, and then drank one himself.
He then took a clean cotton cloth, soaked it in hot water, and intended to wipe Ye Zhen's body.
Ye Zhen realized what he was about to do, and her face burned even redder. "I'll do it myself..."
Before he could finish speaking, the knot around his neck had been untied. Xie Tingzhou's eyes were calm, devoid of any lewd thoughts or lewdness.
He gently coaxed, "Wipe it with warm water, it will dissipate heat faster, Ye Zhen, I know you want the smallpox vaccination to be successful."
Therefore, he did not give her the medicine at the beginning.
Ye Zhen wanted revenge and to protect the people she wanted to protect; being just the young mistress of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was far from enough.
This is an opportunity.
If Ye Zhen can successfully inoculate against smallpox, it will be an immense merit for Da Yuan, and the imperial court will reward her.
She would step out of the inner quarters and into the public eye. Xie Tingzhou knew her thoughts, agreed with her opinion, and was willing to grant her wish.
But he couldn't bear to see her suffer, so Xie Tingzhou abandoned the traditional separation of men and women, only wanting to spare her some pain.
"Ye Zhen, I will take responsibility for you."
He made that promise to her.
A warm towel was used to wipe Ye Zhen's forehead, face, neck, and elbows.
Again and again, carefully and efficiently.
This eased Ye Zhen's discomfort considerably, and she no longer refused, as it was pointless. She knew her own heart; she craved this warmth.
She glanced at Xie Tingzhou, then slowly closed her eyes, feeling a sense of peace she had never felt before.
Ye Zhen fell asleep.
After she stopped sweating, Xie Tingzhou changed her into clean undergarments. He treated Ye Zhen like a wife, without any impure thoughts.
However, he still had to consider Ye Zhen's reputation outside the house. He had entered the mansion secretly, and apart from Wanxing and his two guards, no one knew that he had come to Ye Zhen's courtyard.
Seeing that she was sleeping peacefully, he went to the courtyard to brew medicine for Ye Zhen.
The medicine was ready, but he was still asleep, so he moved the low couch to the side of the bed and lay down facing Ye Zhen.
After days of traveling, Xie Tingzhou was also exhausted. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, keeping a close eye on Ye Zhen's movements.
In the middle of the night, Ye Zhen was woken up by a fever again. Xie Tingzhou fed her medicine, and Ye Zhen drifted off to sleep again.
The next day, she started to develop a rash, but it wasn't as severe as Chao Lu's, and it didn't turn into pustules. Her pulse also looked good.
Ye Zhen was very happy, "My aunt's method really worked."
She didn't hide it from Xie Tingzhou and told him about the smallpox vaccination method recorded by Ye Jinghong.
It also subtly hinted at a possible impending epidemic.
"I suspect that the infected handkerchief was given to the old lady by Fu Jiang. He was able to get these things in such a short time. I'm worried that there's a smallpox outbreak in Da Yuan."
However, no news has been heard in the capital, perhaps it has been deliberately concealed. But if the epidemic is not treated and prevented in time, it may lead to a larger outbreak.
Seeing that she was in better spirits, Xie Tingzhou was also happy and said with a smile, "I have the same idea as you. I have already asked everyone to keep an eye out and sent people to check the territory of Fu Jiang in Qingzhou."
He felt that the outbreak was more likely to occur within the jurisdiction of Fujiang.
Seeing that he understood, Ye Zhen didn't bring it up again.
Xie Tingzhou remained silent, their eyes meeting, each seeing a beautiful sentiment in the other's gaze.
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