The magistrate was taken aback.
He didn't understand how Meng Zhenshou knew about the miraculous medicine; he hadn't told anyone except the people in the county government.
But then he thought about it again and realized it wasn't strange at all.
Who is Meng Zhenshou? He's the headmaster of Dongcheng Academy and a core member of the Meng family. It's perfectly normal for him to know things that others don't!
The magistrate quickly dispelled his doubts.
But he still couldn't help having concerns.
"This... Headmaster Meng, do you mean to steal allicin and take all the credit for it?"
"So the name of this miraculous drug is allicin. How unique!" Meng Zhenshou smiled. "Your Excellency is quite clever; you understood my meaning immediately."
"Hahaha, Young Master Meng, what are you saying!"
The magistrate was extremely pleased with the praise, but his concerns remained. He asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Why should we do this? Wan Shu has already come to me and is willing to cooperate with me to meet the prefect in the city and distribute medicine to win over the disaster victims."
"Even if I don't steal it, as the middleman, I still deserve some credit."
He seemed to remember something, and quickly and generously added a sentence.
"If Young Master Meng also wishes to make an impression on the Prefect, I can take you along and share the credit with you, how about that?"
Meng Zhenshou did not answer, but asked, "Magistrate, do you think it's more important for the Prefect to think that you made the garlic extract, or for the Prefect to think that you only helped guide Wan Shu?"
The magistrate said, "Naturally, I want the prefect to think that it was my doing that deserves the most credit!"
Meng Zhenshou: "That's settled then. Rather than letting an ignorant village woman like Wan Shu get such a big credit, we should take the credit for ourselves."
The magistrate said, "But... this is, after all, medicine made by Wan Shu. What if the prefect discovers it?"
Meng Zhenshou: "I am confident that I can keep the Prefect from finding out."
The magistrate was still somewhat worried, frowning and remaining silent, but one could already see the slight attraction in his eyes.
Meng Zhenshou chuckled inwardly and continued to patiently persuade him.
“Magistrate, why are you being so honest? I heard that you were just as honest last time when you went to the Prefect to report, and what was the result? All the credit for such a great achievement went to Wan Shu, and Wan Shu got to show his face in front of His Majesty. You didn’t get any benefit at all.”
“I know you are an honest and upright official who is dedicated to serving the people, but if you continue like this, when will you ever be able to leave Sishui County?”
These words struck a chord with the magistrate's long-held resentment. He gritted his teeth and finally agreed.
"You're right, I can't be so obedient this time! We have to claim allicin for ourselves!"
The next morning.
Before dawn, the county magistrate led a large group of people toward the prefectural city.
Wan Shu and San Shun, being the two most important people on this trip, were naturally among them.
Because they hadn't slept well the night before, Wan Shu and San Shun were both exhausted and were dozing off in the carriage when they suddenly heard a cry of surprise from outside.
"Oh dear! Your Honor, what's wrong with you!"
"Wake up!"
"Everyone, get out of the way! Can't you see the magistrate is convulsing?! He must have contracted the plague!"
Wan Shu and San Shun exchanged a glance, then immediately got off the carriage and went to the front carriage to check.
The magistrate had been moved out of the carriage and was lying on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
The people around him all stood around the magistrate, looking completely at a loss.
The magistrate's group of young wives and concubines were crying incessantly, looking pitiful, and the scene was absolutely chaotic.
Wan Shu quickly led San Shun forward to ask the seemingly calm advisor.
"Master, what's wrong with the magistrate?"
The clerk wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes: "I don't know what happened. I just suddenly heard that the magistrate had a fever. I thought that a fever was not good, so I asked the magistrate to get off the carriage and find a doctor nearby to take a look at him."
"But who knew that before even finding a doctor, he was already lying on the ground, convulsing. I think the county magistrate was probably infected with the plague too!"
Fever and convulsions are indeed symptoms of the plague.
Wan Shu squatted down and pried open the magistrate's eyes to take a look. They were also bright red, matching the symptoms.
“This is indeed a plague,” Wan Shu quickly diagnosed.
"Then, what should we do!" The usually calm clerk lost his composure and looked dejected.
Then, as if he had just remembered something, he looked at Wan Shu with expectant eyes.
"Madam Wan, don't you have some kind of miraculous medicine called allicin that can cure the plague? Please! Please let the magistrate use the medicine first!"
The magistrate's wives and concubines knelt before Wan Shu in a large group.
"Madam Wan, please, please save the magistrate! Without him, we probably won't live much longer, sob sob sob..."
"As long as you're willing to save the county magistrate, we'll do anything you ask!"
They were all crying, their faces streaked with tears, looking so pitiful.
Wan Shu couldn't bear to see a beautiful woman shed tears, so he quickly spoke up to comfort her.
"Don't worry, and don't beg me. As a citizen of Sishui County, it is my duty to save the magistrate. I will take Sanshun to get medicine for the magistrate now."
After saying that, the two quickly returned to their carriage.
Sam-soon grabbed a bottle of garlic extract and quickly tried to get off the bus.
Wan Shu grabbed him and said, "Don't rush. First, take the tools for extracting allicin off the carriage and hide them."
Sam-soon asked, confused, "Mother, why are you doing this?"
Time was of the essence, and Wan Shu didn't have much time to explain. She simply said, "I'll get to it quickly. You'll understand once you're done."
Upon hearing this, Sam-soon didn't ask any more questions. She picked up her bag, found a secluded spot to hide it, and quickly returned.
Wan Shu: "Are you hidden well?"
Sam-soon nodded.
After confirming that the tools for extracting allicin were safe, Wan Shu stopped dawdling, chuckled, and got off the bus with the bag containing the allicin.
The bag was filled with allicin extracted by Wan Shu, a whole large bag.
Seeing this, Dazhuang was even more confused.
“Mother, why are you using so much garlic extract? If it's just for the magistrate, one bottle is enough.”
Wan Shu: "Only in this way can we fulfill their wishes."
San Shun still didn't understand and wanted to ask again, but the advisor had already come over quickly with two guards.
She asked urgently, "Madam Wan, is this allicin?"
Wan Shu: "Yes."
Almost as soon as Wan Shu finished speaking, the clerk revealed a smug expression and waved his hand to order the guards beside him.
"Quickly snatch all the garlic extract from her hands!"
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