But before He Tiantian could react, Magistrate Liu waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, we're at a critical juncture, let's not worry about these formalities."
If this plague cannot be cured, he will probably lose his position as county magistrate.
The group sat down at a stone table nearby. He Tiantian didn't mince words and went straight to the point, asking, "Your Excellency, have you found out where this plague originated?"
"We only know that it came from a certain village below, but now many villages are experiencing it, so we are not sure which village it is exactly," Magistrate Li replied solemnly.
He Tiantian thought to herself, "As expected, the awareness of epidemic prevention in ancient times was relatively weak."
"Was the city gate sealed off? Was an order issued that no household in the city was allowed to leave their home?" He Tiantian continued to ask.
Magistrate Liu frowned and then gave a brief account of what was happening in the city.
When the plague was first discovered, the first thing to do was to order the city gates to be sealed off.
However, the city gates were only closed for seven or eight days before they caused unrest among the people.
Wealthy merchants from outside the city were unable to enter to do business, while the people in the city were unable to leave to visit their relatives.
They protested daily at the city gate and the government office. Magistrate Liu had to avoid going out for days, fearing that he would be pelted with rotten eggs.
Later, the plague worsened, and so many people died. Those who had protested earlier naturally shut their mouths and dared not enter or leave the city anymore.
After learning all this, He Tiantian felt that although Magistrate Liu was a good official, he lacked effective management of the area.
Perhaps it's because he's too kind-hearted that his career as an official has been lukewarm all these years.
Thinking of this, He Tiantian said earnestly, "Your Excellency, I have a few suggestions that you may consider."
"First, we must seal off the city gates and prevent anyone from leaving or entering the city. Second, we must send troops to guard the entire Changning City, and no household is allowed to leave their home. We must cut off the source of this plague before we can think about how to treat it."
Otherwise, the prescription would have been spread far and wide before it was even developed.
"Furthermore, those who have already been infected with the plague should be concentrated in several places according to the degree of infection. Doctors should be sent there to take care of them, and no one should be allowed to visit them, not even family members."
As He Tiantian spoke, Master Zhang, who was standing beside her, had already taken out a pen and ink and started writing.
Finally, He Tiantian gave a special instruction: "Your Excellency, what I'm saying may not be acceptable to all the people. If there are any troublemakers, just arrest them and lock them up in jail."
Magistrate Liu seemed to see a glimmer of hope, especially after He Tiantian's encouragement.
Magistrate Liu suddenly felt confident again, and he asked seriously, "Master Zhang, have you remembered everything Sister He said?"
"Reporting to the magistrate, I have written it all down."
“Good!” Magistrate Liu suddenly stood up, startling the other three.
"Go and inform everyone immediately. If anyone disobeys, arrest them on the spot. Make an example of them!"
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