Yun Chu sat steadily behind the pearl curtain and laid out her plan methodically.
“Changgan County is the source of the epidemic. The vast majority of people there have contracted the plague, so we’ll use Changgan County as a base to begin treatment.”
“First, concentrate all the physicians and doctors in the county seat. This way, we can attract all the infected people to Changgan County. The physicians will examine the patients’ pulses, prescribe medicines centrally, brew the remedies, and manage everything uniformly. Set up checkpoints at the city gates—allow entry but not exit, with strict control.”
“Those infected with the plague have very obvious symptoms: reddened eye whites and blackened lips. This way, it will be easy to screen for them. Arrange guards in all nearby counties and villages to strictly screen for infected people. As soon as one is found, send them to Changgan County for treatment. Isolate and manage suspected cases separately…”
Yun Chu finished speaking in an orderly manner.
The ministers below fell silent for a moment.
Although it wasn’t the best strategy, it was much better than the worst strategy. At least it wouldn’t incite public anger.
However, implementation would be somewhat troublesome.
Moreover, Changgan County was where the epidemic was most severe—no official was willing to go there.
“This minister is willing to go.”
A young voice rang out.
The court ministers all looked over in unison. It was the former Seventh Prince, now Prince Shun, who was only thirteen years old this year.
Prince Shun walked to the center of the great hall and cupped his hands. “Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this minister is willing to go to Changgan County to manage the epidemic. Please grant permission.”
Prince Shun’s birth mother was Noble Consort Shu, who was on good terms with Yun Chu. She naturally trusted Prince Shun unconditionally, but he was too young. If he contracted the epidemic… Back then, Consort Shu had risked herself to feed medicine to the Late Emperor, helping Yun Chu tremendously. If something happened to Prince Shun, she would have no face to meet Consort Shu…
“Let this minister go instead,” Lord Xiang stepped forward. “This minister is the current Grand Tutor, but since there is no Crown Prince in the court, this minister is quite idle. Let this minister go handle the epidemic matter.”
Yun Chu spoke up. “Today, first gather the physicians, doctors, and medicinal materials. Tomorrow at morning court, this Empress Dowager will determine who shall go.”
After the court session ended.
Seventh Prince Shun walked before Yun Chu and cupped his hands. “This minister is sincerely willing to go to Changgan County. I wonder what concerns the Empress Dowager has?”
“This matter is easy to speak of but extremely troublesome to implement. You don’t yet possess the ability to handle it,” Yun Chu said. “You currently have a position in the Ministry of Personnel—first follow along and gain experience properly.”
“The Empress Dowager is worried that something will happen to me in Changgan County,” Prince Shun raised his head. “I was born into the imperial family and cannot only seek enjoyment. I must also bear what should be borne. Your Majesty is still young, and there are people in the shadows coveting the throne. Since I am his imperial uncle, I should help resolve his worries. Please give me this opportunity, Empress Dowager.”
Yun Chu shook her head.
Plague was even more merciless than swords and blades. It wouldn’t spare you just because you were imperial nobility.
At such a time, they should arrange for someone experienced to go, not…
Just as she was about to speak, Noble Consort Shu’s voice reached her ears. “Empress Dowager, let him go. He has had aspirations since childhood—it was I who kept suppressing him.”
Noble Consort Shu sighed.
Her maternal family was only fourth rank, a middling household that couldn’t provide any help. She didn’t want her son embroiled in court struggles, so she had always kept a low profile.
But now that the struggle for the throne had reached a conclusion, at this moment when talent was needed, if Seventh Son wanted to step up, then let him step up.
Yun Chu glanced at Noble Consort Shu, then looked at Prince Shun. Knowing that mother and son were of one mind, she finally nodded. “Prince Shun is young and still needs someone to guide him. Then this Empress Dowager will have Lord Xiang and Seventh Son go together. How’s that?”
Noble Consort Shu was overjoyed. “That would be best.”
Yun Chu smiled. “Seventh Son, you are a prince, and Lord Xiang will certainly put you first in everything. But you must remember—Lord Xiang knows better than you how to handle those patients. You should observe more, learn more, and speak less. Understand?”
Prince Shun cupped his hands. “This minister understands. Thank you, Empress Dowager.”
However, before the next day’s court session could finalize this matter, news arrived from Ningzhou again.
“Reporting to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, a medicine woman has appeared near Ningzhou. She bestows sweet dew upon the sick, and anyone who drinks the sweet dew recovers without medicine. That medicine woman has thus been called Heavenly Maiden by the people.”
“Prince Cheng invited the Heavenly Maiden to bestow sweet dew in Ningzhou City. He’s also distributing porridge and medicine, stabilizing the people’s hearts. All the common people near Ningzhou have been attracted there, and the epidemic matter has been resolved just like that.”
“The court need not send anyone anymore.”
Yun Chu’s brows furrowed slightly.
Heavenly Maiden?
She had never heard of this title.
Something felt somewhat wrong about this situation.
“Lord Xiang, Prince Shun, you two must still make the trip,” Yun Chu said. “Prince Cheng’s distribution of porridge and medicine requires silver—naturally the court will provide this silver. After you two reach Ningzhou, assist Prince Cheng with the aftermath.”
Lord Xiang and Prince Shun stepped forward. “Yes, Empress Dowager.”
After court was dismissed, the more Yun Chu thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.
If this was such a severe epidemic with such a wide transmission range, it absolutely couldn’t be resolved by some unknown medicine woman using some sweet dew.
She returned to Kangning Palace and took out a map to look at.
Looking at the nearest major city to Ningzhou, it was precisely Jizhou.
“Jizhou…” Yun Chu’s finger paused. “Qiutong, has there been any news of Xie Shi’an recently?”
Qiutong replied, “After Yuan Shi took Xie Shikang and Xie Shiwei back to Jizhou, they moved into the old Xie family residence. Xie Shi’an started doing business—purchasing goods from other places and then selling them in Jizhou. At this time, he should be traveling to other places for merchandise.”
“Not necessarily…” Yun Chu’s eyes darkened. “He’s not someone who’s content with the status quo.”
Among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were the lowest class. With Xie Shi’an’s sky-high ambitions, how could he be willing to be just a merchant?
If he wanted to transcend his class, he could only attach himself to someone with power… Surveying all of Great Jin, the one who could be persuaded by Xie Shi’an’s glib tongue would likely be only the Sixth Prince, Prince Cheng.
She speculated that Xie Shi’an should be right beside Prince Cheng.
But she couldn’t understand why they would create a Heavenly Maiden—what were they trying to do?
But soon, Yun Chu guessed why.
Over the next few days, the Heavenly Maiden’s reputation spread wider and wider. Even the common people in the capital had heard of this matter.
Lord Xiang, who had gone to Ningzhou, wrote back saying that common people from more and more cities were flocking to Ningzhou, requesting the Heavenly Maiden to bestow sweet dew.
The sweet dew was being described more and more fantastically—it was said that just one sip could cure all diseases, that it was holy water bestowed by heaven.
Ningzhou City’s original population was around sixty to seventy thousand. Because of the Heavenly Maiden’s sweet dew, countless common people came, and the population approached two hundred thousand, with a continuing upward trend.
“Prince Cheng is planning rebellion!” Even Chu Hongyu, though a child, could see the situation. “He has only one thousand residence troops under his command, and Ningzhou’s garrison is only three thousand. Too few people, so he thought up this idea to concentrate everyone. Does he want to oppose the capital?”
Those who could become court officials were not fools either. Everyone’s gaze fell in unison on Lord Yuan.
Lord Yuan was Noble Consort Yuan’s elder brother, Prince Cheng’s maternal uncle, and a third-rank official in the court.
He fell to his knees with a thud. “Please, Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, investigate clearly. This humble minister knew nothing of this matter and had no idea what Prince Cheng was planning to do…”