He had thought that with his young cousin’s martial skills, she couldn’t be seriously injured, but seeing Bai Qingyan’s current condition, could all the rumors outside be true?!

“Young cousin…” Shi Huishu called out to Bai Qingyan softly, his eyes full of worry.

Bai Qingyan’s lips curved slightly: “General Shi need not be overly formal. Please sit! Since General Shi has requested an audience, Uncle must have some instructions. Please speak directly.”

Shi Huishu cupped his hands toward Bai Qingyan: “This time it’s not that Lord Dong has any particular instructions. It’s just that on my way here, I encountered a physician coming from the direction of Huayang City. That physician said… a plague has broken out in Huayang City. First, the livestock kept in the city began dying one after another, then people started falling ill one by one. After the physician examined them and realized it was a plague, he immediately fled Huayang City with his family!”

Hearing this, Bai Qingyan’s palms tightened. A plague in Huayang City?

“When did this happen?” Bai Qingyan looked up at Shi Huishu.

“That physician said the livestock began dying one after another at the end of September, people started falling ill around the fifteenth of October, and he fled Huayang City with his family on the twenty-fifth of October. I encountered that physician that very night, and he warned me not to enter Huayang City.”

“When I detoured around Huayang City, I saw a small group of refugees and sent people to investigate. Those refugees said they were from Huayang, that all the physicians in the city had fled, claiming a plague had broken out in Huayang City. Fearing the city would be sealed and they’d be left to die, they packed their belongings and escaped, planning to head toward Shouyang. They said they heard that Princess Zhenguo was training troops and suppressing bandits in Shouyang, so coming here, they could at least get a meal!”

Shi Huishu looked at Bai Qingyan seriously: “Young cousin, I’m worried that some among this small group of refugees may already be infected with the plague. If these refugees are allowed into the city, Shouyang City might also suffer. Moreover, if the plague situation in Huayang City becomes critical later, there will certainly be more people fleeing to become refugees heading for Shouyang… Please prepare early!”

Bai Qingyan knew that Shi Huishu had come to tell her this entirely for Shouyang’s benefit.

Plague was no small matter. If people infected with the disease were truly allowed to enter Shouyang, the people of Shouyang would also suffer.

“Chun Tao, go have Uncle Ping visit the Prefect’s Office and County Magistrate’s Office to summon the Prefect and County Magistrate Zhou to come together!” After speaking, Bai Qingyan looked at Shi Huishu again. “Lord Shi, I would trouble you to accompany me in meeting with Shouyang’s Prefect and County Magistrate.”

“Yes!” Shi Huishu clasped his hands in agreement.

“If a plague has truly broken out in Huayang, the Crown Prince must have already received news of this matter. I hope His Highness can handle this appropriately.” Bai Qingyan clenched her fists tightly.

Upon hearing Bai Qingyan’s summons, the Shouyang Prefect and County Magistrate Zhou immediately followed Lu Ping to the Bai residence.

When the Prefect and County Magistrate Zhou arrived, Bai Qingyan and Shi Huishu were already seated in the main hall, waiting. County Magistrate Zhou quickly stepped forward to pay his respects to Bai Qingyan. He had originally wanted to tell Bai Qingyan about the supplements he had brought for her, when he heard her say, “Please be seated, both of you. I’ve summoned you today to discuss an urgent matter! This gentleman…”

Bai Qingyan pointed to Shi Huishu: “He is a subordinate of my uncle, Dengzhou Governor Dong Qingyue. This time… on his way to Shouyang, General Shi passed by Huayang and heard that a plague had broken out there, and that there are already small groups of refugees who, having learned that there’s food to be had from military training in Shouyang, are on their way here.”

Upon hearing this, the Prefect suddenly raised his head.

Shi Huishu recounted to the Prefect and County Magistrate Zhou his encounters with the physician from Huayang City and the refugees.

County Magistrate Zhou’s palms began to sweat, and he wiped them on his official robes: “Then… should we have the Prefect write a memorial to His Highness the Crown Prince to request instructions on how to handle this?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is in the capital, which is closer to Huayang than Shouyang. He should have already received the news! What we need to discuss now… is how to keep Shouyang safe.” Bai Qingyan’s voice was steady.

“Does Princess Zhenguo mean not to allow the refugees into the city?” Prefect Shen reacted quickly.

Bai Qingyan nodded: “Set up temporary housing for refugees outside the city. If refugees are truly infected with plague, send physicians out of the city to treat them. We must also set up soup kitchens—we cannot let refugees cause trouble from hunger! This is not something I can accomplish alone; it requires the help of both gentlemen.”

“Princess Zhenguo, rest assured! This humble official will certainly handle this matter properly…” Prefect Shen cupped his hands toward Bai Qingyan.

Seeing this, County Magistrate Zhou hastily expressed his loyalty: “This humble official will also do everything possible to handle this matter properly! Princess Zhenguo needs only to focus on recovering from your injuries and must not worry about these matters. If we exhaust Princess Zhenguo so that you cannot rest and recover properly, that would be our fault, Shouyang parent-officials!”

County Magistrate Zhou spoke very eloquently, appearing genuinely sincere and concerned. Even Shi Huishu, watching him, felt that this County Magistrate Zhou truly cared about Bai Qingyan.

Shi Huishu nodded with some relief, feeling that with such parent-officials in Shouyang, even if plague-infected refugees came to Shouyang City, there would be no major problems.

“My injury is not a serious matter. How to maintain the safety of the people within Shouyang City and how to properly settle the refugees who may come to Shouyang—these are the important matters!” Bai Qingyan looked at County Magistrate Zhou. “County Magistrate Zhou must pay attention to this!”

“Princess Zhenguo, rest assured!”

Just as County Magistrate Zhou finished speaking, Steward Hao appeared at the entrance of the main hall, glanced at Bai Qingyan, and subtly signaled to her.

Knowing that Steward Hao had something to say but found it inconvenient to speak in front of others, Bai Qingyan picked up her teacup and said with lowered eyes: “Since the Prefect and Magistrate Zhou both know about this matter, please make preparations. Both gentlemen have busy official duties, so I won’t detain you here.”

Seeing this, Magistrate Zhou quickly stood up and bowed deeply to take his leave: “Princess Zhenguo, please rest well. This humble official will not disturb you further.”

The Prefect hadn’t forgotten that he still owed Bai Qingyan an explanation. He had originally wanted to stay, but fearing that the ever-scheming County Magistrate Zhou might also remain, he simply stood up and took his leave as well.

“Thank you, General Shi, for explaining the situation in Huayang City in detail to Shouyang’s two parent-officials…” Bai Qingyan turned to instruct Nanny Tong. “Please trouble Nanny to escort General Shi to his quarters to rest!”

Shi Huishu also rose to take his leave from Bai Qingyan and walked out with Nanny Tong.

Shi Huishu saw Steward Hao, who had welcomed him into the Bai residence today, standing outside the door. He smiled and nodded to Steward Hao in acknowledgment before heading toward his lodging quarters.

Steward Hao entered the room, bowed to Bai Qingyan, and said: “Eldest Miss, people from the clan are outside requesting an audience with you. They say they’ve prepared modest gifts for your birthday and hope you will accept them.”

Those in the clan with any sense would naturally know that today was Bai Qingyan’s birthday. It was not surprising that the clever ones would use this pretext to try to curry favor.

“Who led them here?” Bai Qingyan asked while gently blowing on the hot air rising from her teacup.