Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, the last trace of concern in Zhao Sheng’s heart completely disappeared. He even felt grateful toward Bai Qingyan, his eyes growing warm as he thanked her from the bottom of his heart for speaking these words to him in the form of an oath, completely dispelling the guilt he felt toward the Great Liang people that the Zhao family had protected for generations.

He rose and bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan once more: “I thank Princess Zhenguo on behalf of Great Liang’s people. Please give me more time, Princess Zhenguo. I will surely persuade the other generals, because… all of our generals’ families are in Han City, so we cannot be without concerns.”

Bai Qingyan nodded: “General Zhao, do your best – there’s no need to force it!”

With Zhao Sheng’s addition to Jin’s army, Liu Hong and Bai Qingyan had a clearer understanding of the situation in Liuzhou.

At this moment, Zhao Sheng sat in Liu Hong’s commander’s tent, telling all the Jin generals everything he knew about the situation in Liuzhou City ahead.

The epidemic in Liuzhou City wasn’t particularly severe. The local officials had ordered the infected people to be isolated in a Taoist temple outside the city, sending physicians there to care for the infected alongside the Taoist masters in the temple.

Naturally… relatives of those infected feared their family members wouldn’t receive proper care. Some would follow along – fewer children would follow their elderly parents to the temple, but more mothers would accompany their young children to the temple.

Hearing this, Lin Kangle snorted coldly: “That’s why they say it’s better to follow a begging mother than a wealthy father.”

Lin Kangle came from humble origins and had extremely bitter memories of his father, who abandoned him and his mother, so he deeply detested fathers who disregarded their young children’s lives.

Zhao Sheng bowed to Liu Hong and Bai Qingyan: “The urgent matter is that Zhao Sheng believes we should first send troops to the temple to deliver the medical prescription, so more people can receive timely treatment! This action would also let the people and soldiers in Liuzhou City know that Jin’s army won’t enter the city to burn, kill, and plunder, but will instead treat the people. In this way… Zhao Sheng might be able to persuade Liuzhou’s defending general, Yang Wuce, to open the city gates, and we could enter Liuzhou without losing a single soldier.”

Hearing Zhao Sheng say this, Liu Hong turned toward Bai Qingyan: “What does Princess Zhenguo think – is what General Zhao suggests feasible?”

“I’m afraid that once we send the prescription over, it will benefit Great Liang, and Great Liang will have the ability to gather more soldiers to fight our troops to the death!” Lin Kangle didn’t quite agree.

“First, have soldiers escort physicians to the temple – treating the people is urgent. I will personally write a letter explaining the circumstances and have it presented to His Highness the Crown Prince.” Bai Qingyan looked at Liu Hong. “We are all military officers. We know that generals fight to protect and pacify the people. Soldiers defend city gates to ensure the lives of a city’s people remain safe. Liuzhou City’s defending general definitely won’t want to watch the city’s people die one by one from the epidemic! To defeat the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Bai Qingyan believes… what General Zhao suggests is feasible!”

Zhao Sheng, kneeling behind the low table, clenched his palms tighter. He admitted that proposing such a plan was indeed selfish – he wanted to save as many Liuzhou people as possible. The epidemic was killing people… every day of delay would mean more deaths.

“Since that’s the case, then we’ll do as Princess Zhenguo says. Please…” Liu Hong first looked at Lin Kangle, but seeing Lin Kangle’s tightly furrowed brow, he turned to Wang Xiping, wanting them to send their subordinates. But Wang Xiping kept his head down, also seeming unwilling to let his subordinates go, fearing they might contract the epidemic.

“Let my Zhao Ran go!” Bai Qingyan spoke up. “When Zhao Ran was in Shuoyang, he helped manage the medical station and knew how to assist physicians in caring for epidemic patients, which can maximize avoiding infection for himself and our soldiers.”

Zhao Sheng looked at Bai Qingyan again, his palms clenched even tighter. He straightened his back and bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Zhao Sheng thanks Princess Zhenguo on behalf of Liuzhou City’s people.”

After the orders were issued from Liu Hong’s commander’s tent, Bai Qingyan summoned Zhao Ran, who would be escorting medicine to the temple, to her side.

Bai Qingyan stood with her hands behind her back, walking a few steps with Zhao Ran to a secluded area, instructing in a low voice: “After you reach the temple, establish good relations with the officials sent by the government to manage the epidemic patients at the temple. When Liuzhou City’s epidemic patients were sent to the temple for treatment, the government must have issued travel passes when they left the city, in case some recovered and wanted to return! After you go this time… you need to find a way to obtain travel passes of those who died from the epidemic – preferably outsiders staying in Liuzhou who contracted the epidemic and were sent to the temple, people the officials don’t know well!”

“Also, for those who have already been treated but don’t want to return to Liuzhou City because of the impending war, you can try to obtain their travel passes. Tell them Jin’s army will arrange for them properly and bring them to Jin’s military camp.”

Zhao Ran nodded.

“Take the twenty Bai family guards who came with me. Tell these twenty men their task is to head straight to Han City and rescue Zhao Sheng’s entire family! Speed is essential! Before you leave, go see Zhao Sheng and ask him for a token.” Bai Qingyan instructed, “After rescuing them, divide into two groups… one group will disguise themselves as Zhao Sheng’s family and come south to meet up with Jin’s army, while the other group will take Zhao Sheng’s family north of Han City to find a place to hide! Wait until we’ve taken Han City before returning.”

“Additionally, if you can obtain a merchant’s travel pass, after entering the city claim that your servants died from the epidemic or fled, then offer heavy payment to gather Liuzhou people to transport goods to various places in Great Liang, spreading word everywhere that Jin’s army has given Great Liang the prescription for treating the epidemic, and… this time it was Jin’s army who saved the people abandoned in the temple to die!”

“There will be people or merchants in Liuzhou City who want to flee before the great battle. Have men ride quickly around Liuzhou City and intercept people on the official roads leading from Liuzhou to various places to steal their identities! You must spread news of the Liang court receiving the epidemic treatment prescription and Jin’s army saving people at the fastest possible speed.”

Zhao Ran understood Bai Qingyan’s intentions and cupped his hands: “Eldest Miss, rest assured. Zhao Ran will handle everything properly!”

An hour later, Zhao Ran departed for the temple outside Liuzhou City with sufficient personnel, physicians, and medicine.

Bai Qingyan returned to her tent and personally wrote a letter to the Crown Prince.

In the letter, she first expressed gratitude to the Crown Prince, stating in the letter that… no matter what, she would definitely hold on until taking Great Liang’s capital Han City. Moreover, Great Liang was now short of medicinal materials for treating the epidemic, especially skullcap. If the Crown Prince could find a way to send more medicinal materials, Bai Qingyan could take more Great Liang cities without bloodshed, reducing Jin’s burden.

She also wrote truthfully in the letter that as long as they could take Great Liang… Jin would possess Great Liang’s fertile plains, which could both fill the treasury and reap the benefits of fishing, salt, and shipping, bringing benefits to Jin for a thousand autumns.