The gate opened, and the anxious crowd stirred.

Looking at that woman walking out.

If they weren’t in awe of this woman, they would have rushed in long ago. But then again, if it weren’t precisely because this woman was here, they wouldn’t have hurried here seeking security either.

The chaotic crowd quieted down because of Qi Yue’s appearance, as if afraid to disturb her.

This woman’s temper wasn’t very good… they absolutely mustn’t offend her…

“Everyone go back,” Qi Yue said loudly.

With these words, the entire crowd descended into chaos.

“Mistress Qi, we were wrong…”

“Mistress Qi, it’s not our fault—it was all those doctors who caused this…”

“Mistress Qi, please have mercy…”

Crying, shouting, kowtowing—complete chaos.

“No, this is an isolation hospital for isolating sick patients, not for isolating healthy people,” Qi Yue said helplessly, shouting loudly.

“Oh my, now there are more sick people than healthy ones—please isolate us first,” the people standing at the front stamped their feet and shouted.

“No, I already have patients staying here,” Qi Yue said.

This statement made the onlookers step back several paces.

“Everyone don’t panic—this infectious disease isn’t very severe,” Qi Yue said.

Everyone present wanted to cry. This wasn’t considered severe?

It really wasn’t severe. Overall, anthrax had a very small probability of human-to-human transmission. As long as proper isolation and protection were maintained, it could all be avoided. Try a different disease, like plague…

So she still had some good fortune after all. Otherwise, forget treating the disease—she’d probably be dead herself…

Hu San came out carrying a large stack of papers.

“Here’s how to protect yourselves. Everyone follow what’s written here, and there’ll definitely be no problems. Don’t panic,” Qi Yue said.

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd surged forward.

“Give me one, give me one!”

Hands reached out to grab what Hu San was holding.

Hu San was nearly trampled to death. Fortunately, the guards blocked the crowd in time, and after another bout of chaos, they managed to get everyone to line up to receive them.

“Give me a few more sheets,” one person holding a single sheet begged, reluctant to leave.

“Give what? These all cost money. I printed so many back then—who told you not to keep them? Now this is all that’s left,” Hu San said irritably.

As soon as he finished speaking, that person immediately threw over a bag of money.

“I’ll pay, I’ll pay!” he shouted.

Seeing him do this, and looking at the promotional flyers that weren’t many to begin with, the people queuing behind also became anxious.

“We’ll pay too!” everyone shouted, raising their money bags.

Before, when they distributed these flyers everywhere, some people took them and casually threw them away, some happily took several more saying they could use them as toilet paper at home, and some waved them away impatiently. Their wish back then was just for these promotional materials that cost their master so much effort and money to be properly received and kept, even if people just glanced at them once they’d be satisfied. They never imagined there would be a day when people would pay money to buy them…

“…Sell to me, sell to me…”

“…I want them all…”

“Everyone quiet down!” Hu San shouted loudly, pointing at the disrupted formation. “Anyone who doesn’t queue up won’t get anything!”

This statement was more effective than anything else. The queue immediately became perfectly straight and orderly.

“Stop talking about money,” Hu San said, pushing the man’s money bag back. “One per household. When they’re gone, they’re gone. Print your own—I don’t have time for this.”

After dealing with this one, someone else took interest in something different.

“Brother Hu, could you sell me a few of those gloves and masks?” a person who had gotten a flyer but still wouldn’t leave said quietly.

Hu San looked up at him and couldn’t help swallowing behind his mask.

This… this… should be okay, right?

“The thing is, we don’t have many left, and we’ll need large quantities in the future. So we can’t give them away for free anymore…” he sighed.

Seeing there was hope, this person wanted to hug Hu San.

“No, no, Brother Hu, saying that is slapping this little brother’s face,” he said, offering his money bag.

Only then did Hu San call over a disciple.

“Get this gentleman two sets of gloves and masks,” he said.

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd roared.

“We want them too…”

Again, a forest of hands holding money bags stood raised.

“Look, we have these made by tailors. You can make your own,” Hu San said, wiping sweat from his brow.

“We want to buy these from Qianjin Hall!” everyone shouted in unison.

Who knew if the ones bought elsewhere would work? The ones from Qianjin Hall were all personally inspected by you—they’d definitely be fine.

Qi Yue no longer paid attention to the commotion here. Five disciples for disinfection and investigation had already departed, while she prepared to take another five disciples to the pig farm. Additionally, the penicillin production couldn’t be left unmanned. Counting everything up, all the disciples were already deployed. Those helping at the hospital now relied entirely on guards from Marquis Dingxi’s household. There still weren’t enough people…

“You’re not allowed to go. Go home now and tell the authorities to quickly deploy personnel to respond,” Qi Yue said to Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng looked at her without moving.

“You have external injuries. I’m not at ease with you here,” Qi Yue said. “Chang Yuncheng, I don’t need you to do anything for me. I just need to know that you’re there behind me—that’s enough.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at her and finally nodded.

Qi Yue smiled at him, then turned and strode away quickly.

Because she needed to conduct experimental testing, she carried a heavy medicine box. In the group of male disciples, her small figure looked increasingly overburdened, but her steps were steady, one by one, quickly disappearing from sight.

At this time, Wang Qingchun sat at home. Though carrying nothing on his body, his steps felt heavy.

“How could this happen…” he muttered, repeating these words.

“Sir, what should we do?” two or three doctors asked urgently.

“I didn’t lose!” Wang Qingchun said sternly. “I didn’t lose! So what if she said it was an epidemic—what’s so great about that! Can’t I say the same? Being able to cure it—only being able to cure it counts as having real skill!”

The doctors looked at him speechlessly.

“Sir, now isn’t the time to discuss this. What do we do now?” they asked.

“I, I’ll write to the Imperial Medical Academy and have them send the best imperial physicians. Tell everyone not to panic,” Wang Qingchun came to his senses and understood what the doctors were asking, saying hurriedly.

The doctors nodded.

“So what do we do now?” someone else asked.

Wang Qingchun glared at him.

“Didn’t I say? I’m requesting the best doctors to come!” he roared.

“Sir, that’s not now—that’s later. What about now? Right now? The city is full of patients and everything’s in chaos. What do we do?” this doctor couldn’t help shouting back.

What to do? Wang Qingchun’s chest heaved violently. How would I know what to do…

Fortunately, the other doctors in the city didn’t wait for his instructions this time. Everyone could see clearly—if they waited for his instructions any longer, everyone would be finished.

Therefore, almost overnight, all the medical halls still in operation began doing disinfection work. Everyone wore masks, caps, and gloves. Of course, they didn’t have Qianjin Hall’s type—they all used simple white cloth as substitutes.

More and more people on the streets dressed this way, though their attire was bizarre in all sorts of ways. But they all covered their noses, mouths, and hands.

Until the proper attire of those returning from Qianjin Hall caught everyone’s attention.

“Bought from Qianjin Hall.”

With this news, even more people surged toward Qianjin Hall.

On the streets, the prefectural judge with his guards had begun sprinkling lime along the roads.

“And liquor…” a leading officer said, looking at the paper in his hand.

Of course, they all wore masks and gloves, with leather boots on their feet.

After they passed, another team of officers came behind them, banging on doors house by house.

“Investigating for cases!” they shouted loudly. “Anyone not opening their door will be considered rebellious citizens!”

This was serious. Doors opened one after another, and each team of officers brought a doctor with them.

People constantly carried door planks toward the city gate on the streets.

“Don’t be afraid—we’re going to Qianjin Hall right away. Mistress Qi can save you,” accompanying family members comforted the patients.

The mounted prefectural judge made way for these people to pass first.

He also wore a mask and gloves, looking particularly comical.

“Though everyone says they don’t believe Mistress Qi, in their hearts they still do. Look—everything she said before, everyone remembered. That’s why they can use it so quickly now,” he said.

Beside him was Huang Ziqiao, who had just ridden over on horseback.

“Of course,” he said. “But the fact that they bullied Mistress Qi is also true.”

The prefectural judge smiled, though this smile couldn’t be seen behind his mask.

“There’s no help for it. People fear what’s strange, act strangely toward what they don’t understand—the common people have no choice,” he said. “But after this time, even if Mistress Qi said the moon would fall from the sky tomorrow, no one would disbelieve her.”

Huang Ziqiao smiled with some pride.

“I heard the prefect and his wife went to comfort Marquis Dingxi?” the prefectural judge suddenly asked.

Huang Ziqiao’s expression looked somewhat unpleasant.

What comfort—they were hiding at Marquis Dingxi’s mansion because they were afraid of dying.

Everyone believed that as Mistress Qi’s in-laws’ household—though former in-laws—Marquis Dingxi’s mansion could still receive protection, so the Marquis should be the safest place besides Qianjin Hall.

When Chang Yuncheng entered, he saw Marquis Dingxi scolding in the courtyard.

“Afraid now? Too late! Not when you were bullying my Yueniang…” he was glowing red-faced with a mask hanging around his neck.

Your Yueniang? You really have the nerve to say that…

“Yes, yes,” the prefect thought contemptuously while smiling on the surface and agreeing. “They were indeed too much back then!”

“Go, go tell Yueniang that fellow surnamed Tong—those masks, protective knowledge and such—anyone can buy them, just don’t sell to his household!” Marquis Dingxi shouted.

The steward beside him smiled and responded affirmatively, though his feet didn’t move.

“Exactly, exactly, absolutely necessary,” the prefect said with a matter-of-fact expression.

Marquis Dingxi was about to say more when he saw Chang Yuncheng.

“Why did you come back? Instead of staying with your wife, what are you doing running back at a time like this?” he asked in surprise, with some anxiety. “Did you make her angry again…”

Chang Yuncheng smiled.

“No, I was worried about Father and came back to check,” he said.

“Worried about me for what? What am I afraid of?” Marquis Dingxi glared, his tone clearly softening.

At this time, many people in the city heading toward Qianjin Hall outside the city were persuaded to turn back.

“Mistress Qi said she only takes patients, not us,” passersby said.

Hearing this, those people looked back at the city gate, feeling utterly terrified.

The city gate seemed like a beast with its mouth wide open.

“Then, then ask Mistress Qi to come back and take a look!” everyone said. “If she comes to look and says it’s fine, then we can feel at ease!”

Hearing this, someone sneered coldly.

“Ask her to come back? When you drove her away, not one person spoke up, but now asking her to come back, you’re quite quick to speak up.”

This was an officer guarding the gate with a blade.

“It’s easy to drive away a god but hard to invite one back. How light it sounds when you just flap your lips,” he continued.

Everyone present felt slightly embarrassed.

“It’s all Wang Qingchun’s fault!” someone shouted loudly.

This reminded everyone, so the shouting grew louder.

“Right, he’s the one who wouldn’t listen to Mistress Qi and encouraged us not to listen either…”

“…He even bet with Mistress Qi. Now he’s lost—make him kneel at the city gate to welcome Mistress Qi back!”

“Right, kneel at the city gate!”

“Wang Qingchun kneel at the city gate!”

With these shouts, someone took the lead, and the crowd surged toward Wang Qingchun’s residence. Shouts for Wang Qingchun to kneel at the city gate echoed through the streets.