Zhao Shen read the gazette back and forth twice and exaggeratedly said loudly, “So with this sewing machine, women’s speed at sewing clothes can increase by more than ten times? Plus weaving speed has also increased. Previously, women needed ten days to make one garment—now they can do it in one day.”
The guide pricked up his ears to listen. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but stand up and walk two steps in that direction, listening even more attentively.
Zhao Shen again exaggerated, “Oh my, Bureau of Agriculture officials have cultivated Luoyang South No. 2 rice seed. Not only flood-resistant but also high-yielding, with average yield per acre exceeding the previous by eighty-five catties—nearly one shi of high yield!”
The guide paused slightly and walked directly behind Zhao Shen to peer at the paper he was holding.
Zhao Shen didn’t like people standing behind him, especially this proud and unyielding southern barbarian. However, he didn’t show it. Instead, he directly put away the gazette and turned to ask, “Can you read newspapers?”
The guide immediately said, “This humble one studied with someone for two years and recognizes some characters. Just now at a rough glance, I recognized most of the characters on it. General, are these gazettes essays only for officials to read?”
“No, two wen per sheet—anyone can buy them. They mainly publish court policies and some officials’ essays.”
The guide’s eyes reddened. Here, paper was expensive. Few could afford books and paper. In their tribe, they either used bamboo slips or oral transmission. He hadn’t imagined outsiders lived so well—two wen could get such a large sheet covered in writing.
Seeing Zhao Shen fold the paper, he quickly collected himself and asked, “General, what are these new spinning machines and sewing machines you just mentioned? And that Luoyang South No. 2—with Luoyang South No. 2, are there also Luoyang South No. 1, and East, West, North other numbers?”
Zhao Shen looked at him approvingly and praised, “Not bad—drawing inferences from one instance. Quite clever.”
Zhao Shen was different from the Han officials the guide had met before. He would never scold them for being talkative. On this journey, no matter what he asked, he would answer.
But this was the first time hearing such outward praise. The guide was stunned for quite a while before reacting.
After setting out again, the guide quietly modified their route, taking them on another path. Before sunset, they reached a large tribe.
Mountain people gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains saw them and quickly ran back to the tribe to report.
When Zhao Shen went to discuss matters with the chieftain, several mountain people surrounded the guide, unhappily questioning, “Didn’t you say you’d bring them the day after tomorrow? Why arrive two days early?”
Guide: “We took the main road.”
“Why take them on the main road?”
Guide: “This official is different from previous officials. If you don’t believe me, wait until your chieftain finishes talking with him, then go ask.”
The mountain people were still unhappy. Soon, Zhao Shen and the chieftain emerged.
The chieftain happily told his tribespeople, “This is the newly arrived high official. He says he has a way to dispel evil spirits for us!”
The mountain people were stunned, eyes widening in excitement: “Really?”
The chieftain said, “Of course it’s true. The General is so capable—how could he deceive us?”
Zhao Shen: …Right, how could he deceive them?
You should know, he brought an imperial physician on this assignment.
When Zhao Hanzhang had him bring an imperial physician, he initially thought she cared about him and was concerned for his health. Later he realized it was for the people of Guangzhou.
Guangzhou had many mountains and dense forests, with very few people. Many places couldn’t be reached by official roads—only narrow paths existed, or one needed to traverse through mountains.
Here, tribes clustered together—one tribe per stronghold, with strongholds ranging from hundreds to thousands of people. The distance between strongholds—for close ones, perhaps three to five days’ walk. For distant ones, possibly a month of climbing mountains and ridges without arrival.
This was inconceivable in the Central Plains.
In one month, he could make three round trips from Luoyang to Chang’an. But here, he still couldn’t walk from this village to that village.
Really, there were too many mountains here, forests too dense. Fallen leaves accumulated layer upon layer. The climate here was warm with abundant rainfall. Fallen leaves quickly decomposed, and together with various rotting fruits, released various poisonous gases. These poisonous gases lingered in the forest. Over time, miasma formed.
People who breathed it long would become unwell.
Local mountain people were better off—their bodies had long adapted, and they had corresponding foods for detoxification.
But outside officials and soldiers suffered. Why did the world view exile to Guangzhou as equivalent to execution?
Besides the heart-killing effect, physical suffering was severe. People who came here found it very hard to survive.
At most three years—the vast majority would die from miasma. More would die successively within half a year. When asked, it was “failure to adapt to local conditions.”
For locals, it wasn’t completely safe either. Never mind the poisonous insects and snakes in these forests—there was also a strange disease that greatly reduced their lifespan.
Fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, then gradually coughing blood, bloody stools, then death. When fast, from onset to death took only about ten days. When slow, half a year was the limit.
This was schistosomiasis.
Locals believed it was a demon god’s curse.
Zhao Shen affirmed their understanding, saying seriously, “Correct, it is a demon god’s curse. Because this is a treasure land, it believes our living on its treasure land offends it, so it wants to kill all of us.”
“But there are many gods in heaven and earth. Never mind distant ones—our Emperor and Majesty is Heaven’s child, with status no lower than the demon god.” His face serious, he said, “Regarding the demon god’s tyrannical behavior, His Majesty is very angry. Therefore, he specially dispatched me to govern this place and resist the demon god.”
The mountain people listened in a daze, asking, “The Emperor aside, you’re just a mortal—can you resist a demon god?”
Zhao Shen’s face serious: “This official is no ordinary mortal. This official is His Majesty’s subordinate. Bearing the Heavenly Son’s mandate, I naturally have divine light protecting me. Never mind it being just a demon god—even if it were a righteous god, this official could resist it.”
“Not only can this official do it, you all can too,” Zhao Shen said. “You have His Majesty’s protection and possess righteous energy. The demon god isn’t omnipotent—otherwise, why hasn’t it wiped everyone out after all these years?”
The mountain people thought about it and realized it was true. Excited, they asked, “Then how do we resist the demon god?”
A bold one directly proposed, “Could we kill it to eliminate future troubles?”
Deicide—an old Chinese tradition. As long as a god wasn’t good, it had fallen into demonhood. Even ordinary people thought about killing it. What if they actually killed the demon god?
Zhao Shen didn’t answer this question but instead posed one: “Do you know how the demon god curses you?”
Everyone’s attention was immediately diverted. They shook their heads indicating they didn’t know.
Zhao Shen: “Water! It places curses in water, attaching to certain snails, making them produce a type of worm that pollutes water sources. As long as people contact polluted raw water, they’ll be entangled by the curse. Those cursed worms will parasitize in people’s blood vessels, lungs, even brains.”
Everyone shivered. Even the chieftain’s face changed. He wasn’t certain Zhao Shen could solve the strange disease. However, seeing him speak with such certainty, he followed along with his words to put him on the hot seat.
He hadn’t expected Zhao Shen to actually find the root and process of the curse. The chieftain, along with his tribespeople, stared intently at Zhao Shen. So… did he really have a solution?
—