The epidemic situation in the city was finally brought under control with the medicine the special envoy for disaster relief, Xu Ji, brought along. Every night, Ye Zhen stored the lingquan in a porcelain bottle, and the next morning added it to the large pot of boiling medicinal soup that would be given to the patients. It was probably because of the lingquan, that the fever quickly subsided. Imperial Physician Qi also recovered and was able to help treat other patients in the medical bureau.
As more and more people recovered, Ye Zhen discovered something.
There seemed to be more and more lingquan in her palm, and now when her thoughts were surging, a picture would appear in her mind. As if she was there (on the scene), she would see a golden chick pecking at something. What, that chick looks like… a phoenix? Beside it was a bowl-like thing with golden intricate lines, it was impossible to see what the painting on this bowl of a red liquid was.
Could that be the lingquan in my palm? There is not much liquid in it now, what is going on?
Ye Zhen thought it was very strange. When she didn’t want to see it, the image would disappear from her mind. If she thought about it again, she would see the phoenix-like chick again. It seemed that it could also see her.
This…
She was frightened and had no idea how this came about. She opened her palm and found that the red mark on it was gone.
Could it be that the golden chick in my mind was the mark on my palm?
She had never thought that there would be so many supernatural events after she took over her younger sister’s body (reborn). She did not know why that chick appeared in her mind (mental sea), nor did she the chick itself.
She couldn’t figure out this conundrum, but she had to put it aside temporarily because it was important to solve the immediate problem first.
“Your Highness, this subordinate is back,” Xue Lin said from the door.
“Come in.” Ye Zhen’s eyes lit up, and she pushed the thoughts of the little phoenix to the back of her mind. What she had tasked Xue Lin with previously should have come to fruition.
Xue Lin walked in with his head lowered, and said to Ye Zhen, “Your Highness, this subordinate has completed the task, and now there are rumors outside Huaijiang City. The subordinate also found out that Qiao Zebai delivered the medicinal supplies before and sold them to a merchant surnamed Qiu. That merchant is not from Jin, and the medicinal supplies were transported to Jinkou City and sent directly onto a ship.”
“Jinkou City?” Ye Zhen frowned in thought. “Where’s the disaster fund?”
Xue Lin said, “In the past, most of the disaster funds went into Ye Yisong’s hands. Qiao Zebai didn’t get much. This year, the court did not allocate disaster funds. The medicinal supplies were only intercepted when they arrived in Huaijiang.”
“Those who were able to intercept this batch of medicinal supplies must have been in contact with Qiao Zebai before. They must be people capable of hiding the truth from the people in the Huaijiang area. Otherwise, how could they dare to kill a few people indiscriminately and report it as a plague?” Ye Zhen snorted. Her first uncle had indeed raised a bunch of corrupt officials. Now that he was dead, these people did not know how to restrain themselves.
Xue Lin said, “Your Highness, this subordinate will investigate this matter thoroughly.”
Ye Zhen nodded lightly. “Do you know who the special envoy who delivered the medicinal supplies this time is?”
Hopefully, it wouldn’t be another guy like Qiao Zebai.
“Your Highness, are you talking about Xu Ji?” Xue Lin asked.
“That’s right, it’s him.” Ye Zhen nodded. She had never seen Xu Ji before, but she felt that the name was a little familiar. She seemed to have heard of it somewhere.
Xue Lin explained, “Xu Ji is Xianfei Xu’s elder brother.”
Xu Huiru’s elder brother? No wonder she felt the name was familiar. It turned out she had met him once before. A faint smile appeared on the corners of Ye Zhen’s lips. Not only had she met Xu Ji before but had also even picked a feud.
However, he probably wouldn’t remember what she looked like. After all, she was only seven or eight years old at the time and had quarreled over a poem with Xu Huiru. At first, Xi Ji wanted to teach her (Ye Zhen) a lesson on behalf of his sister but in the end, she was beaten by her brother(YZ’s) instead.
Unexpectedly, he came to Huaijiang City.
“Let’s go outside the city and have a look. Now the epidemic situation in the city is under control, but the two villages are under lockdown, no one is allowed to leave or enter.” As Ye Zhen spoke, she had already walked out of the house.
The city gate was no longer tightly closed, but still, people outside were not allowed in, and people in the city were not allowed to go out for the time being. Ye Zhen had Xue Lin’s token, so it was not difficult to leave the city.
She went up the city wall and met Huangfu Chen and Xu Ji.
“Master.” Ye Zhen smiled and bowed to Huangfu Chen.
Standing next to Huangfu Chen, Xu Ji looked at Ye Zhen sharply. Is this the Princess Fu Rong Younger Sister mentioned? She seems somewhat familiar, but this princess is indeed pretty. No wonder Younger Sister is so vigilant. If she is allowed to stay with the emperor, how can he notice Younger Sister?
“Didn’t I tell you to rest today?” Huangfu Chen frowned, tone a little displeased.
Ye Zhen said with a smile, “I’ve already rested, I don’t feel tired and so came here to have a look. Master, do you know how many people in those two villages have typhoid fever?”
Huangfu Chen stared at the soldiers not far away guarding the intersection. There were more than a dozen guarding the place several miles away. “People from the two villages… There are very few people who are still hale and hearty. “
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry in and treat them,” Ye Zhen hastily said.
Xu Ji sneered and said, “It’s so easy for this lady to say. There are at least two hundred people in the two villages. How many have to go in to treat them? And before they are cured our people will get sick.”
Ye Zhen coldly stared back at him. “Should they be allowed to die inside?”
“This is a matter of choice. How will you choose between one person dying and thousands dying?” Xu Ji asked.
“Master?” Ye Zhen didn’t believe that Huangfu Chen would allow them to die without trying to save them. Now that the typhoid fever in the city had subsided, it proved that she was right to treat them according to the prescriptions of the 《Qi Medical Classics》, not to mention that she still had lingquan.
Huangfu Chen said in a low voice, “Tomorrow, I’ll take people into the village to treat them. You don’t have to go in. You can just brew the medicine outside the village entrance.”
Ye Zhen frowned. “Master—”
“If you don’t obey then don’t leave the city.” Huangfu Chen’s voice became stern.
How could that do! She still needed to add lingquan to the medicine, otherwise, how could the typhoid fever heal faster? “Master, I’ll listen to you.”
Xu Ji looked at Huangfu Chen unhappily. “Mr. Huangfu, I thought you agreed not to enter the village just now.”
“I didn’t promise you anything. There’s no choice when it comes to human life. To a doctor, to save a life is life,” Huangfu Chen said lightly.
“Even if you go in, you might not be able to save them,” Xu Ji retorted.
Huangfu Chen smiled and said, “Then I’ll do my best.”
Ye Zhen immediately smiled and said, “Master, then I’ll head back and get someone to prepare the herbs.”
♚♚♚
