jdhmnovel Chapter 237 "Fever-Reducing Medicine"
Chapter 237 "Fever-Reducing Medicine"
The crowd stirred once more. Some had witnessed the horrors of smallpox firsthand, watched loved ones and friends collapse, never to regain consciousness. Some had personally experienced the torment of illness, languishing on the brink of life and death, leaving behind an indelible scar. As the sharp-faced man finished speaking, whispers echoed in the crowd, their voices filled with fear and unease. Like a stone dropped into a calm lake, the sound sent ripples cascading across the surface, spreading rapidly. The crowd's fear and anger were ignited, transforming into suspicion and hatred of Cen Jiexiao.
"And," the man, seeing he had stirred up the crowd's emotions, became even more complacent. He straightened his back, as if he were the embodiment of justice, judging Cen Jiexiao's crimes from a high position. "Why has the Great Zhou been plagued by natural disasters and plagues since you arrived?" He suddenly pointed his finger at the sky and roared at the top of his lungs, as if he wanted to put all the blame on Cen Jiexiao. "Do you dare to say that all this has nothing to do with you?!"
His roar reverberated like a thunderclap through the crowd. Those who had been hesitant were now captivated by his words and cast suspicious glances at Cen Jiexiao. They recalled the hardships they had endured over the past year: spring drought, locust plagues, floods, and plagues... These disasters had come one after another, suffocating the people. And Cen Jiexiao, this woman from a foreign land, appeared at this very moment. Was this just a coincidence?
The crowd erupted in even louder uproar. Questions, insults, and curses surged like waves, overwhelming Cen Jiexiao, threatening to consume her completely. Some pointed at her nose and swore at her, others cursed her with vicious language, and still others tried to break through the crowd, intending to attack her. Cen Jiexiao felt like a small boat in a storm, threatened to be swallowed by the surging anger at any moment.
Cen Jiexiao looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man with a pointed face and monkey cheeks in the crowd, glaring at her with resentment, his eyes filled with viciousness. His features were twisted together, like a demonic being ready to devour its prey. He was completely different from the pitiful man who had groveled before her, begging for alms.
Wen Kuan, who was standing next to him, recognized him at a glance. This man was a regular at a gambling house in the south of the city. He was idle all day long, not doing his job, and even owed the gambling house a large sum of money.
A few days ago, Wen Kuan saw this man being beaten half to death by people from the gambling house. Feeling that his family was pitiful, he gave him some of the monthly salary paid by the academy and asked him to go home and settle his wife and children. Unexpectedly, this man not only did not repent, but instead repaid kindness with hatred and dared to slander her as a witch!
Cen Jiexiao sneered inwardly, but remained expressionless. She looked at the man and asked calmly, "Brother, you claim I possess sorcery skills. Do you have any evidence? You claim I can cure smallpox, but that's the result of the medicine I developed with Pujitang. These medical sciences are also science. You claim the Great Zhou is plagued by constant natural disasters and plagues, but what does that have to do with me? I'm just a woman, powerless. How can I call the shots and disrupt the government?"
The man was speechless after being questioned by Sister Cen Xiao. He hesitated for a long time but could not come up with a clear answer. His face flushed red, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes were evasive, not daring to look Sister Cen in the eye.
Seeing this, Cen Jiexiao became even more certain that someone must be deliberately instigating this, wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble and ruin her reputation!
She swept her gaze across the crowd and spoke loudly, "I know that what happened today was not your original intention." She paused, her tone tinged with pity, "Someone must be spreading rumors behind your back, deliberately stirring up your emotions, hoping to use this opportunity to achieve their ulterior motives!"
Cen Jiexiao's voice was clear and firm, echoing in front of the academy gate. The commotion in the crowd gradually subsided. Many people had been incited at first, but now they calmed down and began to think about what Cen Jiexiao said.
"I, Sister Cen Xiao, believe I've acted honestly and have a clear conscience!" Sister Cen Xiao raised her voice, her tone filled with confidence. She looked around, her eyes piercing, as if she could see through everyone's heart. "Since arriving in the Great Zhou, I've been dedicated to spreading knowledge and educating people. I've never done anything that would offend the conscience of heaven and earth!"
She paused, her tone more resolute. "I am well aware of the horror of the plague, and I understand the fear and anger in your hearts. But please believe that, like everyone else, I hope this plague will end soon, so that the people can live in peace and tranquility!"
"If you don't believe me, our academy has recently collaborated with Pujitang to develop a medicine specifically for treating febrile diseases!" Cen Jiexiao's voice became even louder, echoing throughout the academy's entrance. "We worked tirelessly, reading through numerous ancient texts, and conducting repeated experiments before we finally succeeded in developing this prescription! We've already used this medicine to cure many patients, including some who were seriously ill and terminally ill!"
She took a deep breath and continued, "To prove my innocence and to reassure everyone, I've decided to give this medicine for febrile diseases to everyone for free today!" Her tone was sincere, and her eyes swept over everyone, "If anyone is willing to give it a try, we will not only give you the medicine for free, but also give you fifty taels of silver as an incentive and a token of our gratitude, to show our sincerity!"
"But if it really doesn't work," Cen Jiexiao's tone changed, becoming extremely serious, "I, Cen Jiexiao, am willing to accept the punishment without complaint! I am willing to bear all consequences and will never shirk responsibility!"
Her words were so powerful that the crowd immediately started talking.
"Since Dean Cen has said so, it wouldn't hurt for us to give it a try."
"Yes, if the medicine can really cure the disease, it will also clear Dean Cen's name."
"Yeah!"
The crowd was silent for a moment, and then an old, trembling voice came from the back of the crowd: "President Cen... I dare to ask..."
The sound was like sand blown by the wind, with obvious hesitation and uneasiness.
The crowd automatically moved aside to make way.
A hunched figure, trembling, walked out from behind the crowd with a cane.
He was an old man in his sixties, his clothes ragged and full of patches, like the traces of time left on his body, one after another, clearly visible.
He walked unsteadily, and every step seemed to use up all his strength.
His cloudy eyes looked at Cen Jiexiao on the high platform, his eyes full of hope, like a drowning man who grabbed the last straw.
Cen Jiexiao recognized him immediately; it was Li Laomu, who lived in the east of the city. When he had previously led the academy to donate winter cotton-padded clothes to the poor, he had also mentioned sending his grandson to study there.
As fate would have it, a few days ago, his son and daughter-in-law both contracted febrile disease and had high fevers that wouldn't go away. They were on the verge of death.