jdhmnovel Chapter 319 The news comes out
Chapter 319 The news comes out
Si Qing traveled south with two people, the brothers Hua Qing and Hua Yin.
"Commander Si, look, the gate of Yongcheng is just ahead." Hua Qing, with sharp eyes, jumped onto the roof of the carriage and gazed at the magnificent city gate in front of him.
The Jiangnan region is prosperous, and even a small city like Yongcheng is more magnificent and grand than some of the larger cities in the north.
Hearing Hua Qing's words, Si Qing nodded: "As I instructed before, I am a medicine merchant who came to Yongcheng to purchase medicinal herbs, and you are my attendants."
“If you can get into Yongcheng, you must keep a close eye on what’s happening in the city,” Si Qing said in a low voice. “Especially the prefect’s office. Once they discover there’s a plague in the city, the people from the prefect’s office will be the first to act.”
Those who are determined to survive should immediately leave with their families.
If the prefect were determined to turn the tide, he would certainly be overwhelmed by the plague.
Either way, they could determine whether there was a plague in the city.
The two brothers came from humble backgrounds. Although Hua Yin was young, he had witnessed the devastation of a city during a plague when he was young.
He pondered for a moment and then added, "If we were to say which place in the city is most likely to be affected by the plague... it would definitely be the slums."
Upon hearing this, Si Qing's eyes lit up, and he immediately patted Hua Yin on the shoulder: "You're right! I'll leave this matter to you."
The two brothers, Hua Qing and Hua Yin, went to the prefectural government to inquire, and the other went to the slums to inquire, while Si Qing prepared to go to the pharmacies alone to buy medicinal herbs.
It just so happens that the most famous medicinal herb in Yongcheng is Artemisia annua. As early as the previous dynasty, someone confirmed that Artemisia annua could cure plagues. If a plague really broke out in the city, it would be impossible for him to purchase Artemisia annua.
These three methods were sufficient for them to determine whether a plague had occurred within the city.
As the two brothers left to carry out their orders, Si Qing gave them a final instruction: "No matter what, you must protect your own life!"
He took out the medicine bottle hidden in his sleeve: "These are the antidote pills given by Chief Physician Zhou. The Prince only had a few, and he gave them all to us. We must not let the Prince down!"
Upon hearing this, the two brothers were shocked: "This is the antidote that Chief Physician Zhou gave to the Prince?"
The chief physician, Zhou, possessed exceptional medical skills. The antidote pills he gave were said to be made from many precious medicinal herbs. Even with the prince's noble status, he only received a few pills.
What lay before them now were three antidote pills.
"This..." Hua Qing hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "My life belongs to the prince. What need do I have for an antidote? If I'm lucky, I might survive. Even if I'm unlucky and contract the plague, my worthless life is not worth the loss."
“If that’s what Your Highness thinks too, you wouldn’t have given me the antidote.” Si Qing shoved the pill into his mouth impatiently. “Just eat it and stop talking nonsense.”
At the same time, Si Qing gave Hua Yin the antidote pill.
The three of them took the antidote pills at the same time. Before parting, Si Qing said his last words: "Be careful in this operation! Do not make a scene!"
With that said, the city gates of Yongcheng were now in sight.
Upon seeing the city gate, Si Qing had an ominous premonition.
—The city gates of Yongcheng were wide open, but only people went in, and no one came out.
It's a big city that's famous for its medicinal herbs, so how could it be so desolate?
The guards at the gate were clearly taken aback when they saw the three of them, and then they blocked their way with menacing expressions.
"What are you here for?"
Si Qing answered in a measured tone, "We've come to collect artemisia."
Upon hearing this, the guard waved his hand impatiently: "There's no more artemisia in the city. The harvest was bad this year, so we won't give you any. You'd better leave now."
He was ready to dismiss Si Qing with just a few words and refused to let Si Qing enter the city.
Such an attitude was enough for Si Qing to glimpse the perilous situation within the city.
Almost instantly, Si Qing made a decision.
"Okay." Si Qing nodded and bowed, feigning unease, and led the Hua Qing brothers back several steps.
He watched as the guards persuaded one person after another to turn back, and he already understood.
—There must be a plague in the city.
Wen Yitong was right!
Si Qing was filled with worry, but at the same time, he rationally stopped in his tracks.
"Let's go back." Si Qing stopped the two people who were about to enter the city.
Hua Qing and Hua Yin exchanged a glance, then asked in confusion, "Weren't we supposed to go into the city to gather information?"
"The city gates are so heavily guarded," Si Qing said silently. "Do we still need to enter the city to verify the situation?"
Having said that, Si Qing shook his head with a wry smile: "I'm afraid it's true... there really is a plague in Yongcheng."
As he spoke, his expression gradually calmed down: "What we need to do now is to return to Longzhou immediately and tell the Prince about this."
"We just need to send out the message, and we'll be able to resolve this matter." Si Qing's voice was low and hoarse, it was unclear whether he was trying to convince himself or reassure his two brothers. "The previous dynasty also had a plague, and it was still resolved, wasn't it?"
“Our Great Li has countless renowned doctors, and even more like the divine physician Zhou, we are sure to contain this plague.” After saying this, Si Qing mounted his horse. “We’ll return to Longzhou immediately!”
"Yes!" Hua Qing and Hua Yin, realizing the seriousness of the matter, quickly agreed.
The three abandoned the carriage and rode away on horseback.
The guards at the city gate exchanged glances upon seeing this, then their expressions suddenly changed drastically: "This is bad! They're probably spies here to gather information!"
When a plague broke out in Yongcheng, the prefect of Yongcheng, Zhou Yan, immediately ordered his men to block the news and close the city gates. From the day the plague was discovered, Yongcheng was a place where people could enter but not leave.
The entire city of Yongcheng is now overcrowded, and the granaries are almost empty.
Even so, Zhou Yan still refused to let people leave, fearing that the plague would spread to Jiangnan. However, food supplies in the city were dwindling, and the people's discontent was growing, bringing them to the brink of explosion.
The guard realized this and wanted to report to Zhou Yan, but he was stopped by someone.
"Wouldn't it be better to let the news get out?" the older guard gritted his teeth. "If we can get the news out, the imperial court will definitely send someone to rescue us! Whatever the outcome, it's better than waiting here to die!"
Several guards who wanted to deliver the message stopped in their tracks; they had to admit that there was some truth to it.
……
Meanwhile, Si Qing and his two companions rode at full speed and arrived in Longzhou.
When they arrived in Longzhou City, they ran into Zhou Yuanzheng and his party.
He saw Zhou Yuanzheng as if he had seen a savior, and was about to step forward when he noticed that there were many familiar faces around Zhou Yuanzheng - all of them were imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital.
For a moment, he was stunned.