Chapter 66

The news that the emperor had recovered from his illness had not been heard for several days, but Xiao QingYan's guess in his heart was all confirmed again!

It was well known that Xiao QingNian, the Second Prince, loved that Southern Xinjiang concubine very much. There were even rumors that the Second Prince had been unwilling to marry a princess consort because he did not want someone in the residence to oppress his beloved one.

His concubine was ordered to be flogged to death by Imperial Father on the charge of bewitching the prince. Xiao QingNian was also house-arrested by Imperial Father. As for the Succeeded Empress' party, many of the people and their families are not safe because of this! Since the Emperor said that he had suffered Gu from someone, then those officials or nobles who had been investigated should also be inspected by the Imperial Physicians. But, no matter how the results of inspections were, all would only be what the Emperor wanted.

Xiao QingYan was agitated. Now he really wanted to rush back to the Capital and see for himself how the Succeeding Empress and her father looked to be in a difficult position afterwards. With such an opportunity, Xiao QingNian's influences in the court should be almost cleared up again!

Imperial Father ordered me to leave the Capital, maybe because Nan Xi is in the residence. The last time, Nan Xi's matter was known to all the ministers. If I were in the Capital at this time, I would certainly be implicated, but if I left with you, I would be all right. On the other hand, they can't say that I was poisoned and bewitched by the Southern Xinjiang's woman after all, I have accompanied my Wangfei back to his maternal grandfather's home. And even if someone said that, I am far away from the capital city at the moment, they can't do anything about it. When I return to the Capital, the disposal of Succeeding Empress' party more or less already a finalized fact, there will be no scruples at that time.

En, Your Highness said is right. Looking back on all the things that happened after he and Xiao QingYan married, Xu ChangAn suddenly felt a little nervous. He had an unexplained anxiety in his heart that could not be hidden. He was suddenly afraid that he had made a good decision, but it would be in vain in the end.

Xu ChangAn kept looking at Xiao QingYan's excited expression on his face. Compared with his few brothers, Xu ChangAn thought that he was really a good candidate for the monarch.

Despite His Highness Jing Wang being very good, his mind was simple and warlike. It would be a terrible thing if this type of person as a monarch being exploited by others. Xiao QingYu did not the heart for power; this one doing what he wanted was certainly unsuitable. As for Xiao QingNian, Xu ChangAn did not know what was wrong with him, but for solely relying on his maternal family's big influences, then he was not a good choice either. If some day Xiao QingNian succeeded the throne, did not even know what the surnamed of Great Xiao's country would be.

The good news coming from the Capital constantly made Xiao QingYan feel that everything was fine after the rain, but he did not expect another worry to happen soon after he had relieved himself of the boulder.

Looking at this situation, it is true that an epidemic has occurred. I just hope that it can be controlled as soon as possible, or else the consequences are unimaginable. The reason why Feng Province City was rich was because of the good farmland stretching thousands of li outside the city. If there was an epidemic here, the land was left unattended and who knew what would be the effect on the people of this land.

Previously, there were a few infected refugees in Feng Province City. They lived in a worn out house with some beggars in the city. But a few days later, those beggars also had the same symptoms as them! They all depended on begging for a living. Even if they were not well, they went out to beg for food as long as they were breathing. It was also because some people who had come into contact with them had more or less symptoms as them. Those people who had been infected with the diseases gathered a lot of people to kill the people in the worn out house, and only then this matter had been spread out.

Your Highness, now things should not be serious. Just find the source and isolate it so as not to expand the source of infection!

Neither of us can do anything. Let's contact the local authority here and let them send manpower and material resources to cooperate.

Now that's the only way! After Xiao QingYan arrived in Feng Province, no one except the Yang Family knew his identity, and the Yang Family did not dare after he had notified them about it. Fortunately, the Yang Family was the one who knew the city of Feng Province. Otherwise, he would have to go to the local authority to show his identity, and it would be quite a lot of brains to waste.

You must send people to the Capital immediately to inform the epidemic situation here. This Wang went out for a journey is in accordance with Imperial Father's decree. Imperial Father knows that this Wang is here. When your information reached to the Capital, for Imperial Father's love for the people like his own children, he will certainly let me take charge of it. Now you just need to cooperate with this Wang. This lowly official will write the account right away, and make people to spur the horse to full speed towards the Capital! Wangye's status is honorable, how you can get involved in this sort of a thing, in case Your Highness can lay down this matter. This matter will be resolved by this lowly officer. Now the news of the loss of power of the Second Prince was well known. Xiao QingYan's status was different from before. Whether he succeeded or not in the future, his position would certainly be higher than that of now!

Xiao QingYan ignored this person's flattering words and suggestions, only made people to search for experienced physicians in the city's traditional medicine shop to enter the residence, and discussed ways together. In addition, took people to the abandoned house and burned it directly.

This Feng Province City had been in good weather for decades. For the first time, dozens of physicians sat down together. Everybody chimed in, but they all did not come out with a specific way out.

Your Highness, the most terrible part of the epidemic is that it can spread. Now the most important thing is to isolate and not let the source of infection expand. You can send orders to the whole city that anyone with symptoms of an epidemic in the family must be sent to the local authority. We can build temporary houses outside the city and divide the area according to the depth of each person's illness. In addition to the physician's prohibition of contact with anyone in serious illness, if someone gets better, there must be enough observation time before releasing them. Most people understood Xu ChangAn's proposal, but the current matter was serious, no one was willing to take care of those who had been confirmed to be infected with the epidemic.

I believe that all things in the world are mutually reinforced and neutralize each other. Since there is such a disease, there must be a cure for it! Even if there is no prescription now, but you all are physicians, can't you think slowly about developing it? Don't you will able to find a prescription to control the epidemic after repeated attempts?

Wangfei's words are reasonable. Civilian will go home and make good research, hoping to help the worries and difficulties of Wangye and Wangfei as soon as possible! After one, there were two; one person offered to go home to develop cures, and in a short time, there were no more people left.

Looking at the empty room, Xiao QingYan's face turned black with anger! How could a physician be so greedy for life and afraid of death?

Your Highness, it's in vain to say anything now. Let's go and see the people who have been infected. They all have some symptoms. Xu ChangAn vaguely remembered turning over a medical book in the Wang Residence's study, on which there were several such things, and the book was accompanied by words and pictures. At that time, he even jumped with fright by the dead bodies filled on the ground which had died of starvation.

No!

Your Highness?

I can go by myself. Your body is not good and easy to be infected. Xiao QingYan was not afraid because had not suffered from any serious illness since childhood. Even in cold winter, he seldom suffered from cold. He believed that the epidemic was not different from other diseases, and that people with poor health were liable to be infected.

Xu ChangAn did not expect Xiao QingYan to refuse him, but after listening to his reasons, his heart warmed up and then he said what he thought in his heart.

You mean you've seen this disease in books? Does it also record the method of treatment?

En, saw it in Wang Residence. I think it was left by the Great Xiao's Imperial Physician of the years ago. As for why nobody knows, it should be that for many years the Great Xiao was blessed with favorable weather, and people gradually forgot what their ancestors had recorded. Xiao QingYan really recalled. For a time, ChangAn said he would go to the Wang Residence's study to borrow some miscellaneous books. He did not take it seriously at that time. He did not expect that it would be able to help so much now!

Right! What on earth is wrong with you? Say, how many books have you read since you were a child? In any case, no matter what you say, I can always hear the words I've seen them in books in your mouth. What's more, can you remember after you read it? That was so long ago, at that time, you ought not to be attentive to remember it, right? What if it is wrong?

Ha, has Your Highness never heard a sentence like this? The book has its own beauty; the book has its own Imperial Family's golden house[1]. I was not allowed to go out at will since childhood. After that, I stayed in the small village for three years. I did not know how many books I had read, naturally just knew a lot of things.

As for Did I remember correctly? It shouldn't be. I won't make a mistake. As Xu ChangAn was being reminded by Xiao QingYan, he suddenly found that since childhood he seemed to have never had any distress in his study since he began to read and learning words. When he was a child, his father made him recited things. He always looked at it once and remembered, but unfortunately every time he animatedly recited in front of his father, he did not get a father's admiring eyes

Wait a minute! Xiao QingYan once heard that some people are gifted with amazing memory. After seeing things once, they could remember clearly. Looking at his Wangfei's certainty, he randomly found someone to bring a book and then he put it in ChangAn's hand.

Read it, and then tell me when you've finished.

Knowing what Xiao QingYan wanted to prove, Xu ChangAn did not have much to say. He took the book directly and read it with relish, because Xiao QingYan brought a medical book about the records of various diseases.

All right, I finished it. Xu ChangAn exchanged his book with Xiao QingYan and waited for him to start testing him. As he expected, Xiao QingYan took over the book and opened one of the pages at will and began to ask various questions.

For example: what kind of treatment was needed for the various symptoms appeared on the body, and what causes most of them? Although they were only some simple and common diseases, but Xu ChangAn was not a medical student; if he could not remember the contents of the book, he would certainly not be able to answer.

One asked, one answered. When Xiao QingYan closed the book, all that remained was a smile.

At first, I still could not get over how to connect with this silly appearance of yours, but now I was finally able to really comprehend it. Most of the topics of the Great Xiao's triennial provincial imperial exam were extracted from those books. With your unforgettable ability, naturally you could deal with them without a cinch. But even if he could study again, he was still a fool! Otherwise how could he be bullied so miserably?!

Xu ChangAn did not know that Xiao QingYan even scolded him in his heart, but he was quite proud now. He said with a proud face, Do you believe me now? I said; I won't make a mistake.

Believed, believed it! But I still don't trust you to get in touch with those victims (of a disaster). I think it's better if you write a prescription first. Let's us give it a try first. If your prescription is effective let's put it off until later. If the prescription written by ChangAn was effective, he did not have to go to the people who had been infected with the epidemic in person. It was also alright for other people to report the diseases of those people directly.

The thousands of li of good farmland outside the city of Feng Province was the granary of the people of Great Xiao. When the Emperor learned about the situation there, he immediately ordered Xian Wang to stay behind to control the epidemic!

Because of the outbreak of this epidemic, many people not only lost their lives, but also delayed their work in the fields, which could be a loss! When the Emperor recalled that a large group of administrators was still under his own pressure, the Emperor thought of the indifferent people. As long as they contribute something for the needs of the people of Feng Province, then they could use the meritorious deed to atone for their crimes.

After the Emperor's intention was revealed, many people did not spare money in order to preserve their official position or honor, and there was also many people began to resume their official position and continue to go to court assembly.

Because of the Emperor's Gu matter, the one that was most seriously involved was the Lin Family, which almost the whole family was under house arrest at this time, for no other reason than because there were not only many Southern Xinjiang handmaidens in the Lin Residence, but unexpectedly there were also some concubines of status, which already had children!

After the Emperor had the intention to release the families that had been implicated before, naturally the Lin Family moved to act, but they did not expect the Emperor to be so cunning and heartless! After they had almost taken out all their possessions, another deadly crime was still waiting for them!

There was a steady stream of silver coming from the Capital. Naturally, Xiao QingYan could comfort the people of Feng Province without a scruple, and the prescription in Xu ChangAn's memory was really effective. Because of the heavy rain and the sudden outbreak of the epidemic, the city of Feng Province became lethargic, but finally slowly restored its former liveliness and prosperity.

In a few days, we will return to the Capital!

Imperial Father's message came? Before, they could not go unless the Emperor wanted them to. Now the matter here had been settled. Xiao QingYan said that, so Xu ChangAn wondered if it was the Emperor's intention. After all, Xiao QingYan made great contributions to the Dynasty for the people of Feng Province. The Emperor should want to show his intention to the people while the Second Prince was down.

Hmm, that's exactly what Imperial Father meant, and it's time for us to go back. In addition to Xiao QingYan's desire to go back to see the Second Prince, he was also worried about some matter.

Although the thing that ChangAn took was really good for his body, it was an extraordinary thing after all, and it was better to go back and look into it sooner.

That QingYue girl must have hid something from me. She has met some people and experienced something outside these years. But a young girl knows so many foreign things, I'm really worried. We should go back as soon as possible. The reason why Xiao QingNian came to such an end was because QingYue was unable to shed off responsibility. If it were not for her, he was afraid that nobody dared to disobey Imperial Father's meaning and forcefully brought people who were skilled in Gu from Southern Xinjiang to enter the Palace. If it did not end, the consequences would be unthinkable

Footnote:

[1] from the Book Of Encouragement by Song Emperor to promote reading. interpretation Chapter 67