It was heard that someone had stayed in the heavily affected area for several days without any signs of infection. Huo Sizhun, leading his fully armed subordinates, quickened his pace towards the plague-stricken zone.
"We haven't heard of any remedies for the plague yet, but it's all thanks to those three that almost everyone in the plague area is now covering their faces with cotton cloth, holding ginger slices in their mouths, and stuffing their nostrils with a type of medicinal herb fiber. The common folk say they are using these methods to prevent the plague," a subordinate replied as they walked, carrying a wooden bucket of wood ash.
Another person beside him couldn't help but ask curiously, "Then what are you carrying this whole bucket of wood ash for?"
Upon hearing this, the man proudly shared the information he had gathered. "I heard from others that besides covering their faces with cloth, stuffing their noses with herbs, and holding ginger in their mouths, these three people also rub their hands with this stuff every day. I just don't know if it's the cotton cloth, ginger slices, medicinal herb fiber, or the wood ash that is actually preventing the plague."
The subordinate who asked the question shook his head and said with certainty, "I don't think it's because of this. Every household has this stuff. If it could really prevent the plague, how could the West District have been infected?"
The man carrying the wooden bucket disagreed with his viewpoint. "You might be right, but what if it turns out to be the wood ash that prevents the plague in the end? Who can say for sure? Besides, even Imperial Physician Hong and the others use this wood ash to rub their hands daily. We won't be wrong if we follow the imperial physicians."
The group arrived at the horse stable, mounted their horses, and rode around the West District for over half an hour. From a distance, they saw a team of fully armed soldiers guarding an open space ahead, with thick green smoke drifting from above the area.
These soldiers guarding the perimeter had also come from Prince Bianjun's mansion. After arriving in the West District in the morning, they had directly replaced the original guards in the heavily affected area, so the stationed soldiers had arrived a few hours earlier than Huo Sizhun and his men.
"Get up. What's the situation today?"
"In the morning, people in the fever ward were clamoring to get out, but fortunately, they were all persuaded by the subordinates."
"What about the situation in the plague-stricken area? Has anyone reported how many more people have been added today?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, as of now, no one has come back with a report from the plague-stricken area today."
After understanding the basic situation, Huo Sizhun prepared to enter the plague-stricken area himself to take a look.
"Your Highness, why don't you wait here? Let us subordinates go in and check for you," said Huo Jiu, who had been following Huo Sizhun for the longest time.
Seeing Huo Sizhun about to enter personally, he quickly stepped forward to block him. His Highness was already over sixty years old. Although he was well-protected, this was still a plague, and what if His Highness's body suffered any damage after entering?
"The plague has already thrown the entire capital into a panic. If I don't go and see for myself, I fear the common people will think the court is just going through the motions." Huo Sizhun knew his subordinate was concerned for his well-being, but his heart ached for the people, and he was also worried about the people's perception of the court.
Seeing that Huo Sizhun was still determined to go in, Huo Jiu knelt at his feet, holding his leg, and adamantly refused to let him go. "Your Highness, if you go in like this, and there's even the slightest mishap, how will your subordinates explain it to the Princess Consort when we return? Regardless, I will not let Your Highness take such a risk today. Please reconsider, Your Highness!"
Seeing Huo Jiu act like a child throwing a tantrum and clinging to his leg, Huo Sizhun was somewhat speechless. He sternly rebuked him, "Get up quickly! You are a dignified vanguard. To be clinging and struggling in front of everyone like this, like a child throwing a fit, is most improper!"
"Please Your Highness reconsider..."
"Please Your Highness reconsider..."
"Please Your Highness reconsider..."
To Huo Sizhun's surprise, it was better when he didn't speak. As soon as he spoke, the other subordinates also rushed forward and knelt before him with a thud.
A few of those who were closer, like Huo Jiu, tightly held onto Huo Sizhun's legs. Others, who were a step too late, clung to the person in front of them. In any case, they would not let His Highness move.
The group, dressed in dark-colored clothes, clung to each other in layers. Seen from afar, they looked like a large tree with a thick trunk.
Huo Sizhun, unable to get rid of his subordinates clinging to him, and remembering Leng Muran's instructions before he left, had to give up his plan to personally enter the plague-stricken area and let his subordinates go in instead.
Seeing that His Highness had finally relented, Huo Yi and Huo Zhong, who were kneeling on the outermost side, sprang to their feet and ran towards the plague-stricken area, which was blocked by wooden barriers.
As Huo Yi ran, he did not forget to grab a handful of wood ash from the wooden bucket. After handing half of it to Huo Zhong, they ran towards their destination, rubbing their hands.
Huo Sizhun, with the other subordinates "hanging" onto him, was helped into a temporarily erected tent. Then, several people dispersed and stood in front of him, preventing the old prince from sneaking into the plague-stricken area if he wasn't careful.
"Hmph! What are you all standing around here for? I promised I wouldn't go in, and I will keep my word. Your actions make me seem like someone who doesn't keep their promises!" Huo Sizhun crossed his arms and looked at his subordinates with great displeasure.
Hearing the old prince's words, Huo Jiu and the others exchanged glances and then averted their eyes. Heh heh! They wouldn't be fooled again. His Highness had used these manipulative tactics before, and they had long since developed "hearts of stone"!
Seeing that they were ignoring him, Huo Sizhun no longer insisted. He casually picked up the record data on the growth of the plague-stricken population from the past few days and began to examine it.
In less than half an hour, Huo Yi and Huo Zhong hurried back. They were followed by the small team leader from before.
"Reporting to Your Highness, Imperial Physician Hong is still in the epidemic area treating critically ill patients, and the executioner is handling the bodies of those who died from the plague. Therefore, we have brought the small team leader from the three people."
After speaking, Huo Yi stepped aside, signaling the team leader behind him to step forward and report. This was the first time the team leader had seen such a high-ranking official, and his heart was pounding like a drum. If possible, he wanted to cover his mouth to prevent his heart from jumping out.
Perhaps sensing the team leader's nervousness, Huo Sizhun's tone was not as stern as usual. "What is your name? What did you do before?"
He hadn't expected the dignified Prince Bianjun of the Great Yu Dynasty, the undefeated general on the battlefield, to be so amiable. Thus, his nervousness subsided slightly.
"Your Highness is asking you a question, why aren't you stepping forward to answer?" Seeing that the team leader was still standing still, Huo Yi reminded him.
The team leader then came back to his senses, knelt on the ground, and answered the question. "Reporting to Your Highness, I... my name is Li Chang. I was previously a small team leader inspecting the Qingyun vegetable market in the West District. Later, His Majesty graciously bestowed medicine upon the people, and when the Imperial Academy arrived and found they were short-handed, I was assigned by my superiors to help out here. Who knew that the plague would suddenly break out here, and the entire West District would be surrounded? Imperial Physician Hong wouldn't allow anyone who had been exposed to the plague to go home, fearing they would pass on the illness to their families. So, I stayed here to assist him and help with some matters."
Huo Sizhun nodded in understanding. "So, you should be very familiar with the matters in the plague-stricken area?"
"Yes, I've been here from beginning to end, so apart from the treatment methods for the plague, I'm almost completely aware of everything else," Li Chang said with considerable confidence.
"Then tell me in detail everything you know!"
Next, Li Chang spent about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to give a general account of the situation in the plague-stricken area. He started from the first man who died to how many people died each day and how many were infected daily.
"However, since separating the plague patients from the healthy people, the number of infections has gradually decreased. Today, only a dozen or so people have shown symptoms, which is less than half of yesterday. However, about a dozen of those who were very ill earlier have died today..."
As soon as Li Chang finished speaking, Huo Sizhun hurriedly pressed further, "Are you saying that the plague is now being gradually brought under control? And the biggest problem now is that there is still no complete cure for the plague?"
"This, this I'm not very clear about, but Imperial Physician Hong said so this morning. He said that the number of plague patients sent in these past few days is decreasing daily, which means that our plague prevention methods are effective. However, the most important thing now is to find a way to completely cure the plague, otherwise, those who are already infected will have no choice but to watch them die!"
Huo Sizhun nodded. Although a cure for the plague had not been developed, the fact that the epidemic could be controlled and had not spread wildly was still something to be happy about.
"Does Imperial Physician Hong have any leads on a cure for the plague?"
Huo Sizhun looked at him with anticipation, hoping to hear good news from Li Chang again. However, the result was destined to disappoint him.
Li Chang scratched his head and shook his head under Huo Sizhun's eager gaze. "No... not yet. Imperial Physician Hong has been looking grim these past few days. While the plague patients are suffering, Imperial Physician Hong is even more distressed. He hasn't had a good night's sleep for several consecutive days. His once-graying hair has now turned completely white..."
"Alas..."
After understanding the situation, Huo Sizhun had the team leader sent back to the plague-stricken area. It was very busy there now, and they were in need of help. Finally, Huo Yi, Huo Zhong, and the others were also sent by Huo Sizhun to help. He only kept two people by his side.
The eleventh day of the plague.
This was also the fourth day for Huo Sizhun and his party in the plague-stricken area. With the help of Huo Yi and the others, the situation in the plague-stricken area was finally less tense.
In fact, as Imperial Physician Hong had said, by the fourth day, the number of people infected with the plague and sent in had dropped to one person, and it was basically under control.
The person sent in today was over fifty years old. He was already advanced in age and had also contracted a severe cold, which was why he had not survived the plague.
Although the plague was temporarily brought under control, no cure had been found yet, so people were still dying in the plague-stricken area every day. However, those who contracted the plague later lived longer than those at the beginning, and their deaths were not as terrifying as before.
But having to watch living people go through suffering and then turn into corpses every day, only to be burned to ashes by a great fire, was also a very difficult experience.
During this period, Imperial Physician Hong had been diligently trying various medicines, but at best, he could only prolong the patients' lives by a few days. Just when everyone was at a loss, someone suddenly mentioned Qu Fei, the legitimate wife of the Duke of Chu.
Everyone then remembered that they had forgotten about Qu Fei. Although she had stopped treating people after her daughter was kidnapped, it did not diminish her status as the closed-door disciple of the Divine Hand.
Upon learning this important information, Huo Sizhun immediately wrote a letter and handed it to Huo Jiu, asking him to deliver it. "Ajǐu, take this letter to the West District garrison immediately and have Tali personally deliver it to the Duke of Chu's mansion. Remember, it must be fast!"
"Yes! Your subordinate will leave immediately." Huo Jiu took the letter and galloped off, arriving at the West District garrison in just half an hour.
In the capital, within the Duke's mansion.
A woman with a graceful figure and a beautiful appearance, but with a cold expression, bowed to the elder with white hair and majestic bearing seated above. "Greetings, Father. May I ask why you urgently summoned your daughter-in-law?"
Qu Fei's eyes showed no emotion, and her attitude was not particularly respectful, but Duke Chu did not mind. It was because of his wrong judgment that Qu Fei lost her daughter.
More than ten years had passed, and every time he remembered his missing granddaughter, thinking of her unknown whereabouts and uncertain fate, the Duke felt deeply guilty. Therefore, whenever he faced Qu Fei, his attitude was very gentle.
"Oh! It's like this. Your father just received a letter from Prince Bianjun's people. The letter said that the plague in the West District has been well controlled, but the plague itself has not yet been conquered. He hopes you can help contact your master, Divine Doctor Gongsun, to see if he has any good ideas for treating the plague."
After hearing the Duke's words, Qu Fei paused slightly. If this matter had happened right after she lost her daughter, she would have definitely not bothered.
However, more than ten years had passed. Every time Qu Fei thought of her daughter, although her heart still ached, her hatred had faded a lot compared to before. Moreover, this plague had also harmed so many common people.
After some thought, Qu Fei did not outright refuse the request. "Your daughter-in-law understands, but my master likes to travel around collecting herbs. Sometimes he is away for months, or even half a year, without returning. So, your daughter-in-law is not sure how long it will take to find him."