On the fifth day of taking over Sizian Prefecture, the number of patients in the city began to surge. Doctors and military doctors were all mobilized. After days of hard work, they only knew that these people exhibited symptoms of typhoid fever, but they could not find the cause of the illness.
Unable to prescribe targeted medication, they could only treat the patients according to general typhoid fever. As a result, all refugees who drank the medicine saw their conditions worsen by evening, with several severe cases even losing their lives that night.
The situation in the city immediately became grim. Not only was the illness not effectively controlled, but the people also began to harbor deep suspicion towards the Huaxia City army.
They even began to wonder if these people did not intend to save them. Otherwise, how could such a minor cold cause so many deaths in such a short period?
The refugees also could not understand. They had endured the days of wind and rain and hunger at the city gates before, but now that they had shelter and ample food and drink, many people were dying every day.
In reality, they had only been surviving precariously, holding on because they cared for their loved ones. Now that they learned their most cherished relatives had been rescued, and their living conditions had improved, the lingering breath they held in their chests slowly relaxed.
At this point, the cold and heat toxins that had accumulated in their bodies for a long time also gradually became active, hence the ferocious onset of the illness.
This situation continued until the eighth day, when Leng Ren came to report to Huo Qiyuan. Just yesterday alone, more than seventy people had died, nearly double the number from the previous day!
Furthermore, there was a very grim situation. When they were patrolling this morning, they discovered that the deceased were no longer just the elderly, weak, women, and children; several young and strong surrendered soldiers had also died yesterday.
What worried him the most was that in the past two days, members of the Huaxia City army who had been staying in the city also began to show symptoms of a cold.
If it weren't for the fact that the army had been undergoing high-intensity training while also remembering to improve their resistance since two years ago. Occasionally, Su Muqing would give them products from the space to improve their physique, otherwise, the Huaxia army might have already been infiltrated by the cold.
However, if effective measures were not taken soon and the situation continued to spread, Sizian Prefecture would soon become a dead city, a true hell on earth!
Upon hearing Leng Ren's report, Huo Qiyuan couldn't help but frown. He hadn't expected a cold to cause so many deaths. No! This situation absolutely could not be allowed to worsen.
Huo Qiyuan was silent for a moment, his left hand continuously stroking the ring on his middle finger. "Isolate the entire West Street, which is in a more remote part of the prefecture, and transfer all those who have developed cold symptoms there. Also, be sure to warn our subordinates to wear protective clothing and masks when transferring them, and do not allow direct contact with the patients."
"Yes! Should we continue to give them the medicine prescribed by the military doctors?"
"I suddenly remembered something. Didn't Mu Qing once say that the onset of a cold was due to the accumulated toxins in the body reaching a certain level? Since they are all toxins... drip Lingquan water into the water they use to boil their medicine. Do not use too much at once, and you can also find someone to test it first."
"Yes, I will go and arrange it now!" Leng Ren took the order and left with the porcelain bottle containing Lingquan water, leaving Huo Qiyuan alone in the room to ponder some matters.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace of the Great Yu Dynasty.
"You tell me, what is going on?" Emperor Rui of Great Yu angrily threw the memorial, which contained a secret letter, at Huo Qixiao.
Huo Qixiao lifted his robes and knelt on the ground, then crawled forward to pick up the secret letter his emperor had thrown and opened it. When he saw the contents of the secret letter, his pupils suddenly contracted violently.
How could this be? He had died three years ago, so how could a dead person be a general of Huaxia City?
This secret letter only contained ten characters. Enemy leader Huo Qiyuan, Sizian Prefecture has fallen. Below it was signed Xu Zhipeng, and the time of writing this report was five days ago.
The distance from Sizian Prefecture to the capital was tens of thousands of miles. How could the letter have been delivered in just five days? Did the messenger fly back? Could someone be trying to take advantage of Great Yu's current troubled times to fish in troubled waters?
The more Huo Qixiao thought about it, the more he felt that someone must be trying to create chaos in the capital. "Your Majesty, may I ask who submitted this secret letter? There must be something strange about this! Think about it, if one were to set off from Sizian Prefecture, even without eating, drinking, or sleeping, and travel at full speed back to the capital, it would take at least ten days. Yet, this secret letter was written five days ago, how could someone have delivered it to the imperial court in five days?"
Emperor Rui narrowed his eyes. After Huo Qixiao's analysis, it did seem somewhat illogical. When he came to the study today, the first memorial he opened contained such a secret letter.
However, the content of this letter made Emperor Rui extremely conflicted, even somewhat fearful. It concerned Huo Qiyuan, and even though he felt the news might be false, he had to be cautious just in case.
"What you say is not without reason. If that is the case, then you will personally lead troops to Sizian Prefecture to investigate. According to the timeline, the imperial decree commending Xu Zhipeng should have arrived a few days ago, and they should not have been captured so quickly. Remember! You must get to the bottom of this matter. If it is indeed a rebel..."
Huo Qixiao hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand to accept the order. "Your subject obeys."
Just as he got up and prepared to bow and withdraw, Emperor Rui, sitting on the dragon throne, said in a sinister tone.
"Qixiao, we both know how Huo Qiyuan was poisoned, the reason for the downfall of the Prince of Bingjian's estate, and the real reason you were able to rise! Even though your predictions have become less accurate in recent years, and the direction of everything has deviated from our plan, I still trust you implicitly. If you cannot resolve this matter perfectly this time, then do not blame me for being merciless!"
"Your subject understands..." Huo Qixiao said this with his waist bent very low. From an angle where Emperor Rui could not see, his eyes revealed only ruthlessness.
"Summon Marquis to see me!" Huo Qixiao returned to the main courtyard of the Marquis's residence and sent someone to summon the current Marquis Huo.
Upon hearing the servant's message, Huo Siming's heart skipped a beat. What did this nephew want him to do today?
As he followed the servant towards the main courtyard, Huo Siming asked the servant in front of him with a slightly unnatural tone, "How is the eldest young master feeling today? Do you see any abnormality in his expression?"
The servant thought the Marquis was concerned about his nephew and did not hide anything, saying that the eldest young master's expression had been very unpleasant since he came out of the palace today. Moreover, the way he looked at people was very intimidating, so his mood was likely not good.
Huo Siming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve after hearing the servant's words and sighed silently.
When would this kind of life ever end?
Outsiders only knew that three years ago, he had upheld justice by exposing his prince brother, who had betrayed the country. The Emperor rewarded his loyalty, not only pardoning the other members of the Huo family from death but also bestowing upon him the title of Marquis, allowing his family to continue enjoying wealth and prosperity.
However, no one knew that all of this was just a facade. The true master of the Huo family was not him, the Marquis who upheld justice, but his great nephew, Huo Qixiao, who had a sudden enlightenment in his early twenties and then rose rapidly in his career!
The so-called evidence of treason he had presented back then was all given to him by this great nephew.
Initially, he was unwilling to step forward. Although his elder brother was not born from the same womb, the Huo family had always been supported and assisted by his elder brother, so he did not want to do such a thing.
Huo Siming had been a minor official through the relationship with Huo Sizhun, and he naturally knew the consequences for the entire family if treason was proven.
Who knew that Huo Qixiao then said that the Emperor had already discovered Huo Sizhun's disloyal intentions, but because of his meritorious service when the Emperor first rose to power, he wanted to nip his actions in the bud to prevent him from sinking deeper.
And at this time, if a member of the Huo family were to step forward to accuse him, it would be an opportunity to atone for his mistakes. Then the Emperor would have a reason to reward the Huo family, confiscate Huo Sizhun's military power and authority, and then reward it to other members of the Huo family.
Even if the power in the future was not as great as before, it was still better than the Emperor's rage after Huo Sizhun truly committed treason, which would lead to the execution of all members of the Huo family. Compared to that, preserving the lives of his family was better! Moreover, the Emperor had also promised that Huo Sizhun would only be imprisoned and would not lose his life.
Huo Siming was confused by Huo Qixiao's convoluted explanation. When he heard that the Emperor already had evidence, he inevitably became a little flustered. So, he suggested that his second brother, Huo Qixiao's father, make the accusation.
However, Huo Qixiao also said that his father was born of the same mother as Huo Sizhun, and they looked very similar. Moreover, his father was born with a disability and could not hold office his entire life.
If his father were to make the accusation, when it came to rewarding merit, seeing his disability, the Emperor would not give him any other commendation. Moreover, his greatest concern was that the Emperor might dislike him as well upon seeing the striking resemblance between his father and Huo Sizhun, which would not only fail to bring any reward but also implicate all members of the Huo family to be buried with the Prince of Bingjian's estate.
Huo Qixiao analyzed it from every angle, and the conclusion he reached was that Huo Siming was the best candidate to uphold justice by exposing his relative!
Perhaps he truly believed that Huo Sizhun intended to commit treason, and as Huo Qixiao said, the accusation was only to make him pull back from the brink and not make further mistakes.
Perhaps, deep down in his heart, in a hidden dark corner that he couldn't see, the evil thought had sprouted that he would never surpass his elder brother in this lifetime, so he might as well destroy him completely.
Or perhaps, in his heart, he hoped to contribute to the country like Huo Sizhun, achieve great things, and become the person who would bring glory to the Huo family, becoming the only person they could rely on.
Whatever he thought at the time, Huo Siming eventually agreed to the matter.
When the development of the situation exceeded his imagination, and the punishment for those people was not as lenient as Huo Qixiao had said, Huo Siming began to feel that something was wrong.
Huo Siming would never forget that day... Not long after the incident occurred, the Emperor issued an imperial decree bestowing upon him the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Justice. He held the imperial decree and asked Huo Qixiao where his elder brother would be imprisoned?
But that nephew, who had been so respectful to him before, suddenly changed his expression when he asked for his elder brother's name.
Huo Qixiao sinisterly said to him, "You are now the Marquis of Loyalty and Justice, why are you still concerned about that traitor? Are you finding being a Marquis too troublesome and want to be beheaded with him?"
Huo Siming was shocked by his attitude and words. He immediately felt that he had been deceived. Trembling, he pointed at Huo Qixiao, "You, you unfilial descendant, that's not what you said back then! You clearly said it was the Emperor..."
Before Huo Siming could finish speaking, Huo Qixiao quickly drew a treasured sword hanging on the bookshelf, twirled it, and placed it horizontally against his neck, applying a slight force with his wrist.
Instantly, a shallow cut appeared on Huo Siming's neck. Crimson blood dripped down the gleaming sword.
"Fourth Uncle, have you ever considered what your fate would be if what you just said reached the Emperor's ears? And what about Fourth Aunt and your younger sisters? If you don't know, your nephew can tell you. You and your brothers would be severely punished with death, or lightly exiled. As for my two delicate sisters, they would either be sold into brothels and become prostitutes, or be taken to reward the army and become military prostitutes. I wonder which option Fourth Uncle prefers?"
Huo Siming was indeed terrified by Huo Qixiao's words. He did not dare to mention the previous agreement, nor did he dare to mention the truth that the Emperor was aware of this matter.
His face was ashen, and he kept murmuring, "How could this be? How could this be? It wasn't supposed to be like this, I didn't want to harm him..."
Seeing his distraught appearance, Huo Qixiao raised the sword from his neck and gently brushed away the trace of blood with his finger. "From now on, you will live as the Marquis of Loyalty and Justice with peace of mind. I will arrange everything in the residence. Fourth Uncle only needs to accompany Fourth Aunt in painting eyebrows and accompanying your siblings in fatherly love. Just live your leisurely life as a Marquis, and I will handle everything else. As a final piece of advice, nephew, think before you act, and remember that disaster comes from the mouth. Otherwise, if something truly happens, I might not be able to protect you!"
Huo Qixiao finished speaking, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave. Huo Siming was left standing there with an incredulous expression and an indescribable look on his face.
Did he mean that he, the Marquis, was just a puppet! And that he would be controlled by him in everything from now on?
Unable to accept this outcome, Huo Siming collapsed onto the ground, regretting his actions immensely at that moment!