Chang'an City, the Hall of Two Extremes.
Since Sun Simiao and Fang Er went to Huangliang and Ziwu towns with the imperial physicians, Li Shimin had been on edge.
Smallpox was too terrifying!
Suddenly, a guard rushed in, holding a memorial.
Report! A report from Sir Sun, the Marquis of Liaodong!
Li Shimin snatched the memorial and took it.
He opened it and read the contents.
The old Daoist, Sun Simiao, had not failed the imperial decree. He and the Marquis of Liaodong had spent several days in Huangliang town and finally found a method to prevent smallpox.
By taking the lymph from cowpox and inoculating it into the human body, after recovering from cowpox, one could be immune to the smallpox epidemic!
This sentence was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly exciting Li Shimin.
Preventing smallpox! In all the dynasties, which monarch had ever achieved this?
Hahahaha!
Li Shimin laughed heartily in the hall. The guards and eunuchs around him dared not make a sound.
After a while, Li Shimin felt that being happy alone was a bit boring.
Summon Duke Fang and Duke Du into the hall!
The guards scurried out to call them.
Li Shimin went back to the imperial desk and began to write something.
Before long, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui arrived together.
Your Majesty.
Li Shimin handed them the memorial.
Take a look. That brat and Sir Sun, working together, actually figured out a way to prevent smallpox.
After reading it, both of them bowed to Li Shimin.
Congratulations, Your Majesty. This is a blessing for the world. Please issue an imperial decree immediately to announce it to all!
Li Shimin casually picked up what he had just written on the imperial desk.
This is the decree I have drafted. You two can refine it further before sending it to the Ministry of the Door for official promulgation.
News of smallpox being conquered quickly spread throughout Chang'an City, and the common people praised Fang Er and Sun Simiao.
Meanwhile, in Huangliang town, Fang Er ordered all the other cows in the town to be gathered together. They would be infected with cowpox first, so that a large supply of vaccine could be provided.
Fang Er was inoculating himself with cowpox.
It's better to get it done sooner for peace of mind.
Otherwise, once you get it, you can only leave it to fate. Surviving would be a matter of great fortune.
But even after recovering from smallpox, the pitted face was something Fang Er couldn't accept.
So, if there's a way to prevent it and you don't use it on yourself, your brain must be addled.
As for the method of self-inoculation, he definitely wouldn't use a knife on himself.
Instead, he found a steel needle in Old Sun's medical kit, sterilized it, poked it into some milk first, and then pricked his shoulder.
He didn't know why Old Sun kept a steel needle in his kit, a steel needle identical to a sewing needle.
Dipped in the pus from the milk and then poked into his shoulder, it was quite a sensation.
Just as he finished, Old Sun arrived. Seeing the steel needle in Fang Er's hand, he asked curiously, "Marquis of Liaodong, what are you doing with the needle old Daoist uses to sew shoe soles?"
Fang Er...
Am I a shoe sole now!
And why would you, an old man, sew shoe soles yourself!
"It's nothing, just curious."
Fang Er nonchalantly wiped the steel needle clean with a cloth soaked in alcohol and put it back in the medical kit.
Over the past few days, although other townspeople had also contracted smallpox, with the timely treatment from Old Sun and the imperial physicians, their conditions had gradually stabilized.
These imperial physicians did not dare to hold back at all, taking out precious medicinal herbs from their kits without regard for cost.
They were afraid of failing in their task and being punished by Li Shimin.
The day after inoculating himself, Fang Er began to show symptoms.
He felt dizzy and lightheaded, walking as if treading on cotton. He couldn't even manage his "uncompromising gait" anymore.
He had a board of cephalosporin in his arms, but Fang Er dared not take it!
What if taking it killed the cowpox virus, and this inoculation would fail?
He could only grit his teeth and endure it. It would only be a few days at most.
He held on for two days, drinking the decoction prepared by Old Sun on time, and then felt his body gradually improving.
Seeing that everything here was completely under control, and considering the time, it was about time for the Wuya warship to be launched. Fang Er decided to return.
"Sir Sun, I'm preparing to leave. I'll leave things here to you and these imperial physicians. Is that alright?"
Old Sun rolled his eyes at him and then continued to lower his head, searching for something in the medical kit.
As if you could help out by staying here!
Hey! This old man is a bit uncooperative!
Fang Er complained with some displeasure.
"No, kid, you've come up with a way to prevent smallpox, haven't you?"
Old Sun didn't even lift his head and retorted.
"Besides that? Hurry up and leave! Otherwise, this old Daoist is afraid that the cows in this town won't be enough for you and the Yan Yun cavalry to eat!"
Fang Er...
I just accidentally killed two more cows!
More people eat faster, what can I do!
He patted the dust off his pants and stood up from the steps in front of the earth temple.
"Well, I'm leaving now?"
Old Sun ignored him.
Alright, this is a bit awkward.
"Let's go! Home!" After saying that, he waved to the Yan Yun cavalry and headed towards the east of the town.
"If we say we're leaving, we leave!"
He shouted as he walked, making Old Sun confused.
The pickup truck started, and suddenly Fang Er turned back, asked Old Sun for a porcelain bottle, and under his confused gaze, walked to the cows tied up nearby.
"I have antibodies now, what's there to be afraid of?" He bent down, grabbed the cows' udders, and squeezed out the pustules. He collected the lymph in the bottle, washed his hands with alcohol, wiped the outside of the bottle with alcohol as well, and then tucked the bottle into his chest.
"Sir Sun, I'm really leaving this time!" After saying that, he got into the pickup truck.
Huang Sheng drove the pickup truck, carrying Fang Er ahead.
The six armored vehicles, with all their alcohol and masks left for Old Sun, followed behind the pickup truck.
The Tianhuo Army also withdrew completely. The Zuo Wu Guard had arrived two days ago, and the protection of this place was handed over to them.