It was a serious matter that needed to be planned ahead. He came to the table and wrote a letter, "Send this letter to General Li at the border."

"Yes." Ye came forward to take this letter and disappeared in the darkness with Mo.

Shuo Ling looked out of the window. He hoped General Li would send a message to Chushi Youtian immediately for more border-guard force and more army provision needed after autumn. If there was a war, the morale of the army wouldn't be stable if the provisions were not in place.

Zhan You's escape caused endless trouble. Recalling the person bewitched with the nightmare in the basement, Shuo Ling felt a cold shiver.

If Zhan You developed much witchcraft of the nightmare and used them in Dongling, he would cause a great catastrophe.

Shuo Ling sighed. He had to go to the Witchcraft City.

He went to the bed and lay down. After he arranged the work in Jiandu, he would set off for the Witchcraft City and discuss the countermeasures with Hou Shi.

The next day morning, Shuo Ling called Mo Li to arrange the following work. Then Mo Li provided him a fine horse to ride to Witchcraft City.

After all the people got up, Mo Li went to Shen Yang, "Mr. Shen, are you ready?"

"We are ready. Where is Marquis Shuo?" Shen Yang ran his eyes over the yard but didn't find Shuo Ling.

Mo Li answered, "My Lord is away on business and will return several days later. Mr. Shen will go to Qianxi Village with me, and others have their places to go."

"Then I have to trouble you, Young Master Mo." Shen Yang nodded.

Yang Zijin slightly frowned. He went out so early in the morning without telling anyone. What was the emergency?

Qiao Shu thought it's a good chance to get rid of Yang Zijin as Shuo Ling was not here.

They all got ready and Mo Li let his men lead the imperial doctors to the places they should go to.

Yang Zijin followed them.

Runyu stopped her, "Your Highness, where are you going?"

"Young Master Run, I'm bored with staying here these days. Now he is not here, so I'd like to go out to get some fresh air and do something to help." Yang Zijin looked at Runyu pathetically.

Runyu nodded and smiled, "Just go ahead. So will I."

"Really? That's great!" Yang Zijin couldn't help yelling out of excitement.

The imperial doctors who hadn't gone far turned around to see. Yang Zijin restrained her excitement, uttered a cough, and went after them.

The doctors went in four directions at the foot of the hill.

Yang Zijin went with Shen Yang's group. She intended to see the situation of the victims and to watch Qiao Shu. She wanted to know what's Qiao Shu plan.

In Qianxi Village, Shen Yang went into the makeshift tents to see those who caught the plague. Some of them kept coughing, some were vomiting, some were lying weakly with a pale face, and some had died before receiving treatments.

There were not enough men to move the bodies away.

Shen Yang asked the team to wear the masks that Yang Zijin gave them yesterday.

Then Shen Yang called Mo Li to recruit some people to move the corpses away, gathering these corpses with plague together, and burn them up.

After he arranged the process, he went forward and crouched down to check a man lying in the tent.

Shen Yang put his hand on the man's forehead to feel the high temperature, and opened his eyes to find that his eyes were distracted and opaque. He must have been infected with the plague for several days.

Shen Yang was going to feel his pulse when the man suddenly shifted aside to vomit.

Shen Yang observed his vomitus and found it was yellow and smelled sour.

Shen Yang patted his back. After the man vomited, he opened the man's mouth and saw his coating on the tongue looked like white powder.

He lay the man flat and felt his pulse. The man's pulse was weak.

Then he loosened the man's coat and saw his body covered in a rash.

After he finished observation, Shen Yang stood up and pondered with his eyes closed.

All the symptoms of this man were those of the plague.

The plague must have originated from the drowned poultry, whose germs spread through the air because they hadn't been cleaned out and buried in this heat.

The symptom began with a cough, following by nausea and vomiting, fever, a rash, coma, organ failure, and death.

Shen Yang went out of the tent. Qiao Shu and others came along to ask, "How is it going, Mr. Shen?"

"There is no full assurance. We have to try." Shen Yang went to the wagon loaded with herbs while answering them.

Then he added, "Fill the prescription as I say."

"Yes, Mr. Shen." Qiao Shu and others nodded.

Shen Yang closed his eyes and said, "Ten grams each of the root bark of the peony tree, Scutellaria, classed Fructus Gardeniae, Radix Paeoniae Rubra, and Radix Scrophulariae. Five grams each of liquorice, folium phyllostachys, and forsythia suspensa. Twenty grams of gypsum."

After he finished reciting the prescription, Shen Yang opened his eyes and asked, "Have you done?"

"I'm ready. Uncle Shen, please have a look." Qiao Shu showed Shen Yang finished the medicine.

Shen Yang took it and nodded, "Qiao Shu, take charge of decocting medicine here."

"Yes, Uncle Shen." Qiao Shu answered.

Since she came to the Qianxi Village, Qiao Shu had grown some regret for refusing to stay in the yard to classify the herbs yesterday.

This place smelled awful. Although there was a mask on her face, she could still smell the stink.

So, when Shen Yang asked her to decoct the medicine, she immediately agreed.

She would go mad if she went to feel the pulses of these dirty people.

Shen Yang asked the other four doctors, "First, spread mugwort around the tent and set it on fire. This can effectively clear damp and cold. It also has the effects of relieving asthma and antisepsis."

"Got it, Mr. Shen. We'll do it now." They answered and lifted the Ay Tsao down from the wagon.

They put the Ay Tsao before and behind the tent, and then ignited it.

Qiao Shu had set up the medicine pot, which was much larger than the usual medicine pots.

Yang Zijin stood aside and watched Qiao Shu, but Qiao Shu did nothing except filling and decocting the medicine. So, Yang Zijin left for another place.

She met Mo Li head-on. Mo Li saw Yang Zijin and came to her, "Your Highness, why are you here? The plague here is serious, you'd better go back with Young Master Run."

"None of you are afraid. Why am I supposed to be afraid? I can help if you are short of hands." Yang Zijin said.

Mo Li hesitated, "But, Your Highness..."

Yang Zijin interrupted him.

"No but. I've made up my mind. Do your work. I won't bother you." Yang Zijin walked around him and went away.

Mo Li had to entrust Runyu, "Young Master Run, please take care of Her Highness."

Runyu smiled and nodded, and then he went to the direction Yang Zijin left.

Before Yang Zijin had gone far, she saw a familiar figure who was feeding a patient with steamed bread and gruel.

Yang Zijin came to him, "You are very kind to your villagers, Sir."

"Oh, Your Highness, nice to see you again." Xu Qing looked over his shoulder and saw Yang Zijin. He quickly knelt to salute her.

Yang Zijin supported him before his knees touched the ground, "Why do you act like that?"

"Ah... Their families had died of the plague and they were infected, too. No one else could take care of them." Xu Qing sighed and said.

Yang Zijin nodded, "It's rare to see an honest official like you. After the relief work in Jiandu is done, I will put a good word for you in His Majesty's ear and transfer you to Jing City."

"Thank you for your favor. But actually, I don't mind the place and the rank of the office I take." Xu Qing said.

Yang Zijin smiled, "But I think a good official like you deserve a good reward."

"I don't need a hollow reputation. There is only one thing I want from you, and I hope you can promise me, Your Highness." Xu Qing knelt down to Yang Zijin.

Yang Zijin was confused. She asked, "Why are you..."

"Please promise me." Xu Qing kept kneeling.

Yang Zijin was confused. She said, "If you have anything to tell me, please get up and speak. Why must you kneel down?"

"Your Highness, I know you are a good person. So, after days of thinking, I decide to ask for your help to punish corrupt officials!" Xu Qing kowtowed to Yang Zijin.

Yang Zijin's forehead knotted in a frown. She said, "I heard the governor of Jiandu and other accessories had committed suicide, didn't you hear that? And a fire destroyed their mourning hall."

"I've heard of it, but their death is not that simple!" Xu Qing said.

Yang Zijin frowned. She looked at Xu Qing, "Not that simple? Why?"

"The corrupt officials cherish their lives, so why did they commit suicide as soon as you were here? They had backers that support their embezzlement and corruption. They didn't kill themselves, but some people else killed them to shut their mouths. Your Highness, please look at this." Xu Qing took out a book from his clothes to show Yang Zijin.

Yang Zijin took the book and asked, "What's this?"

"The account book. I stole it from the governor, and put it back after making a copy." Xu Qing replied.

Yang Zijin opened the book to read. The account book recorded where the money went at the beginning of this year.

Xu Qing added, "The governor and other officials were indifferent to the flood. What's more, he killed the victims who made trouble for him. I had no choice. The officials didn't do what they should do, so I organized part of the victims to go to Jing City for help. I thought some people in the capital would pay attention to the flood."