Chapter 118 |
Article One: Government-regulated grain sales, porridge kitchens, and mobile porridge stations...[1]
Most of the disaster victims awaiting relief are farming households living near the river. The gentry and wealthy families residing within the county seat, some unaffected by the disaster, undoubtedly have grain stores at home.
It is necessary to mobilize these individuals to come forward and assist.
Article Two: Provide relief through work projects, prepare for accumulation and storage[2].
Enhance the people's initiative for self-rescue, reduce negative sentiments. Only when people have hope of rebuilding their homes will they not riot or cause unrest.
Article Three: Separate shelters for men and women, assign tasks to women and children based on capability, isolate and treat the injured separately[3].
Article Four: Adopt orphaned children, provide medicine and medical treatment[4].
The preceding articles correspond to the handling of disaster victims and mitigation methods for food shortages; the latter ones are for preventing major epidemics after the disaster. These are for the immediate aftermath. Matters concerning post-disaster reconstruction belong to the later ten articles.
Including, but not limited to, major long-term measures such as re-cultivating fertile land, relocating people to neighboring commanderies, etc.
The further he wrote, the faster his writing became, and his handwriting grew more scribbled—
If he didn't finish soon, he felt Liu Liu would knock him out and throw him onto the bed to sleep.
He signed at the end: Layman Biandou.
As he finished the last character, dawn was breaking. Qu Dubian hid all the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the desk, covering his tracks.
Then he moved to the bedside, collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep immediately.
Before sleeping, he mumbled vaguely: "Liu Liu, wake me at dawn..."
Asleep in a second.
He didn't even have time to cover himself with the quilt, change his clothes, or take off his boots. There were faint dark circles under his eyes.
Yi Shier took off his boots for him, loosened his collar, half-lifted him to adjust his sleeping posture, then laid him back down and pulled up the quilt.
After finishing, he walked to the desk and gently flipped through the stack of methods for post-flood disaster management, hurriedly written overnight.
Having been by His Highness's side for twelve years, he knew the Prince was not as mediocre as he appeared on the surface, and he also knew about his agreement with Grand Tutor Fang. Yet, he still couldn't help but be astonished.
Just how many more skills was His Highness hiding?
He flipped through the pages for a moment, then carefully put them back.
He thought, if this detailed disaster management plan were filled into the answer sheet Grand Tutor Fang had given His Highness, he wondered what score it would get.
A pearl cloaked in dust conceals its own light; only when occasional winds stir can one glimpse a hint of radiance beneath the grime.
-
Ten in the morning.
Qu Dubian had slept for five hours. Yi Shier hadn't called him, but he suddenly woke up anyway.
Two days of non-stop travel, one day settling at the county office—the exhaustion from the journey clung to his body after the brief rest.
Qu Dubian performed a set of Tai Chi, circulating his internal energy once through his body, restoring most of his vigor. He hastily ate a simple breakfast, biting into a flatbread, grabbed the stack of detailed rules from the table, and went out.
Before leaving, he paused, stepped on the stack of paper a few times with his foot, looked at the shoe prints on it, and nodded with satisfaction.
As soon as he stepped out, he called: "Magistrate Hua! Magistrate Hua!"
Magistrate Hua, overwhelmed with tasks, was informed that the Seventh Prince wished to see him.
He barely suppressed his frustration, affected by the disaster victims, and couldn't help muttering quietly: "Ah! Just when things are busiest. Couldn't the noble from the capital just instruct the county office staff if there's something?"
Aide: "Your Honor, you should still go see. It's not good to offend a prince."
Magistrate Hua: "Don't I know that?"
He patted the dust off his clothes, arranged a smiling face, and went to the main hall.
Qu Dubian was sitting cross-legged on a chair, munching on his flatbread, and waved to him: "Magistrate Hua."
Magistrate Hua bowed with clasped hands: "Your Highness, what matter summons me?"
Qu Dubian pointed at the stack of paper beside him. "It's nothing major. I just suddenly remembered that when I was wandering around the capital, I encountered some strange people and unusual events. I once helped a man who was nearly dead from illness. After he recovered, he gave me this as a token of gratitude."
"It's probably about disaster management. I can't really understand it, but thought it might be useful, so I brought it. Magistrate Hua, see if you can make use of it?"
What strange people and events, what curing illness and gratitude.
And disaster management.
It sounded utterly far-fetched.
Magistrate Hua looked at his clear, innocent eyes and thought the Seventh Prince was probably inexperienced in the ways of the world, deceived by some unknown charlatan, and thus believed such a tale.
Of course, he didn't show it. Important people need to save face.
Even if this stack of paper was useless today, he would have to come up with some praise.
With this thought, Magistrate Hua picked it up to look. At first glance, he was drawn in by the handwriting. Huh, the charlatan's calligraphy is quite distinctive.
Immediately after, one article after another of disaster management measures leaped before his eyes, even with detailed steps. The wider Magistrate Hua's eyes grew as he read.
He had climbed up step by step from a humble background; he was one of those with natural talent.
In these past few days handling the disaster from his position as county magistrate, he had been utterly overwhelmed, with all sorts of matters pressing down on him, leaving him without a clue.
Therefore, he understood precisely how important these clear, well-structured, step-by-step regulations, which considered the people at every turn, truly were—
This absolutely, without a doubt, had to be written by someone who had experienced flood disasters, or had profound research into them, and possessed a heart for the world!
Magistrate Hua looked up abruptly, his eyes burning with fervent hope. He eagerly grasped Qu Dubian's hands: "Your Highness!"
Qu Dubian was startled: "What are you doing!"
Magistrate Hua pointed at the signature: "May I ask if Your Highness knows the current whereabouts of Layman Biandou, who wrote these regulations? This person must be a rare, transcendent recluse in this world. I don't know why he fell into such straits that he lacked even money for medical treatment and nearly died. Fortunately, he met Your Highness."
"Such a pillar of talent must not be lost to illness! If we can find him, it would be of immense importance to Great Zhou! The three commanderies of the Xiang River need a master capable of managing flood disasters!"
Qu · the master · Dubian's ears turned slightly red. He coughed twice, somewhat embarrassed. "Really? That impressive?"
Magistrate Hua said solemnly: "These are strategies to save tens of thousands of lives!"
Qu Dubian patted his chest, looking relieved: "Good, good. I almost used it to wipe my boots."
Magistrate Hua: "......"
Wipe boots?
He lowered his head and examined carefully the stack of paper he regarded as a treasure. On the back of the pages were clearly several shoe prints.
Magistrate Hua's face contorted slightly, feeling both heartache and relief.
Heavens, thankfully the Seventh Prince showed restraint; otherwise, he might have felt his heart bleed.
He wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "Fortunately, fortunately... Heaven protects Great Zhou..."
Magistrate Hua bowed again: "Your Highness the Seventh Prince, I wish to submit this manual to the Commandery Governor."
Qu Dubian: "Do as you see fit. I don't understand these things much. Professional matters should be left to professionals."
Yi Shier, who had taken in his master's entire dramatic performance: "..."
What a perfect "don't understand much."
Given the shoe prints on the disaster management manual, Magistrate Hua promptly made a handwritten copy himself and had it delivered by fast horse to the Commandery Governor's office, hoping for implementation as soon as possible.
He pondered carefully himself, "Mobile porridge stations... How can we make the wealthy households in the county who have surplus grain willingly share their stores?"
As he was thinking, his aide hurried in from outside. "Your Honor! It's bad, Your Honor! Squire Lin from outside is bringing in some riotous disaster victims."
Magistrate Hua stood up abruptly: "I'll go see."
The advisor pulled him outside.
Qu Dubian also heard the clamor outside the county office and went out with the Magistrate to take a look.
They saw a group of ragged commoners being restrained by servants and guards, brought to the front of the county office. Leading them were several well-dressed local gentry, who cried out upon seeing Magistrate Hua:
"Your Honor, please uphold justice for us!"
The local gentry were always people the Magistrate needed to maintain good relations with.
Their families either had members serving as officials or were deeply rooted local powers. Offending the gentry would hinder the implementation of the Magistrate's policies.
Leading the wealthy households here to demand an explanation was Squire Lin.
He pointed angrily at the commoners being held by the servants: "These unruly peasants dared to forcibly rob the grain shops on the streets! After being discovered, they even dared to beat members of our families, breaking heads and drawing blood. If not for the servants in my household, we wouldn't have been able to catch these few!"
Magistrate Hua: "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please calm down."
He tried his utmost to soothe the emotions of the gentry and wealthy households.
Qu Dubian listened for a while before understanding what had actually happened.
Le'an County also had wealthy households. Several families had opened grain shops in the county, doubling the price of grain to make a profit. Some clever ones had shut their grain shops completely, fearing they would be robbed.
Yet, even with such caution, they couldn't prevent desperate people from committing desperate acts when starved.
Last night, several grain shops were robbed. Today, some even went to smash the closed shops, trying to find something to eat inside, and were caught red-handed.
They were directly dragged over to the county office.
The captured commoners knelt on the ground, heads bowed low, not saying a word.
Squire Lin said indignantly: "Everyone is short of grain, everyone knows how precious grain is now. If they were truly desperate with hunger and came to me directly, even if I were starving myself, I could... I could share a little rice with them. But to just steal it, is there any difference from bandits?"
The wealthy households chimed in: "Exactly. We don't have grain either."
"That's right, with the county office providing porridge, they still come to rob us. Aren't we commoners too?"
"Your Honor, please uphold justice."
They argued with reason, requesting Magistrate Hua to severely punish the offending commoners to prevent such incidents from happening again.
But Qu Dubian knew that as long as the people were still hungry, grain robberies would not stop. Without solving the root cause, such events would only increase.
Among the restrained commoners, the leader was named Geng Da. He had remained silent but suddenly spoke up: "Kill us if you will. Starving to death is also death. Our houses, fields, children... we've lost everything. What is there to fear?"
"Perhaps after death and rebirth, we won't go hungry or suffer disasters again."
Squire Lin angrily retorted: "Does being weak make you right? You suffered disasters, haven't we? Our vast family fortunes were built through hard work. Who do you blame? You blame your own lack of effort, blame heaven for not showing mercy. It's just an excuse for your robbery."
"Fine, we robbed, we admit our punishment if caught. Just punish us then."
"Punish them! Punish them severely!"
Magistrate Hua wasn't intimidated by them either. He first ordered the offending commoners to be detained, then used reason and empathy, promising that such robberies would not happen again, and persuaded Squire Lin and the others to return.
It took nearly half an hour before they finally left.
Magistrate Hua was already parched. Returning inside the county office, he gulped down water frantically.
Qu Dubian had been observing all along and only now spoke up: "How does Magistrate Hua intend to resolve this? Will you really punish the disaster victims?"
Magistrate Hua sighed: "A token punishment will suffice. When everyone is short of grain, if I don't punish severely, Squire Lin and the others won't let it go."
"This treats the symptom, not the root cause. For Le'an County to safely pass through these next few days, everyone needs to work together."
Magistrate Hua: "Your meaning is to have the wealthy households voluntarily provide porridge and distribute grain? How is that possible?"
Qu Dubian sat down on a chair, leaned back, and propped up his head.
"Although I was a hopeless student in the academy, I was occasionally dragged by the ear to listen. Has Magistrate Hua heard of the Merit Stele from the previous dynasty? We could also erect a Merit Stele in the county. Any wealthy household among the top thirty in providing porridge and distributing grain can have their name inscribed on it. This could motivate some to do good."
Magistrate Hua had heard of the Merit Stele, but clever people had used this tactic long ago, and over time, its usefulness had diminished.
"Layman Biandou also analyzed for me how to get the wealthy households to contribute during disaster relief. Let me think how he put it..."
Qu Dubian was somewhat annoyed that he hadn't written down the methods for inducing the wealthy households to contribute on paper. Now he could only frantically fabricate stories and attribute them to his alter ego.
Magistrate Hua's eyes lit up. He contained his eagerness: "Think slowly, Your Highness, no hurry."
Watching the Seventh Prince frowning, pacing back and forth in deep thought, he held his breath, afraid of accidentally interrupting the Prince's train of thought.
The Seventh Prince scratched his head three or five times before finally seeming to remember, saying:
"The first part is about reputational benefit, which is somewhat abstract. The next part is the practical benefit tied to their families. Magistrate Hua must have their household registers. Among the sons of each family, there must be quite a few taking the imperial examinations."
Magistrate Hua: "Indeed."
For the imperial examinations, the candidates each year were as numerous as fish in a river, yet very few succeeded in leaping over the dragon gate.
"You can issue an order: for any family that makes it into the top thirty on the Merit Stele, a line can be added to their descendants' household register stating, 'In such-and-such month of such-and-such year, the such-and-such family ranked such-and-such on the Le'an County Disaster Relief Merit Stele.' This would be beneficial for the imperial examinations."
Magistrate Hua pondered.
A moment later, he was astonished.
Commoners could not arbitrarily alter their household registers, but a Magistrate could make slight modifications with due reason.
People valued their clans highly. If a line bearing an official seal was added to the register, nine out of ten people reviewing it would look upon it with greater respect and esteem.
Nowadays, for travel, social interactions, and even for scholars seeking renowned teachers, one needed to present their household register.
To give a concrete example: if two scholars sought to study under the same teacher to prepare for the exams, and the teacher could only accept one, that line on the register would be a natural advantage.
Adding a line to the register was within the power of a County Magistrate.
This was a proper, open stratagem.
Magistrate Hua clapped his hands: "This idea, combined with the Merit Stele, means even if Squire Lin and the others truly had no grain, they would still try every means to provide porridge for everyone!"
Heaven knew how many times he had gone to plead with these local gentry?
Each time he returned empty-handed. They had grain at home but stubbornly refused to release it. What could he do? He couldn't very well rob them.
"I'll spread the news immediately and prepare the Merit Stele right away!"
Magistrate Hua's face flushed with excitement. He bowed deeply towards the empty air: "Layman Biandou, truly a man of genius!"
Qu Dubian coughed lightly.
"Don't rush. We need a target. It's best if you don't start this, otherwise that group of gentry will only haggle."
Magistrate Hua: "A target?"
Qu Dubian nodded.
Uncle Letian should be arriving soon, barring any mishaps.
Magistrate Hua restrained himself. He poured himself cold water, drank two cups, and calmed down considerably. He looked at Qu Dubian.
Qu Dubian: "I'll go see Consort Xuan first. When the time is right, I'll have someone call for you."
As Qu Dubian reached the doorway, Magistrate Hua called out to him, "Your Highness, the Seventh Prince."
The sky outside remained overcast, oppressive and damp, leaving the room rather dim.
Qu Dubian halted and glanced slightly over his shoulder.
Magistrate Hua bowed deeply towards him, hands clasped in a formal salute, and remained in that posture for a long moment.
"Please convey my thanks to Layman Biandou."
Some matters are impossible to conceal entirely, especially since they all had to be processed through Magistrate Hua's office. Moreover, Qu Dubian hadn't been particularly meticulous in his cover-up, leaving many loose ends and inconsistencies.
No matter how slow-witted Magistrate Hua might be, he had noticed many points that didn't add up.
He might suspect that Layman Biandou was close to Qu Dubian, or perhaps even suspect that Qu Dubian himself was Layman Biandou.
The former seemed more likely, but he wisely refrained from asking directly.
Asking for too much clarity might invite unforeseen disaster. Since the Seventh Prince intended to help and also wished to remain hidden, it was enough for them to have a tacit understanding between themselves.
All the strategies and plans originated from Layman Biandou.
As for the Seventh Prince, he had merely, through a twist of fate, developed some connection with that extraordinary individual.
Qu Dubian smiled faintly, "He wouldn't hear it even if I thanked him."
With that, he stepped out and left.
-
Following the guidelines outlined in the Flood Disaster Post-Relief Governance Manual, Magistrate Hua implemented a zoning system for the displaced populace.
Men and women were separated, with special attention given to the elderly, weak, women, and children.
Naturally, some were reluctant to move. In response, Magistrate Hua ordered extra rice to be added to that day's congee. As the rich aroma of rice began to spread, he stood on an elevated spot and announced clearly:
"Everyone, finish the zoning process quickly! The sooner it's done, the sooner you'll get this thick congee today. The slower you are, the later you'll eat!"
The enticing smell of the rice broth spurred the hungry people into action.
Driven by the promise of food, they quickly relocated under the guidance and management of the soldiers. Those who moved too slowly were even urged on by others.
All available personnel from the county yamen were mobilized to go out and assist. Spurred on by the aroma of the congee, the efforts took on a bustling, energetic atmosphere.
Qu Dubian did not go out. Firstly, the Magistrate wouldn't have him doing manual labor. Secondly, unless absolutely necessary, he had no desire to go out and smell the scent of blood lingering in the air.
Soon, the zoning management began to take shape.
The wounded area received focused attention. The few available physicians were all sent there. Mugwort was burned in the corners, which could help somewhat in preventing the breeding of germs.
-
After the midday meal.
A convoy of a hundred guards slowly entered Le'an County.
The carts were loaded with medicinal herbs, grain, and Zhenbao liquor, all covered with cloth so their contents weren't immediately visible.
At first, only a few people noticed them. Later, the convoy's leader, a merchant named Xue, suddenly stopped outside the street where the wealthy households resided and began distributing congee and provisions.
Once the news spread, it quickly attracted a large crowd of commoners.
Merchant Xue was surrounded by over a hundred guards, all armed with blades. Although the people eyed the cartloads of grain behind him with longing, they dared not actually steal or rob—especially since Merchant Xue was a benefactor giving them food. They were willing to endure hunger a little longer and wait patiently.
With a large crowd came noise and commotion.
Squire Lin could no longer contain his curiosity and sent a servant out to inquire.
The servant soon returned. "Master! That Merchant Xue is truly wealthy! You wouldn't believe how much grain he brought—twenty or thirty carts full!"
"I saw—not just grain, but also medicinal herbs, and even Zhenbao liquor!"
"But he's not selling the liquor. He says it's for disinfecting the wounds of the injured... something about killing germs, that's what he said."
Squire Lin's eyes widened. "Good heavens..."
Zhenbao liquor! That was astronomically expensive!
Upon its appearance in Nanning, it had nearly driven the existing wine shops out of business. It was only in the past year that Zhenbao liquor gradually became popular among the nobility of the Great Zhou Dynasty, slowly trickling down from the aristocracy to wealthy families.
Even he only dared to savor a few precious sips during festive occasions.
This Merchant Xue, from who-knows-where, was being so extravagant!
Squire Lin hurriedly asked, "And he's just giving it all to the commoners? Asking for nothing in return?"
The servant replied, "How could that be, Master? I inquired. Merchant Xue is a philanthropist who specifically travels to disaster areas to do good deeds, but he has one particular aim."
Squire Lin: "What aim?"
The servant: "To have an official seal stamped on his household register."
It turned out this Merchant Xue had once provided disaster relief in his hometown. The local magistrate had specially written the phrase 'A Benevolent Family Providing Disaster Relief and Aid' on his household register and stamped it with the official seal.
From then on, Merchant Xue had tasted great benefits.
The servant said enviously, "They say Merchant Xue's son, precisely because of that inscription, was accepted as a student by a very renowned scholar. Now he's a Provincial Graduate, a respected gentleman!"
"So now he travels everywhere doing good deeds, only asking the local magistrate to stamp his register again, signifying that he also provided relief here."
Upon hearing this, Squire Lin's eyes gleamed with interest.
After all, which household didn't have a few scholarly hopefuls to support? Who didn't wish for their clan to prosper and their descendants to succeed?
He clenched his right fist and tapped it against his left palm. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly made a decision. "Call Squire Gu and the others. We're going back to the county yamen!"
-
Clearly, Squire Lin wasn't the only one who realized the advantages of having an official seal stamped on one's household register.
It was an official government certification of a 'Benevolent Family,' capable of bringing tangible, albeit indirect, benefits. Once they all understood, they went together to find Magistrate Hua.
The county clerk intercepted them, smiling. "Merchant Xue has just arrived. Could you gentlemen wait a moment?"
Squire Lin: "Merchant Xue, the one distributing congee?"
The clerk: "The very same. Merchant Xue's charitable acts have alleviated the county's burden. His Honor is inside expressing his gratitude to him right now."
Gratitude? What form of gratitude?
Wasn't it just about stamping the official seal?
Squire Lin couldn't help but crane his neck to look inside.
Before long, a bearded merchant emerged from within. He tucked a household register into his sleeve, his smile so broad his teeth were barely visible, and said to Magistrate Hua, "Rest assured, Your Honor, the grain I brought will be handled exactly as you instructed."
Magistrate Hua also smiled. "Of course, of course."
He personally escorted Merchant Xue out the door, his reluctant demeanor making Squire Lin and the others inwardly wince.
Squire Lin called out to him, "Magistrate Hua."
Only then did Magistrate Hua seem to notice them, his smile fading. "Oh, it's you. Don't worry, Geng Da and the others who robbed the grain distribution point this morning have been conscripted by this official for hard labor. They definitely won't appear before you again. As for your losses, this official will compensate after the disaster is over. Let's not dwell on it further."
"No, no, we wouldn't trouble the Magistrate with such minor matters."
Squire Lin eagerly followed Magistrate Hua into the room.
"We heard that Merchant Xue came to request your official seal on his register?"
Magistrate Hua looked surprised. "Your news travels fast?"
Squire Lin exchanged glances with the other local gentry and couldn't help saying, "Your Honor, if we were to distribute congee and provisions, could you also inscribe something like 'Benevolent Family' on our household registers and stamp them?"
Magistrate Hua frowned. "That's quite troublesome. And it wouldn't be of much use to you, would it?"
How could it not be useful!
Squire Lin and the others nearly wanted to flip the table in frustration.
Twenty or thirty carts of grain, and even Zhenbao liquor, given away just like that. If it weren't useful, would Merchant Xue be so extravagantly generous?
The social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants was distinct. For wealthy families, if there was even the slightest benefit to their sons' and grandsons' official careers, they would desperately strive to obtain it.
Squire Lin said directly, "Magistrate Hua, you want us to release our grain reserves, correct? If you agree to our terms, we will start distributing porridge as soon as we return!"
Magistrate Hua hesitated. "But... even if I agreed, and even if it worked, how would we allocate the recognition? We can't just bestow an official seal on everyone who gives out porridge."
At these words, Squire Lin and the others exchanged glances.
Squire Lin patiently pressed on, "Why not? Magistrate Hua, you only need to lift a finger, while we are contributing real silver and grain."
Magistrate Hua felt immensely pleased. What a brilliant scheme from Layman Biandou. To go from being the supplicant to the one being petitioned, with just a little beckoning.
Magistrate Hua pretended to deliberate. "It wouldn't be proper to stamp everyone's household with the 'Benevolent and Charitable Family' official seal. Let's discuss this further."
-
Elsewhere.
Xue Letian removed his disguise, taking off the false beard.
Yi Shier led him to the room where Qu Dubian was staying.
"Uncle Letian, it's been a long time."
Xue Letian blinked. "It has indeed, Xiao Qi. You've grown so tall."
Qu Dubian said, "I haven't yet thanked you for your help, Uncle Letian, for putting on that act with Magistrate Hua to draw all the county's wealthy households into the scheme."
"It was nothing. I really don't know what's in that head of yours. The strategies you come up with are simply..." Xue Letian couldn't help but laugh. "I suspect those squires are probably surrounding the magistrate right now, vying to offer their grain."
As soon as he had arrived, Yi Shier found him and explained Qu Dubian's plan for him to perform the act with Magistrate Hua.
Qu Dubian said, "Ah, but it wasn't my idea. It was Layman Biandou's."
Xue Letian replied, "Alright, alright, Layman Biandou. But Xiao Qi, Magistrate Hua can probably guess part of the truth. Is he trustworthy?"
Qu Dubian reassured him, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. At worst, we can say you are Layman Biandou." He hooked an arm around Xue Letian's shoulder. "Between uncle and nephew, who's counting favors, right?"
Xue Letian: "......"
The smile dropped from his face. "Why do you uncle-nephew pair always pick on me to trick?"
Qu Dubian said, "Anyway, the title of Layman Biandou can be pinned on anyone, just not on me."
Xue Letian sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine, rest assured, your uncle will clean up for you. I'll be staying here for a while longer. Anything inconvenient for you to say to Magistrate Hua, I'll say. Anything inconvenient for you to do, leave it to me."
"But let's be clear upfront, if you slip up and get discovered yourself, that's not on me."
Qu Dubian grinned.
"Mm!" It felt truly reassuring to have an elder by his side as support.
Xue Letian paused for a moment. "And Consort Xuan...?"
Qu Dubian glanced toward the rear courtyard. "Still unconscious."
"But Ye Banban and the others should be arriving soon."
-
Evening.
A rickety carriage came to a spectacular, screeching halt, wobbling to a stop outside the county office.
Two imperial physicians, their legs trembling, stumbled out of the carriage. Clutching their medical kits, they crouched by the roadside, retching violently.
Physicians Yang and Qiu, their necks still aching, were on the verge of tears.
Ye Xiaoyuan brushed the dust from his face and clothes. Waiting patiently for them to finish, he considerately offered them water to rinse their mouths. Then, he hauled one under each arm and hustled them toward the county office.
"Your Highness! We're here!"
They had made exceptionally good time!