Chapter 463: Zhou Xiangrong
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Wei Zhongming glared at those merchants. All of them had guilty expressions
that implied, “It’s not my fault. Don’t malign me. I’m scared.”
He also felt that these merchants wouldn’t be so bold.
“Go and investigate. See who is so bold as to obstruct my career prospects.”
“Yes, I’ll send someone to investigate now.”
More and more commoners fell ill in the city. Wei Zhongming found an abandoned temple and settled these sick people there. Then he ordered soldiers to keep watch over them.
A horse carriage with a green canopy arrived outside the dilapidated temple, and a woman in green stepped down from the horse carriage.
She was stopped by the soldiers just as she reached the gate of the dilapidated
temple. “Who are you?”
The woman said, “I am Zhou Xiangrong, a doctor who treats patients.”
Over the past two days, doctors had been summoned regularly to treat patients in the city. Thus, the soldiers did not think much about it and opened the door to let Zhou Xiangrong in. This was an area of infection, and no normal person would be willing to come. Therefore, they did not think that she had any other motives.
Although this was a dilapidated temple, the buildings inside were still intact The walls, doors, and windows were a little old, but they could still shelter the occupants from the wind and rain.
The patients with mild symptoms were placed in the hall of the dilapidated temple, while the patients with severe symptoms were placed in the guest rooms in the back courtyard.
There was wailing in the hall accompanied by the sounds of vomiting. As soon as one walked in, one could smell a disgusting, nauseating smell.
Zhou Xiangrong frowned, but she still walked forward to examine the patient
lying on the ground.
The doctor who had been captured to treat the patients walked into the hall and saw a woman inside. He was very puzzled. “Why are you here, Miss.” Zhou Xiangrong turned around and said, “I’m a doctor. I’m here to treat the plague-infected patients.”
The male doctor frowned when he heard this. He felt that Zhou Xiangrong really did not know what she was getting herself into. “This illness is not like ordinary illness. I can see that you are quite young, Miss. Why don’t you as your family to plead with Lord Wei to let you leave as soon as possible. ” Zhou Xiangrong shook her head and said, “I came here on my own. I couldn’t bear to see the disaster victims suffer, so I wanted to help them.”
The male doctor looked at Zhou Xiangrong as if he was looking at a fool.
“Young lady, you are on your own then.”
Zhou Xiangrong ignored the doctor and took out a pill to feed the patient.
Then, she went to treat other patients.
After treating all the patients in the hall, she got up and walked to the back courtyard.
Along the way, there were several soldiers carrying corpses out of the back courtyard. These were the disaster victims who had died of illness. They were to be dragged to the pit at the back of the mountain to be cremated.
Zhou Xiangrong looked at the corpses and sighed helplessly.
She pushed open the door of the guest room and someone suddenly dashed out. Zhou Xiangrong was so scared that she stood rooted in the same spot. Fortunately, the official who walked past reacted quickly and pulled her aside to avoid being hit.
The official released his hand and turned around to go after the patient who
was trying to escape.
That patient was already weak from his serious illness, so how could he be a match for the young and strong official? He had only run a few steps before he was caught by the official.
The patient’s body toppled over to the ground and he began foaming at the mouth. His body began to convulse, and his face showed a deathly expression.
■■Doctor! Where’s the doctor?” When the official saw the patient in this state, he quickly went to look for a doctor.
By the time he rushed back with the doctor, he saw Zhou Xiangrong kneeling on the ground and treating the patient. The patient’s face, which was still deathly pale earlier, gradually turned rosy and he came back to life.
The official looked at Zhou Xiangrong in surprise. He didn’t realize that she
was a doctor.
“His condition isn’t too good. His pulse is very weak, but I’ve fed him some medicine. He should be better tomorrow. Carry him inside first.”
The two people summoned by the official carried the patient back into the house.
When the young official came out of the house, he found that Zhou Xiangrong had entered another house. He couldn’t help but follow her out of curiosity. She looked young, but she seemed to have good medical skills. He didn’t know where she was from.
“Young Miss, are you the doctor that Lord Wei summoned?”
Zhou Xiangrong shookher head. “No, I came uninvited. I heard that many people in the city have contracted the plague. I was worried, so I came to take a
look.”
People were scrambling to avoid the plague as far as possible, yet she actually delivered herself to the doorstep of an area of infection. The official thought that she was really foolish, but also kind.
“The patients here are all very seriously ill. If Young Miss needs anything, just let me know.”
Zhou Xiangrong looked at him and smiled. “Thank you then.” The official looked at her crescent-shaped eyes and blushed furiously.
The next morning, on the official road to Luo City, a speedy steed galloped madly, kicking up a cloud of dust as it dashed forward.
A man on a horse sprinted to the city gate of Luo City before coming to a stop slowly.
The person sitting on the horse was tall and had an icy expression. His two dark eyes gazed intently at the soldiers guarding the city.
“Open the city gates.”
The powerful steed shook its head, and the emblem of Duke Jingguo’s Residence hanging around its neck swayed and jingled loudly.
With just a glance, the soldiers were stunned by the aura of the person who had just arrived.
“Who are you?”
The person took out a gold token from his waist. It was a token unique to the Imperial Guards.
When the soldiers saw this, they quickly knelt down and bowed in respect. Secretly, they thought that this person was very likely someone sent by the capital city to investigate.
“Greetings, my Lord.”
“Open the gate.”
The soldiers did not dare to delay and quickly opened the city gate to let the other party in.
-Take me to see Wei Zhongming,” the person said to the soldier.
Those who dared to address Lord Wei by his name must have a higher official position than Lord Wei. The soldiers quickly led a horse and mounted it to lead the way. Before he left, he even instructed someone to take the alley shortcut to quickly inform Wei Zhongming.
When Wei Zhongming received the news, he was in the midst of fretting. Earlier, his subordinate reported that the number of patients was increasing and the dilapidated temple could no longer accommodate them. They had to look for another place.
The caretaker hurriedly entered the house and informed, “My Lord, my Lord, someone from the capital city has arrived. He will be arriving at the government office soon.”
Wei Zhongming stopped in his tracks. “What? Someone from the capital city has arrived? Who is it? What is his official position? Why didn’t I receive any news at all?”
The caretaker shook his head. “I don’t know what official position he is. The soldiers guarding the city said that he was holding a gold token of the Imperial Guards. I don’t know if he came because of the drought, but he told the soldiers to bring him to see you.”
Wei Zhongming’s knees went weak and he almost knelt down. It would be fine if it was some official, but why did the Emperor instruct an Imperial Guard to come? Surely there was no need for the Imperial Guards to provide disaster relief, was there?
While Wei Zhongming’s heart was still racing, the aforementioned person had already arrived outside the government office.
After the servant came to announce that guy’s arrival, Wei Zhongming did not dare to delay any longer and got up to head outside.
As Wei Zhongming reached the outside, he saw a slender figure riding on a horse. Even when Wei Zhongming came out, that guy did not have any intention of getting off his horse.
Wei Zhongming’s heart skipped a beat. With such arrogance, this guy must be one of the Emperor’s close ministers.
“Greetings, Your Lordship.”
The man’s two dark eyes fell on Wei Zhongming.. He then said in a deep and powerful voice, “Where is the Empress now?”