Chapter 497: Doubts
The Huaijiang Medical Bureau was located right next to the civil affairs bureau. When Ye Zhen and Co arrived, the doors had yet to open.
It was only when Xue Lin decisively knocked on the door that an impatient woman garbed in physician robes opened it. However, upon studying the token Xue Lin produced, her expression immediately changed. "This Young Master, may I know what instructions you may have?"
Xue Lin coldly glanced over her renewed attitude and invited Ye Zhen through the door.
"Excuse me, is Imperial Physician Qi here?" Ye Zhen gave a once over to the physician standing in front of her and fell into contemplation. This must have been the physician assigned by the Imperial Physicians’ Courtyard for this region. And by extension, must be quite familiar with Huajiang.
The physician wasn't aware of Ye Zhen's background, but seeing the man being so respectful to her despite holding the token of authority, it seemed the person's status wasn't all that simple. " Imperial Physician Qi has momentarily stepped out to treat some people. Please stay for a cup of tea, I'll have a servant fetch her back."
Ye Zhen frowned. "Where has Imperial Physician Qi gone to treat patients?"
"We got word of a fever outbreak in a village at the outskirts of the city. Imperial Physician Qi immediately left with a couple of physicians in tow," the physician replied.
"Are you a physician here?" Ye Zhen enquired.
"This lowly one's surname is Chen, and I was appointed a physician here ten years ago," Physician Chen replied.
Just as Ye Zhen was about to suggest to Huangfu Chen to look outside, a knock sounded outside the bureau. It was Qi Jin who had returned.
She walked in while in conversation with the two physicians behind her. “… This isn’t just one person in the village who has a fever. It seems that it's related to the recent weather. Bring some medicine tomorrow and have everyone in the village drink a bowl."
"Yes." The two physicians nodded.
"Imperial Physician Qi!" Ye Zhen's eyes lit up as she stood up and walked towards Qi Jin.
Qi Jin was stunned for a moment. When she saw Huangfu Chen, she shook her head helplessly. “The little apprentice you brought with you last time was her, wasn’t it? What nonsense. How could you bring her here?"
"Imperial Physician Qi, since I'm here now, don't chase me away." Ye Zhen smiled and went forward to hug the other's arm. “I can also help you here, so I won't cause you any trouble."
"Right now, I'm not afraid that you would give me troubles, but…." Qi Jin frowned and looked at the weather outside. “The rain has agitated me. Don’t run around. Just help me here at the bureau."
Ye Zhen immediately agreed. “All right."
Qi Jin then said to Huangfu Chen, “Ah Chen, you will take a trip with me outside the city tomorrow. Today, I went on a medical visit. There's a village that has a fever outbreak. I suspect it's contagious. The weather most likely caused the disease. We need to find the source quickly."
"Imperial Physician Qi, why is Huaijiang always prone to contagious diseases at this time of the year?" Ye Zhen asked curiously.
"It's usually humid in the south. In addition, the summer is hot, so it's not surprising that the disease tends to spread," Physician Chen supplied from the side.
Ye Zhen did not comment. She felt that this situation was really strange year after year.
Qi Jin said, “ You've only arrived at Huaijiang City today. Rest for a while. I'll brief you about the situation here tomorrow."
Just as she finished speaking, someone started shouting outside.
"Imperial Physician Qi, this is bad!" A man in a straight jacket shouted in panic. “Dam… Something is about to happen to the dam."
"What?!" Everybody cried out in alarm. If something happened to the dam at this moment, then it would be no small matter.
The man was at his wits’ end. “I just came back from the river. The rain is too heavy. The dam that was repaired only this year cannot hold on."
"Did you inform Lord Zheng?" Imperial Physician Qi immediately asked.
"Lord Zheng has already sent people to block the dam with sandbags, but… This won't hold long."
Huangfu Chen said, “Have someone go upstream to close the gate and block the gap first. If the rain eases, we can keep the dam from collapsing."
"Have the villagers near the dam been told to leave?" Qi Jin hurriedly asked.
"I went to inform them, but they refused to leave!" The man said anxiously, “They refuse to believe that a disaster is imminent!"
Qi Jin said, “I'll go with you. Ah Chen, bring someone to clean up the medical Office. You might have to take in many patients."
"Imperial Physician Qi, I'll go with you." Ye Zhen blurted out. Her doubts ran deeper and deeper. How could those villagers not be willing to flee?
"You stay and help your master!" Imperial Physician Qi glared at her and led the others out.
Ye Zhen turned to Huangfu Chen and said, “Master, it's too strange."
"We've only just arrived, so we naturally don't know anything. Let's observe first, we might be able to glean the truth," Huangfu Chen whispered.
It seemed that her master had also noticed something wasn't quite right with the current situation. They had always heard that the Huajiang River disaster struck periodically. Every year, the Imperial Court would send large amounts of disaster relief funds to the region. To prevent plague outbreaks. several carriages of medicinal herbs were transported but none seemed to be of any use.
"Yaoyao?"
Two young women walked over from outside. One of them was Ye Zhen's Senior Sister Xia Yaohua from the Medical School.
"Sister Xia, you are also in Huaijiang?" Ye Zhen looked at her in surprise.
Xia Yaohua smiled and said, “We drew lots to decide who would go to Huaijiang. Liu Yun and I both won."
"You came back just in time. Imperial Physician Qi just issued the order…" Ye Zhen explained Qi Jin's words to them.
Xia Yaohua and Liu Yun shot each other one quick glance and hastily went in to prepare.
They had been busy for a long time and yet hadn't heard from Imperial Physician Qi. Huangfu Chen was worried, so he asked Ye Zhen to stay spit at the medical bureau while he personally went to the riverside.
Ye Zhen stood outside the door of the medical bureau. She looked at the still heavy rain and fell into deep thought.
"Yaoyao, why are you here?" Xia Yaohua walked out and stood beside Ye Zhen.
"Master wanted to come out to find medicine, so I followed him out. We happened to pass by Huaijiang and came over to take a look. Sister Xia, do you know that there has always been a plague here?" Ye Zhen simply explained.
Xia Yaohua looked back and whispered into Ye Zhen's ear, “In the past, I was the same as you. I thought that there would be a plague here as long as it was summer. However, I've followed Imperial Physician Qi to several villages. Those villages are places where the plague had happened before. I heard from the villagers that every year, a few people would die of an unknown disease, but it was not a plague… No one can be sure what it is. It's now all up to the Imperial Court and the physicians."
Ye Zhen frowned slightly. “Where is the medicine storeroom here? If we are really taking in the victims here, I'm afraid we'll need a lot of medicine."
“I just went to check today. There are not many medicines in the store." Xia Yaohua led Ye Zhen inside.
“How could that be? Didn't most of the herbs from our medicinal field come to Huaijiang? How can the store not have medicine?" Ye Zhen asked in surprise.
Xia Yaohua and Liu Yun looked at each other. “Come in with me and have a look then we'll know for sure."
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