Chapter 92: Shutting the Gates

Chapter 92: Shutting the Gates

"Plague!" Yu Lanyi's heart skipped a beat. He had only heard of such a disease but had never experienced it. Yu Lanyi was restless, as matters of life and death were at stake. How could he not be anxious? He was still so young and did not want to perish here.

"Zheng Shanci, I... I won't go out. You..." Yu Lanyi met Zheng Shanci's eyes and understood his answer from his gaze. "Be careful out there."

Zheng Shanci held Yu Lanyi, gently patting his back. "Don't worry, I know there are people at home, and I won't do anything rash. I am responsible for myself and for all of you."

Zheng Shanci called Jin Yun and Deng Xue over and gave them some instructions. Both nodded respectfully. Except for the steward who needed to go out to buy food and vegetables, no one else in the household was allowed to leave. They could buy extra vegetables and store them in the kitchen, regardless of freshness, as long as they were edible. Every few days, they would burn mugwort as a precaution.

"Also, go to Dr. Song and buy medicinal herbs. The main ones are patchouli, citronella, and fragrant herbs. After buying them, quickly sew them into sachets, and everyone should wear one."

Zheng Shanci then called Wang Fu over. "Go to the textile factory and tell them to stop producing silk and fabric for now. Here are the masks; I've drawn the designs. Have them produce masks instead. Also, send someone to buy patchouli and other herbs, and have the textile factory make sachets. The proportions are written on this paper."

Wang Fu nodded and quickly left.

They all understood how serious the plague was.

The small stalls in Xin Feng County, which had just reopened, were too afraid to stay open. They had a natural fear of the plague. In less than half an hour, the streets were nearly empty, with only vegetable stalls remaining, and even they kept their distance.

Those living in the county were more informed, while those in the towns and villages were also shaken upon hearing the news. They quickly gathered the villagers and explained the county's rules.

"The plague is here. Don't go out unless necessary. Everyone knows the plague spreads from one to another. What good can come from visiting others? Stay quietly at home. We are all farmers; besides grain, we have vegetables at home. Stay peacefully at home. If I catch anyone wandering or visiting others in the village, I will hand you over to the county jail."

The village chief's harsh words made their faces turn pale at the mere mention of the plague. They had no desire to go out, following the county's orders. It was okay not to make money this year, or even to lose some, but losing your life was final. They understood the gravity of the situation.

"Alright, you can go back now."

Unlike before, the villagers didn't linger to chat. They hurried home and shut their doors.

"The locust disaster just ended a few days ago, and now the plague has struck Lan County and Jiang County. Although Xin Feng County hasn't been affected yet, we must be cautious," Old Man Deng said, his face full of worry.

But thinking that the county government was reliable, he felt somewhat relieved.

Their household had enough grain for a month, and with some mixed grains, they could make it last another half month. They decided to stay indoors during this time.

"How much mugwort and yellow wine do we have at home?"

"After the locust disaster, we still have two bundles of mugwort and a pot of yellow wine. We need to buy more yellow wine from the town."

Like the Deng family, other villagers sighed and counted their grain supplies when they got home. They were on edge, not knowing when disaster might strike. Hearing that Xin Feng County was still plague-free, they felt a lingering unease.

"Thankfully, I live in Xin Feng County, otherwise..." a woman holding her child said with a melancholy expression.

Children had little resistance; if they caught the plague, it would be deadly.

After the county posted the notice, everyone knew about the plague overnight. The speed was thanks to the concrete roads and the quick actions of the local officials.

Zheng Qingyin received a letter from Zheng Shanci and didn't dare to relax. He organized workers to produce sachets and masks overnight.

That night, Lin Geer held Duo Duo, filled with dread. "How did the plague come so suddenly?"

"Who knows? It came too fast. Shanci has already closed the gates of Xin Feng County and won't let anyone in. We are safe for now. You and Duo Duo must stay well, especially since Duo Duo is so young," Zheng Shancheng said, patting his son's head.

"I won't go out. I hope the plague passes quickly," Lin Geer said, placing the child in the crib and leaning into Zheng Shancheng's embrace. Feeling his steady heartbeat, her emotions gradually calmed.

During dinner, everyone was distracted. Returning to their room, Yu Lanyi could still smell the burning mugwort. The two blew out the candle and lay down. Yu Lanyi rested in Zheng Shanci's arms. "I hope Xin Feng County stays plague-free."

"It will. You must stay well," Zheng Shanci whispered.

"If it's just about me, how could I be well without you?" Yu Lanyi bit Zheng Shanci's Adam's apple.

Zheng Shanci winced but smiled, "We're all doing fine."

The next day, Zheng Shanci went to the county office. The workers at the textile factory had pulled an all-nighter to produce some sachets and masks. Zheng Shanci called Tan He over and told him to distribute these first to the clerks and yamen runners at the county office. Any remaining were to be distributed to households according to the household register.

The yamen runners wore sachets and masks and burned mugwort in the county office. Zheng Shanci summoned the household office to discuss arrangements for future vegetable purchases.

"Send someone to supervise the market."

To keep things from falling apart, they had to make sure everyone was fed. Vegetable and grain prices could go up, but if they got too high, Zheng Shanci would step in to keep them in check.

It had been a month since the locust plague, and it would still be some time before the capital received news of the locust disaster in Qingzhou. By the time the capital heard about the plague after the locust disaster, honestly, a lot of people would already be dead.

This plague was caused by the locust disaster. Qingzhou had fifteen counties under its jurisdiction, which was relatively few compared to prosperous regions like Yangzhou, which had twenty-five counties. After closing the gates of Xinfeng County, external news became scarce. Zheng Shanci speculated that the situation in other counties was not good.

He took a sip of tea, feeling the weight of the plague, which was heavier than the locust disaster. During the locust disaster, the county office had grain reserves, so as long as people weren't starving, it was manageable. The plague was different; he didn't know when it would strike, how many it would affect, and so many people were waiting for his decisions.

He suppressed his thoughts and needed to discuss matters with the county pharmacies.

...

In Xinfeng County, they were already on high alert even before the plague was detected. In Lan County, chaos had already ensued. County Magistrate Fang had to come to the county office to handle things, keeping everyone seated far apart, afraid someone might be infected and pass the disease to him.

The locusts had vanished with the cold weather, leaving the fields barren. The bodies of animals and people who died in the locust disaster were left unattended, and the streets were not cleaned. Even when people were called to clean, they did so half-heartedly. People who couldn't afford grain drank water and ate clay; those with connections and money went to Xinfeng County to buy grain.

Why come back? The county was plagued.

At first, it was just a few isolated cases. They didn't notice and ate dead rat meat, leading to high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal spasms, and difficulty breathing at night. They called in the village's barefoot doctor, who prescribed medicine for typhoid fever, telling the patients to drink several bowls. Two days later, the patients were dead. Then, like a nightmare, those who had been in contact with them got sick one after another, spreading fast through the village. This wasn't just happening in one village; desperate people were starving, not caring if they ate rat meat, and corpses piled on the roads, uncollected, were also a major cause of the plague's spread.

County Magistrate Fang was in a panic. Before, Lan County hadn't faced big problems and seemed calm and tough. Now, with both locusts and plague, Lan County was brought to its knees.

From the deputy county magistrate, County Magistrate Fang learned that Jiang County and other counties were also plagued, which somewhat relieved him. It meant that Lan County wasn't the only one with problems; everyone was facing the plague.

"What's the situation in Xinfeng County?"

"Xinfeng County's situation is unclear. Their gates are shut tight, and they won't open for anyone," the deputy county magistrate thought Xinfeng County couldn't be worse off than theirs.

The advisors and officials were throwing around terms like 'quarantine,' 'see a doctor,' 'dispose of bodies'... County Magistrate Fang's ears were tired from listening. The deputy county magistrate summarized, "First, quarantine those infected, then offer heavy rewards for doctors to treat them. Some yamen runners will maintain order in the county, and others will burn the bodies. Also, Magistrate Fang, please ask the grain shops in the city to lower their prices, or else Lan County's situation will be beyond saving, and it will damage your reputation."

County Magistrate Fang was about to chew out the deputy county magistrate for butting in, but he cooled down. The locust disaster and plague were too much. Thinking this, but for the sake of face, he still gave the deputy county magistrate a cold look and left in a huff.

"You always say things that upset Magistrate Fang. You still have to work under him; you're not a young newcomer to the officialdom, how can you not understand the importance of tact?" a colleague privately advised him.

Deputy County Magistrate: "If I don't speak up and the people riot, we're in deep trouble. If only he weren't so foolish, fewer people in Lan County would have died. Before these disasters, everyone lived in harmony. Only in times of crisis do we realize how important a good superior is."

After talking, they got to work.

The yamen runners reluctantly handled the bodies, treating the people with harshness and disdain. The people, without food and unable to clean themselves, emitted a sour smell.

They only cried of hunger, but what could be done? The yamen runners themselves struggled to eat, let alone these people. The Xu family's shopkeepers had all fled, and the shops in Lan County were closed. The Xu family's clerks had fled, and they didn't know. The streets were eerily silent, with people lying on the ground occasionally moaning.

As the yamen runners burned the bodies, vultures swooped down to pick at the flesh.

"What bad luck!" a yamen runner covered his mouth and nose with a white cloth, wielding a long knife to drive away the vultures.

Lan County had a population of fifty thousand. The successive locust disaster and plague were too much even for the wealthy in the city. They had money and stayed hidden in their mansions, only sending people to buy grain and vegetables, waiting for the plague to pass so they could return to their former lives.

County Magistrate Fang returned to his mansion and scolded his wife and concubines, "Quickly lower the grain prices. The plague has struck, and Lan County has turned into this ghostly state. Go and spread the word to lower the grain prices. If you make things difficult for me, your days won't be easy either."

The wealthy households in the city have reduced the grain price to one hundred wen per jin.

The common people are penniless and have lost the will to live. They want to tear this godforsaken place apart.

Some scholars from Lan County's Confucian school tried to persuade the people, "No, if you go down this path, there's no going back."

"The imperial court will send an envoy, and then we can expose County Magistrate Fang's true face in front of the envoy!"

A woman choked back tears, "How are we supposed to survive? We can't keep living like this."

The scholars were at a loss. The sages taught them about self-cultivation, governance, and peace, but when faced with such a situation, the sages had not taught them what to do.

Among the scholars at the Confucian school, some had returned from Xinfeng County. They thought of Lord Zheng from Xinfeng County, who was so rational, clear-headed, and gentle when they went to buy grain. The gap between officials was like night and day.

The scholars from the Confucian school organized themselves to buy grain for the people and also purchased mugwort for fumigation, but it was merely a drop in the bucket. A plague ravaging the county wouldn't be stopped by a handful of scholars.

The whole county needed to come together.

...

Xinfeng County

The village chief sent his son to patrol daily, checking if any villagers were wandering around. The village had paved roads, making travel easier, and Yamen Runners came to inspect every day. If anything went wrong, the village chief would be the first to take the blame. The Yamen Runners carried sachets and masks, running every day. When wearing the masks made it hard to breathe, they would lift them to get some air when no one was around.

"This mask beats a piece of cloth, but it's still suffocating," said a Yamen Runner.

"Let's move on to the next village."

"Running around like this day in and day out is a real grind."

"Count your blessings. If you were sent to another county, you'd be put in your place."

The Yamen Runner chuckled, "I wouldn't go even if they forced me. I'm just venting. This work still needs to be done. Lord Zheng is deeply committed to combating the plague and gave us the first batch of sachets and masks produced by the textile factory. We got them even before the wealthy households in the city. We have to be careful. Besides, if the plague breaks out, we won't escape it either."

The attention of higher officials will lead to the attention of lower officials, from top to bottom, and only then can the plague be resisted.

The largest apothecary in Xinfeng County belongs to the Gao family. Zheng Shanci offered them a share of the profits, and although the apothecary's prices rose, they did not rise excessively. Patriarch Gao lifted his wine cup in a toast to Zheng Shanci at a banquet.

"Lord Zheng, although I am a merchant, I admire your character."

Zheng Shanci smiled, finished his wine, and said, "Patriarch Gao, without people, there is no wealth. Don't you agree?"

Patriarch Gao smiled and agreed.

...

The textile factory is now producing sachets and masks without a hitch.

At the city gate, when people from Lan County come to buy grain, the gatekeepers lower a basket by rope. The people from Lan County place money inside, and soon grain is lowered from the gate.

Those who can still come to buy grain are the ones with some savings left at home. They say thank you, looking regretfully at the tightly sealed gates of Xinfeng County.

The gates of Xinfeng County are sealed tight; those inside cannot leave, and those outside cannot enter. The people of Xinfeng County, aside from staying at home, still have chickens and ducks to tend to. They go out in groups to cut grass, gathering a lot at once, and also pick some vegetables from the fields.