Chapter 94: Diligent Inspection

Chapter 94: Vigilant Monitoring

Life continued as usual, and in Xin Feng County, cases of the plague appeared intermittently. Fortunately, the number of infected was still small, as strict quarantine measures were enforced, preventing widespread contagion.

Those who could afford to leave Lan County had already done so, even if it meant moving to nearby Jiang County, which was better than staying in Lan County. The wealthy families in the city had fled, planning to return only after the plague had subsided. Jiang County's regulations were more lenient compared to Xin Feng County's, and some wanted to go to Xin Feng County to find a way into the city. However, no one from Xin Feng County ventured out, leaving them with no way to find connections.

Those with some savings at home did not go to Jiang County, feeling it was unsafe. Instead, they brought their families to an open area near Xin Feng County's gates, set up tents, and transported wood to build temporary wooden houses. These wooden houses were inexpensive and practical, allowing them to stay temporarily. Some residents of Lan County went to nearby farmers to buy vegetables, but the farmers were not allowed to interact with them, as the village gates were heavily barricaded.

"We won't come in. You can throw the vegetables to us in a basket, and we'll pay!"

Noticing the desperation in their eyes, the village head said to his son, "Stay there and don't move. Don't get close!"

The residents of Lan County stayed put, and soon the village head's son returned and tossed some vegetables to them. The residents left the money on the ground and left with a sense of relief.

After a while, the village head's son went to collect the money, muttering, "Father, they were so generous. They didn't need to give this much."

"Take the money and come back," the village head urged his son.

With food and vegetables, some residents of Lan County even managed to bring a small piece of meat to make soup. Behind them were the tents they had set up. Despite the cold weather, their faces showed signs of relief as they gathered firewood and quietly cooked their meals.

Over forty residents of Lan County had gathered at the city gates. The soldiers on the city walls were not naive and sent someone to inform Lord Zheng at the county office.

In Xin Feng County, they had no worries about food or clothing. Seeing the residents of Lan County cooking at the city gates, their gaunt faces showing a hint of a smile, the soldiers couldn't bear to disrupt them and refrained from driving them away.

Zheng Shanci was concerned when he heard about this. Thinking of County Magistrate Fang's muddled state, he sighed and said, "Allow them to remain three zhang (approximately 10 meters) away from the city gates, not too close. The soldiers can help them buy things from the city and provide them with masks and sachets. If anyone among them contracts the plague, they must all be relocated."

The soldiers acknowledged the order and departed.

Zheng Shanci paused his official duties and, after some thought, had Wang Fu summon Tan He to discuss further matters.

The soldiers returned to the city gates and relayed Zheng Shanci's message.

A soldier positioned himself at the city gates and announced, "Residents of Lan County, you must remain three zhang (approximately 10 meters) away from the city gates. If anyone among you contracts the plague, you cannot stay here."

They urged a middle-aged man to step forward, who asked, "Can we buy things from you?"

"Yes, but you can only buy grain from small grain shops."

"That's fine, that's fine..." The middle-aged man's face showed a hint of a smile.

They went back to cooking, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.

"Great, we can stay here," a woman said happily.

"Once the officials dispatched by the court arrive, the plague in Qingzhou should end. We just need to get through this difficult time," her husband said, sipping the meat soup and looking at his wife and children. "After this plague is over, we'll use our savings to change our household registration to Xin Feng County."

The anxious mood in the crowd subsided. They combined coarse grains with rice, and some even brought pickled vegetables and dried radishes from home. After lunch, they continued building their wooden houses.

Mr. Yi acted as their spokesperson, a private school teacher who had brought his wife and children to seek refuge at the gates of Xin Feng County. When the soldiers called for the person in charge, Mr. Yi stepped forward and bowed.

Several baskets were lowered from the city gates. "Inside are masks and sachets. Wear the sachets on your bodies and the masks on your faces, like this. There's also cement in the baskets. Use it to reinforce your houses, making them more stable."

Mr. Yi was profoundly touched and promptly expressed his gratitude, asking, "How much does this cost?"

"No cost. Take it and use it."

The cement had been provided by Tan He, who had arranged for it to be sent from the construction department. There was plenty of cement left.

Mr. Yi was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to say, and could only repeat his thanks several times. He instructed the young people of Lan County to collect the sachets, masks, and cement and distribute them to everyone present.

They were the first group to arrive, totaling around forty people. The next day, another thirty people trickled in, and some broke down in tears of joy at the gates of Xin Feng County.

The soldiers, bored from standing on the city walls all day, liked to watch what the people from Lan County were doing below during their leisure time. Teachers, carpenters, chefs... they saw their houses being built and even covered with cement. At noon, the smell of meat cooking filled the air as they diligently worked on their new homes, clearing weeds. The sound of children laughing could be heard.

"The folks from Lan County are having braised pork today," a soldier said while eating.

"The pork today was fresh, straight from the market," another soldier said with a smile.

At night, the soldiers took turns on duty. They glanced up and noticed the lights in the Lan County homes had gone out.

Every half month, Xin Feng County would brew herbal medicine, and everyone would drink a bowl to prevent the plague. The soldiers opened the city gates and set out several barrels of medicine for them to take.

The soldiers on the walls watched as they distributed the medicine. One bored soldier counted the crowd and found over two hundred had arrived, with more coming daily. Mr. Yi, the appointed leader, was surprised by the turnout. He carefully screened each person to make sure no one with the plague had slipped through and made it clear that if even one person got sick, they would all have to leave.

The people from Lan County, scared but finally safe, didn’t try to fool Mr. Yi.

"Hurry, there’s medicine today. I’ll get you a bowl—drink it while it’s hot," a woman urged as they passed Mr. Yi's inspection.

The people from Lan County were in a daze, only moving when told. They drank the warm medicine, received sachets and masks, and were taught how to use them and follow the rules by another woman.

"If you need to buy something, tell the scholars over there what you want, then put the money in the basket at the city gate. By morning or afternoon, your things will be in the basket. Try to buy in bulk—there are too many people and not enough baskets..."

A couple of kilometers outside the city gates, there was a small stream. The people from Lan County used herbs the soldiers sent down in baskets to treat the water, which was clean and unpolluted.

They went about their work in good spirits.

...

The plague in Xin Feng County was mostly under control, with only a few scattered cases. Some recovered through their own immunity and the medicine provided by doctors, though many more had died.

Today was a day off, and Zheng Shanci was spending it at home with Yu Lanyi.

Since the plague started, Yu Lanyi had written home to reassure his family, though given the situation in Qingzhou, it was unclear how long it would take to reach Mr. Yu.

"My family’s probably worried sick about me," Yu Lanyi said. Seeing Zheng Shanci still reading, he took the book from his hands. "Keep reading like that, and you’ll ruin your eyes."

Zheng Shanci's hands were suddenly empty: "..."

"Tell me, what did I just say?" Yu Lanyi prompted.

Zheng Shanci smiled and said, "Your family’s probably worried sick about you. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you well."

You're so good with words, Yu Lanyi thought to himself.

Yu Lanyi handed the book to Jin Yun to prevent Zheng Shanci from reading and found a string to play cat's cradle with him. Zheng Shanci, intrigued by the string, had never played before.

Yu Lanyi proudly explained the game and made a move for Zheng Shanci to follow.

Zheng Shanci pondered, his eyes fixed on the string. His fingers slipped through Yu Lanyi's, taking the string with a careful yet clumsy motion.

The accidental touch sent a tingle through Yu Lanyi's fingers.

Zheng Shanci transferred the string from Yu Lanyi's hands to his own, thought for a moment, and then created a new pattern for Yu Lanyi to take.

Wow, he's catching on quickly.

Yu Lanyi refused to lose.

The two played cat's cradle for half an hour.

In the end, Yu Lanyi won.

Zheng Shanci smiled and praised him, "You're incredible."

Yu Lanyi was delighted, "You've got a lot to learn yet."

Lin Geer, holding Duo Duo, laughed at the sight of the two, "You two are really enjoying yourselves."

"Sister-in-law, Duo Duo," Yu Lanyi saw his little nephew and reached out to tease him.

Duo Duo's eyes were big, and he was already familiar with Yu Lanyi. He stretched out his little hand, and Yu Lanyi went to hold it. It was soft and had a milky scent.

The weather was cold, so they went inside. Yu Lanyi handed a piece of pastry to Duo Duo, who stared at him for a while before taking it and nibbling on it.

Lin Geer inquired, "How are things outside?"

"Still under control, for now," Zheng Shanci poured a cup of hot tea for his sister-in-law.

"It's almost winter, and the New Year is coming," Lin Geer took a sip of tea, "I wanted to stock up for the New Year, but this year will likely be uneventful. But as long as everyone at home is safe, that's what matters. Last year I was pregnant with Duo Duo, and this year I want to cook a few good dishes for the New Year's dinner," Lin Geer said.

Yu Lanyi listened and said, "I'll help you with that, sister-in-law."

Zheng Shanci thought the plague in Qingzhou could end this year. The court's disaster relief officials should've reached Qingzhou by now, but their county was too remote, so they were the last to receive help.

...

When Ye Yunchu arrived in Qingzhou, he started providing disaster relief from the prefecture city. Disaster relief involved distributing food, medicine, and funds, along with sending doctors. He didn't stay long in the prefecture city and went to other places. Along the way, he saw widespread suffering. He even saw a commoner desperately eating clay before collapsing. It was utterly horrifying. Those who contracted the plague were taken to a place for isolation. He didn't go in to see, but he heard that the county government didn't treat them, just let them wait to die to avoid wasting medicine.

Humans, demons, and monsters all emerged from the chaos.

Ye Yunchu didn't have the authority to dismiss officials; only in severe cases could he act first and report later. He would take these people back to the capital to report to Emperor Wuming.

"There's not a single good place in Qingzhou. This assignment is brutal. The weather is getting cold, and I won't be able to return to the capital for the New Year," one official shook his head.

Their journey wasn't too harsh. Local officials always treated them with respect. Despite the commoners starving, local officials feasted them with lavish meals. Along the way, whenever they saw the suffering of the commoners, they clamored to return to the capital and write reports.

"How much farther do we have to go?"

The carriage stopped, and Ye Yunchu peeked out and saw 'Lan County' on the city gate. They announced their identities, and the soldiers guarding the city let them in.

Ye Yunchu hadn't yet put down the carriage curtain when he smelled the scent of mugwort in the streets. The streets were nearly empty, and the few people looked lifeless. When they arrived at the county government, County Magistrate Fang rushed to flatter Ye Yunchu and his entourage.

"I've prepared a banquet to welcome you all," County Magistrate Fang bowed low.

Ye Yunchu nodded, planning to discuss the county's affairs with the local magistrate during the meal to understand the situation.

County Magistrate Fang was clueless with his subordinates but sharp with his superiors. He put on a concerned act, pretending to be a devoted official.

As Ye Yunchu and his group left the restaurant, a group of scholars approached with a blood-written petition.

"We greet the Imperial Envoy. We accuse Magistrate Fang of neglecting his duties..."

County Magistrate Fang shouted, "I disciplined you before, and now you slander me before the Imperial Envoy. Shut them up and take them away!"

Ye Yunchu's face darkened, "Wait, let him continue."

The students, emboldened by Ye Yunchu's authority, eagerly exposed Magistrate Fang's crimes.

Some commoners also came forward to testify for the students. Ye Yunchu was furious, "I will report this matter to His Majesty. The magistrate will be imprisoned first, and the Deputy County Magistrate will temporarily take over his duties. Once I report to His Majesty, the Emperor will decide."

County Magistrate Fang was gagged and dragged away before he could even beg for mercy.

Ye Yunchu and his entourage were led by the students of the county school to witness the current plight of the common people. Ye Yunchu was furious; these officials, despite being paid by the imperial court, performed their duties so poorly. Along the way, it became evident that Lan County had suffered the most severe losses, all due to the inaction of the county magistrate and the malicious price gouging by the wealthy families in the city. While Ye Yunchu had no authority to deal with local officials, he did have the authority to handle the wealthy families in the city.

"Have the leading merchants executed immediately," Ye Yunchu decided without hesitation, having handled many matters for Emperor Wuming before.

The accompanying officials had no objections to this decision.

They stayed in Lan County for one night, where the Yamen runners treated them with utmost respect and did not dare to neglect them. The situation in Lan County was dire, and Ye Yunchu stayed there for ten days.

The last county in Qingzhou was Xin Feng County. Sitting in the carriage, Ye Yunchu thought about what the students from the county school had said: "Your Highness, there is no need to worry about Xin Feng County. Lord Zheng is a good official, and their lives are much better than ours here."

As the carriage moved along the concrete road, several officials suddenly remembered, "I was wondering why the name Xin Feng County sounded so familiar. Isn't this where the second son-in-law of the Marquis of Changyang serves as an official?"

One official stroked his beard and laughed, "This is also Heir Ye's second brother-in-law."