Chapter 89

Chapter 89

The fire-fighters rushed over, bucket after bucket of water splashing onto the outer perimeter of the burning granary. Under Wang Guanzhi’s command, the refugees worked in a chain to keep the water coming.

Voices grew louder as Vice Prefect Xu arrived with other officials. Seeing the blazing scene, they were nearly frightened out of their wits. "Put out the fire! Quick!" "The grain is inside!!"

Qi Hanzhou looked at Ying Fusheng, then Ye Xuanjiu leaned in and whispered that large amounts of stone had been placed around the granary’s outer edges. These stones effectively blocked the fire's spread, and the surrounding area had been drenched with river water. The closer to the granary, the wetter the ground—precautions had clearly been taken in advance.

The only thing used to deceive was the weeds atop the granary, thick and overgrown, yet even these held hidden purpose.

The fire-fighting scene appeared genuine; even Chen Shoude’s elite troops fought desperately to protect the granary.

Whoever had arranged all this had anticipated a long-range attack and left multiple countermeasures in place.

Every step had been meticulously planned, without a single deviation.

Qi Hanzhou suddenly realized something. He ordered sharply: "Light Garment Guard, search the mountains! Do not let a single refugee who tries to leave escape!"

"There are still people in the mountains. They didn’t send scouts, which means there may be spies at the foot of the mountain." General Chen ran over, wounded, blood still seeping from his waist. He glanced at the Light Garment Guard. "My men are already setting up defenses at the base."

The Light Garment Battalion had brought about a hundred elite soldiers. General Chen dared not underestimate them—despite their small number, this battalion had traveled south undetected by any of Jiangnan’s military scouts or spies.

This was the smallest battalion in the Qi Family Army, yet it held the highest concentration of elites. The Light Garment Battalion never left the northern border unless absolutely necessary, answering only to the Qi family. Having over a hundred men come down from the north this time meant Qi Hanzhou had likely deployed them on his own authority.

The Light Garment Guards obeyed instantly, dispersing into the surrounding area, melting silently into every shadow.

"There’s a small team at the foot of the mountain—Shen Changcun’s people. They can help too," Ying Fusheng said.

General Chen was stunned. From the moment Ying Fusheng had ordered him to guard the grain, every step had been calculated.

Ying Fusheng’s expression grew stern. He waved for his men to make arrangements, then turned to Qi Hanzhou. His voice was hoarse, carrying a weighty seriousness: "After you intercept them, spread false news. Mix truth with lies. If refugees ask about grain, tell them there is grain. Leak word to the outside that this granary was burned. Then send a fast horse to the capital. The Imperial Guards you left there will know what to do."

As always, their plans were exchanged in just a few brief words.

Qi Hanzhou understood his real intention. This fire had to burn with purpose. Ying Fusheng wanted to let the news of the granary’s destruction spread. That was why he said Qi Hanzhou had arrived just in time—the Light Garment Guard’s presence here would make the story of the burned grain more credible.

He knew that the moment the Light Garment Guard arrived, Ying Fusheng had already planned to use them to send this message to those who needed to hear it.

"Someone from Jiangnan will be sent. The news here should already be on its way to the court." Ying Fusheng kept thinking. He hesitated briefly. "That means some things can no longer be hidden."

Qi Hanzhou’s gaze sharpened. "You—"

He noticed the unnatural pallor on Ying Fusheng’s face. The smoke from the distant blaze stung his eyes. He raised a hand to shield himself, then reached out and grasped Ying Fusheng’s wrist. The heat he felt made him frown. "You’re not well."

The sound of fire-fighting continued. More and more people arrived, and the flames were gradually being brought under control.

Then came the sound of hooves, followed by a frantic shout—"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

Ying Fusheng turned abruptly to see a man dismount and sprint toward him.

"Your Highness, good news!!!" The man, an official who had been stationed at the infirmary, ran so fast he lost a shoe. "The infirmary! The physicians have found a treatment for the plague! The epidemic can be controlled!"

For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent.

Everyone present had seen the number of bodies carried out of the refugee camp over the past few days, but no one dared speak of it. When the news of the treatment came, they all fell silent. Finally, someone asked, "Is it true?"

The medical officer was still gasping for breath. "It’s true! The imperial physician sent me to tell you—the plague can be controlled!"

The nearby Light Garment Guards were startled. They had come all the way from the northern border, hearing along the way about the Jiangling dike breach. Just a few days, and the epidemic was already contained?

Cheers erupted all around.

The heavy stone that had been pressing on Ying Fusheng’s heart finally lifted. He was about to order a fast horse to transfer the necessary medicines from the infirmary, but as he took a step forward, his vision suddenly went dark.

Qi Hanzhou heard the news of the epidemic being controlled and turned to look at Ying Fusheng. He saw him stagger as he walked. His pupils contracted. His body reacted faster than his mind—he reached out and caught him.

Song An’s face changed. "Your Highness!"

The man in his arms went limp. Qi Hanzhou pulled him closer, feeling how light he was—even lighter than in the capital. His brow furrowed tightly. He lifted him up. "Find Chen Xuqiu!"

...

Inside Jiangling Prefecture, news spread that the Sixth Prince had collapsed. Chen Xuqiu rushed over with the imperial physician who had stayed behind. They were all too familiar with Ying Fusheng’s condition. He had been running a low fever for days, but he was stubborn—taking his medicine without complaint, pushing his body past its limits until now.

"I knew this would happen sooner or later!" Chen Xuqiu said coldly. "Everyone out! Don’t get in the way!"

"The Prince needs rest now. Many of you have been visiting the refugee camp—best not to visit him," Song An said calmly from the side. "His Highness ordered that everything must prioritize Jiangling. The situation here is still unresolved, and his health is poor. We’ll have to trouble you all to handle the rest."

The officials, stopped by Song An, could only wait anxiously outside.

The room was fumigated with mugwort. Qi Hanzhou glanced down at the bloodstains on his armor. Silently, he closed the door. But in the gap of the closing door, he saw Ying Fusheng lying quietly inside. When he turned around, he saw the Light Garment Battalion’s deputy commander standing behind him. Among the Light Garment Guards, one squad had been brought down from the northern border by him personally. Back in the north, both he and Ye Xuanjiu had served as adjutants under Qi Hanzhou. This man’s name was Ye Xuanqi.

"The grain?" Qi Hanzhou asked.

Ye Xuanqi reported: "The fire is under control. According to General Chen, a small portion is transported daily to Jiangling city. The rest has been moved to a safe cave nearby."

"Fortunately, only a few people were involved. Otherwise, we would have been too late."

"The court’s eyes are on this place. If he really dared to bring men here, it would expose him to the emperor," Qi Hanzhou explained. "The area is filled with workers building the dike. To the common people, this would not look like an accidental fire but a deliberate act."

"So if someone wanted to attack the granary, they would strike fast with as few men as possible."

Qi Hanzhou knew—all of this had been calculated flawlessly by Ying Fusheng.

"What should we do with the prisoners?" Xuan Qi asked.

Qi Hanzhou looked toward the Jiangling Prefecture building. "Disguise yourselves as Imperial Guards. Xuan Jiu will assist you. Don’t let the court’s spies notice. Find Chen Shoude. I’ll interrogate these men myself."

As he spoke, Weng Yanqing hurried over.

"Commander." Weng Yanqing gave a slight bow. The moment Qi Hanzhou arrived, he knew they needed to coordinate. "A spy on the dike just reported that someone tried to tamper with the water source but was stopped by the workers."

"The Prince ordered the dike to be repaired and paid special attention to all water sources. Now that the grain issue has been exposed, please protect the water sources, Commander, to prevent anyone from tampering with them."

Ye Xuanqi was startled. He looked at the Junior General.

This Sixth Prince—wasn’t he only fifteen? Besides the grain, he had also thought to guard the water sources. The moat of Jiangling was connected to the dike’s diversion channel. Running water was hard to tamper with, but stagnant water was vulnerable. If someone deliberately targeted the water supply, it would be nearly impossible to defend against.

With just a few words, Qi Hanzhou understood what Ying Fusheng had done.

Days ago, Ying Fusheng had prepared for this. From the moment he discovered the granary, he had anticipated it might be attacked. So he made plans for rebuilding the dike.

Rebuilding required surveying the terrain and digging channels. Refugees and even workers could move in and out of the mountains without raising suspicion. Materials like stone and hay were transported daily. Amidst all this movement, Ying Fusheng had his grain convoys blend in with the dike construction crews, quietly replacing the contents of the granary. Even the officials in Jiangling who knew of the grain would be unable to tell where it had been hidden or where it was being moved.

And this was just the grain. Among the refugees and workers, some were actually his spies, tasked with watching the water source.

"His Highness hasn’t dared to rest these past few days. He knew you would arrive soon, Commander. Protecting the granary would inevitably expose some things, but at least it buys Jiangling five days," Weng Yanqing said methodically.

Inside the room, the imperial physician and Chen Xuqiu were attending to Ying Fusheng. Qi Hanzhou’s hand, resting on his sword sheath, clenched tighter and tighter.

Ying Fusheng had not missed a single detail, just as he had stated in his urgent letter... truly, Jiangling had nothing to worry about. Given his physical condition, it was beyond expectation that he could exert himself so tirelessly and hold on this long. Compared to his time in the capital, it seemed he had never truly taken his health seriously.

"I know." Qi Hanzhou did not leave, merely said, "Xuan Qi."

Ye Xuanqi glanced at the Junior General and departed with a nod. The Light Garment Guard moved swiftly.

The Light Garment Guard dispersed across Jiangling. Within an hour, they had thoroughly assessed the situation in Jiangling.

Following the river embankment all the way to Jiangling City, these men—who had seen natural disasters in the Northern Frontier—saw a refugee camp unlike anything they had seen before.

Many refugees were fleeing north, and this calamity had affected three prefectures south of the Yangtze—the worst flood since Dayuan was founded. Before arriving, the Light Garment Guard had braced themselves for scenes of corpses strewn across the land. Yet here, there were none. From the deep mountains to the embankment, and into Jiangling City itself, refugees were numerous but settled in orderly camps. While the organization was not as strict as a military camp, it was well-distributed and structured. From outside the city to the riverbanks, soldiers managed separate camps, with many refugees busy at work.

For disaster relief, maintaining such stability was exceptionally rare.

How long had it been since the Jiangling levees broke? And yet, there was no need for a second request to the court. Not only had the most difficult epidemics been contained, but such a huge number of refugees had been resettled, with no shortage of water, food, or medicine...

Within the refugee camp, news of the epidemic remedy sparked cheers. Refugees spread the word, and the news of the mountain fire hadn't even reached them yet. Everyone was immersed in the good news of the epidemic remedy, some weeping in each other's arms. Meanwhile, in the Jiangling government office, medical apprentices bustled in and out, their faces solemn. Freshly changed towels were soon carried away, scalding hot. The apprentices brewed medicine and sent it in, only to have it returned untouched, forcing them to brew again.

Even Chen Shoude, severely wounded, and several of his subordinates made a special trip to the Jiangling office, asking what was going on. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

"The imperial physician hasn't said anything yet," an official remarked, pale-faced. "It couldn't be the epidemic, could it?"

Before he could finish, Wang Guanzhi shot him a glare. "If you can't keep your mouth shut, go feed it to the pigs."

Qi Hanzhou stood in silence, listening to the reports from his subordinates.

Every piece of news—from the refugee camp, the embankment, the granary, and the infirmary—was good news.

Yet with each good report, his heart tightened further.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion and looked up.

As Chen Xuqiu stepped out, the crowd surged around him. Many were dirty from fighting fires and splashing water, but their faces were tense as they saw the physician emerge. Chen Xuqiu's expression was grave. "Good news: it's not the epidemic."

"But the bad news is that his condition is not good."

The Sixth Prince's weak constitution was well known throughout the court. He was always accompanied by imperial physicians, and these precautions showed that his frail body—like paper—could easily be torn. From the capital to Jiangling, he had suffered minor ailments along the way, but nothing serious. The accompanying physicians even thought they had been blessed by the gods.

"Could it just be a fainting spell...?" Vice Prefect Xu asked.

"A fainting spell?!" the physician snapped angrily. "The last time he fainted, it lasted a full two months! Two months!"

The physician sighed as he spoke. "He's finally relaxing. Sometimes, it's the relaxation that's dangerous."

Perhaps it was the granary being secured, or the epidemic remedy emerging... He had been wound so tight that once he let go, illness would hit him like a tidal wave.

Wang Guanzhi and the others froze. Was it really that bad...

Silence fell around them. The Jiangling officials had grown accustomed to the Sixth Prince's seemingly impossible competence.

Now, with everything in Jiangling dependent on him, they knew his health was poor, but seeing him appear daily, handling matters without fail, they had never seen him show any physical weakness. Hearing the physicians' words now, they finally understood—that kind of frailty meant he couldn't withstand even the slightest strain.

In the midst of the silence, a shout came from the room: "Someone help, quickly—he threw up the medicine—"

Several strong men at the door moved to go in.

Qi Hanzhou blocked the others with the scabbard of his sword. He removed his sword and blood-stained outer robe, handing them to a nearby Light Garment Guard.

"I'll do it."