Chapter 1335: The Smoke of War Rises

ortable. She hurriedly reached out to take his hand away and said in a slightly cold tone, "If Your Highness wants to say it's for me, then there's no need.""You're overthinking things. Do you think I...Emperor Yuan Zhao sighed and looked at Dugu Yu.

"Your Highness, you and I are both the Emperor's sons. You should understand what the current situation in court means. As emperor, my words no longer hold weight. Even though the Prime Minister wants to send you to Tumshu, I cannot refuse."

"Your Majesty, my younger brother is not unwilling, but..."

Emperor Yuan Zhao raised his hand and said, "You needn't tell me these things, I understand your meaning."

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."

“The situation in this Tu Mu town is severe. If you have time, would you please keep an eye on it for me I don't want the empire that my father built to fall into someone else's hands. My harem hasn't produced a prince yet, so perhaps this empire will be yours to inherit in the future.”

"Your Majesty, my younger brother is terrified. Your Majesty is still young, this prince will come sooner or later."

The King was truly frightened. This Emperor Yuan Zhao’s performance was incredibly convincing.

"You know my health isn't good. If I were truly able to have a prince, with so many concubines in the harem, wouldn't there be news by now" Emperor Yuan Zhao sighed after speaking, "I don't want to hand over Father's empire to someone else. It will still be yours in the future."

"Your Majesty, your humble brother is deeply afraid. These words absolutely must not be spoken again. You are still young, and there will be princes."

Since the establishment of this imperial harem, no prince has been born. The emperor is not infertile, Your Majesty knows that the Minister of State has someone add contraceptive drugs to the concubines' medicine, hoping for a prince to be born from the empress's womb. But since the empress remains unpregnant, Emperor Yuan Zhao came up with this idea.

The emperor trusted the prime minister implicitly, placing great importance on his words. How could he possibly suspect that the absence of a prince in the prime minister's harem was orchestrated by him

However, he wouldn't expose this matter. Even if he did, the Emperor wouldn't believe him. Why would he seek trouble for himself

After leaving the palace, Dugu Yu ordered someone to send a letter to Dugu Cheng, informing him that the emperor had decreed that Feng Lingxi should go to Tumuwu Town to treat the plague. He also urged him to be more careful and included the current state of affairs in court in the letter.

Upon receiving the urgent letter from Du Gu Yu, Du Gu Cheng smirked coldly at the contents. "Xi'er has already gone to Tumuzhen. Now that he sends this letter, he obviously wants Xi'er to come and help the court solve this plague."

Ye Xi looked at the letter lying on the ground and picked it up.

"Your Highness, perhaps I could lead a group to Tumu Town and see if there's anything the Princess needs. If so, I will inform you immediately."

"My people have been watching from the shadows, and even more so now that Lu Nian and Xi'er are together. Given the timeline, his news will be here soon enough."

To appease him, Lu Nian agreed to report the situation in Tumu Town every day, ensuring his peace of mind and allowing him to stay at home with ease. That is why Dugu Cheng could rest assured and remain at home.

The county office in Tǔmú Town was abuzz with activity early that morning. Feng Lingxi meticulously inspected the hundreds of protective masks that had been prepared, praising their quality.

This evening, she was able to make over three hundred of these masks, and the workmanship was exquisite. It was much better than she had expected.

"Mr. Liu, we're going to the slums. All our guards must wear face masks. Remember, keep a distance from the patients and don't let their blood touch you, or you could be infected. Seriously ill patients need to be isolated."

Mr. Liu immediately agreed and ordered that fifty guards accompany him, and the remaining protective masks were given to the slum area.

"Lu Nian, you wear it too, remember what I just said, this plague is contagious, spreading through breathing and contact. Don't be careless, wash your hands thoroughly, I have prepared handwashing medicine, take absolute precautions."

Lu Nian heard Feng Lingxi's words and nodded. This was the first time he had seen his sister so serious and earnest. She really resembled a daughter of the Lu family. With this bearing, grandma would surely like her. At that time, the Lu family might truly have nothing to do with their three brothers.

“Sister, what you’re saying is so novel. However, I've never met a doctor as serious as you before.” Lu Nian said with a smile, Feng Lingxi handed him a face mask and said, “You’ll soon find that this novelty isn’t funny at all.”

Lu Nian saw that Feng Lingxi was unhappy, and quickly apologized.

"I didn't mean it that way, I just..."

"Young Master Lu, speak less and do more, reduce respiratory transmission," Xiao Li whispered beside him, "The Princess dislikes chatterboxes."

Lu Nian twitched the corner of her lips, seeing Feng Lingxi already getting on the carriage. Lord Liu and others were all ready and set off toward the slums in a carriage.

After the last outbreak, a large area in the slums was cleared to isolate the sick. Because this area was more remote, the government also rebuilt many houses here as an isolation zone for patients.

Feng Lingxi returned to the slums once more. The patients, upon seeing Feng Lingxi, eyes that had been dull and lifeless now shone with a glimmer of hope. Many of the commoners recognized Feng Lingxi; most of the patients were those who hadn't been afflicted last time but had fallen ill this time around.

Hearing the coughing sound, Feng Lingxi's eyes looked around. She saw the doctor and maidservant who were decocting medicine, they were all wearing protective face masks. This made Feng Lingxi very pleased, last time she taught them, they all remembered it.

“Your Majesty, most of those who fell ill this time were those who hadn't been infected before. On the other hand, some who had recovered from previous outbreaks seem to have been reinfected this time. However, some individuals came into contact with patients but did not contract the plague. They are all under quarantine at home. Your servant remembers your teachings and will minimize contact to reduce the risk of infection.”

Lord Liu reported, pointing to three isolation wards, "The patients are separated according to the severity of their illness. The doctor's quarters and the place where medicine is boiled have also been rectified by my subordinates, minimizing contact as much as possible."

Wind Lingxi nodded, quite satisfied with Liu's approach.

"Lord Liu is very thoughtful, and you've done a great job."

The Queen praised, but there is one thing, I hope the Queen can understand. There are still some critically ill patients in this slum. The doctor cannot cure them and they are already near death. They have been moved to the critical care area. Besides delivering medicine, I dare not stay for long, lest something like yesterday happen again.

Feng Lingxi knew that Liu Da Ren was in a difficult position. The fact that he was willing to have the common people quarantine here and could also solve their food and clothing needs was something that many county offices couldn't do. The fact that he could accomplish this really made her look at him with admiration.

"I understand Lord Liu's feelings, this is a helpless move. I will come up with a cure as soon as possible, first use the first batch of medicine, and I will check on the patients' conditions first."

Feng Lingxi walked towards the isolation zone, Lu Nian grabbed her arm, "Sister, let me help you."

Feng Lingxi withdrew her hand from his, "You're not a doctor, you just wait here for me, rest assured, I know what to do."

She knew what the illness was, and she knew the risks of infection better than Lu Nian. She wouldn't feel safe letting him touch a patient.ew days, I'll still need your help with something important."Yao Yixin was delighted. This meant he was going to be rewarded and promoted! He quickly replied, "Your subordinate will obey."Feng Lingxi...