"Your Highness, all the doctors in the Quarantine Ward have contracted the plague. The patients inside are in a state of turmoil, their wails filling the air."
"What's worse, the news has somehow spread, and both the city residents and the refugees outside are in a panic, trying to flee. Although the Imperial Envoy has ordered the city to be surrounded, if this continues, I fear it may trigger a new wave of riots."
In the council hall, Li Shuchen sat at the head, listening to the Yunzhou Prefect's report. After hearing it, he ordered, "Gather all the doctors in the city and send them to the Quarantine Ward immediately."
"...Your Highness, they were the first to flee."
The Yunzhou Prefect's brow furrowed deeply, his sweat-soaked beard clumping together, too preoccupied to groom himself. "When the plague first broke out, I sent people to all the major clinics in the city to request doctors. Those who could be persuaded have already come, and now they've all been infected with the plague."
"The remaining doctors were so frightened that they began packing their belongings, preparing to escape in the face of the epidemic."
"However, they were caught before they could leave the city gates. After being brought to the Quarantine Ward, they've been idle, eating but not working."
Hearing the whole story, Li Shuchen's eyes turned cold, and he said sternly, "Use both threats and incentives, do whatever it takes to make them work properly until the Imperial Physician arrives."
No matter what, the patients in the Quarantine Ward couldn't be deprived of medical care or hope for survival. Only if they received proper care could the people outside feel at ease and stay obediently in Yunzhou, preventing the epidemic from spreading to other cities.
"...Your Highness, there is actually another way."
The Prefect's eyes flashed with inner struggle, but finally, he gritted his teeth and suggested with difficulty, "...If a fire were to break out in the Quarantine Ward, the crisis in Yunzhou might be resolved."
If they couldn't solve the plague, they could solve the problem of those infected by it.
There were precedents in history books.
After he finished speaking, Li Shuchen gave him a cool look, his face expressionless, yet it sent a chill down the Prefect's spine.
"The Quarantine Ward is not the source of the plague. Burning it down won't eliminate the epidemic; instead, it will cause panic among the people. People in Yunzhou are getting infected every day, and the plague continues to spread. Unless you burn down the entire city of Yunzhou."
"I wouldn't dare, Your Highness."
Ending this topic, Li Shuchen changed the subject and instructed, "Arrange personnel to protect the remaining doctors."
To prevent them from coincidentally all contracting the plague at the same time.
After the Prefect left, it was nearly noon.
Li Shuchen first took Qi Huan to eat her favorite Yang Chun noodles.
Then he carried her back to bed to rest with her.
Inside the room, ice basins on the floor emitted cool air.
On the bed, Li Shuchen tirelessly fanned her.
"Shuchen, take a rest. I'm not hot."
"Mm."
"I don't want to eat Yang Chun noodles again this month. Or next month either."
In fact, she never wanted to eat them again in this lifetime!
"Mm."
Hearing his unhesitating agreement, Qi Huan was slightly surprised. She looked up at him and saw that he was staring into space, his eyes somewhat sharp.
"Shuchen?"
"Mm."
"Is Shuchen a puppy?"
"Mm."
!
Qi Huan quickly sat up and poked his cheek. "Have you been possessed?"
Her face enlarged in his view, and Li Shuchen finally came back to his senses. "What did you just say, Huan?"
"...I said you look charming when you're lost in thought."
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Shuchen captured her cherry lips.
Only after her delicate lips were slightly swollen from kissing did Li Shuchen release her and reply, "Huan's mouth is so sweet."
Sweet in words.
And sweet to kiss.
Qi Huan lowered her head, feeling guilty.
It seemed that Shuchen really hadn't heard her call him a puppy.
But what was he thinking about earlier?
He was so absorbed.
Qi Huan curiously asked him.
He replied, "I was thinking about how to return the favor to my two royal uncles."
His two royal uncles had treated him well.
Second Uncle, Prince Zhong, was willing to spend money to hire assassins to kill him.
Third Uncle, Prince Shun, was willing to use his brain, coming up with many underhanded schemes, first inciting refugees to riot, then trying to manipulate the plague.
Li Shuchen's eyes grew cold.
It would be impolite not to reciprocate. He understood etiquette well, so naturally, he had to repay them.
Ten days later.
Everyone in the capital praised Prince Shun for raising his son well. His son was generous and kind, and the news of Li Yuanxiu raising funds on his own to aid disaster victims spread far and wide.
The people didn't forget to criticize Prince Zhong, saying that all nineteen of his sons combined couldn't match Li Yuanxiu alone.
Upon hearing this news, Prince Zhong flew into a rage.
His greatest pride was his superhuman ability to produce offspring!
Now the entire city was denying his achievements. This was absolutely intolerable!
Prince Zhong summoned his secret guards and angrily ordered, "Find out where these rumors started!"
At this moment, his advisor fanned himself with a feather fan and said confidently, "Your Highness, I believe it's Prince Shun."
"Usually, whoever benefits is the mastermind behind the scenes!"
Prince Zhong nodded in agreement. "That makes sense! It must be that dog, Third Brother."
"When we were young, he always deliberately placed his academic achievements just below mine. When I asked him why, he said it was out of respect for his elders. It wasn't until later, when I kept getting scolded, that I gradually realized he was using me as a comparison!"
"Now that our royal brother has few heirs, if he needs to adopt, he will surely choose between my sons and Third Brother's. I have more sons, so the probability is higher. Third Brother knows his abilities are not as strong as mine, so he's started to play other tricks."
"He's trying to build a good reputation for his son while simultaneously tarnishing the reputation of my sons!"
"He's been like this since childhood! Always using others to make himself look good! The dog!"
The more Prince Zhong speculated, the more convinced he became of his theory.
Soon, the secret guards reported that the rumors had first spread from the area around Phoenix Street. The Jinyu Building on Phoenix Street was a property of Prince Shun's manor.
It really was that dog, Third Brother!
Prince Zhong instructed his secret guards, "Go to the accounting office, withdraw some money, and hire assassins to chop off Third Brother's head!"
He was straightforward and didn't bother with complex schemes.
He only needed to kill his enemies; no matter how many plots they had, they could only scheme in the underworld.
The advisor didn't forget to add, "When hiring assassins, remember to conceal your identity and leave no evidence."
The Prince dared not commit regicide, but he always wanted to kill this person or that person. Most of the secret guards trained in his manor had been used up, so he had to spend money to hire assassins from the jianghu.
The Misty Rain Pavilion had a good reputation. Their assassins were highly skilled, and whether they succeeded or not, they would never reveal their client's information.
After multiple collaborations, they were trustworthy.
*
A few days later.
Prince Shun went to the Imperial Buddhist Temple to pray for Yunzhou's well-being. On his way back, he was ambushed. Although he was unharmed, more than half of his elite guards were killed.
As the Ministry of Justice intervened, Prince Shun also summoned his advisors for a discussion.
"This subordinate believes it was Prince Zhong," one said.
Another advisor elaborated, "In the entire Li Country, those who dare to attempt assassinating a prince can be counted on one hand. Among these individuals, Prince An is far away in Yunzhou, and his influence in the capital was thoroughly purged when he was exiled. Only Prince Zhong favors such direct methods and possesses the capability to carry them out."
"It's unfortunate that no assassins were left alive, and there was no identifying evidence on their bodies. Now that the Ministry of Justice has become involved, we cannot recklessly fabricate evidence."
"Your Highness, why don't we retaliate with our own attack?" suggested another advisor.
