Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 990: Chapter 991: Forcing Yourself Too Much for Too Long

Gong Juechen listed a series of medicinal herbs that could prevent the epidemic and also asked Wang Youbao to make sachets to wear for protection against contagion.

Grateful, Wang Youbao turned back and bowed to Gong Juechen, ”Thank you, palace doctor!”

Once the city gates opened, General Lu, the commander of the city’s defenses, came out to greet them, ”This General pays his respects to Prince Yi and Princess Yi!”

First, Xiao Changyi instructed General Lu to gather all the realgar and other epidemic prevention medicines from the city’s pharmacies to distribute to those citizens not yet afflicted by the plague. Only then did he ask, ”Where is the Crown Prince now?”

General Lu replied respectfully, ”His Highness is currently in the temporary palace.”

”Lead the way.”

Immediately, General Lu led the way.

Xiao Changyi and An Jing exchanged glances before entering Nanshen City. Once inside, whether they could leave again was uncertain, but they hoped that the plague could be cured and that they would be able to exit.

Because of the epidemic, the conditions inside Nanshen City were somewhat tragic; the air was filled with white funeral paper money, the sorrowful crying of people, and the sounds of fear from the citizens.

The panic among the populace wasn’t the only thing, as the atmosphere inside the city was also quite eerie. It was as though all the people in this city had already become corpses.

While on their way to the temporary palace to find Su Chengyu, An Jing asked, ”How many have died?”

General Lu reported truthfully, ”Since the outbreak of the epidemic, more than three hundred people have died.”

An Jing fell silent, her mood exceptionally heavy.

”Where are those citizens who have contracted the plague now?” Xiao Changyi asked this question.

As soon as they entered Nanshen City, they saw its desolation, its oppression, its lifelessness; they saw the panic of its people; they saw that Nanshen City seemed without a future, but what they didn’t see was a single citizen suffering from the plague.

General Lu said, ”Those who have contracted the epidemic have all been sent to the Medicinal Diet Hall. Without permission, none are allowed to leave.” He paused, ”But every day, more people contract the epidemic and are taken there. The number of people in the Medicinal Diet Hall is increasing and it’s almost unable to accommodate any more.”

Xiao Changyi stopped speaking.

Upon reaching the temporary palace, An Jing and Xiao Changyi headed straight for Su Chengyu’s room to find him.

”Chengyu!” An Jing called out his name urgently, even before entering the room.

Su Chengyu was lying on the bed, feverish and delirious, he faintly heard An Jing calling him and thought it was a hallucination, but when he saw An Jing and Xiao Changyi hurriedly approaching his bedside, he realized it wasn’t an illusion, but reality.

His Brother Yi and Sister-in-law had come to find him.

”Brother Yi... Sister-in-law...” Su Chengyu had never shown his vulnerability since contracting the epidemic, maintaining the dignity of a Crown Prince even after falling ill, but now, seeing An Jing and Xiao Changyi, his eyes reddened instantly and tears scaldingly rolled down his cheeks.

He cried like a child.

His throat felt as if it were being choked by something, a painful stifling that left him completely at a loss for words, unable to speak due to his tight throat.

”You’re already so grown up, why are you crying like a child? Alright, no more crying, or you’ll turn into a tear-stained cat,” An Jing teased, trying to lift the mood. Beneath that light-hearted tone and the smile, however, was a weighty heart—very heavy indeed.

Because Su Chengyu’s condition was very bad.

The high fever flushed Su Chengyu bright red, and his body was covered in many red pustules, so hideous as though they would burst at any moment, making one’s hair stand on end.

Even Gong Juechen, the doctor, was somewhat shocked. The virulence of the epidemic was far beyond his imagination.