After the dyke in Wei Zhou broke, it took another half a month for the floodwaters to gradually recede. Just as hundreds of thousands of disaster-affected people were getting ready to rebuild their hos with the relief grain provided by the Court, a calamitous crisis quietly descended upon them.
The flood had drowned a large number of animals that failed to escape in ti. These animal carcasses, under the effects of high temperatures, slowly rotted away, producing a putrid liquid that seeped into the grass, mud, and rivers... Gradually, so amongst the disaster-affected people began to develop symptoms like fever and coughing.
"You want to go to Weicheng? No, I won’t allow it!" In the bedroom, as soon as Xiao Ruiyuan heard his wife’s intentions of going to the perilous prefect city of Wei Zhou, Weicheng, he refused without a second thought.
Although the floodwaters in Wei Zhou had already receded, who could say what other dangers might be lurking there? In preparation against epidemics that might follow such a great disaster, the Court had already dispatched two Imperial Physicians there a few days ago. Even though there was no news of an epidemic yet, Xiao Ruiyuan didn’t want his wife to take even the slightest risk.
Seeing his wife with her head lowered, saying nothing, Xiao Ruiyuan realized his tone was wrong. He softened his expression and gently asked, "Why on earth do you want to go to Weicheng? If you feel cooped up and want to get out for a bit, I can accompany you sowhere else for a change of scenery. Once there’s no danger in Weicheng, I’ll accompany you there. How does that sound?"
Mo Yan had anticipated her husband’s disapproval, but with Wei Zhou not yet hit by the epidemic, she couldn’t give a compelling reason that would necessitate her going. She had to co up with an excuse, "It’s not for leisure. I heard that many people in Wei Zhou have fallen sick due to damp and cold. I just wanted to bring a batch of dical supplies and offer free consultations for a month. Please, let go. Consider it as accumulating virtues for our family."
If nothing unexpected happened, an epidemic would break out in Wei Zhou in at most ten days. Wei Zhou was so vast, and the epidemic would not be limited to a single location. She was no deity capable of eradicating the disease at its source. She could only co up with redies to contain the epidemic and treat the patients once it erupted based on the symptoms.
Hearing this, Xiao Ruiyuan was even less inclined to agree. Holding his wife, he tried to persuade her, "Over the years, you’ve donated rice and grain to the poor, and you’ve arranged for free consultations on the streets at the beginning of every month. You’ve accumulated enough good deeds for our family already. You’ve also donated food and dical supplies to the people of Wei Zhou. What can be done has been done; you don’t necessarily have to go in person. Our Fifth Small just turned one month old; can you really bear to leave him behind?"
ntioning their youngest son, a look of reluctance passed over Mo Yan’s face. With a heavy heart, she said, "I can’t bear to leave Fifth Small behind, but I fear the situation in Wei Zhou might change, so I need to go there myself to be assured."
Unable to change his wife’s mind with their youngest son, Xiao Ruiyuan was at his wit’s end. With a shake of his head, he had no choice but to compromise, "Tomorrow morning, I’ll make a written request to the Court and accompany you to Wei Zhou."
Now, Mo Yan hesitated, sowhat uneasy, "This trip will take at least a month. If we both are away, what about the children?"
Xiao Ruiyuan shook his head, not seeing any issue with leaving the children at ho, "Wanwan will take good care of Fifth Small. Jue’er and the others are older; there’s no need to worry about them going hungry or cold. If you truly can’t be at ease, I’ll take them to your father’s house."
Upon hearing this, Mo Yan hurriedly waved her hand, "Better not. Mom and dad spoil them too much. By the ti we co back, these kids will likely have gone wild."
"Then let them stay at ho. I will assign them a month’s worth of studies," decided Xiao Ruiyuan, following along with his wife’s thoughts. Inwardly, he resolved to take this opportunity of his wife’s absence to correct the boys’ clingy habits.
The couple set a departure date and began to make their respective arrangents. Two days later, after bidding farewell to their children, they left Jing City with dical supplies, doctors, and guards, heading for Weicheng in Wei Zhou, thousands of miles away.
This ti, all the doctors accompanying them had been trained by the school founded by Mo Yan. She had invested her own silver to expand the school in Liu Yang Village several tis over, selecting talented children from among the orphans she sheltered for training. Over more than a decade, the first group of children had grown up, learning excellent dical skills and gaining the ability to diagnose and prescribe treatnts independently.
Du’s dical Hall, with Jing City as its center, had established branches in many places throughout Great Chu. Due to its outstanding dical expertise and benevolent spirit, Du’s dical Hall had earned an extrely high reputation among the populace, accumulating a great deal of rit for Mo Yan.
After ten days of arduous travel, Mo Yan and her party finally arrived in Weicheng just as the epidemic began to break out. By then, so of the disaster-stricken people had already shown symptoms such as high fever and coughing, but no one knew that this was to be an incredibly contagious epidemic that would cause widespread fear.
Under the arrangent of the Prefect of Wei City, everyone moved into a residence especially prepared for them. Upon Xue tuanzi’s urgent reminder, Mo Yan, without any mont to rest, imdiately had the doctors with her wear masks and begin tallying up patients in the city with high fever and coughing symptoms. Concurrently, she instructed the Magistrate to inform subordinate counties and towns to prepare for disease prevention and isolation asures.
These series of arrangents deeply concerned the Prefect of Wei City, though in his heart, he found it hard to believe that an epidemic would occur on his watch.
However, when his subordinates hurried back in the middle of the night, panicking with reports of symptoms characteristic of the epidemic already appearing in subordinate counties and towns, the Magistrate beca utterly anxious. He was well aware that if the epidemic spread uncontrollably, the Court would surely order the city to be burnt to the ground, and Weicheng would beco a dead city.
As the epidemic grew more severe by the day, the Prefect of Wei City, who wished he could abandon the city and flee, was brought into line by Xiao Ruiyuan’s use of force. He begrudgingly followed Mo Yan’s instructions, utilizing all the military strength in Wei City to establish several quarantine areas as per the demarcated zones. They isolated the people with the epidemic in these areas, where they were treated systematically by Mo Yan and her team of
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