The sight of the young woman leaping from the tall building, along with her declaration, "I am Princess Guanghua of the Yu Country," was so shocking that everyone froze in place.
"Guanghua... Princess..."
Even those indifferent to the affairs of Chang’an’s imperial court had heard this na; it had appeared in newspapers far too often.
When Princess Guanghua was born, a year-long drought in the Yu Country’s Hedong Road was suddenly ended by a great rain. Emperor Yu, considering it an auspicious on, joyfully decreed a general amnesty.
When Princess Guanghua was four, coinciding with envoys from All Nations arriving at court, Emperor Yu specially constructed a flower garden for her in the inner garden, where he kept exotic beasts presented by various nations.
When Princess Guanghua was eight, she suddenly developed a heart condition. The Empress recited the Bodhisattva Sutra for a month in the Great Ming Palace, praying for her daughter. anwhile, the Emperor searched the entire country for renowned doctors, promising them high positions and great wealth. He even neglected his court duties, planning to decree another amnesty to alleviate his daughter’s illness.
Princess Guanghua persuaded her father not to disrupt the Yu Country’s justice system for her sake—if criminals were indulged, more innocents might be hard in the future, and her conscience would not be clear.
Only then did Emperor Yu relent.
For the ordinary citizens of the Yu Country, even a county magistrate was a high official rarely seen. A re gesture, or even a few words spoken to clerks or constables by such a person, could make it impossible for a common family to remain in their locality.
A princess... What kind of figure must she be?
The crowd, a mix of n, won, and children, stood rooted to the spot, hesitating.
Li Hui jumped down from the window, his brow furrowed, and whispered urgently, "Le Ling!"
The saying goes, "A man of wealth does not sit under the eaves; a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall." Such a public display was sothing to be delegated to subordinates. Why must she appear in person?
Li Leqing waved discreetly to Li Hui and continued speaking, "Respected elders and fellow villagers, please think carefully. The rumors that Mr. Li’s blood can cure all ailnts are utterly absurd. And the tales of the reincarnation of Gods and Buddhas? How laughable!
"If you have truly t Mr. Li, you would know he possesses a kind and generous heart, the compassionate spirit of a true doctor.
"He is the most earnest, reliable, gentle, and kind-hearted person I have ever encountered.
"If his blood truly had curative powers, he would undoubtedly draw it himself without hesitation. He would treat the patients in the most critical condition while simultaneously studying the components of his blood to benefit all citizens of the Yu Country.
"At this very mont, he is in the Governor Mansion, working for you, for the people of Hedong Road, and for all those across the land who might contract the plague in the future, developing a specific redy.
"’He who gathers firewood for the masses should not be left to freeze to death in the wind and snow.’
"Is surrounding the Governor Mansion, forcing him to appear, and draining his body of blood your way of repaying him?"
Li Leqing’s words were sincere and heartfelt. The common people looked at one another, their uncertainty palpable.
No one doubted Li Ang’s dical ethics or integrity. Even the local elder who had incited the crowd had initially said, "Soone has misled Mr. Li." He hadn’t claid that Li Ang, like the dignitaries in the Governor Mansion, intended to abandon the city’s sick and flee.
Seeing the crowd’s hesitation, soone within it could no longer hold back and whispered, "We do not doubt Mr. Li’s morality.
"He cares more for us, the common people, than any of the city’s dignitaries.
"But what if even he is helpless?
"How long have we waited?
"From the city’s lockdown until now, when every household has soone ill.
"We just want an answer. How much longer does he need?"
"...I cannot give you any guarantees."
Li Leqing paused for a mont before saying, "Actually, what you said earlier wasn’t wrong.
"By this ti yesterday, the Taiyuan Governnt had already prepared to evacuate.
"It was Li Ang who insisted on staying one more day, to use these remaining twenty-four hours to find a final solution."
Hearing this, a slight stir went through the crowd.
An old man said sorrowfully, "We’ve heard such words too many tis. Initially, they said the lockdown would only last half a month. Then they said another seven days, and after seven days, another seven, and then seven more...
"Just a short while ago, the Taiyuan Governor was preparing to leave, still deceiving us, intending to abandon us in the city to die.
"How can we still believe?"
A woman holding a child wept, "Your Highness Princess, you have always lived in the well-guarded Governor Mansion,
"unaware of how we have struggled through these days.
"We don’t bla you, nor do we bla the imperial court. It’s just... it’s just..."
She thought of her parents and husband, who had died from the illness, and choked up, tears streaming down her face, unable to speak further.
The child in her arms, wearing a cloth mask, said in a tiny, milky voice, "Mom, don’t cry," while reaching up to wipe the tears from his mother’s face.
"..."
Li Leqing looked at the Yu Country’s citizens before her, pursed her lips, and said softly, "I am sorry, everyone.
"I do not have the authority to bring in more supplies from the outside world.
"I am not capable of tracing the source of the Plague Demon Talisman.
"Nor do I possess the intellect to assist Li Ang in the laboratory with creating the dicine.
"But at least, there is one thing I can do."
She removed the mask she had been wearing and said calmly, "I can sit here and wait with all of you."
"..."
The crowd was utterly silent, all staring, dumbfounded, at Li Leqing, who had taken off her mask and sat down on the ground.
"Le Ling, are you mad?"
Li Hui shouted, "Put your mask back on, quickly!"
"It’s alright."
Li Leqing shook her head, her composure unwavering. "I trust Li Ang. From the mont I first t him, through to this present mont, and into the future.
"I will always, always trust him."
She turned her head, gazing towards the rear of the Governor Mansion as if trying to see through the intervening walls to the tirelessly working young man within.
With a smile on her lips, one hand supporting her chin, the other resting on her folded knees, she didn’t seem like an Empire Princess in the most dangerous part of the epidemic zone. Instead, she resembled an ordinary girl on a spring or sumr outing, gazing at her beloved from afar.
"I believe him too."
Zhuo San, who had been standing outside the Governor Mansion’s entrance, stepped over the threshold. He carefully placed his mother against the gate, in as comfortable a position as possible.
He turned his head and repeated to the citizens gathered outside the Governor Mansion, "I believe him too."
"..."
The crowd paused, hesitating, wavering. Finally,
one by one, they began to sit down, emulating Li Leqing, seating themselves on the ground.
The tense atmosphere of the agitated crowd besieging the Governor Mansion monts ago vanished in an instant, like snow lting under the spring sun.
Li Hui stood in silence for a mont, then he too sat down.
He patted his plump stomach, glared fiercely at Li Leqing, and whispered in feigned annoyance, "Don’t be foolish. You’re not in good health; put your mask on quickly. If you don’t, I’ll go back to Chang’an and tell Mom and Dad that you’ve learned bad habits from Li Ang."
As he spoke, he released his Spiritual Power, isolating the air around Li Leqing.
"TEE HEE."
Li Leqing giggled sweetly, put on her mask, and cupped her chin in her palm, her heart filled with an unprecedented sense of joy and peace.
The people sat down in an orderly fashion, without argunt or reprimand.
The Taiyuan Governor sat dejectedly on the ground.
From the tall building, Qiu Feng, Ouyang Shi, and the others also ca down and sat beside Li Leqing.
Yan Yundang, holding his horse lance, did not sit down but gave Li Leqing a solemn nod.
The oppressive Candle Cloud Sword Intent, which felt like thorns on one’s back, had at so unknown point silently receded. The Telekinesis copper bell trapping Xi Yangyu also vanished into thin air.
The Sun, high in the sky, gradually descended towards the west. A purple-red sunset enveloped the entire city, draping the silent tropolis in a soft, ethereal veil.
CREAK—
The sound of a door opening was exceptionally clear at this mont in Taiyuan Prefecture.
Li Ang, dressed in a white lab coat, pushed open the laboratory doors and walked with steady steps towards Li Leqing.
Behind him floated tal baskets. Each basket held hundreds of tubes of already-prepared, sterilized water injections.
"I’m sorry,"
He stopped before Li Leqing, extended his hand to her, and said earnestly, "I didn’t finish on ti."
"It’s alright."
Li Leqing shook her head, took Li Ang’s offered hand, and allowed him to gently pull her up from the ground.
They stood facing each other, bathed in the purple-red twilight, a silent understanding passing between them.
Beside them, boxes of sterilized water injections, levitated by Telekinesis, floated unsteadily towards the crowd.
If only ti could stop at this mont.
Li Ang sighed deeply in his heart, then turned his head slightly and nodded at Yan Yundang.
With streptomycin available, the plague would be swiftly resolved. Public sentint would stabilize, and the Chaotic Wind would not arrive. This also ant it was ti for a reckoning.
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