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Chapter 418 Pingzhou (I)

After Jiang Shaohua inspected Ye County, he stayed for a few more days. Only after Lu Ruohua had fully adapted to her new life did he leave for the Nanyang military camp.

As soon as he entered the military camp, Jiang Shaohua received a letter from Doctor Sun.

"Your Highness, Imperial Physician Sun has arrived with a letter from Pingzhou." Ma Yaozong hurried over to deliver the letter, and as usual, he handed it to Chen Jinyu, who then presented it to the princess.

Jiang Shaohua quickly took the letter, opened it and read it carefully.

Chen Jinyu and Ma Yaozong paid close attention to the changes in the princess's facial expression.

It took Dr. Sun and his son nearly two months to reach Pingzhou. A plague broke out in Pingzhou, and corpses were everywhere. It was like a hell on earth, and it was unbearable to watch. Dr. Sun and his son did not fear the danger and went directly to the governor's mansion in Pingzhou.

The governor of Pingzhou had been killed long ago, and the governor's mansion was occupied by the rebels, becoming the base camp of the Pingzhou rebels. The plague broke out in the army and spread wildly in the barracks, killing almost all the Pingzhou rebels. Those who were lucky enough to survive were either mentally ill or had serious diseases.

The leader of the rebellion, Tan Sheng, also died of the plague, and his body was burned by the terrified people. Most of the huge governor's mansion was burned, and the remaining part was filled with the stench of corpses and could no longer be lived in.

Imperial Physician Sun and his entourage settled down five miles away from the governor's mansion.

"…In Pingzhou, less than 30% of the people survived. The officials here were all killed, and the army was disorganized and in chaos."

"I dared to raise the banner of the Nanyang Palace after entering Pingzhou. I used the prestige of Nanyang County to intimidate the remaining rebel troops and the panicked people. Now it seems that there is some effect. At least people's hearts are slightly settled."

"This plague is caused by cannibalism. I have posted a notice, ordering everyone not to eat human flesh. I call on the people who can still move to gather all the corpses together and burn them..."

The plague raged for several months, and countless people died in Pingzhou. At first, the bodies were taken care of, but later, when a family died, no one cared about the bodies rotting. The strong stench of corpses filled the air, making people sick.

After arriving in Pingzhou, the first thing Dr. Sun did was to calm people's hearts, and the second thing was to call on all the survivors to save themselves. The bodies of those who died of the plague could not be buried underground, but had to be burned cleanly. This matter could not be done on ordinary days. Now that the people of Pingzhou were in panic and no one was in charge, Dr. Sun, who came to Pingzhou with dozens of carts of medicinal materials to prevent and control the plague without fear of danger, became the savior in the hearts of the people of Pingzhou.

Doctor Sun was a fifth-rank official in the Imperial Medical Bureau. He wore his official uniform every day and the chaotic Pingzhou gradually became more stable.

Although people continued to die from the plague, the fear was suppressed.

The letter ends with the following words.

"Now that I have come to Pingzhou, I must cure the plague in Pingzhou. I am ready to sacrifice my life, and so is Guangbai. If that day comes, the princess does not need to feel sad for us father and son. We are doing what we should do and what we want to do in our hearts."

The fact that the tough-minded Imperial Physician Sun said such words shows that the current situation in Pingzhou is worse than expected.

Jiang Shaohua felt a sour nose and a slight heat in his eyes, and turned his head to the side. After a while, his emotions calmed down a little.

She silently handed the letter to Chen Jinyu, who read it with red eyes and handed it to Ma Yaozong.

Finally, Song Yuan and Yu Chong also passed it around. Everyone was in a heavy mood, and there was silence in the military tent.

"Ma Yaozong," Jiang Shaohua broke the silence, "You have done a good job in the task that this princess asked you to do before. From now on, you don't have to serve me. Continue to go to the pharmacy to buy medicinal materials. If there are not enough medicinal materials in Nanyang County, go to the pharmacy in Jingzhou to buy them, and all the purchased medicinal materials will be sent to Pingzhou." Ma Yaozong bowed in response.

Jiang Shaohua said to Song Yuan again, "The staff we sent before were insufficient. It will be very difficult for Doctor Sun to maintain the stability of Pingzhou with such a small number of people. Commander Song, please go to the guard camp and convey this princess's oral order to select another 200 guards to go to Pingzhou."

Song Yuan accepted the order solemnly.

Yu Chong suddenly stepped forward and said solemnly, "My lord, there are many brave men in our Nanyang Army who are not afraid of death. Please give the order, and I will immediately send troops to Pingzhou."

"The Nanyang Army will hold its ground for now." Jiang Shaohua took a deep breath and said quickly, "Imperial Doctor Sun was ordered by this princess to go to Pingzhou to treat the plague. He used the royal family's personal soldiers, and the medicine and food he brought were all this princess's. The incident was minor, and the court will turn a blind eye and will not investigate."

"If the Nanyang Army follows suit, it will definitely alarm the imperial court. If a war of words breaks out, I am not afraid, but it will greatly affect Imperial Doctor Sun."

The Nanyang Army was nominally a garrison of the imperial court, and it was not allowed to move without official documents from the imperial court.

At this moment, Jiang Shaohua really had no time to compete with Prime Minister Wang.

Yu Chong had no choice but to shut up.

At Jiang Shaohua's command, everyone in Nanyang Palace started to get busy.

After receiving the order, Feng Changshi did not say a word. He immediately allocated a large sum of silver to the horse herders and a large amount of food to the personal guard camp.

Everyone in the Royal Guards Camp was brave and fearless. Going to Pingzhou was very dangerous, but everyone was eager to go. Song Yuan followed the princess's instructions and did not select the only son in the family, or those who were not married and had no children. Those with brothers were given priority.

Sun Zelan also received letters from her father and brother, and she was worried. Unfortunately, the Imperial Guard Camp and Pingzhou were hundreds or thousands of miles apart, and it would take eight or nine days to send a letter from Pingzhou. All she could do was take this opportunity to write a letter and ask someone to take it to Pingzhou.

……

Afterwards, news from Pingzhou was gradually transmitted back to Nanyang County.

The task of collecting the bodies and burning them lasted nearly a month before they were barely completed. During this period, Doctor Sun and others boiled and dispersed medicine every day.

Perhaps too many people died, and those who survived were either in better physical condition or had good luck. The new medicine developed by Dr. Sun also gradually showed its effect. The plague gradually stopped and no longer spread.

The people who had been infected with the plague were gathered together and settled in one place. Every day, people died from the plague. Fortunately, some people with mild symptoms got better after drinking the medicine. This gave everyone hope.

Mixed with the good news was the bad news of some people’s deaths.

For example, among the women who followed Dr. Sun and his son to Pingzhou, one died of illness on the way, and another was infected with the plague as soon as she arrived in Pingzhou. She died soon after the treatment failed.

For example, among the two hundred guards accompanying him, some died in the attack of the rioters, some died while protecting Doctor Sun. There were also a few who were infected with the plague and were actively taking medicine to treat it...

No matter what, the overall situation is always moving in a positive direction.