Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 290 I am with you
Hearing this, Jiu Que wasn't surprised at all. She wasn't smiling or anything like that at the moment; instead, she was very serious, even cold.

He raised his hand towards the noisy crowd, and the crowd gradually quieted down. In the silence, Jiu Que's calm voice slowly rang out.

"I know how you all feel right now. To be honest, who in the world isn't afraid of an epidemic? Especially when we don't even know what kind of epidemic it is. If I were one of you, being taken away by the government officials just because of a slight headache or fever would also scare me. But don't worry, we officials exist to put your minds at ease. I can tell you with certainty that these soldiers are also risking infection to carry out their mission; their duty is to protect the people of Dajing."

“I have a manor outside the city, which was bestowed by His Majesty. It is called Yunxiu Manor. Some of you here may have heard of it.”

Jiu Que paused here, and sure enough, someone couldn't help but speak up.

“I’ve heard of Yunxiu Manor. I even took a peek at it from afar before. It’s an imperial estate owned by the emperor, with some of the best fields inside!”

Indeed, there are good and bad estates outside the city. After all, there are too many powerful and wealthy people in the capital, but there are only so many fields outside the city. Yunxiu Manor is a first-class estate.

But why is Lord Ying bringing up Yunxiu Manor now? Some clever ones have already figured it out, and their eyes flash with disbelief.

Sure enough, the next moment, everyone heard Jiu Que's voice, which seemed never to be anxious or flustered.

“Indeed, that estate was bestowed by His Majesty. It is not only beautiful but also large and rich in grain. I am willing to offer it up for those of you who have already shown symptoms to stay there. As you all know, the reason why so many people have died from the epidemic is because it is contagious from person to person. So what we need to do now is to isolate those who have obvious symptoms. Of course, there will be doctors, medicine, and grain inside. His Majesty is already aware of the current situation in the capital and has specially dispatched highly skilled doctors from the Imperial Medical Academy to Yunxiu Manor to treat everyone.”

“I know, and I admit, no one in this world is unafraid of death, and I am no exception. This world is so beautiful, who would have the time to abandon it? But everyone, we are all born of parents, and we have our own relatives and friends, so we should think more about those we cherish. It is indeed very painful when we are sick. But just because of that, should we let those we love suffer the same pain? That's not how it works.”

The people gathered around were clearly shaken upon hearing this, but soon some also expressed their doubts.

"You make it sound nice, but everyone knows that you officials are all liars. You say you have doctors, medicine, and food, but who knows if you really do? Once you send us there, you close the gates and send in skilled soldiers to guard the area. How many of us will be able to get out?"

The people, who had initially relaxed their resolve, immediately tensed up. They were right; no one could guarantee that Lady Ying was telling the truth. Although she seemed different from other officials, she was still an official after all. In these times, mutual protection among officials was an ironclad rule etched into the hearts of the people.

Seeing this, Chunyu Shuang and the others felt a little nervous. If this matter was not handled well today, it could become a pretext for other officials to attack Jiuque.

However, Jiu Que remained calm. After all, she knew that no matter how eloquent her words were, she wouldn't gain anyone's trust without concrete actions. Therefore, she struck while the iron was hot and announced that she would also be moving in with them.

"I know you're all panicked. Life was finally getting better, we were finally able to eat our fill, and we were fortunate to have a wise and benevolent ruler. Things were just about to get better, but then this epidemic broke out. Nobody wants to die from this sudden disease, but we can't change it. What's done is done, and nobody can turn back the clock. But I can assure you, I will go with you all to Yunxiu Manor, and I will not leave until the epidemic is completely eradicated."

"Jiu Que!" Chunyu Shuang exclaimed in shock. Did Jiu Que know what she was saying? That was a plague! More than a decade ago, she was a sensible girl and naturally remembered the horror of that plague—almost nine out of ten houses were empty! Familiar friends, who might have been playing happily together in the morning, would be turned into lifeless corpses and carried out by the afternoon! But for her, what was truly terrifying wasn't the plague itself, but the tense and terrifying atmosphere it created. Because it was invisible and intangible, no one knew if they would be the next to be infected. The fear of the unknown is humanity's greatest enemy.

Even the patients around them, who were stubbornly refusing to leave with the soldiers, couldn't help but glance at Jiu Que again. They simply couldn't believe that an official would go to such lengths for them. They knew that once they reached Yunxiu Manor, how could they possibly leave without being completely cured? Moreover, they all knew that the plague couldn't be cured quickly. Besides, this Lord Ying currently looked healthy and rosy-cheeked, clearly not infected. But once he entered Yunxiu Manor and lived among so many people already showing obvious symptoms, he would be infected even if he didn't initially.

What is she planning?

After shaking his head at Chunyu Shuang, Jiu Que finally showed a smile.

"Speaking of which, I've never actually lived in the estate His Majesty bestowed upon me. Today, I'll be going to take a look at it with everyone."

"..."

No one could laugh, not even the patients and their families who were deeply resistant. Looking at Jiu Que, whose expression remained unchanged, they suddenly felt a lump in their throats, and many rubbed their faces vigorously.

Suddenly, an old man emerged from the crowd. His face was slightly pale; it was none other than Old Mu, whom we hadn't seen for a long time.

"Lord Ying, there's no need to say anything more. Others may not believe you, but I do. You were the one who found all the children we lost back then. This old man of mine, if I die, I'll just die. I can't possibly harm other healthy people, can I? I'll go!"

"Old Mu!"

"I... I'll go with you then. I have young children at home, and if I stay here in this state, I'll just pass on the disease to them. If anyone's going to die, let me die alone..."

Gradually, more and more people tentatively stepped forward. They knew all too well that this was a huge gamble, and the stakes were their only lives, yet they still stepped forward.

Many people had tears in their eyes as they watched familiar or unfamiliar people step forward and voluntarily reveal their illnesses.

They didn't know why, but their noses felt sore, and they felt so sad and wanted to cry.

(End of this chapter)