Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

Chapter 84: Gao Qiqian's Methods for Dealing with the Plague! (Please continue reading!)

Lu Xiang-sheng also stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subject agrees with Lord Sun!"

After listening, Zhu Jian remained silent for a moment: "Mobilize 50,000 troops and station them on all roads leading from Shanxi to other provinces. Anyone who tries to force their way through will be killed on the spot!"

"Furthermore, a strict order is issued: soldiers are not allowed to approach the crowds from the Shanxi direction!"

"Your Majesty! What will become of the people of Shanxi if that happens?" Li Banghua asked anxiously upon hearing this.

Zhu Jian had no good solutions. With current medical technology, this plague was a major disaster, and survival depended entirely on fate.

Ignoring Li Banghua's words, Zhu Jian said, "Sun Chuanting, go and mobilize the troops!"

"As you command!"

"Your Majesty! There are millions of people in Shanxi province! We must save them!" Li Banghua knelt down, his voice trembling with tears.

"Sun Chuanting, go ahead!" Prosecutor Zhu waved his hand.

"His Majesty!"

"You should go and rest!"

"Yes!" Lu Xiang-sheng bowed slightly, stepped forward to help Li Bang-hua up, and walked outside.

The two men arrived outside the hall. Li Banghua, his voice choked with emotion, said, "Lord Lu, Shanxi has over two million people. They are already suffering from frequent natural disasters. If we don't provide aid, won't Shanxi be left to starve?"

Lu Xiang-sheng glanced back at the Wuying Hall, then turned around and said, "The Emperor is not only the Emperor of Shanxi, but also the Emperor of the two capitals and thirteen provinces of our Great Ming!"

Lu Xiang-sheng clearly distinguished between what was important and what was not. Shanxi province had a population of two million, while the entire Ming Dynasty had a population of over one hundred million. If it were better to abandon the entire country for the sake of these two million people, it would be better to give up the two million people altogether.

In this plague, 100,000 deaths are just a number, and 1 million deaths are also just a number...

Li Banghua was taken aback by Lu Xiang-sheng's words. After a moment, he sighed, shook off Lu Xiang-sheng, and walked dejectedly out of the hall.

Zhu Jian, alone in the hall, spoke slowly after a long while: "Summon Wu Daozheng!"

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch on duty outside the door repeatedly replied, "Yes!"

Before long, Wu Daozheng, the scribe of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Director of the Eastern Depot, arrived before Zhu Jian and kowtowed, saying, "This servant, Wu Daozheng, greets Your Majesty!"

"You and Gao Qiqian will take men to Shanxi and have Gao Qiqian transfer 10,000 troops from Taiyuan to seal off the counties severely affected by the plague. No one is allowed to enter or leave; violators will be executed on the spot! You will oversee the execution!"

"All passageways between counties have been guarded by soldiers! No one is allowed to move about! This includes gentry and officials!"

"This servant obeys the decree!" Wu Daozheng said, then slowly rose and walked out of the hall.

After a major disaster, there will inevitably be a major epidemic. When the administrative system has not collapsed, it usually starts in winter and ends in spring, lasting about six months. It generally does not last for many years. However, the plague in Shanxi was quite strange. It started intermittently during the Wanli period and continued until the fifteenth and sixteenth years of Chongzhen's reign, when it covered Henan, Shandong, Huguang, and Beizhili.

A few days later, a large number of troops began to take over the passages out of Shanxi, and all of them were fortified, with people and livestock left in Shanxi.

Many displaced people wandered the roads, their eyes vacant and devoid of any life.

Wu Daozheng and Gao Qiqian also led a large number of Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guards to Xing County, Taiyuan Prefecture.

"What are your thoughts on coming to Shanxi this time, Eunuch Wu?" Gao Qiqian, riding on horseback, asked Wu Daozheng, the Director of the Eastern Depot and the Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was sitting next to him.

Gao Qiqian had been living a comfortable life as a military supervisor in the Guan Ning Army, but last year the emperor recalled all the military supervisors, leaving him with a sinecure. Wu Daozheng, who was originally inferior to him, had now risen above him to become the second-in-command of the Directorate of Ceremonial, which Gao Qiqian greatly envied. Now, he could take advantage of this opportunity to return to the emperor's attention...

"We don't have any ideas, but His Majesty was very worried when he heard about the plague in Shanxi yesterday! Does Eunuch Gao have any way to quickly quell the plague?" Wu Daozheng said, glancing at Gao Qiqian out of the corner of his eye.

After listening, Gao Qiqian pondered for a moment. It seemed that Wu Daozheng still wanted to perform well and relieve the emperor's worries. Originally, he thought that Wu Daozheng had come to Shanxi to make money.

"To be honest, Eunuch Wu, when I was young, a large village in the neighboring county also suffered from a plague. In the end, the county magistrate fenced off that village and several surrounding villages, forbidding anyone from leaving or entering. Within two months, the plague subsided!" Gao Qiqian said, sharing his thoughts.

Although Gao Qiqian said this, he knew that the county magistrate had killed nearly a thousand people in these villages to prevent the disaster from spreading, thus cutting off the route of the plague's transmission...

"Our mission in Shanxi is to contain the plague. As for the people..." Wu Daozheng said, then smiled strangely. These people's lives and deaths were none of his concern. It didn't matter whether they died sooner or later. Dying sooner would mean less suffering and reduce the court's expenses!

"Then let's head to the military camp! We'll ask Eunuch Wu to look after the Shanxi Governor's Office and the Three Departments Prefect, won't we?"

"Eunuch Gao, wait! This is between the two of us!" Wu Daozheng said, then led the Eastern Depot agents and strolled into Taiyuan City.

Upon entering Taiyuan City, Wu Daozheng was greeted by a desolate scene. There were only a few scattered pedestrians on the road, hurrying along with anxious expressions. All the surrounding shops were closed.

The wind swept across the road, stirring up a cloud of dust that swirled in the air and lingered for a long time.

"Let's go to the Shanxi Governor's Office!" Wu Daozheng stared at the miserable scene for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Yes!" The Eastern Depot agent who was following Wu Daozheng led the way.

Before long, the group arrived at the governor's office. Wu Daozheng dismounted and muttered to himself, "Finally, I've seen a few living people."

'

Upon seeing the Eastern Depot agent dressed in a flying fish robe, the guards at the governor's yamen hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "We were unaware of your esteemed presence and have failed to greet you properly!"

Wu Daozheng waved his hand: "Never mind! Is Governor Zhang inside the yamen?"

The constable, seeing Wu Daozheng, didn't reveal his identity, but his voice carried a hint of effeminacy, leading the constable to believe he was a palace eunuch. Naturally, he didn't dare to be negligent, bowing obsequiously and saying, "Inside, inside! Please come in, sir!"

Led by the yamen runners, Wu Daozheng soon met Zhang Bingwen, whose eyes were red and who was handling local government affairs.

At the same time, Zhang Bingwen saw the newcomer and stood up, asking, "And who is this?"

"Governor Zhang, my surname is Wu. I am honored by His Majesty's trust to oversee the Eastern Depot. Today, I have come to Shanxi on His Majesty's orders! Please forgive me for not informing him beforehand!" Wu Daozheng said politely. As for Zhang Bingwen, Wu Daozheng felt there was no need to offend him. After all, he was the governor of a province, and it was hard to say whether he would join the military and political bureau or the cabinet in the future. It was better not to make enemies if there was no conflict of interest.

Upon hearing that it was an imperial decree, Zhang Bingwen cleared his throat, slightly turned to the side, and gestured for him to enter: "Please, Eunuch Wu, come into the inner hall for tea!"

Wu Daozheng nodded slightly: "Please!"

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