The most dissolute couple in the capital

Within half a day, the news spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Chang'an.

Heavy rains have been pouring down on several southern states for days. The previously sturdy riverbanks finally gave way under the roar of the river and burst their banks. Several counties were turned into a vast expanse of water overnight, farmland was destroyed, houses collapsed, and people were displaced.

Even the atmosphere inside the Liang Prince's Mansion was somewhat affected.

Cui Qingyi was sitting behind a large sandalwood desk, her hands still unread after half an incense stick's time, clearly somewhat distracted.

As news of the disaster spread, grain prices rose by 20%, but fortunately the imperial court responded quickly by opening granaries to provide relief, which stabilized grain prices.

In her past life, she was confined to the Zheng family and knew little about the outside world. But she vaguely remembered that many people died in the south that year, and the aristocratic families in the capital donated a lot of money for disaster relief.

In the courtyard, Li Chengjing was squatting under the eaves, holding two dry grass roots in his hands, trying to give four-year-old Mingjiao a preschool medical education.

"My dear daughter, look carefully. The one on the left is Fangfeng (防风), and the one on the right is Chaihu (柴胡). Come, tell your father, which one should be used if you catch a cold?"

Little Mingjiao blinked her big eyes, stared at the two identical withered grasses for a while, then decisively stretched out her little hand and pointed to the left: "This one!"

Li Chengjing was overjoyed and slapped his thigh: "As expected of the daughter of Li Chengjing, the number one genius physician of our Great Ning Dynasty! This talent comes from me!"

"This... looks like dried meat, is it edible?" Xiao Mingjiao swallowed and asked sincerely.

Li Chengjing's smile froze instantly. He turned and shouted into the house in anguish, "Your Highness! Come out and control your daughter! She's trying to eat the exquisite Fangfeng (a traditional Chinese medicine) that I painstakingly prepared!"

Cui Qingyi walked out irritably: "These days, I've had Granny He take her to play in the mansion, and she can't go out much. People in the capital are in a state of panic these days, and I'm afraid something big is about to happen."

"Didn't my brother say that if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up?" Li stood up, patted the dregs of medicine off his hands, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes. "However, the flood is indeed serious. I heard that the Imperial Hospital was summoned early this morning, probably to send people to the south. If we have any extra medicines and grain in our storeroom, you should put them away. I'll send them to my brother in a couple of days, as a small token of our appreciation."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the gatekeeper rushed in to report: "Your Highness, Your Highness, the Imperial Physician Qi has arrived."

The two exchanged a glance, and Li Chengjing quickly had someone invite Old Master Qi into the flower hall.

For the past few years, Physician Qi had been taking Li Chengjing with him on his medical practice. He was usually cheerful, but today he had a furrowed brow and was walking hurriedly.

Upon entering, he didn't even bother to drink his tea before getting straight to the point: "Your Highness, I've come to say goodbye."

Li Chengjing was taken aback: "Saying goodbye? Where is Master going?"

"The south." The old imperial physician Qi sighed, his eyes filled with worry. "His Majesty has decreed that the Imperial Medical Academy will send twenty physicians to accompany the disaster relief efforts. I would also like to volunteer to participate in this matter."

"Old Qi!" Li Chengjing frowned. "How old are you? The south is now a vast expanse of water, teeming with refugees, who can't even find clean water! At your age, why bother with all this trouble? The Imperial Hospital has so many young and strong people; someone can handle it!"

The old imperial physician Qi shook his head, stopping Li Chengjing who was about to rush out, and said in a heavy tone: "Your Highness, this matter is no small thing. Others may think it is just an ordinary flood, and that going there will only treat some sprains and colds. But you are also a doctor, and you have read medical records. You should know that 'after a great flood, there will surely be a great epidemic.'"

"After the flood, the number of people who died from the water may not be as many as those who died from the plague. If a real epidemic breaks out, those young medical officers have never seen anything like it before, and I'm afraid they won't be able to control it. I won't feel at ease if I don't go."

These words were a wake-up call for Li Chengjing.

He always treated studying medicine as a hobby, and in his spare time he would treat the people in the palace who had headaches and fevers, or use medical principles to develop some beauty and skin care products.

Although he had boasted that he would become the number one physician in Da Ning, he knew that he was not diligent enough, after all, the Da Ning Dynasty did not lack physicians like him.

But at this moment, looking at the old physician Qi's resolute expression, he suddenly felt a strange and inexplicable tug at his heart.

Listening from the side, Cui Qingyi's heart skipped a beat. Memories of her past life flooded back like a tide. She remembered! After that great flood, a terrible plague did indeed break out, killing tens of thousands of people, and even some officials who went to provide disaster relief were not spared.

"Master..." Li Chengjing remained silent for a long time, "The imperial court will handle the disaster relief. How many people can you, a mere doctor, save?"

The old physician Qi patted his shoulder, his weathered eyes revealing a stubbornness: "A doctor's heart is benevolent; if you can save one, you save one."

After seeing off Physician Qi, Li Chengjing sat motionless in his armchair for a long time. Cui Qingyi poured him a cup of hot tea, pushed it to his side, and asked softly, "What's wrong? You seem distracted?"

Li Chengjing, unusually, didn't respond, only drinking his tea continuously until the cup was empty. He then slammed the teacup down on the table, rubbed his face with his hands, and said in a muffled voice, "I always boast to you that I'm the Great Ning's Divine Physician, but I know myself well. I only know a little bit, can concoct a few powders to treat headaches and fevers. If it were a real epidemic that kills hundreds or thousands, I'd be nothing. Old Qi is already this old; if he really catches it after this trip to the south…"

Cui Qingyi placed her hand on the back of his hand, and found it to be icy cold.

"Your Highness's concerns are not without reason." Cui Qingyi took a deep breath. "If, as Elder Qi said, an epidemic has broken out in the south, it's not something that can be resolved by simply killing a few people and closing the city gates. Once those displaced people flee in all directions to survive, the prefectures along the way could be affected."

Li Chengjing's brows furrowed deeper and deeper: "This is truly a major matter..."