Isolated town in northern border region

Jiang Min covered her face with a cloth and stepped down from the carriage.

Xiao Lie looked at her with some surprise.

"Our engagement was a transaction to begin with, you really don't need to..."

Before Xiao Lie could finish speaking, Jiang Min asked a question.

"Your Highness is also skilled in traditional Chinese medicine?"

"don't know."

Xiao Lie didn't look at her; his gaze remained fixed on the group of refugees.

"But I know how to deal with this plague."

"This is cholera, also known as the disease caused by exposure to evil."

"All we need is a clean place to build an isolation camp, gather the infected people together, and let them drink clean salt water and sugar water. As long as they don't continue to dehydrate, most of them can survive."

Jiang Min nodded, recalling the classic texts he had read.

"To avoid catching a cold? Medical books say that one should use warming and dispersing cold herbs such as agastache, amomum, pinellia, and roasted ginger..."

Xiao Lie turned and glanced at her.

"Where did all these medicinal herbs come from?"

"Look how many people are affected by the disaster!"

"These are just the ones who managed to escape; at most, they're only mild cases. Heaven knows how many people didn't make it!"

"What I lack most right now is manpower!"

"If such a large-scale plague cannot be effectively controlled, the entire Qingzhou will become a ghost town!"

Jiang Min frowned deeply.

"This place isn't far from Cangzhou. If we come from the northern frontier..."

Jiang Min stopped halfway through her sentence.

If Xiao Lie really mobilized the troops from the Northern Frontier in a grand manner, according to the laws of Chu, the Chu Emperor would surely accuse him of being a vassal king who had privately mobilized troops, and he might even lose the Northern Frontier Kingship he had just acquired!

Xiao Lie wasn't particularly interested in a title; the key issue was that if he lost even the title of King of the Northern Frontier, he would truly have no choice but to watch the people of Qingzhou die!

Xiao Lie led his men forward for three miles and stopped on a relatively open riverbank.

There is clean, flowing water upstream, and the downstream area is far from any village.

He ordered the vanguard to set up camp on the spot, cutting tree branches, building sheds, and digging drainage ditches, and busily but efficiently built a temporary isolation zone.

Just as everything was almost arranged, a young man in hemp clothing, carrying a basket on his back, emerged from behind the pile of rocks.

Two soldiers from the elite infantry camp immediately stopped him and pinned him to the ground.

"Sir! I'm a healer! I'm here to save lives!"

Xiao Lie heard the commotion and came over, signaling the soldiers to release their grip.

The young man in hemp clothing stood up, rubbed his sore shoulder, and bowed to Xiao Lie somewhat flusteredly.

"This humble servant greets your esteemed guest!"

Xiao Lie nodded.

"Who are you? Where are you from?"

"My name is Xu De, and I am a traveling doctor."

The young man wiped the sweat from his face.

"After completing my apprenticeship, I traveled the world and heard that a plague was raging in Qingzhou, so I came to see if I could do anything to help."

Xiao Lie looked at him and found that although this young man named Xu De was somewhat timid, his eyes were extremely clear.

Do you know what this disease is?

Xu De nodded.

"I know! This is an offense!"

"The patient will experience persistent diarrhea, high fever but chills, and eventually die from dehydration!"

"Mild cases can be treated with acupuncture and induced vomiting with saline solution, while severe cases require a desperate fight against death with Si Ni Tang!"

Xiao Lie's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly turned to look at Jiang Min.

He didn't know anything about medicine, but Jiang Min had been able to give Xiao Yu acupuncture before, which clearly showed that he had some experience with it.

Jiang Min nodded and walked to Xiao Lie's side.

"I have seen the method of inducing vomiting with salt water in books, but what is the prescription for Si Ni Tang?"

Xu De's Adam's apple bobbed, and he shrank his neck somewhat guiltily.

"This Si Ni Tang is a prescription I came up with on my way here."

"Because patients who have been exposed to evil will experience cold extremities after persistent diarrhea, the main ingredient in my prescription is aconite, which is very pungent and hot. It warms and invigorates the yang qi and dispels cold evil, hence the name Si Ni Tang (Four Rebellions Decoction)."

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Min was immediately shocked upon hearing this!

"aconite!"

"This medicine is extremely poisonous; even a sesame seed's worth of urine or feces can be fatal. You actually intend to use such a highly poisonous substance as the main ingredient?"

As soon as Jiang Min finished speaking, Xu De bristled like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.

"Why not?"

"Although aconite is poisonous, its toxicity can be reduced simply by processing it..."

Xu De chattered on and on as if he were high, leaving the learned Jiang Min speechless.

Xiao Lie stood aside, listening as if to a foreign language, only to see Xu De becoming more and more excited as he spoke, while Jiang Min's face also showed a thoughtful expression.

Xiao Lie knew that this prescription should work!

"stop!"

"Since you're so confident, then let's follow your prescription!"

"I have only one question: with such a great disaster, the number of patients is countless, are there enough medicinal herbs?"

Xu De's eyes lit up, and he looked at Xiao Lie as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"Enough! Enough!"

"When I came here, I thought that although aconite grows mostly in the Shu region, Qingzhou is adjacent to the Cangzhou Mountains and forms its own basin. The climate is not much different from that of Shu, so it must be found in the grassy slopes of the mountains!"

As he spoke, Xu De put down his basket and took out a handful of aconite from it.

"Look! I picked quite a few along the way; this aconite is the mother plant of Aconitum carmichaelii!"

"Moreover, although aconite is the main ingredient in Si Ni Tang, the dosage is not large. Only dried ginger and licorice are needed, and these two herbs are readily available, so there should be enough!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lie's brows finally relaxed.

"Heaven have mercy! Perhaps the people of Qingzhou can truly be saved!"

"Xu De, you're a savior sent from heaven!"

Xiao Lie bowed deeply to Xu De and immediately ordered three soldiers to help Xu De find a good place to settle down.

That afternoon, the first batch of saline-sugar water was prepared and began to be fed to people with mild symptoms.

These people were still dehydrated, and without Xiao Lie urging them, they all grabbed the earthenware bowls and started gulping down water.

Fortunately, after receiving intravenous fluids, these patients with mild symptoms regained a rosy complexion and spoke louder, no longer as weak and listless as before.

Xiao Lie stood at the edge of the camp, watching the people gradually quiet down. He let out a long breath, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

Jiang Min walked up to him without him noticing, and the two stood side by side without saying a word.

After a long while, Jiang Min finally spoke.

"Your Highness is extremely benevolent. If this matter were to spread, coupled with your previous achievements in recovering the northern frontier, Your Highness's prestige could rival that of Emperor Wu!"

Xiao Lie shrugged and squinted at Jiang Min.

"You're so pitiful."

Jiang Min was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Why do you say that, Your Highness?"

Xiao Lie sighed and said softly.

"Although we were born into royalty, we are just ordinary people."

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are no different for them."

"Look at those people. Just half a day ago they were sitting by the roadside waiting to die, but now all they need is a bowl of water to chat happily."

"But what about you? You have to consider every word and action, and calculate the gains and losses of everything you do."

"Isn't saving a life something to be happy about?"

Jiang Min was stunned for a long time before she spoke softly.

"Is it really... that easy?"

Xiao Lie smiled.

"This affliction can be transmitted through feces. I'll have to take some men to dig a large latrine later."

"If you don't mind, stand aside and cheer us on."

"You're so well-read, you could even just tell us stories!"

"I guarantee you'll be happy even digging a latrine!"

After Xiao Lie finished speaking, he waved his hand and walked towards the camp.

Jiang Min stood there, watching the setting sun stretch Xiao Lie's shadow longer and longer, and two red clouds slowly rose on her cheeks.

"vulgar!"

"How could anyone... make the future princess do such...filthy things!"

…………

In the Qingzhou government office, Prefect Du Ming held Xiao Lie's waist token and looked at the family letter on the table, his expression complex.

"The King of the Northern Frontier, Xiao Lie..."

"Truly a wise and virtuous king!"

Du Ming was born into the Du family in the capital. In his thirties, he was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) during the reign of the late emperor. He was skilled in education and agriculture and had outstanding political achievements.

His order to burn down the villages to stop the spread of the plague was a last resort, and he was already filled with remorse.

But then he saw his subordinate captain return with the Northern Frontier King's token, saying that the Northern Frontier King had taken control of the refugees and would personally lead people to treat the people and eradicate the plague.

Upon hearing this news, Du Ming wished he could personally leave the city and join Xiao Lie in saving the lives of the people.

But just as Du Ming was about to lead his men out of the city, the steward stepped in to stop him and produced a personal letter from the head of the Du family!

The letter said very simply, just one thing—stand aside and watch!

This is almost the unanimous attitude of the powerful families of the Great Chu. Apart from those small families that have made their fortunes in the Northern Frontier, all the other prominent families have made their stance clear: they will not help either side!

Xiao Lie forced the emperor to grant him the title of King of the Northern Frontier through near-coercion. The five prefectures of the Northern Frontier became a state within a state, along with the renowned Princess Minyue.

It was clear to everyone that the State of Chu was about to witness a fierce battle.

These aristocratic families were previously used as pawns by the Chu Emperor and suffered a setback at Xiao Lie's hands. Now they have learned their lesson and are sitting on the sidelines watching the two fight it out, waiting for the uncle and nephew to prove themselves before placing their bets.

Du Ming was anxious, but for the sake of the interests of the entire family, he dared not make any rash contact with Xiao Lie, so he could only sit alone in the study and sulk.

"The eastern part of Qingzhou is now full of refugees fleeing the disaster. With only a few hundred men under the Northern Frontier King, they might not even be able to find the source of the epidemic. How can they possibly control it?"

"Alas! What have the common people done to deserve this struggle for imperial power?"