Isolated town in northern border region

evening.

Xiao Lie was leading a group of uninfected civilians to dig a large pit, lay wooden planks, and build a temporary latrine outside the camp.

His hands were covered in mud, and his face was smudged with ash.

Several villagers nearby worked in fear and trepidation, not daring to utter a sound.

They've lived half their lives and never dug a pit with the prince!

What's even more frightening is that there's a beautiful woman nearby who keeps bringing them water! Judging from how the soldiers address her, she seems to be a princess!

Good heavens! This is something to brag about for a lifetime!

suddenly!

A commotion arose from the camp entrance, growing louder and louder, like a tide surging onto a dam.

Xiao Lie straightened up and saw that the entrance to the camp had been surrounded by people.

It was densely packed, a dark mass.

The elderly, women, children, and young adults were all dressed in rags, their faces pale and emaciated. Some were being helped along, some were lying on door panels, and some were crawling on the ground, unable to walk.

When the leading villagers saw the banner that read "King of the Northern Frontier" hanging at the entrance of the camp, they knelt down with a thud and burst into tears.

"Your Highness! Save us! Please save us!"

They surged toward the camp entrance like a tide.

The soldiers of the Trapped Camp linked arms to form a human wall, trying to block the surging crowd, but there were too many people, how could they stop them?

The scene immediately descended into chaos!

Xiao Lie threw down the shovel in his hand and strode towards the camp gate.

"Set up the pot! Boil the water! Add salt and sugar! Quickly!"

But his words were drowned out by the noise, and no one could hear them.

Bisu ran over, her forehead covered in sweat.

"Your Highness... there are too many... our tents simply can't accommodate them all!"

"We're running out of medicine; Doctor Xu needs someone to gather more!"

"With so many people, quarantine simply can't be done!"

Xiao Lie stood at the highest point of the camp and raised his voice.

"The Vanguard Camp will be divided into ten teams! Each team will have a pot! Set up stoves at the camp entrance to boil water! Give the mild cases some salt and sugar water first! Carry the severe cases into the camp and hand them over to Doctor Xu!"

The soldiers moved swiftly.

The stove was set up, the water boiled, and salt and sugar were poured into the pot and stirred well.

A warm, sweet and salty aroma filled the air.

The crowd gradually quieted down, and people in the front row began to line up to get water.

But just then, a rough voice rang out from the crowd.

"Don't believe him, everyone! This damned prince is just like those corrupt officials; they all want to kill us!"

"I saw them dig a huge hole! They're going to bury us alive!"

Xiao Lie suddenly stopped moving.

The crowd was quiet for a moment, then erupted into a huge uproar.

Panic spread like wildfire, and the little order that had just been established collapsed instantly.

Some people started running backwards, while others desperately pushed forward;

Some people cried out, "We want to get out!" while others overturned the stove.

Some people even threw stones at the soldiers!

"Liar! What prince! He's here to kill us!"

"Don't drink his water! He's trying to kill us!"

Several soldiers were hit on the head by stones, their faces covered in blood, yet they continued to maintain order.

The centurion of the Vanguard Corps gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes bloodshot.

"Your Highness, we have no choice but to suppress it!"

Xiao Lie shook his head.

He turned and strode toward the camp entrance.

Not far away, Jiang Min was standing beside the carriage, watching this scene.

"What is he trying to do? There are patients everywhere outside. Does he think he's immune to all diseases?"

She instinctively took a step forward, and the maid beside her quickly grabbed her sleeve.

"Princess! Danger! You can't go there!"

Jiang Min did not turn around; her voice was cold and urgent.

"Is he insane? Does he even know what he's doing?"

"These unruly people, if they don't believe, then let them die!"

Xu De was feeding medication to a critically ill patient in the camp when he heard the commotion. He put down the medicine bowl and rushed out.

He immediately saw Xiao Lie walking out of the camp.

Xu De's face turned pale instantly, and he almost dropped the medicine bowl in his hand.

"Are you out of your mind...you really are out of your mind..."

"How could there be... such a prince in this world?"

The soldiers responsible for isolating the enemy had bloodshot eyes.

"This is our Prince!"

"You, surnamed Xu, you'd better have your medicine ensure the Prince's safety, or I'll skin you alive!"

As for Bisu, she followed Xiao Lie into the crowd full of people suffering from the plague without hesitation.

"Your Highness! Please put the cloth on quickly!"

"Bisu will go in the prince's place!"

"Your Highness!"

As she spoke, Bisu was about to tear off the cloth covering her face and put it on Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie reached out to stop them and ordered two soldiers to drag Bi Su away.

His gaze swept over the terrified and desperate faces around him, his voice steady and resonant.

"I! Xiao Lie! The King of the Northern Frontier of the Great Chu!"

"Now, I am just like you!"

"From this day forward, I will live alongside you!"

The crowd fell completely silent.

No one could have imagined that a prince would risk being infected and walk into the crowd like this.

At this moment, no one dared to doubt Xiao Lie anymore!

Everyone believed that Xiao Lie had come to save them!

Bisu stood outside the crowd, her hands gripping her sleeves tightly, her whole body trembling.

She bit her lip, trying not to cry out, but the tears just wouldn't stop.

Xu De stood at the camp entrance, his eyes slightly red, and forcefully flicked his sleeve.

"A madman...a real madman...you'd better not die..."

He muttered to himself, then turned and rushed back into the tent, secretly taking out two portions of Si Ni Tang (a traditional Chinese medicine soup).

Xiao Lie shouted loudly.

"Did you feel better after drinking some water?"

The people looked at each other in bewilderment, and then suddenly realized that they seemed to have regained a lot of strength.

"Trust me, you will live!"

"If you don't believe me, go outside and let the epidemic spread; you'll surely die!"

The crowd was deathly silent.

Xiao Lie walked straight through the crowd.

Underfoot were all sorts of filthy things.

He stepped over the filth, walked into the middle of the crowd, and stood in front of a man crouching on the ground, shivering. He looked at him.

A loud voice suddenly rang out from the side.

"It was him! He's the one who said it! He said the prince wants to harm us!"

A burly man with a face full of scars was shrinking his neck and trying to slip back.

Xiao Lie raised his left hand, and a Northern Frontier Taiping Blade fell into his hand.

Why are you spreading rumors?

The burly man trembled all over.

"I...I didn't...I only heard it from someone else..."

The next moment, a head rolled off, and blood splattered everywhere.

Xiao Lie sheathed his sword, staring at the bloodstains splattered on the muddy ground without a flicker of emotion.

"From today onwards, anyone who spreads rumors and causes trouble will face the consequences!"

He turned around and looked around at everyone.

"Line up. Those with mild symptoms, get saline solution; those with severe symptoms, go to the camp."

"I will always be here, living alongside you."

The crowd began to move.

Countless thuds of people kneeling down rang out, and tens of thousands of people were completely relieved, kowtowing repeatedly in the direction of Xiao Lie.

"I kowtow in gratitude to Your Highness for saving my life!"

Gradually, the procession took shape, and order was restored.

Xiao Lie returned to the high platform at the entrance of the camp, looked at the people queuing up for water and helping each other, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Jiang Min stared blankly at Xiao Lie, separated from him by a wooden fence.

"Your Highness must be very happy to have saved so many lives, right?"

Xiao Lie put his hands behind his head and crossed his legs.

"certainly!"

"However, Princess, you'd better stay away. I'm currently covered in the plague; be careful not to catch it!"

Jiang Min frowned.

Are you really not afraid?

"just in case……"

Xiao Lie looked completely indifferent.

"It's alright. With my physique, even if I catch it, it will be a mild case. I'll just drink some salt and sugar water and have diarrhea for a few days."

"But what if Her Highness the Princess were to contract it..."

"Diarrhea... such a huge hole... how smelly must it be!"

Jiang Min wanted to say a few words of concern, but Xiao Lie's words became more and more disgusting, which made her stomp her foot in anger and turn away.

"Hmph! I hope you die of illness!"

…………

As the night deepened, Xiao Lie led his men to light a bonfire among the crowd.

He himself sat on the high platform by the door, dozing off against the wooden railing.

Suddenly, Xiao Lie felt a chill run through his body, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

After a short while, I felt both hot and cold.

It's like being thrown into a steamer one minute and then into an ice hole the next.

I endured the alternation between hot and cold all night.

Xiao Lie clutched his stomach, shook his head with a wry smile.

"Sigh, I still went too far in my recklessness."

But just as he stood up, preparing to relieve the pressure in his anus in the outhouse he had dug himself...

A dense mass of figures, wailing in agony, surged toward the camp along the official road.

"Damn! This is scarier than a zombie movie!"

"These few hundred people alone aren't enough!"

Just as Xiao Lie was worrying, Jiang Min's voice came from inside the wooden fence.

"Du Ming, the prefect of Qingzhou, was personally promoted by Emperor Wu and was an official with outstanding political achievements."

"It seems that the great epidemic in Qingzhou was also due to his excessive hesitation and reluctance to take action against the people at the beginning."

"If Your Highness were to ask him for help, Du Ming would not refuse, both morally and logically."

Xiao Lie blinked.

"If the princess doesn't mind, could you please write me a letter?"

"I imagine there must be some agents of your Bureau of Folklore in Qingzhou as well?"