EBE Chapter 1454 Changes
Chapter 1454 Changes
It was a smell mixed with the stench of medicine and decay, drifting in the cold wind, making one's nose sting.
Lin Yiwan immediately lifted the carriage curtain and solemnly instructed, "Cover your mouths and noses, Miao'er, keep an eye on Xiaobai and don't let it touch anything."
Zhan Miao hurriedly hugged Zhan Xiaobai in his arms, covered its nose with a brocade handkerchief, and covered his own mouth and nose as well, feeling inexplicably heavy-hearted.
The group searched until they reached the main house in the village, where they found several emaciated villagers. Their eyes were unfocused, their cheeks flushed an unnatural redness, and they coughed incessantly. Upon seeing strangers, they could only weakly lift their eyes. An old man coughed and said, "Sir... please leave quickly... this village... is plagued..."
Before he could finish speaking, a guard staggered in to report: "My lord, there are officials guarding outside the village. They say the village has been sealed off, and anyone who enters is not allowed to leave, lest the epidemic spread."
Zhan Yan's heart sank. He quickly walked to the village entrance and saw several armed guards standing watch. Seeing that he was dressed in the attire of a marquis, they simply bowed and said, "Lord Zhan, we are ordered to seal off the village. Please forgive us for being unable to comply. This epidemic is spreading rapidly, and those who are infected will fall ill immediately. The government is looking for a doctor, and until he arrives, no one can come out."
Upon hearing this, Princess Youyi hurriedly lifted the curtain and stepped out: "I am Princess Youyi of Jingcheng. Lord Mo has gone missing, and I must return to Jingcheng immediately. How can I be trapped here!"
The official looked troubled, but still shook his head: "Princess, please forgive me, the epidemic is of paramount importance, and the imperial decree cannot be disobeyed."
For a moment, the crowd was caught in a dilemma, and had no choice but to retreat back into the village.
Lin Yiwan steadied herself and ordered her personal guards to clean out the main house, take out all the dry food and medicine from the carriage, and then ordered people to carefully wipe the inside and outside of the house and disinfect it with strong liquor: "Don't panic. I have medicine for treating coughs and fevers. Give it to the villagers first. Miao'er, you and Ziyu stay in the house and do not have close contact with the patients."
Zhan Miao held Zhan Xiaobai in his arms, watching the cold wind swirling snowflakes outside and hearing the villagers coughing. His heart clenched.
Mo Ziyu stood beside her, placed his hand on her shoulder, and whispered, "Don't be afraid. Your great-uncle and great-aunt are here; they will surely find a way."
But the worry in his eyes could not be hidden. Jingcheng was not yet settled, and he was trapped by the epidemic. The road ahead was uncertain, and he did not know when he would be able to get out of trouble.
Zhan Yan sent two of his most agile personal guards, disguised as villagers, to try to take a detour to deliver the message. However, they soon returned and whispered, "My lord, we are surrounded by officials and patrolmen. There is no way to get out."
As the night deepened, the flickering candlelight inside the room illuminated the solemn faces of the people.
The smell of medicine mixed with the stench of decay grew stronger. Zhan Xiaobai struggled restlessly in Zhan Miao's arms, whimpering softly. Lin Yiwan was feeding her father-in-law medicine, while Zhan Yan stood by the window, gazing at the village entrance shrouded in wind and snow, his eyes cold and detached.
A sudden epidemic trapped the travelers, who had been traveling through the night, in this desolate village, their future uncertain and fraught with danger.
Within half a day, the two servants who accompanied the group developed a persistent high fever and broke out in rashes all over their bodies. Soon after, the elderly and children in the village fell ill one after another.
Their symptoms were exactly the same: high fever, cough, wheezing, and skin ulcers, all of which were unresponsive to medication.
Even more terrifying, the government somehow got wind of the situation and sent troops to surround the entire village, ostensibly to control the epidemic, but in reality, they were abandoning everyone there to fend for themselves.
Princess Youyi was filled with worry. She longed to return to Jingcheng as soon as possible, but now she was trapped in the plague-stricken village. She was surrounded by soldiers outside and the plague was spreading inside. She didn't have many medicinal herbs with her, and if she couldn't find a way to control the disease, this small village would become a dead village in a few days, and all of them would perish here.
Lin Yi-wan personally brewed the medicine and was very busy.
"Madam, will this medicine work?" a maidservant asked softly, her voice filled with apprehension.
Lin Yiwan didn't look up, her gaze fixed on the old man's heaving chest, and said softly, "It can only temporarily suppress the high fever and relieve the cough and wheezing, but it cannot eradicate the root of the disease. This epidemic came strangely and spreads extremely fast. If we can't find the source and don't find a way to control it, the entire village will be swallowed up by the epidemic in less than three days."
As soon as she finished speaking, the old man suddenly coughed violently, coughing so hard it was heart-wrenching. His chest heaved violently, a trickle of black blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and his breath instantly weakened.
Lin Yiwan's expression changed, and she immediately put down the medicine bowl. Her fingertips quickly picked up the silver needle and precisely pierced the old man's vital acupoint.
"Hold your breath and don't come any closer," she commanded without turning her head.
Her voice was calm and firm: "This epidemic spreads through droplets and contact. You should all stay by the door and not touch the clothes or utensils used by the patients."
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly took a few steps back, their eyes filled with terror.
Zhan Miao looked down at Zhan Xiaobai, who was still rubbing against him, gently patted its head to signal it to be quiet, and subconsciously moved closer to Mo Ziyu.
But Lin Yiwan disregarded her own safety and stood guard by the kang (a heated brick bed), administering acupuncture with one hand and soothing her father-in-law's breathing with the other. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto her clothes, leaving a small wet stain.
Zhan Yan stood by the window, gazing at the village entrance shrouded in wind and snow. It was pitch black there, with only a few scattered torches flickering in the snow, like will-o'-the-wisps, indicating the blockade outside.
He gripped the sword at his waist, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
On the battlefield, he could break through enemy encirclements with thousands of troops, but when faced with this invisible plague, he had no way to exert his strength and could only watch helplessly as the people around him fell into danger.
“My lord,” Yingyi stepped forward and reported in a low voice.
"Less than 30% of the medicinal herbs we brought with us are left. We've searched through all the herbs we could find in the village, but they're mostly common weeds that can't suppress the epidemic at all. Also, three of our personal guards have started to have fevers and coughs."
Zhan Yan closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was a cold, hard look: "Gather all the patients in an empty house at the east end of the village, completely separating them from the healthy people. Burn mugwort and atractylodes every day to fumigate the house. No one is allowed to move around freely, and no one is allowed to share bowls, chopsticks, or other utensils."
"Yes."
As night deepened, the wind and snow intensified.
After Lin Yiwan finished administering the acupuncture, she watched as her father-in-law's breathing gradually stabilized before letting out a long sigh of relief. She then slowly stood up, supporting herself on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her legs feeling slightly numb.
She turned around, looked at everyone in the room, and then looked at Zhan Yan's solemn face. She said softly, "My lord, although this epidemic is severe, it is not incurable. I need to carefully examine the patients, find the source of the epidemic, and then adjust the prescription. However, the medicinal materials are in short supply, and we need to find a way to raise them as soon as possible."
"Surrounded on the outside, unable to move an inch, where would we get medicinal herbs?" Zhan Yan's voice was low.
Lin Yiwan bit her lip, her gaze resolute: "I remember that there should be several medicinal herbs growing in the nearby mountains and forests, such as Bupleurum, Scutellaria, Honeysuckle, and Forsythia. They can clear heat and detoxify, cool the blood and reduce fever, and may be used to suppress the epidemic. I will lead people into the mountains to collect herbs as soon as it is light tomorrow."