Chapter 89

Chapter 89: A Slap in the Face, Generous Rewards

"The eerie silence bodes ill!" one of the imperial envoys who had previously participated in epidemic control hissed. "Fortunately, this Yan Xuan acted decisively. Along our journey, we haven't noticed anything amiss."

"This is sacrificing one city to save the others," he added in a somber tone.

Old Master He listened to them pontificating, nearly dying of anxiety inside.

The head and second head of the Qin family maintained composed expressions, but if one looked closely, one would notice the smug glances they occasionally exchanged.

As if everything was within their control.

Others were also whispering, discussing the sudden outbreak of the acute epidemic, offering their worries and suggestions.

Everyone put on layered protective masks without exception, and had taken medicinal decoctions for several days beforehand, preparing themselves as thoroughly as possible.

They were on high alert.

Finally, the city garrison soldiers rushed to report the news, and Prefect Yan hurried over with his men to welcome them.

"Open—the—gates!"

A solemn, grave shout rang out, and the two massive, ancient gates slowly swung open to both sides.

Qin Chunquan's expression tightened slightly. Even though their Shanyi Hall had already taken pills formulated to counter this type of plague in advance, if something went wrong, there was still an element of risk.

But the eagerness to see Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop meet their downfall burned just as fiercely!

The gates fully open, the imperial envoy procession swept forward in grand style—only to be met by clean, spacious official roads. Though there were few people about, it was nothing like the scene they had imagined: the sick and dying lying everywhere, the elderly, women, and children abandoned, the entire city filled with wails and despair.

"This..." What was going on? They had never seen anything like it.

Qin Chunquan couldn't hold back: "Where are the patients? Don't tell me they've all been taken away and buried alive!?"

Others also thought of this possibility, staring at Prefect Yan in shock, thinking the man must be utterly ruthless to act so swiftly.

After all, the imperial envoys had come not only to treat the epidemic but also to inspect and supervise the governing capabilities of Xuanhe Prefecture's officials. Prefect Yan would certainly put up a façade to avoid punishment.

The envoys walked on for a while, still seeing not a single soul, while Prefect Yan remained smiling, showing no sign of nervousness or fear.

Immediately, one of them rebuked him: "Yan Xuan, what crime do you deserve—burying an entire city's population alive!"

All the officials of Xuanhe Prefecture hastily knelt and bowed, pleading their innocence. Prefect Yan himself said, "Rest assured, Imperial Envoy. Just go a little further ahead and you'll see."

Everyone was baffled.

The head of the Qin family frowned, but as merchants, they had no place to interject before the officials.

Still—if people had been buried alive, how could everything be cleaned up so thoroughly, without a trace left behind?

Meanwhile, Qin Chunquan, who had fantasized countless times about a very different outcome, couldn't help shivering at this starkly opposite reality.

So shocked and absurd did it feel that he even wondered—could he have walked into a ghost city?

After all, this plague was truly fierce and terrifying. Half a month was enough to wipe out an entire city.

Looking at these mysterious Xuanhe officials, at this moment Qin Chunquan actually found the "ghost city" theory more plausible than any other.

After walking less than half a quarter-hour, Prefect Yan led them into a neighborhood and had them observe from a corner at a distance.

Huichun Hall's clerks were distributing Zhuwei grass to the people. Quite a few residents came out, smiling, and chattering with concern.

"Brother Daji, is Master Jiang doing well? We haven't seen him in a while."

"Yes, yes—we heard he caught the plague too. He's all right, isn't he?"

Qin Chunquan was almost pathologically sensitive to the name "Jiang." The moment he heard it, he immediately looked over.

Jiang Yuye had also contracted the plague!?

Before he could feel any delight, a Huichun Hall clerk casually replied: "He's fine, he's fine. With Zhuwei grass, there's definitely no problem."

"I knew it! My whole family's been chanting sutras and praying every day, terrified that something might happen to Master Jiang. That's good, that's good—good people get good rewards!"

The envoys suspected this was all a show put on by Prefect Yan, so they went to other places and saw nothing but similarly harmonious scenes.

No conflict, no suffering, no cries—it was almost as if there were no epidemic at all.

Unconvinced, they sent people disguised as commoners into residents' homes, where they received medicine packets whose main ingredient was Zhuwei grass.

"Let's see what this medicine is right away—they've been touting it to the skies!"

Shanyi Hall was the first to snatch a packet and examine it, their movements somewhat impatient. "What is this stuff—just some weed like foxtail grass? What's going on here?"

But another pharmacy recognized it: "This substance, this humble one knows—it was discovered to be useful in Xuanhe Prefecture last year. It's said to have heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. We haven't used it much on our side, but those who have all say it's a good medicine."

"Yes, yes—I remember now. The main point is it's very cheap and grows wild everywhere. It's a substitute for many expensive herbs, and actually works better than some of them!"

The Shanyi Hall people only wanted to sneer. Even if it were a good medicine, how could it possibly compare to their carefully prepared formulas?

"Hiss—these ingredients..." The exclamations of disbelief drew everyone's attention.

The Hejian Liu family and the Wenzhou Wu family of the Warm Disease School both had deep research and understanding of plagues, and were routinely dispatched by the court to treat epidemic outbreaks.

For various plagues, they had their own treatment methods. But this formula—they had never seen anything like it. Yet its combinations, with their eighteen antagonisms and nineteen incompatibilities, their mutual generation and restraint...

"Not only that—it's almost like they stumbled upon a treasure." They all turned to look at Old Master He with admiration.

"No wonder Huichun Hall is called 'Miraculous Recovery'—this is a divine prescription! No wonder they were able to quell this epidemic!"

The formula was right, the ingredients were right—but how had they acted so swiftly? The envoys split into several teams to investigate further.

Prefect Yan knew his words alone were useless—they needed to see for themselves, to realize just how capable and hardworking his team had been.

The Shanyi Hall people could no longer sit still, especially when Doctor Luo saw the formula—his pupils contracted, disbelief written all over his face.

Taking advantage of being sent out, they immediately sought out their own men stationed here.

"What exactly has been going on this whole time?"

"From top to bottom, every single resident of Xuanhe Prefecture has been won over by Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop. Going forward, they're probably going to shake the entire Great Ning—unstoppable..."

After hearing the full account, even the usually composed and calculating head of the Qin family couldn't hold back, grinding his teeth: "Chunquan, we've been building a bridge for others to cross!"

Who could have imagined that, faced with the sudden epidemic, not only was Xuanhe Prefecture unaffected, but Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop had seized the opportunity to shine, earning the recognition of the entire populace and the government!

Not only had nothing gone wrong, but they had also plucked the fruits that the Qins had painstakingly plotted for years!

The many fellow merchants who had accompanied them originally came to show off their skills, but now, confronted by the formidable Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop, they were all extending olive branches, eager to collaborate.

Especially Jichun Medicine Workshop—they were intensely curious about this newly emerged workshop that had led the epidemic treatment, and about Master Jiang, who was being thanked with tears by the grateful people.

That evening, when the imperial envoy team arrived in Xuanhe Prefecture, Jiang Yuye, Lu Lizhi, He Lin, Madam He, Doctor Meng, and others were summoned to the prefectural office by Prefect Yan. None were surprised—they were already fully dressed and ready.

When the two families emerged from their homes, they couldn't help exchanging smiles, feeling a bright sense of having joined hands, overcome difficulties, and finally welcomed the dawn.

At the prefectural office, facing dozens of industry elites and several imperial envoys' intense scrutiny and questioning, the others performed adequately.

But Jiang Yuye, Lu Lizhi, and He Lin—these three young men—opened the envoys' eyes. Their vision, strategies, and methods drew praise even from the seasoned capital officials.

"Excellent, excellent! We wonder if Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop could guide us through the epidemic treatment procedures? Many of your practices are entirely new to us, yet remarkably effective!"

"Indeed—if another plague strikes, having these strategies will more than double our efficiency!" This was the greatest gain of their visit.

Zhuwei grass might only work against this particular plague, but this successful model had much to teach them.

Jiang Yuye, Lu Lizhi, and He Lin exchanged glances and naturally agreed.

Coincidentally, the epidemic relief efforts were not yet fully concluded—they still needed careful and thorough wrap-up to prevent a resurgence. With the help of the pharmacies brought by the envoys, the team's burden was lightened significantly; they only needed to share their successful experiences.

With Lu Lizhi's various methods and Jiang Yuye's modern improvements, another half month passed.

On the day the envoys declared themselves fully trained and decided to return to the capital—a day of clear blue skies and gentle breezes—all the residents of Xuanhe Prefecture also cautiously emerged from their homes.

It was March 23rd, the Grain Rain solar term, a time for farmers to raise silkworms and pick tea. It became an unforgettable day for the people of Xuanhe.

They lined the streets, cheering as they ran to Huichun Hall's doors. Some insisted on giving money to express their gratitude.

Others brought vegetables from their gardens, eggs they'd saved, homemade local snacks, needlework, and clothes to give as gifts. In the simplest and most heartfelt ways, they conveyed their appreciation.

He Lin accidentally got spotted by the crowd, who grabbed him and tossed him up in the air, leaving him screaming in terror.

"Put me down—ahhh!"

"I'm afraid of heights—ahhh~"

"Throw your Master Jiang up instead—ahhh!"

Master Jiang, at that moment, was sitting high in a tea house with Lu Lizhi and Old Master He, seeing off the imperial envoys and their departing peers.

Except for the Shanyi Hall people, who had looked as if they were eating excrement every day for the past half month, everyone else had enjoyed pleasant collaboration with Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop.

Much had been exchanged and learned.

"Brother Baiye, you absolutely must open Jichun in our town. I'll be waiting for you—if you don't come, I'll never let you hear the end of it!"

"Come to our place, and I'll help you set up the workshop directly!"

"I'll give you a house! Our local wine is the best in all Great Ning—once you come, you won't want to leave!"

Before departure, a group of people eyed Jichun hungrily. Who wouldn't want a partner that could help them soar? Even though Jichun was already tied to Huichun Hall, its medicines could still outmatch many local pharmacies, making them envious.

Jiang Yuye felt that riding this wave, he might be able to spread his wings, and he didn't refuse.

He asked the man beside him—whose cool, aloof aura made him seem hard to approach, yet in others' eyes, their intimacy was obvious.

"How much silver do we have now?"

Adding the prefectural subsidies and the funds "extracted" from other wealthy merchants, Jiang Yuye now had over ten thousand taels in banknotes.

Though Hanmo Pavilion and Yongyuan Bookshop had suffered losses and hadn't paid dividends this month, Lu Lizhi still had two thousand taels in hand.

Lu Lizhi figured that should be enough to open a few more workshops, right?

"Still too little—let's wait a bit longer..." Jiang Yuye estimated with a smile—soon, a large sum should be coming in. "This is the household money I'm handing over to you—can't touch it."

Lu Lizhi couldn't understand why he always refused to touch that money. What household? They both had money to spend—were they supporting thin air?

Later, Jiang Yuye gave it a new name.

He called it "milk money."

On the way back, Qin Chunquan finally found a secluded spot and went berserk.

"Why didn't we keep going! If we'd expanded the scope, they wouldn't have been able to treat everyone, it would have backfired—maybe even turned out like we'd hoped. But now they've taken all the credit, every last bit, and we've gotten nothing—no good reputation, just a wasted trip and exhaustion!"

But the head of the Qin family looked weary. "Now that they've learned that treatment protocol, we have to admit it's very effective. There's not much point in continuing. Besides..." He lowered his voice, his scalp tingling, "Lord Qi seems to have sensed something off—he's watching us. If he finds out we were behind this..."

Qin Chunquan immediately shut up, wishing he could swallow his previous words, terrified of eavesdroppers.

"But Huichun Hall this time—it's probably going to become the number one medical hall in all Great Ning!"

Through the spread of word among their peers, and not long after, when another epidemic broke out elsewhere, the envoys immediately applied what they'd learned from Xuanhe Prefecture, stabilizing the situation within half a month.

Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop, through this epidemic, became even more famous.

But before that even happened—on the tenth day—imperial rewards began arriving in succession.

Five thousand taels of gold each, countless treasures, not to mention—Jiang Yuye and Lu Lizhi, due to their work on flood control and canal repair, were mentioned multiple times by different officials, gaining significant familiarity before the emperor.

In fact, the name "Lu Lizhi" had already impressed him—a mute with outstanding talent, the first person in Great Ning to be exceptionally allowed to participate in the imperial examinations—how could he not be impressed?

When the officials reported on their deeds, even Tai Song, known for always arguing with the emperor, couldn't help remarking, "Lu Lizhi—well, that's not surprising."

The emperor suddenly developed a keen interest in this young xiucai. "I'm beginning to look forward to meeting him one day. Let's hope he doesn't disappoint me."

He then bestowed hundreds of volumes of rare books and countless top-quality writing supplies—enough to last Lu Lizhi through the examinations.

Many of these were treasures that countless scholars, even the literati of the Jiangyi Lu family, could only dream of!

As for Jiang Yuye, being a commoner, he could not be granted an official title. But his contributions were immense: a commoner who had taken the initiative to repair canals, treated the plague, contracted the illness himself, and won the adoration of the people—called "Great Philanthropist Jiang"—and was also highly capable.

The ministers proposed that such talents should be rewarded, so that in the future, even the lowest commoners would step forward to serve the court.

After much deliberation, the emperor bestowed upon him the title of an idle "Gentleman" and one hundred acres of prime farmland. Though in Great Ning one could purchase such idle titles through donations, the gold content of an imperial decree was incomparable.

It would surely outshine all local gentry and country gentlemen throughout Xuanhe Prefecture!

Huichun Hall and Jichun Medicine Workshop were also granted imperial-inscribed signs—not quite imperial merchants supplying the royal family, but with status and reputation second only to that.

Finally, Village Head Wang and Prefect Yan, for their outstanding performance, were also promoted—one became a town mayor with a hundred taels of silver, the other was transferred to the prosperous Jiangnan region as a prefect, with a future as a capital official in sight!

Prefect Yan had anticipated these rewards, but Village Head Wang and the people of Qingshui Village were completely stunned.

Never expected to win by just lying down—and to have the previous town mayor, who'd been at odds with him, removed from office!

Beneath Baishi Town, all the other village heads, whether they accepted it or not, were now under his jurisdiction.

Village Head Wang was so comfortable he'd wake up laughing in his sleep, once again grateful for his discerning eye—he'd helped the Jiang family from the start and had been rewarded in return.

Even Madam Feng, who had gained so much from this, finally shut her mouth and dared not make trouble anymore. Now, who didn't envy her as the "town mayor's wife"? Everywhere she went, people treated her with deference.

All because her husband was close to Jiang Yuye—now Gentleman Jiang, Great Philanthropist Jiang, Workshop Master Jiang!

At this time, the flood-diversion canal, which had taken eight months to complete, was officially finished, and those conscripted for labor began returning home.

Compared to the previous life, where more than half had died, this time over ten thousand more returned safely!

And not a single laborer from Qingshui Village was lost.

Summer arrived in the blink of an eye. The Jiangnan rains poured down, and floods once again broke out—but before they could drown innocent people and countless homes and fields, they rushed along the magnificent new flood-diversion canal, flowing away in grand fashion, dispersing to various water-scarce, arid regions.

During non-flood seasons, the canal could also be used for water transport, adding a new water route to all directions—how convenient and practical!

Jiang Yuye and Lu Lizhi came to the newly built estate in Chongzhou and began a new round of planning.

But lately, Jiang Yuye had some unspoken troubles.

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