Denghuaxiao

Chapter 225 Sunan’s Dilemma

 At the gate of the city, the deserted desolation of the past few days was somewhat broken up by the noisy carriages and horses.

Medical officers wearing cotton robes got out of the car one after another and put on face towels to protect their mouths and noses. There were about a hundred people from the Royal Pharmacy Hospital and Medical Officers Hospital, as well as the guards escorting the convoy.

These hundreds of people have become the hope of Sunan.

Cai Fang excitedly stepped forward to chat with Chang Jin, but Li Wenhu looked at these medical officers critically.

 Most of the medical officers are in their early 40s or 50s, generally older and look quite frail. Among them, three more people stood out, two young women and one young man. They looked young. Li Wenhu frowned slightly.

The doctors of the southern medical bank, no matter how young, are closer, calling a few children to come, this is not to play with trouble.

This group of people is so proud and privileged. How long can they really hold on to Sunan's current situation?

Just as he was feeling sad, the young woman walking behind raised her eyes and met Li Wenhu's appraising gaze.

Li Wenhu thought that his rude action would immediately make the other party unhappy, but he didn't expect that the other party was just startled for a moment and then looked away, looking cold.

Li Wenhu was stunned, scratched his head, and turned to talk to Cai Fang.

 Lu Zhen looked back.

 She knows this person.

 Once upon a time, she showed Yun Niangxiang the corpse at the Sunan execution ground, and one time she accidentally bumped into Li Wenhu. The other party didn't see the **** utensils in her jar, so he thought she had strayed off the road, stuffed her with a candy, and told her to leave quickly.

  Didn’t expect to meet again here.

She walked forward with the medical officers and heard the conversation between Chang Jin and the two of them carried along the wind.

“Cai County Magistrate, I was in a hurry and couldn’t receive letters. What is the current situation of the epidemic in southern Jiangsu?”

The man named Cai Fang sighed and replied: "To be honest, the current situation is really not good. The epidemic is serious. In the past two days, hundreds of people have died every day. People in the medical practice have fallen ill. If it were not for the correct treatment, If we come here, Sunan will probably just sit on the ground and wait for death."

 “Isn’t there a medicine shed?”

“Previously, decoctions were distributed in the city, but recently they have run out of medicinal herbs and the medicine sheds have been demolished.”

Chang Jin nodded and looked serious: "When we came to southern Jiangsu this time, we brought a lot of medicinal herbs, but..." He looked at the empty streets around him, "Why are there no people suffering from the disease?"

The long streets and alleys here are sparsely populated. Occasionally, one or two tightly wrapped passers-by pass by. They glance at the pedestrians sadly, then quickly turn into the corner house and close the door with a bang.

"The medical practitioners said that people with the disease should not move around to avoid infecting others. Therefore, no one wanted to go out." Cai Fang explained, "If the family is better off and the house is spacious, if they are sick, they will be isolated in the house. One person lives alone in a house, but many poor people live in cramped houses. If they are afraid of spreading the disease to their families, they take the initiative to go out to avoid the disease. "

At this point, Cai Fang hesitated: "If the medical officers are not afraid, I can take you to see where the patient is..."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Lin Danqing said: "We are here to treat the epidemic. If we don't see the patients, are we here to eat, drink and have fun?"

Cai Fang choked, and Li Wenhu glanced at her and said, "Little girl, don't speak too early. Let's talk about it when we get there."

Chang Jin asked a few medical officers to go to the county government office to put down supplies, carriages and horses, and then he took the remaining medical officers and Cai Fang to the treatment center where the patient was located.

As we walked along, the city became more and more desolate. The further we walked, the stronger the burning smell became. There were large gray clouds in the distance, as if something was burning, and the smoke gradually became choking.

Lu Zhen looked at the direction Cai Fang was leading the way, and his heart moved slightly.

This is…

Cai Fang stopped in front of a wasteland.

“Everyone, this is the place where people who are sick from the epidemic live.”

 Everyone looked up.

 This is a ruined temple.

The ruined temple is quite spacious, but it is surrounded by desolate surroundings. There is no farmland or streets. It stands alone in the sight of everyone. The temple door seems to have been repaired. There are two people wearing face scarves and looking like guards standing in front of the door. Seeing Cai Fang and Li Wenhu hurriedly took a few steps forward, glanced at the medical officers, and their tone was suddenly surprised: "County Prime Minister, are the medical officers from Shengjing here?"

Cai Fang nodded, then turned to the medical officers and said: "All the sick patients are here, and there are people guarding them on weekdays to prevent the spread of diseases."

Chang Jin nodded, asked everyone to put on their headscarves, and walked in first.

 The crowd followed closely behind.

As soon as they entered the temple, everyone was suddenly shocked.

The floor is covered with bedding and blankets, one after another. People with blackened faces are lying on them, either showing pain or numbness. Even if they hear someone approaching, these people lying on the ground just lift their eyelids. Son, took a tired look, indifferent.

The temple was originally very spacious, but at this moment, half of the clay statues collapsed, and it was densely packed with patients moaning softly, and a heavy breath of death came to their faces.

Ji Xun frowned and whispered: "This place is cold and empty, which is not a good place to recover from illness. How could the plague be established here?"

Cai Fang didn't say anything. He led everyone outside and looked back at the temple before sighing deeply.

"The medical officer didn't know something," he said. "There has been a locust plague in southern Jiangsu for several months. Then there was a famine, and there were several disturbances in the city. Later... the documents sent to the court have not yet come out, and the county magistrate has also ran away." At this point, Cai Fang was a little embarrassed, "The backbone is gone, the county government is just a decoration, and the people inside are running around to death. County Lieutenant Li and I gathered the remaining ten people to barely survive, but with such a small number of people, It’s really a drop in the bucket!”

He spoke in pain: "Many people die in Sunan every day. Hundreds of people have died in the past two days. The corpses are placed outside for fear of the epidemic spreading, but the dozen or so people from the county government cannot burn the corpses at all."

Cai Fang pointed behind him. In the distance, vast stretches of wasteland were lifeless under the gray sky.

"That was the execution ground." He said, "There is a large open space. This temple is next to the execution ground. New patients coming in every day will die within a month at most. If they die, they will be taken to the execution ground and burned. These days If you don’t come here, take it to the execution ground and bury it. This is the most convenient way.”

Lin Danqing frowned: "You will die in less than a month... But in this case, what is the point of setting up a hospital?"

"There is no more plague." Cai Fang smiled bitterly, "Sunan can't save these people. The doctors in the medical clinic were the first to contract the disease and all died. In fact, the people who came here to treat the disease knew well that there was no cure at all. Waiting to die here. We also know that we can't save them, but we can give them a place to live and give their families hope before they die."

It’s called a village, but it’s better to say it’s another kind of righteous village.

 He spoke sadly, not noticing that Li Wenhu beside him was winking at him desperately.

Li Wenhu was secretly anxious. He said that the epidemic in southern Jiangsu was so serious from the beginning. What if these medical officers would give up and go back after only a few days?

After all, the last official who came here and vowed to control locusts didn't even stay for half a month before he left home.

Chang Jin nodded, already having an idea of ​​Sunan's current situation. The letter received by Hanlin Medical Hospital was not clear, and the situation was more serious than they thought.

“Medical books say: The plague begins with heavy snow, occurs at the winter solstice, is born during the mild cold, grows longer than the severe cold, flourishes at the beginning of spring, is weaker than the rain, and declines with the awakening of insects.”

Yizhengdao: "It is now a severe winter, and the epidemic is critical. The spread of the disease must be controlled before next spring, otherwise..."

 Otherwise, Sunan will become a dead city.

He looked at Cai Fang: "It is right to separate the sick from other people. However, the residence here is simple and cannot be protected from the wind and cold. You have too few manpower, so we can only stay here temporarily. But from today on, we will Make a decoction and give it to the sick people, and also make medicine bags for the remaining people in southern Jiangsu who are not infected with the disease."

“The bedding used by patients suffering from the disease must be steamed, and some Atractylodes must be used to remove the bad odor…”

He talked a lot in succession. Cai Fang and Li Wenhu listened carefully. After Chang Jin finished speaking, after Li Wenhu and Cai Fang left, he said to the remaining people: "Without further delay, follow me to the hospital to check on the condition of the patients."

Medical officials all said so.

Lu Zhuo also wanted to walk in, but Chang Jin stopped him in front of him.

Chang Jin looked at Lu Yan, Lin Danqing and Ji Xun and said, "You three, there is no need to go in."

 Lin Danqing: “Why?”

"The epidemic is coming fiercely, and the situation in Sunan is more dangerous than I thought. The disease is the worst at the moment, so you should not come in for the time being."

Chang Jin also has selfish motives.

These three people's medical skills are all the best in Shengjing, or perhaps the entire Liang Dynasty, and they are still so young. They, the old men, had made preparations before they came, but they did not want to see the young people take risks.

“The three of you will develop new methods to avoid the plague at the place arranged by Cai Fang. Do not set foot here.”

"Yizheng, you are not old yet, why are you confused?" Lin Danqing said in confusion, "We haven't even seen the patient and can't diagnose the disease ourselves. How can we develop new prescriptions? Are we making it up ourselves?"

 Chang Jin choked.

"Who are you looking down on, Doctor Zheng? Besides, before I went out, I specially brought a copy of "On Treating Plague" which was passed down by my ancestors. We, the old Lin family, have no more experience in treating epidemics. We went back to Shengjing When people ask, do you think that all your hard work and dedication in the war have made us greedy for life and fearful of death? "

 She raised her head and said, "Don't disturb my promotion." She stepped into the door of the prison.

“Hey—” Before Chang Jin could call Lin Danqing, Lu Zhuo had already walked up to him and nodded to him, “Yizheng, I’m going in.”

 Go straight in.

Chang Jin: "..." He looked at Ji Xun.

Ji Xun gave him a hand, nodded slightly, and followed closely.

Chang Jin was speechless.

 In the end, all the words are wasted.

He looked at the backs of the three young men and scolded them, but secretly, a sense of pride and joy arose in his heart.

These are the three youngest medical officers in Hanlin Medical Officer's Hospital, and they are also the three medical officers with the best medical skills.

With such benevolence and medical ethics worthy of medical skills, Hanlin Medical Officials Hospital will have a bright future.

The urgings of the medical officers came from the hospital. Chang Jin responded, lifted up his cotton robe, and hurriedly entered the temple gate.

"coming."

 …

   County government.

The cold wind was biting, and the wind made the window with a hole in it crackle and flap wildly. Li Wenhu reached out to close the window and sat down at the table.

The county government office, which used to be quite grand, is now empty, as if it has been looted. Even there are only two chairs left. At first glance, it seems that the house has only four walls, and it is very miserable.

After the magistrate left, the people who learned the truth were furious and cried out that the government didn't care about the lives of the people. Some people stirred up trouble among them and took advantage of the troubled waters when the county government was smashed and took away the valuable things from the county government. It is true that money is in Su now. It's not easy to deal with in the south. Diseases are always equal, regardless of high or low.

The governor of Pingzhou sent troops here, but it was not for relief, but to seal the city gates and not allow people in the affected area to leave the city.

 Those who are not sick cannot go out, and if they stay with those who are sick, they will die sooner or later. Everyone in Sunan was in despair, but today, the group of medical officers from Shengjing seemed to suddenly have life in their despair, giving people a glimmer of hope.

Cai Fang smiled and said: "These medical officers are not bad."

He had not been as happy as he was today for a long time. Li Wenhu glanced at him: "Don't speak too early. Let's see how many days they can hold on."

"Anyway, we have a lot more manpower here, so you don't have to go to the execution ground every day." Cai Fang said.

The guards who escorted the medical officers to southern Jiangsu helped burn the bodies and bury the bodies. It was really difficult with only the voluntary manpower of the county government and the people of southern Jiangsu.

Li Wenhu didn’t say anything. He suddenly saw a basket of steamed buns on the table and was stunned for a moment: “Didn’t they eat it?”

“The medical officials said they brought their own dry food and didn’t need the county government to worry about their meals.”

Li Wenhu narrowed his eyes: "Dislike it?"

Cai Fang was helpless: "Why do you always judge a gentleman with a villain's heart?"

 “Why am I a villain? Then why do you think I am?”

Cai Fangdao: "The medical officers who came from Shengjing brought their own food. Doctor Chang just told me that all the food was handed over to the county government and a porridge shed was set up for the people in southern Jiangsu to receive medicinal porridge every day."

 “If others dislike it, why do it?”

Hearing this, Li Wenhu remained silent. After a while, he muttered in a low voice: "He is quite, quite nice."

"The medical officers of Hanlin Medical Hospital are different from the adults who came to treat locusts before." Cai Fang looked out the window, "Maybe doctors can empathize with them because they are kind-hearted. Don't always be hostile to them. They are here to rescue the epidemic. Our Sunan City, now It’s almost impossible to get in. Look, how many people are still willing to come here in three months?”

 He sighed: "Don't be ignorant of good and evil."

Knowing that he was telling the truth, Li Wenhu lowered his head and remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm just... a little panicked."

The tall man looked out the window. The sky in Sunan was gloomy. He had not seen the sun for a long time, and his voice was deep.

“Fangzi, how long will the food brought by these medical officers be enough to last?”

 Cai Fang was stunned and said, "Porridge is given out every day, so save it for three months at most."

“Look,” Li Wenhu said, “we won’t have enough food until March at most.”

 The locust plague in southern Jiangsu had already caused famine before.

 The government's relief grains were delayed in arriving, leading to a famine. Later, when they finally arrived, they were only moldy old rice.

 Now, we are almost running out of Chen rice.

The medical officers in southern Jiangsu can indeed solve the urgent need, but what will they do in the long run? The epidemic is so fierce that trying to solve it in March is like a foolish dream. When March comes, will they leave?

Su Nan is like this, will he be abandoned again?

Cai Fang also fell silent.

 The old problems have not yet been solved, and new problems have arisen one after another. Trouble never left.

Suddenly, he remembered something, raised his head and asked, "Dahu, didn't we hear before that the imperial court sent new people to go to Qishui to cause chaos?"

The Qishui bandit rebellion has been going on for a while. A few days ago, I heard a message from someone outside that officers and soldiers from Shengjing were handling the Qishui bandit case. The leader of the troops this time was brave and good at fighting. In just a few days, all the rebel soldiers were gone. He was executed, the party leader was captured, and the bandits were wiped out.

Cai Fang said: "Can you ask him for help?"

Qishui is very close to Sunan. Those officers and soldiers who came to quell the chaos definitely brought a lot of supplies. Even though there was no supplies and there was no plague in Qishui, if some medicine and food could be transported from Qishui...

"Is it useful?" Li Wenhu hesitated, "We asked for help from the other side of Qishui River, but they ignored us."

Sunan is like a bottomless pit of hot potato that no one wants to touch.

"I don't know either." Cai Fang thought for a while and then said with determination, "Let's try it."

“Those medical officers are here, we can’t do nothing.”

 …

Outside the door of the hospital, there are piles of Atractylodes and Angelica dahuricae.

The book "Shi Bing" says: "This disease is caused by the feeling of abnormal qi, or it may cause headache, fever, or swollen neck or parotid gland. This is a disease in the world. If one person's disease affects one room, A disease in one house affects a whole town and a town.”

Atractylodes "can remove evil spirits. In ancient and modern times, people often burn Atractylodes at home to ward off evil spirits, so it is often used to treat epidemic diseases."

All the sick people lying on the ground were called up and took shelter in the long shed at the door. All the bedding on the ground was taken out and boiled in boiling water. Cai Fang sent people to bring new bedding. It is necessary to burn Atractylodes for half an hour in the place where the disease is, to get rid of the evil odor.

 The patients who came to the hospital were all poor people and were ready to die. Suddenly the doctors screamed, but they were still ignorant. An elderly woman gently tugged at the corner of Lin Danqing's skirt. Seeing Lin Danqing's gaze, she quickly retracted her hand, wiped her hands on her clothes, and asked in a low voice: "Girl, what are you doing..." She Feeling a little uneasy, he looked in the direction of the execution ground, "It's not like we, we..."

 There was a great epidemic in the past, and I heard that the government would burn the sick people to death on the spot.

"No, ma'am," Lin Danqing understood clearly and comforted: "This is infecting Cangzhu. Let you come out first to avoid it, and then go in after half an hour."

The old woman was confused: "Randian Cangzhu?"

Lin Danqing nodded: "We are the medical officers from Hanlin Medical Academy who are here to treat the epidemic. From today on, we will treat you."

 “Medical officer of Hanlin?” The old woman was startled.

All the doctors at Sunan Medical Clinic died of illness. There was no medicine and no one. Everyone no longer had any hope.

"Are you here to save us?" she asked in disbelief, almost kneeling down to thank her.

"yes."

The female medical officer supported her and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, everyone, it will be fine."

The weeping of the crowd could be heard outside the window. They were the tears of joy of desperate people who suddenly gained hope.

Lu Yan knelt down and put the copper basin filled with burning Atractylodes and Angelica dahurica in the corner. There were many people in the temple, and it would be infected everywhere.

When she stood up, her forehead accidentally touched the corner of the table. She rubbed her red forehead, raised her head, and was startled.

 Over the head, the half-collapsed statue looked down on her weakly like before.

The ruined temple at the execution ground in southern Jiangsu, and the clay statues of gods from the past still seem to be the same as they were in the past.

 She once lived here to avoid the snow, but she never imagined that she would be back where she was today.

Congratulations to all the children who are taking the college entrance examination!