Chapter 715
Nanny Tong clapped her hands in delight and said loudly, “Aren’t they all better now! I heard from Yingshuang that… those who took the medicine earlier are now helping to care for the sick!”
Bai Qingyan nodded. “That is indeed a great blessing!”
“I just heard from Xiao Yinshuang that the refugees are calling Doctor Hong a living Buddha, and they want to set up a longevity tablet for him!” Nanny Tong’s smile deepened the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
As soon as Nanny Tong finished speaking, Chun Tao rushed in with a letter, not even stopping to bow, and handed it to Bai Qingyan. “Eldest Miss, a letter from Second Miss! The guard said… the messenger fell off his horse and passed out after saying to deliver it to you.”
Bai Qingyan’s heart sank. She steadied herself and opened the letter.
[The state treasury is tight due to the construction of the Nine-Tiered Terrace. The Crown Prince has issued a secret order to kill the epidemic sufferers in Huayang City and Qinhuai City, to leave no living beings, and to burn the corpses.]
Bai Qingyan gritted her teeth, her chest filling with rage, her fingers almost tearing the paper.
Because the state treasury was tight due to constructing the Nine-Tiered Terrace, they decided to massacre the people of Huayang City and Qinhuai City, who were suffering from the epidemic?!
What a good Crown Prince! What a good son of the Emperor!
The people of the two cities were suffering from a disaster, requiring a large expenditure from the state treasury. To focus on the Nine-Tiered Terrace, the Crown Prince wanted to leave no living beings in the cities.
In the Crown Prince’s heart, the Nine-Tiered Terrace the Emperor wanted was more important than the lives of the people.
Bai Qingyan closed her eyes to calm herself, her mind racing…
From the time Bai Jinxiu got the news and sent someone to Shuoyang, the Crown Prince’s orders should already be on their way to Huayang City and Qinhuai City.
“Chun Tao, go immediately to Doctor Hong’s courtyard and ask him to write down the prescription for the epidemic treatment! I need three copies! Prepare one and wait for me outside the Bai Mansion gate! Hurry!”
“Yes!” Chun Tao obeyed and ran out of the room, heading towards Doctor Hong’s courtyard.
Bai Qingyan then turned to Nanny Tong. “Nanny Tong, send someone to call Steward Hao. Have him bring ten loyal and reliable people! It must be fast!”
“Yes!” Nanny Tong turned and left.
In the spacious room, only Bai Qingyan remained. Her eyes were calm as she burned Bai Jinxiu’s letter and called the maid by the door to help her change clothes.
Seeing that the letter was almost burned, Bai Qingyan threw the paper into the ink wash basin and unwrapped the iron sandbag from her wrist.
When Nanny Tong returned, she saw a maid kneeling by the couch, helping Bai Qingyan put on deerskin boots. Bai Qingyan had already changed into a thick outfit, with a fur cloak lying beside her.
“Nanny…” Bai Qingyan smoothed her sleeves and said to Nanny Tong, “Nanny, please help me with one more thing. Spread the news about the Crown Prince’s massacre order in Huayang City and Qinhuai City! The more people know, the better!”
Only in this way could Bai Qingyan drag her “dying” body to Dadu City with justification to persuade the Crown Prince.
Nanny Tong had no time to ask where Bai Qingyan was going, as she was sent out again.
Steward Hao acted quickly. By the time Bai Qingyan had slightly paled her face and lips and stepped out of the Boyun Courtyard, Steward Hao had already brought ten strong guards from the Bai family to the courtyard gate.
Steward Hao saw Bai Qingyan slightly disguised, looking even more frail, dressed for travel, and hurried to bow. “Eldest Miss, where are you going?”
Bai Qingyan handed the map in her hand to Steward Hao. “Steward Hao, send someone to deliver this to Xiao Si!”
“Yes!” Steward Hao took the map, frowned at Bai Qingyan, “But Eldest Miss, you are…”
“The state treasury is tight. The epidemic in Huayang City and Qinhuai City is worsening. The state treasury can’t support it. The Crown Prince ordered the massacre of the epidemic sufferers in Huayang and Qinhuai. With so many sufferers, it is no different from slaughtering the cities! Doctor Hong has already developed a prescription for the epidemic and has cured patients at the treatment center! You ten will be split into two teams… Ride fast without stopping, one team to Huayang City and the other to Qinhuai City. Deliver the prescription as fast as possible and stop the Crown Prince’s order to kill the sufferers!”
Bai Qingyan looked at the ten people, speaking slowly and firmly, “If the Crown Prince’s messengers refuse to follow orders, tell them I, Bai Qingyan, sent you with the prescription. I am on my way to Dadu City and will report to the Crown Prince myself that Doctor Hong has cured the patients. If they don’t believe it, they can send someone back to Dadu City to inquire with the Crown Prince! Also, say it is Princess of Zhen Bai Qingyan who is obstructing their massacre of the sufferers. I’ll take all the blame myself!”
Steward Hao’s eyes widened. His Eldest Miss was going to Dadu City!
“Yes!”
The ten guards responded.
“You ten, go get the prescription from Doctor Hong quickly. The lives of the people in Huayang and Qinhuai depend on your speed!”
The ten Bai family guards dared not delay. They bowed and left immediately.
“Eldest Miss! Let me go to Dadu City instead! Your ’frail body’ is not suitable for long journeys!” Steward Hao worried that if the Crown Prince saw their Eldest Miss almost recovered, the efforts she made for her injury would be wasted.
“Don’t worry, Steward Hao, I know what I’m doing!” Bai Qingyan patted her abdomen, “I’m carrying the medicine Doctor Hong gave me…”
Doctor Hong, to prevent someone from diagnosing Bai Qingyan’s pulse, prepared some pills to disrupt her pulse and had Bai Qingyan carry them with her.
With that, Bai Qingyan walked down the steps.
Steward Hao, concerned, followed Bai Qingyan. “But that medicine… is harmful to your body!”
“The state treasury is tight. The Crown Prince is focusing on the Emperor’s wish to build the Nine-Tiered Terrace. The war with Daliang also needs money and supplies. If I don’t go… I’m afraid others can’t persuade the Crown Prince. I’m also worried the Crown Prince might withhold funds from the soldiers fighting Daliang.”
Bai Qingyan knew the Crown Prince’s nature. To please the Emperor with the Nine-Tiered Terrace, he certainly wouldn’t pause the construction to save money.
Bai Qingyan’s brows were solemn. Her steps did not stop. “Also, this massacre of the two cities’ people is a secret order from the Crown Prince. If they manage to save the people of Huayang and Qinhuai, I still have to think of what to say to the Crown Prince and give his people a chance to diagnose my pulse to reassure the Crown Prince.”
Bai Qingyan turned to look at Steward Hao. “So, I must go myself.”
Steward Hao understood Bai Qingyan’s cautious nature in doing things.
“I understand, Eldest Miss. I’ll make arrangements for you. Timing it right… our people can reach the two cities, and the Crown Prince’s men can return to inquire with the Crown Prince in time. Eldest Miss can take a carriage back to Dadu City.”
“Prepare a horse! A carriage is too slow… it could complicate things.” Bai Qingyan said firmly, “I’ll leave the house in your care, Steward Hao. I don’t have time to say goodbye to Mother, and I’m afraid she won’t let me go. Please tell her for me and speak well of me before her!”