Chapter 21 The Empress Dowager Is Very Disappointed

Imperial Physician Jiang walked into the Empress Dowager's palace to find several concubines playing with the princes and princesses.

Seeing him enter, one of the concubines was startled and quickly took her child into her arms.

"Imperial Physician Jiang, have you been to Guanghua Temple recently?" she asked, her expression guarded.

Jiang remained standing at the doorway and bowed in greeting.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I have not visited Guanghua Temple," he said. "My skills are not exceptional, and Miss Jun does not require them."

With this, the concubine relaxed and gestured for him to come in.

The Empress Dowager sitting against a pulse pillow frowned.

"If she despises the skills as inferior, how well has she treated the pox?" she asked.

Imperial Physician Jiang bowed and knelt before the Empress Dowager, taking out a pulse pillow to diagnose her.

"I am unaware of this, Your Highness," he replied.

A concubine at the side laughed.

"How is it that you do not know, Imperial Physician?" she said.

Jiang lowered his gaze.

"Guanghua Temple is under strict surveillance. Thousand-Man Commander Lu himself guards it, and the situation inside is not disclosed," he explained. "We only send medicinal herbs daily according to her instructions; we cannot approach the temple closely."

The Empress Dowager smiled.

"With such a great merit, why hide it?" she said, waving to a nearby eunuch. "Go, ask His Majesty how many of the afflicted children Miss Jun has cured."

The eunuch took the command and left, while Imperial Physician Jiang softly and meticulously advised the Empress Dowager on what she should pay attention to on a daily basis and proceeded to check the Little Princess and Little Prince by looking, smelling, asking, and cutting.

"Very good, very good. They're all doing well," Jiang eventually said with a smile.

The Empress Dowager and the concubines were delighted.

"Ever since taking the medicine from the Imperial Physician, the Little Princess no longer cries at night," a concubine said.

"The medical skills of Imperial Physician Jiang are indeed trustworthy," the Empress Dowager said, beaming.

Jiang hurriedly laughed and said he dared not take full credit.

As they were conversing, the eunuch returned, looking uneasy, hesitant to speak.

"What is it?" the Empress Dowager asked with a frown.

"Your Highness," the eunuch began with a bow, lowering his voice increasingly. "His Majesty said that since Guanghua Temple began accepting patients, there have been... cured."

"How many?" the Empress Dowager raised her voice.

The eunuch trembled.

"Seven," he replied loudly.

The great hall fell silent, the faces of those present stunned.

Seven?

With a sharp snap, the Empress Dowager smashed the teacup on the floor.

"Nonsense!" she bellowed, her brows furrowing as her hands swept across the table, tipping it over.

Everyone in the great hall knelt down hastily, bowing their heads and trembling.

"Empress Dowager, please calm your anger," they said, their voices quivering.

Imperial Physician Jiang knelt to one side, a flicker of a smile crossing his lowered face.

This anger would not be appeased.

"I am profoundly disappointed!" the Empress Dowager declared.

..................

"Since opening, Guanghua Temple has treated one hundred and thirty people."

"Ten days have passed, and thirty people have died, with only seven confirmed cured."

"How is this called a cure? Can this really be called a cure?"

"Guanghua Temple is filled with wails and howls, the incineration of the dead in the back courtyard is almost incessant, resembling Purgatory on Earth."

"It is said that adults caring for the sick children are becoming infected."

Normally, it is mostly children who get pox; adults can get it too, but it tends to be less severe compared to children. If it starts affecting adults and children alike, without distinction, then the pox is truly fierce.

It could potentially become a widespread epidemic threatening not just children.

As the Empress Dowager's inquisitions spread within the court, they set off an enormous uproar.

"What on earth are they doing in there?"

"Bring her here and question her."

Hearing these words, Lu Yunqi looked at the speaker.

"And then?" he asked.

Then?

The ministers should deliberate on assigning blame and appeasing the populace; a minister frowned in thought.

"There are still dozens in Guanghua Temple, and countless others are coming from other places," Lu Yunqi said. "If we take her away and hold these doctors accountable, how would we handle all these people?"

Seeing more patients would definitely not work, for if those people became chaotic and started running around, it would be...

The hall fell silent.

"The scourge of smallpox is swift and fierce; once out of control, it's like floodwaters and ferocious beasts. There can be no missteps at the Emperor's feet," one court official solemnly said, "This matter must be kept secret."

Secret?

"Then, notify the feudal authorities everywhere to check and confine children with smallpox," the court official continued, "until the civil affairs travelers have safely arrived at Guanghua Temple."

And then what?

"And then there will be no more problems," Lu Yunqi suddenly said.

How could there be no more problems? The officials present were taken aback, but then all of them remembered something.

The history books recorded an outbreak of smallpox in Lingnan, where not only did many children die, but adults were also infected. With no solution at hand and the epidemic fiercely spreading, the local Military Governor simply ordered all those infected to be rounded up and executed en masse. Afterwards, the Military Governor was convicted by the dynasty, but his actions were nonetheless a desperate and inevitable decision.

Thousand-Man Commander Lu couldn't be thinking of doing the same, could he?

Indeed befitting the name Rou Yaodao—cold-blooded and ruthless—that's over a hundred lives.

The court officials' expressions were ones of fear and dread.

The court official who had previously made the suggestion twiddled his beard in silence, as if he had said nothing and understood nothing of what Lu Yunqi had said.

"Jiuling Hall claims they can cure smallpox, and the people believe it," another court official coughed lightly and said, "Even now, she hasn't said she won't treat them, so there's no use saying she can't."

Indeed, this had nothing to do with them. It was that woman who had brought this upon them, and naturally, it was she who had to bear the consequences.

The court officials shook their heads and sighed, no longer talking about seizing Miss Jun to hold her accountable. They were whispering quietly when a eunuch announced the Emperor's presence, and the court officials hastily straightened their clothes and silenced their talk to head toward the main hall.

However, Lu Yunqi did exactly the opposite. Watching the court officials file in, he turned and left.

The February spring breeze stung like scissors against the face.

Ning Yunzhao closed the window, his brows furrowed.

"Master, there's still a month before the examinations begin. Don't be nervous," Xiaoding said anxiously from behind.

Ning Yunzhao glanced at him and smiled.

"There's no need to be nervous when one is confident," he said.

Xiaoding chuckled sheepishly.

"And besides, if not this year, we can try again in three years. There's always another path, so there's no need for nerves," Ning Yunzhao said.

Xiaoding let out a sound of dismay.

"Master, let's not speak such disheartening words," he said.

Ning Yunzhao just smiled.

What disheartening words? These were words of encouragement. Aside from matters of life and death, nothing deserved such anxiety. Compared to the girl currently facing a matter of life and death, his worries were trivial.

He wished her success in this huge examination.

It was all he could do to offer his blessings; he was unable to help in any other way.

.......................

"Miss Jun."

Entering the Buddhist Temple, Seventh Chen looked uneasy, but when he saw the doctors, he halted his words.

The doctors had already noticed him and sensed his hesitance.

"If you have something to say, speak up. We're all in this together now," Miss Jun said with a smile.

To think she was still in the mood for jest at a time like this.

Seventh Chen forced a laugh.

All right, Jinxiu had said to do as she had instructed.

"Besides the Jinyiwei, many government soldiers have arrived, and they're now prohibiting people from going out," he said, "Before, the workers could leave to rest in shifts, but now they've all been sent back."

They're not allowing people to go out?

That meant martial law was in effect.

Indeed, martial law had been declared here already, but at that time, it was aimed at smallpox patients. Now, it was obviously targeted at them.

The complexions of the doctors were complex.

"There's nothing to it. Nowadays, with the cure less effective and more people dying, those outside have started to question," Doctor Feng said, "They're starting to get scared, too."

"Shall we say we can't cure it?" Seventh Chen couldn't help but suggest, "Admit it proactively and let the dynasty figure it out."

"If they had a way, would we even need to be here?" Doctor Feng said.

Seventh Chen fell silent.

"Miss Jun told us from the start that she was asking for our help and that she didn't have an absolute guarantee," Doctor Feng continued, "Given the situation today, we all knew what to expect."

The doctors all laughed.

"You don't need to comfort us, Old Feng," one doctor said, looking outside and listening to the continuous cries, "By now, we don't want to leave anymore."

"Yes, if we leave, then truly no one will care for them," another doctor said.

Seventh Chen looked at these doctors, his expression complex.

When Miss Jun initially invited them under her prestigious reputation, it took some convincing, yet now, in the most challenging times, these doctors needed no persuasion or comfort.