Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Seventy Percent

Xia Wenjin laughed involuntarily, “No!”

“Ah? No?” Huangfu Jingchen was embarrassed, “I heard this is also a kind of dreadful illness.”

Even when Xia Wenjin felt heavy-hearted, she couldn’t resist shaking her head and replied with a smile, “Lupus is indeed a dreadful illness, but it mainly affects women. Yet the patients here are both male and female, old and young. Besides, it’s just a spot on the chest, nowhere else.”

Huangfu Jingchen, realizing he made a joke, asked seriously, “So, the possibility of these spots being a dreadful illness is quite high, but we don’t yet know what disease it is? It’s not just simple miasma poisoning?”

Xia Wenjin glanced at Huangfu Jingchen unexpectedly; it was rare for him to think of this point so quickly. She nodded, “Those truly poisoned by miasma are simply suffering from miasma poisoning. But these with red spots on the chest seem similar to miasma poisoning but are actually a different illness. I suspect it’s an epidemic.”

“An epidemic?” Huangfu Jingchen was shocked, “Isn’t that a plague?”

Xia Wenjin nodded heavily, “Uncle Liu at the village end has been sick for six or seven days, and he has these spots on his body, quite large too. Unfortunately, I’ve also noticed his son and daughter-in-law developing red spots. Based on my observations throughout the day, although it seems like the same symptoms, those with these red spots suffer from an epidemic, while those without suffer from ordinary miasma poison. But the epidemic is contagious.”

Huangfu Jingchen’s face turned solemn upon hearing this.

The terror of a plague lies in its human-to-human transmission. If a plague has begun, it must be quickly controlled.

He felt ashamed of his earlier childish feelings, realizing Wenjin was bearing so much, while he was still entangled in his complicated emotions.

He said earnestly, “Wenjin, are you sure?”

Xia Wenjin’s face was also solemn, “I’m seventy percent sure.”

Even seventy percent, or just ten or twenty percent, it must be taken seriously.

Huangfu Jingchen said, “Early tomorrow, this matter must be reported to the Government immediately, so they can send troops to guard this area, and no one can be allowed in or out.”

Xia Wenjin remained silent, feeling there was something important she hadn’t recalled. Huangfu Jingchen’s suggestion was correct; an epidemic, with one infected household leading to an infected village, and one infected village leading to an infected county. As long as one person leaves, the disease will be spread elsewhere. Its contagious nature could cause a catastrophic blow to a place.

Destruction?

When the word “destruction” popped into Xia Wenjin’s mind, she suddenly thought of something and asked Huangfu Jingchen, “What is the name of this town?”

Huangfu Jingchen didn’t understand why she suddenly asked about the town’s name and replied, “I asked, this town is called Wangshan Town. It governs seven villages, named because these villages can see mountains.”

“Wangshan Town, Wangshan Town…” Xia Wenjin murmured it twice, suddenly turning pale, seemingly unsteady, retreating until she leaned against a tree for support.

Huangfu Jingchen quickly supported her, “Wenjin, what’s wrong? Is there something odd about the town’s name?”

Xia Wenjin shook her head, slowly sitting down while leaning on the tree, holding her temples with her hands as a fragment of text popped into her mind: “The twenty-first year of Mingyou, Jiazhou Northern County Wangshan Town, the epidemic raged out of control. To prevent it from spreading further, Northern County Governor Yu Shikui ordered to gather and burn them. The town’s grounds, green mountains turned to scorched earth, spirits outright calling, Alas!”

This was a piece of unofficial history she saw in a bookstore in her previous life.

Such a matter, of course, was not included in official histories, just hearsay.

Unknown who recorded it.

At that time, the epidemic in Wangshan Town had already passed, but the text still shocked her upon reading it, uncertain of its truth, she discussed it with Huangfu Yu.

Huangfu Yu glanced at it and told her casually, the epidemic was out of control, without effective treatment, continuing would only infect more people, even potentially causing havoc in Nanxia. Yu Shikui decisively ordered the burning of all the infected townspeople, eliminating the aftermath and preventing the epidemic from spreading. This person is decisive, acts boldly, already sponsored for promotion in the Capital.

That event was true, Huangfu Yu also knew.

At that time, she said nothing.

An entire town’s people, thousands, many not even infected, driven together, and burned alive, was a brutal and inhumane act.

Yu Shikui first failed to check; the epidemic in the county was already uncontrollable when he learned of it. Initially negligent, then, upon learning, didn’t first try to save people but used such a vicious, desperate method, not punished but rather praised by Huangfu Yu for decisiveness and boldness.

Thousands of lives, in their eyes, were less than ants!

Actually, back then, she should have known, he wasn’t any good man.

But when you like someone, even if his heart is like a hell demon, a facade of peace always appears, as beautiful as a flower.

She was blind!

These villages all belong to Wangshan Town, meaning all the villagers here were later burned alive by Yu County Magistrate.

Seeing Xia Wenjin’s face change drastically all of a sudden, as if drained of energy, even unable to stand, Huangfu Jingchen hurriedly asked, “Wenjin, what’s happened?”

Xia Wenjin composed herself and replied, “I’m quite certain it’s an epidemic! And many are infected already. But now, the symptoms aren’t very apparent, confused with the annual miasma poison symptoms, not drawing enough attention. Additionally, the town only has Doctor Zhang, a corrupt practitioner. Once the epidemic worsens, with increased infections, there won’t be enough medicine or doctors. You’re right, it must be reported to the Government, for them to send doctors and medicine.”

“Tomorrow you go with me!”

Xia Wenjin shook her head, “One person is enough, I’ll stay and help!”

She felt a headache; this epidemic’s symptoms were strange and cunning! Not only hidden under miasma poison, but the only visible symptom is near the heart and doesn’t itch or hurt, leading many to overlook it.

Once it breaks out, symptoms become severe, coughing blood, severe damage to internal organs, extremely difficult to manage.

There’s no knowing how many have red spots now; even if she knows red spot needs to grow to pea-size for symptoms to show, it’s already an incubation period before that.

Huangfu Jingchen’s expression was stern, adamant, “It was uncertain before so I agreed for you to stay, but since you’ve confirmed it’s an epidemic, you shouldn’t remain here!”

“Why?” Confirming the epidemic means more hands are needed to quickly develop a recipe before the Government makes decisions, to save those innocent people!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep