Xue Shu's gaze was too candid, and the emotions in his dark eyes were strong and straightforward, which made Yin Chengyu's heart flutter slightly.

It seems that no matter in his past life or this life, Xue Shu has an extraordinary trust in him.

He thought again of the time when he had just returned to the court in his previous life.

When he left, he had nothing and was covered in stigma.

Five years later, he returned to the court, and his grievances had not been cleared up. In order to prevent Emperor Longfeng from reinstating the crown prince, the old affairs of the year would inevitably be brought out and criticized again.

The old story that had been silent for five years was brought out again? It was even more putrid and smelly than five years ago. The Second Prince Party and the Third Prince Party couldn't wait to pour all kinds of dirty water on him.

Although he had been mentally prepared, it was still hard to avoid hearing it.

But at that time, he had learned to plan and act later during his five years of confinement. If he could not clear his grievances in one fell swoop, it would be better to stand still.

The person who can't sit still? It's Xue Shu.

When the court officials once again brought up the old story of his "adultery" with Rong Bin, discussed it, and even used it to put all kinds of dirty and smelly things on his head, Xue Shu, who was listening to the government, walked down from the Jinluan Terrace.

He drew out the guard's saber and beheaded the censor who made the loudest noise on the spot.

In the horrified eyes of a group of courtiers, he coldly threw the blood-stained sword on the ground, with a venomous look on his face: "You are following what everyone else said. You are an idiot who can't even distinguish between true and false. It is really an eyesore to our family."

At that time, he only thought that Xue Shu had a violent and authoritarian temperament and would not allow anyone to question his decision. But now that he thinks about it, his determined tone at that time was the same as it is now.

But he and Xue Shu had never crossed paths before. However, the fact that he and Rong Bin "slept" in the same bed five years ago was almost a secret known to the whole court. Emperor Longfeng ordered her to die, and Rong Bin even took this into account.

?The matter is concluded.

Why didn't Xue Shu believe in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty? Instead, he believed in him?

Where does his determination come from??

Yin Chengyu slowly released his grip on the other party's hand, retreated, and looked at Xue Shu carefully.

There were many doubts surging in his heart. Once some clues were discovered, the doubts would become bigger and bigger like a ball of thread.

However, in the end, he did not express his doubts.

Slowly stroking the folds of his clothes with his fingers, Yin Chengyu stood up and laughed meaningfully, but he talked about other things; "You sent people to Datong, Xuanfu and other places to mobilize troops to guard Shanxi and the surrounding prefectures?"

Fortress, until the epidemic is not under control, only entry is allowed but no exit is allowed. Four more guard battalions and 20,000 soldiers will be deployed to the Shanxi border. Once the epidemic in Shanxi cannot be controlled..."

Speaking of this, Yin Chengyu's face darkened, but he did not continue.

But Xue Shu already understood what he meant: once the epidemic in Shanxi cannot be controlled, he may have no choice but to take the next step.

He lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice.

Yin Chengyu thought for a while and wanted to ask about other arrangements. Suddenly he noticed the weather outside. Thinking that he had been running around all day, he stopped talking: "We will discuss the rest tomorrow. I want to go to bed. You go first."

Back off."

Xue Shu followed his words and backed out, carefully closing the door for him.

He did not leave immediately and stood quietly in front of the door for a long time. Then he took a few steps away and called the soldiers on duty to give Yin Chengyu's instructions.

After finishing speaking, he pondered for a moment and added: "Tomorrow morning, let people go to a place far away from the city to build a house, prepare a few iron cages, and go to the countryside to find ten dogs and catch more than a hundred mice.

, keep the captured mice and dogs together and provide them with only water, not food."

The conversation between Yin Chengyu and the imperial doctor today fell into his ears, which made him somewhat concerned.

Although the imperial doctor said that the plague was caused by rats, it was just a guess, but he felt that the disease was closely related to rats. In the past, he had heard an old man who had experienced a great epidemic say that rats in disaster years could not eat them.

.

In disaster years, when no one has anything to eat, where do rats come from?

Most of them feed on the dead bodies that no one has restrained.

If such a rat eats, it will be easily infected with the filth and evil spirits of dead people. It may cause illness for a few days, or even loss of life.

Although it is only passed down by old people orally, and it also involves the legend of ghosts and gods, these old sayings are based on the experience of previous generations and may not be useless.

If it can be confirmed that the disease is related to rats and the source is found, it may be helpful to control the disease.

"Be alert when catching mice, wrap yourself in thick clothes and cover your mouth and nose, and don't start using it. After everything is done, burn the old clothes immediately, and then go to the imperial doctor to smoke mugwort."

That night Yin Chengyu only slept for three hours before he woke up.

The sky had just turned white outside. Yin Chengyu stood up and opened the window, and saw a few people on the street.

Judging from their appearance, they were all old, weak, women and children. They hunched over and ran quickly through the street. When they saw an empty house, they entered and rummaged around.

He stared at it for a long time, until Xue Shu came in with washing utensils, and then he closed the window and stopped looking outside.

"Why did you get up?"

"Wake up early." Xue Shu replied, and after he finished rinsing his mouth, he handed him a warm handkerchief to cleanse his face.

"Have you finished explaining what you arranged yesterday?" Yin Chengyu finished wiping his face, threw the handkerchief into the basin, spread his arms, and let him change his clothes.

Xue Shu was already very skilled in changing his clothes, first his underwear, then his outer robe. He lowered his eyebrows, taking every step very slowly and carefully, and every wrinkle on his robe was carefully smoothed out.

"If you tell me to go down, we should be able to block all intersections tonight."

Yin Chengyu nodded: "Is there any news about the disaster relief team? How many days will it take to arrive??"

"If it's as fast as two days, if it's as slow as three days."

"Then I can't wait any longer." Yin Chengyu frowned and said, "It is better to control the epidemic sooner rather than later. Go and see the Shanxi Governor first and arrange the relief matters. When the relief materials arrive, we can make arrangements as soon as possible."

After packing up, Yin Chengyu went to the official office in Taiyuan Fucheng, and at the same time ordered someone to summon the Shanxi chief envoy and the capital commander to come and have an audience.

Ever since Governor Zhou Weishan was dismissed from his post and imprisoned, Chief Minister Jing Weishan has been worried about whether the guillotine hanging above his head will fall down.

Early this morning, he suddenly heard that the prince was coming. His heart skipped a beat, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of the outcome, the knife above his head had finally fallen. Someone had finally come to this mess in Taiyuan Prefecture and even Shanxi.

?Tidy up.

The Shanxi chief envoy, the capital commander, and the Taiyuan magistrate led a group of subordinates in front of the yamen gate and respectfully welcomed Yin Chengyu in.

Yin Chengyu went to the main seat in the lobby and sat down. He looked at the officials who were trembling with their heads lowered and their shoulders hunched. He softened his tone slightly and said, "Why are there only so many people?"

Among the officials still standing in the hall, except for the chief envoy, the commander-in-chief and the prefect of Taiyuan, there are only about ten officials left.

The chief envoy Jing Wei showed bitterness on his face, and he handed over his hands to accuse: "When I returned to the Crown Prince, many officials in the official office were also infected with the epidemic, and they were all... executed."

Zhou Weishan had been the governor of Shanxi for nearly twenty years. He was in charge of the civil, political and military power of the entire Shanxi. He had accumulated so much prestige that the whole of Shanxi was almost his sole authority.

This time, the pimple epidemic suddenly broke out. In order to hide the epidemic, Zhou Weishan ruthlessly executed many people, including some low-ranking officials.

These officials were accustomed to listening to Zhou Weishan's words in the past, but suddenly they encountered such a big event. Faced with Zhou Weishan's atrocities, no one dared to resist.

If Xue Shu had not sent someone to persuade Sun Yao, the commander of the Andong Zhongtun Guards, to report to his superiors, this matter might not have reached the imperial court at all, and the officials and people who were burned to death might have been Zhou Weishan in the end.

It's just a general number in the memorial.

Although he was a little angry and refused to argue, when he saw the haggard and fearful faces of these officials again, Yin Chengyu could not say too many harsh words.

He had read Jing Weishan's life before coming here. Although this man had mediocre abilities and no independent opinions, he had not done any evil.

When Zhou Weishan made a decision, he just followed orders.

"Zhou Weishan has been imprisoned and will be handed over to Dali Temple after the incident in Shanxi. As for you, although you have made mistakes, but since you are just an accomplice and did not intentionally do evil, I allow you to make up for your mistakes."

Yin Chengyu looked at the expressions on everyone's faces and said slowly: "I have already sent an order to Datong and Xuanfu to mobilize troops to blockade the entire Shanxi. No one is allowed to leave until the epidemic is under control. The court's disaster relief team will be ready in two or three days.

So, money, food, medicinal materials... I can make sure that there is no shortage. But right now, the only thing missing is people who can obey orders and do things. Is it possible that your lords are qualified?"

Although he has not been angry since entering the door, his tone is still gentle?

But when the officials heard that he had mobilized troops to blockade the entire Shanxi Province, they felt cold in their hearts.

His Highness, the Prince, may appear to be kind, but his methods may not be any softer or gentler than those of Zhou Weishan.

If the epidemic can be controlled, everyone will be happy. If it cannot be controlled... no one dares to think about it.

Jing Weishan bent down deeply and took the lead: "But with His Highness the Crown Prince's command, I will definitely be in trouble."

Yin Chengyu established his authority and nodded with satisfaction: "That's the case? Then he sent an order to count the people in Shanxi as soon as possible. How many are alive and dead? How many are there, and how many are sick. Count them clearly one by one and record them.

Into a book.”

"Then the soldiers were ordered to build the Sian Chai Hall in an open space one mile outside the city to house the sick."

"..."

Yin Chengyu gave instructions one by one, and finally the officials found their backbone again. They each received their errands and dispersed to work.

Three days later, the court's disaster relief team finally arrived in Taiyuan Prefecture, Shanxi Province.

A large number of officers and soldiers escorted the carts of grain and medicinal materials into the city. Yin Chengyu asked Xue Shu to take people to inspect each cart after cart to confirm that there were no errors in the grain and medicinal materials before they were put into the warehouse.

"The relief food has arrived. Next, it is time to distribute it to various state capitals and ask the police to make a public announcement and notify the victims to come and receive the relief food."

Yin Chengyu said, but his brows were not raised: "It's just a list of statistics from various places, but the number of patients in each place is empty. The plague is so severe, and before we know the number of patients, gathering a large number of people may be counterproductive.

"

It’s easy to guess why the number of patients is empty. In the past, Zhou Weishan’s actions were too cruel. Anyone with a cough and high fever would be treated as an epidemic and be burned at the stake. Now the people no longer trust the officers and soldiers. Even if someone in the family is infected,

I'm afraid it's also hidden, not daring to let people know, let alone reporting it on its own initiative?
To be continued...