Rain beads leapt wildly, splattering mud everywhere.
People hurried in and out of Zhaozui Temple. A rain canopy had already been erected, and the thick, bitter stench of boiling medicinal herbs spread in all directions. The Jinyiwei guarding the stoves covered their mouths and noses with cloths.
Qi Huilian had his head wrapped in fabric and was distributing medicinal decoctions together with Ji Gang. When he noticed a feverish patient muttering incoherently, he studied him for a moment.
Ji Gang swiftly cleared away the empty bowls. Seeing that the Grand Tutor had not moved, he asked, “What is it?”
“This is the Dancheng epidemic,” Qi Huilian said as he pulled open the patient’s collar. “The red rash crawls over the body. You can’t touch it—it’s contagious.”
Ji Gang asked, “Is it treatable?”
Qi Huilian’s scalp itched. He rubbed his head several times and said, “It’s treatable, just troublesome. The official drainage channels have to keep being dug, but who knows if someone infected spat or urinated into the water? If one of the diggers catches it without realizing, then brushes up against others, won’t a whole swath of people go down again?”
“Sinful,” Ji Gang said, looking beneath the canopy. “Then what do we do?”
“What do we do…” Qi Huilian suddenly pulled the cloth higher over his face as he noticed someone arriving at the temple gate. Lowering his voice, he said, “We leave it to fate. First we have to stabilize the people’s hearts—there must be no chaos. Gather up every pharmacy in Que Capital, large and small. The sick absolutely must be isolated.”
“We can’t stay here long either,” Ji Gang said as he set the bowls down. “Someone will handle this. I’ll have Chuan’er leave.”
“Lan Zhou can’t leave,” Qi Huilian said. “He is the one who has to handle it. At a time like this, do you think Han Cheng would come out to take charge? They’d hide if they could.”
“No!” Ji Gang’s expression changed abruptly. “He’s only a fifth-rank Zhenfu now—he doesn’t even have the资格 to attend court as a fourth rank. How can he be made to handle this? This matter is enormous. There are plenty of people with higher rank and authority than him!”
“Who are you reasoning with?” Qi Huilian slammed the bowl down. “If Han Cheng uses the excuse of ‘training’ to pin him here, what can you do? Once an epidemic breaks out, which high official would be willing to come down personally? Even Hai Liangyi couldn’t come! Besides, Lan Zhou cannot leave. This opportunity is rare. If he handles it successfully, he can be promoted again. Promoted—”
Ji Gang shoved him away violently. “What nonsense are you talking!”
Qi Huilian fell to the ground, then scrambled back up. “If we don’t ride the current now, what are we waiting for?” He was angry too. “This is exactly the moment when people trample one another. Whether he wants to or not, he has to do it! Do you understand?”
“I don’t care to understand,” Ji Gang said darkly. “I’m taking him away. I have to take him away!”
With that, Ji Gang headed inside, only to meet Qiao Tianya head-on as he came out, blocking his path.
“Zhaozui Temple is evacuating people outward,” Qiao Tianya said with a smile. “Only patients can remain inside. Master, please don’t go in again. Sir’s handwritten notes have already been moved to the old residence. The master had me rent a small building for the two of you on Shenwu Avenue, right next to the palace gate. It won’t flood.”
“Get out of the way!” Ji Gang said. “Everyone staying here is sick. How can Chuan’er stay long? I have to speak with him!”
Qiao Tianya’s smile faded. He said solemnly, “Master, why make things difficult for me? Since the master has given this order, there is absolutely no room to change it. This place is full of patients—if you stay here, the master will worry too. For the sake of his filial devotion, please come with me.”
Hearing the violent coughing all around them, Ji Gang grew even more anxious. He seized Qiao Tianya by the arm and shoved him back hard. Qiao Tianya had already anticipated the move and took the blow; half his arm went numb, but his footwork was quicker, and he placed his whole body squarely in front of Ji Gang.
“Master,” Qiao Tianya said in a low voice, “please calm down. Since the master arranged it this way, he must already have a plan. I still need to come back later. Let us go early so the master can return early too, all right? So many eyes are watching. Do you really think you can take him away? Where would you even go?”
That question—where would you go—finally made Ji Gang calm down. He stared inside for a long while, then flung his sleeve and pointed at Qi Huilian with a trembling finger, but in the end he could not utter a single word.
Shen Zechuan sat on a bench, eyes closed in rest. A constant buzzing filled his ears, and his head felt heavy and muddled, yet his face revealed nothing. After a long while, he heard someone call him and finally opened his eyes. The moment he did, all signs of fatigue vanished.
An official from the Ministry of Revenue said, “My lord Zhenfu, our supply of medicinal herbs is insufficient. What shall we do tomorrow?”
“This matter is of great importance. The supply will not be cut off,” Shen Zechuan said, gathering his cloak around him. “Physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau should be arriving. They’ll bring news about preparing more herbs. Tell them to keep boiling the decoctions—don’t skimp.”
The official acknowledged.
Seeing the man’s anxious expression, Shen Zechuan asked, “Which division of the Ministry of Revenue are you from?”
The man hurriedly replied, “I’m not really an official, just a clerk managing records.”
“Serving the people, rank makes no difference,” Shen Zechuan said. He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, steadying himself for a moment. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Liang Cuishan.”
“Starting tomorrow morning, you will take over supervision of the medicinal herbs,” Shen Zechuan said. “No matter how large or small, record everything in detail. I suspect the Imperial Guards have already gone to requisition herbs. Time is tight—they won’t wait for palace warrants. So for the next few days, every bit of medicine must be clearly accounted for.”
He stopped suddenly, pausing for a long moment.
“Go rest for now. Pay attention to your health these next few days. If you feel unwell, report it immediately.”
Liang Cuishan withdrew. As the curtain fell, Shen Zechuan reached up and found his forehead burning hot.
Ge Qingqing followed him in and was startled at the sight. He stepped forward and whispered, “My lord Zhenfu…”
Shen Zechuan said calmly, “When did Xi Hongxuan’s rash first appear?”
“Two hours after the medicine was applied,” Ge Qingqing replied. “It started on the legs and spread upward.”
“I had the rash before the fever,” Shen Zechuan said clearly. “The symptoms don’t match. It shouldn’t be the epidemic—but just in case, I still have to take the medicine.”
Ge Qingqing finally relaxed a little and said, “It’s a good thing you didn’t take leave this morning!”
If the emperor caught the epidemic, what physician would dare say he’d contracted it from debauchery outside? They could only make excuses, claiming accidental transmission. But then who could have passed the illness to the emperor? Either a close inner attendant or a guard who frequently attended him. Shen Zechuan was currently listed for service before the throne. If he had taken leave this morning, it would have become a handle for others to seize later. Once eczema was labeled epidemic rash, he would never again be allowed to remain before the throne. With Shen Wei’s罪名 still on his back, once he fell, it would truly be impossible for him to rise again.
Even Shen Zechuan found it hard to breathe at this moment. Compared to schemes and plots, this kind of unforeseeable twist of fate was the hardest to guard against. Had he been any less cautious, he would already be in someone else’s grasp, his life and death decided by a single sentence.
Seeing him close his eyes, Ge Qingqing withdrew.
Listening to the sound of rain, Shen Zechuan’s thoughts drifted far away. Those murky old memories followed the rain one after another, and he frowned in weary irritation.
He disliked both snowy days and overcast rainy ones. Damp cold reminded him of the Chashi sinkhole, of Ji Mu, of every day he had knelt and begged, at others’ mercy. Damp cold made him uneasy, gloomy, leaving beneath his skin only icy endurance and suppressed violence.
Leaning against the wall, Shen Zechuan dozed for a while. But the more he dozed, the heavier his head became, until he truly fell asleep in that corner.
By the time Xiao Chiye arrived at Zhaozui Temple, it was already very late. He entered together with the physicians who had rushed over. Ding Tao followed behind with a troubled expression—he had not found Shen Zechuan and had missed the timing.
Xiao Chiye asked a Jinyiwei boiling medicine, “Where is the Zhenfu? I’m looking for him!”
The Jinyiwei, his face half covered, handed him a bowl of medicine and said, “You have to drink first no matter who you’re looking for, Commander. Your Imperial Guards still have to go into the water—be careful!”
Xiao Chiye downed the medicine.
The Jinyiwei stood up and called under the canopy, “Qing-ge! Is Qing-ge here? Where’s our Zhenfu? Please pass word—Commander Xiao is looking for him.”
Ge Qingqing had been dozing on a bench. Hearing the call, he jolted awake, threw on his clothes, and came over. Seeing Xiao Chiye, he said, “The Zhenfu is resting inside… He hasn’t closed his eyes all night. Commander, you should rest too. The Eight Great Camps say they’re going to guard the city gates. The trenches aren’t finished—tomorrow it’ll just be us digging together.”
“Manual labor should be done by people who are strong,” Xiao Chiye said as he walked. “Keep a close watch on the doors. Don’t let anyone from outside come in.”
Xiao Chiye lifted the curtain and entered. There was no lamp inside. He scanned the room without finding anyone, took a few more steps, and finally saw Shen Zechuan leaning against the wall.
Xiao Chiye was filthy. He removed his outer robe, sat beside Shen Zechuan, and poured the water out of his boots. The room was cold, so he put his boots back on, went out again, borrowed fire from the stove, then returned and lit a brazier in a copper basin.
Shen Zechuan opened his eyes and said, “Donglong Avenue is finished?”
“Mm.” Xiao Chiye stoked the fire. “Why didn’t you sleep on the bed?”
“Just resting,” Shen Zechuan said. “If I lie down, I won’t get up again.”
Xiao Chiye moved the basin closer to the bed. “Get up and sleep. I’ll wake you in a bit.”
Shen Zechuan didn’t stand on ceremony. He lay down, and Xiao Chiye lay behind him, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his face to Shen Zechuan’s cheek. At first Shen Zechuan could still hear Xiao Chiye speaking softly, but soon it all blurred.
When he heard Shen Zechuan’s breathing deepen, Xiao Chiye reached out and loosened his collar, carefully examining the red rash.
It was different from Xi Hongxuan’s.
Xiao Chiye fastened his clothes again, held him close, and fell asleep too.
He didn’t know how long they slept. Xiao Chiye felt intense heat in his arms. Half-awake, his mind still muddled, he looked down at the person he was holding and instantly became fully alert.
Shen Zechuan burned like fire, sweat soaking his temples. When Xiao Chiye touched him, everywhere was scorching hot.
Xiao Chiye shot upright and called, “Lan Zhou, Lan Zhou?”
Sweat streamed down Shen Zechuan’s face. His brows were tightly drawn, his breathing shallow and quick. Half-awakened by the call, he said, “Separate… isolate… This disease can spread even without water.”
Xiao Chiye wrapped him in his cloak and shouted, “Chenyang, call the physicians!”
Chenyang, who had been dozing against the wall outside, startled awake, jumped down the steps, darted into the canopy, and dragged the physicians inside.
The physician lifted the cloak slightly, examined him, and said urgently, “Commander, the Zhenfu has contracted the epidemic! From what I see, he first caught a wind—”
Xiao Chiye seized the physician’s arm and stared at him coldly. “What is the Zhenfu?”
The physician panicked and hastily corrected himself. “He… he collapsed from overwork…”
“That’s right. The Zhenfu fell ill here today,” Xiao Chiye tightened his grip. “Before this, he was not sick.”
“Yes, yes, yes…” the physician said repeatedly.
“All the medicine in Que Capital is here,” Xiao Chiye’s tone suddenly softened. “I know you are a master of the healing arts. You can cure him.”
Meeting Xiao Chiye’s gaze, the physician’s legs went weak. He grabbed the edge of the bed and nodded frantically. “I can cure him—yes, I can.”