At this moment, Chuanzhou City was like a living hell.
Under the city wall that had been repaired, there were many haggard and emaciated commoners lying or leaning.
Some leaned against the wall with empty eyes, their lips cracked and scarred.
Some lay on the ground, groaning painfully, but their voices were intermittent, as if they would disappear the next moment.
All the medical clinics in the city were over - burdened, and everyone's face was as pale as paper. Some were numbly boiling the so - called medicine, while others were numbly drinking it.
As for whether the medicine was effective or not, no one cared anymore.
No one knew when this kind of days would end.
The people in the city were in a constant state of panic, and the newly stationed troops outside the city also showed no signs of vitality on their faces.
Outside Chuanzhou City, when Wei Ying had just arrived here, he ran into Wu Ya and others who were stationed not far from the army.
Wu Ya had arrived a few days earlier than Wei Ying, but he had not entered the city for these days.
Seeing Wei Ying walking towards the city, Wu Ya immediately grabbed him.
"Your Highness, please stop! The information we've gathered so far is... even if an ordinary person has no physical contact with the infected patients, just a glance at them makes the probability of being infected terrifyingly high." Wu Ya said with an unprecedentedly solemn expression.
At this moment, Chuanzhou City was like a tomb that swallowed people.
Whoever went in would hardly escape death.
Wei Ying frowned and continued, "Have you just been collecting information outside the city these days?"
Although this sounded like a reproach, Wu Ya knew that Wei Ying didn't really mean to blame him. This was just a serious inquiry about his preparations in the past few days.
Thinking about what he had heard and seen these days, Wu Ya slowly replied, "When I first arrived, I originally planned to go in. But when the city guards saw me, they stopped me in time from the city tower, saying that almost everyone in the city had been infected, and those who entered the city would not be able to escape this disaster."
Wei Ying looked thoughtfully at the city tower not far away and said, "Almost everyone in the city has been infected. What about the city guards?"
Wu Ya's expression was a bit mournful. "Almost all the city - guarding soldiers have been infected. Only a few who still had the strength could hold back the people and close the city gate in time to prevent the infected people from running out. Until... the army was sent to guard outside the city, those original city - guarding soldiers couldn't bear it anymore and fell down."
Wei Ying looked a bit dazed. He remembered that when he recaptured Chuanzhou City, there were only a few dozen people in the city. So he left a large number of soldiers to help them rebuild the city. Moreover... he, who didn't usually interfere much in politics, submitted a memorial to the emperor, suggesting that some policies beneficial to the common people be formulated to encourage people from other cities to migrate here.
Moreover, he left several capable lieutenants from Pohuang.
Among them were Zhao Yue, who once fought with Chu Qing in Pohuang, and... Wei Zhi.
Wei Sheng, who had always been with them, was sent to perform other tasks.
As for Wei Zhi... because her internal energy had been abolished, Wei Ying originally wanted to order her to return to Yongcheng.
However, the usually taciturn Wei Zhi said a lot. She wanted to stay here. She thought it was very unlikely that she could recover her internal energy, and the unwilling her believed that she should contribute to her master elsewhere.
So, Wei Zhi stayed in Chuanzhou.
Thinking of this, Wei Ying looked at Wu Ya with a solemn expression. "So what you mean is... Wei Zhi and Zhao Yue have also been infected? Were those who endured the pain and closed the city gate...?"
"Exactly them... Although Wei Zhi's internal energy has been abolished, her constitution is still much better than ordinary people's. Moreover... her perseverance is stronger than anyone else's." Wu Ya sighed.
Wei Ying felt as if a handful of sharp nails had been scattered in his heart, stabbing densely and painfully.
Wei Ying attached great importance to all the people in Pohuang.
Even if they were to die, they should die with dignity! Instead of suffering from an unknown strange disease and lingering on, looking more like ghosts than humans.
"By the way, Your Highness, last night... someone came to us. He specifically asked to see you. And..." Seeing Wei Ying's gloomy face, Wu Ya suddenly remembered the person who had suddenly come to them last night.
"And... that person is from Xiliang..."
...
Chu Qing returned to her familiar room and lay on the clean bedding that had been carefully tidied up. She only felt a warm feeling.
She stroked her increasingly large belly and felt deeply emotional.
After returning to the mansion, she had invited a doctor from the capital city to take a look. The doctor said that the fetus was very stable, and it should be due for delivery in less than two months.
Only... she didn't know if Wei Ying could return safely by then.
Chu Qing gently placed her hand over her eyes and then sighed.
What the national teacher of the Dongyi Kingdom had said...
Was the final disaster between her and Wei Ying this one...
She remembered that not long after the national teacher had said that, Wei Ying had received the news and rushed to Chuanzhou City.
Little Meatball was clearly the "culprit" that had made her be reborn, but now they had lost contact, and she couldn't count on it at all.
Thinking of this, Chu Qing sighed again.
Lu Luo and Liu Xin, who had been chattering outside the door, suddenly fell silent. Then they knocked on Chu Qing's door and said softly, "My Lady, Young Master Chu is here. He is waiting for you in the front hall."
After sending Chu Xing and Qin Zhao back to the Chu family, Chu Zhan actually came directly to the Prince Ning's Mansion.
Hearing this, Chu Qing directly ordered the two little maids to come in.
After being helped up by Lu Luo and sitting up with her back supported, Chu Qing said lazily, "Did he say what it was about?"
"I don't know, My Lady. Judging from Young Master Chu's expression, it should be something important," Lu Luo replied seriously with a slight frown.
Chu Qing nodded and then went to the hall.
Seeing Chu Zhan pacing back and forth in the hall, Chu Qing raised her eyebrows and said teasingly, "When did elder brother's temper become so... impatient?"
Seeing Chu Qing coming, Chu Zhan gently led her to the chair. He carefully asked Liu Xin to lay a soft cushion and a back cushion before letting Chu Qing sit down slowly.
Seeing her elder brother taking such good care of her so carefully, how could Chu Qing not be touched?
So Chu Qing gave up the idea of teasing him further and said seriously, "Elder brother, did you come here for something important?"
A deep look appeared in Chu Zhan's eyes, making Chu Qing feel a bit dazed. Then he slowly said, "Do you still remember... the Anduo Family?"
Chu Qing suddenly looked up at Chu Zhan.
The Anduo Family...
Their... maternal grandfather's family, a merchant family in Xiliang.
Originally, Chu Qing didn't know much about the strength of the Anduo Family until... Wei Ying once told her... that the Anduo Family could be said to be the richest family in Xiliang, rich enough to rival a country.
At that time, Chu Qing felt very complicated.
Not only was her own family rich, but her maternal grandfather's family was also so rich.
They were so rich that she was a bit worried about how to spend all the money.
Seeing Chu Qing lost in thought while looking at him, Chu Zhan couldn't help but reach out and poke her chubby cheek, calling her helplessly.
Chu Qing then came to her senses and gently slapped Chu Zhan's naughty hand.
Humph! Her face was only for Wei Ying to poke!
Seeing that Chu Qing was waiting for him to continue, Chu Zhan then carefully said, "Well... there is a person from the Xiliang royal family in the Anduo Family..."