The attendant grinding ink scratched his head in confusion. “Sir, you haven’t ordered anyone to spread nursery rhymes recently, have you?”
“Which Great Xia law states that only you, your lord, can spread nursery rhymes?”
“Uh… not really.”
“Then that settles it!”
With a cold snort, Feng Qingchen, whose temper flared up as if he’d eaten gunpowder, unfolded the nursery rhyme presented by his subordinate and read it aloud in a low voice:
“King Wu’s pass, evil spirits abound.
Rats and plagues, all come to find.
One falls, two fall.
The whole village, none escape.
From Changzhou Fengtian to Shuntian.
Great Xia is about to perish.”
After reading it, Feng Qingchen knew with his toes who the author was.
“Tsk, truly worthy of the Martial King. Not only have you put your knowledge to use, but you can also generalize!”
“Sir, you mean this nursery rhyme was spread by the Martial King’s people?”
“Even if it wasn’t the Martial King himself, it’s definitely his faction. They’ve gone to great lengths to rescue the Martial King from the imperial tomb.”
“Then, sir, what should we do? Should you perhaps compose one too?”
Feng Qingchen rolled his eyes ungracefully at the suggestion. “Do you think your lord is that idle? Can you handle these memorials for me?”
The attendant, sensing his lord’s increased irritability this month, repeatedly shook his head. “Sir, you have foresight, you devise strategies, and you are erudite. Every memorial you read concerns the safety of the Great Xia populace. I dare not overstep my bounds.”
“Hmph, you’re so eloquent. It’s a waste for you to be just an attendant!”
“You flatter me, sir. I merely spent a long time by your side, hearing and seeing things by osmosis.”
After a barrage of compliments, the attendant returned to the main topic. “Sir, regarding the nursery rhymes spread by the Martial King, have you already thought of a countermeasure?”
“We’ll observe the situation first. Let them frolic for a few days. The rat plague in Changzhou County has only just begun. We’ll see who emerges victorious in the end! Besides, if others were to know that your lord, a noble Minister of Personnel of the third rank and Acting Prime Minister, has nothing better to do than compose nursery rhymes, how undignified would that be?”
“The last sentence is your true intention, isn’t it?” the attendant muttered softly.
Feng Qingchen raised an eyebrow. “What did you say?”
“Replying to you, sir, with your literary talent, whatever you write would certainly not be a nursery rhyme, but an immortal verse!”
“Naturally.”
Feng Qingchen declared proudly, then paused slightly as he lifted his writing brush. “By the way, speaking of composing nursery rhymes, isn't there a professional for that?”
With that, he took another sheet of paper, scribbled a few lines, sealed it in an envelope, and called out loudly, “Guard!”
“Here!”
The guard in tight-fitting clothing, who had been stationed at the door, entered.
“An Ling, personally ride your horse at top speed to Changzhou. Deliver this letter to your master’s hands, and then, even if you have to drag him, bring your master back!”
…
The guard, addressed as An Ling, took the letter without a word and quietly retreated.
“Honestly, His Majesty’s health is declining day by day. It’s a question whether he can survive this winter, and those two thoughtless brats are still idling around outside!”
“Sir, discretion! Discretion!”
“Discretion, my foot! What if it reaches His Majesty’s ears? At worst, they’ll chop off your lord’s head with one stroke, saving your lord from toiling day and night for the Xia family, rising earlier than the rooster, sleeping later than the dog, and working harder than a mule! Do you call this a life fit for humans? No! I’ve had enough! Whoever wants to do it can do it. I’m quitting!”
“Sir!”
The attendant shook his head helplessly, seemingly accustomed to his lord’s outbursts every few days. Anyway, the memorials were there, no more, no less. It was just that accompanying his lord in reading memorials by lamplight every night was rather taxing on the eyes and made one particularly sleepy. Alas— it wasn’t surprising that his lord had such a fiery temper. The emperor was gravely ill, the Crown Prince was not in the capital, and all memorials were secretly handed over to this mere Minister of Personnel of the third rank. Was this proper? However, with his lord’s extraordinary talent, understanding astronomy and geography, possessing the talent to manage the world and stabilize the nation, and being able to perfectly imitate any font, he was indeed a peerless genius. If he were the emperor, he would also be happy to be a hands-off manager. Why not use him for free! After all, it was so tiring to read them all himself! Unaware of the attendant’s inner thoughts, Feng Qingchen sulked for a while, then reluctantly picked up his brush and resignedly began reading the mountain of memorials on his desk…
On the other side.
Within the epidemic-stricken area, everyone was busily working in an orderly fashion. Although Murong Bai and Old Xu’s prescriptions for treating the rat plague were not yet complete, the conditions of the infected villagers were basically effectively controlled. Because the journey from Bashu to Changzhou was long, most of the infected were middle-aged and young refugees. Currently, besides Zhuzi’s wife, most of the other infected were middle-aged and young strong laborers who had worked with Zhuzi. These individuals had strong constitutions, and with the fresh meat, eggs, and vegetables constantly supplied by Leng Ningyue, within a few days, everyone had actually gained weight. Some refugees who had been starving even wished for the plague to continue so they could have lavish meals every day. However, upon seeing their sickly fellow villagers, infected with the rat plague and their bodies dark purple, they had to abandon this thought. Also, having to wear this thing called a ‘mask’ every day was truly uncomfortable. If possible, they would prefer to eat rougher food in exchange for freedom and the right to breathe fresh air freely. Due to the abundant supply of materials, no one dared to stir up trouble, and the entire epidemic area was in peace. Thus, Lin Qingge, who neither had to patrol nor brew medicine to treat patients, became the biggest idler. With nothing to do, she went to the area designated for the elderly, weak, women, and children to teach the little ones basic literacy and arithmetic to pass the time. On this day, Lin Qingge arrived at the wooden stake on time to receive the box of food sent by Leng Ningyue, only to find that Hua Jinrong had also followed her. Following Lin Qingge’s suggestion, those who delivered supplies daily also wore masks. Leng Ningyue and Hua Jinrong were no exception. As if unaccustomed, Hua Jinrong raised her hand several times to adjust the position of her mask.
“Something wrong?” Although Lin Qingge asked a question, her tone was very certain. Because apart from the time she sent the doctor, this fellow had not appeared again, and she didn’t know what she had been busy with every day. Perhaps because Lin Qingge’s scrutinizing gaze was too obvious, Hua Jinrong explained pitifully: “Sir, student not only has to collect medicinal herbs every day but also arrange the procurement of the meat, eggs, and vegetables you eat. I also have to write down the daily situation here in detail and report it to the prefect. It’s like one person doing the work of two!”
However, Lin Qingge listened and nodded happily. “As the saying goes, if you don’t die, work yourself to death! Adviser Hua, the more you work, the less my lord’s wife will have to toil.”
…
Hua Jinrong, who was extremely choked without having had a chance to eat, felt her eyelids twitch fiercely. She finally remembered the main purpose of her visit: “That, sir, student wishes to ask for your guidance on something.”