klisemfg Chapter 2203 Working together
Chapter 2203 Working together
“The sound of the zither… perhaps it’s more than just the sound of the zither.” Liu Zian pursed his still dry lips, his brows furrowing slightly.
“I remember now, I did hear a lot of music that day, not just the sound of pianos, but also flutes, sheng and xiao, and so on. It was quite lively when they were all played together.”
Yan Ruyu's gaze was focused: "Oh? What kind of scene is it?"
"It must have been a banquet hosted by some wealthy family," Liu Zian recalled, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. "That day was the eighth day of the seventh lunar month, the day the academy exam results were released."
I did terribly on the exam, and my ranking dropped significantly. I felt depressed and frustrated. Luckily, I had a day off the next day, so I took a walk around the streets to clear my head.
As I walked into the street, I heard music coming from the alleyway.
He paused, then added, "The people living in that alley are all wealthy. Their courtyards are large and the walls are high. The music is coming from inside the walls of one of the large houses, and you can hear it clearly across the street."
I was in a bad mood at the time and didn't feel like lingering, so I walked quickly. I only vaguely remembered that the music was very complex, unlike the simple music played by ordinary street performers. As for the specific melody, I can't quite recall.
"The eighth day of the seventh month." Yan Ruyu silently recited the date in her heart, her fingertips lightly tapping her knee. "Are you sure it's this day?"
“There’s no mistake.” Liu Zian nodded vigorously, his tone very certain. “How could I possibly forget the day the results were released? Besides, it was the day before my birthday. I was hoping to get a good ranking as a birthday gift, but things didn’t go as planned. I still remember that feeling of disappointment.”
Yan Ruyu understood and did not ask any further questions: "You just recovered from your fever and are still weak. Rest well. If you need anything, just call the maid next to you."
Liu Zian quickly replied, "Thank you, Your Highness. I will take good care of myself and will go to apologize to Brother Changxu as soon as I feel better."
Yan Ruyu nodded, stood up and straightened her clothes. Just as she was about to turn and leave, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, accompanied by Song Ping's announcement: "Your Highness, Governor Cao has sent Cui Chong over, saying he has important matters to report."
Yan Ruyu walked into the courtyard, where Cui Chong and Song Ping quickly came to greet her.
Cui Chong looked somewhat anxious.
"Your Highness." The two bowed in unison.
"How is the situation on Lord Cao's side?" Yan Ruyu asked directly.
Cui Chong quickly replied, "Your Highness, the governor has already requisitioned a large, unused mansion in the west of the city as you instructed. It has been cleaned and tidyed up, and beds, bedding, and clean water have all been prepared."
The patients have been arranged in batches and according to their conditions. Those with mild symptoms are placed in the east wing, while those with severe symptoms are concentrated in the west wing, for easier care and treatment.
He paused for a moment and then added, "The general information of all the patients has been recorded, including their age, gender, onset time, whether they have taken any medicinal diet or visited Baixing Tea House. You can take a look when you have time."
Yan Ruyu felt a little more at ease and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work. Please take me there."
Night had fallen completely, and the streets were quiet, with only a few dim streetlights swaying slightly in the wind.
The group rode their horses and galloped off towards the west of the city.
Occasionally, a few horse-drawn carriages could be seen along the way, their curtains tightly closed, and the faint sound of coughing could be heard coming from inside, clearly indicating that patients were being transported to a resettlement point.
Upon arriving at the mansion, one could see from afar that the courtyard was brightly lit, with figures moving about, and a faint smell of medicine permeating the air.
The gate of the mansion was wide open, and several yamen runners were guarding the entrance. Upon seeing Yan Ruyu and the others, they quickly stepped aside, bowed, and let them pass.
As soon as Yan Ruyu stepped into the courtyard, her heart sank.
The courtyard was spacious, but crowded with patients lying down or sitting up. Some were pale and breathing weakly, while others were curled up and groaning softly. Some patients were being supported by their families.
Cui Chong whispered from the side, "Your Highness, we have already settled more than sixty patients, including twenty-six who are in a coma and are all concentrated in the west wing."
When we arrived, there were three carriages on the road; they should be arriving soon.
Yan Ruyu didn't say anything and quickly walked towards the west courtyard.
The scene inside the ward was even more heartbreaking. More than twenty beds were placed side by side, and the patients on the beds all had their eyes closed, their faces as pale as paper, their chests rising and falling weakly, and some were coughing unconsciously, each cough sounding weak.
"Where is Doctor Cao?" Yan Ruyu asked, turning around.
"Your Highness, I have already sent someone to invite them; they should be arriving soon," Song Ping replied hastily.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate. Doctor Cao rushed over, his face full of anxiety: "Your Highness, I'm here!"
"Dr. Cao, please take the pulses of these critically ill patients first and record their pulse patterns and symptoms. I will deal with the most critical cases first." Yan Ruyu spoke quickly and clearly. "Also, have someone boil some spring water and distribute it to all the patients to suppress their condition."
"Okay!" Doctor Cao responded, immediately went to the bedside, took out the pulse pillow, and began to take the patient's pulse.
Just then, another commotion came from outside the courtyard gate. Several people dressed in different pharmacy clerk uniforms escorted several elderly men with white hair and beards as they walked in. They were the resident doctors from several well-known pharmacies in Youcheng.
The leader was Doctor Zhang. He stepped forward, cupped his hands to Yan Ruyu, and said, "Your Highness, having heard of the calamity that has befallen the people of the city, we have come here specifically to help. We have also brought some young assistants with us, who are at Your Highness's disposal!"
"Thank you, Dr. Zhang, thank you everyone." Yan Ruyu felt a warmth in her heart. "The situation is urgent right now. Critically ill patients need special care and medication, while mildly ill patients need prescriptions and conditioning. I will also trouble you all to split up and treat patients according to their conditions."
"Your Highness, rest assured, we will all listen to you!" the doctors said in unison, their eyes shining with determination. "Youcheng is our home. We cannot stand idly by when our people are suffering. We will do everything in our power!"
The young men behind them nodded in agreement.
Not long after, the sound of carriage wheels came from the road. The owner of Qian's Pharmacy personally drove a carriage over, which was piled high with medicine bags. Several young men dressed in gray short jackets were busy unloading the medicine.
"Your Highness, I'm late!" The shopkeeper hurried up to Yan Ruyu, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said loudly, "Hearing that we needed medicinal herbs, I brought everything I could from the pharmacy, and I also brought several of my assistants who specialize in decocting medicine, so that we can supply the decoction in time!"
Looking at the busy crowd, the mountains of medicinal herbs, and the faces full of enthusiasm and determination, Yan Ruyu felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
The fatigue and anxiety of the past few days were largely dispelled at this moment.