Chapter 173: A threat he’ll understand (2/2)

After that, she walked off without even sparing Han Yunxi a glance. Grand Concubine Yi had overtaxed her nerves with grief for the Duke of Qin. These days, she looked like a walking corpse. Even Steward Xia thought her words were hurtful, much less Han Yunxi. She didn’t say anything, but silently watched Grand Concubine Yi’s figure disappear into the gardens before turning around with a smile.

“Steward Xia, leave the gate open for me tonight. I’ll definitely come back.” She hadn’t smiled at all these past days, but right now even her eyes were sparkling with new life.

What’s happened to Han Yunxi? Steward Xia gaped at her as she turned and left the estate.

—

As soon as Gu Beiyue heard Han Yunxi had arrived at the Imperial Physician Courtyard, he hastened over to greet her. “Esteemed wangfei, this official knew you would come.”

“You were that certain,” Han Yunxi smiled. She immediately got the details of the situation before they both did some preventative safeguards and entered the mortuary. Han Yunxi silently admired the doctors of the past. They didn’t have advanced safeguards to prevent disease and knew it was infectious, but were still the first ones on the scene to see patients and dead bodies. Her detox system started giving alarms as soon as she approached the body. Naturally, Han Yunxi stopped walking to focus on the corpse. After seeing Han Yunxi check and treat poisons so many times, Gu Beiyue was long used to her unique style of investigation. He quietly waited on one side.

Still, he was caught unawares when Han Yunxi quickly came up with an answer in her bright, clear voice. “It’s poison pestis[2].”

“Poison pestis?” Gu Beiyue was alarmed. The pestis, which caused plague, was the most horrific form of pestilence. Naturally, he was acquainted with its effects. However, the infected victims here had all displayed completely different symptoms from victims of plague, so what exactly was poison pestis?

Something even more horrific?

“Yes, it’s poison pestis. The plague and poison pestis are spread the same way in the beginning, via fleas from rats.” Han Yunxi was all professionalism as she secretly rejoiced. This was poison pestis, not the plague.

The plague was spread through fleas to begin with, but after that the virus could be shared in a variety of ways. Even a sneeze was enough to infect another person. Under the treatment conditions of the past, such things were quite horrific. If it wasn’t contained at once, it’d be extremely difficult to control the spread. Historically speaking, humankind had started uprisings precisely because of the plague, causing the fall of entire countries. Similar cases had occurred in the late Ming and Yuan Dynasties with large-scale plagues. However, if it was poison pestis, the disease could only be spread with a single method: the fleas themselves.

The fleas that carried the disease drank poisoned blood and were poisoned themselves. In other words, as long as one controlled the fleas and killed them off, the disease could be contained.

Infection through fleas?

Gu Beiyue understood the principle, but he wasn’t an idiot and hastened to clarify. “So all we need to do is kill off the fleas carrying the disease? Or so to say, without the fleas, one person wouldn’t be able to spread it to another?”

“Smart!” Han Yunxi grinned.

“Then the people can be saved!” Gu Beiyue rejoiced as he rushed out of the mortuary to issue commands. “Someone, send down an order and stop the plan to burn everything! Call together all the imperial physicians and officials in charge of managing the epidemic for a meeting!”

Han Yunxi’s heart warmed at the sight of Gu Beiyue so happy and excited.

“Esteemed wangfei, you can definitely detoxify the poison from poison pestis, right? Leaving aside those in the countryside, we have hundreds of people awaiting treatment in the capital,” Gu Beiyue said. Han Yunxi was about to reply when Gu Beiyue spoke again. “Esteemed wangfei, the most critical case is the Imperial Uncle’s third young master. The day before yesterday, the empress dowager went to have a look. I estimate that he won’t be able to last past tomorrow.”

Han Yunxi felt a touch of doubt in her heart at Gu Beiyue’s words. Why did she feel like he was trying to emphasize this fact?

“Imperial Physician Gu, are…are you trying to give me a hint?” Han Yunxi sounded him out.

A crafty gleam flitted past Gu Beiyue’s eyes, but he adopted an expression of confusion. “What…does esteemed wangfei mean by your words?”

Seeing this, Han Yunxi assumed she’d thought too much of things. “Nothing in particular,” she grinned. “Of course I can detoxify the poison pestis, but I’ll need to discuss the prescription with His Highness Duke of Qin before I’m sure. That’s right, eliminating the fleas won’t bring the epidemic under permanent control. Only by circulating the antidote can we prevent every possibility!”

You could call Han Yunxi out for looting a burning house, or just being plain selfish, but as soon as Gu Beiyue sent men to find her at the estate, she knew the hope to save Long Feiye had come! If they couldn’t control the plague in the capital, it’d definitely cause unrest. Even the politics of the country would be affected. With so many ill, the emperor and empress dowager were probably anxious to save them as well. Leaving all that aside, the third young master of the Imperial Uncle’s house was a precious treasure in the palm of the empress dowager’s hand! Gu Beiyue’s eyes glimmered in even more amusement. Unfortunately, Han Yunxi didn’t notice.

“Esteemed wangfei, could it be that only His Highness knows the formula for the poison pestis prescription?” Gu Beiyue asked.

“It’s a secret!” Han Yunxi said cheerfully. “Imperial Physician Gu, bring my words to the emperor. He’ll understand.”

Long Feiye, you saved me with the command seal. Today I, Han Yunxi, shall threaten the emperor himself for your sake!

When she finished speaking, Han Yunxi took a seat. She’d wait right here!

-o-

[1] hypostasis (尸斑) – shiban, or livor mortis, the discoloration of the skin due to the pooling of blood in the dependent parts of the body following death. Blood pools because the heart can no longer circulate the blood.

[2] pestis (鼠疫) – also known as Yersinia pestis, an organism that infects humans via the oriental rat flea to cause mainly pneumonic, septicemic, or bubonic plagues.