The flooding around Zhuzhou has resulted in too many deaths, and the fact that the waters of the Yuan River flow from Zhuzhou makes Qin Zheng deeply worried.

Upon hearing the word “epidemic,” Chu Chengji’s expression changed.

Once an epidemic breaks out, it means masses of people will die.

After the epidemic, nine out of ten households may become empty, turning the area into a dead zone.

He asked seriously, “Why do you think so?”

Since starting to help the refugees, Qin Zheng had been vigilant about such problems.

She took out the ledger where she recorded the number of patients. “On the first day, a total of five hundred refugees from Zhuzhou were sheltered, with fewer than ten infected with fever.

In the following days, thousands of refugees from various places came to Qingzhou upon hearing about the shelters.

Although some of them were also infected, it was within the normal range.

However, in recent days, the number of refugees infected with fever in the relief sheds has suddenly increased sharply.

Most family members who had close contact with the sick refugees also fell ill. Ordinary fevers wouldn’t have been so severe.”

Qin Zheng herself had taken care of Chu Chengji when he had a fever.

At that time, their conditions floating on the river were much worse than those in the relief sheds, yet she didn’t catch a cold.

However, almost all family members caring for the sick refugees had fallen ill.

When things deviate from the norm, there must be something wrong.

Chu Chengji took the ledger Qin Zheng handed him.

The number of refugees entering Qingzhou city had clearly decreased in the past few days, but the number of refugees with fever had increased.

The sudden rise in numbers was indeed alarming.

However, this wasn’t enough evidence.

Chu Chengji furrowed his brows slightly. “These refugees have all suffered from the flood. Is it possible that they caught a cold, and with the cooler weather in autumn, the number of people infected with fever suddenly increased?”

Qin Zheng said, “What you said is also possible, but most family members who took care of the patients with fever fell ill.

Family members who didn’t have contact with the patients haven’t caught the fever yet.

This worries me. Also, the doctors in the relief sheds are short-handed. I ordered someone to invite doctors from the city to help.

One of the doctors said that in a village, an entire household was infected with fever because they brought back a child who was unconscious with a high fever, discarded by refugees by the roadside.”

Qin Zheng paused for a moment. “Since you’re not planning to advance northward to attack Li Xin for now, I suggest stocking up on a batch of medicinal materials as a precaution.”

Cen Daoxi’s proposal to dig drainage channels was also a precautionary measure.

Chu Chengji had finished looking at the ledger Qin Zheng had recorded.

There were also statistical charts behind the ledger.

Chu Chengji didn’t quite understand the symbols she marked, but just by looking at the rising lines, he understood what was going on.

The matter of an epidemic was not the best scenario.

If it happened, it would be a disaster.

Chu Chengji closed the ledger and said, “Then let’s stock up on medicinal materials. Xuzhou is already peaceful. I will implement the Open Salt Trade policy and let merchants transport medicinal materials to Xuzhou in exchange for salt and tea.”

Qin Zheng asked in confusion, “What is the Open Salt Trade policy?”

To facilitate writing on the low table, Qin Zheng usually sat on a cushion, while Chu Chengji sat on a soft couch, towering over her.

As she lowered her gaze, she saw her holding a pen, slightly tilting her head to look at him.

The candlelight cast a soft glow on her profile, and her dark eyes were filled with confusion, like the best student in the school asking the teacher a difficult question.

Chu Chengji’s gaze lingered on her face for a few moments before he said, “This is a method used in the past to collect military provisions. When civilians couldn’t provide grain, and the granaries and treasuries of the court were empty, salt was used as the center. Merchants would exchange grain for salt certificates, facilitating the collection of military provisions through barter.”

Qin Zheng immediately understood.

Salt, iron, tea—all were monopolized businesses of the government.

The salt tax collected by the court relied on salt certificates.

When merchants bought salt certificates, they also paid the taxes.

With the salt certificates issued by the government, they could collect salt from the government-controlled salt shops.

This Open Salt Trade policy changed the method from buying salt certificates with money to exchanging food for salt certificates, enabling the government to gather the necessary supplies in the shortest possible time.

She remembered the bet she had with Chu Chengji before and widened her eyes suddenly. “Xuzhou has well-established transportation routes. If you announce it to the world, allowing the exchange of medicinal materials for salt and tea, it will attract merchants to rush to Xuzhou.

Other goods stored in Xuzhou could also be resold and transported to other places because of the arrival of these merchants.”

In other words, the stagnant north-south trade in Xuzhou could be revived.

Chu Chengji lightly touched Qin Zheng’s face with the back of his hand, a faint smile in his deep black eyes.

His voice was low and mellow, “So A-Zheng still remembers the bet in Xuzhou.”

Qin Zheng quickly lowered her head to flip through the documents. “Is it? I don’t remember such a thing…”

The last word turned into an exclamation as she was suddenly lifted up.

Chu Chengji carried her into the inner room. “It’s enough that I remember.”

Qin Zheng leaned her head against his chest, pulling at his sleeve. “My mind is full of how to settle the refugees from Zhuzhou.”

Chu Chengji looked at her faintly blue eyes and sighed softly. “I didn’t ask you to fulfill the bet now. You’ve been staying up late these days. Rest early tonight.”

By successfully stockpiling a large amount of medicinal materials using the Open Salt Trade policy, Qin Zheng and Chu Chengji decided to only set up shelters in Qingzhou after discussion.

They issued a notice prohibiting rural villagers from sheltering refugees without authorization.

For the refugees sheltered in the relief sheds, if they were infected with fever, their family members were also not allowed to serve or care for them.

If they insisted on taking care of them, they could only move in with the infected refugees and could not return to their original place of residence.

Despite these measures, a large number of healthy refugees still developed symptoms of fever every day.

Experienced doctors had noticed that something was wrong and reported to the authorities, suggesting that it might be an epidemic.

Officials who had previously dismissed this matter were now panicking, hastily submitting reports to Qin Zheng and Chu Chengji.

Although they had prepared for the worst, seeing the epidemic spreading among the refugees despite their best efforts still weighed heavily on Qin Zheng’s mind.

She personally asked the doctors treating the refugees in the relief sheds about the situation.

The most experienced doctor couldn’t help shaking his head and sighing, “Some refugees are infected, but the symptoms haven’t appeared yet. By the time they do, it’s too late to take them away, and other refugees have also been infected.”

As the symptoms spread among other refugees unnoticed, it became almost impossible to prevent.

Qin Zheng asked, “Is there a cure?”

The senior doctor shook his head more heavily. “My medical skills are limited. I haven’t been able to identify the cause of the illness. I can only start with a conservative detoxification formula.”

Qin Zheng bowed to all the doctors, scaring them into hastily stepping aside. “Your Majesty, you’re too kind to us!”

Qin Zheng said heavily, “The lives of thousands of people are in your hands. I represent these refugees, the people of Qingzhou, and the people of the world. Thank you all.”

The doctors were filled with gratitude in their hearts and returned the courtesy to Qin Zheng. “Your Majesty and His Highness treat the people as their own children, which is our fortune and the fortune of the people of the world. We will do our best to seek a cure!”

After mobilizing the doctors to treat the disaster victims, Qin Zheng turned to discuss with the ministers about recruiting doctors from other places.

However, before their notices could be issued, a large-scale epidemic had already broken out in Zhuzhou.

Even with strict control over the Qingzhou refugees, they couldn’t escape this disaster.

The situation in Zhuzhou, which had been flooded, was even more appalling.

The cities near Zhuzhou that had accepted refugees also experienced small-scale epidemics.

Local authorities were alarmed and hastily expelled refugees from Zhuzhou within their jurisdictions.

The refugees, with nowhere to go, could only flood back into Qingzhou on a large scale.

The relief sheds in Qingzhou were overcrowded, and the city residents had complaints about the government’s sheltering of so many refugees, fearing that the epidemic would spread to the city.

In order to ensure the safety of the people of Qingzhou, Qin Zheng and Chu Chengji had to temporarily suspend the reception of refugees in Qingzhou.

They repaired the docks, which had also been flooded, and turned them into shelters for the refugees, transporting supplies from other places.

As a result of this major natural disaster, the Li family was condemned by people everywhere.

Some refugees even flocked to Bianjing to retaliate against Li Xin, causing Li Xin to order the blockade of the city gates of various cities south of Bianjing.

At the same time, there were also denunciations of Li Xin from Beiting.

Li Zhong had initially wanted to keep the news of the survivors of the Pei family from Li Xin, fearing his blame.

He had thought about secretly eliminating Pei Wenyu to avoid suspicion.

But paper cannot cover fire.

When the tragedy of the Pei family in Liangzhou surfaced, denunciations against Li Xin for colluding with foreign enemies spread like snowflakes from Beiting to various places.

No matter how hard Li Zhong tried to conceal it, it was futile.

Furious, Li Xin, in a desperate attempt to save himself, pushed all the blame onto Li Zhong, accusing him of colluding with the northern barbarians and killing the governor of Liangzhou’s family.

After all, the letter presented by Pei Wenyu was indeed written by Li Zhong to the deputy general of Liangzhou.

Although Li Zhong and Li Xin shared the surname Li, they had no blood relation.

Initially, Li Xin had appreciated Li Zhong’s martial arts skills and, for the sake of a greater cause, had sworn brotherhood with him.

With Li Zhong’s wife, children, and elderly mother in Bianjing, Li Xin used this as leverage to make him accept these charges and avoid implicating himself.

Driven to a dead end, Li Zhong decided to take a stand, proclaiming himself king and revealing all the despicable deeds done by Li Xin.

Compared to the two charges that had enraged both humans and gods—colluding with the northern barbarians and framing loyal subjects—the crimes Li Xin had previously committed, such as plundering the people, seemed trivial.

Furthermore, with Li Xin’s eldest son breaking the embankment and causing flooding, resulting in an epidemic that made everyone fear for their lives, the Li family became the most hated people in the world.

Criticism from scholars abounded, and in Bianjing, indignant scholars wrote poems on the walls of houses and palace walls, denouncing Li Xin.

The court and the people were shocked, and many former officials of Chu directly resigned.

In the court, apart from a few old ministers who had followed Li Xin from Qixian, all that could be seen during the court session were some worthless sycophants. Looking around, the entire hall was empty.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Li Xin gripped the dragon head on the armrest tightly, as if this could secure the power he had always dreamed of retaining.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and compared to when he first ascended to the dragon throne, his temples had grown much whiter, his eye sockets sunken, his bloodshot eyes protruding, making him look even older, like a mad dying old dog. “This land is mine! No one can take it away!”

The courtiers could see that he seemed somewhat insane, and they looked at each other.

One of the old ministers who had been following him since Qixian tearfully said, “Your Majesty, please don’t lose your mind. As long as you are still standing, this land will not change hands…”