Chapter 368: Chapter 357 Dangerous
The riots in Yangzhou City, as predicted by Su Ming, were triggered by an epidemic. The source of the outbreak stemmed from refugees—one after another began developing fevers and rashes, symptoms resembling a plague. Before doctors had time for a thorough examination, the soldiers responsible for overseeing the refugees informed the State Mansion. Upon hearing it was an epidemic, the officials immediately panicked. In the bustling west side of the city during early morning trading, the fearful murmurs and speculations of the soldiers spread, and somehow the news exploded.
Chaos instantly erupted among the city’s residents.
After a great disaster, there is inevitably a great epidemic—these twin catastrophes have been intertwined for centuries. The cause is unknown, the timing of the illness uncertain, yet everyone knows that following calamity, plagues will claim thousands upon thousands of lives.
The people dreaded the very mention of an epidemic!
The refugees, too, descended into turmoil. No one wished to encounter the plague—its contagion was violent and swift. Many were already ill. The officials in the State Mansion intended to segregate and treat the refugees, yet the city’s citizens protested fiercely, demanding the refugees be driven out of Yangzhou entirely. Accusations flew, blaming state officials for accepting refugees in the first place. Meanwhile, the refugees feared quarantine and treatment, harboring their own terror of the disease. The conflict quickly escalated into clashes between the refugees and city officials. Refugees, long restricted to the city’s districts, were previously allowed only minimal movement at night. Now, hearing of expulsion and facing rampant illness among their own ranks, disorder spiraled uncontrollably.
Tens of thousands of refugees converged within the city, overwhelming any attempts at containment. The State Mansion lacked enough soldiers to quell the disturbance, as refugees stormed homes, looting food and supplies. With infected individuals scattered among them, the plague spread across every corner of the city. Panic gripped the population. Hundreds, even thousands of refugees, barging into any household, left families defenseless, forced to endure ransacking.
Bloodshed broke out swiftly in the city. Fengyu rushed back to the Su Mansion, terrified something might have happened to her grandfather. Fortunately, the Su Mansion still maintained a good level of security—the riots had yet to extend there.
The mansion didn’t have many guards, though. If refugees attacked, the defense would surely collapse. Housekeeper Su suggested, "Let’s gather the clan members. That might make things a bit safer."
"Gathering clan members is useless. If refugees are coming to loot, who could escape? The wealthy and prominent households are the first targets. Grandpa Su, prepare the carriage immediately—we need to take Grandpa to the smaller courtyard for refuge."
The Su family’s estates in Yangzhou were all grand and opulent, making them obvious targets for the refugees. With fewer people to defend and against the overwhelming masses, relocating to a modest courtyard was their only option.
The streets were already plunged into utter chaos. Sounds of smashing, frenzied looting, screams, and cries pieced into a single cacophony. Nuanyang and Chunlu guarded Su Ming and Fengyu’s carriage to prevent collisions with the mobs roaming the streets. As they departed, they saw a large group of refugees storm into the Su Mansion. Fengyu glanced back, frowning slightly. There was something distinctly unusual about this—it didn’t seem random. Thousands of refugees were charging into the Su Mansion, looking all too organized.
A deep sense of unease gripped her heart, but Su Ming’s cough drew her attention back. His voice was weak, almost a whisper, as he muttered, "When the nation falls, its people perish first. Unnatural omens have descended upon us—Yanyang is in grave danger."
Su Ming was delirious from sickness, but Fengyu knew the chaos in Yangzhou was far from ordinary. It wasn’t just natural calamity—it was human greed and cruelty. This was a disaster that not even the gods could salvage.
Events unfolded too abruptly—Fengyu had only managed to gather medicine and food. Before they even reached the small courtyard, their carriage caught the eye of some refugees. Ten or so refugees, spotting the carriage and the well-dressed Su family servants, as well as several carriages, swarmed forward to seize what they could. Nuanyang drew his blade, guarding the carriage without hesitation. His moves were resolute—quickly slashing two refugees’ arms, leaving them bleeding profusely.
With a low voice, Nuanyang warned, "If you don’t want to die, get out of the way!!"
Though still young, Nuanyang had honed his ferocity on the battlefield. His aura was menacing, making the refugees unwilling to challenge the terrifying Junior General head-on. Yet a few famished refugees, consumed by madness, screamed, "Everyone, come here! There’s food! Hurry! Take it!"
With tens of thousands of refugees spread throughout the city, none could tell who was already infected with the plague. Contagion threatened to spiral out of control. Nuanyang, gripping his Longsword tightly, was ready to unleash carnage. When he noticed one refugee with red rashes covering their neck, his fear escalated even further.
Yangzhou was becoming perilous for the young lady!
Following the cries for help, a mob of refugees suddenly encircled them, appearing from who knows where. Fengyu lifted the curtain decisively, commanding, "Nuanyang, throw down two sacks of rice!"
"Understood!"
The soldiers swung their swords at anyone nearing the carriage. In times like this, there was no room for sympathy—these were desperate, lawless people. Nuanyang threw down two sacks of rice, proclaiming, "This is all the food we have. Our master only wants to escape with his life. You don’t want to die either—stop chasing us."
As soon as the sacks of rice hit the ground, the refugees, like starved beasts, instantly surged forward to snatch them.
Fengyu once again witnessed the ugliness of human nature. Without food, they were united in their plundering. But given food, they turned to tearing each other apart, knowing that fewer competitors meant higher chances of survival.
"Let’s move!" Fengyu dropped the curtain, blocking the gruesome sight. Nuanyang rode ahead to shield the carriage. "Young lady, several people who just rushed at us had rashes on their bodies. They appear to be showing symptoms of the epidemic."