Chapter 377: Chapter 366 Assistance from Four Directions
Zhang Lingzheng came to find Lin Helin to express his concerns—during the winter floods, the residents were already facing food shortages, and after the disaster, they would surely migrate to Jiangnan.
If Jiangnan could fully accommodate the disaster victims, everyone would rejoice. But if it was unable to, it could lead to riots, and the consequences would be unimaginable. In previous years, when Liangjiang faced disasters, the people would not only flee to Jiangnan but also temporarily seek refuge in the twelve states to survive the calamity. Now that trade in the twelve states has been severed, all disaster victims will inevitably flood toward Jiangnan.
With the post-disaster population gathering densely, if scenes of famine stretching for miles were to appear, it would inevitably trigger epidemics, and the court must prepare measures in advance. Yuwen Jing, when he dispatched Lin Cheng to Jiangnan, had yet to receive news of any epidemic. Lin Helin took Zhang Lingzheng’s words to heart, instructing him to organize historical records of past epidemics and prepare medical supplies in the Capital City. If epidemics were indeed to occur, he planned to dispatch a team of Imperial Physicians to Jiangnan for treatment. The Imperial Hospital gathers the finest doctors from across the realm: any epidemic is like a battlefield—an invisible battlefield.
Although Liangjiang suffered from flooding, there was no outbreak of disease; the epidemic erupted in Yangzhou. It’s unclear whether it started inside or outside the city, but it spread outward from the twelve states.
Liangjiang didn’t experience an immediate epidemic, yet it began receiving disaster victims fleeing back home who exhibited symptoms of the disease. The Liangjiang State Mansion was very experienced in dealing with epidemics, as each administration would dispatch teams to manage the rivers. Massive disasters are inevitably followed by outbreaks of disease. This year’s catastrophe far surpassed those of previous years. When they saw fleeing victims with red rashes on their bodies, they immediately sent physicians to investigate. Once the doctors confirmed it was an epidemic, the Liangjiang State Mansion swiftly shut the city gates and quarantined all disaster victims for treatment.
The coastal state mansions also quickly reported news of the epidemic outbreak in Jiangnan back to the Capital City. These messages, delivered via expedited couriers, even arrived before Marshal Fang’s official report.
The outbreak in Yangzhou is a grave matter, but Jiangnan’s political culture often shields its officials from accountability. The state mansions didn’t dare mention in their reports how Li Yong’s hubristic decision to accept disaster victims spiraled out of control and caused the epidemic to spread unchecked. Instead, they simply provided a brief narration of Jiangnan’s situation. Being unaware of the specifics in Yangzhou, they refrained from describing details, only reporting that disaster victims fleeing back exhibited signs of disease.
When Lin Helin read the reports, he felt a foreboding sense of unease, praying that the epidemic would remain within controllable bounds. But when Marshal Fang’s report finally arrived, Lin Helin felt as though a sudden clap of thunder struck him.
Yuwen Jing hadn’t anticipated the situation in Yangzhou to be this severe, nor had he foreseen that it would be the source of the epidemic. All the states had shut their city gates tightly, fearing the spread of disease, rigorously enforcing control—even the twelve states followed suit. The worst affected are the masses of displaced victims; rejected time and again, they carried the epidemic across Yanyang.
Lin Helin intended for Zhang Lingzheng to organize a team of Imperial Physicians to travel to Jiangnan. However, Yuwen Jing disagreed, arguing, "What if an epidemic breaks out in the Capital City while half the Imperial Hospital is sent to Jiangnan?" Lin Helin held his temper and continued negotiating. Eventually, Zhang Lingzheng departed with five Imperial Physicians and medical supplies, while Zhang Boju was assigned to escort grain shipments to Yangzhou.
The states and counties of Jiangnan watched over one another and united in overcoming their hardships.
Lin Helin didn’t believe in fate: man triumphs over the heavens, whether in actions or in character. To him, people have more power and decision-making ability than the heavens. Yet the outbreak of the epidemic in Jiangnan began to stir doubts within him.
Could there truly be a mandate of heaven in this world?
The Xie Family’s betrayal of the Capital City had caused chaos in Yanyang for a time. Only recently had stability returned, and it should have been a period of recuperation. Both the Capital City and the twelve states were vying for popular support, striving in agriculture and the economy; whoever could ensure the people’s well-being would win their hearts. The court had just severed commercial ties with the twelve states, leaving them to face immense challenges this winter. Xie Xun and Xie Jue were urgently working to resolve the twelve states’ food and survival crises.
Yanyang should have been blessed with peace and plentiful harvests, but winter floods struck unexpectedly.
For over a century, Liangjiang’s rainy season had always occurred in late summer and early autumn, as the autumn floods were most prone to breaches. Now it’s midwinter, yet floods and outbreaks of disease have erupted.
"The mandate of heaven... fate—it’s too elusive to comprehend!" Lin Helin couldn’t help but feel some measure of defeat. But no amount of discouragement could negate the urgency—if the epidemic spreads across the states and counties, the death toll will be catastrophic. This is the time for all of Yanyang to unite in solidarity.
The chaos in Yangzhou is extraordinarily challenging.
Li Yong’s reckless actions in the early stages exacerbated tensions, leading disaster victims and residents alike to voice their grievances loudly. The gathering of demonstrators soon spiraled out of control, making it nearly impossible for them to trust the state mansions again.
Xie Xun quickly suppressed the unrest among the disaster victims in the city. After all, Yangzhou City housed hundreds of thousands of residents, and its garrison boasted tens of thousands of soldiers. He reasoned that, with appropriate methods, the riots could always be contained.
The ground, drenched and muddy from incessant downpours, was slick with pooled water. Xie Xun led a group of provincial soldiers to clear out all the residential buildings in the western part of the city. In the center, they constructed barriers of stones and sandbags to serve as a dividing line. All residents afflicted by the epidemic were relocated to the western quarters.