Mu Shizhen's first move was to stir up trouble, assuming Xie Jingqi was just a brute who only knew how to fight. But just as things were falling into place, Ji Zizhao appeared.
Seeing the hatred in the surrounding citizens' eyes gradually fading, Mu Shizhen gritted his teeth and said, "Princess Ronghe speaks beautifully, but what has she truly done for the people of Luoyi?"
Ji Zizhao smiled calmly, "I am indeed incapable, but Imperial Physician Zhang from the palace has already prepared a medicinal pill that can cure the epidemic. I was originally worried about what opportune moment to reveal this, but I didn't expect the young general from the Tuyuhun to be on the same page as me."
Mu Shizhen trembled with shock, unable to believe what he heard.
Hadn't this epidemic devastated an entire city of Yulin before? How could there be a cure now?
There was a commotion from the carriage. Zhang Shuzhong, trembling, stepped down, dragging a large box weighing dozens of pounds.
The box seemed too heavy, and after a few pulls, Zhang Shuzhong couldn't move it. He quickly looked at Han Jingyu by his side and said, "Come help! What are you all standing there for!"
After all, he was an imperial physician from the Taiyi Yuan in the palace and still had some temper.
Ji Zizhao heard the noise and instinctively turned her head.
Zhang Shuzhong, who had just been imperiously ordering people around, quickly smiled and said, "Princess Ronghe, please don't trouble yourself. How could such a small matter trouble Princess Ronghe?"
As he spoke, he glared at Han Jingyu again.
Han Jingyu quickly had the soldiers beside him help move the wooden box from the carriage.
Once the wooden box was safely on the ground, Zhang Shuzhong, as if treating a treasure, slowly opened it. A strong medicinal aroma instantly wafted out.
Inside the box, hundreds of doses of medicine were neatly arranged.
Zhang Shuzhong pointed to the pills in the wooden box and turned to the people of Luoyi on the street, "This is the antidote that can save your lives. Both those who have been infected with the epidemic and those who haven't can take it with peace of mind."
Han Jingyu looked at the bowls of herbal medicine in the wooden box, his excited hands trembling slightly.
Having witnessed the burning and massacre of cities, he understood what these medicines meant to Luoyi.
This was hope and rebirth!
However, the citizens standing on the street did not step forward to snatch them upon hearing this.
Their faces, weathered by war, were filled with suspicion and distrust.
It was as if the wooden box contained not an antidote, but poison that would hasten their deaths.
Seeing this, Zhang Shuzhong's chest heaved with anger.
These herbal medicines looked ordinary, but he knew what Princess Ronghe had paid for them.
It had taken dozens of days and nights of ceaseless effort, trying hundreds of methods, to achieve this success.
Yet now these people actually didn't believe it?
As a fellow physician, how could Zhang Shuzhong not feel heartache and indignation for Princess Ronghe's efforts!
Ji Zizhao remained calm and walked up to Zhang Shuzhong, saying, "Imperial Physician Zhang, there's no need to be so angry. The city is in turmoil, and it's only natural for the people to be suspicious. Please trouble yourself to boil a few doses here on the spot. I am willing to drink the first one as a demonstration."
Zhang Shuzhong looked at the young woman before him with deep concern, "How could this matter trouble Princess Ronghe? This humble minister is willing to set an example for these mediocre people."
Noble ladies in the imperial city at this age were busy with marriage arrangements and vying for favor.
But looking at Princess Ronghe, at the same age of sixteen or seventeen, one couldn't help but feel pity.
"Let me do it," a clear voice suddenly rang out.
Ji Zizhao turned around and saw Xie Jingqi striding over.
Zhang Shuzhong quickly stepped forward to stop him, "Your Highness Seventh Prince, how can you do such a thing? Although the herbal medicine is good, Your Highness is of royal blood and cannot condescend to do this!"
Xie Jingqi took several bowls of herbal medicine from the box and impatiently threw them to Zhang Shuzhong, "You talk too much. Do as you're told. You're old, why don't you conserve your energy?"
Ji Zizhao looked at the still awkward Seventh Prince and smiled with rare relief.
Fortunately, he was not incorrigible.
Zhang Shuzhong had no choice but to quickly order soldiers to start a fire on the spot and have the medicine stove from the carriage brought out.
Ji Zizhao took the opportunity to look at Han Jingyu and whispered a few words of instruction.
Han Jingyu nodded quickly and, while the citizens were still watching Zhang Shuzhong boil the herbal medicine, rode away.
Ji Zixiu took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and gently wiped the bloodstains on her elder sister's forehead. However, due to the freezing weather, the blood had already congealed on the wound.
Ji Zixiu's eyes turned red with heartache, "I'm thick-skinned. Why did Eldest Sister have to block it for me?"
Ji Zizhao smiled and patted Ji Zixiu's hand, "Your path must be walked by yourself to truly savor its taste. But as long as Eldest Sister is here, she will always protect you."
Hearing this, Ji Zixiu's nose felt even more sore.
Cao Yan took the opportunity to hand over a handkerchief moistened with hot water, "If Princess Ronghe doesn't mind..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Zixiu shot him a glare, "Scram."
If you dare to have feelings for my Eldest Sister, I'll skin you and make a drum.
Cao Yan quickly stuffed the handkerchief into Ji Zizhao's hand and ran away without daring to say another word.
Ji Zizhao placed the damp handkerchief on her forehead and looked in Cao Yan's direction, saying softly, "It's rare for Princess Yun'an, with her overbearing nature, to have a brother who knows right from wrong."
"He's just a rich young master." Su Dan Novel Network
"Rich young masters are also divided into grades. The fact that he has reconciled with you shows that his heart is not bad. Get along well with him. Your journey in the army is still long, and fostering good relationships within the military is a skill that pays off in the long run."
"I can't be bothered to deal with him..."
Xie Jingqi looked at Ji Zizhao, who was talking to Ji Zixiu not far away. Her eyes were smiling and gentle, with a rare harmlessness that made one unable to look away.
In this way, she was even more like that person.
As the medicine pot on the stove began to boil, a bitter scent filled the entire street.
When Zhang Shuzhong poured the first bowl of medicine, Xie Jingqi did not hesitate, picked up the bowl, and drank it down in one gulp.
The surrounding citizens watched with wide eyes, fearing that the current Seventh Prince would truly die before them.
After all, they still distrusted the imperial court at this time.
However, as time passed, Xie Jingqi remained as lively as ever. Let alone dying, with his fearless attitude, he would probably live for another hundred years.
The Tuyuhun soldiers saw that the suspicion in the eyes of the Luoyi citizens was gradually fading. They quietly asked Mu Shizhen, "General ordered us to stir up trouble between the citizens of the city and Yulin, but now the people of Luoyi seem to trust the Yulin soldiers again. Little General, what should we do?"
Mu Shizhen pushed away the soldier beside him and looked up at Xie Jingqi, "Prince Qilin of Yulin really has no airs. But what does that prove? Could it be that Prince Qilin of Yulin has contracted the epidemic?"
Zhang Shuzhong raised his eyebrows, "How can the young general of the Tuyuhun curse the Seventh Prince like that? He is utterly impolite!"
Mu Shizhen smiled and continued, "Since he doesn't have the epidemic, how can we prove that this herbal medicine is truly effective?"
"Tatatatat... Tatatat..."
As soon as Mu Shizhen's words fell, the sound of hurried horse hooves approaching could be heard.