Chapter 770: News Arrives

Translator: Henyee Translations | Editor: Henyee Translations

The County Magistrate, sweating with anxiety, approached Chu Qingzhi, “Miss Chu, more and more people are contracting smallpox!”

Chu Qingzhi was equally troubled. The panic induced by smallpox had people fleeing in all directions, exacerbating the spread of the infection and making it nearly impossible to control.

“Post a notice, disclose the six medical prescriptions, and inform everyone to immediately return to their villages and homes. Anyone caught disobeying will be arrested and their entire family imprisoned!”

Heartened by Chu Qingzhi’s decisive and authoritative approach, the County Magistrate found renewed vigor, “I’ll handle it right away.”

The County Magistrate, now effectively acting as Chu Qingzhi’s aide, carried out his duties efficiently. Within three days, order was restored in Shuiyun County, and the epidemic was under control.

Other counties, taking cues from Shuiyun County’s management, also quickly brought their outbreaks under control.

The only unresolved issue was the absence of any news about “Ming” five days later.

Not only was the Emperor utilizing his hidden resources to search, but Tang Jinghong and many others who had benefited from Chu Qingzhi’s kindness, such as the Empress, the Prime Minister, and several generals, were also searching. However, all efforts turned up nothing.

There were three possible explanations for this outcome…

The first possibility was that the opposing force was larger than all of theirs combined, hence their inability to find anyone. The second was that the individual wasn’t from Daling. The third was that her profiling was too vague, making it difficult to find anyone matching the criteria.

The first possibility seemed unlikely, making the second and third more plausible.

If it was the second scenario, the implications were grave.

If the individual wasn’t from Daling, it could mean the epidemic was intentionally brought into Daling from another country, a situation that could potentially lead to war.

The current peace was hard-won, and no one desired to plunge back into conflict.

The truth needed to be uncovered.

Chu Qingzhi returned to the county office to examine the body once more. The stakes were now higher than just her business interests; it could lead to Tang Jinghong returning to the battlefield, causing countless people to lose their homes. Having lived on this land for nearly nine months, she couldn’t bear to see it ravaged by war.

In the mortuary, Chu Qingzhi meticulously inspected each bone, soon discovering new evidence. The bones showed uneven darkening under light, indicating mild poisoning.

This poison, deep in the bones yet not lethal, suggested prolonged exposure without causing death.

She scraped some bone powder into a cup, dissolved it in water, and added a drop of liquid, turning the water purple-blue.

As expected…

The deceased had used opium for a long time, enough for the poison to seep into his marrow and deeply into his body. Even if he hadn’t died from smallpox, he would have eventually succumbed to opium addiction.

As far as she knew, only the eastern border had opium. If so, the situation was complex!

Hands pressed against the wooden table, Chu Qingzhi pondered deeply…

After a while, she continued her examination and noticed a faint “X” mark on the cheekbone of the skeleton.

Typically, only severe criminals had an “X” carved on their faces. If he was a severe criminal, he should have been beheaded. How did he survive, and seemingly live well?

More mysteries unfolded…

After concluding her examination, Chu Qingzhi paused her investigation and sent out the newly gathered information for others to search for people matching the new criteria.

Rubbing her forehead, exhausted from continuous high-intensity work on the front lines, Chu Qingzhi was visibly tired.

Chu Qingning approached, supporting Chu Qingzhi to sit, “Fifth sister, I brought you a tonic soup to help you recuperate.”

“Okay.” Chu Qingzhi didn’t refuse, having lost several pounds recently. She needed to replenish her strength.

Fan Yuru arrived at the county office, expressing concern, “Qingzhi, you look pale. Why don’t you go back and rest?”

“I will soon.” Chu Qingzhi nodded, asking, “How do you feel? Do you still have a fever?”

“It stopped yesterday.” Fan Yuru was grateful, “Thankfully you were there, or I might not have survived.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled lightly, “You should cherish your life more. It wasn’t easy saving you.”

Fan Yuru smiled in agreement, “I will.”

In Chu Village.

The parakeets had been hatching continuously. Besides dealing with the epidemic, Chu Qingzhi also had to care for the young parakeets. Fortunately, Shuang’er and a pair of parakeets, who had sneakily laid their eggs, were there to help, preventing accidents.

Seeing Chu Qingzhi return to her room, Shuang’er flew out from the nest, “They’re all sleeping…”

Chu Qingzhi approached the window, checking on the sleeping parakeets. They were well-fed and peacefully asleep, easing her worries.

The parakeet couple flew over, their eyes shining, seemingly seeking praise.

Chu Qingzhi, not stingy with her affection, infused a bit of spiritual energy into each bird, “I’m going to rest for a bit. Watch over the young ones. If anything happens, come and call me.”

Shuang’er chirped happily, “Okay, okay…”

Chu Qingzhi lay down, a gentle breeze wafting through the window, softly moving the white curtains. The room, adorned with fresh flowers and bathed in sunlight, felt serene and beautiful.

As the epidemic slowly improved, “Ming” remained elusive.

Then, unexpectedly, Chu Qingzhi received a letter from someone she had almost forgotten – Xing Jindong.

Xing Jindong had once paid one hundred taels of silver to learn Q.-drawing from Chu Qingzhi but had returned home before completing his studies.

The letter suggested “Ming” might be his cousin, Xing Jinming.

His cousin was a member of a certain organization, known for his ruthlessness. Once, to exact revenge, an enemy got him addicted to opium.

To feed his addiction, he fell into degeneracy, frequently attacking wealthy families.

One day, while attempting another robbery for opium, the family’s master, accompanied by a skilled martial artist, captured him.

The captor, a government official, immediately sentenced him to death, but Xing Jinming escaped during a heavy rainstorm en route to the execution, and he hadn’t been seen since.

Chu Qingzhi mused, the letter’s contents matched her profile, but she was unfamiliar with Xing Jindong. Could his words be trusted?

Maintaining skepticism, Chu Qingzhi replied, “Which organization is Xing Jinming part of? What’s with the opium? Has the eastern border experienced a smallpox outbreak?”

After sending her response via the postal service, as her eagles didn’t recognize Xing Jindong and couldn’t deliver the letter directly.