Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Don't be so excited, let me explain it to you slowly." Xie Xiuqi said hurriedly, with a hint of anxiety on his face.

It turned out that after Shen Chuning's coming-of-age ceremony, Xiao Jinyu and Princess Nan Yan invited her to return to the capital for a short stay.

Shen Chuning inadvertently revealed a concern - she was worried that after returning to Beijing, her grandmother might use her marriage to control her.

Unfortunately, these words happened to be heard by Xie Xinyan who was standing nearby.

After Xie Xiuqi learned about this, he immediately found Shen Qinghe.

He said that if there was an emergency, he could tell Mrs. Shen that Shen Chuning had already made an engagement with him.

Not only that, in order to make this matter look more convincing, Xie Xiuqi also handed over the jade pendant and engagement letter he carried with him to Shen Qinghe.

Xie Xiuqi told Shen Qinghe that he was born in the Xie family of Mount Tai, and half of the civil officials in the court today were taught by students from the Mount Tai Academy.

With his family background, he is worthy of the Shen family.

In addition, he himself was the top scorer in the provincial examination, so no matter from which aspect, he could be considered a remarkable figure.

Moreover, he had never even asked the Shen family for any token of trust.

This means that the Shen family has the final say on this marriage.

Even if the Shen family gave his token of love and engagement letter to a maid in the end, he would have no choice but to marry that maid.

After listening to Xie Xiuqi's words, Shen Qinghe was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Master Xie, I appreciate your kindness, but it's really not appropriate to do this."

Xie Xiuqi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He said softly, "There's nothing inappropriate about it. It's true that I have some needs for the Shen family. I heard that Lord Shen Qingjiang will be the chief examiner for the next imperial examination, and Uncle Shen has already agreed to introduce me. I will become Lord Shen's disciple."

Hearing this, Shen Chuning couldn't help but open her mouth to argue. She said anxiously, "Your grandfather was my father's mentor. Even if he didn't do these things, based on your talent and knowledge alone, my father would have recommended you to my uncle. Why are you going to such great lengths?"

However, Xie Xiuqi simply shook his head slightly, his eyes firmly fixed as he replied, "If I don't do something, I won't be able to rest in peace. Well, it's getting late, and you should set off. If you delay any longer, I'm afraid you won't be able to reach the post station before dark."

After saying that, he stepped back a few steps and stood aside, leaving a passage for Shen Chuning to lead to the carriage.

……

As the carriage continued to move towards the capital, more and more refugees appeared on both sides of the road.

At this moment, everyone sitting in the carriage could even clearly smell the disgusting stench coming from rotting meat.

If it weren't for the strong and well-trained guards of the Yunyuan Escort Agency, this group of refugees would have rushed forward like a swarm of bees and forcibly opened the carriage they were riding in.

"Why are there so many displaced refugees? Where do they come from? I haven't heard of any place suffering from serious disasters recently." Yun Shuxuan frowned and asked with a puzzled look on his face.

The Northwest is bitterly cold and the people live in extreme poverty.

Therefore, the Yun family's business rarely involves this area.

Because of this, Yun Shuxuan knew very little about the situation near Changye.

At this time, Shen Chuning carefully brought a bowl of light brown medicine and said softly, "Mother, please drink this medicine first."

Yun Shuxuan took the bowl of medicine without hesitation and drank it all in one gulp.

After she put down the bowl, she asked Shen Chuning, "What kind of medicine is this?"

Shen Chuning hurriedly explained, "Those people outside are suffering from an epidemic, and this bowl of medicine was prepared by Ning Shutong to prevent the epidemic. I have made everyone in the caravan drink this medicine."

Hearing this, Yun Shuxuan couldn't help but feel curious. She lifted the curtain on the car window again and looked outside.

The people sitting under the tree had festering skin all over their bodies, but surprisingly, there was no sign of pain on their faces.

Seeing this, Yun Shuxuan frowned and asked worriedly, "Since there are already preventive drugs, are there any drugs that can treat this disease? Can those sick people outside be treated?"

Shen Chuning nodded slightly, confirming: "There is a prescription that can cure it, but it is currently incurable. There is a key herbal ingredient that cannot be purchased in ordinary pharmacies. It requires a special method to be prepared. We are on the road now and do not have the conditions to do so."

Yun Shuxuan stared at Shen Chuning in front of her with a sharp gaze. Her eyes were filled with confusion and concern. She asked slowly, "A Ning, have you known about the epidemic here for a long time?"

Shen Chuning pursed her lips slightly and bit her lower lip, seeming to be hesitant about whether to answer this question.

After a moment, she finally mustered up the courage to nod, and whispered, "Actually...it's really because of this epidemic that I've been thinking about returning to the capital. But at the time, I was afraid that if I told Mother about it, she would disagree with my return, so I kept putting it off until now. Will Mother blame An Ning for this?"

As she spoke, she raised her head and looked at Yun Shuxuan pitifully with her big watery eyes.

Seeing this, Yun Shuxuan's heart softened, and he quickly reached out and gently patted the back of Shen Chuning's hand.

She comforted him, "Silly child, you've always been sensible. You won't act rashly. As long as you can ensure your safety, no matter what decision you make, I will fully support you. Although you've taken the medicine to prevent the disease, just in case, you still need to stay away from those who are infected."

Hearing her mother's caring words, Shen Chuning's eyes gradually became moist. She nodded obediently, then gently leaned her head on Yun Shuxuan's warm shoulder and said coquettishly, "Daughter, I understand. I will definitely be careful."

……

Inside Linwei City.

All the surviving doctors in the city were kneeling in front of Feng Yucai.

An elderly doctor with snow-white hair and beard spoke first, "Master Feng, what you are doing is simply taking the lives of those patients immediately!"

His voice was trembling and his face was full of worry.