Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

The Fourth Prince looked at the Qi County Magistrate with a determined gaze. Then, with a wave of his hand, he signaled the soldiers beside him to hand over a portion of his troops and a considerable amount of money and food. The Qi County Magistrate stepped forward with deep trepidation, his hands trembling as he accepted the heavy responsibility. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Despite his inner uneasiness, he was overwhelmed by an overwhelming sense of joy. He knew full well what these supplies meant to the starving people.

Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, the country has been in turmoil, forcing the people to leave their homes and become displaced. The imperial court has not distributed any relief grain, and even the limited relief grain available at the county government offices is now nearly depleted. To survive, the poor people have resorted to gnawing on grass roots, digging up tree bark, and even risking eating Guanyin soil. However, these non-food items provide no nutritional value, and countless people have died of starvation and freezing.

At this moment, with the food and money sent by the Fourth Prince, County Magistrate Qi was confident that they would be able to temporarily help the people overcome the difficult situation before them. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and secretly made up his mind to make good use of these hard-earned resources and never let down the Fourth Prince's trust in him and the people's earnest expectations.

The Fourth Prince, with a gloomy expression, gave each of these orders one by one, then turned and left without hesitation. Following him were a large number of well-trained and well-equipped troops, marching towards the Protectorate. The Protectorate was the command center for the entire northwest region. Not only was there a powerful army led by the renowned Marquis of Zhenbei, who had defended the northwest for many years, but it also housed the Supervisor, Chen Rong, who was responsible for managing the people's livelihood and government affairs in the northwest. It could be said that the Protectorate was the core of the northwest's political situation and the key location for issuing various government orders.

After a long journey, the Fourth Prince finally arrived at the gates of the Protectorate. By then, Chengdu Hu, along with a group of civil and military officials, had been waiting respectfully for a long time. When the Fourth Prince appeared before them, they all knelt in greeting, shouting in unison, "Greetings, His Highness!" However, the Fourth Prince simply glanced coldly at the kneeling ministers, his anger surging like a surging tide, unable to be contained.

"How on earth have you managed to get away with this? You've caused such chaos and unrest in this vast Northwest! Now that the Northwest is suffering from such a severe drought, instead of seeking to resolve it, you've only cared about feasting and having fun, gorging yourself to the point of gluttony! Look at those poor people, they can't even get enough to eat, they're barely clothed, their lives are miserable!" The Fourth Prince grew increasingly angry as he spoke, his voice rising a few notches unconsciously. But he quickly realized that he couldn't let his anger get the better of him, so he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. After a moment, he suppressed his anger and said slowly, "Well, everyone, get up."

Entering the grand and solemn office hall of the Protectorate General, I saw Prince Zi sitting calmly and composedly on the throne, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his expression solemn and majestic. Not far away sat the wise and composed Lord Baili Xi, equally distinguished in bearing and exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

At the head of the table below sat Du Chen Duhu and other ministers. They sat at attention, their faces solemn, as if awaiting the start of this important meeting. After everyone had settled in, the Fourth Prince spoke first, breaking the brief silence: "Chengdu Hu, please tell me the current situation in the northwest!" Hearing this, Chengdu Hu rose slightly, bowed, and then, with a solemn expression, began to narrate: "Your Highness, the current situation in the northwest is extremely complicated..."

As the storm struck, its fierce winds raged, and once-familiar streets and villages were instantly reduced to ruins, with bricks and rubble forming new "mountains." Home, that small world of countless joys and tears, was now nothing but empty memories. The victims searched the rubble for traces of the past, trying to piece together memories. However, reality is often harsh. In such circumstances, makeshift tents became their only shelter. Simple and crowded, they embodied the people's longing for home and their perseverance. As night fell, the cold wind penetrated the thin canvas, and twinkling lights flickered in the darkness, a scene of people gathered around the fire to keep warm, snuggling together, sharing their stories, and illuminating the cold night with their warmth.

However, what is worrying is that as time passes, the epidemic becomes increasingly severe, with no sign of improvement. Meanwhile, the drought, like a demon, cleaves to the land, refusing to let go. As if under a spell, the sky ceases to rain, and the earth, dry as a tortoise's back, is riddled with cracks.

The people had lost their most basic resources—food, drinking water, and clothing. Hunger and thirst tormented everyone, and the once kind and peaceful people became extremely irritable. Anger and despair filled their hearts, and the slightest incident could ignite a violent conflict.

Social order began to collapse, and violence erupted. Some people fought over a sip of water, while others even took up arms to rob others of their property to survive. Killing and plunder became the dominant theme of the world, and the dark side of human nature was fully exposed in the face of despair.

Furthermore, the chronic lack of clean water has led to a dramatic deterioration in sanitary conditions, creating an opportune environment for various diseases. Contagious diseases such as gastroenteritis and cholera, caused by contaminated water, have spread rapidly among the victims. Women and children, who are particularly vulnerable and already have weaker immune systems, are completely defenseless against these aggressive illnesses, and can only watch helplessly as they are consumed by the pain.

Now the people in the northwest are in turmoil and the epidemic is spreading. We are powerless! As he said this, Chen Duhu covered his face and cried bitterly.

The Fourth Prince furrowed his brow, his face etched with fury as he stared at Chen Duhu's tear-stained, grief-stricken face. A raging fire burned within him, and he was overcome with anguish. Unable to contain the raging fury within him any longer, he suddenly raised his voice and sternly shouted, "Isn't it all due to your incompetence as the Protector General that things have come to this? Have you considered any countermeasures to this severe drought? Have you submitted a petition to the court?"

Upon hearing the Fourth Prince's harsh rebuke, Chen Duhu was so frightened that his whole body trembled. He knelt down and kowtowed, shouting, "It's unfair, Your Highness the Fourth Prince! I have indeed submitted many urgent memorials, but I still haven't received any response! It's really like a good cook cannot cook without rice! Now in the northwest, all the food that can satisfy hunger and water that can quench thirst have been consumed. The crops have not been harvested at all. Where can I find life-saving food and grass?" As he spoke, he kowtowed several times. His forehead was already red, swollen and broken, and blood was oozing out.

The Fourth Prince gazed at Chen Duhu silently. Seeing his expression, he knew that further words would be useless. After all, a thorough investigation was needed to determine whether he was guilty. So, the Fourth Prince sighed softly and said in a gentle and soothing tone, "Chen Duhu, this matter has indeed troubled you. I have come here precisely to address the current severe drought situation."

The Fourth Prince paused, his gaze firm and serious, before he continued, "You will withdraw for now. As soon as possible, go and assess the severity of the disaster in various locations. Be sure to thoroughly investigate the situation in villages, towns, and even the county seat, and accurately determine the number of people remaining. Then, distribute food according to population, ensuring that no one dies of starvation. For those who are sick, arrange a centralized location for their proper accommodation. I will dispatch imperial physicians and local doctors to provide them with attentive care. Remember, isolate these patients, but do not kill them. These are turbulent times, and even the slightest disturbance could spark public anger. Therefore, you must emphasize to your subordinates that they must handle this matter with gentleness and avoid harsh actions that might anger the people. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Duhu did not dare to be negligent in the slightest and hurriedly bowed in agreement. Then he hurried away and began to take care of the matters assigned by the Fourth Prince.

At the first light of dawn, before the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking had completely drowned out the night's stillness, a small county government office was already brightly lit. Magistrate Liu An personally oversaw the process, ordering a citywide curfew. Outside the city gates, a group of soldiers in armor, armed with swords and spears, gathered. Their faces were solemn, their gazes resolute, as they prepared to carry out a special order: to count the entire county population and identify those suspected of contracting the plague. As the first rays of sunlight shone over the land, the soldiers began their intensive, methodical work. They divided into teams and visited every household within and beyond the county, meticulously checking the names in the household registers to ensure no one had been missed. Simultaneously, their eyes, as keen as hawks, observed the mental state and health of every resident, observing even the slightest sign.

Once a suspected patient was identified, soldiers immediately took action, carefully isolating them and preventing them from coming into contact with other healthy individuals. They would then designate an area at the edge of the village or county seat, often an abandoned warehouse or vacant courtyard, to house the patients. This area, known as an "epidemic shelter," was surrounded by fences or walls, creating a physical barrier to prevent the further spread of the disease.