Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

In a situation filled with intrigue and calculation, the Fourth Prince faced threats and inducements from all sides, making every move difficult. However, with his extraordinary wisdom and unyielding will, he ultimately succeeded in securing a precious two weeks' supply of food.

After receiving this batch of food, the Fourth Prince did not dare to slack off in the slightest, and immediately ordered his loyal and reliable men to act swiftly. They quickly and meticulously copied a detailed list onto a large and sturdy stone tablet.

Afterwards, this stone tablet carrying this important information was firmly erected at the intersection of the city's most prosperous and bustling streets. This place was bustling with people and traffic all day long, and every passerby could clearly see the outstanding contributions made by the people listed above.

As time went by, the list gradually spread throughout the city and even to the surrounding towns. The places where those on the list lived received attention and praise, and their names became household names.

For the Fourth Prince, this act of kindness not only earned him the heartfelt support of the people, but also made him famous and established a positive image within the court and beyond. This was undoubtedly a victory that everyone enjoyed, whether it was those who made the effort, the people who benefited from it, or the Fourth Prince himself, they all gained what they wanted.

Li Ruoyue, Lu Zhu, and the imperial physician were at the treatment center, each of them completely focused and working tirelessly to save every injured and sick life. As they nervously and methodically provided emergency treatment to a wounded patient, something unexpected happened—the patient suddenly developed a high fever, a violent cough, and difficulty breathing.

Li Ruoyue looked worriedly at the increasing number of patients presenting with the same symptoms, her heart growing increasingly anxious. With a serious gaze, she carefully examined these patients, seeing that among them were white-haired elders and young children, but without exception, they all displayed worrying symptoms such as high fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

Li Ruoyue's mood was as if a huge rock weighed down her. She was extremely anxious. Knowing that time was running out, she dared not slack off and immediately launched an in-depth investigation and research. After a lot of hard work and verification from various sources, and combining her years of accumulated medical knowledge and clinical experience to make a diagnosis, she finally determined that this was actually a fierce plague.

Upon reaching this conclusion, Li Ruoyue felt a thick cloud of gloom descend upon her heart, and she was overcome with anguish. She knew full well that a flu outbreak often meant a sharp rise in the death toll, with disastrous consequences. With this in mind, she didn't dare delay for a moment and hurried to the gathering of the imperial physicians with whom she had close ties, ready to share this astonishing discovery with them.

Li Ruoyue ran hurriedly towards where Doctor Qian was. As she ran, she muttered anxiously, "Doctor Qian! Doctor Qian!" When she finally arrived, she found that Doctor Qian was concentrating on treating a young man sent by Yi Ming.

The young man's face was flushed, his forehead was covered with sweat, and he kept coughing violently. Every cough seemed to cough out his heart and lungs. Li Ruoyue's heart tightened when she saw this scene. Without hesitation, she hurried forward to assist Doctor Qian.

With the concerted efforts of Doctor Qian and Li Ruoyue, and after an intense and meticulous diagnosis and treatment, the young man's condition was finally temporarily stabilized. Doctor Qian breathed a sigh of relief and slowly walked out of the room, wanting to get some fresh air outside and relax his tense nerves.

At that moment, Li Ruoyue hurried over and said to Doctor Qian anxiously, "Doctor Qian, I have a very important discovery. I think... they are very likely infected with the plague!" Doctor Qian was shocked when he heard this. In fact, he had also vaguely sensed something during the diagnosis and treatment, but because he was not completely sure, he had not dared to jump to conclusions. Now, after hearing Li Ruoyue's words, his face suddenly became solemn.

Doctor Qian's face was filled with anxiety, with beads of sweat even oozing from his forehead. He stared intently at Li Xiaoyou in front of him, his voice trembling slightly as he asked, "Li Xiaoyou, this matter is of no small importance. Are you truly so certain?" Li Ruoyue's gaze was determined, and she nodded without hesitation, "Doctor Qian, I am absolutely certain! Back when I was traveling with my master, I was fortunate enough to encounter a case of this kind. The situation I'm seeing today is essentially the same as what I encountered then. This is an extremely contagious disease! If not handled properly, it will first infect those closest to the patient, and then spread rapidly like wildfire, killing people from one household to another, from one village to another!"

Upon hearing Li Ruoyue's words, Doctor Qian's heart trembled, and his face turned pale. It was not that he had never heard of this plague before, but it had been so long ago that his memory was hazy, and he found it difficult to recall the specific details. However, after Li Xiaoyou's firm confirmation, and the fact that his own conclusions based on the symptoms were exactly the same as those recorded in the medical texts, he was finally certain—this was the dreaded plague! Faced with such a dire situation, Doctor Qian knew he had no right to make a decision on his own. So, he made a quick decision, turned around, grabbed Li Ruoyue, and hurried to the Fourth Prince's location, ready to report the matter to him.

The two men rushed frantically towards the Protectorate General, where the Fourth Prince was stationed. Upon arrival, they hurriedly sent the guards inside to report the situation. Unfortunately, the Fourth Prince was out borrowing grain, and Erich had also left for business. Just then, Erich returned from his errands and spotted Doctor Qian and Li Ruoyue standing there, anxiously waiting, as if they were in dire straits.

Baili Xi came forward and teased with a hint of joking: "Hey, Mr. Li, how come you have time to come here today? Shouldn't you be busy treating those patients in the gathering place ahead?" Li Ruoyue looked up at Baili Xi and knew that there was no other way at the moment, so she had to bite the bullet and explain the truth to him: "Sir Baili, it's bad! We have discovered that an epidemic has broken out here!" Hearing this, Baili Xi, who was originally smiling, instantly put away his playful mood and his face became solemn.

"What? Something so serious has happened! But now that the Fourth Prince has borrowed grain and hasn't returned, I can't issue any orders on my own! What should I do?" Baili Xi frowned, pacing back and forth in front of the two men, muttering to himself. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he abruptly stopped and said loudly, "There's nothing we can do. We can only go to the Chengdu household first. In the Fourth Prince's absence, the Chengdu household has always been in charge of the affairs of the entire northwest region. Let's see what he thinks about this matter." With that, he hurriedly grabbed Doctor Qian and Li Ruoyue and headed towards the Chen Du household.

Chen Duhu was just about to take a break, relax his tense nerves, when he was interrupted by the sound of hurried, anxious footsteps. A servant ran up to him, looking panicked, and breathlessly reported, "Sir, Master Baili Xi has come with two imperial physicians to see you!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Duhu's previously calm mood instantly turned restless. He silently grumbled, "What's going on all day, every day? One person comes, another comes, it just never ends!" However, despite his inner annoyance, he knew he couldn't easily show his emotions. After all, while Baili Xi held no official position, he was a trusted and beloved figure within the Fourth Prince's entourage. As the saying goes, "Little devils are difficult to deal with, but the King of Hell is easier to see." If he accidentally offended this gentleman, he would certainly face trouble with the Fourth Prince.

Thinking of this, Chen Duhu took a deep breath and forced down his anger. Then, he quickly straightened his clothes, regained his composure, and instructed the servant, "Go, invite them to the hall and serve them tea."

Soon, Chen Duhu arrived at the spacious, brightly lit hall. Looking up, he saw Baili Xi approaching, leading a vigorous old man and a handsome young man. Chen Duhu, beaming, stepped forward to greet them warmly, saying, "Master Baili, your presence truly graces my humble abode! Please take a seat and enjoy some tea. I wonder what brings you here today? Let's chat."

Baili Xi bowed respectfully to Chengdu Hu, then said solemnly: "Sir Chen, I have the audacity to visit you today because I have a very important matter to discuss with you." He frowned slightly and his tone was a little anxious.

Upon hearing this, Chengdu Hu's eyes fell on Baili Xi, and a wave of emotion surged in his heart. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, Baili Xi continued, "The Fourth Prince went out to personally collect military rations a few days ago, and he's not at home now. I have no choice but to come to you, Lord Chen, for help!" Baili Xi then looked at Chengdu Hu expectantly.

Chengdu Hu was startled, but he forced himself to remain calm and quickly responded with a smile, "Oh, Master Baili, you're so polite! Just tell me what's the matter. I'll do my best to help you as long as I can!"

Baili Xi nodded gratefully and continued, "Since Lord Chen is so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush. The truth is, two imperial physicians recently discovered a very serious situation while treating a patient—it seems some of the people in our city have contracted the plague!"

When Chengdu Hu heard this, he turned pale with fear, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his forehead. Plague is a catastrophic disaster. Once it spreads, the consequences will be unimaginable! He asked in a trembling voice, "How...how could this happen? How did this plague come about?"