Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

The court acted quickly. Boxes of carefully purchased Coptis chinensis were piled on horse-drawn carriages, which sped along the official road, raising clouds of dust as they stretched out in the direction of Guzhou.

Each carriage carries the court's care for the people of Guzhou.

The accompanying soldiers looked serious, as they knew very well how many lives were now affected by these Coptis chinensis.

Some imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau were also in the team. Doctor Chen, who was over fifty years old, frowned.

He looked out the window at the scenery passing by and said to the young doctor Li beside him, "This dysentery is coming with such force that the people of Guzhou will surely suffer terribly. We have been entrusted with the imperial decree and must do our utmost."

Doctor Li held the medical box tightly, his eyes firm, "Master, I understand. Saving lives is my duty."

Court meeting.

This court meeting was supposed to discuss the new policy, but due to the outbreak of dysentery and the fact that the new policy had not yet been perfected.

Let’s leave it for discussion at the next court meeting.

When the court's investigation results came out, the entire government was shocked.

In the court, the originally orderly atmosphere was instantly broken, like a drop of water dropped into hot oil.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" An official in charge of intelligence gathering rushed into the hall, his face as pale as paper.

"This is terrible! Dysentery is spreading far beyond Guzhou!"

Li Chengqian was discussing follow-up matters regarding disaster relief in Guzhou with his ministers. Upon hearing this, he abruptly stood up from his throne and stared intently at the official who came to report: "What did you say?! Tell me in detail!"

The official trembled and said, "Your Majesty, after a detailed investigation, the main outbreak site of this epidemic is in Zezhou (now around Jincheng City, Shanxi Province).

In the city of Zezhou, the streets and alleys were filled with patients, and the wailing sounds were endless.

Moreover, as the sick people moved around, people infected with dysentery appeared almost simultaneously in Guzhou (now around Xin'an County, Henan Province), Jingzhou (now around Jingchuan County, Gansu Province), Xuzhou (now around Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province), Daizhou (now around Heze City, Shandong Province), and Guozhou (now around Lingbao City, Henan Province).

This...this epidemic is probably out of control!"

There was an uproar in the court, and the ministers looked at each other, their eyes full of fear and worry.

The disaster relief plan, which was originally intended for only Valley State, appeared so fragile and vulnerable in the face of this sudden news.

"Your Majesty, this is a catastrophic disaster. If it is not controlled in time, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Fang Xuanling, who was always steady, gave advice with a worried look on his face.

Li Chengqian's face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm. His hands tightly gripped the armrests of the dragon throne, his knuckles turning white. "I have repeatedly ordered officials across the country to closely monitor the people's livelihoods and report any abnormalities immediately."

"Now that such a situation has emerged, what are these officials doing? Are they blind and deaf?"

Li Chengqian's anger burned fiercely in his chest, and the flames of anger seemed to engulf the entire court.

He glared at the court officials: "Are you planning a rebellion? Are you rebelling against me?"

As soon as Li Chengqian said this, the entire court knelt down instantly.

Suddenly there was complete silence.

"Is it just a coincidence that so many places have experienced outbreaks at the same time? As local officials, they should be protecting the people, but they are so negligent. This is an unforgivable sin!"

"Order the Imperial Guard to conduct a thorough investigation of this matter immediately. No one involved, be it local officials, runners, or those who delivered the documents, shall be spared!"

"I want to know what went wrong and why the epidemic has developed to this extent!"

Zhao Xianhuai immediately stepped out, knelt on one knee, and clasped his fists to receive the order: "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will fulfill my mission and thoroughly investigate this matter."

"Never let any guilty person go!"

Li Chengqian looked at Zhao Xianhuai, his eyes revealing trust: "Xianhuai, this mission is arduous, and it concerns the lives of thousands of people in our Tang Dynasty."

"You must investigate thoroughly, leaving no clues unturned. I want to know why these officials concealed this information, and whether there are deeper reasons behind it."

Zhao Xianhuai raised his head and met Li Chengqian's gaze firmly. "Your Majesty, I will investigate each of these, starting with the post station records, officials' daily inspection logs, and local epidemic reporting procedures."

"We must find those who failed in their duties and give an explanation to His Majesty and the people."

Fang Xuanling said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is not only to thoroughly investigate the officials, but also to readjust the disaster relief strategy."

"Now that the epidemic has spread to many areas, the number of medicinal materials and medical personnel needed has increased dramatically. We must coordinate and allocate resources from across the country as soon as possible. At the same time, we must comfort the people in various places to avoid causing greater panic."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, his expression slightly relaxed. "Prime Minister Fang is absolutely right. Pass on my order to the Ministry of Revenue to immediately mobilize more funds to purchase medicinal materials from various places."

"At the same time, have the Imperial Hospital organize all available doctors, divide them into several teams, and send them to the affected areas to provide treatment. Furthermore, have local government offices post notices informing the people that the court is aware of the epidemic and is making every effort to provide disaster relief, so that the people will not panic."

Doctor Qian of the Imperial Medical Bureau knelt on the ground and said with difficulty, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Medical Bureau is already short of staff. The majority of the personnel sent to Guzhou have already been withdrawn. If we want to dispatch more personnel to other disaster-stricken areas, it will be difficult."

Li Chengqian frowned and said sternly, "Difficulties? No matter how great the difficulties are, can they compare to the suffering the people are going through?"

"I don't care what method you use, but we must solve the problem of manpower. We can recruit people with medical skills from the public. As long as they are willing to go to the disaster relief, the court will reward them handsomely."

"Local officials want to break away from the control of the imperial court and rebel. I want to see whether their necks are stronger or the imperial court's sword is faster!"

Li Chengqian glanced at the officials who were still kneeling in the court.

He flicked his sleeves and turned away.

Only the nobles were left standing there, not daring to stand up.