The cruel little princess

Tongniu County is located in the southwest of Beijing, about a thousand kilometers away. It is a remote and backward county.

In modern society, it only takes a few hours to get there by plane, but in ancient times it was not so simple.

Even if you travel day and night, it will take three full days and three nights.

What's more, the roads are rugged and difficult to travel at night, and there are no modern street lights. Sometimes the roads are bumpy and you can't see the road, so you can't move forward at all.

Therefore, Shen Youyou and His Royal Highness Prince Jin decided to abandon the carriage, travel light, and ride horses to Tongniu County as soon as possible.

As early as when Xu Yuanpan led a group of imperial physicians to Tongniu County, the emperor had already ordered the allocation of herbs and food to support the disaster area. Therefore, there should be no shortage of food and herbs.

The purpose of this operation is to find out the gaps and fill them, and prepare the necessary materials according to the letter sent by Xu Yuanpan.

After nightfall, due to poor road conditions and blurred visibility, they could only find an inn to stay temporarily.

After everyone settled down, Shen Youyou calmed down and quickly reviewed in her mind the symptoms that various plagues might cause and their corresponding treatment herbs.

She also has her own views and understanding of the plague. Although the plague is terrible, she is confident that as long as prevention and control measures are in place and it spreads on a small scale, the losses can be minimized!

His Royal Highness Prince Jin took out the map of Youzhou and the detailed map of Tongniu County, placed them on the table, and looked at them quietly.

Shen Youyou drafted several prescriptions, but because the situation of the plague was not yet clear, she couldn't decide which one to use.

We can only keep them all properly and make a detailed analysis based on the specific situation when we arrive in Tongniu County.

However, Shen Youyou thought about it and turned to the door, where she saw An Er on duty.

"An Er, please help me buy some things. I've written them all down on this piece of paper." Shen You You handed the list she had made to An Er. As usual, she took out a banknote from her purse and handed it to An Er.

An Er's eyes widened, "Princess! I can go to the accounting office in our own mansion to withdraw the money!" The implication was that Princess, you don't treat your subordinates as your own people!

Shen Youyou smiled apologetically, "Oh! Sorry! I forgot! I forgot!" She hadn't yet adapted to the fact that she was already a married woman...

An Er took the list, which read: 200 jars of liquor, 300 stones of quicklime, cotton cloth, charcoal powder, cotton...

Looking at the list, An Er's face showed a hint of confusion. He really couldn't understand why the princess wanted these things that had nothing to do with the epidemic.

However, as a loyal guard, Anji understood that his duty was to obey orders.

So, after saying goodbye to Shen Youyou, he jumped out of the inn and quickly went to the small town to find relevant shops to make purchases.

Shen Youyou turned around and went back to the room, and saw at a glance that her Royal Highness Prince Jin was staring intently at the map on the table, his eyes focused and deep.

She slowly approached, stood behind His Royal Highness Prince Jin, and gently embraced his strong waist. Feeling His Royal Highness Prince Jin's body temperature and breath, Shen Youyou softly asked, "Have you thought of any good countermeasures? Tell me..." Her voice was a bit lazy and coquettish, like a gentle kitten.

Prince Jin felt Shen Youyou's embrace and stiffened slightly, but soon relaxed again. He turned his head, a hint of fondness flashing in his eyes, and said with a smile, "I haven't thought of a specific countermeasure yet, but I have some preliminary ideas."

After listening to this, Shen Youyou nodded and continued, "Then tell me about it quickly, let me hear it too."

She held Prince Jin's hand and shook it gently, as if urging him to speak his mind quickly.

Such an action was undoubtedly a silent temptation for His Royal Highness Prince Jin. His heartbeat quickened, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

His Royal Highness Prince Jin suddenly turned around and hugged her tightly in his arms!

The two of them instantly pressed together tightly, without the slightest gap between them. Shen Youyou suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency and pressure.

"Huai Jin, I'm talking to you about serious matters now! Stop fooling around!" As expected, men are animals who think with their lower body.

Once men start eating meat and have tasted it, it becomes more difficult for them to control their desires.

Shen Youyou quickly pushed His Royal Highness Prince Jin away, lightly lifted her skirt, sat on the chair beside the table, and stared at the map of Tongniu County.

Seeing that she was indeed not interested in anything else, His Royal Highness Prince Jin took out the information given by his father and studied it carefully. Shen Youyou also came over to watch together.

Tongniu County is surrounded by mountains and a river runs through it. Villages throughout the county are nestled against the mountains and rivers, creating a picturesque scene. Although Tongniu County is small, it is long and narrow, nestled against the mountains.

The county has more than 2,000 households and a total population of about 13,000. Tongniu County has jurisdiction over more than 20 villages.

This summer's abundant rainfall caused the river's water level in Tongniu County to rise dramatically. However, due to the mountainous terrain and winding river, the water flow was blocked, causing it to backflow. Overnight, the entire county became a natural reservoir.

The village was quiet and peaceful at night. The villagers were immersed in sweet dreams and were unprepared to face this sudden disaster.

The flood came like a ferocious beast, devouring everything mercilessly. Many villagers were swept into the flood and lost their lives before they even had time to react.

Some families suffered devastating disasters, which were horrific to watch.

The survivors were terrified and fled their homes, running towards the mountains for shelter.

The flood at that time submerged the entire county town, and the villagers fled in a hurry with nothing on them.

Those who were lucky enough to survive could only search for food in the mountains to make a living and had no time to take care of other things.

Although they were deeply saddened by the loss of their loved ones and neighbors, no one dared to risk going down the mountain in the face of the turbulent water and the hidden whirlpools.

Fortunately, it was summer at that time, and the vegetation on the mountain was lush. Various small animals and wild vegetables became their survival resources.

When they are thirsty, they can go down the mountain to drink water. Relying on these gifts from nature, they have survived tenaciously.

However, as time went on, the water level gradually receded, and some people began to venture down the mountain with their families in an attempt to rebuild their homes.

Unfortunately, one of them suddenly developed a fever. Initially, his family did not pay enough attention to it, thinking it was just a common cold.

But his throat soon became red, swollen, and itchy, and he developed a persistent high fever. He tried to take some herbs he had picked in the mountains, but they didn't help. Then he started having diarrhea. He was so exhausted that he decided to go to the county town to see a doctor, but he died on the way.

Although his family was deeply saddened, since they all lived together and he was the only one to fall ill and die, they simply attributed his death to his frail body, unable to withstand the pain, and did not raise sufficient alarm. After returning home, they simply wrapped his body in a straw mat and buried it halfway up the mountain, allowing him to rest in peace.

However, as time went on, more and more villagers chose to live down the mountain, and these originally peaceful villages began to become less peaceful.

Gradually, some villagers began to develop symptoms such as high fever, red and swollen throat, and diarrhea. What was even more terrifying was that their bodies were covered with pustules!

These pustules first appeared on their feet, then spread to their abdomens and hands, and eventually all over their bodies, constantly eroding their bodies and causing endless pain and suffering.

Despite this, their hearts were still beating, their consciousness was still clear, and they could feel everything happening. After enduring a long and painful torture, these unfortunate villagers eventually died of decay...

Before long, this horrible disease swept through the entire village like a hurricane. People died every day, and every day sad white flags were erected in front of the villagers' homes.

This sudden disease was so severe that the entire village was almost deserted! At this moment, the villagers finally realized that this was no ordinary disease, but most likely the terrible plague!

Because of the previous flood, the county government office was washed away and the county magistrate disappeared, so no one could step forward to take charge of the situation.

As a result, the villagers fell into panic and helplessness, and could only run around, desperately looking for people who could read and write, hoping that they could help write a petition.

However, it was this blind running around that caused the plague to spread further and made the situation worse.

At this point, Shen Youyou and His Royal Highness Prince Jin have already gained a preliminary understanding of the causes and consequences of the plague.