The queen is crazy and spoiled, and the tyrant bows to her

"Cough cough cough..."

As soon as he opened his mouth, Xie Zhiyan couldn't help but cover his mouth and nose and started coughing violently.

There was a hint of anxiety in the weak voice.

Lu Jinan saw that Xie Zhiyan, who was still strong and upright a few days ago, now had a face as pale as paper, without a trace of blood, like a wasteland covered with frost and snow.

Even though he was a grown man, he couldn't help but have tears in his eyes.

Lu Jinan lowered his head slightly, and said respectfully, his words were difficult to understand: "Sir, don't worry, Miss Jiang has left."

Xie Zhiyan was so weak at this moment that he had to be supported by Zhang Long. His lips were chapped and bloodless, but his eyes were still deep and bright.

Hearing Jiang Wantang leave, he sighed softly, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart. "It's good that she left."

He paused, looked at Lu Jinan, and reminded her again with concern: "Ensure her safety, send people to protect her secretly, and there must not be any mistakes, cough cough cough..."

As he spoke, he started coughing violently again, and he actually coughed up blood.

Zhang Long, who was standing next to him, had his pupils trembling immediately, and he quickly reached out to pat Xie Zhiyan's back to help him calm down.

Lu Jinan's heart sank. Just as he took a few steps forward, Xie Zhiyan raised his hand to stop him.

He said in a deep voice: "Don't come over."

Lu Jinan stopped and looked at him, his eyes full of bloodshot.

Xie Zhiyan had a serious expression. Even though he was infected with the disease, he still looked calm and indifferent.

He said, "Lu Jinan, follow my orders."

"I'm here!" Lu Jinan immediately knelt on one knee with a serious expression.

Xie Zhiyan raised his eyes slightly, his gaze filled with expectation and instructions: "From now on, you will temporarily take over the position of Jiangnan Flood Commander and be fully responsible for flood affairs."

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and his followers came forward and handed the Dali Temple Chief Token and Jade Emblem to Lu Jinan.

Xie Zhiyan looked at him, the dark color in his eyes gradually surging...

He said, "Lu Jinan, I will leave the matters concerning the refugees in the city and the diversion of canals to you for the time being."

"This is a serious matter that concerns the livelihood of the people, and we must not slack off in the slightest."

"If you have anything to say, just send a message. In the future, you don't need to come here in person..."

Lu Jinan held the heavy token and jade emblem in his hands, his hands trembling, his eyes red, and his words choked with sobs: "Yes, sir."

"Don't worry, sir. I will do my best to fulfill my mission."

Xie Zhiyan looked at Lu Jinan, nodded slightly, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes.

He waved his hand and said calmly, "Go back. You don't need to worry about this place."

Lu Jinan slowly stood up, raised his hands tremblingly to his chest, and slowly closed them. Then, he lowered his head slightly, bowed respectfully, and said in a hoarse voice: "Yes, I hope you take care of yourself and recover soon..."

Xie Zhiyan nodded slightly, turned and walked towards the village.

The air in the village was filled with a nauseating smell of decay, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of herbs and the stench of decaying corpses...

The plague came with great force and spread quickly and violently. In less than a day, almost all the villagers in the village were infected.

One body after another was carried out by officers and soldiers to be burned.

Before doctors could develop an antidote, a large number of patients had already died.

Corpses can be seen everywhere, and shrill wails can be heard everywhere...

Even the surrounding trees have lost their former green color, with their leaves turning yellow and falling, as if they had also been robbed of their vitality by the plague.

The entire village seemed to be shrouded in the shadow of death, with no glimmer of hope.

Xie Zhiyan watched all this, his heart filled with heaviness and sorrow.

Although he was seriously ill, as long as he was still alive, he would find a way to solve the plague as soon as possible.

Even if there were none, the worst outcome would be to set fire to the village to prevent the spread of the plague.

And he lived and died with the entire village.

In the simple tent, the desk was piled with official documents and letters. As soon as Xie Zhiyan came back, he immediately started dealing with various matters at the desk.

He has been doing this every day during this period.

After contracting the disease, he became even more ill and neglected sleep and food, as if he was afraid that he would not have enough time or would be too late.

Sometimes, he would have to put down his pen because of coughing, but after taking a short breath, he would immediately continue writing at his desk.

No matter how Zhang Long tried to persuade him, it was useless.

As for the fact that he had contracted the plague, no one knew about it except Zhang Long and Lu Jinan who were by his side. Even Zhao Hu who was on official duty nearby did not know.

He kept all this hidden very well.

Sitting at the desk, Xie Zhiyan forced himself to support his weak body, slowly picked up the pen, spread out the letter paper, and began to write.

His hands trembled slightly, but he held the brush tightly and wrote lines of strong and powerful words on the paper.

Zhang Long, who was standing by, saw this and his eyes turned red.

Soon, several doctors who treated the epidemic came to Xie Zhiyan with a bowl of new antidote they had just developed to try it out.

Xie Zhiyan took the medicine and drank it all in one gulp without any hesitation.

However, in less than a moment, he bent over and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing this, several doctors shook their heads solemnly. It was obvious that the newly developed antidote had failed again.

Zhang Long quickly stepped forward to support him, his dark eyes filled with shock and pain. He couldn't help but ask, "Sir, why are you doing this?"

"With so many people infected with the epidemic, why does Your Excellency need to test the medicine yourself?"

Xie Zhiyan smiled and said nonchalantly, "I'm young and strong. If even I can't handle it, how can those sick refugees withstand it?"

Zhang Long knew very well that there was no point in persuading him.

He looked at Xie Zhiyan's frail, haggard appearance, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "There's something I've kept in my heart, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

Xie Zhiyan smiled and said, "Just say it."

Zhang Long, wearing a mask, took a deep breath and asked, "Why did you insist on saving that little girl that day?"

"You know very well that the little girl is infected with the plague..."

"If it weren't for saving her, my lord wouldn't have been infected with the plague."

Xie Zhiyan paused in his movement of picking up the pen, his expression complicated and his eyes distant.

Why?

The little girl looked to be about five or six years old, with a thin body and a pair of pure and bright eyes.

All her family members died in the flood, leaving her alone, wandering in a nearby village.

When Xie Zhiyan saw her, she was infected with the plague and curled up alone in a corner. The only eyes on her dirty face were bright, shining with an unyielding light.

This look is very similar to Jiang Wantang's back then.

When Xie Zhiyan saw her, it was as if he saw Jiang Wantang, who was sent to a mountain farm alone at the age of six.

He wondered if she had also been so lonely, pitiful, and helpless back then...

Is she also like her, waiting for someone to lend her a helping hand?

Thinking of this, Xie Zhiyan felt a pain in his heart and felt compassion.

He extended his hand to the little girl without hesitation...