A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

The man's laughter was hearty, and his voice was like a thunderous roar.

Despite being in such a noisy environment, it has a surprisingly penetrating power.

Gu Xixi turned her head and saw a young man in armor riding a tall chestnut horse.

He was tall and imposing, holding the reins with one hand, his posture majestic and awe-inspiring.

I just heard the soldiers call him General Meng.

He must be Madam Meng's younger brother, the person Mu Nanzhao truly wanted to get to know.

Looking up more closely, Gu Xixi was somewhat taken aback.

The man had a baby face, making it hard to connect his voice with his appearance.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gu Xixi and said, "Meng Chengping is late, and has frightened your wife!"

Gu Xixi turned to return the greeting, "Thank you for saving me, General Meng. I have long admired your name."

Meng Chengping smiled, his round eyes crinkling into crescent moons. "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. You and my sister are good friends, and your husband and I hit it off immediately."

"Today he broke into the camp, found me, grabbed me and took me away, saying he needed to save someone urgently."

"I only found out on the way here that it was my sister-in-law who was trapped here."

Gu Xixi glanced back furtively, but Mu Nanzhao remained motionless and silent.

Meng Chengping continued with a smile, "My brother was so nervous about his sister-in-law, but thankfully it all turned out alright."

"If my sister-in-law were to suffer any harm at the hands of my soldiers, I would be guilty of a thousand deaths."

Gu Xixi found it really awkward to hear him address her as "sister-in-law" repeatedly.

However, she and Mu Nanzhao were still a fake couple in front of the Meng family, and she was struggling to find a way to explain it.

Meng Chengping rode closer and teased in a low voice, "It is truly rare to find such deep affection from my brother Mu. Why doesn't Miss Gu consider loosening her grip and granting him official status?"

Mu Nanzhao, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up, "Old Meng, you talk too much."

Gu Xixi was suddenly stunned. Did General Meng know everything?

Meng Chengping threw his head back and laughed heartily, then spurred his horse away, saying, "Please make yourselves at home, I'll go take a look over there first."

“Tell these brats not to be impulsive and to treat the people better.”

"Now I'm the one cleaning up their mess!"

The rioting villagers were stopped by the soldiers, and there were no casualties.

Many children were frightened, and there were cries everywhere, as well as shouts from family members who had been separated and were looking for each other.

Gu Xixi remembered the old doctor and immediately jumped down.

Mu Nanzhao was startled by her sudden action, "Gu Xixi!"

Gu Xixi left behind the words "I'm going to find my master" and ran away without looking back.

Mu Nanzhao gritted his teeth and had no choice but to dismount and hand the reins to a soldier.

The two quickly found the old doctor in the crowd.

Gu Xixi immediately recognized the woman and boy beside him.

That was the child who had a bezoar.

Just now, the old doctor was pushed out by Gu Xixi, but thanks to the mother and son, they helped him up and led him out of the crowd.

After learning what had happened, Gu Xixi sincerely said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, and thank you, young man."

The woman was a little embarrassed, "No need to thank me, the doctor saved my family's life."

"We just happened to run into each other; it was just a casual encounter."

Gu Xixi looked at the boy with a smile, "Your complexion seems better, has your fever subsided?"

The woman looked at her son with loving and moved eyes. "After the miracle doctor examined him last night, we only took one bowl of medicine and his fever subsided. He also stopped complaining of stomach pain. Seeing him sleeping peacefully, the whole family was finally able to get a good night's sleep."

At this point, Meng Chengping had already exchanged a few words with Village Chief Zhao.

Village Chief Zhao searched through the crowd, saw Gu Xixi, waved vigorously, and pointed to the old doctor next to him.

Gu Xixi understood and helped the old doctor over. "Uncle, this is Village Chief Zhao, and the other one is General Meng."

"Thanks to General Meng for stopping the chaos in time, we were saved."

The old doctor nodded slightly and greeted General Meng.

Meng Chengping smiled and said, "Sir, there's no need for such formalities! You disregarded your own safety and went to Shitou Village overnight to treat patients. Such noble sentiments are truly admirable."

The old doctor always kept his distance from people in government, and he remained indifferent to Meng Chengping's flattery.

"I dare not accept such praise; it is merely the duty of a physician."

Village Chief Zhao turned to the old doctor, his expression subtly revealing tension.

“I told General Meng that the claim that several people died of illness in Shitou Village was a false rumor.”

"You are a doctor, please vouch for me!"

The old doctor said, "Last night I saw two patients with fever. One had a bezoar, which was unrelated to the rat infestation. After taking the medicine, his fever subsided and he improved. The other person was indeed infected with the plague and was treated with acupuncture and medication for a day and a night."

"Apart from that, I have not treated any other patients."

Meng Chengping said, "I heard that the person who contracted the plague had his whole family confined to their home and not allowed to go out."

How is their family doing now?

The old doctor said, "This morning, during a follow-up visit, all of the patient's family members had normal pulses and showed no signs of infection."

Meng Chengping pondered for a moment and said, "His family members are so close yet he hasn't been infected, which means that the methods you're using might be effective?"

The old doctor truthfully replied, "I dare not make any guarantees at the moment."

"All we can say is that if the patient's fever subsides before dawn, it means the prescription is effective."

Meng Chengping's face lit up with joy. "If the old gentleman can produce a prescription for treating the plague, my general will certainly recommend you for the greatest credit!"

Since the rat infestation began, the local government has sought medical help from various sources, but the results have been unsatisfactory, and the human-to-human transmission has become increasingly common.

Now that the local authorities are almost helpless, the state government is putting pressure on the local garrison.

The general of the Northwest Army, to which Meng Chengping belonged, believed that the army's failure to protect the people, and its subsequent burning of villages and killing of people, was a morally reprehensible act.

However, the spread of the plague was a major issue, and the imperial court issued orders layer by layer, so the general could only prioritize the overall situation.

If the epidemic can be effectively contained now, not only will the lives of countless people be saved, but the general's dilemma will also be easily resolved.

Meng Chengping ordered his soldiers to count the number of civilians.

It has been confirmed once again that the reports of multiple deaths from illness in Shitou Village are false.

Meng Chengping immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the source of the rumors to prevent more rumors from being generated and causing public panic.

In addition, two messengers were dispatched to relay the matter to the government office and the military camp, respectively.

He won't go back to the barracks tonight; he'll just wait outside Stone Village.

With the crisis of death temporarily averted, Village Chief Zhao cried and laughed with excitement, "Thank you, General Meng, thank you so much!"

He found a high spot and stood there. He shouted, "Quiet down! Quiet down!"

"With General Meng vouching for us, no one will dare to set fire to the village! Everyone, let's go home!"

The villagers were skeptical.

However, the village entrance was already completely surrounded by soldiers, and everyone knew that they couldn't escape even if they wanted to, so they could only cooperate.

Regardless of whether I live or die in the future, at least I can get through tonight in peace.

Gu Xixi, the old doctor, and Mu Nanzhao also turned back.

Gu Xixi looked at Mu Nanzhao and sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

"My master and I are already trapped here, why did you volunteer to come in?"

Mu Nanzhao said, "Old Meng is outside. Even if you die here, I will find a way to get out."