After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

The murmurs subsided, and the people began to concern themselves with their illnesses. The imperial physicians, unsure how to respond, all turned to Lu Zhiyuan.

There were too many patients, forming several long queues. Lu Zhiyuan was too lazy to walk, so she had someone bring a horse over.

"Just like in the city, we'll administer acupuncture first, then detoxify." Lu Zhiyuan lay on the horse's back, reciting a series of acupuncture points as if reciting a textbook: "People are different, and illnesses are different. Even those with mild poisoning will have different symptoms due to their own diseases. You are all imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital. In terms of experience and medical skills, you are all more skilled than me. You uncles and elders should know how to insert the needles and how many inches to insert them, right?"

"Don't worry, Miss, we know what we're doing."

The first batch of medicine had arrived. To reassure the people, Lu Zhiyuan had them set up stoves in a row below the city gate to brew the medicine on the spot. In addition, two soup kitchens were set up. Rice and flour were placed where the people could see them. Whether it was plain porridge or steamed buns, the cooks tasted it first, and the helpers tasted it later, in order to put the people at ease.

"Why is the medicine we're taking different from theirs?" the group that was more severely poisoned began to shout. "You've been giving them acupuncture and herbal decoctions, but why are we only given a tiny pill?"

"Want to know?" Lu Zhiyuan rode her horse up to them and found that most of those poisoned were young and middle-aged men. "The truth is cruel, and you may not want to hear it."

"How do you know we don't want to hear it if you don't tell us?" the leader shouted, and through the ulcer on his neck, several veins could be vaguely seen.

He was the husband of that poor woman, the father of the little girl, and he'll probably be reporting to the underworld in the next day or two. So many people, where will they be buried after they die?

Lu Zhiyuan was a little worried; she needed to ask her second uncle to dig a bigger pit when he had some free time.

Burial won't work, cremation is necessary. Who knows if poisonous weeds will grow after they die?

Seeing that Lu Zhiyuan didn't answer, the man walked to the front of the horse and patted it hard. The horse couldn't stand the smell on him and almost kicked up, which startled him so much that he squatted down on the ground.

"What are you pretending for, you little brat? Speak your mind, don't hold back. Are you trying to harm us? Are these little pills poisonous?"

"These are pills to reduce high fever and relieve pain. Take them with water, and they will take effect in about two hours." He took a small pill from the apprentice distributing the pills. "These are very expensive. Normally, they would cost one tael of silver each, and they are limited in quantity. Even nobles might not be able to buy them. I'm giving them to you partly on His Majesty's orders, and partly out of pity for you, not wanting you to suffer the agony of your internal organs being burned before you die."

"Isn't this still poison?" the man yelled. "You just want us dead."

“You don’t have to take it, and I can save a tael of silver.” Lu Zhiyuan returned the small pill to the apprentice doctor. “Distribute it as needed. Give it to those who want it, and don’t give it to those who don’t. There’s no need to force anyone.”

The man tried to fight back, but was pushed aside by the horse's head.

Lu Zhiyuan sat up straight and looked at those who couldn't even stand up, saying, "I know you want to live, you want to live well, and I know you want these doctors to save you. They are powerless, and I am powerless too. Do you know why? Because you have eaten the rice that belongs to your families."

"Are you confused? Do you think I'm standing up for your families? Do you think I'm meddling and that you should have the final say on the amount of food allocated to your family? Parents, wives, and children should all come after you, because you are the head of the household, the pillar of the family, the big boss."

"Isn't that right? We're the ones who work at home, what's wrong with eating more?"

"Nothing much, you're just going to die." Lu Zhiyuan yawned. "You're not sick, you're poisoned. The poison is mixed in with the rice the Southern Chu people gave you. To prevent you from getting suspicious, the Southern Chu people distributed it by headcount. If you had divided the cooked rice porridge equally among everyone in your family, the sickest ones right now would be the children, followed by the women and the elderly, and then you would be the last ones to get sick."

My gaze swept over their faces inch by inch.

"The people of Southern Chu used a slow-acting poison. Do you know what a slow-acting poison is? It's something that's gradually increased, one meal at a time, day by day. If you had your families in your eyes, your wives and children in your hearts, you wouldn't be standing here, but in the middle row. Even if your organs were damaged, you would still be alive. It's a pity that you ate too much."

Upon hearing this, some people were devastated, some were filled with regret, and others were relieved.

An elderly mother, trembling, ran to her son, repeatedly saying that it was her fault. The son pushed his mother aside and demanded to know if she was satisfied with killing him. The old mother, her face streaked with tears, said she didn't know the grain was poisoned; if she had known, she would never have let her son eat a single grain.

An old man walked up to his wife, who was leaning against the wall, and stroked her gray hair, saying, "It's my fault!" His wife shook her head, hugged his neck as she had in their youth, and murmured, "How could you have wronged me? You loved me. Because you loved me, because you couldn't bear to see me go hungry, you gave me all the food in the house. If there's a next life, I'll still marry you. Don't be sad, don't blame yourself, I feel good. When people get old, the one who leaves first is the one who is truly blessed."

One of the sons laughed loudly, "Retribution! It's all retribution! I ate all the food my family had, but in the end, it wasn't them who died, it was me!"

Such is the way of the world. Lu Zhiyuan was too lazy to listen or watch, and rode her horse back into the city.

After a barrage of accusations and lamentations, most of those severely poisoned resigned themselves to their fate and asked the healer for painkillers. If they couldn't live, they'd rather die peacefully. A few, however, seized the opportunity to cause trouble, trying to drag others down with them. They were wounded by archers on the city wall and taken to the outer perimeter for guard duty.

Xie Chaoyun returned in triumph, having captured 27 spies from Southern Chu, one of whom was a young general.

As darkness fell, Lu Zhiyuan and Liu Ying returned to the General's Mansion. Just as they stepped through the courtyard gate, they heard a maid say, "Halt! This Fangfei Courtyard is not a place for people like you to trespass."

"Do you know who I am?"

"I don't care who you are. This is our young lady's courtyard. No one is allowed to enter without her permission." The maid stood with her hands on her hips, blocking the doorway.

"And who is your young lady?" Lu Zhiyuan rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache from working so hard at the city gate, which also made her a little irritable.

The maidservant snorted coldly and said in a contemptuous tone, "How dare you question my young lady?"

"If you won't answer, then just pretend you're mute!" Lu Zhiyuan gave Liu Ying a wink, and Liu Ying stepped forward and slapped the little maid twice. While the maid was screaming, she stuffed two pills into her mouth.

The maidservant felt a bitter taste in her throat, and then she couldn't make a sound.

"Is it Sister Yuan'er who's back? Why bother arguing with a mere maid?" Lu Jinyao gracefully emerged, seemingly more composed than before. "I have some good news to share, Sister: Grand Tutor Wei has recognized me as his daughter. I will no longer compete with you for the position of the Marquis's legitimate daughter. Are you happy, Sister?"