My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

An hour later, the sound of oars breaking the water could finally be heard on the sea.

Xu Xianzhi, accompanied by seven or eight anxious-looking doctors, climbed onto the barren beach with the help of soldiers.

The soldiers immediately led the healers to the people who were most severely poisoned.

The diagnosis lasted about 35 minutes.

Several doctors huddled together, whispered their discussion for a moment, their faces all grave.

Finally, the oldest doctor, who was subtly respected by the other physicians, came before Xiao Heng, accompanied by Xu Xianzhi, and bowed deeply.

"Your Excellency, we have examined it briefly and confirmed it to be aconite poison. This substance should originate from the Yanshan region. Among them, about fifty people are suffering from severe symptoms!"

Xu Xianzhi also added in a timely manner.

"Most of them were Lu Da and his subordinate leaders! According to Captain Jiang, these critically ill patients ate the most of the poisoned horse meat last night!"

Xiao Heng's heart sank.

"How is it? Is it treatable?"

The old doctor exchanged glances with his colleagues behind him and slowly shook his head.

"Your Excellency, we have wasted this night, and the poison has already penetrated deep into the body. We are of limited knowledge and have no potent medicine or miraculous remedy at hand. All we can do now is to use mild medicine to barely protect the heart and slow down the rate at which the poison attacks the heart, and to supplement it with acupuncture and bloodletting to release the heat and poison... But whether it can be saved, and how many people can be saved... is truly up to fate, and I dare not presume to say."

"Your Excellency, if we wish to save these critically ill people, it is probably beyond our capabilities. Qu County is remote and lacks medical resources. I dare to suggest that there are two places where there might be a glimmer of hope."

"speak!"

"Firstly, there is Master Xu of Yuntai Temple on Cangwu Mountain. Master Xu is well-versed in alchemy and pharmacology, but he is aloof and proud, and has lived in seclusion at Yuntai Temple for many years. I cannot guarantee whether he will be willing to come down the mountain."

"Secondly, there is a physician named Sun in a neighboring county. His family has been practicing medicine for generations, and it is said that three imperial physicians have served in the family. This physician, Sun, has also been registered in the government and is quite famous in the area. However... he is also a bit eccentric and has an unsettled lifestyle, often traveling around to practice medicine. It will take some time and luck to find him."

Master Xu of Cangwu Mountain, and Physician Sun of Lin County.

Xiao Heng quickly weighed the options in his mind, but still dared not be careless, as these were, after all, three hundred soldiers capable of fighting.

"Wen Yuan, immediately arrange for capable men to split into two groups. One group, carrying my calling card and a large sum of money, should go up the mountain tonight and earnestly plead with Master Xu to come down and save the people. Explain that this concerns the lives of our soldiers, and that I, Xiao Heng, will repay you handsomely in the future! The other group should ride at full speed to the neighboring county to find the whereabouts of Physician Sun, and similarly offer a large sum of money to invite him to Qu County as soon as possible!"

"Yes, sir! I'll arrange it myself!"

Without hesitation, Xu Xianzhi turned around and dispatched his most capable messengers.

Xiao Heng then looked at Han Yong and the old doctor.

"Han Yong, immediately transport the people back to Qu County! Listen to the doctors and do your best to sustain them! The others with milder symptoms should also be gradually evacuated to the city for recuperation."

"promise!"

Han Yong clasped his hands in a fist salute.

The old doctor also bowed quickly.

"We, your humble servants, will do everything in our power to preserve your lives and await the arrival of a wise man."

Soon, the soldiers carefully carried Lu Da and other seriously ill patients who were unconscious to the ships moored on the beach.

They didn't move all of them until it got dark.

Donghai Commandery, Ganyu County.

Lu Ming led a dozen elite soldiers, riding at full speed, following the general direction they had learned, and finally arrived at this small coastal county as dusk was falling.

However, the scene before them made everyone's hearts sink.

At this moment, Ganyu County has been reduced to charred ruins. There were no city walls to begin with, and from a distance it looks like a large fire scene. Even now, a few wisps of black smoke are rising into the sky.

As they approached, the most horrifying sight was the haphazardly lying corpses.

Men, women, the elderly, and even children were covered in bloodstains that had long since turned dark brown. The air was thick with an overwhelming stench of blood and burnt flesh, along with the nauseating smell of decaying flesh. Swarms of flies buzzed around the bodies, attracting flocks of seabirds.

Lu Ming had been through many battles and had seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

But that was a battle between two armies. The scene of slaughter and plunder before his eyes made his stomach churn, and the veins on the back of his hand gripping the reins bulged.

The soldiers behind him, their faces ashen, scattered to look around.

They quickly realized from the wounds that it was the Xianbei people who did it.

"Damn Xianbei dogs!"

Judging from the situation, the tragedy must have happened not long ago, perhaps just yesterday, or even more recently.

"Squad leader, look over there!"

A sharp-eyed soldier pointed south of the county; he had just spotted a figure there.

Lu Ming's spirits lifted.

"Go check it out! Be careful!"

He dared not be careless; what if these people hadn't gone far?

The group gripped their weapons and slowly rode their horses southward.

The further you go, the more scattered traces of living people you see.

Finally, on a vacant lot resembling a salt flat, they saw people.

A dense, dark mass of people, numbering well over a thousand.

Most of them were dressed in rags, their eyes filled with terror and numbness.

In the center of the crowd, there were several large cast iron pots that were originally used to boil salt. Firewood was burning brightly under the pots, and the rice porridge inside was almost transparent, with very few grains of rice, so much so that you could almost see the bottom.

A middle-aged man standing by the pot, struggling to stir the porridge with a long ladle, shouted.

"It's the Jin army, don't panic!"

The man was about thirty years old. His blue robe was torn in many places, and there were scratches on his face, but one could still vaguely see the refined appearance of a scholar.

Soon, Lu Ming and the others arrived nearby.

A commotion broke out in the crowd, with many people instinctively shrinking back or tightly protecting their remaining family members and meager belongings.

The scholar-like man by the pot immediately put down his wooden spoon, quickly gave a few instructions to the people around him, wiped his face with his dirty sleeve, straightened his tattered clothes which were beyond repair, and strode towards Lu Ming and the others.

As he approached, he stopped, ignoring the soldiers' wary gazes and the weapons pointed at him, and solemnly bowed to Lu Ming, who was clearly the leader.

"Tan Lin, the clerk of Ganyu County, greets the Military Commander!"

Lu Ming dismounted and warily glanced at the clerk who called himself Tan Lin.

"Lu Ming and Tan Gongcao, squad leaders under Prefect Xiao of Donghai, what exactly happened here?"

"The Prefect?"

Tan Lin was somewhat taken aback by Lu Ming's words. He knew that the Prefect of Donghai was Wang Xu of the Taiyuan Wang clan, who had just taken office last year.

Lu Ming also spoke up to explain.

"Prefect Xiao is under the command of Commander Xie!"

Upon hearing this, Tan Lin suddenly understood and then sighed deeply.

"It's the Xianbei cavalry! They suddenly attacked last night, numbering over two thousand! The county is small and has no walls; the garrison has scattered and fled!"

His voice suddenly choked, and his gaze swept over the trembling people behind him.

Lu Ming followed his gaze and understood.

When chaotic soldiers pass through, women often suffer the most tragic fates, being either robbed or killed. Those who manage to escape and hide there are probably less than one in ten.

Tan Lin took a breath, her voice almost trembling with tears.

"They lingered here for half a day, looting and plundering, killing and burning, stealing valuables and food, and only left at dawn. We thought the catastrophe was over, but who knew..."

Immediately, a nearly absurd, bitter smile appeared on Tan Lin's face.

"The Xianbei people had barely left for two hours when the band of pirates who had been entrenched on Yuzhou Island arrived! They took advantage of the chaos and looted everything! They even kidnapped all the salt farmers and laborers!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming felt a surge of frustration rush to his head.

He forcibly suppressed his surging anger; he had come here on a life-or-death mission.

"Tan Gongcao, we have come here on the orders of Prefect Xiao to find a physician named Sun. We have heard that his medical skills are superb. Do you know him? Where is he now?"

Lu Ming asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Medical worker Sun?"

Tan Lin paused for a moment, a deeper sorrow appearing on his face. He slowly shook his head, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"It's too late. Doctor Sun, last night, fought with the Xianbei soldiers who broke into the house to protect his wife and daughter. He was hacked to death in the house. His wife and daughter also perished. Only a ten-year-old child who survived by hiding in a rice jar was found by us and brought out."

Lu Ming's heart sank completely.

Our only hope was extinguished in last night's catastrophe.

What good is it for a ten-year-old child, even if they come from a family with a strong academic background?

He looked at the thousands of numb and desperate faces before him, at the pot of porridge so clear you could see the bottom, and at Gongcao Tanlin staring at him expectantly.

Should we abandon these people? They probably won't last more than a few days.

Did they take it upon themselves to bring them back to Qu County? With so many refugees suddenly arriving, food supplies and resettlement are major problems.

Lu Ming was not an indecisive person. He quickly weighed the options. Doctor Sun was dead, but the lives of these people in front of him were also lives.

The Xianbei who suddenly appeared was very likely Murong Yan. His eyes narrowed, and he made up his mind.

"Old Wei!"

Lu Ming turned around and whispered to a composed-looking veteran behind him.

"Take two brothers and rush back to Qu County tonight to report the situation here in detail to Lord Xiao!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the veteran named Lao Wei clasped his hands in a deep voice and said.

"Yes, Captain! Don't worry, I will definitely deliver the message!"

Having said that, he immediately selected two soldiers, mounted his horse, and galloped back the way he came.

Lu Ming then gave orders to the remaining soldiers.

"The rest of you, spread out and maintain perimeter! Be alert for any movement coming from any direction!"

"Tan Gongcao, Physician Sun has passed away, and my mission has changed. I cannot abandon you now. Immediately organize the able-bodied men who can still walk to help support the elderly, women, and children, and pack the last of your belongings. We will set off for Qu County tonight! Prefect Xiao will surely accept and settle you. Share this porridge and drink it quickly to save your strength for the journey!"

Tan Lin was stunned, seemingly unable to believe that this unfamiliar Jin army soldier would make such a decision under such dire circumstances.

His eyes suddenly reddened, and tears, mixed with the dirt on his face, streamed down his face.

He took a step back, bowed deeply to the ground again, his voice choked with emotion yet incredibly clear.

"Commander Lu is truly righteous! On behalf of the surviving elders of Ganyu County, Tan Lin expresses our deepest gratitude for saving our lives! We are willing to follow Commander Lu's arrangements!"

The news quickly spread among the refugees.

The numb crowd showed some signs of life, and many people struggled to their feet.

The rice porridge was quickly divided up, although each person only received a small mouthful.

......