Two days passed …

The young man still went to court every morning. Although Bai Su was sleepy due to blood loss, she would still struggle to get up with him, help him dress, accompany him in taking medicine, and eat with him. She would only go back to sleep after he left.

When Duan Changchuan returned from court, she would get up.

When Duan Changchuan was discussing with others about country affairs, she would sit alone in the backyard and practice her swordsmanship. When Duan Changchuan was dealing with government affairs and reviewing memorials, she would sit beside him and accompany him to read and write letters.

It had been seven or eight days since Elder Sun went to Huainan. The first wave of news would come at any time …

They agreed that as long as Elder Sun confirmed it was a plague, Bai Su would go regardless of the situation. Of course, the specific time to go depended on the maturity of Duan Changchuan’s glands.

Bai Su wanted to wait for his glands to completely recover and accompany him through the most difficult estrus period, and mark him permanently …

At this time, the news had not yet arrived. Although Duan Changchuan’s glands showed signs of maturity, they had yet to mature.

Everything was unknown …

They simply didn’t mention anything else and just stayed close to each other, staying close to each other.

In May, the weather gradually turned hot. Even though the climate in Shengjing was cold, people began to change into thin clothes.

The Royal Clothing Bureau had prepared new clothes for them. The clothes for Bai Su were specially ordered by Duan Changchuan. He had found the best seamstress in the palace. The clothes were luxurious and beautiful.

When worn by the woman, it exuded a breathtaking beauty.

This was especially so after Duan Changchuan remembered the memories of the “modern era”, Bai Su no longer restrained her aura. She was the heir of the Bai Family, who had grown up in an elite family, and she had an intimidating aura even when she was sitting or lying down.

She was more like an Alpha than before.

A strong, reassuring, and reliable Alpha …

“Are you secretly looking at your husband again?”

The young man was halfway through reviewing memorials when he glanced at the person reading next to him. As a result, he could not stop and ended up staring for a long time, then got caught red-handed.

Then … a book landed lightly on his head.

He quickly shrank his head and sat back … whispering in a low voice, “I’m not sneaking.”

It had to be said that even if he had fully recovered the memory of his previous life and remembered they had been honest with each other, Omega would still feel shy when facing his Alpha.

Bai Su directly pounced on him …

As a result, the soft and fragrant child was pinned under her body.

The woman’s ten fingers clasped his fingers and gently lifted them, revealing half of the young man’s soft waist.

“Do you want the pheromone?” As she asked gently, her palm landed on the young man’s abdomen.

The Omega reflexively trembled, whispering softly, “I don’t want any … You, cough … If you insist on giving it to me, I can take them.”

He spoke as if he was the one who had suffered a loss.

Bai Su couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Just as he was about to press down, there was a knock on the door. Chang Le’s voice rang out from outside, “Your Majesty, Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, and Xiao Qi have sent news over.”

Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, and Xiao Qi were their code names, referring to the shadow guards who usually hid in the study.

Ever since Duan Changchuan and Bai Su’s relationship had been clarified, they often couldn’t help but stick together in the study. Of course, Duan Changchuan was the one being bullied.

The prideful young Emperor was thin-skinned and directly chased the shadow guards to the front hall and the courtyard. So, Chang Le was the first to report any news from the shadow guards.

“Come in.” The young man pushed the person on top of him away and got up to straighten his sleeves.

–

Chang Le pushed open the door and entered with a sealed letter in his hand, “Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Sun sent news from Huainan.”

Duan Changchuan’s heart couldn’t help but sink, saying, “Bring it here for me to see.”

Opening the letter, he saw that it was indeed written by Elder Sun himself.

There were five pages, one page for the situation report, while the other four were things that needed to be prepared. Food and medicine were the most important, followed by money.

The day Elder Sun rushed to Huainan, the plague had already begun to worsen. This letter was the result of Elder Sun’s thorough investigation after arriving in Huainan. After the old man finished his investigation, he didn’t rest at all and immediately picked up his brush in a hurry, anxiety evident between the lines.

Duan Changchuan’s gaze swept over the many words and fell silent as he looked at the numbers one by one.

“It’s already spread a lot.” Bai Su’s voice rang out beside his ear.

The woman’s fingernails touched a line and read out word by word, “The infected families will be infected within three to seven days. Currently, there are hundreds of infected families.”

A hundred for a family of three would be three hundred, but many families had several generations in the same house. Families of ten or twenty could be found everywhere.

Duan Changchuan followed the numbers and saw a total at the end, “The number of infected patients, one thousand and thirty.”

1030 … There were clearly only fifty people last time, and now it’s been only a few days? The numbers had increased so quickly.

The young man’s fingers loosened … Immediately, the pages scattered to the ground.

If these two thousand people spread to even more people, the scope of the infection would only increase.

No, not in the future … This news was from at least two days ago. If the numbers had increased twentyfold in just a few days, what would Huainan be like now … The number of infected people would most likely have doubled again.

Bai Su needed to take charge of the situation without delay.

If Duan Changchuan still had some hesitation a few days ago, after recovering his modern memories and understanding Bai Su’s abilities, he no longer had any of them.

Although he needed Bai Su, Huainan needed her more.

On one hand, there was the imbalance in pheromones during his pregnancy. On the other hand, there were the lives of countless people.

Choosing between two calamities … Moreover, in the face of a historical-level natural disaster like the plague, his own little reluctance was no longer considered a ‘calamity’.

Their choice was naturally inclined to save people from the fire and water.

Thinking of this, the young man hurriedly picked up all the pages on the ground and said, “Let’s take a look first. Other than the things that Elder Sun needs, what else is needed? Elder Sun’s official letter is still on the way. This secret letter cannot be made public at the moment. Let’s discuss the general situation today. When Elder Sun’s letter officially arrives tomorrow, we will discuss it with Imperial Uncle, Prime Minister Bai, and the ministers of the six departments.”

After thinking about it, he felt that it wasn’t enough. He turned to Chang Le and said, “Guard outside and say I have important matters to attend to. No matter who comes, I will not meet them today. In addition, have Yi Man go to the Imperial Hospital and tell Elder Huang I ordered him to go to the Imperial Astronomer Bureau. Tell him to hurry up.”

The little eunuch immediately received the order and hurriedly left, “Yes.”

The young man calmly gave orders one by one. It was unknown how many times he had rehearsed these actions in his mind to be able to handle them so calmly and orderly.

Bai Su’s heart ached as she held his hand … Only then did she realize that the seemingly composed child’s hands were ice-cold.

She hurriedly held his hands, “It’s okay, don’t worry. We have already anticipated all the problems in advance. This is the ancient era, although the protective and medical conditions are not as good as the modern era, it is still a place where transportation is inconvenient. The pandemic won’t spread too quickly.”

“I know …” The young man lowered his eyelashes and said softly.

“Alright.” She reached out and patted the young man’s head, “Good boy, don’t be afraid.”

–

The two of them went down the secret passage together. Upstairs was the Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s courtyard they often visited before.

After not coming for a long time, the spring flowers in the courtyard had withered, leaving the big trees to provide shade.

Not long after sitting in the courtyard, they saw Yun Xie, Feng Yao, and Elder Huang who came together. The old man, who never had a serious expression, was as carefree as ever. Both Feng Yao and Yun Xie’s expressions were solemn.

“Elder Huang said that Yi Man asked him to come, so we guessed that you and Miss Bai should be in this small courtyard.” Feng Yao opened his mouth and curtsied towards the two of them.

Huang Yixian anxiously stepped forward, “Old Man Sun had sent a letter already? How is the situation? Let me see.”

Duan Changchuan hurriedly handed over the letter, “I just received it. Bai Su and I have just finished reading it. The infection rate of this plague is very high. It has only been a few days, but the number of infected people has increased by twentyfold. The death rate is also very high.”

The old man quickly scanned through the letter. He frowned and shook his head, “There is a gap of seven days between this news and the last one, right? Twentyfold in seven days …? That’s a bit fast. But … Don’t be too pessimistic. Maybe the person who sent you the news before didn’t give you as accurate a number as Old Man Sun. Moreover, the epidemic 30 years ago affected dozens of cities. In Changxin City, it was almost this number when it was discovered. After two days, it broke a thousand. Your grandfather was so worried that he couldn’t eat or sleep, but in the end, he got through it. There’s nothing difficult to implement. Just like the saying, ‘As the ship arrives at the bridge’s head, it will straighten out.’”

Bai Su nodded and comforted, “Old Man Huang’s words are reasonable. The previous number of people was counted by the medical hall from Imperial Astronomer Bureau. This number is not necessarily accurate. There are likely omissions. Old Man Sun is a court official and has experience. His statistics should be more comprehensive. The actual infection rate shouldn’t increase by 20 times in seven days. You should also know that the higher the death rate and the faster the onset of the disease, the lower the overall infection rate. Don’t scare yourself.”

The young man nodded with a heavy heart and focused his attention on the four pages of materials written by Imperial Physician Sun.

“These are all listed by Old Man Sun, the supplies we need next. You are an expert in this field. Please take a look if there’s anything else needed? Let’s discuss the general situation today and discuss them with the ministers of the Six Departments tomorrow to expedite things.”

The old man immediately skimmed through it quickly, “This depends on the specific symptoms and specific prescription. The quantities of things like licorice need to be increased. When the time comes, we will need to test various medicine one by one, but licorice is indispensable. The other herbs quantities will be prepared according to what Old Man Sun writes. He is more experienced than me in this field. Haha! This is the only thing I don’t dare to compare with him. However, there is a bit too much Fermented Mustard Brine here, huh? When Miss Bai asked me two days ago, I just casually mentioned it. This thing… there’s actually some controversy in using it.”

Fermented Mustard Brine was the medicinal herb related to penicillin that Bai Su had asked Senior Huang and Imperial Physician Fang. In other words, it was the early stage of non-purified penicillin.

“If there are adverse reactions after drinking it, you can smell it first and take a small amount to test it out. Wait for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, if the reaction isn’t strong, then use the normal amount. Some people do have allergies, and the allergies can be very serious,” Bai Su said.

She had also read the medical book Fang Moyan had flipped through that day. There was a sentence in it that said “Take it slowly”. It meant that he had to drink it very slowly, probably to detect allergic symptoms in time.

The old man smacked his lips, “Alright, I’ll listen to you on this. You girl have a lot of things in your head. Anyway, when it comes to medicine testing is often hit or miss. Sometimes, taking an unconventional approach is actually effective.”

“It’s like this. As long as someone can recover, the rest will be easy.”

If one could recover, it meant that the medicine was effective. If one could recover, they would be able to produce antibodies. With antibodies, there would be a way. The weakened virus and bacteria that could be extracted from the blood after recovery or when the disease was about to recover were all the precursors of a “vaccine”.

While Bai Su and Elder Huang were discussing ways to prevent and cure the plague, Feng Yao and Yun Xie were on the side thinking about how to obtain medicinal herbs like “Fermented Mustard Brine” which could only be produced in three to five years.

Duan Changchuan watched them work and listened to their voices. His heart strangely calmed down. When they finished discussing everything, the four of them looked at him in unison.

The young man was startled at first, but then realized he hadn’t participated in the whole process … It seemed he was a little too careless …?

He hurriedly coughed awkwardly and asked, “Did you come up with any results?”

Yun Xie chased after him, “You still know to ask about the results?”

“I listened the whole time …”

“Yes, you listened the whole time. You stared at your empress as you listened the whole time. Why don’t you tell me what I discussed with Aunt?”

Duan Changchuan, “…”

He hurriedly argued with a red face, “You two groups were discussing, of course I couldn’t listen to the whole discussion.”

Yun Xie was expressionless, “Oh.”

Duan Changchuan, “…”

[Although I am indeed a little biased, your attitude is really asking for a beating.]

The two of them were “on edge”.

One of them had a provocative expression, while the other was angry purely out of embarrassment.

Bai Su and Feng Yao, “…”

The two of them looked at each other and helplessly pulled back their own parties.

Bai Su held Duan Changchuan’s hands and glanced at the three of them, “I’m leaving tomorrow. I’ll have to trouble you to take care of His Majesty. Although many people served him in the palace, few could persuade him. If you have nothing to do, go to the hall often and talk to him. He doesn’t have many people to talk to.”

Feng Yao smiled and replied, “Miss Bai, don’t worry. Senior Huang and Imperial Physician Fang will take care of His Majesty’s body, and he has Chang Le and Yi Man to serve him. I will often go to see him with Yun’er and have a chat with him.”

Yun Xie and Elder Huang promised together, “Rest assured, with me here, he won’t be bored.”

“Don’t worry, I’m the Immortal Physician of Shengjing, Huang Aweng. My reputation speaks for itself. With me here, there won’t be any problems. I promise to take care of him until he’s white and chubby.”

After getting a guarantee, Bai Su smiled and cupped her hands to everyone, “I’ll have to trouble you.”

“Hah … What trouble? Isn’t this what we should do?”

“Don’t be so polite.”

“Miss Bai, no need to be polite.”

–

After discussing everything, they finally decided on a plan. Tomorrow, they would bring Senior Huang and Fang Moyan to the court, and let them take care of the medical matters. Moreover, with Senior Huang, who was protective and not easy to provoke, if they really wanted to make a scene on the surface, the Regent and Prime Minister Bai probably wouldn’t be a match for him even combined.

As for Bai Su, they would find an excuse to put her in the cold palace and let Nangong Jin’er watch over the cold palace during the days.

At that time, they would also send Zhang Dehai over.

Bai Su only found out today that Zhang Dehai, the eunuch who had been at odds with Chang Le, was actually Duan Changchuan’s man. Yun Xie and Feng Yao had specifically told her to avoid Zhang Dehai in the Qing Lu Palace, saying that this person was ambitious but incapable of accomplishing anything and becoming His Majesty’s abandoned chess piece. Now, Zhang Dehai always felt that His Majesty had let him down and was depressed.

But it turned out that Zhang Dehai was a double agent.

On the surface, he was the emperor’s abandoned piece, so it was natural for him to collect negative information about the emperor. He could also probe who was trying to recruit over. As long as he was willing, it would be easy for him to infiltrate the enemy. But in fact, he secretly passed all this information to Chang Le during their countless quarrels.

What a big play.

However, now it was time for Zhang Dehai to cast this net … Being implicated in the cold palace for no reason was the best opportunity. Whether it was a grudge or unwillingness in his heart, it would be his motivation for future actions. There were probably many hidden agents like Zhang Dehai in the palace.

Bai Su listened to Feng Yao and Yun Xie sort out all the details. She looked at the young man who listened very seriously without blinking, and a strange sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart.

In front of outsiders, he was wise and calm. Someone who could stand up in court, he dared to ignore and defy the ministers and directly shot someone with an arrow …

Bold and resolute.

Even on the battlefield, he would be a ruthless fighter.

But every time he stood in front of her, he was incomparably dependent on her. Just thinking that her every move affected him, her heart was filled with incomparable satisfaction.

“Okay, it’s settled. Take advantage of the chaos in Huainan to directly eliminate them. Spread the news in a terrifying way and let the officials feel insecure. When they panic, we can take advantage of the situation. The Regent’s party is actually a bunch of greedy but cowardly people. so whatever they use to gain support will also be their downfall.”

“Yes, Minister Jiang and the others are still outside Huainan. I have not allowed them to enter the city. Fortunately, General Rong Wu had already completed his investigation in Huainan. Otherwise, this plague would have hindered our investigation.”

The discussion finally came to an end.

Yun Xie smiled and waved his fan, “So, even the heavens are on our side. The Regent’s fate is destined to end.”

“Don’t speak too soon. Nothing is certain yet.” Feng Yao pressed down his fan with one hand and admonished him.

Then, she turned to look at Bai Su and Duan Changchuan, “Miss Bai will be leaving tomorrow. I’m sure you have a lot to say to His Majesty. We won’t disturb you any longer and will take our leave first.”

Senior Huang stretched lazily and waved at them, “I’m tired after sitting for so long. Let’s go, let’s go. If I sit any longer, my old bones won’t be able to take it. Oh right, Bai girl, remember to take the pills I prescribed for you on the road. Once you arrive, drink the decoction for seven days, don’t stop.”

Bai Su bowed to each of them, smiling, “I understand. Thank you for your concern, Senior.”

“Tsk, your ego is too big. I can’t stop you. I might as well let you do what you can.”

“Senior knows me well.”

The old man waved his hand with his back facing them, “Alright, alright. don’t act coy after getting your way. This old man is leaving.”

–

After the three of them left, only Bai Su and Duan Changchuan were left in the courtyard.

They looked at each other and let out a long sigh … Then, because of this little bit of tacit understanding, the corners of their lips curled up at the same time.

“Have you packed everything?”

“Yes, I’ve been packing for three days. Everything is ready. I’ll stay in the cold palace tonight and leave tomorrow.”

“The cold palace is uncomfortable. Why don’t you stay in the small courtyard outside the palace? Aunt and the others send people to clean it every day. It’s very clean and comfortable. You can also leave from the small courtyard tomorrow. There’s no need to wake up early.”

Omega’s mind was meticulous and thought a lot about everything. Who knows how many times he had thought about all kinds of arrangements.

Bai Su grabbed his hand and shook her head, “I’ll just stay in the cold palace. Don’t think that I don’t know you’ve already ordered people to tidy up the cold palace. It’s no worse than the Qing Lu Palace. Are you afraid that I’ll suffer in the cold palace?”

The young man wrapped his arms around her neck and leaned into her embrace.

“That place is the cold palace after all. People will always neglect you. There are many snobbish people in the palace …”

Bai Su patted his back to comfort him, “It’s just one night, how hard can it be? I’ll leave as soon as I wake up. Did you forget that I’m an Alpha? I’m rough-skinned and thick-skinned.”

The young man’s soft hand caressed her face, brushed against her temple, and whispered, “Nonsense, you’re not rough at all.”

Bai Su’s heart softened when she heard that and kissed his palm, “My wife is right. I won’t talk nonsense in the future.”

Hearing this, the young man hugged her even tighter.

“Hmm …”

–

It was the beginning of summer in May. The breeze was gentle and soft, carrying the scent of fresh grass.

Bai Su comforted and hugged him before asking, “Let’s go back …?”

The young man held onto her without moving, just shaking his head slightly as he nuzzled against her cheek.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Was he planning to cling to her in someone else’s little courtyard and not leave?”

“What are you thinking about, hmm?” She patted his butt helplessly.

“It’s very quiet here … and very free. There’s no Chang Le and the shadow guards …”

Bai Su, “…”

[Pfft …]

She directly slapped the child’s butt, “Don’t let them hear this. The shadow guards protect you day and night and Chang Le serves you meticulously, but you find them a nuisance. Aren’t you a little ungrateful, child?”

“I … am not. I’m just … Chang Le is okay, but the shadow guards’ hearing is too good. If there’s any movement in the room, they can hear it …”

“Oh, so you dislike them hearing you acting coquettishly?”

“I … didn’t act coquettishly that loud!”

Bai Su deliberately dragged out the word “oh” and asked, “Then, do you want to be louder? Don’t you realize that your whole body is pressed against me? How much closer do you want to get? Negative distance? This position is indeed okay.”

The young man did not speak this time. He rested his head on her shoulder … his breath lightly brushing her nape.

The Alpha was keenly sense of something unusual …

She asked him tentatively, “Do you really want to?”

The young man nodded hesitantly, “Mmm.”

“But your pregnancy has just stabilized. If we rush it, it could be bad for the baby.”

“But you’ll be gone for a long time … I’m afraid I’ll miss you.”

[He’s afraid of missing her.]

[Even more afraid of having nothing to hold onto when he misses her.]

The only permanent bond between them was the memory of the past life that seemed to be separated by a layer of gauze.

Duan Changchuan knew that his glands were not fully matured yet. He also knew that now was not the time to fool around.

However, when he thought his Alpha was about to leave him without knowing when she would return, his chest seemed to collapse …

He wanted her.

His body and mind were crying out for her.

“Sister …” The young man leaned on the woman’s shoulder and called her softly.

The Alpha took a deep breath and hugged the person motionlessly …

[Calm down.]

[You have prepared everything. Even if you leave, he won’t lack pheromones.]

[He just doesn’t know your arrangement. That’s why he feels so insecure.]

In his heart, no one knew, Alpha warned herself one sentence after another.

With great difficulty, she suppressed the surging emotions inside.

Suddenly, the person’s clothes in her arms fell to the ground.

She lowered her head …

A large expanse of snow-white came into view.

The Omega rubbed against her chest and clung tightly to her shoulder.

When he spoke, it was with a voice trembling with suppressed emotion, “Bai Su …”

“You … take me, okay …”

“Please …”

“Sister …”